MicroTheater Miami Promoting Live, Local Theater & Improv

MicroTheater Miami is a hidden gem in South Florida, promoting live, local theater in Miami in both English and Spanish. This fun, new entertainment in Miami is sponsored by a Knight Foundation grant in Spanish and English, and during the month of April it will also be brought to the public in part by O Miami Poetry Festival, during poetry month. 

This is all held at the Centro Cultural de Espana, which has been sharing this form of theater in Miami for three years strong now. This form of microtheater, or microteatro in Spanish, is very popular in Spain, and I have been told has even be shared in caves in some cities across Spain. 

The Miami version of microtheater has seven cargo containers turned into makeshift mini theaters--a tight, yet intimate space that is perfect for these "shorts" of 15 minutes or less. Each show is $5 and you can watch as many or as little as you'd like. The plays are held throughout the night, as each company reproduces their show six times every evening. The genres range from comedy to drama and mystery.

I'm particularly excited that during April, MicroTheater Miami has decided to create its first ever Dynamic Night of Theater alongside the English Prime-Time. The new Dynamic Night, includes six unscripted, improvised plays which will run every Wednesday, starring many of the best local improvisers. The regular English Prime Time is on Thursdays in April, and both run from 8pm to 11pm. Spanish Prime-Time runs Friday and Saturday from 8pm-11pm, and Sundays from 7pm-10pm. 

The improvised containers during April will include many of my improviser friends throughout South Florida, which is a real treat for lovers of improv. The containers include:

• Comedy School Dropouts' "Mono: The Show of Fate", which is one long scene about a cult made up on the spot, featuring improviser Jonathan Cabrera
• Mike Nato's Meatball Container, which will feature one scene in the trippy #MethTub, a-la Breaking Bad 
• "To Sterling With Love", 1950's twilight zone inspired scenes presented by Kristy Weber's improv company Miamah Comedy
• "One Night In Prison", which brings musings from two inmates from inside a prison cell, directed by IO teacher Jeff Quintana
• "Scribble-Knot", where a quirky, scribbled dry-erase board set forms a backdrop to the play,   directed by Impromedy's Ozzie Quintana
• South Florida Improv Showcase featuring several high-energy short games such as pick-a-line and interrogation, compiled by one of South Florida's best improvisers Carlos Rivera, founder of AllTheComedy.com
  
  
  
  
  

Super Bowl Ads are #OnAMission with Cause Marketing

According to Variety.com, Super Bowl 2015 viewership was the highest it's ever been, with just over 114 million viewers throughout the game. No doubt a large number of viewers actually were into the tight-scoring game that was a nail biter on both sides the entire game.

But for the rest of us, it was all about the commercials. Many people had their own personal favorites, but what was most surprising was that there were a few standout causes that were reflected, both from a PSA and a corporate brand.

The NFL's ad agency produced the PSA from NoMore.org, that brings you into a domestic violence 911 call, where a dispatcher discovers the caller is placing a make-believe pizza delivery order as a cover up for a real emergency call. Putting yourself in the shoes of this woman is chilling enough to give anyone goosebumps. Here's the PSA now:



Perhaps the most shocking cause-related ad was by Nationwide, which shows a little boy who states he will never grow up to live a myriad of situations such as riding a bike or getting married because he drowned in his bath tub. This ad received a lot of negative feedback from social media as too dark and depressing. Yet according to Nationwide: "Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America. Most people don't know that. Nationwide ran an ad during the Super Bowl that started a fierce conversation. The sole purpose of this message was to start a conversation, not sell insurance."



And overall there was an increase in "feel good" ads around dads being good dads, such as this Nissan commercial set to Cats in the Cradle. My personal favorite commercial was the heartwarming #BestBuds by Budweiser, which is no surprise considering my love for puppies!

What was your favorite Super Bowl 2015 commercial? Share in the comments section below.

During the 1960s Civil Rights movement in the U.S., one man Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood out as the visionary for freedoms granted to black Americans. His mission was so powerful that it created a movement and legacy that have lasted and permeated into universal rights for all humanity.

After reflecting on Dr. King’s life, these are five main takeaways that can be applied to become a successful mission-driven business and visionary:

1. Having a “Dream” and Vision: Dr. King’s iconic “I Have a dream” speech lays out his desire for a world where freedom “rings” and we are empathetic toward our neighbor. Creating change started with his dream–a vision–which translated to a mission so clear Dr. King would not stop until it was fulfilled.

2. Taking Action with Determination: The Civil Rights movement didn’t happen overnight and certainly did not prevail after Dr. King gave just a few speeches. It took many years of sweat, toil, pain and relentless action–a series of small steps forward toward his Mission, which led to something much greater over time.

3. Courage to face fears and take risks: Just the thought of Dr. King delivering his speeches and leading marches in some of the most discriminatory parts of the country causes chills. He was walking a very dangerous path; yet it is in facing our greatest fears that we find our inner strength to overcome them and find the right path to our Mission.

4. Finding a support system: Although Dr. King was an inspiring and powerful leader, he knew he couldn’t pull off his Mission alone. This unified dream, sense of community and strength in numbers propelled the movement forward and fueled Dr. King’s efforts even when he was down.

5. Persistence to pursue one’s Mission despite obstacles: Certainly Dr. King faced self-doubt and insecurity throughout the pursuit of civil rights. He and his supporters faced much worse: criticism, death threats, persecution, imprisonment, assault and ultimately death. But his faith and persistence to fulfill his Mission was so strong that he was willing to die attaining it. The unified Mission was so powerful that it continued to inspire and motivate change and progress even after death. Are you willing to die for your Mission?

Hopefully we can remember these same lessons whenever we feel ourselves challenged and facing our own struggles, or want to quit before living our Mission. When our dream is so strong, there is no way we can turn back.

*What’s your mission? Do you need help turning your mission into a message shared with the world? Email us to set up a complimentary brand strategy call to discuss your mission and brand at alexandra@missionbasedbranding.com.

How to Turn Resolutions Into Goals You Can Achieve

(From left, Marbeth Dunn, Erika Firenczi, Jolie Glassman, Joanne Burgess, Alexandra Figueredo)

Most people start of the year motivated by ambitious resolutions, whether it's starting a new fitness routine, a new business venture or some other big dream. Oftentimes, their goals fizzle away within weeks.

January’s signature meeting of the Greater Miami Holistic Chamber of Commerce tackled this topic of turning those resolutions into real, achievable goals all year round. A distinguished panel of success experts shed light on this subject and shared their best tips and strategies to achieve those goals once and for all:

- Joanne Burgess, certified life coach, master NLP practitioner and founder of Flight of Minds, overcame several challenges to get to where she is today, including moving from another country (England) and growing up with dyslexia. She believes the most important part of achieving success is to focus. “What you focus on, you create,” she said. To that end, she suggests limiting distractions as well as negative people in one’s life. Also, language is very powerful and she advises being aware of the words you’re using and focusing on.

- Jolie Glassman, founder of South Beach Boxing, a local gym that earns over $1 million in revenue per year, doesn’t believe in excuses. She shares her three keys to success. First, be totally immersed in one’s goal, making it an obsession and living within purpose. Second, make education a priority, constantly learning and growing by making time for personal and professional development. Third, play up on one’s strengths, motivating rather than discouraging oneself.

- Erika Ferenczi is a business and wealth mindset mentor and founder of Profits for Freedom and the Unstoppable Female. Growing up in a divorced household and then facing a diminishing marriage as an adult, she quickly realized she needed to do whatever it takes to become financially independent. “It’s not about the money, but what the money allows you to do when you get it. It is all about freedom and choice,” she said. She suggests three ways to achieving one’s goals. First, reach the point of “enough is enough” and attach success either to a lot of pleasure, or to a lot of pain if not achieved. Next, become aware of secret thoughts in one’s head and be honest about those. Lastly, set yourself up for success, asking yourself what steps are you actually taking, are you being the person that achieves success and are you making your life your legacy?

- Marbeth Dunn, The Joy To Abundance Strategist and creator of Spiritual Wealth Activation System, overcame abandonment and abuse as a child that carried over into her adult life to now help others overcome their own challenges. “In our challenges there are so many blessings. These roadblocks are our teachers,” she said. When she finally realized her thoughts have power, everything shifted for her. No matter how much you plan for success, if your thoughts are creating resistance, you won’t effectively manifest your desires. When the voices or “committees” in our head get crazy, she recommends stepping back, being present and not judging oneself for these thoughts. One can release resistance by first becoming aware of it and then allowing oneself to intensify those feelings until they begin to dissipate. It may help to seek counsel from a coach, hypnotist, EFT practitioner, therapist or another practitioner trained in helping release baggage and saboteurs.

In conclusion, in order to create sustainable, lasting success in any area of one’s life, we must get clear and focus on what we desire, have a can-do, no-excuses attitude that takes action, ignore the negative self talk, people and distractions, and clear the subconscious mindset blocks that may sabotage our success. So what’s your big goal for the year?

Alexandra Figueredo is president of Greater Miami Holistic Chamber of Commerce and founder of Mission Based Branding Institute, a full-service communications agency and training platform dedicated to helping mission-driven individuals and businesses. Contact her at alexandra@missionbasedbranding.com or 305-209-5886.