Becky Robinson's Blog, page 48

Managing Social Media Expectations

Remember when social media was the new cool kid?

Somewhere after the wanna-be MySpace age, the IT thing was to get your brand, business, or organization on Facebook and any new social channel that popped up.

Remember feeling overwhelmed with all the social channels that all the “experts” said you HAD to be on, to be where the eyeballs were?

I remember one of my first “jobs” in social media, at the direction of the marketing VP with an actual certificate in digital marketing (the CEO always joked that he got it from a Cracker Jack box), was to go to every social network I could find and create an account for their new product line — complete with description and photo. #DigitalMarketingFail

When it comes to social media, I think we’ve come along far enough on the journey to have a proper understanding of what social media is and isn’t. The hype has died down, the list has boiled down to a few main networks to focus on, and the need to be on everything — even if poorly — has thankfully gone away. A few things have driven this trend, and they help to set our social media expectations.

Targeting

When organizations first tackled social media, it was with a “build it and they will come” frame of mind. Let’s throw this against a wall and see what sticks. Focusing on a target market helps to select the right social channel, refine content, and show up in searches to answer the right needs.

The latest Pew Research can give us some insight into where your target market is. Looking to target the below-30 crowd? Instagram might be where you want to focus. Got a product or service for women? You’ll want to invest some marketing dollars in Pinterest. Interested in the college-educated group? Facebook and LinkedIn are safe bets.

Search

Digital Marketers have a love/hate relationship with Google. Love because their data can help us focus on what is needful. Hate because they change the rules every so often to make sure we don’t abuse that data to game the system. For example, keyword stuffing is no longer going to help you get found online. Simply giving people what they’re looking for — no games, tricks, or manipulation — is what your focus really needs to be on. And the one that, with consistency, will bring the best results. Results that won’t suffer when Google changes the rules. Again.

Content and Value

Ever heard the phrase “content is king”? That’s because it is. Being on every social network ever created is pointless without the content that answers the question to someone’s problem. What value do you bring to the table? It’s better to be on one network and rock that out, then to be on five with mediocre effort.

Paid Advertising

The space is crowded now, and getting found or seen is not as simple as it used to be. Many social networks offer paid advertising to help alleviate this. While it’s never fun to have to bust out the wallet, it does help us to focus on all the above mentioned.  

None of these represent a magic bullet. Instead, it helps us get a basic understanding of how things relate in the social media realm, and therefore manages our expectations on what it does or doesn’t do. It’s a part of doing business in this digital age — and having the right expectations helps put it into the proper marketing perspective. It’s fair to say that, whatever new social channel is developed or however the current ones change, the dynamics of the above will remain the same.

 

Featured on Friday: Kaleidoscope by @ChipRBell

What was your favorite childhood toy? Perhaps it was a toy train, jack-in-the-box, or a tricycle. Memories from our childhood can be so endearing, representing the nostalgia of a simpler time in life. Our toys were objects of our affection because of one key principle – they entertained.

Kaleidoscopes have been a popular child’s toy since their creation in 1816 by Scottish inventor, David Brewster, and they have continued to delight and fascinate generations of children to the current day. They are known for their array of enchanting colors and mosaic patterns that change by a simple rotation of the animator. With each turn, a kaleidoscope reveals new patterns to charm the observer time and time again. The summation of a “kaleidoscope” experience is one of enchanting, intriguing entertainment!

Our featured author took the concept of a “kaleidoscope” experience and used those principles to provide a metaphor for customer service. Customer don’t want just “good” service, they want service experiences that are unique, charming, and enchanting.

Meet the Author – Chip R. Bell

Chip R. Bell is a renowned keynote speaker and a senior partner with the Chip Bell Group, managing their office near Atlanta. Global Gurus ranked him in both 2014 and 2015 as the #1 keynote speaker in the world on customer service.

Prior to starting CBG in 1980, he was Director of Management and Organization Development for NCNB (now Bank of America). Dr. Bell holds graduate degrees from Vanderbilt University and the George Washington University. He was a highly decorated infantry unit commander in Viet Nam with the elite 82nd Airborne, and a guerrilla tactics instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School.

Chip has served as consultant or trainer to such organizations as GE, Microsoft, USAA, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Home Depot, Marriott, Universal Orlando, Chevron, Harley-Davidson, Cadillac, Verizon Wireless, Lockheed-Martin, Allstate, and Victoria’s Secret.

Want to connect with Chip? Find him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or contact him via email.

Discover the Book – Kaleidoscope: Delivering Innovative Service That Sparkles

Kaleidoscope is about the different shades of colored glass inside the “kaleidoscope” of value-unique service. Each chapter reveals a different shade of its charisma and depth, and gives ideas about what is needed to bring innovative service to life. In Chip’s own words, ”Innovative comes from your core; it evokes an experience of genuineness, a sense that its source is deep, not superficial.” The book offers powerful, practical advice, along with engaging stories of ways a novel service experience can also be one that is profound.

Learn more about the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.

What People Are Saying

“Chip Bell articulates perfectly some of the fundamental truths of creating loyal customers that few people have been able to put into words so clearly. His passion for exceeding customer expectations is contagious . . . it’s hard to walk away from this book without feeling inspired.”

— Scott Scherr, CEO, President, & Founder of Ultimate Software

“Kaleidoscope speaks to the fundamental values that drive innovative service: trust, authenticity, and genuine care.”

— J. Allen Smith, President & CEO of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts

“Chip Bell’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ is packed with powerful illustrative stories that clearly convey timeless principles that are essential to grasp in today’s service economy. Compress the learning curve to customer excellence and learn from a master teacher!”

— Dan Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A

“Chip Bell’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a wise book with delightful stories on how to inspire your customers by keeping them at the center of all you do.”

— Liz Smith, CEO of Bloomin’ Brands

Learn More

Watch Chip’s recent webinar, which guides you on how to deliver innovative service experiences, or what Chip calls, “seriously sparkly service.” You may visit his website to learn more about him, read his blog, and discover his other services. Be sure to stop by his books site to share tweets or graphics to support the recent launch of Kaleidoscope.

What I Learned from My Cat

This post is part of our 2017 Team Buzz Builder Guest Blogger series. Today we are pleased to introduce you to bestselling author and customer service expert, Chip R. Bell. 

Week before last, I visited the Key West home of famed writer Ernest Hemingway. The descendants of Hemingway’s many six-toed cats still live on the grounds and join visitors as a part of their tour. His quote about cats got me thinking about what I learn from my cat. “A cat,” wrote Hemingway, “has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”

I know some people don’t like cats; I have friends who are allergic to cats. And I think I have read all the idioms that express negative myths about cats (e.g., scaredy-cat, fat cats, herding cats). Still, I watch my 11-year old black cat in action (or inaction) and marvel at what life might be like if I lived it more like a cat.

“Any cat who misses a mouse pretends it was aiming for the dead leaf.” –Charlotte Gray

Except for trips to the vet, my cat seems to enjoy every moment. She never panics even when there are loud noises nearby. She approaches every day with a pace and rhythm that is graceful, deliberate, and celebratory. Life seems, in part, to be about taking deep breaths with a focus on being… not just doing, doing, doing. When I make a mistake, I worry and sometimes punish myself inappropriate to the hiccup. When I goof, I wish I could just pretend I was aiming for the dead leaf.

“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” –Terry Pratchett

There is an obvious self-confidence about my cat. Being liked seems to be nice, but not necessary. Perpetually measuring up is fine. but certainly not the driver of her identity. She is centered and poised, even in circumstances that might warrant a bit of anxiety. You get the impression she completely owns her life experience without one ounce of victim, blame, or excuse. She is not cocky, just confident. I wish I could live more of my life with her emotional invincibility.

“After dark all cats are leopards.” –Zuni Indian Proverb

I think my cat believes she is a gift and fully embraces that sense of privilege. From the day we brought her home from the shelter, she demonstrated in her attitude how lucky WE were; she was just along for the joy ride. It is not that she is unappreciative; she frequently shows her gratitude for her privileged station in life. But when I watch her pounce at anything that could be mentally converted into an adventure, I sense she is always on a glorious hunt. I wish I could approach every day like it was an adventure, not just another day.

“Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties.” –William L. George

My cat washes herself a lot. I know an elegant coat has DNA roots to the survival of her cat-family ancestors. She just does it with such luxury. There is nothing quick and on-the-run about it. And she seems to relish the ritual as her way of getting a daily massage. I wish I could take care of my body, mind, and soul with the delicacy she uses to envelope her shiny cold-black coat. It means treating each day was an opportunity for betterment.

Cats are amazing animals. They are also a metaphor for how to live life to the fullest. And they are smart enough to focus on what matters, not on the trivial distractions that rob energy and spirit. As Jeff Valdez wrote, “Cats are smarter than dogs; you can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.”

Let this year be your year of the cat!

 

 

My Love Letter to Weaving Influence

Three years ago, my husband and I were in the City of Light, celebrating our “last hurrah” before we settled down and finalized the adoption of our five kids. We didn’t realize that it would be almost three more years before that was completed and the kids were home, so we made the most of our time in Europe and enjoyed being together, eating good food, and grateful for each moment.

Three years later, I’m not only celebrating Valentine’s Day with my husband and our kids, but I’m also celebrating our middle daughter’s 7th birthday which falls on this day of love. Much has changed in the last 36 months, including my role with Weaving Influence, but I find myself overflowing with gratitude and love for the way that I have been allowed to continue my connection with the team, while learning how to juggle being a mom of five.

When I talked to Becky earlier this year about the possibility of returning to Weaving Influence in a different capacity, I wasn’t sure how it was all going to work. However, while Weaving Influence has grown and I have changed, Becky remains the same in her dedication to her team, and her willingness to work with each one to find a way for them to fit doing work they love into the life they live.

This aspect of Weaving Influence means more to me now than it did during my time as the Book Launch Director. Now, as a consultant working a few hours each week while learning how to juggle kids, laundry, and snow days, the flexibility that I have in my Weaving Influence work has been a gift.

I am grateful for the freedom that Becky has given me to once again help provide for my family while doing work that I love. I appreciate the way that my former co-workers have welcomed me back – for however long – and have allowed me to ask questions as I try to get my “mom brain” back into work mode. When everything else in my life is changing on a daily basis, it’s been nice to have an outlet where I can work and thrive because I feel confident in my skills.

Some people choose a company to partner with because they like the price of the package or the quality of past clients. Some choose a partner because of a personal recommendation or a previous engagement with the team. I don’t know why you might be here at the Weaving Influence blog, or if you are looking for a book launching team to join you in your journey, but I can tell you that as a contractor, this team – and its fearless leader – care about the individual. They want success for you, whether you are an author, a Buzz Builder, a part-time blogger, an employee, or a tired mom who is trying to squeeze in some contracting work between school runs.

After almost five years, Weaving Influence continues to weave their influence online and in the lives of those who are fortunate enough to be a part of the WI community. As I have adapted to my new role within the company, I find myself feeling very much the same as I did during those golden days in Paris: enjoying regular engagement with people I love, savoring the work, and grateful for each moment.

Featured on Friday: Discover the Joy of Leadership by Willy Steiner

“What happens if we spend training funds developing our people and then they leave us?” says a CFO to the CEO. “What happens if we don’t and they stay?” the CEO replies. So goes the fictional — yet all too realistic — conversation in Willy Steiner’s new book, Discover the Joy of Leadership.

Far too often, leadership development is ignored or overlooked in yearly or quarterly plans. True, some problems can and should be addressed on the spot. But the immediate urgent needs can easily overshadow the important long-term goals, and busy leaders and managers end up failing to address critical issues like time-management and relationship-building… issues that will lead to failure, if ignored, or long-term success, if cultivated and nurtured.

This book is a perfect starting point for busy leaders, since it offers a buffet of methods from other leadership experts — like having dozens of leadership books in one handy resource.

Meet the Author – Willy Steiner

Willy Steiner has been an executive leadership coach for 20 years serving senior leaders on three continents in a wide variety of businesses. His goal is to help leaders get better results – by being better leaders.

He has held senior corporate leadership positions at GE, RCA, and Galileo International. He led various Management and Executive leadership programs at both GE and RCA and has also taught Organization Behavior and Leadership at the Graduate school level. He also owned Steiner Enterprises, a wholesale distributor operation that sold in several Midwestern states.

He resides in Evanston, Illinois, and has been involved with Habitat for Humanity and Breakthrough Ministries for many years. He is an avid reader, golfer, storyteller, and the proud dad to three grown children.

Want to connect with Willy? Find him on LinkedIn, or contact him via email.

Discover the Book – Discover the Joy of Leadership

Leading organizations and managing people are daunting tasks, especially in this rapidly changing world. Discover the Joy of Leadership: A Practical Guide to Resolving Your Management Challenges is Willy Steiner’s handy guide for managers and leaders that provides insights for a wide variety of challenges. In it, you’ll find:

Time-tested models and theories from the very best practitioners and experts.
Easily digestible chapters to assist in quickly identifying ways to respond to the challenges that confront you.
Superior resources for leading others, making the best use of your time, communicating for influence and impact, dealing with change and developing relationships that matter.
Targeted solutions to cut through the “noise” in your work world, based on Steiner’s 30+ years of corporate leadership and coaching.

Providing the right tools at the right time, Discover the Joy of Leadership will help you become your own best leadership coach!

Learn more about the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

What People Are Saying

“This is a terrific ‘how to’ guide for leadership. It covers all of the competencies I coach to with my team. The way the book is laid out I’m able to quickly assign a chapter or two to a team member and then follow that up with a conversation about how they can use the ideas for improvement. This book is chockfull of common sense ideas to improve your own skills or those of your team.”

—Five-star Amazon review

“This book is a wonderful reflection on the breadth of Willy’s insightful counsel that he has provided to me and many of my leadership team over the years.”

—Paul E. Purcell, Chairman, Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.

“This book contains [Willy’s] absolute best thinking on the topics most pertinent to leaders in any industry, based on real-world scenarios from the clients he’s coached, as well as time-tested models and theories from some of the world’s smartest minds. Willy is also an amazing story-teller with a great sense of humor, which makes this book both highly practical and genuinely enjoyable to read.”

—Zack R., Amazon review

“This book is the ‘how to’ handbook on leadership. Anyone who considers themselves a leader at any level should have this book in their library… and USE IT.”

—Rita Schaefer, Publishing Executive

Learn More

Watch Willy’s recent webinar, which provides targeted solutions to cut through the “noise” in your work world, or visit his website to learn more about him, read his blog, and discover his other services.

New Year, New Website

As the Web Projects Manager for Weaving Influence, I have the privilege of helping our clients though each phase of the web development process. From the first design conversation through the launch of the site, it can sometimes feel like there are a million moving parts to getting a website ready for the world.

Over the past number of months, the Weaving Influence team has been working hard to bring our vision for a new company website to life. From branding and strategy meetings, to rounds and rounds of mock-ups, to writing and editing copy, we have poured our hearts and souls into creating a website that we believe is a true reflection of our work and the amazing clients we support.

With our new website, we wish to be . . .

Your Strategic Digital Marketing Partner

Did you know that Weaving Influence has launched over 80 books since we opened shop in 2012? From our years of experience, we have developed a deep and strategic knowledge about what it takes to grow your online influence, resulting in more business and engagement with your brand. Visit our Services page to learn about how we can set you up for success, then get in touch to schedule a time to chat about your goals and how we can help you reach them.

Your Source for Professional Development

We are constantly expanding our offerings in order to help you achieve your professional development goals through cutting-edge learning opportunities. As always, we continue to offer regular free webinars on a variety of professional topics. The Weaving Influence blog continues to be an unmatched resource for book marketing tips, social media tutorials, public relations insights, and more. And our new platform for showcasing our Leaders allows event planners and others learn about potential partners.

A Crucial Part of Your Network

Weaving Influence is more than just digital marketing. We are a network of online communities that work together to support and provide valuable content for companies, leaders, authors, and other professionals interested in growth and networking. Visit our networks page to learn about how you can get connected with our book launch support team; Team Buzz Builder; our Corporate Champions program for continuing education in organizations; and our top-ranked leadership blog, Lead Change Group.

A Showcase of Top Authors and Speakers

We are proud to represent some of the top names in leadership and professional development. Our new platform for showcasing our Leaders is designed for event-planners, executives, and others who are looking for speakers, trainers, facilitators, or books for their organization. Interested in seeing who’s on the roster? Visit our Leaders page (we are adding our Leaders over the next few weeks, so check back!). Looking for someone to represent you as a speaker or author? Contact us!

 

Featured on Friday: Expensive Sentences by @JackQuarlesJQ

Making a decision takes one moment, but living a decision takes a lifetime. Would you agree? If we all take an honest inventory, I think we can all agree that some of our decisions have created a ripple effect on the trajectory of our lives. And think about it, you make hundreds…well, more like thousands of decisions daily!

Not only do we make decisions that impact our own lives, but each decision we make will play a part in the lives of many other people. On the home front, we dedicate substantial efforts to teach our children to make “good” decisions. With our significant other, we pair with them to make decisions about the future. In the workplace, managers teach employees to make responsible decisions to benefit the company. Each angle of our lives is entwined in decision-making!

In his new book that launched on January 31st, our featured author seeks to provide clarity on common decision making pitfalls that often lead to lost opportunity – such pitfalls create an “expensive” sentence in our lives.

Meet Jack Quarles

Jack Quarles is the founder of Buying Excellence® which leads clients through a structured process of defining value, increasing options, and then selecting the right solution. Over the last 13 years, Jack has helped dozens of organizations make better buying decisions and save tens of millions of dollars. As Director of Corporate Procurement at Sallie Mae, Jack led sourcing initiatives for software, services, and information central to the company’s core business. As a founding principal of Invoice Insight (later renamed Xigo), Jack implemented software and BPO solutions with Fortune 500, federal, and state government clients.

He helps mission-driven leaders have greater impact with their resources through wise stewardship, smart negotiations, and value-driven RFPs. He trains teams to consistently get greater return for the dollars they spend, and is a bestselling author, speaker, board member, consultant, husband, dad, and friend.

Discover ‘Expensive Sentences’

“A thoroughly engaging read that will improve your decision making, both professionally and personally.” 

— Scott McKeon, Professor of Economics, Stanford University

“This book shines a light on the shaky reasoning behind many team decisions; thankfully it also provides extremely useful tools and language to move to more solid ground.” 

— David Ruud, President, DTE Power and Industrial

“Challenging, convicting, and ultimately encouraging. Expensive Sentences is packed with practical wisdom for veteran and new leaders alike.” 

— Dale Pyne, CEO, Peacemaker Ministries

“Perfect for an office book club, highly readable and actionable. Applies to every function in the organization.” 

— Doug Pontsler, VP Operations & Sustainability, Owens Corning

From Amazon: Conversations have consequences. Discussions lead to decisions that shape the future for individuals, families, companies, and nations. Too often these decisions are derailed by faulty logic and false constraints. These pitfalls are not simply hidden, but deviously veiled in the guise of wisdom, truth, and common sense.

This book exposes the clichéd wisdom that leads to lost time, money, and opportunity. Readers will discover how to hear decision-making traps in real time, and learn to guide teams back to fact and logic that will lead to better outcomes.

Through historic examples, business stories, and personal anecdotes drawn from decades of experience, the author illustrates the prevalence and impact of flawed reasoning. Equally important, the book includes a clear path to improvement: sample text to upgrade conversations and exercises to correct assumptions and clarify solutions.

Learn more about Expensive Sentences

The best place to go to learn more about this inspiring book is on the book’s website. There you can find a free sample chapter, more information about the book’s origins, and beautiful share graphics to spread the word about his book.
Buy Expensive Sentences on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Watch Jack’s webinar, which identifies three common traps that sabotage decision making.
You can follow Jack on Facebook, Twitter @JackQuarlesJQ, or on LinkedIn.
You can also enter Jack’s hashtag contest on Twitter, and win some great prizes! Learn more about the #ExpensiveSentence contest by visiting his book site.

What’s your expensive sentence?

 

What To Do After You Land A Media Interview

Congratulations! You’ve just landed a media interview.

Now what?

Whether you hired PR services from a company like Weaving Influence or a reporter called you out of the blue, there’s a reason your expertise has caught their eye. It’s always good to do a little digging and find out why that is.

A Few Questions to Ask Right Off the Bat:

Where does this journalist work? Usually this will be obvious, but sometimes a freelancer might contact you from a @gmail.com or other address. It doesn’t mean they’re not legitimate, but it’s always good to verify their publication or station, and do a little research into circulation or listenership.
What are the last few stories the reporter has written? Or if a producer is contacting you, who were the show’s last few guests? If you have time, listen to or watch some of their interviews so you can get a feel for the program—and what you might be asked on air.
What are the logistics? You want to be prepared, especially for radio and TV.

For Radio Interviews:

What is the host’s name, and how is it pronounced?
Is the show taped or live?
Is it a phone interview or live in-studio? In-studio is always better—both for audio quality, and to get some facetime with the host. (Remember, it’s all about being asked back! Bring freebies like mugs, if you can, and also ask if you can send a book ahead of time.)
Will you be expected to call in, or are you to wait for a producer to call you? Either way, what’s the right backup number to use in case the first one is jammed or you don’t receive a phone call?
Will the host be willing to “plug” you, your book, or your social media accounts? Most are happy to mention that you have a book coming out—or how to reach you after the interview. (Frankly, it saves them time not to have listeners calling and writing to the station after the fact, asking for that information.)

For TV Interviews:

Where should you park?
How early will you need to arrive in order to get through security?
Will the show provide makeup services for you, or should you arrive camera-ready?
What does the host look like? What is their name, and how is it pronounced?
Just like for radio—will the host be willing to “plug” your new book, twitter handle, or whatever project you’re working on? Ask ahead of time and make sure they have correct spellings for web addresses and social media accounts, so that these can be used in an onscreen graphic.
Would the program like a copy of your book ahead of time, or a .jpeg of the cover to use onscreen?

Beyond this initial ‘homework’ when first contacted, you can sit back and relax. You’re the subject matter expert and this is not a test!

Sometimes a guest might request questions from a journalist ahead of the interview. Most of the time, this is not a good idea. For one thing, it makes you look a little bit nervous and high strung, and a high maintenance guest is not likely to be asked back on the show. Unless you’re running for political office, don’t worry—you’re probably not going to be asked any “gotcha” questions.

Clarify everything you need to clarify, but try to resist asking for anything more than general show topics. The show will be more conversational if you’re not glued to a set of talking points, and the person scheduling you for the interview may not be the one writing the questions anyway.

This is another reason why it’s so important to have a strong online presence. Journalists or producers will look for information about you online even before asking for an interview, especially for your biography/resume and any published works. What will they find?

On the day of the interview, show up or call in a few minutes early. Use a landline instead of a cell phone to ensure that the call doesn’t get dropped. Smile and stand up while you talk, if you can—both will make you sound more energetic and confident, and will keep you away from the distraction of your computer screen.

Standing up will also, according to some experts, cause you to keep the call shorter. Which is the last and best advice I can impart: be concise! Neither hosts nor listeners want to listen to someone ramble on and on. It even makes life hard for a print reporter, who then has to wade through 30 minutes of a transcript or notes (in addition to all of the other interviews they are conducting for their story) in order to find the best one or two short quotes you gave them.

If the host doesn’t bring up your book, website, or company name, try to work it into the conversation naturally so that listeners can at least Google you after the fact. But always, keep your answers short and sweet, and let the host or journalist ask follow-up questions if they want. Everyone will appreciate you for it. And a guest that is appreciated is a frequent guest!

 

Image Copyright: macor / 123RF Stock Photo

Featured On Friday: New Website for Bonnie Hathcock

The Weaving Influence team values our partnership with corporate leader and author Bonnie Hathcock, and we are thrilled to showcase the new website that we’ve designed and developed for her at BonnieHathcock.com.

Bonnie’s message is one of hope, inspiring people to look beyond their current circumstances, to choose joy and dream big, no matter what.

Meet Bonnie Hathcock

Bonnie C. Hathcock has over 35 years of experience in corporate America. For most of those years, she held C-suite positions at the top of Fortune 100 and 200 corporations. Bonnie began her career at Xerox Corporation, where she spent a decade learning world-class marketing concepts.

Her business and marketing acumen eventually caught the attention of a high-ranking executive from Siemens A.G., who promoted Bonnie to the position of vice president of human resources for one of the largest Siemens companies in the United States. Bonnie would eventually be promoted to vice president of Human Resources for US Airways, and senior vice president of Human Resources for Humana Inc.

Bonnie’s work ethic and drive for excellence awarded her the distinction as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Women in Human Resources in 2005. In 2007, Bonnie was named Human Resources Executive of the Year, a national award presented by HR Executive Magazine. In 2010, Bonnie was inducted as a fellow into the National Academy of Human Resources.

Bonnie has an MBA and has completed post-graduate studies at the Stanford University School of Business. She resides in Tennessee with her husband, Lee, and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Cubby.

Lilac Dreams – Coming March 6!

Bonnie Hathcock never wanted anyone to know how humble her roots really were. As she sat in the mahogany boardroom of one of the largest corporations in the country, she worried about being worthy enough to be there. She had made it to the top as one of the highest ranking officers of a Fortune 100 corporation. She kept her background out of view, because she feared being looked down on.

That was until the day she chose joy. Bonnie realized she was suspending the presence of joy in her life. She thought joy was something off in the future, when she wasn’t working and when she didn’t have so much pressure. Through a series of encounters with special people in her life, she realized she could be happy most of the time. She boldly embraced the pathway to unlocking her inner joy. It took work and practice. She began by confronting her shame: shame about her humble beginnings, her mistakes, and her limitations.

In confronting her shame, she made a discovery that changed her life’s perspective. Her past made her who she is and actually created the success she attained. In her struggles, she learned to overcome. In her disappointments, she learned how to hope. In the mistakes, she discovered how to be better.

Bonnie wrote Lilac Dreams to share the story of her youth… with its mistakes, hardships, and struggles. Despite her circumstances, Bonnie still had her dreams. Dreams of making something of her life and of going beyond her own limitations. Lilac Dreams is a book that will move you to look beyond your current circumstances, help you to push past your limitations, and affirm your worth in this world. Bonnie believes if she can do it, you can do it.

Check out Bonnie’s site to learn more!
Start reading her blog.
Sign up to participate in her book launch!
Connect with Bonnie on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Interested in our book design or web design/development services? Contact us to learn more!

 

The Gaps to Happiness

This post is part of our 2017 Team Buzz Builder Guest Blogger series. Today we are pleased to introduce you to author, consultant, and boy-mom Brandi Walerius. 

My husband reminds me often that the key to happiness is a short-term memory and low expectations. He says this jokingly, but not really. Seeing that he’s typically in a good mood, not stressed, and rarely disappointed, I suppose he may be onto something.

Reading Hyrum W. Smith’s (you may recognize this name, he’s the co-founder of Franklin Covey) book, The 3 Gaps: Are You Making a Difference?, reinforces my husband’s thoughts.

The Belief Gap: A Picture Perfect Story

Last Christmas, I had this perfect vision in my head of what our family Christmas would look like. My nine-year-old and three-year-old cuddled together in their matching plaid pajamas, taking turns opening the presents I so carefully chose for each one. I would be in the background sipping on coffee, capturing the picture-perfect scene on my new Canon camera. This did not happen. Not even close. My three-year-old’s diaper malfunctioned and we had to change his plaid bottoms out. For whatever reason he would only agree to put on Tennessee orange sweatpants. The whole taking-turn thing? Ha, the three-year-old once again had other plans. Overwhelmed and stimulated, he decided he would open one present an hour. Our Christmas morning turned into a 12-hour ordeal.

This is what Smith would refer to as a Beliefs Gap. I believed that a meaningful “successful” Christmas morning could only look one way. And when it didn’t happen? I have a choice to be disappointed, frustrated, and annoyed–or I could realize this is an incorrect belief and change my thinking. I can get creative and adopt a new belief. This past Christmas, I changed my belief. Christmas will be a fun-filled day with my children and all that matters is that we get to spend the day together. I lowered the expectation and put the energy and focus on what belief is really important. I closed the gap.

The Values Gap: Prioritize What Is Important

The recent death of my grandmother caused a pause in my life. Like most when a major life event occurs, you stop, pause, self-reflect, and ask yourself what really matters? I realized there was a painful gap between what I really value and what I’m doing. I value quality time with my husband, but find myself booking meetings at night and missing the heck out of him. I value being in shape, but keep erasing workouts from my calendar because I’m just too busy. I’m investing too much time, resources, and energy in things that don’t top my value chart. In 2017, I plan to prioritize those things that really matter. I will close the the Values Gap.

The Time Gap: Timing is Everything

Last but not least, Smith talks about the Time Gap. Time is a tricky thing, isn’t it? We think we can receive more of it, save it somehow. We can’t. That’s why it’s so important that we aren’t expending our time on bad habits, and value our time. For me, this means limiting mindless social media dumps, spending time with those who deserve my time, and investing 15 minutes to plan out my day and noting priorities. Yes, I’m closing the time gap.

So Much Truth

Hyrum W. Smith states that “inner peace comes from having serenity, balance, and harmony in our lives and can be achieved through the disciplined closing of the Three Gaps.” My husband says the key to happiness is “short-term memory (stop focusing on the past) and lower expectations (if your belief doesn’t meet your basic needs over time it is an incorrect belief).”

It seems like these two are really on to something.

 

Brandi Walerius, MBA, PHR, established Black & White Consulting where she serves as a Human Resources & Development Consultant. In addition, Brandi is a published writer and has written materials for magazines, online publications, commercial and film, and corporate content. When she’s not transforming her ideas and thoughts into printed words, she’s living happily ever after drowning in testosterone with her husband and two sons in northwest Ohio.

 

Image credit: gustavofrazao