1.  Reminder –  if there is any Life Skills class you cannot arrive ‘on time’ or you are forced to be absent, please send me a text or email BEFORE CLASS to inform me of your absence or tardiness. This action, expected in any future internship or job, will help build a responsible, respectful, opportunity-creating brand.   When you don’t alert your employer of your tardiness or absence from your job, internship or meeting, your brand is damaged and will limit opportunities for future promotions, new jobs and internships, even college admission.  Remember: “On time, all the time”.  Opportunities for Life Skills internships, college and job recommendations, selection to Life Skills field trips and this summer’s National Youth Leadership Forum (nylf.org) in Washington, D.C. are often determined by your brand perception.
   
2. Read the story of Joe Rantz, starting on page 93 in our Life Skills textbook posted on this web site in the “The Development of the American Brand in the 20th Century”.  Then, imagine, if you had the opportunity to have dinner with Joe Rantz, share with me one question you would ask him. Your question should be expressed in a complete sentence with perfect spelling and punctuation and good grammar.     Send your question to my email address, no later than Tuesday, September 20, 11:59pm.  Thank you.
3.  Brand Inventory:  Please tell me how you believe others perceive your brand TODAY.   Next, please tell me if there is a difference between how others perceive your brand TODAY and how you would like people to perceive your brand.   Your sentences should have correct spelling and good grammar.   Please send your answer to my email address no later than Tuesday, September 20, 11:59pm.  Thank you.
4. hopelifeskills.com:    Please check out my blog about Friday’s class with Kalimah Priforce and Ryan Mitchner posted on this web site.   Please write a comment in the space provided at the end of the blog expressing your impressions of the class.   Please feel comfortable being honest with your comments.  If you enjoyed the class and believed there was value in the experience, please add why you felt this way.  And, if you have suggestions to improve the class experience, please state your suggestions and how your suggestions could enhance the class activity.  I will review your comments before posting to ensure your comments enhance your brand even if you offer constructive criticism.
5. Business Card Info:   please send me your personal information you wish to appear on your business card no later than Monday, September 19, 11:59pm.   Please send your information to my email address.  It’s in the best interest of your brand that you ensure correct spelling of all words on your business card.  And, make sure your email address will encourage employers to  hire you and colleges to offer you admission and possibly a scholarship.   Once you give someone your business card and you become part of their network, you will be ‘googled‘; i.e. they will start researching your name on the internet.  Make sure your Facebook site enhances a brand that opens doors of opportunities not closes them.
6. I was and continue to be proud of you.  Those who went to BIF represented our class, Hope High, your families and yourself extremely well.  Same for Friday’s class; Kalimah and Ryan were also very impressed with you.   Our goal is to make sure your brand is perceived as you wish.  How you greet someone with your handshake and eye contact and smile and a ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, how you sit in class, the words in your email address and what is on your FACEBOOK page affects how people perceive your brand.  Please make sure all of these things build your brand to be perceived as you hope it to be.
7. Next class:  Ali Decesare, designer, student athlete, now senior at East Greenwich High School.  Ali is in the midst of her college search to find the best college community for her to maximize her brand and her many talents.  I believe our Life Skills juniors will find valuable lessons in Ali’s experiences as many of you start your college searches.

8. 

   This picture tells a powerful story of strong, strategic Brand Development by Ralph Waite.  Notice the great eye contact between Ralph and Kalimah during their conversation during the networking session at the end of class. It’s obvious Kalimah is impressed with Ralph and respects his brand.  Kalimah’s positive impression of Ralph’s brand started before their conversation in the networking session.  Leading up to this conversation between Ralph and Kalimah, remember how active Ralph was during today’s class, asking Kalimah questions and sitting with perfect posture in the front row.  Ralph’s conversation, posture and deportment helped Kalimah form a positive impression of Ralph’s brand leading up to their networking.  Great brand development!  I look forward to seeing if Ralph’s email address and what is on his Facebook site reinforces the strong brand he’s exhibited in our Life Skills activities.

Today’s class happened because a Hope Life Skills student with a strong, positive brand had the courage to push out of their comfort zone to ask!

Hope Life Skills student, Ariel Hall, introduces herself during the Day 2 luncheon at BIF 12, the international storytelling conference at Providence’s Trinity Theatre, to one of BIF’s most popular speakers, Kalimah Priforce.  Not only did Ariel add Kalimah to her growing network of successful people but she also had the courage to ask him to come to today’s Hope Life Skills class in Room 112 at Hope High School, in Providence, Rhode Island.

Kalimah Priforce grew up in a New York City group home.  At eight years old, he held a successful hunger

Tuesday evening, May 24th, within the friendly confines of a fully catered, field level corporate suite at McCoy Stadium during a Pawtucket Red Sox game, proved once again a

perfect venue for showcasing the amazing talent, spirit and professionalism of Hope High School’s Life Skills students to so many successful businessmen and women.  For the seventh consecutive year,

the Pawtucket Red Sox have hosted the Life Skills class annual networking event.   From an impressive first pitch of the game by Valentina Gomez-Rincon, the announcement of CVS Health corporate paid summer internships for Juan Corona, Jose Orellana and Valentina as well as Travis Barbour and Valentina’s representation of Hope High School at the prestigious National Youth Leadership Forum this July in Washington, D.C. to the many additions of successful people to the Life Skills students’ personal networks, the night proved to be a multi-hit victory for all.   Moreover, the delicious food was complemented by a come from behind win for the home team.   The

Hope High brand continues to get stronger and more valuable.

The photos below tell the rest of the story.  Enjoy and be proud.

Within the comfortable and friendly environment of a Pawtucket Red Sox corporate suite with an array of delicious food mixed with empowering and inspirational conversation, networking among Hope Life Skills students and many successful career minded businessmen and women brought valuable additions to everyone’s network.

1.  As Enio shared his story with us today and Maria shared her story with the bookstore supervisor during her recent job interview and Ayobami, Travis, Valentina, Jose, Juan and Fatima will soon share their story  during their interviews for a paid summer internship at CVS Health corporate headquarters, the rest of us will often share our personal stories when applying for jobs, requesting a date with someone of interest, or representing a company we work for or own.

They way you tell your story will often affect the outcome of your job interview or asking for the prom date.  The better you tell your story, the greater your chances will be of getting the job, the internship and date.  There is a best way for telling your story.  READ PAGES 1 THROUGH 24 in the textbook “Telling Your Story” on the life skills web site to learn about best practices for telling your story.  After reading these pages, answer the following questions –

• what, in your opinion, is the most important thing to do when telling your story?
• upon the completion of your story, what does this author advise you to do?
• for each person telling their personal story during a college, job or intern interview, what is the most important part of the telling of their story?
• send me your answers electronically be Wednesday, May 11th, 12am.