Fashion Design, Video Marketing, and The BioDome

As Club Cabeza and Amplification, Inc., celebrate a successful 2012 and look to 2013, we wanted to say a big thank you to our readers and wish you a very happy holiday season. Now…onto the fashion!

Three Questions for: Viktor Franovik, Franovik Designs

Designing eco-friendly fashions, consulting with clients and attending editorial photo shoots—while most people do these things in a week, this sounds like an average morning for Viktor Franovik of Franovik Designs. Half of the design duo with Francisco Perez, Franovik Designs creates fashion-forward and eco-friendly clothing items for clientele. 

Design Duo Viktor Franovik and Francisco Perez

Hot off the heels of a widely successful Runway Splash/Elements of Green Fashion Show and LS1426 Fashion Week (see video here) where Franovik Designs showcased couture creations, Franovik sat down with Amplification, Inc. to discuss life, business and, of course, fashion.

Club Cabeza: Give our readers some insight into the history of Franovik Designs—what inspired you and Francisco to launch this fashion venture?

Viktor Franovik: Francisco and I have a combined 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. Francisco came from a fashion family because three of his four brothers are in fashion and his mother is a seamstress. His father also owned a sports clothing-manufacturing company in Caracas, so fashion has always been in his bloodline. For me, I have always been interested in the arts, drawing, painting and graphic design. Fashion serves as a creative outlet with crafts and manual creations.

We united forces to work together on Halloween and carnival costumes for friends, clients and pageant contestants. We created outfits and costumes for Miss St. Lucia, Miss Florida USA, Ms. Latina International, Latina World, Latina Top Model, Miss International and the Miss Earth and Teen Earth organizations, where Franovik became the official costume designer for three years.

Club Cabeza: Part of your company’s mission is to promote eco-friendly design. What are some ways your clothing is eco-friendly?

Viktor Franovik: Innovation and creating something new and different has always been our goal. We see the worth in items, creating something new from vintage pieces, family heirloom, draperies and curtains. We take something that already exists and create a new piece from that, recycling it instead of putting it aside. We do not want to add to the waste of the world.  (Click here to see some eco-friendly Franovik creations).

Club Cabeza: Describe your typical client (if there is one!).

Viktor Franovik: Our clients are people, mostly women, that look for a special garment that will stand out in a room and show them off as special individuals. Our clients are ready for new experiences. They want beautiful, different, one-of-a-kind “Wearable Pieces of Art.” They appreciate innovation and fashion and how these come together in our designs.

 To see Franovik Designs for yourself, visit the Franovik Designs YouTube Playlist. You also can visit their website at Franovik.com to view editorials, fashion shows and causes supported. Franovik also offers personalized style consulting services. E-mail Franovik at info@franovik.com for more information.

Video Rocks!

If you don’t know what the term “Sesame Street” generation means or what the four types of learners in the world, then you haven’t read Steve Cabeza of Amplification, Inc.’s latest white paper on MyHealthcareExecutive. Titled “Behold: The Power of Video,” the paper outlines how video can act as the driving force behind all digital marketing efforts. From advice on how to successfully populate your YouTube channel to the right video length to capture the most viewers, you don’t have to be a healthcare marketer to take advantage of what video has to offer.

This article is the second installment in a series of white papers for MyHealthcareExecutive. Click here to read “Twitter:A Platform Hospitals Can’t Afford to Ignore” and stay tuned for more tips and advice from Amplification, Inc.

Take Shelter With The BioDome

While no one likes to think of the worst happening, preparation against threat of chemical or biological emergencies is the best protection. That’s why Fort Lauderdale-based company The BioDome offers lightweight, easy assembly shelters for protection against chemical and biological threats. These shelters are fire-resistant, have air filters that can absorb noxious fumes and can be assembled in 10 minutes or less. 

The shelters are ideal for those who live in high-rise apartment buildings, particularly those that live above the seventh floor. This is because fire protection ladders often fail to reach above the seventh floor, and more than 90 percent of high-rise related deaths from fire are in those higher than the seventh floor.

The BioDome offers a variety of shelter options—to find out more about how this potentially life-saving shelter works, call 1-877-208-3860 or visit www.TheBioDome.com to learn more.

South Florida Social Media Success

I'm Steve Cabeza, I run Amplification, Inc., a social media marketing and management company and I am about to give you some free social media marketing advice. Want to get your product, service, and message more attention? Shoot some video and hang it in YouTube. Yeah, it's that easy. 


Remember: 1. The average YouTube (which is owned by Google) video is 2 minutes, 46 seconds in length, so keep your productions at that length or shorter because, 2. the shorter your video is, the more likely it will be shared. Sharing is caring, because sharing helps your message to go viral. 


You don't need expensive equipment or sophisticated training to make this happen. Most smartphones have a camcorder. You can edit videos you have uploaded right in YouTube. I shot, filmed and edited this short video teaser using only two EVO HTC smartphones and YouTube as a "teaser / promo video" in advance of a speaking engagement about social media  for the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants. You can also hire Amplification, Inc. Check out our YouTube Channel and our video-sharing website www.ShareMETV.com to help with your needs. 


Kevin Madok is a candidate running for the Monroe County, Florida Clerk of Courts. He is leveraging video content shot and uploaded by others to further his campaign on social media. Here's a recent video interview of Kevin produced by Conch Records. Great idea by Conch Records, because their message is piggybacked along and gets delivered by association to anyone and everyone who is searching for content about the candidates taking part in the race to be the next Clerk of the Courts. 


Congratulations to the Scott Israel Campaign for recent endorsements by The Miami Herald, the Broward County Police Benevolent Association and the National Women's Political Caucus. Amplification, Inc. is supporting Scott Israel's campaign for Broward County Sheriff. Check out Scott's website www.ScottIsraelforSheriff2012, and find him on Facebook by clicking here. 


Amplification, Inc. has produced video content for LadysFootball.com recently (NFL's Best Catches) and the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade County. Speaking of Parks, check out this recent article in The Miami Herald about the fitness zones that have been created by placing outdoor gym equipment in parks. Great idea and great job by Miami-Dade County! 


Here is a brief video history of South (Miami) Beach, put together to support the efforts of MRA Design of Miami. Read more about MRA and the retail, hospitality, residential, condo and commercial experience they bring to the table. Click here to go to MRA's Facebook page.

More Than the Princess Option

Meet Michele Yulo, the innovator behind the Princess Free Zone company and movement who describes herself as “on a mission” to provide alternatives to the traditional “princess” product for girls. 

 

“The inspiration for Princess Free Zone came from my little girl,” Michele says. “She didn’t like the traditional princess-y girly stuff. I wanted to give her other heroes, clothing, toy and book options that extended beyond the princess idea.”

See Michele’s concepts come to fruition for yourself on her website, PrincessFreeZone.com. Hit up the “Shopping” area to find unique t-shirts for girls including a fun-loving octopus riding a skateboard to a shirt bearing the message for Princess Free Zone: Kind = Cool.

Michele also has written a fully illustrated book, Super Tool Lula: The Bully-Fighting SuperHero! The book is perfect for those ages 6 and up and features Lula, a super hero who uses magical tools to fight bullying.

The book is part of a larger inspiration Michele has discovered since launching Princess Free Zone: to eradicate bullying and encourage acceptance of all people, including the girl who wants more than the princess option.

“My focus is on gender stereotyping and how it affects kids and adults,” Michele says. “I want my anti-bullying message to shift the way kids see other kids.” Michele’s blog has been featured on sites such as The Frisky and Huffington Post.

Michele sees a big future for the Princess Free Zone, from an action figure doll to a television show to a tool belt for girls. She is actively looking for investors to expand her brand.

To read Michele’s blog posts, the latest news articles on issues concerning gender stereotypes and bullying and shop Princess Free Zone items, visit PrincessFreeZone.com.

Social CPAs and the South Florida Housing Market

On June 11 through 13, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants combined social media with its Orlando conference plus its Tampa conference to equal the Mega CPE Conference.

With presentations simulcast in both Tampa and Orlando, the conference featured elite keynote speakers such as Florida Governor Rick Scott and U.S. Senator Bob Graham. The conference also featured two names familiar to the Amplification, Inc. family: Steve Cabeza, Social Media Idea Man at Amplification, and Dan Levine, CPA, South Florida real estate investor and developer.

“It was really an exciting and successful event,” Dan says. “Combining the conferences was a bold attempt to make the event more fun and social.”

Dan presented his perspective on the current state of the South Florida housing market. In his current job capacities, he says he has seen many people buying homes for renovation or re-sell as the market starts to make a return.

At the conference, Dan urged cautious optimism.

“It’s a very good time to buy, but it’s possible we have not yet seen the bottom of the housing market because there are many foreclosure and short-sell homes still on the market,” Dan says. “While some developers may be able to afford to buy, they may not have the buyers because today’s buyers often lack cash or credit.”

Dan says he perceives the market will be a “landlord’s” market for some time, where people are renting, not buying.

“The message is that it’s a good time to buy, but there is always a need to be careful,” Dan says. 

 For more sage advice from Dan, follow him on Twitter at @DanLevineCPA.  

To watch a clip of Steve's FICPA presentation, click here. 

Mark Your Calendars!


The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run recreates the final steps of firefighter Stephen Siller, last seen running through the Brooklyn Battery tunnel with 75 pounds of gear strapped to his back en route to the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. The event, originally intended as a way for New Yorkers to honor fallen heroes, has now become a yearly tribute to everyone who lost their lives that day and transcends the tragedy by honoring firefighters and all first responders. 


Last year, to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, communities around the country, including Fort Lauderdale, hosted Tunnel to Towers Runs. This year's run will take place on September 8, 2012 at Huizenga Park. For more information, go to www.tunneltotowersfortlauderdale5k.com and join me at the Kick-Off Bash at McSorley's Beach Pub on Thursday August 16, 2012 starting at 6:00 p.m. Find the Facebook event here.