28 JANUARY 12 - JANUARY 18, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPS-
YUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
A New Addition to Our Media
Company, Our Family and Theirs
Over 14 years ago, I saw the
growing strength and numbers
of the Hispanic community
in our city. Interestingly, in 2000,
the Census showed that after the
Caucasian population, the Hispanic
population was the largest group in
our city, followed relatively closely
by non-Hispanic blacks, who make
up just under a quarter of the population.
Asians make up just under 10
percent of the city’s population.
I found it remarkable and eye
opening!
I asked friends from the various
Latino/Hispanic communities to a
roundtable focus group to get
their advice as to whether
their communities would
be interested in a newspaper
in Spanish but
covering news of our
city. Unanimously they
said “yes” and told me,
“Vicki, since you are a
‘Gringo,’ you will be successful
because you don’t give priority
coverage to one group over another.”
And so our media company
launched El Correo and it has provided
valuable information and entertainment
to Hispanic readers, beginning
in Queens.
We have grown the circulation
from covering just Queens, to
Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan.
I’m so happy to announce that we
have acquired and merged El Correo
with the family-owned Noticia, a
decades-old media company serving
Long Island created and nurtured by
the Diaz family.
My feeling is that our family media
company of newspapers and websites
will act as guardians of the Diaz
family’s lifetime commitment of
excellence. They will join our company
and I welcome Vicky, and her
daughters Silvania and Cinthia. I
know they will add greatly to
our mission to provide
quality, independent,
trustworthy and impartial
news coverage of
the communities and
people we serve.
It’s a moment in time
when we all have a great
need to know each other
and understand that
we all want similar
things for our
families and ourselves.
We live
with pride in our
communities and
we will keep the
focus on celebrating
the people and places that
make our coverage area
a great place to live and
work, whether in our
English language or
newly expanded Spanish
language media groups.
Stay tuned online and in
print.
Philanthropy at any age
Addy, six years old, saw a letter
from St. Jude Hospital
asking for help for children
with cancer. Addy (second
from left) decided she would help
them and called all her relatives
to ask for donations. By noon on
Sunday, she had raised $218!
I believe you can never be too
young to help and Addy proves
that to be true!!
At lunch with John Demoleas,
vice president of development
and external affairs at Northwell
Staten Island University Hospital,
we talked about a local family who
is donating $2.5 million to the hospital.
He shared an ancient quote
attributed to St. John Chrysostom
that is relevant today: “A rich man is
not one who has much, but one who
gives much. For what he gives away
remains his forever.”
It's never too early or late to give!
A guide of living to share
Every morning, thanks to my
friend at Investors Bank, I
receive their Morning Juice,
a column filled with thoughtful
ideas.
The one I got last week was so
powerful I wanted to share it with
all of you. It’s based on John C.
Maxwell’s 5 Tips to Unlock Your
Potential.
Enjoy!
How would your life change if you
suddenly had $100 million? What
would you do with the money?
Stumped? You’re not the only one.
J.J. Watt, a 25-year-old lineman
for the Houston Texans, became the
highest-paid defensive player in
National Football League history
when he signed a $100 million contract
extension. Afterward, a friend
suggested he buy something to celebrate.
But Watt had no idea what to
purchase.
Watt didn’t know what to do with
the money. Would the money do
something with him?
It sure did—and probably the opposite
of what you would expect. It made
Watt want to work even harder. “The
way I look at it is that somebody in the
world, no matter what your field is—
teacher, violinist, football player—has
to be the best,” Watt told Grantland.
com writer Robert Mays. “Why not
me?”
What a line! Someone has to be
the best—why not me?
I can relate to the young man. My
biggest passion in life has been pursuing
my potential. I may not be able
to become the best in the world, but
I can become my best. That’s what
keeps me going strong, even at the
age of 67. I regularly take on tasks
that cause me to grow and stretch. I
like being in over my head because
it keeps me sharp and pushes me to
give my full effort.
Becoming your best self is part
attitude and part strategy. I can’t
help you with attitude, because that
comes from within. But I can offer
tips on how to unlock your potential
and reach your goals.
Focus on your strengths. This is
really simple: You’re good at some
stuff. You are not-so-good at other
stuff. Focus on the stuff you’re good
at. Where you are naturally good,
you have the potential to become
great if you put time into developing
those talents.
Focus on today. You can’t change
the past; you can’t mold the future.
But you can influence what happens
right now. Give the present day
your full attention and best effort.
Focus on your priorities. As the
late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar
said, “Lack of direction, not lack of
time, is the problem. We all have
24-hour days.” Choose your priorities
and use your time to accomplish
them.
Focus on your results. Reminding
yourself of your purpose will keep
you focused on the big picture, and
your drive to succeed will triumph
over adversity.
Focus on your contribution. As
author Steve Maraboli says, “You
were put on this earth to achieve
your greatest self.... Do it courageously.”
Be bold and be you.
Improve yourself and improve your
world.
Watt’s efforts match his personal
motto: Dream Big, Work Hard.
What about you? Are you dreaming
big and working hard? Are you
working every day to reach your
potential? After all, someone has to
be the best. Why not you?