Update: Amazon Application Status

While perusing the Amazon Careers site and logging into my profile, I noticed a "What's My Status?" link.  The image below shows my "status" at Amazon - I have NONE ...

Although I have not yet been reviewed and rejected for all 15 jobs (5 are still under review), I am at least a little discouraged.  But I AM going to stick with the daily tweets to Amazon until I actually do get an interview with a hiring manager.

@Amazon @AmazonFresh @AmazonLocal Being Sent Daily Tweets Until I Get an Interview

I'm really hoping that my current project with the guys at Deals4Dreams really takes off like it should and that they hire me on an ongoing basis.  They are all great guys, with an awesome business model that helps people and nonprofits and ideally I will be involved longterm, but its kind of out of my hands and I need to have options.

This Twitter move is admittedly being done in frustration, but I'm betting it gets me an interview (and hopefully/probably) a job.  My frustration mostly comes from being basically unemployed for a little over three years - I know there are unfortunately still a growing number of people who share that in common.  During that time period, there have been varying levels of effort, determination, and levels of being desperate.  (Not all that long ago I even held a sign on a freeway offramp in the rain in an attempt to get enough money to buy my daughter a Christmas gift - and got zero donations).

Bellevue Startup Deals4Dreams Has Supporters of Many Nonprofits in Suspense

For the past couple of weeks I have been working on getting Bellevue-based startup, Deals4Dreams set up and established on Facebook and Twitter, while attempting to engage many different nonprofits to show them how they can benefit from the program.  It really surprises a lot of people when we tell them that they can offer their members and supporters amazing deals twice a week from Deals4Dreams - and that their nonprofit group will receive 50% of the profits.  

Facebook Landing Page for Deals4Dreams

I've been working on creating a Facebook landing page for new visitors to the Deals4Dreams Facebook page.  I've got new tabs from two separate apps, but cannot get them to come up first ...

Here's the image I want to show in the page (I need to post it so that I can link to it anyway)

Non-Profits Signing Up for New Fundraising Program - Deals4Dreams

At some point in the next week or two, Bellevue-based Deals4Dreams will be launching their free webservice for non-profit organizations.  I recently agreed to work on social media and public relations for the technology start-up on a short-term basis and cannot wait for the launch of the site and the daily deals for non-profits start getting sent out, purchased and redeemed!  In the meantime, please 'Like' Deals4Dreams on Facebook and follow @Dreams4Deals on Twitter and most importantly, let me know if you support any US-based non-profits that you would like to see have a Dream4Deals fundraising site at ZERO COST....

We will be kicking off in the greater Seattle area, while simultaneously launching in 24 other major markets across the country.  It's a fun, but busy time and we are looking forward to serving our partners - businesses, non-profits and their supporters.

  

August 1st This Year Brings Good Vibes, The Start of Big, FAT Changes

(WARNING:  This post is much more personal than most of my writing.  If reading it might make you uncomfortable, please don't.)

For some reason today (being August 1st) seems more like a day for goals, setting intentions and starting massive change than does January 1st.  Notice I did NOT mention resolutions - I've never believed in them!

Perhaps the recent nice weather has got me in a good mood and a bit motivated, I'm not sure if that is why, but I feel like some huge changes are finally going to be happening.

Latest Read: When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead by Jerry Weintraub with Rich Cohen

Another book I found on the Bellevue Regional Library's new non-fiction table the other day is When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead by Jerry Weintraub with Rich Cohen.  If you like autobiographies, are an entrepreneur or just like stories about show business, I would fully recommend reading this book.  Although Weintraub is constantly telling stories about really cool things he did - and doing a lot of name dropping, I didn't once get the feeling like he was bragging.  It was great to read about his relationships with presidents, heads of studios and much more.

The biggest take away that I got from this book was his quote that "When artists try to run their business, they stop being artists."  Although I am not personally an artist, I've thought a lot about this and believe that people should do what they enjoy (and are hopefully good at) and leave the rest to other people.  What do you think?

I remember when Weintraub had Concerts West going full tilt back in the day - but in the end, he just shut it down when he stopped enjoying it.  It didn't hurt that by then he was producing some really big movies ..