As I posted earlier this week on the latest post of my food and culture blog BiteTheRoad.com, I had a super busy few weeks. One of the highlights was surely the 10 min “TED” style talk on Mentoring LGBTs that incorporated storytelling as a way to share about the importance of mentorships and mentors for the LGBT person in Tech. It was a great afternoon with so many very cool people present. I had forgotten how I enjoy the process of planning using the storytelling technique and coaching through humor. The best part for me personally was the moment I reminded myself – that this was what I loved doing. Showing and modeling how the power and importance that comes with taking to a platform or stage and storytelling, not only the “wins”. Those are often the easy parts, but also sharing about the hard stuff, the almost and most definitely the big “fails” we all go through. After the talk, several folks took the time to let me know how they appreciated my candor and honesty, about the power that ignoring an opportunity because of fear, labels or difference of beliefs or race can raise. So TechInclusion was a personal win for me!
It was also fun to be back in the San Francisco Armory in this other role, as I always enjoyed it from my other one. As a venue – they do a great job of hosting programs. one of the folks snapped a picture of me in motion and I dressed it up a bit and shared with my social media hubs as well.
Below is the video of my presentation session and under that the slide set.
From David Fowler’s ’Tis The Season: 11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns List
Holiday campaigns, really? already?
Now really – I know, it barely October and at least here in San Francisco, I can tell the New Year is months away, because, on October 1st, they already start slowly sliding in the holiday drama so that by the 15th, its a full out reminder that the winter holidays will be on us soon.
Many of you are already thinking, that means a “todo list” of performance plans to complete, vacation and the resulting scheduling of staff and more importantly the planning a holiday campaign. For non-profits and those seeking to bring in funds that capitalize on the end of year funds, donations and other key revenue streams having an end of the year or holiday campaign is crucial. Stuck wor ideas – this is a good time to check the blogs as many of your favorites will start publishing “best pick” types ones. On the Hubspot blog, in Lindsay Kolowich’s “12-minute read” recent post “15 Brilliant Examples of Holiday Marketing Campaigns“ offers some good ideas as a starting place to get your thinking going. Last year I posted about “promoting your content” and you can find that here.
David Fowler recently shared this post; ’Tis The Season: 11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns which suggest 11 of his “best practices” for your holiday campaign. It’s a good read for those of you thinking or who haven’t started thinking of your end of year promotion/campaign. From his list 5 of them stand out for me as the ones that always seem to catch people by surprise
My 5-holiday takeaways from Fowler’s “11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns” list:
Email list hygiene – This means that quarterly email lists (and snail mail address list) you keep meaning to do a review of – it really needs to get done. Doing in October with a planned completion of October 31 will leave this task prepped for the holiday campaign and bring you into the strategic planning for the next year with demographics that may shape your outreach.
Review current levels of engagement – This goes hand in hand with getting your list cleaned up. Now is the time to be brainstorming and networking to determine how you want your engagement to look next year. Take a critical, but kindly, look at what yours looked like this year. Include the wide landscape of your reach; Internal, external, influencers, missed opportunities and dig into that file of “maybe I shoulds”.
Link email campaigns with other digital marketing activities: This is my reminder to also expand your thinking about partnerships and storytelling as a way to expand your reach, brand and develop new opportunities both digitally and in real time. By linking and cross promoting other peoples efforts, you build cross-over demand and inspire new followers. I know this is the perfect time to start thinking about interviews, podcasts, and other marketing tools that encourage interactivity and reach. Or develop a “free” digital “something” and offer it to key select partners to offer via the platforms that promote as a holiday extra and negotiate the tracking and sharing of the downloads.
Ensure networks can handle increases in email traffic: Yeah – this not the time to get skimpy with your tech needs. Not a good time to roll out any new functionality that is temperamental. Do some forecasting with your tech team. If you are the “teach team”don’t use this time to make significant changes without backup. But at the same time – it’s a perfect time to check with your hosting services and other supplemental tools to ensure you can handle an increase in traffic or web hits. Oh and this also includes and subscription renewals you have pending – get them taken care of early. Also, try to get some forward reading in now on how to prepare or prevent your traffic gridlock.
Set realistic expectations and goals – much of the above all play into this one. Its good to aim hight for your goals – but maintaining your own “reality check” as to what is realistic is also important. When I work with small businesses and/or the individual business owner, this is the time I encourage them to take a three-prong new year planning approach and introduce time to brainstorm and journal the follow considerations; a) How will staying the same affect us, b) what would big growth mean and c) what happens if we stumble.
LinkedIn has been the social network geared to professionals for years—but it’s growing in popularity due to its people-centric approach.
’Tis The Season: 11 Email Best Practices For Holiday Campaigns Because email lists and the infrastructure to process digital campaigns are the backbones of successful digital holiday campaigns, think of your No. 1 priority as checking email lists, and checking them twice. Here are some tips for things you can start doing today to help assure success this holiday season. [NOTE: I am posting about this later in the week]
3 simple ways to stop a Twitter catastrophe In today’s world, customer service starts on Twitter. Instead of waiting on hold for 30 minutes, fighting with an automatic answering service and praying to speak to an actual person, millennials are turning to social media to air their grievances. It’s more efficient, but your brand is vulnerable. When you receive negative customer complaints on Twitter, your organization is pushed into the spotlight. How you respond can make all the difference.
Facebook Live adds its own screen-sharing feature When you want to share your screen to Facebook Live, you hit the button on the Live interface that says “Share Screen,” and you’ll be prompted to allow the extension to be installed to your browser. It worked with Chrome, but the option wasn’t available in Firefox. [Note: This makes me wonder how this will impact bandwidth in the workplace]
Why LinkedIn is a hot spot for communicators [See the Infographic on the right] LinkedIn has been the social network geared to professionals for years—but it’s growing in popularity due to its people-centric approach. A growing focus on personal branding, networking online and content sharing are just a few reasons that more users than ever (roughly 500 million) are using it. [Note: I am still not convinced about LinkedIn; I remain on the fence as to its usefulness and authenticity.. that is not to say I am not on it either. I just am not sure how much real networking ROI it adds to me professionally]
KFC Quietly Followed 11 Herbs and Spices on Twitter, Then Waited to See If Anyone Would Notice “We planted this on Twitter over a month ago,” said Freddie Powell, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy. “Frankly, we weren’t sure if anybody was going to find it. Sometimes you just have to put stuff out into the universe and cross your fingers that the internet will work its magic.” [Note: This was clever, I have to say — even I noticed this getting air-time and watching it happen]
An addict’s tale: My week without social media By Monday I’d deleted Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn applications off my phone and logged out of all accounts on my laptop: it had begun. Hi, my name is Inés and I’m a social media addict. But this week, I decided to go through digital detox by turning off all of my major distractions. [Note: I do this periodically and even used to assign a “weekend” version to students having them write by hand no less, an essay in class following the weekend]
People who are successful at managing stress have a method. If you’re sweating the small stuff in daily life, it’s important to learn ways to reduce stress before it transforms into a health issue or mood disorder down the road. Here are 5 stress soothers that you can incorporate every day:
Investments 1: Walking On Sunshine
A simple walk is easy to work into your day. You don’t need fancy equipment, it’s free, and it starts the minute you walk out the front door. According to Help Guide, a brisk walk for 20 minutes daily boosts the feel-good endorphins in your body, naturally improving mood and self-esteem while reducing stress and calming the nerves. You don’t need to pound the pavement – studies show that even a short, low-intensity stroll is effective. For added stress-reduction during your walk, practice a simple meditation technique with each step. Focus your attention on each footstep while counting “one, two, one, two” and visualize the number in your mind as you step. If you notice your thoughts drifting to something else, gently bring your mind back to counting your footsteps.
Investments 2: Hit the Pause Button
If you are feeling agitated, do not go any further. Take a break and continue working later. Reacting to a situation when you are already tightly wound only makes it worse. Take time for yourself before proceeding with other tasks. When you are feeling refreshed and clear headed again, go back to the issue at hand.
Investments 3: Breathe from Your Belly
There are many meditation techniques that you can work into your daily routine. One extremely pleasurable method is diaphragmatic breathing. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Breathe deeply while concentrating only on your breath and feel your belly expand. The hand on your chest will not move if done correctly. doTERRA recommends using frankincense oil to enhance your meditation routine. This type of breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system.
Investments 4: Write a Journal or Blog
Banish any lingering thoughts from your mind by writing them down. It can be as simple as taking a page each day and writing down three positive things you are grateful for. Or, channel your creative voice into a blog with pictures to tell the world your story. Our Storytelling Technology Bootcamp focuses specifically on the benefits of this practice and how the storytelling has become a movement. Putting down your thoughts and emotions gets it out of your system and often helps you find a solution. Sharing your ideas with others through a blog gives others new perspective as well.
Investments 5: Have a Good Night’s Sleep
Choose a predictable and calming sleep routine that you look forward to. Meditate, take a soothing bath, read, sip chamomile tea, or listen to soft music. Whatever it is, allow yourself the time to enjoy and move towards sleep. Adding to the quality of your sleep will add to your productivity during the day.
Investments 6: Make Time for Relationships
Cultural postmodernism has wreaked havoc on our ability and desire to participate in romance, but emotional intimacy remains a central pillar of the human experience, nonetheless. Research shows that pursuing and prioritizing relationships reduces stress, lengthens lifespan, increases happiness, and may even reduce the risk factors of addiction. A vigorous sex life has also been shown to reduce stress and improve emotional intimacy.
Investments 7: Invest in Yourself
One of the most common stressors occurs when we are spread between too many competing priorities. When we feel pulled in different directions, one of the first things to get cut from the routine is our self-care and personal improvement. It takes a lot of discipline, but try to carve out some time to invest in your own growth. Take a class, listen to a podcast, read a book. Sharpen yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. More than anything else, this type of investment will trickle down into other areas of your life – increasing performance at work, strengthening your relationships, and producing emotional resilience necessary to tackle life’s many challenges and trials.
Stress is a part of daily life, but the good news is that you are in control. You should strive for an optimal level of stress – enough to coax you into growth behaviors, but not so much that it becomes crippling. In determining what an optimal and practical level of stress is, get a mentor who can help coach you through it. By incorporating these seven useful investments in yourself, you can reduce stress and experience new freedom and vitality. Have more to share? let us know! or tweet them and use the hashtag #MentorSFCA
They say that if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life. When you are lucky enough to have your dream job, this statement is most certainly true. However, for many, finding your dream job can be a difficult task, especially if your dream job is competitive or difficult to attain. If you are one of those people searching for your dream job in your dream career, I have a few tips to help you land that dream job. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you search and apply for that dream job. Remember – if you dont see the one you want – make it create it!
Dream Job Ingriedient 1: Know What You Want
Before you can start looking for your dream job, you need to know exactly what you want in your dream job. Many people who aren’t sure when they first graduate high school might work for a while before pursuing an online degree in business or even an online nursing degree later in life. In this way, they know what they want, and this is how they are pursuing it. The first step is to know exactly what your dream job is and how you can pursue it.
Dream Job Ingriedient 2: Flexibility Matters
When you are pursuing your dream job, you need to remember that flexibility is important. It’s not always easy to secure the exact job of your dreams. For example, a writer might need to be flexible with their dream job. If they want to be a novelist, they might need to be flexible to work as a journalist for a time. Either way, flexibility in the job force is a key to getting and securing a great career. It might not seem ideal at first, but many employers enjoy seeing someone who is willing to be flexible with their job.
Dream Job Ingriedient 3: Be Unique
Being unique is another important key to securing your dream job. Your unique skills, talents, and features are one of the reasons why employers are quick to hire you. If you have skills and talents that are unique to the job you are seeking, your potential employer will be more likely to hire you for the things you can bring to the table. Your resume should also be unique to show your potential employers how qualified you are for this job.
Dream Job Ingriedient 3: Be Authentic
Understanding who you are in the work place is as important to success as is fitting in. The best way to do both is try not to push it, don’t fake what you aren’t and use the power of “neutral stance” before jumping into any office dialogues or positional strategies.
Dream Job Ingriedient 4: Be Ready toWork Hard, it isn’t going to be handed to you
Finally, the best way to secure the job of your dreams is to work hard. In this day and age, many people seem to struggle with this. However, there is nothing better than hard work, especially when you are trying to secure a job. Employers will see the hard work you are putting into the job, and they will be excited to hire you for a position. If you are qualified and you work hard, your chances of getting a position in your dream career are high. Remember to be flexible with your work while also working hard to better your chances at that dream job.
Dream Job Ingriedient 5: Stay Motivated
Like it or not, in addtional to hard work, time plays a key factor. True success and gain comes with perseverance, time and sustainably moving towards your goal. Gone are the days of timeline to retirement – now it is about being the best, learning from the fails and knowing how you value yourself at the end of the day.
Conclusion
Working at a job you love is not like working at all. In fact, these jobs can often be fun and keep your days happy. You might even enjoy going to work every day if you have a job that you love. Dream jobs are a great way to enjoy the work you do and earn money while doing what you love. If you are attempting to secure a position at your dream job, you should remember to be flexible, be unique, know what you want, and work hard to obtain your dream career. By following these tips, you could be well on your way to getting the job you love and the job you have been dreaming about, no matter what that job may be. What’s your dream job?
This story posted on SocialMediaToday has some good content on the application of social media engagement and may be worth a read by folks. Originally posted on Top Dog Social Media, I can see why it was worth being reposted.
As with any marketing, most of agree “Understanding your customers is largely dependent on understanding how they think” but I would add so is an also understanding of what motivation they will need to act on what they think. Remember – feeling, thinking and acting is a proccess that one goes through and shoulld be part of the recipe for success.
So when devloping your strategies – its good to expand your base questions: What do your target customers need? What do they want? What can you do to influence their decision-making process? What is the win? What is gained by the “fail”? etc.
For the full story from visit SocialMediaToday (and I do recommend you take the 10 min to read it) can be found here .
But these are a few of my favorite highlights from the SocialMediaToday article:
“Social media engagement may come in the form of click-activated reactions (such as the Facebook like button), shares (retweets on Twitter, regrams on Instagram, and so on), and responses (comments on your LinkedIn status updates, for example).”
… the level of engagement tends to vary based on a number of factors which may or may not be within your control.
… not all of your updates are equally successful, and that some will generate more engagement than others.
Habits – you know you have more than 5, we all do, but let’s start with my favorite 5 ones to break:
Self-esteem is a rare commodity that only a portion of the population gets to enjoy. If you’d like to learn how to build up your self-esteem, you must first learn what you’re doing on a daily basis that could be destroying it instead.
Comparing
One majorly toxic habit that will destroy your self-esteem is the habit of comparing yourself to others. You cannot focus so much of your time and emotions on how your life differs in comparison with the lives of others. “A paper in the journal Science reported that activation in brain areas related to reward respond to relative differences in wealth even more than absolute amounts. Evidently, many Silicon Valley millionaires feel deprived because they can’t keep up with the billionaires in their neighborhood” (Psychology Today). Focus instead on becoming the best version of yourself and your path will unfold before you, leading you to a destiny greater than one you could have imagined.
Procrastinating
Procrastination is a serious killer of self-esteem because it prevents us from ever starting on a project, assignment, or goal that would be a huge boost to our self-esteem. Our self-esteem strengthens as we accomplish things we never thought we could. We cannot accomplish things if we never start. Do something today that your future self with thank you for.
People-Pleasing
This is a habit that a lot of people have. We are conditioned at a young age to do and say whatever is pleasing to adults. This habit quickly evolves into a toxic mentality of self-sacrifice that leaves us feeling as if we’re not here to do anything but to serve the will of others (Bustle). There is no presence of self-esteem when we are putting others’ happiness ahead of our own. You don’t have to be selfish. Just make sure you’re doing things that make you happy at the end of the day.
Destructive Coping Mechanisms
When we feel bad about ourselves, it’s difficult to acknowledge and process that emotion. To hide how badly we feel about ourselves, we turn to addictive vices or self-destructive behaviors. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and controlled substances can be extremely addictive under the right social circumstances (Casa Nuevo Vida). They are a distraction from what we’re feeling. Face what you’re feeling, learn healthy ways to cope with it, and rise above it.
Treating Others Badly
When we feel bad about ourselves, it’s easy to transfer those feelings onto other people. We find it comforting when someone else is hurting worse than we are, but that’s not a healthy solution. We end up feeling even worse after the guilt sets in over what we’ve done. Always treat others with kindness because what you send out in the world will come back to you. The person you’re kind to today might end up saving you from yourself tomorrow.
If you find that you are unable to break free from these habits that are destroying your self-esteem, you may want to seek out the advice of a mentor. A mentor will be able to help you work through breaking these bad habits and learning new, healthier habits.
Hey! wait… I can be your mentor! That is if you are ready to take the first step and make contact … are you ready? Make the first contact and let’s talk
Awareness-check, seems like an odd word doesn’t it? but it does capture the essence of engaged learning – being aware of what is happening. So while reading Linkedin.com, (a service, or website, network – or whatever they call themselves I continue to have a “love-hate” relationship with), I do, however, find useful cross-posts from those that I have selected to follow. This one was a good visual infographic on the context of the internet and time.
Awareness-check for you!
The authors at Unboxingdeals.com posted this list in graphic format initially on October 4, 2017, wanted you to get a general idea that a lot happens! Something most people”know” but never really have a reason to think about. We have come so far from the days of AOL and sending “groups packets of information” slowly over time…
Oh and if you need a quick “cheat sheet” of social media platforms, visit my Engage post from February 13, 2017
From time to time, you may read a profile on someone or hear an interview candidate mention they are an “ISTJ” type on the Myers-Brigg scale. Well not everyone is up on the “types” that are associated with those that take this type of personality test. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test takes Carl Jung’s psychological theory of 16 personality types and makes them applicable to real people. The goal of this test, then, is to make people aware of their innate strengths and weaknesses so they can live to their fullest potential. If you’re the type of person who aspires to a position of leadership, your Myers & Briggs personality type can help determine which type of leadership role you’re best suited for. If you do not know your Myers-Briggs personality type, find out at 16Personalities.com.
The Myers-Briggs 16 types of outcomes you may hear someone refer to themselves as:
ISTJ
People with this personality type are very methodical and thorough. When in a leadership role, they become very detail-oriented. They offer clear and concise directions for their followers.
ISFJ
People with this personality type lead through thoughtfulness and commitment. Their leadership style allows them to produce high-quality work while still meeting deadlines.
INFJ
People with this personality type can often be found leading humanitarian causes. They are incredible visionaries who lead with passion. All team members must share the same passion for the cause.
INTJ
People with this personality type are very determined and strategic. They are both calm and focused which makes them a mastermind at problem-solving and noticing patterns.
ISTP
People with this personality type are very tactical and effective leaders. They prefer to observe things before making a decision.
ISFP
People with this personality type are usually found leading from behind the curtains. They work best with companies and causes that help the downtrodden.
INFP
People with this personality type are innovative and compassionate. They are excellent listeners and great leaders in humanitarian causes.
INTP
People with this personality type are unconventional leaders who will lead with curiosity and consider opinions with a democratic style of leadership.
ESTP
People with this personality type are fun-loving and fearless leaders. Their charisma allows them to keep morale up using humor.
ESFP
People with this personality type are very hands-on types of leaders who will work side-by-side with their team members to ensure the job gets done.
ENFP
People with this personality type are inspirational leaders. They are creative visionaries who lead and achieve goals by brainstorming with their teams.
ENTP
People with this personality type thrive on challenge and will often seek out entrepreneurship opportunities. Classes at a local business management school will help their entrepreneurship to succeed.
ESTJ
People with this personality type are efficient and decisive leaders. They will use extensive logical processes to discern a clear direction and commit to it.
ESFJ
People with this personality type are leaders who will put the people’s needs ahead of their own. They are generous, supportive, and encouraging.
ENFJ
People with this personality type believe in leading by example. They are visionaries and keep their focus on the bigger picture so they’re not distracted by small setbacks.
ENTJ
People with this personality type tend to be very assertive and ambitious leaders. They inspire confidence and admiration in their followers. They are dependable and intensely focused.
Anyone can be a leader!
If you want to learn, grow, and ultimately thrive in your life, let MentorSF lead you to a new way of thinking that will enable you to make the most of who you are.
Saving money is one of the best ways to live happily and in control of your life. When you have money left over after paying the bills, you can use it to save or invest in your future, or even have around when an emergency crops up. But how do you save that money in the first place? Luckily, a lot of good financial habits don’t have to take a complete overhaul of your life. If you’re smart, using small adjustments can make a big difference. If you are looking to gain more control over your financial future, use these five tips to improve your life and bank account balance.
Saving Trick 1. Buy Things From Cheaper Outlets Or Thrift Stores
You might not think it’s cool to be seen shopping around at places like Dollar General or Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, but believe it or not, you can sometimes get more than what you pay for when you’re willing to do so. Yes, we would all like to have fancy brands and get the finer things in life, but you’ll be very happy to see your pockets not be emptied by these products. In fact, you might even find hundreds of dollars saved in some cases. Try a cheaper shampoo for a few months and spend wisely on essentials like cereal and toilet paper at places where they come at half the price. The take home for me is to know what brands I won’t sacrifice and then go after them on sale or lower-priced options for the rest of your shopping.
Saving Trick 2. Learn How To Cook If You Don’t Know How
Food is an expense you will always have, but you can save a lot of money if you know how to cook. The great thing about it is, there are so many simple recipes that even those who don’t know anything about culinary arts can make them in a flash. Yes, you still need to buy the groceries to make food, but there are all kinds of places you can get those, and most grocery stores even have discount coupons you can use. You can even go the extra mile by planning your grocery week in advance and preparing food in the freezer for nights when you don’t have time to cook. You can also always visit my food blog www.BiteTheRoad.com for ideas on way to cook at home and some the recipes I use on a day to day basis!
Saving Trick 3. Conserve On Electricity
This is something that’s often overlooked because we use electricity so regularly we don’t even think about it. By simply remembering to turn off the lights when you leave a room, turning off the TV at night, and making sure your appliances are running at efficient levels are big electricity savers. In fact, the Family Handyman notes that taking your electronics, plugging them into a power strip, and then shutting the switch off of that can save up to $100 a year on costs.
Saving Trick 4. Pay Your Credit Card Bills Ahead Of Time And In Full
You might think that delaying full payments and paying the minimum amount on credit cards when you get your monthly statements will save money, but actually, you’re going to be accumulating a lot of debt and paying even more in the long run if you do this. Credit cards have a lot of hidden fees we often forget about, and on top of that, interest will pile up and in some cases could turn $1,000 that we owe into as much as $1,300 if the APR is high. The best policy is to use your credit card wisely and always pay it off in full.
Saving Trick 5. Always Drive Safe
Most important to saving money could be your driving habits. You might think it’s fun to speed down the road on that hot summer day with the windows open, but getting ticketed or getting in an accident will take that good feeling away immediately. And most importantly, drunk driving should be avoided at all costs because according to one law firm, that could cost you a driver’s license suspension, jail time, and a hefty fine, even for a first offense. By driving safe or having a designated driver take you home when you’ve had one too many, you not only will save money on tickets, accident, and court costs, you can keep your insurance premiums low and apply for good driver discounts which can save you even more.
In summary, there are always ways you can bring more money back into your wallet even if it’s just $5 when you go out to eat. You don’t always have to sacrifice what you love to save money, but if you’re willing to look at discount deals and plan ahead for expenses, you might be surprised at just how much your savings can compound. You should always be willing to adopt new habits and lifestyle changes if they mean more happiness and less trouble down the road.
As I posted earlier this week on the latest post of my food and culture blog BiteTheRoad.com, I had a super busy few weeks. One of the highlights was surely the 10 min “TED” style talk on Mentoring LGBTs that incorporated storytelling as a way to share about the importance of mentorships and mentors for the LGBT person in Tech. It was a great afternoon with so many very cool people present. I had forgotten how I enjoy the process of planning using the storytelling technique and coaching through humor. The best part for me personally was the moment I reminded myself – that this was what I loved doing. Showing and modeling how the power and importance that comes with taking to a platform or stage and storytelling, not only the “wins”. Those are often the easy parts, but also sharing about the hard stuff, the almost and most definitely the big “fails” we all go through. After the talk, several folks took the time to let me know how they appreciated my candor and honesty, about the power that ignoring an opportunity because of fear, labels or difference of beliefs or race can raise. So TechInclusion was a personal win for me!
