Could you wait a month to open a new iPad?

I couldn’t. But I have met two persons (their names are withheld for their protection – just kidding (for those who didn’t know)) during post holiday chatter who comfortably revealed they had received the illustrious gift, and had waited 2 weeks and more than a month before ever opening it.

One got the item Christmas day and had it sitting on their desk for two weeks while they took care of “other priorities”. The other got it as a gift before Christmas, then proceeded to take it with them to Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and finally to Atlanta before opening it a month after receiving it. WOW! I don’t know if I characterize that behavior as impressive or insane.

In any event, both were brandishing their new iPads during our chat, and exclaiming how much they enjoy it. Yeah right! My guess is that joy will last right up till they get a new kitchen knife, tickets to the opera, or some other priority arises. I only wish Apple would allow my new Emailnery product to work on the device.

I’d say that half of us were surprised – okay shocked and gasping for breadth. The other half expressing no discernable emotion whatsoever. Just goes to show there really are different strokes for different folks. Amen.

I wanted to start this new year on a progressive and positive note. So, at the end of last year I set out to complete a dream project I had considered doing for some time.

It was one of those ideas we all have. But I have come to know that those ideas we get, those little voices that whisper our deepest hearts desires to us repeatedly, are all prompts for us to do what is in our hearts. These thoughts, if ever realized, are our unique contributions to our world. And they are overflowing with our passion, talents, and loving energy.

So I took action and brought this idea into realization. Introducing Emailnery.com!

Emailnery is beautiful email stationery for Apple Mail users. While the days of paper stationery and hand written letters may be gone, I felt that did not have to mean the end of beautiful text-based correspondence. So I created beautiful email stationery and called it Emailnery. Each design is inspired by the most beautiful stationery ever made, and hopes to add a hint of the wonderful experience of using paper stationery to email correspondence.

Emailnery makes all your email better looking, communicates your unique character, and showcases your exquisite taste. Our first deign is Classic. Designs are created for both personal and professional use, and come in Letterhead, Note Card, Thank You Card, and news layouts. You can get you logo added to any design. And you can get “Clean” versions of designs with the Emailnery logo removed from the footer.

My aim here is simple, use my talents as a designer and make everyone’s email better.

May all your email be beautiful. Enjoy!

• 68.46%  –  I keep separate accounts for personal and professional networking
• 9.13% –  I use filters, such as Circles on Google+, to make sure posts are seen by the right people
• 8.71%  –  I do not use social networks for professional purposes — only personal matters
• 8.30%  –  I only post things that are related to my job, no matter what network I’m on
• 5.39%  –  I don’t use social networks at all

I can think of no better music than that played by passionate musicians spanning the cultural diaspora. Music that provokes rhythm and dance in infants, adults and elders. Check out this video rendition of “Ahora Si”, performed by Israel “Cachao” Lopez y la compania. Enjoy!!!

One process for getting great results from email marketing campaigns is:

1. Define clear goals. Typically, in my experience, there will be different goals for each audience segment. Example: Goal 1 for customers vs. Goal 2 for prospects.
2. Deliver clear value/benefits. You know why you want people to buy from you. The trick to great marketing is to focus on why people would want to buy from you, and meet them there with a terrific offering.
3. Segment and target. Match messages to each audience carefully. Once you figure out what people in each audience segment you have want from you, it will be clear that what you have to say to each segment will be different. When it comes to crafting compelling messages, one size does not fit all.
4. Test. Test. And Test. The only way to really measure ROI from your email marketing is to know what is working and what is not. Test regularly. Some key items to test include subject lines, content layouts, timing and frequency.
5. Track results. To measure ROI track results regularly, and perform relevant analysis. For example, you might analyze the relationship between subject lines, open rate, and RSVP clicks for an event invitation campaign.
6. Revise and repeat. After taking time to test, track and analyze results, you can make changes to your campaign to get better results.

For lead generation campaigns step 2 is key. Typically our clients come to us with what they want to sell. We have had consistent success translating what are clients are selling into value propositions and offerings that fulfill recipient needs.

For event promotion campaigns step 3 is key. At different stages in the promotion of events recipients needs change. We have achieved consistently high performance on our event campaigns by making sure we deliver relevant communications at the right time.

We use SMS with extreme care as it does not have simple to implement opt-out features. We have had success integrating campaigns with social media.

1960 would change American film forever, and the revolution would occur nowhere near a Hollywood set. With the opening of the New Yorker Theater, a cinema located at the heart of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, cutting-edge films from around the world were screened for an eager audience, including the city’s most influential producers, directors, critics, and writers. Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Susan Sontag, Andrew Sarris, and Pauline Kael, among many others, would make the New Yorker their home, trusting in the owners’ impeccable taste and incorporating much of what they viewed into their work.

I did a series of paintings right before the New Yorker was torn down, with the intent of recording what for me was a treasure trove of rich cinematic experiences. Recently, to my surprise, one of my high school buddies posted the painting of the facade on Facebook. I got recognition from the Society of illustrators for my paintings.

I hope it sparks fond memories for those who were there, and those who see the painting now.