Category: Featured

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “People drinking less alcohol has a positive effect on…

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “People drinking less alcohol has a positive effect on their wellbeing and their relationships with friends and family” with Tom Hallett and Candice Georgiadis

People drinking less alcohol has a positive effect on their wellbeing and their relationships with friends and family. It also puts less pressure on resources such as healthcare and law enforcement. That said, I’m far from anti-alcohol. I want to give people the info they’re looking for to make the best decision for themselves.

As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Hallett, founder of SteadyDrinker.com. Steady Drinker is a website and blog that helps you learn discover and learn about great-tasting low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beers so you can cut down your alcohol intake — or stop drinking altogether.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve been in jobs creating digital content since 2005 and I found that as I progressed in my career, I had fewer chances to use my writing skills. To practice writing and test ideas I could use in my day job, I set up various blogs and websites over the years to work on in my spare time.

Steady Drinker is probably the 5th or 6th blog I’ve set up. I wouldn’t say the others were a failure because I learned a lot, but this is first one that’s making a significant impact.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

They’re not stories as such but I’m constantly finding out interesting information about food and drink as I research and write new content.

For instance, did you know that some types of bread contain up to 1.2% alcohol by volume (ABV)? If this was a drink, it would be a restricted product under many countries’ alcohol laws.

Even ripe bananas can contain up to 0.5% alcohol.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

A website I previously worked on in my day job received most of its traffic — and its revenue — from a handful of pages via Google searches. I managed to block one of those pages from Google when I published a new version of it in a rush on a Friday afternoon. I can laugh now but it wasn’t funny at the time, especially as I didn’t spot the issue until after the weekend.

The lessons? Step back and take a breather when you’re rushing to get stuff done and triple check everything.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

Steady Drinker helps people cut down their alcohol intake by introducing them to quality non-alcoholic beers. It also gives them information they need to decide whether non-alcoholic beer fits with their circumstances, because it’s not for everyone.

The impact is that people drinking less alcohol has a positive effect on their wellbeing and their relationships with friends and family. It also puts less pressure on resources such as healthcare and law enforcement. That said, I’m far from anti-alcohol. I want to give people the info they’re looking for to make the best decision for themselves.

Another thing I do with Steady Drinker is make it easy for readers to donate to an alcohol support charity if they find the content on the blog useful. It’s great motivation when I get a notification to say someone has sent a donation.

Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

One recent email that springs to mind was from someone who was using non-alcoholic beer to manage a long-term drinking problem. I always recommend that anyone who has an alcohol dependency seeks advice from a health professional if they’re considering using non-alcoholic beers to quit drinking and he told me how the blog had encouraged him to seek extra support when he felt at risk of a relapse into his old behaviors.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

Everything changed for me in early 2018 when my wife was pregnant with our daughter, Georgie. At the time, I was writing about beer drinking it most days of the week — nothing too heavy but enough to ensure I wasn’t fit to drive to the hospital at short notice.

Instead of swapping my evening beers for additive-laden fizzy drinks or just water, I decided to give non-alcoholic beer a try in the run up to Georgie’s due date.

I did come across some terrible beers, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of what was available. It turns out there has been a lot of innovation in the industry in recent years. That, coupled with changes in people’s drinking habits means there’s now loads of good-quality non-alcoholic beers in a variety of styles available. The problem is, non-alcoholic beer still has a bad reputation.

This led me to set up Steady Drinker, to review and rate the beers I try and share my findings. I also found there’s a lot of misinformation about the pros and cons of low and no beer, which is why I also produce resources to help others understand non-alcoholic beer better, backed up by research and scientific studies where appropriate.

Now, just over a year on, I’m still enjoying my day job working for a University website, but Steady Drinker is growing into a more of a side-career than a hobby. And, importantly, I’m drinking a lot less alcohol, which allows me to spend quality time with Georgie and avoid those dreaded early morning wake up calls with a hangover!

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

One thing I’d like to see is Governments encourage and fund more research into the pros and cons of non-alcoholic beer. Many non-alcoholic beers contain trace amounts of alcohol — up to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). This is about the same percentage of alcohol that occurs naturally in many foods and drinks and not enough to get you anywhere near drunk, yet there’s very little research into whether or not this could be dangerous if you have a health condition. My feeling is that it’s safe for most people but we can’t say for sure without the research to back it up.

I’d also like Governments to investigate how to further stimulate the non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks industry to further promote growth and in turn encourage even more people to switch from alcoholic drinks to non-alcoholic ones. In the early 2000s, the UK Government was able to encourage growth in the beer industry with tax breaks for smaller producers. Something similar, like funding or grants for producers of non-alcoholic drinks could incentivize more of them to enter the market and raise the profile of non-alcoholic beer even more. This would be especially handy for producers of non-alcoholic beer as it can be more expensive to produce than standard beer due the ingredients, equipment and time involved.

Finally, I’d like to see Governments make more evidence-based decisions around regulation and legislation of low and no alcohol beer and other non-alcoholic drinks. For example, when the UK Government recently decided against updating guidance to allow 0.5% ABV drinks to be labelled “alcohol-free”, the Department of Health and Social Care said that defining any drink below 0.5% ABV as non-alcoholic could encourage drink driving and affect people’s judgement. It cited no evidence for this claim, yet there is research that shows 0.5% drinks won’t get you drunk.

What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?

With a full-time job and a one-year-old toddler I don’t get much spare time. So rather than spread myself too thinly I’ve concentrated most of my efforts on one platform — a blog. I have been tempted to up my social media game a few times, but I’ve found that this has an effect on the quality of my blog content.

Therefore, my best tip would be to focus first on one area, ideally whatever you’re best at. For me, that’s writing longer-form content rather than posting on Twitter or Instagram or making videos for YouTube. I’d love to get into podcasting at some point though.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Set a goal and review it regularly. This gives you something to focus on and helps you stop doing activities that won’t get you where you want to be — like getting into arguments on social media.

2. Done is always better than perfect. Whether it’s a website, Instagram post, article or photo, there comes a stage when you just have to hit ‘go’ — otherwise you’ll never complete anything.

3. Prioritize. You’ll never get to the end of your to-do list. Work out what will have the most impact on your most important goal and concentrate on that first.

4. Find a passion. This is important when you first start out because it might take weeks or even years to make an impact.

5. Promote your content. Because it’s so easy for anyone to publish content these days, you can’t just hit publish and wait for people to see it. Distributing your content is key.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I’m pretty happy with how things are going right now, introducing people to the joys of low and no alcohol beers so they can cut down their drinking and doing my best to support producers, who are driving the market forward with excellent products.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I’m not usually a big fan of quotes but I like this quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” I use this mantra a lot, whether it’s preparing to write an article, making sure I’ve got everything I need close at hand to focus on doing some work, or even getting ready for an important telephone call.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

I’d love even just a few minutes with any ministers or government officials who set alcohol and health policy to highlight the benefits of non-alcoholic beers and talk about how we could use them to encourage people to drink less alcohol.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I’m @steadydrinker on Twitter and Instagram or [email protected] on email.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “People drinking less alcohol has a positive effect on… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Citizens can speak up and use their voice” with Nicole…

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Citizens need to speak up and use their voice” with Nicole Melancon and Candice Georgiadis

Citizens can speak up and use their voice. There are so many causes out there that matter so it is best to pick one or two causes that one feels extremely passionate about and get involved. Call your legislators, vote and keep informed on the issues that matter. It doesn’t always involve donating. Showing up and using your voice is what matters most.

As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Melancon, founder of the travel and social good blog Third Eye Mom. Nicole has been using her voice as a blogger and content creator for the past nine years to raise awareness, funds and impact change around the world.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

In 2009, my 69-year-old father and I went on a life-changing trip to trek the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Before going, I had read the book “Half the Sky” by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and my eyes were opened to some of the immense challenges and needs people face around the world especially for women and girls. The book also shares stories of how average people have made a difference. That idea stuck with me. I had quit my career to have a family and despite being fulfilled as a mother, I still had an unfilled desire to make a difference and give back.

While in Nepal, we trekked to the far remote corners of the earth, through beautiful yet poverty-stricken villages, where children had to walk hours to school and communities lacked basic necessities such as safe drinking water, decent electricity and healthcare. It was at that point that I realized I too could make an impact in people’s lives. Travel was a gift and I wanted to give back something in return to the people of Nepal who shared their amazing country with me.

When I returned home, I began fundraising and eventually raised enough money to build a reading center in rural Nepal through READ Global. Elated I continued my work raising money for another nonprofit organization, Hands in Nepal, for a year helping raise money to build a school.

It was during this time that I launched my blog, Third Eye Mom, a travel and social good blog about “traveling the world and doing good”. I have always loved to write but never thought of doing it as a career and honestly had no idea that blogs existed until I saw a blog post written by a friend who had recently traveled to New Zealand. I thought if he can do it so can I! I opened an account on WordPress, launched my blog and haven’t stopped writing ever since.

I chose to write about travel and social justice because I feel strongly that the two topics go hand in hand especially when I began traveling further off the beaten path. The more I traveled, the more I saw and opportunities opened up for me to become a voice for the voiceless and share their stories. My work has brought me to Ethiopia, Haiti, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Kenya. I’ve worked with schools to provide safe drinking water, spent a few days with a group of Maasai, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for solar electricity, learned all about local art in Haiti, and about newborn and maternal health in rural Ethiopia. It has been quite an amazing ride! (Did I mention that I also learned to surf at an all-women’s learn to surf camp in Nicaragua?).

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

There are so many stories that it is hard to pick one but I guess I’d like to share the story of how I came up with my blog name, Third Eye Mom. It was day 6 or 7 of our trek along the Annapurna Circuit Route and after a grueling 8 hour hike we finally reached the stunning, snow-covered village of Manang. After days of walking, we were finally in somewhat of a civilization in the form of a real town with internet cafes, bakeries and even a shower and “Western” toilet.

After a soothing night’s sleep it was time for us to do a training hike to help prepare us for the highest point of the trek — — Thorong-La pass at 17,769 feet a few days later. After a breakfast of mint tea and freshly baked chapati, we set off for an acclimatization hike to the famous Manang monastery. The hike was a somewhat heart-pounding ascent as it is hour and a half straight up the mountainside above Manang. I kept wondering why on earth I was doing all this and killing my 39-year-old self, until I reached the top.

There within the confines of a cave lived the magical, 95-year-old Cave Monk and his 65-year-old-daughter. Upon entering the cave, I waited in silence mesmerized by the solitude and magic of the place. Covered in a crimson robe, with prayer flags and a framed photo of the Dalai Lama hanging on the wall of the cave, sat the 95-year-old monk waiting to bless me. Speechless, I sat down, bowed my head and accepted with gratitude a necklace of prayer beads. Prayers were spoken in a language I didn’t understand but I didn’t need to. At that moment I felt welcome and safe. As I left the cave I came upon the most magnificent view of the entire trek: The incredible, mighty Himalayas in all their glory. It was utterly divine. I didn’t take the prayer beads off until I safely landed at home two weeks later and still have them next to by bedside table.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The first social good blogging trip I went on was to India. I went with Jennifer James, founder of Social Good Moms and someone I have admired for years before meeting her in person at a blogging conference. It was a dream come true for me to be invited to go on this trip with Jennifer and see the work of some of our favorite international nonprofits on the ground.

We were staying at a hotel far outside the capital and on our first day we had a series of meetings in Delhi. We thought we would take the train in since it was at least an hour away. We purchased our tickets and at first didn’t think twice to the uncomfortable stares we were receiving by the Indian men. We knew we looked out of place as two American women traveling alone, standing on the platform waiting for the train.

When it came, we got onboard and as the train sped away we realized that we were the only two women in the entire car. We tried to talk and ignore the growing feeling of unease and the hostile stares. We had obviously made a rookie mistake and honestly didn’t know that an Indian woman or any woman does not travel alone in a men’s car in India.

Thankfully a kind Indian businessman told us to follow him and get off at the next stop. He directed us to a car that simply said “women’s car”. There we would feel safe and secure. He was right. All the women that were on the train were crammed into that car. After laughing it off, I realized that the golden rule of travel is to abide by the customs of a place you are in. I may not like the gender inequity but it also was an eye-opening moment for me. Shortly after we left India, a young woman was brutally raped and killed by a group of young men when she was returning from a movie riding a bus with her date. The utter lack of women’s rights really hit home to me.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

When I began my blog in 2010 after a life-changing trip to Nepal, I realized that travel and social justice go hand in hand. The more I saw of the world, the more social issues I witnessed. Whether it be lack of education for girls to the unavailability of safe drinking water or electricity, I could not turn a blind eye. I began sharing my travel stories alongside social justice topics and I found my niche.

At the time, there weren’t a lot of travel bloggers covering social good topics and I was unique. It opened many doors and opportunities to work with nonprofits on campaigns and share their stories on everything from food security, to global vaccines, safe water, conservation, girls education and women’s health. I teamed up with large nonprofit organizations such as Save the Children, WaterAid, UNICEF and more to educate and inspire my readers on global issues worth fighting for. I also began working with larger grassroots organizations such as ONE.org, Mom Bloggers for Social Good and World Moms Network to further amplify my message. As a group, we’d share stories and campaigns to engage and inspire our audience to take action and do good.

This lead to many travel opportunities where I got to go out in the field and witness firsthand some of the amazing work that is being done on the ground to save lives. I traveled to Ethiopia with Johns Hopkins University as an International Reporting Fellow on Newborn and Maternal Health, to Haiti with Macy’s, to India, Nicaragua and most recently to Kenya with LifeStraw to deliver safe drinking water to rural schools. I’ve shared all of my stories with my audience back home, taking my readers along with me on the ground to help them gain a better understanding of the issues at stake and what they can personally do to help. I also launched a Gifts that Give Back page a few years ago that has brought in over 80,000 views to nonprofits around the world that sell products that give back to charity. Knowing that my blog has made a difference and impacted people’s lives has been extremely rewarding.

Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

When I was in Ethiopia in a very remote village, I took a photo of a pair of young girls. They looked right into the camera, shyly smiling and before I knew it I was off talking with someone else and the girls were gone. When I returned home to the US I was looking through my photos and realized that the young girl on the right in the photo had a clubfoot. Clubfoot is quite disabling in poor countries where families can’t afford to have surgery to fix the foot. Fortunately, clubfoot is easily fixable with surgery and for people living in rural poverty, it is life-changing as it enables a child to attend school, fetch water and someday have an income instead of being completely dependent on the family.

When I returned home, I learned about an Ethiopian-based NGO called CURE that provides surgery to fix clubfoot. The cost — $1000 — is astronomical for most Ethiopian rural families who often live on less than $2 per day. Yet for me it was something I could easily get through fundraising. It took six months to fundraise and also track down the girl from the village by using the one photo of her I had. She was located and the money was all raised yet she didn’t want to go through with it. Her family had never ever left the village and getting to the nation’s capital was impossible. I learned a valuable lesson that perhaps helping out is not as easy as I believed. There are other issues at stake that I never once considered. I naively thought the girl and her family would want to have the life-changing surgery but they did not. I ended up donating the money to another child in waiting through the nonprofit. In the end, a child’s life was changed with the surgery although it was a different one than I tried to initially help.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

Again, I think it all leads back to the beginning. Being a stay at home mom who loves travel and got the amazing opportunity to go to Nepal. Reading “Half the Sky” and realizing that I could too make a difference no matter how big or small. Finding my purpose in life and using my voice, and never stop fighting for those who don’t have the luxury to fight.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

Citizens can speak up and use their voice. There are so many causes out there that matter so it is best to pick one or two causes that one feels extremely passionate about and get involved. Call your legislators, vote and keep informed on the issues that matter. It doesn’t always involve donating. Showing up and using your voice is what matters most.

I love telling stories and I especially love using my blog and social media where I’m able to share authentic, heartfelt stories coupled with touching photography to raise awareness and compassion for the issues that matter to me. Being able to be on the ground and learn about issues firsthand such as water and sanitation, maternal and newborn health, and the impact on women and girls, has been an incredibly life-changing experience. To put these experiences into words and be a voice for the voiceless in my stories feels amazing.

Since I write on a variety of causes and work hard to advance them all, the most important thing of all is to keep up to date and remain active online. I am constantly trying to share stories via my blog and social media about the causes I am passionate about. There are a lot of different social media platforms as well which can get time-consuming and overwhelming. I recommend picking one or two that works best for telling your story and advancing the case. Find your community of like-minded souls who also are passionate about your cause and engage with them frequently. For me, the best platforms have been my blog along with Twitter and Facebook. But for someone else it may differ.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. That being an entrepreneur, freelance writer and content creator and humanitarian is never going to be a 9–5 job. Working online, business is always open and there are always important causes coming along all the time. It is important to make sure to take some time away from work to avoid burnout.

2. Had I known that I would still be at my blog nine years later I would have taken myself more seriously from the start and set some general practices up in the beginning. For example, I never cared about SEO and always just wanted to write what my heart said. However, not taking care of SEO means less people see and find your content and your message isn’t getting out there. Trying to go back and re-do SEO on nine years of content is very hard.

3. That you can truly use your voice to impact a stranger’s life. I honestly had no idea that some of my little blog posts and social media content has moved readers to act. Whether it be by donating to a cause I wrote about or just simply becoming interested enough in the cause to care. Had I known the power of a voice to make a difference in the world I would have began much sooner!

4. Working online can be hard. It can be isolating at times, lonely and also there can be trolls. It is crucial to not take the “once in a blue moon” rude comments or criticism too personally. When you write online for anyone to see, you open yourself up and become more vulnerable. I say, forget the bad apples and move on. Over 99% of the others reading your content are what keeps you writing.

5. Never give up. Over the years I have seen so many incredible voices shut down and stop creating content. It has made me so sad that their powerful voices are no longer heard. Again, there is a lot of reasons why people stop doing this line of work. For me, it is a labor of love and I am blessed to not have to worry so much about the money but about using my voice and never giving up. I plan on writing my blog well into retirement!

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

The recent UN report on biodiversity states that over 1 million species are at risk of extinction and that we must act now if we want to mitigate the dire mess we are in. I am concerned not only about the loss of species, but about the tragic, negative impacts that climate change is having on our planet and humanity as a whole. All of the work we have done to create amazing change with the SDGs is threatened. Every single SDG is at risk if we do not act now. The situation is urgent and will require a worldwide commitment by governments and individuals as a whole if we want to stop climate change. If there is one single movement I could start now it would be to get every single person involved and inspired to act now to save our planet

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Carpe Diem. Seize the Day. That has always been my one quote that I have tried to abide by my entire life. You’ve only got one shot at life so why not just go for it. Don’t hold back. Follow your dreams and never quit.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

I am currently reading Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” and I would do anything to meet this amazing, inspiring woman in person. She is a role model for so many women around the world especially for minorities and women who haven’t had a chance to have their voices heard yet.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

My blog is www.thirdeyemom.com. I’m @thirdeyemom on Twitter and Instagram and on facebook.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Citizens can speak up and use their voice” with Nicole… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“Why It’s Essential To Deliver Gratitude Inside and Outside Your Organization” with Keesa…

“Why It’s Essential To Deliver Gratitude Inside and Outside Your Organization” with Keesa Schreane and Fotis Georgiadis

Deliver Gratitude Inside and Outside Your Organization. The more you are grateful for — your colleagues, vendors, customers and peers- the more for which you get to be grateful. What is the easiest way to show gratitude? Just say “thank you.” To make this concept even clearer let me say this, whatever you appreciate, appreciates with a greater return.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Keesa Schreane (pronounced Key-sa Schreen). Keesa is host and executive producer of You’ve Been Served Podcast ™ where she interviews visionaries such as Soledad O’Brien, Seth Godin, Laila Ali and Lisa Nichols on how they increase revenues, improve communities and impact lives through compassion, generosity and service in business. She is a featured columnist in publications such as American Marketing Association, hosts corporate training and participates as a panelist on the subject of compassionate leadership at events including Women in Business and Digital Summit. Keesa served as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Ambassador and chair of the Women’s Business Resource Group, both at Thomson Reuters; in 2018 she was honored by HubSpot as a “Top Female Marketing and Growth Expert”.; and in 2017, was featured in “Masonry’s 18 Content Marketing Bloggers to Follow on Twitter” along with thought leaders such as Gary Vaynerchuk.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Compassionate leadership is the power source of a healthy business. The absolute power source. When practicing compassionate leadership in a company, several things happen: employees are excited and innovative, suppliers give us their highest quality goods and products, investors see returns and customers move from loyalty to advocacy.

As a branding and partnership executive, a business resource network chairperson, a boardmember supporting start-ups and show host (interviewing dozens of people on this topic), I see this virtuous cycle, first hand, all the time.

Compassion for me is an action word! I act in it by serving each of my stakeholders- from team members, to suppliers, to customers. Compassion and service do not stop in a company, by their nature they expand; it is paid forward. Compassion and service move beyond the walls of a business to do the work of creating social impact externally by advocating for causes we as an organization believe in and support.

For example, I’ve worked across businesses to increase numbers of volunteers and funding dollars to deliver a much higher impact community service campaign than I would have as one individual. I’ve partnered with other executives to engage customers on financial education efforts that are important to us, and again we were much stronger together.

Leadership- with compassion and service at its core- promises success. There is no way to fail when you’re supporting your team members, showing graciousness to suppliers, demonstrating gratitude to customers and shareholders. You may have short-term rough patches, but you win in the end.

Market cycles change, trends shift, skills need improvement, but when I make service to others a part of my business and career strategy, I’m always coming out on top! I chose compassionate leadership because it’s the best win-win formula I’ve seen in business.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

I was attending a leadership event, and a woman at the front of the room was asked to speak briefly by the facilitator. She looked familiar to me. Then, a young man shouted “KD” from the back of the room. The woman waved at the young man and the whole audience cheered. My sister’s eyes shot wide open as she gasped, and whispered excitedly “I knew it! That’s Kevin Durant’s mom, Wanda!”

Meeting Wanda, mother of NBA legend Kevin Durant, was a joy! We exchanged information to stay in touch. About six months later, I brainstormed with my business resource group on how we could generate enthusiasm among Wall Street influencers to engage in financial education programs for underestimated/underrepresented groups.

Then, I remembered a snippet of a recent movie about Wanda Durant’s economic struggles: She sacrificed meals so sons Kevin and Tony could have enough for dinner; she found herself divorced, a single mom and among the “working poor; and she managed to take what little she had to help other neighborhood children who had even less.

We ended up inviting Wanda Durant to speak in Times Square in front of an audience of hundreds of financial services executives, and we raised funds to donate to the Girls & Boys Club. She was gracious, authentic and full of laughs.

Her recommendation around how financial services leaders can uplift financially strapped individuals and families in the immediate-term was simple, yet direct. “You have to meet people where they are. You may need to start off by buying them groceries if they’re hungry.”

This was interesting because it is an example of a woman who emerged from financial devastation and uses her platform tirelessly to help others. Also, it I appreciate the passion of my team members- and the organization that empowered, entrusted and equipped us- to get the right people in the room at the right time so we can have the greatest impact.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Let me start by saying that if I weren’t doing what I’m doing, I’d probably be a trainer. For our podcast, I interviewed a personal trainer who is hugely insightful and clear in connecting the power of our minds and the power of our bodies. So we’re in the middle of discussing centenarians; my mom’s church member lived until 102, his grandmom lived about that long. Then we go into this dialogue about growing vegetables — in New York City- and making fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable.

In the middle of all of this podcast goodness, I look at my laptop, and realize I didn’t press “record” on my laptop software.

We were exactly 17-minutes into the interview! I immediately stopped him and told him about my error and he was so amazingly gracious and kind. He gave me the time for us to start from scratch.

I pressed “record” and we moved forward.

I learned the importance of creating a checklist. No matter how exceptional the interviewee, how our interview flows, how we’ve managed to excavate the unsaid, in this medium I need to ensure I go in with my intention and my checklist.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

A goal of You’ve Been Served Podcast was to hear views from leaders in corporates, not-for-profits and start-ups to discuss this notion of compassionate leadership and service. How do they lead with compassion? What is their purpose? What are the challenges? What are tips for doing this?

Bringing this insight to millions through stories of simple kindness, compassion and service in our businesses and in our everyday lives with the podcast is how I’m making a social impact.

I have amazing peers in this space who are creating content around purpose-driven business, green enterprises and sustainability.

We are creating a narrative around how to do things a different way. I’m using the podcast to share good news about how we can create better businesses and lives through compassion.

Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

I mentioned bringing Wanda Durant to speak to a group of business leaders in New York City about financial education.

During her talk about her struggles with financial literacy, a young man in the audience raised his hand to ask a question. He was an associate with one of the firm’s in attendance. He stood up and shared that he was homeless as a young adult, and experienced tremendous poverty. He was recently out of college and wanted her opinion on how to remove the mindset of poverty he held previously.

Silence and deep compassion enveloped the room, and the colleagues he sat with were a bit misty-eyed. She told him to come to her after the session so they could talk. It was such a beautiful moment because we allowed vulnerable and openness into the space.

Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

When I arrived at a huge investment bank as a marketing VP, I felt luckier than ever. I was a couple of months into a new lateral-move role, and was excited about my future. Bringing both my enthusiasm and my well-rehearsed pitch, I sat across from a woman with whom I was developing a relationship with and who I fully expected to mentor me toward being a more impactful marketer and evangelist for the firm. The lateral role would help me learn another customer segment. Also, I was invited to participate in the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion roundtable. After the mortgage crisis and the market crash of 2008, many people didn’t see banking as the most compassionate industry. My own friends gave me a double take when I would tell them about my latest career move in the field. Serving in the roundtable was an exciting way to change this perception.

Armed with knowledge of how financial services can positively impact communities they serve- particularly through financial literacy and professional readiness — I was prepared to share the impact our company could have on our neighborhoods and the people in them.

However, the purpose of this meeting on this particular day was to get her thoughts on producing great work, getting to know business stakeholders and outlining what excellence looked like to her, so I could deliver it. Once I achieved professional success in her eyes, I would then share plans for my D&I work. My intention was for her to be my mentor, my advocate.

She listened intently and peered at me rather expressionless. After I gave my request for her thoughts on this, she leaned in across her desk and said “Keesa, I just really feel your brain synapses don’t connect with each other.” Explaining further, she added I’m incapable of outstanding work because I just don’t understand certain concepts intellectually. My brain simply could not grasp it.

The woman who shared this was neither a neurosurgeon, nor a neuroscientist. She wasn’t a brain activity expert of any sort. She was my SVP of marketing. She was my manager. As a new VP to her team, I went into her office for insight on what she needed me to deliver and her words of wisdom on how I might ascend to higher levels in my career. This is what I left out with: an assessment on my brain function.

Her pronouncement of mental deficiency, shared in private, began to have cutting public consequences. The group of about six women who worked with me and who had known her for years, began having less and less to say to me on elevators, in the ladies room, in the hallways and all other places where speaking and being spoken to were — as I came to understand- privileges, not necessities. Psychologists refer to this as “microagression” or everyday workplace slights usually toward marginalized community members. It was just hostile enough to bring about discomfort on an everyday basis. When I walked down the hall and said “Good Morning” only to be utterly ignored by a once friendly senior vice president, I realized I was considered an outsider.

I started meditating on my manager’s words. Every morning on the way to work and in the evenings- sometimes during the day- what she said and how I felt as a result looped around in my head like a YouTube video on repeat. After several weeks, my energy and productivity decreased. I began making errors I never made before. I began to feel lethargic frequently, even after getting eight hours of sleep. I didn’t like to “complete” assignments for fear something would be incorrect. This was not me. She sold me an identity. It took every ounce of concentrated effort I could muster to not buy it, believe in it and adopt it as my own.

The downward spiral in my work, depleted energy and knowledge that I was vaguely tolerated at the office was too much for me to carry. I took my interpretation of what she said and the isolation I felt and I went for a walk at 5am one March morning. I laced up my sneakers, grabbed my phone and earbuds and set out for Central Park. Blending in with other walkers, bikers and joggers, walking up the ramp, I found a YouTube audiobook of a familiar Napoleon Hill work (my parents have had the book on our bookshelf for over 20 years), and I listened. Then, I prayed. Raised on prayer and dabbling in mindfulness, developing a daily walking, praying and listening routine was comforting. After a few weeks, I started to feel differently. I chose to reject that false identity. I was more enthusiastic about my future, and less prone to feeling powerless. I stopped seeing myself as a victim and started believing I had the ability to redirect my path. I started recognizing that my view of Keesa was much more important than someone else’s view. I was kinder and more compassionate towards myself. What followed was not only a new job and a new manager, but also a new intention toward generosity and compassion toward my peers, my customers and myself. I committed to seeing the best in my colleagues, to serve them and practice compassion toward them.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

Here is what business leaders can do to help deliver compassion and increase their social impact outside company walls:

Know Your Purpose

The first move is to understand what your purpose is as an individual. I’ve always been drawn to communicating important concepts to audiences through education and awareness. My interests range from financial empowerment to developing programs that demonstrate compassion and service in workplace environments. Whenever I align myself with firms, teams or other individuals with a strong desire to improve our organizations and people, it always results in a powerful community development or employee engagement program.

I serve as chairperson of a women’s business resource network where our aim is to embrace empowering and collaborative behavior patterns and create an environment where contributions are celebrated.

We shifted our energy and resources to girls in STEM and I used my connections as an advisory board member at the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York to determine the best programming to impact girls in our organization. After researching the technical skills and confidence-boosting environments that would best serve teenagers, I sought out relevant colleagues who were interested in helping young people. Many of them had never participated in social impact programs, but they wanted to make a positive difference and were on board with actively creating and implementing the program. We pulled together women from our firm who were data scientists, product managers and technologists. This months-long mentorship program for young women in our Girl Scout Leadership Institute became a superb corporate social responsibility case study. It started with individuals who shared a common purpose.

Know Why You’re in Business

Shawn Askinosie, CEO of Askinosie Chocolate, says getting rich as a chocolate maker is not his focus. His focus is making the best chocolate possible, while contributing to the needs of those in communities where he does business. I recently spoke with Askinosie on an episode of the “You’ve Been Served” podcast, during which he told me that delivering fair and equitable pay to farmers in his supply chain — from Kenya to Ecuador — is his primary objective. He says Askinosie Chocolate also contributes to childhood education in the communities where it does business.

For example, the company’s experiential learning program, Chocolate University, provided laptops to students in a Tanzanian school and funded the school’s first computer teacher. The company has also sponsored school trips from its Missouri home base to visit farms in various countries, where students taste chocolate and get an inside look at the business.

These initiatives may sound overwhelming if you’re an entrepreneur, and probably sound downright impossible if you’re a manager trying to positively impact your team members. But it starts by understanding why you’re in business, producing an excellent product and clarity on how you can leverage resources from your product and service to impact others in society.

Deliver Gratitude Inside and Outside Your Organization

The more you are grateful for — your colleagues, vendors, customers and peers- the more for which you get to be grateful. What is the easiest way to show gratitude? Just say “thank you.” To make this concept even clearer let me say this, whatever you appreciate, appreciates with a greater return.

In a 2018 CNBC article, Deepak Chopra recommends we give a “daily gift” to customers, colleagues and others in our ecosystem. “Be kind, considerate and deliberate in thanks to not short circuit that loop of generosity.”

Sending out an email of thanks, with specifics on how your project was enhanced, or catastrophe averted, due to your colleague’s diplomacy, keen judgement or business savvy, is a simple way to give thanks. An added bonus would be to cc their management team.

Some firms even give the opportunity to send small gifts and tokens of appreciation for a peer who has done outstanding work. It’s worth it to take time out at the end of each week, review your workflows and get a sense of who provided insight, or a helping hand in serving you. When I acknowledge a team member and show gratitude, it always results in a deeper relationship that yields even greater value. Setting an intention to thank others for positive work they’ve done is a way to make them feel supported and a great way to serve the relationship. This creates even greater levels of harmony within the organization.

Making others feel celebrated and appreciated, not just tolerated is another way to retain valuable talent. This elevates the levels of morale, which results in people staying with the firm or, if they leave, they serve as credible evangelists for the firm with future, prospective talent.

Thank you for all of these great insights!

“Why It’s Essential To Deliver Gratitude Inside and Outside Your Organization” with Keesa… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “After experiencing the benefits of location and…

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “After experiencing the benefits of location and schedule freedom, I couldn’t imagine how other people could live without it” with Kean Graham and Candice Georgiadis

After experiencing the benefits of location and schedule freedom, I couldn’t imagine how other people could live without it. While I learned later that it isn’t for everyone, there are still a large subset of the population that could take major benefit from this additional freedom. By the time I was financially able to hire other full-time team members, I was also motivated to provide the benefits of location and schedule freedom. At the beginning of 2013 when I hired our two first full-time team members, that was the tipping point to starting this social impact movement.

As part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kean Graham. Graham is the CEO of MonetizeMore, an 8-figure ad tech company that is a Google Certified Partner with 120+ full-time team members remotely based across the planet. MonetizeMore was conceived in the mountains of Machu Picchu and has grown to $20M in revenues. Graham has traveled to over 90 countries during the 9 years that he has been growing MonetizeMore.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I originally fell in love with the online industry when working for a large online classified network. The job was an immense learning experience but once the recession hit, the company decided to lay off the marketing department. I lost the best job I ever had but I was determined to turn the bad into something great.

Five days later, I’m on a plane to South America to go on a life changing trip. Four months into my backpacking trip I was on a four-day trek through the incredible Inca trail towards Machu Picchu. By the end of it, I was sitting on top of Wayna Picchu reflecting on my experiences throughout my trip. I have had the most fulfilling time of my life and it finally clicked:

I will work and travel when I want, where I want.

I have to start a digital business to enable this autonomous lifestyle. When I came back to Canada I was set to build my skills and come up with my big business idea. To do this, I made websites and tried out affiliate marketing. I grew important digital marketing and basic coding skills to bolster my capabilities and come up with that big idea.

A big reason for my early success was that I was malleable in that we focused on results and less about the internal business early on. My goal was to achieve measurable revenue increases for businesses. This was originally going to be achieved by the below offerings:

– SEO

– Social media optimization

– Analytics consultation

– Ad inventory optimization

– Customer usage model optimization

I quickly found out that the greatest opportunity to grow measurable revenues was via ad inventory optimization. Rather than sticking with all offerings I focused on the offering that got the best results and only targeted online businesses that earned revenues via display advertising.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

A digital nomad friend and I were on a safari in Okavango, Botswana during our digital nomad trip about a week ago. We were lucky enough to come across a pride of mother lions and their cubs feasting on a water buffalo they killed the previous night. The driver brought us dangerously close to them as you can see from this photo. As we got close, the lions stared right at us and got into pouncing position. One even got up and starting pacing.

We knew if we made any sudden movements or sounds, we could become lion lunch. I had my phone in my pocket and I couldn’t remember if the ringer was off. I was one impromptu client call away from being the next kill for that pride. Luckily, I had no calls during those moments that felt like hours and we got away safely.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I started the business it was challenging and exciting. I was able to break-even by month five. My first client was an employer that laid me off a year before. I offered them a percentage of the ad revenue increase and was able to make them additional millions. At the time, I was a one-person company and communicated myself as such. Since I communicated the business as just myself, they looked at my company as just an ex-employee. As a result, when I was increasing their ad revenues by over 300% and earning strong commissions, the executives saw this as unjust that an ex-employee was making 4x more than what he used to earn. As a result, they strong-armed a deal with much less commission.

Ultimately, my mistake was not communicating my business as something bigger than just myself. I could have avoided that re-negotiation because it’s reasonable for a larger company to receive large commissions to pay for overhead, technology and employees. Ever since that mistake, I always communicated my business as “we” rather than “I” even when it was just me out of habit!

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

MonetizeMore is one of the pioneers of location independent businesses. We have proven that it is possible to run an effective business without any offices and over 120 full-time team members. Location and schedule freedom has shown to be competitive advantages for MonetizeMore in an industry where that is rarely offered. As a result, MonetizeMore has been able to acquire incredible talent, minimize turnover, out-innovate competitors and better tailor to international publisher partners.

We can already see effect of the influence of location independent business pioneers like MonetizeMore has had on the technology industry. The trend of remote working has been trending as expectations for in-office work has decreased. I believe in the next ten years when someone mentions a new business, the next common question is: “Is that business location dependent or independent?”

Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

Many of our team members have changed their lives thanks to the location and schedule freedom that MonetizeMore offers. Some have been able to move to that small town they always wanted to live in that otherwise wouldn’t have career opportunities, others have been able to spend more time raising their children while being career ambitious and others have traveled the World while working with MonetizeMore.

If I would pick one particular person, it would have to be our COO, Julio Monzon. He has been with MonetizeMore for six years now. A few years ago, he gave up his permanent address in Austin, Texas to live a fully nomadic lifestyle. He travels the World 12 months of the year chasing the Sun. He has taken location and schedule freedom by the reigns and engineered his ideal lifestyle. He has improved his health by going to Maui Thai training camps in Thailand, has expanded his circle of friends around the World, has had some amazing travel experiences and most of all, lives a more fulfilling and free lifestyle that wouldn’t be possible at a traditional company. He has taken this even further and inspired others to take advantage of location and schedule freedom.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

It has always been my dream to live a location and schedule free lifestyle. That was the reason I started MonetizeMore. Once I was able to break-even and then live from the income coming from my business by month 10, I went on my first trip while running MonetizeMore. This was a big point because I validated it to myself that it was possible and I could finally realize the fruits of all my hard work.

After experiencing the benefits of location and schedule freedom, I couldn’t imagine how other people could live without it. While I learned later that it isn’t for everyone, there are still a large subset of the population that could take major benefit from this additional freedom. By the time I was financially able to hire other full-time team members, I was also motivated to provide the benefits of location and schedule freedom. At the beginning of 2013 when I hired our two first full-time team members, that was the tipping point to starting this social impact movement.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

Society and particularly business leaders still possess biases against remote working. This stems from a lack of trust, a status quo bias and the need for visual validation. These biases are strong but will fade away with new generations that have grown up in this digital age.

Business leaders can accelerate this change to enable their team members to realize the benefits of location and schedule freedom by being more trusting of their team members, letting go of biases and the need for visual validation. Society could also be more open-minded towards remote working to recognize it as a viable method of working within companies.

We have been spreading awareness of the possibilities and benefits of location and schedule freedom via the below channels:

– Why I Work Remotely: Team members explain why they choose to work remotely and how it has changed their lives.

– Hiring: Over the years we have grown to a team of over 120 by posting on remote job boards like WeWorkRemotely, DynamiteJobs and FlexJobs.

– PR: We have been featured on many prominent publications because of our modern location independent mindset and the unique benefits our team gets from location and schedule freedom.

– Presentations: I have personally spread the word of location and schedule freedom benefits for the work lifestyle of our labor force via conferences speeches within Thailand, Canada and South Africa.

To help spread the message of the benefits of location and schedule freedom, social platforms can start by writing about it. There are many exciting businesses that are 100% location independent. The majority of the population are unaware of the trend towards location and schedule freedom. Spreading the word of this trend and why this is good for society on each social platform will accelerate the acceptance and growth of the trend.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Early Key Hire: I wish someone told me to hire our current CTO two years earlier. Our current CTO has done an incredible job resurrecting our technology stack and putting the technology in a position to achieve high levels of innovation.

If I were to hire our current CTO two years earlier, I would have been able to avoid a horrible business partnership and a Google account ban that costed over $2M. More importantly though, MonetizeMore would be two years ahead of where it is today. Our current CTO and CPO have done an incredible job catching up our technology to get MonetizeMore to be amongst the trailblazers in the industry. However, I could only imagine the lead MonetizeMore would have if we brought our CTO onboard two years earlier.

2. Be More Skeptical of Potential Partners: I am a very trusting person. While it has been advantageous for the most part, it has been a falter one particular time.

I partnered with a hot-shot programmer that came in with a lot of promise and delivered next to nothing. If I were more skeptical and thoroughly checked his references, including ones he didn’t provide, I would have been able to make a better decision and save the company a lot of costs and headaches.

3. Sell the Vision: When my company was young, it was tough to sell our offering. I had to find businesses that were willing to take a risk on a young company. I would have had an easier time selling if I sold “where we’re going” rather than “where we are”.

There was one online classified in particular that would have converted as a new client if I communicated the vision of the business. Inspiration of a grand vision can go a long way in terms of value perception especially when long-term B2B relationships are on the line.

4. Be Assertive When It Counts: I’ve always been a reasonable and friendly leader. While this can be great for creating a collaborative and happy work environment, it also can be a breeding ground for bad behaviour.

At the end of the day, I am the gate keeper for bad behaviour. If I let it slide, then that communicates to the team and that team member that, that type of behaviour is acceptable. This can become a slippery slope very quickly. I learned that when team members try to get away with bad behaviour that hurts the company, it’s important to be assertive to stop it in its tracks. That’s where the line is drawn in the sand and your team members will respect you for being assertive but professional.

5. Leverage Your Culture: When I started my business, the idea of cultivating a culture sounded so fluffy. Back then, I didn’t think that would be a good substitute for activities that directly affected deliverables.

As the team grew over the years, it became apparent that building a culture purposefully was very important. As a result, I spear-headed a company culture initiative and MonetizeMore has benefited since. Thanks to the culture we have built, evolved and leveraged, the company has been experiencing a powerful momentum which has propelled growth further than I ever imagined.

I would love to see a world with more female entrepreneurs. There seems to be a growing trend of more female entrepreneurs thanks to some incredible female-focused programs and inspiring female entrepreneurs. I would like to see this trend accelerate. The tech and entrepreneurial circles are too male dominated and I think the world is missing out as a result.

Becoming an entrepreneur is very empowering and it would be a shame if the high majority of people who took this empowering journey were still mostly men.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“You will never write an extraordinary story until you realize you are the author”

This is an incredible quote because it enables me to enjoy my victories more and bounce back from my failures quickly. For victories, I know that even if there was a bit of perceived luck involved, it was my previous actions to inevitably lead to that event.

For my failures, I am able to learn from them immediately because I take responsibility and reflect on how I could have prevented the negative situation so that it never happens again. From there, I change a good thing into a bad thing by approaching the negative situation from a new clever angle. For example, we were disapproved by Google several years ago and lost millions as a result. We responded by improving our screening processes, diversifying our revenue streams and creating invalid traffic detection and suppression technology called Traffic Cop to prevent this issue from happening again. As a result, we have re-built the company to be more sustainable and resilient than ever. It ended up being a blessing in disguise!

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Elon Musk has established himself as a symbol of the spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and success in the face of insurmountable odds. He is an inspiration for millions as well as myself.

If I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Elon over breakfast or lunch and pick his brain, I would be able to get some valuable business and life lessons. I have no doubt it would be a life changing conversation and hopefully he could learn at least one thing from myself.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook: http://facebook.com/MonetizeMore

Twitter: http://twitter.com/monetizemore

Google+: http://plus.google.com/+MonetizeMorePosts/

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/monetizemore

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQI2U5c8n9bmEd_rv5K2s9g

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monetize_more/

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “After experiencing the benefits of location and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “I wish I’d been told that you can choose what you want…

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “I wish I’d been told that you can choose what you want to share” with Emma Green and Candice Georgiadis

I also wish I’d been told that you can choose what you want to share. You don’t have to follow the crowd. You can do social media your own way. You can decide what feels important to you and communicate it in a way that feels authentic.

As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Emma Green. Emma has a PhD, MSc and BSc in Psychology and is a certified personal trainer. She is passionate about helping people build a healthy relationship with food, exercise and their bodies. Emma takes a fun and evidence-based approach to health and fitness through her online coaching, freelance writing and social media activities.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I developed an eating disorder at the age of 14, which was triggered by being bullied at school. My mental and physical health rapidly deteriorated. I was barely eating and exercising daily. I was tired and miserable but felt unable to stop. I didn’t really understand what was happening to me at the time and subsequently continued to struggle, albeit less severely, until the age of 18 when I went to university. The stress of my studies combined with social pressures resulted in my eating disorder rapidly worsening and finally receiving a diagnosis at the age of 20.

Following graduating from university, I began the journey of recovery. It took six years and four different therapists but I made a full recovery. The process gave me a greater understanding of the way in which an obsession with food and exercise can become all-consuming and what it takes away from you. I spend years of my life just existing, rather than truly living. I became increasingly aware of the detrimental effect of the diet culture in which we live where people punish themselves with endless diets and grueling exercise routines in an attempt to achieve the ‘perfect body.’ I saw that people were postponing their happiness in the hopes that one day, their dieting and exercise would allow them to reach some kind of utopia that just doesn’t exist. I wanted to share the message that people can seek health and fitness without being restrictive. That a ‘perfect body’ is not only unattainable but not the answer to happiness. I wanted to show people that there was another option.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

Whilst studying for my PhD, I began online fitness coaching. I started being approached by friends that knew me in ‘real life’ but had been positively affected by the messages I was sharing on my Instagram page. I realized that the message I was sharing was powerful and had the ability to affect others in a positive way. I began to take things more seriously, thinking more carefully about what I was sharing and ensuring that there was no potential to cause harm, with either the images or the words I was using. I take this responsibility incredibly seriously to this day and never post anything that I think could negatively impact another person. I am sure that I am not perfect with this but I try my absolute best.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I first started posting on Instagram, I had no idea what I was doing. I would post pictures with no caption and no hashtags. At the time it was just pictures of food, which were not particularly engaging so it’s no surprise that I got little to no engagement! I learned that Instagram is about so much more than pictures. I realized that people do read captions and that as a lifelong writer, I could use words in a meaningful way to positively impact others. My captions became gradually longer and now I regularly reach the maximum character allowance. Fortunately, my editing has also improved and I am much better at removing the fluff from a caption to ensure that only the important stuff remains.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

I use my platform to help people build a healthy relationship with food, exercise and their bodies. I try to show people that pursuing health and fitness goals (which is by no means is a moral imperative) doesn’t have to mean restriction. It doesn’t have to involve miserable and exhausting workouts. It doesn’t mean having to eat ‘clean’. It doesn’t mean trying to make your body fit some kind of ideal that society has told you is beautiful. I talk a lot about the principles of intuitive eating, which involves tuning into your own bodily cues to decide how, what and when to eat. It involves exercising in a way that is fun, rather than as a way to burn calories. It also means accepting your body will find the size and shape it wants to be and the best thing you can do is get out of its way. I’m aligned with a Health at Every Size (HAES) approach, which supports all individuals to pursue health but adopting health-promoting behaviors, whilst acknowledging the societal and structural barriers that impede health. It’s a radical standpoint, particularly within the fitness industry, but I’m hugely passionate about sharing the message and having engaging discussions with others in this space.

Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

An individual recently made a post about their recovery from an eating disorder and cited my account as being helpful in this process. As a former sufferer myself I was incredibly touched and honored to have played a small part in what is a very difficult journey. Although I draw on my own experiences of an eating disorder in my content, I don’t claim to be any kind of authority on such conditions, which are complex, nuanced illnesses which frequently take years to recover from. It was incredibly rewarding to have made an impact in an area that can cause such mental anguish as well as resulting in a lot of physical effects for the individual. It showed me the potential of social media to be a force for change in a positive way. It also highlighted the importance of content creators taking responsibility for the message and images they share, realizing the potential for both positive and negative effects on users.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

When I first started my Instagram account, I posted quite generic health and fitness content. It was evidence-based and I sometimes talked about my own experiences in reaching a healthy place with food and exercise but I didn’t feel particularly connected to my content. As I become more involved in the fitness industry, including qualifying as a personal trainer and starting to work with clients, I realized that there was a lot of disordered behavior going on. I saw that people were putting themselves under intense pressure to eat a so-called ‘perfect’ diet, which tended to be extremely restrictive and were punishing themselves with intense exercise routines. People felt anxious about eating food that didn’t meet their standards of being ‘clean’, ‘low calorie’ or ‘macro-friendly’. People felt guilty for taking a rest day from the gym. People felt awful about their bodies, which did not meet continually changing body ideal put on a pedestal by mainstream and social media. Even people who claimed to be adhering to ‘flexible dieting’ seemed to have behaviors that were anything but. People were putting their lives on hold to achieve their health and fitness goals and that made me sad.

I also looked at the scientific literature, I looked at the data on ‘restrained eaters’ (those with rules around food) and saw the negative psychological effects associated with that mindset. I saw the ineffectiveness of interventions aimed at weight loss, particularly over the long term. I looked at the public health approaches to ‘obesity’ (a stigmatized word that should always be used I inverted commas if at all) and saw that they were essentially recommending diets that would be seen as problematic in those with diagnosed eating disorders. I looked at the data on BMI and the complex link to health. I saw that behavior changes could positively impact health in the absence of weight loss. I saw the negative physical and mental health effects of weight stigma, which may partially (or fully) explain the relationship between BMI and health. I looked more closely at the social determinants of health and how little attention they receive in conversations about health. At the same time, I started to look at the literature on intuitive eating, an approach that I’d heard about but never given much consideration. I saw the positive mental and physical health effects of an approach that helped people release their rules around food, move in a way that was enjoyable for them and accept where their body ended up as a result. I realized that this was a framework that could help to liberate individuals from the pressures they put on themselves in terms of diet and exercise. I saw that embracing the principles could allow people to find a healthy and happy place for them, which is in alignment with their needs, preferences and circumstances.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

Yes!

1. Better funding for mental health services. People of all shapes, sizes, genders, sexualities, abilities and ethnicities suffer from eating disorders and all need appropriate care. This has to be long term and it should be person-centered.

2. More diversity: We should be seeing a much wider range of bodies in all settings. There are too many contexts in which there are only thin white women. That is not representative and is not acceptable. However, it is important to approach this whole-heartedly by engaging with marginalized individuals. Tokenism is not okay.

3. More research using intuitive eating and health at every size frameworks: There is already an emerging body of evidence but we need more to convince individuals and institutions that this cannot be ignored. The conventional approach to health is not working and an alternative is sorely needed.

I speak up for what I believe in. This also means calling out what I don’t think is acceptable. I try to share positive messages about having a healthy relationship with food, exercise and your body but I’m not afraid to also discuss ideas that I think are problematic. If you are trying to use a platform for social good, you have to be able to be clear about what you’re for and what you’re against. This might mean having some difficult conversations and perhaps some disagreements but I think that talking about these issues is always valuable, as it positions them as being worthy of discussion. However, discussions are not enough. I think if there is something that you believe in, it is important to take action. This might mean becoming involved with activism, signing petitions, donating to charities or buying from businesses that have similar ideals. Connecting with others can be hugely beneficial, both for the individuals involved and the cause as a whole. Overall, what I would say is that if you want to promote and advance a cause, you cannot stay quiet.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

I wish that I’d initially been more thoughtful about what I shared. I wasn’t particularly mindful and although I don’t think I shared messages that would be harmful, I also didn’t share anything that was very valuable. Time and energy are precious so I wish I’d been told to really think through what I wanted to share. This was both in terms of the images themselves but more importantly, the captions behind them.

I wish I had been warned about the negativity more. I don’t receive a lot of criticism but I wish that I had been told that it is inevitable if you have a platform that some people will attack you personally if they disagree with your ideas or dislike you.

I also wish I’d been told that you can choose what you want to share. You don’t have to follow the crowd. You can do social media your own way. You can decide what feels important to you and communicate it in a way that feels authentic.

I wish I’d known the potential to connect with like-minded people, with them often becoming friends in ‘real life.’ I would have come to Instagram a lot earlier if I realized the power of the platform to engage with so many individuals from around the world and have conversations about stuff that really matters.

I wish I’d also known the importance of taking time away from social media. It can become quite all-consuming and whilst I enjoy it, it can become something that every spare moment is spent upon and I don’t think that is healthy. I try to ensure I am not on my phone all the time when with other people. Real life connection is important.

I wish I could encourage people to be their authentic selves. I know it sounds cheesy but I feel like so many people, often unconsciously, be the version of themselves that they think they are meant to be, rather than who they truly are. We all are unique and I would really like to see that embraced and celebrated.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” It’s a quote by astronomer Carl Sagan. When I first heard it, it was a stark reminder of the importance of being critical of the messages we are fed in both mainstream and social media. It emphasized the importance of weighing up the evidence of a claim, rather than taking it at face value. For me, this means reading the scientific studies myself as opposed to going by someone else’s opinion of it. It means thinking carefully about my experiences and questioning what evidence they have provided me. It means being mindful about the statements that I make myself and the evidence (or lack thereof) that I have to support them.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Megan Crabbe (@bodyposipanda). I love the way she shares about body positivity in a way that isn’t watered down. She isn’t afraid to call out BS and is a fantastic example of the happiness that can come from rejecting diet culture and embracing your true self.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can find me @emmafitnessphd on Instagram. I love connecting with others and having conversations about this stuff!

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “I wish I’d been told that you can choose what you want… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Focus on progress, not perfection” with Angie Asche and…

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Focus on progress, not perfection” with Angie Asche and Candice Georgiadis

Focus on progress, not perfection. It sounds so cheesy, but honestly the moment I stopped trying to be a perfectionist with my work, that’s when my company really started growing. I think entrepreneurs can get caught up in thinking everything has to be perfect, but this sets you up for failure. No one is perfect. You’re going to make mistakes along the way. Another one of my favorite quotes that goes along with that by Winston Churchill is ‘success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm’.

As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Angie Asche. Angie is a registered dietitian and clinical exercise physiologist who is revolutionizing the social media industry by providing an abundance of factual, unbiased nutrition advice in a sea of influencers. A recent study came out indicating 90% of social media influencers are dishing out false nutrition and weight loss advice. Angie is using her platform and her credibility to be a reliable source of nutrition information her followers can rely on.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I knew I wanted to be a registered dietitian and specialize in sports nutrition at a very young age. It wasn’t until my experience working as a personal trainer throughout college that I realized just how much I loved the consulting side of health and fitness; how much of an impact you can have on people, getting to know them on such a personal level, with one-on-one consulting. Years later after completing my Master’s degree, I realized that private practice was the direction I wanted my career to go, and that’s when I created Eleat Sports Nutrition.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

Honestly, I think the most interesting thing has been getting to see how my business has grown. What started as a small business by a dietitian from Lincoln, Nebraska is now a name top athletes from all over the country are beginning to recognize- it’s still unbelievable to me! I am so honored and truly humbled by how much of an impact it’s had and how much it’s grown over the years.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I wouldn’t call it a funny mistake as much as just an experience I wasn’t quite prepared for…but turns out, when you talk about a weight loss supplement and the risks that come with it, the false claims being made, the lack of research on the product, you receive a lot of backlash from people who make commission selling that product. And at first I remember thinking “ugh this is awful, I hate getting these rude messages from people, maybe I shouldn’t talk about this or that product or diet.” And then I thought now wait a minute, that goes completely against what I stand for which is providing accurate, unbiased nutrition advice. So if they get mad because I am telling people the truth about what they’re trying to sell, then that’s their problem and honestly, they should know this information before they try to sell it to people anyway.

Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

I’m using my social media platform and credibility to be a trustworthy source of free nutrition information and clarity. Through blog articles, weekly videos, and more. There’s a lot of awful nutrition advice available for free right now, whether via a quick google search or from a self-proclaimed nutrition expert, it’s all so confusing. So if I can take a few hours out each week to create something that will educate thousands, then it’s well worth it to me.

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

I can honestly say there hasn’t been just one individual who’s been impacted by the free education I provide. I’ve received hundreds of emails and messages from people who either said how much my content helped their own struggles and relationship with food, or saved them so much money from almost buying a weight loss product stating false claims. One message that really stands out for me recently was from someone who had tried every diet you could imagine, and it only made her feel worse after ‘quitting’ a diet feeling like she had failed. She said she had ‘never found such peace with her body and with food as she has now since following me’. And this wasn’t even a client of mine, just someone following along on my social media and website! Getting messages like this tells me the work I put into providing free content is so worthwhile.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

February 2018 I was working closely with an athlete struggling with an eating disorder. She would see progress, then see something on her Instagram feed that triggered negative thoughts again. It would be anything from seeing an influencer labeling a certain food as being ‘bad’, or listing how many calories they ate in a day. I first approached this by having her delete any accounts that made her feel bad about herself, but then came to realize there really did need to be more places on social media where athletes and all people could go to learn factual advice on why food is so nourishing. My ‘Fueling Fridays’ videos began, and each week I started sharing a 1-minute video about a different food or nutrient and why it was so nourishing for the body — never mentioning numbers or demonizing certain food groups. It then grew from just talking about a specific nutrient, to talking about fad diets, supplements, and breaking down the most relevant research studies in the news into simple terms.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

There’s bad nutrition advice just about everywhere you look. Everyone wants to provide the new greatest and latest thing, because eating a healthy, balanced diet and doing exercise you enjoy just doesn’t seem to excite people as much as ‘lose 10 lbs. in 2 days and look and feel your best’.

Here are 3 steps I think people should take to make sure they’re getting accurate nutrition advice from reputable sources.

1. Look and see what credentials the person has. It’s incredibly easy to get an online certification and label yourself a ‘nutritionist’. Does this person have any educational background in nutrition? At the minimum a Bachelor’s degree? Are they a registered dietitian (RD) or maybe a medical doctor (MD) that specializes in nutrition? Just because a person eats food doesn’t make them qualified to tell you how and what to eat.

2. Look and see if there are any studies to back product claims being made. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And if someone is trying to sell you on a supplement, is it because there’s actual studies to show it’s efficacy? Or are they trying to sell it to you for the commission they’re making off of it? If you’re unsure how to dive into the research yourself, this is a great opportunity to reach out to a health professional about the product before purchasing, and have them give you feedback.

3. For any type of 30-day diet or weight loss program, look to see if there is any education provided by a credentialed health professional involved. You’d be surprised to find that majority of these 30-day weight loss programs or diets sold by supplement companies provide absolutely zero education, but rather make it required that you use their products, often times as meal replacements, in the place of real food. So what happens after 30 days? Did you learn anything worthwhile? Or just learn that drinking two shakes a day instead of two actual meals leaves you unsatisfied, and out hundreds of dollars?

Be original and authentic. Find a way to fill a void within the social media space. Take some time to observe and ask yourself — what’s missing? What do I wish my clients would see more of? What kinds of posts do I absolutely dread seeing? Think how much time people spend every single day on social media — how can you make it a better experience?

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

I honestly don’t really have five things, but I do wish I would have started sooner in the social media space. While this past year I’ve given it a lot of my time, I feel like it’s given me back so much more in return. The emails and messages I get from people that have been positively impacted by the information I share is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced in my career. My goal is to educate as many people as I possibly can, however, I’m limited on how many clients I can take on at one time to ensure they receive the highest quality service from me, so social media has really become that space where I can still educate and impact thousands of people.

Nourishment over numbers. This is a concept I’ve been educating my clients on for years, helping to restore their relationship with food. I help them understand the impact nourishing their body, both physically and mentally, has on their overall performance. And once it clicks, it’s truly life changing. This approach goes beyond athletes, to all people.

In a world full of counting macros and tracking calories, I feel like so many of us are missing out on what nutrition is really about — nourishment. People can become so obsessed with tracking numbers that they may overthink their food choices and ignore their body’s nutritional needs — both physically and mentally. They may choose a food solely on the numbers, low calorie, low carb, without acknowledging the nutrient density of the food. Food is so much more than carbs, fat, and protein. When we focus on nourishment over numbers, we make better choices. How is this food nourishing me? What kind of nutrients does it contain? Any vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega 3s, fiber? So maybe it’s not rich in nutrients, but how is it nourishing me mentally or socially? Am I truly enjoying this food? Food is also nourishment for your mental and emotional health. Food is so important, but when thinking about it begins to take over every important thing in our lives, it can truly suck all of the joy out of eating. You can be hitting specific calorie or macronutrient numbers and still be malnourished.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Focus on progress, not perfection. It sounds so cheesy, but honestly the moment I stopped trying to be a perfectionist with my work, that’s when my company really started growing. I think entrepreneurs can get caught up in thinking everything has to be perfect, but this sets you up for failure. No one is perfect. You’re going to make mistakes along the way. Another one of my favorite quotes that goes along with that by Winston Churchill is ‘success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm’.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Joy Bauer, she is a dietitian I have looked up to throughout my entire career. She’s truly done it all when it comes to being a nutrition entrepreneur, written several books and cookbooks, hosts her own TV show on NBC, and is the nutrition expert for the Today Show (dream job!) I could learn so much from her.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: @eleatnutrition

Website: www.eleatnutrition.com

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Focus on progress, not perfection” with Angie Asche and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Most of your friends are going to be out having fun…

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Most of your friends are going to be out having fun while you’re working” with Brydell Cocky and Candice Georgiadis

Most of your friends are going to be out having fun while you’re working. Throughout my journey, I’ve passed up on many weekends going out. Eventually, many friends of mine stopped hanging together. I’m either too busy or we were following different paths which is normal. You want to be surrounded by people like you or similar. I’ve lost many friends putting my dreams first. I’m okay with that!

As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brydell Cocky, a college graduate who left Motown/Capitol Records as an Intern Editor to start his own journey. Creating content that people enjoy watching and help others get through their day. He is mostly known for his YouTube personality.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Started back in high school as the class clown who always got into trouble! People would tell me for years to think about becoming a comedian. Growing up in a small town such as Fayetteville, NC; opportunities are very limited.

One day, I was sitting at home bored out of my mind. Clicking through videos on YouTube and somehow I stumbled across content creators who were posting videos and getting all sorts of reactions. I said to myself “These guys are not even famous and look at what they’re doing” and figured why not and see what happens. The self confidence drove me to social media to see if I stood a chance. If it works, it works, but if it doesn’t, then I’ll stop. Uploaded my first video, received over 3,000 views within 24 hours with a lot of comments and kept going ever since.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

Recently, I flew out to St. Louis to surprise a fan for his 10th birthday at Six Flags. Never in a million years would I have thought that it would be me being a special guest. The birthday boy’s face was priceless. He told his mom “this is the best birthday out of all my birthdays”. We rode different rides, took photos, meet some of his family and friends who were highly impressed. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The funniest mistake I made when first starting was posting so many videos. I thought the more I post, the better chance of getting more exposure, but found out real quick, that will annoy people.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

I’m using my platform to make a significant social impact by making people feel good. I influence others to follow their dreams, promote positivity, give advice, and help those who are dealing with depression. Connecting and relating to so many people on different levels.

Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

I can’t disclose the person’s name but I can say there was a person who was going through a rough time. He wrote me a long message about how I was the only reason he wakes up every day. I sent all the love and energy I could, but by my responding, it made him lose his mind. One of the happiest kids in the world that day.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

Over the years, I started to see what social media has become. Have you ever heard of the saying “Negative Nancy”? Well, there you go! I’ve always been about uplifting people and making them smile, laugh, or be more appreciative. Also, reminding everyone that anything is possible. I ended up telling one of my friends that maybe this is what’s needed for social media. A voice for the people, but coming from someone who provides what they love to see. Sometimes, who you are and what you do makes an impact on others.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

With the internet being so huge today, you would think communities, our society, and politicians would take action upon these things but they haven’t. People feel like they have to step outside their character to fit in, which sucks because that means you’re not allowed to be yourself. A certain amount of likes can decide if you’re popular or not. Kids are committing suicide behind this. The community, society, and politicians can help remind the world what’s realistic, and right from wrong.

The strategy I’ve been using is promoting quotes, success stories, and honesty on all social platforms. Honestly, you never know who’s watching and when they are watching. So it’s best to always connect and relate to people in as many different ways as possible. Your message might make somebody’s day better. A good tip is to mean what you say and set good examples. Your actions have to speak louder than words meaning you have to live by what you’re telling people.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

• Take your time, this is not a race

There were moments in my life where I began to rush and started making mistakes. I would have to go back, re-edit, and re-upload. Don’t ever rush because you are losing time that you could have saved if you had taken your time and did it correctly the first time.

• You’re going to lose friends

Most of your friends are going to be out having fun while you’re working. Throughout my journey, I’ve passed up on many weekends going out. Eventually, many friends of mine stopped hanging together. I’m either too busy or were following different paths which is normal. You want to be surrounded by people like you or similar. I’ve lost many friends putting my dreams first. I’m okay with that!

• Prepare for the worst

In 2017, YouTube ads had been removed, which puts a lot of us creators in freak out mode. Luckily, I was doing freelance work at the time to keep afloat. For somebody who has all their eggs in one basket can put yourself in jeopardy. It’s a not a good choice to do so and many Youtubers will confirm it. The no ads were a wake up call for a lot of us. Anything bad can happen and you have to be ready. Make sure you have a back up plan.

• Focus on you and don’t compare yourself to someone else

This is one of the biggest problems today. It’s no longer the excitement and being happy for someone else. It’s more of depression because of his or her success. People will look at your life and compare it to themselves. Start to feel as if they aren’t doing enough or anything at all. I always tell people “We never know what these people are going through, the things they have are nice but don’t mean they are truly happy”. I also have another belief that maybe it’s not your time right now. I’ve seen people who have put in years of work finally getting noticed. It could take 5 years before you get to the position you’re trying to reach.

• Risk it all

Go big or go home! Every second or minute, somebody is working on their dreams. You have to be willing to make sacrifices if you truly want to get further. Missing your favorite tv show, hanging out with friends, missing sleep, cutting back on expenses, and more. It’s about how bad you want it!

More love, less hate! Hate is so easy and love is hard to come by. I feel that our world needs to love more. Care for one another. Have more respect for those around you and yours as well. Life is really precious, so never take it for granted.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“You have to hurt for in order to know. Fall in order to grow. Lose in order to gain. Because most life’s lessons are learned in pain.” by J Cole. Failure is what needed to be successful. People act like it’s a bad thing, but it’s actually helpful. I rather make all the wrong mistakes as I can before I’m at the top. Everything that I have battled with in my life has made me who I am today.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Zendaya, that girl is amazing and incredible! I feel like she could give advice on how to better things I lack.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

www.brydellcocky.com

Instagram — @brydellcocky

Twitter — @brydellcocky

Youtube — youtube.com/c/brydellcocky

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Most of your friends are going to be out having fun… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“Our reality is a manifestation of our choices” with Josh Perry and Candice Georgiadis

I have learned that with large influence comes a large amount of responsibility and that’s why I use my influence to focus on empowering others to become as healthy, happy, and successful as possible. The movement I am currently working towards is one of perspective and non-stop action. Perspective of being grateful to be alive, perspective that our reality is a manifestation of our choices, and a perspective of patience that allows for non-stop action, getting up when we fall down in life, and never giving up on our desires in life.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Josh Perry. Thrilling ups and downs, rapid turns and hard crashes are all part of life. Sometimes things take a smooth, predictable approach and other times you get caught in a tailspin from out of nowhere that slams you hard on the concrete. It’s not really about how hard you fall, but more about how quickly you are willing to get up and take another shot. Just ask Josh Perry… Today Josh is a happy, healthy 30-year-old man with his whole life ahead of him. Nine years ago, shortly after achieving a lifelong goal of becoming a professional BMX athlete, he received his first brain tumor diagnosis. Josh had a meningioma, a benign tumor that caused intense headaches and significantly impaired vision. His tumor was successfully removed through an open craniotomy, an invasive surgical procedure that requires opening of the skull. His recovery was slow but within two months Josh was back on the BMX circuit. He felt he’d been given a second chance and took advantage of every opportunity to compete, travel, perform and give back to the community. Two years later during his yearly check-up, an MRI showed two new tumors at the original cancer site. The optimism he’d built following his first diagnosis, surgery and recovery was squashed. Josh knew that there had to be an alternative to invasive brain surgery and after the harsh reality of a second diagnosis set in, he committed to finding another way. Following extensive internet research and discussions with his surgeon, Josh learned about and decided on stereotactic radiosurgery. With this non-invasive approach, beams of radiation are precisely delivered to specific areas within the brain without surgically entering the skull. One week after stereotactic radiosurgery Josh was once again at the helm of his BMX bike. He reported the procedure to be painless and similar to getting an MRI, only shorter. In addition to continuing to compete on the BMX circuit, Josh is channeling his experiences and his newly earned certification as a holistic health coach towards broad-scale health awareness programs and campaigns. As one of a handful of people to have survived three separate brain tumors, Josh believes it is his mission to help educate people with brain tumors about their options. He founded The Josh Perry Foundation as his way of giving back to those with brain tumors, brain injuries, and other brain disorders. Nearly 78,000 new cases of primary brain tumors (including cancerous and non-cancerous tumors) were diagnosed last year, and nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. alone are living with primary brain and central nervous system tumors. Josh’s goal is to share his story and the importance of prioritizing health and well-being to live a long, full life. Check out Josh’s blog Daily Brainstorms to read more about his story, see some cool BMX videos and read about his newfound love for sauerkraut and kombucha.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Thank you for the opportunity to share my life with you! I found myself at a skatepark when I was 11 or so and that’s when I was exposed to BMX bike riding. The freedom to express myself on my bike, the challenge to learn a new trick, and the ability to progress to whatever level your mind allowed is what drew me to the sport besides the awesomeness of backflipping a bike. What started as a creative outlet and hobby that allowed me to escape negativity in my childhood years turned into a passion that consumed my life. This passion led me to dropping out of high school and quitting my well-paying landscaping job back on Cape Cod to pursue this dream I had created to become a pro BMX rider. Even though many others doubted me and actually told me I would fail, my parents supported me every step of the way and I manifested my dreams into reality. I actually surpassed all my goals when I started training with my idol, Dave Mirra, and was pushed beyond my comfort zone to realize the potential I had for my career. I found myself winning Harley’s, traveling the world, on TV and being paid to live my dream.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

When you say interesting, my mind gravitates towards inspirational, and one story does take center stage. Shortly after achieving my lifelong goal of becoming a professional BMX athlete, I received the first brain tumor diagnosis in 2010. I had a meningioma, a benign tumor that caused intense headaches that would lead me to throw up and significantly impaired my vision. The tumor was successfully removed through an open craniotomy. As you can imagine, recovering from this invasive surgical procedure was not easy, mentally or physically, but I was able to get back on my BMX bike after 5 weeks. No words could describe my shock two years later when two new brain tumors were spotted during an annual scan of my brain. I knew that there had to be an alternative to the invasive brain surgery that I endured the last time, and after much discussion and research, I came across Gamma Knife Radiation. The process, which I like an MRI, is a non-invasive radiation therapy to treat tumors that requires no incisions at all. My take away message for anyone dealing with adversity is to audit the changes they can make in their lives and seek out a solution, but to always take advantage of modern technology when it is available.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

One of the funniest mistakes I made when first starting out riding BMX bikes was leaving my bike in the driveway behind my mom’s truck outside of the garage and her accidentally backing up over it. My bike frame bent in and some parts broke but it taught me the valuable lesson of being mindful of where I put my things and to pick up after myself.

Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

I am using my social media platforms to share my truth and to serve and support. I share my story of how a broke kid from Cape Cod risked everything he had on a dream backed by a vision, hard work, a belief in myself, and how I was not willing to give up in order to make that dream manifest. I share my beliefs of perspective being essential the life and how gratitude for our lives leads to abundance. I share how health is internal and my experiences overcoming 5 brain tumors in order to learn this. I also share how our reality is a manifestation of our choices. I share all of this so others can learn from my journey and be proactive in their lives rather than living in autopilot and reacting to life. Jim Carrey said “life doesn’t happen to us, life happens for us” and I believe in that 100%.

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

Miles Sullivan is a 23 year old who reached out to me to gain support and guidance with implementing a ketogenic diet (a passion of mine) after his brother mentioned how keto was shown to support those with drug resistant epileptic seizures. Miles told me how he had 5–7 seizures a day after 2 years of failed brain surgeries and over 10 medications. After just a month they dropped in numbers each day and as of currently, his 5–7 seizures has subsided for as long as 2 months at a time and when one does occur, it’s just 1 that day and not as severe as before. It’s safe to say we became great friends. What’s rad about this story is that his mother joined in to support him along his journey and she too gained significant results subjectively and was shown in her bio markers. It’s safe to say Miles, his family and I have become close and I that’s one of many many examples of how powerful social media has been in my life.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

Yes, 3 brain tumors diagnosed over the last 9 years has led me to implementing a ketogenic diet and becoming passionate towards showing others how they can implement this way of eating into a lifestyle, which it truly is. The third brain tumor diagnosis in February of 2017 motivated me to implement this way of eating 100% and submerge myself in research. It also allowed me to retire from competition to fulfill my new life mission, which is to serve and support others by empowering them.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

The number 1 thing anyone can do to help me address the root of the problem I am trying to solve is to share the importance of open-mindedness and consciousness. While enrolled in a holistic health coaching program, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the founder said “we’re not here to teach you what to think. We’re here to teach you how to think.” I take that mentality with me and rather than trying to force people into making changes, I share my truth, walk my talk, and strive to inspire new perspectives that lead to new action in others’ lives by sharing my story.

The strategies I have used are quite simple, but do take time and effort. I have not only taken a 180 degree turn away from my BMX dream for this life mission, I have done all I can to share my efforts along the way. This includes social media, of course, but also networking, finding my way to gaining invites to attend events like the Biden Cancer Initiative in D.C., speaking on stage (never thought I would be doing that), starting a health coaching business, collaborating with others, and really doing whatever I can to be heard. I regards to social media, my main goal is to share VALUE on a regular basis. I share all I can to help support others along their journey and I do so by posting 1–2 times a day, respond to EVERY single comment and DM I can, share across all platforms, and just stay engaged every way I can. Anyone that follows this advice can’t help but succeed in sharing their mission. This is all the same things I share when others ask what they can do with social media to share their passion, cause, etc. Post daily (multiple times if you can), engage with your community and every single person that engages your account, share VALUE, make it about your audience rather than you, and be patent.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

When I first started I wish I was told to post daily, share VALUE in thinking of what my audience is looking for, engage with everyone on my account and in my community, be patient, and don’t compare myself to others, just focus on my mission.

I have learned that with large influence comes a large amount of responsibility and that’s why I use my influence to focus on empowering others to become as healthy, happy, and successful as possible. The movement I am currently working towards is one of perspective and non-stop action. Perspective of being grateful to be alive, perspective that our reality is a manifestation of our choices, and a perspective of patience that allows for non-stop action, getting up when we fall down in life, and never giving up on our desires in life.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Fear is just a thought and thoughts can be changed is something I have been saying for years and was the first tattoo I ever got. Fear presents itself in every aspect of life and it’s inevitable. This quote has been relevant to me since the day I took a missive risk in dropping out of high school, quitting my job, and moving 14 hours south to live on my own chasing a dream. Then it’s be present every step of the way as I learned new tricks, traveled to places like Iraq, competed, performed for 60,000+ fans at NFL halftime shows, went into a life or death brain tumor surgery, quit my dream to start my own business, and every time I walk on stage to speak in front of others. It’s literally just a thought that only has power over us if we allow it. It’s a great consciousness tool that helps us become aware of situations but it can cripple us if we give into it, leading us to never live up to our full potential. Too often do we tend to go to fear of failure, judgement, and success as a subconscious programming from a younger age. I have found that learning how our consciousness works and using fear as a tool to stay humble but not control me is what has allowed me to create success in all areas of my life. I should define what success means to me and that is to be as healthy and happy as I can while bringing others along with me. I am confident in saying that is exactly what I am doing today now that I am off self and on purpose.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

That’s a toss up between Joe Rogan, Lance Armstrong, and Kerwin Rae. Joe because he’s Joe, haha. But seriously, his podcast and perspectives have helped me gain massive perspective in my life and dig myself out of severe depression. Lance because his story was one I could relate to and found prior to brain surgery. His story allowed me to believe in myself that I would be ok and back to riding as long as I believed I would be ok and worked my butt off. Kerwin because he has taught me so much about business, the power of social media, how I want to show up in life, and so much more I can’t express enough gratitude for. I love all 3 of these men and hope to share my love and gratitude with them one day. I have no desire to ask them for anything other than a handshake and hug to say thank you.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Readers can follow me on all social media platforms with the username of @JoshPerryBMX across them all: Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Thank you for all of these great insights!

“Our reality is a manifestation of our choices” with Josh Perry and Candice Georgiadis was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

How to Use Instagram To Dramatically Improve Your Business, With Taylor Kincaid and Candice…

How to Use Instagram To Dramatically Improve Your Business, With Taylor Kincaid and Candice Georgiadis

Talk to your audience, don’t talk at them. Yes, you want to promote your business and get leads or sales, but that won’t happen by just asking people to work with you or buy your product time and time again. Why did you start your business? Why are your products special and different from your competitors? Aim to start telling these stories in your posts and see how your results start to shift.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Taylor Kincaid, the Social Media Director at Online Optimism. Taylor is a digital marketing professional based in New Orleans helping local businesses amplify their reach through social.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I had always enjoyed writing and being creative during my earlier years in school and my first year in college, but I was struggling with finding a concrete career path in that type of realm. At Florida State University, they have a program called Editing, Writing & Media, which focuses not just on writing and editing as a craft, but as a career path in our modern, digital world. Immediately, I knew that this could be a great path for me. The program was different from Journalism, English, or even Creative Writing, because it pulled in elements of all three while also showing how in the ever-evolving technology and digital landscape, writing and media will continue to play a large part. I took an internship in marketing for a local company in Tallahassee, and social media just came naturally and become a really fun outlet for my writing and creative interests. From there, I knew very clearly that this is what I wanted to do professionally.

Can you explain to our readers why you are an authority about Social Media Marketing?

I have over 5 years of experience in social media marketing, working for various small businesses, organizations, and professional agencies. I’ve worked across so many different industries, from hospitality and tourism to governmental and nonprofits. I also specialize in social media advertising, in particular on Facebook and Instagram, running trackable campaigns that produce real results and increase awareness and growth for businesses.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?

I think my journey with Online Optimism, the agency I currently am the head of the social media department for, is probably the most interesting. I was almost a year out of college, working for the school I graduated from in the marketing department while also interning part-time for a local marketing agency. I knew I wanted to move somewhere else and gain experience, and the Specialist program at Online Optimism looked like a great opportunity. It was paid, working with an agency that was bigger than where I was but not so big that I felt I would get lost in the shuffle, and promised hands-on work, which is what I wanted most of all. So I packed up my life and moved out to New Orleans to take a chance on this opportunity for the next three months. About three years later, I’m still at Online Optimism and really loving what I do. I worked as a Specialist, to a Strategist, and eventually have become the Director of our social media department, and I’ve loved helping shape the way we do social media work for our clients and implement more actionable campaigns. I also gained so much confidence in myself as a social media professional, knowing that I’ve been able to help local businesses and educate other people on social media and its value in New Orleans and beyond. It’s an experience I know I couldn’t have had anywhere else, and that chance I took three years ago paid off so much more than I ever could have expected.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I definitely made a lot of mistakes when I first started! I think that’s the best way to learn, though. My first full year at Online Optimism, we had an internal motto to “Make Better Mistakes”, and it really helped me in how I approached the way I dealt with mistakes by forcing me to think about how I can learn from them. My biggest mistake, and looking back definitely the silliest one, was in the way I questioned myself. It took me a long time to gain my confidence and voice in a professional setting, and while I know I had to take my own journey and I really wouldn’t change it, I know I could have progressed a lot earlier on if I had believed in myself more. Millennials all struggle with one form of Impostor Syndrome or another, and I felt that a lot at the beginning of my career. The sooner I realized that making mistakes can be a good thing, and everyone (in particular for social media) is growing and adapting as they go along, I was able to be a lot more confident and assertive in my role.

Which social media platform have you found to be most effective to use to increase business revenues? Can you share a story from your experience?

I don’t think any social media platform has a secret formula to give businesses immediate results. I like to approach social media strategy for each business I work with by looking at what will work specifically for them. Business owners should be very mindful of who their target audience is, first of all. That being said, I think Instagram has the most potential for growth. In order to perform well on Instagram, you need to be able to tell a well crafted and visually curated story that lets your followers know who you are, and how your business can benefit them. One example I think of is when we took on an account that had a larger following because of their presence in the community already, but their engagement was low and their following was not involved. As we started to craft their posts and tell their story in a more authentic and approachable way, we were able to watch as those engagement numbers began to soar along with their follower numbers. We also started far more productive, two-way conversations between the business and their target audience.

Let’s talk about Instagram specifically, now. Can you share 6 ways to leverage Instagram to dramatically improve your business? Please share a story or example for each.

Talk to your audience, don’t talk at them. Yes, you want to promote your business and get leads or sales, but that won’t happen by just asking people to work with you or buy your product time and time again. Why did you start your business? Why are your products special and different from your competitors? Aim to start telling these stories in your posts and see how your results start to shift.
Use smart hashtags! I hate seeing what could be a great account use hashtags that are either way too general or way too specific. Using something like #happy will put your content in with millions upon millions of posts, and while you may get some engagement, chances are it will be spammy or you’ll just get lost in the shuffle entirely. On the other hand, using hashtags that no one uses besides you will mean your content isn’t getting discovered at all. Try to find a good middle ground with hashtags that are used by communities relevant to the content you’re posting.
Listen to your followers and ask them questions. I see a lot of influencers use the “poll” and “question” stickers in Instagram Stories to ask their followers about what content they want to see, and I think this is so smart! More businesses should capitalize on those features to learn more about their follower base and what they like to see, and craft their content specifically for them. You can even ask UX and product based questions here to get direct feedback from your customer or user base.
Speaking of Instagram Stories, that feature is only going to continue to grow. Now is the time to be posting on Stories and figuring out how you can best use it for your business. I also really love running ads on the Instagram Stories placement. You need an advertising budget in order to do this, of course, but it’s a really powerful placement right now since it’s not quite as saturated as the Instagram feed. Plus, there are so many cool ways you can design your ad directly in the Instagram Story screen with no graphic design or professional video shoots required.
Leveraging Instagram shopping features will be huge for businesses that sell products. Instagram has already rolled out shoppable posts, but shoppable Stories are currently rolling out slowly to select users, and Instagram has also announced that the buying experience will soon not require users to leave the app at all for a more seamless shopping experience.
Be mindful of your aesthetic. Your top nine posts are your business’s first impression on any potential new follower, so presenting your posts in a way that is cohesive aesthetically is more important than ever. That can be as simple as using a simple filter and bright lighting on everything you post, to more complicated strategies like incorporating a single color into all of your posts.

Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

We all like to put our best foot forward on social media, but seeing only the best things in people’s lives can also be a bit overwhelming, and even feel bad. I’ve seen a trend among some influencers and brands to bring in more authenticity and honesty in the way they present their content and use it as a platform to advocate for prioritizing mental health and self-care.

Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

I would love to pick Madison Utendahl’s brain! She is one of the founders of the Museum of Ice Cream, and works with one of my favorite activewear brands, Bandier, and has also won lots of awards for her work in social and content. I think she has influenced the Instagram landscape so much and just hasn’t gotten all the recognition she deserves yet, and I’m always excited to see what her next project is. I also really admire the authenticity and diverse representation she brings to the brands she works with.

Thank you so much for these great insights. This was very enlightening!

How to Use Instagram To Dramatically Improve Your Business, With Taylor Kincaid and Candice… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Living below your means is a superpower” with Deniero…

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Living below your means is a superpower” with Deniero Bartolini and Candice Georgiadis

Living below your means is a superpower. It can change your life. After I learned how to control my spending, I was able to scale my business and quit my job in a matter of months.

As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Deniero Bartolini. Deniero is an entrepreneur and content creator based in Toronto, Canada. He has helped over 100 youth find jobs or start a business, and he focuses on mental health as the key to creating a productive and sustainable lifestyle. He is currently planning on opening a business incubator to help people leverage the internet to fight unemployment and higher cost of living.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I moved to Canada from Italy when I was 20 years old, and I left my family behind. After I started my career in marketing, I realized that I didn’t want to work in the corporate world. I wanted the freedom to work from anywhere. The desire to reconnect with my family and friends back home drove me to start an e-commerce business. After a few years of trial and error, my business grew to be self-sufficient. That’s when I decided to start a social media account and a blog based around mindset, online marketing, productivity, and mental health. I cover these topics because each one of them played a crucial role in my ability to create my own path. My goal is to both inspire and teach people how to turn their dreams into actionable and measurable goals.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

There are quite a few, but the most interesting happened at a business event for young entrepreneurs. I was invited to speak, and before taking the floor, a young guy with lots of energy approached me. We talked for a minute about his plans to open an online business and the struggles he was facing. I invited him to take notes and to implement the knowledge as soon as possible. Then I went on with my talk, and I left right after. A few months later, I received a message on my Instagram account. It was the same guy. He was able to build his dream business, and he just wanted to thank me. I felt so excited and proud at the same time! I will never forget that day. It always reminds me to keep going.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I first tried influencer marketing, I didn’t know much about it, and a friend told me it was a highly unregulated market. The social media account I was trying to scale was still new, so I reached out to several pages on Instagram and asked them to promote me. One page asked me to send $250 via PayPal, and I sent it right away. After a few hours, the page had blocked me. I didn’t know what to do! Thankfully, I was able to get PayPal to reverse the transaction, and I ended up flagging their email address for fraud. That was a great lesson! I learned to ask more questions and be more careful with my influencer marketing dollars.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

I am all about personal development and living a life I can be proud of. I am using my social media platform and my blog to inspire people to do the same. I also just launched a podcast to help people set goals, and execute them. However, my approach to success has a significant mental health component. When I learned how to make money online, I spent the first few years with high levels of stress and anxiety. I was working around the clock with no breaks. Looking back, I know I could have done a better job at balancing productivity and wellbeing, but unfortunately, nobody taught me that. I saw a gap in the market, and that’s when I decided to put myself out there on social media. More and more people want to open a business and be their own boss, but most of them don’t know what it takes to create a sustainable, productive and joyful lifestyle.

Wow! Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

The first person that was affected by my work was the young man at the speaking event I mentioned. He had built a business in less than a year using the knowledge he got from my lecture. Because of it, he was also able to quit the job he didn’t like. After that, I kept on working with the same youth center, and I ended up helping almost 100 at-risk youth. Some of them were trying to find a way into the labor market; some of them wanted to open a business.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

I always wanted to help people succeed in business, but I started including mental health and stress reduction in my content after I realized how many people were facing the same issues I did. One night I went out with a group of friends, and every single one of them was suffering from a type of anxiety disorder. That was the tipping point. I knew I needed to do something about it.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

Schools should be teaching students how to fail correctly. Unfortunately, our society doesn’t want us to fail. We are told at a young age that failing is wrong and that we should only succeed. People grow up afraid to take risks, they don’t put themselves out there, and they end up living in regret. If we reframe failure as a necessary step in the learning process, we will teach our kids to dream big and commit to worthy goals. The school system is still designed to produce employees, and in this fast-changing economy, people need to learn how to be more resourceful. In addition to that, where are the life-skill classes? I am talking about personal finance, stress management, decision making and public speaking (to list a few). These skills have never been more in demand, and they should be in the curriculum of a new and improved school system.

I have been using infographics and short videos on Instagram, blog posts on my site and LinkedIn, and I have a podcast. I am also about to finish a book. I want to make my content as accessible as possible. Everyone learns differently so, by offering a multi-channel experience, I am hoping to make a bigger impact. For those who want to make a difference, I have one suggestion. Start with offering free mentorship online if you have a skill worth sharing. There are lots of people looking for help out there. It doesn’t cost you anything, and it makes a huge difference.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1) It’s not about working hard one day; it’s about showing up every day. Consistency always wins. When I first started, I didn’t know that, and I would work so hard I would burn out every week. It was awful.

2) Living below your means is a superpower. It can change your life. After I learned how to control my spending, I was able to scale my business and quit my job in a matter of months.

3) Health comes before money 100% of the time. I had a health scare two years ago that profoundly debilitated me. Everything turned out to be ok in the end, but those impending doom feelings still haunt me at times. During those days, I would have given away all my material possessions if that meant I could have been instantly healthy again.

4) If you want to be successful, you need to surround yourself with like-minded people. If your friends are not into personal development and growth, there are plenty of books, podcasts, blogs and online forums that can help you in your journey. Use them wisely and try to create new connections in those circles.

5) You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you start a new project. When I first started, I used to spend days trying to come up with radically new ideas. Then one day I read Sir Isaac Newton’s quote: “If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” It clicked right away. To produce great work, I needed to build upon what I already knew.

I am moving back to Europe shortly, and I am preparing to open a business incubator. I want to help youth leverage the internet to create meaningful careers or businesses. Technology is a double-edged sword. I hate seeing young people hooked on their phones as if they were a drug. In the next few years, the new 5G network will engrain technology in the fabric of society at a whole new level. I want the new generation to use this technology as a tool, not as a crutch.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

I had to learn it the hard way. This quote landed on my computer screen during a very dark moment in my life. After reading it, I put a smile on my face and kept on going. Since then, I never looked at failure the same way.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

I have been following Lewis Howes for a long time, and his work never stops inspiring me. Private lunch or not, I do think we need more people like him, and that’s why I do what I do.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

My central hub at the moment is my Instagram account (@denierob). There you can find links to my website, my podcast, and that’s where I post all my news. I hope to see you all there!

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

The Social Impact Heroes of Social Media: “Living below your means is a superpower” with Deniero… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.