Big Tech censorship is ever on the move, pushing more and more people off their platforms. They have not come for me yet, but I have had enough of them. I am fed up with the  Far-Left Wackos branding average people who just want law and order as evil Nazis. I am fed up with "Terms of Service" that just mean, if you are not Far Left, you are not welcome here. It is time to pushback and also move to alternative platforms where #FreeSpeech is valued.

Today, I took the plunge, said goodbye to my friends and family on Facebook and just walked away. I had been threatening to walk away for months, but this was the last straw. I created a profile on Minds.com today, but I thought I might hang on to Facebook for a little while. I went to share my new  page with my friends so they would know where I was going, and Facebook said I could not share the link because it was against their terms of service. #ThatDidIt #GoodbyeFacebook

So, my Weebly friends, you may be seeing quite a bit of me from now on. This will now be my OFFICIAL personal blog, and Facebook is just Toast, which is EXACTLY what they deserve for leading the censorship mob.

I will continue to explore alt-tech platforms and fight for #Freedom and #FreeSpeech I am still on Youtube for now. Guess I will wait until they purge Fox News before I quit, but it is time to boycott those advertisers on Youtube. Monetization is their number one weapon, so boycotting their products is our number one way to fight back. #LongLiveFreeSpeech

Hello Friends,
                  I hope you are enjoying the warm weather, especially those of you who LOVE summer. I am more of a Fall/Winter person myself, but it will soon be August so those Fall days are going to start creeping up on us. :-)

                  With my company, Adele Smith Entertainment, I am looking at changing some of my marketing and production techniques to better reach my audience. Acting is the love of my life and film making is number two, however I have come to the conclusion that there is really no market for acting or film making.  A hundred years ago there was a BIG marketing for theater, films, and acting because there was no other form of entertainment. Today there are so many entertainment choices that artists must be very creative to come up with something that interests an audience.

                 For the most part, art does not mix well with commerce, but the artist of today, must not only be a creative artist, but a creative marketer as well.

                 As I said in a previous paragraph, people do not really care about acting and there are so many films these days that it is hard to compete. I need something that will help raise money, boost the visibility of Adele Smith Entertainment, and  incorporates film and acting.  So what does the public want? Music videos! Even music video imitators gain thousands of views per song. The public LOVES music of all sorts so that is our latest marketing plan. It also helps that Youtube is now open to people singing popular songs and shares revenue with the performers.

                 Many, many music videos and also daily Youtube videos are our newest marketing strategy. Life is full of change and when you see one approach is not working or has stopped working, you change your tactics to see how you can do a better job of marketing and entertaining. :-)

                 To be able to produce better films, we will need to start raising some money through Patreon. We will also start looking for sponsors from businesses, individuals, and organizations, who share our wholesome entertainment values. 

                 At Adele Smith Entertainment we get the most production value out of every dollar. I had to laugh when I read that a zero budget film typically HAS a budget of $10,000 or more. There is basic equipment you need for making your films, but that does not factor in as part of the cost for individual productions. Two months ago I completed a feature length historical documentary with no budget. No budget film making can be done easily, but you need a creative director who can make it work. Many high budget films even lack a director to make it work.

                The MAIN thing we could use money for is to hire an actor or two for a day and occasionally upgrade our equipment. It is time to start looking for ways we can outsource and expand the business. Life is in a constant state of change, but I guess that is what makes it so exciting! :-)

              It seems to be happening more and more these days. You cannot go to any site without getting a pop up box shoved in your face and some strange organization trying to harvest your e-mail. In the past I sometimes signed up just to be nice, but I get SO MUCH junk e-mail that I almost NEVER read any of it. Even though millions of marketers tout the e-mail list, I remain unconvinced! Just because they make money with it does not make it honest. Scammers make millions through their efforts, but that does not make it right. It is getting to the point where I will exit the site immediately  if I get these pop up boxes thrown at me. It is a good way to make a bad impression on a first time visitor.
 
            Would you walk up to a stranger on the street, shove a piece of paper in front of them and ask them to join your mailing list? I don't think so, because that would be rude. It is just as rude online, but since you are not face to face with people they think they can get away with more. I really dislike rude and intrusive sites who want to harvest your email address at all costs. People in business are not supposed to make it obvious that they cannot wait to get their hand into the purses or wallets of everyone they meet. You need to be respectful of the customer and think of their needs and how you can provide value to them. Focusing on how you can get the most money out of each customer is just wrong!

            So I am firmly against pop up boxes and e-mail address harvesting. I refuse to use those scammy tactics! It is unethical in my book! I will treat my customers the way I want to be treated, with respect!

            That being said, you still do want multiple ways of keeping in contact with those who are interested in your service or products. Facebook groups are popular as well as sites like Patreon. Some sites do have a sign up box, but do not throw one in your face. In the end you want people on your list who are REALLY interested in you and not just signing up to be nice or to get that box off the page. With this hit and miss strategy on strangers, you end up getting a mailing list with 98% who do not want to be there. So you built a poor quality list and now you justify spamming thousands of people for a few hundred who actually buy from you! That is going to hurt your brand in the long run!

           My strategy may not be the most lucrative, but by my standards it is the most ethical. You need to build good will with strangers. Being pushy or being perceived as pushy is the worst way to come across. You need to build your brand in a positive way and as you get to know your customers. Then they will be glad to be on your list and you can begin to build a loyal following. It will take longer, but it will build a rock solid positive reputation for you brand.

The Distance from our Dreams to Reality
                 
                  Today I want to go through dissecting a dream and a plan to make it a reality. The title of this post could also read, "Building a Bridge from Dreams to Reality."

Let's take my life long dream because it is one of the most common dreams and the most common to fail. The dream of being a movie star. Dreams are at least half fantasy and we need to cut through the fake parts to get to the real part of the dream to make it come true. 

The movies create a static world of perfection we want to join. This gives the impression to the public that the lives of movie people are better than real life. Actually the complications and pitfalls are many; actors probably live with more struggle, rejection, and danger than the average person. You have only to read about the lives of the stars to know how tough the life of an actor can be. Predators galore are out there in the entertainment industry. Basically the life of an actor is an uphill obstacle course and there is no guarantee you will be a success even if you complete it.

                  I realized very early that, although acting and film making is my passion, the life of an actress/entertainer was not my cup of tea. I would not like constantly travel, live on the road, dodging unscrupulous characters, being told where to go and what to do, not to mention dodging shows with immoral content. It is a very unsettling life. Most actors and actresses have their careers mismanaged by someone else and they always have regrets of the parts they never got to play. I made the decision not to go the traditional route.


                   As an independent I have complete control of what I do and if I am unhappy with my parts I have no one to blame, but myself, LOL! As an independent I have eliminated many of the problems actors face. Also as the CEO of my own company I am in a better position to make high ranking contacts in the course of film production. Having your own company also is a provision for old age, since the entertainment industry is famous for dropping aging stars. I believe I stand the best chance of building career satisfaction and stability on my own. I am very grateful for the modern technology that makes the artists' career sort of self serve these days. But it is still a lot of work to master your art, master the online publishing medium, and finally master the marketing aspect. This post could probably be expanded to a whole book, but this is a general overview


                   In the final analysis the success of your dream is 99% work and it is determined by how effectively you use reality to build that bridge between real life and your dream.  :-)

Hello Friends,

                  You will find that my personal blog includes A LOT about business and marketing because I spend most of my day on the computer doing research and planning my business strategy. I absolutely LOVE being a freelance writer, film maker, and entrepreneur. However, I am only a beginner and I still have a LONG way to go to get my full time income where it needs to be. It is very AWESOME to have talent, education, experience, and the opportunities technology offers us, BUT if you do not channel your abilities in a way that earns money you will remain a pauper. That is a problem I am working on, which I will write a book about once I find the answer. :-) When you are a teen or a college student you think talent is enough to make you rich and famous, but when you get out in the real world you realize that A LOT goes into a successful career and that you have A LOT to learn.

                  I would like to say a few words about Weebly! I think it is AWESOME!!!!!! My other web host provider recently updated their site builder, and it is very similar to Weebly's tools, but it is not quite as good or as easy to use. I would like to do a few more Weebly sites, myself and if anyone asks me for a web host recommendation I will recommend Weebly. I am not a paid affiliate, I am just an average business woman who is pleased with Weebly's simplicity and ease of use.

                  I am continuing my studies as a legal secretary and I am getting a lot of good information. However, I would still rather be the boss who hires virtual assistants than be the virtual assistant myself. In any case I am acquiring some good skills that will positively keep me out of the fast food industry in case I REALLY NEED to go back to a bricks and mortar job. I plan to do EVERYTHING possible to stay independent. My work style is just very independent.

                  There is SO MUCH going on, as always, so let me just touch on a few things. I did ALL my spring cleaning last week. YAY!!!!! Now I can focus on my work! Many videos are in my editor, I need to finish a short fiction e-book, and then I want to try some nonfiction. I would like to write some courses in acting and independent film making, I am designing products for manufacturing, and I am planning the programming for our new Adele Smith Entertainment Youtube channel. Also, I am rehearsing some public domain songs to publish on CD Baby. I guess I do have the "Superhero Syndrome," but there are just SO MANY things you can do and you just have to work very hard to keep up.

                  I find that day/time planners have a very limited use. Inevitably, some things on my list will not get done some days and some I may not be in the mood to do some things. The best way to get everything done is to jot down what you want to accomplish overall and then make tiny "TO DO" lists on scraps of paper for your daily goals. I refer to my daily scraps of paper constantly. You won't get it all done, but since the list is in front of you you are more likely to complete those tasks within a few days. I hope I have given you some good ideas. I guess I better get back to ALL my work. :-)

Take care,
~ Adele :-)

Hello Friends,

              Well, this is my first blog post on my personal website! As I said in the description this personal blog will be more in depth about ME personally than even my Facebook page. Posts on social media are typically brief, but on a blog you have time to think deeply. :-)
              I am not looking at the year 2016, which lies ahead of me. I am hopeful that I will make some significant accomplishments this year. My number ONE goal is to earn a living with my business. All throughout history artists of all kinds have starved. My situation is not quite so grim, but it is necessary to be financially successful as well as an artistic success. I do feel some financial pressure, but I am working on that. I am a FIRM believer that you MUST do a job you can reasonably enjoy. If you are not interested in the work or feel stressed or trapped then that is the signal to move on. If you are miserable in your job it WILL affect your health.
            Often there are people who train for a certain field just because you can make a lot of money in it. If you do not have a passion for your work you will be no good to your employer and no good to yourself. You will end up sick and miserable with a mound of medical bills. So PLEASE take care of your health and get a job you can enjoy.
            
              I am getting a Youtube channel for my business, Adele Smith Entertainment. This new channel will be more like the old fashioned, traditional TV channel with a variety of programs playing on different days of the week. We will start out slowly with a few regular shows a week and then gradually increase the number of shows to several each day. The two channels I currently have will continue to be the way they are, a haphazard mesh of vlogs, and mini movies. With the business channel we will be focusing on all types of Web series's and building the Adele Smith Entertainment brand.
              I have enough ideas for books and stories to last me several lifetimes so I will be publishing more e-books in 2016. I would like to write some nonfiction and get some hard copies printed. Selling a product requires A LOT of marketing and creativity.

              We are still working on the goal of getting an IMDB page and getting films submitted to festivals. I am focusing more on one woman shows this year. I really miss my classical acting. I tend to get so busy making the films and keeping the actors happy that I do not get to act much. Acting is my first love, but it tends to get pushed to the side so I want to change that.

            Among my major goals for 2016 are:

             Update Websites
             Start More Blogs,
             Start a Patreon Page
             Design and Manufacture Products
             Distribute Songs with CDBaby
             Release a 2D Animated Cartoon

             As you can see I have my work cut out for me this year, but I always believe in aiming as high as possible. If some things do not get done, just put them on the schedule for later and you will accomplish them eventually. :-)

             I have recently become an admirer of a famous world leader. I surprised myself because I usually admire actors. I am being drawn deeper into politics, which is a good thing. There are many problems in the world and we should all help find the solutions. Well, the world leader, who I admire and have thoroughly researched, is Vladimir Putin. Those of you who know me personally know that I am a Christian and a Conservative with high ideals and traditional moral values. Mr. Putin seems to echo the values that traditional Americans hold dear. Western media still sees Russia as the enemy, but if you do your homework you will find that things have changed. One article went as far as to say that Russia is becoming more Christian than America. Time will tell who is right and who is wrong, but  I see in Putin a man of faith, character and integrity. These qualities are rare in the world today and are to be greatly admired wherever they are found.