How Social Media impacted my life.
As a social media service provider, I often meet people who wonder if social media really works or not and what kind of impact does have on a business or individual when total strangers get to connect via a social media platform.
I will share today’s personal experience and how a Twitter bio affected my life personally.
Yesterday, we had a MAFE (Milton Area Female Entrepreneurs) Meet Up where I had the privilege to meet some amazing entrepreneurs. I got to know this group through Facebook. I first connected with @SandyHatzis – an amazing realtor and great entrepreneur – via Facebook when she invited me to a MAFE Meet Up months ago.
This morning Sandy posted on her twitter feed a post about yesterday’s MAFE Meet Up and while I went to reply to her post I ended up checking her following list. I learned that great people learn from great people. I know that the people you surround yourself with (whether online or offline) – aka “follow” when it comes to Twitter or “LIKE” on Facebook – will impact your business and personal life in general.
I love networking and I’m always open to connect with new people. As I went through Sandy’s “Following” list and checked some people’s bios (I don’t follow blindly) – this bio got my attention and really changed my day.
Rich Christiansen @richchristianse
Father of 5 sons – 24 years of marriage & still crazy in love. I have founded 32 companies: 11 terrible failures and 11 multi-million dollar successes.
I found his bio encouraging and full of HOPE.
We live in a world when divorce rate is 50% and this couple made it through for 24 years. I am married for – soon to be 18 years – and we had bumps and times when I asked my husband: are you leaving or am I leaving? Yet we realized that if we start to see each other’s differences as a blessing instead of a problem we can really complete each other. And as a couple we ought to complete each other not compete against each other.
I’m not sure, but I would suggest that Rich too – just as he had some big business losses over the years – in his married life too, had moments when it was close to failure, yet they had to choose to work it out and it looks they did a good job. There is HOPE that if you do your very best you CAN – not just survive to be married for 24 years, but actually be still crazy in love.
There is HOPE in your business life and personal development too. Tell me about it – founded 32 companies – 11 were terrible failures – most people give up after failing 2-3 times. They retract in their shells and never try again, yet Rich’s life is a proof that if you NEVER give up, if you try again, if you learn from your previous failures – each and every time – you become better, stronger and the wisdom you learn from those failures can be the stepping stones on your next success.
The road to a successful life often is not a straight path, nor is a highway. The road to your destination might be bumpy, and sometimes you might feel alone or even have to walk alone, but bumpy roads can lead you to your destination too … IF you keep moving one step at the time, IF you choose to stand up after a failure, IF you always do your very best and IF you never give up.
@richchristianse’s bio spreads HOPE. Hope is something we all need. It resonated with me so deeply this morning because I am a mother of 3 boys, married for almost 18 years and still in love, emigrated in Canada 14 years ago with two suitcases and started life alone without any help. Started few businesses what most would call failures, yet I look back and I call them stepping-stones. I learned something from each failure and I HAVE HOPE that if I do my very best, and I never give up I will see amazing success in my business and personal life too. There is hope against all odds that we can grow old TOGETHER with my husband and set an example to my kids they could follow. There is hope against all odds and friend’s suggestions that we CAN succeed even if our first businesses might not ended up the way we planned. There is HOPE if we NEVER give up.
Does social media work? I let you answer the question. You can see the importance of a well written bio and the impact social media had in my life today. If it wouldn’t been for Facebook and Twitter I would never get to know @SandyHatzis or @richchristianse. Do these connections will impact my life or their life in a long term? I don’t know – the future is still ahead of us and I don’t know what it holds. But today it impacted my life; I read @richchristianse bio when I needed the most and while I shared on Facebook and Twitter I know that already encouraged few people.
What does your bio broadcast about you or your company? Does it reflect who you are and what do you stand for? Your Twitter bio, Facebook info and your profile in general on any given social network is the first impression someone has about you or your company. It is crucial to have a well written bio, it either builds confidence and trust or you lose a potential follower.
Do you want to know the continuation of the story? When I mentioned to @richchristianse that his bio impacted my life, he generously offered to send me his new book which will come out only in October, but some are in print now. What a privilege and honor. His offer touched me and brought tears to my eyes. I confessed and with that I gave away that I’m a woman. I am passionate and emotional in everything I do. Kindness in any form really touches my heart.
To be CONTINUED … with your very own social media story. I know without a doubt that there are many people whose life and/or business is impacted in some form or other by social media. Send me YOUR story to info@intactmarketing.ca and I will publish it here on my blog.