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Audiobook Hey Blogger! Narrated by Beth Matzke

December 4, 2015 by Renee Marchol Leave a Comment

Our blog is happy to announce the launch of our first of many audibooks and ebook tutorials, available for sale on Amazon, Audible, and iBookstores by SmartyFellas and SmartyGirls! We have partnered with Tablo and Audible to bring readers a new way to enjoy our advice from experts. On any device? Most devices. So you can listen to it through your earbuds? Yep.

Our team at SGL equips readers to run their own blog and recruit their own writer teams and expert panels. Our Editor-in-Chief Renee Marchol tips her fedora and can’t wait to read what you have produced in the New Year. #writeon

Hey Blogger!: A not-quite 18-minute tutorial for your first blog by Renee Marchol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I noticed an education gap for beginning bloggers so I created an audiobook tutorial for this with Narrator Beth Matzke.

Sure there are many get rich quick tutorials on creating a website to generate income. However, no Quickstart for bloggers who were interested in managing quality content and building a trusted reputation for reporting.

Wouldn’t a curious reader want to know a system for handling submissions for guest posts, requests for product reviews and evaluating ad clients? However, the foundation of a blog is its value to the public. How do you lead a team of writers to generate original and relevant content over the long-term?

These are the methods that I have used as Editor-in-Chief of the successful tech entertainment and leadership lifestyle blog SmartyGirlLeadership.com

View all my reviews

Fielding Questions About Asexuality as a Sexual Orientation: Holiday Hotseat 2015

November 26, 2015 by Renee Marchol Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is usually a friend or family gathering where people feast on comfort foods and watch football before taking a nap. This drowsy, dozy comforting event shouldn’t have sharp edges in conversations. Right? Well, maybe for fun political debates last 7 uncomfortable minutes. Then some ribbing about loyalty to a particular football team that is only mildly awkward. Correct?

For our debut of SGL’s Love & Sex Series for Healthy Relationships here’s how to avoid hurtful comments when a friend or family member shares an update about his/her love life. Since our readers were curious, we asked our friend Ditching Adulthood blog Creator Cierra Mercier to return as a Guest Blogger to speak to us about asexuality.

Ditching Adulthood blogger Cierra Mercier

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier Ditching Adulthood

Asexuality is not a lack of emotions or feelings; simply put, it’s a lack of sexual attraction. For some reason when the term “asexual”, or phrase “lack of sexual attraction” are spoken, whoever you’re talking to will more-than-likely not get it. I know I’ve been treated like I had no clue what I was talking about (in my 20s), or like I was some emotionless android with no sense of feeling. It hurts to be treated like you’re less than human, or as if you don’t know yourself well enough to know who you are.

I remember when I didn’t know about asexuality, and I just stuck with the “saving myself for marriage” excuse. But it wasn’t an excuse, it wasn’t truly something I believed in either, because I knew even if I was married, I wouldn’t be attracted to my husband sexually.

BUT, that doesn’t mean we can’t love, show affection, or have sex. This is what people can’t seem to understand. We can still crave, and HAVE a healthy relationship without sex being any type of focal point.

Most people, once being told that I’m asexual, doubt and dismiss me. They wonder what happened in my life that made me this way. They’ll tell me to get it checked out because something’s clearly wrong. I’ve even been told by guys interested in me that I just needed someone to give it to me right, in order to fix me.

From disgusting “advice” like that, to telling me—condescendingly, I might add—that I’ll want it when I meet the right one… It’s disheartening and frustrating. Aside from the fact that I was in an almost four-year relationship without that level of intimacy (he was eager to have sex once we were married, and I just played along because I didn’t know about the asexualrealm then), you just know. There doesn’t need to be a test or experience.

If you were a straight male friend of mine, and you told me “how do you know if you’ve never tried it?” I could ask you “how do you know you wouldn’t like sex with men if you haven’t tried it?” You just know, you see? I was curious about things like cuddling and kissing, but sex was never on my radar of curiosity. And I’m okay with that!

The heteronormative mindset is what’s predominate in our society, and it includes being both heterosexual and heteromantic. In actuality, there are plenty of people who just don’t identify with both of those terms, and when they arise to the occasion of identifying themselves, a whirlwind of confusion occurs. It’s really appreciated when people take the time to ask meaningful questions, and honestly try to understand when you’re trying to explain something that can play such a huge role in your relationships.

I know I for one am very patient as long as the conversation toward understanding is civil. And honestly that’s all most of us ever wants, is to feel human, and be loved in whatever way feels best for us.

For more candid talk about life, love and art, you can follow SmartyGirl Cierra Mercier on Twitter @ditchadulthood

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier’s Ditching Adulthood Logo

Preview: Love and Sex Series including Asexuality Perspectives

November 6, 2015 by Renee Marchol Leave a Comment

Here is an excerpt from the upcoming Thanksgiving week educational report:

Our panel includes Cierra Mercier of Ditching Adulthood who self-identifies as asexual

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier Ditching Adulthood

Most people, once being told that I’m asexual, doubt and dismiss me. They wonder what happened in my life that made me this way. They’ll tell me to get it checked out because something’s clearly wrong. I’ve even been told by guys interested in me that I just needed someone to give it to me right, in order to fix me.

From disgusting “advice” like that, to telling me—condescendingly, I might add—that I’ll want it when I meet the right one… It’s disheartening and frustrating. Aside from the fact that I was in an almost four-year relationship without that level of intimacy (he was eager to have sex once we were married, and I just played along because I didn’t know about the asexual realm then), you just know. There doesn’t need to be a test or experience.

To read more on our Love & Sex series, visit our blog again mid November for SmartyFellas and SmartyGirls who are willing to open up to help dispel myths about Love & Sex in our diverse community.

Follow Cierra Mercier on Twitter @ditchadulthood

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier Ditching Adulthood logo

We are releasing our Love & Sex series just in time for family holiday get-togethers to show support, friendship and solidarity with those who are served prying questions about private life along with ladle-full of gluten-free vegetarian turkey stuffing. We will be sitting in those dining room chairs and in that hot seat right alongside you.

vegan thanksgiving food recipes turkey vegetables

Photo Credit: PrincessPinkyGirl.com Turkey Veggie Party Tray

Stolen Car Replacement Crowdfunding Challenge: Empowering Women

October 19, 2015 by Renee Marchol Leave a Comment

Replacement Support Vehicle? Sure some of our editors have gone car-free but that doesn’t mean that all production crew can go without a support vehicle. What’s a support vehicle? Support vehicles can be an emergency van like the one used by Susanne Brusche in Iceland for her pedelec bike team for battery recharging in a place with little sun for solar. A support vehicle can also be transport for talent and equipment that cannot be on public transportation. SGL is in favor of supporting the following crowd funding for a daily support vehicle that was stolen from an awesome single grandma who is welcoming her grandbaby home this week, works two jobs in addition to transporting one daughter from hair and makeup gigs. The car is essentially used by 4 people to do all that is awesome: baby raising, youth amateur boxing officiating, income making, and film production supporting!

How do the editors at SGL know these 3 women pictured below? Editor-in-Chief Renee Marchol ran assistant camera as part of the production crew for 48 Hour Film Project Seattle for “Heart Wants”. You can see them in action in the behind-the-scenes video from August 2014’s film race.

Renee worked alongside Jennifer as production assistant, Mikayla as actor, and Sherri as hair & makeup expert.

Photo Credit: Stolen Van Replacment GoFundMe Jennifer, Mikayla, Sherri

What do we know first-hand about Jennifer, Mikayla and Sherri? Jennifer volunteered for an SGL Microdocumentary by Mammals indie film production for Emerging Ebikes as production assistant and drove an extra 3+hours during her work week to show support for the filming and screening in Everett WA. Mikayla and Sherri are sisters and they make hilarious Youtube videos in addition to their separate careers.

So, for your consideration: a group donation to “Stolen Van” Replacement on GoFundMe as your awesome autumn crowdfunding challenge?

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