by Robyn on March 8, 2010
Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, I thought who better to highlight than one of the bravest women I know who has made a tremendous impact on me. Her courage, and entrepreneurial spirit is a testimony that all things are possible if you believe, work hard and never ever give up on your dream.
Mukhtaran Mai – I’ve mentioned Mukhtar Mai before, her story of triumph and determination always moves me. Her brother was falsely accused of fornication. She went to court to argue on his behalf and was sentenced to the most severe form of humiliation in her culture. In the eyes of her family and village her destiny was suicide. However and most importantly not in her eyes, she stood up to her attackers and demanded prosecution. The Pakistani government gave her $8300 compensation and she used that along with money from other donors to build a primary school for girls. The story doesn’t end there, she’s also built a high school for girls, runs a school for boys, she bought a van for the schools that is also the village ambulance and she has a herd of dairy cows that generate an income and help her maintain the schools. And in March of 2009….she married. I’m really in awe of this woman as when she set out to start the primary school she was unable to read and write and enrolled herself. While I think Mukhtaran Mai’’s story is tragic, it’s my hope that in the years to come that she is known for her leadership, entrepreneurship, courage, and the sheer goodness she has brought to Meerwala.
Mukhtar Mai’s story has had a profound impact on me personally in ways that I still struggle to put into words. I am currently working on a plan to put action behind the impact and to thank Mukhtar Mai….stay tuned as I will share that here.
So now it is your turn….is there a woman in your life who has had an unexpected profound impact? What’s the cause and effect of that impact? I’d love to hear your story and hers!
photo credit: Ronda Churchill
Technorati Tags: Audience, Authentic, Authenticity, Brands, Chris Brogan, Collaboration, Communicate, Community, Consistent, Courageous, Customer Experience, Determination, Facebook, friend, give back, Gratitude, help, Honest, Kenya, Listening, Maasai, Marketing, Media, Mobilize, Mukhtar Mai, New Media Atlanta, People Matter, Project Authenticity, Reach, Research, Resonate, Social, Social Media, Social Web, Target, Thankful, Transparent, Trust Agent, Trustworthy, Twitter, Whisper
by Robyn on March 1, 2010
Last week I had an interesting conversation with two friends about our vision. Our conversation was centered around who wears contacts, whether we are near sighted or far sighted. Each one of us has different vision challenges. That conversation got me to thinking about the lens through which we view the world, and how all three of us sees things differently both figuratively and literally.
As a marketer, it’s critical that we take into consideration the various lenses our intended audiences may view our messages. The lens that we view and filter the world is unique to all of us and it’s been shaped through the years by our experiences. And that truth is the same for the audiences we are trying to engage. They come to us with a plethora of experiences and if your market is global a variety of cultures. For that reason, it’s important that we often step outside of ourselves and try to see things as our audience would.
The best thing you can do for your vision is have it checked every two years to ensure you have the best view. And the best thing you can do for your marketing is check your perspective in regular intervals to ensure you have the best view on your market and customers. Just as our eyesight changes over time so does our “market sight”.
If you think about it your messages are like eye charts and the question is how easy is it for your customers and prospects to really “see” your message and respond to it? Do they need to squint or hold it away from them, do they need to grab their readers? When was the last time you checked your market sight? Is it time for a check up? Remember it’s not how you see your message but how the market views it, and that’s what drives how they will respond.
Mukhtaran Mai – I’ve mentioned Mukhtar Mai before, her story of triumph and determination always moves me. Her brother was falsely accused of fornication. She went to court to argue on his behalf and was sentenced to the most severe form of humiliation in her culture. In the eyes of her family and village her destiny was suicide. However and most importantly not in her eyes, she stood up to her attackers and demanded prosecution. The Pakistani government gave her $8300 compensation and she used that along with money from other donors to build a primary school for girls. The story doesn’t end there, she’s also built a high school for girls, runs a school for boys, she bought a van for the schools that is also the village ambulance and she has a herd of dairy cows that generate an income and help her maintain the schools. And in March of 2009….she married. I’m really in awe of this woman as when she set out to start the primary school she was unable to read and write and enrolled herself. While I think Mukhtaran Mai’’s story is tragic, it’s my hope that in the years to come that she is known for her leadership, entrepreneurship, courage, and the sheer goodness she has brought to Meerwala.
