This fellowship is the kind that created PARADIGM SHIFTS that have actively changed my thinking. No kidding, it was like being in the matrix and being offered two PILLS. I HAD TO CHOOSE.
On April 26th 2019, I received the offer to take the RED pill or the BLUE Pill. So what happened was ehm… well, I went for the RED pill.
Why? You ask, with the crazy world we live in, getting the privilege to learn from some of the best in their industry was an easy RED pill YESSSS! Companies like the Raben Group, Caspian Event Science, OpEd Project, Rashad Robinson from Color of Change and so many more.
FACT: I was so sure I wouldn’t be selected. I applied anyway
TRUTH: The passion for serving my purpose matters more to me than whatever I want that is not in alignment. That was apparently why I got selected. YES TO PURPOSE!
Hi. I’m Yetunde Shorters and I am a BMe Vanguard Fellow and I want to share with you 3 Incredible Strategies I learned from being a BMe Vanguard Fellow, strategies that can compel you to apply for the next fellowship and transform your work in our world.
1. How to Navigate Inter-Personal Relationships – One of the mind-blowing sessions was with Dr. Edwin J. Nichols, PhD., a Clinical/Industrial Psychologist. When you meet someone that helps you understand at our core why every race lives and interacts with the world a certain way, it can significantly affect the way you understand yourself and other people in our world
Understanding various axiologies and epistemology gives you an opportunity and the blueprint to speak every cultural language that will get the results you need, for your work anywhere in the world. In this session with Dr. Nichols, I got to understand who I am as a woman of African decent and knowing how to apply different axiologies to whomever I am dealing with. This knowledge alone is a powerful ability that I have started maximizing. IT FLIPPING WORKS!
2. Asset Framing – Is the innovative practice that we define people by their strengths and by their aspirations and contributions, rather than their challenges and deficits. Understanding and practicing this core value is literally like taking the RED pill and never being able to take the BLUE pill even if you wanted to. Once you understand this practice, it is almost impossible to miss how we (you, and 95% of the world) DEFICIT frame just about everything. This training by Trabian Shorters is its own entire paradigm shift that forces you to step up to the better version of yourself and you’ll find that you start genuinely seeing people differently. You see people in a way that gives them power to be and bring their own best to the world ORGANICALLY. It’s industry changing stuff! Literally
And if you’re a social entrepreneur, all I can tell you is, prepare to see yourself and those you serve in a light that you probably never even considered. You’ll love it.
3. The Power of a Network- When you get down-to-earth influential and powerful people together, The vibe that happens is a recipe for creating a family you didn’t even know you needed. The caliber of fellows in this fellowship is mind-blowing. The way we bonded so quickly was shocking for so many of us. That’s what happens when you get people who are purpose-centered, loving and excellent in a room. We connect on SOUL-LEVELS. The strategy of giving us the experience of connecting with all kinds of people of African decent was the kind of magic needed to bring us together no matter what part of the world we are located. In watching and experiencing the many depths of these incredible down-to-earth doctors, lawyers, academics, financial gurus, tech leaders, social and philanthropic leaders, I now have connections and access to people who want my success and I theirs. You can’t pay for this kind of network. It’s earned by doing your part for the people of African decent and our world.
The deadline is February 1st 2020. It is a fellowship that I know will transform your life if you’re serious about impacting the lives of people globally, through social change. The application process is easy. The link is www.bmecommunity.org/apply
This fellowship is for the next generation of thought leaders and you could be it. Past fellows include the owner of the largest black owned bank in America. 2 New York Times Bestselling Authors, The head of the Skillman foundation, leaders in Tech and communications, MSNBC and Today’s Show contributors, Trusted community leaders across our nation and more.
CLASS OF 2019- ACROSS 5 CITIES
I hope you take the RED pill and get ready to see the world differently.
After securing hundreds of publicity features for my clients over the years, I can tell you one media feature can create a new world of opportunities for you. Getting featured in any media is a great time to bank on that energy to create more like it. There is no such thing as too much noise. PR is about publicity, so tell the world about it. Below are 3 ways to maximize any publicity you get.
#1 MAKE SOME NOISE
Social currency is a powerful thing. But here is the truth: special people like to feel special. Immediately you’ve secured any feature, the first thing you want to do is tell your VIP’s. Email, phone calls, you can go old-fashioned and make copies of it and mail it to your family so they have a copy to brag about. Attach the image or link of the feature to an email to them. Be sure to let them know they are first in on this news. Let them feel your excitement about sharing this special news with them FIRST. People pay to be insiders, make your list/tribe feel special. And then, 6-12 hours later tell the whole world. Use social media, e-blast, and get 5-10 of your champions to re-tweet the same image or link. Become a trend in your inner circle for the day. Be sure to make noise for at least 2 weeks straight.
#2 CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is about consistency and connecting to influencers. Once you secure a solid media feature, spend the day engaging with the editor and the publication on social media. Tag them on your announcement of the feature at least 3 times in a day. It will let the writer/publication know you are excited about the feature plus, you’re showing the value of your own social currency. You can also tag other social media influencers or bloggers that compliment your brand. You should also take phrases, sound bites, or key moments of the feature and share it all day using a hashtag that works for your brand. Make sure you schedule them at integral times of day when your fans/followers are known to be online (check your account insights for this.) Create digital graphics of your quotes to share on instagram, record a video of you reading the feature and share it online. Get creative.
#3 TELL THE MEDIA ABOUT THE MEDIA
Telling other media you are interested in being featured on about your new media feature, is a good way to stay on their radar. You should have about 5-10 media contacts you’re building relationships with personally. Send an email to each one telling them about the feature and to consider you for a possible story or feature in their upcoming issue. Should you do this, it’s a good idea to have 3-4 fresh story ideas that will be of interest to their own publication. This can get their wheels turning on story angles that could get you even more publicity. Also tag them on instagram or twitter about the feature and use the appropriate industry hashtags.
I look forward to these tips helping you maximize any media exposure you get moving forward. Public Relations is about relating to the public, RELATE and build that relationship. That’s what it’s about. Have fun telling your story.
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, ICY PR is giving 3 tips on how to brand your Non-Profit organization in order to increase impact, visibility and serve.
“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Minister, Civil Rights Activist
The idea that everyone can make an impact is a big part of our signature program ICY Academy. We teach go getters, and those willing to serve their audience with their purpose, the ability to increase their own effectiveness by handing you to the tools of the trade that we have mustered up over the last 15 years as a public relations firm.
Branding for the non-profit sector isn’t just a bonus, but an absolute must. A brand is more than a visual identity: the name, logo, and graphic design used by an organization.Think of brand management as a tool for FUNDRAISING. Branding allows a story to be told. With non profits, those stories move individuals to action for change.
Here are some things to consider in order to boost your 501 (c) 3’s online branding initiatives
1. Consider a marketing or PR staff member on your leadership team.
2. Create powerful images. Record and share your good works—professionally. The choice to use an amateur photographer/videographer or a professional is the difference of how you want the public to engage in your work.
3. Recruit a group of volunteer social media influencers who are willing to share your powerful images. Nonprofits are skilled at finding community leaders to help push an initiative through a neighborhood or city. Think of social media influencers as a similar concept, except virtually. A social media influencer is someone who wields that influence through social media.
How do you make connections that convert to sales? it’s simple. Provide value. Give, Give get. Give more of your value and you will get the people who VALUE your expertise, service or product, paying you.
So it’s important to know what value you provide to the world.
The Formula it simple. What does your target need that you offer that will make their life easier. Be clear on it and then share it with the world.
Your POWER LIST should have the full names, phone numbers, emails, websites, social media links etc. of 15-20 of your top influencers/6-7 figure earners in your network. These are people you should have or be cultivating a relationship with. Look into your LinkedIN, take the time to sit and think about people you hang out with. You’re probably connected to powerful and influential people. You need to learn to tap into and foster relationships with your power list. They have skills that you don’t have and you can be of value to them if you are more intentional about the connection you build.
WISH LIST
Your WISH LIST should have the names of at least 5 people that you want to meet, learn from or build connections with in the next year. Write their names down, follow them on social media, and spend the time to engage them on things that are of interest to them. Respond to their feeds. Share thoughtful insights on their post. People remember people who engage their interests. It’s about sincerely engaging them. As you build those online relationships, your wish list can cross over to your power list or even to real true friendships where you both provide value to each other. No one is too big for you to wish to meet. NO ONE. Get on it.
TRIBE LIST
Your TRIBE LIST is one of the most powerful lists you will ever have. Your tribe list should have 20 -10,000+ people who love, like, engage are interested or are fans of yours. They are champions for your cause that you should engage with frequently, to build your “tribe culture”. They see you as a leader in whatever it is you’re great at. They have the same values or close as you do. They may not be related to you by blood, but they are related by virtues, ideals and a sense of culture. Your tribesmen and women will be the ones to buy your book, come see you talk at a live event or toot your horn to the world even if you never asked. They are the ultimate village.
noun: tribe;
1. any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc.
These top lists require you take the time and sit to prepare them. Spend those 60 minutes to brainstorm on them. Have an excel sheet for the Power List and Wish list and you can use a mail service (awber, malchimp etc.) for the tribe list.
Your Purpose Coach and Cheerleader
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
3 POWER MOVESTO HELP YOU BUY A HALF BILLION NAIRA HOME LIKE LINDA IKEJI.
From Surulere to Banana Island. You can either feel envy or join in on the excitement. Linda Ikeji purchased her dream home for half a Billion Naira. If you haven’t heard the news, you’re so late for it. It’s an inspiring story of International Blogger Linda Ikeji. We choose to join in on the excitement and inspiration. Over the years, Linda Ikeji has done 3 key things that have positioned her for success.
And if you’re ready for it, let’s look at the steps she used, you can get in on the action too.
1. Authenticity: No one is telling you that your authentic self is what people will tune in to. Authenticity is that special something that only YOU have. Love her or not, Linda Ikeji has remained true to her image. She loves to gist and be engaged in social happenings, current affairs and international news. She found a way to do it so that millions can join her in gisting daily. Those who enjoy the gist get in on it action and she built a community of millions based on what feels true to her. Curating social news so that we can all go to her for our need for gist.
The truth is, everyone has it, but we are too busy trying to be packaged like everyone else, or
packaging the “idea” we have of us that we forget the gem that is already in us. Start trying to be you and less like others. Linda Ikeji makes no apologies for who she is. You are an original, being a copy or like anyone else is a dis-service to what you have to offer the world. How do you tap into your authenticity? Be true to your gut, your style, your thoughts, and your truth, even the medium to share your “thing”. Doing it because it is the norm is very different from doing it because it works and it feels like you.
If you’re great at making people laugh, organizing, analyzing, writing or talking, photographer etc., that special gift is your moneymaker, plus there are people waiting for you to step into it so they can pay you for it. The bonus is doing the work to make your authenticity valuable. And you can only do that when you master YOU. Practice, take time invest and do your part to be the master of your authenticity. Be your best self often and un-apologetically. When you get comfortable with you, it encourages others to do the same. You may not be the next Linda Ikeji, but you could be the one everyone wants to be like. Blogging is not for everyone. Find your thing, and then bank on it.
[NOTE: Want to Know The #1 New Way You Can Be The Next Virtual Superstar? click here]
2. Purposeful: No matter how much drama goes on online about any of the stories Linda Ikeji shares on her blog, it is clear that she understands the value of her information to the world. So it’s one thing to be authentic, it’s another thing to know why your authenticity is important to you, your family and the world.
To be “purposeful means: [pur-puh s]
1. the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
2. an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal.
3. determination; resoluteness.
She uses that platform to do many of the things that are important to her. She inspires a lot of young women, pisses off a lot of celebrities and shares news also about their successes. We find intrigue, excitement or sometimes disappointment in some of the stories Linda Ikeji shares. No matter how outrageous the stories, she is intentional about the stories she shares. Linda spends hours doing the thing millions tune in for.
Your time is your most valuable asset. It is non-refundable, you can’t pay for more of it and you can’t get an iota of it back. You can however maximize it and be intentional about how you use it.
According to Forbes, Oprah has 10 self-made sources of income. Probably more by now. She spent years daily, doing the thing that is her purpose that she loves and helping people, building profits and daily she became a master at it, at HER.
She is a billionaire and she, just like you and Linda Ikeji have the same time in a day- 24 hours.
Committing to purpose means stepping fully into your Why. “why is this important for the world, to you” then spending your time doing the important stuff. The good news is, in-spite of the
challenges that you will face (designed to help you become a master at YOU), it will be more fun because you are doing the thing you love, helping people and building profits. Linda Ikeji gets to do what she loves, help people with her various non-profit endeavors and making millions. It’s a win, win.
[NOTE: Ready to learn the 7 Easy Steps to Creating a Purposeful and Profitable Brand Image? click here]
3. Profitable: Linda banked on her community. She built a community of readers that spends with the advertisers on her site. She made a business out of her passion. There are 7.3 billion+ people on this earth. If even 0.001% (that is 73,000) of them are the people you are meant to help and you charge them ??100 a month for what you’re great at, that they need, that they will gladly pay for, you will make ??7,300,000 a month and ??87,000,000 (that is 87 million) a year.
Here is the truth “the whole world is not your market”. Linda knows this. Not everyone reads her blog. Yes, you may have a product (in this case social information) that everyone could enjoy, but accepting and understanding that only the people that value your product or service will pay for it. Why not market to those people.
Linda Ikeji knows this and she’s doing it. So is Bella Naija and Ono Bello. This is what we brand professionals call NICHEmarketing.
Close your eyes: imagine your ideal fan, customer or client. What does he or she look like? What do they do for a living, where do they spend time online, what kind of books, shows, audio books do they read? etc. Whomever you pictured, that is the person you need to market to, to help you build profit. Start today.
If you’re’ ready to do this, you have to be committed and put in the work. Expecting results in a year though ambitious is unrealistic. It took Linda 9 years and she’s still building. You need to build your community aka tribe, first, build a valuable product/service and be consistent with it, then bank on your “tribe” to pay for what you are offering.
So, you officially got the details on the 3 power moves that Linda Ikeji made to get to where she is now. Start now, why wait for tomorrow. Be present in your authenticity, live on purpose, be intentional with your time and the people that you need to help and support will pay you.
Have fun being you, Linda Ikeji sure does. Congratulations Linda.
photo by: Kelechi Amadi-Obi
Your Purpose Coach and Cheerleader
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I AM the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful brand that is profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
#1 Way To Become The Next Oprah, Wendy or Mo Abudu
If this caught your attention, then you must have practiced being the next Oprah, Wendy or Mo Abudu with your own TV show. There is a new app in town that is making people celebrities almost instantly. If you’ve heard of it and haven’t activated it, I hope this gets you excited about it. And if you haven’t heard of it, this is your chance to get on the ground level of what is the new wave of social media. Yes, another new APP to add to our long list of social media connections. THIS ONE IS WORTH IT.
Hello everyone say a big HEY to the new free app PERISCOPE! “Where people explore the world through your eyes”, LIVE!
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS PERISCOPE?
Periscope is a free app that allows you to stream and interact live with your mobile phone or tablet from anywhere is the world, with anyone in the world. Imagine how you watch certain stations religiously; think about your own periscope being a station “Live With Tolu”. I can log in every Tuesday at 1pm and know that you will be on, sharing whatever “your thing is” at that time. If you have great content, you can have viewers who will come regularly for your “program.”
HOW CAN I USE IT?
You can be intentional and strategic about how you use it. Develop your own show idea, Talk show, comedy, daily gist, sight seeing around town, restaurant review, business tips, life of a fashion blogger, relationship advice or as I have, Life of a Serial Entrepreneur. Find me @Yetunde on periscope. I share my experiences, lessons, ups and downs of running my business with the world. All periscopes are only available for 24 hours and you build engagement by accumulating heartthrobs and followers (people simply double tap their screens to give you hearts. It’s the equivalent of likes). With Periscope you can also choose to allow only your followers watch your live feed. It can also be open to the world. It’s your choice.
CAN IT REALLY MAKE ME A STAR?
Yes, in less than 5 months, there are incredible people that have used and are using periscope to build their brand and a name for themselves. If you have a niche with great content and an engaging personality, people tune in to watch your show and people get to spread the word about you. More people know you and engage your content; more people push your star power. Here are 5 people I recommend you follow on periscope.
Alex Pettitt – Award Winning Broadcaster/Periscope Coach
Ebong Eka – Life and Business Coach/Strategist
Danielle Ford – Marketing/Social Media Expert
Krista Jennings – Productivity/ Time Management Coach
Yetunde – Lifestyle Entrepreneur/PR and Branding Strategist
HOW CAN I MAKE MONEY WITH IT?
You can make money by first building your follower base, providing great and compelling content, then taking those numbers and that great content to advertisers to pay you for your power of influence. Product placement is also a great way to get paid. So e.g. if you wear a t-shirt or use a lipstick by a specific company on one of your scopes, they can pay you for that exposure to your followers and many more ways.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT PERISCOPE?
I joined Periscope when it launched in March, but stayed dormant until recently and I have only just begun to activate its power. There is one person I have followed on Periscope from day one and his name is Alex Pettitt. With over 97K followers in less than 5 months, he is #No1 and most loved for sharing periscope top tips. Find him on youtube <<click here to see all his videos on how to tap into the power of Periscope.
Periscope is one of the few live feed apps that has activated more people since it launched on March 26th. It is also tied to your twitter account. The goal with any online venture should be consistency, engagement and providingvalue and people will come.
If you do it right, this new APP can help you increase your star power, build profits as you grow your content/audience and build a life as a “Periscoper”. HAPPY SCOPING!
Your Purpose Coach and Cheerleader
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I AM the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful brand that is profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
It’s official we have stepped into the era of total SELF PROMOTION. Here is however how YOU can stand out this year. These 7 easy steps help you identify what really matters for a purpose driven and profitable brand. One of the secrets to a successful brand is being very clear on what YOU have to offer to OTHERS that adds value to their lives.
You are more likely to be top of mind when people know your brand makes them feel better about themselves. Not about you, but about themselves. Your audience is the HERO of the story. Have that in mind as you step more into this year. Your personal brand should be meaningful. Your AUTHENTICITY is what will make you stand out, and bank on that for a profitable year ahead.
1. IDENTIFY YOUR PURPOSE & AUDIENCE
This is probably the one word that eludes a lot of people. PURPOSE. What in the world is it I am here to do? It’s usually pretty simple. Purpose is almost always about others. There are many ways to identify your purpose. I find that it usually comes from one of these 4 experiences: Promise: you have an experience and then decide and promise yourself to change things for people, Passion: passion is irrational. All you know is that if you don’t do it, life would cease to exist as a happy place for you and those you love. Pain: Something difficult happens that transforms your life and now you want to help transform the life of others. Opportunity: You see/bump into a need in the world and you find yourself wanting to make life better for others. Once you have zoned in on what it is that is your purpose, you should identify who would value it: Age, hobbies, habits, where they spend their time, how to reach them etc
2. TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT
Image goes a long way in making a first impression. There is usually always more to a book than it’s cover. However, you are more likely to open a book with an attractive cover. And if the story matches or exceeds the cover design, BRAVO! Invest in a professional shoot. I promise you it is worth the investment. A good shoot with a good photographer will be able to capture the real you that translates through images and taps into the purpose you have identified. Your image includes all visual collateral that will be a part of your brand image for the next 365 days.
3. CREATE YOUR IMAGE REPRESENTATIVE A.K.A. LOGO
Nike did it best. Their representative is the all too famous swoosh. Your logo is your representative in the brand world. If you pay $20 for a logo, you’ll get a $20 worthy logo. Invest in a customized design that speaks to the value you offer and the audience you are targeting. Your return on the investment is worth that extra hundreds to pay. Invest in your own purpose.
4. DEVELOP YOUR CORE MESSAGING
Content, Content, Content. Be clear and direct about the value you offer. Understand what emotional triggers your value taps into, develop your biography, website content, advertising copy and do away with jargon words. Be clear, concise and engaging.
5. MARKET AND PUBLICIZE THE VALUE YOU OFFER
Most people don’t realize they are almost always marketing. When you’re convincing your friends to go out with you, or telling them how awesome that new hair company or hair stylist is, that is well under marketing and Public Relations. So relax you already have years of practice doing this. Now you have to do it consciously. Decide on what platform you want to publicize your purposeful brand. TV, Social Media, Radio, Podcast, Live Events etc. I suggest you pick your top 2 and build relationships then pitch to the world media why your value is of benefit to them.
6. SOCIALIZE AND MEET THE WORLD WHERE THEY ARE
Now more than any other time in our history, you literally have access to the world. That power that social media has offered must be viewed as an opportunity. An opportunity for you to change and reach the lives of so many people with how you and what you offer, can make their lives better. I know social media can be overwhelming. Relax, pick your top 2 or 3 platforms and be a master at it. Build friendships across the world and capitalize on the power of social media to share your purpose
7. MONETIZE YOUR VALUE
It’s a sweet spot when the thing that you identify as your purpose now serves to help create financial freedom for you and your family and build profits. This is where you have to make a commitment to your purpose and put in the work required to build your purposeful brand. Learn new ways to generate revenue with a personal brand. Understand your finances, operate from a place of abundance and always remember your why. WHY DO YOU HELP OTHERS? Once you understand and accept the value that you offer. Your audience that sees the value you offer would pay your asking price.
All in all, your brand will evolve overtime, and even your purpose might evolve as you grow. The trick is to stay hungry for knowledge, keep learning and keep connecting to how you can be of benefit to others.
I wish you a purposeful and profitable year ahead.
Your Purpose Coach and Cheerleader
SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
So the great thing about being in the business of “doing what you love”, you actually get to do the things you love. I have a cookbook launching on Saturday, November 2nd. It will be available online for digital download HERE on Amazon ( already a bestseller in its category and it’s not even out yet) whoowhooo! I am so excited. The hard-copy will be available by December 15th. You can pre-order your hard copy HERE
This has truly been a humbling, colorful and exciting experience. It took me 4 years to create, brand and develop this passion. I am looking forward to sharing the process with you all.
below is the Press release my Executive Manager sent out for the cookbook. Feel free to share with friends and family.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Finally, a cookbook about fresh African-fusion meals. The Afropolitan Chef, Yetunde Taiwo set to launch a Trendy Afro-fusion Cookbook this Holiday season.
South Florida based Entrepreneur Yetunde Taiwo launches African-Inspired Cookbook “Love with Food: African-fusion meals made easy”.
MIAMI, FLORIDA (November 2014): – The Afropolitan Chef, Yetunde Taiwo is set to awaken the culinary world with the spices, flavors and distinctive aromas of Africa, with unprecedented execution and an expressively refreshing culinary experience. After 4 years in development, Yetunde Taiwo is launching an African Inspired cookbook- “Love with Food: African-fusion meals made easy”. She has gathered more than 50 recipes that bring people together. People from different cultures, religions, nations and neighborhoods have become friends and family at her dinner table. With these recipes, they connect on a personal level, opening their hearts and love to each other to enjoy Afro-fusion meals together. The spunky and talented model turned successful entrepreneur, who is in the business of doing what you love, Yetunde Taiwo, was born in Chicago but raised in Lagos, Nigeria and now reside in Miami, Florida.
Bisila Bokoko, Founder and CEO BBES, Global Brand Ambassador wrote the foreword for the cookbook. “This book will be very instrumental in changing the perceptions of Africa and also attract tourism to our continent”, said Bokoko. “…To cook, you must understand love. Afropolitan Chef, Yetunde has understood this right”.
An avid traveler, Taiwo is influenced by dishes from various parts of the world including Thailand, Europe, West Africa and North America. Now a resident of South Florida, she has found inspiration and solace in the abundance of culture and the ever-burgeoning foodie scene that Miami has to offer. Noting that West African cuisine has influenced many of the foods across the Caribbean and Latin America, the Afropolitan Chef believes that now more than ever, the world is ready for gourmet African cuisine and she’s ready to share her colorful palette. Stamping her style on the plates of internationally mobile, young food lovers, including the group known as “Afropolitans”. Taiwo is sure to resonate with the new generation of fusion food lovers and citizens of the world, alike.
“For many people, African food seems challenging and I am very excited to tell the world it can be so easy, delicious and a great way to bring people together for the love of food. Plus the nutritional value is spectacular.”– Yetunde Taiwo, The Afropolitan Chef
The Cookbook
The Afropolitan Chef cookbook “Love with Food: African-fusion meals made easy” will be available by November 22nd 2014 on Amazon in digital format. The hard copy will be available in December just before the holidays. Meals inspired by Africa, but infused with ingredients, techniques and flavors from around the world. Taiwo intricately balances flavors of Africa and Latin America in meals like Jollof Rice, made with pureed peppers, some curry, thyme, spices, rice and baked chicken. Though the cookbook is at this time exclusively offered for pre-order on Amazon before the release date, it is already currently top 100 in its category. Afropolitan Chef shares quick, simple, colorful, flavorful recipes. Foodies will learn how to save time cooking African meals directly from Africa’s trend setting, culinary ambassador. Africa has been aptly described as “A world in one continent.” Equally so, an African meal can be described as “A world on one plate.” Yetunde Taiwo as The Afropolitan Chef will stimulate foodies around the world to eat conscientiously with love. Her passion for food has made her a long time supporter of The World Food Programme and No Kid Hungry organizations. She has committed to giving 10 percent of her proceeds from the cookbook for the rest of her life to both organizations in support of their work in eradicating world hunger.
Her goal is to continue to tap into the power of food to bring us all together.
For photos, recipes and more information about The Afropolitan Chef, please call Kimberly Mensah at- 347.574.2589 | E: kimberly@icypr.com | http://www.afropolitanchef.com
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I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
When you have figured out what name you want for yourself, there is something about a logo that can do the talking for you before you even show your face. Deciding on the right color, shape or font to represent you is powerful. Take the time to invest in a great graphic design team and let your logo speak for you. If you do it right, you can use the same logo for years, and just change the color for whatever campaign or project you are developing. Here are some celebrity logos that do it right.
2. Plan a memorable photo-shoot
Like it or not, taking photos frequently and releasing it with a project or an editorial can keep you in the news. Take it one step further and do a creative shoot. Get inspired by artists in Asia, Europe and Africa and even in unique shoot locations where you are (that bridge you’ve always imagined taking a photo on, that skyline atop that building you drove by for years, that hut that would make for a great contrast). Think outside the box. Work with creative people to produce images that present the best image of you to the world. We love pictures. We’ll keep talking about how hot your new shoot was, until you do the next one.
3. Hire a PR Pro
So you have an image and need someone to let the world know what you are doing and what projects or collaborations you have coming up etc. It’s time to Hire a Public Relations Professional. Someone who has relationships with various media houses and can create strategic partnerships for your publicity that keeps you in the news. Even when you do not have any music or project running, a publicist knows how to keep you relevant. A manager and a publicist are two different people. Hire a Publicist.
4. Social Media Engagement
Social media is your new best friend. Be one with it, get used to it, but manage the time you spend on it. Learn to engage your fans and followers. Have 10-20 people you pay attention to and engage them fully on facebook post or tweets. Rotate those people every couple of months, pick a new set. Always have a call to action when you are pushing a campaign on social media. Call to Action means when you post, what else do you want us to do? E.g “I just launched my second album. Tell me what you think of it” or “share your favorite track and tell me why you like it.” A call to action keeps you and your fans engaged. People connect to people. When they connect to you, they invest their time and money on you.
5. Create Partnerships
The easiest way to stay in the news when things seem slow as a celebrity, is to form partnerships with people, companies or NGO’s that are relevant to your brand and are almost always in the news. E.g your new film is not launching for another 9 months, research an ngo that could use your own star power. Work with them to do some good, get your publicist to put it in the news, engage your fans to do good for that day (while you share pictures) and when your album launches, you have ambassadors to do more marketing for you. It’s a win, win. You help others out and you stay relevant.
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I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
Let’s face it, the new social media has everyone competing for who can attract more attention and get more engagement at the expense of our leisure time. Frankly, it’s exhausting and can waste a lot of time. I am recommending apps that require little or no time to create strong and engaging imagery to facilitate conversations and excitement According to 3M Corporation, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text. That’s one answer, if you ever wondered why you engage more on images on Facebook and Instagram than on twitter or long winded social media paragraphs. So here are 5 apps to help you save time, look hotter and engage more followers.
1. PIC PLAY POST
I remember the first time I saw this app in action. I was fascinated. Before then, all most people did on instagram/facebook was post single images or collages of images, but being able to post a video(s) with images simultaneously and you can add some music as a soundtrack? Talk about being in the know. Now, you too can be in on this. Look for it on your iphone or android
Tip: It helps to tell a story with the collage, or make a combination that is interesting and people are inevitably going to respond to interesting and shareable content.
This is an example of how you can use pic play post on Facebook or Instagram:
So, think about Studio Design as Photoshop for the clueless. You can add depth to your images using icons, words, odd shapes and produce a final image that makes you feel you just designed your very own campaign. In a social media world where image really is an anchor, what better way than to attract an audience than to make your words look and pop like images.
This is an example of how studio design can add some character to your images.
With the 1001 new ways to collage a picture for use on twitter, Facebook or Instagram, this app is cool because when you don’t like a collage combination, Instead of going back to a different collage template and starting over (time wasting), you shake the camera and it gives you a different option for your collage. It’s quick, fun and it presents your images in a variety of ways that makes for interesting layouts.
Plug in a quote on social media that people find interesting and you will more than likely get people sharing it, or affirming that they agree with you (engagement). Textgram can turn your inspiring quotes into works of art. They have many layout options, color choices and various fonts. A combination of these can get you tapping into your audience attention and engagement in no time.
lnsta PicFX is like a collage app on cloud 9. It spices up your images with really cool colorful overlays. And once an image is visually stimulating, you get people to respond even if they intended to or not. That is the power of strong and engaging imagery, sometimes, we can’t help ourselves, we just like or share. Here is an example of what the app did when I pugged in Zainab Balogun’s recent shoot for Clan Fashion Label.
With all these tools, keep in mind people love stories. So be intentional about the story you want to share with your fans/followers/audience. And endeavor to tell stories with your content as often as you can. People connect to people; help your fans and followers connect to you.
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I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
In my 15 years in public relations and marketing, I have worked with over 100 celebrities from the pop music industry, to the classical music industry to the film industry. I noticed that they all share certain characteristics. Understanding these truths can help you shift your own thinking and help you too be “celebrated”. The biggest difference between you and any celebrity is that way more people know them and celebrate them than they do you. Let’s face it; your moment of fame when you sang in primary school or in that play in kindergarten was your premier “celebrity moment”. We’ve all had some kind of taste of “celebrity”. Mastering those things we experienced and learned in those times are the same things celebrities do now. On that note, let’s get into it.
YOU AMPLIFIED (YOUR BEST SELF):
If you remember that moment in your life you were celebrated, you will probably realize it was because you were being you x 50. When your mother or father told you “practice makes perfect”, she meant it. Celebrities have practiced being themselves x 50. They have practiced being themselves or being so exceptional at what they do, they become MASTERS at it. You need to decide to step FULLY into you, the authentic you. Then master it so well that no one can do what you do, the way you do it. So the thought of being like anyone else is a bad idea to being celebrated. Be your best self. From Oprah, Angelina Jolie to Denzel Washington, Stephanie Linus and Idris Elba. They are MASTERS at themselves and their craft. Start practicing your own SELF MASTERY.
STAY CURRENT AND ENGAGED
You can probably name 5 celebrities that are “has beens”. Do you know why? They stopped staying in front of us or engaging us. If you don’t evolve, let’s face it you will become redundant. There is nothing wrong with sticking to what worked in 1990. But you have to find a way to evolve into current technologies that fit your personality in the new millennia. So if you like old school R & B music as an artist, you should find a hybrid that can pull your music into the ears of the millennial. If you don’t engage the new population, you will be left in and with the old population. My suggestion: sit down and take inventory of how you do things and develop ways to evolve into the new millennia. Either using the Internet (social media), a hybrid of your sense of style, a partnership with someone or a company that does things the new way. Just remember, if you do not engage the influential population, you just may get stuck promoting or marketing to your generation alone. That can be limiting. Think bigger. The celebrity that has mastered this art is BEYONCÉ. She is still herself, but you can see it’s a more evolved version of her with a similar sound to her style of music and fashion. Her fan-base ranges from teens to grown adults. Even grandmas can sing a Beyoncé Song. Stay Current.
LEARNING 101: COMMITMENT
If you think celebrities reach “celeb status” and stop, think again. They are always learning. Either at being better at their craft or learning a new craft, they understand that knowing and doing more keeps them evolving into other parts of themselves. This other parts are what keep us engaged and interested. They commit to learning. Elite athlete Serena Williams is a great example of this. With all her accolades in the tennis world, she decided she wanted to be a manicurist too. I know. Many people looked down on it. (Side bar, a lot of men and women build their wealth in this people-pampering field). Don’t knock it. She decided to do something she loved. She got certified as a manicurist and now, she has a line of nail polish in partnership with OPI that are a part of her wealth building way of life. Take a cue from Serena. Whatever it is that you like and want to learn, do it and don’t bother about what people would say about you. It just might be your millionaire idea. GO FOR IT.
There are many more truths, but these were the top 3 I found consistent with the celebrities I got to work with. I hope you tap into these truths for yourself. GOODLUCK!
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SIGN UP FOR MY FREE PURPOSE INSIDER! NEWSLETTER
It’s free. Sign up today and get some free helpful resources to build profits, including my report on the 7 Easy Steps To A Purposeful, Fun and Profitable Brand.
I am the creator of ICY ACADEMY an online program with a network of Inspired GO-GETTERS who are ready to step FULLY into their purpose doing what they love, while helping others in a way that creates financial freedom for them and their families. With my Signature Program: Meaningful Branding Sequence, I help individuals and businesses create a Purposeful and Powerful Brand that is Profitable. And we have a whole lot of fun on our way there.
Hey you. Welcome to my Virtual home here on YetundeShorters.com where I get to support your awesomeness with tools, tips, resources to thrive out here in these world streets. Plus, I get to share with you my life as a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, TwinMom and Wife. A snap shot of the good and challenging. I am on a journey to realize my highest self while sharing the experiences, in hopes that someone else can learn from them, without having to go through it. I look forward to connecting live or online.
