The Jimmy and Andre Story

Jimmy is 25 year old. Born and bred in the Jacksonville area of Florida USA. Jimmy is full of life and is dearly loved among family, friends and all. At the early age of nine, mom and dad had parted ways. And Jimmy, left in the care of mom, is to go through all the motions and conflicts known among young black men of our day. “I was definitely angry” Indicates this young man. “In my case, I bottled up that anger and put up a good face so no one would know that I was in pain. Day after day!”

“I gave myself to sports, just to let out. I channeled all that anger and frustration into sports so much so that I was damn good at it. I used to be so angry about myself and my life and so determined not to let that anger control or hold me down. Whenever I felt angry, sad or frustrated, I would run out and play sports. And honestly (not to boast about) because of the way I channeled my anger and emotion into it, and how effective I was at it, I became the Captain of my school team.

Those folk won’t even believe me if they knew one tenth of what was going on in my life and mind all those days”. Today, Jimmy is a journalist, a handsome young reporter with a local radio station.

Andre, 25: Also raised by a single mom, is in college studying communication art. When he is not in school, he is at work. A supervisor with UPS. Andre is, as he personally puts it: “a proud seed of Mr. Jeffrey”. I honestly cannot tell how many 25 year old young men would be so genuine and authentic the way they talk, the way they comport themselves, and the way they address the issues of life surrounding their upbringing and young adult lives of today.

In reminiscing his teenage and preteen years, I could not but note the profoundness of this young man’s voice and thinking: “What a nightmare it was and is” He says. “For a young woman as mom to be stuck with the care of two boys?” “What does a woman know about teenage boys? It is unimaginable”, says Andre, “what comes out to happen, when a woman is forced by circumstance, to raise two full-fledged boys by herself”.

“By all measures”, agreed Jimmy and Andre (as though they rehearsed it together) “It is the place of a man”. Who can controvert the adolescent but profound wisdom of these young Champs? I dare to address them as Champs because they have grown to become earnest pacesetters among their peers. And for us parents, torn or wholesome, we have before us, two doves of valor and peace.

Click on the link below for the finest story ever told: Of one young man and two. Growing up in a single parent home passed through fires of times and perilous days. They refused to burn their fingers or tarnish the little image they knew they never had.

Having been made by society to see themselves through the eyes of guilt, pain, anger and apprehension, life is generally not a good story. Like most young black male kids in our towns and neighborhoods today, Jimmy Marlow and Andre Valentine are familiar with self-made defense mechanisms that most times don’t work to your credit.

Like eagles from a distant planet, however, these kids found a different route in the very clouds that drown many. In place of negative choices, these fed their bewildered minds with positive ideals and sensitivities which only Heaven could bestow. They taught themselves real life lessons:

Stick with School…
Look up… Shake hands… Right hands Smile!

They risked being called names, did what most other kids would call mundane, and turned out magnificent young men.

Jimmy remembers as though it was yesterday. “My best friend, Richard sounded out to me” He says. “After the sad event of his dad’s death: “Go, look for your dad. Your dad is still alive. You are my friend. I cannot live to see you end up with the same feelings that I am going through right now”. That changed the whole thing. Richard is in fact my third hero in this story. He made a man. A hero out of one lost insignificant kid. What a friend! A kinsman. A voice of change.

These two stepped out from the crowd. Never looking back. And they are the better. In every way! In Jimmy Marlow’s words; “I sought and found my father. Today, I am so close with my Dad I would not let go of him”. The question of blame and responsibility: how they viewed dad, mom and those around them during those dark days:

“I knew I was angry”. Insists Jimmy. “But like I said, I directed my anger into sports. I did not give room to negative feeling about who did what. For my dad, I just knew he wasn’t there. Why was he not there? Never dwelt on knowing or entertaining those thoughts. I figured: He’s a different personality from me. Things must have been overwhelming for him too. He probably didn’t know what to do with the things he faced himself.”

Now, what about the thousands of young men around us who are not yet as fortunate and happy as Jimmy and Andre. Ones with no strength and no knowledge of what to do. And ones who simply wouldn’t want to try anymore for fear that “all men are liars.” What a time to reverse that ugly trend!

Global Gay & Lesbian Outcry

You don’t deny services to anybody because they are gay, lesbian or anything else. That we do not accept certain lifestyle choices and social expressions has nothing to do with people’s rights to exist or practice whatever it is they feel a keen to, so long it does not infringe on public safety, national honor and the peace of others around them. Having said that, I do believe that private individuals and associations still reserve God-given rights of choice over who to serve with their time, skills and resources. However, nature and common sense require that the said individuals and associations should do it discretely and with true faith decorum.

There are many different ways to decline or refuse rendering service to a prospective customer without necessarily sticking a sacred cow status and stigma out to their faces. You do not possess any right to make someone feel bad or low about themselves anytime anywhere, except for purposes of correction and redirection based on given lawful standards and the principle of Consensus Ad Idem. This is where people get it wrong. And that’s where they create unnecessary social questions and crisis rather than solve them. We preach communal co-existence and tolerance but cannot shove ideas down people’s throats through political action or any other form of social control.

Political and religious leaders should exercise a lot more caution and wisdom in dealing with issues of sensitive socio-cultural nature. Political pundits and we news lovers should also learn to fan such fires with more caution. Reason is because we tend to influence overall government decision and end up regretting down the road as nations and a people.

By: Steve C. Ibeawuchi

 

When Arrogance comes to work

An arrogant corporate executive, egocentric on account of position, unique skills, or experience, is like a deluded self-conceited school principal, who day after day flaunts military experience and prowess before the school, with a shrill threat to ruthlessly ‘crush’ any kid or group who acts disrespectfully or disruptive of authority. You are like a college Vice Chancellor who becomes so powerful and so important that he comes to work escorted by heavily guarded Rapid Response Force personnel at the expense of state and poor educational institution. Subject demands a standing entree by all college functionaries and students as he walks with unassuming gait from in and out a prowling stately office, surrounded by hunger stricken peasant workers.

The atmosphere of arrogance, just like that of love and trust, is infectious as a West Nile epidemic; however unfortunately, to two starkly opposing ends. Our trading and retail outlets, healthcare facilities, transportation, gaming and hospitality networks, among others, seem to be most hit by incidences of disruptive behavior among different classes of workers and operators. These are places with most human traffic who on a daily basis throng our work floors with unimaginable display of wealth and x-rays of wealth potentials, or depend on us and the operating system for wealth, health, ultimate general safety and well-being.

It starts with one and spreads to all. Usually, one unit manager, class teacher or healthcare practitioner comes in with a better-than-thou attitude and princely-baked super-stock mentality. Sometimes, it is a store manager. Other times, a stores controller, and sometimes, one of the technical operators distinguished. Sometimes, it is a unit Director, a supervisor, an administrative assistance. Often times, it is the one with an acclaimed social class, extra perfunctory college honors and a great Alma Matter cloud. Harvard, Yale or Cambridge! It may be one who pulls in to work with some over-the-league car brand or a limousine. It may as well be one with a rich well-known spouse, a friends-with-benefits fraternity with the Boss(s), or a possessor of other forms of psycho-aesthetic objects of social importance.

Sometimes, it is a doctor. Other times, a nurse, and sometimes, one of the technical operators distinguished. Sometimes, it is a unit Director, a supervisor, an administrative assistance. Often times, it is the one with an acclaimed social class, extra perfunctory college honors and a great Alma Matter cloud. Harvard, Yale or Cambridge! It may be one who pulls in to work with some over-the-league car brand or a limousine. It may as well be one with a rich well-known spouse, a friends-with-benefits fraternity with the Boss(s), or a possessor of other forms of psycho-aesthetic objects of social importance.

When arrogance comes to work, order and trust disappear. Teamwork and professionalism grind down and good customer service suffers when one team member – top, middle or bottom, plays mischief. Case in point: When a leech is seen in the sand, usually, no livestock ever feels safe or homely again. Everyone is both seeking and building defensive habits or is looking for ways to attack and get rid of the unwanted antibody. Arrogance breeds contempt, both on the perpetrator and the system or organization he represents. It doesn’t matter how you spin it, retail outlets with arrogant managers and customer service personnel tend to receive the worst reviews, public trust and opinion. Healthcare facilities with volatile unfriendly work atmosphere among its workers big and small, or across with patients and families, leave nothing but a sour taste in the mouth of everyone associated or looking up to it for answers to their critical health needs.

Nations with arrogant representatives and ruthless political leaders stand to attract regional and international disfavor all around them. Our healthcare facilities tend to be one place where arrogance and social impudence is being given a crude new welcome and unchecked access to negate meaningful effort of hardworking and compassionate men and women who live their lives for one and all. In several places, innocent co-workers suffer. In other cases, patients and their families! A practice and structure that once held the best of noble and nurturing minds.

by:

Steve C. Ibeawuchi, M.Com

All rights reserved.

The Demise of English Grammar and logical reasoning in America?

As the world grows older and more complex, the need for communication devices and information technology grows even more. Thankfully, our engineers and technical minds appear always ready with answers to every level of advancement and growth.

I am however, very curious when people use expressions like:

1. “Tons of people,”  “Tons of money”, “Tons of time”, “Tons of problems”; “Tons of tears”, “Tons of babies”, “Tons of everything……” … All that crazy silly talk of shallow copycats!
2. “Amount of people“
3. “There’s five reasons why…..”

What we fail to study or have plans for is the salvation and preservation of human language and the communication art. Experts in this field make reference to how e-mail and text messaging have almost eroded the core thrust of communication, and how fast things are going towards irreversible negative lowest ebbs. My contribution in this discussion is a mirror of the slow demise of genuine human language, constructive reasoning and proper conversational aptitude in modern society. More disturbing is the fact that even the most educated and enlightened people are excusing, indulging and even applying these corrosive elements without knowing it.

The most diminished and bastardized language in this regard is the American English. The grammar, the purity and delivery systems are going down by the minute. The art of logical reasoning and constructive thinking are considered the most “un-cool”proposition among the youth and the not-so-very youth, alike. The idea of good penmanship, social order and proper conversational aptitude are totallyforeign to everyone.

I recently picked a line in an article in a highly rated professional magazine:

“…as the CEO of a rapidly growing company. We are adding “tons of great people to…”

I was so shocked and disappointed that I had to react immediately to this article. Some of you must have read my note to that effect. The word “Ton“ is a measure of weight, not a statement of numbers. You can only rightly apply it to humans or even animals, plants, money, time, etc., when talking of a shipload or truckload of them.

Expressions and phrases like “amount of people“, “tons of people” would be superb phrases to use if we could as well consider their twin relatives: “quantity or quantities of people“, “quantities of babies”, “quantities of countries“, “quantities of mothers, fathers“, and what have you. Nothing else can replace the purity and simplicity of sense. And the sound of good language, who can misjudge! The respect and acceptance we seek is in its domain.  More people respond positively and responsively to sound of good language than we can ever imagine. Words rightly applied attract answers in measures unprecedented! The use of  the words “few, a few, many, lots; groups, or numerous, a number of” will be more appropriate in most of these instances.

Next, the use of proper tenses, singular forms and plural forms of things (nouns/pronouns), and the place of helping nouns/verbs like: Am, Is, Are, Was, Were, Has, Have, Had, can never be replaced by our arrogance, insensitivity and quick acceptance of anything but proper norm and acceptable order.

Modern society appears to fill the blank in the old preposition: “Their glory has become their shame” Honestly, what seems to gain ready acceptance in our communities and societies today are things, actions, expressions and choices that erstwhile were completely unacceptable. Nobody cares for the right. Actually, the more proper you try to be, act or speak, the more repulsed, humiliated and unfitting you become. Who cares about “Proper?”

Steve C. Ibeawuchi, M.Com

Internet Marketing: Road to Growth and Sustaining Growth!

Are you in or very, very out?

Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as that “activity, … and process for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings (products, concepts and services) that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. Internet marketing is therefore the guided application of the magical edge and vagaries of the world-wide web technology in creating, promoting and extensively selling all products, concepts and services.

Research shows that global use and dependence on the Internet is a phenomenon that cuts across every known and unknown spectrum of our living society. Streaming information about a household product, an industrial tool, business initiative or public sector program, has become an acceptable way of life in modern society. Internet service and technology have become a resource that penetrates every fabric of known and unknown spectrums of industry, commerce and human services.

From the remotest village huts of Somalia to the biggest corporations in North America. From South East Asia to the farthermost parts of the earth, every child owns a smartphone, a laptop or a Tablet with Internet access. Or, at least, has access to one. Home owners, business corporations; government agencies and military services all over the world depend on the Internet as a source of information and dissemination of same. Internet marketing has become an invaluable field and tool for building, driving and sustaining growth.

A plan to tap into this inexhaustible resource of Internet marketing, appears to very much be the surest road to success and growth in the 21 Century and beyond. And any plan to overlook its potentials is herewith pronounced tactical and operational suicide. For a business corporation and for a public sector agency alike. Internet marketing goes way beyond having a neat website and stuff. It goes beyond posting the right pictures of your products and certainly way beyond comparing profiles and performance trails with those of known and unknown competitors.

Effective Internet marketing involves proper definition and redefinition of your concept and brand. Branding! In this case, we are Branding not just for the regular faces we see and know. We are branding for prospective buyers, investors and consumers from all over the economic and socio-economic spectrum:

• Impulse Buyers, known and unknown, everywhere.
• Speculative buyers and clients (Bulls and Bears), known and unknown, everywhere.
• Thrift buyers, cautious buyers, buoyant spenders and carefree buyers.
• The intelligent well-informed, the half-and-half and the extreme less-informed.
• Proxy buyers and intermediaries.
• Corporate buyers, individuals and agency representatives.

One of the basic issues to consider in Internet marketing is to ensure that the winning concept and approach to Branding is measurably free from the emotions and biases of the developing team or personality. In most cases, professional thinking and consultation have become a sine-qua-non.  We need people with the right information and approach. But where do we find them? On the Internet? Billboards and the yellow pages? Are they on the television talk shows or the many advertorials streaming all over the media screen? Yes and No. A few facts and factors must be put in check because we can delve into Internet marketing proper and before we can employ the services of an intermediary to launch us in this direction.

•  Who is this person or intermediary?
• What is their level of formal and technical training?
• What is the basis of my choice of him (them)? The esthetics of their website? Some testimonial clip? And based on real informed knowledge, do they possess both the technical knowledge, the resources and the level of trust needed to move your operations forward?
• What is my (our) level of knowledge of what it takes?
• What is my (our) motivation? Friends? TV adverts and theatrics? Talk-show ideas, Facebook frenzies?
• What is my (our) level of commitment and compliance?
• Resources and financial consideration.

 Reaching and influencing the audience.

The goal of any Internet marketing plan in to reach and influence the response and response patterns of the intended audience. The ability of marketing strategies to reach these goals with a positive impact, equals profit and operational success. And the ability to maintain this trend over a period of time amounts to growth. On the other hand, failure to attain or sustain profit levels and operational successes equates decline.

A winning marketing strategy must address all known and unknown growth impacts and the absence thereof. This is where skilled marketing, operational review and process management planning comes in. Many times, we need a real process manager or consulting manager with a proven track record in this area before delving into full-blast internet marketing, or as part of our marketing plan, as a matter of fact. With this ground covered, we will now talk about presentation.

We must create an enhanced presentation. One that focuses and highlights a problem calling for a solution. We must project your product or concept as a possible solution to this problem. We have to ensure that your audience has an easy access to more information about the product however and whenever they want it. Sometimes, adding a simple hub to your website is just all it takes. A hub to list all of your products in their categories and price ranges. The enhanced website for Internet marketing should include different page, image and text structures, to ensure variety.

 Public trust and compliance issues:

Every Internet marketing plan must take into consideration the fact that Internet fraud and improprieties have become a public nightmare and that any suspicion and suggestion of same will become national news in a jiffy. If it doesn’t qualify for national news, the loss of customers and customer trust is an equally devastating punishment no business or agency can afford. The following hints will help build a viable and sustainable Internet marketing plan:

1. Active and functional website: The first and foremost factor in internet marketing is to the website. We must make sure you have a website, and that the website is active and up to date.
2. Pricing, Quality and corporate integrity: Among the things that erode customer confidence in darling companies and businesses include, incoherent pricing and price irregularities, bogus deals and discount offers.
3. Provide proper training and motivation: Operators at every level of the marketing plan and delivery system must be provided with proper training and motivation.
4. Quality control policy and standards: The WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) principle is what took IBM and many computer hardware manufactures to highest levels of excellence and growth at the beginning of this century. That culture is long gone. And that’s why there is a whole heck of mistrust between consumers and producers of goods and services at various levels of the economic tree.
5. Complete onsite purchase, payment and delivery processing: Companies and agencies that have the best features in these areas appear to be the ones always on top in their economic sectors for success and growth.
6. Rich and active CRM features: If customers are able to do all their transaction on your website, receive valid payment and delivery notifications, as well as other alerts and information relevant to their purchases and transactions, they are encouraged to come back.
7. Thank you notes and short surveys: For a customer to receive a short thank you note personalized to him or her after a transaction has been completed and goods delivered, is a good sign that his patronage is valued and appreciated. Often, such customers are the ones who willingly take your customer service surveys.
8. Business URL and other web links: Ensure to have your business URL on your business cards all the time. This is a simple way of increasing traffic to your site. People are more open to visiting a website if it is directly connected to someone they have met.
9. Financial plan – A must: The idea of a financial plan appears to be left to big corporations and government agencies. People consider them expensive and, unnecessary. But the success of your marketing plan and its continuance lies almost completely on the presence of a financial plan. In my opinion, before ever you launch a web-based marketing drive, a financial plan is a must in order for you to determine what you can and cannot do.
10. Maximum financial returns at minimal costs: Never spend more money than you have or anticipate to have in a given period of time. The ultimate goal of business is maximum returns at minimal costs. And this should be the goal of the Internet marketing strategy.
11. Borrow and Copy with caution: Modeling your business and marketing plan after someone else’s must be done with a lot of caution. What made company A to flourish in California might become a Waterloo for another company is Maryland, and so on.
12. Define your brand: Brand identity is a crucial ingredient of success and growth in any field. You need to separate yourself from the pack. It’s truly not a good thing if customers cannot tell you or your competition apart.
13. Following someone else’s theories and business models: This must be done with uttermost caution. And you must be willing to consult experts where necessary. You don’t have to succumb to the cut-throat ambiguous professional charges out there. Look for my contact links. Call me. You will be grateful you did.
14. Deep discounts and other attractive incentives: Advertising deep discounts to site patrons that make large or multiple-item purchases is a very attractive marketing tool. If customers know that they can get one item for 50%, 20% or 10% of the price after paying for two at the regular price, there is a huge chance they’d end up spending a little more during any visit to your website than they originally would.

 Conclusion:

When you step into the world of Internet marketing fully equipped with the right tools and information as discussed in the foregoing, you position yourself and your business not only to success and huge sales + profits, but growth and sustained economic progress become natural. By following this model, you are going to open your business up to many different people and consumer platforms in unknown regions all over the world. And by learning how to become successful at internet marketing, your product or service will be better known. Thus you become successful in business and flourish with streams of income flowing in.

By:

Steve C. Ibeawuchi, M.Com