The corrective happenings in today's financial and business worlds are changing the ways we must do business. But the silver linings are the collaborations being created by people who are habitually open to new opportunities. Take Melanie Notkin of Savvy Auntie, a community for women who love children but don't have any.
Melanie launched Savvy Auntie's online community in 2007, opened a Twitter account later that year and started sharing her passion for connecting women around their nieces and nephews. A year later, much to her surprise, Disney suggested that she work with them to create ways to spread the word about one of their new movies. Last month, the project came to life when Melanie connected her Twitter audience together around the release of Disney's new Pinocchio DVD. That's right, Disney paid Melanie to bring her followers together to Tweet about Pinocchio and the Magic Kingdom. Melanie wins because she took a chance on something new and untested. Disney wins because they found a new way to connect with people at a time when traditional advertising isn't as effective as it once was.
Now I'm not suggesting we all run out and start porpositioning the world's largest companies to pay us to Tweet about them. But in these tough times, it pays to remember that a challenge is really an opportunity with thorns on it, so what I am suggesting is that you read Melanie's story and be inspired to create mutually beneficial projects that other people will miss because they're too busy fretting about today's financial woes.
