Blogging for a Purpose – Week 1

I've been given the privilege to teach 10 students (12-14 years old home schoolers) on how to "Blog for a Purpose." This will go on for 8 weeks. At the end of the program, I hope that they'll be able to find their voices and use their blogs to make a difference in their generation. 

Here's the transcript:

Good afternoon! My name is Yeng Remulla. Welcome to the "Blogging for a Purpose" class.

I own a blog called "Productive Pinoy." This blog started around 2008. My original intention was to journal the things that I've learned in business and in life. 

This blog branched out to what's known today as the Productive Pinoy book – 19 positive reviews as of date, making it one of the most recommended reads this 2012. The book is now available in 100+ bookstores nationwide.

My blog has allowed me to ...

• help others by giving practical tips or advice 

• provide motivation or inspiration to others 

• promote other people's work

• organize my ideas/thoughts and develop my writing skills 

• journal my learnings and later on jumpstart a book 

• promote the Productive Pinoy book and connect to its readers

• sell my book online

• organize events like this.

• get invitations to speak to organizations about productivity

• collaborate with other awesome bloggers like this group

• get invitations to write for publications

• meet other bloggers and champions in their industries 

In this class, I'd like to help you start a blog that you can use to make a difference.

As a student in this class, you're expected to …

1. Join the discussion.

2. Research on your own. (consider Google to be your best friend!)

3. Probe and ask questions.

Let's start our discussion!

What is a blog?

‘From “Web log.” A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.”

Unlike the usual "website"...

Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in chronological order, with the most recent additions featured most prominantly.’

Blogs are used in different ways. Each blogger has his own reason or purpose why he or she blogs. 

This person is a big fan of Justin Bieber... 

As a former CEO of Thomas Nelson, one of the biggest publishing company in the world, Michael Hyatt is blogging to help aspiring authors to succeed and get published.
My friend Ruffy Biazon blogs about his insights on good governance.

The Act Like a Man blog answers the tough questions on manhood.

How about a blog that's specifically written for librarians?

These are just a few examples of the blogs you'll find online. 

DISCUSSION: Why do you think people blog? (below are the answers from our discussion)

8 REASONS PEOPLE BLOG

1. To teach

2. To sell their services or build their expertise

3. To express their art

4. To influence people or change the world

5. To improve their writing / or clarify their thinking

6. For fun or entertainment

7. To stay connected

8. To make money

Why blog? Who are you writing for? What would you like to change?

The first step in blogging is to know your purpose.


ACTIVITY:

1. Draw/illustrate the blog that you're planning to start.

2. Tell us something about your blog. What makes it different?

Elise will blog about the music of her generation – and how it could be better.

Gab will blog about his insights on science and sports.

Spring and Joaquin will journal their learnings from their home schooling classes.

Sam will start a photo blog – "The world through her lens"

Trey will start a blog called "groundedintheword.com" – a blog that will encourage teenagers to live according to God's Word. 

It was refreshing to hear from them! I'm excited for week 2! 

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IMPROVEMENT OR INNOVATION

As a consultant, I've observed how the word "innovation" is used in organizations. It's an aspiration that you'll always see in the mission and vision statements found in the lobby of their buildings.

Many would like to innovate, yet only a few really do so. 

Incremental improvements are good. It's needed, but it isn't innovation. An improvement is a notch better, while innovation is a leap – redefining how things can be done.

The first step to innovation is the willingness to try something else other than what's already working.

Abandon complacency.

Either push the boundaries or work without it.

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Get P50 off when you buy a PRODUCTIVE PINOY book online. Free delivery nationwide via LBC. To order, simply click HERE.

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ON BEING A FATHER

A quote says, "There are three stages of a man's life:  He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus." 

We find this funny! And yes, admittedly, as Fathers, sometimes we feel that we are Santa Clause! 

While providing for our family is a big role, there are also other roles we ought to play. As a dad, I am…

…a PLAYMATE to my 6-year old son. Every night, Jaden would ask me, "Dad, can you play Tekken-6 with me?" I'd intentionally let him win the game from time to time. (Don't tell him!)

…a TEACHER/ENCOURAGER to my 9-year old son. Russel loves to sing. And every time I hear him, I'd say, "Wow Russ, you really sing well!"

…a COACH/ADVISER to my 13-year old son. Trey is now a teenager. I can't and shouldn't treat him the same way I treat his brothers. Over the years, I've seen him grow wiser. He is now capable of making decisions on his own. My role now as a father is to guide/coach him to make the right choices.

1. The first step is "to make a connection." They'll be eager to listen to you when they know that you're in tune with them. 

2. Teach them the important lessons in life. Before you do this, don't forget #1. 

As a father, the most important lesson for my children is this, "The only way to enjoy your life is to fear the Lord." (see Deut. 6:2) And the best way for me to teach this is to model it myself.

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Get P50 off when you buy a PRODUCTIVE PINOY book online. Free delivery nationwide via LBC. To order, simply click HERE.

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TWO THINGS MANNY PACQUIAO WON

Photo Credit: Yahoo  / Marsh Starks – Reuters

In his fight with Tim Bradley, Manny Pacquiao may have deserved that belt, but he gained more.

After watching how Manny accepted the judges' decision with grace and self-control, he has earned our respect and admiration.

1. RESPECT

Manny says, "Let's give credit to Bradley. He did well tonight, I respect him, and that's the decision. I respect the officials. … It's part of the game, I give thanks to the Lord."

Manny knew he should've won and yet, he chose to be a gentleman. He could've been mad at the judges or could have blamed someone else. Instead, he gave Bradley his "time to shine" (it didn't last long though) For that, Manny, you've earned our respect. 

2. ADMIRATION

As a Christian, it's easy to question God and say, "Why God?!?" Yet, you see a man who is humble before the Lord. Even after a questionable defeat he says, "I give thanks to the Lord." 

It's easy to thank God when you're winning. But to thank the Lord at all times? (in this case, losing) That's always easier said than done! 

And yet, he did.  

I believe that his renewed faith gave him security. He knows that he is not just a title holder – there's more into his identity.

I'm excited to see what's next in the life of this champion.

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Get P50 off when you buy a PRODUCTIVE PINOY book online. Free delivery nationwide via LBC. To order, simply click HERE.

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START SOMETHING! Powered by PRODUCTIVE PINOY

It was almost 1:00pm. Our guests were coming in. 

Ms. Michelle could've won the early bird award if there was one! It was a pleasure to meet her.

More people were coming in...

Meanwhile...

That's me on your left with my partner, Bob Barcebal. (Spark Learning) We were about to launch the "Start Something" campaign. And just like any "Start", we had no idea how it will turn out. (I know we look calm, but deep inside we were nervous.)

We waited for a few minutes for the other participants to arrive. At this time, everyone looked so serious. Remember when you were in high school and you were asked to go to the principal's office? That's how serious they were. 

To break the ice, my partner and host, Bob Barcebal, encouraged everyone to stand up, "Talk to least five people you don't know."

Ms. Aldreanna and Ken

Jay and Mark

Marvin and Ms. Barbie

After the exercise, Bob gave this takeaway, "To succeed in any endeavor, you've got to take the initiative." 

Now, we wanted to make sure that everyone was awake the entire event. The Solution... 

Chocolates!

Coffee. Not just coffee, but good coffee.

....and Humor!

We take FUN seriously. Like you, we hate boring presentations too!

Now, when Bob introduced me, I thought he was introducing another speaker – the person he was describing was a bit too impressive. I guess that's what friends do. They build you up, then leave you alone on stage!

I shared what it means to be a Productive Pinoy. (... and the story how Angry Birds became the #1 game)

Photo Courtesy : Francis Supe

Before that, Mr. Buddy here won a Productive Pinoy book by guessing who quoted this line, "Trabaho lang ito, walang personalan." If you don't know who, be happy, that proves that you're still young. 

Shortly after, I asked the participants to do this simple activity. "What's one thing that you've been putting off?" And in the spirit of Draw Something, I asked them to draw it!

Looks like the guys at Logorama is brewing something...

Ms. Hannah, is that a hotel? Hope you can invite us when it opens. 

Francis, are you sure about this? We will be first in line when you give away that money!

Alright, it's time to tell someone about it. Go ahead, don't be shy!

Jim and Marvin

Kevin and Ms. Barbie

Ms. Hannah and Ms. Carmen

Everyone seems to enjoy what the others have to say. So, I called for volunteers, "Who wants to share what you're about to Start?"

MoneySwap Marketing Manager Ms. May Shelle told us about "Gadgets Unlimited," an exciting project she's working on. (Ma'am discount ha!)

Krizia wants to become a motivational speaker someday. After hearing her, I'm convinced that she will be one ... maybe sooner than she thinks!

Now, before Adrian becomes a best-selling author, I suggest for you to take advantage of his writing now, visit his blog... Seeker's Portal.

The best is yet to come. I asked three of my friends to tell their story on "How they Started Something"

Malvin Dinlasan told us how he is now living the exciting life. (now a social media consultant)

He concluded with this, "The ACHIEVERS created the bags of chips and television that the SETTLERS munch and watch TV shows all day." (Another memorable quote from him would be something related to "Boy Bawang.") Read Malvin's take here.

Rochelle Chua

This proves that you don't have to be a motivational speaker to inspire people. Rochelle, the blogger behind Hearty's Haven told us her story.

She works for a multinational company. Her boss told her that she needs to improve her writing skills. Instead of being discouraged, she took it as a challenge and decided to start a blog to improve her writing.

She didn't even expect people to read it. Today, Rochelle's blog has 60,000 visits per month. Now, she enjoys writing and meeting new people. Rochelle made us realize that even our weaknesses can become our strengths if we are willing to work at it! (read Rochelle's take here)

Gospel Yoyo Man

Cornel Bongco tells his story on how he started using his Yoyo to share a life-changing message. This unique idea has allowed him to speak to different groups of people and has brought him to many places. (local and international) 

We all enjoyed his story, especially when he was talking about the mysterious "kwan!" 

It was a fun afternoon. 

Maybe more fun than you would think...

Even this guy is thinking ... "Hmmm what business should I start?" 

You're never too young or too old to learn!

This young lady told her brother the next day, "Kuya, before you start anything, decide to finish it!" (A point I made during the presentation)

I continued with "How to Achieve Major, Major Goals" and shared the story on how my book idea came to life. "To write a book, learn how to write one page a day."

That's my pretty wife wearing fuchs... What's the spelling again? Ok, pink na lang daw. Alongside our good friends, Kat, Rudyard and Sol, my brother-in-law.

Mr. Buddy wrote a dedication for me. See the left side of the book. 

The next two books I signed was addressed to the two Ronalds of Red Ribbon. To avoid confusion, which book belongs to whom, I wrote the same dedication! (Ayos ba, Nalds?)

Nice to meet you, "Ms. Nyc". Yup, that's her name. 

It was fun working with Cornel, Rochelle and Malvin. Hindi kompleto 'pag walang group shot. (Sorry, we didn't do any jump shot.) 

Me (Yeng Remulla), Cornel Bongco, Rochelle Chua and Malvin Dinlasan

Special thanks to May (my editor) and Ms. Shawie for helping us during the event! Big thank you to Maan Villanueva for taking our photos!

This was held last June 8, 2012. The Forum, 4th Level of FullyBooked Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City. 

We are excited to see our participants start their something. Hope you can join us next time! 

Let's Start Something! 

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WE ARE DOING IT AGAIN THIS OCTOBER 27! TO JOIN US, SIMPLY CLICK HERE.

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7 STEPS TO A SIMPLE BUSINESS PLAN

"What business should I put up?" That's usually the question. 

Richard Branson, serial entrepreneur and founder of Virgin Group (400 companies worldwide) says "Business opportunities are like buses, there's always another one coming."

That's true. But for starters, you don't need to be like Mr. Branson. Yes, there are many opportunities around you, but not all will be good or suitable for you. To be effective, you'll need to filter or figure out which one to pursue.

1. Find a need or a problem around you. (customers) Look around you. There are problems waiting to be solved.

And someone out there is responsible for that problem. He is looking for answers. (There are many others like him)

That could be you providing a service, a product or a solution to that group of people. 

2. Provide a Solution. (your service or product) 

What exactly can you do for them that could make their lives or work easier?

Old products or services were designed to solve old problems. The "old way" will go outdated. Sooner or later, it won't work for anyone anymore. 

Come up with a new way, a new approach, or a new business model. To be relevant, design your products or services to solve the problems of today and tomorrow. Don't merely ask your customers what they want, but anticipate and figure out what will work better for them. 

As Steve Jobs would say, "A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."

3. What makes your Solution different? (marketing & branding)

In three sentences, what makes your service or product uniquely valuable? Why will they pick you and not the provider next door? How will you differentiate your offer?

Hint: Going cheaper than the competitor isn't always better. There's a possibility for you to end up just competing with price – In the end, nobody wins.

Providing "better customer service" is already every company's promise. Customers are already expecting you to give that to them whether you promise or not.

What can you possibly do to stand out?

4. Do the Math. (finance)

I know. You don't like math! However, you still need to know your numbers. 

Can you deliver your promise at the price they are wiling to pay for? Will you still make money? 

How much money do you need to run your business for the first six months?

How much "salary" do you need to pay yourself to make this venture work?

Is there a way that you can utilize new technologies to make your start-up cost-efficient?

There are more money-related questions to answer...

5. Is the business in line with what you do well? (competence)

Competence is the ability to do something successfully and efficiently. Will the quality of your work speak for itself?

6. Pray. (faith)

This isn't counter-productive. It's the most productive thing to do! Pray and ask God "Is this your will for me? Should I go into this business?" 

If the answer is no, then don't. It is only when you find peace that you should proceed. 

7. Do your homework. (diligence) 

Be the first to wake up and the last to go to sleep. Research! 

Did you know that Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook without a real business plan? The only time they figured out how to make money (monetization) was after getting millions of users. (as of 2012, Mark's personal wealth was estimated to be more that $19.1 billion) 

Dream Big. Start small. Above all, start today. Then update your business plan along the way.

Learn how to Start-up! YENG REMULLA will be one of the speakers at the "JUMPSTART YOUR SUCCESS" Workshop at the FORT BGC this Saturday, November 30. For details or to register, visit http://tinyurl.com/jumpstartevent

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4 INTERESTING QUOTES

Earlier this afternoon, as I was sipping my coffee, I came across these quotes from an issue of Reader's Digest.

One came from Warren Buffet, the richest man in the planet. (a good friend of Bill Gates) His name is synonymous to the word "investing". He is recognized as the greatest investor in the world. 

So here are four quotes I found interesting...



It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently. 

- WARREN BUFFET





Great Leaders are almost always great simplifiers.

- GEN. COLIN POWELL






I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles, but today it means getting along with people.

- MOHANDAS K. GANDHI







The person who knows "how" will always have a job. The person who knows "why" will always be his boss.

- DIANE RAVITCH

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Get P50 off when you buy a PRODUCTIVE PINOY book online. Free delivery nationwide via LBC. To order, simply click HERE.







  

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