By now, you are well aware of the tragic events that have occurred in the country of Haiti. The earthquake that destroyed the homes and spirits of so many Haitians has been the cause of an unimaginable amount of pain and suffering. It has also been the cause of many good deeds done throughout the world. It seemed like there was almost an immediate response from the rest of the world when word of  the events that took place in Haiti got out. Not only was it a trending topic on Twitter, but #Haiti is also a trending topic on the news and within the hearts of millions of people. People have been coming together and giving so much towards the rebuilding of the shattered country. The Hope For Haiti telethon that aired world wide has been the biggest of the public efforts thus far. Organized by George Clooney, the two hour telethon featured everyone from Denzel Washington to Alicia Keys. The powerful performances and speeches given that night set the tone for everyone to do whatever they could to help out and they raised almost 60 million dollars for the cause. Despite much controversy, Haitian music mogul, Wyclef, has been very instrumental in restoring his country through his organization Yele and just by speaking on the subject like he did this years Grammy Awards. I couldn’t go a day without seeing his tweets telling me to “Text Yele to 501501 to donate $5.” If you didn’t know, $1 is the equivalent to about 40 Haitian Gourdes so your dollar can surely make a difference. It seems as if everyone is getting in on the action, including Walmart, the New York Yankees, and Bank of America. Ralph Lauren has created special polo shirts and is donating 100% of the proceeds to aiding Haiti. They are actually pretty stylish so you may want to consider getting one if you haven’t already given to the cause. The Restaurant Week Truck in NYC is also donating $1 of every $6 purchase. Big names aren’t the only ones helping Haiti. My good friend Overfab recently held an event in NYC and raised over $2000 and 70 bags of goods. I say all this to say, the world isn’t as bad as it seems. There is always a way. Give and you shall receive…Contribute to the hope for Haiti in anyway you can. Trust me…It’s worth it…Peep some amazing photos of Haiti by photographer Jeff Antebi…

]]> http://www.mn-eminent.com/2010/02/01/when-disaster-strikes/feed/ 0 http://www.mn-eminent.com/2009/10/07/be-a-business-woman/ http://www.mn-eminent.com/2009/10/07/be-a-business-woman/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:24:26 +0000 Nick http://www.mn-eminent.com/?p=2389

In my travels (from Brooklyn to Manhattan), I’ve met some amazing people. I’ve come in contact with fashion designers, painters, singers, bloggers, bankers, etc. One may think it would be difficult for an artist to relate to people that aren’t in a related field but I like my social networks to be as well rounded as possible. And believe it or not, most of the folk I meet are like minded in the sense that we are all entrepreneurs. We all strive to be our own entity. And we all need guidance at times, so I’m going to give you some today. Well, it’s actually the guidance of a friend and business woman, Ms. Sakita Holley, but I insisted on sharing it with you all. Her article, “The 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand” is so well written, and surely a push in the direction of success. Take heed.

Rule # 1: Be Consistent

While it is okay to grow your brand through several phases it’s not okay to change your legal name 12 times in one year. Think about who you are and who you wish to become. Make sure this is a true reflection of self and not a watered down carbon copy of someone else. Consistency will lead to recognition and ultimately this is what we’re all after.

Check out the remaining rules here, and follow Ms. Holley on Twitter for your daily dosage of guidance @MissSuccess!

Jay-Z . I had to start off that way because Jay is his own entity. He has taken hip-hop to a level I’m sure even he can’t believe. Jay-Z is truly a business and a business man. Mr. Carter has never been one to just release albums and perform at concerts. He turned his story in to history and over 10 albums later, he has not stopped. The Blueprint 3 is here and it is….B.A.N.A.N.A.S. Even that is an understatement but I want you to hear it for yourself if you haven’t already, which you can do via Rhapsody. It was supposed to release this Friday, September 11th, but the whole album “leaked” sometime last week. In other words, Jay knew that he had a masterpiece on his hands and felt the need to put us on without further anticipation. Jay-Z is doing hip-hop  a great service. He’s pumped it with enough life to last for a while, within just one week. With his concert at Madison Square Garden coming up on Friday, it’s only getting better. The tickets are apparently sold out via the original retailer of Ticketmaster but Stub-Hub and EBay still have plenty for you. At inflated prices, of course (am I bugging or does that say $45ooo for a ticket?!). Don’t want to pay or didn’t have any luck on Ticketmaster? No worries. The concert will be airing LIVE on the Fuse network. So I vote that everyone who isn’t able to attend finds a very large screen to sit in front of with some friends and some food and rock out as if you were there!!! Go pick up your hard copy of The Blueprint 3 now because the physical copies are already being sold at major retailers. The digital copies will go on sale this Friday. Let us know what you think of the album and be sure to hit us up on Twitter if you’re attending the concert or having a viewing party. We’ll bring the chips!!!

I guess the inevitable day has come where people begin to incorporate games into twitter. Just the other day one of my friends and followers invited me to become a ’spy’ in their organization or something of the like. Of course I automatically thought it was BS spam, but after taking a closer look, it’s a full fledged mini-game, where groups are formed, crimes are wedged out, and revenue streams begin to flow. It’s a little Goodfellas and Sopranos, mixed with 007.  It’s a little different, but has the potential to be insanely addictive. Peep it