“Social media is not just an activity; it is an investment of valuable time and resources. Surround yourself with people who not just support you and stay with you, but inform your thinking about ways to WOW your online presence”
It goes without saying that I am lucky.
I am honored to be amount a distinguished group who continuously inspire me.
They are the true champions that demonstrate that you can find your path to
freedom which is gained by freedom from employment.
These people are the gutzy ones.
They have taken their gift of liking people and people liking them to a whole
new level. They have awesome personalities that have won fans because
they have consistent, positive messages, images, share knowledge for the
good of the people worldwide.
Social media superstars
Social media superstars by my own definition are those that have been able to
take their talent to attract multiple fans and turn it into a business adventure.
They are not famous musicians, artists, actors, writers or heads of large
corporations (that can they can leverage to increase their presence and where
people pay heed to them solely because of that fact).
They are not power hungry politicians. They are not followed because of who
they are but by what they represent: social media power.
At the feet of these powerhouse social media rock stars is information, images,
quotes, advice, smarts, intuitive ability to tweet, post or share what resonates
most with the average person and the not-so-average.
Many are following their dreams hitched to their passion: whether it is
statesmanship by +Sean Gardner country music from +Jessica Northey or
or wisdom from +Libby Baker Sweiger or +Leanne Hoagland-Smith or a
contagiously positive personality like +Dave Reynolds .
I had coffee with a former stellar colleague Philip
yesterday. We all know those people who stand heads
taller philosophically than most with whom we
stay connected with. Having coffee with Philip
restored my faith by the reminder of how lucky I am to
have so many great experiences I have and the
opportunity to have learned from the best people and
honored to have worked with.
I often credit Linked In
Linked In was where it all started for me. I was driven by the desire to keep in
touch with the best of many who have something unique to offer: Like
Philip, I have found my former colleagues from Xerox to be the most talented
and positive people to have been worked with. Thanks Michael R.
Kimerbly O. Then there is a great mentor Rodger G. (President of a very
important big company) and There were many others, but they haven't been into
the commitment of keeping in touch.
Some have helped me, supported me, worked with me, mentored me, or shared
wonderful friendships without any expectations of reciprocation like May C.
Donna D. Evelyn J. Jay D. Kathy C. Jeanne P. and others who remind me daily
how faith and friendship, firmly at the core, can help rejuvenate one, inspire
others, and motivate many. My best source of learning are rooted firmly with
my kids: Kyle, Chantal, and Kelsey whose conversations frequently push me
outside my own views to see things from their young, up-and-coming and
youthful perspective. Fortunately, they are have an entourage that count me
among their unique adult source of information, philosophy and most of all
manners.
There are those who only know me from
social media that I optimistically sense
would expand their great connection of
friendship if I were lucky enough to
meet personally like +Sandy Hubbard
+Mike Lehr +Joseph Ruiz to name just a
few. Gems in their own aura of giving,
knowledge, sharing and gift of relating to
real people. There are a couple whom
I would like to recognize for their constant
support of my posts with a like or a share. I
look forward to the opportunity to work
with you in the not too distant future when
I complete my website and engage your
SEO savvy knowledge and graceful
imagery -- the best the world has to offer:
+Syed Mazhar Shah +EsmatMorshedy who
exude talent combined with humility while
making inroads towards fame. You are
always there Mazhar and Esmat, and never
go unnoticed.
Watch for updates in the upcoming couple of months while I put sweat equity to
task to help someone launch their social media for their service offering that
will revolutionize an industry and follow the mantra by Steve Jobs that
inspires endless +SteveJobsFans across the universe: find something that the
populace of people don't know they need yet will enrich their lives.
Dear friends, readers, followers, subscribers: thank you for your faith and
commitment in watching me grow.
You can #follow me here:
"A goal is a dream with a deadline."
~Napoleon Hill
Hi Jeannette,
Good morning, I noticed you might have a requirement for some of the services we offer.
If there's anything we might be able to assist, we certainly happy to have a chat with you.
Please share a little brief about your requirement and leave us your email-address/phone number. We will review your requirements and get back to you with our past work details, testimonials, samples with best offer.
Looking forward to hear you.Thank you,
Enthusiastic young sales gal
Dear Enthusiast:
I understand and appreciate that you are "cold calling" virtually. However, there is nothing there in your communications that would entice anyone to respond. Sadly. Not even a statement on your service offering or a link to your website.
I suggest you follow my Blog and go to the articles on sales -- I have some nuggets there that may inspire you. I admire your effort and want to encourage you to carry on. I just sense a bit of blindness in your approach. We all have to make a living, but a few of us want to be great at what we do, understanding that the money follows later on.
What is your value proposition to a start up? How would they best benefit from your service?
What's the catch?
Are you tapped into social media? I go by the pseudonym @optioneerJM .. if you are, follow me, follow my blog (if you can find it, lol) and all my platforms. Like a scavenger hunt of a virtual kind. Let me know you've found me by being unique.
How's that for a challenge?
We all have to separate ourselves from being average to one who is remarkable,
Jeannette
Is that mean? Too harsh? Perhaps and most certainly. However, as a young gal starting out in sales, I had nobody take my arm and point me in the right direction other than kick me out the door and say: find customers, cold call!
Lucky for me, and likely for many others, I had a tenacity and goal for success. When I was about 22 I wrote a vision statement about goals that I found about 15 years later, when I had started to be recognized, and was astounded:
* Be successful at doing something I love: I started out in magazine advertising sales, graduated to bleeding edge document management via printing sales at the very infancy of one aspect of the cloud as we know it today.
* Live in a white house with a picket fence: I live in a white house with a chain link fence that backs onto a green pathway.
* Own and drive a Jaguar: I ended up with a silver Mercedes CLK 500 coup that was classic, classy and exuded class. Today I drive a Hyundai Accent (which is a story in itself that anyone with adult kids will relate to).
I understand today that the car or house do not make the person. Setting goals which often are aligned with dreams and writing them down are the glue that sticks everything together, but makes you accountable for what you think or say but more often only confirmed with proof.
I remember as a fledgling sales manager, having a seasoned sales rep under my wing who was firm on following in my footsteps because I had just been promoted to a sales team lead, tasked with creating more of MEs. Gord soaked it up and was a sponge. I never heard him ever accuse me of talking to much or too fast (I often get that when someone is not wanting to be in tune with what I am saying).
One of my first coaching sessions with him, when he said that, I asked: "Why?"
He said because he didn't think he should try to reinvent the wheel by trying untried things via stumbling, but by mirroring someone who had already demonstrated success seemed like the wisest approach. Wise probably. That isn't an ego statement. That is because when I started out in sales, I subconsciously tried to read or grasp on to follow someone else's example who had already proven to do what I was setting out to do. I see that now as beautiful instinct. I achieved acclaim, awards and recognition not because I was so special or gifted, it amounted to a driven desire to REALLY want to pay attention to those that have already paved the way.
Most definitely, I asked questions of the people who worked with the sales people on their advice on what defined sales greatness. More often than once, I was told that I was already on the first step: asking others for advice and their feedback or opinions.
Seriously, the archaic, traditional sales "experts" defined all the tricks and tips that appeared revolutionary were just plain dumb.
Cutting corners is a sport that only schemers and used car salespeople use. Eventually, they blow out so much steam, that they deflate or are fired because they cannot deliver on the over promises they make or the grand tales they tell.
Asking questions is the one key ingredient that only the finest, best, sales professionals discover. They stumble upon the magical formula by accident at first. They are fueled by wanting to actually deliver on the dreams or goals of the person they are selling to. Instinctively, they know in their subconscious that if they could only deliver a small portion of that goal and not only build upon it but execute beyond either their's or your own possibilities, does the money, fame, awards and recognition follow.
Back to Gord. His answer being defined that he wanted to do well, and he saw the easiest path to doing that was following in someone firmly established on the success train, with the idea that he may be able to progress faster, easier than stumbling around in the dark.
Again, I asked him: "Why?"
Now, some people do think that you're off your noodle when you ask the same question at least two or three times without guiding them or pointing them in the right direction of the answer you are probing for. I've been considered that often and still, almost always lately. That is because if you haven't established the right metrics, results, awards or recognition from peers, subordinates, bosses or leadership ... you won't be heeded. That can be frustrating. Especially if you know you have had a gift in defining the easier path and just want to help others get there faster with less pain.
Finally. Eureka. Gord asked me what I meant - why was I asking why? To me it seemed as elementary as writing that passage of goals as a fledgling college graduate who really had no idea where to go, how to start, or what I really wanted to do with that diploma or degree.
I really wished someone had asked me that before I even left home and headed out to post secondary. Back in those days (now I'm really sounding old), the expectation was you were going to go to school after high school, it was simply up to us on what that career would mean. Blessedly my mom, thought it would be a good idea to be a legal secretary so I would marry a lawyer. Years and years later, and even more recently, she has stated that she regrets not recognizing to tell me to pursue law. I have no regrets. I would have probably made a pretty good lawyer.
A lawyer is paid to orate, research, study character, evidence and sell others on their ability to help them achieve their goals.
Hahahaha ... well, folks. That is EXACTLY what sales people do. Yet, we cannot accomplish anything without asking the right questions.
Back to Gord. "OK, Jeannette. What do you mean by why?"
I am sure I smiled. I recognized that my Padawan (Star Wars trainee term) was ready to absorb my wisdom.
So, again, I asked why but this time, expanded it by asking "why do you want to learn from a successful example so you can climb faster, easier and farther?"
I'm sure I was frustrating. I have a knack of doing that. My brother-in-law told me recently that my family had discussed me stating that sometimes when I talk I am in the clouds and those listening are trying to grasp a morsel of what I am saying. That can come off being perceived as flighty and dumb. Dumb as a fox, some might say.
Realizing that Gord was in the palm of my hands and it was time to expand on the question "Why?"
So I asked him: "what makes you want to be successful?
For a talkative soul like me, taking a pause to allow someone else to absorb the question, formulate their answer, then say it is not something that I am often associated with.
As the note in that 22nd year was proof. I wanted to be successful because at the immature time, success was defined by the house I lived in and the car I drove. The magic was that it fueled my desire and motivated me to accomplishment. Not as a monetary value, simply as a testament to arriving at the end goal. Often it is a status symbol.
Lucky for me that day, Gord said that his goal to be successful meant making enough money so that his new bride could retire from a medical technician career, not work, begin a family and build a strong foundation of life the way he deemed important to him, his values and example from his own upbringing.
How cool! Seriously, how many super stars have such humble goals? Very few I must say. Most of the greats. Simply demonstrating that the ones with the most humblest of goals, stick-to-it-ness to achieve those goals, making good on promises are the ones that achieve it.
The humble ones are really not bragging, writing big stories of accomplishments (that can be broken down easily by anyone with half a brain), and professing wisdom that only the loudness of their voices and exuberant tone gets people to believe they've discovered the holy grail.
My friends. There is no easy, miraculous path to greatness. Ask Steve Jobs, Wayne Gretzky et al. They got up maybe a little earlier, spent a few extra minutes studying, stayed later than anyone else practising. Not because they anticipated super stardom but from the sheer pleasure and passion that doing so gave them.
So. Then. If. You want to be great. Start out being humble and hungry to learn from others. Don't proclaim you have discovered a recipe for success and try to sell that to others. As Nike says: Just do it.
The proof IS by doing it, not talking about it. While it starts with asking questions. There is no better path or plan than to start out with a goal, define your path and then plan on how you will execute on it. More often than not, the best ones have goals aligned with love, family, health and happiness and NOT power, fame, money, possessions (I'm not an expert but I have a very strong hunch).
"Never lose your inquisitiveness." ~Jeannette Marshall
I profess to have this inside scoop on social media. Yet how can I be? Especially, since I work full time and was launched among the sweat and tears of looking for work, five years ago. (Yawn, you've heard it before: it all started on Linked In where I met Sandy who guided me into Twitter, graciously introduced me to people on the clicking edge of social media. The rest of us were soon to be groupies, drooling at the incredible talent this world we live in together is so talented!!
Aren't we all so lucky that we don't have to rely on our TVs, newspapers, magazines, radio any more. Well, certainly, we are an information consumption oriented folk who may eventually be considered the early adopters. Long long after the visionaries sat around a library table, having a few beers together, deciding to join forces to prove a point to the rest of the world. Passing notes is not disruptive, bad behavior is rarely found among day dreamers,
Yet, what is this world it has become? You can't get into trouble for passing notes (unless you are Donald Trump, or a raging has been star), because there is this BIG THING called social media. Where you can speak your mind, share what you know, share what you love, share what you consume, want to consume, whether anyone is listening really. Well, at the start anyhow.
That is at its core: it thumbs its nose at conventional discipline for doing what others perhaps expect you to do or be. Good things happen to great people is its mantra. Why there are people that become overnight sensational storytellers, photographers, authors, writers, historians, foodies, models, lonely hearts clubbers retired from the frump frumping of the you should be out doing something beat.
Embarrassingly, there others that take to airing dirty laundry, opinionated beyond reason because they aren't being held to question .... often. There are some that may have some fame, notoriety who won't settle to being a small number .... they want to have a very BIG ..... numbers represented by followers.
Heavens, a young lad in the middle of nowhere to most people (until the world finances crumble remembered its name) Canada, to get young tweens (pre-teen 9-12 year old) girls hearts to tremble with love and adoration, who could go off and actually achieve fame and fortune, if not always good.
It is a place where so many can share one shadey association by saying or doing some stupid things that can get you minimally laughed at, smirked about, quoted, replayed, rewritten, if not quietened to the hummmm and tsk tsk of a once adoring audience or group.
Social media has created a revolution of expression, artistry, music, events, global proximity that has never been seen before. Imagine ... in just a few years, our kids will site library visits as a mandatory curriculum field trip, like we used to visit museums in our time.
The most notable are honorees immersed and embraced by every form of traditional medias who are feeling overwhelmed driven into survival mode, clambering for funnel of advertising revenues that are being distracted elsewhere.
As a study on millinial short attention spanners dropping their parents methods of obtaining news. Where anything called Daily news, Daily mirror, Daily anything falls into the background of THE NOISE. The noise is created by individual people of all ages, all cultures, all races, all types of family dynamics, domestic arrangements, from the learning to the learned are the ones who matter now. They can decide what is important by creating #hashtags that catch on like fire, drowning out some of the noise we need to hear on health, economy, poverty, bullying, violence.
Are we creating a world that we are creating our own robotic existence? Do we only pay attention to those that think the way we do. Where the heck did guru come from? Do we open our empathy or does it increase our apathy. The scientists, not typically known for gregarious characteristics, may be drowned out by dishonesty, falsehood, scams, SPAM, and the loudest of all: PICK me, SELL me.
Like children with a gift packaged in a gigantic box, we are only playing with the box: the computer, and rapidly being overtaken by smart phones. The complicated and cumbersome are being tossed for the aesthetic more pleasing, better working, customized, following partner that goes everything, asking for so little: just read, like, share, write, communicate, post, blog that it has to give you. So portable, easy to access, quick, painful, joyful or hopeful these little instruments allow us to read, look, watch, admire, visualize whatever we love.
Like masters, our behavior lends the devices our respect, finances, images, opinions, hearts, needs, and lessening humility.
The real geniuses of social media are the ones that use it as a tool to communicate, teach, share, inspire, motivate others to want to be better. Not just hope to be better. We only get better when we interact with others. The fact that we have such a great opportunity to gravitate towards those that tend to share our own ideals, visions, outlook, positions on important matters, or less important matters.
Has an elementary child ever heard of the term of PEN PAL?
Does anyone really have to wait for a music CD to hit a retail store anymore? With iTunes, Spotify and the whole she-bang, their kids will never have heard of half of the things we have now? How about a wallet (there's an APP for that), an album (you download a song, not an album, you silly), or wondering when their favorite author will publish their next novel (oh dear, um, sorry if you don't read from your smartphone or tablet).
How many of us have the anti-social in our lives? The ones who have discovered a text message (sms) is far quicker than an email, haven't quite caught on to an all persons in persons meeting without having to spring for flights, or hotels, or airport parking to join with their colleagues for an immediate and important conversation virtually personal appearances by all with 100% attendance. The ones on a teleconference call are the cousins to the emailers.
In all of this midst, it is confounding the advertising gurus and disgruntling the brands who want to be captured, not optionally, viewed or read.
Well, one thing is certain and obvious to me. We're all adapting together and trying to draw in the outsiders and refusers to get on board. A key board that is.
There are those who only know me from
