TAMPA, Fla., March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Move over, Caped Crusader! Hit the cave, Bat Woman! Make room for the real-life "Dynamic Duo." Renowned entrepreneur and "Success Against the Odds" author Vonda White is joining forces with Orrin "Checkmate" Hudson, author of "One Move at a Time," two-time World Open Speed Chess Champion and founder of BE SOMEONE, to improve lives.

The pair will visit Tampa, Fla. this Saturday, March 24, to encourage kids to improve their Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores and take charge of their education.

FCAT Rally and FREE Barbeque:Robles Elementary 4405 E. Sligh Ave, Tampa, Fla. 33610 Saturday, March 24, 2012 Program: 9:00 to 11:00 am Lunch: 11:30 am to 1:00 pm

Together, White and Hudson form a powerful team sharing their inspirational message for kids who are struggling to find their way in confusing and frustrating times. They have combined their expertise to offer a unique self-help guide that could be called the ultimate "gift that keeps on giving."

The make-sense program promises to help teach kids problem-solving, goal-setting and conflict resolution as they learn to take responsibility and realize their awesome personal potential.

Hudson, a 6-foot-tall former soldier and Alabama state trooper who was born in the Birmingham inner city, towers over White - a petite dynamo who hails from Boise, Idaho. This striking "odd couple" is breaking the mold and reaching a vast audience. The two are as different as they appear but have both discovered the same success principles that have allowed them to rise above their personal circumstances and overcome poverty. Now they want to share with others.

Hudson says, "Together we aim to ensure that youth know they too can excel and beat the odds." Their deep, powerful messages, particularly in these rough times, are designed to be uplifting and, as White explains, "to help everyone realize that they can BE SOMEONE if they make the right moves.

Hudson's and White's purpose in life is to make a difference. "There is nothing like changing the future of young people," he says. "I was born to do this." White believes in "paying it forward" and giving back as well. Together, they make a dynamic force for good and individual change.

Tampa-area children, parents and media are invited to attend the Saturday event.

More information: http://www.BeSomeone.org http://www.SuccessAgainstTheOdds.com

Originally posted here:
Queen of Success and Chess King Team Up to Help Kids Make the Right Moves, Saturday, March 24

Louisville success coaching expert Simone Mancuso will show local non-profits how to inspire at-risk women and men to achieve fulfilling and independent lives.

Louisville, KY (PRWEB) March 22, 2012

On April 4th, 2012 at noon at The Bristol Downtown, Mancuso is slated to speak at a special Lunch & Learn event. This special event will bring together local chapters of many local and national charities in an effort to help at-risk women and men discover the inner strength they need to lead successful lives filled with independence and joy.

As business partner to Bob Proctor, author of the best-selling phenomenon You Were Born Rich, Mancusos in-demand success coaching strategies have already earned her a reputation for connecting clients with powerful and positive life skills. By sharing these strategies with the non-profits at Lunch and Learn, its Mancusos ultimate goal to reach out to people who need the emotional and mental support required to lead independent and successful lives.

The goal of this special Lunch and Learn event is to show these wonderful non-profits the benefits of Life Coaching for people who are on public assistance, Mancuso points out. By connecting these people with successful life skills, we can provide them with the support they need to end their need for public assistance.

As a certified LifeSuccess Coach, Mancuso has shown her clients how the power of positivity and the Law of Attraction can help manifest a successful and rewarding lifestyle. Now at this special Lunch and Learn event, shes ready to show non-profits how these exact strategies can help people avoid abusive relationships, become responsible homeowners, and other vital life skills.

So why connect these non-profits with life success coaching?

Most of these non-profits have fantastic educational programs, Mancuso answers. But until we change these peoples self-image, the education and knowledge they are being given will be of no use. What I would do as a Life Coach is to make permanent changes in their behaviors and actions, and help them discover what their burning desire is."

Up until this point in their lives, theyve heard many reasons why they cant do something. Im here to tell them that they can and show them how, she adds.

Mancusos Lunch and Learn event will be held on April 4th, 2012 at The Bristol Downtown, which is located at 614 West Main Street, Louisvllle,KY. The event is complimentary for all attendees, and lunch will be included.

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Business and Life Coach Simone Mancuso To Inspire Non-Profits At Local Lunch and Learn

Shillong, March 20: The East Garo Hills district has provided 100 days of employment to all households registered in trouble-torn Samanda community and rural development block in East Garo Hills, according to the annual report of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for 2010-11.

The report tabled in the House today said 2010-11 has seen considerable improvement in the implementation of MGNREGS, especially in West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi districts. These districts have achieved more than 95 per cent of their labour budget, the report said.

According to the report, special recognition can be accorded to the administration of East Garo Hills district, which has provided 100 days of employment to all households registered in Samanda block.

"This is in spite of the fact that the district witnessed unprecedented ethnic clashes among the residents of Assam and Meghalaya, which has affected the implementation of government programmes for months together," the report said. There were frequent reports of scams related to the implementation of the project this year and last year in Khasi Hills. However, the report said the state had provided an average of 57.73 person days to as many as 3,46,129 households which had demanded works during 2010-11 year, which is higher than the national average of 42.04 person days per household.

The MGNREGS aims to provide unskilled wage employment to registered beneficiaries but in the process, it also creates sustainable assets that would provide livelihood, enhance road connectivity, conserve water and environment and improve irrigation facilities to the rural people, it said. "The year 2010-11 was a promising one in furthering the mission of making the MGNREG Act a success," it added.

The report also pointed out that in terms of expenditure, 2010-11 has shown an expenditure of Rs 319.85 crore which is an increase of 74 per cent over 2009-10. "The total funds sanctioned during 2010-11 is Rs 332.93 crore against Rs 228.79 crore received during the previous year. The total fund utilisation was recorded at 96.1 per cent. The report also said the state government had emphasised better management techniques, which can accord better achievements in the implementation of the scheme.

A memorandum of understanding was signed by the state government with the State Bank of India on November 15, 2010 to provide business correspondence facility to MGNREGA wage earners.

"This is done to ensure better cash disbursal system, which had raised a lot of allegations of corrupt practices," the report said.

According to the banking correspondence model, the state government will directly deposit the wages of workers into their personal accounts.

In the rural areas where there are branches of the banks, the workers can directly approach the branches to avail of the wages.In far-flung villages where there are no branches of the banks, the business correspondents who work as agents of the banks will assist the workers to ensure that they get wages on time. It also said the government has also initiated steps to create a society at the state level, which will manage the State Employment Guarantee Fund, a corpus dedicated as a resource pool, which can be utilised during fund shortage in the districts.

See the article here:
Job scheme success despite ethnic clashes

KOROITs Patrick Sinnott says coach Sam McCosh laid the foundations for his teams success this season and for his personal success at last nights presentation.

The Saints captain was named the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association under 17 cricketer of the year after polling 26 votes during the home-and-away season.

Sinnott collected 21 wickets and scored 398 runs at an average of 44.2.

The all-rounder, who modestly only described himself as a batsman, believed McCosh was instrumental in guiding Koroit to a semi-final appearance.

Our coach really helped us at training, he said.

I improved along with the whole team because of Sam.

It was a successful season because we made finals.

The 17-year-old opener said his aim each time he went to the crease was to try and be his teams anchor.

I just tried to stay around and work with the others who were around me, he said.

Batting-wise, sometimes I did all right and sometimes I was a little bit off.

Read more here:
Captains claim junior honours

Hip-hop star Nicki Minaj helps Complex magazine celebrate their 10th anniversary by covering their latest issue with a new photoshoot and feature story.

Shot by photographer Christian Anwander, the YMCMB First Lady sits down with Miss Info for a revealing Q&A, speaking on everything from her success thus far and how she doesn't savor the biggest moments she's experienced in her career, why she's focused on hitting several personal goals and what they are, all the way to if she has plans for marriage and a family.

Complex's new issue is slated to hit newsstands April 3rd.

Below are excerpts from the feature story. Read the full story over at Complex.com.

What wows you these days? Everything that comes your way keeps becoming bigger, bigger, bigger. If I wasn't doing it, I wouldn't believe it's possible. I remember when I was working with Jay-Z. It was like, "Oh my God. Did I really just do a song with Jay?" I worked with Mariah and it wasn't commercially successful. But I had fun and I made a real friendship with her. It was, obviously, a life-changing moment for me. It does feel like every moment is getting bigger and bigger. Not only did I get a call to do a song with Madonna, but then I got a call to do a video with Madonna, and then -- oh, by the way -- you're going to do the Super Bowl with Madonna. This is not really happening.

Do you have to put the excitement off to the side to keep yourself from freezing up? I happen to be a pessimist, and maybe that's a good thing because I don't stop to smell the roses -- which is not a good personal thing. I don't stop and enjoy those moments. I'm just [snaps fingers] on to the next. Always on to the next and never in the moment.

When you're constantly exceeding your own expectations, how do you set new goals? Doing the Super Bowl with Madonna doesn't really change Nicki Minaj's personal goals. My goal right now is still to put out Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, sell five million copies eventually, and tour every country in the world. That's what I've been working toward. So while the world is talking about, "Oh my God, I can't believe Nicki Minaj was at the Super Bowl!" I'm mixing and mastering my music. In my scheme of things it's way bigger.

Because those surprises can't replace the things you want to achieve by yourself? Because my goal the whole time has been for people to see me as a stand-alone artist. I came out with Young Money, the biggest hip-hop label in the world at that time. And then it was, "How do I branch away from Lil Wayne?" One of my biggest records was with Drake, "Moment 4 Life." Even with the Super Bowl, it's Madonna's moment. I'm just sharing in that moment. It's not Nicki Minaj's moment. Nicki Minaj at the Grammys -- that's my moment. I've just been constantly on this quest to stand alone.

View original post here:
Nicki Minaj Covers Complex For Mag's 10th Anniversary, Talks Personal Goals & Her Success

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BxeCIWkKoU

17-03-2012 04:03 Robert Kirby discusses Leadership Strategies. Robert is the founder of Kirby Leadership Academy. For over 15 years Robert has been partnering with organizations in Asia to enhance their Performance and Success. For more information, please email to info@kirbyleadership.com or visit http://www.kirbyleadership.com

Read more from the original source:
Robert Kirby presents Leadership Speak - Part 1 - Video

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Based on its recent analysis of the Mobile Health (mHealth) market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes GreatCall with the 2011 North America Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Service Leadership. A combination of simplicity of use and high-touch customer service will be critical for the widespread adoption of mHealth applications and services among consumers, an area in which GreatCall has excelled. With any mHealth application, timeliness of service is paramount and high-touch calls puts the users directly through to a trained customer service representative. More than any other company, GreatCall is delivering on this service, with a 100 percent guarantee that its customers will always get quick, responsive, U.S.-based, English-speaking service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

GreatCall offers highly-trained customer service operators through its health and safety services, like 5Star Urgent Response, Medication Reminders and LiveNurse, which offers access to registered nurses who can provide health advice and support, 24/7. Specialized teams of representatives are specifically trained in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliance to handle confidential health information.

The 5Star Urgent Response service connects callers to highly-trained Response Agents who are certified by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) and are trained in CPR and other emergency protocols. Agents assess a caller's situation and can dispatch the appropriate assistance whenever callers are feeling anxious, vulnerable, or experiencing a medical issue or threat to their safety.

"GreatCall relies on around-the-clock live registered nurses, emergency response agents and customer service representatives to ensure a more timely and actionable response than customers would get from an automated customer service provider," said Frost & Sullivan Senior Industry Analyst Zachary Bujnoch. "With 5Star, when a caller feels that they are in danger, immediate voice connection with an appropriately trained agent, who can conference in a member of the caller's personal support network while the situation is being addressed, can provide the emotional and physical support that is often very important in these circumstances."

GreatCall's high-quality customer service can aid the primary user, caregiver or family members. Seniors in particular have indicated that high-touch customer service has been an important factor in their engaging with an mHealth service. Caregivers and concerned family members have also indicated that GreatCall's responsive customer service gives them security and peace of mind. In addition, they can log into a secured Web site to subscribe to and set up services, view related reports, and even schedule check-in calls for high-risk family members that alerts them under specified circumstances.

"GreatCall is delighted to be recognized by Frost & Sullivan with the North American mHealth Customer Service Leadership Award. This accomplishment reinforces our commitment to deliver exceptional services and support to help our customers stay connected, healthy and safe. GreatCall is proud to be able to make a difference in people's lives with our Jitterbug phones, 5Star Urgent Response service and mobile health applications such as MedCoach," said Sue Weaver, Vice President of Customer service, GreatCall.

Although GreatCall's customer service is more expensive than automated and outsourced alternatives, a high percentage of GreatCall customers indicated that they are glad to pay a recurring monthly fee for personalized health-related customer services, especially when there are no additional charges for the high level of customer support they receive.

"As the company has grown from offering devices to services to apps, it has continuously focused on the consumer and what they will use," said Bujnoch. "GreatCall's leadership in customer service creates a compelling value proposition for a wide range of potential channel partners, including healthcare providers, community agencies and payers, as well as younger consumers who seek simple but well-designed, effective tools. For this reason GreatCall services are being developed for the iPhone and Android phone, making them available to a wider audience of consumers."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that demonstrates excellence in customer service leadership within its industry. The recipient company shows tremendous responsiveness to customer needs and continually focuses on long and short-term customer profitability goals. In addition, it utilizes flexibility in tailoring its product offerings to suit customer businesses.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

Excerpt from:
Frost & Sullivan Highlights GreatCall's Success in Offering High-Touch Customer Service for mHealth and Communication

SUGAR GROVE -- Corey Powers is like many 16-year-old boys. He is shy, likes sports and is hesitant to talk about personal accomplishments.

Powers' demeanor would be less surprising if not for what he does while racing all-terrain vehicles. His aggression and speed helped him gather two national championships in 2011 in the American Motorcyclist Association ATV Motocross Championship race series.

"It's fun." Powers said. "(I like) hitting all the jumps."

Powers, a sophomore at Berne Union High School, won the 90cc CVT class and the 90cc senior automatic class in 2011. He raced an 11-week schedule at different tracks across the Southeast and Midwest and came away with 14 wins in 22 races.

After starting to race in 2007, Powers slowly progressed each year. He competed in one national race in 2008 and two in 2009 before racing a full schedule in the two AMA race classes in 2010.

Powers finished third in the 90 senior automatic class and fourth in the 90 CVT in 2010 before winning both in 2011. The improvement has been constant for Powers, who picked up the sport out of pure love for competition.

As quiet and unassuming as he is away from racing, Powers is equally amped up and assertive on the track. Racing ATVs is an expression of his personality and desire to win.

"He just likes to compete," Corey's father, Tim, said. "He likes to be aggressive, and as he gets good at it, the more aggressive he becomes."

But this year marks a new challenge for Powers, as he will jump up to the 450 C class. The lower classes all have age limits, and Powers is moving up to one where he will be among the youngest participants.

"It will be harder," Powers said, "being younger (than the rest)."

More here:
Champion ATV racer a quiet success

NEW ORLEANS, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --As access to skilled workers becomes increasingly vital to the U.S. economy, AT&T* is launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition.

According to a March 19, 2012 report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, Louisiana has seen a 2.9 percentage increase in 2009 graduation rates, compared with data from 2002.

AT&T Aspire, already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008, will tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school through a much larger, "socially innovative" approach. Social innovation goes beyond traditional philanthropy which typically involves only charitable giving to also engage people and technology to bring different approaches, new solutions and added resources to challenging social problems. The Aspire effort already has impacted more than one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college.

"Building a skilled workforce is critical to the future success of our state," said State Senator Conrad Appel, Senate Education Committee Chairman. "To succeed in the global economy, we need to ensure our students graduate ready to face any challenge."

"It is crucial that we prepare the youth of our state for higher education and their future careers," said State Representative Steve Carter, House Education Committee Chairman. "I am committed to promoting excellence and accountability in our schools so that our children will graduate ready to meet the needs of Louisiana's businesses to advance economic development and the quality of life of Louisiana residents."

"It will take all of us working together and supporting Louisiana educators' hard work to continue to improve graduation rates and preparedness for future careers and college," said Sonia Perez, AT&T Louisiana President. "American business has an enormous stake in the success of our students, and it is time to commit more innovation and resources to the task."

The greatly expanded effort centers on a new, $250 million financial commitment planned over 5 years. AT&T Aspire will build on that commitment by using technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, such as with interactive gamification, Web-based content and social media. The company will also tap the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles. Finally, AT&T Aspire will capitalize on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts that involve many of AT&T's approximately 260,000 employees.

"AT&T Aspire works toward an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation's workforce," AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit. The Washington, D.C., event convened by America's Promise Alliance (http://www.americaspromise.org/), Civic Enterprises (http://www.civicenterprises.net/home.html), The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University (www.every1graduates.org/), and the Alliance for Excellent Education (http://www.all4ed.org/) brings together nearly 1,200 U.S. leaders to discuss progress and challenges in ending the high school dropout crisis.

Lacking a high school degree is a serious issue in the United States, where one in four students more than 1 million each year drops out, according to a March 19, 2012, report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education. AT&T is the lead sponsor of this report. Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects in a rapidly changing, increasingly sophisticated job market.

And, if dropouts find jobs, they earn less. On average, a high school dropout earns 25 percent less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor's degree.(1)

Read more:
AT&T Continues Commitment to Louisiana Student Success With New Aspire Grants

MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL, Minn., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --As access to skilled workers becomes increasingly vital to the U.S. economy, AT&T* is launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition.

According to a March 19, 2012 report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, Minnesota has seen a 3.5 percentage increase in 2009 graduation rates, compared with data from 2002.

AT&T Aspire, already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008, will tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school through a much larger, "socially innovative" approach. Social innovation goes beyond traditional philanthropy which typically involves only charitable giving to also engage people and technology to bring different approaches, new solutions and added resources to challenging social problems. The Aspire effort already has impacted more than one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college.

The greatly expanded effort centers on a new, $250 million financial commitment planned over 5 years. AT&T Aspire will build on that commitment by using technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, such as with interactive gamification, Web-based content and social media. The company will also tap the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles. Finally, AT&T Aspire will capitalize on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts that involve many of AT&T's approximately 260,000 employees.

"AT&T Aspire works toward an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation's workforce," AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit. The Washington, D.C., event convened by America's Promise Alliance (http://www.americaspromise.org/), Civic Enterprises (http://www.civicenterprises.net/home.html), The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University (www.every1graduates.org/), and the Alliance for Excellent Education (http://www.all4ed.org/) brings together nearly 1,200 U.S. leaders to discuss progress and challenges in ending the high school dropout crisis.

"We applaud AT&T for its commitment to education in Minnesota," said Colleen Kaibel, director of the Check & Connect program for Minneapolis Public Schools. "With a previous grant from AT&T for more than $93,000, we were able to expand our Check and Connect intervention program at South High School and Anishinabe Academy. Through that program, we've had great success in increasing graduation rates of at-risk Native American students. We plan to respond to AT&T's RFP and hope we can earn a second AT&T Aspire grant through the newly expanded program."

Lacking a high school degree is a serious issue in the United States, where one in four students more than 1 million each year drops out, according to a March 19, 2012, report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education. AT&T is the lead sponsor of this report. Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects in a rapidly changing, increasingly sophisticated job market.

And, if dropouts find jobs, they earn less. On average, a high school dropout earns 25 percent less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor's degree.(1)

The situation poses a serious risk to American competitiveness as corporations struggle to find talent, especially in the math and sciences fields. The dropout rate, along with inadequate training and education, is keeping many high-paying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs from being filled. And the situation is expected to worsen as STEM jobs grow a projected 17 percent by 2018. Workers in these positions typically earn 26 percent more than those in non-STEM positions.(2)

"Dropout prevention starts with caring adults who give students every chance for success," said Danielle Grant, Director of Indian Education. "AT&T's support of Check & Connect implementation with our Native American population at South High School and Anishinabe Academy in Minneapolis has brought at-risk students needed support through mentoring, advocacy, and tutoring. The dropout prevention intervention supported by AT&T was inclusive of families, school staff, and community agencies, bringing a whole child approach to engage in learning and find success in the classroom."

Continued here:
AT&T Announces Additional Aspire Grants, Track Record of Success in Minnesota Schools