All posts by Laura

Threads Leading up to Proyecto Siembra

Heading the Call

Jim works with the prison ministry and this past tuesday they resumed the group of mentors resumed their visits to the local juvenile detention center. I know he was upset to be unable to attend. Tired and stressed as he might be on any given day, when he does go connect with any one of these youths both parties reap the benefit. Jim comes home with a story with the satisfaction of having given of his time to say "I am here, and I care" to another human being in need. The youth I surmise is impacted by the simple truth that somebody, a stranger was there to see him.  Well Jim could not make it because it was our anniversary and instead we would be taking a work related trip to coffee country to learn about the operations of Puerto Rico’s oldest agricultural cooperative and their recent commercial launch of a coffee brand: Café Cibales.  Jim and I love coffee and have had the occassional dream of someday retiring to the countryside and growing coffee.

This past week week I was able to put the final touches on the launch of a strategic collaboration with Miray and Isabel.   Miray Ramy is an amazing educator and entrepreneur. The passion with which she designs and develops educational programs for her after-school programs and summer camps is intoxicating. Her can do spirit is definitely the entrepreneur in her fueling her interest education. Around her its easy to think: sure lets do robotics, lets make chess hip, lets teach kids writing through film projects. Isabel is a clinical psychologist that works primarily with elementary school children. This week she and I were discussing bilingual education and whether an early or late exposure to a third language would be best  for our children. Her plans were French for preschoolers, chinese for high school.

To finish the preamble here, last night as I drove to the beach apartment to have my weekly writing retreat, I listened on the radio two people, a man and a woman, who had served their time in a federal prison facility and were at present gainfully employed and productive members of society with a loving family of their own. Their stories were very similar. They were convicted for trafficking drugs. In prison they were able to finish their education, get a higher degree, develop a love for self improvement, develop a work ethic and leave the prison system with books undertow to face life anew. Saddly this is not the case for most of the people serving prison sentences in Puerto Rico prisons – where resources are limited and education and productive skill development of the prisoners is a big area for improvement. Therefore, it is no surprise there is a great degree of re-incidence as prison is visited once and again by individuals stuck in a routine they lack the tools to change.

Last night in my dreams these influences must have all coalesced in my dreams because I woke up with the a beautiful vision for a future project: Proyecto Siembra.

I envision Proyecto Siembra to be a cooperative of coffee pickers or farm hands. An opportunity open to juvenile offenders and selective older convicts in the adult prison system. The project would begin with education in the prison system to finish high school diplomas and offer courses in agronomy and the business of farming.  I would encourage visits from farmers to come talk to the kids and have them see productive male role models that are not slaves to bling or twisted around by disses.  I would hope these youths would see what I saw: soft spoken men full of grace, poise, strength and knowledge for their place tending and depending on the eco-system.  If our youths are plagued by a loss of purpose and sense to their surrounding and they are severely lacking in male role models Proyecto Siembra would begin to address these needs and sow the seed of hope.  As the youths make it to the country side to put in 8 hours of productive work I would bet that  would also see in themselves the growth of their self esteem and dreams for a better and more meaninful life.

 Just this past year the Department of Agriculture on the island was asking the immigrant population to lend a hand and assist with the collection of coffee beans. It is hard manual labor in a mountainous terrain. Extra hands seem to always be in need.

Now that I think about  it, Lilimar told me of a similar project was designed in Venezuela by a Rum company.  I remember hearing a top executive of

Ron Santa Teresa come and talk about how they gave local youths who had vandalized the premises of their company the opportunity to earn their freedom by working the fields rather than being processed through the criminal system.  Years later youths from the surrounding neighborhood gangs voluntarily requested to join the work program and the crime wave that threatened productivity and peace was dissipated.

Looking to transplant some of these examples of corporate social responsibility to the Island, Lilimar facilitated the development of Fundación Arte en Concreto. This Fundación is the pro-active response of Cemex to the social and economic development of the Island. This foundation supervises the delivery of cement handling skills to prisoners giving them the opportunity to become masterful builders.

So in the end as I write down my semi-conscious dream, I realize it did not come out of the thin blue ether but evolved from the interconnection of many recent and not so recent threads. Threads of action, talent and thought of socially committed citizens that inspire me to see solutions to the ills of today. 

 


Trampling Amateur Photographer’s Rights

Eye on the Marketplace, Personal Journey

Corporate America is littered these days with misguided policies drafted by lawyers to protect companies from liability, but without a moment’s pause to what they convey. A good example is this recent bit from an interaction between an amateur photographer and Walgreens.

I come to pick up my prints. I uploaded them via your website.

I’m sorry sir I cannot sell you these prints.

Excuse me? How come?

It’s our policy not to infringe on copyright of professional work. You need to bring a release from the photographer.

But I AM the photographer. You see this is my family.

If you are the photographer, then how can you be in a picture?

I set up the shot, gave my camera to a friend and he clicked it. But since the configuration, tool and subject are mine copyright is mine.

Sorry sir, you need to provide proof that you are the owner of the copyright.

How can I go about doing that?

Well you bring the media you used to save the picture or you bring proof by bringing the sequence of pictures or a signed release.

Now, this is a real story that happened to my husband, right before Father’s day. I even went to the store myself with my four kids to explain the situation to the managerial staff, to no avail. I saw they had my prints, my beautiful prints and still it was a Father’s day without our anticipated wallet pictures. I mention this incident as an example of ill-advised policies. In this case rather than protect copyright it infringes on a consumer’s rights and invites employees to treat consumers as thieves or scammers.

The policy is likely a throwback to a time when rolls of film were the medium of the day and photograph retouching and fancy lenses were the exclusive realm of "professional photographers." With the advent of digital photography and readily available art programs, touching up photographs has become a hobby of many. Semi-professional cameras can now be bought for $800, the price of one computer or two palm devices. Now that we rarely use film and all images are digital, we can snap hundreds and select the 3 that are excellent, whether by chance or design. In our case proving ownership meant either going home and printing other pictures – the irony being we used Walgreens online to upload the pics and get them printed so as to NOT to use our printer. If we had not had a printer I guess we could have brought the computer hard drive as the pictures were never on a single camera memory disk but in our files at home. The pictures were the best in our past six month.  I concurred with the Walgreens staff and that is why we wanted them printed.

Adding to the confusion and irritation, the policy is not posted online nor on the store. Consumers are led to believe the service is being provided and then when we were ready to pay "$1.99" the staff let us know they thought we were stealing images from some professional.

I am sure many lawsuits and underhanded situations have led stores to no longer uphold "consumer is always right", but "the consumer has to prove he or she is innocent" is quite upsetting. The courts in Puerto Rico spoke on this topic. In 2006, clients of Costco participated in a lawsuit against the store for their practice of requiring their clients proof of purchase as they stepped outside the store. The local courts found in favor of the consumer stating that the stores could not force clients to prove their innocence. If the burden of proof should be anywhere it should be with the store itself. If theft is a problem approach those whom you suspect or have witnessed in foul play, but don’t treat us all as thieves and scam artists.

But the practice of requesting proof of purchase at the exit continues, I just know I have the right to abstain. To the consumers that stand in long lines waiting to prove that they bought their goods and give me dirty looks, I say, defend your rights or be aware of what is the marketplace you are agreeing to sponsor and build.

There are great opportunities here for better policies and greater respect and better treatment of clients in exchange for consumer loyalty. But it is up to the consumers to let the businesses know when policies are unacceptable and for the business to review its policies and invest in improving their client relationship. I for one will continue to work to expose what is wrong and offer a solution.

Se nos pasó la guagua

En Español, Heading the Call

Poco antes de las seis de la tarde hoy capté los últimos minutos de un mensaje al pueblo. Mientras escuchaba a esta persona hablando, pensaba ¿estoy escuchando un candidato a la gobernación? ¿es esta una plataforma de partido? A grandes razgos se mencionaron temas de desarrollo económico con los cuales he trabajado como voluntaria del sector empresarial por los pasados 5 años: impulsar empresas de capital nativo, la innovación, la tecnología, una mejor calidad de vida, facilitar la inversión, crear un mejor clima de negocios, agilizar la permisología.  Si la persona que estoy escuchando quiere lo mismo que yo, seguramente nos conocemos o nos hemos topado en los múltiples foros o estudios, pensé mientras trataba de reconocer la voz.

La voz no la reconocí pero al concluir el mensaje escuché el lugar desde el cual se trabajarían soluciones para impulsar todos estos temas.A mi sorpresa el lugar era la Cámara de Representantes, el autor del mensaje era el Hon. José Aponte, Presidente de la Cámara. El propósito del mensaje luego aprendí era explicarle al pueblo porqué él no favorecía una extensión de la ley actual, sino revisarla y atemperarla para que sirva de base para los próximos 10 años.

Bonitas como fueron sus imágenes del futuro para Puerto Rico y loable como es su compromiso con atemperar la Ley de Incentivos Industriales, de igual grado es su error. ¿Deberíamos atemperar la ley? Nadie lo duda. Pero el tiempo para esto no es ahora. Ahora, lo que corresponde es extender la vigencia de la ley actual por 2 años.

TablaEmpleos2005-07_1.jpg¿Porqué una extensión? ¿Porqué dos años? ¿Porqué no trabajar una nueva ahora?

El julio pasado cuando estábamos a 18 meses de la fecha de expiración de la nueva ley era el momento de circular borradores de la ley. Hay que trabajar en una nueva ley pero no podemos permitir aumentar la desconfianza e incertidumbre al no tener un plan claro y estable por al menos 24 meses. En el 2005 se nota un aumento en los cierres y reducciones de empleos en el sector de manufactura. Este ritmo de reducciones ha tomado al sector de manufactura por sorpresa y generado una alarma entre los ciudadanos que laboran en este sector o dependen de él. 

Si tomamos como ejemplo el proceso de la ley de que crea por primera vez en Puerto Rico un impuesto a la venta y al uso ( IVU). Esta ley se desarrolló en un periodo más o menos de seis meses. No empero al tiempo discurrido, al otro día de pasar la ley los mismos legisladores tenían interpretaciones diferentes de la misma y del total del impuesto.  Algunos aclaraban que la intención era un total no más alto de 5% y otros aseguraban que el total del nuevo impuesto era 7%.  Este periodo de crear un impuesto ve a su vez la creación de potencialmente 79 puntos de recaudación de impuestos a la venta, ya que entran los municipios a procesar el mismo, junto con Hacienda. Este periodo de revisión de nuestro sistema contributivo causó desasosiego en los consumidores y cautela en los negocios. Al día de hoy muchos aún no están claro del proceso.

 En repaso del proceso de crear el IVU, muchos estimamos que dos años serían un periodo de tiempo que acomodaría redacción, estudios de impacto, diálogo y educación. Pasar una ley de extensión que aplique por menos de 24 meses es complicar la vida a los negocios. Sin embargo si todos los pasos de la ley se cumplen antes de los 24 meses, no habría problema con derogar la extensión para dar paso a lo que esperamos sería una mejor ley, dirigida a incentivar la inversión.

¿Porqué? ¿Es esto parte de una campaña de miedo: se van las multinacionles, se van…?

No es campaña es una realidad, documentada. Cada empresa tendrá su razón particular. Tendrán razones oficiales y extra-oficiales, pero una regla de base es que las empresas planifican proyectos normalmente con una ventana de 18 meses, poco más , poco menos. Cuando tocaba planificar y rendir una proyección que cubría un periodo de tiempo más allá del 31 de diciembre del 2007, empezamos a tener un problema. El problema es que las proyecciones no contaban con una idea clara de qué pasaría.

No había borrador, no había estudios, no había diálogo de cuál sería la próxima ley – Aquí fallamos muchos, distraídos o dormidos. Las asociaciones debieron haber completado sus estudios hace 18 meses para comenzar a redactar una nueva ley o compartir los resultados y cabildear por estrategias particulares de una nueva ley. Recientemente pregunté a la persona asumiendo la presidencia de una asociación que agrupa un sector industrial y a la pregunta ¿porqué no hubo borradores ni preprarativos? me contestó con gran franqueza que desafortunadamente la costumbre había sido que la legislatura presenta las leyes y ellos comentaban al respecto.  Con la distracción del IVU y los cambios en impuestos y leyes laborales las asociaciones estuvieron tan ocupadas respondiendo a otras leyes que no ciruclaron algunas de las ideas que ya tenían y se quedaron esperando ver un borrador. Puede que el circo reciente de política con clima de crisis tras crisis haya aportado a la falta de preparación, pero creo importante comenzar el trabajo de la nueva ley reconociendo que aquí muchos dejamos caer la bola y dimos paso para la improvisación.

Entre enero del 2005 y marzo del 2007 se han registrado en Puerto Rico 44 cierres o reducciones de plantas de manufactura. Eso es casi 2 plantas por mes. Estimo que se han perdido unos 8,168 empleos. Esta cifra la saco de documentación ofrecida por la Asociación de Industriales y conocimiento propio de algunas empresas afectadas. ¿Es esto mucho o poco? Si cada una de las personas empleadas tuviera a su cargo dos dependientes, estamos hablando de 24,504 individuos afectados. En Puerto Rico eso es más que la población total de muchos municipios. Les invito a imaginarse un pueblo como Luquillo o Moca que gradualmente sobre los pasados dos años se encuentra con 100% desempleo.

Pero no se han ido todas las mulitnacionales. No se fueron al acabar las 936, no se irán na’. ¿Porqué se quedan?

Esta es una pregunta que atendió el Profesor de Princeton, Nathan Jensen en un estudio recién publicado y malinterpretado por el economista local Francisco Catalá ante los medios. Jensen, preguntó porqué las multinacionales, aún y cuando otros países del mundo tiene ofertas de incentivos contributivos más atractivos, no mudan o consolidad operaciones allá. Jensen descubre que más allá de los incentivos, las multinacionales valoran

  1. la disponibilidad de información y transparencia de procesos, el diálogo y estudio abierto sobre desarrollo económico,
  2. la separación de poderes, las avenidas para representar la pluralidad de opiniones, en particular el cabildeo por posturas a favor de la manufactura, local o foránea.
  3. la credibilidad del gobierno

Si en el pasado no salieron corriendo las multinacionales cuando se acabo cubierta de la sección 936, Jensen nos da a entender que el diálogo abierto a todos los niveles de cuál sería el impacto y cómo Puerto Rico pensaba atender el cambio fueron factores importantes que mitigaron el efecto. 

La realidad actual es que la discusión sobre la nueva ley de incentivos no ha comenzado aún.  Hemos perdido la transparencia en procesos y desatendido la planificación.  Peor aún el clima de negocios se ha desmejorado con actitudes antagónicas entre patronos y empleados. En los pasados 18 meses en vez de trabajar una nueva ley de incentivos hemos pasado leyes que des-incentivan la creación de empleo y cargado a las empresas con más procesos contributivos.

Esto explica porqué ahora, a diferencia de transiciones anteriores hemos visto una aceleración en la reducción de op eraciones de manufactura en la Isla. 

¿Pero cada semana escuchamos de multinacionales que vendrán a Puerto Rico y de una que otra expansión…

Cierto, pero estas noticias son acuerdos de promoción. Cada parte saca a los medios su compromiso para un resultado idóneo. Pero a menudo la promesa de 200 empleos resulta en 110, de 400 en 230.  A diferencia de las promesas y proyecciones de inicio de un proyecto las noticias de empleos perdidos son números más certeros. Los 350 que despidieron casi nunca resultan ser 120 en vez.

El periódico informa del éxito de las promesas y ofertas de promoción.  Pero estas buenas noticias y las mismas promesas serán afectadas por la falta de una base transparente de leyes e incentivos para más allá del 31 de diciembre del 2007.  Por mi parte, mi relación ha sido principalmente con la industria local y conozco por parte ellos reducciones, cierres y la merma en la confianza sobre el gobierno ante la posibilidad de que cojan esta importante ley para hacer campaña política con la crisis auto-generada por la falta de compromiso por el bien común.  Si los locales pierden confianza en los procesos del gobierno me parece solo natural que con el tiempo lo pierdan también los que están por llegar o recién llegados.

¿Es esto un tema de multinacionales vs locales?

No. Jensen encuentra que para las empresas foráneas es claro que cuando una ley es buena para la industria nativa es buena para las multinacionales. Estamos hablando de crear las bases para un sector de manufactura saludable y diversificado.

Hay que cuidar la retórica

Aponte hablaba de una ley para el desarrollo económico y social, una ley que "incluya áreas como ciencia y tecnología, desarrollo de la búsqueda científica, distribución de servicios y productos, transferencia de tecnología, inversión en equipo tecnológico y proyectos de infraestructura como la producción de agua, energía eléctrica y plantas de reciclaje." Para el éxito de tal ley es primordial antes tener un clima de negocios saludable dondeno se promueve el antagonismo entre patronos y empleados. Llamar "mercaderes de miedo" a líderes industriales mina la confianza básica necesaria para generar empleo productivo y fomentar patrones saludable de productividad y crecimiento. Si el empleado siente apatía por su jefe,  les aseguro que será un empleado que no da el máximo, el 120%. Empleados productivos y empresas vibrantes requieren confianza entre gerencia y empleomanía.

Antagonizar a la industria publicamente pero comprometerse a trabajar una ley que promueva la inversión es una contradicción insalvable. La retórica está desincentivando la inversión. En mi experiencia de ventas, es más fácil una venta con clientes satisfechos existentes que cerrar una venta con un prospecto. Ambas son importantes para crecer una empresa pero desatender clientes existentes por conseguir nuevos es riesgoso. Si la manufactura representa 40% de nuestra economía al día de hoy, recomiendo atender este segmento por sí solo y dejar para otra ley cómo incentivar el desarrollo de pequeñas y medianas empresas, el desarrollo del sector de tecnología. Llevo trabajando a favor de las pequeñas y medianas empresas y una clima de innovación e inversión y por lo que he conocido en este pasado año del sector de manufactura las necesidades e incentivos son muy distintos para cada cual.

Por ahora, sin estar en desacuerdo con la magna visión de desarrollo económico social presentada por Aponte, mi recomendación es extender la ley actual y trabjar de inmediato en una mejor ley enfocada en la industria de manufactura, teniendo cuidado de no querer resolverlo todo ahora. El que mucho abarca… espanta la inversión.
 

Modern Living and the Ties that Bind Us

Personal Journey

This past Mother’s Day, I rebelled and reveled at slowly evolving family habits, common signs of our age.  Disney’s 1980’s home of the future is a reality in many ways. You press a button and two minutes later voila! you have dinner for 30 people. You turn on a monitor and sit down before it and you are having a face to face conversation a world away. On a single tv you can watch at the same time in different squares different programs. Your office and connectivity has you always here and there at once without need to have teleported.

As I mentioned, this Mother’s day I rebelled. I did so by declining to be treated to "holiday meal" at a restaurant.  This may not sound very rebellious or dramatic but as I look back "eating out" has been an ever growing trend a definite change from my child recollections and what is now customary. Remember easter brunch prior to the 80’s?  In my family it was a family feast at someone’s house.  Baking and cooking were part of the Easter vigil. Nowadays, Easter celebration is a hotel all you can eat brunch. 

Most wives see this as an improvement but changing traditions are usually a mixed bag of good and bad.  On this one, I am partly old-fashioned.

The fast paced lifestyle of today has resulted in a generation of women who feel tired and overwhelmed. Women who have lost the pleasure of cooking. These are the generation of women over 50 that do not have the perks of their mother’s or even that they enjoyed back in the 80’s.  When things were cooked and recipe’s were important, those who cooked were the recipient of praise and gratitude. Food was the centerpeice of every gathering.  If you wanted to find the happening place it was in the kitchen. 

Nowadays, the kitchen is a lonely place for many. Attentions are pulled into many directions away from the kitchen. Techno-gadgets divide the crowd into many pockets of activity. Recipe’s and cooking is not as revered, downgraded to an oldfashioned hassle.

I ask my generation and the generation above why not cook and chorus of answers varies between " why bother? It’s too much hassle", "I don’t know how to cook for so many people" or simply "I don’t cook."  So who’s in the kitchen? Sam, Costco, Giovanna’s catered delights and whoever is pressing the button to heat it all up. 

On one hand, my generation put aside the kitchen because it was more common for both parents to be working and something had to give way. On the other hand, we have gotten used to thinking why do it the hard way if there is a new shortcut, a new technology that simplifies life, a new globalized solution that requires you to drive a block and find the world at your finger tips… and if it is easy it is good.

Oftentimes what we have lost is quality and inspiration. As an artist,l ife without inspiration is not worth living. As an anthropologist, I do love having the world at my fingertips and discovering aspects of it a block away. This mother’s day I wanted to celebrate my memory of "Mom’s cooking for the family ."  My approach to cooking met the global economy half-way.  I walked into Costco and I was inspired.  I found the raw ingredients and accents I needed. Spicy baby bell peppers filled with cream cheese were a delicious treat. I thank modern day shopping for providing the shortcuts but I was ready to have it all fit together with a good dose of love and inspiration.

I gladly stayed in the kitchen and along with my husband and my brother we cooked up a delicious, simple and nice looking dinner, while the other moms hung out in and around the pool.

After dinner we sat around my brother’s IMac which he connected at the kitchen table and called my sister in Rhode Island.  I reveled at having my 93 year old grandmother videoconferencing, greeting my sister and her daughters over 5,000 miles away.  Though my grandma does not speak up these days, her great granddaughters were able to hear and see her.  I doubt my grandma fully understood how all this was possible but she was happy to benefit from today’s technology.

A few days later my Mother’s Day gift arrived. My brother had also arrived a day earlier, having traveled from Germany with his wife. Geeky as I am, I was excited to show him my tablet pc. He was eager to convince me to join the family and hook up on Skype to do Saturday morning video-conferencing with them. Having enjoyed seeing my grandmother use Skype I might as well. Our Basque friends have sent us a pc camera hoping we’d use it to call them. We already have a VoIP phone. Friends and family seem to be eagerly waiting for me online, Skype here I come.

 




 

Family of Four: Insanity with Reason

Personal Journey

Against the prevailing common sense we are a family of six: four children, two adults. Walking through the mall with Asier strapped to my chest and holding the hand of Javier while keeping an eye on Jaimito and Olaia, I get looks of disbelief and ocasionally blatant disapproval. To those who are atleast curious to understand how it is that we desired 4 instead of 1 and half or two I endulge with an explanation. 

Before you think we are fabulously wealthy and kids are an extension of our wealth, let me assure you you got it backwards. We got the kids and do live richly but we are still working on actual monetary wealth.  

Continue reading Family of Four: Insanity with Reason →

En busca del sello

En Español, Heading the Call

Ayer me dieron la buena noticia de que la gente- los consumidores- está preguntando por la rotulación en las tiendas.  Hoy aprobamos cambios en presupuesto y esperamos el lunes tener Sam’s, Walmart, Amigo y Pueblo vestidos de verde.  En par de semanas deben salir ya los materiales para el punto de venta resaltando que ATH es un servicio Hecho en Puerto Rico.

Lo próximo que espero oir es: las ventas de productos "Hecho en Puerto Rico" aumentaron dramáticamente…. estoy a la espera. Esta última noticia sería la verdadera medida del éxito de esta primera fase.

 Les incluyo el curioso arte que preparó la Asociación para seguir sembrando curiosidad por la campaña.

BuscaElSello._1.JPG 

 

Empty Houses and Monster in the Park

Heading the Call, Personal Journey
This past week I heard a woman talking on her cell as she stood by her child at the kids park, "Yea I haven’t heard from Monster."  I walked to the Gazebo and I found Carola chatting with another neighbor about how some other site was more effective than Monster.  Up until then, at the park, I had only heard talk of a Monster from the mouths of kids running around without a care in the world.

When we moved to our neighborhood the houses would sell like hotcakes.  Our own house was spotted by us the very day the classified ad was published in the newspaper.  Two months later we were moving.  Now as I drive up to the neighborhood there are atleast 6 for sale signs at the entrance to the subdivision.

How things change. 

Today I saw a water company rep. parking in front of a neighbors house. I asked what he was up to, suspecting first and foremost he was about to shut somebody’s water due to lack of payment. It is not unheard of in this middle class neighborhood that people are always leaving one bill behind to pay the next month. Concerned for my neighbor I asked willing to pick up the tab to avoid the sensation of walls falling in on any neighbor. 

 For eight years, we have been working to open a market for alternative technologies, a market open to innovation, building greater economic opportunity for local technology companies.   We have also worked with government to assist in bridging the gap between government strategies for economic development and  a vibrant and diversified private sector. 

Jim and I are invested in this economy, we cannot just get up and go.  Perhaps we could, but the sweat equity we have put in drives us to want to see the change come about, to experience the satisfaction of building trust and opportunity back into the equation.

Today I remember those who left and prepare to say goodbye to the ones leaving everyweek.  I wish I could do something to stop the diaspora now,  something more immediate. I wish it were just enough to say "Puerto Rico te necesita."

Idania, Juan Carlos, Damián, Pedro Javier, Melisa, René, Oliver, Holly, Alberto, Gloria, Diego, Bobby, Carola,  the list goes on but these names I know.  In the year 2000, most of these talented young profesionals were gainfully employed and full of idealism and drive. In the years that followed their careers and dreams hit a wall.  The economy stalled and started moving to a depression. Little by little they left for better opportunities.  Most of them felt they were forced into exile. They have made their lives in Miami, Orlando, Virginia, Maryland, California, New Mexico and New York.

Busca el sello… Invierte en ti

En Español, Eye on the Marketplace

Banner_Web_17x27.jpgAl fin comenzó la campaña publicitaria diseñada para promover la compra de los productos y servicios "Hecho en Puerto Rico."   La msma llevaba fraguandose hace más de dos años y cuenta con cientos de horas de empeño y sudor de mi parte para verla nacer.  La conceptualización final del arte y coordinación con los medios la hizo Kreative Marketing. Grandes colaboradores son: la Compañía de Fomento Industrial (PRIDCO), Banco Popular, Evertec, Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Holsum, entre otros. Mi mayor orgullo es ver que pude gestionar el trabajo en equipo entre sector público y privado unidos con el fin de promover la industria nativa.  Aunque la campaña solo cuenta con un presupuesto de 440,000, la aportación en especie y la solidaridad que han mostrado los medios de comunicación y empresas de visibilidad pública es tal que el valor agregado del esfuerzo fácilmente sobrepasará el millón de dólares.

Esta campaña publicitaria y de servicio público es la primera fase de un proyecto mayor que diseñe como parte de mi compromiso con un cliente, la Asociación  Productos  de  Puerto Rico y con la industria puertorriqueña.  Todo empezó con James recalcar que habían muchos visitantes al portal de la Asociación que llegaban porque buscaban "productos Puerto Rico" y que al hacerlo el enlace de la APPR es consistentemente el primero.  Luego James añade: "El problema que veo es que el visitante llega porque quiere conocer los productos de Puerto Rico y el sitio web actual no está proveyendo esa contestación.

 Como suele pasar con las verdades… esta observación se quedó conmigo mientras comenzaba a gestar un plan para maximizar ese sitial entre los buscadores y contestar la pregunta. El mundo ya está tocando a la puerta, solo faltaba contestarle.  Para ello Altamente desarrollaría un catálogo de productos y servicios.  "Pero el catálogo solo no vende" apuntó James – otra verdad fundamental que tendría que incluir al plan.

 Fui a la Asociación y comencé a desglosar para ellos lo que sería un plan de trabajo centrado en crecer la industria puertorriqueña mediante la exportación. En el centro del plan tendríamos el uso de las nuevas tecnologías de Internet facilitando el puente al mercado global.  Como asidua colaboradora de la Compañía de Fomento Industrial y de la Compañía de Comercio y Exportación conocía bien las estrategias anteriores que buscaban lo mismo.  

Evaluando las lecciones aprendidas y repasando los resultados de programas gubernamentales,  llegué a la conclusión que la industria nativa estaba en neutro conservando energías en momentos de alzas en los costos de negocios y una imminente recesión.  Para salir de neutro necesitaría un buen empujón.  Aquí nace la idea de realizar una campaña de servicio público que instara al pueblo a comprar productos y servicios "Hecho en Puerto Rico."

Desde el 2000, se había vuelto un mantra de la industria local lo difícil que estaba la economía. Había resentimiento por los productos que entraban ahora con más facilidad y el poco respaldo del gobierno en ventas o en incentivos.  El sentido común de los compradores puertorriqueños, fuesen compras de casa o para negocios, dictaba como prioridad precio y a menudo discrimen contra lo local.

 En el pasado había quedado la conciencia de la calidad del producto local, del beneficio de tener servicio e innovación local.   El concepto de compra como modo de inversión era foráneo a la gran mayoría de compradores.  Si el futuro habría de cambiar, tendriamos que comenzar por resaltar nuevamente los lazos que nos unen y como cada transacción afecta estos lazos.

 El mensaje está ahí, anuncio tras anuncio… si quieren verlos todos pueden pasar por el sitio web de la campaña www.buscaelsello.com

 Al fin vemos el fruto de tantas reuniones hacerse realidad… la primera fase ya está ahí afuera en la calle, en la prensa, en las guaguas, en la radio.  Atentos a la segunda y tercera fase. Estoy convencida que estamos entrando en uno de los mejores momento para la industria puertorriqueña.  El apoyo multitudinario a la campaña si es acompañada por nuevas ventas dejará a su paso empresas con un gusto por la inversión y el crecimiento, empresas listas para exportar y seguir creciendo.

Dejaremos la recesión para otros… ¡Busca el sello!




Asier, Our New Beginning

Personal Journey

AsiersBirth.jpgAsier Enrique O’Malley finally came out to great us a couple of weeks before schedule on the 5th of february. Seems he was just as curious and excited to meet us as we were to meet him.

My first question as my husband looked at him being born, was does he have dark hair? This is an inside joke… I wanted to know if I would have a dark haired companion or would I be alone and outnumbered in a family of honey haired beauties. And yes he did!

Asier looks just like his siblings, no brows for now, cheeky and big but at least he’s got hair, dark hair.



 

And “Perhaps” Became Reality

Personal Journey

I was just reviewing past posts and had to laugh at my open ended speculation about "Perhaps"… "Perhaps we’ll have a fourth."  I wrote those fateful words in February.  Jim and I had agreed to remain open to a fourth but to wait until our economic picture had improved.  God must be hard of hearing or have a sense of humor because he skipped the whole "if" and "when"  statement and four months later we were surprised by number four.

I am now two weeks away from the due date and we are so eager to meet the new member of our family. Will he have black hair like his mommy? Curly hair like Javier? Will he have the O’Malley cleft? We are all very excited to meet him. 

At first we thought we’d call him Luis Enrique. Jim liked the name and I thought it was appropriate seeing as he might be born on his grandmother "Louise" birthday.  Another runner up in the naming game was Alejandro do differentiate from Alexandra his cousin. Now we are more partial to Asier, meaning "Beginning" in Basque. 

Jim and I do feel like we are embarking on a new beginning.  Though 2006 was a rough year in our economy and the business dropped dramatically we have been chugging along, up beat with a new sense of purpose and control.  In a way I think it comes down to the moment when Perhaps became Reality.  In a split second you have to choose and embrace what your reaction is going to be:  We had already been moving towards improving our quality of life. Reality knocked on our door and surprised us and we responded, "today is as good a day as any, we are glad to have you."

Jim and I both know there is nowhere to go but on to "victory."  We have been down and out and the only thing that made our life worth living was each other and our wonderful little family.  Now, we fear not the difficult times and have embraced a new beginning.  Our active realization and choice to welcome this new beginning I believe has given us a recent "high" a natural motivational boost.

 Over Christmas, Jim dusted off his woodworking talent and built me two beautiful book cases as a birthday/Christmas gift. It is now the first time in 10 years I see most of my books decorating my home.  The sight gives me such warmth and peace.  We have thrown out and given to the Salvation Army half a conex of memories.  Clothes from college that I had not worn in 8 years or more, papers, letters, shoes,… the list goes on… Jim touched up the oven and fridge, and is currently building new shelves for the kids room and medicine cabinets for our bathroom.  All in addition to both working full time.

Perhaps became a Reality and I cannot be happier about our New Beginning.