This month my agency the Hai Media Group heads to Manchester, along with other digital media creative entrepreneurs from throughout the UK, for the conference bTWEEN08, where our agency is a finalist in the Branding Talent competition.

HMG has teamed up with media partner Isabella Hu, a designer, to develop this seed idea for an integrated promotional campaign to support Littlewoods, a popular online shopping site for fashion and house wares. We’ve presented the judges with our Rare Fruits concept, that invites customers to visit Littlewoodsdirect.com, to pick rare fashion fruits from the branches of trees, growing on islands. The virtual world concept wraps around what we’ve already been told about Littlewoods new branding initiatives to build excitement with a television commercial involving a desert island, scheduled to be aired in the 2008 holiday season.

Among our mentors for this experience will be 4Talent (an innovation arm of the broadcaster Channel 4), Aegis Media, Just-b (the creators and designers of bTWEEN08) and Littlewoods.

bTWEEN08's Sponsors

We join other finalists to develop our seed ideas into a full proposal for the client, during a conference workshop, and find out Friday, 20th June 2008, if our Rare Fruits campaign is a winner. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with our digital creative peers for bTWEEN08, and hope we have a good chance at winning the cash prize of £5K. You can see some screenshots of our Rare Fruits campaign concept below:

Check out our Rare Fruits entry here, which is up for public vote online, among other contenders:

http://www.just-b.com/btween/branding-tallent/rare-fruits

How do you vote? Please sign up to the bTWEEN08 online community, a helpful resource for digital entrepreneurs.

Creative Branding Inspiration

Hai Media Group hopes the judges will love our Rare Fruits campaign, a concept that aims to build website traffic by creating consumer excitement around exclusively available items from popular brands such as Miss Selfridges, Diesel, Love Island, Henleys, and other brands the retailer currently stocks. We've also suggested the possibility of offering prizes or products from the brand’s official spokeswomen Trinny & Susannah, who are leading fashion divas in the UK. We’ve been inspired by the successes High Street retailers have had in recent years by offering shoppers fashion lines from celebrities and designers, and see this new branding initiative as an opportunity for Littlewoods to capture the same excitement online.

Kate Moss, Madonna, Lilly Allen and others, have unveiled their collections at Top Shop, H&M and other retailers, but we think the best case study example is when Stella McCartney’s collection debuted at H&M in November 2005, which launched consumer fervour outside the Oxford Circus retail outlet on its launch day, with thousands of fans queuing for their chance to own an original piece of the collection. The store sold out within the first day, and remains a coup d'état moment among the fashion industry marketing types.

We hope to fuel similar excitement for Littlewoods, and offer busy women a new way to have a chance to own an original fashion item, that doesn’t require taking a day off from work, or raising kids, to queue for hours at a shop. In the run-up to our Rare Fruits campaign debut for Littlewoods, we’ve got integrated promotional strategies surrounding our campaign, to build buzz and excitement over an 8-week period in the run-up to the holidays, that we’ll be discussing further with the judges of this competition.

We are looking forward to working closely with other entrepreneurs, and media mentors to finalize our campaign ideas during the bTWEEN08 conference.

We join other finalists in a development workshop on Wednesday June 18^th June 2008, to develop our seed ideas into a full proposal for the client. We’ll find out Friday, 20^th June 2008, if our Rare Fruits campaign is an award-winner.

 

Hoping we've got a winner with the Littlewoods Rare Fruits campaign,

-Lisa

Who’s Lisa Devaney?

I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based in London, offering client’s traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com

Who’s Isabella Hu?

Hu is an artist and designer who works across the fields of interactive arts, motion graphics and new media. Her experience includes design consultantcy specializing in digital, film, and print media. She has screened her work internationally at various festivals throughout Europe, Canada, Asia, Australia and in the UK. Visit her portfolio here: Ecolocate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calling all human animals!

This weekend you'll get your chance to put these unappreciated skills to use while enjoying a wild night out in Dalston at The Human Zoo where your hidden talents will be welcome. *Find more details about this event here.

Go on, ask yourself:

What's Your Inner Beast?

Whether you are a monkey, an amphibious sort or a brightly feathered bird-like creature, Axel Rose would welcome you to this jungle, where cabaret acts, bands and DJs will be offering a mashup of rock, reggae and electro-fueled beats, to feed London’s savage beasts. The zoo-inspired fancy dress theme invites you to dig out you’re best fuzzy, fluffy, furry and furious wardrobe selections, and promises everything in-between on offer among the cast of colourful guests. Every zoo needs a keeper and there’s bound to be a lion tamer about to keep the wild crowd under control.

The Human Zoo may be one night of mayhem that sees The Naked Ape author Desmond Morris’s concept of urban

human animals fulfilled. This is what might happen when the cage of the city lets loose humanity’s apes, lions, tigers and bears to roam the streets of the East End for the night.

You could say that this crowd’s festival-style parties are back by popular demand, based on the adoration and following the organizers developed from their Nativity Hoedown in December. They are truly  growing their own stylish alternative to the usual boring clubbing night, and carving out a new little creative corner in Dalston, and we are all gratefully appreciative to the Passing Cloud Art Centre for the venue's ongoing support of these event organizing efforts.

• Join The Human Zoo Facebook Group
  

  Grrrrooooowwwl

• Connect with these animals through MySpace at myspace.com/handofglory7

• Email Miss Risk directly via her own blog on Vox.com here

It’s sure to be a roar of a good time!

And psssst…here’s a tip to bust ahead of the queue: show up in the best damn zoo-inspired outfit you can invent and you’re in the door!

 PS: Yes, I was part of the early stage planning on this, as the organizers have kindly annointed me as a resident artist with this new party scene, following the rocking hillbilly good time we all had at the Nativity Hoedown. Alas, some travel organizing has floundered my attendance at The Human Zoo, and unfortunately messed up my plans to debut a new lion tametress cabaret performance act I had in works for the night. I’m headed off this lovely British island this weekend for a trip I’m looking forward to, but will be growling it up in spirit with all my mates who are willingly putting themselves behind cage bars this weekend. Nonetheless, never mind worrying about whether I am going to be there (((who the ffff cares about that really unless you happen to be some sort of strange Lisa Devaney stalker))) the place will be packed with young, fun, beautiful creative people and plenty of great bands, DJs, and live performances from a circus-style cabaret group…and other surprises. Keep in mind:

You can only expect the unexpected at The Human Zoo.

 

Wishing I could be there,

but I do hope you give your inner beast

a good night out this Saturday

and have yourself a growl of a good time, 

-Lisa

Who’s Lisa Devaney?

I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based in London, offering client’s traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com

Joy, joy, joy! I’m sporting a new hairstyle now. My head is topped off with a retro-fabulous flashback look that reproduces the styles of the 1920s flappers who wore finger waves. You’ll find modern celebrities with similar coiffs, all inspired by the original Hollywood divas of days long gone by, like one of my favourites -- Mae West.

I put my mess of a curly mop of big volume, frizzy hair that tends to look more hippy than I’d prefer, into the skilled hands of a stylist in Soho. I expressed my love for old fashioned styles, so he suggested a more manageable, bob cut, and combined it with a bit of razzle dazzle for me by adding finger waves. To instruct the shampooist, he told her that he’d be “doing a Gwen Stefani.” This made me laugh, because clearly this new look for me is a fairly off-the-shelf cut that must be popular among many London ladies.

I absolutely marveled at the talent the stylist had for producing finger waves. He molded my hair with his fingers, sculpting it with a bit of hair gel, so that it formed gently rolling waves that remind me of being at the seaside, watching the waves lap against the shore. It isn’t something I can easily replicate, but my hair naturally waves on its own anyways. I found some basic instructions on how to do it, so if you want to experiment, here’s a quick reference guide another fan of the look suggests:

Get the Look! Finger Wave It

Step 1: On towel-dried hair, apply the correct styling product for your hair type from hair roots to ends.

Step 2: Pre-dry hair with a blow dryer.

Step 3: Set up hair with desired part. Dividing hair into 1-inch sections, work a curling iron through, section by section. Starting from close to the scalp, spiral hair unto the iron's barrel, hold briefly, then release. Work through hair until complete.

Step 4: After allowing hair to cool, test curl - if curl has not taken, take the curl and pin it up to the scalp with a pin, rolling as you go. If curl is firm, separate with fingers and finger comb to desired look.

Step 5: Take hair accessory and pin back hair on one side back, away from the face

The website She’s A Betty also has some good tips here.

I’m thrilled to now be finger waving it, along with the likes of Renée Zellweger,

who carried the look in the movie of the musical Chicago, and, the fabulous Gwen Stefani. I lilke to think that I just might be keeping the spirit of Betty Davis and her era of gorgeous glamour flapper babes alive with my hair. Or, at least I hope so.

I hold no illusion about being able to take centre stage with proper divas, and certainly can’t hold a candle to the silver screen stars I admire so, but I am pleased with my new look.

Lot’s of thanks to Ricky at basecuts in London’s Soho on Berwick Street, who I’ll definitely be returning to for help with my hair.

If you want to the look, ring up basecuts on 02072876807 and tell them that you want Ricky to finger wave you.

 I’m finger waving it,

Who’s Lisa Devaney?

I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based in London, offering client’s traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com

 

This is one for straight women and gay men or anyone who appreciates dance. SHOWstudio's website has a link to the short film Men in Tights. Creative choreography by  Damien Jalet includes a modern dance interpretation of clothes in a washing machine, and plenty of opportunity to gaze at extremely fit men.

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Who’s Lisa Devaney?

I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based in London, offering traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. For a reference key to this blog, visit this post. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com

This week the whole wide world is watching London, where the city has been on top form

showcasing Great Britain’s home grown talent in film, music and fashion. It began Sunday with helicopters swarming in to bring in film stars for the British Academy Film Awards, where British film Atonement took best picture. With the writer’s strike still in full swing that night, it seemed that Britain’s biggest film award ceremony might be the only glimpse of big screen glitter we'd get this year. Next, London girl Amy Winehouse jetted over to the USA to clean up at the Grammy awards, bringing back five trophies, giving one to her husband, to display in prison. In the backdrop of all this high profile attention to UK talent, London Fashion Week was in full swing.

Straight From the  2008 London Fashion Week Catwalk!

Throughout this week style lovers got to check out the catwalk shows as

international designers rolled out this year’s Autumn/Spring collections across the city. Today I caught three shows at the Royal Academy of Art venue for OnOff, where focus is on new talent. Drama influenced many of the collections on view, such as Berlin-based designer Bernadette Penkov, who offered tribute to the Art Deco style of Fritz Lang’s classic 1927 film Metropolis. She draped models in luxury silk satin and hand-applied sequins, embroidery and ribbons, to construct the catwalk show's retro-futuristic theme packaged in powerful V-shape forms. Penkov's palette choices of mostly grey and black, managed to lend her creations elements of the robotic, capturing the dominant, masculine feel of Lang's own Metropolis styling. 

Australian Jacqui Demkiw told British Vogue that

she too found inspiration for her White Suede collection to be the Art Deco era, old black and white films, as well as other vintage throwback styles from the 70s and 80s and 20s. Her denim jeans collection and long flowing floral dresses gave the audience that disco fever feeling. Hurray for her high-rise trousers, a look that is, thankfully, appearing more and more in High Street stores. Down with low-rise waists, exposing thongs and bellies, may that trend soon become extinct!

Hurray for High-Waist Jeans!

The theme was masculine vs. feminine on the Spijkers en Spijkers catwalk with voluminous taffeta capes and flirty ruffles mixed with distinctly male fashion visuals of a tie and tuxedo shapes. The duo-designers describe the philosophy of the look to be ‘empowerment dressing’ rather than ‘power dressing’ in their press
material. Again plucking from film classics for design influences, they mirrored looks of Gone With The Wind heroine Scarlett O’Hara. I liked the red patent leather shoes the models balanced in on their catwalk journey.

In the OnOff showroom I met madhatter Yasmin Rizvi of Rizvi Millinery and checked out Deborah Henning and Reem’s collections, among others. The catwalk shows are fast, and I did my best to capture as many photos as possible, which you can see on Hai Media Group's Flickr page here.

Thanks to Abbey at Blow PR for the invite to OnOff.

Thinking Brits were absolutely amazing this week,
 -Lisa

Who’s Lisa Devaney?

I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based in London, offering client’s traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com

 

There it was, dressed in shiny patent leather and resting peacefully on a display shelf in the middle of Shepherd's Bush Market in London, off of Goldhawk Road. I spotted a

Bathing Ape 'Bape Sta' in the window, and found out that the store showcasing the rare breed of Japanese trainers (American translation = sneakers) is one of only two places in London that sells the brand. Plenty of Bathing Ape lovers have been visiting Global Sports US to check out, and buy, the coveted kicks from Japan, most being hip-hop fans. The shop's owner Ismail Khan, recognizing his customer's taste for music and fashion, has set up turntables in the store for your listening pleasure and even brings in local DJs on the weekends. His store's collection includes trainers covered in Swarovski crystals, hard-to-find issues of Nike, Adidas, and urban street wear with a USA style focus.

The Bathing Ape clothing line, also known as 'BAPE', got its start in 1993 in Tokyo, by Tomoaki Nagao, a young fashion editor turned designer who is better known as Nigo. Nigo's direct influence for the line comes from the 1968 classic movie Planet of The Apes. With his heroes also being Run DMC and other East Coast USA hip-hop greats, he seems to have followed a Russell Simmons business model, having sold limited edition t-shirts to launch the brand, and got artists to wear his clothing while performing. All being similar tactics used to launch the Phat empire. Nigo's Bape Sta design captures a lot of the retro flair of old skool hip-hop attire and is highly valued among trainer afficinados.

Purposefully elusive, Nigo produces limited edition one-of-a-kind merchandise that has increased its street value because it is hard to find. The brand has also branched out to include hair salons, cafés and rumour has it a Bape hotel will be opening soon. A-listers maintain loyalty to the brand, knowing that their fans won't be able to easily rush out and copy their wardrobe because Bathing Apes original products are nearly extinct once they hit the shelves.

I love the Wonder Woman pair, and will be saving my pennies to buy these someday, as at Global Sports US the retail

price is £160. The other location in London for Bathing Ape is at the official store found at 4 Upper James Street, Soho London, W1F 9DG, a posh address. I'd suggest visiting Global Sports US first to check out Bathing Apes, and make an afternoon of discovering the Shepherd's Bush market, where, after shopping, you can stop for a middle eastern lunch at one of the many international food stalls. 

 

Saving up for a pair of Bape Stas,

 

-Lisa

 

Who’s Lisa Devaney?

I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based

in London, offering client’s traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. For a reference key to this blog, visit this post. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com

Here on my blog I’m introducing a few new things to have some fun. Here is a reference guide to what’s going on:

Spotlight On:

These posts will feature artists, individuals, business people and whoever catches my fancy out there. If you are in a band, make art, have an entrepreneurial business or would like to suggest someone to feature on my blog (doesn’t have to be a celebrity!) drop me a note about them at: lisa@haimediagroup.com

What if?

In these posts I’ll let my imagination run wild and contemplate all kinds of wild ideas.

Guest Post:

I’m inviting other bloggers to write a post for my blog. Some will be from Vox neighbors I’ve gotten to know, and others will be from other bloggers I enjoy. If you want to participate by writing a Guest Post for my blog, email me. I’m also happy to ‘Swap Post’ with you and give you a write-up to use on your blog.

Stuff:

There is a lot of stuff I like out there in the world of gadgets, products, clothes and more. I’ll be occasionally featuring some things I like. If you have a new product or service that you would like me to check out, I’m open to suggestions. Just email me.

Random:

Posts for random things that don’t fit in any category.

That’s about all the labels I plan to give my posts for now. I may add other labels as things come up, and I'll also be leaving a footnote on all my blog posts, stating:

 
Who’s Lisa Devaney?

I head the Hai Media Group, a multimedia communications company based in London, offering traditional public relations, combined with new technology marketing strategies. I also perform, creating original Cabaret-style comedy skits for festivals, theatre and parties. Find out more about me, and the talented entrepreneurs I collaborate with, by visiting: www.haimediagroup.com

 

Today I've officially hung up an OPEN for business sign in my virtual shop window.

I've started telling the whole wide world about the Hai Media Group, my London-based agency offering traditional public relations and multimedia communications services to a variety of clients. Find out all about HMG here:

View HMG's launch press release here.

Why hai?

Hai is Japanese for yes. Yes, to me, in any language, is an extremely positive affirmational statement and a simple word I apply to much of my life and the attitude I take to working with clients. Yes opens doors. No shuts doors. The power of the word yes first became pivotal in my life, when I studied improvisational comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City. My teacher Ari Voukydis explained that whenever you enter an improv situation on stage with a comedy partner, your response to whatever they do should always be yes!

Yes! keeps the show going. Yes! lets the amusing script emerge and yes is a word that overcomes stage fright, welcomes others into your show, and is the absolute key to opening your mind to creative possibilities. For me, I began using the word yes much more often, beyond the stage. The impact was transformational. It was the word YES that got me here to London, when I said yes to my husband Dr. John Fraser Laird Devaney's proposal of marriage. Oh, by the way, the .com URL for calling my company the Yes Media Group was taken. I like hai better anyways. :-)

So, woo hoo! Hip, hip, hurray! And a big fat American-style cheer for the launch today of the Hai Media Group

I'm sipping a bit of champagne right now and giving myself a hard earned huge pat on the back for this committment. I've been working really hard since late August 2007, to get everything I need in place for this moment. I'm now at a point in time where I feel confident enough with HMG to let everyone, even my Mom, know about this entrepreneurial venture. I've been operating as an independent PR consultant since 2002, but my business has grown to include collaborating with other professionals in a variety of exicting fields, and I felt strongly that it was time to hang a brand on what I've been doing. Setting up this business has meant that I've had to spend a lot of quality time with my computer, often on weekends and late into the night over the last six months. In addition to creating the HMG brand and business plan of action, I've been keeping up existing work and personal life responsibilities - and blogging here on Vox.com! I've heard it a million times from independent business people about how working for yourself is a 24-hour job, and I certainly now know exactly what they are talking about. It's like I'm pretty much working all the time! The good part is that pushing yourself to be entrepreneurial and self-sufficient can also be extremely self-motivating.

HMG is allowing me to do a lot of very positive things and has opened up really exciting potential opportunities. While I am the founder and director of this young company, I do not work alone! I've teamed up with some really great media partners, all who I've worked with in some capacity during my career both in the USA and here in the UK. So, here is my big thanks to the following very supportive people who have been encouraging in helping me with the steps I've needed to take with this business:

• Sarah Platt and Ben Styles with Kinura.com
• Barbara Anglisz and Nick Cordua, who run Adept Technologies. Barb, who is among my BFF crew, has been a long term pal who I met waaaay back in my Silicon Alley days, a client, and a very skilled business person I emulate and respect.
• Dr. Richard Barbrook, political science lecturer at the University of Westminster, and author of Imaginary Futures, who early in our friendship and professional association working with Cybersalon and its festival Cybersonica, spotted that I had a blazing creative and entrepreneurial spirit and helped me culture this to better fit the London community. He also figured out that I'm an artist and performer, in addition to my PR profession, and has enjoyed, and encouraged, my occassional impromtu showcases of odd spoken word poetry, improv ballad singing and comedy performance art.
  
• Kate Risker, who, in my opinion, and experience of working nearly 15 years in promotions, is London's absolute most amazing event organizer. She's a delight to be associated with here in London, and in a lot of ways reminds me of myself -- about, well, a long time ago. Her enthusiasm and passion for the event's industry is infectious. She keeps a blog on Vox at www.missrisk.vox.com
• Vijay Chattha who heads the high-tech public relations firm VSC Consulting in San Francisco, and who I've worked with as a virtual 'ambassador' for his company here in London for a few years now. What I most like about Vijay is that he is not at all just a PR guy, he has fantastic intelligence, a big multicultural heart, and entrepreneurial skills and experience that very few PRs possess. Vijay also DJs, and sings, with a fantastic Punjabi-hip hop jazz funk band called Black Mahal, who bring bhangra beats to the masses, and he supports the beautiful charity Project Ahimsa. Did I mention he is a really nice guy as well?
  
• Gerry Griffin, the founder and CEO of Skill-Pill, who truly delivers a very important leadership characteristic of being a person who 'shows' rather than 'tells' as he is freely sharing knowledge with people, and in this way is someone I am learning a great deal from about the business world.
  
• Helen Keegan, who is a mobile marketing expert and writes the popular mobile industry blog Technokitten.com and who I give a heck of a lot of credit to for how I developed the name and branding of the Hai Media Group, as, tough critic though she can be in business, totally steered me in the absolute right direction with what I've been up to in my professional life over the last few years, and continues to be a navigator through what is inevitably the rough, rough, seas in the oceans of start-up business and self-employment
  
• Dan Boultwood, a rising comic book star in Britain, who helped me develop a logo and branding for HMG. I've been his fan since meeting him in my early days of living in London. And got very enthusiastic about his work, as I am a lifelong fan of comic book-style art in all its forms. Look for his comic series Hope Falls, which he produces with the writer Tony Lee, and view his mind-blowing portfolio at: www.shedmanor.co.uk
  
• Steve Double who is a total A-lister portrait photographer. Wow! - check out his photographs at www.double-whammy.com
• Heather Luttrell who is the founder and president of IndieClick.com, based in LA, an amazing digital visionary, who also happens to be a long term BFF (yes, you can have lots of BFFs and I have a few) from back in my Alley days, and a business mentor who has helped me learn a lot about the digital world in the last decade +
  
• My adored friends in New York City: DJ Mark Flynn and my beloved BFF soul sister Karin Louise Mahoney who I am now allowed to tell the whole wide world this news --- Mark and Karin are GETTING MARRIED!
  
• My husband Dr. John Fraser Laird Devaney (a PhD in physics that is!) who is my absolute secret weapon especially in swat team problem-solving IT needs and emotional support for this scary adventure
  
• & many, many, many more people on earth!

I also want to offer a huge thanks to Vox.com for developing a fantastic user-friendly blogging platform that has helped me so much over the last couple years that I've been blogging here. Hip, hip, hurray for Vox.com!

I may try to list all the other people I value (who don't mind being exposed online) in a separate big praising, big love post - all who have offered both really good business counsel and ongoing friendly, trustworthy support. Some of these people even go back to my childhood days growing up in the New York City metro area! HMG is a testament to the kinds of service and creative work I have delivered over the years, but more importantly - it is a beginning for what I aim to bring to the world moving forward.

My simple mission with HMG is to offer sensible service to my clients that makes full use of my two decades of communications experience in traditional PR, while keeping a very alive eye toward the future of how best to reach out to target audiences in ways that hopefully do not feel intrusive, or piss them off. With HMG I'll be folding in new technology marketing approaches where possible with client campaigns, which is why I'm defining my service offerings as being multimedia communications. In my opinion, the best approach to delivering messages is through multimedia that mixes up a variety of tools and tactics. I'll write more about what multimedia communications means to me professionally, but it is basically what ever single one of us live with, use and for the most part enjoy, every single day. Multimedia might mean being struck by an awe-inspiring still photograph, a hilarious YouTube video or an SMS text message that you get on your mobile phone. Multimedia is everywhere and everything around us and is changing every single day.

I'm a participant and creator in the emerging multimedia media landscape -- and so are you.

Welcome to my multimedia garden and I'm looking forward to adventures with my Hai Media Group.

Grow With HMG

You may also notice the plant theme going on here with the Hai Media Group. Nature and plants and the symbol for growth that they represent are central to what I am all about. Green also happens to be my favourite colour. I may live in the big bad city, but in an urban environment it is the green growing plants that mean so much to me -- even if it is just one struggling weed growing up between the cracks in the pavement. That struggling weed is representative of who I am, and what this business is all about. Plants also symbolize so much of my own artistic endeavours over the years, as well as the works of so many of my artistic friends. HMG is here to support the struggling weeds that show amazing potential. We will never STOMP on the growing creative energy that struggles to force its way up through the cracks in the pavement, because to do so is to kill spirit and energy that might emerge to fantastic potential and benefit everyone. HMG is a a watering can, a stake to hold up your business, nutrients for growth and supportive wall you can lean on when the fruits of your labor get a little to heavy to bear.

 

Now and then an entrepreneur of any size or type of business will make use of free services online in ways that sum up why I love this medium and what it is doing for people, on a simple, sensible level.

Photographer Rebecca Portsmouth  has been having fun running photo events - both for enjoyment and promotion of her portrait services, through Facebook. This past weekend she hosted a "Cat in the Hat" session, inviting people through her Facebook network. Helen Keegan, author of the Technokitten blog and managing director of Beep Marketing, tipped me off to Rebecca's event and the two of us selected our favourite and silliest hats for the occassion.

Among our quirky collection was Helen's Glatonbury stunner decorated with flowers and sparkle, my favourite 1970s ski hat and a cornucopia of others that we figured others might enjoy dressing up in - and they did. We visited Rebecca at her studio, where she had a selection of yummy tea, especially a special violet tea, and biscuits on offer for people to enjoy, while posing for photos in hats.

What I love about Rebecca's approach with this is that she smartly used the internet as an online billboard (safely revealing her studio location only after people RSVP'd) but even more importantly, connected with people from her geographic community while providing a sample of her service. She just might garner new clients from the sharing of her services - count me in! She didn't try to sell anything, and the soft approach, welcoming open policy to new people and demonstration of her skills, will all result in good business buzz. Results always speak louder than hot air talk about what you can do. Below are some of Rebecca's photos, and guess what - she's got a future gathering being planned for posing in your favourite shoes. Find out when through Rebecca's Facebook site.

One of the downfalls of working from home, is the irresistable urge to roll from bed to the computer, skipping the bother of putting on proper daytime wear. Having days like this, especially given the rainy cold British weather as of late, I've been thinking I should invent a Pyjama Suit. I'd like a pinstriped suit-looking pair of pyjamas, that also serve as a daytime suit. Think of the possibilities - those overnight business travelers who have to sleep on a plane and attend a meeting following a red-eye trip! A solution for those nights when you stayed out at a party too long and barely got enough sleep to face the work day! A comfy, fashionable alternative to the stiff suit that pinches, grabs and constricts you in business meetings!

When I get these absolutely brillant, original and revolutionary brainstorms, I like to check out if anybody has invented my idea already. Well, it turns out that the glamourous ladies of the 1920s found Pyjama Suits to be all the rage, even hosting afternoon tea in their luxurious lounge wear. I found that Harrods of London sold Pyjama Suits, Vogue featured them and dress designer Lady Victor Paget produced one of London's more popular lines of Pyjama Suits.

A 1924 Vogue article titled 'The Pyjama is now the smartest négligee' commented that:

"They are now used for lounging, for the intimate tea hour at home, and for all kinds of informal wear. They appear in the most bizarre and amusing colours and fabrics; their cut may be inspired by Chinese modes or Turkish ones, by the pyjamas for masculine use, or merely by the imagination of their creator."

I haven't discovered a modern Pyjama Suit out there - pinstripes, collared shirt, double breasted jackets and pencil skirts or boot cut trousers - and given the thousands of people who work at home, maybe there is a market for such a fashion item!

Have you found a Pyjama Suit? Let me know where I can get one!