Marjorie Clayman’s Writing Portfolio

Professional writing profile of Marjorie Clayman

Crafts and Charity

Help me petition to deactivate driver-side airbags for Little People

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When I was in high school, I really wanted to learn how to drive, but it seemed impossible. As a 4’5 young lady, I knew that regular driving instructors wouldn’t be equipped to help me out. I figured I’d have to buy a car and get it outfitted specially for me then learn how to drive, and of course, buying a car when you’re a high school student seems downright impossible. When I finally did learn how to drive, it seemed like a dream come true. But then I learned a little something about driving as a Little Person. It turns out that even with pedal extenders, I have to sit super close to the steering wheel. You can see my set-up in this picture.

So, the problem with this is that if my airbag deploys, which it does with a lot of force, it can seriously injure me or even kill me. This means a simple fender bender could be enough to change my life forever.

I am an action sort of person, so when I learned all of this I asked what I could do about it. I of course wanted to see if I could deactivate the airbag. I talked to my car dealer and did some research, and essentially, it is extremely difficult to get someone to deactivate the airbag because of liability issues, as you might suspect. Change needs to come from higher up.

With that in mind, I have started a petition at change.org. I’m targeting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because they have tried to work on this issue in the past. Maybe with some signatures behind them they’ll be able to get the job done. At the very least, I’d like to open up the conversation. I feel I and people like me should be able to drive without fear.

If you agree, please sign my petition. If you really agree, I’d greatly appreciate it if you could help spread the word. Thank you!

You can help five companies in one quick minute

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Often times, people say that they like to be able to look back on a day and say, “Hey, I did something that could be called a good deed!” Well, today is your lucky day. I’m going to tell you how you can help five companies in the span of one minute. Such a deal! And it’s a GREAT cause that will really help these companies out. See, this is for the Chase Mission: Small Business contest, and 12 companies will be awarded a $250,000 grant. That’s a major lift, as you might imagine!

There are five companies that I’m suggesting you help in this minute of your time. They are:

Manty Web Designs of Cypress, TX

Miller Finch Media of Acworth, GA

You’re First LLC of Cypress, TX

Center for the Greater Good of Eagle, ID

Ms. Julie’s Kitchen and Ms. Julie’s Cafe of my own hometown, Akron, OH

All you have to do

Step 1: Go to https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/ and log-in with Facebook. I know that a lot of people don’t like using their FB log-in for things, but I promise, this is a good cause!

Once you log-in, you’ll be taken to a page, and you’ll need to scroll down all the way to the bottom. You should see something like this:

Step 2: In the search button, type in the name of the first company up there, Manty Web Designs. Now, the search can be a bit finnicky. So:

for Manty Web Designs, you want to type in Mantyweb.

for Miller Finch Media, just typing in Miller Finch will work.

You’re First works for You’re First LLC

Center for the Greater Good works for the Eagle Idaho company

Julie’s Kitchen works for the last one

Don’t worry about the city drop-down. These name searches take you to where you want to go.

3. Click Vote. After you type in the name of each company as indicated above, be sure to press the blue “vote” button.

And that’s it.

Typing in each company name will take you about 5 seconds. Clicking vote will take you about 1 second. Six seconds times five companies – hey, 30 seconds. Now that’s not such a bad investment of half-a-minute, right?

Vote and pass it on 🙂 I thank you!

A Bit On Slacktivism

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Running rampant through the world of social media this past week has been a 30-minute documentary developed by a group called Invisible Children. Their purpose, as they state it, is to capture Ugandan war lord Joseph Kony by December 2012. Given that many feel the “sweet spot” length for an online video is no more than 2 minutes, the fact that a 30-minute video went viral across YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter is pretty amazing. However, shortly after the video began to spread, questions began to arise about Invisible Children. Were they keeping over 30% of the money they were raising? Are they supporting organizations that may be just as bad as Kony? Are they putting Ugandan citizens even more at risk?

In doing some research about this I found an article from Mashable asking if the whole thing was a hoax. The article said this may be the latest example of slacktivism. As it turns out, a lot of people really don’t like the idea of “slacktivism,” or the concept that “liking” or “retweeting” something is a form of activism. So, let’s talk about this a bit in detail.

Of marketing myths and activist legends

If you read my blog posts on occasion, you know that one of my great concerns is that businesses are being misled as we plod through the 21st century. Companies are being told that “engaging” online is enough to grow their businesses, and they are also being told that there is no way to measure the impact of their social media marketing. “Try to tell me what the ROI is of your mother,” they are told.

Of course, this is inaccurate. Companies need to make money still. And of course, there *are* ways to measure your social media marketing.  You can measure how much time (and hence how much money) you are investing, and you can measure what you get back. That’s ROI in a nutshell. If you are putting a ton of time in and not making any sales, well, that’s going to be a big problem in short order.

I worry that this same sort of mind-block is invading the world of social good. Now, the term “slacktivism” seems pretty harsh. And hey, I believe in online serendipity. I believe that if you can get the right information to just the right person, amazing things can happen. So if you change your avatar purple and someone asks you why you did that, you have a chance to explain it’s for yada yada cause, and maybe that person has just what that organization needs to really jump forward. Social Media makes these types of things possible. But not all of the time. And for some causes, serendipity is too fluffy and it takes too long.

Now, here’s the disconcerting part. If we keep traveling down this path of “raising awareness,” which is very much like the “engagement” that businesses are taught about in the online world, we are going to forget about what these organizations need RIGHT NOW. They need money. They need volunteers. Some need blood or organ donations. Some need blankets and canned goods. Some need people who can dig for water in local villages. It’s really dangerously easy to forget about these things as you immerse yourself in the world of social media, just like it’s really easy to forget that what your business needs is sales, not friends.

Isn’t it easy to think to yourself, “Phew, I shared that video. That’s my good deed for the day!” Of course it is. Isn’t it easy to think, “Well, I “liked” that cause on Facebook and I was the 100th person. So that’s great. They’re on their way.” Of course it is. But just like businesses are in danger of going broke without even noticing it, we are at risk of becoming lazy when it comes to doing social good. I don’t think we’re there yet, but the seeds have been planted. The best of intentions in the world of social media can slowly mold into a sort of hypnotized “Friends and contacts are all I need” mentality. This could mean tremendous problems for all levels of our society, from the individual to the business to the social good campaign.

Back to Kony

So what do we make of the Kony 2012 campaign? Is it good that we are talking about Uganda, a country where children have been raped and abused en masse for years? Sure. Is it good that we are talking about Ugandan citizens and what they are facing? Yes. Is it good that the video went viral? Could be. It’s interesting at any rate.

But is this enough to disprove slacktivism? I’m not sure. How many people shared the video without watching the whole thing? How many people donated based only on the video without doing further research?

Social Media makes it so easy. So easy to feel successful. So easy to feel that you’ve accomplished your business or societal goals for the day or the week. This might be the greatest danger of social media. A lot of voices make a loud roar, but a lot of people only yelling just creates noise.

What do you think about all of this? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/advocacy_project/518031316/ via Creative Commons

Join the fun at #usXsw!

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It’s that time of year again. SXSW is in full swing (almost) down in Austin, Texas. I remember the first time I heard about SXSW. It was back during my Lost fangirl days, and a friend of mine got to meet Dominic Monaghan down there. And Elijah Wood. We’re still friends, but it was rocky for awhile. Little did I know that just a few years later, SXSW time would become a much talked-about social media orgy! I meant…conference. Conference. But here we are.

Sadly, I could not make it down to SXSW this year. Part of it may have been that I didn’t really try. But I know that a lot of people are feeling sort of listless knowing that this weekend is going to be filled with drunken tweets from the heart of Texas, and gosh..what can the rest of us do?

Well, fret no more, my friends. Jeannette Baer and Joseph Ruiz have you 100% covered. The second annual Twitter event – #usXsw – is about to begin!

What is #usXsw?

The #usXsw even takes the heart and soul of the #usguys group and ramps it up to SXSW caliber. Starting on Friday, March 9 and lasting on through to Sunday the 11th, you will find lots of great stuff happening in this stream, including chats led by some of the best people around, trivia games, prizes, and some plugs for charities and social good. And that’s not all. You can do it all from the comfort of your own home. You can even wear your PJs! Now really, what could be better than participating in a SXSW type-event in your jammies? I can’t think of hardly anything.

As for me, I will be heading up a discussion on Saturday night from 8 PM till 10 PM EST. Our topic will be how storytelling brings together communities and and helps businesses. Yep – some things in the online world can accomplish both things. Is that crazy or what?!?

If you want to follow the schedule of events, just keep your eyes glued to the #usXsw stream, and bookmark the UsXsw site for information.

Hope to see you in this virtual realm of awesomeness. If you stop by, make sure you tip your hat to Jeannette (@myagenda) and Joseph (@smsJoe) because they put a LOT of work into this baby. And thank the loverly sponsors, too. Cuz they rock!

Got it? Get it? Good!

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/omarsc/454707209/ via Creative Commons

How to make a difference for five dollars

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What can $5 buy these days? Hardly anything, it seems. A gallon of milk is close to that price. A gallon of gas is close to that price. There are some drinks at Starbucks that I think exceed $5. However, as small as this monetary unit seems, it can make a world of difference.

How, you ask?

Well, there’s this organization called USA for UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), and they are trying to close the funding gap that the UNHCR is experiencing as they try to help people in an increasingly severe refugee crisis. In 2011, there are 6,000 UNHCR agents around the world, and to support their work and raise money for their efforts, the USA for UNHCR wants us to buy 6,000 blue keys, which only cost $5 each.

“You don’t have to live like a refugee”

So Tom Petty sang. What does living like a refugee mean these days? According to stats provided to me by the Blue Key Campaign:

• There were about 43.7 million refugees in the world at the end of 2010

• 49% of refugees are women or girls

• About 47% of refugees are under the age of 18

• Many of the refugees were from countries torn apart by constant conflict like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia

“Listen, do you want to know a secret?”

So sang John Lennon.

Here’s the thing. I was invited to become a Blue Key Champion, and part of my pledge was that I would make sure 25 people bought a blue key (you can get a pendant or a pin, your choice). I just got mine today. The process took about 2 minutes, and my credit card was pinged for $5.

Now, I don’t want these Blue Key folks to think I’m a poopy champion, so I really need your help in getting these 25 keys claimed and paid for. All you have to do is go to the “Get your Blue Key” page. Then, come back here and let me know you got one so that I can make sure I’m living up to my word.

And hey, if you want to become a champion, ping @shonali or @rachaelseda on Twitter and they will help you out, or visit this Blue Key Champion form!

Thank you for your help!

Image Credit: UN Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/un_photo/6106232719/in/set-72157623533807618<by United Nations Photo> via Creative Commons

Four Real Ways To Make A Difference

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Are you still far from convinced that social media for social good is a worthwhile thing to pursue? I get it. We’re all getting more cynical these days. Less trusting. And it seems like there is a lot of fluff out there. Sure, social media for social good. Uhhuh. Give me some proof that it works.

Well, I have some proof for you. Just a little. A short while ago I wrote a post about a project my friend Nic Wirtz was working on with photographer Jean-Marie Simon. They wanted to use Simon’s photographs of Guatemala from the 1980s to create historically accurate, high-quality textbooks for Guatemala’s use. At the time I wrote the post, Nic and Jean-Marie needed to raise about $19,500 in two weeks. Sounds pretty impossible, right? Except that Nic and I promoted the heck out of the effort via Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and, well, with a few hours left, the project is rather substantially over the goal.

Anything is possible in the online world.

With that in mind, I know four people who could really use your help. Help doesn’t have to be a donation, by the way. Help could be just spreading the word or engaging with them online so you can get to know them and maybe connect them with people who CAN help. These four people are people I either know personally or know are fantastic. I’d vouch for any of them is what I’m trying to say. And I want to see them succeed. I want them to have a little taste of what the online world can do for social good. Are you ready to meet these folks?

Nancy Davis

You’ve seen this name a lot here on my site if you visit regularly. Nancy has posted here, she often comments, and I’ve highlighted her here and there because she is awesome. Unfortunately, as is the case for so many people these days, Nancy has come under hard times. She is at risk of losing her apartment. She is facing having to find a job that would be an extremely long commute that would reduce her ability to care for her beloved son. She is facing the possibility that she may have to move to a less safe neighborhood to make ends meet. Nancy deserves better than this, as do so many people in such dire circumstances.

What can we do to help Nancy? First and foremost, I think we can help spread the word. Nancy has an amazing personality, she’s a fantastic writer, and she has all of the skills a marketing/communications firm could be looking for. Maybe you know someone who knows someone who has the ideal job waiting for this woman. Maybe you know someone who knows great apartments where Nancy lives. You never know who will read your shared content, right? Or maybe my sharing this with you has given you an idea of something that could be done to help this wonderful lady out. Read Nancy’s post about her current situation, friend her on Twitter, and let’s see what we can do.

Phil Sandifer

I have known Phil since college, and for all of that time, his intelligence has been pretty darned awe-inspiring. That magical brain of his has cooked up a really fascinating idea that I think has a lot to offer. Phil wants to write a book about the history of Wonder Woman. Now I know a lot of you wonderful people are comic book nerds. I meant…fans. But have you ever wondered how Wonder Woman sort of ended up the way she did? Part dominatrix, part feminist, part superhero – she is a really weird, really interesting fictional character, and Phil wants to explore it all.

This is a passion project for Phil – in order to treat the project professionally, he needs funding. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a whole lot – he is looking for $4,000, which would help him get professional editing and which would buy him some extra time to pour into this labor of love. What better present could we give this guy at this time of year? Check out his Kickstarter page and even if you don’t want to donate, help spread the word to people who might want to support this project!

The Fugee Village

I’ve written about Luma Mufleh and her Fugees before. For all of the info you can just revisit that post, but suffice to say that her cause is absolutely amazing and to make it reach its full capacity, she needs our help. There are many, many ways that we can help the Fugees out. They need school supplies. They need money. They need us to spread the word. Check out the Fugees Get Involved page to see all of the ways you can help, and friend Coach Luma on Twitter to let her know we’re out here helping.

Patrick Prothe

Last year, when I was working on some anti-bullying ideas, one of my biggest supporters and best assistants was Patrick Prothe. Patrick is a brilliant fellow, endlessly kind, and as fate would have it, he is also a phenomenal photographer. Patrick has discovered that Oregon is rich with beautiful bridges, and he would like to create a coffee table book highlighting these architectural wonders (often overlooked) via his photographic talent. Like Phil’s project, this is a labor of love, and Patrick needs our support. By the end of the year, he needs about $5,000 to make this dream a reality. Having given so much to his online community, I would love to see Patrick’s wish come true. Visit his kickstarter page, and again, remember that you do not have to donate, but if you spread the word, the idea may reach just that person who would love to support such a project. And you should friend Patrick on Twitter too, because he’s awesome.

So there you have it. These are just four of my friends who could really benefit from the power of social media. Maybe you could do a post like this highlighting four of your friends who need help. Maybe we could make a whole lot of difference in the world. Now wouldn’t that be amazing?

Let’s try it out!

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrentunnicliff/4232232092 via Creative Commons