Tag Archive | Winnie Sun

Dr. Joyce Knudsen, Founder of The ImageMaker, Inc® Communications Group

By Cheval John

February 21st, 2018

Today’s episode of What’s The Word? features Dr. Joyce Knudsen, founder of The ImageMaker, Inc® Communications Group

It was recorded on Facebook Live via Blue Jeans Network

Dr. Joyce is the author of ten books including “Refusing To Quit: True Stories of Women Over The Age of 60”

She is the host of “The Twelve Minute Inspiration,” where she interviews authors, business professionals and entrepreneurs on making your time count during your lifetime.

The show is on the Gab Radio Network.

Dr. Joyce has been featured in many media outlets including Forbes.

I first learned of Dr. Joyce last year through the twitter chat called #winniesun, hosted by the co-founder of Sun Group Wealth Management, Winnie Sun.

Her simple approach to being a giver of wisdom allowed her to build over a million followers on Twitter.

In my personal opinion, she is more knowledgable of the social media industry than half of the social media professionals.

In this episode, you will hear:

-her thoughts on podcasting
-how she built over a million followers on twitter
-why people should focus on giving value on social media
-why she does not believe in retirement

Snippet on Vallano Media TV

Full episode on BlogTalkRadio

You can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcast, Stitcher and Google Play Music.

Website: www.drjoyceknudsen.com

Twitter: @drjoyce_knudsen

Quotes from Dr. Joyce Knudsen on:

LISTENING TO YOUR AUDIENCE

People do not listen.

They are listening to figure out what to say next.

So they are not really interested in what someone else has to say.

I call those fake people because people that are interested in other people listen.

They not only listen to what they have to say, they look at the person’s expression, the nonverbal which we are being judged on.

We are not being judged on conversation.

We are being judged on gestures.

Only seven percent of what you say is really going to be heard or counted.

It’s very interesting.

I am a communication specialist.

So I know a lot about how people perceive and everything is perception.

There is no such thing as something that is true.

It is your perception of what is true.

Perception is reality.

USING SOCIAL MEDIA

There’s a lot of true takers on Twitter.

I’m a true giver.

Takers are asking you to do something, wanting to introduce you to some kind of new thing.

I’m not there for that reason.

I’m there to just spread the word about joy and love and giving around the world.

I feel that I’ve had a really good life.

I have obviously learned how to have a professional and private life that is a good one.

That is what I want to teach other people and I hope my tweets are doing that.

OBTAINING DOCTORATE DEGREE LATER IN LIFE

I think I was born wanting to learn especially since the doctors told me I could not given my eyesight.

I always was a learner.

At 38, I went back to college for a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.

I waited a while after that because I was tired of spending time in the books.

I think at the age of 48 or 49, I went to get my doctorate degree because I figured in my image profession which a lot of people do not know what that is.

They think you only take people shopping or you do their colors or you’re a makeup artist or something like that.

Those are hard skills.

I wanted to do much more with soft skills.

With the empathy.

With the helping people to believe in themselves.

Like I say in my twitter handle, “You are enough.”

So I went back to school and I was in pyschology and maybe three-quarters through, they changed the psychology cirriculum to human services and you had to work for a doctor for two years in order to get the degree.

I said, “Wait a minute, I’ve got my own business, I had it for 20 years, I do not really want to work for somebody now and give up my business.”

I ended up getting the degree in human services with an emphasis on psychology and self-esteem image.

I can’t stop learning.

If there was another degree, I’m going for it.

I’m a continuous learner.

If you sent me a book, it would have to be an audio book or a large print book.

I take a lot of continuing education courses.

I like to learn.

Every answer you get it’s gonna be very simple.

I’m not simple, but I like to boil things down to their lowest common denominator.

DEALING WITH A VISION IMPAIRMENT

When I went to school and I was called cross-eyed and four eyes, I evaluated myself.

I did not know any other way to see it.

My eyes do not work in the middle.

They do not see up.

They don’t see down.

They don’t see the side.

They don’t work together.

So cataract surgery is something they are wanting me to do.

When I was leaving home in my early 20s, I said to myself, “Everybody’s got to deal with something.”

So this is what God gave me and I can handle it because God does not give anything you can’t handle.

So I decided at that time, I was gonna be the best I could be and help as many people as I can.

There was no looking back because I’m not going that way.

Why would I go back to when people calling me names and telling me all these things that were not true?

I actually look in the dictionary a lot of things people were calling me and I thought, “That’s not me, I’m a research company.”

I said, “Okay, you know, I look regular.”

I feel I’m special because of it.

I have a special condition.

That’s why I do as much as I do because I don’t want to let one day go by without some new experience and some new friends.

I guess that’s just me and I wish other people would be move that way.

They don’t realize how many friends they could have.

I’ve made another several wonderful friends on facebook.

I work with gab radio network and they are wonderful to me.

I feel so lucky.

But then, it is not always luck.

I’ve worked hard to get these relationships with people where they know Joyce is not full of it.

She’s really the real deal.

I was so happy to meet Winnie (Sun).

She was my first favorite person on Twitter.

I love her.

She’s just great.

I really love twitter.

I see myself as the hundred year old person who still on Twitter helping people as I have to give up my business by then.

They say when you get older, nothing changes except for that you do everything slower.

I have a sense of humor.

Do Not Underestimate The Power Of Twitter Chats

By Cheval John

We have heard predictions of how twitter was going to be bought by a major media company by a certain time.

We also heard how Twitter was not relevant anymore because they were not “growing” in user base.

Some saw twitter as a place where people spam others hoping to make a sale.

I can understand what they mean due to the constant automated direct messages from people who are asking to like their business page or subscribe to their blog.

The truth is twitter has always been relevant since it began in 2006.

Just because they have 330 million active users compared to Facebook’s almost 2 billion users does not mean Twitter is not important.

No other social media platform (with the exception of snapchat) have come close to where you can interact with anyone in “real time.”

There is a level playing field when you can chat with a celebrity or with an “influencer” any time you want to on Twitter.

Those who think Twitter is not relevant are missing a huge opportunity to stand out from their competition.

They do not realize the majority of journalists from media organizations have Twitter accounts.

Most of them will share another side of themselves and also interact with their fans.

The smart entrepreneurs will take the time to build a relationship with the journalists on Twitter and sometimes see the behind the scenes of what they are working on for a news cast.

This can save them from ending up in the journalists’ spammer list because most companies still use the dreaded press release in order to get placement in the media outlet.

If they share the journalists’ article consistently to their audience on twitter, the journalist will notice.

Unfortunately, most corporations and organizations uses twitter as a broadcast only channel to promote their events to the journalists on the platform.

They think the golden days of advertising still works today.

When they do not see the quick results from their tweets, then they whine like spoiled brats wondering why their campaign is not working.

They also will blame Twitter and tell everyone it is not worth the investment because they did not see the results they were hoping for.

That is probably why they thought social media was a fad because it clearly went against the conventional wisdom of advertising.

And why small businesses, mid-sized businesses and even micro-businesses will always win because they are using Twitter to build a community around their brand.

One of the methods they use to build a community is hosting a Twitter Chat.

A twitter chat are conversations with like-minded people surrounding a hashtag.

Think of it like a focus group that happens every week.

The topics can range from social media marketing, how to build a successful blog, or how to host events if you are in the event planning business.

The brands can use these twitter chats to learn more from the community.

They can even get topic ideas for their blog.

Most companies produces a recap from the twitter chats on their blog and feature the best answers from the participants.

This is another way for the company to highlight their community and share their expertise with their audience.

This is the cherry on the cake for the participants because they are contributing to the twitter chats and also getting exposure to the host’s blog audience.

The participants in turn can share the twitter chat recap to their audience on social which gives the brand exposure to prospective clients.

They can also create a press page on their website featuring the recap from the brand’s blog.

It’s a win-win for both the twitter chat host and the participants.

For those who are looking to run a twitter chat in the new year, here is a list from the most successful twitter chats.

#TwitterSmarter: Thursdays at 1 p.m. eastern time

Twitter Smarter is hosted by Madalyn Sklar, a podcaster, business coach and houston social media power influencer.

She started the chat in mid 2015 after her podcast by the same name became very popular.

The chat talks about ways to use twitter wisely and has a plethora of guests.

Twitter Smarter also became very popular due to the number of participants who are there on a regular basis.

Another reason for the fast growth is Madalyn has hosted another twitter chat for five years surrounding the Go Girls Community prior to starting Twitter Smarter.

#ContentWritingChat: Tuesdays at 11 a.m. eastern time

Content Writing Chat is hosted by Express Writers.

Topics surrounds putting out quality content, having a content calendar, seo, etc.

This chat also features guests who shares valuable information to the community.

Each month, they have open forum in which they ask the community tips on improving their content.

#ChatGram: Tuesdays at 1 p.m. eastern time

Chat Gram is host by Ken Watson, a houston social media power influencer

This is the first twitter chat surrounding the use of instagram.

Participants share on topics like the importance of instagram stories and how to spot bots.

The chat also has guests who are experts on instagram.

#ChatSnap: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. eastern time

Chat Snap is hosted by Kristy Gillentine, a former journalist and houston social media power influencer.

This is the first twitter chat all about snapchat.

Participants attend this chat to learn about building a community on snapchat, how businesses can benefit from snapchat, etc.

This chat also features guests who are experts in all things snapchat.

#MediaChat: Thursdays at 10 p.m. eastern time

Media Chat is hosted by Aaron Kilby, vice president of sales and marketing for Artisan Colour.

Guests have included experts ranging from social media to live streaming.

#WinnieSun: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. eastern time

This chat is hosted by the co-founder of Sun Group Wealth Partners, Winnie Sun.

It features different experts from the finance industry who share tips on managing your money.

Topics also surrounds social media which Winnie Sun has leverage to gain the right clients for the company.

#BlogElevated: Mondays at 10 p.m. eastern

Blog Elevated is co-hosted by Bobbie Byrd and Lisa Stauber.

Topics range from improving your blog to using live streaming.

The twitter chat is an extension of the blog elevated conference which brings in speakers who are experts in blogging.

Both co-founders are houston social media power influencers as well.

Did I miss any twitter chats from this list? You can leave your comments below.

Am I Different From My Co-opetition?

By Cheval John

March 29th, 2017


I was watching movies documenting the life of Steve Jobs and how the company Apple was founded.

The fact that Mr. Jobs did not care too much about making money or what the shareholders thought when the company went public was very intriguing.

Some said that parts of the movie which was portrayed by Austin Kuecher was a bit off.

And the other movie starring Kate Winslet that showed the behind the scenes of the launches of the Macintosh Computer, Next and the iMac was a bit different from what actually occurred.

It was interesting to see that no one could truly understand the thought process of Steve Jobs and the attention to detail in each of Apple products.

I want to focus on Apple’s original Mac computer launch in 1984.

The company had one of the biggest ipo’s in wall street history in 1980 due to the success of the Apple II.

The board of directors convinced Mr. Jobs they needed a new CEO to run the daily operations of the company.

They hired John Scully as their CEO and released the most iconic commercial for the launch of Macintosh.

The Macintosh did not sell particularly well after they launched and the board wanted to put their resources in the Apple II.

Mr. Jobs believed the Macintosh was overpriced and disagreed with the board.

That disagreement led to the firing of Mr. Jobs as the board of directors sided with Mr. Scully.

As the story goes, Mr. Jobs founded NexT and their computer design was a failure.

The software for the computer was really successful.

Mr. Jobs bought Pixar and had one of the most successful movies of all time.

Apple bought NexT and Mr. Jobs was back as an interim CEO before being in that role on a permanent basis.

Mr. Jobs was wrong about the Macintosh in 1984 and the board of directors was correct.

However, Mr. Jobs was way ahead of the time because customers was not ready for the Macintosh computer.

In 1998, the customers was ready for the iMac computer and that product helped Apple to become a profitable company again.

Mr. Jobs did not want Apple to be the same company as other computer businesses because they understood that customer experiences mattered more than selling a computer product.

Watching those movies about the company Apple got me to think about if I am being different from my other business “competitors.”

We see a lot of people doing live streaming shows, podcasts, running social media companies.

I was wondering if I was doing the same thing and being a part of the crowd.

I am making my audience feel better about themselves the minute I post content on social media.

Am I a visionary?

Am I willing to hold my ground despite the objections from many who believe that you must have a 9-5 work in order to be successful and disrupt the status quo of doing business?

I do know customers want a company who cares about their well being and don’t want to be sold to.

Educational content pertaining to a company’s product or service through the medium of podcasts, live streaming shows, blog posts and YouTube videos are what will win business.

If a customer feels apart of the brand, they will do business with the brand.

That is what Mr. Jobs aspired for Apple to be: a customer centric company.

I can tell you that other people like Kristyna Torres, Michelle Van Otten and Winnie Sun are following in Apple’s footsteps in providing customer-centric service.

Are you different from your competition? You can leave your comment below

Your Time Is Your Greatest Asset

By Cheval John

You want to learn something from a very successful entrepreneur you admire.

You see that they are going to be at an major conference and you decide to spend the money to attend that conference in order to hear from them.

You arrived and hear that entrepreneur speak.

You finally have the opportunity to meet up with that person and chat for a bit.

You exchange business cards and decide to keep in touch.

A few months later after correspondence, you reach out to that same successful entrepreneur to let them know that you will be in town and want to set a time to where you can “pick their brain over coffee.”

When you get a response with “sorry I have to decline your invitation for coffee” you might feel disappointed.

You might believe the person is not very nice and you will want to disassociate with them.

Before you think the above response, consider this:

That certain entrepreneur you admire is focused on finding new ways to deliver value to their customers and in the process, make money.

When you want to “pick their brain” by offering them coffee, that is in reality an insult because they have a family to feed and in their mind, time is money.

The above is why Wendy McClelland decline coffee invitations.

You might be wondering, “If I can’t offer to buy them coffee to learn from them, how can I grow my business and even my personal brand?”

Here is an alternative to the above question.

If you host a live stream show or a podcast, you can invite them to be a guest on your show.

The reason is because you have built an audience that they might want to get their business or product exposed to.

You will have an opportunity to learn from entrepreneurs who overcame doubts and fears to be where they are at in their business.

And you can invite that same entrepreneur who you respect and admire to your show because you build that friendship over the last few months after chatting at that conference.

If I were to ask Winnie Sun to share how she became successful as a financial planner, she would have charge me money because she would have spent her valuable time in sharing her “secrets” to success.

Since I host my show, What’s The Word?, I can interview Winnie and other successful entrepreneurs like Sarah K. Burgess, writer of “Dry Powder”, to share their story of attaining their success in their respective careers.

That is in itself a win-win.

The next question is should you host a live stream show or podcast?

You see that by 2020, 80% of all internet activity will have a video component.

And 57 million Americans are listening to podcasts each month according to Edison Research.

To answer the question, you can do both.

You might think that you don’t have the time to do both a live stream show and a podcast because you have a business to run.

You can record your show using video platforms like Blue Jeans Network to simulcast to Facebook Live and then convert them into a podcast format to air at a later date.

If you are looking for inspiration to start your journey in hosting a show, here are a list of live streamers who are turning their shows into podcasts

Vicky Lashenko

Vicky hosts the Mompreneur Show that air Mondays at 1 p.m. eastern, 10 a.m. pacific on Facebook Live

Jennifer Hoverstad and Mitch Jackson

Jennifer and Mitch co-hosts The Show.Live which airs at 4 p.m. eastern, 1 p.m. pacific on Facebook Live. They have grown the show to popularity over a two year span despite changing live streaming platforms (blab abruptly shut down in August of 2016 and huzza.io, which was sold to kickstarter in February 1st of this year and shut down on March 1st.)
Both Mitch and Jennifer are the true examples of perseverance.

Heather Ann Havenwood

Heather is an entrepreneur and is the host of “The Win” podcast.

I already knew about Heather due to her appearance on blab.

However, I found out that she recorded her podcast episode on Blue Jeans Network when Mrs. Sun shared her podcast appearance on Twitter.

Those are the few who are recording their podcasts using Facebook Live.

They are among those who understands that successful entrepreneurs time are valuable and have found a way to learn their “secrets” of success by interviewing them on their shows.

You can leave your comments below if you know of anyone else who are recording their podcasts using live streaming platforms?