To Do or Not To Do - That is the question

This week I received a media inquiry from a HARO - Help a Reporter Out. One of the reporters was asking for feedback about what not to do on social networks. I can think of a million things not to do - especially on a personal profile - but I started thinking about what businesses and organizations should and shouldn't do when using social media.

From a business perspective, here are a few key items to consider:

• Don't always talk about yourself or constantly try to sell your products/services. You should position yourself as a thought leader and expert in your field - a "trust agent" as Chris Brogan says.


• Don't talk negatively about your competition, people or other businesses – again, position yourself positively as a leader in the industry but don't bash someone while doing it. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”


• Write grammatically correct and spell correctly. Don’t use profanity.


• Talk or blog as yourself, not about yourself. No one cares about what you are doing every second of the day.


• Don’t send automated messages when someone follows you on Twitter. It’s not personalized, it’s a waste of time and it fills up people’s inboxes.


• Don’t send/schedule your Twitter and Facebook messages to go out all at the same time. This clogs up news feeds and people will stop paying attention and unsubscribe.


• Be honest and authentic. Don’t ignore negative feedback. Address it head on. The more you ignore it, the worse it can get.


• Communicate and respond. If someone posts a question, idea or a comment – respond in a timely fashion. If your social network sits idle, you will lose credibility and trust.

What other things do you suggest?

Life isn't always beautiful...

...but it's a beautiful ride.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. As I reflect on the last year, I think about all of the things I am thankful for. It's been a challenging year, but I have recently realized that I am stronger than I thought.

Last weekend, I created a book called "Life Lessons from a Dog." It's a book with pictures of my dog Rufus and seven lessons he has taught me. I must say, dogs are very wise. We should pause and listen more often.

Lesson #1 - Smile often and love much.
Lesson #2 - Always enjoy the outdoors.
Lesson #3 - Love unconditionally.
Lesson #4 - Sometimes life is scary - don't ever give up.
Lesson #5 - Appreciate the little things.
Lesson #6 - Always be grateful, no matter where you are.
Lesson #7 - Embrace every moment like it's your last.

Lesson #4 speaks loudly to me. Life is scary at times - whether you have lost someone, going through a divorce, just learned a family member is ill, lost your job or hit rock bottom. God never promised that life would be easy. However, He did promise that He will never give you more than you can handle.

Sometimes in life you need to be vulnerable and ask for help. As an independent person, that's really hard for me to do. And the thing I'm most grateful for is that my friends and family are always willing to lend a helping hand, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and a story to make me laugh. I'm thankful for each and everyone one of them every day, but this year I fully understand the meaning of being grateful.

As the Gary Allen song goes, "Life isn't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride." Those words can never be more true.

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving and spend it in the company of loving family and friends.

He had me at hello...

It's been way too long since I've blogged - life tends to get busy and some things fall by the wayside. I can't believe it's August 2 already. Where did the summer go?

Last week I was able to spend time with my BFF Carla and her son Jonas - they made the trip all the way from Germany to visit family and friends in Michigan. I must say, Jonas has captured my heart. He is the sweetest baby and has such a huge personality. It amazed me that a child only 9 months old can learn and catch on to things so quickly. He's a little sponge!

This cute, big-headed sponge (don't worry his mom said he has a big head) had me at hello. His smile, blue eyes and funny growling noises always made my day. After returning home, I found myself feeling sad - and then I realized my heart was aching for Jonas. I have been this way over a dog and cat before, but never a baby. I even put his picture as the wallpaper on my BlackBerry. Maybe something clicked. I don't know, but I do know I can't get him out of my head.

Maybe motherhood is calling?

Social media + me = passion

This past month I've had the honor and privilege to give a presentation on how my organization is using social media. Every time I give this presentation I get even more excited. (I think some of my co-workers - and husband - think I'm nuts!)

It's so exciting to see what a simple 2-minute video can do and how the video can take on a life of its own virally.

For instance, take Nevin's snowman video. I shot this video in less than 5 minutes with just my HD Flip Video camera. (BTW, the Flip Video may be one of the coolest inventions ever! If you don't have one, you need to get one.)

Nevin's rehab therapist, Miss Janet, decided to take a creative approach to his physical therapy. You see, Nevin had been stuck in a hospital room for over two months, and during this time Dayton had received record snowfall. All Nevin wanted to do was go outside, play in the snow and build a snowman. But unfortunately, his doctor's would not let him because of his illness.

So Miss Janet, being creative Janet, decided to take the snow to Nevin - with the approval of his doctor's of course. Watching Nevin and Janet interact that day building a snowman was priceless. Nevin had no idea that he was doing "therapy."

Capturing that priceless moment on video has touched so many hearts all over the world and tells the beautiful story of why the staff at Dayton Children's do what they do every day.

And Nevin's video instantly went viral! In less than 24 hours it had over 300 views. Today, the video has almost 1,400 views.

This is exactly why I get so excited about social media. You can tell your story and show the world what your organization does in a matter of minutes.

If you haven't seen Nevin's video, take a few minutes to watch it. I'm sure it will make you smile. Nevin provides a smile to everyone he meets.

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(BTW, we had Nevin's parents approval prior to shooting the video)

Life lessons from a dog

Rufus, my best friend with four legs, is not doing well this week. In a matter of a day he has gone rapidly downhill. His back legs no longer work. He can't get up on his own. He can barely walk without falling. But besides the legs he is still the same old happy-go-lucky Rufus! That's what kills me. He is still eating well, he's alert, he still wants attention...but his darn back legs don't work.

In the past year, I knew this may happen. Rufus is 11 years old - we think. We adopted him from a shelter in Indiana when he was 4 years old. I still remember meeting him in the shelter. It was love at first sight. It was meant to be. Ahhhh...it makes me cry.

As much as I try to prepare myself for something like this and for the inevitable - it's never going to be easy and I'm not going to be prepared. I've gone through this before, but never with having such a special bond as I do with Rufus. Rufus has always been there for me. We've moved several times and he was my constant companion, along with my husband of course, but my husband is gone a lot.

Rufus has taught me to love unconditionally. To accept others despite their flaws or differences. To stop and notice the beauty of nature. To be grateful for what I have, no matter what. To love and appreciate the little things in life.

Rufus is one of the happiest dogs I have ever met. He loves kids, people and other animals and certainly loves the attention from all. Rufus also has a way with people - even people that aren't so sure about dogs. He lights up a room, makes children smile and creates conversations. I have met so many people because of Rufus. Rufus has always been the bright spot in someone's day and has allowed us both to show others love and kindness.

I adore my Ruffie. Unfortunately, I'm expecting the worse. Life, in all forms, is always too short.