Which of these do you like?  I would appreciate your input.  Please leave me a comment.  Thanks!

Cover - Option 1

Cover - Option 2

I first heard about Alex from Christine Kloser, of Love Your Life Publishing and the Get Your Book Done Program.  Christine is my book coach and will be publishing my book.  Christine’s will be promoting her new book, the Freedom Formula, through a Virtual Book Tour that Alex is helping her with. 

Doing some research, I learned about Alex’s SmartStartGiving micro-giving program to benefit Kiva. According to the email I received after signing up for notification about future SmartStartGiving calls, “SmartStartGiving (SSG) is a consortium of micro-fundraisers with the objective to become the organization that funds the most Kiva small businesses in 2008.  The collective aim of SSG is to utilize the leverage of micro-fundraising to empower entrepreneurs in developing countries to uplift themselves out of poverty forever!”

Alex’s email also stated “In 2008, the final Friday of each month will be designated as “Kiva Micro-Fundraising Day”.  I’ll donate a minimum of $500 out of my own pocket and request micro-donations of $10, $20 and $50 from entrepreneurs on our SSG subscription list … just like YOU.”

The “micro-fundraising” calls start at 8am Pacific (11am Eastern) and will be 40 minutes in duration.  Here’s the remaining 2008 schedule is: June 27th, July 25th, August 29th, September 26th, October 31st, November 28th, and December 26th. Alex extends an open invitation to join in and pass on the word to as many entrepreneurial friends and colleagues as possible.

What a great idea!  Alex is helping raise the visibility of Kiva, an organization with the mission ”to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.  Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.”  He is also raising dollars from his broad network to support his efforts with the developing country entrepreneurs Kiva assists.  And, by choosing Kiva as the organization to support, the donated resources go to specific entrepreneurs, not into some big black hole.  Cool, eh?

I plan to be on his next teleseminar for SmartStartGiving and will make a donation – I like Alex and what he is up to…AND microfinance is the cause I selected a couple years back as the primary focus for Business Nonprofit Connections, Inc.’s philanthropic efforts.  Join us!

Yesterday I went to Trystan Photography’s new Denver studio for some new business photos.  (They also have a studio in Colorado Springs.)  My old headshot is a little too old…and I have been told the self timer shot I have been using makes me look like my older sister…??? (Hmmm…I only have a younger sister so I think that means the photo is bad…?!) 

Charlotte (Chance) Bundgaard took my shots – she was great!  Fun, made it very unintimidating!  The new studio is amazing.  Their studio is set in an art gallery with other studios – they have the run of the place for photo shoots.  There are many great places in the complex that Char used for backgrounds – both inside and outdoors.  I haven’t seen my shots yet, of course, but I would hihly recommend them anyway.  Their work is great, as you can see from the website.  I am excited to see what she was able to do!

While Char was getting to know me and what I was looking for in my shots, I told her about being a business philanthropy coach.  She was clearly confused and asked me to explain more about what I do.  When I talked about giving back and community involvement for businesses, she got it.  It was the word “philanthropy” that she had trouble relating to – which was interesting food for thought for me. 

Bigger companies google “corporate philanthropy” online to find info but many smaller companies don’t relate to that.  So I have to be careful what words I use in my book that will be out this summer.  Guess I need a conversation with my “Get Your Book Done” coach and publisher, Christine Kloser, as one of her specialties is Conscious Business.

Char told me that she and Trig have been discussing ways to give back. She is interested in supporting something with children and had some preliminary ideas for some events they could sponsor.  However, when I mentioned they could do their give back in ways that matter to them which ALSO could increase their company visibility and the new Denver studio, her first reaction was…oh, but we wouldn’t expect anything back.  Almost felt like Char thought that would somehow be a “bad” thing.  She also expressed concern about how to find and then choose a cause to support. Anyway, we said we would talk more about it.  I still think they can do double duty with their give back – contribute to a children’s cause in alignment with their values AND start getting better known in the Denver market.  I look forward to helping them think it through!  I am a new fan of Trystan Photography and Trig and Char.  Check them out!