Are you of the belief that job security is a thing of the past? I believe that it is, and if you don’t agree think about what is happening with the economy. Unemployment is higher than ever, and as companies continue to cut their budgets, they will continue to cut people loose from their jobs. So, if you can see this, and you know it’s happening to those around you, what makes you think that you are exempt from it? I am going to share with you some steps that you need to take to start building a new life for yourself, and to create more income for you in the future.

Why There is No Job Security Working for Someone Else

Do you realize that when you work for someone else that they hold the key to your future? There really is no such thing as job security when you do work for someone else, because at any time they could tell you that it isn’t working. In considering this, does this really work for you? Why would you want to leave your future in the hands of another?
It’s time to think about where you want to go in life, and if you aren’t getting what you need from your current employer, that is all the more reason to think about making a change.

Why There is Job Security When You Work for You

Did you know that there is job security when you work for you? This is because you decide what happens, and when things don’t work it’s all up to you to change that. This means that you need to get busy thinking about what it is that you want to do with your life, and follow your true love. You are the most important in your life before anyone else, but when you decide to get married and have a family, they become the drive behind each decision that you make.
Can you afford to take care of someone else other than yourself? If you cannot answer that question with a yes, then you need to make a change. Rather than looking for just another job, why not consider starting your own business venture? Job security is well within reach.

What You MUST Do to Ensure That Your Company Gives You Job Security

Now that you understand why working for yourself is important, you need to understand that you MUST take action to give yourself job security when you start your own venture. YOU are the head of the ship, and if you screw up then the company suffers. Start your company off right so that you can do what you need to do in order to ensure your success.
This means that you should get advice from those you trust and those who have experience, and you need to constantly be learning and training yourself in your craft. No matter what business you choose to get into, there is always competition, and you have to find ways to outsmart them.
Brand yourself, and position yourself as THE expert, because if you don’t, no one will look YOUR way regardless. Create a platform online so that you can get noticed, and so that you can drive traffic to YOU.
Now that you know what the difference is between working for someone else and yourself, how do you view job security?

“You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second…

Envision Vince Lombardi speaking directly to you, “play with your heart, with every fiber of your body” in the only way Lombardi spoke. Don’t those words strike an emotional response in you? Do you want to stay on the field or come off the field? You have a choice.

What would the best motivational, inspirational football coach say to his business associates? No doubt, the same words he said to his Championship football teams. Lombardi’s renowned and famous speech, ”What It Takes to Be Number #1 is applicable to all walks of life, in business, and in sports.

What kind of Compensation would Vince Lombardi reward his business associates if they followed his leadership?

A Championship, right? That championship could result in winning notoriety, respect, credibility and it could be lucrative. I doubt Vince Lombardi would pay anything less than 100% to maintain his Championship team. If he’s going to spend 100%, then, Lombardi will have to come up with some criteria to assure himself of that Championship.

So what would Vince Lombardi look for in building his championship business team? Sports Championships are the result of exhibiting certain characteristics towards a task of building one cohesive unit working together. There is very little variation between Championship Sports teams and Business teams.

What kind of team characteristics were shared by Lombardi’s teams?

1.    Commitment – is “can’t” or “cannot” in your vocabulary or do you say “let’s find a way?” Or do you find excuses like “I don’t have time”, “I don’t have the skills”, “I’m never going to be the person who is up on stage sharing his success story”?
2.    Discipline – do you stay the course? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves, dig your heels in and get to work?
3.    Excellence – do you strive to be the best?
4.    Mental Toughness – do you crumble when you step outside your comfort zone? Do you allow negativity to creep in at the first sign of pain? Who promised easy anyway?
5.    Consistency – are repetitions a part of forming good habits?
6.    Passion – do you love what you do? Do you get excited doing what you do?
7.    Faith – it’s so easy to have faith in others, do you have faith in yourself?
8.    Results – do you recognize your results?
9.    Integrity – do you perform and represent yourself with integrity? Do you follow through on said intentions?

Lombardi’s quote about passion is “There’s only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything. I do, and I demand that my players do.”  Being the motivator, Vince could empower us to commit, be disciplined, exude excellence all to avoid coming off the field. After all, we don’t want to miss out on being a part of that Championship, losing out on notoriety, respect, credibility and in particular the 100% reward.

100% is a very powerful concept. It means complete. There is no more.  Ask yourself what 100% means to you? Is 100% your motivator? Are you ready to embrace all the characteristics which make up a championship team? Vince Lombardi used winning a championship as motivation with the promises of notoriety, respect, credibility and of course monetary reward. What made Vince the consummate leader was to balance the personal motivations of each of his players and knowing when to push beyond self imposed limits.

What is your motivation to become a champion? Some people are only money driven while others are driven by the notoriety of success. Many people are happy with a balance of both with a splash of personal satisfaction. To be a champion, you need to reach beyond your comfort zone. Let me leave you with the following questions…

Are you ready to be on Vince Lombardi’s team?

Are you ready to reach 100%?

More importantly, are you ready for the 100% reward?

=========>>  CLICK HERE FOR 100% TODAY!

Starting a business is easy; keeping it going is the hard part. Every new business will stumble many times at the early stages. There is always a learning curve. It is the businesses that learn enough through the stumbling process that will ultimately become successful.

In my opinion many internet businesses do not survive through the stumbling process mainly because of two things:

1. owners come into it with the get-rich-quick mindset,
2. they expect that what works for others will work entirely for them.

The hype will always be present in marketing, whether on the internet or offline. The people who are really ready for entrepreneurship will instead keep things real.

Reality is that an internet business is hard work. It takes a lot of research and planning. It requires investment in time, effort and money for all the trial and elimination it has to go through as it finds a firm footing in its specific niche. It takes insight, flexibility and persistence to make many parts of the business to work together well to get the needed results.

Insight

Business acumen is a talent common to the bigwigs. It is an intuitive ability to see clearly the nature of your market and its consumers. A clear perception of how your product can offer value to your targeted customers will help you understand how to market it to them properly so you can get high sales ratios. Perceptiveness will help you find solutions to every problem with the aim to survive and stay afloat.

Flexibility

There is no one-size-fits-all method of marketing. Don’t easily buy into what other “marketing gurus” sell out there which hype that they have the automatic cash machine that will make you rich overnight. It is okay to use other people’s programs but do your research well before you buy anything and keep an open mind about using their method. What works for them, may or may not work totally for you. Some components in their method may work for you, some may not.  Your product and market situation will be uniquely different from theirs.  Have the flexibility to change things up to suit your needs. Test one out, test several out if your budget can allow, then be innovative and creative and tweak things until you find a marketing method that works for your product and the market situation which it is in.

Perseverance

There is some misconception about perseverance in business I believe. The general definition of perseverance is steady and continued action despite difficulties or setbacks. In a sense this is true but it is very ideal. In my practical and realistic way of thinking, perseverance is steady and continued action despite difficulties or setbacks while keeping losses at a minimum. You have to know where and how you’ll persevere. That takes figuring out what the mistakes are and what solutions need to be made to keep going. You can’t keep losing dollars month after month with one method that’s not getting you results. Neither can you try out one method after another without tracking your progress and understanding clearly when and what to change up. At some point, some things have to work out and some things have to be discarded. Perseverance for me is get somewhere as you keep trying. You need to make decisions, and have direction in order to make things happen so that the business actually produces results.

The true formula for success in business is a combination of the right idea, the right timing, the right method, the right attitude and the right action.  A product or service backed up with a good amount of capital to promote it aggressively to a receptive audience using the right marketing method and performed with determined action will bring the business into circulation and carry it through the early years and even further.

How do you make your start-up business successful? That’s a good question to ask yourself point blank if you are, without a doubt, going for business success.

While many start-ups fail, countless have also made it. Obviously, those who made it did most things right. Here are some business success tips from companies who have survived their early years.

Business Strategy – Successful companies have a game plan, a carefully devised plan of action to achieve the bottom line. The business plan helps them to see the big picture where there are well-defined elements of the business and how each element relates to the other and to the bigger picture. The strategy is well thought out to consider risks and changes. It is also flexible to make room for change and growth.  And, it is executed exactly right to achieve the goal.

Marketing – Successful businesses put emphasis on advertising, promotion and selling. There is concentrated effort in understanding their selling environment, building their product, satisfying their customers, innovation and creativity.

Operating System – Successful companies have a process for adjusting, organizing and controlling important tasks. It is a method which includes guidelines and schedules for getting things done through the proper use of resources so that all the interrelated parts and tasks of the entire business is carried out and completed successfully while keeping costs down.

Money Management – Successful businesses regulate their financial affairs. They devise a budget which specifies how financial resources will be spent for a particular purpose for a particular period of time. They take the time to examine financial accounts and verify them as correct. They pay attention to the amount of money going to overheads and payments in comparison with the amount of money coming in.

Customer Approval – Successful companies consider it a helpful action and a matter of reputation to please their customers. They continually develop and improve their products and services. They regularly renew product offers and share valuable free stuff. They give customers opportunities to try their products before deciding whether they really want to buy it. They always enhance the whole customer experience to add to the pleasure, enjoyment and satisfaction.

Change – Successful companies always adjust according to circumstances and fine-tune themselves to any new situation. They understand that change is required for positive development. They look at change as possibilities and opportunities to progress rather than dangers or hindrances to stop them. They take risks, despite the danger of losing or the chance of something going wrong, in order to pass from their moderate state to become larger, more successful, more advanced.

Technology – Successful businesses invest in effective technology because they understand that it results to efficiency and productivity. It helps them achieve desired results by productive use of resources without wasted energy or effort.

Continual Learning – In successful companies there is an ongoing process of improvement. The people working together have the same opinion about making things better and becoming better. They go into training to learn new information and acquire new skills. People get promoted and move up in the ranks to gain new experience. There is a repeated show of support and mentoring where the more experienced advises and guides the less experienced people.

Positivity – Successful companies have a quality of being positive. The leaders and the people they work with are almost always in a state of being confident and optimistic. They handle difficult or stressful situations in a controlled calm. They are certain about making things happen and they focus on good things rather than bad so that in time they actually produce good results.

Successful companies share, more or less, these same important characteristics. They are the general standard of excellence that sets apart those ventures that perform well and stay alive from those that do not. Use these defining features to give you a hint whether you have what it takes to go for business success.

Running a new business is very hard no matter what kind of business it is. It’s very risky and scary, especially if you consider that most businesses fail in the first five years of operation. It’s very tiresome, it can sometimes feel like a never-ending job and your life just gets so easily consumed with everything about it. Problem-solving and decision-making is non-stop. Day in and day out, there will be new problems to attack, new decisions to put together, new ideas to wonder about and new choices to evaluate, and if you’re not careful, that’s all going to engulf you.

And that’s the operative word right there — engulf. With too much going on all at once, you can’t help but feel that there’s too much to do and you’re just so eager to do them in one go, the tendency is you get swallowed up by all your thoughts and all the passion inside you that the next not-so-good thing that can happen is you start losing your focus.

One major reason why most new businesses fail is because of a lack of focus. That’s what every newbie in the business needs to be aware of at the onset. And you can easily understand why because, realistically, the whole thing will not come together simultaneously. Not everything can be done all at once, no one person or tool can do all the work in a flash, and most things will fail initial expectations. The early stages will mostly be trial and error, yes, that’s a good thing, but it should be more in line with taking risks and being innovative while still having a system.

The beginning months and years, (6 months or 5 years, this will depend on what you’re aiming for) is make or break for the start-up business. For this reason, your ability to concentrate on the end-goal and keep on towards the direction that you started out with in the first place is critical to business success. It will take a great deal of control and steadiness to stay single-minded and consistent, especially when results are not happening as fast as you want them to happen.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not about being rigid and inflexible. It’s about maintaining a balance with everything that’s going on and making things actually happen.

As business owner, you’re the one in-charge, you’re the driver, and where your business is headed depends so much on your vision and direction. When you lack focus, you lose direction and you get all over the place that you get nowhere at all in the end. Much of your success will depend on your ability to bend without breaking and your skill to maneuver your business to change according to circumstances so that it can adapt to new situations, at the same time, keeping things together in spite of everything.

It’s critical to focus to get cohesive. When you’re focused, you’ll find that it’s easy to get cohesive. You can concentrate better on bringing together all the chaos and turning around the confusion, clutter and mess into an organized system. This is what you need to pay close attention to in the first part: organize your thoughts and activities, remember what’s important and then get to work at combining all the related things well to form a strong well-organized unit to get the needed results.

No doubt, a new business is so undefined. Understandably, everything is so uncertain. It will take a very strong character to keep things flowing in a practical and realistic setting to stay in the game.

Let’s start the year out with an encouraging note and talk about what every aspiring entrepreneur dreams of: business success! To achieve good results out of our plans or attempt to sell products or provide services to the general public, this is what anyone who starts a business wants at some point.

To own a successful business is one part of the American Dream. The 6 to7 figure income, 4–hour work days, popularity,  authority, peer respect, all the things that money can buy, and yeah, even the crazy people and all the name-calling. Just like living through baseball fame for sure.

We all have our own idea of business success; we also have our own ideas of how we can achieve it. There are some who go for the get-rich quick schemes. Yet, many set out for success through hard work believing that there lies within them the potential to become better and to improve their life using the strength of their body, mind and spirit even though the process is a long and difficult one.

My own road to business success is a tough one. Running a blog and building a network is not easy. The mental drain, the physical burn-out, failed expectations, the money losses, the crazy people and all the name-calling. I tell you, there’s a point you start second-guessing if you really want this.

But then this is exactly what sets the really successful people apart from the mediocre ones. Those that are at the top, WANT to be at the top!

You have to choose to want to be at the top. I chose to want to be at the top! It was a choice I made consciously from the very beginning before going into this. It helped a lot that I wanted this because in wanting this business, and in wanting this to succeed, gave me the drive to go through all of the setbacks. I didn’t count the time, the energy and the resources that this takes up. You’ve got to want this…for yourself, for your family, for whatever reason, and only until then will you find a certain responsibility, a kind of obligation, sort of a sense of devotion or dedication towards a family commitment, to see things all the way through until you reach the top.

Are you ready for your own business success? Do you want it enough to see things through? Look at yourself in comparison to what real successful people are truly made of. Do you have what it takes to reach the top?

1. The really successful people are never content with their level of success. They’re never satisfied with what they have already accomplished but just relentlessly go and do all the time. They set higher goals repeatedly. They reach their goal of 2000 subscribers then think again of how they can reach the next 500. They reach their first 6-figure income and work harder to reach 7-figures. They have the habit of thinking out of the box. They don’t settle down at the comfort zone. They plan out new ideas and try out new strategies while knowing the risks involved. They are courageous and push themselves to new heights. For them, there is no failing, only lessons.

2. The really successful people have the ability to think ahead. They expect and prepare for the worst. They can envision possible future problems and obstacles. They take a look at what’s practical, decide on doing what’s realistic, get themselves ready with the knowledge and expertise and then set out confidently, certain that they have the ability, judgment and resources needed to make things work. They don’t look back. They stand up for their decisions. They keep going with the assurance that they will triumph eventually.

3. Successful people know that they are held accountable for everything. They understand that they are in a position where people have the right to criticize them and ask why something happened and that they need to explain their actions. They never point blame, they solve the problem instead. They don’t hold someone else responsible for something wrong or unfortunate that has happened with their company. They own up to the responsibilities of their business and all the problems that go with it. They find answers and find a way to deal with each problem and difficulty successfully.

4.The really successful people know true value. And believe it or not, they know it’s not just money that’s important. It’s more about creating an overall satisfactory experience for everyone involved with them. It’s about the worth, the importance, the usefulness of what they bring to people. It’s about building relationships and sustaining those relationships. It’s about helping people and giving them opportunities to improve their life. It’s about forming accepted principles and strong characters. For them, the entire journey is the real reward.

It’s absolutely necessary to develop the attitude and disposition of a successful person. With the right mindset and character, you’ll start your business right and you’ll certainly reap the rewards of business success in due time.

Fast Company is searching for 2010′s Most Influential Person Online. You are more influential than you think. Help get me to the front of this line if you think I have added something of value to your day. Thanks for your loyalty and participation.  I look forward to seeing you at the front lines with me.
Click on this link to see why I am the Most Influential Person on the Internet!

As you many of you already know, this season has been shortened for me due to season-ending knee surgery. It is difficult to come to grips with the realization that baseball will go on this year, and I won’t be able to participate. Baseball, for me, has many parallels to many aspects in life. They can be both very hard and humbling at the same time.

The only curve balls I am used to throwing are to opposing batters. A good “Uncle Charlie” or “Hammer” are some nicknames given for a good breaking ball. Whether in Little League or in Major League Baseball, they can be hard to hit. If you lack the confidence and courage to stand in there and track the ball, then trying to hit a curve ball is very difficult. If you do have the courage and confidence, then it becomes easier.

There are two individuals here in my hometown who are inspirations to many. Even many professional athletes, including  soccer star Mia Hamm and Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, have been touched by these two athletes’ courage. I consider myself a member of their fan club, as well.  These two individuals have stayed in the batter’s box while facing the most biting curve ball that life could snap off and hit their obstacles way outta the park.

First let’s introduce you to my new friend, Breanna McMahon.  I had the blessing of meeting “Brea” at physical therapy downtown where we are both rehabbing. I can’t say enough about this young girl’s spirit and the persevering attitude she possesses after encountering a life changing accident. I guess this story is explained best in this Youtube video. If her story doesn’t move you, not sure anything will.

Nate Winters is another local kid, who isn’t letting a major setback slow him down. I don’t know Nate all that personally, but met him through his father, whom I know very well. Dr. Tom Winters is one of the most unselfish people I have ever met and has always has taken good care of me. Being around the office to see him beaming about, not only that his son is alive, but that he is once again pitching and defying the odds. You can read or watch some of these video posts below which tell the story of  Nate and how he came so close to tragedy.

Nate Winters – News 13 – Truly inspirational
WFTV News channel 9 – Remarkable Comeback!

There is no shortage of press Nate is receiving and deservedly so. Here is an article about Nate and the results of his first game. There will be more to come as ESPN and Sports Illustrated have picked up the story as well.

Nate Winters story in Orlando Sentinel

I have realized that many things in life occur apparently for a reason. They allow us to gain a new perspective of a  bigger picture in the grand scheme of things. I have rebounded a couple of other times to get back to the Major Leagues, and know what it takes to make the commitment to comeback. From getting to know a couple of inspirational teenagers locally here in Orlando, one whom I currently visit with during our physical therapy sessions, I am drawing on their inner strength to get through my trials and tribulations.

These individuals truly exemplify what perseverance is all about. I am so thankful for the blessing of these extraordinary people who have crossed my path.

Nate and Brea,

You both have exemplified what waking up with a good attitude is and demonstrating the true meaning of being “Better, not Bitter” means each and every day! We can all learn from that. I know that I sure have. ~ Grilli

Nicolo Paganini was a well-known and gifted nineteenth century violinist. He was also well known as a great showman with a quick sense of humor. His most memorable concert was in Italy with a full orchestra. He was performing before a packed house and his technique was incredible, his tone was fantastic, and his audience dearly loved him.

Toward the end of his concert, Paganini was astounding his audience with an unbelievable composition when suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung limply from his instrument. Paganini frowned briefly, shook his head, and continued to play, improvising beautifully.

Then to everyone’s surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Almost like a slapstick comedy, Paganini stood there with three strings dangling from his Stradivarius. But instead of leaving the stage, Paganini stood his ground and calmly completed the difficult number on the one remaining string.

As seen on Seamheads.com on Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Eleven year old Elliot Mast at Home Run Derby in 2009

“I hope I can inspire you, no matter what your age, please know that you too can do something to make a difference in your community everyday.”  Elliot Mast

The above mission statement comes from an 11-year-old young man who hails from Altoona, PA.

As he readies himself for his upcoming baseball season, Elliot Mast is working ambitiously to make a difference in the lives of his peers, who may not be able to participate in Opening Day festivities or other outdoor activities this spring and summer, because the of the challenges that they currently have in front of them.
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I recently learned about what Elliot was doing to support his local community after reading his dad’s post on www.linkedin.com.  It struck me as funny because I had been thinking for the last month or two, that although I have made plenty of professional contacts on the site, it really hasn’t offered much else.  Glad I didn’t give up on it, because I might have missed the opportunity to find out more about Elliot and his lofty pursuits.  I spoke with Don and Elliot on the phone recently and after we wrapped up, I got a few more emails from Don as a follow up.

Don was passing along a message from Elliot that “he wanted to keep the focus on the kids and hospital and the kids that he is helping as much as possible.”

I hope I do that here, but Elliot, sorry buddy, this story is about you too because you deserve to be recognized for your efforts.  Please don’t be mad at me, it’s part of the story.

As the story is told, Elliot and his dad, Don, were out fishing one day and were talking about how the young man could make a difference in his community and with kids his own age.  It seems that Elliot was inspired after seeing a commercial with big leaguer Curtis Granderson, who was promoting his community contributions on a Major League Baseball-sponsored television commercial.

“When I was fishing with my dad, we were talking about Curtis Granderson and he has a charity and website http://www.grandkidsfoundation.org,” Elliot said.

Granderson, who moved from the Detroit Tigers to New York Yankees during the offseason, is considered to be one of baseball’s most influential when it comes to community outreach.

In April of 2007, Granderson represented the Tigers organization prior to the Baltimore Orioles home opener at Camden Yards when Major League Baseball and Cal Ripken, Jr. held a press conference to announce a collaborative effort between the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Program and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.

“He (Granderson) was involved in community type stuff, kids programs that helped and I asked my dad, why can’t we do something like that?”

Dad’s response…“I told him that baseball players have more money than we do.”

Undeterred, the Mast family, including Elliot’s mom, Angelina, started coming up with some ideas.  Ideas that weren’t simply talked about in a casual way and dismissed, but instead they were crafted and soon carried out with vigor.

Elliot has created his own blog www.elliotmast.blogspot.com to promote the work he is doing this year to support the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Child Life Program, which makes childrens’ hospital stays as positive and stress-free as they can be.

“I think it’s really great that someone of Elliot’s age is trying to go out and fundraise for kids his age,” said Shannon Anglero, associate director, of special events for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.

“The lessons that he is learning about philanthropy will go with him for the rest of his life,” Anglero said.  “It comes from his parents.  He is the driving force behind this, but they are really supportive.  He is learning a wonderful lesson of how one person’s impact can have on other people.”

Anglero also believes that Elliot is going about his efforts the right way.

“My appreciation always comes when kids want to help other kids,” Anglero said.  “It’s something that is very easy for him to do because he likes baseball.  He is doing exactly what we stress to fundraisers.  He’s doing something that he is passionate about and finding a way to help others.”

Elliot will stay busy playing baseball during the spring and summer months by playing on three different teams, including travel teams during the summer.  Taking a page from big leaguers, he has set goals for himself by donating $2.00 for every hit he collects, $5.00 for every strikeout that he records on the mound and $10.00 for every home run that he hits.

The money will help with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s Give To Children program, www.Givetochildren.org which supplies children with games, toys, and activities to do during their hospital stay.  This program helps the children and their families.

Skeptical that this young man won’t make a dent in his allowance with the numbers he hopes to put up this season on the diamond?  Don’t be!

Consider his 2009 numbers, 105 strikeouts on the mound (over 58 innings), 8 home runs, and a .475 batting average.  Anyone who hits .475 is collecting their share of hits.

Consider as well, that although Elliot has picked up some more chores around the house to generate more allowance, he is also going door-to-door and talking with businesses to help out as well.

“I am vacuuming, tending to my hermit crabs and four dogs, cleaning a lot, mowing the lawn and doing a lot of outside work,” said Elliot.

Elliot’s pursuit to help out also includes encouraging kids to become pen pals and to develop crafts that can be sent to the children in the hospital.  All craft items must be new and help provide children with activities during their stay.

“The Child Life Program tries to make kids’ hospital experience fun and not scary,” said Elliot.  “It’s also about the kids in the hospital where they have created the Doctor Free Zone, where kids keep their mind off surgery and everything else that is going on.”

Craft item donations can include magazines for kids and adults, pencils, colored or plain crayons…small glue bottles, unfinished wood shapes that can be colored and finished, baby rattles, sports cards, Nerf ball sets, journals, and pillows.

Crafts and Pen Pal Letters may be sent to:

Ms. Shannon M. Anglero’
Associate Director, Special Events
Elliot’s Craft Campaign For Child Life
Children’s Hospital Of Pittsburgh Foundation
1251 Waterfront Place Floor 5
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t live in the western Pennsylvania region.  Elliot’s first donation came from a generous person in Denver, Colorado.

Monetary Donations (Checks Preferred) can be sent to:

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation
C/O Elliot Mast
1230 22nd Avenue
Altoona, PA 16601

Don and Elliot are using every social media outlet you can think of to get the word out about their pursuits and it’s paying off.

“The Social Media background, it’s huge,” said Don Mast.  “We are able to get to more people and it gives Elliot a chance to contact a lot of people in baseball and to get the message out quickly.”

Major League pitcher, Jason Grilli, a Twitter master with over 6,000 followers, tweeted recently about Elliot’s endeavors saying, “If this kid isn’t inspiring, then I don’t know who is: Let’s help him raise more than his $200 goal!”

“I also got help from Jason Grilli,” said Elliot.  “He is promoting it on his Twitter and Face Book page and his blog.”

Other outlets and groups are contributing to getting the word out as well, including the American Women’s Softball Association.

Opening Day for Elliot is April 24.  Here’s to big year!  Hopefully he can put up the kind of numbers that an agent would love to take to arbitration.  And let’s do our best to help Elliot reach his ultimate goal.

“I am trying to inspire other kids to care and to get them, and adults involved too,” said the 11-year-old from Altoona, PA.

Please visit Elliot’s blog www.elliotmast.blogspot.com and watch his videos.  Check out his baseball photos too, just from the photos, you can tell he’s got a good approach at the plate.

Steve Lenox has written for Boston Baseball Magazine and was a contract host for MLB Home Plate (XM 175) and XM Sports Nation (XM 144) at XM Satellite Radio. He also served as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Aberdeen IronBirds before moving on to Lexy.com, where he serves as a Lexycaster.