We’ve written about the inspiring film “Lemonade” here, when Erik began seeking stories to add to the Lemonade book. The film has been viewed now by thousands of people with overwhelming support for the project. If you have not yet seen this film, you can watch it and help with the film (and future projects) through the methods listed below.

Come to a Screening

A live screening is the best way to see it. Watch it with a bunch of other people, then have drinks and talk about the film. I have not been able to get to one so far, but I keep looking for a way to get them down here.

Buy the DVD from Lemonademovie.com

Buying a DVD direct from the creators is the best way to get a copy of the DVD. They use a supplier (Kunaki) who prints on demand and can ship to most places around the world. They get to keep the most money if you spend the whopping $9.99 here from them.

Buy the DVD from Amazon

Some people won’t want to use a smaller outfit like Kunaki, and use Amazon regularly. It is available here at Amazon, though Amazon gets more than half the money you spend. It still ships from Kunaki and costs the same for you. The Lemonade folks just make a lot less of your ten bucks to put back into the project.

Hulu.com

The theme of the film revolves around people who were laid off. If you’re in a similar situation, or otherwise having a difficult financial time, you can still watch the movie on Hulu.com for free if you are in the U.S. If you enjoy the film, leaving a review helps them out too. So even if you can’t give financially, a review is welcomed.

The Future

The next project out of the Lemonade camp has recently been decided. “Lemonade Detroit” will be about the reinvention of this once thriving metropolis. Detroit has gone from the 4th-largest city in the U.S. to one of less than a million people. They are bulldozing historical mansions because nobody cares to fix them back up in Detroit. How are they going to make Lemonade from that situation? I can’t wait to find out.

The team is trying to gather enough funding to shoot a trailer to pitch to the studios this time. They made the original with all volunteer efforts, but they are going to try to do this one even better. Pitch in a few bucks if you can. The guy even has his kid hawking DVD’s out in the sun. Surely you can spare some change? You can always get more information by signing up for the mailing list on the Lemonade website.

What did you think of the film? Where did you see it? Are you looking forward to the Detroit version?

4 Ways to Watch Lemonade Movie – Sequel Update! is a post from: Live Collar Free

photo credit: Richo.Fan

It was August 20, 2009. Kristi Coyne was told she would be out of a job as of September 30. Her department of 130 employees would be let go: the county was farming out their mental health services to a private company. It’s a common story these days, but not one that everyone handles the same way.

Kristi had always done everything right. She got good grades in high school, went to college for her Bachelor’s degree, and then went on to get her Master’s in Psychology. She was working for a government-run mental health facility helping the local mental health community instead of pursuing a more lucrative career in private practice. Now she was left with her remaining student loan debt, some letters after her name, and a couple of weeks to figure out what to do — much more than a lot of people get.

The Crossroads

She had an idea that had always been in the back of her mind, but it was not that “right” thing to do. Certainly in this economic downturn going on in America in 2009, it was preposterous. Her work with the mentally ill was rewarding, and she would still be able to practice on the side. But her true passion had always been something else. Like most of us, she was raised being told that such frivolity wasn’t a practical way to make a living. She had always wanted to do something involving fashion. A fan of fabulous clothes of eras past, she had gathered enough of her own to open a store out of her bedroom closet.

Her options were to look for another job, to wait to hear what small percentage of her previous salary this new private company was going to offer to re-hire her, or to make up something else entirely. Messages from her Facebook friends were all encouraging. Her response to it after things had begun to sink in later that day was, “Thanks, guys! Your support has always uplifted me! I’d like to work on creating my own destiny now…”

The Road Unmapped

Two days after she learned that her job was getting outsourced, she looked at retail spaces and found one in an indoor mall in an old train station that she felt would be perfect for a vintage clothing store. The following week, the new company had offered its proposals to some of the laid-off staff. Kristi decided that she could not take the offer, and began a walk down another path.

The sign design was created for Nine Lives Vintage Wears before she even finished her tenure at her old position. She planned to open the doors in the first week of October. This retail store selling vintage clothes, handmade jewelry, and other items made by local artists and craftspeople was opening in a recession. Some people wondered if she was as mentally ill as her prior patients doing something that “crazy” in times like these. Once she convinced them that she was doing it, and at full speed ahead, they got behind her and watched the place take shape quickly. She had been dreaming about this for years, so she had a vision for it already that those people just couldn’t see as clearly.

A New Life

So far the store has done even better than she had hoped, and the people who thought she was doing something frivolous are starting to rethink their own lives. We are often put in situations that test us. Some people choose safety and perceived security, while others feel that would be a form of lifelong torture. The same week she held the grand opening of her store back in October, one of her former co-workers chose a much different path — jumping off of a high bridge to their death.

Kristi chose her path toward happiness and designing the lifestyle she wants. It doesn’t have to be a retail store that makes you happy, but I hope you can find your happy path.

Many people have dealt with layoffs like this. We have mentioned the Lemonade movie before. There are a lot of people out there questioning their worlds right now. Let us know in the comments below if you’ve ever been faced with a decision like this, and how it turned out for you. We’d love to hear your thoughts and story.

Full Disclosure: I don’t get anything if you were to go to Freighthouse Square in Tacoma and shop at Nine Lives Vintage Wears, or become a fan on Facebook, but Kristi’s story is relevant to this blog and my vision for it. It is just a happy coincidence that Kristi is my sister and I am proud of her for being awesome.

Career Outsourcing: Replaced by the Lowest Bidder is a post from: Live Collar Free

If you haven’t yet heard of the film Lemonade, you really should watch the short trailer below.

Erik Proulx was laid off from his job in the advertising world back in October of last year. He was not alone. Determined to do something to try to help himself and others who shared this new-found extreme lifestyle change, he started Please Feed the Animals, a job-search website for people in the ad world.

Using Twitter, he bounced out the idea for making a short documentary of their tales as a marketing piece for the blog. He got the attention of production company Picture Park, and so began production of this documentary film.

A fascinating interview with Erik got my attention and shows the power of tools such as Twitter, as help poured in from a variety of sources. Camera crews, production facilities, a Director, and even air transportation from @VirginAmerica for his crew to fly out to film interviews on the left coast.

It’s an inspiring story, but only so much can be told in a documentary short. As Erik wrote on PFTA yesterday:

They had to have lost a job in advertising. They had to be available on a specific shoot days in either LA, Boston, or NYC. And they had to be willing to tell their story on camera.

Unfortunately, some of my favorite submissions had to be shelved because one or all of those conditions weren’t met. But their stories still need to be told. So, once again, I’m leaping blindly into a world in which I have no knowledge or experience: book publishing.

Now he is accepting story submission for the Lemonade Book.

Lemonade Book

Lemonade, the book will assemble a collection of essays from people telling stories of reinvention in their own words. Only this time, I don’t want to limit it to the advertising industry. Imagine all the inspirational personal triumphs that arose after the auto industry crash. Think of all the school teachers, engineers, and finance professionals who have found their life’s work thanks to being downsized. Those of us in advertising provide just one, very sheltered viewpoint of what’s possible in unemployment.

If you lost your job but found your calling, I want to hear from you. You can submit a simple abstract of your experience, or an entire 1k – 3k word essay. (I want this to be more about the quality of your story and less about the quality of the writing. If your story is inspiring enough, we’ll get it written.)

If you have a story to tell, and would like to be featured in this book, you can get the general submission guidelines and details from his website, Please Feed The Animals.

Follow Erik on Twitter to  stay up to date on the movie release as well as developments with the new book.

Lemonade Movie Cut Your Story? Be in the Book! is a post from: Live Collar Free