Tuesday, May 31, 2016

1996

Paul Koebnick has been at Singapore American School for 20 years. What began as his interest in lighting design evolved into his career in theater tech, and the opportunity to mentor hundreds of students!

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1UtoCgb

1996

Paul Koebnick has been at Singapore American School for 20 years. What began as his interest in lighting design evolved into his career in theater tech, and the opportunity to mentor hundreds of students!

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1UtoCgb

2002

As a student, Kate Ryan '02 learned to expect excellence from herself and the people she worked with. As a professional, she can trace much of her success back to the experiences she had as a student at Singapore American School.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1XeEkjx

1988

For Singapore American School fitness teacher Ursula Pong, healthy living goes beyond a weekly trip to the gym. Her greatest joy comes from watching students move from the hunt for great abs to a desire to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1TWvVwN

2002

As a student, Kate Ryan '02 learned to expect excellence from herself and the people she worked with. As a professional, she can trace much of her success back to the experiences she had as a student at Singapore American School.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1XeEkjx

1988

For Singapore American School fitness teacher Ursula Pong, healthy living goes beyond a weekly trip to the gym. Her greatest joy comes from watching students move from the hunt for great abs to a desire to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1TWvVwN

Permethrin Soak Method Guide

Permethrin is an insect repellant and insecticide that bonds to fabric and can be used on your clothes, tent, or hammock to prevent Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, or the Zika Virus by...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1Pikscd

Permethrin Soak Method Guide

Permethrin is an insect repellant and insecticide that bonds to fabric and can be used on your clothes, tent, or hammock to prevent Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, or the Zika Virus by...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1Pikscd

3 Things to Do After a Massage

A massage is a wonderful way to relax, de-stress, and improve your health. Here are some simple tips to help … Continue reading

from signaturemobilespa http://ift.tt/1sKqxDK

3 Things to Do After a Massage

A massage is a wonderful way to relax, de-stress, and improve your health. Here are some simple tips to help … Continue reading

from signaturemobilespa http://ift.tt/1sKqxDK

2009

For Singapore American School middle school digital media teacher Ana María Gach, fun is at the heart of learning.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1O455E1

2009

For Singapore American School middle school digital media teacher Ana María Gach, fun is at the heart of learning.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1O455E1

2001

For Kyle Aldous '02, Singapore American School was an opportunity to discover his potential and use his teachers' support to lay his foundation for future success.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1XetFFo

2001

For Kyle Aldous '02, Singapore American School was an opportunity to discover his potential and use his teachers' support to lay his foundation for future success.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1XetFFo

Why Every New Entrepreneur Should Travel More

You want to know an insider's secret for growing a business quickly?

Travel more.

It seems counterintuitive, right? For years I've been espousing on the fact that you can maintain a business while on the road, but it's difficult to grow a business on the road.

While generally I believe that to be true, today I'm going to show you why strategic, regular travel can be one of the fastest ways to grow a business.

Let's hop in the Delorean for a second back, to January of 2010.

In January of 2010, I took a leap and I moved to Thailand.

During that time, I was traveling around the country and meeting all sorts of incredible people, who were doing interesting things.

Those were the people who formed the basis for my initial (and sustained) success as an entrepreneur. Because you know what?

As cliche as it sounds, it really is all about who you know.

Don't believe me?

Have you ever noticed how a couple times a year all of a sudden many of the blogs you read, and many of the emails lists you're on are all promoting the same thing?

Take this week for instance. I'm promoting the Paradise Pack, just like dozens of other bloggers.

One of the biggest reasons I promote that is because I like Jason and Travis, the dudes behind it. Both have traveled to Portland, met me in person, and formed that relationship.

Something changes once you meet someone in person. When you can shake their hand, have a beer, and in many cases, create a shared memory or story – it takes things to a different level.

All of a sudden, they're more likely to help you out, promote your stuff, or make an introduction to someone else.

Because of my time in Thailand I got to know Dan Andrews, Adam Baker, Matt Kepnes, Jodi Ettenberg, Derek Johanson the list goes on.

All of those people have allowed me to grow Location 180 in one way or another.

The Right Kind of Travel

Not all travel is created equal though.

Obviously taking a solo backpacking trip through the wilderness probably won't do much to help you build relationships.

Lately, most of my travel has been golf related as I continue my quest to play the top 100 courses in the US and the world. Because of this, I've met and built relationships with tons of influential people in the golf world.

Just this past weekend, I played golf with two editors from Golf Digest, and met with the owners of my favorite golf apparel brand.

Because I continue to build those relationships, Breaking Eighty has been getting more and more recognition, and making more money in the process.

haven't been doing as much travel specifically for Location 180, and I feel it. Relationships I'd like to build and I would like to make, haven't been coming quite as quickly because I haven't been prioritizing them.

Take a look at some of your favorite lifestyle entrepreneurs. Even if they're brands aren't based around travel, my guess is more than a handful of times a year they are going to conferences, traveling to entrepreneurial hubs, and getting to know people in real life.

There's a reason that all too often your favorite bloggers or business owners are blowing up your Facebook or Instagram feed with photos of them hanging out…together!

So How Can You Strategically Plan More Travel?

Ok, so it's clear: More travel –> More Connections –> More Opportunities –> More Success

But if you haven't been in that mindset, or you aren't someone who usually travels, how do you start planning for something like that?

Here are a few things to consider that should help you not only book more tickets, but make the most of your time when you do go.

1) What are the Two Biggest Events of the Year for Your Crowd?

You don't need to be at everything, but it makes sense to attend to at least a handful of conferences each year.

For years I would attend the World Domination Summit in Portland and SXSW in Austin.

Now I'm branching out to more marketing oriented events. But the fact remains, with every single event I've ever been to – I've met at least one or two people that have had a significant effect on my business.

It's never about meeting everybody, it's about those handful of people you really connect with that will be great relationships moving forward.

I met Nick Reese and Andy Drish at SxSW years ago, and each of them have had a dramatic impact on what Location Rebel has become.

So decide what the two biggest events are for you and your goals and put them on the calendar. Are you a writer? Go to Writers Digest. Lifestyle entrepreneur? DCBKK. Social media expert? SocialPro. Professional blogger? New Media Expo.

2) Why Would Knowing Certain People Make a Difference in Your Life?

Sometimes in order to make the leap and be willing to spend the time and money to travel, you have to have a deeper understanding of why it would be important.

To help with that, answer these questions:

  • Who are the influencers at this event I would like to meet? What specifically (and realistically) is my goal in building that relationship.
  • Why is it important to me to meet other people at my level, doing similar things in this industry?
  • What is the one big takeaway I'm looking to bring home with me from this event?

3) What are you going to say?

I've recently learned that I'm a natural ambivert.

Meaning, in the right social situations where I'm comfortable, I can appear very extroverted. However, my natural tendency often leans towards being more introverted and shy.

For instance if I'm at a conference where I don't know anyone, I get really awkward. That's why thinking this step through before you go to events is so important.

If you have a general game plan for how to introduce yourself, strike up a conversation, and generally just be useful and interesting, you'll have a much better chance of getting more out of the relationships you're hoping to build.

I always try and find some commonality as quickly as I can. The work stuff doesn't matter, rapport does.

So pay attention to everything being said, and look for any bit of personal information you can espouse elaborate on and get excited about.

For instance anytime someone mentions they golf, have lived in Thailand, or like Islay scotch? Game over. Things like that are really easy for me to talk about – so it helps strengthen the relationship quickly.

4) Sign up for a Credit Card

"I can't afford to travel."

How many times have we all heard this? First off, most people can afford to travel – it's just about priorities. This post from Chris Guillebeau I still find to be extraordinarily true.

But if you want some help, frankly, leveraging travel bonuses from credit cards are a great way to make things quite a bit cheaper.

A free round trip plane ticket anywhere in the world, all for signing up for a credit card? No brainer.

Of course this is assuming you can be responsible with it and pay it off in full every month.

Check out One Mile at a Time for some of the latest and best deals.

5) Take a Leap

Bottom line is, if you don't make it a priority and just buy a ticket, it can be really easy just to stay in the same old routine. That routine where you're not meeting the people and having the experiences that can help a new business take off or an old business grow even more.

Every day I see entrepreneurs reaping the benefits of building new relationships, and every day I'm thankful for the ones I've built.

So, think about where you can go that will have the greatest benefit for you personally. Book the ticket, take a leap, and enjoy the memories you'll make regardless of the outcome.



from Location 180 | Build a Business, Live Anywhere, Achieve Freedom http://ift.tt/1O1zDGr

Why Every New Entrepreneur Should Travel More

You want to know an insider’s secret for growing a business quickly?

Travel more.

It seems counterintuitive, right? For years I’ve been espousing on the fact that you can maintain a business while on the road, but it’s difficult to grow a business on the road.

While generally I believe that to be true, today I’m going to show you why strategic, regular travel can be one of the fastest ways to grow a business.

Let’s hop in the Delorean for a second back, to January of 2010.

In January of 2010, I took a leap and I moved to Thailand.

During that time, I was traveling around the country and meeting all sorts of incredible people, who were doing interesting things.

Those were the people who formed the basis for my initial (and sustained) success as an entrepreneur. Because you know what?

As cliche as it sounds, it really is all about who you know.

Don’t believe me?

Have you ever noticed how a couple times a year all of a sudden many of the blogs you read, and many of the emails lists you’re on are all promoting the same thing?

Take this week for instance. I’m promoting the Paradise Pack, just like dozens of other bloggers.

One of the biggest reasons I promote that is because I like Jason and Travis, the dudes behind it. Both have traveled to Portland, met me in person, and formed that relationship.

Something changes once you meet someone in person. When you can shake their hand, have a beer, and in many cases, create a shared memory or story – it takes things to a different level.

All of a sudden, they’re more likely to help you out, promote your stuff, or make an introduction to someone else.

Because of my time in Thailand I got to know Dan Andrews, Adam Baker, Matt Kepnes, Jodi Ettenberg, Derek Johanson the list goes on.

All of those people have allowed me to grow Location 180 in one way or another.

The Right Kind of Travel

Not all travel is created equal though.

Obviously taking a solo backpacking trip through the wilderness probably won’t do much to help you build relationships.

Lately, most of my travel has been golf related as I continue my quest to play the top 100 courses in the US and the world. Because of this, I’ve met and built relationships with tons of influential people in the golf world.

Just this past weekend, I played golf with two editors from Golf Digest, and met with the owners of my favorite golf apparel brand.

Because I continue to build those relationships, Breaking Eighty has been getting more and more recognition, and making more money in the process.

haven’t been doing as much travel specifically for Location 180, and I feel it. Relationships I’d like to build and I would like to make, haven’t been coming quite as quickly because I haven’t been prioritizing them.

Take a look at some of your favorite lifestyle entrepreneurs. Even if they’re brands aren’t based around travel, my guess is more than a handful of times a year they are going to conferences, traveling to entrepreneurial hubs, and getting to know people in real life.

There’s a reason that all too often your favorite bloggers or business owners are blowing up your Facebook or Instagram feed with photos of them hanging out…together!

So How Can You Strategically Plan More Travel?

Ok, so it’s clear: More travel –> More Connections –> More Opportunities –> More Success

But if you haven’t been in that mindset, or you aren’t someone who usually travels, how do you start planning for something like that?

Here are a few things to consider that should help you not only book more tickets, but make the most of your time when you do go.

1) What are the Two Biggest Events of the Year for Your Crowd?

You don’t need to be at everything, but it makes sense to attend to at least a handful of conferences each year.

For years I would attend the World Domination Summit in Portland and SXSW in Austin.

Now I’m branching out to more marketing oriented events. But the fact remains, with every single event I’ve ever been to – I’ve met at least one or two people that have had a significant effect on my business.

It’s never about meeting everybody, it’s about those handful of people you really connect with that will be great relationships moving forward.

I met Nick Reese and Andy Drish at SxSW years ago, and each of them have had a dramatic impact on what Location Rebel has become.

So decide what the two biggest events are for you and your goals and put them on the calendar. Are you a writer? Go to Writers Digest. Lifestyle entrepreneur? DCBKK. Social media expert? SocialPro. Professional blogger? New Media Expo.

2) Why Would Knowing Certain People Make a Difference in Your Life?

Sometimes in order to make the leap and be willing to spend the time and money to travel, you have to have a deeper understanding of why it would be important.

To help with that, answer these questions:

  • Who are the influencers at this event I would like to meet? What specifically (and realistically) is my goal in building that relationship.
  • Why is it important to me to meet other people at my level, doing similar things in this industry?
  • What is the one big takeaway I’m looking to bring home with me from this event?

3) What are you going to say?

I’ve recently learned that I’m a natural ambivert.

Meaning, in the right social situations where I’m comfortable, I can appear very extroverted. However, my natural tendency often leans towards being more introverted and shy.

For instance if I’m at a conference where I don’t know anyone, I get really awkward. That’s why thinking this step through before you go to events is so important.

If you have a general game plan for how to introduce yourself, strike up a conversation, and generally just be useful and interesting, you’ll have a much better chance of getting more out of the relationships you’re hoping to build.

I always try and find some commonality as quickly as I can. The work stuff doesn’t matter, rapport does.

So pay attention to everything being said, and look for any bit of personal information you can espouse elaborate on and get excited about.

For instance anytime someone mentions they golf, have lived in Thailand, or like Islay scotch? Game over. Things like that are really easy for me to talk about – so it helps strengthen the relationship quickly.

4) Sign up for a Credit Card

“I can’t afford to travel.”

How many times have we all heard this? First off, most people can afford to travel – it’s just about priorities. This post from Chris Guillebeau I still find to be extraordinarily true.

But if you want some help, frankly, leveraging travel bonuses from credit cards are a great way to make things quite a bit cheaper.

A free round trip plane ticket anywhere in the world, all for signing up for a credit card? No brainer.

Of course this is assuming you can be responsible with it and pay it off in full every month.

Check out One Mile at a Time for some of the latest and best deals.

5) Take a Leap

Bottom line is, if you don’t make it a priority and just buy a ticket, it can be really easy just to stay in the same old routine. That routine where you’re not meeting the people and having the experiences that can help a new business take off or an old business grow even more.

Every day I see entrepreneurs reaping the benefits of building new relationships, and every day I’m thankful for the ones I’ve built.

So, think about where you can go that will have the greatest benefit for you personally. Book the ticket, take a leap, and enjoy the memories you’ll make regardless of the outcome.



from Location 180 | Build a Business, Live Anywhere, Achieve Freedom http://ift.tt/1O1zDGr

Why a Facebook Page is a Waste of Time for Yoga Teachers

FacebookUseless

After teaching yoga for some time, you've decided to get a little more "pro" about things. Great! So you set up a Facebook business page, spend a good hour on the cover image, "about" description, and add some amazing photos… until everything's just perfect. Then, after asking all your students, friends, fellow yoga teachers, and pretty much everyone you know to 'like' your new Facebook page, you collect a few hundred fans.

"Awesome!", you tell yourself, "the people are hungry for my updates, and Facebook will let me keep everyone in the loop about classes, upcoming events, and maybe the occasional morsel of wisdom." Not so fast.

If you're a yoga provider who's trying to use Facebook to grow your business, you're not alone. Most Yoga Teachers don't have a website, and instead maintain a Facebook Page in hopes that it will attract scores of eager yogis looking for a new experience. And virtually every studio out there, even when they have a website, also manages a Facebook page.

Teachers and studios both expect that the Facebook platform will allow them to communicate with their students and clients. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. Contrary to what you might have been told, maintaining a Facebook page to build a following and grow your yoga business is a waste of time. Here's why:

1) You won't attract new clients on Facebook

Even if people did try to search for a new yoga teacher or studio on Facebook (which they don't), Facebook doesn't work for finding something you're not already connected with.

Don't believe it? Try searching for "yoga teacher + your city". The default results will be random posts in random order, almost all of them from your own time line. A weird picture from 3 years ago will appear before something more relevant from last week, because it got more "likes".

Click on "Pages" or "People" for your search results, and you'll be shocked at how useless Facebook search actually is. And the "Events" category? It shows you mostly broken things that happened years ago.

Facebook Search Results

Facebook is dysfunctional for searching anything other than a person or business that you already know, or stories in your own timeline or those of your friends.

Facebook Events Search

Try searching for "yoga events" on Facebook in your city… the results are just things that happened a long, long time ago, in no particular order. The chances that new yogis will discover your upcoming event on Facebook? Not very high.

But here's some consolation: the fact that Facebook search is dysfunctional doesn't really matter. Because nobody searches for anything on Facebook anyway. Do you? Didn't think so.

2) Your people don't see what you post on Facebook

In the past few years, Facebook has become pretty useless for small businesses in general — but for yoga teachers, it's a real disaster. Why? Because most instructors teach at several different locations, with frequently changing schedules… and they really need a reliable way to reach their students and let them know what's happening. But that's where Facebook fails.

Here's a very typical scenario (maybe a familiar one?): you cancel class and post an announcement about it on Facebook, many days in advance. But the next time you see your students, you're greeted with:  "What happened? Where were you? We all showed up for class but the doors were locked!" Hm. Apparently, nobody saw anything in their Facebook feed about class being cancelled!

Just a few years ago, you could be reasonably sure that some appreciable fraction of your "fans" would see what you're posting. Well, that was then. This is now.

Gernot is one one the greatest yoga teachers in town. His page has more than 1000 fans! A post about his return after traveling gets 2 "likes". How many people saw this post? Very, very few.

Gernot is one one the greatest yoga teachers in town, and his Facebook page has over 1000 fans. But a post about his return after some travels gets 2 "likes"?! Hmmmm… how many people actually saw this post?

Today, very few members of your community will see anything you share on your page. According to studies, only about 2% of page fans actually get any page posts. Yep, you read that correctly: just two people in every hundred who've 'liked' your page even have a chance to see anything from you. There are good reasons for this:

Facebook wants you to pay

Since Facebook went public, they've been scrambling to provide "value to their shareholders". In English, that means they've been aggressively doing things to generate revenue, mainly by choking off the organic reach of all business pages. If you want your fans to see a post, you'll have to pay for it.

For large companies with huge advertising budgets, this might be fine. But for small businesses, and especially for independent yoga teachers, paying to 'boost' posts on Facebook makes no financial sense. Not only can you not afford to do that — the "return on investment" isn't there either, and even after spending some money you still can't be sure everyone will see your big announcement.

Facebook can't show your updates to your followers

The real reason your posts don't reach anyone is that there are just way too many people and pages on Facebook, as paradoxical as that sounds. With everyone posting all the time, the success of Facebook has created conditions where the items that make it onto your newsfeed are severely restricted. They have to be. Otherwise, the average Facebook user would have several thousand new stories to scroll through — every single day. Holy Yoga!

So, Facebook uses a complicated algorithm to decide what stories it will show to whom. One of the most important factors is whether or not a user liked, shared, or commented on one of your posts in the last week. If not, it's extremely likely they'll never see a post from you again. That's the reason you never see anything from your aunt Clara in Toledo… although she's posting all the time, Facebook has decided that you're "unengaged".

A second huge factor in the filtering algorithm is the "virality" of an individual post. The more a story gets liked, shared, or commented on, the more Facebook thinks it's a post that other people might enjoy, too… so the thing starts creeping into more people's newsfeed, where of course it collects more likes, shares and comments.

Ever wonder why you see so many babies in your newsfeed? It's not because more baby pictures get shared — it's because people feel guilty about not liking a friend's baby, so these pictures get more likes… and the Facebook algorithm treats them as more interesting (even though the opposite may be true).

That brings us to the third big reason Facebook is wrong for yoga teachers:

3) Facebook drains you of your time and energy

There's a lot of well-meaning (but usually outdated) advice out there that purports you can still achieve a decent amount of reach on Facebook by playing the Facebook algorithm. You might have been told to "post frequently, at least twice per day", or to post things that will "engage your audience". Things like 'yoga cat' GIFs, videos of rabbits hopping between yoga mats, inspirational quotes and memes of all sorts.

But finding and sharing such "engaging" content, and worrying about attribution…. every week… it takes a ton of time. And are these really the sorts of things you want to communicate about with your students and clients? Wouldn't you much rather be planning lessons, respond to enquiries from students, take a walk or (gasp!) keep up your own practice a little bit?

Many yoga teachers (and studios) feel like they have to spend way too much time on Facebook and post things they're not very proud of. Well, good news: they don't! Because no matter how much they post (cluttering up the Facebook universe even more), no matter what they post (even if there are babies involved): without spending money on paid advertising on Facebook, a Facebook page will not reach even a small fraction of its fans. That's just the reality.

So, unless you really do like hunting for yoga cats (or dogs) or you believe your yogis are the kind of people who appreciate Rumi quotes, you can relax. Breathe a big sigh of relief. Stop wasting your time. Accept it. Facebook is not helping your business, and it's not a suitable platform for you to connect with your students.

4) There's a Better Way

YogaTrail is built specifically for the yoga community. It's a platform that connects yogis with yoga providers, where teachers and studios can effectively communicate with their students and clients. Best of all, thousands of yogis visit YogaTrail every day in search of the right instructor (maybe you?), new local classes and other yoga happenings. And it doesn't cost anything, either.

YogaTrail lets you keep all your students and clients in the loop with your classes, updates, and announcements — reliably. Send your yogis custom messages, or trigger auto-notifications when you cancel class, start teaching a new class, go on holiday, organize a workshop… and there's also a mobile app where your yogis can get your classes and updates on their phone.

There are two kinds of yoga teachers. If you're reading this, you're probably one of them:

A) Not on YogaTrail yet?

Set up your profile here and join thousands of other clued-up teachers and studios around the world who use YogaTrail to keep their yogis in the know. Add your classes, connect with other teachers and studios, post upcoming events, even advertise your retreats or teacher trainings.

And then leave Facebook for what's it's for: staying in touch with friends, consuming cute videos, seeing inspirational quotes and getting healthy recipes.

B) Already on YogaTrail?

Your challenge is: how to get your Facebook fans to follow you on YogaTrail. Of course you could post something on your Facebook page, urging your people to follow you on YogaTrail… but then nobody will see your post.

The best way to get your people to connect is to send them an invite — easily done here, or you can also add your students to your students center (where you can simply import a list).


What's been Your Facebook Experience? Maybe it's working for you? Please share in the comments :)



from YogaTrail http://ift.tt/1U9LC0Y

Why a Facebook Page is a Waste of Time for Yoga Teachers

FacebookUseless

After teaching yoga for some time, you’ve decided to get a little more “pro” about things. Great! So you set up a Facebook business page, spend a good hour on the cover image, “about” description, and add some amazing photos… until everything’s just perfect. Then, after asking all your students, friends, fellow yoga teachers, and pretty much everyone you know to ‘like’ your new Facebook page, you collect a few hundred fans.

“Awesome!”, you tell yourself, “the people are hungry for my updates, and Facebook will let me keep everyone in the loop about classes, upcoming events, and maybe the occasional morsel of wisdom.” Not so fast.

If you’re a yoga provider who’s trying to use Facebook to grow your business, you’re not alone. Most Yoga Teachers don’t have a website, and instead maintain a Facebook Page in hopes that it will attract scores of eager yogis looking for a new experience. And virtually every studio out there, even when they have a website, also manages a Facebook page.

Teachers and studios both expect that the Facebook platform will allow them to communicate with their students and clients. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. Contrary to what you might have been told, maintaining a Facebook page to build a following and grow your yoga business is a waste of time. Here’s why:

1) You won’t attract new clients on Facebook

Even if people did try to search for a new yoga teacher or studio on Facebook (which they don’t), Facebook doesn’t work for finding something you’re not already connected with.

Don’t believe it? Try searching for “yoga teacher + your city”. The default results will be random posts in random order, almost all of them from your own time line. A weird picture from 3 years ago will appear before something more relevant from last week, because it got more “likes”.

Click on “Pages” or “People” for your search results, and you’ll be shocked at how useless Facebook search actually is. And the “Events” category? It shows you mostly broken things that happened years ago.

Facebook Search Results

Facebook is dysfunctional for searching anything other than a person or business that you already know, or stories in your own timeline or those of your friends.

Facebook Events Search

Try searching for “yoga events” on Facebook in your city… the results are just things that happened a long, long time ago, in no particular order. The chances that new yogis will discover your upcoming event on Facebook? Not very high.

But here’s some consolation: the fact that Facebook search is dysfunctional doesn’t really matter. Because nobody searches for anything on Facebook anyway. Do you? Didn’t think so.

2) Your people don’t see what you post on Facebook

In the past few years, Facebook has become pretty useless for small businesses in general — but for yoga teachers, it’s a real disaster. Why? Because most instructors teach at several different locations, with frequently changing schedules… and they really need a reliable way to reach their students and let them know what’s happening. But that’s where Facebook fails.

Here’s a very typical scenario (maybe a familiar one?): you cancel class and post an announcement about it on Facebook, many days in advance. But the next time you see your students, you’re greeted with:  “What happened? Where were you? We all showed up for class but the doors were locked!” Hm. Apparently, nobody saw anything in their Facebook feed about class being cancelled!

Just a few years ago, you could be reasonably sure that some appreciable fraction of your “fans” would see what you’re posting. Well, that was then. This is now.

Gernot is one one the greatest yoga teachers in town. His page has more than 1000 fans! A post about his return after traveling gets 2 "likes". How many people saw this post? Very, very few.

Gernot is one one the greatest yoga teachers in town, and his Facebook page has over 1000 fans. But a post about his return after some travels gets 2 “likes”?! Hmmmm… how many people actually saw this post?

Today, very few members of your community will see anything you share on your page. According to studies, only about 2% of page fans actually get any page posts. Yep, you read that correctly: just two people in every hundred who’ve ‘liked’ your page even have a chance to see anything from you. There are good reasons for this:

Facebook wants you to pay

Since Facebook went public, they’ve been scrambling to provide “value to their shareholders”. In English, that means they’ve been aggressively doing things to generate revenue, mainly by choking off the organic reach of all business pages. If you want your fans to see a post, you’ll have to pay for it.

For large companies with huge advertising budgets, this might be fine. But for small businesses, and especially for independent yoga teachers, paying to ‘boost’ posts on Facebook makes no financial sense. Not only can you not afford to do that — the “return on investment” isn’t there either, and even after spending some money you still can’t be sure everyone will see your big announcement.

Facebook can’t show your updates to your followers

The real reason your posts don’t reach anyone is that there are just way too many people and pages on Facebook, as paradoxical as that sounds. With everyone posting all the time, the success of Facebook has created conditions where the items that make it onto your newsfeed are severely restricted. They have to be. Otherwise, the average Facebook user would have several thousand new stories to scroll through — every single day. Holy Yoga!

So, Facebook uses a complicated algorithm to decide what stories it will show to whom. One of the most important factors is whether or not a user liked, shared, or commented on one of your posts in the last week. If not, it’s extremely likely they’ll never see a post from you again. That’s the reason you never see anything from your aunt Clara in Toledo… although she’s posting all the time, Facebook has decided that you’re “unengaged”.

A second huge factor in the filtering algorithm is the “virality” of an individual post. The more a story gets liked, shared, or commented on, the more Facebook thinks it’s a post that other people might enjoy, too… so the thing starts creeping into more people’s newsfeed, where of course it collects more likes, shares and comments.

Ever wonder why you see so many babies in your newsfeed? It’s not because more baby pictures get shared — it’s because people feel guilty about not liking a friend’s baby, so these pictures get more likes… and the Facebook algorithm treats them as more interesting (even though the opposite may be true).

That brings us to the third big reason Facebook is wrong for yoga teachers:

3) Facebook drains you of your time and energy

There’s a lot of well-meaning (but usually outdated) advice out there that purports you can still achieve a decent amount of reach on Facebook by playing the Facebook algorithm. You might have been told to “post frequently, at least twice per day”, or to post things that will “engage your audience”. Things like ‘yoga cat’ GIFs, videos of rabbits hopping between yoga mats, inspirational quotes and memes of all sorts.

But finding and sharing such “engaging” content, and worrying about attribution…. every week… it takes a ton of time. And are these really the sorts of things you want to communicate about with your students and clients? Wouldn’t you much rather be planning lessons, respond to enquiries from students, take a walk or (gasp!) keep up your own practice a little bit?

Many yoga teachers (and studios) feel like they have to spend way too much time on Facebook and post things they’re not very proud of. Well, good news: they don’t! Because no matter how much they post (cluttering up the Facebook universe even more), no matter what they post (even if there are babies involved): without spending money on paid advertising on Facebook, a Facebook page will not reach even a small fraction of its fans. That’s just the reality.

So, unless you really do like hunting for yoga cats (or dogs) or you believe your yogis are the kind of people who appreciate Rumi quotes, you can relax. Breathe a big sigh of relief. Stop wasting your time. Accept it. Facebook is not helping your business, and it’s not a suitable platform for you to connect with your students.

4) There’s a Better Way

YogaTrail is built specifically for the yoga community. It’s a platform that connects yogis with yoga providers, where teachers and studios can effectively communicate with their students and clients. Best of all, thousands of yogis visit YogaTrail every day in search of the right instructor (maybe you?), new local classes and other yoga happenings. And it doesn’t cost anything, either.

YogaTrail lets you keep all your students and clients in the loop with your classes, updates, and announcements — reliably. Send your yogis custom messages, or trigger auto-notifications when you cancel class, start teaching a new class, go on holiday, organize a workshop… and there’s also a mobile app where your yogis can get your classes and updates on their phone.

There are two kinds of yoga teachers. If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of them:

A) Not on YogaTrail yet?

Set up your profile here and join thousands of other clued-up teachers and studios around the world who use YogaTrail to keep their yogis in the know. Add your classes, connect with other teachers and studios, post upcoming events, even advertise your retreats or teacher trainings.

And then leave Facebook for what’s it’s for: staying in touch with friends, consuming cute videos, seeing inspirational quotes and getting healthy recipes.

B) Already on YogaTrail?

Your challenge is: how to get your Facebook fans to follow you on YogaTrail. Of course you could post something on your Facebook page, urging your people to follow you on YogaTrail… but then nobody will see your post.

The best way to get your people to connect is to send them an invite — easily done here, or you can also add your students to your students center (where you can simply import a list).


What’s been Your Facebook Experience? Maybe it’s working for you? Please share in the comments :)



from YogaTrail http://ift.tt/1U9LC0Y

1983

For Dr. Vicki Rogers, Singapore American School and her family are one in the same. Dr. Rogers attended SAS as a student and now teaches at SAS. Her son is now a student at SAS as well!

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1OZR2dw

1983

For Dr. Vicki Rogers, Singapore American School and her family are one in the same. Dr. Rogers attended SAS as a student and now teaches at SAS. Her son is now a student at SAS as well!

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1OZR2dw

Monday, May 30, 2016

Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 Tent Review

The Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 (MSRP $449) is a lightweight, double-walled tent designed for 2 people. Weighing just 2 pounds and 2 ounces, it caters to backpackers willing to sacrifice living...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1XL2Xmh

Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 Tent Review

The Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 (MSRP $449) is a lightweight, double-walled tent designed for 2 people. Weighing just 2 pounds and 2 ounces, it caters to backpackers willing to sacrifice living...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1XL2Xmh

How to wash and style curly hair

Hair Romance - How to wash and style curly hair video tutorial

I finally made a tutorial on how to style curly hair and it's a video as well!

This has been one of my most requested tutorials and it's finally here. I wash my hair maybe once or twice a week, depending on what I'm shooting for the blog or where I'm going. It all depends on the hairstyles I want to wear. I have been known to sometimes push it longer than a week and that's where braids come in.

For this curly hair tutorial I have also used a diffuser to speed up the process because my hair can take a really long time to dry naturally.

If I've got a day where I'm just working on my laptop, I wash my hair in the morning and leave it to dry all day. It will often take most of the day to dry which isn't that convenient. I do get a better result with less frizz when I just let my hair air dry but I do like using a diffuser because it gives me a little bit more volume at the roots. As always if you're trying to grow your hair the less heat the better, so only blow dry your hair when you really have to.

I'm sorry I am not going to bring you into the shower with me but I have replicated what I can in front of the camera for you so you can see how I wash and style my curly hair. Check out the video below.

How to wash and style curly hair

Part 1 – In the shower

So, obviously this isn't in the video but I do use a light shampoo on my hair. Often a sulfate-free shampoo though sometimes a sulfate shampoo because I'm testing so many products for the blog.

If you have naturally curly hair, a sulfate-free shampoo or just a conditioner wash will be all that you need. I use a wide tooth comb to detangle my hair in the shower and I usually always do a hair treatment. I rinse that out and while I'm still in the shower while the water is running, I part my hair. I create a side part, though not too straight. A little zig-zag part is more flattering in curly hair.

I then give my hair a final rinse and make sure it's completely saturated. Oh, I forgot to add before I hop in the shower I make sure that my curly hair styling products are right next to the shower so I can put them in while I'm still in the shower.

After the shower but with really wet hair

So as I turn the shower off, I immediately grab my curl cream, mix it between my palms and apply it through my hair. I apply curl cream right through my hair and running my fingers through to help the curls form and clump together.

I then give my hair a light scrunch just to release some of the water and help the curl cream really mix into my hair. My hair is dripping wet at this point. I tip my hair to the side so that I can let the curls hang freely and give them a good scrunch right up to the root and squeeze out some excess water. At this point, I'll also use an old t-shirt just to give a really light scrunch and squeeze to my curls to remove the excess water. My curls still quite wet at this point.

Next, I grab my gel. I mix the gel between my palms and using open hands, smooth the gel over my hair. I'm not running my fingers through my hair so much as smoothing the gel over the curls. I then apply more gel to the ends of my hair and scrunch up. I grab my t-shirt again and use this to scrunch the curls up to my head. Give them a little twisting scrunch so that you're removing as much water as possible.

Extra styling tip

To add volume, I'm going to use some flat pin clips at the roots of my hair. These help to hold up my hair at the roots so it doesn't dry flat. It's at this point where I would normally leave my hair to air dry but let's speed it up with a diffuser.

Blowdrying your curls

Then I take my blow dryer always with the diffuser attached. I set my dryer to high heat but low speed. You want to really get the heat into your hair but you don't want to be blowing it around as this will just cause more frizz. I let my hair fall into the diffuser and bring the diffuser right up into my hair and work very slowly, one section at a time.

I blow dry my hair to about 80% dry so that I don't create that extra frizz at the end.

Scrunch out the crunch

The final step is to scrunch out the gel and you have to wait until you're hair is 100% dry for this step. If you try and do it before you will just create more frizz. Your hair may feel a little bit crispy from the gel and there are two ways to break that crispy cast and release the defined curls underneath. The first way is to use an old t-shirt and do the same scrunching motion. This breaks the physical cast of the gel around your hair and leaves you with you soft curls.

Alternatively, pick up your diffuser again and just using it on a medium heat, warm your hair slightly and then scrunch again. You'll break the gel cast with mix of heat and scrunching.

Tame flyaways

If my hair has a few flyaways, I use a drop or two of oil to smooth over and define the ends. I also like to give my hair a bit of a shake just to get a bit more volume at the roots.

There's a trick I have where put your finger tips right through the roots of your hair and then give a little lift like a tiny shake and then bring your hands straight back out the way it came in. You don't want to run your fingers through your curls you just want to put them into your hair lift at the roots and then bring your hands straight back out.

If you notice any curls are sitting a little funny you can dampened them down with water and then re twist them to get a better shaped curl.

Hair Romance - How to style curly hair video tutorial

Products I used

Hairdryer

Yarok Curl Cream from Nourished Life or Follain.

Taft Hair Gel

Darshana Hair Oil

Now that looks like a lot of steps that's written down but the whole process doesn't take me too long and does leave me with great curls for days. I would love to what curly hair products you love and what's your curly hair routine?

PS. Have you got my new curly hair ebook?

The post How to wash and style curly hair appeared first on Hair Romance.



from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/1Z9dW7R

How to wash and style curly hair

Hair Romance - How to wash and style curly hair video tutorial

I finally made a tutorial on how to style curly hair and it’s a video as well!

This has been one of my most requested tutorials and it’s finally here. I wash my hair maybe once or twice a week, depending on what I’m shooting for the blog or where I’m going. It all depends on the hairstyles I want to wear. I have been known to sometimes push it longer than a week and that’s where braids come in.

For this curly hair tutorial I have also used a diffuser to speed up the process because my hair can take a really long time to dry naturally.

If I’ve got a day where I’m just working on my laptop, I wash my hair in the morning and leave it to dry all day. It will often take most of the day to dry which isn’t that convenient. I do get a better result with less frizz when I just let my hair air dry but I do like using a diffuser because it gives me a little bit more volume at the roots. As always if you’re trying to grow your hair the less heat the better, so only blow dry your hair when you really have to.

I’m sorry I am not going to bring you into the shower with me but I have replicated what I can in front of the camera for you so you can see how I wash and style my curly hair. Check out the video below.

How to wash and style curly hair

Part 1 – In the shower

So, obviously this isn’t in the video but I do use a light shampoo on my hair. Often a sulfate-free shampoo though sometimes a sulfate shampoo because I’m testing so many products for the blog.

If you have naturally curly hair, a sulfate-free shampoo or just a conditioner wash will be all that you need. I use a wide tooth comb to detangle my hair in the shower and I usually always do a hair treatment. I rinse that out and while I’m still in the shower while the water is running, I part my hair. I create a side part, though not too straight. A little zig-zag part is more flattering in curly hair.

I then give my hair a final rinse and make sure it’s completely saturated. Oh, I forgot to add before I hop in the shower I make sure that my curly hair styling products are right next to the shower so I can put them in while I’m still in the shower.

After the shower but with really wet hair

So as I turn the shower off, I immediately grab my curl cream, mix it between my palms and apply it through my hair. I apply curl cream right through my hair and running my fingers through to help the curls form and clump together.

I then give my hair a light scrunch just to release some of the water and help the curl cream really mix into my hair. My hair is dripping wet at this point. I tip my hair to the side so that I can let the curls hang freely and give them a good scrunch right up to the root and squeeze out some excess water. At this point, I’ll also use an old t-shirt just to give a really light scrunch and squeeze to my curls to remove the excess water. My curls still quite wet at this point.

Next, I grab my gel. I mix the gel between my palms and using open hands, smooth the gel over my hair. I’m not running my fingers through my hair so much as smoothing the gel over the curls. I then apply more gel to the ends of my hair and scrunch up. I grab my t-shirt again and use this to scrunch the curls up to my head. Give them a little twisting scrunch so that you’re removing as much water as possible.

Extra styling tip

To add volume, I’m going to use some flat pin clips at the roots of my hair. These help to hold up my hair at the roots so it doesn’t dry flat. It’s at this point where I would normally leave my hair to air dry but let’s speed it up with a diffuser.

Blowdrying your curls

Then I take my blow dryer always with the diffuser attached. I set my dryer to high heat but low speed. You want to really get the heat into your hair but you don’t want to be blowing it around as this will just cause more frizz. I let my hair fall into the diffuser and bring the diffuser right up into my hair and work very slowly, one section at a time.

I blow dry my hair to about 80% dry so that I don’t create that extra frizz at the end.

Scrunch out the crunch

The final step is to scrunch out the gel and you have to wait until you’re hair is 100% dry for this step. If you try and do it before you will just create more frizz. Your hair may feel a little bit crispy from the gel and there are two ways to break that crispy cast and release the defined curls underneath. The first way is to use an old t-shirt and do the same scrunching motion. This breaks the physical cast of the gel around your hair and leaves you with you soft curls.

Alternatively, pick up your diffuser again and just using it on a medium heat, warm your hair slightly and then scrunch again. You’ll break the gel cast with mix of heat and scrunching.

Tame flyaways

If my hair has a few flyaways, I use a drop or two of oil to smooth over and define the ends. I also like to give my hair a bit of a shake just to get a bit more volume at the roots.

There’s a trick I have where put your finger tips right through the roots of your hair and then give a little lift like a tiny shake and then bring your hands straight back out the way it came in. You don’t want to run your fingers through your curls you just want to put them into your hair lift at the roots and then bring your hands straight back out.

If you notice any curls are sitting a little funny you can dampened them down with water and then re twist them to get a better shaped curl.

Hair Romance - How to style curly hair video tutorial

Products I used

Hairdryer

Yarok Curl Cream from Nourished Life or Follain.

Taft Hair Gel

Darshana Hair Oil

Now that looks like a lot of steps that’s written down but the whole process doesn’t take me too long and does leave me with great curls for days. I would love to what curly hair products you love and what’s your curly hair routine?

PS. Have you got my new curly hair ebook?

The post How to wash and style curly hair appeared first on Hair Romance.



from Hair Romance http://ift.tt/1Z9dW7R

River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond

Following the success of Intracorp’s One River Park Place, we are pleased to bring you and your clients the newest addition to Richmond’s riverfront Oval Village. RPP II will be Richmond’s brightest new neighbourhood and will feature the most sought-after amenities within minutes, while paving the way with progressive and illuminating technological details.

RPP II will feature 127 vibrant one, two and three bedroom homes. Views of the mountains, the river or the city centre will celebrate both the natural setting to the north, and a bustling epicentre of amenities to the south. Without even leaving your front door, Intracorp’s quality and industry-leading excellence is proven with state-of-the-art recording and practice rooms, a business centre, games and study rooms – all within steps – and all part of the luxury amenities at RPP II. Also enjoy a peaceful yoga room, an innovative gym space, and the ultimate car wash.

The post River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.



from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/1RGUBF5

River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond

Following the success of Intracorp's One River Park Place, we are pleased to bring you and your clients the newest addition to Richmond's riverfront Oval Village. RPP II will be Richmond's brightest new neighbourhood and will feature the most sought-after amenities within minutes, while paving the way with progressive and illuminating technological details.

RPP II will feature 127 vibrant one, two and three bedroom homes. Views of the mountains, the river or the city centre will celebrate both the natural setting to the north, and a bustling epicentre of amenities to the south. Without even leaving your front door, Intracorp's quality and industry-leading excellence is proven with state-of-the-art recording and practice rooms, a business centre, games and study rooms – all within steps – and all part of the luxury amenities at RPP II. Also enjoy a peaceful yoga room, an innovative gym space, and the ultimate car wash.

The post River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.



from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/1RGUBF5

IndieView with Alessandra Harris, author of Blaming the Wind

Blaming the Wind - HiRes

Even with my sparse outline, the story always ends up with a different outcome than I had planned. 

Alessandra Harris – 30 May 2016

The Back Flap

Sophia Douglas can't shake the fear that she's in over her head. A spontaneous elopement and a layoff from her high-paying job are stressful enough, but a plus sign on her pregnancy test sends her into a panic. Fearing her husband, Terrence, might leave like her father did, Sophia confides her insecurities to Tara, her friend and mom of three.

Though Tara Fisher encourages Sophia to trust Terrence, she's hiding her own secret: a handsome attorney is pursuing her, and she's questioning her commitment to Josh, her husband of ten years. After a devastating career-ending accident, Josh has changed and so have Tara's feelings for him.

When a crisis arises that threatens to destroy Sophia and Terrence's young marriage, Sophia must either overcome her fear of abandonment or lose everything she never knew she wanted. Meanwhile, as Tara is torn between responsibility and passion, her imperfectly put together life starts to unravel, and ghosts from her past resurface to haunt her.

As these two couples grapple with secrets, temptation, and illness, only time will tell if their vows are strong enough to hold them together.

About the book

What is the book about?

Blaming the Wind delves into the lives of two couples grappling with secrets, temptation, and illness. Only time will tell if their vows are strong enough to hold them together.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing Blaming the Wind in 2011.

How long did it take you to write it?

The version of Blaming the Wind that was accepted by Red Adept Publishing was finished in 2014, so it took about three years.

Where did you get the idea from?

For Christmas my dad gave me three easy-to-read novels and said I should write one. I laughed because I didn't write fiction, but shortly after an idea started forming about two married couples. The characters came first, and the story unfolded once I started writing.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

There were places where I struggled writing the character Tara's Point of View. At times she isn't very nice, and she does things that I wouldn't do and disagree with.

What came easily?

I've been told that I wrote Tara and Josh's daughters well, and since I have four children, writing their characters came easily.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My characters are entirely fictitious.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Before I even thought about writing my own novel, I read and enjoyed novels by authors like Bebe Moore Campbell and Eric Jerome Dickey that depicted the complexities of relationships in the real world. That's what I aimed for when writing Blaming the Wind – to show struggles that married couples and friends face and aim to overcome.

Do you have a target reader?

I've been pleasantly surprised that both adult women and men of all different ages have read and enjoyed Blaming the Wind. So I wouldn't say I have a target reader.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I try to write every night when working on a project. Once the kids have had dinner, finished homework, and usually gone to bed, I try to write for a while.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I usually have a general idea of where I would like the story to go, but I do not write a detailed outline. Even with my sparse outline, the story always ends up with a different outcome than I had planned.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you've finished?

I always reread and lightly edit the chapter I worked on the day prior then I continue writing from there.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes, I hired a professional editor. After receiving agent feedback, I knew my novel needed work, but I wasn't exactly sure how to fix it. Hiring an editor was a smart move, and I think it is one of the reasons my novel was accepted for publication.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I don't listen to music while I write. Though I've learned to block out noise like the TV, I am not able to focus on writing while there is music playing. It would make me want to dance.

A.Harris

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I queried agents, and though no one offered representation, I did get great feedback that helped make the novel stronger.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I got burned out with the agent rejection and had actually shelved Blaming the Wind. However, I decided to research small presses and submitted to Red Adept Publishing.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Red Adept Publishing works with Streetlight Graphics for the covers, and they produce very high-quality, eye-catching covers. I've received many compliments for the cover.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I'm not a natural sales person, and I am working on promoting my work more. My marketing plan so far has been focusing on getting reviews and adding people to my email list.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

If you have a story that you want to tell, make sure that you tell it. There are so many publishing options, and it's best to research what will work best for you and your book.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Blaming the Wind from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

blaming banner



from The IndieView http://ift.tt/25tsrr0

IndieView with Alessandra Harris, author of Blaming the Wind

Blaming the Wind - HiRes

Even with my sparse outline, the story always ends up with a different outcome than I had planned. 

Alessandra Harris – 30 May 2016

The Back Flap

Sophia Douglas can’t shake the fear that she’s in over her head. A spontaneous elopement and a layoff from her high-paying job are stressful enough, but a plus sign on her pregnancy test sends her into a panic. Fearing her husband, Terrence, might leave like her father did, Sophia confides her insecurities to Tara, her friend and mom of three.

Though Tara Fisher encourages Sophia to trust Terrence, she’s hiding her own secret: a handsome attorney is pursuing her, and she’s questioning her commitment to Josh, her husband of ten years. After a devastating career-ending accident, Josh has changed and so have Tara’s feelings for him.

When a crisis arises that threatens to destroy Sophia and Terrence’s young marriage, Sophia must either overcome her fear of abandonment or lose everything she never knew she wanted. Meanwhile, as Tara is torn between responsibility and passion, her imperfectly put together life starts to unravel, and ghosts from her past resurface to haunt her.

As these two couples grapple with secrets, temptation, and illness, only time will tell if their vows are strong enough to hold them together.

About the book

What is the book about?

Blaming the Wind delves into the lives of two couples grappling with secrets, temptation, and illness. Only time will tell if their vows are strong enough to hold them together.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing Blaming the Wind in 2011.

How long did it take you to write it?

The version of Blaming the Wind that was accepted by Red Adept Publishing was finished in 2014, so it took about three years.

Where did you get the idea from?

For Christmas my dad gave me three easy-to-read novels and said I should write one. I laughed because I didn’t write fiction, but shortly after an idea started forming about two married couples. The characters came first, and the story unfolded once I started writing.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

There were places where I struggled writing the character Tara’s Point of View. At times she isn’t very nice, and she does things that I wouldn’t do and disagree with.

What came easily?

I’ve been told that I wrote Tara and Josh’s daughters well, and since I have four children, writing their characters came easily.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My characters are entirely fictitious.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Before I even thought about writing my own novel, I read and enjoyed novels by authors like Bebe Moore Campbell and Eric Jerome Dickey that depicted the complexities of relationships in the real world. That’s what I aimed for when writing Blaming the Wind – to show struggles that married couples and friends face and aim to overcome.

Do you have a target reader?

I’ve been pleasantly surprised that both adult women and men of all different ages have read and enjoyed Blaming the Wind. So I wouldn’t say I have a target reader.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I try to write every night when working on a project. Once the kids have had dinner, finished homework, and usually gone to bed, I try to write for a while.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I usually have a general idea of where I would like the story to go, but I do not write a detailed outline. Even with my sparse outline, the story always ends up with a different outcome than I had planned.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I always reread and lightly edit the chapter I worked on the day prior then I continue writing from there.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes, I hired a professional editor. After receiving agent feedback, I knew my novel needed work, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to fix it. Hiring an editor was a smart move, and I think it is one of the reasons my novel was accepted for publication.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I don’t listen to music while I write. Though I’ve learned to block out noise like the TV, I am not able to focus on writing while there is music playing. It would make me want to dance.

A.Harris

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I queried agents, and though no one offered representation, I did get great feedback that helped make the novel stronger.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I got burned out with the agent rejection and had actually shelved Blaming the Wind. However, I decided to research small presses and submitted to Red Adept Publishing.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Red Adept Publishing works with Streetlight Graphics for the covers, and they produce very high-quality, eye-catching covers. I’ve received many compliments for the cover.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I’m not a natural sales person, and I am working on promoting my work more. My marketing plan so far has been focusing on getting reviews and adding people to my email list.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

If you have a story that you want to tell, make sure that you tell it. There are so many publishing options, and it’s best to research what will work best for you and your book.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Blaming the Wind from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

blaming banner



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Thursday, May 26, 2016

What the Heck is a Semi-Freestanding Tent?

If you want to buy a camping or backpacking tent, welcome to Babel! The made-up marketing jargon that tent manufacturers and outdoor retailers use to describe their products defies...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

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What the Heck is a Semi-Freestanding Tent?

If you want to buy a camping or backpacking tent, welcome to Babel! The made-up marketing jargon that tent manufacturers and outdoor retailers use to describe their products defies...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/25lC1Ms

New blogging workshop in Perth

Chrissy and Carly at Little Blog Big workshop

I'm so excited to announce that I'm teaming up with Carly to do another Little Blog Big workshop in Perth on July 2!

In case you don't know Carly, she's Smaggle and has been blogging for over 8 years. She's also now a podcaster with two shows, the life hack testing Straight & Curly and the 90s obsessed Sweet Teen Club.

Carly and I met at a blogging event and we're convinced that the magic happens in real life. You can start the connections online, but taking it offline is where things change.

We're always asked how we became full-time bloggers and that's how Little Blog Big came about. We share real tips and advice about managing your social media, finding your blogging groove, how to be more productive and how to monetise your blog.

Little Blog Big - Perth blog social media workshop

Our workshops aren't just for bloggers. We've had small business owners, artists, jewellers, electricians, physiotherapists, graphic designers, lawyers and magazine editors attend our events.

We share our years of knowledge in a practical workshop that you can apply to your blog or business right away. We like to think it's inspiring, but more importantly it's actionable and relatable. You'll start taking action in class and take home worksheets to continue at home. At the end of the day, we really open up (there's wine) and you can ask us anything.

Chrissy and Carly at Little Blog Big workshop

Post event, we keep the group together on Facebook in a private group where we can all keep in touch. You also get a pretty rad gift bag to take home too.

So Perth, are you ready?

Click here to book your spot for Perth now.

There's an early bird ticket special but it's only on for a week so be quick!

I'm so looking forward to seeing you there! Please share this with any WA friends who need a kick to grow their online presence.

PS. Let me know if you'd like us to come to your city!

The post New blogging workshop in Perth appeared first on Hair Romance.



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New blogging workshop in Perth

Chrissy and Carly at Little Blog Big workshop

I’m so excited to announce that I’m teaming up with Carly to do another Little Blog Big workshop in Perth on July 2!

In case you don’t know Carly, she’s Smaggle and has been blogging for over 8 years. She’s also now a podcaster with two shows, the life hack testing Straight & Curly and the 90s obsessed Sweet Teen Club.

Carly and I met at a blogging event and we’re convinced that the magic happens in real life. You can start the connections online, but taking it offline is where things change.

We’re always asked how we became full-time bloggers and that’s how Little Blog Big came about. We share real tips and advice about managing your social media, finding your blogging groove, how to be more productive and how to monetise your blog.

Little Blog Big - Perth blog social media workshop

Our workshops aren’t just for bloggers. We’ve had small business owners, artists, jewellers, electricians, physiotherapists, graphic designers, lawyers and magazine editors attend our events.

We share our years of knowledge in a practical workshop that you can apply to your blog or business right away. We like to think it’s inspiring, but more importantly it’s actionable and relatable. You’ll start taking action in class and take home worksheets to continue at home. At the end of the day, we really open up (there’s wine) and you can ask us anything.

Chrissy and Carly at Little Blog Big workshop

Post event, we keep the group together on Facebook in a private group where we can all keep in touch. You also get a pretty rad gift bag to take home too.

So Perth, are you ready?

Click here to book your spot for Perth now.

There’s an early bird ticket special but it’s only on for a week so be quick!

I’m so looking forward to seeing you there! Please share this with any WA friends who need a kick to grow their online presence.

PS. Let me know if you’d like us to come to your city!

The post New blogging workshop in Perth appeared first on Hair Romance.



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Climbing Webster Slide Mountain

Webster Slide Mountain (2184′) is located near Mount Moosilauke on the west side of the White Mountains. The site of an impressive cliff, the trail up the slide is maintained by the Dartmouth...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1Xz3wzw

Climbing Webster Slide Mountain

Webster Slide Mountain (2184′) is located near Mount Moosilauke on the west side of the White Mountains. The site of an impressive cliff, the trail up the slide is maintained by the Dartmouth...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1Xz3wzw

Five SAS Grads

Five SAS grads gather at the Graduation Party for Jasmine Root, Ken's daughter. Economics Major, Willamette University Class of 2016. Left to Right: Sam Brodland '75, Chuck Root '68, Sue Root '69, Lee Root '70 and Ken Root '72

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1Wl7ooK

Five SAS Grads

Five SAS grads gather at the Graduation Party for Jasmine Root, Ken's daughter. Economics Major, Willamette University Class of 2016. Left to Right: Sam Brodland '75, Chuck Root '68, Sue Root '69, Lee Root '70 and Ken Root '72

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1Wl7ooK

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Changes to Uniform Sales: August 1-5, 2016

All sales will be made via the SAS PTA's online store: http://ift.tt/1s8ZzWE that will re-open on July 28, 2016. Pay for uniforms using credit cards or Paypal. There will be no cash transactions. Collect your uniform orders on campus from August 1-5 in high school gym 1.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/25gbMH9

Changes to Uniform Sales: August 1-5, 2016

All sales will be made via the SAS PTA's online store: http://ift.tt/1s8ZzWE that will re-open on July 28, 2016. Pay for uniforms using credit cards or Paypal. There will be no cash transactions. Collect your uniform orders on campus from August 1-5 in high school gym 1.

from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/25gbMH9

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

NEMO Siren Down Ultralight Quilt Review

If you find a mummy sleeping bag to constricting to sleep with on backpacking or camping trips, a hoodless quilt can be a more comfortable and lighter weight sleep insulation option. Quilts insulate...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1NLDNlA

Coffee Morning with MayaThiagarajan

Educator and author, Maya Thiagarajan (MEd '01) has lived and worked in India, Singapore, and the US. She began her teaching career with Teach For America and then spent a decade teaching in some of America's most prestigious independent schools. In 2010, Maya moved to Singapore to teach at the United World College of South East Asia (UWC).

In addition to her work in the classroom, Maya writes and speaks widely on parenting and education. She is the author of Beyond The Tiger Mom: East-West Parenting for the Global Age. On May 24, she will speak with the Harvard community about integrating learning in the home. Specifically, she'll help parents consider ways to create learning cultures in their homes, and she will provide parents with research-backed strategies to help children develop strong foundations in math and reading, as well as an enduring love of learning.

24 May 2016 - 10:30am to 12pm - Morning Coffee with author Maya Thiagarajan (HGSE '01)
The Tanglin Club
5 Stevens Road  
Singapore 257814

Contact: Rebecca Woo (rwoo89@post.harvard.edu) (COL '89, HUAAS Committe Member)



from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1TyH053

Coffee Morning with MayaThiagarajan

Educator and author, Maya Thiagarajan (MEd '01) has lived and worked in India, Singapore, and the US. She began her teaching career with Teach For America and then spent a decade teaching in some of America's most prestigious independent schools. In 2010, Maya moved to Singapore to teach at the United World College of South East Asia (UWC).

In addition to her work in the classroom, Maya writes and speaks widely on parenting and education. She is the author of Beyond The Tiger Mom: East-West Parenting for the Global Age. On May 24, she will speak with the Harvard community about integrating learning in the home. Specifically, she'll help parents consider ways to create learning cultures in their homes, and she will provide parents with research-backed strategies to help children develop strong foundations in math and reading, as well as an enduring love of learning.

24 May 2016 - 10:30am to 12pm - Morning Coffee with author Maya Thiagarajan (HGSE '01)
The Tanglin Club
5 Stevens Road  
Singapore 257814

Contact: Rebecca Woo (rwoo89@post.harvard.edu) (COL '89, HUAAS Committe Member)



from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/1TyH053

NEMO Siren Down Ultralight Quilt Review

If you find a mummy sleeping bag to constricting to sleep with on backpacking or camping trips, a hoodless quilt can be a more comfortable and lighter weight sleep insulation option. Quilts insulate...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

from Sectionhiker.com http://ift.tt/1NLDNlA

Test ES Bulletin

Wednesday, May 25

Tech about

May 25-27 (Tues-Thurs) - G3, G4, G5 iPads will be collected in i108 and i110

May 30 - G5 MBP Carts will be rolled to P303

May 31 - G3-G4 Classroom MBPs will be returned to P303

May 31 - Science & GATE MBPs will be returned to P303

June 1 - K-2 iPads + Headphones will be returned to P302


All Labs will be closed for the remainder of the year.

Creation Stations in the Loft closed on Thursday June 2

 


New  from: Finance Department (and Bookroom)

All classroom printers (color) will be collected and replaced with new monochrome printers over the summer.  As such, the bookroom will not be ordering any more ink cartridges for your existing classroom printers (but please do not go out to buy them either - because they’ll only go to waste).

If you have run out of ink, please consider using the network printers in the office or the library.  

Or send an ‘SOS’ through marketplace - there must be lots of spare ink cartridges from the first round phase-out.

Kindly submit all invoices and reimbursements by first week of June for it to be captured in this school year's budget.

Bookroom:  Please make your final purchases from the bookroom by 27th May (Fri)

 


 

Celebration Party HatsES Happy Hour

Please join us on Friday, 27 May at Picotin, 60 Fairways Dr, S286966 for the Elementary End of Year Happy Hour. Thank you for your rsvp. If you have not yet responded and wish to attend please contact your Division Secretary. See you there! From your ES Admin Team.

 


 

Spirit Days

Friday May 27th is the final Spirit Day hosted by our Grade 5 Student Council this year. Friday’s theme is Sports Day. Please join the students by wearing your sports kit this Friday!

The Student Council share more information in this short video. (1:30mins)

 


 

REPORT CARD DATES - update. Please note change in dates below:

Please note the following deadlines:

Withdrawing Students’ Report Cards are due Tuesday, May 24th.

Report card grades and comments are due in Power School at 8am on Monday 30 May.

Peer Editing - PLCs will peer edit during their planning time on Monday 30 May. Editing needs to take place through PowerSchool to ensure comments fit within the given space on the final copy.  

Final report card edits are due by 4pm on Tuesday, 31 May. No further changes can be made after this time.

 


 

Dear Elementary Teachers: 

The PTA Book Fair Team is already gearing up for next year’s book fair in November!

Could you please poll your class and determine what their Top 10 Favorite Books/Series are?

Also, let us know if you have any special requests. We know that teachers are customers as well.

Email your responses to saspta.bookfair@gmail.com by May 27th.

 

Thank you for your time,

Amy Thompson and Rashmi Dalai

SAS PTA Book Fair Co-Chairs

 


 

Library

Chris Barton Book Order Form


All library materials are now due back as of  Wednesday, May 18th. Library classes and checkouts will also stop then for us to reorganize and re-shelve all of our collection. This is an SAS-compulsory inventory year for us, which means we need to account for each and every item in our ECC-GR5 85,000 item collection. Teacher materials can stay in your classroom, but we will need all other books returned.

If you need to know what materials you have out, please log in to the catalog using your username (ie acuthbert) and your password. ECC-G2 Password: fish GR3-5 Password: gecko IA Password: eagle

Please let us know if you need help with this.




Coaches Corner

Math PD Opportunities

How to Learn Math (free)

How to Learn Math: For Parents and Teachers

Online classes from Youcubed, co-founded by Jo-Boaler, Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University



 

Math Enrichment 3-5

The current  ME class list is located here.  If you have students that need enrichment outside of what occurs in your class, please find the NEWLY ALIGNED packets located here:

                Grade 3 packets                       Grade 4 packets                        Grade 5 packets

As there are no more ME nominations this time of year, please feel free to use the packets for in-class enrichment as needed.  I think it's best not to send them home as an entire packet as the materials may still be used in the future.  Please feel free to work on these in small groups or as a whole class, and confer with students as needed to challenge and engage them in their math thinking. I am happy to help you in any way, and am working to create more in-class enrichment activities.   Please don't hesitate to ask me for support if you need it! More information on the math enrichment program can be found on my blog - click here.



 

Reminders

16-17 Local Orders (next year’s)

Teachers and IAs,

  • Local orders are due to Cheryl the Monday you get back from spring break (Monday, 28th March).

  • Beacon Order forms should have been sent to you. If you do not have one, please request for one from Cheryl (ext. 6109; email cwong@sas.edu.sg).

  • Catalogs are still available from ES-A or ES-B offices or online links are on the left panel of this site.  

  • For other local agents such as for PACON or NASCO, please request for separate order forms (do not use Beacon forms as exchange rate and shipping charges are different)

  • Once you are done working on your orders, please remember to share it back with Cheryl - cwong@sas.edu.sg to signal that you have completed.

Please do not hesitate to call or see Cheryl if you need any further clarification or information.  Thank you.

 


 

Printers and Ink:

Please note that we are coming to the end of our contract with Fuji Xerox and will be changing our desktop printers in late May or June. Please do not stock up on ink cartridges as the new printers will require different cartridges - consider trading and borrowing with teammates to use up the current stock.  Many thanks!

 


 

Hey I'm Gonna Be OUT!

If you are going to be "out" (not in your regular daily role) for any reason (i.e. you are sick, you are in the building but attending a professional development session, you are on release time to do some work, you are attending a conference in or out of Singapore, you are stepping out to run an errand etc.) we are asking that you notify us in advance.  We have created this link for you to do just that Hey I'm Gonna Be OUT!

* This link can also be found on the left side panel under the label

‘Staff Attendance & Schedules’

 


 

CAMPUS ACCESS (SECURITY)

As you know, our security officers are under instructions to refuse anyone (and/or their vehicle) who is unable to provide proof of their identity and association with SAS. For consistency of notification and accuracy of information, please pre-register your visitors and their vehicles (at least 1-day in advance) by clicking here.

Should you have VIP guests requiring special access or parking arrangements, please highlight or contact Isaac and his team directly.

 


 

BUDGET

Please use updated claim form - please print from the link on the left -  (copies are available from receptionists)

 


 

OFFICE OF LEARNING

The Office of Learning has streamlined and updated the Professional Learning Handbook.  

The link to the information as well as an electronic form for application/submission is now found on the ES Daily Bulletin (left panel), under ‘Professional Learning’.

The electronic form will utilize docusign in order to make the process much more efficient and timely.

Professional Learning Coordinator, Sylvie Duval (ext. 6305), at the Office of Learning (OOL) is the point person.

The Office of Learning is in the process of launching a website which will contain all Professional Learning information, news of upcoming events and useful links - coming soon!

*in the meantime, please discard all paper forms and sign-up online with immediate effect.

 


 

Sick Leave

Please remember to contact your Deputy Principal if you are going to be out sick. Thanks.

 


 

    

There is now a new system in place at the bookroom.

Needless to say, the bookroom staff will need your cooperation (and patience) during its initial phase.

  • You will now require your staff cards to make purchases.

  • Your staff card will need to be scanned, for the purpose of accuracy of recording your ID#
    (verbally providing your staff ID# or using someone else’s ID is discouraged)

  • IAs purchasing on behalf of your teachers will have your cards scanned and purchases will be recorded as taken for your department.  (no monies will be deducted from your personal accounts!)

  • For IAs purchasing for multiple teachers, it will then be advisable to keep purchases separate and request for individual receipts so that you can keep a record for each teacher.

  • The Finance department will provide monthly bookroom reports based solely from records of staff ID#s scanned.  Balances given will be for an entire department i.e. there will be no more individual balances reflected of each team member - we can however, sort the data given, to identify the staff who made the purchases, to track expenses).

Important note: The above points are as much information as I have managed to gather so far from my conversations with the kind people at the finance dept., bookroom and feedback from some of you who had visited the bookroom yesterday.  

At this time, I am unsure as to how I will be processing the bookroom balances in your budget spreadsheets to reflect individual spending within your teams - so I would ask that you request for a receipt each time you make a purchase and perhaps designate a person to file these to cross-reference them against the monthly reports in order to track individual spending and balances.



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