Mike’s Writing Archive
Universal Keyword for Socially Responsible Job Postings
Anyone passionate about finding a job that allows them to spend their career having a positive impact knows that identifying those job postings is almost harder than landing the actual job. Google has turned keywords into gold, so let’s use that power to simplify the search for good jobs. So I need your help in coming up with some ideas? The word needs to be: extremely unique (you type it into google & twitter and get no results) recognizable easy to spell Simple enough right! Leave suggestions below in the...
read moreInspiring Inventor’s Second Chance
I just heard an incredibly inspirational story on NPR this morning about a successful inventor who looses it all, ends up becoming homeless on the street and gets a second chance at business after almost being beaten to death. Everyone needs to take a second to look at the people around them and see their true potential. Read or listen to the full story here: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/27/170407141/a-doctors-kindness-gives-homeless-inventor-a-second-chance It also couldn’t help but make me think of an awesome Simpson’s episode. ...
read moreNon-Profits Can Qualify to be Awarded $100,000!
The NBCUniversal Foundation is partnering with NBC Los Angeles to create 21st Century Solutions, a local grant challenge for nonprofit organizations implementing new and innovative programs. Now through August 15, we’re looking for fresh ideas that are moving our community forward. The winner will receive a $100,000 grant and two runners-up will each receive $50,000, totaling $200,000 in grants for Los Angeles. The competitive grant challenge is open to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations that are implementing progressive programs,...
read moreWin a New Website for Your Non-Profit!
PictureHealing in collaboration with Startup Hen is giving away a new website to a charity in need of a site facelift. This contest is focused on providing an awesome non-profit with a clean professional website that they do not have the resources to afford. The new website will: have a clean and professional design that supports their mission and style have the ability to process donations via PayPal or Google Checkout have the ability to display upcoming events include a section for photos and videos be integrated...
read moreGenerosity Day a Rebooting of Valentine’s
Today is Generosity Day and instead of stressing over that perfect expensive romantic Feburary 14th, Sasha Dichter and the Acumen Fund are encouraging you to spend this day sharing some love and generosity with the people around you. It’s really the little things in life that make a difference. Small compliments, smiles or even just saying hello can totally change someone’s day. Take today to focus on brightening people’s days. Say hi to everyone you see, hold doors, call old friends, be encouraging. You just might like the...
read moreGet Your Bike On with Us!
It’s no secret that I have an affinity for bikes and what better way to spend my free time then be fixing up an old Raliegh I found on Craigslist. I grew up in a super small town in upstate NY (Cincinnatus) and my dad (also an avid cyclist) was all about fixing things. Since I jumped back into the world of apartment living here in LA I haven’t really had a hands on project. Here is phase one of PictureHealing’s new (old) single speed ride around town bike. Overall she’s in pretty good shape minus the bearings for...
read moreExponential Reach
It’s easy to get caught up in our day to day lives and feel like we only effect the people directly around us. Whether or not you by into the Butterfly EffectThe butterfly effect is a term used in Chaos Theory to describe how tiny variations can affect giant systems, like weather patterns. The term butterfly effect was applied in Chaos Theory to suggest that the wing movements of a butterfly might have significant repercussions on wind strength and movements throughout the weather systems of the world, it’s easy to see how even...
read moreSuper Bowl’s Super Good in Indianapolis
It’s Superbowl Sunday, a day when millions of people come together to watch these modern day gladiators duke it out on the field. With all the awesome food, drinks, ginormous televisions and hilarious commercials, it’s easy to miss some awesome stuff that’s going on behind the scenes. For a week before the big game, the NFL puts on multiple events and activities to help enliven, enrich, and assist the Super Bowl host community. For almost 20 years, the NFL has been building Youth Education Towns (YETs), which are education...
read moreUNC incubator Launches to Cultivate Social Start-ups
Students and professors are coming together to develop new innovative responsible companies in their new Social Innovation Incubator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The program will offer free space, financing, legal, communications and other services to grow those ideas into full-fledged nonprofits or businesses. It’s incredible to see more and more college & youth programs like this being build around the world. Social entrepreneurship is becoming an exciting concept to the next generation...
read moreThe Fat Tax
There is a great article on CSRWire yesterday that breaks down the many reasons why taxing unhealthy food & drinks would help our economy (on many levels) and the well being of a lot of people. “40 percent of federal taxes come through the payroll tax, which raises the cost of employment. Another 40 percent comes through individual income taxes, which hurt income. Less than five percent comes from excise taxes and zero percent comes from consumption taxes. … let’s make 2012 the year we get smart about taxes,...
read moreNew Takamine Guitar supports Tsunami Relief
Takamine Guitars has introduced the Tsunami Relief Guitar (TR340S) in an effort to lend support to Japan through the spirit of music. With their main factory nestled at the base of Takamine Mountain in Sakashita, Japan we can imagine that the Tsunami hit close to home for the company. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this guitar will go directly towards the recovery and relief effort taking place in the wake of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan. All proceeds from the sale of the TR340S will be donated to the...
read moreVote and Help PictureHealing!
PictureHealing was ranked in Top 25 in @McKinseySociety social innovators video contest! We need your help to be voted Fan Favorite, click the button below and help spread the word!! Contest Details: The videos that demonstrate the most unique, inspiring and impactful innovations will be honored in a number of ways — from interviews with video creators that are featured across McKinsey’s web & print publications, to features on the websites of our publishing partners, to a networking reception in New York City we host in their honor....
read moreCelebrating Movember 2011 with a Song
In celebration of completing my first Movember! Huge thanks to Flula Borg for collaborating with us!! You can support movember by making a donation here or check out Movember.com Get more from Flula at: http://flula.de http://www.twitter.com/flula http://www.facebook.com/flulaborg Lyrics: I’ve got a good cause that I’m growing this hair for Why!? Because it’s Movember My stash grows slow unlike my chest ’cause growing chest hair is what my body does best But I’m all about the cause yo I’m taking a...
read moreElite Yelpers Give Back
We’ve been hanging with some of Yelp’s Elites for the past two months and they definitely know how to have a good time. Yelp South Bay Elites recently took it to the next level by giving back to the community! This past Saturday, November 5, a group of 20 Elites + their Community Manager volunteered at Sacred Heart Community Service during their busiest day of the year. Sacred Heart’s mission is to help fight poverty in the San Jose area. Elites helped sign up over 2,000 families for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners,...
read moreMovember is Upon Us
This month the PictureHealing team is joining the Movember movement and growing out their stashes to help change the face of men’s health. Movember aims to put a fun twist on this serious issue. Using the moustache as a catalyst, Movember wants to bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to talk about their health more openly. Check out our team page and help spread the word or make a donation! Most importantly we’ll be taking lots of silly moustache pictures and we hope you’ll help us spread the word...
read moreGive to Get Jobs – Social Enterprise Database
Give to Get Jobs has just launched a much needed fantastic resource for people looking to learn about and connect with Socially Responsible companies. Check it out here! There are a growing number of companies who measure their success in lives impacted and dollars earned. These companies have both a social mission and a profit mission and exist in virtually every industry. With corporate definitions including partnerships, L3Cs, social finance, B Corporations, and Flexible Purpose Corporations, the biggest problem is that it’s hard to...
read moreHalloween Party Times!
We want to thank everyone who came out to our Halloween bash at Bellini Osteria in Westlake Village California!! We said costume party and you delivered! It was so great to see some of our charity partners out too! Hopefuly y ou had the chance to meet Russ and Bri from Music Saves Lives, Sophia from Central City Community Outreach, Lis from Peacock Foundation, and Moriah from Fender Music Foundation! Check out some of the awesome pictures from the night (including our costume contest winners – 1st Place: Beeker & Dr. Honey Dew, 2nd...
read moreHalloween – Yelp Style
Yelp was at it again with an awesome Elite Yelper’s Halloween Party at the Pink Taco in Culver City. When you take one look at the costumes you can see why they call them elite Yelpers! Our awesome photography friend Lew Abramson joined us to capture the evening. Check out the Yelp Community Blog post that we’re featured in too! Click here! As the party got started pitchers of red and white sangria were everywhere as were some fantastic margaritas. A guacamole bar kept the action front and center and had everyone’s favorite...
read moreVentura County Habitat Dedicates Two Homes
Congratulations to Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County as they celebrate the completion of two new homes in Piru, CA!! Their housewarming event kicked off at 2pm on Sunday with introductions and opening remarks, followed by a formal house dedication and blessing, a tour of the new home, photos, and refreshments. The dedications mark the 53rd and 54th homes built since groundbreaking on the first new home in Ventura County in 1994. Habitat offers a “hand up” … not a hand out. At Habitat for Humanity, they believe everyone deserves a...
read moreBamboo Bikes & New Amputee Pedal Design
One of my passions, hobbies and overall releaser of stress is cycling, so I’m always stoked to hear about how bikes are becoming more accessible and more people are using them for basic transportation and exercise. I came across these two awesome bits of good bike news on TreeHugger. Bamboo Bikes: “Designer Paulus Maringka is a pro at sustainable bike designs! The Greencycle bamboo bike aims to minimize labor and production costs while still improving human power functionality. The design focuses on the affordability, desirability,...
read moreNike’s Back to the Future Shoes fight Parkinson’s
We may not have flying cars or hoverboards, but Nike has stolen some shoe technology from the future and unlike the manure lovin’ Biff Tannen, they’re using the info for good. Nike has partnered up with Michael J. Fox and his Foundation to raise money for Parkinson’s Research. Together they will auction off 1500 pairs of Marty McFly’s self lacing shoes with all the proceeds going to charity. You can check out the shoe and get all the details at this awesome website Nike put together. Even if you aren’t interested...
read moreFood Forward – Fighting Hunger & Building Community
According to WorldHunger.org (the first website that popped up in Google) the world still produces enough food to feed our entire population. World agriculture produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago, despite a 70 percent population increase. This is enough to provide everyone in the world with at least 2,720 kilocalories (kcal) per person per day (FAO 2002, p.9). The principal problem is that many people in the world do not have sufficient land to grow, or income to purchase, enough food. The data is based...
read moreSpark People – Free Weight Loss Tools
Obesity is probably one of the biggest causes of health problems in the US and as many of us know, getting in shape is no easy task. Spark People is probably one of the best examples of a successful social media community taking off outside of Facebook. If you’re looking to get healthier definitely register for an account. I 100% think Spark People is one of the best free resources out there. It’s a proven fact that working out with a partner or group increases the likeliness that you will be successful. They have an incredible...
read moreHow’s Your Overall Wellbeing?
One of my biggest goals is working on creating a healthier and happier life. Needless to say I was excited when my friend turned me on to Gravity Eight, a site dedicated to helping you measure and achieve balance and wellbeing in your life. They focus on a balance between eight different areas: Health, Finance, Relationships, Career, Spirituality, Community, Learning, and Leisure. The site is building a collection a articles, videos and guides to help you improve in all eight areas. They’re also creating partnerships and putting a...
read moreKeep the Good Ideas Flowin’
I was just reading a great article by JustMeans on a US based company AquaSpy that has created some great systems to monitor the soil and tell farmers exactly when to water and fertilize their crops. To top it off their sensors are run by solar power. This technology is not only saving farmers money it’s also helping to reduce the amount of wasted water. We as a people are problem solvers by nature and it seems that in this day and age we are approaching problems in a more socially and environmentally responsible way. It’s not...
read moreMore than a Goal – Help Eliminate Polio
FC Barcelona and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have teamed up to help end polio and they need your support. Please join the team at http://www.facebook.com/morethanagoal. Polio has been reduced 99%. With your support, they are working to show the world how important it is to finish the job. Polio continues to cripple children in about a dozen countries around the world. Together, we can help polio be the second disease in history to be completely...
read morePrint a Forest – one page at a time
I will never cease to be amazed by the ingenuity and creatively or socially conscious entrepreneurs. I was turned on to Joe Miller’s company be reading an article about it on GOOD this morning. Print a Forest puts and ad at the bottom of pages you decide to print and for every 100 pages printed they’ll plant a tree. The concept is simple, download their free software (only for Windows machines at the moment) and boom you’re ready to start planting! The application only activates if the user opts-in by selecting Print a ...
read moreThe Unwarrented Smart Phone Expectation
One of the biggest thing I needed to work on was setting boundaries on the job. Personally I’ve always had a problem separating my work life. By nature I’m a people pleaser and I get invested in my work so I want to produce the best quality at the end of the day (which is an equation for long hours and consistently taking work home). About two years ago I received a promotion and with that the company bought me a smartphone as well as picking up the majority of the bill. They wanted me to always be able to get and respond to...
read moreCongratulations to Share our Strength!
Seven weeks ago, Share our Strength joined with the Ansara Family Fund of the Boston Foundation to issue a serious challenge to supporters to raise $25,000 online this summer, and the Ansara’s would match every dollar. Today they reached their goal and $50,000 will go to the No Kid Hungry campaign. Their No Kid Hungry campaign connects food to the kids who desperately need it where they live, learn and play. Share our Strength is an incredible organization that is working to end childhood hunger in the US by 2015. What I love most about...
read moreTaproot, THINK Together & Me
At the end of last month I had applied to be a part of the Taproot Foundation, an organization that empowers deserving non-profits by giving them access to professional talent for free. After an orientation and a couple of phone interviews I am now a member of the Taproot Pro Bono Consultant team. The next step is getting staffed on a project. My first choice was working on a web redesign for THINK Together, and I was pumped to be selected as the Content Manager for that project. I will be working with 5 other consultants on completing the...
read moreToyota Gives 100 Cars for Good
I stumbled upon Toyota’s 100 car giveaway yesterday while checking out DoSomething.org and Social Vibe’s charity platform. Toyota is currently 61 days into the giveaway which still gives you plenty of time to help decide which deserving organization gets some new wheels. Voting is open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight EST. Every day, the previous day’s winner is announced and a fresh batch of five non-profits are introduced for your consideration. This is a pretty fantastic donation on Toyota’s part and I love the way...
read moreA Fresh Start with Google+
Mashable had a great guide on how to import your Facebook friends into Google+ and within less than a day, Facebook was able to block Facebook Friend Exporter, the Chrome extension that lets you export friends for use in other services. When I read that article this morning I was a little bummed I didn’t go importing my Facebook friends into Google+ right away, then it hit and I was really glad I didn’t (not that there won’t be a work around within the next few days). With Facebook I’m almost overwhelmed by the number...
read moreCharacters Unite for some GOOD TV on USA
One of the shows my girlfriend and I have on the DVR and our must watch list is USA’s White Collar. It’s a fun mix of mystery, comedy, action with a little drama and a great cast. We just watched this week’s episode and it focused on Mozzie’s (Willie Garson) past as an orphan and how important a role model was in his childhood (setting aside the fact that he grew up to be a con man and remembering he’s got a big heart). USA followed up the episode with a Character’s Unite PSA about adoption and how people...
read moreWeSplit.it – Taking the Money Stress out of Relationships
Nothing puts more stress on a relationship than money, whether you’re the one who’s always owed or the one forgetting to pay. WeSplit.it is a fantastic new site that can really simplify your friendly financial life. Coming from someone who shared a house with five other guys, I know first hand how tough it can be to wrangle expenses. I’ve tried a number of similar sites or apps to no avail. WeSplit.it has 100% nailed it! It’s free, simple and somehow manages to make dealing with owed money fun. Simply sign up, add your...
read moreSame Sex Marriage in NY, it’s about time!
Way to go NY on legalizing same sex marriage! The only thing I’m really confused about across the country is how marriage equality is a debate when it comes to the law. I understand there is a discussion that exists as to the religious definition of the word marriage, kind of like in Europe how football is defined differently than in America. I wonder what would it take to get a law on the books that made it illegal to play soccer in the US if it’s being called football. Marriage laws should exist to protect consenting adults who...
read morePutting my Money where my Mouth is
My life was kind of upside down for the past two months, between my landlord deciding to sell the house I was living in to leaving a lucrative position so I could focus more on being happy with my life and perusing some person business ventures. This blog is all about doing good in everyday life, but admittedly I haven’t really been as involved as I’d like. Now that I have a permanent place to live and setup my office, it’s time to start getting involved. There are two places I’m going to try and start. Taproot...
read moreRenter’s Insurance: Do You Need It?
One of the last things on my mind when I moved out here was Renters Insurance. Car insurance feels is a huge expense as it was and there was no way I was getting renters insurance. In reality, I didn’t think I owned enough stuff to need it. Why I Decided to get Renter’s Insurance: About a year and a half ago I got out of work early (7pm) and was excited to go home and enjoy my evening. There is no worse feeling than walking up to your apartment and seeing your door wide open. My heart sank. I thought we were robbed, but as I got closer...
read moreDealing With Credit Card Debt
Credit card debt is a reality for a lot of people. I feel like it’s almost a little more common when it comes to people in the entertainment industry. Many people when the first start out end up having to put a lot on credit whether it be relocation expenses, personally funding productions or just plain living expenses between jobs. No matter how you go it, paying the minimum with a likely 18 to 20 percent interest rate can be downright depressing. Now there are a lot of services related to helping people get out of credit card debt and...
read moreBuying a Car in the 21st Century
Buying a car is one of the more stressful purchases you have to make in your life, but there are some things you can do to help simplify the process. My favorite tools when it comes to car buying are: AutoTrader, Cars.com, Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book and Carfax. Types of Used Cars: In my opinion there are three categories of cars: new, certified pre-owned, and used. Each of these has their advantages and disadvantages when buying. New Pretty self expansionary, you will be the first person to own and really drive this car. You usually...
read moreJehro’s I Want Love & Invisible Children
My girlfriend had turned me on to Jehro a couple of years ago and I instantly fell in love with the music. There music always put me at peace, but I would always listen to it when I was in the car with a million things on my mind. I would find myself singing along to the choruses, but never really listening to all the lyrics. If you asked me what the song, “I Want Love” was about, I would have told you something like someone searching for or realizing the true essentials of life (Love, Food and Shelter). One day almost three years...
read moreWanna Kill Your Boss?
If there seems to be one common theme in the majority of people I meet is that they can’t stand their boss(es). What I find ironic is that seems to continue up the corporate ladder, you hate your boss, your boss hates their boss all the way to the top where the person in charge has so much much money, but aren’t truly happy. That is of course a big generalization, not everyone hates their boss, but everyone can definitely relate to the feeling and Hollywood is definitely trying to capitalize in the dark comedy Horrible Bosses....
read moreDon’t Forget How Resourceful You Are
I was recently turned on to Human Plant by one of my roommates. Every story is a true testament to the human spirit. Granted we don’t have to deal with adversity in adapting to our physical environment, but everyone should remember how creative we can get to make our lives and our world a better place. Watching a whole community come together to hunt a whale that will feed their village for months makes me think of how incredible online communities are becoming in our society. Living in Los Angeles and moving every few years, I...
read morePrice Tag
This is one of those songs that just gets me pumped up and helps bring me back to the idea that we shouldn’t focus our lives on being so materialistic. Just a great message in a really enjoyable song.
read moreA Milk Alternative
There is an ongoing debate as to whether Milk is bad for your body or not. I personally never really thought much about it and I certainly haven’t done much research, but as I’m working to focus on becoming healthier I figured why not try some of these milk alternatives and see if I feel a difference. I’m a bad scientist First off, we all remember the scientific method from high school – control vs experiment groups – Since I’m going to be increasing the amount of exercise and changing my diet, I’m...
read moreWhy NOT to Buy a House Right Now
It’s OK to keep Renting Our generation has grown up with this idea that owning a home is one of the best investments you can make and that we should all aspire to have our own little private place to call our own. As we all know, things are a little different than they were when are parents were getting married and buying homes. Being someone who’s closely watching spending, the concept of renting anything for a long period of time drives me crazy. Ever since the housing market crashed I began looking into to feasibility of buying...
read moreThe New Organic Career Path
Our generation grew up with a new level of technology and I believe that we look at our personal lives and careers in a totally different light than our parents. Some people have said we’re only seeking instant gratification and aren’t willing to settle in for the long haul to grow within a company. I’m not saying we wouldn’t love for an awesome run with a series of promotions and even increasing benefits, but it seems as if we are no longer defining our success by the ability to climb the company ladder and who says...
read moreTed Talk: Nigal Marsh – Work Life Balance
I was flying back from the east coast on Virgin America yesterday night and they had a number of Ted Talks available to view on demand. This talk by Nigel is definitely an idea worth spreading especially in these “hard economic times” when a lot of people feel like they have to over perform just to keep their job a lot of times without any sort of influence from their superiors. This is definitely something that needs to be addressed both on the part of the employers and employees. What was ironic, was later in the flight I was...
read moreBe Yourself – Don’t Let Work Define Who You Are
I always find that what you do for work or how work is going comes up in almost every conversation, especially when meeting new people. It seems as if the company you work for or the job you do is as important in getting to know a person’s interests or where they’ve come from. Don’t get me wrong, someone’s job is a big part of their life. We arguably spend the majority of our lives at work, but does a job really give insight into who we are? Of all the people in the workforce, how many of us were able to take our...
read moreCompanies, Non Profits and You
There was a great article in the Huffington Post that highlighted the why corporations joining the movement to do some good. “According to the CSR Branding Survey 2010, 75 percent of those who have read about a company’s social responsibility agenda online say it made them more likely to purchase products or services from the company in the future. If giving back pleases your employees, your customers, and your community, it’s pretty much a no-brainer.” I think that people forget how much influence we as consumers have...
read moreLive Your Life
It always feels like there is no time for anything but work. Its easy to forget how important it is to take time for yourself. The majority of us are not in life or death industries, so why do we treat our jobs or businesses like they are the only thing in the world that really matter. It’s all about balance, I can’t stress how important it is to make time for ourselves, families and friends. You can be the most successful person in the world, but what is it worth if you have no one to share it with.
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