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 * RESCHEDULED "CONVERSATIONS WITH MELISSA" Renafi ADHD PODCAST 01/07/2024
Hi Creative Explorers, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am so very thankful that my life has turned a corner after a tough year since my Dad passed away (RIP)! Life is good. I have wonderful friends. Voice coaching and New Choice game work are going well. AND… 1. Israel and Gaza have agreed upon a hostage transfer + 4-day ceasefire. There is hope. 2. The New Choice: Improv Your Life! board game and easy mindset hacking concepts are continuing to transform the lives of many people and bring them joy. 3. I have a 1-hour podcast interview coming up: "Conversations with Melissa" LIVE ADHD Renafi YouTube podcast SUN, JAN 7TH, 2024 (RESCHEDULED) 5pm-6pm PST/7pm-8pm CST/8pm-9pm EST https://www.youtube.com/@RenaFi 4. I have been able to spend some wonderful time with my Mom, my Auntie, and my Brother, for which I am grateful. 5. I have an AWESOME NEW 5-STAR TESTIMONIAL: "I am a former K-POP Trainee who trained in Korea for over 3 years, and no one has been able to help me more than Karen! In the beginning of my training, my teachers told me that I was tone-deaf and quickly became uninvested in my growth, giving me alternative roles to fill. However, with Karen, it only took her 15 minutes to identify and fix my issues! She tells great stories and makes sure that every concept she introduces is well understood with many analogies. She also provides many resources and goes truly above and beyond just a voice lesson. I feel as though I have gained a friend who is invested in my growth and I have never been so inspired to learn singing! I would 100% recommend this program to ANY one of ANY level." ~ Beomhan Wu, K-Pop rapper/dancer/emerging singer (former member of M.O.N.T. Arena) Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Beomhan!!! You are such a FUN and DEDICATED voice student!!! FOLLOW BEOMHAN: TIKTOK (2.6M): https://www.tiktok.com/@beomhanfm INSTAGRAM (650K): https://www.instagram.com/beomhanofficial SUPPORTER SHOUTOUT: Shoutout to playful and amazing VO actor + therapist, Kacy Combest! TESTIMONIAL ”Karen has put so much thought and passion into this board game and it really shows! As a therapist, the thoughts, feelings, and actions cards really stood out to me along with the diversity of the characters and the knowledge about the countries as we 'travel the world.' Karen created a board game that I thoroughly enjoyed playing that kept me on my toes and kept my brain thinking and creating new choices!” ~ Kacy Combest, VO Actor + Therapist Best wishes, Karen Lyu (she/her) Holistic Voice Coach + Keynote Concert Speaker + Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Game Links (2 VIDEOS POSTED) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.instagram.com/newchoicegame (NEW) https://www.facebook.com/newchoicegame (NEW) ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.com  * RESCHEDULED "CONVERSATIONS WITH MELISSA" Renafi ADHD PODCAST 01/07/2024
Hi Creative Explorers, Welcome to the many new subscribers that I have met recently! If you're curious to know more about this multifaceted Game Designer + Holistic Voice Coach + Keynote Concert Speaker woman aka "Karey Poppins" (magic like Mary Poppins)... ...you're in for a treat! I will be doing a 1-hour interview: "Conversations with Melissa" LIVE ADHD Renafi YouTube podcast SUN, JAN 7TH, 2023 (RESCHEDULED) 5pm-6pm PST/7pm-8pm CST/8pm-9pm EST https://www.youtube.com/@RenaFi If you have ADHD, like me, you're in good company ~ with amazing celebrities like Trevor Noah, Simone Biles, and Taylor Tomlinson! If you DON'T have ADHD, here's a quick introduction! 7 SUPERPOWERS OF ADHD Today, we're diving into the extraordinary world of ADHD – a superpower that often goes unnoticed in a world obsessed with conformity. But guess what? ADHD is not just a challenge, it is fabulous, fantastic, and downright phenomenal!
So, fellow superheroes, it's time to celebrate the extraordinary journey of living with ADHD. Embrace your gifts, own your strengths, and let the world marvel at the incredible force that is you! ADHD isn't a limitation; it's a pathway to greatness. FYI - I had a major allergic reaction recently, that I am still recovering from, so I was only able to create and post 2 TikTok videos last week, not 3. Thank God, I am doing better now! Best wishes, Karen Lyu (she/her) Holistic Voice Coach + Speaker/Singer/Songwriter/Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Game Links (2 VIDEOS POSTED) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.instagram.com/newchoicegame (NEW) https://www.facebook.com/newchoicegame (NEW) ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.comi * Are you overwhelmed? Feel free to reply with “Kickstarter Email” if you want a break until just before the launch. * If you want to keep getting ALL the cool news, you don't have to do anything.  Hi Creative Explorers,
A couple of weeks ago, when I first arrived on the first day of the Music City Multicon, the game room was literally empty?! I was bummed for a bit, but then I decided to make a new choice! I brought my game board with me and showed it to 5 AMAZING DC/Marvel comic book artists for their opinion - and 4 out of 5 thought it was 100% beautiful! I explored the whole con and got inspired to sing my New Choice Game jingle to about a DOZEN special guests - including famous actors, Tait Fletcher (Jumanji/STARWARS) and Karen Fukuhara (Suicide Squad/She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)!!! EVERYONE was supportive of my New Choice Game ~ and LOVED the jingle. Tait Fletcher even posted a video of me singing to his IG stories!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/CzAe4zVrAUp/ To top it all off, playtesters at Music City Multicon rated my New Choice Game 8-10 STARS ~ after I changed the rules! I thank God that I decided to make new choices, and not just sit alone for hours, with only Bluey, the Care Bear, by my side! 7 BENEFITS OF SPONTANEOUS SINGING Have you ever found yourself bursting into song out of nowhere, whether in the shower, on your morning walk, or even in the grocery store? Well, guess what? That spontaneous singing of yours isn't just a random burst of joy; it comes with a whole bunch of fantastic benefits that can uplift your mood and enhance your overall well-being. So, let's dive in and discover 7 incredible benefits of spontaneous singing!
Are you ready to transform your voice and express your soul, too? Click below to book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call: https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom Best wishes, Karen Lyu (she/her) Holistic Voice Coach + Speaker/Singer/Songwriter/Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Game Links (2 VIDEOS POSTED) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.instagram.com/newchoicegame (NEW) https://www.facebook.com/newchoicegame (NEW) ~~~~~ Book a FREE 45-Min New Choice Game Playtest: https://tinyurl.com/PlaytestNewChoiceGame ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu https://www.hollisticvoicecoach.com/blog ~~~~~ Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call: https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.comi * Are you overwhelmed? Feel free to reply with “Kickstarter Email” if you want a break until just before the launch. * If you want to keep getting ALL the cool news, you don't have to do anything. Hi Creative Explorers,
NEXT BLOG (rescheduled): Spontaneous Singing at Music City Multicon ~~~~~ I gave myself a couple days off last week, especially after an intense couple of months of being a newbie board game designer, getting through some tech issues + what's going on in the world today. And, it took a bit to get refocused again. What do I personally do when I need to focus? 7 WAYS TO FOCUS (feel free to pick and choose)
After spending some time refocusing, I came up with some plans for Nov, Dec, + Jan: NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
SUPPORTER SHOUTOUT: Shoutout to DG Ellis, an enthusiastic Vanderbilt U Game Design Major who I met at the TN Table Games Con, back in September! TESTIMONIAL "Karen made the focus of the game feel like it was about the improv which was really fun. I liked getting to be creative. The length was perfect. I loved hearing about the countries and would want to talk to my family about travel. " ~ DG Ellis, Game Design Major ~ Vanderbilt University ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Board Game SMS (Updated Video POSTED!) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.facebook.com/newchoicegame (NEW) ~~~~~ Book a FREE 45-Min New Choice Game Playtest: https://tinyurl.com/PlaytestNewChoiceGame ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu https://www.hollisticvoicecoach.com/blog ~~~~~ Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call: https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.comi Hi Creative Explorers!
MUSIC CITY MULTICON I felt so loved at Music City Multicon this past weekend! I have TONS to share about my trip, but you will have to wait until next week! (See the Tait Fletcher Supporter Shoutout below!) Why? YG CROWDFUNDING KICKSTARTER MARKETING AGENCY I'm THRILLED to announce that George Lam, the Founder of https://www.ygcrowdfunding.com 5-star Kickstarter Marketing Agency, is enthusiastically on board! NOTE: This company is founded by former Kickstarter employees ~~~ and they have a 100% success rate of getting their clients' campaigns FULLY-FUNDED within 24-HOURS!!! I am SO GRATEFUL for this exciting new partnership! $25,000 SMALL BUSINESS GRANT I just applied for a $25,000 small business Kickstarter marketing grant! I believe that we have a decent chance of winning some funds between $5,000-$25,000, with support from YGCrowdfunding, and there will be a lot of competition. Please send more prayers! FYI - Here's my track record of honors + multiple grants, so far: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlyu/details/honors In the past, the biggest grant I've won was $10,000 for West Bank School of Music, when I was the Executive Director. Let's hope that we can beat that record with this grant opportunity ~ or another one! ~~~~~ Do you want some free government, non-profit or foundation money to fund YOUR dreams, too? GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES (over 1,000 grants in the US)
GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMING ARTISTS (over 500 in the US)
Good luck! I will pray for your dreams, too. ~~~~~ CHANGEOVER: I was happy to have popular TikToker https://www.tiktok.com/@blackyoshifgc do the first 2 New Choice game Tiktok videos. However, after learning a bunch, I have decided to take the reins. Learning to do video is SO COOL! NEXT BLOG: Spontaneous Singing at Music City Multicon SUPPORTER SHOUTOUT: Shoutout to actor/stuntman, kind-hearted soul, and AMAZING human being, https://www.instagram.com/taitfletcher (BobaFett on STARWARS), who loved my New Choice Game and Jingle so much, that he posted a video of me singing to his IG Stories!! TESTIMONIAL "rad board game..." ~ Tait Fletcher, actor/stuntman Best wishes, Karen Lyu Holistic Voice Coach + Speaker/Singer/Songwriter/Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Board Game SMS (Updated Video POSTED!) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu https://www.hollisticvoicecoach.com/blog ~~~~~ Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call: https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.comi Hi Creative Explorers,
I've got 3 checklists for you today ~ 2 plus a surprise bonus! Maybe checklists don't sound super sexy to you, at this moment? Did you know that by using a simple 5-step checklist, 100 Michigan hospitals in a Johns Hopkins study saved 1,500 lives and nearly $200 million in 15 months? https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/fall08checklist/ Checklists make things foolproof! In case you're wondering, I saw 2 checklists that inspired me this week. One was a practicing checklist for opera singers that I found in the Professional Voice Teachers Facebook group, of which I have been an active member for years. Practicing is NOT just about going through the song over and over. Since my voice students and fans sing mostly contemporary music, I have made a brand-new Contemporary Singer practice checklist, below, just for you. AND, my experienced Kickstarter Marketing Campaign Manager, Eric Rivera (who is a joy to work with), made me a 15-step Kickstarter launch checklist. OMG! Having done an Indiegogo campaign in the past, I thought it would be about the same. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE SAME! Thus, the postponement of the New Choice game Kickstarter Launch to early 2024. In any case, having a checklist makes me much more confident in getting a great result, and it should make you more confident in the future of the New Choice: Improv Your Life! board game, as well. NEW CHOICE GAME KICKSTARTER LAUNCH CHECKLIST https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SYA_cjxpKGusKp4fjpjoFl8rzYjutCxAyUliBRwZFbI/edit?usp=sharing Your thoughts? CONTEMPORARY SINGER PRACTICE CHECKLIST 1. Warm up your voice and body 2. Work on the diction 3. Isolate rhythm/pitches 4. Find ideal places to breathe 5. Work on technique/vocal tone 6. Focus on dynamics - use Human Emotions Wheels 7. Work on phrasing 8. Break down hard sections 9. Get into character - use Chekhov Technique exercises 10. Cool down your voice 11. Study a concert video 12. Repeat until memorized SUPRISE BONUS!! KAREN'S EMAIL CHECKLIST 1. Does it have a catchy, complete and correct subject line? 2. Does it have a complete and correct header banner? 3. Does it say everything that needs to be said? 4. Is it grammatically correct? 5. Does it address your target audience? 6. How is the tone? Is it authentic, enthusiastic, and concise? 7. Do all of the links work (with no space at the end)? 8. Do you have any necessary permissions? 9. Is the signature complete and correct? 10. Has it been double-checked by someone you trust? I hope this helps you. These checklists are DEFINITELY helping me! Do you use checklists in your life? Enjoy these 3 helpful checklists , and feel free to personalize them, if you'd like. ~~~~~ TESTIMONIAL CORRECTION: “I love the colors, characters, and premise of the game. I love the competitiveness and improv. I love the traveling aspects of this game. I love the goal of winning money and listening to your other players (having to remember what they said).” ~ Erika Bronwell, Actress FYI - Erika is actually a SAG-AFTRA Eligible actress, not a full member. (This means that she's just one project away from the option of full membership.) Thank you, Erika, for continuing to be an enthusiastic supporter! Best wishes, Karen Lyu Holistic Voice Coach + Speaker/Singer/Songwriter/Game Designer aka "Karey Poppins" ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Board Game SMS (New Video POSTED!) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame https://www.instagram.com/newchoicegame ~~~~~ Karen's Links https://linktr.ee/karenlyu https://www.hollisticvoicecoach.com/blog ~~~~~ Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call: https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com newchoicegame@gmail.comives and nearly $200 million in 15 months? htt Hi Creative Explorers,
I finished my taxes just in time, as usual. I got an extension - it was that kind of year, after my Dad passed away. (One of 3, in my life). And, on my taxes, I realized that I spent WAY too much money on online courses (about half my income), most of which I never even finished - much less get much value from them*. SIGH. According to elearningindustry.com, only 5-15% of online course students actually finish the courses that they paid for! I am not alone. This coming year, I am going to be buying more BOOKS. I have enough online courses! I love books, anyway. Here are two lists of some of my favorite books for you ~ my top 3 books for singers and my top 3 books for board game creators: MY TOP 3 BOOKS FOR SINGERS 1. Singing for the Stars: A Complete Program for Training Your Voice by Seth Riggs https://amzn.to/3M0a7CT 2. The Contemporary Singer - 2nd Edition Elements of Vocal Technique (Berklee Guide) by Anne Peckham https://amzn.to/3QjXbu9 3. Set Your Voice Free: How to Get the Singing or Speaking Voice You Want by Roger Love and Donna Frazier https://amzn.to/3M1sqaA These books, and others, have helped me to get 4 and 5 encores in one night, book gigs for up to $1,000/hr, get on TV more than once, record in a multi-Grammy-award-winning Music Row studio, win some awards and grants, become ED of the West Bank School of Music, become a Hmong Idol USA judge, and recently...get 36 5-star Bark.com reviews and over 26 5-star Google reviews in 18 months from my voice students! Books are POWERFUL and LIFE-CHANGING ~ and FASTER for me to finish! MY TOP 3 BOOKS FOR INDIE BOARD GAME CREATORS 1. Crowdfunded: The Proven Path To Bring Your Product Idea To Life by Mark Pecota https://amzn.to/3rT32gq 2. Board Game Kickstarter Advice: From the Best in the World (Board Game Creation Advice Book 2) by Gabe Barrett https://amzn.to/3Q2oAiK 3. Board Game Design Advice: From the Best in the World (Board Game Creation Advice Book 1) by Gabe Barrett https://amzn.to/46uu9h9 Please pray that these 3 books will help me to get similar ~ OR BETTER ~ results with my New Choice: Improv Your Life game to impact the lives of hundreds or thousands of people out in the world. I would appreciate it! * There are exceptions, like Elise Arsenault's Audiobook Adventure Club and Jody Friedman's License Your Music program, plus I am loving Gloria Chou's PR Starter Pack, which I started today ~ I personally talked to a Forbes journalist 4 hours ago! ~~~~~ The Holistic Voice Coach Blog by Karen Lyu https://www..holisticvoicecoach.com/blog ~~~~~ NEW CHOICE Board Game TikTok (2 New Videos!) https://www.tiktok.com/@newchoicegame ~~~~~ Book a FREE 45-Min Vocal Discovery Call: https://tinyurl.com/MeetKarenonZoom ~~~~~ 612-299-2462 karen@holisticvoicecoach.com |
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