Beautiful Beaches - Raul Colon - photographer, digital marketer & writer living on the beach in Puerto Rico.

What is your Relationship with Monday?

November 30, 2014 by Raul Colon

Morning walks on Sunday are extra special. After walking and maybe looking at the photographs I usually take I see how many focus energy on the fact that the weekend is going to end.

I strange relationship with Sunday and Monday

I personally can relate to them. I fell in love with Monday but for years I was not a fan of Sunday. When I worked for KPMG sunday meant a quick sprint to get my personal things done. By noon I was usually headed towards the airport in route to my next client.

How many days are yours?

Many I read have a full two days to relax and enjoy. While at KPMG I could rarely have a full day of the week to myself. I would arrive on Fridays or early Saturday from travel. Saturday I would organize my week plan travel etc and get some more work done.

Since 2008 I work 7 days of the week but I feel I have seven full days for myself. I get to control where I am going and I pick and choose where I want to put my energy.

Excited or Not About Monday

Being an entrepreneur has its challenges but seeing both sides of the spectrum makes me value my journey even more.

I have friends enjoying the weekend and complaining it will end. They are not to excited about arriving at their jobs tomorrow. I have unemployed friends that would love to have a chance to get an interview tomorrow or even better report to a job.

As I help people with my training sessions and online one-to-one courses I realize that we have to focus on the path we are taking.

If you are not happy with your Sunday because you don’t like your job. Now is the moment to change those elements that make your Monday not pleasant.

If you are seeking a job make sure you remember that you have to pick yourself first. We have to value ourselves so others can appreciate what we offer.

What if…

As corporations see individuals as overhead and easily replaceable, opportunities become less attractive.

So why leave your destiny to a board of directors or higher level management.

Where are you different from any other candidate?

Where can I shine a light on you to show off your best skills to those interested in hiring or partnering with you?

If you are not the two types of individuals I mentioned then what can you do to help those I have mentioned above?

What opportunities can we seek for those around us? How?

Would you Like to Buy a Digital Copy of the Image Above?

You deserve to have a digital copy of some of the pictures I have taken of Puerto Rico. This picture was taken from Isla Verde Beach in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Sunrise From Isla Verde

November 21, 2014 by Raul Colon

Buy a Copy of “Sunrise From Isla Verde”

You deserve to have a copy of some of the pictures I have taken of Puerto Rico. This picture was taken from Isla Verde Beach in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

My Thoughts on the Image

Friday mornings are not much different than other mornings for me.

I tend to wake up to see what those who work weekday jobs so anxiously wait for all week. Friday use to be a special day for me also.

Making Friday the Hero made Monday the villain.
As much as I loved Fridays y despised Mondays three times as much. I

n 2008 when I decided to set up my own shop and work on my own projects I fell in Love with Monday and every other day.

Although sometimes as entrepreneur I might struggle to pay bills and meet my responsibilities. There is no better satisfaction that controlling my own time and seeing the value in every day.

So do you have a favorite day. Do you make the most out of every day of the week.

We only have limited days on this earth why not try to make the most of them special.

What is holding you back?

As I walked this morning on the beach just after I glanced at Facebook I could not help but smile. I don’t hold back and I love most of my days.

Those days that are difficult are a reminder so I can be grateful of all the awesome days I have live and will live.

How I captured the Attention of 10k+ people in a day

July 15, 2014 by Raul Colon

I have been sharing my thoughts and experiences online since I set up my first website in 1998 on Tripod.com; a version full of ads is still available on the free hosting service.

It took me some time to set up my personal blog (this one) as a project. After running multiple blogs which were geared towards using social platforms and digital marketing, I wanted a place to cover some of my personal experiences on a variety of subjects. I have been publishing my thoughts since May 2010.

Another Ugly 4th of July for Puerto Rico

This past 4th of July weekend, I wrote about how Puerto Rico’s beautiful beaches are trashed daily. I have written about this topic on multiple occasions and felt it was sort of ignored.

Living on the beach has given me the experience of observing how most individuals that visit the beach decide to litter. Objects vary from something as simple as a cigarette butt to an old beach chair. Others have their BBQ’s and drop the hot commercial charcoal on our beautiful beaches.

Our government and even those that are trying to help, have created an understanding that someone will come and clean-up their mess.

More than they can Carry Sober

The main question I ask myself is why are people bringing so much stuff and why are they not taking it back.

With time, I have realized that most of those who leave trash behind are publicly intoxicated. They can barely carry themselves much less bring back the trash they brought.

Although it is illegal to have bottles of liquor on the beach, nobody gets fined.

A Different Approach

On this occasion I put into practice a few things I have learned from my 52 books in one year challenge. There are two main books I took advice from which are, The Power of Visual Storytelling: How to Use Visuals, Videos, and Social Media to Market Your Brand by Ekaterina and Jessica and Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing by Andy Crestodina, a book I received a bit more than a week ago when I visited Chicago for the Genius Shared Business retreat.

From Visual Storytelling, I got a better understanding of using pictures and a mix of text to attract people to a website or post. On Saturday, I observed cleaning crews working for hours since Friday night. I decided to take a picture and add a message below.

I made sure the image had my personal blog’s logo and two lines; one saying “Happy 5th of July” and the other one pointing people to my blog.

Once I had the image, we shared it via our multiple social platforms. It quickly captured the attention of Mi Puerto Rico Verde’s Facebook page, a site dedicated to the environment. This started a chain reaction of getting coverage from other local mass media characters (one who even took my image and did not give attribution; he shall remain nameless).

The Image as a Starter

The image gave us some time to create a post which could be read and understood very easily by the public. We used some sarcasm and tried to insert some humor with the items left behind in the photos I took.

Longevity

I took many of the tips from, Content Chemistry, and optimized the content to improve the probability of any tourists looking for Puerto Rico’s beaches, to stumble across this blog post. My heart breaks when a tourist invests their money and time in coming to the island and they are confronted with reality and not what was marketed.

Once the content was optimized and edited, we went ahead and published the post. Optimizing the content will also send a message to those folks who can change a few laws and get resources to stop this from happening. If they want me as an ambassador of the island, they need to clean up their act.

Breaking a Blog Record

I was amazed by the analytics of the site and realized that I had broken my personal blog’s record by getting close to 11K people to visit my site in one day.

I used some tactics that were new to me, mixed with my experience of writing, and getting reactions online. I pushed the envelope with my post, Let the Puerto Rican Beach “Pigs” Pay, and it got people angry.

I can only hope that their reaction is enough to do something to change the garbage issue amongst other one’s affecting our island. A few individuals already decided it was easier to just get angry at me instead of working together at attacking the root of the problem and help hide the pollution problem. The highlight of this story was that many more people stepped up to the plate and voiced their opinions publicly, supporting the fact that I put the spotlight on a subject many rather not talk about.

Bonus: Some of the Tricks to get the 11k Visitors

I will be sharing in more detail some tips I used when writing this very opinionated post that got me traction. Sign-up via my newsletter so you can also use these tips to get your message out and hopefully seek change.

13 “Perks” of Visiting The Best Beach of Puerto Rico on a Holiday!

July 5, 2014 by Raul Colon

After about 21 hours of sound pollution from people playing reggaeton ( I stopped counting because I fell asleep), I did not wake up early enough to capture most of the chaos left behind by locals and maybe a tourist or two. Clean up efforts started at around 9:30 p.m. and here I am sharing what the beach looks like at around 7:30 a.m. the next day, July 5th, 2014. I was able to capture as much as I could so that I would not put myself at risk and end up being run over by the clean up crews.

I decided to insert some humor into the situation by using a bit of sarcasm of what you and other tourists should expect when visiting a beach during the holidays in Puerto Rico.

1. You won’t be dehydrated!

There are a variety of tropical drinks for you on the beach.

2. Left something behind?

Plates anyone? Just a quick wash and you’re on your way to some delicious beach barbecue.

3. No Need to Bring a Cooler

We have disposable and some slightly used coolers. Thank you Walgreens for making it so easy for everyone to buy cheap styrofoam. This is a great way to work your branding into tourism.

4. Pitching a Tent

No need to bring your Port-a-Potty. You can pretty much go anywhere (note to those walking around the beach barefoot). Although pitching a tent is illegal to do on most beaches, the cops are too worried about their small paychecks and lack of resources to do something about it.

5. No need to take your trash back home.

Someone will come and pick up after you.

6. No Need to know the local laws and rules.

The Beach is yours! Cops are understaffed and they don’t even feel safe dealing with lawless citizens. It’s all about freedom!

7. Taking care of Nature

Look someone even put a blanket over the palm tree in case it got chilly in the evening.

8. Get the Real “Island” Experience

Tourists from hotels in Isla Verde like the San Juan Water and Beach Club in the back, can experience the realities of Puerto Rico. No need to take a cab or have a local guide drive you around the island.

9. Did you forget a towel?

There are plenty of towels always left behind by beach goers. You might be able to pick your thread count and favorite colors.

10. Don’t worry about beach chairs

We have Grandma’s comfy chaise lounge waiting for you. Don’t like that one? I am sure you can find one slightly used chair of your liking left behind by some other “caring” visitor.

11. You will feel safe and so will your valuables

Some people might bring a safe to the beach to make sure their valuables are stored safely like their engagement rings or even a weapon or two.

12. Did you forget to bring a snack?

I am sure you can find a variety of options left behind by those who brought more than they could eat. Arroz con Pollo is an island favorite!

13. Leave your boom box behind

While you are enjoying the sounds of the ocean, someone will ensure that the soft sounds of the waves are amplified.

Bonus Round

Feel free to continue the list but even more importantly, share this post with the following hashtags #TurismoInterno #IslaEstrella #AllStarIsland. The only possible quick solution to start fixing this problem is by giving out fines to those who don’t obey existing laws.

Other than picking up after these people, what other solutions do you see to the problem?

Let the Puerto Rican Beach “Pigs” Pay

July 4, 2014 by Raul Colon

Today I saw a tweet by the Police of Puerto Rico communicating to every responsible citizen to bring bags for their trash and make sure they take the trash back home.

Camino a la playa con la familia? No olvide llevar una bolsa de basura. Pásela bien y mantenga la playa limpia. pic.twitter.com/mwpkd87FWP

— Policía Puerto Rico (@PRPDNoticias) July 4, 2014

The biggest problem is that the authorities find it easier to take this approach and preach to the choir than actually do something about it when it is in front of their eyes.

Few adhere to local beach laws

While living on the beach, I can confirm that only a small fraction of the population picks up after themselves and even fewer take their trash home to dispose of that trash properly.

As I write this, it’s 8:00 a.m. and there are people already drunk with pitched tents (actually illegal to set up) and speakers which are probably more appropriate for a reggaeton event, not the beach.

A Simple Solution

If the cops had the proper support from politicians and authorities, they could start giving fines to everyone violating the current laws of non-alcoholic beverages on the beach and leaving no trash behind. In very little time, people will think twice about bringing stuff they can’t take back and if they continue to do it, they become an income source for the government instead of an expense.

When in Rome

This problem amplifies itself when tourists walk through our beaches and see the locals trash the beautiful beaches of our island. Some of them join in the habit of throwing trash on the beach and being publicly intoxicated not knowing the risks. I have seen tourists get mugged, alerted the police, and the cops have their hands tied in how much they can do with the current laws.

Volunteering comes with a price

A few weeks ago I saw how groups of volunteers and contractors (paid by the government) cleaned up the mess from “La Noche de San Juan”. An environmentalist was injured while documenting the trash on the beach by a vehicle who was there hauling the trash off the beach. Some of the drunks were actually giving those cleaning a hard time, while the cops and press observed and did nothing to protect those doing a good deed.

Income from the Pigs v.s. an Expense

We need to fix the problem in others ways than just running campaigns that cost money the government does not have. Why not flip the situation around and create an income opportunity for our almost bankrupt government by making those who decide to trash the place pay.

When our politicians and authorities decide to work together and find ways to limit expenses, then our island will be in a much better place. But then again Colonial Sickness Causes Delusions on Celebrating Independence.

If you can share this post and share your thoughts on other possible solutions it would mean a lot to me.

Bonus: Sound Pollution and More

The image below was taken today, July 4th, 2014, when I observed how locals violated many laws by bringing cars on the beach and setting up equipment that will blast music to everyone on and near the beach, possibly without a permit.