“Did someone say SAFETY?” – Count me in – FREEDOME!
About a month ago I read via TRIBERR about an online security system campaign that helps to detect if someone is zooming in to your personal devices via public WiFi connections. It was called Freedome. I was intrigued enough to click on to their youtube video that explained how lacking in security most of us are in public places! Need convincing? Curious? Read on!
I soon learned that F-Secure, the company who created Freedome, was looking for bloggers who had some measure of knowledge about this space. Now if you know me and my background – you will understand that I have a passion for keeping people safe – especially via prevention. Freedome is an easy preventive measure – it simply uses a VPN with anti-virus, anti-tracking and anti-phishing all in just one button. It can be installed on your iPad, iPhone or Android device. I gladly accepted the opportunity to be one of their brand ambassadors and this week I will be sharing some fun .
Are you secure when online? Watch this video to see why most of us are NOT!
What steps did I take to install Freedome?
The first part of my process to learn about Freedome was to watch their video. As a social media correspondent and one that travels all the time (yes, I am so close to calling LAX my home), I was shocked to learn on this video how exposed my devices were in the public milieu. The video highlighted my vulnerability, but more importantly also made me realize that teens and tweens with phones, tablets and computers are so very much at risk too! YIKES!
After watching the video I received my link to begin my free trial Freedome subscription. It was fast and easy to install (less than five minutes) and the tutorial was very helpful. The information on the tutorial was made very easy to follow thanks to graphics that were clear to comprehend. Directions are text and not voiced – so it is easy for all to understand who speak English and accessible to my Deaf friends, as well. And for all my friends who are “youtubers” – making those videos at your local coffee shop is not a great idea unless you are secure with your WiFi!
Want to be protected, too – FREE?
I would love for you to join me in this journey of being invisible online. A free trial subscription is available and quite frankly the paid one year subscription is less than the price of a few lattes.
Simply use this LINK to get started for your free trial!
USE THIS CODE to get the FREE TRIAL: qsf257
COMING SOON!
In the next few days I will be writing about a great GIVEAWAY of a iPad Mini 16 GB Wi-FI and a free year of Freedome, which protects all your devices. All the information will appear on my SIGNING FAMILIES FACEBOOK page and appear at my other various platforms such as TWITTER. Be sure to stay tuned for fun and a few little surprises…
Thanks for reading!
~Louise
The Power of #YouTubers
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- Tyler, Justine and Joey
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- After the speaker’s panel was done!
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- A little fun at the Vanity Fair photo booth with iJustine and
I have had the privilege of being invited as a social media correspondent to the Vanity Fair and Access Hollywood pre-Oscar event this week. As a result of this assignment (and one given to scores of others) – I had the opportunity to meet, greet and laugh with three “youtubers” – iJustine, Joey Garceffa and Tyler Oakley. They couldn’t have been nicer to this 50+ year old woman. And, I learned a lot- which is not surprising considering that each have millions and millions of views on their videos. (I get excited when I have 500 views on one of my videos!)
What I found interesting during their panel discussion that kicked off the Vanity Fair Social Club (VFSC,) was their candor and recognition that times are changing in the world of media.
Do they watch TV? Not much.
Have they been to a theater recently? No not really.
What about their families – are they encouraging and supportive to their endeavors on YouTube and beyond? Absolutely- agreed all three.
How about bullying and haters? Each had a different take on this topic – Now my interest really was piqued! Justine and Joey both agreed that part of the “job” were the haters. But, Tyler took the topic one step further with his discussion of the TREVOR PROJECT – a program that was implemented to put the spotlight on helping those who feel emotionally desperate and/or suicidal. (Now this IS the power of Youtube- helping others- #SocialGood)
Read more about the TREVOR PROJECT here.
What really interested me was that these three were on totally different paths and found that creating YouTube videos, that started as a casual “hobby”, resulted in a very marketable entertainment brand for each and everyone of them.
Justine, Joey and Tyler all have different platforms on their videos. Usually discussing current events and the “state” of their world. Learn more about the insights of this dynamic trio by clicking on these links to get a look in to their channels:
Happy Oscars everyone! Stay tuned for more random musings, including photos, from the desk of this social media correspondent! Follow me all week via the Vanity Fair Social Club on TWITTER as @LouiseASL #VFSC
Time for change… Meet the #411Voices Influential Network
ANNOUNCEMENT TIME – I would like to proudly introduce to you the new look and name for what has been known since 2011 as 411 Voices:
411 Voices Influential Network
Recently, I have met many wonderful people via networking opportunities who ask me, “What is 411 Voices“? They often are intrigued by the concept of nearly two dozen women, who are experts in their own professions, coming together to provide a large menu of services – ranging from consultative to philanthropic. So, without further ado here is an “explanation” about our cadre of women experts-
Our cohesive team hails from across the globe and is comprised of professionals with diverse areas of expertise. For starters we offer media marketing services including strategic planning (digital and traditional) and web development. We are seasoned social media contributors, influencers and brand ambassadors who have #SocialTV experience and”know – how”. Our videos, books, articles and blogs are often hailed by others as “top- notch”! We have a heart for philanthropy and support several endeavors that help causes from education to support for victims of domestic violence or cancer.
You never know where you will see one of us! From CNN, to Shark Tank to even national culinary events! We even appear on the red carpet! This year many on our team will be present at the Vanity Fair social media week for the Academy Awards.
Plus, together we are considered premium “think – tank” expert consultants who have offered their assistance to companies and organizations of various sizes. We work together – sans drama- to offer what is best for the client.
As part of our continued efforts to stay contemporary, we enlisted our resident animator, Dara Blaker, to create our new informational welcome video that shows we also have a sense of humor!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, too!
Coming soon – “In the spotlight” – a series for you to get to know some of the most creative people using social media to bring exciting content to YOU!
Maui, I loved you but…
I recently returned from the lovely Hawaiian Island of Maui. So beautiful and in some places even exotic. Covered with lovely beaches, including those with black sand. Surrounded by majestic mountains that are taller than most of the clouds that filtered around the island.
Yes, Maui’s landscape and people are AMAZING but, throughout my visit I kept having a gnawing feeling of concern with this destination. For an island that has a huge tourism industry and thousands of residents that live within a mile to their shores, I saw no obvious disaster preparedness or safety information regarding evacuation routes in the event of an earthquakes or tsunami. At first, I thought I was just was in “vacation mode” and not taking note of area safety posts. So, I inquired about disaster preparedness plans to hotel staff, restaurant owners and people at tourism locations (including park rangers). The answer to my queries usually sounded like this… “Hmm.. good questions.. just head to the mountains- fast”.
One of our vacation apps did mention the yellow warning sirens on the north part of the island- but we couldn’t find any. After some searching I did find an evacuation map for Maui – online. And, there are considerable resources regarding earthquake and tsunami safety on official websites for Hawaii preparedness. But, if one doesn’t go seeking this information, then they could be caught off – guard and perhaps grossly unprepared.
One plus was that I did read in the local newspaper about the Maui CERT group meetings being offered. It was nice to see that they had an active community emergency response team.
So, Maui community leaders and hotel organizations – please be proactive and give information to your residents and visitors … just in case. And yes, I will be back … someday… as I did love this island.
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- The north part of Maui is the site of one of the most devastating tsunami’s that hit following a 7.4 earthquake off the Aleutian Islands of Alaska
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- Oral history told to me by a local resident stated that this church was one of the few buildings left with little damage following the 1946 tsunami that devastated much of the north part of Maui
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- Beautiful Maui
Will you seek heroes in 2015?
2015. Numerology tells us that the numbers add up to 8 – meaning success and profitability (or so my friends who practice this art tell me!) While I am not one to count digits to decide my year’s path – I would like this new year to be one for turning the spotlight on everyday heroes instead of discussing ad nauseam those who use tactics to scare, bully or harm others.
I know that each reader of this blog can think of at least one person who they consider a “hero”. Many of my heroes are kids! They are the ones who collect blankets for the homeless, donate their time as peer buddies in schools, create cool science projects simply to challenge themselves, or perhaps author musical scores or books!
We often are so busy looking at those who provide “shock value” (“Calling all Kardashians”), that we forget some of the most unique individuals live in our neighborhoods. To me the local “folks” provide much more interest to me “IRL” (in real life) than any tabloid story.
In 2015 I plan on continuing the tradition I started at the end of 2014. Each week I carve out time to watch a few TedX Talks Youtube episodes. While there is a huge catalog of TedX topics and presenters, I often find myself watching kids via the TedX Teen Talks! There I have discovered many people who I would consider “heroes” – even if they have lived for less than two decades. If you have free time or simply want to use a few moments to expand your mind – check out these young entrepreneurs and enjoy the presentations of those who are dedicating their young lives to #SocialGood.
Have a groovy and safe 2015!
~Louise
Learn the ASL Alphabet via Fun Word Search Puzzles!
Looking for a fun AND educational gift this holiday season? Try this series of FINGER ALPHABET COOL KIDS WORD SEARCH PUZZLES. I received a set to review this week and must admit they are indeed creative and enjoyable! Note that the puzzle books are marked by levels and type of words- such as Verbs or Adjectives. Great for beginning ASL classes.
To learn more I would recommend clicking to AMAZON where they are sold for around $8 per book.
A perfect fit every time! Meet Fitlogic’s Little Black Pant! #Giveaway
Say what?! There is actually a company that has designed a template for women’s pants so that each time you try on your “size” it will fit – no guess work involved?! Imagine that!
MEET the LITTLE BLACK PANT by FitLogic!
Cricket Lee imagined the concept of a world where women don’t have to try on pants anymore, and it’s taken her twelve years of testing and perfecting the product to go from the “drawing board” to market entry. A couple of weeks ago I saw @Fitlogic on TWITTER. I noticed that they were posting very interesting tweets that caught my eye. And, some of the tweets mentioned a sale – 30% off a pair of a pair of pants. After clicking through to their website and reading about how you can have a pair of pants “made for you” – I was convinced this was the company for me. I promptly ordered and within just a few days the Little Black Pant arrived at my door. Commence the test… would they truly fit like a “glove” without fail? YES INDEED! My pair of pants was perfect!
Watch videos, including testimonials, about Fitlogic
LOVE these pants so much I am sending double ASL kudos!
I was so thrilled that I connected with Cricket and asked if I could interview her for this blog. I learned so much about this dynamo, including her vision. Enjoy meeting Cricket Lee! Don’t miss the giveaway (details below) and the promotion link to get your Little Black Pants at 30% off the regular price of $59.95. Your price in the cart will be only $39.95 (good until December 30, 2014).
Louise Q1- Fitlogic is well … so logical… can you explain the concept and catalyst for this company?
Crickett A1- The concept is that Fitlogic is a true science and fits 95% of women. The fashion industry fits on one shape model and uses antiquated methods. It is designed and proven as a world patented operating system for apparel to ultimately create a fit standard. LittleBlackPant is the debut pant that holds the Fitlogic system so that women can experience the superior fit and join our movement. Our long term goal is to license the technology to all brands that want to please the consumers by carrying their personal Fitlogic fit.
Louise Q2- The Little Black Pant is PERFECT for just about ANYONE – will there be a little WHITE or KAKI pant soon?
Crickett A2: Yes, we are offering a stone off white color for spring, a coral and maybe more. We are going to be offering lengths and plus sizes as soon as we can. When we offered up to size 24 on QVC in Jones New York we sold out quickly, so we have the patterns developed – we just have to build the company a bit more before we can offer them again. We also tested successfully in Nordstrom and Macy’s.
Louise Q3- All good business owners / entrepreneurs have a 1-3-5 year plan. Where would you like Fitlogic to be in 1-3-5 years?
Cricket A3: In one year, I’d like to have a multi-brand platform including our first licensee Kym Gold (co-founder of True Religion). We plan to offer a range of prices and brands with Fitlogic so that women can shop by shape.
In three years, our plans are to be in all retail venues with Fitlogic in many brands, and be able to execute our geolocation feature where women will be able to download an app and find product that fits in their living area or online. 92% of apparel is still sold in stores, so it will make life so much easier. Our categories include tops, dresses and more for the future.
In five years, we want to see a global brand with Fitlogic showrooms where women can look and try on garments and then have them shipped direct. Most of us (unless it is a basic item) like to see and feel the garment before buying.
Louise Q4- Are maternity clothes in your future- I see a big market there?
Cricket A4- As we move into licensing to other brands, I see a maternity brand wanting to adopt the Fitlogic system and we can work with them to add the baby belly to the system. A woman’s basic shape doesn’t change. It really works for real body changes.
Louise Q5- How do you hope that social media will enhance your biz?
Cricket A5- Social media enables me to connect to women directly with the idea of never having to try on garments again. They like the LBP because it is a simple staple product and an easy way to identify their fit code. But the idea of finding pants and a system that moves with your shape no matter what size is the real magic. The future will enable a woman to try on and see if she likes the fabric or the leg width or the waistband. It’s a different kind of trying on – it will be fun!
LouiseQ 6- Anything else you wish to share?
Cricket A6- I was ahead of my time, and the fashion industry liked my ideas but wasn’t ready for a standard. I think with the fact that ecommerce is growing fast and that women don’t have time to shop or for endless try-ons and returns makes Fitlogic the next big thing. A purchase of a pant is a vote for fit freedom!
CLICK TO BE BROUGHT TO THE FITLOGIC PROMOTION LINK!
CLICK THIS LINK TO RECEIVE THE 30% PROMOTION (good until December 30, 2014 only) The price reduction is reflected at checkout.
The FITLOGIC GIVEAWAY! – COMPLETED
WINNER: Selected randomly – Juli Auclair Lipof
Congratulations, Juli!!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
To enter to win the random giveaway of one pair of the FITLOGIC LITTLE BLACK PANT you must do the following TWO easy steps before December 15, 2015, midnight Pacific Time.
ONE randomly chosen winner will be selected on December 16, 2015.
Winner will be contacted via email by a Fitlogic representative and/or Louise Sattler. Must have a USA address and at least 18 years of age. Only one entry per person.
STEPS TO FOLLOW:
1- Comment below as to why you would love to own a pair of “LBP”
2- TWEET the following:
I entered @Fitlogic Little Black Pants #giveaway – You can 2 via @LouiseASL. Details: http://wp.me/pSDlj-a8W #LBPGiveaway Ends 12/15/14
No ties or perfume listed here – My #ShopSmall list!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Just a short blog to give you some ideas on where to #ShopSmall this week. Check out these suggestions that support the endeavors of family/ women owned businesses and projects. All unique and worth a “click through” to see if something catches your eye this holiday season. A special shout – out to Shara Lawrence – Weiss of MommyPerks who welcomes those with a family friendly product or service to post on her MommyPerks Facebook wall here . She does this annually and is just one great example of women supporting women in the small biz world! (Check out what many women have posted)
As usual my gift recommendations often have a secondary purpose- such as giving back to an organization or helping a national or international cause. In other words – I like my hard earned $ to be given to businesses with heart and pizazz.
BOOKS! What better gift to give a child than a BOOK! Two new faves made my list.
The Girls Q&A Book on Friendship by Annie Fox
Hungry Feelings, Not Hungry Tummy by Ava Parnass
SAFETY!
I know that giving a gift or pepper spray or other self defense items may seem to zap the holiday spirit… but, when all the holiday decorations are placed back in to their respective boxes it will be the safety items I purchased from small biz owner Linda Benecke that will help keep my loved ones safe. I want to give her a heartfelt thank you for introducing me to DAMSELS in DEFENSE. Personal safety protection products, especially for women who are the most vulnerable such as those who live alone, are seniors citizens, or are on college campuses. Interestingly, many of their products can cross over to other purposes such as keeping people with Autism or Alzheimers safe and indoors rather than wandering- this company has it all! Learn more, see the catalog and connect with Linda here.
HELP SANTA BRINGS GIFTS TO NEEDY CHILDREN
When Santa arrives at the San Pedro YWCA soon he will be bringing a “sled” full of stuffed BEARS. Sponsor a bear via Tracy Farman and her pals at Jockey Person 2 Person. This campaign is what the true meaning of the holidays is all about! Learn more here including how you can donate a bear to be distributed in your locale.
LASTLY- Louise’s List of Unique and Fabulous – “out of the box” ideas!
Give a night out for a cause by supporting the
Feminists What Were they Thinking Documentary
Lyn D Jewelry
by Lynette Vandaveer
Steampunk by Beverly Holman
Vintage items repurposed to a contemporary art form!
Pocketbooks with Hobo Chic Style by Geri Dahl of Funky Pretty Designs
RUFF, RUFF
Can’t adopt an animal or no more room for another fur baby? Consider SPONSORING a dog or cat that is in foster care or in a shelter. I stumbled upon the ANGEL DOGS FOUNDATION – DEAF DOGS RANCH. I love the dog photos on this website. Check them out!
COMING SOON a Review of one of my new favorite products by FitLogic – the perfectly fitted pants every time!
The HOME INVENTORY – Do you have one? (Guest Blogger, Sean Scott joins Louise)
THANKSGIVING WEEK 2014 and already we have had more snow in parts of the United States than might happen in a whole YEAR!
Photo credit: K Hartman
Who would have guessed that in the middle of NOVEMBER a lake effect snow disaster would have occurred in Buffalo, New York paralyzing many portions of the city for days?! Not me nor the dozens of native “Buffalonians” who were interviewed this past week.
See photos, interviews and read more about this storm
And, who have believed that a half dozen feet or more of snow would be melting faster than it should resulting in FLOODS just in time for families to celebrate Thanksgiving! (Bring a pie and wet/dry vacuum?)
As if that was not enough … we don’t want to forget the scores of tornadoes that happened this past month or how the unexpected deep freeze caused many homes to have gone “up in flames” due to fires that started because of faulty chimneys or kerosene heaters.
The list of the disasters that happened within the past few weeks here in the United States can go on and on. It is a keen reminder that one day you may have your home or business and the next it could be gone. ALL GONE!
Bring in Sean Scott, author of the Red Guide to Recovery. Although Sean may not be able to help repair your home, he can assist with rebuilding your life! Sean graciously offered to let me post his most recent article – Creating an Inventory When Everything is Gone.
I have heard Sean speak to emergency responders on how to help families when their lives are the most vulnerable. He is dynamic and worth hearing – so learn more about his programs and assistance by simply going here:
Now for the article and thanks, Sean!
Creating an Inventory When Everything is Gone
By Sean M. Scott
Imagine if your home was hit by a tornado and as you emerge from the storm cellar, all that’s left is a bare concrete slab. Your yard is strewn with debris from your neighbors and you have no idea where all your belongings went, except for the pair of underwear hanging in the tree across the street. So, you call your insurance company and the adjuster shows up and tells you that in order for you to receive the full benefits of your homeowners insurance policy, you will need to provide a detailed inventory of everything you owned, including a description of each item, its age, replacement cost, and any supporting documentation in the form of photos or receipts. Then you’re told that if you can’t provide one, the adjuster will create one for you. However, since he or she has no idea what you owned, you will most likely receive only a small fraction of your policy limits and replacement value. Now you’re thinking to yourself, how am I supposed to create an inventory when everything is gone? On one hand you don’t want to commit insurance fraud by claiming items in your inventory that you are not sure you owned and on the other hand you have a considerable amount of money in your policy to cover what was lost. Whether you experience a tornado, earthquake, fire, or flood, this task of creating an inventory can be one of the most daunting, time consuming, and frustrating phases in the recovery process.
So, how can you document what you had and maximize the benefits of your insurance? You need something to help you remember. One way is to ask friends or family members if they have photos that may have been taken in your home during a holiday gathering, party, or family get-together. Oftentimes photos like these can reveal furnishings, decor, or other items in the background that will help jog your memory. Looking through store catalogs can also help, but this can be very time consuming and may not be very effective in getting you the level of detail you will need. If you are like most, you might jot down the obvious big ticket items like electronics, appliances, furniture, etc., and figure most of the smaller ticket items just aren’t worth the time and energy to deal with. But what about all the food that was in the refrigerator and pantry, the vitamins, spices, books, holiday decorations, cosmetics, hand utensils, toys, sports equipment, DVD’s, tools, and so forth? Items like these add up fast and if you have a way to document them, you will maximize the benefits of your insurance and expedite your recovery.
The Personal Property Memory Jogger
After witnessing the devastation caused by wildfires that swept through Southern California in 2003 and again in 2007, that destroyed nearly 6,000 homes and damaged countless others, it became apparent that a resource was needed to help people create their inventories. As a result, necessity became the Mother of invention and a new tool was developed called The Personal Property Memory Jogger & Home Inventory Tool. The Memory Jogger is a pre-populated Excel spreadsheet that contains over 6,000 of the most commonly found household items broken down into a room-by-room format. Once downloaded, you have the option to delete items that may not apply to you and/or add items that may not already appear in the database. The Memory Jogger takes much of the guess work out of creating an inventory by memory alone and is available free-of-charge at http://www.theredguidetorecovery.com/recovery-tools/personal-property-memory-jogger/. It can also be used as a disaster preparedness tool to determine whether or not you have enough insurance to replace everything if it was lost. Now individuals, families, and whole communities have a free resource that will help them rebuild their homes and lives.
If you would like to see the vast array of free disaster preparedness and recovery resources, visit www.theredguidetorecovery.com.
BLOGS WORTH READING
Do you read blogs to be inspired? Perhaps to find some humor in life? Or maybe to add to your personal learning?
Which blogs do I read faithfully? Loads! I could write a list that would take FOREVER to read.. but for now I will limit this list to some of my fun “must reads” !
HouseofSquirrels.com
Welcome to the House of Squirrels where Kitchen, Bella, Style and Doctor Squirrel bring a touch of France and Lifestyle to your home! Follow the adventures of these women as they travel all over the world. Take for example this quest for the best burger! Only to find it in Paris . Enjoy the musings of all the Squirrels on TWITTER.
If you are a #FOODIE and LOVE to follow shows like TOP CHEF or anything on the FOOD NETWORK then you will adore Margaret McSweeney of Kitchen Chat! Her blog is one cooking video or chef interview after another! This week alone Margaret attended a food bloggers convention where she met the one and only Robin Leach (champagne wishes and caviar dreams). Margaret posts daily via TWITTER and is a #MustFollow!
Photo property of Margaret McSweeney KitchenChat.info
HEALTHGIST is a solid blog by Dr. Bola and Dr. Carol with one goal – keeping women healthy! A wonderful dose of health news is delivered to the inbox of those who subscribe. Also, their blog has GREAT information for preventative health care! And… (yes. there is more) the toolkit is chocked full of quizzes that can determine if you need to check in with your physician for some ‘additional diagnostics”.
healthgist.com
My friend, Tommy Geraci, writes one of the most comprehensive blogs about television and film. Teeco71.com is for the person who LOVES to follow entertainment news! He also will be helping out with projects in the entertainment genre, particularly EYECON (stay tuned for his big announcements via his blog). TWEET with Tommy for all the latest news.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the blogs of my colleagues ( in addition to Bola and Margaret) from the 411 VOICES INFLUENTIAL NETWORK. See our media packet for all the members and their blog links.
Love to read BLOGS – May I recommend hopping over to TRIBERR!
Do you want our readers to check out YOUR blog? Feel free to list it in the comment section.
