“Can I touch you?”

And yes, I absolutely love the look on this dude’s face and use his picture often. I used it today because my guess is that this might be your face at reading the title of today’s blog. Am I right?

Let me back up . . .

When one owns a very small business such as mine, marketing is enormously important in order for folks to know about you and what you have to offer. Starting out 100 years ago, I went office to office marketing my Pediatric OT practice to the pediatric doctors and psychologists and man I am not good at shmoozing. Bleh! But, I did what I had to do. It also helped that I had worked in the school system for a number of years so many of the teachers and principals knew me and I thankfully got referrals this way as well.

But, because I am a one woman show and if I don’t work I don’t get paid, I couldn’t be away from the clinic to market so . . . I had to rely on a couple of other ways. No, not prostitution, that’s not what the title implies y’all, I’ll get there, you know I will . . . eventually.

Now, I was very against Facebook at first because I thought it was damn weird to take a picture of what you were eating and letting everyone know. That’s so incredibly odd to me unless you are a food critic and you are on assignment. I also thought it unwise to post pictures of you at the beach aka out of town, not at your house, which was perfect for robbing, although I accidently have done this without thinking so I need to digress on this last one. In addition, politics seem to get out of hand on Facebook and can be just awful and I didn’t want to even see or read any of it.

However . . .

When you have to be in clinic treating, you have to use Facebook for advertising. I have to hand it to Facebook, they have helped me with referrals through my advertising on there. You have to advertise where the folks are and there are a whole helluva lotta folks on Facebook! Facebook CEO, you did it man! You brought people together, even if they do want to post a picture of their food, and you are one rich son of a gun! Congrats to you!

I’ve also advertised in my kid’s yearbooks, in sports programs of who the kids are that are playing, and various other places.

And then I met Bob . . .

No, Bob didn’t ask if he could touch me, I’ll get there y’all, I promise!

Bob and I hit it off instantly and I have such a lovely connection with him, it’s as if I have known him forever. Bob is a publisher of a precious local magazine called South Huntsville Neighbors. This magazine is filled with articles from our town leaders, health article, business articles, events, and yes, advertising.

Each month you will find my little logo on one of those pages of this magazine and I’m right proud, y’all. I really am.

There were a couple of reasons I decided to advertise with Bob. One, he lets me write articles for him in his health section on occasion and since I love writing, that was awesome. I was also impressed with the fact that he offered a spotlight article with me and my company on the front if I wanted. I was both honored and a little nervous when he mentioned a ‘photo shoot.’

Now, I am a bit of a shy person when it comes to pictures or being the center of attention. I get all funny feeling inside. I’ve always hated pictures because I’m one of those people that over-analyze the photo and think, “Oh my Lord, my husband looks at this every day?!” I’m just not a fan of photos.

So, about 3 weeks ago, I get an email from a dude named Steve asking me when a good time was to set up my ‘photo shoot’ and I think I wet my pants a little and then was suddenly nauseous. Oh good Lord, I knew this day would come. We made arrangements and that was that. I was to be the center of attention of Steve and Sandra his sidekick, wife, and the art of set-up as well as my bestie, Bob, who would be interviewing me after the ‘shoot.’

Gulp . . .

Well, that day was yesterday and I survived the camera taking apocalypse and lived to blog about it. I was also oddly relieved that the camera didn’t suck out my soul because I don’t have time for that.

So, when Steve says, “I want a shot of you on your swing,” the gutter part of my brain goes hog wild because here we are, 3 grown people in ‘Toy Oz’ complete with a swing and a grown man just asked me to sit on the swing. “Um, what position do you want me in, Steve?” Oh good Lord.

Now, Steve is a huge cut up but also a professional and tells me to position myself with one knee on the swing and my other foot standing, though after looking at the pictures, Sandra and I agreed that I looked like an amputee so we nixed that.

So, Steve says, “How about you sit playfully and relaxed on the swing.” Oh y’all, I couldn’t help it. I swung one leg over the rectangle swing like I’d just mounted a stallion and Steve, Bob, and Sandra fell out. It was hilarious . . . no, I didn’t get a photo of that, though I should have just for kicks and giggles. Put that on your cover, Bob! Oh, just kidding.

At one point, Sandra and I noticed that in a couple of shots I was slouching so she told me to stick my chest out and I had to say this, “Sandra, I work with kids, I can’t thrust my jugs out too far or it’ll look funny and I’ll lose business.” She fell out again and Bob, with a grin, rolled his eyes so high, I thought they’d fall right out of his head and onto the floor and then Sandra and Steve would step on them trying to maneuver a good shot and then we’d all be in trouble. Especially eyeless Bob.

And then it happened, during one shot Steve sashayed up to me and said, “Can I touch you?” Oh, so much to say to that but I refrained and finally said, “Um, how exactly are you planning on ‘touching’ me?” Again, laughter, but Steve remained professional as he turned my hips at the angle he wanted for the next several shots. Bless him.

All and all, everything regarding the ‘photo shoot’ went great and Steve and Sandra at S & S Photography are both a hoot and very good at what they do. I was shocked at how great they made me look in my pictures and I wanted to congratulate them on accomplishing a miracle.

My interview with Bob was lovely too. I love that dude!

Well, I will be gracing the cover in the May issue and I’m nervous I’ll look like an alien who works in a little Toy Oz workshop who has a swing of her own, but we shall see. I’m interested in reading the write-up that Bob will do, but he’s great so it should be pretty good.

My ‘little workshop,’ as it has been called by one of my son’s friends, is my happy place and I’m blessed and honored every day to feel the pure joy of doing what I love.

Love y’all!!♥