My Social Media Skills

While my writing hopefully has improved over the years, one thing that hasn’t is my social media skills and digital marketing. In a few words, I’m a train wreck. With media platforms ever-changing and my book on the horizon, I decided to ask for help.  

Years ago, starting my landscape business, I worked with a wonderful fellow, Mike Neuendorff, to help promote my endeavor. Mike was also busy creating his business Build & Balance. We met in a local business group.

As a young entrepreneur, Mike’s office at that time was any local Starbucks. Of course, in time, he graduated to a lovely office in Burlingame, California. But back then, we would grab any open table and tune out the surrounding noise. I used to love to kid him about his multiple offices.

Mike was instrumental in convincing me to sign up for Facebook. I wasn’t interested. It took a few meetings and several Starbucks lattes to convince me that Facebook was for me. He told me in no uncertain terms that I could sign up or be left behind. And not only that, I needed a website. Website??? One thing at a time here, buddy.

He wasn’t even trying to sell me a website, just educate me. I can be a slow burn. All these years later, promoting my book, I still resist social media and digital marketing. But I no longer debate the need for it. Before the pandemic hit, I reached out to Mike again for help as I began working on my book. I had run into Mike several times over the years when I worked at Virgin. His office building was next to the Virgin Headquarters in Burlingame. Every once in a while, I would be lucky enough to see him at the elevator while visiting the cafeteria in his building. We would quickly catch up, and I would always leave with a smile on my face, happy to have run into him.

One thing I genuinely love about life is our ability to amass a collection of amazing people. They come in all sizes and descriptions and fill different needs. And there is nothing nicer than reconnecting with an old friend in a new way. What a comfort it is to know without a doubt that I can trust this person with the task at hand, one of the many gifts of moving along in years.

Janine, just as Mike had so many years earlier, managed to teach me just enough to be dangerous. It worked for the short term. I also received a lovely call from Mike during that time, thanking me for supporting him in his early years. He was taking stock and giving thanks. I hung up in awe of how much power we humans have to elevate each other.

Covid took care of my social media problems for about a year. I gave up blogging since I couldn’t come up with much positive to blog about, and instead, I worked on the book. But it wasn’t pretty when I blogged for the first time a few weeks back and tried to post it. I remembered very little. I spent twice the amount of time posting the blog on social media as I did to write it. What is wrong with that picture?

I once again contacted Mike and my favorite media guru Janine and hired them on the spot to take over. That’s the other nice thing about aging, the wisdom that accompanies the years. I could hear my inner voice saying, “These issues you are having aren’t leaving any time soon. How ‘bout we recruit some help, Suzy-girl?”

I am confident going forward, while my voice may never change, my promotional style will! I’m so excited to move forward and be able to concentrate on what I love most, which is simply writing and sharing my thoughts.

Build & Balance will be promoting my brand going forward. Stay tuned for some amazing changes!