Sharing a Find

Posted on | April 28, 2010 | No Comments

I don’t often write about my job or even the industries I’m familiar with simply because it was not my intention to start to niche blog about a particular area of expertise (I had already done that with my book blog and one niche blog is enough, at least for now).

But from time to time, there are some things that catch my attention that I think are worth sharing, so if you don’t mind, indulge me a bit and read on.

First, thanks to a philanthropy e-newsletter I get, I came across the Year of Giving blog. Reed Sandridge is trying something different when it comes to personal giving. Despite being out of work and looking for a new job, in December 2009, he committed $3,650 to his Year of Giving project, which entails giving away $10 a day to someone (often a stranger) he meets as he goes about life. Reed himself admits the project is less about the money (“Let’s face it, $10 dollars is not going to change someone’s life in and of itself.”) and more about the act of giving and the stories he shares with the people he meets.

I’m fascinated by what Reed is doing and incredibly curious about the implications of the project. I love the stories about each $10 recipient because it highlights so clearly the idea that everyone has a story to tell. At the same time, though Reed says he hopes this project inspires others to help another person, there doesn’t seem to be any structure to how Reed gives away the money. I wonder if the $10 really makes a difference (perceived or otherwise) and can’t help thinking that, if it’s not about the money, then why use money at all? I’d be interested to know what you think about this project and whether it has the viability and/or sustainability to be used on a larger scale.

Second, you’ll have to excuse me for promoting my friend Joey’s new blog, Through a New Lens, but I really think he’s got a creative angle on the whole marketing and public relations blog thing. Joey is a huge movie fan and he’s also equally passionate about marketing and PR (we met in graduate school, so I can vouch for both). He’s taking the film industry and the movies they produce to look at marketing and PR from a new perspective or as the name of his blog suggests, looking at things through a new lens. It may not be an entirely unique idea (though I don’t recall anyone else in the marketing and PR space doing something similar), but his passion and enthusiasm for both subjects is evident from the start. Joey is a smart guy and he knows what he’s talking about, so naturally I think you should check it out. Even if you’re not a marketing/PR person, there’s still a lot to learn and enjoy.

What about you? What unexpected blog finds would you recommend? Do you write for a specific niche or do you prefer to keep things more open-ended?

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