Sue Scheff: Update on Teen Set on Fire by other Teens

On October 12th, 2009 we were all shocked and horrified by the story of 15-year-old Michael Brewer, Deerfield Beach, Florida resident, who was doused in alcohol and set on fire by other teens.

Three teens are being charged and tried as adults in Broward County.  This outragious form of bullying is not only unacceptable it leaves us questioning what is happening with some of our teens today?  What prompts a child/teen to this type of violence?

Recently Michael Brewer received his first skin graft.  A Jackson Memorial Hospital spokeswoman said Brewer was listed in stable condition after the Dec. 4 procedure.

More than $100,000 has been raised on Michael’s behalf, and the family has gotten a massive outpouring of support.  Locally there have been many fund raisers.  For more information you can visit Neigbors Helping Neighbors which has created a fund for the family of Michael Brewer.

In November, Michael Brewers parents were on The Early Show shortly after Michael was able to share his story to detectives.

According to The Early Show: His mother, Valerie Brewer, told “Early Show” co-anchor Harry Smith Wednesday Michael is making progress in “leaps and bounds. (Tuesday) in physical therapy, they actually had him up, walking up and down the stairs.”
 

Michael’s physician, Dr. Nicholas Namias, the head of Jackson Memorial’s burn center, says Michael “still has significant hurdles ahead. They’re not dramatic hurdles every day, they’re hard work hurdles for him, over the long haul. … He has to go to physical therapy every day. And it hurts. Every motion, every movement, because his major joints really all are affected. Every motion that you and I take for granted hurts him.”

Related stories: CBS News 48 Hours, Florida Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald, Good Morning America, Michael Brewer Foundation on Facebook

Take two minutes to watch the video about this story.

Sue Scheff: Internet Defamation Talk Radio

I was thrilled to be a guest on Traverse Legal Radio this week!

We talked about Internet Defamation and how it can devastate your business and reputation. 

Learn more – click here to read the transcript and listen!

Reminder: Purchase Google Bomb book to learn more about how you can maintain your virtual image!  Learn from my mistakes!

Sue Scheff: Give Books that Give Back

Cartoonist and author, Tom Wilson, also known as Ziggy, is generously contributing 100% of his royalties to LIVESTRONG in memory of his wife, Susan.  She passed away of breast cancer on November 18, 2000. 

From today until Susan’s birthday, January, 19, 2010 when you order any books from Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) through this affiliate link, http://zigzagging.hcibooks.com/ a percentage will be donated to LIVESTRONG.

Health Communications Inc. offers a wonderful library of self-help books, inspirational books, Memoirs and so much more.  HCI is the original home of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series and is now continuing their heartfelt generosity to LIVESTRONG.

I am privileged that HCI is also my publisher and able to add my books to the list that will be giving back.

Check out the slideshow  for a few of the titles and explore HCI’s website.  Be sure to enter HCI through http://zigzagging.hcibooks.com/ to order the books.  It is holiday time and books make a perfect gift for everyone!  From children to grandparents, you will find the perfect title to fit your holiday list!

Also on Examiner.

Sue Scheff: Holiday Gift of Virtual ‘Presence’

Skip the holiday presents – give the gift of virtual presence!

 

The who:

 

The who:

• *  Help jump-start your potential college applicant/application.
• *  Out of work?  Learn to promote your skills online.
• *  Professional or small business owner?  Learn to own and manage your virtual image.

The why:

•53% of Americans Google each other. Pew Internet & American Life
•26% of college admissions officers use search engines to research candidates. University of Massachusetts Center for Market Research
•64% of teens say that most teens do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about. anti-drug.com
•77% of executive recruiters use search engines to research applicants. CareerBuilder

The how:

Tip 1:  Check out your social networking sites.  If there is information or photo’s on there you wouldn’t share with your grandparents, chances are they shouldn’t be on the Internet.  Keep it clean!

Tip 2: Sign up for personal branding services.  This is free.  Services such as Naymz, Ziggs, LinkedIn and LookUpPage offer free online profile set-ups.  Take the time to create your cyber resume.  It is important to own your own name and your own background. 

Tip 3: Create your own Blog. There are many free Blog sites such as Blogspot and WordPress.  Take the time to let your potential college or employer see that you are enthusiastic about your interests and motivated to be all you can be.  If you are a professional or business owner, let your future and current clientele see that you are up-to-date and knowledgeable about your products and services.  [For example www.suescheff.blogspot.com and www.suescheff.wordpress.com]

Tip 4: Create Google Alerts for your name, business name and nicknames. This is free.  Find out when, how and why your name is being use online.  This vital for small businesses especially.  If there is a disgruntled client or customer, you want to know and hopefully can rectify the situation before it gets worse.

Here are three tips that have limited fees:

Tip 5: Buy your own URL with your name. For example mine is www.suescheff.com . This can be as little as $7.99 a year through GoDaddy. Build yourself a small website and share with people surfing and researching the web about yourself.

Tip 6:  Place your name.  Literally you can give the gift of PLACE YOUR NAME with a professional service for as little as $49.95 one time fee.  Let them position your name in the search engines, write a press release for you and more.  All for one low fee. 

Tip 7: Hire an online management service.  Although there are many to choose from today, my personal experience is with ReputationDefender.  If you know someone that is struggling with online slime, or simply needs a virtual presence or “online make-over“ and doesn’t have the time or the computer savvy to create their cyber image, consider giving them a gift of relief with an online management service.  PS:  This is also a great gift to give yourself.  In my opinion and experience, Reputation Defender is the pioneer of online reputation management services and number one in my book.  (I am not a paid sponsor for them and I don’t receive any referral fees from them) I am simply a satisfied client. Costs vary according to your needs. Visit www.reputationdefender.com for their many services, as well as NameGrab, their latest addition.

Do you want more tips and practical guidance to help maintain your cyber profile?  Don’t forget to purchase Google Bomb, The Untold Story of the $11.3M Verdict That Changed the Way We Use the Internet (Health Communications, Inc. August 2009).  This book makes the perfect gift for everyone and anyone that uses the Internet, owns a business, has a reputation to protect, applying to schools, looking for jobs and more.

No one is immune to having their Internet image ruined.  So for this holiday season, give a present that gives you or the recipient a ‘presence’.

Remember it can take 20 years to build up a solid reputation and today it can take 20 minutes of a few vicious keystrokes and a click of the mouse, and those 20 years are history.

Also visit my Examiner articles on this subject – Part 1 and Part 2

Sue Scheff: Wall Street Journal shares my story!

I was thrilled to be part of Columnist Elizabeth Bernstein’s articlein the Wall Street Journal – The Dark Side of ‘Webtribution’. She also listed my tips to help protect yourself online as well as wrote a fantastic column about what keystrokes can do to lives!

Click here to read her article dated 12/01/09.

Sue Scheff: Volunteer Spot (Part 2)

Pay it forward and feel good!

Did you miss part one? Click here.

Part 2:

6. Tell us how VolunteerSpot can help others.

We do all the busy work behind coordinating volunteers and save more time for meaningful work. Our simple online tool eliminates the need for clipboard sign up sheets, reply-all email, Excel spreadsheets and phone tag. For example, it takes more than 200 parent volunteers to put on a school carnival http://www.volunteerspot.com/ebooks/Carnivals/  That’s a lot of coordination! we make it easy for each class’s parents to sign up to staff a booth or concessions stand saving carnival organizers a week of work! This video gives a quick tour of our sign up tool: http://www.volunteerspot.com/video/  

7. The holiday season is around the corner, do you find it gets busier or do you feel that many people are simply too busy to volunteer?

I believe that the holidays bring out the best in everyone. There is an influx of new volunteers at community kitchens and charities that gather toys, food and clothing for families in need. To promote local seasonal service, we’ve launched a Giving Tree Giveaway sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation. Plan a holiday service activity on VolunteerSpot and Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree in a fire-damaged national forest in your honor. Learn more at www.VolunteerSpot.com/GivingTree

8. What are the benefits of volunteering? How can we create more awareness about the benefits of volunteering?

Volunteering feels GREAT, and studies show helping others actually improves your mood and helps you live longer! Volunteering is also a wonderful way to strengthen your resume, build new professional skills and network within your community.

For families, volunteering together builds meaningful communication opportunities and perspective. Kids who volunteer with their families are more likely to volunteer as adults, and that’s good for all our communities!

9. Are there age limits? Do you recommend teens get involved?

People of all ages and backgrounds can volunteer – from preschoolers participating in food drives to grandparents rocking babies in the hospital.

Service provides an ideal opportunity for teens to explore new interests and passions. If a teen is interested in green causes, consider volunteering at a recycling center, or an Earth Day festival. Curious about a career as a vet? Volunteer at the animal shelter or wildlife preserve. Love children? Join a mentoring program or coach at an after-school sports league in a low-income neighborhood.

Teens also bring very useful technical skills to understaffed nonprofits – like helping them find outreach groups on MySpace, Facebook, Ning and Twitter. Shooting YouTube Videos and updating websites – all of these are super helpful skill that most volunteer groups need lots more of.

10. Please share with us anything more you would like people to know about VolunteerSpot?

VolunteerSpot is really really easy to use and saves so much time! If you know someone faced with coordinating a group of people for your booster club, league, neighborhood association, congregation or nonprofit, please let them know about us! VolunteerSpot, DOING GOOD just got easier! http://www.VolunteerSpot.com  
 

Follow VolunteerSpot on Twitter @VolunteerSpot  

Visit VolunteerSpot Blog for updates!
 

Reminder: Holiday Safety Tips

Article for Holiday Jobs and Volunteering for Teens.

Part 1 – click here.

Also on Examiner.com

Sue Scheff: Google Bomb Book Explodes in Canada

I was thrilled to see a Press Release in Canada this week.  Google Bomb book has been doing exceptionally well not only in the United States, but also abroad.  If you haven’t learned about my story – a cautionary tale of how vicious keystrokes can ruin your reputation virtually, read Google Bomb today – it also offers practical advice to protect yourself before you are hit with Internet slime!

Read Press Release.

Remember, your BFF today can be your foe tomorrow.  Your soulmate today, can be your adversary tomorrow! No one is immune to Internet Slander – so take pre-cautions to secure your name online.

Sue Scheff: Volunteering Just Got Easier!

It is always better to give than it is to receive.  We hear that a lot and for good reason.  It is true! 

This is such an important topic, there will be two parts to this article.  VolunteerSpot is a fantastic organization designed to help you give back to your community.  There are no more excuses!  During this holiday season, take the time to learn more about your neighborhood and what their needs are.

The founder of VolunteerSpot, Karen Bantuveris, recently took time to answer questions about her mission and hopefully will give you inspiration to take steps to help others this holiday season and all year round!

Part 1:

1. Why and when did you start VolunteerSpot?

I’m a working mom and when my daughter entered school I knew I wanted to be active in the classroom and with her Scout troop, etc. I wanted to quickly and easily schedule my volunteer commitments with the rest of my business calendar, but my inbox kept filling up with back and forth emails over how many cupcakes to bring to the class party or whose turn it is to help at recess or other really clutter some communication – I knew several parents that just said ‘take me off the list’ because of this.

It’s not that parents didn’t want to help, it’s that there wasn’t a good way to ask them – so that’s when I got the idea for VolunteerSpot.

We launched our ‘Early Edition’ in the Spring of 2009. What started as a tool to help my PTA in Austin, TX has grown to helping more than 100,000 volunteers participate in their communities across the country.

2. VolunteerSpot offers many resources. What do you feel people benefit most from your organization?

We save volunteer leaders time and frustration and get more people volunteering. Typically we hear that it’s always the same people volunteering at school, little league, library, etc. With VolunteerSpot, we make it easy for more parents to volunteer – because it’s so easy to find a spot on the schedule that fits in their busy lives. Open an email, click to the schedule, click a shift and you’ve found a volunteer job. Plus parents also love our automated reminders so they never forget what they signed up to help with.

3. How many different states have participated in VolunteerSpot and how can people join?

We’re currently serving volunteers in more than 40 states (and several countries)! Anyone can launch a VolunteerSpot sign up – it’s really easy to get started with our simple planning wizard. It’s been truly remarkable seeing all the wonderful ways folks find to use VolunteerSpot. In addition to helping parents and teachers coordinate volunteers at school and sports, we see congregations and nonprofits using us for their good work like after school mentoring programs, literacy outreach, community arts festivals, handicapped riding programs, building teams and community kitchens.

4. Do you charge any fees? Do you have sponsors?

VolunteerSpot is free for teachers and grassroots volunteer leaders. We ask that workplace volunteer teams, leagues and nonprofits with budget contribute to keep us free for groups that can’t afford us. Sponsors are important to our business and we’ll be adding new features soon to help them support the good work of our volunteers.

5. What motivates you and what inspired you to start this wonderful organization?

Professionally, I’m a business process expert. When I saw good people drop out of volunteering, and leaders burn out over frustrating communication obstacles, I just knew that there had to be a better way! By simplifying the volunteer experience, our tool has increased volunteer participation by more than 20%, reduced leader burnout and increased donations to the organization that use us!
 

Part 2 continues with how VolunteerSpot can help you! Click here.

Follow VolunteerSpot on Twitter @VolunteerSpot and get updates on their Blog.

Reminder: Holiday Safety Tips!

Article on Holiday Jobs and Volunteering for Teens

Also on Examiner.com

Sue Scheff: LIVESTRONG and Ziggy Helping Others

With the recent news of the controversy of breast cancer early detection, there isn’t a better time for you to learn more about how breast cancer effects so many lives. 

Tom Wilson II, cartoonist of Ziggy, lost his wife, Susan, on November 18th, 2000 to her battle with breast cancer.  Last spring he bravely released his memoir of this painful and spiritual journey through Zig-Zagging: Loving Madly, Loving Badly…How Ziggy Saved My Life (Health Communications, Inc 2009).

Tom Wilson recently announced he is donating 100% of his personal royalties of his book from November 18th (Susan’s death) until January 19th (Susan’s birthday) to LIVESTRONG.

From Tom Wilson:

Dear LIVESTRONG Friends,

My wife, Susan Shephard Wilson, died in my arms on November 18, 2000. She was forty-four years old. From the moment she was diagnosed with Stage 3b invasive breast cancer, Susan, who had always been my strength, began to teach me what it truly means to LIVESTRONG.

“From the first day we discovered this arch villain called cancer had struck at the very heart of our life together, I witnessed the one constant in my life, my beautiful, sweet, gentle “Tweety Bird” become a hawk so fierce that General Patton himself would have saluted her. Susan went into battle with more strength and courage than any fictional superhero could possibly muster…”

Zig-Zagging: Loving Madly, Losing Badly…How Ziggy Saved My Life, came from the journaling I did in an effort to make sense for myself of the seven years my family battled the consuming, insidious disease that is cancer. The decision to publish the raw, emotional, and painful story of our personal war against cancer and my personal struggle against the crippling grief, was in the hope that telling it might bring comfort to someone else struggling along a similar path of cancer diagnosis.

When I recently had the opportunity to meet with the staff at the LIVESTRONG Headquarters in Austin, Texas, I saw an extraordinary chance to allow this terrible tragedy in my family’s life to do something truly positive for fellow survivors and co-survivors.

ZIGGY’s MILLION DOLLAR LIVESTRONG CHALLENGE is OUR opportunity to come together to make a real difference! Through this campaign starting November 18, the anniversary of Susan’s death, to January 19, her birthday, I am donating 100% of my personal royalties to LIVESTRONG, and coupled with the HCI affiliate program, that averages out to roughly $4.50 from every purchase of Zig-Zagging to the LIVESTRONG organization when ordered from this link. My HOPE is that together we will raise a MILLION dollars (or more!)for LIVESTRONG over the next two months!

With love,

Tom Wilson

…and Ziggy

I have read this wonderful book.  If you haven’t, isn’t now the time to do so?  It is not only a gift to yourself, it is a way to give to a wonderful charity.  Holidays are almost here, I am confident there is someone on your gift list that will benefit with a gift from Ziggy.  After all, who doesn’t love Ziggy?

Read an excerpt from Zig-Zagging - click here.

Order Zig-Zagging today! 

Click here to subscribe to my articles and read more.

Also on Examiner.com

Sue Scheff: ReputationDefender Expands with NameGrab – Own Your Identity!

Many of my readers know I am probably one of ReputationDefender’s largest fans.  If you have read my recent book, Google Bomb, you will completely understand why.

Back in 2003 I was attacked viciously online.  Slime balls of lies, twisted truths and much more.  In 2006 I won a landmark case with a jury verdict for damages of over $11M!  The jury sent a very clear and strong message – free speech does not condone defamation.  Be careful what you post online, it may not only haunt you later, it could cost you a bundle. 

After my court room victory, I felt vindicated and like a new person.  However what I didn’t realize is that all that ugly stuff online still existed. 

My next call-out was to Michael Fertik, CEO and Founder of what was, back in 2006, a small new company.  He assured me he could help me with my virtual image.  As promised, within a few months, I was back to myself both emotionally and virtually.

Since then, I have recommended these services to many people.  I receive hundreds of emails of people that are being harmed online. ReputationDefender  has grown from the few people I remember, to an entire staff of caring and dedicated people that are there to help you manage your online reputation.

For the record: I am not a spokesperson or sponsor of ReputationDefender.  I do not participate in their referral affiliate program and I have never received any gifts or money from them.  I am simply a very satisfied client.

Today they announced their latest service, NameGrab.  Here is their recent press release.  I am confident this is another fantastic asset to their growing and successful business.  Read on!

ReputationDefender Launches Online Identity Management Service

NameGrab Allows Users to Control and Protect Their Names Across the Web, Dominate Search Results and Promote Their Personal Brands Online

REDWOOD CITY, CA–(Marketwire – November 16, 2009) – ReputationDefender, the leading comprehensive online reputation and privacy management company, today introduced NameGrab, a new service that allows users to control their online identities and promote their personal brands online. NameGrab’s proprietary technology automates the process of reserving your name across hundreds of social networking sites, thus ensuring both that search results produce the ‘real you’ and that your personal brand is accurately reflected online.

In today’s search-dominated world, your high-quality online identity has never been more crucial. NameGrab provides the tools to help you proactively secure that identity by claiming the most important social profiles on the Web on your behalf. Using NameGrab’s innovative technology, you can now:

–  Control and protect your name across the Web;
–  Own your name on hundreds of social networking sites, including
    Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter;
–  Prevent imposters from posing as you online;
–  Dominate search results for your name; and
–  Ensure that people find the real you.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of protecting your good name on the Internet. By gaining control over your brand and image across social networking sites, you can ensure that friends, colleagues and potential customers using these powerful online properties can easily find the real you and not someone else,” said Michael Fertik, CEO and founder of ReputationDefender. “NameGrab is ideal for anyone with a presence online — new college graduates, job hunters, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers and realtors who use the Web for new client leads. NameGrab is the only service that makes reserving and managing your name across social networking sites truly effortless — ultimately putting control of your name back in your own hands, where it belongs.”

NameGrab is also available for businesses looking to improve customer connectivity and efficiently manage their online footprints. NameGrab provides access to all registered usernames and passwords within one convenient, secure location, limiting excess email, and allowing users to easily manage which profiles need content and be alerted to the latest social networks and new profile availability. For more information on NameGrab, please visit: http://www.namegrab.com

About ReputationDefender

ReputationDefender is the world’s only comprehensive online reputation and privacy management company. Through its suite of services, including MyReputation(SM), MyEdge(SM), MyChild(SM), and MyPrivacy(SM), ReputationDefender helps its customers manage and protect their online information. ReputationDefender also helps customers promote themselves and their businesses online. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, ReputationDefender serves customers in over 40 countries and has been featured in Washington Post and Forbes cover stories, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Follow ReputationDefender on Twitter @RepDef

Visit ReputationDefenderBlog and get involved with the conversation and chatter!