You Don't Know Me, But ... I Love You

            There's an urban legend that we only use about 10% of our brain power.  I don't know if I ascribe to that, but if I were to use that same analogy to describe my knowledge of technology in general, I'd be willing to bet that it's significantly less than that. 

         Oh … how I wish I was kidding.

So it came as a complete and unexpected surprise to me to see on my blogger.com account that I can view statistics about my Fabulous Shoe Night blog. All kinds of statistics. Statistics I had never dreamed about were now suddenly at my fingertips. And  these stats are far different than the dry, impossible statistics course I struggled with in college to get my psychology degree, and later, my entry into nursing school. Those kind of statistics made me cry. Literally … and copiously. I nicknamed the course "Sadistics," and still refer to it as such. (Some nightmares are impossible to forget, even all these years later.) But these statistics … these I came across this quite by accident. I was tooling around on the site, clicked a link I had never noticed before, and … viola! … saw an array of tabs with all kinds of nifty info.  

For instance, I can see, in real time, just how many people have read my blog. Before my discovery of this miraculous tool, I relied on comments on the blog itself, or comments or "likes" on Facebook, where I would post links to my latest blog entry. If there were no comments, no "likes," I automatically went to the dark side, and assumed no one read my blog. Or if there were 3 "likes," I thought only three people read my blog. But my lovely new statistics prove that this assumption is simply not so! 

There are pie charts and trend lines and bar graphs … oh, my! I can see how many people read my blog overall, since it's very beginning, monthly, weekly, daily, even hourly … it's amazing! It gives insight into operating systems and browsers, referring URLs, referring sites and keyword searches. I can even see the number of times each particular post was read.

But …. this was the one that really blew me away! I clicked on a tab labeled "Audience," … and this … this is where I was truly astonished. I can see, geographically on a map, as well as by a listing, each country where my blog has been read. Now this is where things really get interesting. Naturally, the overwhelming majority of my audience comes from the United States … but I was flabbergasted to see where else it is read. As of this writing, my blog has been viewed 26 times in Russia. 

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! 

Really!!! Shut it!!!

I feel like a cheesy infomercial here … but that's not all! It's also read in (descending order) Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Mexico and Hong Kong.

Granted, some of these readings were in the single digits, but at this point in the game, it doesn't matter. Fabulous Shoe Night as an idea isn't quite a year old yet. We didn't have our first FSN Girl's Night Out until April 2011, and only 4 women attended. My blog has only been in existence since July 2011. Right now, we're more or less small potatoes, but we show growth each and every month and our footprint (pardon the  pun -- couldn't resist!) increases almost daily. Between the formation of contacts, associations and relationships, social media, a top-notch publicist, a new web site in the works, Twitter, the overwhelming reach of the Internet, etc., well …  world domination can't be far behind.

(Okay, okay … !! I was only kidding about the world domination part! Really!)

But … this is my most heart-felt and fervent wish: To my readers outside of the United States … please, give a shout-out.  I stumbled upon you … quite by accident. Say hello, leave a comment, tell us what you think and what you'd like to see, "like" our Fabulous Shoe Night Facebook page, follow us on Twitter (@FabShoeNight) … let us know you're out there, make yourself seen and heard. I know there are fashionable, shoe-loving women with charitable hearts world-wide … can you just imagine the power we'll have, joined together, to help charities across the globe? It's almost unimaginable.

So, international readers … you don't know me (yet), but … I love you. And should we ever meet, looking down, I'm sure I'll love your shoes, too. This fabulous journey I'm on has taught me so, so many things, but one in particular stands out right now …

You really can judge a woman by her shoes. 

When it Rains ...

             It can be difficult coming up with with new blog topics every couple of weeks. But just because I may appear silent  now and then, Dear Reader, doesn't mean there's nothing going on. Behind the scenes, things have been near-frenetic.

             I am happy to report that Fabulous Shoe Night is taking off by leaps and bounds. What started as a whim, as a fun way to get out with my girlfriends every month, has turned into a full-time job ... at least in hours.

             So while I would love nothing more than to share each and every amazing thing going on behind the curtain … I can't. Not yet. I'm superstitious that way. But I can bring you up to date on the things that have actually come to pass, as well as things concretely in the works.

             The first thing I can say is that the learning curve continues. That in and of itself is a good thing. We've changed our "format" a bit, and now ask for a $25 donation at the FSN Girl's Night's Out, instead of the restaurant donating a percentage of our food bill. Essentially, this minor tweak makes everyone happy … for $25, members get an array of heavy appetizers, a generous donation made to the Family Support Line, and a reduced price on beer, wine and a signature drink. The restaurant is happy, because their establishment is filled with fabulous women … which is never bad for business! And the Family Support Line is happy because now, we are able to donate TWICE as much as we did the old way. I'm happy because it's all working, for as everyone knows, if Mama ain't happy …..

Another exciting development is that we are showing significant growth. We've tested the waters in King of Prussia, PA, and are due to open sister chapters in Delray Beach, Florida and Basking Ridge, NJ soon.

On the technological front, steps are being made toward a web site where women can register for membership online, as well as pre-pay for GNO's via PayPal. And we were also able to "test" the viability of this odd, little concept of women + shoes + charity by forming a group on MeetUp.com. In the first day, 16 women joined, with new members joining nearly every day. The men in my life scratch their heads over this, clearly puzzled that a link between these seemingly obtuse concepts even exists. I think this is where I get the most amusement … seeing them try to comprehend. They'll just never get it.

There's actually so much more going on that I'm literally bursting, but … my superstitions keep me from full-disclosure. Unbelievably, I still get frustrated that things aren't moving at a faster rate, even though I know that I need to enjoy the calm before the storm hits … because once it does, it's going to be a tsunami. But I look forward to it. I have the cutest pair of leopard print rain boots I haven't worn in a while …..

No Boundaries ...

Quite simply, I am adamant that the "format" of our monthly Girls Nights Out is fun and informal. The "fun factor" of the Fabulous Shoe Night concept is integral to our very foundation, so I strive to keep our evenings as unstructured and casual as possible. Women, as a whole, are master minglers, so I like to sit back and just let nature take it's course. And since not every FSN member can attend each and every month, there's always a different group of women in attendance, which keeps things fresh.

With this "unstructured structure" in mind, January's GNO was a little different. An impromptu suggestion by one of our members that we all stand up and introduce ourselves, as well as state something we are grateful for in 2012, created a subtle, yet powerful, shift in the dynamic that evening that took me completely by surprise.

I got up and went first. Standing before the 20 or so women there (about 5 of which I didn't even know), I thought for a second of what I wanted to say. Gratitude is big, and something to be taken seriously. As I took those few moments to organize my thoughts, I drank in the vibe of the women before me. We are all there for the same reasons … a love of shoes, to be sure, but, ironically enough, that's by far the most insignificant reason for our gathering.  A love of fun, and meeting other charismatic, compelling women; a night away from the grind of work, children, chauffeuring, etc ... but most important, what drew us there that night, and every other night we meet, was the desire to make a positive difference and give back ... together.

After my brief introduction, I paused and said, "I am grateful that Fabulous Shoe Night … has legs! I look around at all of you here, and I see that it's working. It's working. We're making a difference … because of you." My eyes filled with tears as they clapped … not for me, but for the unity we all felt  joining together for something so wonderfully positive and fulfilling. At that moment, I remember thinking, "They get it. This is really happening. And ... it's going to work." 

I sat in awe as this diverse group of women stood up, one by one, and expressed the things they were grateful for. Very often, to my surprise and delight, they said they were grateful to be a part of Fabulous Shoe Night. They can see my long-term vision, and they're happy and excited to be a part of it. And I, in turn, am equally thrilled to be on this journey with them.

This simple, spontaneous gesture taught me that standing up and verbally expressing gratitude is remarkably powerful. It puts a positive charge into the air, and felt like someone sprinkled fairy dust on the evening, at least for a little while.

Going forward, I am grateful that not only are we in the position to help … and that we can help … but, most of all, that we are helping. And as Fabulous Shoe Night grows and expands, we will help even more people. 

How lucky is it, then, that gratitude knows no bounds … ?

To the remarkable women of Fabulous Shoe Night, it simply means that the landscape of possibility is endless …

"Gratitude is an opener of locked-up blessings."  ~~ Marianne Williamson