Nico Holthaus

Nico is a prolithic, Arizona based, documentary filmmaker whose work has bought him award winning critical acclaim, fame, and controversy.  All of these  as a documentarian doing his craft skillfully should.

When you purchase either the  movie, Mill Ave, Inc. or The Avenue, for just $20⁰⁰ plus shipping, 20% of your purchase price will be donated to Music Maker.  I strongly encourage you to purchase both movies, since you’ll receive a discount and even more as a bonus!

Purchase Here

About the Films

Mill Ave, Inc.

In the mid to late 90’s Tempe AZ was a hotbed of creative talent. Mill Ave, Inc. is a documentary that started with video footage of bands and venues along Mill Ave , when it became apparent that a lot of these venues would be closing their doors. It seems there was not one singular cause for the disintegration of Mill’s culture and liveliness that people everywhere had come to enjoy.

Or was there?

The Avenue

The Avenue is a documentary film based in Tucson, AZ. 4th avenue was threatened with gentrification, much like Mill Ave in Tempe, AZ. Winner of Best of Arizona at the Arizona International film festival.

By purchasing these films, you will not only have some terrific, eye-opening, quality entertainment.  You will make an impact on historical the historical musical history that is the south.

Read more & purchase

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

While I was a graduate student at The New School in New York, during my Media Theory class I combined three of my passions: African-American history, film history for a research paper.  I embarked upon an exploration into the literary reviews of the contemporary psycho-thriller/horror genre and a semiotic analysis of the African-American lead, ‘Ben’, in the film Night of the Living Dead, the film credited with being the Godfather of the splatter film genre.

While researching, I found numerous articles on the horror and psychological thriller genres.  However, with the exception of discussions of Blaxploitation films, dialogue pertaining to this genre in relation to the psychology and culture of the modern-day African American community was virtually non-existent.  As a result, the research took me months to complete, which is why I’m so thrilled people are finding my work useful.

DOWNLOAD THE PAPER

Duane Jones as Ben in "Night of the Living Dead" 1968

I published this paper for two reasons.  First, I wanted to ease the strain of research gathering for other African American students wishing to gather information relevant to their own history and experiences.  Secondly, desired to play an active role in how African Americans are perceived, and this paper provides a perspective I am proud of.

This film is the THE horror film that started decades of tales of the flesh eating undead.  So, If you haven’t seen this original classic, I HIGHLY recommend that you do!

CLICK HERE to watch this wonderfully creepy flick for free on Hulu…

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-541089**************

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is about learning to use the language of the mind to consistently achieve specific and desired outcomes by studying, analyzing and implementing new behaviors to produce excellence.  Personality training and exploration is about understanding the basic inherent characteristics that make us who we are and why we act the way we do.

My friend, Rhonda Robbins  is a Success Strategies Coach, NLP Practitioner, Personality Trainer, Marketing, Web and Social Media Professional. I shifted my home-base from Manhattan, NY to the Phoenix Valley last year.  After being a New Yorker for more than 27 years, I was having a difficult time adjusting to my new lifestyle, new relationships and work responsibilities.  Working with Rhonda’s personality coaching and NLP training helped to implement some drastic shifts in my relationships.

Rhonda is presenting high performance techniques to jumpstart any size business on Saturday, May 5, 2012.  If you are in the Phoenix area, I strongly encourage you to attend.

Participation in May 5’s High Performance Personality & NLP Workshop is FREE.

You can sign up here:

Robbins’ high competency level within her blended skillset portfolio translates to high-performance results for individuals and executives.  Using accelerated learning techniques and state-of-the-art coaching strategies she brings business owners and their staff to heightened levels of awareness and being — resulting in increased interpersonal synergy, dynamics and productivity.

Most executives and individuals rely on a familiar set of skills and behaviors as they navigate the workplace. For organizations to come alive and “thrive” often requires a “pattern interrupt.” Robbins’ assists everyone in the organization to understand their personality differences and teaches them how to relate “into” the other personality and not “out of” their own; bringing communication and results to a higher, more effective level.

NLP gives CEO’s and their staff the opportunity to understand their inherent and adaptive behavioral patterns, to assess the impact of their behaviors and leadership styles, and finally, to consider new strategies for creating powerful, resourceful states of being and prosperity.

Business leaders who want to take their business to the next level, revamp their corporate culture, increase communication, productivity and profits will want to participate .

Other articles you may be interested in:

How to Avoid the Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make

Social Media and Meet-Ups Keep Legal Marketers Connected

Legal Marketers and Small Business on Twitter

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size businesses to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win & retain the clients they really want.

Providing educational information sources to your existing clients, prospects and referral sources is one of the best ways to initiate and cultivate relationships.  However, calling 500 contacts on the phone every month just isn’t going to happen.

My suggestion is to start small, develop a plan of action, and build as their business develops, assuring that their return on investment is going to stay strong.  Newsletters are a terrific initial move toward a strong R.O.I. in the web 3.0 world of marketing.

The newsletters I’ve written for Karasma Media helped keep my audience interested through a relocation from New York to Phoenix, so needless to say, I’m a big proponent.  (Thank you for sticking with me if you’re an old friend, and Welcome if you’re a new one!)

Like Us on Facebook and receive 10% off  Newsletter Customization

Whether you outsource the writing and distribution of your newsletter, or take it on yourself, the value of a newsletter’s outreach is immense. Particularly if your primary focus is business-to-business.

1.  Illustrate Value. Your readers won’t want to stay connected to you if you don’t provide them with something new and intriguing that entices them to stay “tuned in”.  Ideally, you want them to feel that as if they’re going to miss out on something important if they don’t read what you have to offer.

2.  K.I.S. — Keep it simple!  A newsletter that garners attention isn’t a dissertation.  You want to keep it focused on one focused area of interest that’s easy for your readers to understand

3.  Make it Compelling. The last thing you want to do is bore your reader and have them delete your news.  The good news is, there is an abundance of boring, dry newsletters out in the world, all trying to sound intellectually important.  Simple concepts like real, down-to-earth information and interesting graphics go a long way.  Business relationships not withstanding, your personality, sense of humor and “keep-it-real” perspectives, will entice people to interact with you.

4.  Authenticity is King. You newsletter is an outreach of your company’s spirit and vitality.  I’ve worked with attorneys from a variety of practice areas and businesses from a wide variety of industries.  Each has it’s own cadence, mannerisms and sense of humor.  Your newsletter is a great way to encapsulate who you are and what you can do for your clients.

Karasma Media can produce a newsletter for you!
Take a look-see at our services and call  888-840-2033 for a FREE consultation

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size businesses to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win & retain the clients they really want.

I, like many online content writers have spent countless hours writing content that our readers find valuable; not to mention the attentive nurturing it takes to comment, connect and cultivate the online relationships we develop,  into invaluable professional and personal friendships. Over the years, I found it unnerving to think that businesses with an abundance of money could “Out Do” me online with their multitude of unscrupulous links – many of which were not generated from  authentic content.

Google has changed the playing field and we are in the midst of a new day.  I say, “Allelujah”!

Last week, at SXSW, Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s search spam team, announced that Google developed a new tweak to its algorithm that will punish sites that are too optimized for SEO.

In a recent Hubspot article, Matt explains the changes in this way….

“trying to make the algorithm more adaptive,” or being more understanding of sites that have good content even if it isn’t search engine optimized like many marketers have learned to do. The sites that will be penalized are those that “throw too many keywords on the page, exchange way too many links, whatever they’re doing to go beyond what a normal person would expect.”

Read the article in it’s entirety on Hubspot

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size businesses to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win & retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

I can’t think of a more befitting form of self-expression of my admiration and commitment to humanity. Even as a very little girl, I remember my dad’s teachings and the sound of Martin Luther King’s voice resonating through our living room. I distinctly recall how incredibly privileged I was to have a family around me who loved me so much.

Growing up, my parents made sure I had friends from across the globe from every imaginable faith, and ethnicity — yes, the little person in pink & gray is me!

Mom, Valerie Moultrie, reading to my nursery school class, at Oak Lane Day School in Blue Bell, PA - 1966

I quickly realized how strong and huge hearted my parents were and that they worked along with their friends and Martin Luther King to create our incredible United States as I know it. True – we have much work to do as humans in the realm of communication, compassion and cohesiveness. I am the last one to “sugar coat” anything!

I invite you to revisit Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech today — and allow yourself to be moved. I’ve no doubt his words will inspire you to continue manifest your dreams and serve those that matter most to you.

Our nation’s acknowledgement of Martin Luther King’s Birthday and the wonderful honor bestowed on The Tuskegee Airman — provides us all with an opportunity to remember the past and see how incredibly far we have come! Many, Many Blessings and Much Joy to you today as you celebrate human-kind!

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

Dad in Television Studio at Cheyney University

For the multitude of our family’s dear friends who are discovering about my dad’s passing for the first time as they read this,  I apologize for my delay relaying the news.  Our family wanted to make sure the memorial service held earlier this month was a quiet and personal family event.   The additional time gave me time to gather my thoughts and emotions, and present this article to you now.

My Step-Mom, Jan called me late one night to tell me dad had a stroke and I immediately flew back to Philadelphia.  I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be present for my dad’s return to consciousness for 2-days, eating and giving me a squeeze when I told him I loved him.

Dad holding my hand

Daddy died peacefully in his sleep about 5-days later.  Unfortunately, I was not able to return to Philadelphia for the beautiful memorial service on December 17, 2011 that Jan, my sister Lisa, Pam and Peter and Marcella put together for daddy.

However, as the media-mogul daughter that I am, I shot this video, which Peter graciously included in the video that showed throughout the service.  So, thank you to all of you for making sure I was “present”…

In the wake of Dad’s passing, I have been reunited with many of my family members who I hadn’t seen or spoken with in many years.  The link below goes to my cousin Kamau Smith’s photo album on Facebook containing photos from the memorial service.   (I had not spoken with him for more than 15-years!)

The gentlemen in blue jackets are Dad’s fellow Tuskegee Airmen who graciously came to honor Dad in style.

View photos of Arthur C. Smith’s memorial service on Facebook

Here is a far too brief overview of Art Smith’s life and accomplishments.

Art Smith attended Overbrook High School http://overbrookalumniassoc.org/ in Philadelphia, PA and was a member of the acclaimed Tuskegee Airmen.

He held a B.A. degree from Temple University and an M.A. in Fine Art from  Temple’s Tyler School of Art.

My sister Lisa and I followed in dad’s academic footsteps.  Me, with an M.A. in Media Studies and my sister Lisa, with an M.A. in Cross Cultural Education.

Dad taught at Fitz Simons Jr. High School in Philadelphia, where he was chair of the Arts Dept. for many years.   In 1968, Art accepted a position at Cheyney University.

He was greatly loved by his students at Cheyney and many of his students became lifelong friends, like Pam Bracey and Michael Bailey.

While there, he became the Director of the Educational Media Program and sponsor of the yearbook and the sponsor of the original models which groomed the students for the Miss Pennsylvania competition during his tenure at Cheyney.  Also he became the sponsor of the Cheyney University Video and Television Studios.

In 1988, Art retired from Cheyney after 20 years of dedicated service.  At age 9- Art won an art competition, and this motivated his interest in photography and art.  He was recognized as one of the most dynamic and creative artists of his time.

After retiring he became a docent at the African American Museum of Philadelphia.

He also donated photography and typography collections to the museum.  He was interested in history in general, and in the African American History in particular.

Dad was a member of the 1929 branch of the Association for the Study of African Life and History .  He was also the official photographer. photographer of Lewis Redding’s political campaign.

Long before the term, “thinking-out-of-the-box” was coined, Art thought out of the box.   His ideas and concepts were always a challenge to his family and friends.  Dad was sure to keep us laughing and on out toes one of his provocative jokes!

Art Smith’s intelligent wit always made you think.  Art was a familiar figure in the Germantown and Mt. Airy community.  He was the coordinator of Mt. Airy day for 2-years.  He was often seen riding his bike through the community and knew just about everyone.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Arthur C. Smith’s name to:
The Tuskegee Airman Scholarship Foundation
Greater Philadelphia Chapter

Arthur C. Smith  leaves behind a multi-generational legacy of fine artists, photographers, writers, and teachers. I could not be more proud to be my Daddy’s daughter.

Ashe –

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

How much is a Tweet worth and how much does a Twtitter follower cost?

Noah Kravitz, a writer, worked for PhoneDog, a cell phone marketing company.  While there, he wrote for the company’s blog and acquired more than 17,000 Twitter followers. He left his job after 4-years and was intially told that he could keep his Twitter account and was requested to “tweet on their behalf from time to time and I said sure, as we were parting on good terms.”

twitter.com/phonedog_noah and the site Noah's last post directs you to have been "disconnected" for now...

I am among a fast growing number of marketing professionals who are building our reputations as online journalists via their blog and social media platforms.  In doing so, we are building our influence among our audience, and any employer interested in doing so for their company, will bring on professionals who are demonstrating their skills.

The “proof’s in the pudding” so to speak, and transparent actions speak much louder than words.  So, of course any savvy hiring manager will want to be on the lookout for the skill-set.

This being said, John’s statement below truly hit home…

… in a world where social media’s influence can mean the difference between a lucrative sale and another fruitless cold call, social media accounts at companies have taken on added significance.

The outcome of this case is going to set a precidence. Particularly, because more and more marketing and sales professionals are being hired because of their savvyness using Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms, and the number of followers they have acquired.

As employers, you’ll want to stay concious of what you’re paying your employees to do.  After all, if they’re being paid to sit in a seat and make calls, then their interactions on social media (and the followers they generate) — are personal.  They are not connected to the business you pay them to perform.

Transparency in business practices has never been more important.  So, specicifity in job descriptions and fair compensation from the outset will alleviate a multitude of problems later — not to mention the negative public relations impact a lawsuit against an ex-employee in good standing has on your company.

Similarly, if you are an employee of a firm and requested to blog and use social media as an addendum to the duties you were originally signed on to do, make sure the stipulations for doing so are in writing!! Expressing your professional opinion, ie: publicising your expertise on the company’s behalf, your writing skill, and the audience you attain, and the time it takes to create are all valuable skills that you should be compensated for.

Other articles you may be interested in:

Legal Marketing and Small Business on Facebook

Social Media and MeetUps Keep Legal Marketers Connected

FourSquare – A Fun and Innovative Tool For Legal Marketers

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

1. You have a website and may even blog… when you have the time.  You already have Facebook and Linked In profile that you look at sporadically.
2. You have a website that either looks great or needs revamping, either way it is not enhancing your client intake or bottom line, and you’re “skeptically curious” about using social, so you haven’t set up any profiles.
3. You haven’t started developing an online presence yet.   But since the efforts and money that used to work when marketing your firm that used to work aren’t producing the return you’re looking for you’re curious and want to get started and aren’t sure how…

Here’s some “breaking news”, the entire world is using social media — so it’s very probable that Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are viable resources for reaching viable consumers of your goods and services!

Infographic design by Nick Sigler

“Facebook is squarely at the center of this new universe, and much of what people do online these days starts there. But Facebook’s masterstroke has been to spread itself across the web and allow others to tap your network of friends. As a result, thousands of websites and apps have essentially become satellites that orbit around Facebook.”

Ready to jump in the pool, here are the steps to getting started:

Create Your Profile:
The first step to build your law firm or business presence on Facebook, is to create a personal profile.  Sign up for Facebook, upload a picture and add contact info in your profile. Once that’s done,  upload your existing contact database to see which of your contacts are already on Facebook and ask whichever ones you want to become your Friend.  This will get you up and running quickly rather than completely starting from scratch!

Create Your Company Page:
Once your  personal profile is set up, you can create a Company page for your law firm or business .   the best topics to fill your page with are, news, upcoming events, photos, etc., (Bear in mind that the most effective way to manage your social media platforms is with your blog as the master mind control panel!)
There are also applications that increase the functionality of the page.

If you already have a business website, having a business profile page on Facebook is still estremly important.  Your website is your storefront, your blog and social media are the doors and windows that enable people to find you, contact you and become clients and customers.   After all, you want to have a presence where your existing and prospective clients are spending their time online.

If you already know there’s tremendous potential of Return on your investment by using social to promote your business or legal practice and are looking for content management, relief and strategical maximization, call me at 917-856-5410.

Other articles you may be interested in:

A Great Legal Marketing Firm Tool to Optimize Twitter

Legal Marketers: Responding to social media inquiries is more important than you think

A Very Simple Twitter Formula for Generating Legal Marketing Business

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410

Twitter is revamping the service with personal Twitter profile pages, a new timeline that includes rich media and other related information embedded into tweets, and easier search for information based on @ symbols (usernames) and hash tags.

The highlighted changes:

• Personal profile pages.

• New home timeline.
  

• #Discover.

• @ names are now the shortcut to people.

Other articles you may be interested in:

The Virtual Law office Debate on Twitter

Foursquare: A Fun and Informative Tool for Legal Marketers

My Typical Morning Routine – Using Social Media Tools For New Business

Kara works with legal marketers and small to mid-size business to create a more clearly defined focus and distinctive business strategy that will provide them with a competitive advantage for new business, higher reputation recognition, and enhance their ability to attract, win, and retain the clients they really want.

You can reach her at 917-856-5410