A key part of somewhereover is to tell the stories of some of our clients and document what we have learned along the way. This can serve like a roadmap to future clients. Anyone can follow us and save themselves some of the problems that not knowing the processes can cause. In some cases we will not give away the true name of the client until the timing is right. We don’t want to “let the cat out of the bag” until everything is ready.

So, what is in front of our team over the next few weeks:

- Get active in the social business media.
- Create a plan for our new venture.
- Work on helping a homeless lady become self sufficient.
- Help one of our clients get started with an online service while they are working a full time job.
- Assisting two potential clients take two products to market. One is located outside of the country.
- Create some t-shirts to sell online. Hey, we are looking for ways to fund this dream of ours and our clients.
- Find a product or two to sponsor.

It should be a busy but eventful couple of weeks.

The steps that I have taken prior to jumping in head first into the social networks were to first do my share of book research. I picked books that seemed liked the author had been there and done it not just written about it. The next step was to look around to see what others are doing and finally I have enlisted the help of a company that teaches people how to use it. Posse Social Media is the one that I have selected. Tracy Alves and his team have already proven to be a very valuable resource and will be with me through the process.

Time to get ready to start the day. More on our adventure into the socials later.

I have learned a lot of lessons since the concept of the site first came to mind. One of the most important has been how critical it is to surround yourself with a great support network and to be very intentional about listening well to what they are telling you. Our site does not look anything like how it started out and it is in large part due to the interaction with the support group. We have asked ourselves several times over the past few months just how we arrived at this point. This is the premise behind the contributors section of our site. Surround yourself with talented people with a desire to serve, set a shared vision and work together to get there. This is exactly the experience that we want to offer our clients.

It is the excitement of watching an idea grow and the anticipation of just what might me waiting around the corner that has kept us plugging away at this site. It really is not the destination but the journey where the growth most occurs. I am sure that once we arrive at a set goal the next thing to do will be to celebrate and then start retooling for what it will take to climb even higher.

Our first goal of developing our business model is almost behind us. Now it is time to provide a fantastic experience for our customers.

I am not sure about you, but the first thing that comes to my mind is “successful brand”. These are lasting brands that have successfully etched their position in our long-term memory. How then does a business or practice get to be highly successful? Well, it’s easier than you think.
Let’s start by understanding what we mean by a brand. A brand can be defined as a unique combination of promises (on the company’s side) and expectations that reside in the mind of stakeholders (on the client/employee’s side) about a product, service or company. It’s very easy for any company to make promises (quality product, on-time delivery, streamlined process etc). The challenge is with ensuring that those promises match expectations. Successful brands have very little disparity between their promises and expectations for delivery.
Simple Steps to Getting A Brand on the Success Track
1. Understand the Base of your brand:
What are your mission, vision and values? Do they represent you well? What kind of corporate/company culture do you have? Is that culture reflected in your product and delivery? When we consider Disney as an example, we see their corporate culture written all over their product and its delivery – their intense focus and optimism (sticktoitivity as coined by Walt Disney himself), commitment to family entertainment and passion for what they do. What about your processes for delivery and management styles? Make sure you ask yourself these questions in order to better understand the base of your brand. Projecting a false image is unethical and the best way to project the right image is to better understand it.
2. Fix any communication gaps.
Why doesn’t your brand promise match expectations? what can we do to ensure that it does? A communication gap is the disparity between leadership’s perspectives and those of its employees & customers. Understanding and fixing communication gaps is a very important component of successful brand building.
3. Create, maintain, and continuously improve your brand’s face.
A brand identity (logo and slogan) should be revisited every 5 years. You should always ensure that your organization builds consistency in the presentation of its face (brand identity, advertising (print/web/mobile), website, packaging, public relations, promotions, direct mail design and delivery etc). Consistency builds recognition.
Dimeji Onafuwa is the owner and creative director of Casajulie, Inc. He’s also a visual artist and a contributor for SomewhereOver

Over the past couple of years setting up this website has seemed like running a marathon, and as we get close to the end, thoughts regarding why am I doing this have crept into my mind. The feeling is similar to the one that I had when I was trying to get my MBA while working full time. I recall a couple of weekend afternoons when I closed the book and asked myself “what am I doing?”. My buddies were on the lake skiing on a sunny afternoon and I had my face in a book. I almost quit twice and probably would have if not for a couple of mentors that talked me out of it. Right now, I am reminded of those days.

I guess the thing to do when these thoughts start taking over is to 1. keep your eye on the prize and 2. lean heavy on the friends that will keep you moving.

We make the point in one of our articles how important it is to have a target that is worth pursuing. A prize worth reaching will turn into an obsession and at times this is what is going to be needed to keep you going when thoughts of throwing in the towel start taking over.

I am lucky that I have a group of friends and family that are lifting me up. My mom the other day put it well when she said “I know it is hard but you are just going to have to suck it up and get it done. You have a group of friends that are ready to help you out if it gets to be too much.”

So with the prize clearly in site and the wise words from my mom ringing in my ear we push on.

In the years that followed, our individual careers flourished and we both enjoyed many professional successes, but eventually our career paths led us in different geographic directions. Before we moved away, we were blessed to share what I now recognize as a life-changing experience, one that allowed us to give back to the community where we met through volunteering together.

It started out simple enough, as so many life-changing experiences do, with our only intentions being to provide needed support and spread deserved love.

Then there was the first hug. The one that changed it all.

I recruited JD to volunteer at the annual Special Olympics event. I remember he was more than willing to give of his time, despite having to rearrange his work week and related travel plans. He asked few questions, and showed up on time with a smile stretched ear-to-ear and an eagerness that was hard to miss as he bound across the player’s field to report for his volunteer duty.

He dug his hands deep in the pockets of his faded blue jeans as he approached. His eyes danced as they spanned the already underway sporting events, and his head tilted as he took in the endless wave of excited screams that only victorious children can emit. Looking back, I can’t recall if I told JD that I had volunteered him to be an official hugger. I do remember pointing him in the direction of the next race with little instruction, hoping for the best.

It was chaotic, to say the least. Multiple games, races, and other sporting events taking place at once. Children of varying ages with varying degrees of intellectual disabilities all competing like the world-class champions they are. Most had trained year round for this day and the excitement felt across those playing fields was a strong force I felt deep in my soul, and one I’ll never forget.  I remember hoping JD’s experience would be as positive and fulfilling as mine, for I had recognized in him a burning desire to give back as passionate as my own, and prayed quietly that his stent as a volunteer hugger would fan the flames of this desire and lead to future volunteer work (although I couldn’t imagine any as gratifying as volunteer hugging back then).

JD took his position at a nearby finish line. He hugged each child as he or she made their way across it, the pride of a champion as evident on his face as theirs. The day was a long one and some races went on indefinitely, requiring great patience of the volunteer huggers. After all, dedicated huggers don’t walk away from a finish line until every participating Olympian has crossed… and is celebrated and hugged.

My friend JD proved to be among the most dedicated huggers and while we were busy hugging different Olympians at different events, I caught glances of him giving back that day and knew then, as I know now, that his true calling in life is to give back.

I’d like to think it all started that day, on those expansive playing fields, amid the escalating excitement of hundreds of children achieving their dreams, as my fellow volunteer hugger cheered on these children’s extraordinary efforts and saw each through to the finish line. But JD’s quest to help others, to find a way to love and support those in need, and to give back to the people and world around him, started long before.

JD was born a hugger, one who has lovingly, openly, and without question or judgment, embraced so many – undoubtedly before that day, and surely many, many days since. And his days of hugging are far from over.

Recently, I moved back to the state where we first met. JD, his wife, and their two children now live in a neighboring state. Through an unexpected chain of events, an odd twist or two of fate, and strange circumstance, our paths crossed once again. In fact, when we first spoke after years of being incommunicado it was just before my move back to the area where I live now, which is very close to where we volunteered years ago. During one of these first conversations, we talked on the phone as JD sat in a cool shallow stream. On the other end of the line, I sat on the edge of a dock in Canada, feet swirling in the water below as I looked out across the beautiful lake in front of me.

I listened as JD talked excitedly about his wonderful family – two special parents who I will always adore, a brother, sister-in-law and their children, and a wife and son he clearly cherished, as well as his successful career. I was thrilled to find my friend happy, healthy and thriving –personally and professionally, after all these years. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was leaving some important news out.

We spoke a few times over the next several months. Each time I knew there was something more – something left unspoken. Something yet to come. I knew my intuition was dead-on, but didn’t want to ask. I respected JD and his privacy then as I do now and asking seemed almost intrusive. If he wanted to tell me, he would. Maybe he was just waiting for the right time.

Finally, JD told me he had a business idea he wanted to run by me. Still, it took some persuasion to pull it out of him. I had never known him to hold back so I knew this was very important to him – so important that he had a hard time putting it all into words. When he did, I listened intently as my friend struggled to verbally piece together a puzzle he had been creating in his mind for sometime. It was a lot to take in.

My first thought: Wow! My second: JD had obviously outgrown the business development program that originally brought us together, with years of advanced  business education and experience now under his belt. What’s more, his numerous business achievements spoke for themselves; but what came across loud and clear that afternoon was none of his achievements, and nothing on his impressive resume brought him the sense of deep fulfillment and personal satisfaction that helping others and giving back to the people and world around him does.

I hung on his every word and as I did, I tried to reconcile it all. Funny enough, my thoughts kept returning to a single place. That place: JD as an official hugger.

It was obvious from the business model he detailed that his passion for helping others had only grown over the years since his debut as an official hugger, as had his desire to give back, and his quest to bring about positive change, but what really impressed me was his talk of how he wanted to help others give back. He may have still been piecing it all together during this early stage of business talks, but his logic was as sound as always: Bring together more people and bringing about more change in inevitable. Not only did he want to bring together more people to bring about more change, he wanted these people to reap the undeniable benefits of giving back – the deep fulfillment and personal satisfaction us huggers already know. He recognized this as a unique win-win, one that could be grown to limitless reach and limitless potential.

As I listened, I considered the irony of JD helping those children achieve and celebrate their dreams as they crossed the finish line years ago and his own dream of paying the loving, supportive spirit of a hugger forward today, and tears welled up in my eyes. My friend and I were embarking on a new journey, one already somewhat familiar though, thanks to our hugging past.

He called this new journey, his own lifelong dream, SomewhereOver.

Admittedly, I knew from that first conversation about SomewhereOver that JD was onto something big. This certainly was as much about the exciting ideas and extraordinary goals JD laid out for SomewhereOver, as it was for him and his track record of success in this area. So it was without hesitation that I agreed to join him and his wife and SomewhereOver partner, Robin, as a Contributor on the SomewhereOver.com team. In doing so, I have the unique opportunity to work closely with a trusted, respected friend from my past and his obviously very special wife, along with the rest of the SomewhereOver.com team, to positively impact the futures of deserving entrepreneurs and to involve each in a bigger, collaborative effort to support, assist and give back. This cycle will repeat itself many times over, thanks to JD, Robin and the SomewhereOver.com team, and snowball into a grassroots effort that will be a catalyst for change across our communities and eventually across the globe.

Through SomewhereOver.com, we will raise the bar for corporate philanthropy and individual charity and will work tirelessly together to set examples of positive, productive giving, and to foster new ideas and new ways of doing things through ongoing dialogue and the exchange of information and ideas with like-minded professionals like you – all in an effort to help others to the finish line and to be there to celebrate their victory when they cross.

Together, we can take victory hugging to a whole new level. All you have to do is open your mind and your heart (and your arms, of course) to embrace the idea of helping one another as we work together to achieve dreams – your dreams, my dreams, JD’s dreams, and the dreams of people you may never know – people who live on the other side of town, across the US, or far, far away some place… somewhere over.

As a professional copywriter, I look forward to using my craft to support SomewhereOver.com members as we work as a cohesive team to help each achieve their dreams. As we move closer to achieving their individual dreams, we achieve my own, for using my expertise to help advance others is a dream I never want to stop achieving. Thanks to JD and SomewhereOver.com, I don’t have to. Better yet, through SomewhereOver.com, I can find even more ways to help others achieve their dreams, opening up endless possibilities for myself as I do. It’s part of the win-win JD recognized early on, and what’s evolved to now become SomewhereOver.com.

Here at SomewhereOver.com, if you can dream it, we can work together to make it happen.

JD (my husband and the brains behind SomewhereOver.com) has been consumed with the idea of making a difference in this world since long before we met. A personal and professional goal I believe he has always worked toward, his determination to bring about positive change has evolved into a passion, and most recently, into an obsession. As such, JD has poured the majority of his “free” time, energy and effort over the last two years into making his obsession a reality – one we now know as SomewhereOver.com.

Thinking about this now, I realize that calling this venture an “obsession” is probably an understatement. Ask anyone who knows JD and they’ll confirm that any topic of conversation with him somehow always finds its way back to the same thing: giving back, bringing about positive change, and helping others do the same – all through SomewhereOver.com. It seems to have been on his mind constantly for the past two years.

Admittedly, it’s been an exciting ride, but not without its share of frustrations (and rewards). On this journey, we have learned so much. For instance, we’ve both learned how to be more patient, more flexible and more giving with each other, which has not always been easy (especially with two kids). JD has definitely done the bulk of the work required to bring his exciting ideas to fruition. My primary role has been more of a supporting one, with my focus honed more intently on our children and the day-to-day responsibilities, freeing JD up to concentrate on SomewhereOver.com.

This now more developed give-and-take has allowed JD to spend the crucial hours needed to bring his passion and his ideas to life, knowing I am overseeing other areas of his life that are equally important. While these rewards surely benefit any relationship. I’d be lying if I said that it hasn’t been without sacrifice and without frustration that the SomewhereOver.com site was developed. Throughout, however, I never doubted our sacrifices would be in vain. I knew without doubt that JD was onto something great, something that could bring about the kind of difference he has been on a lifelong mission to spark.

While my husband and I may not agree on everything, we do share the belief that the kind of profound change that brings about real good can only come from the collaboration of people who come together to share ideas and who work hand-in-hand to turn these ideas into action. This shared belief is what SomewhereOver.com is all about.

I couldn’t be prouder of my husband’s commitment to change, or his extraordinary work to bring SomewhereOver.com to life. I look forward to being a part of the SomewhereOver.com team (I’ll write more on that later) and to interacting with the SomewhereOver.com members to bring about individual change, community change, and eventually the kind of profound change that can be felt across the globe.

Working together we can do it. The “birth” of SomewhereOver.com is proof of that.

About two years ago I had this sense that something is missing.  Not really in my personal life because I have been blessed well beyond what I deserve.  It was more of a sense that something is missing in the world in general.  Looking back, I think it takes this kind of purpose to keep it rolling when the days get extra long.  The “need to be heard” fades, but the drive to fix something that needs fixin (as we say in the South) will keep you up at night.

What seems to be missing in the business world is a sense of trust as well as a genuine concern for what we see going on in our communities.  Who can you really trust and is there more to life than the pursuit of personal gain?  I am all for showing a great return for the money and time invested, but what will happen if we put the most important things first?  Can an even greater “return” be realized if we base a business on serving, giving back, and making a difference?  Of course the definition of “return” is up for interpretation, but we can get to that later.

As I started down this path, one thought kept reoccurring to me…what would happen if I found a group of people with the same desire to make a difference but with a variety of skill sets?  “Similar hearts, different gifts” is how I summed up the approach, and is what this business is based upon.  What can happen if a network is formed of people with a true desire to use their skills to have an impact on what they see going on around them?  So with an open heart and mind, I started down this path with a clear sense of purpose but an uncertainty of how to get there.  It has been pretty amazing the kind of experiences that I have had, and the people that I have met along the way.  A lot of this website will teach the technical aspect of setting up a business based on these principals so I will not go into the details at this time, but I do want to mention a few of the “similar hearts” that have shown up in my life as I journeyed down this path.  This blog post is not intended to be a recognition of the people that have impacted me personally.  It would be impossible to construct a list without missing someone.  I have been very blessed from this aspect.  A majority of the rest of this post will only mention a few of the key players that have helped construct this dream. This kind of thing cannot be done alone, so it is extremely important to get the right kind of help and remember that life is full of seasons.  The key players will come and go, but finding the right people for the right “season” is critical.

My wife, Robin, has been with me since the conception of this idea.  She heard me ramble almost incoherently at the beginning as I struggled to formalize what was going on in my mind and heart.  Later as it took shape, she was patient with me as it turned into something of an obsession.  I have more than a full-time job and two kids, so you can do the math.  There are only so many hours in a day.  If people think golf is an annoying hobby, try building a web-based side business.  She is gifted in several different ways, and they will be demonstrated throughout this site.

Early on in the formation of this business venture a friend of mine, Kellie Fowler, dropped back into my life after more than a ten year absence.  Kellie is brilliant and a very gifted writer with an amazing heart for serving others.  She takes my words and thoughts and helps me form them in ways that others can understand.  Kellie is a talented “wordsmith” and is a very important part of SomewhereOver. It would not have been possible without her.

So with the concept and a couple of players, I started down the path of building a team that can help bring this thing to market.  It took a ton of trial and error (see article “Selection of Vendors”), but I found a web designer.  Interestingly enough, I was sitting in a networking function in a church listening to the CEO of Coca Cola Consolidated talk about community involvement when sitting at the same table was Dimeji Onafuwa of Casa Julie.  It only took a couple of meetings to see that his company was exactly what we needed to make the website a reality.  Dimeji has built his company based on the values that we hope SomewhereOver will demonstrate.

It has been almost a year now since we started working on the website that will be the vehicle to take the business concept to market.  We are only a few months out from it going live, so the amount of work and activity is certainly picking up.  It is fun to see how hard our team is working in each of their respective areas.  “Similar Hearts, Different Gifts” is right on.

We also know the frustration that stems from the inevitable dead-ends and disbelief encountered when you go at it alone, and the profound, lifechanging productivity that takes place when you have proven expertise and enterprise at your fingertips. In fact, it is the shared desire for increased productivity – personally, professionally and socially, that sparked our dreams of SomewhereOver, and by coming together, joining forces with like-minded, like-hearted, and like-spirited professionals, this dream in now a reality.