A Life Set Free

$1MDBP – Building My New Blog Launch Strategy

marianney — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:01:22 +0000

Based on Think Traffic’s article, The Launch Strategy That Will Give Your New Blog Unstoppable Momentum, I am now working on building my blog launch. I set my launch date to be January 31^st, 2012 and it’s coming up in about two months, so it’s high time I start preparing for it and getting the blog and website ready.

I don’t want to just throw my blog out there and see what happens which is what I’ve mostly done in the past. This time I want to do it right which means carefully planning and executing an official launch. So without further ado:

Consider My Launch Goals: What do I want to achieve with this launch?

Well the main thing I want to achieve is a decent subscribership to get rolling. What is a decent subscribership? To me, it’s the minimum number of people I’d like participating with me in comments and feedback, so there is a constant give and take. I’ve mentioned before that I want to create designs that I personally want to do, but I also want to give people what they want, so they come back.

That said a good number of subscribers for launch is 60 subscribers, so that is my goal. To me, that is a good goal to aim for, not too low, yet not unrealistically high to attain in two months.

Next Steps for Me:

Build a solid foundation of pillar content
Get my message out in front of my target audience and begin building a following

Pillar Content Brainstorming Session

I started brainstorming ideas for articles to write and came up with quite a few. I was surprised how the ideas just started flowing once I begin jotting down the ideas.

Start Building Buzz Early

Since it’s too late to get the word out on launch day, I’ll be concentrating on building an audience starting now. How am I doing this?

Twitter
Since I am the face behind my website, I decided against creating a brand new Twitter account for my site. I already have a lot of followers and it’s too much for me to keep up with more than one account. I am always reading blogs about design and following fun digital scrapbooking sites, so keeping up on sharing what I find should be helpful.

Facebook
I need to start a Facebook page and hope to get that out this next week. I think this is a great way to get yourself out there and just start posting interesting articles I find. I might even post some freebie graphics to get people to Like the page.

Martha Stewart’s Dreamers Into Doers
Then I went to one of the social networking communities I belong to, Martha Stewart’s Dreamers Into Doers http://dreamers.marthastewart.com. There is a group there called Build a Better Blog or Website where women are posting questions about improving their blogs, asking if WordPress is better than Blogger and vice versa.

Since it’s a community of women helping each other start businesses doing creative things they love, I figured this was a good place to let people know what I was up to and ask for some feedback on what kinds of articles would interest these women in particular.

Finally figured out my passion – just need some feedback

Hello ladies!

After thinking way too hard over the last few months, I finally figured out what my passion is and what I need to do to follow it. I love designing in WordPress and that’s what I am going to do. I want to spend my time designing headers, icons, backgrounds, graphics and custom websites and offer freebies of the like. I also want to impart what I know about WordPress for those DIYers that can’t afford to hire someone to customize their blogs. And of course I’ll be available for hire for those who would rather hire someone to do it for them

I am going to launch my site at the end of January 2012, and in the meantime want to build some content up for it. Here’s where I need your help. I know a lot of you use Blogger, but for those of you that use WordPress or are thinking of switching to WordPress, what blocks do you have? What would like advice on? What kind of information do you want/need to know?

This would be super helpful for me to direct my site more towards the information that people want and need rather than trying to guess!
If this kind of information is something you are interested in, please feel free to sign up for future updates and my special launch announcement when it comes in January!

http://www.darlingblogs.com

Thanks for your help!!
Marianne

To my surprise I got several responses right away and it was really helpful to learn what kind of information these women are wanting to learn.

Other mom blogger communities
Next I’ll be looking for some other social communities where women bloggers hang out.

So that’s where I’m at. If you have any suggestions on topics you’d like to know more about please list them in the comments. Thanks!

$1MDBP: Unique Selling Proposition and a New Domain Name

marianney — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:41:01 +0000

Did you think I already gave up on the Million Dollar Blog Project?? Well if you did, I can’t blame you. I did get a little distracted from my wedding and honeymoon in Costa Rica where I discovered that just because you have time off doesn’t mean that you have time to get online. I also have been playing a lot of catch up with a lot of different projects and events in my life, namely the fact that I am having a baby in…. oh anywhere from 3-7 weeks from now!

But enough about that, I bet you’re wondering where I am at with the Million Dollar Blog Project! I’m finally getting caught up on the latest posts over at Think Traffic and am moving on to the next step:

Defining my Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

The point is to put yourself in your audience’s frame of mind. Consider your audience’s needs and desires.

What do they need help with?
Many newbie bloggers (especially mommy bloggers) need help with blog set up and hosting, and maybe unique web design if they want their blog/business to stand out. Many mommy bloggers start to customize the look of their blogs themselves and if they aren’t graphic designers, they are looking for cute clip art, headers, backgrounds, logos, etc.

A lot of women who get into blogging want to know how to maximize their sites through SEO (search engine optimization) and expand their blog offerings, so they might be looking for plugins and strategies that help them make their sites easier to manage or navigate.

Many also need help with setting up a Facebook page for their blog and a custom Twitter background.

What are they afraid of?
I am being general here, but a lot of non-techie mommy bloggers are afraid of technology. Others may not be creative but still want an attractive online presence.

Who (and what) do they admire?
They admire other mommy bloggers, crafters, women who have created successful home-based businesses that not only allow them to stay at home with their families, but also bring in a decent income.

What dreams do they have that they might be afraid to admit?
Hmmm….tough one. They might have dreams of making it big and making a living off of their blog allowing them to stay at home with their kids.

What do they regret?
Maybe they regret not having a career. Or maybe they regret not being able to leave their careers and stay at home full time.

What have they failed at?
They have failed at being happy with their blog design. They compare their blogs to other mommy blogs and wish they had the ability or money to make theirs stand out.

What makes them laugh?
Probably their kids. Seems like a lot of moms are highly entertained by their kids They probably also laugh when they are out having adult time with their girlfriends.

What else do they read or watch?
I am really only speculating here and at the risk of succumbing to stereotypes, I want to say that many read fashion and celebrity magazines or blogs and novels. They may watch soaps or dramas.

What conventional wisdom do they subscribe to?
Family comes first.

What are their current thoughts on your chosen topic?
I think there are already a lot of very creative women out there. I hope to help them play more with their own blogs.

Next, evaluate existing resources

How is my potential audience being served by current media? Corbett asks us to list the top 10-20 blogs on the same or related topic then take some time to evaluate what they offer, how they relate to their audiences, what they do best, what they could do better, which segment of the market they appeal to and what content formulas do they use?

Consider how you can address the market in a different and better way

It seems like most of the focus on women’s blogs is all about Blogger. I want to show women that they can create much more versatile websites using WordPress. I know a lot of these women are probably afraid to use something they know nothing about, especially when Blogger is so easy to start using, so I want to offer my help and show them how easy WordPress can be to use too.

I signed up for an account at Martha Stewart’s Dreamers Into Doers where I can connect with women who blog and are trying to expand their blog/website offerings. In fact there is a group called Build a Better Blog or Website there that I plan to contribute to and answer questions.

The key question to answer: why should someone read your blog instead of the 100s of other choices that already exist?

Corbett says: Part of the reason people should read your blog should be because you write epic content. But epic content alone can’t be the only reason. Being better is a subjective measurement. You can’t just be better. You also have to be different. If your blog isn’t different (and better), your potential readers will have no reason to choose you over what already exists.

So this is what I came up with: the name for my blog: DarlingBlogs. Can you believe www.darlingblogs.com was available? Well it was and I snatched it up!

My tagline is currently: Inspiration + graphics for cute, adorable, darling WordPress blogs.

I set up a countdown website for it already and if you’re interested in what I have to say, please subscribe! www.darlingblogs.com

My WordPress Sites Got Hacked + What I Learned From It

marianney — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:18:22 +0000

awww.....

Hey everyone! I know I’ve been a little MIA lately, but I promise I had some good reasons to be away. First, I left for Costa Rica on September 24th to get married to my best friend Eric on September 29th! Then we had our honeymoon during the first week of October, just another week by ourselves in Costa Rica. We had a spectacular time and my main goal was to focus on my new husband, so I pretty much stayed off the computer the entire time.

The next reason is not necessarily a “good” reason per se, but while we were away, the main website on my hosting account was hacked and blacklisted as Malware by Google. HUGE Bummer. This in turn ended up affecting a few other sites I also had hosted under the same account. It was basically a nightmare. Luckily I have a developer friend that gladly helped me out in exchange for lunch and a few cups of coffee. How nice is that??

I thought you might want to know what I learned from that experience so that you can avoid it yourself because it really was a huge waste of time at the most inconvenient of times for me. So what did I learn?

Backup, Backup, Backup!

I cannot stress this enough. If you haven’t read my previous post about how to back up your data, you should check that out right now and do a backup of your WordPress site(s) right now.

Keep WordPress Updated at ALL Times!

This is mainly why I got hacked. I have about 6 WordPress sites hosted in one hosting account with GoDaddy. There is one WordPress install at the root folder (the main folder) and the rest are all installed in subfolders within that root folder. The website I had installed at the root folder was one of the sites I was kind of done with. I hadn’t updated it in forever and it was for a business that was basically going out of business. So I never updated the install.

BIG MISTAKE

You see WordPress doesn’t do updates from time to time just for the heck of it. Sure, sometimes they have feature updates and stuff, but usually it’s because they uncovered vulnerabilities that hackers have figured out how to find. Updates are a way for them to block those vulnerabilities before the hackers find them on your website. So there you have it. These Russian spammers got into my root site through the old WordPress installation and were able to change my .htaccess files to redirect my site to their own malware sites.

Luckily Google usually figures this out pretty quickly to protect us and they threw up a big, ugly malware warning on my website:

The bad thing about it is that if anyone tries to come to your website, they get scared away and may never come back! So the key is to deal with it as quickly as possible to get the warning removed.

How to Be Alerted if Google Finds an Issue with Your Site

You have to have your sites added to Google Webmaster Tools in your Google account. If you don’t have your site(s) added to this free service, you should. Don’t worry, it’s not too late, if you haven’t already, but it’s helpful to have. It determines the health of your site (malware) and gives you options to submit your site for verification after you’ve cleaned it up. If it does find malware has been installed on your site, it sends you an email to let you know so you can take care of it ASAP.

Google Webmaster Tools has a boatload of other user tools as well such as submitting a sitemap, finding out what keywords lead people to your site, etc. so it’s definitely worth your while to check it out.

What Else Can You Do To Protect Yourself?

As you might have guessed there is a lot more you can do to protect your WordPress sites from hackers. So what else can you do to add an extra layer of protection?

Change your default admin username and create a very strong password.
Set up a backup schedule (as mentioned previously) and have backups sent to you via email or cloud storage account on a weekly basis at the least.
Hackers can also get in through bad code in plugins so be careful about the plugins you install. Make sure they have good reviews and are compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
Use the following plugins (these are all safe to use):

There is always more you can do, but this should give you a good base. Feel free to do some of your own research on WordPress security,

What do you do to protect your WordPress installations?

$1MDBP – The Next Step – Choosing a Topic for My New Blog

marianney — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:41:09 +0000

So the $1MBP is on and I’ve got to figure out what on earth my new blog will be about. Time to stop tossing ideas around and finally pick one. Thank goodness for Think Traffic’s post earlier this week specifically geared towards figuring this out: How to Choose the Perfect Topic for Your Next Blog! I apologize for the longevity of this post, but this was really a thought exercise and I just had to get it all out there. If you’re in the same boat as me, this might be helpful!

1) Write down your goals for the blog you’re starting.

So what exactly do I hope to achieve by starting this blog?

Well, to be honest, I hope to create an outlet for myself to be creative and really explore my creativity unbound.

I also would like for it to be my main source of income so that I can stay at home with my new little sprout and have the freedom to travel when and where I please for however long I choose. I don’t need to make a lot of money, just enough to live life comfortably and not worry where my next paycheck is going to come from.

I would also like to continue connecting with the many connections I have made through blogging and meeting new people.

Also write down any sub-goals or criteria that your topic must have in order to meet your goals.

What are you looking for in a topic in order to meet your goals?

Ok, this is a little tough, but I think that like I said earlier, I really want to be able to express myself creatively. I know I am a creative person, I have just felt stifled by jobs and clients and my own idea of perfectionism that I haven’t been able to truly let go.

I want my topic to not cost me a lot of money up front.

And I also want to be able to offer something useful to people (sometimes free, sometimes not free). Something they appreciate and want more of.

2) Make a list of topics that you have a) experience in, b) an interest in and c) think you could be good at writing about.

Cute Web, Graphic and WordPress Design
Nursery Design/New Mommy Site – this is definitely something I am learning right now, but I don’t know anything about interior design and there is SOO much GREAT competition, it scares me
Travel – although not so sure I’d be good at writing about it
Eco-tourism – though I’m not so sure I have much experience with this yet
Zero-Waste Living – don’t have a lot of experience yet, but definitely have an interest in becoming more conscious of the way I live my life
Natural Fertility
Making a Difference – I don’t have a whole lot of experience with this, but I did have a project a while back that I started and never finished

3) Review your list of topics against your goals and criteria. Eliminate those which don’t match.

Cute Web, Graphic and WordPress Design
a. Creativity: check
b. Make a living: check
c. Connect with people: check
d. Not cost much money up front: check
e. Offers something useful: check
Nursery Design/New Mommy Site
a. Creativity: check
b. Make a living: probably
c. Connect with people: check
d. Not cost much money up front: check
e. Offers something useful: check
Travel – allows me to be creative as far as traveling, photography and blog design
a. Creativity: check (as far as traveling, photography and blog design are concerned)
b. Make a living: check
c. Connect with people: check
d. Not cost much money up front: hmmm not too sure about that
e. Offers something useful: check
Eco-tourism
a. Creativity: maybe
b. Make a living: maybe
c. Connect with people: check
d. Not cost much money up front: not sure, may have to travel and check out other places, take photos, do reviews…
e. Offers something useful: check
Zero-Waste Living
a. Creativity: maybe
b. Make a living: maybe
c. Connect with people: check
d. Not cost much money up front: check
e. Offers something useful: check
Natural Fertility
a. Creativity: not really
b. Make a living: could sell natural products
c. Connect with people: check
d. Not cost much money up front: not sure
e. Offers something useful: check
Making a Difference
a. Creativity: I believe so
b. Make a living: probably not
c. Connect with people: check
d. Not cost much money up front: check
e. Offers something useful: check

4) Make a short list of 3 to 10 of your favorites from the remaining list.

So based on the results above, it looks like there really are only two winners: Cute Web, Graphic and WordPress Design and Nursery Design/New Mommy Site. So this is how I made a decision between the two to try and narrow my focus down.

I made a list of all the things I would love to write about/do on my blog and then I really thought about which of these could realistically be grouped together and this is what I came up with:
1. Group A
  - Freebie and custom, headers, logos, graphic/scrapbook elements and blog, Twitter and Facebook backgrounds
  - WordPress set up and hosting
  - Custom theme design
  - CSS tips for non-techies
  - WordPress, theme and plug in tips for newbies
  - Mood boards/color schemes for websites
2. Group B
  - Nursery design inspiration, mood/color boards
  - Nursery feng shui
  - Product reviews, recommendations for new moms
  - Green/organic baby tips
  - Shower invitations, birth announcement designs (freebie printables and custom designs) that match nursery designs I profile
  - Share beautiful products, designs, photos I find on the web as inspiration for nursery or shower designs
  - Custom maternity books
When I looked at the two groups, it was pretty clear which road I should take. As much as it pained me to let go of Group B, I decided it was for the best for these reasons:
- I have more experience with web than print and interior design.
- Since I plan on only having one child, I thought I might get bored with baby stuff by the time my kid turned like 5.
- I think I am fine with making my own maternity book just for myself. Maybe one day if I need something else to do, I might market this as something entirely different, on a whole different site.

Now I can be really creative and find a niche in this market that allows me to find the clients I enjoy designing for! Ok so now on to the rest of the questions to determine if this is really the topic I should choose….

What are the possible ways for me to make money off of this blog?

Consulting? Yes, as a freelance custom designer.
Sell products? Hmm…I could sell design templates and graphics and custom maternity/baby books. As far as other people’s products (affiliate sales), I could sell web hosting for new WordPress sites and other designer’s print products.
E-books? Sure I guess I could create an ebook on how to start a blog for newbies or on something else I learn along the way…not sure yet on this one, but I’m sure something will come to mind as I begin writing.
Advertising? Yes as long as I have traffic coming to my site, I could sell ad spots in my sidebar.

It’s also important for the topic to solve a problem or fulfill a need. How will my blog do that?

I plan to offer articles and templates on customizing WordPress blogs aimed at people that have no tech knowledge or background. Tons of people are still getting into this blogging thing so they will definitely be needing this information.

What makes a blog successful? Does my blog have these components?

A solid topic choice. Yes I believe so, what do you guys think?
Great branding and design. Well I am pretty sure I got this one covered
The right mindset. Hmm not sure what he means by this, but thinking about my topic makes me happy…
Differentiations (unique selling proposition). This is where I usually get stuck. Sooooo many people are doing this in some form: cute designs, freelance web, WordPress customization….. How do I make MINE different? Still working on this!
Outstanding content (epic shit). I think my outstanding content will be the free content (templates, etc) I offer.
An effective promotion strategy. Uh… hoping Think Traffic will fill us in on this later….
Longevity. I don’t see why this wouldn’t last. I guess something else could take on WordPress, but even though WordPress is clearly THE best blogging platform out there and there are still millions of people on Blogger, I am not too worried. Plus, I could always learn something new if it came out.

Your goal is progress, not perfection.

Ok that makes me feel a little better. I think I know where to start, and I think that the more I work on my progress, the more I will figure out which direction I need to head towards.

I guess my biggest concern now is that my topic IS very similar to what Corbett and Caleb will be doing on their own project: blog/website design. But of course I am pretty sure they won’t be talking about “cute designs” for blogs.

And I have to agree with some of the comments on their announcement post that they have a “leg-up” on starting a blog in this niche. While most of us are starting an audience from scratch, they are basically leveraging the audience they already have with Think Traffic. I think that takes away a lot from what we could potentially learn from this experiment.

On the other hand, I do see that it’s a saturated niche and it will be interesting to see how they differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack, which is something I am obviously struggling with. And not only that, but because our topics are similar, there is probably a lot I can learn from this.

Chris Guillebeau at AONC just happened to post this the other day which I think is a great little article that will help me as well: The Instant Consultant.

Wrap Up

So it’s settled. My blog will be my venue for sharing cute design elements, color schemes, giving away design features that I create (such as blog headers, backgrounds, elements), and offering services for custom template, header, and logo design. All my designs will have a cutesy/girly element to them.

I also plan to talk about why self-hosted WordPress sites are better than others and offer helpful hints to non-techies about how to get set up with a new blog, apply themes and even how to customize themes. I might even throw in some simple Photoshop tutorials. I’ll probably talk about helpful plug-ins as well. All of this information will be geared towards women bloggers (mommy-bloggers, Etsy shopkeepers, women-owned businesses, digital scrappers, etc) and that is how I plan to differentiate myself.

Is there anything that comes to mind that I haven’t thought through? I’d love your input!

The Million Dollar Blog Project

marianney — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:50:21 +0000

Hello World!
Is anyone still out there? I know I’ve been terribly neglectful of this blog and my fellow bloggers for quite a while now and I sincerely apologize. What you may not know is that I am currently 5 months pregnant with my first baby (a boy)! I am also getting married in less than 3 weeks down in Costa Rica and still have a full time job. So needless to say, I’ve been a little busy and distracted.

Another reason for walking out on it is I started to wonder where this blog was going and felt that I was a little too all over the place to carry on as is. The problem is I have so many different interests and life goals and I think I was just mashing them all up here. It started to get confusing to me so I can imagine how confusing I must have come off to you, my readers! To sum up what I started doing with this blog, check out this highly personal post by Corbett Barr: The Grand Internet Business Idea that Didn’t Succeed and you’ll get an idea of where I was going….nowhere.

In any case, I’ve still been thinking about what’s next for me as I know that staying in my job for an undetermined amount of years is NOT any option for me. Just when I was starting to get overwhelmed and flustered again, I got this email newsletter the other day from Corbett Barr’s (man I love that guy!) Think Traffic website about the Million Dollar Blog Project. I won’t reiterate the challenge, you can just read about it there. If you haven’t heard of this amazing project, you should seriously consider joining in, it’s just getting started!

And I thought….well this is just the kind of challenge I need: A community of people all doing something big together! Here are the rules:

a topic that will be fun to blog about. (doing something fun makes it so much easier to succeed).
a topic that represents a burning desire or pressing problem. The easiest way to build a business online is to solve a problem or fulfill a desire. The stronger the desire or more pressing the problem, the better.
a topic that I already have some knowledge of and interest in, or that I can become knowledgeable in relatively quickly.
evidence that money can be made around this topic. We want to know that opportunity exists within this market before we jump in.

I’ve decided to use this blog as a space to journal my progress to keep me accountable and so here I am. So without further ado, here are some ideas I have been kicking around for some time now and want to pick one for this million dollar blog project, but I am so open to whatever. If you have any ideas for blog topics that you would love to know more about, I am all ears.

I have a love for graphic design, interior design and web design and while I am much better at the latter, I would love to just blog about pretty graphic-type stuff and color combinations I come across. I’d love to tie it in with babies somehow, like nursery design, matching shower invitations and birth announcements and baby/pregnancy websites. I also am currently designing a custom week by week maternity book for my baby and thought I could offer ideas or services surrounding that as well? Maybe use my blog to convince mommy bloggers why they should switch to WP and offer them services on how to do that.
Zero Waste Living blog. A site that chronicles ways to attain a zero-waste lifestyle in all aspects of life: raising children, travel, parties, weddings, shopping/dining out, pets, home, etc.
Eco-tourism (and what it really means to be an eco-tourist). Especially since everyone claims being eco nowadays! What does eco actually mean and how to identify whether a company isn’t as eco as they say they are. Eco-tourism is exploding but how do WE become eco-tourists, making as small a footprint as possible when we travel?

This last one I am particularly interested in as my fiance and I are also in the midst of planning an eco-friendly bungalow community in Costa Rica. I think that if I could tie my blog into that business, all the better!

So what do you think? Do any of these ideas seem viable or interesting to you? I would love to know your thoughts.

People Making a Difference Series – StandUp for Kids

marianney — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:00:32 +0000

This is part three of a weekly series of interviews with Starfishers. Starfishers are amazing people who are making a difference in a community or in the world. To read more about Starfishers and Operation Starfish, click here. The purpose of this is to inspire us to begin projects of our own. I believe that many of us have that “If only we had this, we could help/save that…” feeling but aren’t sure where to start. I thought a good way to inspire others would be to have those that have done it share their stories.

This week’s interview is the first on A Life Set Free on video. In it, I sit down with Chris Senesi of StandUp for Kids in Boulder, Colorado. Chris is a graduate student and in his spare time, is the National Director of the Don’t Run Away Program. Six years ago at the age of 17, he spearheaded the Cleveland, Ohio chapter and now volunteers with the Boulder chapter.

The mission of StandUp for Kids is to end the cycle of youth homelessness. We see homeless adults everywhere, but homeless kids are usually invisible, so it’s an issue that often goes unnoticed. These are some of the statistics of youth homelessness in the United States:

There are 1.3 – 2.8 million homeless and street kids, half of which are under the age 15
1 out of every 7 children will run away between the ages of 10 and 18
One child runs away every minute of every day
In 75% of cases, runaways gone for two or more weeks become involved in theft, drugs, or pornography
100,000 youths sleep on the streets for six months or more each year

StandUp for Kids carries out their mission through volunteers who go to the streets in order to find, stabilize and help homeless and street kids improve their lives. StandUp does this through programs like Don’t Run Away which prevents runaways, JustUs which reaches out to homeless kids, and Outreach that helps to locate and assist homeless and at-risk kids on the street.

Without further ado, here is the video. Chris is a natural on the camera, but this is my video debut, so please go easy on me!

After watching the video, if you have any questions or comments about StandUp for Kids for Chris, please leave them in the comments below!

Don’t forget to leave questions or comments below!

Weekly Wrap-Up (4/8/11)

marianney — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:27:01 +0000

I’ve decided to ditch the weekly Taking Action posts and replace them with a Weekly Wrap-Up in the following format:

The best articles I’ve found on the web and in the community the past week (this was inspired by Jenny at EXconsumer and Tammy at Rowdy Kittens)
Some realizations or ideas I’ve had over the past week and other random musings
Things I am working on currently, and of course:
The things I’ve accomplished
Special Announcements

I figure this might be a tad bit more interesting for you and will also give me the chance to give props where they are due.

Best of the Community/Best of the Web

The Ultimate Business Plan Workbook for Bloggers (Free Download) at ThinkTraffic.
Everything Corbett Barr writes is awesome and extremely useful if you are planning to create a business out of your blog or affiliate site. And he’s so genuine too. Even though he’s an A-lister, he responds to almost every comment. As for this workbook, it came at the right time and I’ll be going through it this weekend.

Purge the Excess Crap That Holds You Back! At You vs Debt.
Adam Baker’s video about consumerism says it all. Must see.

When Physical & Digital Worlds Collide at EXconsumer.
This post is so true and Jenny is so funny in her examples!

Finding Greatness – Free e-book at Listen Feel Breathe.
I just started reading David’s blog and I really like what I see. He just wrote his first e-book and it’s really great. Best part? It’s free! So head on over and get yours!

Why I Write LESS at Minimalism Defined.
With all the digital clutter in our lives today, it’s tough to keep up with a lot of blogs. Here’s Jenny’s argument for writing less.

Ambient Minimalism (For Readers) at Untitled Minimalism.
This was exactly the post I needed this week. Before reading this, I subscribed via email to all my blogs and it was starting to become a cluster in my inbox! I finally took the leap and started using Google Reader this week to organize my reading. Awesome.

Fear, Exposed – Featuring Tricia Karp at The Middle Finger Project.
First of all, I love Ash and her sassy attitude style of writing. Second, her guest posts have been amazing, especially this last one. Tricia’s story is so inspiring and so what I needed to read this week!

Why Chasing Happiness is Futile at So Much More Life
Ok, this is shameless self-promotion, but I have another guest post at Gip’s site. Go check it out! I promise it’s not as much a downer as the title suggests

My Ideas, Dreams, Goals, Realizations, Whatever

I think the biggest lesson I learned this week was to “resign as general manager of the universe.” This goes back to my control issues and anger management, both of which I’m very bad at. Why shouldn’t I be mad at that person that cut me off to drive slower than me? Why shouldn’t I be annoyed that the person I held the door open for did not say Thank you? I have to mad because I am the general manager of the universe. I have to hold everyone accountable. Everyone but myself that is….sigh. I don’t know why, but this one line really resonated with me.

What I’m Currently Working On

Taking Corbett Barr’s Affiliate Beginner’s Course. I have been stuck as to what to do with our site CityVids.tv and I am thinking that I can somehow turn this Denver video and written guide into an affiliate site of some sort. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to try out the ideas.

Getting caught up with the A-list Bloggers Club latest bootcamp. Week four ended last week and I’m just beginning Week 3. Oops! But I’ll be re-writing my About Page soon based on what I learn in Week 3.

Working on guest posts for And Then She Saved and Untitled Minimalism this month.

I think I’m going to finally start de-cluttering my house this weekend thanks to the most amazing e-book: 30-Day Clutter Bootcamp by Tanja Hoagland at Minimalist Packrat.

Remember that website that some friends and I are working on? I wasn’t happy with the original design I presented so I did a lot of design research this week and I think I am liking what I’ve come up with. Can’t wait to show it off!

What I Have Accomplished This Week

Finished my guest post for Jo at Simply Being Mum. Watch for it this Sunday!
Posted my second Starfisher interview by Jenny at EXconsumer.
Have my third Starfisher lined up to be interviewed on Sunday. Watch for my first video post on Monday!
Have found Starfisher #4 – phew!
Booked the trip for our wedding in Costa Rica in November for two weeks! We’ll also be taking a look at some property while we’re down there!

Special Announcements

I was going to make a special announcement about a contest this week, but I am not sure I have it all thought out to present it that soon, so stay tuned for a special contest (in a week or two) where the best suggestion will win one of several wonderful e-books! I’ll give you a hint: I need some help with narrowing my focus.

Be sure to subscribe now (RSS or Email)so you don’t miss out on the AWESOME contest coming up!

Are You Prepared to Make a Difference?

marianney — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:00:11 +0000

Today’s post is a guest post from Gena at Ha Nui Loa. Gena and her husband Jeff ditched their hectic lives for lives of peace and joy in Hawaii. If you haven’t had a chance to check out their blog yet and get a little of your own weekly Aloha, I suggest you get on over there after reading this post!

After the recent tsunami and our own tsunami watch our real priorities in life were once again underscored. As we watched helplessly as whole villages got swept away and considered our own possible problems living here on an island in the South Pacific the realities of life’s uncertain nature came back to the forefront of our minds for several days. I wrote an article about some of our thoughts that you can find here.

As is want to happen in life though, it goes on. For each of us not immediately influenced by or directly impacted by a disaster it is all too easy to go back to work as usual, life as usual. We catch a movie with friends over the weekend and talk about the ups and downs of plot and the skill of the actors on the screen. We shop for groceries with no thought to their reliable availability, we need milk and it is there on the shelf through no effort of our own, same goes for bread, eggs, household supplies and gas. We turn our thermostat up or down at will any given day of the week and we don’t stop to consider the intricacies of all it takes to deliver that quantity and degree of heat to our vents.

We throw dinner on the stove or coffee on in the morning and never wonder at the modern conveniences of our appliances and the power that fuels them, why would we? It is so ingrained in our modern, comfortable lives that we just accept the delights of modern twenty-first century life and take the lot of it for granted. Until the day we can’t.

Ask anyone who relocated away from the Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita and they’ll tell you all about it. Prepare to get an earful. Visit with people on the West Coast who lived near the epicenter of an earthquake or near a wildfire prone area, they have very different takes on the precious quality of life and how it can all be taken from you in a matter of moments.

Now, let me say here that I am not writing this to be a sober downer of a guest post; I have too much respect for A Life Set Free and for Marianney’s heart toward making a difference. In fact it is because of her desire to make a difference in the lives of people and animals that I felt a guest post relating to my earlier article would find its perfect home here. When you can’t help but notice that life is no longer going along as usual around the world and people, real families and their pets are suffering you can’t help but want to do something to help.

Furthermore, one of the biggest helps we can be is to be prepared ourselves for an emergency. That’s right, prepared, as in preparedness supplies, first aid kits, that sort of thing. Now before you think I’m an alarmist or some nut job that lives with cases of tuna under my bed just in case… (Side note: if you shop at a large box store and need someplace to store a great deal on anything including tuna, so that you pay substantially less than the single serve can at the grocers, under your bed is actually great for this, just had to be fair and point that out

Back to my point, because I do have one…will you be a bigger help in an emergency if you are able to take care of your immediate needs and those of your family and can then reach out to others less prepared? Of course you will.

So what does that mean to you whether living in the city, country or in my case on an island? It means you should consider being proactive and finding out what FEMA or your local government recommends for supplies for your area. Your needs in the cold of winter if there is the mother of all storms and power and water service is down for several days will be very different than someone who lives on the coast in warmer weather with a tendency toward mudslides or earthquakes.

Your locale and your proximity to emergency services make a difference. Think practically for a few minutes about what your family would really need to survive for a few hours to a few days without power, heat, air, or access to shopping. Here are a few things to get you thinking, none of these are cost prohibitive and the best preparations are ones you never need to use, but have just in case you or someone else does.

Have a family meeting, if you’re single, bring this up with your support network; friends, coworkers, family members; where would you meet in case of an emergency? If you could meet in town? If you had to rendezvous out of town? What is your escape plan in case of a real, local emergency? If you don’t have one yet, devise one, inform friends and family.
Consider creating a bug out bag: The contents of these vary, you can actually purchase them fully assembled or do a little online research and build your own in a lightweight backpack to reflect you and your family’s needs. If there was another tsunami warning and the potential for loss of life and possessions meant an immediate flight to higher ground we would have the following in a pack to grab and go (one for each family member is a great idea so that each can help carry supplies that will help an entire family):

Passports, copies of pertinent information can also be scanned and emailed to yourself for a back up once power comes back on, a stash of emergency cash in small bills, in case where you go has power a second phone charger, first aid kit including a travel quantity of any daily prescriptions, light layering style changes of clothing, backup pair socks, quick dry undergarments, a micro fiber towel, antiseptic wipes, a variety of protein bars, trail mix, pkgs of crackers, couple of cans of soup that heat in the can, pkg of jerky, pkgs of gum, bottled water, travel toothbrush and paste, hand wash, bug spray, a mini tool kit, roll of duct tape, a group of Ziploc style baggies wound in a couple of rubber bands, portable water filter, collapsible bowl, travel utensils and Swiss army style knife, tin or small size of pain relief, a couple of 5 hour energy drinks, a light weight blanket and travel pillow, a box of matches or lighter, emergency candles, wind up no batteries needed flashlight and radio, deck of cards, notebook and pens, map of area, list of emergency numbers, permanent marker and reflective tape.

Women could add in personal supplies, a lip balm and hand lotion.

Children’s packs can also include a couple of favorite candy treats, a coloring book and crayons or puzzle book, something to help occupy their attention and time, if hand held games run out of juice and your kids rely on them for constant entertainment expect anarchy if you don’t plan a diversion.
Consider outfitting your trunk or back hatch area with an on the go emergency kit. You can use a plastic milk crate or plastic storage tub to pull a few items together. People suddenly stuck in snowdrifts or racing away from a flooded area would be grateful to find the majority of the contents of the bug out bag, a heavy blanket, a couple of oversized beach towels, a couple of gallons of water, a few snacks sealed in plastic bags, jumper cables, roadside flares, small size tool and first aid kits, a gas can, emergency fix a flat in a can, plastic tarp and bungee cords, if in cold climate: ice scraper, reflective blanket, extra gloves and scarves, couple of cans of coffee or hot chocolate that heat in the can. In warm climes: bug spray, extra water and salt tabs, cool gel packs, baby wipes.
Sometimes emergencies leave you home for an indefinite amount of time awaiting family members, waiting out a storm or waiting for water to recede. You may still find a lot of use for the items in your bug out bag or trunk ER kit, but consider an organized backup pantry or part of your garage for things to help weather a few days without power or heat. In our part of the world having a generator is a foregone conclusion, many people have outdoor showers. On the mainland if water service is interrupted you have quite a few gallons in your hot water tank. Keep your fridge and freezer closed until you need to get something out quickly. Consider taking a quick snapshot of the interior of both on your cell phone so you know what you have and where it is, the enemy of cold food is warmer air. Set back a few extra gallons of water in the pantry or garage and rotate them out every few months.
Know your neighbors no matter where you live, check on them if they are elderly or infirm. Our house once was an impromptu B&B during an ice storm, friends used all available beds, bunked by the fire, extra blankets were a big plus as was cooking on our grill. Cast iron cook ware works great on a gas grill even in subzero weather!
Don’t forget that pets are helpless and horribly affected when disaster strikes. Consider having a small variety of dog and cat foods on hand for pets in flux. We always had a back up supply for our dogs, especially in winter.

It’s not that difficult to be prepared for an emergency and there are options for those of us unscathed by recent natural disasters to give to those who now literally have no home, one option is through Shelter in a Box, a large plastic tub outfitted with much of what I’ve described above, camp style cooking gear and a ten person tent combine to create an immediate shelter for families from the elements. Every donation no matter how small makes a difference and partners with other donations to shelter people going through the unfathomable.

We are choosing to look risk and uncertain elements on our planet as a way to motivate ourselves to be ready to help those less prepared. We’ve probably overlooked other great items, left them off the list inadvertently or are not aware of what makes sense in your climate or region of the world. Can you think of a few extra items or ways to be prepared? What are they? We hope we’ll all never need them, if we do we’d love to be ready to help others in need.

G. Smith lives, creates and writes on an island about slower, more conscious, less consumerist living. You can find more of her and her ohana at www.hanuiloa.com. Or discover Ha Nui Loa’s Go Slow life at www.letter.ly/GoSlow where for way less than the price of a gallon of gas you can learn more about slowing down and enriching your life, whether you live on an island or not!

People Making a Difference Series – Jenny of EXconsumer

marianney — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:00:10 +0000

This is part of a weekly series of interviews with Starfishers. Starfishers are amazing people who are making a difference in a community or in the world. To read more about Starfishers and Operation Starfish, click here. The purpose of this is to inspire us to begin projects of our own. I believe that many of us have that “If only we had this, we could do help/save that…” feeling but aren’t sure where to start. I thought a good way to inspire others would be to have those that have done it share their stories.

This week’s interview is with Jenny McCutcheon of EXconsumer.

Please tell us about your project, when you started it, and how it has made a difference for others.
My project was a one-time tent drive for the homeless in downtown Columbus, OH during the fall of 2004. The Open Shelter in downtown Columbus that usually housed many of our homeless was shut down due to low funding, which sent hundreds of men, women and children out on the streets. When I heard about this, I reached out to the Mission Committee at the church my family had recently joined to see if they would be interested in helping me organize a tent drive for those that would be without shelter going into the colder months. My request was met with an outpouring of support.

In addition to collecting close to two-dozen tents, we collected numerous coats, sleeping bags, candles, blankets and warm clothing to donate.
What inspired you to create change in this area?
When I heard that the Open Shelter had been closed down, I couldn’t get the thought of those people that had counted on the shelter for protection in times of need being pushed out onto the streets. I thought long and hard about what I would want if I were in their position, and decided I would want a tent more than anything else. A tent would be the easiest way to provide shelter from the elements, and provide some personal space.
What does it mean for you, personally, to inspire change in this area?
At the time, I felt I was in a position to do something about some of the suffering I was aware of. I had access to a wonderful community of people eager to help and I felt that organizing the project was the right thing to do.
I think that many of us get inspired at one time or another to make a change somewhere, but a lot of us never do anything about it. Once you had the inspiration, how did you get started? What was the first step you took?
Once I got inspired, I showed to up to a Mission Committee meeting at my church. When the committee chair asked if anyone had any new ideas, I spoke out about mine. The committee agreed to help me, as long as I spearheaded the effort.
Did you research to see if any other foundations or people were addressing these issues?
Yes. That was my first step. I found out that volunteers that worked at the Open Shelter were providing outreach to the homeless that were pushed out when the shelter closed. It was with the outreach volunteers that I organized the bi-weekly drop-off of donations we received from the congregation.
What is your background? What did you do full time before this project?
Directly before starting this project I was a small business owner of a little ice cream shop. Before that I was a Risk Analyst for a large corporation.
What were your fears starting out and how did you get over them?
My biggest fear was that we wouldn’t receive any tents or other donations. I thought, what if I call these outreach volunteers and promise all of these tents and supplies and then the congregation doesn’t deliver any donations. Thankfully, this was far from what actually happened. People were so generous and eager to help that I had a hard time organizing all of the trips to get the donations to the outreach volunteers!
How did you acquire your first donations and how difficult was it?
Because I organized this project through a church, all of the donations were received from the congregation. It was really as easy as including the request for donations in the church bulletin and asking the pastor to mention the project in his sermons.
How much of your time does this project take?
It took about 15 hours each week. There was a lot of coordinating I was in charge of between my church and the outreach volunteers. Plus it took a lot of time to organize helpers to drive the donations downtown (tents are pretty big!).
Were there times you thought to yourself “What am I doing?” Did you have second thoughts? If so, what kept you going?
Absolutely. At the time when I organized this project, my oldest son was less than a year old. I couldn’t fit him in the car with all of the supplies I was driving downtown, so I had to arrange for a sitter each time I took a trip downtown.
At what point did you realize that your project was actually taking off?
When I made that first trip downtown with two other Mission Committee members to deliver a conversion van and SUV full of tents, coats, sleeping bags, candles, and warm clothes. The look of relief and gratitude on the outreach volunteers faces said it all.
How many people have you inspired to help (not just monetarily) in your mission?
I suppose the Mission Committee members, and then members of the congregation.
Have you gotten to see first-hand the results of your efforts (the reactions of the people you have helped, etc?) If yes, how was that for you the first time? Describe how you felt.
I didn’t see the donations delivered to the homeless, but I did see the reaction of the outreach workers that visited the homeless individuals each day. As I mentioned in question 11 above, the appreciation the outreach volunteers expressed was overwhelming. I felt as though I really made a difference in the lives of those that were without homes that winter.
Do you have plans to create other projects?
I find my time pretty pinched right now with two kids and a full-time job, but I’m working to create more space and time in my life so that I can continue this kind of work
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Organizing this project was an incredibly fulfilling experience. I had an idea (to provide tents to those without homes) and by sharing my idea I discovered that this wasn’t something anyone in the area had considered before. It was great to know that a creative flash coming out of my mind was able to help others – just because I decided to take action.

If you ever have the chance to complete a project like this for a cause that you care about, I would highly recommend it!

Jenny’s project to help the homeless in her hometown is an excellent example of a project we can all start with at home. Look around you and see what needs change in your own town and see what you can start to inspire change in that area.

Jenny McCutcheon is a full time web designer and mom and by the amount of posts she writes each week, almost a full time blogger! She blogs at EXconsumer about consumerism, minimalism, saving money and getting out of debt. Definitely check out her blog today!

If you have any further questions for Jenny, please ask them in the comments. And please share this story to inspire others to create change. The links are located just below this sentence!

People Making a Difference Series – Jo Wright & Mineseeker Foundation

marianney — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:35:11 +0000

This is the first in a weekly series of interviews with Starfishers. Starfishers are amazing people who are making a difference in a community or in the world. To read more about Starfishers and Operation Starfish, click here. The purpose of this is to inspire us to begin projects of our own. I believe that many of us have that “If only we had this, we could do help/save that…” feeling but aren’t sure where to start. I thought a good way to inspire others would be to have those that have done it share their stories.

First up is Jo Wright and Mineseeker Foundation.

Please tell us about your project, when you started it, and how it has made a difference for others.
As with much in life (well critical moments anyway! i.e. meeting my Husband, becoming self-employed, discovering minimalism, blogging etc…) I stumbled across this project. It actually came out of the blue and is an interesting story which I will likely share one day – Think serendipity!

An unexpected phone call introduced me to Mineseeker Foundation and their campaign ‘The Sole of Africa’ last August. I decided to do a little research and came across Julio’s Story.

I watched [this video] and was totally inspired and humbled by Julio.
Upon meeting with Mineseeker I discovered that Julio (am amputee victim supported by Mineseeker foundation, and their campaign ‘The Sole of Africa’, to complete his computer science diploma) had since got employment with a South African ISP provider based in Mozambique. On his own initiative Julio created a school program for less fortunate landmine victims such as himself. He has organised 2 classrooms in a local school in his hometown of Boarne (approx 30miles from Maputo, where he works). As well as the classrooms he has recruited the services of two English teachers who are giving the rural based survivors Basic English lessons (their home language is Portuguese). This will prepare them for better opportunities to seek employment in an office environment, as agricultural work with no limbs is not an easy option. As well as this, Julio wishes to use his computer knowledge to also teach basic computer skills to bolster their capabilities.
What inspired you to create change in this area?
When I met with Mineseeker we spoke in depth about Julio and how through their support Julio had made a difference not only to his life, but had started to make a difference to those around him.

I had an idea to engage UK High School Students to help Julio’s School Project in Mozambique. Many schools get involved in fundraising in the UK, My idea was to approach a local school and to ask for their support. The concept was that I’d go into the school and help them develop fundraising events in a defined timeframe, whilst also helping to educate them about fundraising and what it means to be socially responsible and be a good Citizen. The money they raise would be donated to help fund and thus develop Julio’s School Project.
What does it mean for you, personally, to inspire change in this area?
Those of us in the UK, US and other developed countries are incredibly lucky. There is an abundance of opportunity; all that stops anyone fulfilling their dreams is themselves – in my opinion of course. This doesn’t necessarily mean making lots of money – for me that certainly isn’t the primary motivator. To be so privileged is it not our duty to make some positive change to those who do not have the luxuries we have? By luxury I mean an education system, medication, life’s necessities (the things we take for granted and in some cases complain about – the NHS for example in the UK – many a joke has been made there, but if my child is sick it will be treated) – these are luxuries to many other countries including Africa. Julio has taken responsibility he is looking to improve the lives of those affected by landmines, if I can help just a little I will.
I think that many of us get inspired at one time or another to make a change somewhere, but a lot of us never do anything about it. Once you had the inspiration, how did you get started? What was the first step you took?
Very simple! Just do it! It’s not complicated! I wanted to do something to help Julio – look at what he is accomplishing with all the adversity he has encountered in life. I can easily volunteer a few hours a week to assist a class of students. I also wanted to help the UK students understand a little more of what is happening in the world beyond the UK and how they can help in their own way.

I made a few calls, dropped a few e-mails, met a couple of people and job done.
Did you research to see if any other foundations or people were addressing these issues?
My day job is fundraising. I have a good feeling for what is going on in the not-for-profit sector. Landmines have been big news in years gone by, but it has gone quiet of late. There is much work to do, and Mineseeker are addressing these issues. For me I wanted to start small and simple and give Julio (an inspiration to all) a bit of help. From small seeds, great things grow. I wanted to see whether a little help from a few students could really kick-start Julio’s project.
What is your background? What did you do full time before this project?
I’m a self-employed Fundraising and Marketing Consultant and love, love, love what I do. For me it isn’t a job, it’s my calling. That may sound awfully idealistic but I love my work, sometimes I get paid, sometimes I don’t – it makes no difference ultimately (apart from paying the bills haha!).
What were your fears starting out and how did you get over them?
Whenever I start any project (I’m self-employed) there are two major fears:
• Fear of failure
• Fear of Success

And both are as scary! What if I can’t get any interest in the project, what if I cannot motivate anyone to support the cause/campaign. What if the hopes and expectations of those in need are unrealized – will I let them down?
On the flip side, what if there is lots of interest, what if I am spread too thin, under-prepared, could I miss opportunities?

I’ve learnt a lot in 36 (nearly 37) years of life, but one thing that stands out is not to worry about what might be. Life tends not to be that predictable. A person’s biggest fear should be inertia – once you get momentum it tends to work out. Stickability is 95% of ability (David J Schwartz)
How did you acquire your first donations and how difficult was it?
I’m not directly asking for donations through this project as others are doing the fundraising. However in my experience it’s not that difficult to get donations. As a professional fundraiser you grow the hind of a rhino

You ask, ask a second time and then ask again – the asking never stops. Doors get closed, but one always opens. Perseverance is key. If you are genuinely passionate about the cause, charity or project, that will inspire others. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. My advice is not to ever get involved in something that doesn’t mean something to you – potential donors can see through any half-hearted approach. Your reservations are theirs also. Passion and enthusiasm are the two main ingredients to successful fundraising.
How much of your time does this project take?
At the moment just 2-3 voluntary hours each week. It may be that I get more involved with time – I’d like to.
Were there times you thought to yourself “What am I doing?” Did you have second thoughts? If so, what kept you going?
I haven’t had any second thoughts about this project, but there have been other projects that I have had these thoughts about. Sometimes you do need to know when to call something a day. That’s healthy in my opinion.
At what point did you realize that your project was actually taking off?
When I met with the UK students and some had already completed their fundraising and had been kindly supported by family and friends. That was fantastic. Not just for Julio’s project but for the students themselves. They had put time and effort into doing the fundraising, I was proud of them and they should be proud of themselves.
How many people have you inspired to help (not just monetarily) in your mission?
So far my involvement has been with a class of approximately 25 UK students (which reaches out to those they have contacted and asked to get involved by sponsoring and donating) and I have also had dealings with teaching staff. My hope is that they will enjoy fundraising, talk about it, and that will inspire others to get involved.
Have you gotten to see first-hand the results of your efforts (the reactions of the people you have helped, etc?) If yes, how was that for you the first time? Describe how you felt.
I have not met Julio in person but I hope to one day. We’ll have to see what happens – let nature take its course. However the world is a very small place now, I’m sure there will be opportunity to have a face to face at some point by the miracle that is the world wide web!
Do you have plans to create other projects?
It would be great to see the project rolled out to other High Schools. It is very scalable. I’m a “take it one step at a time gal”. I want to learn as much as possible from this first stage and see what improvements can be made to be even more successful next time.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far? What is the biggest challenge you face everyday? What is your biggest challenge right now?
No challenges so far, perhaps as and when it grows they will arise. No problem – they’ll get dealt with – nothing is impossible!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes Marianne – I’d like to thank you for letting me share Julio’s School Project with your readers…
If anyone would like any more information, or would like to get involved then please, please drop me a line at simplybeingmum(at)gmail(dot)com

Please do go and take a look at his clip on You Tube – the first time I saw it I cried…
http://www.youtube.com/mineseeker#p/a/u/0/OuYLDnoIJRo

I’ll leave you with Julio’s own words
‘I can’t run, but I can run to the future…’

Thank you so much Jo for sharing with us your work. It’s absolutely fantastic what you are doing and I just know that many people will be inspired by this!
While charity work is her day job, Jo also blogs about simple living at SimplyBeingMum. Be sure to check out her blog!

If you have any further questions for Jo, please ask them in the comments. And don’t forget to share this interview to help Jo and the Mineseeker Foundation spread the word about the danger of landmines. The links are located just below this sentence!