Social media plays a huge role in my life. It is my job, after all. The idea of taking any sort of break from posting and checking the platforms has always felt near impossible. After watching several of my favorite influencers (particularly Lee from America) do it, I was inspired to give it a try. Their careers are also built on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, so if they can do it I would definitely be capable. Although I only took a break for the weekend, I started to notice the benefits of my social media detox after less than a day. I didn’t have any feeling of FOMO. By not watching how other people were spending their weekends, I didn’t have any “fear of missing out.” It’s easy to wish you were doing something else with your day when you’re watching others lounge by the beach, relax on a rooftop, or eat at an incredible restaurant. For once, I had clear direction of what I wanted to do with my day. I was able to live out the weekend without feeling pressured to change plans based on the activities others were broadcasting on social media. I woke up with a clear mind. Usually, I do my best to wait to check social media until about an hour after I wake up. This becomes difficult once I pick up my phone because clicking on the Instagram and Facebook apps are just a habit of mine. By eliminating this distraction all together, I was able to wake up with a clear mind and focus on the day ahead. It was refreshing to start my morning with a heart of gratitude for what I have instead of consuming myself with other people's lives so early in the day. I had more time for important things. I can’t tell you last time I was really able to practice my hobbies. This break made me realize how much time I spend scrolling through social media, instead of reading or writing. Not to mention all of the chores I got done! I power cleaned and organized my way through the weekend. Getting through my to-do list without any distractions was the best feeling ever. I worked on relationships. Not having social media to DM friends and family, actually made me pick up the phone and talk to them. For those that I met face-to-face, it was refreshing to not have the urge to look at my phone in the middle of our conversation browse Instagram. By forcing myself to have real, verbal communication, I was able to work on building stronger relationships with others. It made me think about why I share. For many, social media is a highlight reel. It’s the place to share the best parts of life, while eliminating the trials and “not so glamorous” aspects of the everyday. I don’t want my social media pages to be like that. I believe that our stories can be shared to impact and encourage others. So why am I not doing more of that? I want to use my pages to encourage others with my story, while using them as a platform to express my creativity. Many times, I’ll just share a post or story just to share it. Sometimes there's no real purpose for it. This was a flaw that became really prominent to me over the weekend. Let’s be real here.
I love social media. I wouldn’t have a career in the industry if creating content and building strategies wasn’t a passion of mine. However, this break was a reminder to establish healthy usage habits with the platforms. I think I will continue to “detox” once a month and maybe I’ll even try extending it past the weekend. If you’ve ever taken this challenge before, let me know what you learned in the comments below!
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Have you heard the buzz about IGTV? No? Well, it's Instagram's "most exciting" announcement to date, besides hitting 1 billion users this month. This update comes five years after the launch of video on the platform. The goal is to draw consumers closer to the creators they love, and give users the ability to curate unique content that educates and inspires others. Did I mention it's a direct hit at YouTube?
Here's what we know, so far:
Several influencers and past-Vine celebs were apart of the launch by creating new content, just for IGTV. It is Instagram's goal to leverage these digital stars to inspire others to join them in using the new platform. The biggest question is whether or not IGTV will succeed after the somewhat mediocre success of Snapchat Discover and Facebook Watch. At first, I wasn't so sure about this update. I didn't understand the point of it or how it would be successful, given the behavior of users on the social media platform. However, now that I've been able to play around with IGTV and create my own videos, I am quite impressed with how fun and user-friendly it is. I am really hoping this update works out for Instagram. What do you think? Will IGTV survive and thrive? There's scientific backing to why it's important to smile. Dr. Isha Gupta, a neurologist from IGEA Brain and Spine, says that smiling creates a chemical reaction in the brain that releases beneficial hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin. That scientific reasoning is not the only justification for cracking a smile on a regular basis. It's also important to show those pearly whites in order to... 1. Improve your mood 2. Increase happiness 3. Spread positivity 4. Build self-confidence 5. Make you more approachable Sometimes; however, insecurities that we experience about our teeth can hinder us from wanting to smile. I can totally relate to this. I've struggled with being confident about my teeth for years. While my teeth are straight and I've never had a single cavity, I don't feel that my teeth always look the whitest and I've had a prominent stain on one of my teeth ever since I can remember. I've only whitened my them once or twice and although I've considered doing it again, I've held off in the effort to find the right kit or service. I was so excited when I came across Smile Brilliant, a convenient, at-home whitening service. Basically, I would be able to create and receive custom fitted whitening trays, then whiten my teeth with a professional kit, all from the comfort of my apartment. By eliminating trips to the dentist, Smile Brilliant saves consumers 70% of the cost and time associated with other systems. I was all in when I found this out. My experience with Smile Brilliant The first step was to create my molds and send them back to the lab so that the team could create my custom trays. This process was a lot of fun and reminded me of building Playdoh creations as a child! After sending off the molds, I received my trays back a couple weeks later. I was surprised how perfectly they fit my teeth! It was officially time to start whitening. The package that I received from Smile Brilliant included easy-to-understand instructions, along with several whitening and desensitizing gel syringes. Each syringe accounts for 3-4 whitening applications, although I have been able to get up to 5 uses out of one packet. For those that experience sensitivity after whitening, that's where the desensitizing gel comes in handy. Thankfully, I have been able to get by without using them. Whitening is accomplished by applying a thin strip of the gel to the custom trays. You can whiten your teeth for up to 3 hours, once per day, but the longest I have gone is about an hour and a half. This system has been incredibly easy to use. The only issue I've faced has been the urge to drink water while whitening (lol), but I've survived! Although I'm still working to get to my preferred teeth "whiteness," I started to see results from using Smile Brilliant after three uses. I'm finally feeling confident enough to smile with my teeth showing. Woo hoo! I highly recommend you give this stuff a try, whether you deal with teeth confidence issues or not. After all, there is a 100% money back guarantee with giving it a try. Not convinced by my review? Check out more teeth whitening reviews. Happy whitening everybody, and don't forget to smile! Review Disclaimer: This review was written in exchange for free product from Smile Brilliant.
I had the pleasure of attending this year's Social Media Week, an annual conference that allows professionals to collaborate, share ideas, discuss emerging trends, and talk through strategies in social media. For four days, attendees sat in on sessions ran by industry experts and big wigs from major companies like Pinterest, Pandora, The New York Times, Verizon, VaynerMedia, BuzzFeed, American Express, Vimeo, and more. In effort to capture the advice and expertise from panelists, I felt like I couldn't take notes fast enough. The information I did capture; however, is almost too good not to share. Check out some of my favorite quotes from a handful of speakers, below. Various Panelists
Marc Landsberg of SOCIALDEVIANT
I'll be totally honest with you... I'm not a beauty professional or blogger and I sure wish I had endless time and cash to buy and post about my incredible Sephora finds. Don't get me wrong, though, I love luxury beauty products. They're just so stinkin' expensive. I own a handful of pricy items; however, I've found that there are several natural, budget-friendly remedies out there. After years of testing solutions and switching up my beauty routine, I'm excited to share my ultimate favorite tricks for a beauty-loving girl on a budget. 1. Go easy on the dairy and sugar. In high-school, I dealt with the consequences of constantly eating crap and filling my system with tons of sugar and processed food. My skin was always breaking out and I turned to a dermatologist who perscribed medicine and over-the-counter solutions to fight my acne battle. Nothing worked. After hearing that what you eat and drink affects your skin, I finally decided to cut out soda, minimize my sugar intake, and go easy on dairy. Although I haven't had pop in several years and I don't eat ice cream as much (*sheds a tear*), I do believe in balance, not restrictions. If you're suffering from inflammed skin or constant breakouts, try this elimination diet to see if dairy and/or sugar is at the root of your problem. 2. Pop some probiotics. Most commonly, we hear of these supplements supporting digestion, but we don't hear much about their benefits on immunity, aging, and skin. I read in The Cut that "the GI tract and skin are both organs of detoxification. We need a healthy microbiome in the gut to break down food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate toxins. When our gut flora is not healthy, and there are more bad bacteria than good bacteria, a lot of problems can arise — including chronic inflammation, which is a cause of acne and other skin problems." Try incorporating probiotic supplements, kombucha, fermented vegetables, cocnonut kefir and other live culture foods to see if they positively impact your skin, digestion, and immunity. 3. Skip the shampoo. Okay, not completely... In high school, I wondered why my hair felt so gross after a fresh wash. Come to find out, I was shampooing WAY too often. After tons of research and talking to hair professionals, I came up with the solution to only shampoo my hair one to two times per week. Turns out that doing this is actually really great for your hair. I've been able to "train" my hair to be less oily and I've brought a healthy amount of moisture back into my ends due to less frequent washes. When I do shampoo, I'm sure to use a natural product, free of sulfates and artificial ingredients that keeps my hair healthy and free of residue. My favorite right now is the Not Your Mother's Naturals line. 4. Start your morning with lemon. Want to know what Beyonce's, Gisele Bundchen's, and Gwyneth Paltrow's morning routines all have in common? They all start their days with a cup of warm lemon water. I've recently followed in these celeb's foot steps and implemented this ritual at the very beginning of my day. That's right, coffee doesn't even come first. Drinking lemon water in the morning boasts several benefits like enhancing detoxification, decreasing inflammation, balancing your pH, boosting your immune system, stimulating your digestive track, and protecting against skin damage. Need I say more? These are just a handful of my favorite beauty hacks. More include using coconut oil for my hair and skin, taking apple cider vinegar shots, along with implenting a retinol and hylauronic acid into my facial routine.
Do you have any beauty must-dos and haves that you swear by? Let me know in the comments below! xoxo Making the decision to move to NY by myself was not easy. For a while, I second guessed my decision because of the doubts and fears that were running through my head. Upon arriving in New York, I was forced to adjust my way of living and get used to a new environment. Two months later, I feel so grateful that I moved here. Being in NYC has pushed me out of my comfort zone and has allowed me to learn so much about myself, my career, and other people. The past two and a half months have been incredibly rewarding. With that being said, I've continued to challenge myself to do more things that might not be the most comfortable. Even if it's taking a new transit route for the first time, raising my hand to work on a new project at the office, or trying out a new type of cuisine, there's so much to be learned in situations that we're not used to. Someone once said that "the most challenging times bring us the most empowering lessons." I encourage everyone to accept risks and uncomfortable situations as a way to grow and learn. What is something you know you should do but are afraid to do it? To evaluate these difficult circumstances for their effectiveness, there are a few questions you should ask yourself afterward... 1. Would I do it again? Why? Why not? 2. What were the pros and cons of the situation? 3. What did I learn that can be applied to my life? Do you have an uncomfortable situation that you learned from recently? Let me know in the comments below!
I've always struggled with doubt. In the past, I've felt uncertain about the probability of "making it" or being experienced enough to reach my goals. In my mind, I knew I was made for big things, but I was never sure how to get there. Especially in our culture, it's easy to compare your situation to others and wonder what life would be like doing what that person is doing.
After some contemplation; however, it occurred to me that right where I was at was indeed, "making it." Everything happens for a reason, right? So, isn't where I am meant to be? This thought led to the realization that it shouldn't be about finishing the race, but simply embracing the journey. I look back on my life and think about how thankful I am for every experience I've had. All along the way I've learned so much from each opportunity which has shaped me into the person I am today. It was time that I started enjoying it all and understanding that those adventures I've had and people I've met have been put in my life for a reason. The doubt I was feeling was taking away from the enjoyment of life. I made the effort to pull myself away from the "is my job or skill set good enough" mindset and refocus on the gratitude that I had for my personal journey. Let me tell you that I have not completely overcome this. It is something that I am working to combat every day. I challenge you to put on the mindset of gratitude and "living in the now" with me which will help shut those doubts down. Whether it's in life or at work, excelling in relationships, tasks, and other areas can be no small feat. It takes drive, positivity, and patience. As I spoke about in a previous blog post, I consider gratitude to be fuel and motivation to get me through my week. With that attitude of thankfulness, I am ready to do incredible things. And you know the best way to make incredible things happen? By asking yourself a simple question- How can I go above and beyond?
One of the best ways to know how to go above and beyond is to put on a mindset of selflessness and anticipate the needs of others. Identifying these needs will come as you get to know your friends and co-workers. Going beyond expectations isn't just about proving your worth, it's about using your skills and talents to positively impact others. In every situation, consider how you can use your talents to help out just a little bit more. Think about how happy your boss, co-worker, or friend must feel every time you do more than what's expected of you. In turn, the gratification you bring to other people is satisfying to yourself. I challenge everyone this week to be present, pay attention to the needs of others, and exceed expectations. Going beyond what has been asked of you shows that you care and ultimately makes you feel really good. So you're a small business. You have one (yourself), two or maybe even 25 employees. Do you really need a website to market your business? You know social media is super important, so can't you just stick to promoting your company on Instagram and a Facebook Business page? Before I get to the answer, I want to remind you of a social media platform called Vine. For a while, the application was insanely popular. I remember spending endless hours watching entertaining videos made by (who I remember as) the first social media influencers. Online celebrities like Rudy Mancuso and Marcus Johns were born on the platform. But then what happened? Other apps like Instagram began adopting video and just like that, Vine was being outplayed. Suddenly, Twitter made the decision to shut down a social media platform that many built their businesses and personal brands on. My point in telling you all of this is that building your presence on social media, alone, is not going to cut it. My good friends (and marketing gurus) Kahlea Nicole and Erica Spitzley reminded me at a conference that social media platforms, even the most popular ones like Facebook and Instagram, could be gone tomorrow. If that happened, after building your presence solely on these channels, your following and business information would be gone. You need a platform for your business that you own and have control over. Social media pages can be taken away from you. Your website that you own cannot. Let's not forget to mention the lovely algorithm changes on Facebook and Instagram that are making it harder for businesses (especially smaller ones) to be seen on the platforms. The conclusion? build that website. "Use social media as a marketing platform to drive traffic back to your website. Use that traffic to grow your email and customer list so you can communicate with them any time, any where. On your own terms," says Conversion Strategies, INC. Building a website isn't as scary as it sounds. There are so many easy templates out there to work off of or you can hire a web designer on Fiverr to make you a custom one. Websites are highly customizable. They also build credibility for your company, allow you to capture customer information and improve your search ranking-SEO. (see infographic, below). If you have any other questions on this subject, feel free to leave a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram!
I don't care what you're selling, providing excellent customer service is one of the foundations to company success. To do this, leadership must be on par, first. When employees are treated well, they will in-turn treat their customers the right way. On Donald Miller's Building a StoryBrand Podcast, guest co-host and author, Todd Duncan, said "don't focus on profits, focus on people. Delight customers (and your employees) and the money will follow." Just because your service or product is perfect, doesn't mean your business will excel. Your focus as a CEO, manager and employee is to provide experiences that customers will remember. Continuously ask yourself, how can I go above and beyond? I'm giving you 3 reasons that explains why all this matters. 1. It builds customer loyalty. Think about all the companies out there that are similar to yours. If someone doesn't have a reason to give you their money, they won't. Work hard to delight your audience with obvious and unexpected perks. This will result in your customers trusting you and coming back to continuously give you business, which elongates the life of your company. Besides, retaining past customers is much easier than acquiring new ones. 2. It gives them a reason to talk. Word-of-mouth is still one of the most powerful forms of advertising. Especially with social media, customers are bound to share their experiences with companies that they love. This is one of the best ways to build brand awareness. 3. It stops problems before they happen. One of the ways to provide excellent customer service is to anticipate your customers' needs and wants. Take the time to get to know your audience. If there is a common complaint or question that people ask about your business, come up with tactics that reduce those inquiries in the future. Customer service is really simple- Treat others as you would want to be treated. Be sure to never make your own issues a customer's problem. People don't need to know about your life struggles or work stress. Overall, strive to be kind, positive and selfless with others. Let me know, in the comments below, if you live by any customer service principles that have helped your business excel.
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Welcome to my blog! Here, I share posts about my favorite topics, including health, marketing, and lifestyle. My biggest hope is that you are inspired by what you read. Enjoy!
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