I've taken a gander into the future & it is 3D Printing!
Since it's commercial conception, I've always wanted a 3D printer but thought that it would be a ridiculous amount of money to get one. I imagine many with this perception as well. BUT then Comic-Con Africa happened & changed the game. So so many cosplayers were sporting 3D Printed props & even entire costumes! After speaking to a cosplayer about the Red Hood mask he printed, I couldn't believe some of the prices of the with the lowest priced at about only R3000! I mean anyone could totally save up or straight up buy that. Wasn't even a question. And if you've been following Insta/Facebook or Whatsapp stories you'll know Alfonzo Words has officially joined the 3D Printing game & I've been printing up a storm ever since.
I'd like to invite you to share in this momentous moment with me as I launch my 3D Printing Business. Word of mouth marketing is still the BEST marketing alive, so help spread the word by telling your friends & family. Thank you all for your continued support.
First, I'd like to give a MAJOR MAD Respect & MAD Love Shout Out to Don from 3Drone.co.za
Truly one of the most helpful dudes you'll ever meet & so affordable it's unheard off. I can honestly say I never would have made it this far without his business & his expert assistance.
Through a collaborative effort, we were able to go behind the scenes to see how one of these 3D Printers is set up the right way.
Don unboxed & set up the whole machine for me, including adding this personal touch of my Brand Name on the printer's LED menu interface!!! So awesome. I; Enricoh Alfonzo; undoubtedly, vehemently, and whole-heartedly recommend 3Drone.co.za
Instead of the commonly bought CCTree brand, Don suggested we try out the Hello 3D Filament {material used in 3D Printing}, so I took several 1kg each reels to try out.
And so the first ever prints were underway. I printed an earphone hack that keeps your earphones firmly in your ears in the event of actions like working out or dancing. and what the 3D printing community affectionately calls "Benchy" which is basically a test print to test the quality of your printer.
After some talk with Don & some further calibration, I started hitting a stride in the printing. Even printed an army of baby groots & Pikachus.
Since my phone cover had become pretty worn down I thought I'd give printing a cellphone cover a shot, for this I used flexible filament {TPU}. It came out great & bendy plus it had it's true test when I accidentally dropped my phone, happy to report no damage to the phone.
Then I found these really cool "Text Flips" by Mr_Printer023 that say one thing on one side & another as you flip it up or down.
In honor of the man, the myth, the LEGEND Stan Lee, and in light of my recent post:
After having printed the Pikachus & some cookie cutters, I knew I needed help. So I popped in on my friend & blogger Cassarica Nadas aka Cassricorn.co.za for alil tutelage. We had a blast & the cookies were delicious!
Thanks to her guidance I was able to finish these two Mr. Grinchies just in time for the exclusive movie premiere I was invited to by UIP SA
One of the reasons I got so excited about 3D printing was coz of RCLifeOn, his videos are always about printing the coolest stuff. One of which was Lithophanes. Which I tried to do. The result was absolutely, jaw dropping & eye sight defying. Magical infact!
I printed this Iconic image taken from the Global Citizen Festival that Sunday. When you expose the back of the Lithophane to a light source whether natural or man-made, the picture comes alive! All the detail! is exquisite. I can print 4 family pictures like this Glue them together & make a square light box to hang up in decor.
BooYAH!! 32hr Print!
This is my longest print. The detail on this is unbelievable! Granted its a tad off layers but you can blame Eskom {load shedding} & my bad gluing for that not the printer. Clearly it can print absolute marvels & wonders.
My thoughts on the Hello 3D Filament:
Great brand, affordable & only slightly more expensive than the CCTree. I've tried both filaments & I like both but Hello 3D is the clear favorite plus they come in vacuum sealable bags so you can always keep them sealed after use. I would recommend the Graphite & Bronze over all the others. Even if you paint over it {though I don't see why you would, they will already looking amazing}. It prints the best quality & is most sturdy in layers.
I love these printers, the possibilities & applications for them are ENDLESS! & I'm just getting started.
To everyone messaging & asking for custom prints. Please email your FULL request through to enaidu710@gmail.com & they will be processed accordingly with a replied quote.
(Nb: During December I will be focusing on prints for the above mentioned Local Market. I will be taking custom orders but from those that stop by the market & fill out the request.)
If you've been watching my instastories you'll know that #WillSmith has the BEST insta acc rn!!!😍😍😍 it's so LIT!⚡🤤🔥 @willsmith Not only does he post some of the most inspirational & motivational videos you'll ever see in your lifetime but he also has a vlog going on of his daily adventures. Showcasing just what a truly DTE human being he is❤ as well as the normality of his most extraordinary lifestyle. I've both wondered & admired that he'd hadn't a social media presence over the years. So I'm unequivocally entertained by his BIG BANG step out to insta & YouTube which has seen such a successful massive following already.
Willard Carroll Smith Jr.(born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, producer, rapper, comedian, and songwriter. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards.
Smith has been ranked as the Most Bankable Star Worldwide by Forbes.[6] As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each, five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts. As of 2016, his films have grossed $7.5 billion at the global box office. He is the ONLY ACTOR to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office, eleven consecutive films gross over $150 million internationally, and eight consecutive films in which he starred, open at the number one spot in the domestic box office tally.
Probably, if not, his Most famous quote of all time. Said by his character to his son, Jaden in a moment of true fatherly bonding. This movie was such a powerful portrayal of the sheer tenacity of the human spirit. The truest meaning of "going the distance"
I can't even fathom the DEPTHS of character this dude reached to not only pursue his dream but also deal with having a family & a little person depending entirely on you. But then STILL taking the time to ensure that your kid knows that He Should DREAM BIG & never give up no matter what!\
Seriously how he didn't win an oscar for this I'll never know. Infact he deserves TEN of them just for this performance all.
Coz as fun and awesome as his other action packed roles are. This was Singularly & uncontestably his most significantly gut wrenching performance of pure acting godhood.
Failure is a massive part of success. They go hand in hand. People often quit early & often & Backwards as soon as they fail. but it's the best part of a journey because you get to learn & do better. To be in competition with yourself to be better than the you that you were yesterday.
It perfectly encapsulates the power of Will Smith & furthermore showcases all his latest updates
3. Selfie Selflessly Self-Love
{Try sayin' that 5 times fast}
Surround yourself with only those that are going to lift you higher. Those that are going to fan the flames of your being & passion. That are going to support you even when you burn.
I admit I unintentionally remained with the people that are constantly negative, skeptical or otherwise close-minded to anything other than what is social been acceptable to them growing up. But removing myself from those toxic relationships has been a godsend. Because it is only then that you have the proper room in your life for the right kinds of relationship. Birthed from pure & mutual encouragement to your souls.
I've since found someone who completely believes in me, is constantly encouraging the talents that I'm most passionate about & is entirely patient when I veer slightly ofcourse lol.
I can't tell you how this feels. To have someone treat you the way you would a massive celebrity that you admire. To have someone always be more interested in what's doing in your life {I admit this makes you sometimes complacent in checking up on them}. Just to have someone, whether a friend, whether a soul mate or whether a family member. Makes all the difference.
2. Ridiculous Work Ethic
{Don't reach for the stars if ya ain't willin' to build the rocket ship}
Probably my personal favorite quote of his specifically because of the way in which he says it. The tone, the determination & the way he emphasisizes the word DIE. It is LEGEND!
It's not any stretch to say Will is one of, if not, the most hard working individual you'll ever know or hear of. Most because his actions have spoken miles and miles for what his words have stated here.
Hard work beats Talent. But it's not JUST the work. It's the maddening, deafening, quakening desire to NEVER stop! to be consistently at it until either it breaks or you do. But even at the breaking point do we get the chance to rebuild ourselves into a whole different kinda beast...
1. Stay Smilin'
{Feel the motion of the Ocean. Action creates reaction}
The world is but a mirror and sometimes all it does is simply reflect back to you the energy you generate.
Horrible customer service? Smile through it
Terrible relationship departure? Smile through it
Contemptible work conditions? Smile through it.
Failure upon Failure upon Failure upon Failure upon Failure? SMile ThRough it!
Seriously I've found that if you just hold on to that smile just alittle longer, it could make all the difference.
Once we were receiving horrible customer service & even though my family was getting frustrating, by just holding on to that smile & treating the aforamentioned person with joy & warmth, changed everything around. She "thawed" out as it were & returned the smiles. Know what this won us? VIP experiences for me and the fam. And by VIP, I mean she personally saw to it that all her buddies hooked us up with all the fun stuff.
Another was when I was at a concert in the "Golden Circle" section. The weather had been choppy that day But luckily one of us thought to bring raincoats. It started to rain & somehow my raincoat ended up being held up by a bunch of people to hide from the rain. Now I love love the rain & can run around for hours in it but the point was I could've been Miff'd that these randoms tore up my raincoat because they didn't have the sense to bring their own & instead stole mine without even bothering to ask me lol but I didn't. I stayed calm, humble & enjoy the rain. Now anyone who's been to Golden Circle will Know just how unbearably squashed you can get there once the main action starts. But because of my "patience" & smiles, this didn't seem to be a factor here. Everyone who'd benefited from my raincoat formed a sort of protective barrier around me! I could stand in piece with ample arm length room around me while everyone else was getting pushed and shoved every which way.
"Anything is possible if you've got enough Nerve." ~JK Rowling.
Ms. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Ricard Branson, Oprah, Ellen Degeneres, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Steven Spielberg, Trevor Noah and the list goes on and on. What do they all have in common?
They are YOU!
Yes, they started out just like you, regular, human, with regular families, regular friends, regular skills. But they Dreamed, oh boy did they ever Dream. More importantly, they put in the hard work, the maximum effort & that is truly how they ended up where they are today. You don't need 7 secrets, 20 techniques or an all weekend program to be successful. You need only realize that EVERYONE who ever accomplished anything started exactly where you will start. Once you do, all that anxiety & doubt will disappear, in its place, a beautiful and powerful Magic will start to grow.
The Magic of YOU!
So I beseech you, start to Dream again, start to Believe in You because I already do. I have faith that all of you can & will accomplish incredible and insurmountable feats. Your dream is still there, I promise you it's still there. Reach out and Soar with it.
"Let the world tremble as it senses all that you are about to accomplish"
Jaden Smith Named One of @Time Magazine's Most Influential Teens after his Entire Album #SYREhits 100 Million streams on @spotify #SYREvision via @c.syresmith
Will Smith Icon Congrats on 100,000,000 @Spotify streams, Jaden! @c.syresmith It is a Delicious Gift to a Parent to Admire his children. Keep Doin’ You!
BuenosDias~
Happy New Year & Best wishes to ya for 2018!
I know, I know. Where the HECK have I been these past months?! Gomenasai. My blog has been on hiatus for various reasons that will be covered in later posts. I had however intended for my first post of this year to be about my facebook recently hitting 5 MILLION VIEWS!
Yet, fate intervened in the form of my mentor, Elayna Fernadez ~aka~ The POSITIVE MOM quote retweeting a video posted by a vlogger named ELLE DARBY.
I was immediately drawn in by the video & the core message that it had to deliver to all us bloggers, vloggers & social media influencers. I knew then & there that this HAD to be my first blog post of the year, that NOW was the time to come out of hiatus. To ensure that this incident was covered by Alfonzowords & that emphasis is placed on Why EVERY Blogger should care.
Here's a quick breakdown of the incident if you haven't heard:
Elle Darby sent an email to the owner of the Charleville Lodge Hotel in Dublin
The 22-year-old asked for a free stay in exchange for social media promotion
Owner Paul Stenson poured scorn on the request and posted the email online
Ms Darby responded with a YouTube video saying his actions led to her being bullied by online trolls
So let's start with the infamous Facebook post shall we:
***
DEAR SOCIAL INFLUENCER, YOU SHOULD CARE BECAUSE THIS COULD LITERALLY HAPPEN TO YOU, TO ANY OF US.
This type of email/query has been an unwritten method that most influencers, especially the successful ones, have used. Whether it be to collaborate with brands, receive discounted offers or free merchandise as well as free vacations. I collaborate with dozens of different bloggers every single day & comment on many blog posts that are reviews about hotel stays or luxury vacation treatments.
Are they ALL freeloaders with no self respect & dignity?
Let me assuredly say that I have mad respect & love for all those in the service industry especially those in hospitality. This post isn't about them but rather about the business & how social media influencing ties in. Here's my thinking. ELLE has +80 000 subscribers on Youtube & +75 000 followers on Instagram. Her highest viewed video so far has +835 000 views! So if she were to post a review of her hotel stay & at the barest minimum, out of allllllll that following, the hotel gets 10 NEW Guests. Does that not mean a ten fold return on the investment of letting her stay there for "free"? Does that not in turn have a compound effect on increases & bonus cheques for said "staff & housekeepers"?
And Now for the video response from ELLE DARBY:
****
FIRSTLY I just have to say, MEGA CRAZY Love to Elle for somehow finding the courage to not only stand up for herself but also for the blogging & influencer community. Because after scrolling through the negative comments across the different social media platforms, I honestly am in AWE of her bravery & stature. It's like a tsunami of hated all directed at her. Are we really going to let her face it ALL alone? Or can the vision of us all standing behind her in support & solidarity come to fruition? or is the hashtag #BloggersUniteall for show & nothing but a side ways glance?
Let's tackle some of the common negative comments I've seen so far:
{in sarcasm} that no-one knew who/what Universal Orlando was before her
Everyone KNOWS what the Hilton is, everyone KNOWS that Disney World is, everyone even KNOWS what Two-Ply toilet papers is. But what Influences them to go there or go here? Or to to buy Two-Ply even...
It's stimuli. It's fascination. It's a change in perspective.
The WHOLE reason I found out about this ELLE DARBY fiasco was because I follow my mentor online & anything she throws attention to is Worth my time & effort to view.
Get a Real Job, Live in the Real World:
A 100 years ago, YOUR "job" could've been looked down upon and not treated as a "Real" job. A 100 years from now, Influencing could be considered a normality while something else could be considered "not a real job".
I, however do not consider Influencing & Blogging a "job". I consider it a business of self employment. You are your own boss, you work your own hours, you pay your own expenses & salary. A real business with real potential & real rewards.
{in sarcastic disbelief} She outed/exposed herself by attaching her name to the post.
Ofcourse she did! That was the ENTIRE intention. Because prior to her even posting the video & Paul's barely concealed screenshot, plenty of "trolls" as they were, found out her name & commented across all her social media about the video. So instead of shrinking back, she stepped forward and released the video with her response & reaction. It's NOT the be all & end all of comebacks. Nor do I endorse everything she says. But she did it in the moment & said whatever she needed to in order to clear her heart & her mind of the negativity she'd received. There's a beautiful nakedness to her honesty & that should be respected.
She's spoiled & entitled & the whole blogging community is this way too
As stated above, most influencers do approach brands. Yes, we do get approached but sometimes the situation calls for specificity. In this scenario ELLE was planning on a romantic getaway for her & her bae during the Valentines Rush. Any ONE of our emails & query messages could be USED at ANY time by any troller to publicly ridicule & judge against. This is why I believe that Every Blogger needs to care about the incident.
If I didn't do it justice here is an EPIC BADASS Tweet THREAD response to the Elle Darby uncalled for hatred & discrimination:
Tweet is by Riley J. Dennis
***
I've seen a few people on my timeline ~dragging~ this girl super unfairly so this thread is me defending her https://t.co/EEyGqtMeDY
A similar incident happened to me now that I think back. Not nearly to this kind of level of outcry but similar none the less.
In the Spirit of ELLE, I'm going to be brave & "expose" the situational scenario that occurred.
Back when I first started blogging, I had attached to the bottom of my emails "donations are appreciated", an innocent enough remark however one taken all too personally:
This was my polite & firm reply:
This is just to illustrate in my experience of the situational scenario & response but to also point out that this was NOT the general consensus. As stated, more often than naught, people were willing & even initiated to pay to be featured. For a variety of reasons, such as no influence base, no time to do the marketing or admin, humbly supporting their social media friends and so on. None of which are negative reasons but all understandable ones & somewhat even smart ones. Such as writers just being published who have full time day jobs. or Business owners & start ups who want to place focus where focus belongs, on their business & its sustainable growth.
I'd also like to point out, that whether or not my site remains a "free" site or a "blogspot" site, is my personal choice & preference & reflects nothing towards the "earnings" nor integrity of a blogger.
Futhermore, those people &/or businesses that were rude or arrogant towards me in the beginning have now been trying to get back in contact with me to do "social media influencing" for them. {fact not opinion}
Brilliant post by @sirenabergman !!! She covers every point of the @elledarby incident quite eloquently & at the same time Firmly stating Facts, not just opinions. I hope this serves to enlighten those that had negative things to say about our industry & elle herself.
Here is a video stating that Paul is a Hypocrite while providing proof that He, HIMSELF has stayed in places for free or received special treatment due to his "influence".
Paul Also created a video in partnership with Jen Hatton Sketches
Where they proceed to illustrate all the very worse parts of Social Media Influencing & those that take advantage of backhanded methodology. i.e. buying followers or apparently being nonchalant at an event & still getting paid.
Again I feel like they have both been posting in a way that conveys this is GENERAL Influencer behavior especially in the context of the ELLE Darby Scandal. I also feel that this is NOT the General consensus nor commonly known behavior of a blogger. If you take the time to look you'll the see the majority of Real & Tangible followers with Real & tangible interaction. Even if it's each other commenting on each others work in support.
Influencer Marketing when used in the correct context, can be very lucrative & rewarding. And just like any job or business you love doing, you HAVE got to put in the effort, the passion & the work! Are you up with us all odd hours of the night writing our blog posts in advance? Are you there when we're in sweltering heat with our cameras taking all kinds of angled pictures or DIY'ing an At-Home Photoshoot studio? Are you there when we spend hours & hours of collective replying & interacting with our following to ensure engagement on our social media? Are you there when we're mostly seated at our desks for the entire day at times, creating content & providing admin for our clients? All the while still making time for family & other priorities at home?
That being said, we do lead somewhat charmed & exclusive lives.
We get to travel the world {without or without a review}
Eat the craziest & best foods {without or without a review}
Stay in the best hotels {without or without a review}
Drive the latest models in cars {without or without a review}
Brands send us "FREE" clothes &/or merchandise to test out {without or without a review}
Marketing departments want to collaborate with us to create a Social Media Campaign
We meet, interact & even befriend powerful figures in society. I.e Les Brown
We interview celebrities about their upcoming projects.
We're invited to glamorous parties & exclusive screenings.
Nothing comes for "FREE", everything is an exchange of energy input & output. Nor do we "Influence" anything and Everything that comes our way. We learn to Say No too just like any other business, we're eclectic about who and what we support.
Louis Cole has over a million followers a piece on both youtube & twitter. He posted this Today!
***
@elledarby I saw an article about you, I don't know you but hope it puts your mind at ease that as a fellow 'influencer' my experience is that all the big hotel chains not only offer free stays but pay influencers to promote them. I hope this educates other people reading this.
You earned your blog/website, you earned your content, you earned your following, you earned your influence, you earned your exclusivity & you Most assuredly Earned the RIGHT to quote potential client's in kind.
NO ONE, young or old, rich or poor, white or black, gay or straight, angry or calm, man or woman, christian or Buddhist, over weight or under weight, scientific or artistic, green eyed or brown eyed. NO ONE can ever take away your Worth. Only you Know it & only you control it.
I've come a long long way since the blog first started & a lot of my success is due to knowing & finally accepting my worth. I Still have a ways to go & I remain ever coachable towards there always being A Next Level to reach for. I will always be grateful & humble for what I have.
Lastly I'd just like to send MASSIVE MEGA TONS of Love & Positivity Elle's way! Those comments can be so so draining even for the strongest of strong. You are a true ROCKSTAR & you have a forever fan in me. Thank you, Arigato & Gracias~
I'll leave you with this quote:
***
My Mentor, Elayna Fernadez ~aka~ The POSITIVE MOM will also provide, what I'm sure will be a much more eloquently word & delivered account of this incident so be on the look out for that post.
{Title & Link Here}
Truly sorry the post was so long today & I already love you if you've read this far. But any one who knows me will tell you I don't work with word counts & rebel against limitations. The posts are, as they've always been, as long or as short as Needed.
Alfonzo Words is a Social Media Influencer brand that focuses on promotional packages via various social media platforms to ensure a variety of exposure for the desired project.
The brand has seen exponential growth over the past year since inception in the form of 200 000 page views per month within the blogging sphere. Two twitter accounts each averaging over 1 million impressions per month as a result of targeting marketing & promotional planning. Instagram has also seen this type of transformation with + 1000 likes per post.
From this we’ve created a platform template that can be applied to other businesses based on the required need assessment to deliver their desired online presence.
We focus on clearly defining the goals and
activities which will get measurable results for you. Whether it’s a marketing
campaign or a social media strategy, we know that we have to help you achieve
your business goals.
b.Our
Tools
Just like no artist or builder can work
without tools, we constantly evaluate and select tools to help us manage
efficiently and effectively.
1.Goals
Our ultimate goal is to achieve
results from Social Media activities. However, in order to achieve these goals,
we’ll make sure that our activities are efficient and focused on specific
goals.
2.Promotions
- Social Campaigns
We
are excited to propose the promotion of social media Campaigns which tie into your marketing initiatives and fit your goals. An integrated social
media campaign is more than just posting promotions for a sale, giveaway, or
contest you wish to run.
After discussing your upcoming promotions or ideas for
campaigns, we can quickly create and schedule social campaigns to augment your
marketing promotions or to run standalone on your social networks. We’ll agree
on a goal such as the number of entries, reach, or clicks on your posted links,
then get going. We will take care of keeping the drumbeat going by scheduling a
series of posts, and if there are entries to be collected and winners to be
announced we’ll take care of that too.
We will also monitor and measure
the campaign metrics as it progresses. A campaign can be run for as short as a
day, or as long as six months. We’re uniquely able to provide summarized -
campaign level analytics for the social activities in the campaign. Campaigns results can be compared to each
other so the best offers, giveaways, or contests can be replicated.
Alfonzo Words is uniquely
positioned to provide you with the social media management services and results
you need to help grow your business or achieve your goals. We hope that you
have gotten a detailed view into how we manage the social media for our
clients, and have the confidence you need to select Alfonzo Words for this
engagement.
In honor of the man, the myth, the LEGEND Stan Lee, and in light of my recent post:
After having printed the Pikachus & some cookie cutters, I knew I needed help. So I popped in on my friend & blogger Cassarica Nadas aka Cassricorn.co.za for alil tutelage. We had a blast & the cookies were delicious!
