Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Website Spotlight - FlexClip: A Leap Forward in AI-Powered Image Editing

 

FlexClip: A Leap Forward in AI-Powered Image Editing

FlexClip, a popular online video editing platform, has recently unveiled its latest update, version 6.1. This new version brings a suite of powerful AI-driven image editing tools that are set to revolutionize the way users create and enhance their visual content. Let's delve into the key features that make FlexClip 6.1 a game-changer.

AI Photo Colorizer 

One of the standout features in FlexClip 6.1 is the AI Photo Colorizer. This tool leverages advanced AI algorithms to intelligently colorize black and white photos. By analyzing the image's content and context, the AI accurately applies colors, bringing old photographs back to life with stunning realism.

AI Photo Restoration 

For those with cherished old photos that have been damaged over time, FlexClip 6.1 offers an AI Photo Restoration tool. This feature can effectively remove scratches, stains, and other imperfections, rejuvenating your precious memories. The AI carefully analyzes the damaged areas and seamlessly blends the restored pixels to create a pristine image.

AI Image Upscaler 

With the AI Image Upscaler, users can enhance the resolution of low-quality images. This tool employs sophisticated AI techniques to increase the pixel count while preserving image details. Whether you want to enlarge a small thumbnail or create high-resolution prints, the AI Image Upscaler delivers impressive results.

AI Image Extender 

FlexClip 6.1 also introduces an AI Image Extender, allowing users to expand the canvas of their images without compromising quality. This feature is particularly useful for creating panoramic images or for removing unwanted elements from the edges of a photo.

AI Face Swap 

For those looking to add a touch of fun or creativity to their images, the AI Face Swap tool is a must-have. This feature enables users to effortlessly swap faces between different images. Whether you want to create a hilarious meme or experiment with different looks, the AI Face Swap offers endless possibilities.

AI Image to 3D Animation 

Perhaps the most innovative feature in FlexClip 6.1 is the AI Image to 3D Animation tool. This AI-powered feature can transform static 2D images into dynamic 3D animations. By analyzing the image's depth and contours, the AI generates a realistic 3D model that can be animated and customized.

In Conclusion 

FlexClip 6.1 represents a significant advancement in AI-powered image editing. With its comprehensive suite of tools, including AI Photo Colorizer, AI Photo Restoration, AI Image Upscaler, AI Image Extender, AI Face Swap, and AI Image to 3D Animation, FlexClip empowers users to effortlessly enhance and transform their images. Whether you're a professional designer, a hobbyist photographer, or simply someone who enjoys creating visual content, FlexClip 6.1 offers a powerful and intuitive platform to bring your creative vision to life.


Consumer Critique - Free Luma Bracelets

 I recently had a chance to see a bracelet from Free Luma. The bracelets are simply designed and have a fun concept - an easy way to get a quick inspirational reminder and quote each day.

The bracelets work seamlessly with any smartphone, using the NFC capabilities to connect to an inspirational message or quote each day. You can choose Christian or secular bracelets, and the bracelets are comfortable to wear with encouraging designs. I like that they're basically reversible - one side has a message, and the other side has a pattern, so you can have a constant reminder of the message, or you can express a little fun side too.

I like that it's really easy to access the quote, and that you don't have to sign up for an email newsletter to get it. It does require a more active step than getting an email with an inspirational message, but I actually like that aspect - it means that you're in a mindset that chooses to see the quote, not just passively scrolling through email.

If you're looking for a gift that can help brighten someone's day - not just now, but every day - or you need one for yourself, check them out!

Healthy Habits - Prevent Ear Infections

I was recently sent a sample of Ear Pro. Although we don't struggle with ear infections, this could be a very helpful product. Ear Pro is easy to apply and ideal for use after bath time, swimming lessons, or fun-filled days at the beach. Its protective barrier prevents water from getting trapped in little ears, which can lead to infections. 

Whether it’s to prevent swimmer’s ear or keep bathwater from causing trouble, Ear Pro fits seamlessly into any family’s routine, making it a thoughtful, health-focused gift that’s both useful and affordable.

Why Parents Love Ear Pro:Clinically tested to prevent ear infections by repelling water.
  • Perfect for active kids who love the water but hate earaches.
  • A great addition to every parent's beach, pool, and bath routine.
  • Small enough to slip into any bag.


Amazing Art - Art on the Ave: FDLM 14:24

After losing his entire body of work in a fire in 2014, the artist presents pictorial highlights from the last ten years, as well as new work from his current residency at Art On the Ave in the Oculus WTC Creative Space.

FDLM 14:24
November 1 - 30, 2024

 
JOIN US!

The Oculus @ World Trade Center
AOTA Creative Space 
185 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10006
Ground Floor - South Concourse
or 
From 101 Liberty Stentrance,
take escalators, two levels down to the
South Concourse of the Oculus on the Ground floor.

 

Travel Tidbits - Greece in Winter

 We think of Greece as THE place for sun filled days spent island hopping, chill walks through narrow alleyways browsing at boho chic shops, lazing outside for long lingering lunches and dinners at lively tavernas but there is so much more to Greece all year round! Let's take the winter for example and some super fun ideas from EZGReece like...

SKIING! Mt. Parnassus is perfect for skiiers of all ranges- just a 3 hour drive from Athens, this "Mykonos of winter" setting features slopes of varying degrees , the lively village of Arachova with restaurants and shops, and Delphi isn't far either.

RUSTIC HOMESTYLE HOLIDAYING! Spend cozy winter days in Zagori against the backdrop of the Pindus Mountains...imagine a fairytale setting with stone villages blanketed in snow, revitalizing gorge hikes, rich cuisine and the warm glow of festive lights outside while you play board games by the fireplace.

EXPLORING! It's a total WOW factor all around Meteora, with its monasteries perched on huge rock pillars, unique geological formations to hike around, and experiences for the senses like truffle hunting with dogs in the forest. Head out and forage and return to a kitchen for a class creating a sumptuous truffle pasta al fresco.

FESTING! Naoussa in northern Greece hosts its famed Janissaries festival where men dress as Ottoman soldiers, pair this with a private tasting experience of the renowned Xinomavro, the amazing red wine in the region.

DRIVING! Take to the road in Mani deep in the Peloponnese and take an incredibly scenic drive along the coastline, stopping at quaint villages like Kardamyli along the way and hop from taverna to taverna to taste delicious local bites.


Money Makers - Common strategic planning traps—and how to sidestep them


As executives gear up for the 2025 strategic planning season, the process can feel like a balancing act. Developing a strategic plan that both drives meaningful change and satisfies stakeholders is a complex task, made even more challenging by the fast-evolving landscape of marketplace needs, industry trends, and technological advancements.

However, many leaders unknowingly fall into common pitfalls that can derail their planning efforts. To avoid these, it’s crucial to approach strategic planning with intentionality, foresight, and a willingness to embrace change. Based on insights drawn from value proposition redesign practices and real-world business challenges, here are some of the most common strategic planning pitfalls to avoid.

1. Starting with Products and Services, Not Marketplace Needs

One of the most frequent missteps in strategic planning is jumping straight into product and service enhancements without first taking the time to understand the modern market’s evolving needs and challenges. This misalignment can lead to investing time and resources in offerings that don’t resonate within the marketplace.

Association leaders must resist the temptation to tweak current offerings in response to customer or client feedback that might be incomplete or outdated. Instead, focus on uncovering the deeper, underlying needs of your target market by conducting thorough research, listening to stakeholder pain points, and analyzing trends in your industry.

A valuable framework to use here is the Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) approach, which focuses on understanding the motivations and desired outcomes that drive customers to engage with your company. By first identifying what your audience is truly seeking to accomplish, you can tailor your offerings to meet those specific needs and deliver greater value.

2. Incrementalism: The Trap of Small Tweaks

Incremental improvements—small, conservative changes to existing programs or services—are tempting because they feel safer and easier to implement. However, this approach often keeps Associations stuck in the status quo, unable to generate the breakthrough innovations that the marketplace craves.

For example, a common sign of incrementalism is allocating resources primarily toward existing programs, while overlooking opportunities to invest in new and innovative initiatives. While there may be pressure to avoid risk, Association executives need to think big and bold to stay relevant and provide distinctive value in a competitive landscape.

One way to avoid this trap is to ask yourself whether your current strategic plan is simply aimed at maintaining the status quo or driving transformative change. Big, bold ideas are uncomfortable because they challenge the way things have always been done. But if your Association isn’t willing to explore uncomfortable ideas, it risks losing relevancy and, ultimately, revenue.

3. Focusing on the Rear-View Mirror Instead of the Windshield

Associations that spend too much time reflecting on past successes are at risk of missing future opportunities. While celebrating past accomplishments can be beneficial for morale, it can also blind you to the changes and challenges on the horizon.

Your strategic plan must be forward-thinking. Instead of concentrating solely on what has worked before, actively look for new trends, disruptions, and future opportunities within your industry. Be willing to question current assumptions and take a proactive stance in identifying where your Association could be heading.

A key way to do this is by conducting regular environmental scans—assessments of external factors such as economic conditions, technology trends, and regulatory changes—that could affect your Association in the future. The goal is not just to adapt to these changes but to position your organization to lead them.

4. Overemphasis on Risk Avoidance

A conservative approach to strategic planning, driven by a fear of failure or desire to avoid risk, can lead to stagnation. Many Association leaders, especially in times of uncertainty, focus heavily on maintaining stability rather than pursuing opportunities for growth.

However, organizations that prioritize short-term stability over long-term innovation tend to struggle with customer retention and engagement. Bold moves are necessary to stay ahead of the curve, even if they involve some level of risk. To break free from the risk-avoidance mindset, it’s essential to build a culture where calculated risk-taking is encouraged, and failure is seen as part of the learning process.

One way to manage risk without stifling innovation is to adopt a dynamic feedback loop. By continually testing and refining new initiatives based on marketplace feedback, you can make adjustments early, minimizing risk while still pursuing meaningful change.

5. Benchmarking Only Against Similar Organizations

Benchmarking—comparing your Association’s performance to that of similar organizations—can be helpful, but it should not be the sole basis for your strategic planning. When Association executives rely too heavily on what their peers are doing, they risk blending in with the crowd rather than standing out.

The more valuable approach is to look for inspiration outside your immediate sector. Explore what leading organizations in other industries are doing to innovate and create value for their customers or stakeholders. By bringing fresh ideas and perspectives into your strategic planning process, your Association can differentiate itself and offer unique value propositions not found elsewhere in the marketplace.

6. Failing to Allocate Resources Toward Innovation

A common pitfall in strategic planning is the disproportionate allocation of resources toward maintaining existing programs, leaving little room for investment in innovation. While it’s important to sustain core functions and services, innovation must be an explicit priority to ensure future relevance.

Leaders often struggle with bias toward the familiar. Innovation, however, requires rethinking traditional resource allocation models. Consider setting aside a percentage of your budget specifically for new initiatives, even if it means trimming less impactful programs. The key is to strike a balance between sustaining what works today and building the capacity for what’s needed tomorrow.

7. Prioritizing Short-Term Gains Over Long-Term Vision

In the race to show immediate results, many Associations fall into the trap of prioritizing short-term wins at the expense of long-term strategic goals. While quick wins can boost morale and offer evidence of progress, they can also distract from the bigger picture and lead to unsustainable growth or missed opportunities for lasting impact.

As you build your strategic plan, it’s essential to maintain a clear focus on your Association’s long-term vision and objectives. This requires the discipline to make decisions that may not show immediate results but will set the foundation for future success.

8. Relying on Feedback Loops Focused Only on Current Services

Another common pitfall is over-reliance on feedback loops that center solely on evaluating current services rather than exploring potential new offerings. Feedback is essential for assessing the effectiveness of your current initiatives, but it should not limit your Association’s ability to innovate.

To avoid this trap, ensure that your feedback loops include mechanisms for identifying unmet customer needs and exploring new value creation opportunities. Encourage your existing customers to think beyond what they currently receive from the company and consider what they might need in the future. By shifting the focus of your feedback mechanisms, you can uncover valuable insights that will guide innovation and help you stay ahead of the curve.

Strategic planning is more than just an annual exercise. It’s an opportunity to take stock of where your Association is today and where it needs to go in the future. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can ensure that your 2025 plan not only positions your Association for success but also delivers meaningful, lasting value to your customer base.

9. Functioning with ‘Strategic’ vs. ‘Stakeholder Value’ Plans

As we transition toward year-end, many organizations are realizing their strategic goals are significantly off track. This isn't a rare occurrence; in fact, it's almost expected. The natural momentum that kicks off a new year often dwindles as daily operations take precedence, leaving ambitious strategic plans largely unexecuted. Statistics suggest that most organizations fail to implement 70% of their strategic initiatives. Take this opportunity to toss out your ‘strategic’ plan...what you need is a ‘stakeholder value’ plan. Traditional strategic plans tend to be more of a generalized wish list than a targeted, actionable roadmap. They frequently lose sight of the very people they're supposed to benefit: the stakeholders.

Redefining strategic plans as "stakeholder impact plans" is crucial pivot. This shift emphasizes that the ultimate goal of any strategic initiative should be to create value for stakeholders. An effective plan needs to clearly articulate how it will deliver new value to key stakeholder groups. Of course, it’s fundamentally essential to recognize who they are. At their core, successful organizations serve at least two primary stakeholder groups: customers or clients (external stakeholders) and employees (internal stakeholders). You can even go a step further by including suppliers (another critical external group) and ownership (an additional internal group) as key stakeholders.

Stakeholders are not afterthoughts, but rather are the foundation and focus of the planning process. It’s about understanding the "jobs to be done" for these stakeholders—identifying what they rely on your organization to achieve, assessing where your organization is meeting these needs, and pinpointing where it falls short.

By prioritizing areas that will have the highest impact on stakeholders and transforming these priorities into concrete objectives with measurable results, your strategic plan transforms into a dynamic tool. It becomes more than a list of hopes; it turns into a driving force that fosters sustained action throughout the year.

This new perspective not only revitalizes the planning process but also ensures that the plan remains relevant and impactful long past the initial enthusiasm of the new year. Adopting a stakeholder value plan is not just about changing terminology—it’s about rethinking how strategic planning can fundamentally drive the success of your organization by truly serving those who matter most.

10. Focusing on Strategic ‘Priorities

One of the most dangerous things a business leader can possess is an extensive list of “strategic priorities.” Traditional strategic planning tends to overemphasize long lists of these while underemphasizing concrete plans for executing on those priorities. As a result, a shocking 60-90% of strategic plans fail to fully materialize. The problem lies not with planning itself—identifying strategic priorities is vital—but rather with the lack of clear execution protocols to activate those priorities.

Leaders often compile inventories spanning dozens of critical priorities across growth opportunities, operational improvements, customer initiatives, and more. However, having twenty “top strategic priorities” is equivalent to having none at all. Attempting to actively pursue such a wide array simultaneously stretches resources too thin. Without adequate focus, it becomes challenging to achieve critical mass on any specific initiative, causing frustration and initiative fatigue across teams.

Moreover, priorities trick leaders into complacency, fostering the false belief that merely identifying something as “important” will somehow guarantee execution. Like overly ambitious New Year’s resolutions, priorities rarely catalyze change without concerted plans for accountability and follow-through. Despite good intentions, only 8% of people fully achieve their resolutions each year. Similarly, while leaders excel at strategizing priorities, 60-90% of organizational strategic plans fail largely due to flawed or total lack of execution protocols.

Endeavor to transform priorities into quantifiable, actionable objectives centered on specific execution plans. For instance, rather than just identifying “improved customer retention” as a priority, leaders must drill down to concrete goals like “reducing customer churn by 2% within 6 months.” This clarity of purpose fuels strategic discipline. In today’s disruptive business landscape, both planning and execution are indispensable. However, leaders must resist conflating priorities with outcomes. A paradigm shift focused on execution-based strategic management is crucial for channeling priorities into real-world impact and results. Just as resolutions without concerted action plans go nowhere, strategic priorities minus execution equal zero.

As business leaders prepare for the 2025 strategic planning season, avoiding these common pitfalls and undertaking the alternate best practices will foster a more forward-thinking, adaptable blueprint that drives real impact. Strategic planning challenges abound, but with the right mindset and proactive measures, companies can turn potential obstacles into opportunities for profound growth and innovation.
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Drew Yancey, PhD is Founder & CEO at Teleios Strategy, a premier strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching and succession planning advisory firm. With a proven track record in high-performance team building and strategic execution for over 15 years, Yancey solves challenging problems at the nexus of growth, strategy, and innovation. Yancey is also the co-author of “ Leading Performance… Because It Can’t Be Managed: How to Lead the Modern Workforce,” and a frequent keynote speaker. Reach him at www.teleiostrategy.com
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Healthy Habits - Amu Nutrition Interview

I recently had the chance to interview Khulan Enkhtaivan, Co-Founder of Amu Nutrition (www.amu-nutrition.com); Holistic Nutritionist, about Amu Nutrition, tea, and health.

 

Why was Amu Nutrition created?
Amu Nutrition was founded by me and my partner Daria out of personal necessity. My second child, Tuvshek, has suffered from asthma since she was just one year old, largely due to air pollution in Ulaanbaatar. I turned to food as medicine and Mongolian traditional medicine to heal her. For Tuvshek, her asthma was linked to a weak spleen. Traditional medicine emphasizes nurturing the spleen and lungs to alleviate asthma symptoms, and this approach worked well for her. I want to share these healing methods with others facing similar challenges.


What sets Amu Nutrition teas apart from other tea brands?
Our teas are unique because they are formulated with functional benefits grounded in oriental medicine. We source our ingredients directly from Mongolia, including many wild-foraged herbs. Wild foraged ingredients are often more potent because they absorb the natural energy of their environment, balancing the yin and yang elements that contribute to their healing properties.


What are some differences in the way tea is viewed in Mongolia compared to the US?
In Mongolian culture, tea is seen as a vital healing tool. For any discomfort, we commonly use herbal teas for their therapeutic properties. Many families have their own traditional tea recipes for common issues like colds, flu, and digestive discomfort, passed down from grandparents and ancestors. This contrasts with the U.S., where tea is often viewed more as a casual beverage rather than a medicinal remedy.


What are some ancient wellness philosophies that Americans might consider incorporating?
One important aspect of Oriental medicine is the concept of seasonal changes and their impact on our bodies and minds. Each season affects us differently. For instance, in winter, as external temperatures drop, our internal heat rises, enhancing our digestive fire and allowing us to digest richer, more nourishing foods necessary for warmth and energy.

Longer nights naturally encourage more sleep, making quality rest crucial. Three key elements—seasonal foods, healthy digestion, and quality sleep—form the foundation of rejuvenation during winter.

As temperatures fall, our pores close, raising our internal body heat, an adaptation intensified by vāta. Insufficient nourishment can lead to weakness, highlighting the need for a diet rich in the primary tastes: sweet, sour, and salty.

Seasonal Advice:

  • Sleep more—go to bed early and rise with the sun.
  • Eat warm and nourishing foods—favor sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
  • Drink bone broth or, if vegetarian, enjoy lentil soups and vegetable broths.
  • Practice warm oil self-massage (abhyānga) with sesame oil to nourish your skin and body.
  • Protect the "wind gate" (the back of your neck) and "jade palace" (sides of your neck) from cold winds to prevent illness.
  • Store ambitions and embrace introversion, finding strength in stillness.
  • Practice meditation to enhance mental clarity and emotional balance.
  • Engage in gentle exercises like standing qigong and slow hatha yoga to maintain physical health.

Music Minute - Liz Kennedy: Lizzy's Christmas Sleigh

 Liz Kennedy has announced the release of her latest Christmas song, “Lizzy’s Christmas Sleigh.” Her reputation of creating lyrical content in her songs that are instantly memorable, she self-penned the song which is a reflection of a true story; as true as a 6-year-old can remember a pivotal event years and years later. Liz believed in Santa so much that she hallucinated a sleigh sailing across the moon from atop her father’s shoulders on Meriday Lane, two blocks from her house. Liz noted, “It may be the first time in my life that I suspected not everyone believed me, but the vision of that sleigh informs my subsequent belief that the magic of holidays exists somewhere in all of us grown children. I saw that sleigh. I did.”


“Lizzy’s Christmas Sleigh” is available on all streaming and download platforms
 HEREWatch the lyric video produced and edited by Eric Peltier on her official artist YouTube channel HERE

In addition to the new holiday music, Liz Kennedy has previously released “Snow In San Francisco” and “Snowman Moon (A Christmas Crime.” Both are available on all streaming platforms.

The song “Snow in San Francisco” was inspired by the 1977 snowfall in San Francisco.  It was an extremely rare event. Liz remembers, “Inside my flat, without looking outside, the world suddenly felt different.  When I did look out, it was snowing. It felt like … Christmas. It was real and nothing I’d ever felt in the city. Even though it wasn’t Christmas time, it had a lasting effect on me. I’ve never forgotten it and have written a Christmas Carol to celebrate that magical day.”

About “Snowman Moon (A Christmas Crime,” Liz said, “I thought I would never write a Christmas song, but the thought of writing one percolated after someone suggested it. Then, while writing a song about meeting someone at a party, I thought, aha, a Christmas party! Why not? Winter. Snow. (I’ve never had a white Christmas, so I went for it in the song)! My first husband was generally known to be a curmudgeon. However, when it came to Christmas, he was impossibly positive. What interested me was that he always said he believed in Christmas. He really did. Long after our kids were resistant teenagers, that was a big influence in the song. Magical belief. However, the guy in the song is, in my head as I was writing, my second husband, who always wore Christmas bowties, was 6’4” and someone you could always see coming towards you through a crowd. And he was quite ebullient. Another ingredient I sprinkled in is my own history of sensing that something important is about to happen. Lastly, I liked playing with the words “taken by you” which is actually the ‘crime’ referred to in the song.”

In her inimitable storytelling style singer-songwriter Liz Kennedy’s Snowman Moon (A Christmas Crime) takes us through an evening of events from a stolen look to a kidnapped heart and an early sense that something is about to happen to the affirmation that the magic of the holidays is not just for kids.


Stay current with everything Liz Kennedy on her website lizkennedymusic.com. Follow her on FacebookTwitterInstagram and subscribe to her YouTube Channel for the latest videos.

Music is available on all digital platforms Apple Music, iTunesSpotifyPandoraYouTube Music and Amazon Music.

About Liz Kennedy:
After going through a whirlwind of life changes, the San Francisco based singer-songwriter, Liz Kennedy, has come to see songwriting not as a choice but something she has to do. She says music sustains her and offers a way forward. Her decade plus as a critically acclaimed recording artist has brought her confidence in her ever-unfolding identity as a quirky, often humorous and ever insightful storyteller committed to honesty and finding something unique to say.

Kennedy describes herself as honest and observant and adds, “I sure hope I can easily laugh at myself.” Her songcraft – where the lyrics always follow the music – perfectly reflects that thoughtful self-assessment. The fascinating part of the process is not knowing just where the inspiration will come from. “It’s strange how emotional pain and joy can equally send you racing to the piano to capture something … whether it's a butterfly or a heavy brick.

Music Minute - Carroll Baker Final Tour

 In an announcement sure to stir emotions from coast to coast, Carroll Baker, Canada’s beloved country music icon, has officially unveiled plans for her final tour in the spring of 2025. After an extraordinary 55-year career, Baker will grace stages across the country one more time, bringing her cherished songs and signature performances to life.


Known affectionately as “Canada’s First Lady of Country Music,” Baker has been a powerhouse in the industry, captivating millions with her soulful voice and commanding stage presence. Her remarkable career includes more than twenty #1 hits, fourteen albums, four compilation albums, and an astounding fifty five singles, solidifying her place as one of the most celebrated figures in Canadian music.


Teaming-up with longtime friend and legendary promoter Brian Edwards of Rocklands Entertainment Inc., Baker’s final tour will cover more than twenty cities. Fans will have the chance to experience the magic of her greatest hits and timeless classics one last time in what promises to be an unforgettable series of performances.


This tour represents a rare opportunity to celebrate Carroll Baker’s legacy and reminisce with one of Canada’s greatest music legends as she performs for her fans one final time.


For more information, visit carrollbakersinger.ca


Carroll Baker Final Tour Across Canada Concert Schedule:
MAR 24 - Showplace / Peterborough, Ontario at 7:00 PM
MAR 25 - Academy Theatre / Lindsay, Ontario at 7:00 PM
MAR 26 - Grand Theatre / Kingston, Ontario at 7:00 PM
MAR 30 - Club Regent Event Centre / Winnipeg, Manitoba at 2:00 PM (On sale November 7th)
MAR 31 - Centennial Auditorium / Brandon, Manitoba at 7:00 PM
APR 02 - Arden Theatre / St. Albert, Alberta at 7:00 PM
APR 06 - Memorial Centre / Red Deer, Alberta at 2:00 PM
APR 07 - Yates Theatre / Lethbridge, Alberta at 7:00 PM
APR 09 - Connexus Centre / Regina, Saskatchewan at 7:00 PM
APR 10 - Broadway Theatre / Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at 7:00 PM
APR 12 - Community Auditorium / Thunder Bay, Ontario at 2:00 PM
APR 17 - Arts & Cultural Centre / St. John’s, Newfoundland at 7:00 PM
APR 19 - Cobequid Educational Centre / Truro, Nova Scotia at 2:00 PM
APR 21 - Rebecca Cohn Auditorium / Halifax, Nova Scotia at 7:00 PM
APR 26 - James M Hill Theatre / Miramichi, New Brunswick at 2:00 PM
APR 27 - Jubilee / Prince Edward Island at 7:00 PM
APR 28 - Playhouse / Fredericton, New Brunswick at 7:00 PM

More show dates to be added soon!


# # #


About Carroll Baker:
Carroll Baker has long been revered as “Canada’s First Lady of Country Music”, having launched her career in 1970 with her breakout single, “Mem-ries of Home.” That track remained on the country charts for 26 weeks, signaling the start of her unstoppable rise. Her hits include “Ten Little Fingers”, and the AA anthem “One Drink Is One Too Many (and a thousand’s not enough)”. Between 1970 and 1982 Baker released 31 consecutive charting singles and hosted her CBC television show, The Carroll Baker Jamboree. Her platinum album Hymns of Gold and five Juno Awards cemented her status as a country music legend. Baker’s accolades include induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982 and her appointment to the Order of Canada in 2009.

Book Nook - The Reindeer Games

 The Reindeer Games enthrals with Santa’s quest for two new reindeers to pull his sleigh.

Combining two of this exciting new author’s favourite things in life – Christmas and sport – Zander Dowie offers an original and enthralling take on the festive story. Sharing Santa’s concern for the welfare of his aging reindeer, this children’s book (aimed at readers aged six to ten) also shares with youngsters a host of life lessons including getting older and being replaced and the disappointment that comes from not being selected.

With a young reindeer, Skye, proving to be the unexpected hero of the story, The Reindeer Games is all about doing your best and being that supportive friend when required.

Guaranteed to appeal to all youngsters, and especially those with a keenness for sport, this captivating tale  is destined to become a 2024 festive favourite.

 

Synopsis:

Everyone can name Santa’s reindeer, but do you know how they were chosen to guide his sleigh?

It’s time for Santa’s two seasoned reindeer to pass the reins to a new generation of reindeer to guide Santa’s sleigh. But how will Santa find the perfect replacements? When his two top elves suggest an Olympics-like “Reindeer Games,” the game is on.

Reindeer from all over the world—with varied skills and physical differences—arrive at the North Pole’s Christmas Town to compete in events that test their minds and bodies. Will they have what it takes to earn the top spots? When self-doubt rolls in, one very special little reindeer shares the compassion they need to believe in themselves.

A delightfully festive chapter book with a unique take on the origin of Christmas Eve’s most notable helpers.

 

Published on 13th October 2024, The Reindeer Games is available to order on Amazon at:

https://tinyurl.com/TRGBO

 

About the author:

When author Zander Dowie set out to write a children’s story, he focused on two of his favourite things, Christmas and sports. As he thought about the many things we all know about this festive holiday, including the names of Santa’s reindeer, he paused when thinking about just how those notable ruminant helpers earned their status to guide Santa’s sleigh. The result is his playful chapter book release, The Reindeer Games.

For Zander, a great story is one that provides children with a beacon of hope and an opportunity for imaginations to run wild. He believes that sport is one of life’s great equalizers and has the power to unite people and bridge borders, and so it was a natural backdrop to his story’s inclusive characters and compassionate friendship. He hopes his young readers come away from his story feeling inspired and empowered, and that it stays with them long after the book is closed.

When he isn’t writing inventive children’s stories, Zander enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing and watching sports, and thinking up more story ideas. He lives in Manchester, England, with his supportive wife, his son Roman and their two cats, Rocky and Robyn. The Reindeer Games is his debut children’s book.