Wednesday, October 15, 2014 is International BRA Day, which stands for Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day. Appropriately falling within Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this day promotes education, awareness and access to post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. In South Florida, the Physician’s Institute of Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Memorial Cancer Institute are helping to support and raise awareness for breast cancer and breast reconstruction with BRA Day 2014, a cocktail fundraising event at the Historic Needham Estate in Fort Lauderdale.

Prior BRA Day events hosted by Physician’s Institute have featured celebrity guests, and this year’s event is no different. Dan Marino, who is highly involved in serving the local South Florida community, is the guest of honor and will be speaking. In addition to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, guests can purchase raffle tickets to win sports memorabilia, luxury items from Chanel Boutique in Bal Harbour, and other items.

Funds raised at the event will benefit The Roslyn L. Weiser Memorial Foundation, a breast reconstruction awareness foundation. The foundation provides emotional and financial support to women who have endured and survived breast cancer treatment. It raises funds for the Memorial Cancer Institute, Pink Angels of Memorial Foundation and the Breast Reconstruction Awareness Fund of the Plastic Surgery Foundation.

BRA Day 2013 with Dr. Jonathan Weiser, Brooke Baker, Alexia Acheverria and Dr. Craig Uecker (Photo Credit: PhysiciansInstitute.info)

Roslyn L. Weiser, late mother of Physician’s Institute founder Dr. Jonathan Weiser, was a two-time breast cancer survivor. Roslyn underwent her first mastectomy at age 45 and a second at age 57, leaving her with deformities she tried to hide the rest of her life. Breast reconstruction had not yet evolved and no adequate procedures were available. Victims of breast cancer not only had to endure a mastectomy, but also its debilitating cosmetic effects. Dr. Weiser remembers his mother’s discomfort and sense of shame.

Now a board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Weiser experiences the miracles of plastic surgery first-hand. “I get to live that feeling every day, knowing that I can help women like my mother feel whole again,” said Dr. Weiser.

The Roslyn L. Weiser Memorial Foundation is a non-profit organization. that provides financial support to women in need of breast reconstruction. All proceeds donated to the
Foundation benefit patients who are eligible for breast reconstruction, but are unable to secure financial support and patients who need chemotherapy, radiation, hormonal therapy, lymphedema therapy, physical therapy, prosthetic bras, wigs, and other forms of treatment or recovery services. The Foundation also assists in financing emotional support for those affected by breast-related issues. Online donations are accepted here.

(Photo Credit: Historic Needham Estate)

WHEN: October, 15, 2014 from  6:30 – 9 p.m.

WHERE:
Historic Needham Estate
828 SE 4^th St.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
Ph. 800-689-2359

TICKETS: $125 per person for general admission to the cocktail reception. Sponsorship packages are also available. Click here to purchase tickets and sponsorship packages

Age is all relative when it comes to fulfilling your dreams

Age is really all relative.

This week alone, I happened to be asked my age numerous times in both business and outside of business. Do I look that young? Certainly it’s a compliment, and yes, genes do play a part, and yes I also take care of herself physically and use products that I feel are keeping me younger in the long run. And I guess that I happen to have a lot of energy when dealing with people and so appear “young,” or at least younger.

Yet, I recently had an interesting experience with a gentleman who I'm doing mission coaching with. He's 20 years my senior, and this gentleman was feeling unfulfilled in his life and work. He was lost and couldn’t find his purpose and had no dreams. Although 20 years his junior, I had exactly experienced most of the same issues and challenges this gentleman had AND more importantly, had already learned how to overcome them and turn them into opportunities.

Have you ever said any of the following: 

I’m too young to …..
I’m too old to……
I’m not educated enough for…..
I’m not smart enough to……

Those are just excuses your mind makes up as a form of self sabotage. They are just that—excuses. When you realize that you are the only one in your own way of your dreams and goals, and you are able to help others in your business no matter what, the shift will happen in your life and business.

When you have a burning desire to do something, NOTHING can get in your way. There are kids from middle class families creating million dollar companies that combat human trafficking, and there are people fired from their jobs at middle age that create companies they're passionate about.

Remember this the next time you make up an excuse for why you can’t serve others. 

Interested in discovering your mission or taking it to the next level? Sign up for one of Alexandra’s coaching programs or join her next “PlayShop“. Find out more by contacting Alexandra at Alexandra@MissionBasedBranding.

Lemongrass Spa is #OnAMission to Spread Awareness of All Natural Skincare Products

Alexandra having fun interviewing Lemongrass Spa founder Heidi Leist

Last weekend I had the honor of attending convention of a company very special to me: Lemongrass Spa, a mission-driven company whose mission is to spread awareness of all natural and organic handmade products and provide the very highest quality products possible (Disclaimer: I am a consultant for Lemongrass Spa, which is a direct sales company. To learn more about the company and products, click here). 

Apart from meeting the founders Heidi and Bryan Leist, a heart-centered couple that is highly accessible, networking and bonding with other Lemongrass Spa consultants, I learned quite a bit about sales and business that is relevant to everyone.

Featured keynote speaker Belinda Ellsworth has decades worth of experience in direct sales companies. Here are the key takeaways from Belinda as well as other speakers from the weekend:

Priorities of a Successful Leader by Belinda Ellsworth

• Goal Setting/Vision: Only 13% of people set goals and 3% have any big picture vision for their life. Furthermore, only 1% of individuals have the natural ability to be born leaders and build vision in others. Leaders must set goals for themselves and others, have a big picture vision, and learn/emulate from other leaders. If you do this, you will be in the top percentile of leaders in your industry.
• Schedule Your Day/Week: Try this exercise: for a week write down EVERYTHING you do in your day. Chances are you will find you waste a ton of time on things that are not furthering your business or personal growth. Instead, try scheduling your day and week in advance. And most importantly, stick to it. At the end of the day, check your progress and see where you've been spending most of your time. Discipline is a muscle, you need to practice it.
• Create the Spark: Everywhere you go, create passion around your mission and business.

5 D's of Success by Belinda Ellsworth:

• Decision: decide what you want
• Desire: continues to build/grow
• Details: Daily to do lists builds your discipline, make sure to set reasonable expectations of what you can do
• Destination: make sure to reach it
• Determination: decide what you want, follow through, never lose sight of the end result and keep going

5 Gifts of Direct Selling by Belinda Ellsworth:

• Financial Freedom
• Flexibility of Time
• Friendships
• Recognition
• Personal Growth & Self Esteem

Other Keys to Success:

• Set your day into 15-minute increments of income producing activities
• Focus on your business 4 days a week
• People will mirror what you put out
• Commitment: Keep your commitments
• Consistent: follow through on the mundane tasks even if you don't want to do them.
• Organization: Keep all your sales leads in one folder.
• Make booking calls when you're on fire, not when you're desperate for leads! Your confidence will shine through!
• Follow up: follow up, follow up!
• Focus on why people love your product/service and focus on that.
• Never pre-judge your clients or prospects. You never know what someone is going through that could lead them to want to work with you. Always do the sales talk no matter what. Invite them to be your client, they may be waiting for you.
• Ideal Client: envision your ideal client
• Share: Love for your product/service, integrity of the company, friendships/comraderie
• Goal setting: create a sense of urgency
• Customer Care: follow up, follow up.
• Pushy people aren't afraid to be pushy. OFFER, don't push.
• Take the time to pray before a call or meeting to be of service to your clients and to prepare their hearts to be open to your product/service.
• Remember to have fun!

Check out a short interview with founder and CEO Heidi Leist on her mission and advice she provides for Missionpreneurs:

Form 1023-EZ Makes It Easier to File Non-Profit Tax Exemption

Stop the nonprofit presses! There is now a new, simpler process for new and small charities to apply for tax-exempt status. On July 1, the IRS introduced Form 1023-EZ, which is a shorter, streamlined application form helping charities apply for 501(c)(3) status.

In light of the change, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said, “This is a common-sense approach that will help reduce lengthy processing delays for small tax-exempt groups and ultimately larger organizations as well. The change cuts paperwork for these charitable groups and speeds application processing so they can focus on their important work." [quoted in article on CPA Practice Advisor]

Rather than the standard 26-page original Form 1023, the new Form 1023-EZ, is just so easy and only 3 pages long. Most small and new organizations, including as many as 70 percent of all applicants, qualify to use this new streamlined form. Following feedback this spring from the tax community and those working with charitable groups, the IRS refined the 1023-EZ proposal, including revising the $50,000 gross receipts threshold down from an earlier figure of $200,000. There are some other specific requirements to be eligible, apart from gross receipts and assets, for example your organization cannot be a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC).

This change will hopefully allow the IRS to speed the approval process for smaller groups and free up resources to review applications from larger, more complex organizations thereby reducing the application backlog. Currently, the IRS has more than 60,000 501(c)(3) applications in its backlog, with many of them pending for nine or more months. Previously, all of these groups went through the same lengthy application process--regardless of size, Koskinen said. "It didn't matter if you were a small soccer or gardening club or a major research organization. This process created needlessly long delays for groups, which didn’t help the groups, the taxpaying public or the IRS,” he said.

The new EZ form must be filed online. The instructions include an eligibility checklist that organizations must complete before filing the form. The Form 1023-EZ must be filed using pay.gov, and a $400 user fee is due at the time the form is submitted. For more information, check out the Revenue Procedures which were just posted here.

Okay, Missionpreneurs...now may just be the time to support or create the cause you've always been passionate about!

Do you plan to use the Form 1023-EZ? We'd love to hear from you!

The Follow-Up Game: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

We've all heard the term, "the fortune is in the follow-up." Especially in the services industry, it's important to keep a consistent dialog with your prospects and customers. 

So I was following up with several people I had met in the last week to schedule follow-up calls and I had two similar experiences with contrasting responses. Both people I spoke with were client-facing professionals that were currently meeting with clients when they answered my phone call. These were the scenarios/responses:

Scenario 1  

Me: “Hi [Health Practitioner], how are you? I’m Alexandra I met you last week at XYZ event.”

Her: “Oh hi, how are you?” (in a near whisper)

Me: “Great, thank you. I wanted to follow up to schedule a time for us to chat, but I noticed you are whispering. Is this an okay time to speak?”

Her: “Actually, I’m standing in front of a patient. It would be better if you called me after 3pm”

Me: “Okay no problem, have a great day and I’ll speak to you then”

Her: “Okay thank you, bye”

My Observations: As a healthcare practitioner, this lady wants to make sure that people feel well. She also wanted to acknowledge whoever was calling her (me). She politely told me she was standing in front of a patient and implied that it was not the best time to speak; however, at no point was she rude about that. Notice that I was very intuitive in picking up that she may not be available because she was whispering, so I was also mindful of the other person's environment and respectful of their time--a good strategy when you are calling people you have not yet established a relationship with.

Scenario 2:

Me: “Hi [Concierge Professional], how are you? I’m Alexandra, I met you last week at XYZ event.”

Her: “Uh hi. I’m with a client right now. I’ll call you back at another time.”(speaking quickly and rushing off the phone)

Me: “Oh, okay b…..”

Her: (hangs up phone)

My Observations: Interestingly this person is a concierge business owner that also focuses on making people feel good. Yet, she did not acknowledge who I was, rushed me off the phone, and did not try to set up a specific follow-up time to speak. If the client was so important that this lady couldn't take 30 seconds to have a normal conversation with me, then she should never have answered the phone at all. Frankly, she was rude. Plus we had been emailing back and forth about scheduling a call, so it’s not as if I was a cold-caller or a pushy marketer. She made me feel completely unimportant, and in the services industry this is a big NO-NO! How does she know that I wasn’t referring her business or that I was interested in becoming a client myself? Well, she definitely lost my business AND lost any potential referrals because the way she spoke to me was not acceptable. I’d be mortified if she ever spoke like that to someone I referred to her—so needless to say I won’t be taking any chances.

The ultimate lesson here is that client-facing professionals should always treat the person they meet or speak to like a potential client or a referrer of potential business, even if there is an unsolicited call or if you’re in the middle of a client meeting or an “important” call. Even better, treat them like a $100,000 client or $100,000 referrer of business, because you just don’t know. 

Your customer is KING...or QUEEN! Imagine how many more clients you'd get if you treated everyone you spoke to like royalty?!

A Lesson on What Not to Do...if You Have a Mission

Have you ever heard the saying you learn more from your mistakes? Boy that always used to annoy me when I would get 1 wrong on a spelling test... yet I always remembered how to spell "miscellaneous" from that day forward. 

Using this same concept, I often share my experiences and case studies of how an event or marketing campaign could have gone better, looking back. 

About a year ago, I was asked to work on a marketing campaign for a client that involved a Point of Purchase promotion strategy at a large retailer at several locations all over town. A POP strategy was developed and thousands of dollars worth of promotional materials were created. Essentially it entailed a coupon upon purchase of the product and a contest where about 1/4 of the purchases won movie tickets. There were a lot more logistics involved...I'll spare the details because you'd be bored. 

What was in place was a very one-dimensional campaign. Everything seemed pretty straight forward until I was asked to work on creating some buzz and PR for the campaign. Unfortunately, the one-sided strategy had already been set before I came into the equation and we had a week and limited budget/resources. 

As a mission-based brander, I ask the lead agency if we can tie in a social responsibility aspect, such as donating free movie tickets to underpriveleged kids and having a night out to the movies. No, that was going to cost more money, not going to happen. Okay, scratch that idea. 

How about a free community event, with music and food and other fun activities for the public to participate in? Well, we were sort of doing some of that, just not really that big in any one location.  

A couple more ideas, knocked down. Plus their social media channels had little engagement, so there was no substantial way to engage the community of followers in such a short period of time with limited resources given to me. By the time I got involved, it was too late to create a multi-platform or multi-dimensional strategy. 

So there was no cool event, no social responsibility, essentially no compelling news angle or "story," and there were two corporate brands involved. For media outlets, this scenario spells: A.D.V.E.R.T.I.S.I.N.G. $$...the life blood of media outlets.

No wonder the campaign received little media coverage, and every publication asked me to fork up money. What we did get was based on my relationships and begging! Even though most of it was out of my control, I feel partially responsible for the campaign not being as successful as it could have been.

The point is with so much clutter these days it's more difficult for your message to be heard, so you have to be more creative in how you position your brand and marketing strategies. 

Had I been brought in sooner as a brand strategist, I would have created something much larger by co-branding a social responsibility strategy, adding an event in the mix and integrating a multi-platform social media strategy. Truth is, for just a couple thousand dollars more, the exposure and PR coverage would have been exponentially greater. 

The beauty of these experiences is learning from them and applying your learnings to your next experience. This is why I'm so passionate about helping brands early on to create a strong mission, both within their core competency and with a social/community aspect. It really does determine the success or not of your brand.

So, what's your mission?


I'm On A Mission and want to hear from you... what would you have done differently in this scenario? 

Alexandra Figueredo is founder of Mission Based Branding Institute a full-service integrated marketing communications company that helps mission-driven businesses and brands to create exposure and awareness for their mission and story. Alexandra has helped businesses create Corporate Social Responsibility programs, as well as helped entrepreneurs and small businesses launch their brands. She can be found on Twitter at @OnAMissionAlex, and MBBI can be found at its new handle @MissionBranding.

Trump and Els are On A Mission!

It's that time of year again here in Miami...the WGC Cadillac Championship at the all new Doral Resort & Spa owned by the Trump Hotels magnate. This week I've been educating myself on golf, the PGA and the WGC (let's face it, I was pretty clueless about golf other than Tiger and Mickelson) and attended with my friends at SocialBuzzTV to help cover the tournament.  

 My top Mission this week: to find brands that have a strong mission!  

At the first press conference we attended, pro golfer Ernie Els and Donald Trump announced the Trump involvement and sponsorship of Els for Autism, a charity geared toward autism education and awareness. 

Photo Credit: SocialBuzzTV

Autism affects an astounding one in 86 children in the U.S., including Ernie Els' son--the motivation for his foundation. His mission is to help bring awareness and educate the public on the signs of autism in kids. 

Els is partnering with the PGA to create golf challenge events to raise funds for the charity. The charity has already raised over $4 million in the last few years and plans have already begun to build a community center for autism education as well as a public sports complex in Jupiter, FL. 

The charity provides education pamphlets informing the public of the signs of autism, and allows supporters to wear a cute little blue pin in support of the charity. 

Photo Credit: A. Figueredo

Several Trump golf resorts will host golf challenge events throughout the year. With Trump's support, the next golf challenge in the Doral Resort & Spa (soon to be Trump Doral), will be held April 29, 2013. For a listing of play dates, click here. Participate and play, or donate online.



 

Clear Out the Clutter to See Clearly

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Landmark Forum, a personal development seminar geared at helping you get out of your own way. Wow, what an experience it was!  

Through that process, I broke through the "clutter" of issues and circumstances that were inconsequential in my life and business, and gained a greater focus and clarity for my business and most importantly my Mission.  

This is what happens when you clear the clutter...you see more clearly. You have less in the way and can focus better. 

By default, this has allowed me to better assist my clients clarify their mission! 

It has always been my passion to make a difference and make my mission that of helping others make a difference. I'm soon to launch the Mission Based Branding Institute, which has been a beautiful marriage of my background and passion for life.

With that, I hope to help others see clearly what their Mission is, and help create messaging and marketing to bring awareness to that Mission so near to their hearts. 

 

So, what's your Mission?

*Stayed tuned, we've got lots more to come and fun surprises in store in the coming month as we prepare for the launch of MBBI!

Are You Living Your Mission?

“How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?” ~Vincent van Gogh

Why am I here on this planet? What is my gift to the world? What is my mission?

You are blessed with a You-nique purpose, or a MISSION. This is your overall life goal or vocation, what you are meant to do on this planet. It may also be called your “calling” in life, your “contribution” or “gift” to others, or your “legacy” once you are gone. Viktor Frankl, the author of Man’s Search for Meaning, discusses a specific vocation or mission in your life for you to fulfill and implement; therefore, your life is unique and cannot be replaced or repeated.

Recently I spent a few hours with needy kids working with art projects, allowing them to express themselves with art. For a couple of hours, these kids forget about the hardships in life and enjoy the moment, despite their limitations. I reassessed why I do what I do, and reaffirmed part of my Mission to inspire and empower others to do what they are passionate about to help make a difference in the lives of others.

Here are just a few examples that my clients have given as their Mission:

• To create art for others to appreciate
• To entertain and make others happy
• To inspire and motivate others
• To educate and train others
• To make a difference in your community
• To create a product or service that others need

You may already know your Mission and are working toward it, especially if you’ve been established in your craft or industry for some time. But it you haven’t yet discovered your calling, self-reflection may help you realize and determine if there is a larger purpose or legacy that you may not have considered before.

One excellent approach from Steven Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, is to begin with the end in mind by envisioning your own funeral and what you would like to accomplish before you pass away. It was due to this introspection a few years ago, combined with “divine inspiration,” that I realized my life’s mission. This discovery was the impetus for resigning from my corporate job, starting my own business, and creating a charitable organization. This inner search also inspired me to reassess all my goals in life.

Remember that we are all connected on this planet and as such have a greater contribution beyond our own selves. Start with what you love and are passionate about, and it’s sure to guide you to a greater, You-nique Purpose or legacy. That’s what makes life worth living!
 

“Art to me is a humanitarian act and I believe that there is a responsibility that art should somehow be able to effect mankind, to make the world a better place.” ~Jeff Koons

This article is derived from Ch. 1 on Discovering Your Unique Purpose from my success program Sculpt Your Life From Sketch to Masterpiece(TM), with many practical ways to discover your Mission. This e-book program presents 12 crucial strategies for success, starting with your inner purpose, and designed to motivate you to set and reach your goals, overcome obstacles and ultimately lead your Masterpiece life!

What We Can Learn From One Man's Mission

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 my five main takeaways that can be applied to become successful mission-driven entrepreneur 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 letters and 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 gives me 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.

I hope that 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.

Remembering some lines from his famous "I have a Dream" speech:   
“We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. 
We cannot turn back." 
   
Sculpt Your Life From Sketch to Masterpiece(TM) discusses these and many more success strategies based on great masters from the past. Although not specifically cited in my book, Dr. King is certainly considered one of the great masters in our history. This e-book program presents 12 strategies for success and is designed to motivate you to increase your productivity, reach your goals and ultimately fulfill your purpose and lead a Masterpiece life!