The Gift Of Sight

Well it is that time of year again – Christmas! The time of year when we all gather around our trees, surrounded by gifts and smiling faces.  It is the time of year where we reflect on all the blessings of the year gone by.

This year in particular, I have something to be very thankful for. This year I was blessed and given the gift of sight. A miracle? Well, yes and no. No because this didn’t just happen over night. My parents helped me out financially so I could have this elective surgery. But it is also a bit of a miracle because technology has come so far that we can now correct vision with the use of a laser!

On December 10^th I decided to undergo laser eye surgery - Advanced Custom Wavefront provided by LASIK MD. I had my free consultation in Kingston, Ontario and the surgery was performed in Ottawa.  My stay was above satisfactory – they did everything from answer all my questions about the procedure to help me put my eye drops in while I was in the waiting room.  Most importantly, they kept me at ease.

On December 09^th I was near sighted and used both contact and glasses to help correct my vision. Today only 24 hours after the surgery, I have 20/20 vision! My eyes will be fully healed in three months and my vision can only get better from here.

By now you are probably wondering how this at all connects to my blog theme of marketing and advertising. Well, in my eyes the answer to that is simple. LASIK MD does the traditional forms of advertising such as television and radio but with their strong customer service and positive attitudes the advertising takes care of its self. Word of mouth advertising it’s free, dependable and most importantly powerful.

So what else do I want for Christmas? Actually there is a list. I want to see you smile as you open the gifts I got you; I want to open my eyes and be able to read the clock; oh - and finally - I would like to be able to drive and actually see the road signs before I am on top of them.  Looks like those are all covered.

Thank you Mom & Dad. Thank you LASIK MD and thank you readers. I’ll see you soon.  Literally, I can see you now J. 

Trends Talk

Today I tweeted 30 times in less than 3 hours. I was automatically entered into a number of contests (none of which I won) and I took my networking to a whole new level. Today I attended my first “non-conference” - Trends Talk.

Trends Talk was held at St. Lawrence College, organized by two amazing professors (Kathy Patterson & Lindsey Fair) and lead by the third year students in the Advertising Integrated Marketing Communication program.

In groups of two the students had 30 minutes to do a presentation about a media topic of their choice. Topics included; Celebrity tweets, Facebook and fashion, hashtags, and the top ten media campaigns. There were many others as well.  Audience members were encouraged to live tweet the sessions as well as ask questions to encourage the discussion. At one point during the discussion #TrendsTalk was even a trending topic in all of Canada! How amazing is that?

The students were both engaging and inspiring.  You could see how much work they had put into their presentations and their excitement was palpable throughout the event. Their topics evoked discussion among the crowd and really got me thinking.  This is what I am going to be doing in the next two years. I will be the one standing up there giving my presentation about the trending topics of 2014.  I have become so motivated to continue my hard work and strive for the best.  I cannot wait until I am at the top of this educational food chain and if this is what I have to look forward to – well all I can say is  - you haven’t heard the last from me! 

That Time of Year

Although it seems impossible, it is that time of year again. This is when students hunker down in their bedrooms, the library or the well-lit corner of the cafeteria to go about their business. In my opinion this is the worst time of year to be a student. You guessed it. EXAM TIME!

While we are all overwhelmed by the stacks of books and piles of papers we have acquired in order to prepare for this week, I have had some time to reflect on my experiences. This is the first time I have added reflection to part of my studying regime and to be honest, I am glad.

I looked back and remembered all the fun we have had in the classrooms this past semester.  I connected each story to a lesson I had learned in class. Oddly enough this helped build my confidence and helped me to remember important concepts as well.  I easily remembered things like strategic alliances as taught by Kip Tuckwell and the value of powerful presenting skills lead by Jackie St Pierre.

I have also taken the time to reflect on who I have become as a person. I can see how much I have grown, changed and how the people around me have made an impact on my life. A perfect example of this is when Kathy Patterson handed me a magazine in class this week. It highlighted the top ten media companies of 2011. Kathy suggested that I find one I liked and she would help me get in touch with them.

How amazing is that? I had made an impact as well. I was showing my potential and the people around me could see that I had something to offer. Not only am I leaving this year with new knowledge, friends and an amazing social media profile I am heading into my future with confidence and positive outlook. With a little less than 3 years of school left to go I have learned that the possibilities are endless.

Watch out world - I am coming for yah! But for now, it’s back to the books.