(Cartoon by Hugh Mcleod – www.gapingvoid.com)

Spring/Summer 2011 Edition
Part 1 of 2

I’d like to acknowledge a few inspiring people who are walking their unique path with courage, genuineness, and conviction.

Thoreau famously stated that, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” These are NOT those kind of folks!

Cheers to each and every one of them.

 

Terry Lord (On Being Authentic)

Terry Lord is a true original; perhaps more than anyone else I’ve ever met in my lifetime.  I came to know her fresh out of graduate school, and she took me under her wing and opened my eyes to a whole new world.  I never looked back.

Terry is a psychotherapist who has accomplished many things within the profession.  She’s managed several Employee Assistance Programs, has run a successful private practice, owned a substance abuse treatment clinic, and is the author of a great book titled, “The ABC’s of Addiction”.  These are merely a fraction of the things she has accomplished, and her work has touched the lives of numerous people.

And yet, these “things” are not what I find most impressive about Terry.  There is a warmth, genuineness, and depth to her that you rarely see wrapped up in one person.  She holds on to her principles and values no matter what crosses her path.  She is unwavering in her authenticity, and uncompromising about the quality and integrity of her work.

We could all benefit from someone like Terry, and I’d love to introduce you to her, but you won’t be able to go to her website (her new blog, way down on the farm, is coming soon!). And it’ll be hard to connect with Terry by other means as she is currently in New Zealand where new adventures await!  She will remain a mystery to you, and a gift to me.

I often think about Terry and smile a great big tooth filled smile because I know someone from the other side of the world is fatefully crossing paths with her as I did years ago.  Hopefully, they’ll be paying attention.

Terry is my mentor, friend…family.

Shouldn’t we all be on the look out for those true messengers and guides who change our lives forever?

Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.  {On Being at the Forefront}

Dr. Maheu is no stranger to innovation.

In 1994 she founded the very first online  self-help magazine (selfhelpmagazine.com).

Her vision was to offer consumers high-quality, research-based psychological content presented in an easy to understand format.  To this day, a hallmark of the magazine is its commitment to evidence-based content.

Even more impressive is the way Dr. Maheu understood the power of the online world as a vehicle for collaboration and sharing.  Thousands of professionals shared their expertise with the world, making Selfhelpmagazine.com an award winning peer reviewed publication, serving over 35 million visitors from around the world.

This was only the beginning.

In 1995 the American Psychological Association recognized Dr. Maheu’s work with Self Help Magazine and invited her to chair a task force focusing on “internet ethics”.  She then went on to serve many other task forces and committees as a telehealth expert.  Her research in this area led to the creation of Telehealth.net, a blog dedicated to exploring healthcare issues in the online world.  Telehealth.net is one of the very best resources for healthcare professionals looking to understand the world of online healthcare.

It was not long before Dr. Maheu saw a gap in awareness of ethical online healthcare practice.  Well-intentioned clinicians were finding themselves in trouble because they were simply not aware of the legal and ethical complexities surrounding this issue. She recognized a need for mental health professionals to receive formal training, which led to her next venture, The TeleMental Health Institute, now the leading online telemental health training portal, devoted exclusively to addressing the emerging opportunities and challenges of telepsychiatry, telepsychology, online counseling, online therapy and coaching.

She has organized or personally delivered over 170 professional presentations at conventions held by the American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, American Telemedicine Association and many other groups.  She is the author of dozens of articles and book chapters as well as three books about telehealth, including two textbooks: eHealth, Telehealth & Telemedicine and The Mental Health Professional and the New Technologies.

She has consulted with insurance companies, universities, professional associations, hospitals, clinics, start-up companies and small group or individual practitioners seeking to use technology wisely and responsibly.

One would think this would be the end of the story.  And yet, Dr. Maheu continues to explore the edges of healthcare, often recognizing trends and market shifts long before they come to pass.  Her most recent area of interest is in Smartphone application or “app” development (i.e., iPhone apps) for mental health professionals seeking an easy and affordable way to deliver their expertise to the consumer’s hip pocket.  I cannot wait to see where this leads her.

Stay tuned…who knows what’s next.

{Follow Dr. Maheu’s work through her website at www.marlenemaheu.com}

Marc & Ailsa Smith (On Living Your Dreams)

A few months ago I received an email from Marc Smith, a bright and energetic Scottish fellow whom I worked with on a video project for my book, “Marketing for the Mental Health Professional”.  Marc emailed to tell me he and his girlfriend, Ailsa (also his business partner!) were getting married.  He also wanted to thank me for working with them in the early stages of their venture as business is now booming.  And finally, he informed me that they were moving to Skye, Scotland, an island in the Northwest corner of Scotland that they have always loved dearly.

Here’s a snapshot of the view from their home.

What’s so remarkable about this story?  Well, for starters, I’m now able to travel to Skye, Scotland and find a warm welcome.  That is if I can figure out how in the world to get to Skye, Scotland!  I’ll have to check and see if Southwest Airlines has any flights from Charleston, SC. 

Even more remarkable is the idea of a young couple running a successful media company that serves an international clientele from a relatively remote island in Scotland!

Their success, however, is anything but good luck and fortune.  Marc was obsessed with film making at a very early age.  He was making full films at 18, and Ailsa was right by his side helping.  To keep their dreams of film making alive, Marc worked a variety of jobs (supermarket clerk, car cleaner, collecting rents for landlords…you name it!) so he could continue working on his film projects.  Ailsa went to college to study illustration and design while cleaning houses in Edinburgh.  The recession hit hard, but Marc and Ailsa would not be deterred.  They kept finding odd jobs to keep their filmmaking dreams alive.

In April 2009, they scored their first big filmmaking job without any samples to share, and that led to several other jobs.

Then along came elance.com.  This is where I found them, and this is where many others came in first contact with their wonderful talents.  Marc and Ailsa’s reputation began to build, and The Cuillin Collective was born.

Ailsa joined Marc and their company full time in October 2009, and her newly honed design skills proved to be a tremendous asset.  2010 was a big year for their business.  And why not?  They’re a true pleasure to work with, they’re passionate about what they do, and they produce a great product.  Since starting they’ve made over 400 videos for over 300 different clients from all over the world, and have had in excess of 1 and a half million YouTube views.

Take a look again at the picture above.  What you see out beyond the smattering of islands is a view of the world connected, full of possibility, and within your grasp.   It’s also the personal view of a growing international media business with a 7-week waiting list and a view to die for!

{If you’d like to connect with Marc & Ailsa’s talents please visit them at www.thecuillincollective.co.uk}

 

Stay tuned for Part 2!  We’ll feature three more amazing people doing remarkable things! In the meantime…take a look at our new website and new set of service offerings!