Personally, I think this is a good thing. As companies and organizations become more “human” the values of the people who make up these same organizations become more visible.

Many people have helped me grow my business. There is a personal connection there. In allowing those people to help me, I help them realize their altruism. I would say that allowing them to help me is just as important as my work helping them. Allowing them to love me, is just as important as loving them.

It is in this spirit that we are announcing this week a special offer to Facebook friends of  A Passion for Connection. For the week of March 5 – March 12, we are offering our basic Website Started Package at 50% OFF the retail price of $600.00 for a total of $300.00. We want to give something back to all of those who have given so much to us.

Will you allow us to help you?

Allowing Others to Help us is Just as Important as Loving Others is a post from: A Passion for Connection

We live in intensely dynamic times. Times that call us to be present.  Times that call us to rise above the stereotypes of the past. We are compelled to listen to the current ideology. We need to listen to the people who matter.  We need to LISTEN to the audience we are trying to reach. Does that mean we need to capitulate to  their values? HELL NO. But we do need to acknowledge their thoughts. We need to listen intently, and we need to decide how to respond, respectfully with our open hearts.

Our world is changing, will we change with it, or cling to what we know?

I’ll challenge you today to do just that. Listen intently and respond appropriately.

Be in peace and love always,

Richard

Social Media is not Formulaic, it is Organic. is a post from: A Passion for Connection

If we do not back up our words with action or if our actions do not coincide with our promises, then we are not living authentically. That lack of authenticity will speak volumes to those around us.

We can not hide the discordance. We can not hide the duplicity. It is there for all to see.

Exactly how much do you believe in what you say? Are you willing to back it up with action? If not, it would be better to say nothing than to live with dichotomy. People today will know the difference.

Be true to your heart. Say and live what is there. Your authenticity will ring true to all those around you. You will sleep well knowing that what is in your heart is who you are and your actions will speak to the honesty there.

In peace and love always,

Richard

Words are one thing, do your actions back them up? is a post from: A Passion for Connection

We have to be the best we can be. In life and in our online lives we are called to be the best we can be. Are they separate, our online lives and when we are physically with others? I try so hard not to let them be. I want my online persona to be, Who I AM. Do I succeed? Not always.  Life is full of dramas and events that not all need to be shared. It is the core of who we are that does though. We need to be real in out struggles. We need to be able to reveal our vulnerabilities in a way that is real, honest and trust that others will not swoop in and use those same vulnerabilities against us.

I have to admit that it is a very hard line to walk.

You can not “Skate” in Social Media. is a post from: A Passion for Connection

is a post from: A Passion for Connection

I am fresh of the phone with people at Godaddy with an important message to website owners who post to their Facebook pages from their website. Starting October 1, 2011 Facebook will require sites that connect their websites to the Facebook Business pages to have an SSL Certificate.

An SSL or Secure Socket Layer protects visitors information like Credit Cards and other personal information. You can tell if a site is secure by looking that the URL. It should have, ” HTTPS://” as opposed to “HTTP://” Although your Facebook Login information is secure, pages and games you visit may expose your information to others.

Most Facebook users will not be affected but you may notice a warning that the site or page your are visiting may not be secure. It is your choice to follow that link or not.

For business owners with pages, you may be required to provide links within a Secure Socket Layer. This is relatively easy depending upon your web host. The cost for an SSL Certificate should be between $50 and $100.00. There may be other costs depending on whether you have a static or variable IP address. If you would like to read more, please follow this link.

For clients of A Passion for Connection who have their sites hosted with Godaddy, you can purchase the SSL Certificate for your site here.  If you need help in setting this up, please feel free to contact us and we will guide you through it. (Note: We are affiliates of GoDaddy. )

Facebook to require SSL for sites that link to pages is a post from: A Passion for Connection

One of the first steps we take when working with new clients ( after ensuring the fundamentals are spot on) is to evaluate their presence on the web. Far to often companies have a fragmented web presence. They may have a website, a Facebook page, and maybe even a LinkedIn or a Twitter account, but there may be no coordinated effort to integrate those online tools and they may not even integrate their online presence with their offline marketing activities.

With strong fundamentals, a strong business plan, mission statement and customer profile a company’s online presence can be coordinated with its core values and integration can be planned with offline activities to create synergies. When this happens, the brand is strengthened, and strategies can be developed and implemented that will foster communications across channels and possibilities for real growth can have the most fertile atmosphere.

Think Web Presence instead of just Website.

Think Web Presence Instead of Website is a post from: A Passion for Connection

First, I would like to introduce a new addition to A Passion for Connection, Sandy Collins.
Sandy is an artist and graphic designer. She is working on the new look for a Passion for Connection as I write this.  Her vision is amazing. You can connect with Sandy on LinkedIn .

Second,  We are working on reorganizing the layout of our site to help make it easier to navigate while making it cleaner, simpler while at the same time defining our core services and how we can best help you and your organization connect with the right people through social and emerging media.

Our services include:

1. Website and Blog Design
2. Social Media Integration- How to best communicate with your constituencies through social mediBlogs
   • Blogs
   • Facebook (business and personal)
   • LinkedIn
   • Twitter
   • Yelp
   • Google
3. Content development
   • Writing blog post and website content
   • Photography
   • Graphic design
   • Logo design
   • Presentations
   • Brochures and business cards

   Click on the slideshow below for samples of Sandy’s graphic design work.

Shoemaker’s Kid with no Shoes is a post from: A Passion for Connection

Getting back to nature is a post from: A Passion for Connection

The newest member of Business with a Heart is Cheryl Fehlberg of Enhanced Editing Services. Cheryl helps bloggers and writers over the world present their best work by editing and proofreading their writing before it is published.

Cheryl was wondering how to price her work.  She had read a blog post that was highly shared on Facebook and Twitter.  The piece was excellent in its concept and spoke to the idea of supporting creative people and encouraging them not to be afraid to put their work out there.  It was nicely written but had its own share of grammatical errors.  She wanted to offer help in a way that was supportive.  If the blog was making money and could afford to pay for editing then she would like to be compensated in a little way.  If not, because it was so good and she wanted to support the author, she would do it without charge just to help.

I suggested offering help through the Business with a Heart model.  The model has three components:

1.  To set an example by giving deeply from our hearts

2.  If other businesses receive help through discounted rates then they commit to do “Paying it forward” by doing the same for theirs.

3.  The members work to promote the businesses and non profits that are doing good things in their own communities.

By offering this to a potential client, she sends the message that is at the heart of who Cheryl is.  It codifies the idea that Cheryl is working from her heart to do good things for others.  She can work hand in hand with other businesses whose values she supports.  The other business receives needed services at a rate they can afford and is challenged to give back in a way that works for them while both businesses mutually support each other in a team like fashion.

Cheryl provides a much needed service, editing blog post and other writing at a very affordable rate and on demand.

To learn more about Cheryl and her very affordable and needed services you can visit her blog site, contact her on Twitter, or learn more about her on LinkedIN.

Business with a Heart – Enhanced Editing Services is a post from: A Passion for Connection