She did it! My daughter graduated from high school!

Graduation parties abound this time of year. GRAND celebrations…not just for our kids, but for us parents as well, who seriously questioned whether OUR child’s turn would truly come to pass.  There were times…

Like the day the report card came in the mail. “You skipped 6th hour 22 times? Unexcused absences how many days? Why wasn’t I notified? How is this possible? You’re grounded the rest of your life. AAARRRGH!”

The inevitable conversations with school adminstrators and councelors only served to strengthen my daughter’s resolve to find an alternative solution. Sitting in overfilled classrooms, listening to uninspired lectures, dealing with kids intent to disrupt, sick of the pressures of sex, drugs and alcohol, she’d had enough and wasn’t willing to do it anymore.

I FREAKED!

But thanks to the University of Miami’s College Prep Online High School, we found an alternative and a good one at that. I was a bit nervous about it, as the cost was a shocker and self-discipline was required. But since it was mid - semester, there weren’t alot of alternative solutions for her to remain a student.

Turned out to be the best move we could have made.

It was a turning point in her attitude and determination to do well in school. She went on to enroll in a dual credit program between a local charter school and the colleges in town. This last year, she completed not only high school but now has full year of college credits for the classes she finished at the local community college (with flying colors, I might add!).

So here’s my point…

GutZy Women is about helping people (especially the female type) get over their fear & frustration of computer technology and the Internet because it is the single most powerful educational tool in our world today. It allows you stay at home, yet have access to the most up-to-date information and the most knowledgeable people across the world.

It changes the way we live, learn and do business. Sometimes, as in my daughter’s case, it provides solutions. But for those of us who grew up in a different world, it’s not an easy thing to change our thought patterns.

How different the world is today for our graduates than in my day!

• I had a very hard time thinking, at first, that my girl would miss out on traditional high school life. Like sports, running for queen, school functions, annual signing, etc. But she didn’t! She had even more amazing experiences because she wasn’t afraid to step out of the box.

• I’d had a very hard time dealing with her coming home and telling me she couldn’t sit in a classroom, listen to lectures, put up with the way the kids treated each other and wanting to try an alternative to traditional high school. But she didn’t. She knew what she wanted and went after it.

• I was worried that she would have a hard time with the self discipline of online high school as well as waitressing part time. But she wasn’t. And now our daughter understands what it takes to live successfully in the world.

We are SO PROUD of her! She is an AMAZING, determined young woman!

Our hearts are exploding with joy that she represents the next generation of GUTZY WOMEN!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the new graduates, but especially to you parents out there who have survived it .

Here’s to us…HALLELUJAH!

Are you letting the weight of the world drag you down?

A few weeks ago I was feeling crushed by the weight of the world, with all the natural disasters, the recession, violence against women around the world, the number of our young men and women being killed and traumatized by the war and on, and on…UGH! It was really getting to me and I let it affect the way I thought about my life, my family and my business.  My family, whom I love dearly, were getting on my nerves and taking up my time in a way that I was resentful. I wasn’t going into my office because I didn’t want to leave my house. My girlfriends, who were always asking me to do things with them, were now too busy with their own lives. Money and clients seemed to just disappear.  

“HMMM….WHAT IS GOING ON???”…This is NOT ME! I’m NOT like that normally and have had very few bouts of depression throughout my life, so I had to step back and wonder why I was often on the verge of tears.  My poor mentor had to put up with tears and nose blowing for a couple of hours at the local coffee shop one morning in front of all these people and I had NO INTENTION of even mentioning what had been going on in my head, but when he asked me how things were, my emotions took over and I couldn’t stop myself, for the life of me! 

It was embarrassing and yet obviously it was something I needed to get out of my system. I felt better immediately, listened to some very sage advice and continued to re-examine my perception of life, the happenings in the world and the direction of business.  Funny thing is I talked to more than a few friends and colleagues who were going through something similar, to different degrees.  

Now, I know this is a personal issue, so why I am writing about this here?

In this blog and on my GutZy Women Website, I’ve always tried to focus on delivering valuable information for YOUR benefit. The majority of the articles and videos I’ve published have been to educate, illuminate, inspire and motivate YOU to leverage the power of technology and Multi Media to expand your reach, whether for business, personal or benevolent purposes. 

But now I feel drawn to take it a step further and use my knowledge, skills and passion not just for business purposes, but to seek out those who are using a more holistic approach to how we can serve each other and the world and align myself and GutZy Women LLC with those who are proactively seeking positive solutions and taking action to impact positive change. 

So one “ah-ha” that came to mind through this process is that I wonder if what I’ve been publishing, teaching and offering is actually accomplishing that which I intended. Another question in my mind is that since the vision of GutZy Women is HUGE and has so many facets, is it time now to add another piece of the vision?

The first question can only be answered by YOU and I would LOVE your feedback. Call, write or comment below:

The second question, although open for discussion, must pretty much be decided by me and the universe. Come back tomorrow to see what I decided and how YOU can benefit!

LOVE

Deb Ducic

PS: The third question is…How is the state of the world affecting you? How are you handling it?

So what type of tech user are you? Did you take the survey yourself? 

Yesterday, I shared a study I ran across which was done to discover how American adults use (or not) the internet as well as other communication tools, like iPods, cell phones, Bluetooths and other electronic tools.  

The report was written by John B Horrigan, Director of research for the PEW Internet & American Life Project, based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between February 15 to April 6, 2006, among a sample of 4,001 adults, 18 and older. 

PEW divides Americans up into three main categories, as well as 10 subset groups . Here’s the breakout:

·                     Elite Tech Users (31% of American adults)

·                     Middle-of-the-road Tech Users (20%)

·                     Few Tech Assets (49%) 

It’s a fascinating report, but rather than have you read the whole thing, here are some of the highlights: 

Of the “middle of the Road Users” half  of them have invested in a lot of technology, but they find the connectivity intrusive and all the information something of a burden. Many of them say they suffer from information overload (sound familiar?). The typical member of this female-dominated group is in her late forties and not many would miss it if they had to without the internet, email, or their cell phone. 

Of the “Few Tech Assets” group, only 15% are considered “off the Network”, which means those people who have neither cell phones nor internet connectivity and who tend to be older adults content with traditional media resources. 

For Lackluster Veterans, 8% of the Middle Roaders, the thrill of information technology is gone – if it was ever there to begin with. The members of this fortyish group of mostly men came online in the mid-1990s and seem to carry the weight of necessity more than a full hearted embrace of information technology’s affordances.  

Productivity Enhancers: this 8% of American adults happily get a lot of things done with information technology, both at home and at work, and view it as a way to give them an edge intheir professional and personal lives. 

Inexperienced Experimenters: another 8% have the willingness to try new things online, which goes along with their openness to technology and they might even be willing to try even more if they had it. This is likely to be a woman and entering her fifties; she is likely to have been online for a relatively short amount of time – about five years – and to have an income just above the average. 

To read the rest of the article…CLICK HERE

 I am an Omnivore. What are you?

You can find out by taking a survey on the PEW Internet & American Life Project website. You probably already have a good feel for what kind of “techie” you are (or not), but you can see where you fit in with other Americans AND for those of you who are in “the business” you’ll find it valuable as well. Obviously, I’m fascinated enough to write about it.  Apparently I belong to only 8% of the American public who are deep users of Web 2.0 applications and mobile applications they’ve lovingly named “Omnivores”. 

Omnivores are a subset of people who fall into the “Elite Tech Users” categorywhich make up 31% of American adults. We are the most active participantsin the information society, consuming information goods and services ata high rate and using them as a platform for participation and self expression.We have a deep and varied tech appetite, which is why we are called the Omnivores. Most Omnivores are in their twenties (Where did I get lost?:) and nearly all have high-speed connections available at home or work. We are highly engaged with video online and digital content. Between blogging, maintaining our Web pages, remixing digital content, or posting our creations to our websites, we are creative participants in cyberspace. 

PEW divides Americans up into three main categories, as well as 10 subset groups and I’m sure you’re dying to know which group you belong to! Be sure to take the survey to find out, but in the meantime… Here’s the breakout according to the report written by John B Horrigan, Director of research for the PEW Internet & American Life Project, based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between February 15 to April 6, 2006, among a sample of 4,001 adults, 18 and older. 

·                     Elite Tech Users (31% of American adults)

·                     Middle-of-the-road Tech Users (20%)

·                     Few Tech Assets (49%) 

Go take the survey, then come back tomorrow for some fascinating highlights and conclusions of this study.

To Learn More About Women, Technology & the Internet, CLICK HERE