Tag social media

You are beautiful/handsome 24/7! Stop and take a selfie wherever you are right now. Post the photo below. Then challenge your friends to do the same. ‪#‎beautiful247‬
You are beautiful 24/7!
You are beautiful/handsome 24/7! Stop and take a selfie wherever you are right now. Post the photo below. Then challenge your friends to do the same. ‪#‎beautiful247‬
You are Beautiful 24/7

I am openly challenging standards of beauty. I argue that self confidence and beauty come from within, no matter how old (or young) you are, your race, gender, hair color, eye color, height, weight, or political preference. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! Please join me in telling the humans of this world they are beautiful too.

FACEBOOK:

You are beautiful/handsome 24/7! Stop and take a selfie wherever you are right now. Post the photo below. Then challenge your friends to do the same. ‪#‎beautiful247‬

TWITTER:

You are beautiful 24/7! Stop and take a selfie wherever you are. Post below. Challenge your friends.

This is a What Works Coaching project and I am putting my make up free, just woke up, face out into the world to show everyone that BEAUTY IS NOT CONDITIONAL!

If you want to know what I am up to, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or get the What Works zine. 

You can also contribute to my new project 40 By 40 – Because Life Starts at Mid-Life.

Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.

I use Facebook every day, to keep up with friends, find inspirational content for others, communicate with loved ones, and do research for clients. Today, I was hit by a startling headline “Charles Manson Granted Parole.” This headline and story was greeted with comments expressing everything from distaste for California politics to outright fear. My first reaction? Google it and get back up confirmation. I found out that it was indeed… a hoax. Internet hoaxes are becoming more and more common, from celebrity deaths to fake news. News sites say its all in good fun, but with the proliferation of social media as how people get their news more and more people are spreading misinformation unknowingly.

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This rings true for business content as well. If someone says something works, great! Do the research. Has this worked for anyone else? Google whatever topic you are searching for and the word “scam.” You are likely to find all the negative consumer reviews you can handle. Now, Google whatever topic you are searching for and these words: success, results, testimonial. This will give you the whole picture about what you are looking at. Take my former boss, Loral Langemeier for example. You can find a lot of results when you type in Loral Langemeier scam. But too many people stop there! Type in success, results, testimonial, products… anything that relates to what you are looking at. If you see the same page pop up on all of the keywords, it’s likely someone has a vendetta against the product, service, or person. Keep digging. Consume some free material if any exists. Decide for yourself.

The key to discovering things on the Internet is to do your research. Don’t take things at face value. I made the horrible mistake, once, as a magazine editor to research my stories using the Internet before I sought a real world experience. The result – lots of closed businesses, a less than editorial-worthy experience, and time wasted when I thought there was time savings.

Daily Exercise: If you see a claim made on social media, dig deeper. Find out more. Perhaps you will be able to relieve some scared Internet users like I did today.

The Internet is a playground rich with information. The thing is, everyone plays here… even the naughty kids who throw tantrums and bully the younger kids. So be vigilant and be comforted – Charlie Manson is still in prison.

Are you an online business creeper?

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Today, as I was moderating our new Help for Business Owners and Entrepreneurs LinkedIn Group, I encountered an enthusiastic entrepreneur with an energy business. Unfortunately, I encountered him in the wrong way. Within moments of joining our group he had plastered his URL, phone number, headline in three different places on the group. Being a coach, I reached out to him versus banning him outright (which is what most groups would do). Here was my response, paraphrased. I thought it worthy enough to share with all.

“One of the top things I coach my clients on is how to participate in a group when networking. You meet people for business purposes through networking, but its kind of like dating. It’s not a good idea to push marriage on the first date. You participate in discussions. You provide input. Sending URLS, emails, and so on when you are not the sponsor of the group is not effective group participation.”

It’s true. Think about online dating for a bit. If you are serious about looking for someone, you don’t outright say – “hey, I want to get married honey.” You ask about interests. You comment on aspects of their profile. You get to know them before asking them out on a date.

Social media networking works the same way. If you join a group, ADD VALUE. Answer people’s questions. Ask a few questions of your own. Post an interesting article. To lead generate, post an article you have written that resides on your web site. Ask for opinions about a new product offering. Don’t just say, “hey baby, have I got a special offer for you.” The ONLY place that is appropriate is when you are the sponsor of a group. But do it VERY SPARINGLY. You are there to build a community, to add value. Ultimately, yes, you will come upon people who are interested in what you have to offer. But, like the new person who is participating in a LinkedIn Group, Facebook Group, posting on walls, tweeting, pinning, Instagramming, or anything else, you need to have a soft touch.

Otherwise you just come off like that sleazy guy in a bar looking for a one night stand. Who wants to be THAT guy?

Today’s Exercise: Look at all the ways you network – in person or via social media. Are you asking for marriage before you even get a date? What is your strategy for becoming part of the group and gaining interest before you pitch? What are you doing right? What are you doing wrong?

Questions about how to tackle social media networking? Claim your free Quick Question session and ask away – or just ask on our LinkedIn Group.