Tears of Joy video section for contributed business stories. Would you like to contribute your stories. Here is what we are looking for:
Funny stories of things that happened at work
Inspiring stories about how you started your business
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Some items found here are videos and other information our company has found on the web that works with this topic or are used as examples of the types of submissions we are looking for.
There are many people out there who do not like there jobs. Though the reasons vary from hating their boss to wanting to make more money, especially with the stock market going up and down like it is, small business start ups are on the rise. Therefore, in an effort to help those who are looking to start up a company or local business here are 5 steps to help you in the process.
Regardless of what the headlines of business news or business economic finance has to say, there is still money to be made in this market. In fact the safest place to be right now is managing your own company. I have heard many success stories despite this economy.
The Diaper Baker
Diaper Baker Ten years ago Angie attended a baby shower where the mom-to-be received a diaper cake. It was a tower of diapers. She thought to herself "Now there's a gift that she REALLY needs". Diapers Diapers Diapers!!
A few years later her daughter found out she was pregnant with Angie's very first grand-daughter. As a proud grandma-to-be, she wanted to give her daughter the most memorable baby shower EVER!! She went out and bought everything you can think of....new baby clothes, socks, shoes, booties, hats, mittens, toys, teethers, rattles....and let's not forget the diapers!! You name it and Angie probably bought it!!
She decided she was going to create a diaper cake for her daughter's baby shower. She did it just as she had seen years prior at the shower she attended. As Angie placed the final tier of diapers on top of the cake she stepped back and thought to herself "Not the most ATTRACTIVE thing, now is it?" Yes, it's definitely useful, but very boring. It was then that she glanced down at all of the shopping bags she had accumulated filled with the items mentioned earlier (bibs, socks, shoes, teethers, etc.) and thought "What if I could make a diaper cake FILLED with all of these items that radiated beauty???" Angie's mind was racing with different thoughts and ideas. She wrapped the tiers of the cake with plush blankets and hooded towels, the top tier with burpcloths and washcloths. She placed an 8 oz bottle in the center of the diapers, holding the tiers together. She began adding on all of the items, plus more, and when all was said and done Angie had this absolutely adorable, beautiful diaper cake before her.
She placed it on the table as she began decorating for her baby shower. Angie's younger daughter was the first to arrive and continuously complimented her on the CENTERPIECE she had made. Centerpiece???? Wow...she was right. Not only was this a unique gift, but it was a gorgeous centerpiece!! Two gifts in one! FANTASTIC!!
The guests started to arrive and one-by-one Angie was getting asked where the centerpiece was purchased from, where did she find such an exquisite gift, was that a cake made of diapers??? Everyone was amazed at her work!! Angie's daughter was the last to arrive as it was a surprise shower for her. The look on her face was priceless when she saw the gift / centerpiece her mom had made for her. Tears filled up in her eyes with a smile ear-to-ear. Angie admits as a mother, seeing your child (regardless of their age) that happy gives YOU complete joy.
Angie decided then and there that she wanted to give others the same feeling that her and her daughter had....and The Diaper Baker was born!!
Since then, The Diaper Baker has excelled and Angie continues to help make the miraculous event of parenthood even more memorable with her unique creations! Angie Lake Worth, FL http://www.thediaperbaker.com
Missing Children New report on Missing Children in the USA in 2008, 1,200,000 Children Went Missing. The problem is it takes up to Two Hours to get out a AmberAlert. Most Predators Harm their victim's within the first hour of abducting them, by the time a AmberAlert goes out its to Late. When a Child is registered with Our Program we can get their AmberAlert out in under a Minute SAVING TIME SAVES LIVES. Our Program not only helps Children it help people of all Ages, as we get older we have a problem remembering. 60% of Hospital Visits are away from Home. Do You Remember what medications Your On. 80% of Allergic Reactions to Medications Happen in Hospital Emergency Rooms, 3% of All Hospital Deaths Happen in Hospital Emergency Rooms. Do you want the Right Treatment in a Emergency. SAVING TIME SAVES LIVES! A little Sticker on Your ID could Save Your Life Anywhere in the World. Profile Info, Picture, Contact Info, Medications, Allergies, Surgeries, Special Needs, Doctors, Insurance Carrier, all the Info we need in a Emergency in under a Minute that we never seem to remember. SAVING TIME SAVES LIVES! Larry-Gunnison, CO http://www.eis.biz/clemenson.
Little Bytes News "I started working online because I wanted a place to write and begin sharing my interests with others after the birth of my first son....so I created a parenting resource site as a hobby, then to supplement staying at home and my site I began designing t-shirts for family members/parents and kids on cafepress. I later ventured into affiliate marketing and selling gifts and party supplies. Since then I have ventured into hosting my own moms social network and talk show for moms. All of these things are things I enjoy during my mommy time..or what I like to call mamas time out. I eventually hope to focus more on my writing/blogging and eventually making a living from writing or doing product reviews. Woo...that turned into a long commentary...hope not too long ☺" Patricia Garza http://littlebytesnews.com.
If you had met Oscar when he first came into the adult day care center, you would have seen a very tall man, in his early 70’s, who slumped his shoulders, kept his eyes focused on the floor, and gripped his wife Mary’s hand as she urged him into the building.
His diagnosis was Alzheimer’s disease.
You would have seen that the receptionist of the day center would come out from behind her desk, every morning, and give Oscar a hug – even though his arms would stay by his side and his eyes never strayed from the floor.
You would have noticed that as Oscar got seated, that every single day the kitchen workers would serve him coffee just the way Mary said he liked to drink it, even though he never acknowledged them and barely sipped at the coffee.
You would have seen personal care assistants and volunteers greeting him, smiling at him, hugging him daily – and you would have see that Oscar barely seemed to notice.
You would have heard the activity director invite him to participate in activities – although he not only did he not participate, but he never even responded to her.After lunch, you would have seen the LPN (the center nurse) escort Oscar into her office, just to keep him company and chat with him while everyone else was involved in the center fun – although he never chatted back with her.
Although Oscar didn’t respond – day after day, week after week, month after month the staff at the adult center showered him with love until slowly Oscar did begin to open up. A word here. Eye contact there. A shadow of a smile.
And as he continued to open up, the nurse and others began to notice that his symptoms were not in line with those of people who have Alzheimer’s disease. Oscar was re-evaluated by his doctor, and it was found that he indeed did NOT have Alzheimer’s disease. He was suffering from clinical depression – the symptoms of which can sometimes look like AD.
His doctor changed Oscar’s medication and began treating his depression, and then Oscar really opened up. He smiled more. He laughed easily. He participated in center activities. And became more of the man his wife Mary had known and loved. Soon it became evident that he really didn’t need to be a participant in an adult day care center.
So the staff at the day center held a graduation ceremony for him – complete with a cap and gown, speeches, pomp and circumstance, and a diploma. Oscar graduated from center participant to center volunteer.
Every Thursday morning he would volunteer to lead the trivia session at the center, and on Thursday afternoons he would accompany me (the activity director at that point) and a few center participants to the fifth grade classroom of a local elementary school. I was amazed as I watched these kids sit mesmerized as he led the other elders in teaching the children what it was like when they were in fifth grade.
As you can imagine, Oscar became a local celebrity. His story was in the paper and on television. He was in local parades. He won volunteer of the year and several other awards. And he was having a ball.
The center began to get calls from people asking if we could “cure their loved one of Alzheimer’s disease as well.” Would that we could have.
About two years went by and then one Saturday afternoon I came home to a voice message from his wife Mary telling me that Oscar had suddenly and quietly passed away.
I will never forget going to that funeral and sobbing in Mary’s arms – and her pulling away from me and telling me “Stop. He had two wonderful vibrant years of his life that he wouldn’t have had without all of you at that day center. And for that I will be forever grateful.”
I watched as the fifth graders piled into the funeral home with pictures they had drawn, and lay them one by one in Oscar’s coffin. I thought to myself, “he is teaching them even now.”
And I have to wonder, if that receptionist had stopped hugging Oscar daily because he never hugged her back, if the day center staff and volunteers stopped giving him coffee and daily greetings, and if the activities director had stopped inviting him to join because he never did anyway, and if that nurse had never brought him into her office – if the story would have turned out the same.
Probably not.
You may not work in healthcare. Perhaps in your profession you do not get to see this kind of visible impact when you interact with your customers, as the day care center staff saw with Oscar.But make no mistake, with every interaction you have with customers, co-workers, and others you meet in your daily lives – you have an impact. With the very next person in front of you - you have a choice in the kind of difference you will make in that person’s day. You have that choice regardless of how they are behaving.
You can choose to be surly, and make them feel worse about themselves. You can choose to be disengaged, and make them feel as though they aren’t worth your attention. Or…you can choose to smile, look them in the eye, call them by name, and cater to the need we all have to feel important and special and noticed. While you may never see the difference that you make in their day – understand clearly that the choice you make with the very next customer or co-worker in front of you has an impact! Choose to make the moment extraordinary.
Copyright, 2008 Contributed By Donna Cutting Red Carpet Customer Service www.donnacutting.com
Finding Laughter Seven years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer and with the aide of clown noses and my sense of humor, I was able to survive and thrive through surgery and subsequent treatment. And then in April of 2007, the god of pancreatic cancer paid me a visit. Once again, following many surgeries, comedy and faith came to the rescue. I remain 11 feet above the ground initiating this new internet marketing business with a mission to conduct teleseminars and create ebooks that inspire people to live with joy and kindness, have a love affair with life, and Live Life Laughing; always in the NOW!
These are habits I adopted that led to my transformation after having lived through pancreatic cancer, pancreatic surgery and learning how to live as a type I diabetic without resentment, anger, and fear.
– I deliberately focus on seeing beauty and good in the world. – I deliberately focus on interpreting many more things as positive. – I practice mindfulness everyday. – I read spiritual books by inspiring authors. – I lowered my judgmental quotient by 75%. – I have truly let go of too much attachment to expected outcomes. – I live in my heart broadening spiritual emotions such as love, gratitude, awe, and transcendence.
I am fully at peace, living a life full of fun, joy, fulfillment, love, and working everyday either writing articles and new e-books about happiness, play, and living fully in the moment or giving presentations on how to “Live Life Laughing.”
I forgot to mention, I gave up the fear of dying from cancer. I choose to be alive while I am alive. You can too. You don’t need any more stress than you have already given yourself.
I discovered these habits only work if you are ready to take action and practice. There is no magic pill; only the acceptance of life as it comes to you, the readiness to be attentive to and aware of the present and letting go of becoming too attached to expected outcomes. If you allow yourself to exhibit kindness more often, and let go of having to be right, of having to have the last word, of complaining about everything, and let go of needing permission to laugh and have fun, you can live a joyous life filled nurturing what is deepest and best in yourself.
Love yourself; you are perfect as you are right now!
It can be very difficult for people to move on from a tough situation, but I am a firm believer that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! A few years ago, I went through a very rough time in my life. After nearly five years of marriage, I was divorced and single again. Then, one year after my divorce, I was unexpectedly fired from a job that was my life. I put my heart and soul into this job and worked 10 hour days, six days a week with the intention of climbing the corporate ladder.
I found myself alone and jobless and felt completely devastated. I felt like a failure and did not know what to do next. I spent many days in bed crying and feeling sorry for myself. In order to cope, I planned several girl getaway trips. My friends and family were supportive and knew these trips were a way for me to deal with the fact that I felt my life had just been knocked off track (or so I thought).
As we did more and more of these girl getaways, I found a niche in the travel market. At that time, there were no city-specific travel guides for women. I looked for the guides far and wide. Where could a group of girls find where to stay, what to do, where to eat and where to have a good time in a new city? I knew if I was in need of these travel guides, other women must be as well. I soon found myself writing the first in a series of city-specific travel guides for women, the Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home.<
Not only has the book series helped me move on from my tough times, it is a way for me to give back to women who are also struggling with a trying time in life. There is nothing more rewarding than hearing feedback from my readers that my books help them “get back out there” after a divorce, death in the family or other difficult time. In addition, it has launched an entire business for me that I otherwise would have never even considered.
Today, I am a twice-published author (more to come) with books in Barnes & Noble, and I plan girl getaways to help women move on and rejuvenate themselves after a dramatic life event. Who would have thought that from my “depths of despair” would be a way to help other women conquer their own tough times? It just goes to show that if I can do it, anyone can.
My tagline is “Leave Your Baggage at Home” since we all have it and all need time to getaway and focus on ourselves.
Best regards, Casey
Casey Wohl, Author/The Getaway Girl™ Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home Girls Getaway Guide to Key West: Leave Your Baggage at Home http://www.girlsgetawayguide.net
I started Nature’s Pharma® in 2002 as a distributor of high quality health and beauty products. Through partnerships with manufacturer’s and leaders in the fields of Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, and Aestheticians, I had access to some of the most cutting-edge products and procedures available to the consumer.Like most consumers I fell prey to all the beautiful ads, celebrity endorsements, infomercials, etc. While some of the products appeared to be promising initially they were not effective long term. I also discovered there was no loyalty to any brand of skin care products, not even by me and I was selling some of the best on the market! What to do???? I started a list of qualities that I wanted in a product, and questioned my family, friends, and customers, and began my research.At the top of the list we all wanted something easy (not an 8 product “system”), preferably with natural ingredients, affordable, that worked! My research led me to a biochemist with several U.S. and European patents using 100% natural ingredients to help me develop the Nature's Pharma® brand of targeted skin care products.
Today, most manufacturers of beauty and medicinal products for topical application claim that their products are based on natural active ingredients and therefore have biological activity. In reality, these products have low biological activity since they contain waxes, mineral oils, ionic chemical surfactants, preservatives, thickeners, polymeric gel (or emulsion) formation and other polymeric materials. These materials actually block pores on the skin and block active centers of natural active ingredients, thereby significantly lowering the effectiveness of the natural active ingredients in the products. The secret behind the success of our products lies in our unique technology. Our natural products contain only natural biological active ingredients, natural non-ionic surfactants, natural emulsion-formation substances, natural preservatives, natural thickeners and natural antioxidants, which do not block active centers of natural biologically active ingredients, do not block skin pores and provide high transdermal penetration of biologically active ingredients through the skin. Dermatological science has given us a wealth of new cosmetic and surgical technologies that help prevent and correct the visible signs of aging. Because most of us would like to avoid surgery, the best strategy for keeping skin looking its youthful best is to manage the earliest signs of aging. By combining the best of science and nature, each of our formulations contains more than a dozen natural ingredients (plant oils, herbal extracts and natural micro encapsulated active ingredients), which have been very carefully chosen based on US and European clinical research studies for their healing powers and absence of side effects. In 2007, after 2 years of testing the products we are proud to launch Nature's Pharma~ Healing Skincare®, with the belief that consumers want results, not frilly packaging or overblown hype. And we've found that consumers and skin care professionals alike agree! http://www.natures-pharma.com
All I have to say, is I am glad I am not paying these employees salaries Cathie Tears of Joy Video
Our Memories in Motion My business story starts out over 7 years ago. I was introduced to the art of video creating and editing by my cousin. He was known in the family to create awesome videos as well as picture slide shows. His most famous video was of my uncle and younger cousin. What made it so neat was he took the sound out of the whole video and interlaced audio clips from the web into the video, so nothing that was heard was actually from the video. It turned out awesome.
My cousin past away a few months after creating that video of AIDS. I knew I wanted to do something to keep his memory and his talents alive. I knew that by keeping my knowledge and skill of video creation going I would in turn keep the memory of his work alive as well.
3 years ago (wow how time flies) I created Our Memories in Motion. After many "You should get paid for this" comments from family and friends I finally decided to open my business. With a 5 year old computer with barely enough oomph to work and very little professional product line I was off and running.I look back now at what my first slideshows looked like when I started this business and I'm amazed and how the quality and the substance has increased.
My business truly took off when I was lucky to find Weldon Photography. Through Scott Weldon I was able to learn the business end of things as well as gain a clientele. I was taught the ins and outs of selling and marketing a product as well as customer service.
Every year the business seems to grow that much bigger and I can't wait to see where it goes next year. This has been an awesome journey with many more roads to take and people to see.
Website Montage-By using your pictures and video footage to advertise your business on the internet and create more traffic to your site.
Network Montage-Tears of Joy Video can create a montage for you to introduce your business on network sites.
Real Estate Montage-Are you in Real Estate? Let Tears of Joy Video create a montage to showcase your property.
Construction Montage-Construction business? Nothing tells your stories better than your own photos of new construction, renovation, remodeling or additions.
Company Montage-Corporate awards, anniversaries or retirement? Create an appreciation for the hard work and efforts of your team or employee by letting them take a moment to reflect on what they have accomplished.
Charity Montage-Charitable program or service? Spread the word about your cause with a video. Tears of Joy Video is here to help you create just what you are hoping to say ... to inspire others to act.
Women Owned Business List-Tears of Joy Video has hand-selected a number of businesses which we give our stamp of approval -- take time to look over this list.
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Tears of Joy video section for contributed business stories. Would you like to contribute your stories. Here is what we are looking for:
