Category Archives: global business development

Finding Fulfillment East to West

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“We all soon had a change of mind, back to the Mountains we rode, with our maps.” ~ Alice Bradshaw Butler

I recently stopped by the Dorchester County Library in Cambridge, Maryland. I entered into the M. Virginia Webb Memorial Maryland Room to revisit the work of author Alice Bradshaw Butler. On my last trip to the Eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, I discovered this poet’s book called “Reflections.” I wanted to explore it some more.

This writers’ life seems to mirror mine in many ways. She, too, was an East Coast gal whose life changes eventually brought her west. Alice Bradshaw Butler was born and bred on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She was educated at Towson State Teachers College (now referred to as Towson University); in the town of my native roots. In 1909 she left her life in Maryland, traveled and settled in the Western plains of Montana.

I’ve gotten got a strong sense that we would be kindred spirits, were she alive today. She seemed to find fulfilling things in both the East and the West. I find myself having conflicted feelings about  which part of the country I like best.  Our own shared personal values, life travels and travails can be summed up in many of her poem’s titles. Here are just a few, all written by Alice Bradshaw Butler:

  • Life Full of Wondrous Things
  • Walking beside Sandy Shore
  • Crossroads (Presence of  God during Difficult Days)
  • My Island Home
  • Gold in them thar Hills
  • Let’s Walk this Land
  • I am So Glad I am a Christian
  • Westward Bound
  • A Different Road
  • A Paradise for a Hunter
  • The Woodland Glen

I returned to this author’s book because I found community with the author, our shared interests and her likeable writing style. As an independent publisher, have you properly identified your market and are you reaching it from east to west through innovative methods of marketing and promotion in a digital world? If not, consult with a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. They will help you and your book become more visible on the world-wide-web.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Designing A Life of One’s Own

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“Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most
important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  ~ From Steve Jobs’
Stanford Commencement Address

What do you get when two architects wed and it is catered by the bride’s father who is a chef? A great wedding with every last detail
artistically and creatively designed.

This past weekend, I returned to the East Coast for a fulfilling weekend of family and fun. Among those witnessing the union of my
niece and her new husband were young professionals in the architectural field who were fellow classmates to the bride and groom. They were graduates of Roger Williams University http://www.rwu.edu/  and Wentworth Institute of Technology. http://www.wit.edu/.

In addition to capable and well-educated architects, other twenty-something professionals who are following their passions and crafting careers for themselves in neo-natal nursing, the building trades, fashion and design were in attendance. There were also young adults who care for others by keeping people  safe  environmentally, nutritionally, mentally/emotionally and at our country’s borders. The filmmaking industry was represented, as well as a young graduate who is interested in historic preservation, too.

The dance floor was filled with wedding guests gyrating and jiving all night long. Almost all of us, including yours truly, expressed our individuality through creative dance. The young musicians and artists who designed and provided the musical entertainment brought together three generations of people who played together through movement to music embracing body, soul and spirit.

I am very optimistic about our country’s future. After having visited with many of the young adults at the event, who are just a sampling of the next generation of skilled professionals working in the United States and abroad, we have much to be hopeful about. As this new generation ages, perhaps more stories will be told about successfully and independently finding fulfillment in the workplace.

A newly married couple of architects, in love, are off to a good start. They are designing a life of fulfilling things by doing what they
love and loving what they do! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Babcock!

Letting Go and Having Fun!

Yours Truly gets a spin around the dance floor with son Marc – the filmmaker!

Together through  heart and soul.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Libraries Kindle the Flame

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 “As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words.”
~William Shakespeare

October is here! That means time to clean out the chimney of cobwebs and creosote. Don’t forget to clean out the mounds of ash in the fire
box from last year, too! Get ready for a new heating season. Colder days and nights mean cozying up to the fireplace or woodstove with lots of good books!

There are few excuses anymore for not having a good book to read. Even when winter blizzards bear down and prevent us from driving to the
library, anyone with a computer or an electronic reader can now browse e-book catalogs and find a fulfilling read.

Libraries are kindling the flame when it comes to getting library patrons to join in on the next generation of books. Not only are e-books being added to library catalogs, but libraries are igniting the interest of library patrons to try reading on digital devices. Libraries in New Jersey, Maryland and other states are now loaning e-readers along with e-books. You can now try before you buy!

The obstacle of not being able to borrow from hometown libraries while traveling has been removed. No matter how far away you are from your hometown library, using your library card to borrow books is now possible through on-line library software programs and e-book catalogs. The Library Funding and Technology Access Study indicates 67% of libraries now have e-pubs!

Looking for a best selling book? Bookmark this site. It has a list of top selling e-books and a list of free-books that are the most read in the new generation of publishing. http://amzn.to/mYu88G.

Surely there is a book on the list that kindles your interest! What will it be?

Another day of independent words, thoughts and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Routes and Roots of American History

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“Art among a religious race produces relics; among a military one, trophies; among a commercial one, articles of trade.” ~ Henry Fuseli

Culture and religion has been at the root of American civilization. In Frederick, Maryland there are a wealth of attractions including roads and byways that hold great interest for visitors to this area who wish to understand the founding principles and history of our country. The National Scenic Byway, a 38 mile stretch of land from Frederick County to the Catoctin Mountains is dubbed the Hallowed Ground. Many soldiers fighting for our country’s independence lost their lives along this route.

Attractions that collectively represent the beginnings of trade, politics, culture and spirituality throughout our country’s history can be found throughout this region. To name a few:

  • The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton – dedicated to the first canonized Saint.
  • The C & O Canal (Chesapeake and Ohio) explores the history of shipping.
  • The Shifferstadt Architectural Museum highlights the finest examples of German colonial architecture.
  • The Barbara Fritchie House commemorates the author of the poem that described waving the American flag in the face of the Confederate Army.
  • Weinberg Centerof the Arts houses the original Wurlitzer pipe organ.
  • Visit the All Saint Street Neighborhood – the center of commerce and entertainment during the latter part of the 19th century for African Americans.
  • America’s replica of the famous Grotto of Lourdes in France is represented at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of the Lourdes at Mount St. Mary’s University.
  • The John Hanson House, the Ramsey House and the Roger Brooke Taney House all hold significance in some aspect of early American history by those that occupied them or visited them.
  • Battlefields of Gettysburg and Antietam are located close by. 

We have only touched lightly on a place that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has named as a Great American Main Street community. There are so many things to see and do. The designation as a 2010 Top Arts Destination by American Style Magazine only strengthens this small city’s position as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations.

To obtain a travel packet of information on this region, visit www.fredericktourism.org. I hope some of the readers of this blogsite have the opportunity to visit this area. It was a fulfilling trip and I would like to  return again to take in more of the sites and scenes.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

American Spirit Brings Change

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead


It is eye-opening to have lived on the East Coast of the United States all of my life, and then to relocate to the West. Aside from the vast change in landscape, the difference in people’s attitudes has been most interesting to absorb. In my opinion, business to business dealings among Westerners is less antagonistic. Westerners seem to have a better understanding that working collaboratively and cooperatively will bring about forward movement. In deed, the “pioneering spirit” is still alive and well in the West. 


During my tour of Frederick, Maryland I visited with a storeowner who may have explained much of the success this town has had in bringing fulfilling awards of distinction to their downtown. The storekeeper, having moved from Chattanooga, Tennessee two years ago, expressed his delight at having arrived in this town. A solid vision along with a strong Main Street Association of business owners, shopkeepers, restauranteurs, artists and other members of the community, working together rather competing against one another, along with the Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Council on the Arts, has apparently been the secret to success. All should be commended for developing a town that has been awarded by American Style Magazine as a 2010 Top Arts Destination. 


Salvaged, just one of the retail stores I visited, is a reflection of the entire downtown area of Frederick, Maryland. www.salvagedmaryland.com. In each of the shops that I browsed, the merchandise was trendy. Geared for doing business in the new millennium and artfully displayed. Even red brick warehouses filled with antiques that I had visited some twenty years prior are no longer jumbled messes. They have been attractively re-arranged. Shoppers who ordinarily are not fans of antiquated home furnishings may now see value in restoring, salvaging and reclaiming period furniture rather than letting it be dumped in landfills. 


Despite challenges that have come to retail establishments in recent years, this community appears to have weathered the battles better than many. Frederick,Maryland seems well positioned to attract tourists and other businesses in the new century. The people’s visionary spirit is driving this town in the same manner as those who led the Western expansion. 


Tomorrow, we will wrap up this blog series. Return again, so your mind can complete the picture I have drawn of a town that is thriving along the Mason-Dixon Line. The return to the values that are at the roots of our country has in part, driven success.


This blog brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com.

Outlook from the Look-Out

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“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~ Andre Gide

Being an active, productive blogger means always being on the beat. Like any writer, new experiences and change of scenery helps bring new perspective to my work and to my readers. 

Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting many new faces and visiting new places as a way of sharing my universe of independent publishing with others. I consider myself an ambassador for the independent publishing industry and I will continue fulfilling my duties, as such, by spreading the word about this exciting industry in my sojourns. 

My blog postings will be less frequent for a few weeks. I invite our readers to return time and time again to All Things Fulfilling. This site has 700 blog writings in 389 categories. On the far right side of this page, the blog postings are searchable by category. Choose from the drop down menu, and enter my universe of independent thoughts, words and views from Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC.

There is also a new on-line portal into the independent publishing industry, made available by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Enter On The Fast Track: The Independent Publishing Industry, by visiting this link: http://bit.ly/oIkV2g. 

Over the past two years I have shed, for our readers, some valuable light on the dynamic and growing industry of independent publishing which now, represents more than 50% of all publishing revenue. That’s progress, innovation and creativity from many, many individuals hard at work! And it is a beacon of hope for those who have always wanted to tell their story, but felt until now, their voice would never be heard.

That’s the outlook from my universe of www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Artist Preserves Cowboy Film History

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“A maverick hero during the wild west was… tough, independent, fearless. Characters of honor and principle.” ~ Unknown 

In 1980, artist Kerry Powell http://bit.ly/rkDr1X  helped to spearhead efforts to preserve the Western cinematic history of Lone Pine,California by organizing the Lone Pine Film Festival. The Alabama Hills and the Inyo Mountains, located only 170 miles from Hollywood, provided the scenic backdrops to some 400 western movies produced between the years 1920 to the 1970s. Some of the notables were: 

    • The Round Up (1920)
    • Gunga Din (1939)
    • High Sierra (1941)
    • Along the Great Divide (1951)
    • Thunder in the Sun (1959)
    • How the West Was Won (1962)
    • Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) 

    For many, “Westerns” congered up romantic notions of life on the American western front and independent living at its best. Artist Kerry Powell’s painted murals around the town of Lone Pine, California reflect the era of Western filmmaking. Her desire to protect this era in cinematography came from her fulfilling memories of the production crews arriving in town, movie sets being built and of the legendary actors, most of whom are now deceased, who stayed at her family’s motel. Big name Hollywood actors such as Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Gene Autry, John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Johnny Weismuller were just a few of the actors that frequented this area to produce movies.

Eleven years later, The Lone Pine Film Festival now draws audiences of 5,000 Western film enthusiasts from around the world. It is scheduled for October 7 – 9. For ticket information, please visit http://bit.ly/pK7I9h. 

The period of the cowboys and Indians is seldom captured in movies anymore, and the film production process will never be the same. Modern-day filmmaking has changed all that. So, saddle up and attend this year’s fest! The 100th birthday of Roy Rogers will be celebrated this year. It is guaranteed to be one of the best Western Film fests yet.

Independent thoughts, words and views brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Take a Fulfilling Trip

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“We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.” ~ Bill Hicks

Last month I had the pleasure of interviewing author, screenwriter, performing artist, journalist and songwriter Mara Purl about her book “What the Heart Knows.”  Her hardcover is slated for release on September 27, 2011, about a week from now. 

For each blogger who was a part of Mara’s month-long virtual book tour, she reciprocated by blogging back about each blogger’s site and it’s focus. As a blog writer, I know the intense work that that takes! “Bringing my customers to the world. Bringing the world to my customers” is the blog site theme that Mara Purl has associated with our company blog site, All Things Fulfilling. She hit the mark – that is the aim of our company, Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC! To read the entire text, please visit http://bit.ly/okpGOL. 

I would be presumptuous if I thought that Mara’s quote applies only to a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. From my perspective, the goal of every author and blog writer in the literary world is to bring your customers (your readers) to the cosmos that you, the writer, created. By effectively communicating a valuable or entertaining message through the medium of a book, film or music, you might bring your customer to a universe of women’s fiction or into a puzzling story of mystery; to the work of a non-profit through an independently published film; or perhaps to the lyrics of powerful and emotive music.

Secondarily, the objective when publishing a book or producing a film or music is to reach customers all over the world. That is now entirely possible and probable all through the power of  internet  selling and e-marketing! 

After years of evolution and revolution, the independent publishing universe is now a force to be reckoned with. Take a quick trip to the new world of publishing through this link http://bit.ly/oIkV2g. You will begin to understand what an historical time it is in the publishing world. The world of books no longer revolves around five or six giant publishing houses. It is an exciting and dynamic era in media.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Rising to the Occasion

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“Life is like a book we can either study it or let it gather dust on the shelves of the world.” — Rene Godefroy

On Wednesday, we celebrated the first year anniversary of the meet-up group WIN Steamboat (Women in Networking – Steamboat) with a beautiful palette of food prepared by chef Lulu Martin of Amuse Bouche Private Chef Service. http://bit.ly/qvtK9o.  The luncheon at the Alpine Mountain Ranch Club http://bit.ly/pQEs0v  was served on the patio, alongside the trout pond. As I took in the panorama of beautiful vistas and views, I couldn’t help but reflect on the fulfilling accomplishments of individual women throughout the year. Like the trout that were rising in the pond,  the women in the group are go-getters in their own companies or in their fields of business. The relationships we have built over the course of the year have been beneficial to each of us.

A new dawning came to me as we gathered for our 1st annual celebration. That was the thought of how powerful a motivating force books play in peoples lives (not just mine). They help inspire and keep us on task in our personal, career and spiritual lives. Each woman brought a “slightly used book” that had been helpful to them in finding the will to put one foot in front of the other, each and every day despite setbacks, disappointments and new beginnings. We each came away with a “new” book to help us in our journey through life. 

What book did I bring to swap with another person? An independently published book, of course! The title is “Waiting for Jack” by author Kristen Moeller. http://bit.ly/bUy3pu.  It is a book about “seizing the moment” for success in life. Although, I had mixed emotions about passing it on, it meant that I had made a promise to remember the principles set forth in the book. 

The donator of the book that I received said “she realized that I had been in business for quite sometime, as has she, but she has referred to the book, Secrets of Self Employment: Surviving and Thriving on the Ups and Downs of Being Your Own Boss, time and time again.” It will help me to continue to assess my strengths and weaknesses and it will provide fresh perspectives on taking adversities in stride. 

Each of us has had fulfilling personal and career growth over the past year. The size of the group has grown as well. Never underestimate the importance of networking in the business world. Each person brings to the group individual talents and knowledge that we can share with others. We are all richer in spirit when we pool our strengths.  We owe a big thank you to Kate Z http://www.katezphoto.com for bringing this group together last year.

Another independent word, thought and view from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Honest Assessment of DYI Publishing

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“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” ~ Thomas Jefferson 

As a follow-up to yesterday’s blog Goals and Objectives in Publishing, there are more questions that you should ask yourself before embarking on an independent publishing project. Your response to the questions may very well help you control the financial outlay and  determine the costs, too. 

For some (such as for those wanting to publish for family and friends and not wishing to commercially sell their publications) an independent publishing project can be do it yourself. Researching the steps and deciding what parts you can do yourself and what parts you need to seek professional help with, is an important task in and of its self. 

  • Are you equipped with good computer skills to tackle DIY publishing?
  • Do you have time to engage in the process?
  • Are you a self-motivated person?
  • Do you finish what you start?
  • Would you find satisfaction in learning the process? 

If you can answer “yes” to most of these questions, perhaps DIY would be for you, thus reducing your need for professional help.          E-books are one of the best options for a Do It Yourselfer! Some of the process involves choosing and using templates, thus simplifying steps and reducing costs. 

Making decisions that are right for YOUR goals and objectives will reduce some of the frustration and will cut-down on an outlay of unnecessary financial resources. Research, compare and ask yourself those very necessary questions before you start down the path to independently publishing. Talking with others about their experience regarding the right and wrong decisions they made will give you information that may help you too.

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