It’s All Right To Be Selfish
By Cheval John
I had expected to go to another level this year because of the wins I accomplished the previous year:
Speaking at two social media conferences (social media day lima in ohio and social media day houston)
Working as a volunteer at the social media command center during super bowl 51
Getting interviewed on some live streaming shows.
I was hoping the business was going to take off because of these wins.
That was not the case.
It seemed like I was going backwards.
I ended up working full time again as an employee at a lodging company because it was the right thing to do and my business depended on it.
From that, I realized that I was not getting any younger and I needed to watch out more for myself.
So I started exercising again since in more than a decade and hired an online personal trainer by the name of Monique Kabel to get me on the right track.
The interesting part is Ms. Kabel is based in Canada.
I found out about Ms. Kabel through Instagram because she was posting uplifting messages on her account.
She competed in the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion (WBFF) Competitions and knew a lot about getting ready to compete against others in the fitness industry.
She was not like half of those who would post their photos with a link to a product or service most of the time because of their influence.
Or try to sell to people when they connect with them.
She basically shared inspiration to those who needed it and also show a lot of her workout routines on instagram stories.
So I decided she was the one to be my personal trainer and it was the best decision.
She uses the Trainerize app to put together personalized workout routines that fit me.
This was the best alternative to going to the gym because of my work schedule.
At the same time, I learned a lot from my employers because they started from the ground up in the hotel industry.
Their example of how to be fiscally responsible to the point that I have become more disciplined in how to spend money.
This also helped me to keep Ms. Kabel as my personal trainer too.
It seemed like I have neglected my business (producing content here via blog post and podcast) due to this transition back to full time employment.
I realized that I needed to be selfish and take care of me first in order to be more creative and take care of the business.
Looking back on it, this year was not a setback at all because of the valuable lessons I learned from this experience which I will share with you now:
You Must Take Care Of Your Health
I can’t emphasize this enough.
Do not fall for the so-called hustle culture of working non-stop until you get results.
Being smart with how much food you consume and the amount of time you exercise can play a part in whether your business will succeed or not.
Also, get enough sleep because you can’t be creative if you are tired all the time.
Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People
They will always lift you up when you least expect and will never bring you down just to feel good about themselves.
Focus On The Process
When you aim for the results, you lose track on enjoying the journey and end up producing crappy content.
The true social media influencers (fitness included) focused on providing value to their audience and appreciated the journey to that success.
They were the ones that helped me to make it through this transitional year which will launch me to the next level in my life in 2019.
To conclude, here are some of the people you should follow on instagram if you want to start the new year right
Embracing Growth
By Cheval John
This has been a year of transition.
I had no idea that I would be working at a lodging company and learning the travel industry from the ground up.
In that time frame, I realized I needed to get back to exercising because I wanted to be here for a very long time.
I had the opportunity to learn from the best of the best in the travel industry and also learn how to become a better manager of my finances.
I also did not expect to take a long hiatus from my business because I was adjusting to being an employee again.
I am very appreciative of the lessons learned from this work experience and also managing my time better.
At the time of this post, I am back in Huntsville, Texas just for a day to see the growth of Sam Houston State University and cover the Bearkat Volleyball team’s matchup tonight.
What is really impressive is half of their season’s matchup have been televised live nationally on ESPN+ this year.
So it is safe to say small to medium sized businesses and even the smaller sports organizations are on a level playing field with the larger corporations.
I am getting back to the flow of blogging again.
So please bare with me and thank you for everything.
The New Game of Monolopy (Social Media Style)
By Cheval John
The game of monopoly have been very popular for many years.
The purpose was to own as many property as you can in order to have leverage over the other competitors.
Though it takes a while to play, it can bring out the competitive spirit of others.
Why bring up this game when we are in the digital age you might ask?
This game has similarities to where are in time.
The majority of the world have smartphones to where they have the power to choose what they can do with it.
They can watch netflix of their favorite television shows, take selfies of themselves having a good time with their friends, or record milestone moments in their lives.
Add on social media accounts and they can create the lives they want.
That is why you see many have youtube channels that have allowed them to have a loyal audience to the the point they become “famous”
It is the same with other social media accounts like instagram.
And many are trying to build a following as fast as they can so they can lure brands to work with them.
This explosive growth of the so-called “influencer marketing” is the catalyst of why many are trying to build a following as fast as they can.
For instagram alone, it is more than a billion dollar industry.
And if you are an instagram influencer, you got it made.
You might believe you can have access to events free and even think you can have free drinks at a pub.
You think the world will know about you because you are an “influencer”
The only problem is that many do not.
Ana Delia, who is a fitness professional basically sum it up in this post
So for the majority who think they are all that because they are influencers, sorry to break the news, you are only known in your space.
As Ana Delia also said in this same post, “Stay Grounded.”
Are Entrepreneurs Really “Unemployed”
By Cheval John
I saw a commercial during the Super Bowl on how a loan company simplifies the process of getting a loan for a home.
The comedian played the person who simplifies the complicated questions in relation to the company.
Video courtesy of Quicken Loans
What got my attention during the commercial was when a lady asked about a dating account when she saw entrepreneur and the comedian said, “unemployed.”
Are entrepreneurs really people who are unemployed?
— Cheval John (@chevd80) February 6, 2018
The truth: entrepreneurs create work for themselves.
Everyday, they have to go and find customers or clients in order for the business to thrive.
For example, a public relations agency has to look for clients and make a proposal in order to convince the person or organization on why they are the right fit.
The unemployed is searching for work with an organization hoping to land the job of their dreams so they can be have a salary to provide for themselves and their families.
They will attend networking events, volunteer for non-profits,participate in twitter chats or even do a live stream show to build long lasting relationships.
Sometimes the entrepreneur who does not have consistent cash flow will have to find part work in order to keep their business alive.
That does not mean they have given up on their business.
It only means they are reducing the stress of running a business.
Barbara Corcoran mentioned in a episode of Shark Tank she had to take a part time job in order to meet payroll for her employees in the early stages of her former company, The Corcoran Group.
If you are fortunate to pick up a second job while you are running your business, you are in luck.
You can build relationships with customers at your second job because that is what they pay you to do.
The thing is you should know how to use your time wisely and also use your common sense because you do not want to create a conflict of interest.
You should also have a positive attitude and see your second job as a venture fund because the company is “funding your business indirectly through a paycheck.”
Meaning you spend the money wisely and save up for expenses or courses which can allow you to learn a new skills that can benefit your business.
Instead of complaining about how much money you are making or why you are not where you are in your business, just be grateful.
You will end up learning valuable lessons.
I will share from my personal experience.
I had worked in a small coffee chain for about two years mostly in downtown houston.
The environment was not great for growth.
Though I could have brought value to them with social media in addition to the regular work duties, they did not give me the opportunity to run their accounts.
They did not allow me the flexibility to run my business whenever I was off because most of the time, they would try and call me in to work and expect me to drop everything for them.
Despite those challenges, I managed to learn everything I can from the business and also build quality relationships with the customers because most of them worked in corporate america in the downtown area.
When I left the coffee chain, I still see half of them whenever I am in downtown and they would ask how I am doing.
I thought I would not be an employee again because I like the freedom of running my business.
The problem was I was not making money consistently.
So when I the owner of a lodging company offered me work, I knew it was the right fit because it would give me the opportunity to learn more about the travel industry since I decided to pivot my business towards this sector.
I was a bit hesitant to take the work because I knew I would have to cancel some shows I had set up weeks prior for my podcast.
After talking to a few colleagues, I decided to become an employee again and work at the lodging company.
Since this business sector is new to me, I had to train on the basics of working in the lodging company.
I can say I had completed one month of working at the lodging company.
Though I am working every day in the night shift, I am very fortunate because I am learning from the owners on how to run a business the right way.
I am also learning more about the tiny details of how a business works including being a great sales person, how to be a supervisor to a degree and how to get back to saving money from the paycheck I earned.
Working at the lodging company allows me to be super focus on managing my time wisely so I can keep the business going.
If you think you are going backwards because you decide to get a second job while you are building your business, you need to get rid of that thinking.
Just because the super successful entrepreneurs says, “you are not an entrepreneur if you work part time,” does not mean they are 100% right.
Everyone have their own journey to success and these same entrepreneurs will not pay your expenses when you are fighting to build a good business.
So do what you need to do to keep your business afloat and treat your internal and external customers right.
You will learn valuable skills which will allow you to turn your business into a cash flow machine.
Niche Media or Mass Media
By Cheval John
A person has just started a new business and they are looking to attract new customers.
They understand they do not have the funding to place an ad in newpapers or buy a spot on the billboards.
They figured out one of the ways to market their business is by being featured in the media.
The first thing they might do is hire a public relations firm to pitch their business to shows on major media outlets.
It might seem like a good idea because major media outlets like CBS, ABC and NBC has a nationwide reach.
The first problem: it cost an average $10,000 to hire a great public relations firm to pitch your story to major media.
The second problem: the shows from major media will not be interested in you because you are just starting out and you are not big enough for them.
The better solution would be to focus on getting your story featured in niche media.
The reasons are:
1. THEY HAVE A TARGETED AUDIENCE.
When your story gets featured on a new media outlets like blogs or podcasts, you have a much better chance at accomplishing your goals.
Their audience are very interested in what you have to say.
If they are interested, there is a good chance you can win over some customers.
Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang‘s live streaming show, Classroom Without Walls, has an average audience of 100 views from around the world.
That might look to you like peanuts.
However, every times a guest appears on her show,they ended up gaining new clients.
2. THERE ARE TASTE TESTERS
The people who run blogs,podcasts or live stream shows are taste testers because they are the ones who are ahead of the curve.
They are willing to see what your business is and are willing to put themselves on the line for you.
3. THEY ARE MORE TRUSTED
Their audience trust them because they have built a solid reputation over the years.
When they recommend something that is valuable to them, they is a great chance their audience will respond.
4. THEIR CONTENT CAN BE RE-PURPOSED ON MAJOR MEDIA
Morning television shows on major media are searching for content everyday because they have to fill their time slot.
If your story gets discovered on a blog by a major media, they will feature it as one of their segments on their shows.
Abbie Unger runs a facebook group teaching people how to land work as a flight attendant.
Her story was featured on podcasts before being picked up by the Huffington Post.
A couple of months later, a major television show featured her story in their segment.
Now that you have seen the reasons for choosing niche media, the question is how to reach out to them.
Here are some suggestions to this question
1. BE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Interact with your audience on a daily basis because they will appreciate you more.
This might even catch the eye of reporters because they are now on social media because they know that breaking news can happen there
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
If you know what your target audience is about, it can give you an idea of how to sell your story to a journalist.
You can’t just send a blanket press release to every journalist out there hoping for one to bite.
That will make you look bad in the long run.
3. SHARE THE REPORTER’S CONTENT
If an article by a reporter resonates, you can share it on your social media accounts.
If you do this consistently, they will take notice and there is a good chance they will respond to your pitch.
Also, interact with them on social media.
There is a good chance you all might have a lot in common.
4. MAKE YOUR WEBSITE A CONTENT HUB
Thanks to technology, journalists are short handed.
They to do everything from writing their story to editing their package before deadline to air on the news.
If your pitch does not get their attention, they will simply delete it and move on.
One of the best things you can do is create the story yourself.
You can put blog posts on your website with some clips from your event.
If you done the first three steps above, you can then send your pitch with the blog post attached to it.
There is a great chance the journalist will select it because they saw you took the time to put the story together yourself.
What are your thoughts on this?
Please leave your comment below.
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