Post #10 - Ellen Page's Coming Out Speech

Ellen Page gave a moving coming out speech at the Human Right’s Time to Thrive youth conference in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day 2014. What stood out the most to me was her reference to kids suffering from bullying, rejection, and mistreatment, and even committing suicide, for being gay.

Ellen Page

When a public figures speaks out about important issues, he or she brings a lot of positive attention to the issue at hand. Ellen was very brave to choose to come out, both for herself, and as a sign of hope for other young people who are suffering. Everyone deserves to have a happy, fulfilling life. Ellen said this very well when she said, “…what I have learned is that love—the beauty of it, the joy of it, and yes even the pain of it—is the most incredible gift to receive as a human being.”

In conclusion, I am very proud of the efforts made by this young Canadian woman to help other young people. She felt “a personal responsibility and a personal obligation.” In a subsequent interview with Ellen Degeneres on “The Ellen Show,” Ellen Page stated that her speech was the hardest thing she has ever done in her life. Way to go Ellen Page!

Ellen Page’s speech is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hlCEIUATzg

The Ellen Show interview can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b

Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

 

Blog Post #9 - Were You Brave?

Sara Bareilles

The music video “Brave” by Sara Bareilles is very upbeat, optimistic and motivating, but what interests me the most are the lyrics of the song. The lyrics are about being brave enough to say what has to be said. Sara seems to be talking about a relationship involving verbal abuse. I think the lyrics also refer to not standing on the sidelines and watching things happen, like bullying for example. Would you stand back and watch someone being bullied or abused or would you speak up? Another interpretation could be don’t sit back and let life pass you by. Be brave and go out there and get what you want.

Have I ever been brave? I think I’ve been brave by going back to school in my forties to get my BBA. It’s been extremely time consuming and has at times put a great deal of strain on my marriage. I don’t think younger people realize how difficult it is to go back to school in your forties. I feel invisible at times because I have nothing in common with most of the students, who are the same age as my children. I think the benefits will outweigh the struggles in the end and I will be very proud to walk across the stage when I receive my degree.

In conclusion, I feel that Sara communicated her message very effectively with the use of visuals of people getting up and dancing all by themselves without caring what others may think about them. That is brave.

Sources

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQsqBqxoR4

Photo: http://famousbase.com/viewpicture/?id=13241

Blog Post #8 - Mark Cuban: Only Morons Start a Business on a Loan

Mark Cuban is a very well-known American entrepreneur who is currently one of four “Sharks” on the popular television show Shark Tank. In his interview with Trish Regan, he gives some tips to small business owners and discusses the US economy.  

Mr. Cuban’s first point is that starting a business is totally up to you; make no excuses. He recommends that people find something they love to do, be great at it, and turn it into a business. However, he doesn’t recommend getting a loan to start a business. He believes that only morons start a business with a loan. He states that the one certainty borrowers have is that they have to pay back their loans. Instead, he feels it’s better to start a business with no capital. He believes that starting a business is all about effort and that when someone starts a business, he or she better know the industry better than anyone else in the whole wide world.

Mr. Cuban then goes on to talk about how some companies are cash hoarding and that a better way forward is to put the capital to work by hiring workers. He believes that it’s important to keep America competitive. This idea falls right in line with what I am currently learning in my Macroeconomics class about Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The economy is most productive when a country has full employment.

In conclusion, Mark Cuban is a very interesting and engaging speaker who is considered an expert in his field. His points were communicated effectively, but not necessarily appropriately. There are successful business owners who did start their businesses with a loan. They will likely be offended about Mark Cuban’s moron comment. Let’s hope they are laughing all the way to the bank!

Source

Cuban, Mark. Only Morons Start a Business on a Loan. "Street Smart." Bloomberg Business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYneLGRTgy8. Published on June 14, 2013.

Blog Post #7 - Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral

There are two sides to every story, and in this case, I don’t feel that either side acted appropriately.

Let’s start with a look at Kelly Blazek, the self-described Job Bank Mother. She built her reputation on being an advocate for keeping talent in NE Ohio by creating and updating the Cleveland Job Bank listings for ten years (Romans). Her actions in dealing with Diana Makota were not the actions of “someone who wants her subscribers to feel like her little brother or sister.” Instead, her response was rude and unprofessional. She should have invited Ms. Makota to join her job bank.

In the case of Ms. Makota, she did not follow the correct protocol for LinkedIn. The whole premise of LinkedIn is a “gated-access approach” where contact with any professional requires an existing relationship or an introduction from one of your connections or your connection’s connection (second- or third-degree connections). LinkedIn actually counts the number of “I don’t know” and “Spam” rejections received and may go as far as to restrict or close the user’s account. According to Christine Romans, people shouldn’t “casually add a connection on LinkedIn, especially not with someone outstanding in their field.” A more appropriate approach for Ms. Makota would have been to ask Ms. Blazek to join the job bank.

Another point about Ms. Makota’s behaviour is in regards to her posting Ms. Blazek’s responses online. Potential employers may hold her actions against her. They may wonder if Ms. Makota were to be hired, would she post negative things online about them or their companies. So while some people may think it was brave for Ms. Makota to stand up for herself, it may have cost her job opportunities.

I learned several things from this video. First, never put something in writing that you don’t want shared online. Once it’s out there, it’s a permanent record. Even something seemingly minor can escalate and ruin your reputation. Second, LinkedIn has a protocol in regards to adding connections and getting introductions from your connections. This protocol is what enables LinkedIn members to develop a network of trusted contacts. Networking is important, but it’s also important to follow the rules. Had Ms. Makota followed the LinkedIn rules, this rejection would not have happened.

References

Cho, Janet H. Kelly Blazek again shuts down Job Bank Twitter account, a third rejected job seeker speaks out. The Plain Dealer. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/02/kelly_blazek_restarts_her_job_bank_twitter_account_with_an_apology_and_the_hashtag_letcitydown.html. Retrieved 2015, November 7.

Romans, Christine. Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral. CNN. New York. http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/tech/web/linked-in-cleveland-job-bank/. Retrieved 2015, November 7.

 

 

Blog Post #6 – YouTube Marketing: The Best Type of Business Videos to Use for Your Small and Online Business

For blog post six, I decided to search for a business related video on marketing. I came across a fun and entertaining video entitled “YouTube Marketing: The Best Type of Business Videos to Use for Your Small and Online Business.” This video is a good example of delivering a persuasive message.

I found it very interesting that the presenter Brandon followed the four-step AIDA approach described in the BCOM textbook for delivering a persuasive message. He grabbed the receiver’s attention by breaking a white board to illustrate that a white board presentation is not the best approach for a YouTube video. He then generated interest by stating that “nowadays everybody has heard that you need to be doing video marketing.” This statement generates interest by making people think perhaps they are missing out on a way to market their business. Next Brandon created desire by setting himself up as a marketing expert and sharing his top three tips for marketing success. He ended by encouraging action with an invitation for people to sign up for his free online workshop. His ultimate goal was to get people to subscribe to his channel. This message was reinforced by the fact the he was wearing a t-shirt with the words “Please subscribe.”

The presenter made the assumption that “nowadays everybody has heard that you need to be doing video marketing.” It’s not usually a good idea to make an assumption that everybody knows something. In my current writing class, I learned that this is considered to be a generalization and should be avoided. However, in this particular case I feel that the use of “everybody has heard” has the desired effect of generating interest, and is more effective than saying something like “most people have heard.”

Overall, I felt that this was an effective presentation because it followed the four-step AIDA approach and used a lot of fun and entertaining elements to keep the viewer engaged. If I had a small business, I would definitely watch the free online workshop.

Source

Brandon. YouTube Marketing: The Best Type of Business Videos to Use for Your Small and Online Business. Sold with Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUlq5LTNgtI.