The Generation That Lost Their History

Almost everyone you meet these days owns a digital camera. It's always interesting to hear what people do with their photos after they take them. Some people storybook them, others scrapbook. Some people I meet actually keep their photos stored on their memory stick and just keep buying new ones. Others I meet, upload them to their computer and think that they are safe. I have run into so many people in my profession, who have lost precious photos because their computer crashed.

You should always have a back up of your irreplaceable files. Photos are the proof of our history, of the life and times and memories we've shared. If they are lost, no amount of insurance can replace them. Back your files up on CD or DVD and store them in a safe place, like a safety deposit box or in the home of another relative or friend. Even better, get online storage. Several companies, including Heritage Makers, offers online photo storage. Some are free for a limited amount of space and others are fee-based for an unlimited amount of space. Then if something happens to your computer, you can always download them back to your new computer or hard drive.

Don't be part of the generation that lost their history to a simple hard drive crash!

Sincerely,

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach

Scan Project HAITI

In the wake of the devastation that the people of Haiti are dealing with, I am reminded of the importance of preservation. So many people lost their lives and so many will NEVER be identified. This country so rich with history; a legacy of pride, of hope, of resilience...needs our help.

Many of us (or someone we know) still have pre-digital photos that if lost or destroyed in an unexpected disaster couldn’t be replaced. Those memories could be lost to our families forever.

I am organizing a Scan-A-Thon February 6th from 10am-5pm at the New World Café located 4112 Pleasant Valley Road Raleigh, NC 27612-2634. Patrons can bring in their shoebox of photos and have them scanned at high resolution and archived on CD or thumb drive. Fifty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross to aid in relief efforts for the people of Haiti.

You can help by letting your friends know about this event and/or bringing your own photos in to be scanned. The goal is to scan 10,000 photos. I intend to have 3 scanners on site so we can accommodate 1200-1500 photos per hour! I have also posted a video of the scanner in action, so you can see for yourself how this can be done so quickly.

Scan Pricing Details

1-99 photos 39 cents per scan

100-499 photos 29 cents per scan

500+ photos 19 cents per scan

Photos will be scanned to CD (Feel free to bring your own thumb drive)

**Scanner can accommodate up to 8" wide and 14" in length.

Help spread the word and Scan Your Memories for Haitian Relief!

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach

High-Speed photo scanning with Heritage Makers

Scan Your Memories for Haitian Relief February 6th at the New World Cafe. We will be there from 10am-5pm.

6 Surefire Ways to Jumpstart 2010

• Posted by Yvonne Carson on December 29, 2009 at 1:00pm
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I believe one of the pieces to laying a solid foundation for success can be summed in one word – BALANCE! If you lean too much to just the money side of achieving your dreams or goals, you may find getting or arriving at the top of your field or businesslonely. If you place too much emphasis on getting ahead and working endless hours, you may wake up one day to the harsh reality that you have no meaningful friendships or significant person in your life to love.

The best way to guard against these possible scenarios or others like them is to devise goals that include key areas of your life that are based upon your core values. For example, as a Christian woman, my values are (1) God first (2) family second (3) ministry or business, etc is third on my hierarchy of priorities; it is different for everyone.

There are six areas I believe will set a strong foundation from which to build as you pursue your goals for 2010 and beyond. They are (1) Faith (2) Family (3) Fitness (4) Finances (5) Friends and (6) Fun.

1. Faith. It is important to build yourself up spiritually and stay connected to God through prayer, praise, and worship, reading the Bible, and study Scripture. Doing these things every day consistently will help you be in tune for divine guidance, instruction, and direction for your family, health, business, etc.

2. Family. Family is one of the most important relationships you can have in life! If your home is not in order or falling apart, it will have a negative impact on every thing you do including our business. You may have the most wonderful wife or husband and children in the world, but if they are not nurtured and made to feel important, you jeopardize losing them. Devise a family mission statement and stick with. This will help you see when you are getting of course or imbalanced.

3. Fitness. We live in such a fast-paced society that we often do not the care of our physical health. The fact is you cannot neglect your physical health and expect to accomplish your dream and goals. A sick or diseased body will limit how we pursue your dreams and goals – energetically or sluggishly; sharp thinker or dull thinker, etc. The best remedies for this is plan and execute a regular exercise regimen and eat more healthy foods. Being emotionally healthy is just as important as physical health. Exercise your brain by reading inspiring and encouraging books, listen to tapes. Develop a personal development regimen.

4. Finance. Become a good steward of the financial blessings that come into your life through running your own business or as an employee. No where your money is going. Set goals of how much income you want to generate, save, donate, and invest. Guard against greed! Develop a healthy attitude and relationship with money. It’s only a tool and when used properly can benefit and bless you, your family and those around you.

5. Friends. Next to having strong family connections friends are the second most important relationships in your life, and they need to be honored and nurtured as well. When others, including your family, fail to understand you sometimes, a close, trusting friend can really help keep you well grounded! You may only have one or two close friends, but that is more than most people have. So, hold onto them and do not work too much at pursuing your dreams and goals that you neglect your friends!

6. Fun. The old adage, “All work and no play makes a Jack a dull boy” still rings true today! It is so important to laugh and have fun, go places and do fun things! Have fun just for the sake of having fun!! It is a big stress reliever and is good for your overall health. It is not a healthy practice to work 18 hours or more 7 days a week! Take time to nurture yourself; it will rejuvenate you!

Doing these things will ensure a strong foundation of balance in your life so that you can build strong, healthy relationships while you pursue your dreams and goals. Happy New Year!

If you’d like to use this article on your website, in your newsletter or anywhere else, you may do so as long as the information below is included in its entirety.

Yvonne Carson is the CEO/founder of Woman-To-Woman Empowerment Academy and Women Breaking Free, a free membership community. Her mission is to help women to grow through spiritual development and personal development.http://womenbreakingfree.ning.com

Tags: bible, business, christian, faith, god, health, mission statement, personal development

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Photos in a Shoebox...Why Digitize?

Do you have shoeboxes of photographs? Have you inherited photos? Do you have family members with photos that you would like to have copies of? If you answered yes, this blog post is a must read!

It is said that there are over 3 trillion printed photographs in the US. Most of them are sitting in shoeboxes on a dusty shelf or dark closet, sitting and decaying. If you pull out some of those old pictures you will see that the ink is starting to fade. Over time, the ink or dye used to print pictures will start to decay until it is eventually washed completely out. If you have photos that are near and dear to you and your family, you will want to have those digitized (scanned)!

Having your photos scanned will help to overcome that decaying process. The photo will still continue to fade, but the digital image will capture the photo and preserve it in it's current state. Digitizing your photos will also allow you to share them with friends and family because you won't have to worry about only having 1 copy! You can send them electronically, post them on family websites or facebook, or create beautiful photo keepsakes with them. Creative end uses for your family photos are now only limited by your imagination!

We never want to think about unforeseen disasters such as a home fire or something. But many family photos are lost forever in these circumstances. So the most important reason to digitize your photos is so that you have a back up copy in the event something should happen to the original pictures. Protect and preserve by having your photos scanned.

I know, I know...it could take up to 30 hours to scan the 1300 photos found in a typical shoebox, but I can offer you a better solution! Photo scanning at 30 pictures per minute (up to 500 per hour), local and mobile! Don't chance your precious memories being lost forever!

Sincerely,

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach

What's a Memory Keeper's Coach?

I been asked this question recently and actually I liked being asked this question because it became a conversation starter. As a direct marketer, I am always looking for conversation starters. In order to answer this question, we first define what a memory keeper is.

A memory keeper is a person to whom it is important to preserve their memories, either through journaling, scrapbooking, taking photos. A memory keeper's coach, is someone, like myself who helps a memory keeper with creative ways to preserve, document and/or display their most treasured memories.

I love what I do! Our treasured memories are invaluable, irreplaceable and typically our most prized possessions. It brings me great joy to sit with a client and their shoeboxes of photos and show them how they can share these gifts, gifts of time, gifts of ancestry, gifts of heritage, with family and friends. I recently helped an elderly woman publish the story of her ancestry, a pictorial history, not a family tree. She was so thrilled, so thankful, so gracious, when we finished that she wanted 11 more copies to give as gifts to her family this holiday season! Of course, I was happy for the orders, but I was able to share in a work of the heart with this client. I helped her record her family's history for future generations. When you are working with a project like this (family stories, history, treasured photographs), you want someone who is going to take the care and sensitivity as if it were their own.

That's what a memory keeper's coach does and that's what I am...

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach

Attitude of Gratitude

This was an easy post for me today. I have had a rather productive week. So, I am thankful for:

1. The innocence of children. I am not perfect by any means but my children are still young enough to think I am the best thing since sliced bread. Yay! I may not always get it right but I try my best.

2. I am thankful for my accountability partners. When you are building a business or trying to get in shape or something like that, this is key. It's so easy not to "feel like" doing something and just not doing it, but when you know someone is waiting and expecting you to be there, you go. My partner has helped me to stay on task this week and last week and I am thankful for that, especially since we are gearing up for the holiday season.

3. Fall. It's finally here! At least I hope so. I know I said that last week but the last few days it has been hot! It hasn't felt like fall at all, but today that all changed. I had to turn the heat on in my car at one point.

4. I am thankful for the networking opportunities in my area. Most require a membership fee but some are free or very low cost. At any rate, I have been afforded the opportunity this week to showcase Heritage Makers and I have had received great feedback. All have been great opportunities to promote my business.

5. Finally, I am thankful that my kit with the new product samples and marketing materials has arrived! Yippee! I am so excited and can't wait to start showing people all the creative uses and keepsake gifts that can be created.

What are you thankful for this week?

Sincerely,

Yolanda Ventura~The Memory Keeper's Coach