Friday, June 19, 2020

Preserve Your Legacy: Write a Memoir

Memoirs ensure you will be remembered how you want to be thought of by generations to come. It's an ideal way to document family history, people and events that will inform the future with lessons learned, wisdom gained...or just to tell some good stories for reminiscence sake. 

Last year, I completed a memoir writing project in collaboration with an elderly gentleman. He had a book signing party last Father's Day, when he proudly handed out a copy to his close family members, each inscribed with a personalized message. He also sent out approximately 300 hard copies to everyone he knew. It was a great accomplishment, as the book was written over a period of years in his 90s. I was struck how he was able to remember so many details, down to full names of childhood friends. The narrative (which reads like a biographical novel) tells a powerful story of his business empire building, his World War II adventures, his romances, his offspring, and his charitable giving back to the community. It also contains a family tree, several photos to accompany the text throughout, and a photo gallery at the end. No stone left unturned. 

When he passed away this week at 98-1/2, the memoir was in demand by extended family and friends. An electronic version was created for easy distribution. It served as a handy reference to the person who presided over his memorial service. And it will live on to educate his great grandchildren about a life well lived by their ancestor against all odds during his time on earth. It was indeed a privilege to work with this man as his biographer, and friend. I honestly believe he kept on living to see the book published.

Contact me if you or someone you know wants to work with me on a memoir (832-868-6100, or eye4content@gmail.com). It takes time to plan and execute, so let's get started!


Sunday, June 7, 2020

Re-Create Yourself

As the world is changing on so many fronts, businesses and individuals find the need to re-create themselves. We must all get ready for a new reality as we return to work in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest, where human rights are front and center, along with life-threatening health concerns.

I'm seeing start-ups emerge to meet the needs of the moment, including contact-free products and services ranging from the food industry to medical testing. There are also new safety measures being employed, in the fitness world, for example, where reservations are now needed to maintain sparse distancing. And in dentists' offices where the air is being purified by ionized filtration. It's a time to think out of the box and look for innovative ways to operate, as we seek to regain trust and protect the safety of everyone. This can involve redesigning the physical workplace, instituting a deep cleaning program, or staying in the remote, work-from-home mode indefinitely...if not forever!

We are all impacted in one way or another. But rather than seeing the glass half empty, it's an opportunity to see it as half full. By choosing to be optimistic, we have a chance to start anew, with a clean slate. This is a climate for imaginative ideas to thrive, for experimentation that disrupts the status quo to be tried, fearlessly. It's actually quite exciting to envision a new world of working together, yet apart, as we support each other's success.

For some, this may require rebuilding from recent destruction that took hold in many cities. For others, it means modifying what structures still exist and seeking different ways to configure things even better than before. So, I suggest letting go of old concepts to envision a future that is cleaner, safer, and more inclusive. Let's all be mindful of each other as we step into a realm where anything is possible!

I'm here to help you re-create your brand, including website content, to communicate new business endeavors. I'm also actively helping people re-create themselves as they search for jobs and need a powerful resume to compete. Contact me to collaborate on promoting the next iteration of yourself or your company.

Email: eye4content@gmail.com
Mobile: 832-868-6100 (Pacific time zone)

Best wishes,
Deborah