Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

Farragut actually said: Damn the torpedoes!..Go ahead,  full speed

I'm invoking Admiral Farragut for a reason.


My syndicator, PositivelyPittsburgLiveMagazine.com, or PPLMagLive, reached 2.5 million page views during THIS YEAR. 


By reading this blog, you've contributed to that!


This syndication page routinely gets 62,000 views a month, with a 11.6 % monthly growth average.


This is a big deal for Joanne Quinn-Smith, who founded the online magazine five years ago. It's a portal for radio shows, tv channels, and just about everything you could want from the New Media. It wasn't even a domain name five years ago.


Her "damn the torpedoes" attitude has inspired literally millions. 


And Joanne has turned into the Goddess of New Media. Her course, Web 2.0 Gorilla Branding, and her Techno Granny talk shows are remarkable. Her patience as a mentor is unparalleled, since she is my mentor and hasn't kicked me to the curb yet. She's supported or helped dozens of entrepreneurs get on their feet -- including me.

Now, Joanne has a new project: to create the world's biggest hug!


Full disclosure: I am a sponsor of the Hug-A-Thon. For a good reason - who DOESN'T like a hug? See below for ways you can help.


Anyway, back to the topic at hand.


Joanne has been an entrepreneur and entertainer for as long as I've been alive. She's the only one who can do her story justice, but she's started and lost more businesses than my granddaughter has unicorns. And that's a lot.


She started PPLMagLive 5 years ago when her limousine business floated down the Ohio River during Hurricane Ivan. A grandmother starting a business about Web Technology on the Web is unusual now, but in 2007 it was unheard of. But she persisted. And she made it work. 


And now she wants to say "thanks" to her hometown.

 The first, annual Hug-a-Thon Pittsburgh™ Day brings local, regional, and national exposure and recognition for the City of Pittsburgh and to four, non-profit organizations—Cancer Caring Center, Sickle Cell Society, Inc., Pittsburgh Passion’s Passion for Life Foundation, and Operation Troop Appreciation. A number of activities during 2012 will culminate in a major event on September 6, 2012. The places to get hugs are tentatively scheduled at the City County Building, Market Square, Katz Plaza, and underneath Macy’s Clock from 2:30 to 5:00 PM.

You can "LIKE" the Hug-A-Thon on Facebook for the best information. 

But funding for a non-profit project like this doesn't come easy. A Hug-A-Thon needs huggers and funding for silly legal things like insurance and venues. If you can't actually spare a hug, sponsor the event and the charities it supports. If you have any ability to manage an Indie-Go-Go or Kickstarter campaign, contact the program or leave a comment on this blog. 


Big hugs to Joanne and her team at PPL and the Hug-A-Thon.