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Many moons ago, I used to advocate that St. Louis was a great place to raise a family. What did I know? I was just a kid.

As an adult, a parent, and a community leader, I’m not so sure anymore.

St. Louis has a culture quirk that people love to laugh about: “Where did you go to high school?”

Most of the time, it isn’t asked because someone cares about education. It’s often asked like a social status finder, which is an invisible label-maker that decides how the conversation will go next.

And that’s the problem.

When a region quietly trains itself to sort people into categories, it becomes easier to accept stagnation as “just how things are.” It becomes normal for big, important systems to move slowly because we’re used to navigating the social map instead of improving the systems map.

Decades have passed, and it can feel like momentum has slipped.

So what’s the solution?

In this post, I want to focus on the County Government first. Education comes right after because the two are connected, but they’re not the same problem.

Part 1: St. Louis County Government 2050 Plan

The idea: Treat county government like an Operating System

Most people experience county government in stressful moments:

• a court issue

• a permit problem

• a public safety concern

• a housing or inspection situation

• a business license delay

• a record request that goes nowhere

In those moments, what people need isn’t a speech. They need a system that works.

So here’s the frame:

St. Louis County needs a “County OS”, which is a modern operating system for public service that is simple, measurable, and built around the resident experience.

Not politics. Not vibes. Operations.

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County OS: 8 principles (plain English)

1. Resident-first design: If a resident can’t understand it quickly, it’s not finished.

2. One front door: One place to start for services, updates, and accountability.

3. Clear standards + timelines: What happens next, who owns it, and by when.

4. Transparent metrics: Public dashboards that show what’s improving and what isn’t.

5. Fast feedback loops: Residents can report friction, and the system responds.

6. Dignity by default: No unnecessary hoops. No confusion-as-a-feature.

7. Equity through access: Clarity helps everyone—but especially those with less time, money, and power.

8. Continuous improvement: Fix the process, not just the headline.

What County OS looks like in real life (not theory)

Here are practical building blocks you can actually implement:

• A unified “311 + Services” hub. One portal + phone number + SMS for issues, status updates, and routing.

• A county service map. “If you need X, start here. Then this happens. Then that happens.” No mystery.

• Permitting and licensing modernization. Predictable checklists, online submissions, transparent status tracking.

• Procurement that welcomes small businesses. Make it easier for local vendors to compete (clear requirements, fast payments, simple onboarding).

• Public performance dashboards. Not performative. Useful. Response times. Backlogs. Resolution rates. Satisfaction. Cost and capacity.

• Plain-language policies. If it takes a law degree to understand a process, the public is being shut out.

• A “trust and accountability” layer. Complaint pathways that are clear, trackable, and actually close the loop.

Why this matters

A working County OS does something cultural, not just technical:

It changes the core question from “Who are you?” to “How can we help and how will we prove it?”

That’s how trust is rebuilt. That’s how economic confidence grows. That’s how families feel like they can stay.

Part 2: St. Louis County Education 2050 Plan

The idea: Stop throwing homework away. Start improving the community.

A big problem with homework today is that much of it, if not all of it, gets thrown away.

Students spend hours producing something that disappears. Teachers spend time grading work that doesn’t build anything lasting. Families feel the nightly tug-of-war. Everyone loses momentum.

Instead, imagine an age- and grade-appropriate curriculum that creates real community value.

That’s where this idea came from:

STL Solvers

STL Solvers is a platform that creates age-appropriate curricula for grades K–12 that uses the community as the playground for learning.

Students can assume different civic or professional roles so they can customize assignments and build real-world skills:

• community helper

• journalist

• engineer

• artist/designer

• historian

• data detective

• policy helper

• peacemaker/mediator

• entrepreneur

And the output doesn’t get thrown away, it becomes a contribution:

• a map

• a guide

• a poster

• a short video

• an interview

• a community improvement proposal

• a “how-to” resource for other kids and families

A bonus that makes it fun (and St. Louis)

Students can also “ask” some of the greatest people from St. Louis for advice on how to get involved—role-model style guidance that’s inspiring but still age-appropriate.

There’s also a social image generator that quotes advice from St. Louis heroes and generates shareable study aids and classroom visuals.

Why Education 2050 connects to County 2050

If you want better systems in 2050, you need:

• Young people who understand how systems work

• Students who practice problem-solving in real contexts

• Families who feel hope and agency

• Classrooms that build community pride, not just compliance

STL Solvers is the long game: raising a generation that doesn’t just live in St. Louis.
They learn how to repair it, improve it, and lead it.

Closing: What I’m asking for

I’m not writing this to complain about St. Louis.

I’m writing it because I still believe we can build a region where:

• Families feel stable

• Processes are clear

• Opportunity isn’t locked behind social sorting

• Kids grow up learning how to make things better

If the County OS idea resonates, tell me what system you want fixed first:

• Permitting

• Courts and access to records

• Public safety coordination

• Small business support

• Neighborhood services

• Something else entirely

And if STL Solvers resonates, tell me:

• What grade level would you want to pilot first

• What community challenge should students tackle

• Which “St. Louis greats” should be featured as role-model voices

Leave a comment, share this, or message me if you want to collaborate.

For most of us, hiring an experienced family litigation specialist is a luxury we cannot afford (parenting our own kids).

To offer more access to justice, I’ve created educational resources and tools to help whether you are just getting started, right in the middle of it, or it’s been going on for years.

For more help, visit CoTrackPro’s New AI Navigator.

Try it Out Now

CoTrackPro’s New AI Navigator

Check out some of the new tools:

CoTrackPro AI navigator

Parenting plan generator

Policy reform generator

Divorce Cost Calculator

The session was called.

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I built dozens of brands using Canva, and now you can use AI with hundreds of new features to improve your workflow.

During the session, I asked participants to help me create the content below in real time. You can see the screenshots and links to each one. Then, after you go make some with some new skills you learned, please share them with me. I would love to see what you made.

View interactive checklist from the session to help you use different features of Canva 2.0 to create your own designs.

Templates we made using Canva 2.0

Devotional

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Marriage Therapy

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Read more

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Little did this perpetrator know that I had been considered for full-time employment the following year with this school, received three letters of recommendation from multiple school administrators, and lost my primary income source as a direct result of his actions.

After a year of continued online abuse from every channel imaginable, I’ve gotten pretty good at documenting, organizing, and contacting the appropriate channels to protect myself and my family from further terror.

I’ve even built my web-based app to help me and people like you who have also been victims of cyberbullying. You can try it out, and I’d love to know what you think.

I’m not giving legal advice here.

Please check the legal statutes in your state, learn how to make a police report, and contact an attorney. Listen to this audio podcast for additional help.

In this article, I offer some ideas, tools, and processes you need to know should you ever encounter an online bully aimed at ruining your life.

Let’s first define a bully for some context.

Threats could involve physical threats, digital threats, emotional threats, defamation threats, exposure threats, legal threats, manipulative threats, using third parties to make threats, or sharing confidential information to cause shame and emotional harm.

As the world becomes more digitally savvy, bullies will continue to find new ways to invoke this type of abuse. If you have been cyberbullied and are not sure what to do, this post will help you stick up for yourself and hopefully prevent it from happening again.

Cyberbullying is not limited to phone, text messages, and social media. It has evolved to the point where a bully can create multiple online profiles that extend their abuse to conceal or hide their true identities. There are tools to monitor, track, compile, and share destructive content with the appropriate authorities to protect yourself. It’s important to learn the nuances of each one so you know how to report it and include the right language in a case filing.

Since this bullying happens on a digital device, it’s important to know how to take screenshots from your device.

Next, I recommend keeping a spreadsheet with the following columns.

• Screenshot Filename

• Date Captured

• Device Used

• Platform (e.g., Facebook, Gmail)Type of Content (e.g., Threat, Harassment, Defamation)

• Brief Description

• Legal statute referenced

• Original File Location

• Backup Location (e.g., Google Drive link)

Now that you know how to track cyberbullying, here are the channels where it can take place.

Social Media Platforms

These are common for public shaming, false accusations, and harassment:

• Facebook: Posts, comments, Messenger DMs, groups

• Instagram: DMs, story mentions, comments, fake accounts tagging or impersonating

• Twitter/X: Replies, quote tweets, subtweets, impersonation

• Snapchat: Disappearing messages, story targeting, group snaps

• TikTok: Comments, stitches/duets meant to mock, fake accounts

• YouTube: Comments, reaction videos, targeted content

Report Link

• https://www.facebook.com/help/263149623790594

• https://help.instagram.com/192435014247952

• https://help.twitter.com/forms/abusiveuser

• https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/article/report-abuse-in-app

• https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/report-a-problem

• https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802027

Messaging Apps

Used for private or group-based harassment:

• iMessage / SMS / MMS

• WhatsApp

• Facebook Messenger

• Google Chat / Hangouts

• Signal / Telegram

• Discord: Direct messages, servers, voice channels

• GroupMe / Kik / LINE

Report Link

• https://www.facebook.com/help/263149623790594

• https://help.instagram.com/192435014247952

• https://help.twitter.com/forms/abusiveuser

• https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/article/report-abuse-in-app

• https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/report-a-problem

• https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802027

Check the Phone Number Format

• Google Voice numbers in the U.S. often:

  • Start with area codes not tied to the sender’s real location

  • Are VOIP (Voice over IP) numbers

• Use tools like:

  • https://freecarrierlookup.com

  • https://textmagic.com/free-tools/carrier-lookup

These can show if the number is VOIP (which Google Voice uses) and its carrier. If it shows "Bandwidth.com", "Google", or "Level 3 Communications", that may suggest a Google Voice number.

• Typing the number in quotes in Google

• Checking on forums or spam-reporting websites like:

  • https://www.whocallsme.com

  • https://www.nomorobo.com/lookup

  • https://www.shouldianswer.com

These may reveal reports of it being a Google Voice or scam/spam number.

A term to become familiar with when speaking with your local authorities or your attorney is called “neutral tandem”.

Neutral Tandem is a telecommunications company that provides interconnection and data transit services, particularly for Voice over IP (VoIP) and carrier-level voice traffic.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

What Neutral Tandem Does:

Neutral Tandem acts as a neutral third party that allows phone calls and data traffic to flow between different telecom carriers (like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Google Voice, etc.) without relying on those companies to directly interconnect.

They help:

• Route phone calls between different networks

• Provide Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking services

• Enable VoIP interconnection between service providers

• Handle numbering and local exchange functions

Why It Might Show Up in Caller ID or Lookup Tools:

If you trace a phone number using a carrier lookup tool and it says “Neutral Tandem”, that means:

• The number is likely being routed through Neutral Tandem’s infrastructure

• It may belong to a VoIP provider that uses Neutral Tandem to route calls

• It does not directly identify the sender—it just shows which company is carrying the call traffic

Common Use in Abuse Investigations:

• Many Google Voice, TextNow, Burner, and other VoIP app numbers use intermediaries like Neutral Tandem to route traffic

• If a number you're investigating lists "Neutral Tandem" as the carrier, it's a strong indicator the number is not a traditional landline or cell carrier—but a VoIP or masked service

What You Can Do:

If you're investigating harassment or suspicious messages from a Neutral Tandem number:

1. Preserve all messages and logs

2. Use a free carrier lookup to confirm it’s routed by Neutral Tandem

3. Report to police—they can subpoena the original service provider (like Google Voice) via the call route

4. Mention “Neutral Tandem” in any legal or protection order paperwork to indicate VoIP involvement

Email Services

• Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.

• Used for sending threats, false accusations, or attaching malicious content

• Spoofed or fake accounts may be used to hide identity

If you're trying to protect yourself from online harassment or need to report illegal behavior involving Gmail, you can:

• Report abuse from a Gmail account https://support.google.com/mail/contact/abuse

• Local email and click “Show Original” message.

• Trace an email with its full header.

• Open Google Admin Toolbox Messageheader.

• Analyze the header above.

• Paste header into report to Google.

Online Forums & Comment Sections

• Reddit: Subreddits, PMs, vote manipulation

• Quora, Tumblr, 4chan, 8kun: Doxxing, hate speech

• Gaming forums or school-specific communities

Report Link or Notes

• https://www.reddit.com/report

• https://help.quora.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000474606

• https://www.tumblr.com/support

• Use law enforcement if doxxed or threatened

• Report through platform or game moderation system

• Report to school staff or use in-platform Google abuse tools

Online Games & Gaming Chats

• Voice chat and text chat used to insult, threaten, or isolate players:

  • Xbox Live

  • PlayStation Network

  • Steam

  • Twitch

  • Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, League of Legends, etc.

Report Link

• https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/family-online-safety/enforcement/report-abuse

• https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/account/report-content/

• https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithGameIssue/?issueid=707

• https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/reporting-a-user

• https://en.help.roblox.com/hc/en-us/articles/203312410

• https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/

• https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/report-abuse

• https://support-leagueoflegends.riotgames.com

Anonymous & Disposable Accounts

Often used to avoid accountability:

• Google Voice numbers

• Burner phone numbers or apps

• Fake email addresses (e.g., ProtonMail)

• Anonymous apps: YikYak, Whisper, Sarahah, Tellonym

Report

• https://support.google.com/voice/answer/9259736

• Support via in-app or https://www.burnerapp.com/help

• https://protonmail.com/support/

• https://www.yikyak.com/safety

• https://whisper.sh/contact

• https://www.sarahah.com/

• https://tellonym.me/legal

Doxxing & Public Exposure Sites

• Posting someone's private info (name, address, phone) without consent

• Found on hate forums, exposé blogs, or blackmail attempts

File Sharing Services

Used to share humiliating content, private images, or false "evidence":

• Google Drive

• Dropbox

• OneDrive

• WeTransfer

AI & Deepfake Tools

Newer methods of bullying or defamation:

• Creating fake conversations

• Deepfake photos or videos

• Generating false text messages

🛡️ How to Respond:

• Document everything (screenshots, URLs, usernames, timestamps)

• Report abuse to the platform

• Block the offender

• File a police report if there's stalking, threats, or repeated harassment

• Seek a restraining order if it's persistent and harmful

One student stood out because of her desire to get more involved in the University, learn new skills, and make a positive difference for others. She talked about wanting to do a podcast, make short videos, and get better at social media marketing. After the conference, she followed up on LinkedIn and stayed connected. Every so often, I would see her taking on new responsibilities. It was time to reach back out to offer some help and simplify the coordination of multiple tasks involved with releasing content marketing campaigns.

We recorded our conversation to help document some of the new ideas, resources shared, and to offer this video to support others in a similar position.

Doug: Alexa, how are you today?

Alexa: I'm good! How are you?

Doug: Good. It was great to reconnect after Mizzou's "Making Me Marketable" conference last year. It’s good to see you.

Alexa: It’s good to see you, too!

Doug: So tell me, what have you been working on since we last met?

Alexa: I think the "Making Me Marketable" conference was in October, though I don’t remember the exact date. Since then, in November, I started my own podcast. Originally, it was going to be a duo podcast with one of my friends. We planned to talk about things that college students go through, but that didn’t end up working out. So I took the initiative and made it a solo podcast.

That was really scary at the time because I’ve always struggled with social anxiety. But I went ahead and made it solo so I could still connect with different people in each episode. It also helped me overcome some of those fears.

I also joined a bunch of clubs at the start of the school year. As a freshman, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I came into college thinking I wanted to do sports broadcasting. I even worked a couple of football games with a nearby news station, but realized I wasn't that into sports—I got pretty bored during the games.

So I made the switch to an emphasis in Strategic Communications, which focuses on digital marketing, social media, and public relations.

Doug: Wow, that’s a big shift!

Alexa: Yeah, but it's been really fun. Hosting a solo podcast has allowed me to bring on different people. I'm currently working on booking an athlete I follow on TikTok, and I’m really excited about that.

The school year is ending, and I have made five episodes. That’s definitely less than I hoped for, but I was super busy. I had to plan each episode, record, and edit using Adobe software, which is very time-consuming.

I also took a journalism course this semester where we used all of the Adobe apps. That really ate up most of my time.

Aside from the podcast, I joined Her Campus—an all-girls digital magazine here at Mizzou. It just became an Elite Level Chapter, which is a big deal on campus. I love being a part of it.

I wanted to join during the first semester, but I didn’t have time. So I joined the social media committee instead of being a writer. It's a separate application process, and 30 of us were selected. We created content for Instagram and TikTok.

I was recently elected as TikTok Director for next semester, which I’m super excited about. TikTok is my favorite platform to create on, aside from Instagram. I love making interactive TikToks and analyzing the performance.

The last thing I did this semester was get involved with Mizzou Student Media, which oversees the podcast network, the school newspaper (The Maneater), and the campus radio station (KCOU).

I was on the marketing team and was recently elected as Marketing Director for the next semester. That’s going to be my main role.

Doug: So, just to recap, there are three platforms under Mizzou Student Media: the podcast network, The Maneater, and KCOU, right?

Alexa: That’s right.

Doug: So your regular workflow involves finding stories, learning from others, and publishing them in engaging ways to inform and connect with the student community?

Alexa: Exactly. I was originally just part of the podcast network, but through the student media team, I got to help manage all three platforms' Instagram accounts. Next year, we want to create more collaboration. All three groups only met together once this semester, so one of our goals is to be more united.

Doug: That’s a lot of responsibility. The amazing thing today is that we have technology, AI, and tools that cost little to nothing. Years ago, people had to invest heavily to create these types of platforms. Even our phones are like mini production studios.

Let me ask you—when you put all this together, from building your team to creating content, how do you stay organized?

Alexa: I’ve always been pretty organized, but I don’t use any fancy platforms. I just use the Google Notes app. I plan my days by the hour: for example, "11:00 AM - History class" and "11:30 AM - Study." It’s just a checklist.

But I’ve been trying to find other ways to stay more organized, especially since I’ll have even more on my plate next year.

Doug: Cool. Would you mind if I shared some ideas using free tools that could help you get organized, collaborate better, and amplify your impact?

Alexa: Yes, go ahead!

Doug: Great. Let me share my screen with you. Right now, I’ve got Airtable pulled up.

Alexa: Yes, I can see it.

Doug: I’ve invited you as a collaborator, and I’ll transfer ownership to you soon. Airtable is one of the most powerful tools I’ve used. I’ve been using it for about eight years across marketing campaigns, podcast planning, project management, product development—you name it. It’s kind of like Google Sheets meets Trello meets SurveyMonkey.

Let’s walk through an example. Here’s a podcast episode tracker. I’ll create fields like episode name, description, guest interviewee, and a thumbnail attachment. You can also add statuses like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Published."

We can even create a table for your interviewees, with fields like full name, bio, profile photo, and more. Then link them directly to each episode. You can also create a form so people can submit themselves to be on your show. Once they do, all that data automatically fills into your Airtable.

Alexa: Oh wow, that would save me so much back-and-forth on Instagram DMs or emails!

Doug: Exactly. You can even make a participation list view or gallery view, like digital baseball cards for your guests.

You mentioned TikTok content for The Maneater. You could make another table called "TikTok Maneater" and have fields like theme, caption, created date, scheduled date, published date, and the video file itself. You could share a calendar view with your editors, too.

Alexa: That’s going to help a lot with collaboration.

Doug: And when it comes to branding and content, let’s talk about Canva. Have you ever used the "Bulk Create" feature?

Alexa: No, I usually design each TikTok or podcast thumbnail from scratch.

Doug: You’re going to love this. We can use the episode table from Airtable to export a CSV file, then bring it into Canva. Just map the title and description fields to a pre-designed template, hit "Generate Designs," and boom—20 thumbnails done in seconds. Massive time saver.

Alexa: That’s a game-changer!

Doug: One more thing. Since you're already managing all this media and content, have you thought about creating your own portfolio website?

Alexa: I’ve been meaning to. I know I have to build one for a class next semester, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Doug: No problem. Let me show you Replit. It’s a simple tool to build and host websites. Just type what kind of website you want—like a personal portfolio for a college student, podcast host, and TikTok creator—and it can generate the HTML, CSS, and even JavaScript. You can customize it, upload your photos, logos, and publish it.

Also, Canva now offers something called Canva 2.0 with AI-based code generation. You can literally tell it, "Create a checklist website for podcast guests," and it’ll build the layout and publish it with a shareable link.

Alexa: That’s incredible. I can’t believe how much easier this all is now.

Doug: The key is using these tools to save time, stay organized, and amplify your work without spending a fortune. I can't wait to see what you do with this.

Alexa: Thank you so much! This was incredibly helpful. I’m definitely going to start using Airtable and Canva bulk creation right away.

Doug: Awesome. You’ve got a bright future ahead. Let’s stay in touch!

Alexa: Definitely. Thank you again!

MLS Policy

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Multiple Listing Service (MLS): A facility, managed under the rules of a Realtor® association, through which brokers establish contractual offers of cooperation and compensation to other brokers. It allows for the widespread dissemination of listing information to facilitate cooperative sales efforts and the compilation of data for appraisals.

• MLS Participant: A broker who is authorized to submit listings to and receive information from the MLS, and who agrees to abide by the MLS rules and regulations. This may or may not require association membership, depending on local MLS policy.

• Listing Agreement: A contract between a seller and a broker authorizing the broker to market and sell the property. The handbook defines various types, implying different levels of service and exclusivity.

• Listing Content: The information provided about a property listed on the MLS, as defined by the MLS rules. Participants are responsible for the accuracy of this data.

• IDX (Internet Data Exchange): A policy that allows MLS Participants to display other Participants' listings on their own websites for advertising purposes, subject to certain rules and regulations.

• VOW (Virtual Office Website): An internet brokerage service offered by MLS Participants to their own clients, through which clients can access MLS information. The policy governing VOWs outlines specific requirements and restrictions.

• Clear Cooperation: A policy requiring that within one business day of marketing a property to the public, the listing broker must submit the listing to the MLS for cooperation with other participants.

• Lock Box: A secure device used to store property keys, allowing authorized individuals access to listed properties for showings. The handbook outlines security requirements and eligibility for keyholders.

• Participant vs. Subscriber/User: While Participants are typically principal brokers, MLSs may categorize non-principal brokers, sales licensees, and appraisers affiliated with Participants as Subscribers or Users, who are also subject to MLS rules.

Core Policy Areas

• Antitrust Compliance: MLS operations must adhere to antitrust laws, ensuring fair competition among brokers.

• Structure and Governance: The handbook provides model governance provisions for MLSs, whether operated as a committee of an association or as a separate subsidiary.

• Administration and Operational Issues: This section covers procedures for access, indoctrination, effective dates of policy changes, data submission by appraisers, naming conventions, categorization of services, and rule changes.

• Data Management: Policies regarding current listings (submission, termination, exclusive listings), sold/comparable/off-market information, and statistical reports are detailed.

• Advertising: Rules govern print and electronic advertising, including IDX and VOW policies, use of MLS information, and transmittal to aggregators.

• Participants' Rights: This section outlines the rights of MLS Participants, including optional participation, access, presentation of offers, showings, Code of Ethics adherence, arbitration, ownership of listing content, and data feeds.

• Enforcement of Rules: The handbook specifies appropriate procedures for rules enforcement, including the use of fines and disciplinary guidelines.

• Compensation: The policy states that there should be no offers of compensation to other brokers included directly within the MLS.

• Lock Box/Key Repositories: Detailed policies cover security requirements, key deposits, and centralized key repositories.

• Fair Housing: MLS policies must comply with fair housing laws, prohibiting discrimination.

• Data Standards: Reference is made to Real Estate Transaction Standards (RETS) and RESO Standards for data management.

Areas for Further Consideration

• The handbook emphasizes local control and options for MLSs in certain areas, such as limited service listings and fees for data downloading.

• The relationship between the National Association of Realtors®, local associations, and independent MLSs is addressed.

• The importance of accurate listing data and timely reporting of status changes is highlighted.

• The proper use and reproduction of MLS information are subject to specific guidelines.

• The ethical obligations of MLS Participants, particularly regarding the solicitation of clients under exclusive agreements, are referenced through the Code of Ethics.

Quiz: Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Policies

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each based on the provided source material.

1. What is the fundamental purpose of a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) as described in the handbook's "Purpose" section?

2. According to the handbook, what distinguishes an "MLS Participant" and what are their basic obligations regarding MLS rules?

3. What is the significance of the "Clear Cooperation" policy, and when does a listing need to be submitted to the MLS under this rule?

4. Explain the primary function of the "Internet Data Exchange (IDX)" policy as outlined in the handbook.

5. What are some of the key restrictions placed on the use of MLS information by individuals who access it through an IDX feed?

6. According to the handbook, can an MLS Participant be required to transfer ownership rights of their listings to the MLS to maintain participation? Explain briefly.

7. What are the requirements for holding a lock box key if the lock box system is operated by an association-owned MLS?

8. How should funds collected as deposits for lock box keys be handled by a member association or its MLS?

9. What are the implications of the handbook's policy regarding "No Compensation Offers in MLS"?

10. What is the handbook's stance on representing or implying that a real estate firm directly operates an MLS or that consumers have direct access to MLS databases?

Answer Key for MLS Policies Quiz

1. The primary purpose of an MLS is to create a facility where Realtors® can effectively invite other brokers into cooperative agreements for the sale of their listings and share necessary information for such cooperation. It also serves to accumulate and disseminate information for appraisals and allows appraisers to contribute to common databases.

2. An MLS Participant is a broker authorized to submit listings and receive information from the MLS, agreeing to abide by its rules and regulations. Their obligations include providing accurate listing data and adhering to the policies outlined in the handbook.

3. The Clear Cooperation policy mandates that within one business day of publicly marketing a property, the listing broker must submit it to the MLS for cooperation. This aims to ensure broad exposure and cooperative opportunities for all MLS participants.

4. The IDX policy allows MLS Participants to display other Participants' listings on their public-facing websites for advertising. This is intended to increase property exposure, subject to rules about display, source attribution, and limitations on the information shared.

5. Individuals accessing MLS information through an IDX feed are typically restricted from copying, redistributing, or retransmitting the data except in connection with their consideration of purchasing or selling an individual property. They also acknowledge the MLS's ownership and copyright of the database.

6. No, an MLS Participant generally cannot be required to transfer ownership rights of their listings to the MLS to maintain participation. However, they may be required to grant licenses for the necessary storage, reproduction, compiling, and distribution of listings for MLS purposes.

7. If the lock box system is operated by an association-owned MLS, every MLS Participant and every affiliated non-principal broker, sales licensee, and licensed or certified appraiser who is legally eligible for MLS access can hold a key. This is contingent upon the execution of a lease agreement with the MLS.

8. Funds accepted as lock box key deposits must be retained in a separate account by the association or its MLS. These funds are solely for refunding depositors upon the return of the key and cannot be used for any other purpose.

9. The policy of "No Compensation Offers in MLS" means that offers of compensation to cooperating brokers should not be stated within the MLS listing itself. Compensation arrangements should be handled outside the MLS, often through separate agreements or disclosures.

10. The handbook explicitly prohibits MLS Participants, Subscribers, and affiliated licensees from representing or implying that their firm operates an MLS or that consumers have direct access to MLS databases reserved for Participants and Subscribers. They can, however, represent that information they are authorized to provide is available on their websites.

Essay Format Questions

1. Discuss the balance between mandatory national MLS policies and the flexibility afforded to local Realtor® associations and MLSs in the "PDF-HMLP-2025-Handbook-on-Multiple-Listing-Policy-2025-01-23 (2).pdf". Provide specific examples of areas where local discretion is permitted and analyze the potential benefits and challenges of this approach.

2. Analyze the evolution of information sharing and advertising regulations within the MLS framework as evidenced by the policies outlined in the handbook. Consider the impact of the Internet and data aggregators on these policies and discuss the ongoing efforts to balance transparency, intellectual property rights, and fair competition.

3. Evaluate the significance of the "Clear Cooperation" policy in the context of modern real estate practices. Discuss its intended benefits for consumers and brokers, potential challenges in its implementation, and its role in fostering cooperation and broader market exposure for listed properties.

4. Examine the handbook's provisions regarding access to MLS services for non-members of Realtor® associations. Analyze the rationale behind these policies, the eligibility requirements for non-member participation, and the implications for the structure and inclusivity of the MLS.

5. Critically assess the policies related to data usage for valuation purposes, including automated valuations, as described in the handbook. Discuss the permissible and prohibited uses of MLS data in appraisals and the safeguards in place to protect confidential information and intellectual property rights.

Glossary of Key Terms

• Aggregator: A third-party entity that collects and displays real estate listings from various sources, including MLSs.

• Arbitration: A method of dispute resolution where a neutral third party hears both sides of a disagreement and makes a binding decision.

• Association of Realtors®: A local or state organization affiliated with the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), whose members agree to abide by the NAR's Code of Ethics.

• Automated Valuation Model (AVM): A computer-generated estimate of a property's value using mathematical modeling and data analysis.

• Brokerage Back Office Data Feed: A stream of MLS data specifically intended for a Participant's internal business operations and management.

• Cooperating Broker: A broker who works with the listing broker to find a buyer for a property.

• Data Feed: A stream of data provided in a standardized format, allowing for the electronic transfer of information.

• Exclusive Agency Listing: A listing agreement where the seller grants one broker the exclusive right to market the property, but the seller retains the right to sell the property themselves without paying a commission.

• Exclusive Right-to-Sell Listing: A listing agreement where one broker is given the exclusive right to market and sell the property, and is entitled to a commission regardless of who finds the buyer.

• Fair Housing: Laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in housing based on protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

• Limited Service Listing: A listing agreement where the listing broker offers fewer services than a traditional full-service listing, often impacting cooperation with other brokers.

• MLS Entry-Only Listing: A type of listing where the broker primarily enters the listing into the MLS but may offer limited additional services.

• Net Listing: A listing agreement where the broker's commission is any amount exceeding a net price specified by the seller; these are often discouraged or prohibited due to potential conflicts of interest.

• Non-Principal Broker/Sales Licensee: Real estate agents and associate brokers who work under the supervision of a principal broker.

• Office Exclusive Listing: A listing that is marketed only within the listing broker's own firm and is not submitted to the MLS (subject to Clear Cooperation policy).

• Open Listing: A non-exclusive listing agreement where the seller can employ multiple brokers; only the broker who finds a ready, willing, and able buyer earns a commission.

• Protection Clause: A clause in a listing agreement that protects the broker's commission for a certain period after the agreement expires if the property is sold to a buyer introduced by the broker during the listing term.

• Real Estate Owned (REO): Property owned by a lender (typically a bank) after an unsuccessful foreclosure sale.

• RESO Standards: Real Estate Standards Organization standards aimed at creating uniform data standards for the real estate industry.

• RETS (Real Estate Transaction Standards): An earlier set of data standards for real estate transactions, now largely superseded by RESO Standards.

• Subscriber: In the context of MLS, typically a licensed real estate professional affiliated with a Participant who has access to the MLS under the Participant's account.

• User: Similar to a Subscriber, often referring to individuals authorized to access and use the MLS under a Participant's account.

Code of Ethics

Executive Summary:

This briefing document outlines the main themes and important ideas within the provided excerpts of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, effective January 1, 2025. The document emphasizes the high ethical obligations of REALTORS® to clients, customers, the public, and fellow professionals. Key themes include the primacy of client interests (while maintaining honesty with all parties), the importance of cooperation among brokers, the requirement for transparency and disclosure in all dealings, the commitment to fair housing and equal service, the need for professional competence, and the emphasis on resolving disputes through mediation and arbitration. The Code establishes duties that may exceed legal requirements, with the law taking precedence in cases of conflict.

Main Themes and Important Ideas:

1. Foundational Principles and Responsibilities:

• Higher Ethical Standard: The Code establishes obligations for REALTORS® that may be higher than those mandated by law. However, legal obligations always take precedence in case of conflict.

• Preamble's Emphasis on Land and Society: The Preamble underscores the significant social responsibility of REALTORS®, stating, "Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization." It highlights the duty to promote the highest and best use of land, adequate housing, functioning cities, productive industries, and a healthy environment.

• Dedication to Professional Standards: REALTORS® are expected to be "zealous to maintain and improve the standards of their calling" and share responsibility for the profession's integrity and honor.

• Continuous Learning and Sharing: The Code emphasizes the importance of staying informed on real estate issues and willingly sharing knowledge and experience.

• Addressing Unethical Conduct: REALTORS® have a responsibility to identify and eliminate practices that may harm the public or discredit the profession. They are specifically obligated to report direct personal knowledge of misconduct involving misappropriation, willful discrimination, or fraud resulting in substantial economic harm.

• Importance of Cooperation: Recognizing that cooperation benefits clients, REALTORS® are urged to promote exclusive representation, avoid unfair competitive advantages, and offer objective and professional opinions when sought.

• Integrity and the Golden Rule: The term REALTOR® is associated with "competency, fairness, and high integrity." The Golden Rule ("Whatsoever ye would that others should do to you, do ye even so to them") is presented as a guiding principle.

2. Duties to Clients and Customers:

• Primacy of Client Interests: Article 1 clearly states, "When representing a buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, or other client as an agent, REALTORS® pledge themselves to protect and promote the interests of their client." This duty is primary but does not negate the obligation to treat all parties honestly.

• Honesty in Non-Agency Capacities: Even when not acting as agents, REALTORS® are obligated to treat all parties honestly.

• Obligations as Principals: Standard of Practice 1-1 clarifies that REALTORS® acting as principals in a transaction remain bound by the Code of Ethics.

• Scope of Ethical Duties: Standard of Practice 1-2 emphasizes that the Code applies to all real estate-related activities, regardless of the medium (in-person, electronic, etc.), but duties exclusive to agents by law are not imposed on those in non-agency roles.

• Truthfulness in Securing Listings and Buyer/Tenant Representation: REALTORS® must not mislead owners about market value (1-3) or buyers/tenants about potential savings (1-4).

• Disclosed Dual Agency: Representing both sides of a transaction is permissible only with full disclosure and informed consent from all parties (1-5).

• Objective and Timely Submission of Offers: Offers and counter-offers must be submitted objectively and as quickly as possible (1-6, 1-8). Listing brokers must continue to submit all offers until closing unless waived in writing (1-7).

• Confidentiality: The obligation to preserve confidential information continues after the termination of the professional relationship, with specific exceptions (client consent, court order, preventing a crime, defending against accusations) (1-9). Information about latent material defects is not considered confidential.

• Competent Property Management: REALTORS® managing property must do so competently with due regard for the rights, safety, and health of tenants (1-10, 1-11).

• Disclosure of Cooperation Policies and Potential for Dual Agency: When entering into listing (1-12) and buyer/tenant (1-13) agreements, REALTORS® must inform clients about company policies on cooperation, compensation arrangements, and the potential for dual agency. They must also inform buyers/tenants that sellers may not keep offer terms confidential unless legally required.

• Fees for Valuations: Appraisal fees cannot be contingent on the valuation amount (1-14).

• Disclosure of Offers: With seller approval, REALTORS® must disclose the existence of offers to inquiring buyers or cooperating brokers, including who obtained the offer (1-15).

• Authorized Access: REALTORS® cannot access or use listed property without the owner's authorization (1-16).

• Truthfulness in Representations: Article 2 prohibits exaggeration, misrepresentation, or concealment of pertinent facts. However, REALTORS® are not obligated to discover latent defects or advise on matters outside their license scope or confidential information under state law.

• Disclosure of Adverse Factors: REALTORS® are only obligated to disclose adverse factors reasonably apparent to someone with their licensing expertise (2-1).

• False Consideration: REALTORS® shall not be party to naming a false consideration in documents (2-4).

• Non-Material Facts: Facts legally defined as "non-material" or expressly excluded from disclosure are not considered "pertinent" under Article 2 (2-5).

3. Cooperation with Other Brokers:

• General Obligation to Cooperate: Article 3 mandates cooperation with other brokers unless it is not in the client's best interest. This does not include an automatic obligation to share commissions.

• Terms of Cooperation and Compensation: Listing brokers establish the terms of cooperation, and cooperating brokers should ascertain compensation terms before beginning work (3-1). Changes in compensation must be communicated before an offer is submitted (3-2). Agreements to change compensation are permissible (3-3).

• Disclosure of Dual or Variable Rate Commissions: Listing brokers must disclose the existence of such arrangements to potential cooperating brokers (3-4).

• Prompt Disclosure by Subagents: Subagents must promptly disclose all pertinent facts to the principal's agent (3-5).

• Disclosure of Accepted Offers: REALTORS® must disclose the existence of accepted offers to cooperating brokers (3-6).

• Transparency When Seeking Information: When seeking information from another REALTOR® about a managed or listed property, REALTORS® must disclose their status and interest (personal or on behalf of a client) (3-7).

• Accurate Representation of Access: REALTORS® shall not misrepresent the availability of access (3-8) or provide access on unauthorized terms (3-9).

• Scope of Cooperation Duty: The duty to cooperate involves sharing information and making property available for showing when in the seller's/landlord's best interest (3-10).

• Non-Discrimination in Cooperation: REALTORS® cannot refuse to cooperate based on protected characteristics (race, color, etc.) (3-11).

4. Disclosure of Interests and Compensation:

• Disclosure of Ownership or Contemplated Interest: REALTORS® with a present or contemplated interest in a property must disclose this in writing to all parties before any agreement is signed (Article 4, 4-1). This includes representing themselves, immediate family, their firm, or entities in which they have a legal interest. The specific nature of the interest or the client's identity does not need to be disclosed, only that an interest exists (4-2).

• Disclosure of Interest in Providing Professional Services: REALTORS® shall disclose any present or contemplated interest when providing professional services concerning a property (Article 5).

• Disclosure of Compensation from Third Parties: REALTORS® cannot accept commissions, rebates, or profits on client expenditures without the client's knowledge and consent (Article 6). They must also disclose any financial benefits or fees received for recommending other real estate products or services (e.g., insurance, financing).

• Disclosure of Interest in Recommended Services: REALTORS® must disclose any direct interest they have in an organization or business entity they recommend to a client (6-1).

• Disclosure of Multiple Compensation: Accepting compensation from more than one party in a transaction requires disclosure to all parties and the informed consent of the REALTOR®'s client(s) (Article 7).

5. Handling Funds and Agreements:

• Separate Trust Accounts: Client funds (escrows, trust funds, etc.) must be kept in a separate account (Article 8).

• Written and Understandable Agreements: REALTORS® must ensure, whenever possible, that all real estate agreements are in writing, in clear language, expressing specific terms and obligations. Copies must be provided to all parties (Article 9).

• Keeping Documents Current: Reasonable care should be taken to ensure documents are kept current through written extensions or amendments (9-1).

• Electronic Agreements: When assisting with electronic contractual relationships, REALTORS® must make reasonable efforts to explain the nature and terms before agreement (9-2).

6. Duties to the Public and Fair Housing:

• Non-Discrimination in Services and Employment: Article 10 prohibits denying equal professional services or discriminating in employment practices based on protected characteristics (race, color, etc.). REALTORS® cannot be party to any discriminatory plan.

• Restrictions on Volunteering Neighborhood Composition Information: When selling or leasing a residence, REALTORS® shall not volunteer information about the racial, religious, or ethnic composition of a neighborhood or engage in panic selling. Other demographic information may be provided (10-1).

• Permitted Use of Demographic Data (Non-Residential): In non-residential contexts, demographic data can be provided if deemed necessary for the assignment and obtained from a reliable source, with disclosure of the source and any modifications (10-2).

• Non-Discriminatory Advertising: Advertising cannot indicate any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on protected characteristics (10-3).

• Definition of "Real Estate Employment Practices": This term includes employees and independent contractors providing real estate services, as well as supporting administrative staff (10-4).

• Prohibition of Harassing/Hate Speech: REALTORS® must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on protected characteristics (10-5).

7. Professional Competence and Integrity:

• Standards of Practice and Competence: Services provided must conform to the standards reasonably expected in the specific real estate disciplines engaged in (Article 11). REALTORS® should not undertake specialized services outside their competence without assistance from a competent professional or full disclosure to the client.

• Opinions of Real Property Value: Standard of Practice 11-1 outlines specific requirements for preparing opinions of value or price, including knowledge of the property type and area, access to necessary information, disclosure of interests, basis for the opinion, and whether inspections were conducted.

• Interpretation of Competence Standards: Obligations in non-appraisal disciplines should be interpreted based on the competence and practice reasonably required by clients and the public (11-2).

• Consultive Services: Advice given for a fee (not commission) should be objective, and the fee should not be contingent on the advice given (11-3).

• Scope of Required Competency: Competency relates to contracted services, Code of Ethics duties, and legal/regulatory duties (11-4).

• Honest and Truthful Communications: REALTORS® must be honest and truthful in all real estate communications and present a true picture in advertising (Article 12). Their professional status must be readily apparent.

• "Free" Services: REALTORS® cannot represent services as free unless they receive no financial compensation (12-1).

• Inducements: Offering inducements is not inherently unethical but requires care and candor, with clear disclosure of all terms (12-3).

• Authority to Offer/Advertise: Property cannot be offered or advertised without authority, and listed prices must be accurate (12-4).

• Disclosure of Firm Name in Advertising: All advertising must clearly disclose the REALTOR®'s firm name (12-5).

• Advertising Owned Property: REALTORS® advertising their own unlisted property must disclose their ownership and REALTOR®/licensee status (12-6).

• "Sold" Claims: Only the listing or cooperating broker who participated in the transaction can claim to have "sold" the property, with restrictions on "sold" signs before closing (12-7).

• Website Accuracy: REALTORS® must ensure information on their websites is current and take corrective action when it is not (12-8). Firm and individual websites must disclose licensure information clearly (12-9).

• Online Representations: The obligation for a true picture includes online content, prohibiting deceptive framing, manipulation of content, misleading use of metatags, and unauthorized use of others' content (12-10).

• Disclosure of Consumer Information Sharing: Intentions to share or sell consumer data gathered online must be clearly disclosed (12-11).

• Misleading URLs/Domain Names: REALTORS® cannot use or register URLs/domain names that present a false picture (12-12).

• Use of Professional Credentials: Only legitimately earned credentials can be used and displayed (12-13).

• Unauthorized Practice of Law: REALTORS® shall not engage in the unauthorized practice of law and should recommend legal counsel when needed (Article 13).

8. Professional Standards and Dispute Resolution:

• Cooperation in Professional Standards Proceedings: REALTORS® must present all pertinent facts when charged with unethical practice or asked to cooperate in investigations (Article 14). They cannot disrupt or obstruct such processes.

• Single Disciplinary Proceeding: REALTORS® cannot be subject to disciplinary proceedings in more than one Board for the same transaction/event (14-1).

• Confidentiality of Proceedings: Unauthorized disclosure of allegations, findings, or decisions from ethics or arbitration hearings is prohibited (14-2).

• Protection Against Retaliation: REALTORS® shall not obstruct proceedings by threatening legal action for libel, slander, or defamation based on filed complaints or testimony (14-3).

• Prohibition of Multiple Complaints: Intentionally filing multiple ethics complaints based on the same event is prohibited (14-4).

• Avoiding False or Misleading Statements About Other Professionals: REALTORS® shall not knowingly or recklessly make false or misleading statements about other real estate professionals or their businesses (Article 15). This includes not publishing or repeating such statements online (15-2, 15-3).

• Avoiding False Ethics Complaints: Filing false or unfounded ethics complaints is prohibited (15-1).

9. Relations with Other REALTORS®:

• Respecting Exclusive Agreements: REALTORS® shall not engage in practices inconsistent with exclusive representation or brokerage agreements that other REALTORS® have with clients (Article 16).

• Permitted Business Practices: Article 16 does not prohibit aggressive but ethical business practices or disagreements about compensation (16-1).

• General Announcements: General announcements describing services are permitted even if some recipients have exclusive agreements with others (16-2). However, targeting clients exclusively listed with others through specific solicitations (based on signs, MLS data, etc.) is unethical.

• Offering Different or Future Services: Contacting another broker's client to offer a different type of real estate service or the same service after the existing agreement expires is generally allowed (16-3). MLS information cannot be used to target other REALTORS®' clients for similar services.

• Soliciting Listings Currently Listed: Soliciting a currently exclusively listed property is prohibited unless the listing broker refuses to disclose the listing's expiration date and type, in which case the REALTOR® may contact the owner to secure this information and discuss future listing terms (16-4).

• Soliciting Buyer/Tenant Agreements: Similar rules apply to soliciting buyers/tenants subject to exclusive agreements (16-5).

• Client-Initiated Contact: REALTORS® contacted by another REALTOR®'s client about creating an exclusive relationship for the same service can discuss future terms or enter into an agreement effective upon the existing agreement's expiration (16-6).

• Past Relationships: Previous exclusive relationships do not prevent other REALTORS® from seeking future business (16-7).

• Entering Similar Agreements After Expiration: Entering into a similar agreement after a prior one has expired is permissible (16-8).

• Duty to Inquire About Existing Agreements: REALTORS® have an affirmative obligation to reasonably determine if a prospect is subject to a current exclusive agreement before entering into a representation agreement (16-9).

• Disclosure of Buyer/Tenant Representation: REALTORS® acting as buyer/tenant representatives must disclose this to the seller/landlord's representative at first contact and provide written confirmation by the execution of the agreement (16-10). Similar disclosure is required on unlisted property directly to the seller/landlord, along with any request for compensation (16-11).

• Disclosure of Seller/Landlord Representation: REALTORS® representing sellers/landlords must disclose this to buyers/tenants as soon as practicable, with written confirmation by the execution of the agreement (16-12).

• Dealing with Clients Under Exclusive Agreements: All dealings concerning exclusively listed property or clients with exclusive agreements should be conducted with the client's representative, not the client directly, unless with consent or client initiation. REALTORS® should inquire about exclusive agreements before providing substantive services (16-13).

• Avoiding Multiple Commissions: REALTORS® should not knowingly obligate non-exclusive clients to pay more than one commission without informed consent (16-14).

• Compensation in Cooperative Transactions: Cooperating REALTORS® should be compensated (principal brokers), not their affiliated sales licensees directly without the cooperating broker's express consent (16-15).

• Modifying Offers of Compensation: Buyer/tenant representatives cannot use the terms of a purchase/lease offer to modify the listing broker's offer of compensation (16-16).

• Extending Offers of Cooperation: REALTORS® cannot extend a listing broker's cooperation/compensation offer to other brokers without consent (16-17).

• Using MLS Information: Information from MLS or other cooperation offers cannot be used to refer listing brokers' clients or create buyer/tenant relationships with them unless authorized (16-18).

• Placement of Signs: "For sale," "for rent," etc., signs require the seller's/landlord's consent (16-19).

• Inducing Cancellation of Agreements: REALTORS® cannot induce clients of their current firm to cancel exclusive agreements before their relationship ends. This doesn't prevent principals from establishing agreements with associated licensees regarding the assignability of exclusive agreements (16-20).

10. Mediation and Arbitration:

• Dispute Resolution Between REALTORS®: Contractual and specific non-contractual disputes between REALTORS® from different firms arising from their REALTOR® relationship should be mediated if required by the Board. If not resolved through mediation or if not required, disputes should be submitted to arbitration rather than litigation (Article 17).

• Disputes with Clients: REALTORS® should mediate or arbitrate contractual disputes with their clients if the clients agree to be bound by the outcome.

• Obligation of Principals: The obligation to participate in mediation and arbitration extends to the REALTOR®'s firm.

• Refusal to Arbitrate: Filing litigation in an arbitrable matter constitutes a refusal to arbitrate (17-1).

• Waiver of Mediation/Arbitration: REALTORS® are not required to mediate or arbitrate if all parties advise the Board in writing that they choose not to (17-2). However, declining mediation does not remove the duty to arbitrate if the Board requires it.

• REALTORS® as Principals: REALTORS® acting solely as principals are not obligated to arbitrate with other REALTORS® absent a specific written agreement (17-3).

• Specific Non-Contractual Disputes Subject to Arbitration (procuring cause in cooperative sales): Standard of Practice 17-4 outlines specific compensation disputes in cooperative transactions that are subject to arbitration, even without the listing broker as a direct party in some cases.

• Inter-Association Arbitration: The obligation to arbitrate can extend to disputes between REALTORS® in different states under certain conditions (17-5).

Explanatory Notes:

• Charges of Code violations must cite specific Articles. Standards of Practice can be used to support the charge.

• Standards of Practice clarify the ethical obligations of the Articles and are supplemented by Case Interpretations.

• The Code and Standards are subject to periodic modifications, and users should ensure they are using the most recent versions.

This briefing provides a comprehensive overview of the key elements within the provided excerpts of the 2025 NAR Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. REALTORS® are expected to adhere to these principles in all their professional activities.

Each time my son and I have volunteered at the St. Louis Area Food Bank we received the volunteer timesheet that helps track how many hours worked, how many pounds of food were processed, and how many meals were prepared for those in need. Those timesheets have been thrown away and it got me thinking there has to be a better way to measure that impact over several years.

That’s when I had the idea of making a mobile web app using Amazon Web Services to make it easier for those who contribute to total up their efforts after repeated visits. Sure, you could hire a software development company to make this happen. Instead, I decided to design the architecture, code, and deployment process with my friend ChatGPT.

Here it goes…

Architecture Overview

• Frontend: React.js or Vue.js for a responsive web app.

• Backend: AWS Lambda functions for processing timesheet uploads.

• Storage: Amazon S3 for file storage and DynamoDB for structured data.

• Authentication: AWS Cognito for user sign-in and identity management.

• API Management: API Gateway for routing requests to Lambda functions.

• Data Analysis: AWS Athena for querying stored data in S3.

Features

• Timesheet Upload: Allow users to upload volunteer logs in Excel or image format.

• Data Extraction: Use AWS Textract for extracting text from uploaded timesheets.

• Performance Tracking: Calculate volunteer hours, pounds processed, and meals provided.

• Data Persistence: Store data in DynamoDB for long-term tracking.

• Visualization: Use charts and analytics for data insights.

• User Authentication: Secure user accounts and personalized data views.

AWS Services Setup

1. S3 Bucket:

   • Store user-uploaded files securely.

2. AWS Textract:

   • Extract text from uploaded image files and parse data for further processing.

3. API Gateway and Lambda:

   • Handle frontend requests and invoke data processing functions.

4. DynamoDB:

   • Store parsed volunteer records with a schema like:

JSON

{
  "userId": "12345",
  "date": "2025-02-09",
  "hoursVolunteered": 2,
  "poundsProcessed": 5000,
  "peopleHelped": 1200
}

5. AWS Cognito:

• Manage user sign-up, sign-in, and authentication.

Frontend UI Structure

• Upload Section:

  • Form for file upload and optional manual data entry.

• Dashboard:

  • Show total hours volunteered, performance trends, and achievements.

• Data Table:

  • Persistent records of volunteer activities.

• Analytics:

  • Graphs showing year-over-year or month-over-month performance.

Code Example for Lambda Data Processing

Javascript

const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const dynamoDB = new AWS.DynamoDB.DocumentClient();

exports.handler = async (event) => {
  const requestBody = JSON.parse(event.body);
  
  const volunteerRecord = {
    TableName: 'VolunteerRecords',
    Item: {
      userId: requestBody.userId,
      date: requestBody.date,
      hoursVolunteered: requestBody.hoursVolunteered,
      poundsProcessed: requestBody.poundsProcessed,
      peopleHelped: requestBody.peopleHelped
    }
  };
  
  await dynamoDB.put(volunteerRecord).promise();
  
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ message: 'Record saved successfully!' })
  };
};

Deployment Instructions

• Frontend Hosting: Use AWS Amplify to deploy the frontend.

• Backend Deployment: Deploy Lambda functions and API Gateway using AWS SAM or Serverless Framework.

• Security: Ensure IAM roles and policies are set correctly for secure access.

Here’s a more detailed step-by-step guide for setting up your volunteer tracking web app with AWS serverless architecture:

1. Setup AWS Cognito (User Authentication)

Steps:

1. Go to the AWS Cognito Console.

2. Create a User Pool for authentication.

3. Configure the pool to enable sign-up and sign-in.

4. Enable email as the unique user identifier.

5. Optionally, set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

6. Save the User Pool ID and App Client ID for frontend integration.

Frontend Integration:

Use the AWS Amplify library for easy Cognito integration:

CLI

npm install aws-amplify @aws-amplify/ui-react

Example configuration:

Javascript

import { Amplify } from 'aws-amplify';
import awsconfig from './aws-exports';

Amplify.configure(awsconfig);

2. Setup S3 (File Storage)

Steps:

1. Go to the AWS S3 Console.

2. Create a new bucket (e.g., volunteer-timesheets).

3. Enable public access blocking and set up appropriate IAM policies for secure access.

4. Configure bucket permissions for Lambda to read files.

3. Setup Textract (Data Extraction from Files)

Steps:

1. Go to the AWS Textract Console.

2. Test a sample file to ensure Textract reads the data correctly.

3. Write a Lambda function to trigger Textract processing.

Example Lambda code to extract text:

Javascript

const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const textract = new AWS.Textract();

exports.handler = async (event) => {
  const params = {
    Document: {
      S3Object: {
        Bucket: 'volunteer-timesheets',
        Name: 'sample-file.jpeg'
      }
    }
  };

  const result = await textract.detectDocumentText(params).promise();
  
  const extractedData = result.Blocks.filter(block => block.BlockType === 'LINE')
                                      .map(line => line.Text);
  
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ extractedData })
  };
};

4. Setup DynamoDB (Persistent Data Storage)

Steps:

1. Go to the DynamoDB Console.

2. Create a table named VolunteerRecords.

3. Set the primary key as userId and date (sort key).

Example schema:

JSON

{
  "userId": "12345",
  "date": "2025-02-09",
  "hoursVolunteered": 2,
  "poundsProcessed": 5000,
  "peopleHelped": 1200
}

5. Setup API Gateway and Lambda

API Gateway:

1. Go to the API Gateway Console.

2. Create a new REST API.

3. Add a resource and method (POST) to handle form submissions.

4. Integrate with the Lambda function.

Lambda Function:

Example to save records to DynamoDB:

Javascript

const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const dynamoDB = new AWS.DynamoDB.DocumentClient();

exports.handler = async (event) => {
  const requestBody = JSON.parse(event.body);
  
  const volunteerRecord = {
    TableName: 'VolunteerRecords',
    Item: {
      userId: requestBody.userId,
      date: requestBody.date,
      hoursVolunteered: requestBody.hoursVolunteered,
      poundsProcessed: requestBody.poundsProcessed,
      peopleHelped: requestBody.peopleHelped
    }
  };
  
  await dynamoDB.put(volunteerRecord).promise();
  
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ message: 'Record saved successfully!' })
  };
};

6. Frontend (React App)

Setup:

1. Install dependencies:

CLI

npx create-react-app volunteer-tracker
cd volunteer-tracker
npm install aws-amplify recharts

2. Create pages for:

• Dashboard: Show performance metrics with charts.

• Upload Section: Allow file uploads.

• Data Table: List volunteer records.

Example File Upload Component:

Javascript

import { Storage } from 'aws-amplify';

function FileUpload() {
  const handleFileUpload = async (event) => {
    const file = event.target.files[0];
    await Storage.put(file.name, file);
    alert('File uploaded successfully!');
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <input type="file" onChange={handleFileUpload} />
    </div>
  );
}

export default FileUpload;

7. Deploy with AWS Amplify

1. Initialize Amplify:

CLI

amplify init
amplify add auth
amplify add storage
amplify push

2. Deploy the frontend:

CLI

amplify publish

8. Security Best Practices

• Use IAM roles with the least privilege.

• Enable encryption for S3 and DynamoDB.

• Configure CORS policies for API Gateway.

To help you set up charts and deploy your volunteer tracking app effectively, here are detailed steps and code examples.

1. Adding Charts with Recharts

First, install Recharts if you haven't already:

CLI

npm install recharts

Below is an example of a dashboard component showing hours volunteered over time:

Javascript

import React, { useEffect, useState } from "react";
import { LineChart, Line, XAxis, YAxis, CartesianGrid, Tooltip, Legend, ResponsiveContainer } from "recharts";
import { API } from "aws-amplify";

function Dashboard() {
  const [data, setData] = useState([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchData = async () => {
      const response = await API.get("volunteerAPI", "/records");
      setData(response);
    };
    fetchData();
  }, []);

  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Volunteer Hours Over Time</h2>
      <ResponsiveContainer width="100%" height={400}>
        <LineChart data={data} margin={{ top: 5, right: 30, left: 20, bottom: 5 }}>
          <CartesianGrid strokeDasharray="3 3" />
          <XAxis dataKey="date" />
          <YAxis />
          <Tooltip />
          <Legend />
          <Line type="monotone" dataKey="hoursVolunteered" stroke="#8884d8" activeDot={{ r: 8 }} />
        </LineChart>
      </ResponsiveContainer>
    </div>
  );
}

export default Dashboard;

2. Setting Up API Gateway and Lambda for Data Retrieval

To retrieve data from DynamoDB, create a new Lambda function:

Lambda Code:

Javascript

const AWS = require("aws-sdk");
const dynamoDB = new AWS.DynamoDB.DocumentClient();

exports.handler = async () => {
  const params = {
    TableName: "VolunteerRecords"
  };

  try {
    const data = await dynamoDB.scan(params).promise();
    return {
      statusCode: 200,
      body: JSON.stringify(data.Items)
    };
  } catch (error) {
    return {
      statusCode: 500,
      body: JSON.stringify({ error: error.message })
    };
  }
};

API Gateway:

1. Create a GET method and connect it to your Lambda function.

2. Enable CORS and deploy the API.

Frontend Configuration:

Add the API in Amplify:

CLI

amplify add api

Example API configuration in the frontend:

Javascript

import { Amplify, API } from "aws-amplify";
import awsconfig from "./aws-exports";

Amplify.configure(awsconfig);

const apiName = "volunteerAPI";
const path = "/records";

API.get(apiName, path)
  .then(response => console.log(response))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

3. Deploying the Frontend with AWS Amplify

1. Initialize Amplify:

CLI

amplify init

2. Add Hosting:

CLI

amplify add hosting

3. Push Changes:

CLI

amplify push

4. Deploy:

CLI

amplify publish

4. Deploying Lambda and API Gateway

1. Zip the Lambda code and upload it to AWS Lambda.

2. Test the API Gateway connection and confirm it works.

3. Update permissions for the Lambda function to access DynamoDB.

5. Security Configuration

• IAM Roles: Assign minimal permissions for Lambda to access DynamoDB and S3.

• CORS: Configure API Gateway to allow your frontend origin.

• Secure API Calls: Use Cognito authentication in Amplify and API Gateway.

Here's how to proceed with the API setup and endpoint configuration to integrate your volunteer tracking app seamlessly.

Step 1: Create and Deploy DynamoDB Table

1. Go to the DynamoDB console.

2. Create a table named VolunteerRecords.

3. Use recordId (String) as the primary key.

Step 2: Configure Lambda to Write and Read Data

Lambda Function for Adding Volunteer Records:

Javascript

const AWS = require("aws-sdk");
const dynamoDB = new AWS.DynamoDB.DocumentClient();

exports.handler = async (event) => {
  const body = JSON.parse(event.body);

  const params = {
    TableName: "VolunteerRecords",
    Item: {
      recordId: body.recordId,
      date: body.date,
      hoursVolunteered: body.hoursVolunteered,
      totalPoundsProcessed: body.totalPoundsProcessed,
      weightInTons: body.weightInTons,
      helpedProvided: body.helpedProvided,
      yearsFed: body.yearsFed,
    },
  };

  try {
    await dynamoDB.put(params).promise();
    return {
      statusCode: 201,
      body: JSON.stringify({ message: "Record added successfully!" }),
    };
  } catch (error) {
    return {
      statusCode: 500,
      body: JSON.stringify({ error: error.message }),
    };
  }
};

Lambda Function for Reading Volunteer Records:

Javascript

exports.handler = async () => {
  const params = {
    TableName: "VolunteerRecords",
  };

  try {
    const data = await dynamoDB.scan(params).promise();
    return {
      statusCode: 200,
      body: JSON.stringify(data.Items),
    };
  } catch (error) {
    return {
      statusCode: 500,
      body: JSON.stringify({ error: error.message }),
    };
  }
};

Step 3: Set Up API Gateway

1. Go to the API Gateway console.

2. Create a new REST API.

3. Add two methods:

   • POST for adding volunteer records

   • GET for fetching volunteer records

4. Connect these methods to the respective Lambda functions.

5. Enable CORS for each method.

6. Deploy the API.

Step 4: Configure Frontend to Use API

Configuration in aws-exports.js:

Ensure your API Gateway URL is added here or automatically configured by Amplify.

Example API Call to Add Data:

Javascript

import { API } from "aws-amplify";

const apiName = "volunteerAPI";
const path = "/records";

const addVolunteerRecord = async (record) => {
  const requestOptions = {
    body: record,
  };

  try {
    await API.post(apiName, path, requestOptions);
    console.log("Record added successfully");
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error adding record:", error);
  }
};

Example API Call to Fetch Data:

Javascript

const fetchVolunteerRecords = async () => {
  try {
    const data = await API.get(apiName, path);
    console.log("Volunteer Records:", data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error fetching records:", error);
  }
};

Step 5: Add Chart Component

The following example visualizes "Total Pounds Processed" over time using Recharts:

Javascript

import { LineChart, Line, XAxis, YAxis, CartesianGrid, Tooltip, ResponsiveContainer } from "recharts";

const VolunteerChart = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <ResponsiveContainer width="100%" height={400}>
      <LineChart data={data}>
        <CartesianGrid strokeDasharray="3 3" />
        <XAxis dataKey="date" />
        <YAxis />
        <Tooltip />
        <Line type="monotone" dataKey="totalPoundsProcessed" stroke="#82ca9d" />
      </LineChart>
    </ResponsiveContainer>
  );
};

export default VolunteerChart;

Step 6: Deploy Everything

Frontend

CLI

amplify push amplify publish

Backend

• Zip and deploy Lambda functions.

• Test the API Gateway endpoints.

Step 1: Test the API Endpoints

POST Endpoint (Add Volunteer Record)

Use Postman or your preferred API testing tool:

1. Set the request method to POST.

2. Enter your API Gateway URL (e.g., https://<api-id>.execute-api.<region>.amazonaws.com/prod/records).

3. Set the headers to:

pgsql

Content-Type: application/json

4. Add the request body in JSON format:

JSON

{
  "recordId": "1",
  "date": "2025-02-09",
  "hoursVolunteered": 2,
  "totalPoundsProcessed": 15000,
  "weightInTons": 7.5,
  "helpedProvided": 12245,
  "yearsFed": 11.18
}

5. Send the request and ensure you get a 201 Created response with the message Record added successfully!.

GET Endpoint (Fetch Volunteer Records)

1. Set the request method to GET.

2. Enter your API Gateway URL (e.g., https://<api-id>.execute-api.<region>.amazonaws.com/prod/records).

3. Send the request and ensure you receive the stored records in JSON format.

Step 2: Update UI for Mobile Responsiveness

CSS for a Mobile-Responsive Layout

Add this to your stylesheet:

CSS

body {
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

.container {
  padding: 20px;
}

.input-form {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 10px;
}

input[type="text"],
input[type="number"] {
  width: 100%;
  padding: 10px;
  border: 1px solid #ddd;
  border-radius: 4px;
}

button {
  padding: 10px;
  background-color: #007bff;
  color: white;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 4px;
  cursor: pointer;
}

button:hover {
  background-color: #0056b3;
}

@media (min-width: 768px) {
  .input-form {
    max-width: 600px;
    margin: 0 auto;
  }
}

Step 3: Refine the UI with Form and Chart Components

Javascript

import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
import VolunteerChart from "./VolunteerChart";
import { API } from "aws-amplify";

const VolunteerTracker = () => {
  const [records, setRecords] = useState([]);
  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({
    recordId: "",
    date: "",
    hoursVolunteered: "",
    totalPoundsProcessed: "",
    weightInTons: "",
    helpedProvided: "",
    yearsFed: "",
  });

  useEffect(() => {
    fetchRecords();
  }, []);

  const fetchRecords = async () => {
    try {
      const data = await API.get("volunteerAPI", "/records");
      setRecords(data);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Error fetching records:", error);
    }
  };

  const handleChange = (e) => {
    setFormData({ ...formData, [e.target.name]: e.target.value });
  };

  const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    try {
      await API.post("volunteerAPI", "/records", { body: formData });
      fetchRecords();
      setFormData({
        recordId: "",
        date: "",
        hoursVolunteered: "",
        totalPoundsProcessed: "",
        weightInTons: "",
        helpedProvided: "",
        yearsFed: "",
      });
    } catch (error) {
      console.error("Error adding record:", error);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div className="container">
      <h1>Volunteer Tracker</h1>
      <form className="input-form" onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
        <input
          type="text"
          name="recordId"
          placeholder="Record ID"
          value={formData.recordId}
          onChange={handleChange}
          required
        />
        <input
          type="date"
          name="date"
          value={formData.date}
          onChange={handleChange}
          required
        />
        <input
          type="number"
          name="hoursVolunteered"
          placeholder="Hours Volunteered"
          value={formData.hoursVolunteered}
          onChange={handleChange}
          required
        />
        <input
          type="number"
          name="totalPoundsProcessed"
          placeholder="Total Pounds Processed"
          value={formData.totalPoundsProcessed}
          onChange={handleChange}
          required
        />
        <input
          type="number"
          name="weightInTons"
          placeholder="Weight in Tons"
          value={formData.weightInTons}
          onChange={handleChange}
          required
        />
        <input
          type="number"
          name="helpedProvided"
          placeholder="Helped Provided"
          value={formData.helpedProvided}
          onChange={handleChange}
          required
        />
        <input
          type="number"
          name="yearsFed"
          placeholder="Years Fed"
          value={formData.yearsFed}
          onChange={handleChange}
          required
        />
        <button type="submit">Add Record</button>
      </form>
      <VolunteerChart data={records} />
    </div>
  );
};

export default VolunteerTracker;

This post took about an hour to make, code included. It would probably take a few days to implement the steps as opposed to a month to two to have it complete.

There are many ways you can use AI to increase productivity.

I encourage you to use it to improve humanity.

AI can reap tremendous productivity benefits for teachers and students with tasks you probably never imagined yet were possible. When you hear about them the first time you may be in denial, disbelief, disillusioned, or dismayed by the consequences of using AI in the classroom. Furthermore, when you empower students with this technology, you may argue its adoption will turn them into mindless drones without skills that they need to pass tests, gain required skills for survival, or keep a job in the future.

Rather than try to convince you teachers should use AI much like convincing you to use Zoom back in 2015 before the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to prepare you with some practical ideas you can use as a teacher, a homeschool parent, or a student looking to gain the extra edge without compromising the unintended consequences. That is developing practical knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors AI can teach you inside the classroom and beyond.

English Language Arts

When some kids start kindergarten today, they are given Chromebooks and taught how to use the computer to log into specific applications and web tools installed. At home they have voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, YouTube videos they can watch (hopefully you are supervising them!), and video game consoles that offer more English Language Arts solutions than your traditional picture flip book. Spellcheck, auto-correct, and Grammarly are already available on most computers.

Asking a student to read a book out loud in front of his classmates might seem like a big challenge. Having one read a book using screen capture video and producing captions for the video reading is another. The benefit of making videos with captions is the AI will take the phonetic sounds and convert them to text on the video. The mispronunciation of a word will teach you to say it right the next time.

Action items for ELA teachers

Some YouTube videos read better than most teachers in person. These videos offer more consistency, and better production quality, and can be replayed over and over especially when the teacher loses their voice or isn’t feeling up to par for the day. If you ask Amazon Alexa to spell a word, you will get the proper phonetic pronunciation. If you use Amazon Alexa Fire TV, you will see the word on the screen to show the proper spelling. If you ask Amazon Alexa Fire TV the definition of a term, you will get to read the definition on the screen and might see a picture representing the term to identify. But be careful to leave Alexa unintended. A voice assistant has democratized the remote control. Any student could blurt out a prompt. Stay close to Alexa and familiarize yourself with the mute button.

Prompts you might ask your AI of choice:

• How do you spell _______?

• What are 100 different personal values a person can have?

• Write me a children’s storybook that teaches students the benefits of volunteering in their community at places like the food bank, the local community garden, and the animal adoption facilities.

Mathematics

At first, you learn how to count to 100. Then you must learn PEMDAS. That’s the order of operations required to calculate a math problem. If forgot, just ask Amazon Alexa. Even if you can’t say it right, she will correct you.

If you don’t have the bandwidth to recite another times table exercise that day, you could play Math Songs by Number Rock or ask Amazon Alexa Fire TV. The AI in Amazon Alexa has many of these math learning concepts available. Or if you want to get fancy and make your own, try programming Alexa using the Q&A blueprint. You get to type in the prompt and expected response for each directive you wish Alexa to understand that meets your curriculum’s needs.

Action items for math teachers

Then there are mobile apps that help you calculate how to perform math problems by scanning them from a piece of paper. Try using Mathway, PhotoMath, or Socratic for an eye-opening experience.

Prompts you might ask your AI of choice:

• Count to 100.

• Count to one hundred by spelling the name of each number.

• Scan the equation from your mobile phone to show how the answer was calculated to get the right answer.

Science and Social Studies

Science is based on facts, processes, and events proven by scientists who continue to refine their theories over time. Social studies represent historical events, facts about government, and policies every citizen ought to know and be responsible in their daily lives. This type of memory-based learning is an ideal way to remember categorical knowledge, dates, and facts that require constant repetition until they are considered long-term knowledge in your memory bank.

Action items for teachers

Teach students how to break down categorical knowledge of science and social studies. Let’s pretend you ask your AI for the most used elements in the periodic table. When you reach an unfamiliar term or concept not discussed, you can ask for a definition of that term to go a level deeper. You can ask the AI for specific examples when an element is used. You can ask the AI for popular compounds where the element is used to make a molecule. There is no limit to what the AI can teach you AND it keeps you focused on the topic where students are most interested.

Prompts you might ask your AI of choice

• What are the most used elements in the periodic table? What is oxygen?

• Who was the 23rd president of the United States? How does a president of the United States get elected?

• List the process for an automotive manufacturer to make an electronic vehicle.

Computer Science

There are around 30-40 core topics involved with computer science that go beyond typing, browsing the internet, and using native applications installed on your machine. Similar to both social studies and science, computer science is mostly categorical knowledge where you must understand basic terms, definitions, and the order in which it’s used in a defined process. It isn’t until the advanced stages that computer science becomes an art form in writing code, customizing systems, and innovating on technology that sets the next trends for business today.

Action items for computer science teachers

You can ask your AI for basic terms, definitions, and sequences for how information systems work together. You can also ask your AI to help build you a sample website in minutes that might have taken you days to write the HTML, CSS, and Javascript previously.

Computer science-powered AI apps include:

1. Tynker: Tynker provides a gamified approach to coding that starts with visual blocks and advances to text-based coding as students progress. Its AI-assisted tutorials help guide young learners through puzzles and games, making it ideal for early computer science education.

2. Kodable: Kodable introduces coding concepts through games where students solve puzzles by using drag-and-drop commands. The app includes lessons on sequences, loops, and conditions, which are scaffolded to support young learners in understanding core coding concepts.

3. Hopscotch: Hopscotch is a creative coding app where kids can design games, animations, and interactive stories using block-based coding. It’s geared toward younger students and encourages experimentation and creativity with simple coding logic.

4. Robotify: Robotify uses virtual robots in 3D environments to teach basic coding skills. Students can solve tasks by programming these virtual robots, introducing them to coding concepts while fostering interest in robotics and engineering.

5. CS First by Google: CS First offers introductory computer science activities using Scratch. The program includes themed projects like storytelling and music, making it accessible for younger students and fostering creativity along with coding skills.

6. Pixel Art by CS Unplugged: CS Unplugged’s Pixel Art activities introduce binary numbers and algorithms through visual art. Students create pixelated images by following algorithms, and learning basic concepts of digital representation and logical sequences without needing a computer.

Prompts you might ask your AI of choice:

• What are the components of a computer? Ask the AI for the definition of each one if not provided.

• What are the top twenty paid computer science jobs and please list how much each one makes per hour. Convert to table.

• Create a mobile responsive website of a health tracker for a rescue dog that shows the vitals for the dog’s health, a list of immunizations, and proper pet care tips once the dog has been released to its new owner. Give me the HTML, CSS, and Javascript files needed for my code editor.

Music

Music instruments are expensive and not always available when you want to learn or practice to get better. Computers and phones now have apps that teach you to play instruments, sing in key, and record songs synthesized using your favorite musical instruments.

Action items for music teachers

Gather a list of desktop computer applications you can use to teach multiple concepts in music. Try using one or more of these.

1. Yousician: This app uses AI to help users learn to play various instruments like guitar, piano, bass, and ukulele. It listens to your performance, provides real-time feedback on accuracy and timing, and adjusts lessons to your skill level.

2. SingSharp: An AI-powered app for singers, SingSharp provides vocal training exercises and feedback on pitch, breathing, and vocal control. It’s great for learning popular songs in key, as it helps users stay on pitch and improve singing technique.

3. Endlesss: This AI-powered music creation app allows musicians to jam together in real-time. The app uses machine learning to suggest beats, melodies, and harmonies, enabling users to create music collaboratively or solo.

4. AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist): AIVA is an AI that composes original music. It’s used by content creators and musicians to generate royalty-free soundtracks for videos, games, and other media. AIVA uses deep learning to analyze music from different genres, allowing it to generate compositions in a variety of styles.

5. Amper Music: This platform enables users to create unique, royalty-free music by adjusting parameters like genre, mood, and instrumentation. Amper’s AI creates high-quality, custom soundtracks that musicians and non-musicians alike can use to compose without extensive music theory knowledge.

6. JukeBox by OpenAI: JukeBox is a deep learning model that generates music, including singing in various styles and genres. It can generate music with lyrics in different languages and emulate the styles of specific artists or genres by learning from a vast database of recorded music.

7. Melodyne: Often used in professional music production, Melodyne is AI-powered software that can correct pitch, timing, and tonality in recorded vocals or instruments. It’s especially popular for adjusting vocal performances to stay in key, creating polished music tracks.

8. LANDR: LANDR is an AI mastering service that uses deep learning to analyze and enhance audio quality. It’s widely used to improve the final sound of music tracks by applying mastering effects such as compression and equalization.

Physical Education

A healthy body starts with having the right information about exercise, nutrition, and overall physical health. While there are an infinite number of resources available, few allow you to be specific in your area of practice and use AI to customize your learning plan.

PE Buddy is an AI-powered app designed for physical education teachers, offering real-time assistance to enhance lesson planning, activity monitoring, and student engagement. The app provides personalized fitness recommendations, tracks individual and class-wide performance metrics, and generates instant feedback to help students improve form and technique. PE Buddy's AI helps teachers organize and adapt lessons based on each student’s progress and abilities, making it an effective tool for creating tailored PE experiences that promote fitness and skill development in an interactive and data-driven way.

Action items for physical education teachers

• HomeCourt: Primarily focused on basketball, HomeCourt uses AI to analyze movement, form, and skills such as dribbling, shooting, and agility. The app provides real-time feedback and helps users improve their skills through interactive challenges, making it useful in both individual and group physical education settings.

• Keelo: Keelo is an AI-driven app for high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It creates personalized workout plans based on the user’s goals, fitness level, and equipment availability, making it suitable for PE classes where students have varying fitness levels. The AI also provides real-time guidance and adjustments to ensure correct form.

• Freeletics: This fitness app uses AI to personalize workout routines for students of all levels. The AI adapts each plan based on performance, progress, and preferences, offering exercises that can be done with minimal equipment, making it ideal for PE settings where equipment may be limited.

• Zenia: Zenia is an AI-based app that provides guidance for yoga, stretching, and meditation. It uses a phone camera to monitor users' poses, giving real-time corrections on form. This can be highly beneficial in PE classes focused on flexibility, mindfulness, or beginner yoga practice.

• Pear Sports: This app is used for personal training and physical education as it provides AI-guided audio and visual coaching. Pear Sports adapts workout plans based on real-time heart rate data, helping students learn the value of heart rate monitoring for effective training.

• Strava: Although primarily a social fitness app, Strava uses AI-driven algorithms to help runners and cyclists track performance and progress. It also gamifies activities with “segments” where users can compete with others, which can be used in PE classes to encourage friendly competition and track students’ progress over time.

• Onyx: This AI-powered fitness app uses the device camera to analyze body movements, providing real-time feedback on form and tracking reps during strength and HIIT workouts. It’s ideal for physical education classes where form and technique are essential, as it provides correction and ensures safe movement practices.

Prompts you might ask your AI of choice

Let’s pretend you aren’t satisfied with your current physical education program and want to write your own with AI. Here are some prompts to use should you wish to create your own pickleball program.

• What are the top ten dos and don'ts when playing pickleball?

• Make a list of the most important shots you need to learn when playing pickleball competitively and the mistakes you can make when attempting each one.

• Please provide a list of the proper equipment you need to start playing pickleball safely, the considerations you should take when buying this equipment, and the specifications for setting up a court in your gymnasium for the first time.

Art

Learning how to draw takes creativity, repetitive practice, and some inspiration to up your game. There are an infinite number of projects where you can master new skills. The choice starts with whether you wish to put crayons to paper, fingers to playdough, or AI to build your next masterpiece.

Action items for art teachers

Try some AI-powered apps before introducing them to your next class.

• ChatGPT: Ask ChatGPT to create a coloring book page showing kids demonstrating teamwork and making a difference by volunteering at the local food bank.

• AutoDraw: Created by Google, AutoDraw uses AI to recognize rough sketches and offer polished illustrations in real time. It’s ideal for beginners in art classes who want to learn drawing basics, as it suggests corrections and enhancements to their sketches, helping them understand shape and form.

• Deep Dream Generator: This AI tool allows students to transform photos or drawings into artistic images inspired by famous art styles, like Impressionism or Surrealism. It’s a great way for students to explore visual effects and get inspired by different artistic styles.

• Procreate with QuickShape: While not solely an AI app, Procreate’s QuickShape feature assists students in creating precise geometric shapes, which can be challenging to draw freehand. It’s excellent for digital art classes where students are learning design basics.

• Canva: Canva’s AI features make design accessible and fun for students. With AI-assisted design tools, they can easily create posters, digital presentations, and artwork. The AI suggestions for layouts, fonts, and colors help students learn the principles of graphic design in a visual and interactive way.

• Socratic by Google: For art history, Socratic is an AI-powered app that lets students take a photo of artwork or a question and receive detailed information, including analysis and related historical contexts. This can be used for in-depth art appreciation and art history studies.

• DALL-E: An AI image generator by OpenAI, DALL-E allows students to create unique images from textual descriptions. Art classes can use DALL-E to encourage creativity, where students can visualize imaginative scenes or characters based on their descriptions, blending language skills with art.

• SketchAR: This app uses AR and AI to teach students drawing by overlaying digital images onto paper or surfaces in real life. Students can trace and follow guides to learn proportions, line work, and shading, which is excellent for art classes focused on sketching techniques.

Special note about AI prompts and images

In addition to writing a prompt to ask the AI tool what to do, you may need to upload the image to the tool in order to help produce the intended result. The more specific you are about the intended outcome, the more likely the AI is to produce the result.

Administrators

AI tools are readily available for anyone who has a Gmail account provided by your school or their parent. It’s only a matter of time before they discover these tools. Chances are several students are using AI tools more than teachers in your school. What’s important today and moving forward is that you inform teachers about these tools, host active discussions about AI’s capabilities, and create policies to set appropriate expectations.

New technology can be scary for new and seasoned teachers alike. New teachers may be excited to get started with AI tools but might feel suppressed about using them based upon current views about AI, and school policies, or afraid students will use AI to cheat in their assignments and tests. While it may seem impossible to keep up, it becomes evident whether students immediately go from writing from 5th-grade to 12th-grade level overnight if you are following their work. Moreover, students should be reminded they are only cheating themselves when they heavily on AI to do their work instead of putting pen to paper. The question remains, “Will you be able to influence someone if the Internet goes down or your battery dies?”

Action items for administrators

Here are some suggested policy areas and ideas for how teachers might approach AI use created by ChatGPT:

1. Ethics and Responsibility

• Define Responsible Use: Outline specific situations where AI is allowed, such as research or creative brainstorming, versus where it’s restricted, like for final assessments.

• Emphasize Originality: Encourage students to see AI as a tool to enhance their own creativity, not as a replacement. Policies could require that any AI-generated content must be significantly adapted or improved upon by the student.

• Teach Bias Awareness: Since AI models can have biases, help students learn to question AI responses and evaluate information critically.

2. Transparency and Acknowledgment

• Require Disclosure: Ask students to disclose when and how they’ve used AI tools, whether for research, writing assistance, or project support. This can help teachers assess a student’s understanding and integrity.

• Cite AI Sources: If students use AI-generated content, policies should require citation, teaching students to give credit just as they would with any other research source.

3. Digital Safety and Privacy

• Limit Data Sharing: Educate students about not sharing personal information with AI tools and emphasize safety when using online platforms.

• School-Approved Tools Only: Set boundaries on which AI tools are approved for use, particularly ones that have strong data privacy standards.

4. Skill Development and Balance

• Focus on Skill-Building: Make clear that AI should support rather than substitute learning objectives. For instance, students could use AI to brainstorm ideas but should still create their final work independently.

• Limit AI Use in Assessments: Ensure that skills like math, reading comprehension, and writing are assessed without AI support, fostering independent problem-solving skills.

5. Teacher Guidelines

• Use AI to Enhance Teaching, Not Replace It: Teachers should use AI to assist with planning, grading, or finding resources, but avoid over-reliance to ensure their teaching remains personalized.

• Model Transparency with Students: If a teacher uses AI in lesson planning or generating materials, discussing this openly with students can show responsible AI use in practice.

6. Continuous Policy Review

• Update Regularly: AI technology evolves quickly, so review the policy yearly (or more frequently) to adjust to new developments, tools, or ethical concerns.

• Seek Student and Parent Feedback: Encourage feedback to see how students and parents feel about the AI policy, which can lead to new insights or needed adjustments.

These guidelines help create a balanced environment where AI serves as a helpful resource, rather than a crutch or ethical risk, in students' learning journeys.

What’s certain now more than ever is that the medium in which information is shared has changed and will continue to change. It’s critical that real estate organizations find new ways to curate, organize, dissect, refine, and deliver new information to more mediums and still do that with the same team. Performing these new roles and responsibilities requires innovative thinking, new processes, new tools, and consistent training on a new workflow. You can’t expect to remain comfortable doing the same thing. The long-term comfort is having the confidence to adapt to a new workflow and stay ahead of the trends.

What’s the Message?

The message components of every real estate organization include:

• Strategic Plan

• Association Bylaws

• Employee Manual

• Policy Manual

• Job Descriptions

• Performance Audit

• Budget

• Operational Plan

• Legislative Issues

• Member Benefits

Without these messages, an organization will eventually fall apart from disagreements between one or more stakeholders. These are the essentials. All of them are confidential, however at times, snippets need to be made public in full transparency.

A message spoken or written in text eventually needs to be transposed into content that gets shared privately or publicly. A unified message produced by leadership keeps the organization in alignment with its goals and helps avoid miscommunication by someone seeking to understand. Not all leaders are trained in content creation. They have team members skilled in the trade. If the team members’ skills are not current, communication may not be received by the recipient or misunderstood by its delivery.

Next, you need to be able to communicate these components using one or more mediums. Not only that, you need to have quick access from anywhere to retrieve this information and make it available in the channel where the information is being requested. You are not only judged by the quality of the information. You are being judged by how quickly you can relay it in the preferred channel.

Can you evaluate the plan?

Once new leaders have access to the zip file of essentials, it’s critical to understand what these documents mean and evaluate them regularly. Running a small business is different from an organization with many moving parts, stakeholders, strategic partners, members, vendors, and affiliates. You can’t skip over minor details and assume alignment on issues when multiple eyeballs hold you accountable.

Proper evaluation of messaging requires time to learn and understand. It’s not an automatic download into the brain and isn’t fully complete after a full-day seminar. The biggest mistake I see real estate leadership training make is when there is a false sense of comprehension of specific details required to operate the organization. Just because you conducted the training doesn’t mean it was effective. The benchmarks for success are when leaders can analyze the components with mindful consideration, compare with past or similar competitors, and be able to teach these evaluations to the next generation of leaders.

Can you implement the plan?

Implementing the plan requires a leaner, more productive approach using the same or fewer resources. Consumers have higher expectations of resolving their concerns the first time, in less time with the fewest hassles. We can thank Amazon.com for setting the bar. Also, children are creating more engaging content than corporate professionals employed for decades. It takes time to learn a new approach to implementing new communication strategies. It also takes courage to let go of what might have worked well in the past.

Here are some new questions to consider when implementing future plans:

• How often do you use voice-to-text transcription when drafting emails, marketing copy, or job descriptions?

• How confident are you at extemporaneous speaking when communicating ideas and concepts with others?

• How effective is your communication using multiple forms of content creation?

• How often are you using ChatGPT or other generative artificial intelligence tools to help you with your existing workload?

• Can you work productively from your smartphone as you are from your computer, especially when you are traveling?

• How often are you using low-cost tools to improve your productivity like Grammarly, Canva, Google Apps, Loom, and Zoom?

• How well are your frequently accessed web browser bookmarks organized across multiple devices to retrieve websites or documents?

• What is your average response time when responding to urgent and important messages?

What the future looks like for organized real estate

2010 I spoke at the Association Executive Institute in Quebec City, Quebec where I delivered two presentations. One was on Low-Cost Methods to Build Organizational Value and Recruiting, Retaining, and Reviving Young Leadership.

The difference between then and now is the medium has changed. The ones who have adapted to change have had greater success than those who waited or ignored the trends. Sure the industry is facing new issues like the transparency of commissions and clear cooperation policy. What’s critical now more than ever is that your communication strategy stays current. Otherwise, your members will start to lose trust in the value you offer. You have a choice to lead by example and it starts today with how you implement.

Introspection.

Speculation?

Thinking about what you would have done differently makes getting caught in a trap of regret easy.

• Should I have taken that internship?

• Should I have worked for a corporation?

• Should I have taken that risk when others told me no?!

The consideration between regret and reward depends upon your worldview of decision-making.

A life with fewer obstacles is a simple way to live.

A life filled with more decisions, risks, and rewards helps you lead a more fulfilling life where you can make a positive impact on others.

As an entrepreneur, professional speaker, and commercially published business author I have taken many risks that have taught myself and others valuable lessons. You learn how to accept rejection. You learn how to accept what you cannot control. You learn rewards come with persistence.

Last week I was invited to return to the University of Missouri-Columbia to speak to the Trulaske College of Business. I also volunteered to be a professor for a day for a class on Global Marketing and serve as a panelist for the Making Me Marketable business conference held on campus.

This post highlights some of the takeaways, questions asked, and follow-up answers as promised in hopes of inspiring the next generation of business leaders to go on and do amazing work.

In the global marketing session, I shared my journey in entrepreneurship and how I built a globally recognized brand. This process can be used for anyone, at any stage of their career, and used to create a business doing what you love.

Here are the three questions to ask/answer.

What do you love?

Your passion fuels behavior. Right now you might enjoy playing video games with your friends and that’s cool. Right now you might work at the school helping other students with their favorite activities, hobbies, and special interests. Doing what you enjoy most allows you to tap into the persistence required to learn new ways of getting better at what you love and overcome obstacles along the way.

What can you learn?

Learn as much as you possibly can about the things you love and the skills required to become the best in your field. Read as many books as you possibly can. Listen to as many audiobooks as you possibly can. Take as many online courses as you possibly can. Listen to as many podcasts as you possibly can. Attend as many conferences as you possibly can. Find as many people as you can who believe in you and your ability to succeed despite the mistakes you are guaranteed to make over time.

What can you give?

When you acquire knowledge and skills, develop a positive attitude, and demonstrate your skills with practice, you can serve in ways others cannot do for themselves. Your personal development becomes a superpower that helps individuals and organizations improve the way that serves others. This makes you incredibly valuable. Donating your time to organizations is a great way to master those skills because it gives you a safe place to practice. There will become a point when others will ask you how much you charge.

Q. What is the best book you have ever read?

A. Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Your ability to build relationships is one of the most critical skills you can develop and master over time. When you think about building relationships, find ways to add value to the other person. Can you make time to listen to the other person without judgment? Can you recommend a product or tool that will help? Can you suggest a book or resource? When you add value to another person, you deposit in a “relationship bank account” that builds over time.

Q. What are the best sales books you have ever read?

A. I would read everything by Mark Hunter. Mark’s approach to prospecting, creating business value, and forming relationships are extremely valuable. If a career in sales is your path, make it a point to read as many books even if some offer conflicting points. You develop your style and what works for you but first you must master the fundamentals from those who have had success in the past.

Q. How should I negotiate my salary right out of school?

A. You can't negotiate a salary when you don’t have a proven track record. I had to give a 50% referral fee for my first real estate deal. My commission was split again with the buyer’s agent and again with my brokerage. I earned the 17% commission and learned how to sell multifamily properties as my first hands-on, real-world real estate course. Had I tried to negotiate, I wouldn’t have made any money, wouldn’t have had the experience, and wouldn’t have had the confidence to take my next client on.

What are some ways you stay ahead of the competition?

Outlearn the competition. I have taken Kobe Bryant’s approach to becoming a Hall of Fame basketball player in learning. Learn in the early morning, morning, afternoon, mid-afternoon, early evening, and late evening to perfect your craft and do that consistently over ten years and you will become one of the greats. For the last few years, I focused on my son’s childhood development. He’s starting fourth grade having skills they don’t teach until much later in school. He’s typing 25 words a minute, has a YouTube channel, testing above grade level in most subjects, and has 75+ hours of community service. He’s well-prepared because of the deliberate focus invested in his learning and development. Instead of watching another movie or playing another game, open up a book or take a course to help give an extra edge.

What is the biggest choice you have had to make?

Choosing a life partner that shares the same personal values. As you get older and stay consistently focused on your work, there are existential pressures that force you to make decisions and compromises that might conflict with your values. If I had the chance to find the right person for me, I wouldn’t have compromised my values for the sake of having a partner.

How can I become a professional speaker?

Join Toastmasters and give as many presentations as you possibly can. I read my first professional presentation from a piece of paper without looking up. I didn’t even know you could make a living from giving a presentation until someone asked me how much I charged. If you can earn money from delivering 20 paid presentations in a year, you can join the National Speakers Association to learn how to build a business from speaking.

What should I put on my resume?

I’m not exactly sure. I haven’t been good at writing resumes in my career because as an entrepreneur you are constantly selling yourself, being interviewed by potential customers daily, and developing skills that don’t follow a linear career path. You don’t need a title to become a community leader except if you are writing a resume. That’s why I’m not the best person to answer this question.

Can you make introductions to others in your professional network to help me get a job?

It depends. Referrals are not given. They are earned. You must do the work required to earn trust. Others will not tell you the work required to earn the referral. You must research information about the referral source, ask questions that show you are interested in them, and offer ways to be helpful. If you want a referral to someone from my network, at least have your resume ready. Be specific in what role you want and be honest with your intentions. If you don’t do this work in the initial stages and do not follow up on time, you might not have the same referral opportunity again.

How can I market myself to get a new job?

“Making Me Marketable” isn’t really about me. It’s about marketing and serving you.

In this exclusive video interview, you will discover how the St. Louis Area Food Bank is leading the charge in educating the public about food insecurity, raising awareness to solicit critical donations, and attracting corporate sponsors to sustain their mission. You’ll also learn how they collaborate with strategic community partners to combat hunger across the region.

Whether you’re a local business leader, community advocate, or someone passionate about making a difference, this video recap will provide valuable insights on how you can engage with St. Louis Area Food Bank’s efforts and support the fight against hunger.

Key Topics Include:

• Innovative education strategies to raise awareness of food insecurity in St. Louis

• Effective methods to solicit donations and mobilize community support

• How to attract and retain corporate sponsors

• Building partnerships with community organizations to amplify our impact

Questions asked

My son Harry and started volunteering at the St. Louis Area Food Bank when he was five years old. His 75 hours of community service have been an inspiration to other families and reminded adults of the valuable lessons from participation.

One day while volunteering, I was asked to share why I get involved and what you can do to take action to fight food insecurity.

You’ve heard the mantra, “We are all in this together”.

Most people don’t get involved until they know someone closely impacted or directly impacted themselves.

Please leave a comment to share what you are doing to fight food insecurity or how you might get involved.

Click this link for more information.

https://bit.ly/FoodbankHAM24

My older brother attended Mizzou.

Where else was I going to apply for college? I did what he did. He was my role model growing up.

It was painful being initially rejected from the University of Missouri-Columbia. The feeling that you are not welcome where you want to be can stir up some unhealthy emotions, especially when you have your whole life ahead.

A month later I received a letter stating I was awarded the Ponder Minority Scholarship. It represented $10,000 in funding toward my undergraduate degree in marketing. Then I received official acceptance I was going to be a Tiger just like my older brother.

On Being Rejected

There are multiple scenarios where you can be rejected in life. I asked ChatGPT to help identify where you might also experience rejection. Many of these I have personally experienced at least once throughout my life.

1. Relationships and Dating

- Romantic Rejection: When someone you're interested in doesn't reciprocate feelings or ends a relationship.

- Friendship Rejection: Being excluded from a social group or not being chosen as a friend.

- Family Rejection: Disagreements or conflicts that cause distancing or estrangement from family members.

2. Career and Professional Life

- Job Applications: Rejection after submitting resumes, going through interviews, or even after trial periods.

- Promotion and Advancement: Not being selected for a raise or promotion despite hard work.

- Business Proposals: Having your business ideas or pitches turned down by investors, clients, or partners.

- Workplace Rejection: Not being included in projects or social circles at work.

3. Education

- Admissions: Being rejected by schools, colleges, or universities.

- Scholarships: Not being selected for financial aid or academic grants.

- Academic Work: Receiving negative feedback on research papers, theses, or other academic work.

- Social Rejection in School: Bullying, exclusion from peer groups, or being overlooked for extracurriculars.

4. Creative and Artistic Endeavors

- Publishing: Writers, artists, or musicians often face rejection when submitting their work to publishers, galleries, or labels.

- Auditions: Actors, dancers, and performers can be rejected after auditions or tryouts.

- Feedback: Receiving harsh criticism or rejection of your creative work from critics or audiences.

5. Social Rejection

- Peer Groups: Being left out or not fitting into a social circle.

- Online Communities: Being blocked, unfollowed, or receiving negative feedback in online forums or social media.

- Invitations: Not being invited to social events or gatherings.

6. Financial Situations

- Loan Applications: Being denied a personal, business, or home loan due to credit or other factors.

- Credit Card Rejection: Having a credit card application rejected.

- Financial Aid: Being turned down for government or private financial assistance.

7. Sports and Competitive Activities

- Team Selection: Not making it onto a sports team or not being picked during team selections.

- Competition Rejection: Failing to win or advance in competitions, whether in sports or other competitive arenas.

8. Health and Medical

- Medical Trials: Being excluded from participating in clinical trials or treatments.

- Health Insurance: Rejection of health insurance claims or coverage for certain conditions.

- Organ Donor Lists: Being denied eligibility for organ transplants due to various factors.

9. Social Justice and Activism

- Policy Rejection: Facing rejection when advocating for certain policies or reforms.

- Volunteering: Not being selected for volunteer opportunities due to qualifications or other factors.

10. Personal Goals and Aspirations

- Rejection by Self: Self-doubt and personal rejection of goals due to fear of failure or imposter syndrome.

- Failing at Personal Milestones: Not reaching personal goals, leading to a sense of rejection from oneself or society’s standards.

These rejections can have various emotional effects, but learning to cope with and overcome them is crucial for personal growth and resilience.

On Acceptance

The more times you try something new, the higher the likelihood you will get what you want although it’s never guaranteed. I asked ChatGPT to help identify where you might also experience acceptance.

1. Relationships and Dating

- Romantic Acceptance: When someone reciprocates romantic interest, leading to dating or long-term partnerships.

- Friendship Acceptance: Being invited into social circles or forming meaningful, close friendships.

- Family Acceptance: Support and affirmation from family members, especially during important life events or decisions.

2. Career and Professional Life

- Job Offers: Receiving a job offer after applications or interviews.

- Promotions and Raises: Being accepted for higher roles, leadership positions, or salary increases.

- Business Partnerships: Having your business proposal or collaboration accepted by investors, clients, or partners.

- Workplace Inclusion: Being included in projects, team activities, and social events within the workplace.

3. Education

- School/College Admissions: Getting accepted into schools, colleges, or universities.

- Scholarships: Receiving academic or financial scholarships based on merit or need.

- Academic Recognition: Positive feedback and acceptance of academic work, research, or projects.

- Social Inclusion in School: Being accepted into peer groups, clubs, or extracurricular activities.

4. Creative and Artistic Endeavors

- Publishing Success: Having your work—whether a book, artwork, or music—accepted by publishers, galleries, or record labels.

- Successful Auditions: Being cast or selected for a role in acting, dancing, or other performance arts.

- Positive Criticism: Receiving favorable reviews or praise for your creative work from critics, audiences, or peers.

5. Social Acceptance

- Peer Acceptance: Being included in social groups, gaining popularity or respect among peers.

- Online Communities: Being followed, liked, or positively acknowledged in online spaces or social media platforms.

- Invitations: Being invited to social events, gatherings, or important functions.

6. Financial Success

- Loan Approval: Getting approved for personal, business, or home loans, or other financial support.

- Credit Card Approval: Acceptance of your credit card application or higher credit limit offers.

- Financial Aid: Being approved for government or private financial assistance, grants, or relief funds.

7. Sports and Competitive Activities

- Team Selection: Being chosen to join a sports team or being drafted into a competitive team or league.

- Competition Success: Winning or advancing in sports, games, or other competitive activities, validating skills and efforts.

8. Health and Medical

- Clinical Trials: Being accepted into clinical trials or advanced treatment options.

- Insurance Coverage: Approval for health insurance or for specific medical procedures and treatments.

- Organ Donor Lists: Being accepted as eligible for organ transplants or life-saving medical procedures.

9. Social Justice and Activism

- Policy Acceptance: Having your advocacy for certain policies or reforms recognized and accepted by organizations, government bodies, or communities.

- Volunteering: Being selected or invited to participate in meaningful volunteer opportunities for causes you're passionate about.

10. Personal Goals and Aspirations

- Self-Acceptance: Reaching a level of self-love, validation, and confidence in your own abilities, goals, and values.

- Success in Personal Milestones: Achieving personal goals such as completing education, starting a family, or developing a skill that brings fulfillment and acceptance from within.

Acceptance in these areas often provides emotional and mental reinforcement, encouraging further growth and self-esteem. It builds strong connections with others and a deeper sense of belonging.

On Being Rewarded

When you experience success after success from taking action, you can also be rewarded in very special ways. These help you achieve personal and professional goals. I asked ChatGPT to help identify where you might also experience intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.

1. Relationships and Dating

- Romantic Rewards: Feeling valued and cherished in a relationship through acts of love, support, and affirmation. Rewards may include gifts, time spent together, or shared experiences.

- Friendship Rewards: Emotional rewards from loyal, supportive friendships. This may include acts of kindness, invitations to special events, or being there in times of need.

- Family Rewards: Recognition from family members, such as gratitude for support, celebration of milestones (birthdays, anniversaries), or being entrusted with family responsibilities.

2. Career and Professional Life

- Financial Bonuses: Earning bonuses, commissions, or profit-sharing for achieving targets, exceeding expectations, or contributing to a company’s success.

- Promotions and Raises: Rewarded with higher positions, increased responsibilities, or salary raises for exceptional work performance.

- Employee Recognition Programs: Being acknowledged through “Employee of the Month” awards, certificates, or public praise at work for outstanding contributions.

- Career Milestone Celebrations: Being rewarded for years of service, retiring with honors, or receiving industry-wide recognition for professional excellence.

3. Education

- Scholarships and Grants: Receiving financial rewards in the form of scholarships or academic grants for high performance or need-based qualifications.

- Honor Rolls and Awards: Being placed on honor rolls, receiving medals, trophies, or academic awards for excelling in studies, research, or school activities.

- Public Recognition: Earning public acknowledgment from teachers, school officials, or peers for achievements in education, athletics, or extracurricular activities.

4. Creative and Artistic Endeavors

- Publication or Exhibition: Being rewarded with the opportunity to publish a book, display art in a gallery, or have music produced, giving public exposure and recognition for creative work.

- Awards and Prizes: Winning artistic competitions, such as film festivals, writing contests, or music awards.

- Financial Success: Earning royalties, sales, or grants as a reward for creating work that resonates with audiences and buyers.

- Positive Reviews and Fame: Garnering praise from critics, audiences, or peers, boosting reputation and increasing opportunities for future work.

5. Social Rewards

- Social Media Validation: Receiving likes, shares, comments, and follows on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook can be a form of reward for sharing content or contributing to online discussions.

- Peer Respect: Being rewarded with admiration, influence, or leadership roles within social circles or communities.

- Invitations to Exclusive Events: Being rewarded with invitations to high-profile social gatherings, parties, or conferences, recognizing one's social standing or influence.

6. Financial Rewards

- Investments: Receiving high returns on investments in stocks, real estate, or other ventures.

- Business Profit: Financial rewards through entrepreneurship or business success, including revenue growth, dividends, or selling a company at a profit.

- Incentives and Grants: Being rewarded with grants, tax breaks, or financial incentives from the government or private entities for community contributions or innovation.

7. Sports and Competitive Activities

- Trophies and Medals: Winning trophies, medals, or other honors for success in sports, athletics, or other competitive activities.

- Monetary Prizes: Earning prize money or sponsorship deals for excelling in competitions, sports events, or esports.

- Public Recognition: Being honored with championship parades, media attention, or fan loyalty for exceptional performance in sports or games.

8. Health and Medical

- Health Milestones: Receiving rewards in the form of improved health, wellness, or fitness after dedicating effort to exercise, nutrition, or treatment regimens.

- Insurance Benefits: Earning wellness credits, discounts, or rewards from health insurance providers for engaging in healthy activities, such as quitting smoking or reaching fitness goals.

- Medical Research Breakthroughs: Being rewarded with grants, patents, or awards for contributing to life-saving medical research or innovations.

9. Social Justice and Activism

- Advocacy Awards: Receiving recognition through humanitarian or advocacy awards for efforts in social justice, environmental activism, or community service.

- Grants and Funding: Being rewarded with funding or grants to support initiatives that promote equality, justice, or environmental sustainability.

- Public Recognition: Earning media attention or community praise for impactful work in advancing social causes.

10. Personal Goals and Aspirations

- Self-Reward: Treating oneself with rewards like vacations, new purchases, or leisure activities after reaching a personal milestone or overcoming a challenge.

- Achievement Recognition: Being awarded certifications, badges, or titles after completing personal development goals, such as fitness programs, educational courses, or skill-building activities.

- Improved Well-Being: Reaping rewards in the form of increased confidence, happiness, or self-worth after working hard on personal growth or overcoming obstacles.

Rewards in these areas often enhance motivation, provide validation, and help build confidence, whether the rewards are material (money, gifts) or intangible (praise, opportunities). They can further lead to growth, fulfillment, and success in other parts of life.

The Life Cycle of Growth

You can turn every ‘No’ into an opportunity where others will accept and reward you. This goes for your personal and professional journey. The one quote my fraternity at Mizzou Phi Gamma Delta reminded me over and over was this:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Calvin Coolidge, 30th President United States

You are guaranteed to be rejected. If you aren’t being rejected, likely, you aren’t trying anything new. Setback after setback and with the help of my family, close friends, and the grace of God I’m still able to make a difference. Each day represents a new page to write, each year represents a new chapter, and each decade could represent its own book through life. Persistence is the one skill that helps you overcome rejection time after time. The best way to learn persistence is to develop a growth mindset by reframing rejection as an opportunity, celebrating the small wins, and positively talking to yourself.

That starts with YOU!

The late Jim Rohn begs the question, “What do you want to be known for?”

You might want to be known for being the best parent, teacher, or professional in your field. You might set your sights locally or stretch the possibilities beyond borders and make an impact globally.

The choice is yours. There is no right or wrong answer. It’s up to you to decide. Should you consider expanding beyond your zip code, I can offer some practical advice that has taken me around the globe making an impact doing what I love to do.

Learning what it means to go global

My friend Roseann Farrow lent me $3,000 to earn the Certified International Property Specialist designation from the National Association of REALTORS. What a friend! This opportunity to learn about how real estate is bought and sold while traveling by cruise was a lifetime experience I will never forget. It also was the catalyst behind launching my speaking business in other countries. Not only did I pay Roseann back in full, but her gift was a catalyst that has paid itself forward in more ways than one.

To build relationships abroad, consider how you can add value to each individual in your unique way. Standing out at conferences and networking events can be difficult, especially if you are focused on selling your services and handing out as many business cards as possible. Each conversation. Each discussion. Each event represents an opportunity to plant a seed where people remember you by what you say, but also how you follow up. That’s your brand. I differentiated myself on the CIPS cruise by sending each individual a personal postcard, sending my slide presentation with useful international technology tips, and creating a video for my new friends to reflect upon.

Developing relationships with strategic partners

Time is not on your side. If you want to build a globally recognized brand in less time, you need to consider being more strategic in your approach. In addition to building relationships with globally-minded professionals, it is worth exploring how you can add value to those in a higher position to refer you to new business.

I was hired to teach a program to instructors who taught the CIPS designation. The program was well received. What made it more meaningful was the video interviews I recorded that highlighted what each one of them said about the designation and why they loved teaching it. This digital asset became a marketing tool to support the designation and my process taught them how to do it for their international business courses.

In addition to helping the CIPS instructors, I helped the NAR’s president’s liaisons learn how to use Skype as a business tool. Each president liaison was responsible for maintaining relationships with each country where a cooperating agreement to conduct business was already in place. Although most of them had used Skype in the past, few at the time knew how to share their screen to guide customers with documents and websites using the technology. That extra value made me memorable and valuable when it came to referring me to new business.

Growth Across Canada

The easiest destination for U.S. citizens to start their international business venture is Canada. Most of the country speaks English, there are many similar customs, and business is conducted in a way that requires the least cultural adjustment. In my experience had I not built a national brand across the United States, it would have been much more difficult if not impossible to work across the provinces.

Speaking at the REALTOR Association Executive Institute in Quebec City gave me my first exposure to executives in Canada. To differentiate myself, I produced visually captivating videos about the latest technology trends, released a new book, the REALTOR Association Social Media Performance Guide, and delivered two presentations that offered actionable tips. That one event helped get me hired to speak at the Banff Western Connection, REALTOR Quest in Toronto, and more association executive events in Canada where I took a similar approach. Each new opportunity created a bigger opportunity so as long as I was relentless at creating differentiated value and humanized conversations with each relationship along the way.

Networking with Google Translate, Language Barriers, and Cultural Intelligence

My favorite event at the National Association of REALTORS conference was International Night Out. It was the one opportunity to reconnect with the CIPS instructors, president’s liaisons, and participants from my seminars which I had given in multiple countries. I didn’t sit with my friends. I sat at tables where I didn’t know anyone even if it meant I couldn’t speak their language. One of the best ways to build a relationship with a new foreigner is to practice their language. The best tool is an interpreter. The second best option is Google Translate although it’s not perfect. One time I had sat between an executive from Mexico and Russia. In Google Translate I typed the the same three statements. How are you doing? Are you having a good time? Let’s party. In each of the exchanges, there was a cordial response. The Russian executive looked at me puzzled after the third statement which required an interpreter. The interpreter asked me, “Do you mean Democratic or Republican Party?!”

I delivered translated talks in Buenos Aires, Brazil, and Belize. I learned to build a global personal brand, I needed to slow down my speech before I could speed up business. People won’t listen to you until they trust you. People won’t trust you until they understand you are sensitive to how they show up, not how you expect them to behave. You must develop cultural intelligence to establish meaningful relationships abroad. Each country has its own set of values, cultural norms, hand gestures, language patterns, and customs. You can easily offend someone by saying or doing the wrong thing. That’s why a little preparation can go a long way.

One of the best resources I have found to start building your cultural intelligence is the Cultural Intelligence Center. Step one is taking an assessment. This will reveal how motivated you are, what you know about cultural intelligence, what behaviors deserve some reflection, and how prepared you are to engage someone from another country. This assessment lays a proper foundation for you to develop cultural intelligence when building relationships without making a critical mistake that could cost you your reputation in another country.

Around the world and back

My Mom and I took a Mediterranean cruise back in 2010. It was a trip of a lifetime since we toured Rome, Barcelona, and around the pyramids. In Egypt, it was free to ride the camels. It was $20 to get off. In Turkey, salespeople were relentless at selling their carpets much like the Maltese with their silks.

When tourists or immigrants visit the United States for the first time, they have their own unique experiences of how U.S. citizens make a first impression. While each one of us is uniquely different, we still are the same species. While you might experience some embarrassing moments abroad, you still must show respect to another culture as a global citizen. Your behavior abroad is your global brand. Make it count.

Whenever I see an unfamiliar topic or term, I look for the Audible version of the book produced by an expert. This helps me download the author into my mind much like sticking a USB drive into my head. While each book’s author has its purpose for why they produced their book, I choose how much of it I will put into practice starting with the audiobook first.

I’ve learned these ten lessons using Audible as a primary education tool.

Listen for entertainment or implementation

You can tell how serious you are about a book based on how active you are when listening. Are there other things you are doing at the same time? Do you conduct Google searches to search for unfamiliar terms, actively take notes, and visit recommended links during its narration? If not, you are probably listening to the audiobook for entertainment much like watching a movie on Netflix. Although there may be some educational benefits when listening for entertainment, the tangible benefits come from what you specifically do with the new information.

Speed up the audiobook 2X

A feature inside the Audible app helps you speed up or slow down the narration. Authors are trained to slow down the narration to appeal to more audiences. The trick I’ve learned is that you can train your brain to listen to faster narration. The more often you listen to a faster pace, the easier it becomes to digest faster-paced narration in the future. It’s only in the case when I’m actively taking notes that I will maintain the 1X speed.

Download the accompanying PDF

After you purchase and download the audiobook, check the table of contents for the accompanying PDF. This PDF is the author’s supplement to the audio version that helps you navigate to recommended links, watch videos, and complete fill-in-the-blank exercises.

Take notes while listening

This might seem like a no-brainer but it’s easier said than done because the audiobook version allows you to multitask. Don’t fall into this trap if you are serious about implementing new ideas from the book. Grab a pen and paper or your mobile phone to summarize the keywords and actionable steps as you listen. If you miss a key concept, click the pause or rewind feature to help you get back on track.

Press the rewind when you lose focus

To the right of the play/pause button, you can tap the 10-second rewind button to repeat what you might have missed. Tap it as many times as needed. If you get completely lost, restart the chapter.

Make Alexa your friend

There is an integration with Audible so that your favorite voice assistant Alexa can play each one of your audiobooks. You can tell Alexa to play Audible to start reading your last book, start reading a specific chapter, or pause to take a quick break.

Find reliable headphones

Headphone selection is a personal choice. You may be going for a run or working from your desk. Some headphones have a cord. Others do not. You may need to switch from reading a book to answering a phone call. Either way, this tip encourages you to prepare for your next listen by choosing the right features when selecting the right headphones.

Use the Wishlist

When your membership credits run out, there may be books you want to save for the next time credits are deposited into your account. It’s easy to forget a recommended book if you don’t write it down. Next time instead of buying it, save it to your wishlist. The wishlist feature also comes in handy if you tend to buy books on impulse. Give yourself a 24-hour window to buy audiobooks. This will help you from using credits on books you won’t listen to later.

Listen to audiobooks in your car

Most cars now allow you to connect your phone using a cable or Bluetooth. Those long drives or trafficked areas won’t seem so long anymore when you listen to an audiobook instead of commercials on the radio.

Download before you hit the road

After you make an audiobook purchase, don’t forget to download the audiobook to your device when you have WiFi. I can’t tell you how many times when I am ready to listen to an audiobook I just purchased but the airplane WiFi isn’t working.

What are your tips?

Leave a comment to share some lessons you have learned when listening to audiobooks. Or if you have produced your own audiobook, what did you learn in the process?

To be a successful real estate agent, I learned that you must focus on building community relationships. The best form of advertising is word-of-mouth. A trusted advisor isn’t a title you pay for with cash. You earn it from those to whom you have added value to their personal and professional lives.

The Chamber of Commerce is a great place to start if you don’t know anyone. It’s a new pool of strangers from where your high school and college GPA don’t mean much. What matters is showing up as a professional in each meeting, being kind to each person, and asking how you can help them without expectations.

Questions I would ask at each networking opportunity

• Who can you promote?

• How can you best promote them?

• What is the best channel to promote them?

I found a mortgage broker, an insurance agent, a home inspector, and a home warranty company. Together we created first-time home buyer seminars and offered them in the community. Then the referrals started coming in. Had I showed up at these meetings passing out my business card with a “hard sell” approach, I wouldn’t have developed such strong relationships with established professionals in the community.

Marketing others nationally

The same philosophy served me in growing my speaking business. When I appeared at national meetings where I didn’t know anyone, I asked the same three questions. My edge in the marketplace was the ability to create technological differentiation in marketing, sales, and training. The best tactic to form new relationships was to interview others at conferences and ask them what they loved about attending. Not only did this closed community share this with their peers, but they also hired me to speak at their events around the country.

Marketing others globally

The same three questions helped grow a global brand. I worked with a New York commercial book publisher to publish Screen to Screen Selling, formed deeper relationships with seasoned influencers, and took orders to speak at high-profile conferences.

When it started becoming about me was when I failed

Marshall Goldsmith’s book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is a must-read for anyone who seeks to lead. Executives who work themselves into the C-Suite can fail when their compass is off. I was newly married, had our son, and in my mind placed our family above everyone else. We weren’t a team though. I turned down speaking at events, halted my travel, and the momentum from publishing my book halted. From this chapter of my life, I learned to set better boundaries with others, forgave those who had taken advantage of me in the past, and continued my spiritual growth which has benefited others who have problems handling their conflict.

Marketing others who couldn’t market themselves

The three questions also served me in a third-world country where I didn’t know anyone before showing up. I landed in Belize with a suitcase filled with school supplies and a wide range of technical skills not knowing how I would put them to use. I didn’t know what to do other than to find ways to serve others. At first, I donated my time to a couple of parochial schools. I served as a keynote speaker for a high school’s last day of school. I was also a judge for a contest where recycled materials were assembled to make costumes. Then at a primary school, we exchanged school supplies for answers to questions about the Bible.

Businesses in Belize were deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic because most relied upon tourism as their primary source of income. I obtained a work permit to legally volunteer in the country and joined Keller Williams Belize as a real estate agent to promote their brand. Although I didn’t make any money during my time there, I made many relationships with business owners and a Facebook page to show my love for the Belizeans and the Jewel.

Here is the database of business I supported

Back to Marketing YOU

Last year I successfully homeschooled my son by implementing what I knew to help him get the edge where his school had failed him three years previously. The time away from building my business and investing all of my resources into my son has left me without a steady source of income and now looking for a full-time job. The difference between now and 20 years ago is takes twice as much work to rebuild relationships than to start new ones. It’s easier to get it right the first time. It’s also easy to express your gratitude in more ways than one.

After rebuilding my resume on Linkedin and Indeed, I’m looking for ways to support others in the community locally, reconnecting with past clients, and refer other people to resources where they might need help. I’m also speaking on a panel at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Marketing Me conference this September to share my journey as an entrepreneur. The takeaway is that marketing me is really about marketing you.

Please let me know how I can support you. I will respond here or privately.

Zoom fatigue is real. So is waiting room fatigue. So is screen share fatigue. I don’t know many professionals who enjoy back-to-back virtual meetings with webcam conversations. It’s time to step it up a notch.

I created this video three years ago to help end the Zoom fatigue. What’s been hard is the noise around virtual meetings has instilled a complacent mindset where bookcases in the background are “good enough”.

I republish this video in my Substack to help share how you can elevate your virtual meetings, training videos, and live stream videos from your home or corporate office.

Each person and organization might have a different purpose for how they create an experience inside the 1920 x 1080 pixel rectangle in their video meeting software.

Post a comment or message me privately if you have questions and don’t know where to begin.

In 2018, I first signed up to do my first triathlon without knowing how to swim distance, didn’t own a bike, and hated running. Each one of those was reason enough to keep to the couch. But at that time in my life I was facing divorce and recovering from the trauma. The only thing I had control over was how I showed up to maintain my physical and mental health.

There were three goals for this triathlon.

1. Don’t drown.

2. Finish.

3. Don’t be last.

I had already lost 50 pounds from eating healthy, exercising, and practicing yoga. What I didn’t know was how to appropriately train for three sports where I had never participated as an athlete before.

The Resistance

Swimming doggy paddle is different than doing laps in a pool. Swimming open water is different than swimming laps in a pool. Not only was there specific technique involved, it was required you had the physical stamina to endure.

I had a bike as a kid. I couldn’t count more fingers on my hand than how many times I rode it. Taking a spinning class at Cyclebar isn’t the same as pedaling on the concrete. There are gears to learn and you could fall off from a road bike.

Running distance is different than going for a jog or playing tag on the playground. A five kilometer race is harder AFTER swimming 750 meters in a lake and riding a bike for 12 miles. You need to control your pace and heart rate before you collapse on the side of the trail.

The Preparation

In 45 days I had to prepare, it was critical to do everything I could not to drown. Swim lessons, swim boot camp, and open water swims were added to the schedule. There was no turning back. I was committed to this race. That means also embarrassing yourself putting your wetsuit on backwards in front of the triathlon club members.

It took me several races after the first to learn how the gears worked on a road bike. Staying in one straight line was hard enough. Each time I took a hill, I was either ready to fall over or my legs felt out of control on the way down. It was like being a child with other adults whizzing by. Mentally it created self doubt until more practice gave me the confidence to persevere.

Running distance is harder than it looks. Go too fast and you run out of steam before the finish. Go too slow and the finish line will be gone because everyone else went home. You have to learn to pace yourself and balance your heart rate so you can continue moving forward until the race is over.

The Finish

When I crossed the finish line and received my first participatory medal,  there was tremendous joy for doing what has seemed to be impossible at the time. People thought I was absolutely nuts. What kept me going during each of the swim/bike/run practices was that I was in control of the outcome. It wasn’t fun. I made it fun because of the story I told myself to persevere.

The Lesson

No matter what you are going through right now, you can set a new goal to get your body and mind back in shape. Sure, you can sign up for a triathlon and I’d be happy to give you some tips. Leave a comment or message me on Substack and I will reply. What you can do is sign up for a race, a club, or group exercise where others can hold you accountable to your goals. While it may seem triathlon is a solo sport, it’s not. It’s a team sport where people push you to become the best version of yourself. Make sure though you run the mile you are in.

Students primarily take software development courses in high school, not in their forties. HTML, CSS, and Javascript aren’t required languages necessary to obtain a Bachelor of Science marketing degree. They are if your major is computer science. I had to unlearn the lie that marketers weren’t computer programmers. Learning these languages was designed primarily to help my son.

A couple of years later I developed a portfolio of Amazon Alexa skills, also known as custom-created apps for Alexa. These apps were used in my presentations for speaking engagements, a supplement for training delivery, and components for marketing campaigns. While my clients were benefitting from this new technology, my son was also using Alexa to learn new terms, explore big math calculations, and program Alexa himself to make him/her say “poop”.

I wanted my son to have his own phone without breaking the bank and subscribing to a two year agreement with a carrier. That’s when I bought an unlocked phone, set up a Twilio account, and programmed a phone number so he could make outgoing calls. If you called his phone number, you were given series of choices to leave a voicemail, dial me, or receive a text message with instructions to join his Minecraft server. If you had the secret code, you could dial him direct.

In 2020, my son (then 5) asked me if he could play Minecraft. I didn’t know what it was except it was a video game. Then during the pandemic, MIT students were using Minecraft as an education tool to create architectural concepts for future cities. Although there are many versions of Minecraft, I chose the Raspberry Pi version. This game was secured to his console and allowed him to be as creative as he wanted without engaging with others or fighting for survival online. That’s when we both learned how to code in Python for the first time.

A Raspberry Pi requires you to flash the Raspbian operating system on a micro SD card. Next, you need to install the micro SD card into the Raspberry Pi and activate the graphical user interface with the command line interface tool. Let’s just say there was a lot of Googling going on to make this kid happy

During the pandemic, he wanted to play with other kids, not just Dad. It was up to me to figure out how to launch a virtual server on Amazon Web Services and share the IP address of his server with other kids' parents so they could join his Minecraft world simultaneously while on Zoom. Launching a virtual server on Amazon Web Services is a role for an IT network engineer. I had to take courses from Udemy and hire a Minecraft coach to understand what I was doing.

If building virtual servers in Minecraft weren’t enough, the next task was to custom create the virtual servers by adding in elements to improve the user experience. This involved building out text to speech audio prompts, custom-built worlds in Minecraft that represented landmarks in the St. Louis community, and server automation to help new users join without having to wait for the host (me) to let them in.

The final step was to build a custom learning management system for users to learn how to play and make the most of their experience.

Build Buddy was conceptualized from the ITEN Eureka Experience offered by Lindenwood University. A major benefit of the program was receiving $10,000 in Amazon Web Services credits to build out the learning platform. This hands-on experience of building Amazon Alexa skills and building out Build Buddy made natural sense to earn three different AWS certifications should I ever need to use these skills in my future work with clients.

Aws Certified Cloud Practitioner Certificate 1

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Aws Certified Solutions Architect Associate Certificate 1

31.6KB ∙ PDF file

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Aws Certified Developer Associate Certificate 1

32KB ∙ PDF file

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The learning didn’t stop because nobody said no!

My son was the inspiration behind becoming a software developer and network engineer. It will only be a matter of time before my son (now 9) wants to learn how to build his own servers and customized software for Minecraft or whatever he is most passionate about in the future.