Social Media Influence on consumers is becoming more and more relevant with consumers and not just hype. Which means more influencers will be working with brands than ever before in 2012. If you haven’t pitched a brand before, chances are you will this year. But before you do that you will need to make sure you know who you are. (Refer to my earlier post about researching yourself here.) Once you know who you are you can formulate a plan for your brand pitch. Here are my six top suggestions to get you going.
Miss Lori and her kids say the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid is a good fit
March 4, 2011 By 1 Comment
When we go to a store to buy something we want to try it on for size first. We’ll put on a pair of shoes and walk around the display a bit. We’ll try on a shirt and preen in front of a mirror. All to determine if the item we’re interested in is the right fit for us. But when we go to a dealership to buy a car is driving a car around the lot enough to know if that car fits us, and our life? The answer is no, not really. [Read more...]
Clever Girl Miss Lori names her 5 fab bloggers for Trop50
January 27, 2011 By 4 Comments
Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend’s wish!
It’s one thing to talk about things you love, it’s even better to talk about people you love, and respect. Thanks to Clever Girls Collective I am getting to do both today. I love blogging, and I love bloggers, but for this post I need to highlight only five of my favorites. What a daunting, “Sophie’s Choice” kind of a task. When I sat down at the computer to write this post I realized that though I have many, many, many favored bloggers, I don’t get a chance to read a lot of blogs consistently. However, I can’t help but read these five when I have a free moment. They are worth the time. [Read more...]
Miss Lori wants to be the first Mamavation Success story for 2011
January 4, 2011 By 4 Comments
When I was young all I ever truly wanted to be was a mother. Not a famous actress, not a multi-million dollar business woman, a MOM. I thought, and still think, it’s the most important and rewarding role I could ever play. I am proud to be a mother three times over. I thank the universe every day that I have the chance to help my kids chart their course in this World. I try to do everything I can for them, and I do. Well almost everything.
Miss Lori has a list of 75 twitter thank you’s on the last FollowFriday of 2010
December 30, 2010 By 11 Comments
2010 has been quite a year for me, with serious highs and lows. But through it all I have had some fantastic, inspiring, hard working company. On this very special, final Follow Friday of 2010 I want to acknowledge some people who I think you should take notice of. [Read more...]
Miss Lori owes a year of dryness to Dove Ultimate deodorant
November 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last year I attended several holiday parties sponsored by some great brands. But one party in particular has stuck with me all year long…literally. Dove Ultimate Visibly Smooth deodorant. Not what you were expecting me to say, huh? I’m sure, but it’s true nonetheless, and very relevant. However, truth be told, the only time I really noticed this deodorant was when I ran out of it. As they say, “you’ll miss me when I’m gone.” I didn’t notice my Dove Ultimate Visibly Smooth deodorant for the whole last year that I was using it because it silently and smoothly did its’ job. And it did it so well that I didn’t give it a second thought, (or a first thought for that matter). [Read more...]
Miss Lori has a list of 4 reminders for PR folks working with social media influencers
November 4, 2010 By 2 Comments
Listen Up! Okay, after the PR pitches I’ve been receiving these last few weeks it seems to me that we are in need of a reminder post about PR and Social Media. Now I am not an expert, I am just a working stiff in this Social medium. However, I do know a thing or two about a thing or two. (Hopefully some of my even more knowledgeable friends will chime in with their two cents as well. Hint, Hint). But here is the list of my four top pet peeves, I mean suggestions, to PR folks out there to improve their social media interactions. [Read more...]
Miss Lori says building a brand starts with knowing yourself
October 11, 2010 By 2 Comments
You know why being a social media influencer/marketer/business person is so spiritual for some people? Because of the work that’s necessary you to do in order to define your niche. When you work in a job, no matter the hours, (9 to 5, 10-2, 7-11), that job defines itself. You don’t have to dig deep to give it an identity. But when you build a brand online through a blog, (micro or full), you have to do a level of self exploration not usually required in corporate America. You have to identify who you are from the inside out so you can cultivate your voice. [Read more...]
Miss Lori believes her ultimate family vacation can only be found at sea.
October 11, 2010 By 3 Comments
Sponsored By
Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.
My ultimate family vacation? Oh my, that’s a tough call. Having just returned from the picturesque Miami, where all I could think about was how much my kids would have loved to swim in the ocean, I suppose I could say that; a vacation to the ocean. Awesome, yes. But ultimate? Not so much. For me an ultimate vacation, assuming I don’t have to worry about costs, needs to do three things:
- It needs to entertain each of my 3 children individually
- It needs to be active
- It needs to be set up in a way that I can actually enjoy/participate in the fun on my own, as well as with my kids, not just be the sherpa.
Now my kids are 7, 9 & 12; girls on the bottom, boy on the top. They have a variety of interests when it comes to entertainment. And because of their varied ages and height differences, (my 12 year old is 6ft tall already), they have different physical needs and limitations for activities. And of course, they are loathe to spend time with each other on purpose.
While sitting in the Fort Lauderdale airport struggling to come up with an idea for this post I happen to overhear a man talking about a cruise. A cruise? Hmmmm. I inch a little closer, eavesdropping on his conversation. He starts talking about a sprinkler park, comedy shows, ice capades… Ice Capades! Ok, now I simply have to know more. So, I dismiss all pretense of eavesdropping and ask him blatant questions. Where did he go? What was it like? What activities did he participate in? Not only did I get insightful answers. I got to see pictures. (How fortuitous is that?) Turns out my new friend and his family went on a cruise to St Thomas, Puerto Rico and a private island in Haiti. Apparently all three places had gorgeous beaches and shopping, but the private island had zip lines in the hills. ZIP LINES, WOW!
Immediately I fired up my computer and checked out some of the cruise lines out there, and what I found was remarkable. As you would expect I found cruises going all over the World, exploring sights that would not just be pleasurable, but enlightening. Places like the Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico, Alaska, even the Panama Canal! However, the biggest bonus happens on the ship itself. I found children’s clubs separated by age, such as 6-8 year olds, 9-11 year olds and 12-14 year olds. And for those groups there are specialized activities such as spin art, volcano creation, dodgeball, karaokee, and pool parties to name a few. And this is in addition to sprinkle parks, wave pools, basketball courts, miniature golf and more on deck. While the kids are engaged, adults have play time or relaxing time of their own. However, this isn’t just limited to daytime, there are plans in place for kids to be occupied in the evening hours too. making it possible for adults to attend evening shows, dance in a nightclub, or just have a quiet dinner.
Wait a minute! Let me get this straight. There are on board cruise kid clubs separated for 7, 9 and 12 year olds, with supervised, and engaging artistic, musical and physical activities. These clubs allows for an adult, (say me), to have some personal time to re-energize before rejoining the kids for family fun?! That is the ultimate. My ULTIMATE FAMILY Vacation.I want to take my kids on a cruise to a new World across the sea. A wild adventure which will have us dancing in sprinklers and on nightclub floors, swimming in wave pools and on white sandy beaches. Eating in ornate restaurants and in shore cafes. I want to make a memory with my children that will bring us closer by attending to our individual needs. Sign me up today!
Now, I just have to get over my lifelong fear of cruise ships. Minor technicality, right? 
Don’t forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
SMILE On!
ML
Level 6: Miss Lori was compensated for posting about the event mentioned in this post.
Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Miss Lori is celebrating diversity at Blogalicous 2010
October 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This weekend I am in Miami’s South Beach at the glorious Ritz-Carlton. No, not for vacation, for something even better. Blogalicious! What is Blogalicious you ask? Well, it is a blogging conference. But not just any blogging conference, the blogging conference of the year! (at least that’s what they say on the website, and so far I think they are right.) This is only the sophomore year for this conference. Last year was their inauguration in Atlanta. I wasn’t able to be there, but I did log on through Twitter. In fact, I got so engrossed in the conversations that were coming out of the sessions that I nearly got Twitter blocked for all of my tweets. On top of that, I was contributing so much to the conversation, when Kim Coles, (who favors me a little in stature and hair), came into the session room in Atlanta people started tweeting that I was there, mistaking her for me. It was crazy, but it furthered solidified the need for me to attend this year. So, here I am. But that’s not the real reason I am here. [Read more...]
