Two weeks ago I was near Bass Lake, just south of Yosemite National Park, three miles into a half marathon when I tripped and fell flat on my face. I knew I was going down and was cursing all the way. Thankfully several runners stopped, helped me, and called the sweeper truck to come get me. 

A few hours later I was in the ER at a small hospital getting X-rays. The entire right side of my body was banged up good, but the brunt of my fall was taken by the fifth metacarpal of my right hand. A “boxer’s fracture” was revealed in the X-rays. I’m right-handed.

Now what?

I was told to take some time off work. I laughed.

I’m self-employed. I’m a digital marketing consultant. I work on a computer all day. I’m right-handed. I know, I said that already. I don’t get paid sick days or vacation time. 

And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I carry on. Because that’s what we entrepreneurs do, right?

When I got home I recorded this video. The transcript (edited for clarity) is below the video (8 min) if you prefer to read.

[ssp-video]

Greetings from Los Angeles, checking in to do my live video for the day. I am co-hosting a 10-day live video challenge with Lou Bortone and of course, I need to model what I teach and that is, doing a live video every day. Now we’re talking about Facebook Live and that’s why I’m here. We’ll also be talking about Instagram and Twitter live video, but for today I want to talk a little bit about something that’s come up for me in the last few days.

I’ve been faced with a challenge and the challenge is that I broke a bone in my right hand, which is my dominant hand. I broke a bone while I was running a half marathon up in the Sequoia National Forest near Yosemite and that has created an interesting situation for me. My left hand is very weak I’m finding out, and it’s hard to do a lot of things with only one hand that’s not your dominant hand. Now I talked about this a little bit on my personal profile the other day about adapting, and I’ve had to adapt a lot.

Two of the ways I’ve been adapting is in the form of my communication. I have been doing a lot more video when I’m responding to emails to my clients and colleagues. I’m doing them as video emails with a tool [Chrome extension] called Loom. The other thing I found that sometimes doing the video was not as fast as I would like it to be, so I started taking a look to find some free online voice to text software and I found a couple of Chrome extensions that I’ve been testing. [I ended up going with VoiceIn Voice Typing]

I’ve had to figure out how they work and I am now doing some voice to text typing and that is also interesting. They’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. So if you get something from me, if you see a comment on Facebook, or get an email from me that is a little bit weird and doesn’t have a lot of punctuation or capitals letters, it’s probably because I’m doing voice to text since it’s easier than typing with my left hand, which is not easy.

But the main thing that I’ve been grappling with, and you might have grappled with this as well, is the whole idea of how you show up. How you show up when you’re doing a video for example. How you show up online, how you show up at networking events and what that says about you.

I’ve had this tension because I typically try … when I’m doing a video, I want to look professional, I don’t want to have big sores on my face and swelling on my face from doing a face plant on a trail. I don’t want to necessarily be wearing a sweatshirt, but it’s the only thing that fits over this fiberglass cast that I have. So I’ve had to make some adjustments to how I show up.

 When you see somebody show up online and on my video, for example, you may be unconsciously judging what they look like and that may not be really how they want to be presenting themselves and maybe they don’t have a choice. Now with live video, there are two things going on, or there is something going on there that it’s usually more spontaneous versus a planned out, scripted presentation. So there tends to be a more casual feeling about live video.

I was talking about this with a friend of mine and she’s said, “Yeah, well that’s all fine and good, but what if somebody doesn’t know you and they see you casual and then they don’t take you as seriously as a business professional?” and that’s a good point.

The thing about live video is that you can’t get more intimate with people in terms of who you are behind the scenes, that sort of thing, but you also have to be thoughtful about how you’re showing up. So while this isn’t normally how I would show up in a video, I’d probably be wearing a different blouse instead of a T-Shirt, but a T-Shirt is easier to get on. I wouldn’t be wearing a sweatshirt. I might be wearing a sweater if I’m feeling cool, but it’s not so easy with this.

So I have to take that leap of faith that you’re going to be okay with that, especially if somebody who’s never seen me before. This is where the content is really what’s the most important thing. Most people will forgive the visuals if your content provides some value. Of course, I am hoping I’m providing some value. I thought about this question quite a bit, because there are again, two sides to it. How are you showing up?

How are you showing up?

 You need to be prepared for people making judgements about you, especially if they don’t if this is their first impression, so you watching this, this may be the first time that you ever see me and you’re saying, “Wow, she sure is pretty casual, maybe she’s not that serious about her business.” I’m not saying that you think that or anybody else thinks that, but someone might and we just don’t know it.

 So my suggestion is that when you show up, and definitely showing up is an important thing to do to share your message with people. Showing up to serve people, showing up to have conversations with your audience, that’s all super important, but also give some thought to what the visual message they’re getting is too. Food for thought. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. What you think about how you show up, how you see others showing up, do you ever have some of that sort of feeling of judgment when you see somebody that may not look or sound as professional as you thought they were?

Food for thought. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think about how you show up, how you see others showing up. Do you ever have some of that feeling of judgment when you see somebody who may not look or sound as professional as you thought they were?

 Do you cut them slack or do you just say, “Mm, nope, not happening”? I’d love to hear your thoughts about that. 

I would love it if you post in the comments below… your thoughts and ideas about how you show up, how you think about other people and the way they show up. Let’s have a conversation about that. Okay? Comments welcome and I will reply.

I’m going to jump off now because I’ve got a class to teach in a little while. Take care. Have an adventurous day, and now I’ve got to figure out with my left hand … I’m using a right-hand mouse with my left hand. Very interesting. 

= End Transcript =

Sometimes no matter what, no matter how you feel, no matter what you think people may think, you’ve got to take a leap of faith and show up.

The post Showing Up, Modeling, and Taking a Leap of Faith appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

Digital media changed the game in journalism. News Anchor Carey Peña recognized early on the significance and power new media was having on the way news is reported. As a storyteller, not only for the news, and now with her company Inspired Media 360, Carey’s focus is on storytelling for brands and companies as a way to better connect with their audiences.

Storytelling is at the heart of the content you create and influences how your audience sees your personal and company brand. And, that’s what Carey and I explore on this episode of Adventures in Visibility.

On the show Carey and I discuss:

• Carey Peña’s story
• What you can learn from Journalism about storytelling
• How to tell your story with your headlines
• How to use storytelling for networking and marketing
• Tips for telling compelling stories your audience wants to hear

This is a replay of the live broadcast with Denise Wakeman and Carey Peña. If you prefer to watch on YouTube, click here.

During the Q&A, Bonnie Frank asked Carey if she had always been comfortable on camera. Carey’s response was “no” along with this tip for dealing with the butterflies that comes with being on video, especially live video…

Recommended Reading

Badass Visual Branding

How to Build Your Brand with Live Video

Going Off the Beaten Path to Build a Brand

Blab Your Way to More Visibility

Download the Audio 

For your convenience, the mp3 is posted below, from the live show with Carey:

[smart_track_player url=”https://soundcloud.com/denise-wakeman/carey-pena” title=”Build Your Brand Through Stories” artist=”Denise Wakeman” color=”5181cd” social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” ]

About the Guest

Carey Peña is an Emmy Award Winning News Anchor, Reporter, and Political Show Host in Phoenix, AZ. Over the course of her 15-year television news career, she worked as a general assignment and investigative reporter, political show host, debate moderator and anchored three and a half hours of prime-time news nightly.  Carey founded Inspired Media 360 because she feels strongly about the changing landscape of media and the endless opportunities to Inform, Inspire, and Engage in a meaningful way.

Join Me for Future Adventures in Visibility

•  Watch previous Adventures
• Subscribe on YouTube 
• Subscribe and Review on iTunes 
  (if you enjoyed this interview, please rate and review it on iTunes!)

Do you have a question about how to create a more visible presence on the Web? Click here to record your question and I’ll include it along with my answer in an upcoming show! 

The post How to Build Your Brand and Visibility through Stories – Adventures in Visibility with Carey Pena appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

One of my favorite conferences is the annual BlogPaws event for pet bloggers. Held in Nashville, this year, it was off the charts amazing with over 500 pet bloggers and activists in attendance. For the second year in a row, I was invited to present on how bloggers can use video to engage with their audience.

This year, I had a co-presenter, my colleague and gal pal, Mia Voss of The Mia Connect. At the last minute, something came up so Mia couldn’t attend, but that didn’t stop us from co-presenting. You’ll see what I mean in the presentation embedded below.

Nothing beats live video for creating buzz, engagement and amplifying your brand and message. In this session, Mia and I, both experienced live video hosts, cover why small and large businesses should consider adding live video to their marketing mix. You’ll learn how to choose what type of video show to host, tools you can use, tips for pre and post show promotion… how to build your brand with live video.

Click Here to Download Your Free Checklist

After you watch the presentation and download the checklist, post your questions and comments below. We’ll get back to you as fast as we can. 

Related Reading

Use Short-Form Content to Amplify Your Message

Use Hangouts on Air to Build Your Platform

The post How to Build Your Brand with Live Video [video and checklist] appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

Here are some photo ideas for you:

• People – colleagues, customers, clients, vendors
• Places – conferences, workshops, business meetings, landscapes, weekend outings (pop in something personal every once in awhile to give your followers a behind the scenes look at who you are)
• Things – products, tools you use, tools you want, gifts you receive
• Quotes and Cats – ALWAYS popular!

Get Started Using Instagram

Once you set up an account on your smartphone (Instagram is primarily a mobile application) then follow these four steps to get going:

1. Start by following people you know and people in your niche (do a hashtag keyword search). 
2. Scroll through the home feed and click on the heart button to indicate you like an image.
3. Comment and use hashtags to connect with people.
4. Take a picture and post it!

Below the infographic (by Neil Patel of QuickSprout) I’ve listed some people who are using Instagram to create a memorable brand and build a loyal following. Check out what they’re posting and follow if you like what you see. And while you’re at it, I’d love it if you follow me and I’ll follow you back!

Easy peasy!

Follow these entrepreneurs to see how they’re using Instagram for their business

Lynne Knowlton, Design the Life You Love 

John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing

BlogPaws, all things pets and pet resources

Louise Myers, graphic designer

 Ileane Smith, blogger and podcaster

New Market BBQ, this one will make you hungry!

Amanda Palmer, musician and performance artist

Danielle LaPorte, Firestarter

Ellen Britt, Pink Coattails

Fit Men Cook, 15 second video recipes

There are so many more who are rockin’ it on Instagram. This is a good start, though. And, if you’re already using Instagram, who are your favorite people to follow? Give them a shoutout in the comments!

The post How to Increase Instagram Engagement by 182% [#infographic] appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.