Happy Tuesday

Is it hot enough for you?  It's pretty hot here!

Today, started off like any other morning working at home.  Eric and I had our morning meeting at 9:15 via skype and created an agenda for the day.

1. Revise Coupon-Torial and get that bad boy out.
2. Continue working on the excel sheet (through out the week)
3. Writing is Healthy
4. People's Bank Research
5. HARO: find and reply
6. Contact bloggers
7. As well as update both Facebook and Twitter

I also posted a question on Facebook about adding new pages to Stage of Life.  Would you like to vote for new pages? We would like to  hear your opinion.

Researching the days away.

 I spent today and yesterday (and will continue tomorrow) working on a new project for Stage of Life.  Let's just say that I am so done with cutting and pasting :)  

8 hours x 3 days = 24 hours!! YEEEHAAWWW!

April's Prom Press Release

Today, the April Prom press release hit the wire (I wrote this, with Eric's editing of course).  This is (I think) the fifth press release that I have done for Stage of Life that has been released nationally.  Our bloggers filled us in on the 411 about prom.

As usual, I updated the Stage of Life Facebook and Twitter accounts this morning.

At 10am Eric had a conference call, which he included me on.  He introduced me and I got to ask questions and contribute to the overall conversation, which was awesome.

This afternoon got a little crazy.  Eric and I bounced the "Coupon-torial" project back and fourth at least five times with multiple edits.  Not to mention the other 3 projects that I was simultaneously working on. It was a great writing day here at Stage of Life.

Katie, the other intern, came in at 1pm and we had a small staff meeting where we dug into some letter editing for a contact project we will be working on in June.

I spent the rest of the afternoon perfecting a few minor projects, shooting emails everywhere, replying to HARO queries, and getting better acquainted with Linked In.

WOW- What a day!!   ....and did I mention it was about 90 degrees in our office today....

Raina drew this on the white board in my "office"

Mary Talks Money with Stage of Life

WOW!  Today I discovered that the segment of Mary Talks Money that Stage of Life recorded in ABC Studios (back in February) went live.  I attended the trip to Philadelphia with 3 Stage of Life teen bloggers, and CEO, Eric Thiegs.  Although I was not filmed, I was there behind the scenes at it was awesome.
Check out the 2 part Mary Talks Money that features Stage of Life bloggers and CEO, Eric Thiegs!

1. Teens Talk Money
2. Tackle Your Money Dilemmas

Stage of Life teen bloggers with Mary on set

On today's agenda, I got a lot of work done. Since Eric was back from his trip yesterday, he took the time last night and edited all my projects that I started last week.  When I arrived at the office today, I had a project to do list on my desk (consisting of going back through the projects and editing/confirming. 

Stage of Life will have another press release sent out sometime this week (which I wrote). Today, I put the final touches on that and sent it to Eric for its last edit.  I also worked on the "coupon-torial" projects and some other fun stuff for Stage of Life. It was an extremely productive day.  

Week One...Complete

I did it!  I survived week one.

Today, I really tore into some fun creating for the site.  I got a few text messages from Eric to keep me grounded, but other than that he let's my creativity run wild.

This morning started out like all the rest, updating the Facebook and Twitter accounts, then reading through some essays on the site.  I even took the time to write an essay and post it in the College stage.  If you would like to read it, click here.

Like any day, I returned emails and replied to HARO queries.  I spent the afternoon working on the
"Coupon-Torial" project, in which I could spent hours on, just tweaking little things.  Today was an laid back day, just working on the things I know and don't need anyones help with.

I'm excited to be in office Monday to show Eric my progress on multiple projects :)

Now What?

Eric is out of town until Sunday,  so if you need anything contact me.  Wow, second in command on my 4th day.  Real life is treating me pretty good :)

But on a serious note, today's agenda included updating both the Twitter and Facebook pages, putting the finishing touches on a press release, responding to some great HARO queries, sending out several featured blogger invitations, approaching a website about becoming one of our helpful resources, reading and commenting essays on Stage of Life, returning emails, and writing some new idea pitches (which is probably the funniest part of my day).

Currently, I have checked off quite a few things on my to do list, but still have several items to work on before I call it a day.  I did get the opportunity to chat with Eric earlier, and he wished me luck. It is great knowing I have his trust and support.

Today I learned working from home isn't nearly the same as working in the office,  I just go and go with no one to talk to, other than Remi (the cat) and all of a sudden it's almost 4 o'clock.  I am very excited to be in office more, once we move, but this will do for now.

My Office Assistant

That Went Well

Yesterday was a great success (in my book at least).  Despite my nerves, meeting Joe Thiegs, CFO of Stage of Life, wasn't has scary as I expected (although we did pick him up in front of the White House).  We arrived in DC around 3:30, to pick Joe up  and take him back to his hotel to change out of his suit.  We got to chitchat on the way and introduce ourselves.


While at his hotel, Eric and I searched for restaurants in the area to hold our business meeting.  Joe suggested Tune Inn, which was featured on one of my favorite shows with Guy Fieri's,  Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  So off to Capital Hill area we went.  Luckily, there was a parking spot right in front so we snatched it up.  We ate outside, although the sun was in and out of the clouds and there were a few rain drops.

                                                                                

My chili cheese burger from Tune Inn

While we joked around about our food selections and got more acquainted, and we some how managed to talk business!  I pulled out my notebook with 5 pages of notes from our drive to DC and gave Joe and overview of the projects and information that Eric had been telling me about.  We brainstormed for great new projects including merchant advertorials, a mobile coupon, and a multitude of sales projects.

They set me up to create the content for the new Writing is Healthy page, as well as do the sales sheet for the "Coupon-Torials" that we will be offering to new and old merchants. And last, but not least, I brought up the idea of focusing the merchant rewards on college students (because after all we are all flat broke).   So we are hoping to develop a college coupon program.

So with all that being said, I have a lot on my plate already (but I am hopeful and excited) and that does even scratch the surface of today's work.  Today, I updated the Facebook and Twitter pages with today's On My Own essay and statistics.  I also, replied to emails from April's contest finalists, added two featured bloggers to the system, created a HARO account, went through the HARO's and found some that fit Stage of Life.  I always email them to Eric so he can then send a pitch to the reporter, but today he asked  me to write my best pitch and send to them.  So next on my list is writing a pitch to sent to a reporter about how to gain Facebook "likes" on a business page.

Eric will be out of the office tomorrow and Friday, so I will be putting in my 8 hours, both days, from home working on all these projects.  Wish me luck!!

Today's Another Day

My day at Stage of Life started some where around 10:30 a.m. but will go into the later hours of the evening, as Eric and I are traveling to Washington, D.C. today to meet up with Co-Founder Joe Thiegs.

Despite the late start and trip later today, I have managed to get some great work done.  I updated the Facebook page, following our media calender (created yesterday, by Eric and I).  Today is Student Day, so my social media posts will be directed towards high school and college students.

To view today's Facebook post, click here.
To view today's Twitter post, click here.

Eric and I also got to brainstorm and collaborate for a new project, working with the site merchants (and contacting new merchants).  More details to come, but it is going to be fabulous.

After that discussion, he set me loose on a project working with Sleepys, the Mattress Professionals, creating a "Coupon-Torial" (the name is a work in progress).  I took an article from their monthly newsletter and geared to the blogging part of Stage of Life.  Sleepy's has a coupon/discount set up within My Life Rewards, that we referenced at the end of the article.  To see the first "Coupon-Torial" click here.

We are now leaving to head to Washington, D.C. to meet Stage of Life CFO, Joe Thiegs :)

Real Life Starts Now

Today was the first day of "real" life; or life after college as a new woman (a new fully employed woman).

 I was up at 6:45am. Showered, dressed, ready, lunch packed, bags ready.

I drove approximately an hour and a half during rush hour on multiple highways, sat in traffic to watch construction workers trim trees along the road, and finally ended up at my destination.

Today, I started full time, working 9-5, in my "real" life, Stage of Life.

Eric and I began our day filling out paperwork, and going through the nuts and bolts of the basics.  We outlined company goals, merchants, new business, and multitudes of random ideas and other conversations along the way.

Raina, our  5 five year-old "office assistant", was very helpful and well behaved as she watched the Muppets and colored beautiful pictures of flowers and rainbows.  (Note to self: she enjoys pretzels, I will bring more tomorrow).

Eric and I brainstormed new ideas for marketing Stage of Life's Facebook and Twitter Pages, how to increase site traffic, and how to acknowledge featured bloggers more often.  Together, we created a media calender that will allow us to follow a schedule of the ten stages of life.

Around 11:30 we took a break for lunch, and resumed work at noon for a conference call.

Katie the new intern arrived around 12:30.  She also got set up with all the necessary paperwork, email, and Google alerts.  We were assigned similar projects and well as some partnership activities for later this week, while Eric is out of town.

Each day I will have a half an hour to browse the ten stages of the site to read over recently posted essays and make comments to encourage members to sign up to become a feature blogger (if their writing is creative and well written).

Eric assigned both Katie and I to a PR project to be worked on this week which includes contacting niche magazines to be used as "helpful hints/resources" for each stage.  I have contact at least 20 magazines for the high school, on my own, married without kids, home improvement, and grandparents/retirement stages.  Katie has been  assigned the other stages.  We will be contacting them about back to school topics, considering most magazines are at least 2-3 months ahead of the season.

My Notes of Magazines

On another note, since starting with Stage of Life, I have become an admin for the Stage of Life Facebook page, created my own Stage of Life Twitter account, and my own Linked In account (where I am linked to Kutztown University and Stage of Life CEO, Eric Thiegs).

Speaking of Linked In, Eric and I will also be working together on a project with Linked In.  So I have lots to do this week, and it's only Monday :)

Hours: 9am-5pm (8/300)

My Own Press Release!

Over the past few days, I have contacted the March writing contest finalists and collected data to write the Teens and Media press release.  It cleared the wire a few moments ago.

Teens and the Media: 

Television is Dead and Facebook is Irresistible

YORK, Pa., May 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The "media" is an undeniably powerful entity in our daily lives.  It's even more invasive for teens and college students, a generation growing up with more forms of media choices than any other generation before them.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100929/DC73342LOGO)

StageofLife.com, a blogging resource for high school students, Baby Boomers, and every life stage in between, wanted to know how teens felt about the media, so they asked its teen and college visitors, "What form of media impacts your life the most, and why?" as part of its national monthly writing contest series for students.

Over 5,190 students from all 50 U.S. states and 69 countries visited the teen writing contest page.  From the scores of submitted blogs to StageofLife.com, four trends/ themes emerged about teens' attitudes towards the media:

1. Internet:   Nearly a quarter of the student writers said that Internet was the media that affected them the most, citing that it's the perfect place to research, and to keep in touch with friends and family.

One contest finalist, Jenny Zhang, of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School from Middle Village, NY, wrote, in her essay entitled,Media: Are we really using the internet, or is it vice versa, "Our fast-paced society demands technology to be always moving at its fastest speed and to the best of it's ability with little to no errors. But has anyone considered the toll the internet has taken on our lives? Technology is frightening. The utmost terrifying development ever created by man. I won't deny that I am a victim of the internet because I find myself drawn to these technologies in ways I never thought I would be."

2. Television:  While some students get their information from television, many wrote about the "mind numbing" effects of this medium. It received the most negative responses; students feel television is "distracting."

Essay finalist, Justina Tran of Garden Grove High School, Garden Grove, CA, wrote, "In essence, the news media presents us with what it thinks we should know, but it's ultimately our responsibility to use that knowledge to make a difference and thus spread hope to those who need it most.  As a wise mentor advised me, two types of people dwell in this world: talkers and do-ers. The news media are fundamentally the talkers and it's up to us to be the do-ers," in her essay Media: The Difference Between Newscasters and Whom They Inform.

3. Facebook: It's no surprise that a large percentage of teenagers cited Facebook as their most influential form of media in their lives, since it connects the students to friends, family, and gossip.  Several students raised privacy concerns about using Facebook in their essays, as well as larger issues like cyber-bullying.

Finalist Riley Brewer, of Rhea County High School from Cookeville, TN, wrote, "The power of Facebook isn't easily defined...I am aware of the most intimate details of my high school classmates' lives; I know who is getting divorced at 22, who is preparing to graduate summa cum laude, who has moved to Vegas to pole dance, and who has traded in football practice for burger flipping. True, I could choose not to read friends' status updates, but I must admit the temptation is too much for a mere mortal to resist," in the essay Media: The Facebook Juggernaut.

4. Overall, Media is Positive: Although there were some dissenters, the majority of student writers felt that media—in all forms and varieties—is an important, powerful, and positive influence on a person's life.

In the essay, Media: Children of the Techno-Revolution, teen blogger Katie Garner, of Vista High school from Oceanside, CA, wrote, "Nearly every aspect of my life, in some way or another, is consumed by the functions of modern technology. But I revel in it, for I am a child of the techno-revolution, an age that has spawned millions of other faithful offspring and captivated our thoughts and imagination. Friends may speak to each other from California to Tokyo without delay. Blogs may swap philosophical concepts or short stories, and people around the planet can share their experiences in a chat room.  So, how could only one form of media possibly affect me when so many intertwine to shape the way I live? These innovations are all strands of the same web. They constantly surround us, my fellow children and I, so that we remain entangled together. Some might find this instant gratification distasteful; but quite frankly, I think it is wonderful."  

Aside from the themes listed above, the student writing contest took in a wide variety of entries addressing various forms of media / communication that included blogs about social networking, cell phones, the internet, television, blogs, books/print, Facebook, celebrities, music, gossip, YouTube, texting, computers, video games, photo editing, prayer, verbal communication, the news, Skype, and the media in general.

StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs, stated, "If you get a chance to read these essays, you'll find they are truly amazing when you look at how the students break down and analyze the media.  Our winner, Keilah Sullivan, a home schooled student from St. Louis, MO used a tongue and cheek approach to champion her love for print media in her essay, Media: I Like it Black, White, and Read All Over."

Interested readers can read the summary report and find links to over 140 featured essays about Teens and the Media at http://www.stageoflife.com/TeensandMedia.aspx.

Teens & Media Writing Contest Finalists

• Kaleigh Somers, James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA., from Royersford, PA
• Yipeng Xie, Carlisle School, from Martinsville, VA
• Riley Brewer, Rhea County High School, from Cookeville, TN
• Jenny Zhang, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, from Middle Village, NY
• Justina Tran, Garden Grove High School, from Garden Grove, CA
• D.J. Schaefer, Waukesha South High School, from Waukesha, Wisconsin
• Keilah Sullivan, Home schooled, from St. Louis, MO
• Kimmy Tejasindhu, Cajon High School, from San Bernardino, CA
• Felicia Czochanski, Metuchen High School, from Metuchen, NJ
• Jennifer Pasatieri, Wellington C. Mepham High School, from North Merrick, NY
• Andrew Rauh, Divine Child High School, from Dearborn, MI
• Kammy Liu, John T. Hoggard High School, from Wilmington, NC
• Katie Garner, Vista High School, from Oceanside, CA
• Angela N., John F. Kennedy High School and California State University Northridge, from of Los Angeles, CA

May 2011 Writing Contest for High School Students

This month's writing contest for high school students on StageofLife.com asks high school students the question, "What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?"  From friends to family to graduation to grades to self-esteem, teens go through a lot in the course of nine months.  With graduation just around the corner (and already have happened for many college students), this contest writing prompt has already begun to elicit some unique responses.  Entries will be accepted up till May 30th at Midnight PDT and the essay winner will receive a gift card/cash prize from sponsors like KodakGallery.com, StageofLife.com SWAG, and featured writing status on the site.

About Stage of Life®: StageofLife.com  is a free, non-partisan, grassroots online community that hosts blogs, information, and resources for teens, Millennials/Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations. Its specialized content allows users to share and archive their life stories. StageofLife.com includes free lesson plans and writing prompts for Language Arts teachers, monthly writing contests for high school students and college students, blogging resources, a platform that helps people promote their blogs, teen trends, custom news feeds for each stage of life, and My Life Rewards, an area dedicated to providing relevant coupons and discounts exclusively geared towards each stage of life.

If you'd like more information about StageofLife.com or an interview with CEO/Founder Eric Thiegs, please call (717) 244-0006, or use the Contact Us  form on the website. You may also contact PR/Marketing Coordinator Megan Colyer at (717) 654-9554 or megan.colyer(at)stageoflife.com.

SOURCE StageofLife.com

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/teens-and-the-media-television-is-dead-and-facebook-is-irresistible-121788073.html

Are You a Winner?

National Student Writing Contest: April 2011

Writing Contest Question:  "Prom - a positive or negative teen tradition?"

View summary for this writing contest:

  

Winner:

• Prom:  BEING SELECTED FROM FINALISTS BELOW

Finalists:

• Prom: Or something like it (Prom is a reward for putting up with the hell of high school)
• Prom: Catching a Fairytale (She has waited for years to “catch her fairytale”, and her expectations are very high)
• Prom: A Necessary Evil (Prom is a necessary rite of passage that brings a sense of completion)
• Prom: The Most Important Day of Your Life (It is more important to remember the people you were with, than the dress or hair)
• Prom: A Positive Celebration (The only negative risks of prom come from students making negative decisions)
• Prom: A High School Tradition (Negative things happen on prom, but they don’t have to happen to you)
• Prom: An Epidemic? “Vanity is the quicksand of Reason”—George Sand (Girls delude themselves into expecting a “perfect” prom)
• Prom: To Go or Not to Go (Shakespeare parody debating her presence at prom)
• Prom: A Truly Unmagical Experience (The best part about prom was watching a movie afterwards with her sister)
• Prom: Subjective (Prom is a hyped up experience; it is fun, but not important)
• Prom: Exploring Prom’s Social Reputation and the Effect on Opinion (Prom is the last rung on her “priority ladder”)
• Prom: Simple Measures Can Save Lives (Anti-drinking and other preventative programs can make prom safer)
• Prom: Is it really worth dying for? (The negative risks of prom far outweigh the few positives)
• Prom: The Teenage Ideal (Prom is a night of negative make believe)
• Prom: How much is that dress really worth? (Don’t spend too much money, because you will only remember being with your friends anyway)
• Prom: A Nihilistic Rampage Or A Smashing Good Time?(Prom is an easily manipulated event)
• Prom: The Night of Doom (Prom night isn’t entirely freeing; think twice before drinking, using drugs, or having sex)

Writing Contest for High School Students and Teens

Answer this months poll 

Writing Contest for High School Students and Teens

Write and Submit your Essay: "What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?"

Essay Title:

When submitting your essay, title it as follows:

"I overcame ______"

[Please use the phrase I overcame in the title and then simply finish that sentence in a creative way to label your essay. Ex) I overcame the fear of leaving home for college. You can then write or cut and paste your essay into the main body of the submission form. Click the green button "Enter Contest" to begin.

NOTE: If you are a student living in Arkansas - click here for a special version of this contest being run in conjunction with KARK, the NBC network TV affiliate out of Little Rock.

Free Contest:

This is a FREE writing contest. StageofLife.com does NOT require a submission fee.

Contest Deadline:

May 31, 2011 at Midnight PST [StageofLife.com is an international project so the site clock is set to GMT but the contest ends on US Pacific Time].

Winner: The winner and semi-finalists will be announced here after June 15th, 2011. Winners and semi-finalists will be contacted via the email used to register for the site by a StageofLife.com staffer.

Prizes:

$25 gift card from Kodak Gallery, Stage of Life SWAG (T-Shirt, Pen, Letter from the CEO), national press release featuring your essay, and Featured Writer status on StageofLife.com.

Writing Contest Details/Background:

We all go through the fire. For teens and college students, the formative years of growing into adulthood often bring stresses and pressures from lots of angles...

• Problems at home
• Issues at school
• Pressure from friends
• Lack of confidence from within
• Etc.

What we want to hear from you this month is your personal story in which you were faced with an obstacle, challenge, issue or problem (big or small) during the school year and how you then dealt with it.

Our hope is that your StageofLife.com essay will help other teens and college students gain some wisdom from your experiences so that they too can find comfort in the idea that others have overcome a similar situation.

Please help inspire others with your story - we can guarantee your experiences and words can make a positive difference with another person reading your blog entry on StageofLife.com.

Did You Know: Here are some helpful links to review. Feel free to explore these student resources before or after you've entered the writing contest...

1. Graduation Issues: GetSchooled.com
2. Family Issues: Teen Advice on Family Issues from About.com
3. Bullying Issues: This Has to Stop YouTube Intro from LearntobeHealthy.org
4. School Issues: ReachOut.com
5. Friend or Self-Esteem Issues: YourLifeYourVoice.org
6. Drug & Alcohol Issues: TeenZeen.org
7. Others? Are we missing crucial support sites? If you have suggestions - please send us a note and we'll get them posted. Contact Us

Format:

This teen and college student writing contest should be in the form of a personal, essay, letter, diary, blog, or memoir format. The Stage of Life editors, staff, and featured writer/blogger community is excited to read your original point of view to this month's writing contest.

Optional: In your essay, mention the state in which you live, ex. Minnesota or Pennsylvania. StageofLife.com student essay writers have been featured in local, regional and national media channels. See an example in which TIME.com featured one of our teen writers.

Post Comments:

We'd like to encourage all participants and readers to make comments on these writing contest essays. Please just remember to keep all comments/posts/discussions civil and in good taste in each of the essay-blog threads.

Last Words:

Our hope is that your essay and thoughts will positively impact teens during prom season, and maybe even inspire someone.

Good luck!

Press Action

Check out what Stage of Life has been up to! Start-up of the day  StageofLife.com – making the world a better place, one story at a time May 4, 2011 -  Shoestring Venture featured StageofLife.com as the start-up of the day on The Startup Bible Blog.  Feel free to read the interview and get a little insight into the start-up phase of our Stage of Life project. Read the full article...

Fox Business sources StageofLife.com Graduation Etiquette 101: Have Some Class May 4, 2011 -  FoxBusiness.com talked to our very own in-house etiquette guru, Jay Remer, about graduation etiquette.  Fox Business reporter, Emily Driscoll, was doing research for her story and needed an etiquette expert for the high school and college stage.  She came across StageofLife.com and we were more than please to introduce her to our protocol expert, Jay. Read the full article...

"Making a Splash" features StageofLife.com StageofLife.com featured onBlogTalkRadio.com April 30, 2011 -  Co-hosts of Symphony of Peace, a global humanitarian project, Seph Dietlin and Shairon Beale, interviewed StageofLife.com CEO, Eric Thiegs, on their weekly Blog Talk Radio series, "Making a Splash."  The "Making a Splash" episodes support a mission to "empower you to “Make A Splash” in the world by “Making A Splash” in yours."  Dietlin and Beale cover a wide range of topics from the green and sustainability movement, to self empowerment, to the quickly expanding world of heart centered enterprise. We were honored to be contacted and highlighted in this interview for their BlogTalkRadio.com program. Listen to internet radio with Symphony Of Peace on Blog Talk Radio

StageofLife.com makes Top 10 Social Media Highlights Weekly Top 10 Social Media Highlights April 29, 2011 -  GOSO.com listed StageofLife.com as one of the Top 10 Social Media Highlights of the week of April 29th.  We garnered the #6 spot, between #5 (MySpace Is For Sale) and #7 (The Royal Wedding Lights Up the Web). Korenne Richardson is GOSO's Automotive and Social Media guru, specializing in social media innovations and popular culture. With the influx of news from 24-hour cable, blogs and social media, it’s hard to catch every story. So GOSO finds stories that matter in the automotive and social media industry and featured ten stories you might have missed. To have our humble writing project here at StageofLife.com land between the news about MySpace and the Royal Wedding is, well, flattering. See the full Top 10 List...

May Writing Contest Topics

High School/Teen Writing Contest Topic: 

 "What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?"

College Writing Contest Topic: 

"What was the most difficult thing you overcame this school year?"

Wedding Story Writing Contest Prompt: 

"What is (or was) the single most important aspect of your wedding and why?"

Baby Story Contest Topic:

 "How has having a baby (or being pregnant) helped or hurt your relationship with your partner?"