Events — The Brand Theorem

Walking To End Alzheimers: Remaining When Memories Are Fading

September 17, 2012 by Laing Leave a Comment

On September 15th I had the pleasure of walking to End Alzheimer’s with the Hendrick Family. It was a sunny morning, nice breeze, not too hot, a great day for a walk. As I approached the Durham Bulls Athletic Park everything before me was a sea of purple and white, the colors for supporters who want to End Alzheimer’s. My kids kept asking me why I was power walking, “If you’re gonna walk that fast the entire time then I’m not walking with you”. I wasn’t power walking I was just truly excited to see my extended family and to hear David Hendrick be honored. I support many causes but the dearest to me are the ones in which I have witnessed. It’s human nature to feel a connection and naturally build a different kind of appreciation for the struggle.

After I was situated with registration I began looking for the Hendricks. They were all seated in the front of the stadium by the podium. As I listened to the narrator read a speech from David Hendrick my heart swelled with emotion. (You know that kind of choked up feeling when you want to cry but don’t want everyone around to see you so you start swallowing really hard.) Then I took a good look around and stared in the faces of many older men and women who suffer with this debilitating disease. Some were enjoying the day while you could see in the eyes of others, they were lost.

In his speech David Hendrick said, “There was a time when I took care of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. Now EVERYONE is taking care of EVERYTHING for me. I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the summer of 2007 – right before my 65^th birthday. It was a shock, but I had known for a while that something was “NOT RIGHT” with me. Alzheimer’s has taken away my ability to drive, take care of my lawn and sing on the choir. I can no longer help with my grandchildren or help my wife with day to day chores around the house. I get lost in conversations. I get lost in my own home. Alzheimer’s is a runaway thief that needs to be stopped in its tracks. Not only has it robbed me, but it has robbed my family of the man I would still be if it hadn’t entered our lives”.

Hearing these words makes me fear the unknown. Alzheimer’s does not discriminate, does not come with a warning label, or make an appointment. When it attacks it impacts everyone around you and changes lives forever. Please take some time out to visit the Alzheimer’s Association website to learn more about this disease and show support for Team David, click here . Also join a walk in your community to raise awareness and funds to END Alzheimer’s.

Crossing the finish line!

Getting A Squeeze From Dad At The Finish Line

Rally Up Team David #Love&Support

Helpful Links:

What Is Alzheimer’s?

Know The 10 Signs

Join The Cause

Filed Under: Charity, Events Tagged With: alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Association, Charity, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, END Alzheimer's, support, walk

My 2012 Type A Parent Conference Newbie To Do List

June 13, 2012 by Laing 5 Comments

I am so excited that I am counting down to the 2012 Type A Parent Conference, only one week to go!!! I feel like a kid in a FAO Schwartz store with my mum’s AMEX! (Now that I am very sure you have captured the depth of my emotions) This will be my second conference ever….ever, ever, ever! I tagged along to my first conference with my sister Jen of Jael Custom Designs, which was the NC Mom Bloggers Conference in Ocean Isle, NC. There I met an amazing group of women who I have kept in contact with and see from time to time. The best thing about these conferences is the fostering of relationships that I otherwise may not have encountered. I can be a bit of an introvert. Sharing, motivating, and just the connections that can be built is awesome and helps me come out of my shell! So in the spirit of being a NEWBIE this is my official to do list for the Type A Parent Conference.

All the preliminary stuff has been completed tickets, hotel reservations, tom tom route and shopping outlet re-routes….blah blah blah

Must bring iPhone, iPad, all charging wires & Clear mobile hot-spot just in case !
Must have BUSINESS CARDS to pass out at the Type A Parent Conference…..this was my downfall at many events. Don’t limit yourself into thinking that you are just a blog or small by any means! There are an endless amount of opportunities and individuals who would love to network with you.
BRAND building t-shirts. So it may be out of style…but the non conformist in me loves to wear twitter shirts. I want you to see me, check me out, and hopefully follow me on twitter if you like what I have to say.
Organize your schedule, know the times and the break out sessions that you need to attend. I hear that this is one of the most popular conferences so I have to make sure I get in all that I need to without suffering from shiny object syndrome. Now I want to attend everything but can’t be in two places at one time. With that said…my next to do is
Buddy up! Find a buddy, friend, pal, roomie, another newbie that may be in a session you want to attend but can’t…and plan to exchange info!
Determine your note taking method….ol’ paper & pencil, Evernote, mind mapping…whatever rocks your socks but be consistent and organized about it. Notes all over the place is no bueno.
Say hello to everyone…..get outside your comfort zone to meet and greet….network and build those connections!
Don’t worry about names, who uses their government anymore my name is @theBRANDtheorem !!!
Set a GOAL this should actually be NUMBER 1 on my list. What do you want to get out of attending this conference? It may be a loaded question but it’s the most important one. Who goes to a conference for the hors d’oeuvres?

So these are the things I will be doing, I can’t wait to go and if you’re attending I hope to meet you !

Filed Under: Blog Conferences, Events, Feature Tagged With: Blog, blogger, Conference, Newbie, Type A Parent, typeacon

Memorial Day: Let’s Take A Moment To Restore Its True Meaning

May 26, 2012 by Laing Leave a Comment

If you would have asked me a couple years ago my thoughts on Memorial Day I would have said; a 3 day weekend, white outfits, barbecues, water balloon fights, and parties. While I would love to tell you about all the wonderful brands that I will be using in my Memorial Day celebrations, and what items I purchased at the Memorial Day sale. I am not going to highlight them in this post.

I want to take a moment and assist in the restoration of Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a day when we should take a moment to celebrate our nation’s fallen heroes. The American men and women who laid their lives down to provide the great service of protecting this country.

What changed my perception you ask? My younger brother Wallace enlisted in the Army. In addition to him my youngest brother Lawrence currently in ROTC wants to enlist in the Air Force. It dawned on me that I could loose him should he be deployed and then… what about the others who have enlisted, some have come home and some have not. What about their families? It’s coming from a selfish place, the fact that I didn’t acknowledge this until it hit close to home. Unfortunately sometimes that’s how human nature works.

Some things that you can do to show support in your local area are attend a local Memorial Day event, a lot of Veteran groups such as the American Legion and Veterans for Peace will be holding community events to commemorate the fallen heroes. Patronize your local Memorial Day Parade if they have one. Purchase poppies from a charitable organization to show recognition. Acknowledge the American flag at half staff in the morning and full staff in the afternoon. At 3PM stop whatever you are doing and allow for a moment of silence to pass in honor of these fallen soldiers.

After the holiday passes continued support can be done through monetary contributions to veteran cemeteries for upkeep and various local and national groups. If that isn’t possible right now the easiest and most effective way of showing continued support is… when you see a vet smile and say “thank you”!

Filed Under: Events, Feature Tagged With: enlisted, Flag, Heroes, Memorial Day, parade, Poppies

Recap: Answers For Cancer Walk

May 1, 2012 by Laing Leave a Comment

The first Annual Answers For Cancer Walk had a great turn out! The day began by registering and picking up our Answers For Cancer Walk t-shirts provided by the Holt Foundation and their sponsors. It was awesome to see how many individuals showed up that did not pre-register. There were booths set up by the sponsors to give away swag and information. It was also great to see corporations taking an active role in this charity. I am really big on corporate responsibility. It means so much more to the community when they see the BRANDS they trust getting involved.

The sponsors were as follows: Furniture Land South, Ruckus, SunTrust, i9Sports, REX, Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley, St.Louis Rams. Media Sponsors: The Light 103.9, K97.5, 93.9 KissFM, 99.9 TheFAN ESPN, FOXY 107.1. Vendor Sponsors: Leith BMW, JetLogistics, SmoothieKing, RushHour Karting, & York Properties.

I can’t wait to participate in the Answers For Cancer Walk next year, I know this event can only get bigger! I challenge my local readers to get involved and bring a friend…and then tell them to bring a friend. See you there.

Filed Under: Charity, Events Tagged With: awareness, cancer, Charity, holt foundation, walk

“Sponsor” The Un-Official Bloggers Anthem (Parody)

April 26, 2012 by Laing 1 Comment

This post was supplied by my sister (like real biological blood from birth sister) Jen of Jael Custom Designs. I am so proud of her and proud to be a part of this project. Please take a look at this video which air some of the thoughts we have but may not always address out in the open as bloggers.

I worked with Type Media and many others to bring to life an idea that began in a Durham coffee shop.

How cool would it be to write a song, record it, AND create a video from the perspective of a blogger seeking sponsorship of his/her blog and brand? True die hard bloggers who value content, want to network with fellow bloggers, build relationships and connect with brands by attending conferences each year, some several times a year. Each conference has choice individuals that are sponsored by brands to represent the company and endorse their product or service. I decided to make a fun video parody from the instrumental “Sponsor” By Tierra Marie

This concept was brought to fruition through THE NETWORK, a group of friends who pool their talents to develop different projects. Special Thanks to THE NETWORK; Video Production by @Johnny_J_Jones of Type Media, Music Production by @TheRealLaww, Creative Writer @O_Laing; (@TheBrandTheorem) [THAT'S ME], Make Up by Tameka Nichole @PerfectionsMUA; Clothing provided by Jessica Lamarre @flauntbtq; Hair styled by Penelope Blake @pblake2k11; Elijah Southern @comedianelijah; @WadeBanner

@JaelDesignsInc is Looking For a Sponsor! Take A Look…

Filed Under: Events, Feature, Social Media Tagged With: Blogalicious, blogger, BlogHer, Branding, social media, sponsor, SXSW

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Walking To End Alzheimers: Remaining When Memories Are Fading

My 2012 Type A Parent Conference Newbie To Do List

Memorial Day: Let’s Take A Moment To Restore Its True Meaning

Recap: Answers For Cancer Walk

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