Podcasts about shannon it

Tracklist:Dames Brown featuring Andres & Amp Fiddler-What Would You Do? (Two Soul Fusion Extended Mix) DJ Rae, DJ Spen-The Vision (Original Mix)Mark Knight, Mark Dedross-Fighting Love (Extended Mix) Todd Terry & Shannon - It's Over Love (Janika Tenn Extended Remix)Roach Motel -Movin' On (Sugarstarr Extended Remix)MD X-Spress-God Made Me Phunky (Jess Bays Extended Remix)DJ Rae, Martin Badder-Change (Sandy Rivera Remix)JUST US & EDDY & DJ RAE-Someday (Vocal Mix)Franky Wah-Make Me Feel Free (Extended Mix)David Penn & Crusy feat. Kadoc-The Nighttrain (Extended Mix)Yolanda Be Cool-Tremble (Extended Mix)DJ Rae, David Morales-Something I'm Going Through (Extended Mix Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01 Swedish House Mafia & Alicia Keys - Finally 02 Bob Marley - Jamming 03 Calvin Harris, Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love 04 Atb & Snebastar - 9pm 05 Yolanda Adams, J.Ivy, Sir The Baptist, Donald Lawrence - Church Doors 06 Anneli UK - Nothings Gonna Bring Us Down 07 Daft Punk - One More Time 08 Katy Perry - Lifetimes 09 Todd Terry, Shannon - It's Over Love 10 Will Clarke, Georgia Meek - Memories 11 Bright Light Bright Light & Mykal Kilgore - Heartslap 12 Kristina Bennett - Tara 13 Rocco Lupo - Dancing On The Moon 14 808 Beach & Amy Douglas - Whatever Daddy Says

“I did it. They said I couldn't, but I did it.”When planning for her VBA3C, Shannon got just about as much kickback as someone can get. She was ambushed. She was coerced. She was given the scariest information. Shannon joins us from England today and talks about how each of her four births brought her to where she is today. By the time she was pregnant with her fourth, she was ready to advocate. She was ready to fight for something she had never gotten to experience. Though none of her providers were supportive, Shannon stayed grounded. She made her desires known and stood by them. Shannon labored unmedicated for just over 14 hours. Then to everyone's surprise, she pushed her fourth baby girl out vaginally in 14 minutes!The VBAC Link Blog: Is VBA3C Right for You?The VBAC Link Blog: VBAMCHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details 04:04 First pregnancy and birth08:31 Second pregnancy and scheduled repeat Cesarean10:56 Third pregnancy14:04 A heartbreaking third Cesarean17:42 Postpartum during COVID19:55 Fourth pregnancy24:37 Getting ambushed28:40 Shannon's VBA3C birth36:32 “We are all so proud.”38:30 VBAC after three CesareansMeagan: Hello, hello. You are listening to The VBAC Link. We have our friend, Shannon. Are you from England? Where are you?Shannon: England, yeah. New Cambridge. Meagan: Okay, see? I'm so glad my mind is remembering. You are in England and you guys, she is recording. It is quite late there. She is such a gem to stay up and record and share her VBAC after three C-sections. Shannon: Three. Meagan: Yes. Her fourth was a vaginal birth. Uno, dos, tres. I can't even say. I can't even pretend that I know Spanish. Let's be honest. So three, you guys. After three Cesareans and we know in our community that this is definitely something that people want to hear. People want to hear these stories because it is harder to find the support. They want to hear what people are doing, how they are navigating through, where they are finding support, and what they are doing to have their vaginal birth after multiple Cesareans. We are excited, Shannon, for you to share your stories today. 01:07 Review of the WeekMeagan: We do have a Review of the Week so we're going to get into that and then we'll dive right in. Okay, so this is from morgane and it says, “I'm Not Alone.” I love that title because Women of Strength, you are not alone. This community is so incredible and we're all here for you. It says, “This podcast has provided so much comfort for me in coping with my unplanned Cesarean and now planning for VBAC in March. The transition to motherhood has been somewhat lonely for me since most of my friends are not mothers and hello? Pandemic.” So this is a little bit ago, right? It says, “I am also an aspiring doula and spurred on by these ladies and their work. So thankful I stumbled across this group.” Oh my gosh. It says, “Us women really are strong.” I love that. Us women really are strong. I could not agree more. You guys, you are strong. You are capable and you have options. If that is not anything and everything that we talk about on this podcast, then I'm doing it wrong and you need to let me know on your next review. As just a constant reminder, if you wouldn't mind leaving us a review, that would be so great. You can leave it on Apple Podcasts, Google, or you can even email us. 04:04 First pregnancy and birthMeagan: Okay, Shannon. Uno, dos, tres– three. I'm saying it correctly now. After three Cesareans, you have had quite the different journey with each birth. Shannon: Yeah. I think each one taught me a little bit more and I probably wasn't ready for a vaginal birth with my first three. I think that while looking back on my journey it's difficult, I think it led me to where I am today. Meagan: Me too. I'm right there. Amen. Same. I love birth and I've always loved birth, but I do not think that I would be here right now with you today if it weren't for my experiences. Shannon: Yeah. I think the same. I'll get into where I am now when we're after my fourth, but had it not happened the way it did, I wouldn't be where I am now. Meagan: Who you are today. We grow and we learn and we inspire and here you are sharing your story. So let's talk about baby numer one.Shannon: Okay, so I was 19 when I had him. I just assumed that he was going to come out that way, that he was going to come out vaginally. It was going to go well. There were going to be no complications and it didn't turn out like that. I was due in the end of May and I think I was about a week over due. I went into the day unit here. It would be just where you would go if you had concerns that were slightly more than you would go to your midwife for but not enough that you would need to go to the labor ward for. Meagan: Kind of in between? Shannon: Yeah. Here, you have a midwife who is assigned to your GP surgery, your doctors, and they are usually who you see throughout. It's supposed to be a continous midwife, but it can chop and change. You don't see that midwife usually in the hospital so you deliver with someone completely different. Meagan: Oh, okay. Shannon: Yeah, so you don't get that continuity of care in labor. So I went to the day unit because I was having some hip pain. It was really difficult to walk and because I was overdue and I was already booked in for an induction purely because I was overdue, they brought my induction forward. I think I was 8 days overdue when I went in. I was induced. I had the pessary induction and it worked pretty quickly. It worked within about an hour, an hour and a half. Meagan: Oh wow. Shannon: They didn't believe me. They told me that it couldn't happen that quickly. Meagan: That's not super normal but it can happen. Shannon: They sent my husband home and left me on my own for three hours before they summoned me. I was 5 centimeters which is when they take you over to labor ward. I was wheeled over. I called my mum and my husband. Then it's kind of a bit fuzzy. I don't remember a lot from his birth. I remember that they broke my waters and there was meconium. They put the monitoring clip on his head. Meagan: The FSC, the fetal scalp electrode? Shannon: Yes. They put that on him and I was managing fine on the gas and air. Meagan: Was it nitrious? Shannon: Yes, yeah. Meagan: Okay. Shannon: Yes, the gas and air. It was about 3:00 in the morning and they told me that the anesthetist was going home and if I wanted an epidural then that was my last chance. I felt pressured so I got the epidural. All stalled from there. I didn't move off the bed. I think I got to 10 centimeters at 10:00 the next morning so I'm now 9 days overdue. I pushed. Nothing happened. They wheeled me to theatre. I think I started pushing at 11:00 and he was born at half 12:00 so lunchtime. He was a big baby. He was 9 pounds, 13. Meagan: Okay. 08:31 Second pregnancy and scheduled repeat CesareanShannon: That was that. I recovered and didn't think anything of it. 18 months later, we decided to have our second. I fell pregnant I think within the first month. It happened quite quickly. I did my research. I wanted a VBAC. I actually got signed off for an HBAC.Meagan: Home birth? Shannon: Yep. It was all going fine. Then I got to 32 weeks and I panicked because my mom is our only childcare and she lives about an hour. I didn't know how quickly I would labor because I had never labored spontaneously. I didn't know what was going to happen. So I booked a routine section. That was booked for 39 weeks. At 38 weeks and 3 days, I went into again, the day unit because I had reduced movements. They put me on the monitors and his heart rate was quite erratic. It wasn't settling. It was either quite high or quite low. There was no middle ground. I think they put me on there for about 4 hours and they just weren't happy so they brought my section forward to the next day. Meagan: When I read your note, I'm like, I don't know why, but that got me. If baby's heart rate is that erratic and they are that concerned, it would be that day and then. Shannon: Yep, but they were happy for me to go home and come back the next day. Meagan: Yeah. Yeah. It's just convenience. It seems, I am not going to say, but it seems like it was more of like, Well, it's already going to happen so we will make it for tomorrow. We'll give you this as a good reason why to validate it. Shannon: Yeah, no I agree now. At the time, I don't think I thought about it like that. Meagan: Of course not, no. Shannon: Yeah, because with my fourth, with my VBAC, I went through a lot of what happened before. I definitely think it was a case of they didn't want me to come back with more reduced movements and just sit there so because the section was going to happen anyway, they just thought– Meagan: Mhmm, let's do it. Let's move it up. Shannon: Yes. He was born at 38 and 4. He was 10 days early and he weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces. Again, he was quite a good size. Meagan: At 38 weeks, yeah. 10:56 Third pregnancyShannon: So then we decided to have a third. It took us a long time to get pregnant with her. It took us 14 months which was our longest conception. Our first one was four months and then a month so it took a while. She was due the 11th of April, 2020. I got to, I think it was about 30 weeks when talk of the pandemic was rolling in. We were like, Oh, it's fine. We don't need to worry about it. And then it all blew up. I had to go to midwife appointments alone, the hospital scans alone because I had to have growth scans because my babies are big. Everything was fine. I did want a home birth again with her, but they kept me waiting. I wasn't signed off until 37 weeks. They kept me waiting a long time to sign me off for that, but it was all signed off and we were good to go. I was feeling good despite the pandemic because we were in lockdown by the time she was due. I think the lockdown was called a month before she was born. Lockdown here for the first time was called on the 23rd of March and she was born on the 23rd of April. I remember I went into hospital and I had a growth scan at 40 weeks. She was absolutely fine, no issues. She was measuring fine. The water levels were fine. The placenta looked good. They gave me a sweep and sent me on my way and said, “I don't think I'll see you next week. You'll have this baby by the weekend.” It didn't happen. I got to 41 weeks and I went back for another routine growth scan. I remember going in the car on my own obviously and I felt good. I thought that they were going to say that everything was fine again and that they were quite happy for me to just carry on. It didn't go like that. I should probably mention that my hospital's policy is that if you haven't had your baby by 41 and 4, so 41 weeks and 4 days, they either induce you or they give you a section. That's their policy. I had this growth scan at 41+3. I went in, had this growth scan, and I was on my own. I didn't have any support. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon. She scanned me. In a week, my placenta had aged. It calcified and it was failing. Those were the reasons she gave me that she needed to get my baby out the next day. She gave me the pre-op swabs. She took my blood and she basically told me to come back the next day at 11:00. I had no time to prepare. I had no time to research. I had no time to ask questions. It was, “This is what's happening. You're going to do it.” Meagan: See you tomorrow. Shannon: Yep, basically. Meagan: Was baby's heart rate struggling? Shannon: No, she was fine. Meagan: She was fine. Shannon: She was fine. There was no reason at all. Meagan: That's interesting. Okay. 14:04 A heartbreaking third CesareanShannon: Then it was a mad dash too because I am the only driver in my house. My husband doesn't drive. Obviously, having a section means we can't go anywhere. Meagan: Yeah, and during the pandemic on top of all of it. Shannon: Yeah. It was a mad dash that night to get enough food in. House deliveries were like unicorn dust so to get enough food in, I had to arrange childcare with my mom. Otherwise, I was delivering alone. Again, she still lives an hour away in a different county. We were sure what the rules were because here, you weren't allowed to cross county lines. Meagan: Oh no way. Shannon: Yep. It was difficult. She did come up and she did look after the boys. I did see her before I went into delivery, but I didn't see her again until baby was 6 weeks old. She had gone home by the time I came home so that was difficult. I went in. I think I got to the hospital at 11:00. I was pulled down to theatre at 2:00 and baby was born at 3 minutes past 3:00 in the afternoon. She weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces, so again, she was a good size. I got back to the recovery ward. My husband stayed with us for an hour and then he left. He wasn't allowed to come back. I still had my catheter in. I was still numb. My phone was dead and I was just left because I couldn't get anything. Every time you had to call a midwife in, they had to put in new PPE on and it just took so much longer. I didn't get wheeled around to the actual recovery ward until about 1:00 in the morning. They admitted to me that they had forgotten about me. I was just in this room on my own. Meagan: I'm so sorry. Shannon: Yeah. They wheeled me into recovery. I still had the catheter in. That didn't come out until 7:00 the next morning so I was bed-bound with this new baby. They came around and took my observations. My temperature was raised which is normal after a section, but I was told that I might have COVID, that my baby might have COVID. I would need to be separated from my baby and we wouldn't be able to leave the hospital for 3 days. Meagan: Stop it. Shannon: No, honestly. Meagan: I am feeling very frustrated for you right now and very saddened. Yeah. I feel a little enraged because this shouldn't have happened. These things didn't need to happen to people. Shannon: I know and the more that I talk to other people who have had babies during the pandemic, it's not unusual either. Meagan: No, it's not. It's maddening. Shannon: It is. It's strange now to talk about it without either filling up or actually crying because it has taken me a long time to get to this point. Meagan: To process. Shannon: Yeah. She said she would come back in an hour. I remember, obviously, I had my catheter in so I didn't have to get up and go to the toilet. I was just downing water trying to get my temperature down. She came back at 4:00 and I did get my temperature down because I didn't have COVID. It was a strange experience. There were six beds in this ward, but I was on the end bed and there was a woman diagonally to me and there was a woman two beds over and that was it. There was no one else there. It was eerie. It got to the point where I couldn't do it anymore so 26 hours after my baby was born, I discharged myself and I went home. I was not staying in there any longer. 17:42 Postpartum during COVIDShannon: Even after that, I got home and I spent the first week in tears. Motherhood wasn't new to me. She was my third baby, but giving birth during a pandemic was a completely different experience. I don't know what it's like over there, but here you have a midwife check in at day 3 and day 5 and then you get signed off at day 10 by the midwife then you get sent to a health visitor who then looks after you until your baby is about 5 then they go to school. Meagan: Wow, I like that. We do not have that. We are just told, “We'll see you in 6-8 weeks. See ya.” Shannon: Oh. Meagan: Then you just go home. Yeah. It's very different for a lot of home-birth people, but that's how the hospital is. It's like, “We'll see you in 6-8 weeks and we'll see you then.” That's really it. Shannon: That's interesting. I didn't know that. Meagan: Yeah. It's not great. Shannon: No. So on day 3 and day 5, I had to go to a clinic. They usually go to your house especially if you've had a section, but because of the pandemic, I had to go there, and being the only driver– my husband can drive. Meagan: You can't even drive after a section, really. Shannon: My husband can drive but we had to stick the old plates on. We made it there but it wasn't great. Yeah, we did that. We do have a 6-week check. It's with a doctor. That was over the phone and then you get introduced to your health visitor. Normally, they come over to your house. That was on the phone. And then that was it. We were just left. No one met her until she was 6 weeks old. She was the first granddaughter because I'm the oldest and my husband is an only child. She was the first granddaughter after two boys. No one met her until she was 6 weeks old. I spent the first week in tears trying to process everything that happened. It was a difficult time. After that, we said we didn't want another one so we locked it away somewhere and didn't deal with it. 19:55 Fourth pregnancyShannon: And then we decided to have a fourth. I had to come to terms with it. This is the reason why I'm here now. I found out I was pregnant in October 2022. It was a difficult journey to get my VBAC. It was the biggest fight that I've ever had to do. When you find out you're pregnant, you contact your GP surgery and then you are assigned a midwife. The midwife I had this time was the same one I had with my third pregnancy, but the first appointment, she was actually off so I saw someone completely different and she was horrible. I only live 9 minutes from the hospital. Meagan: That's really close. Shannon: Well, I know from listening to your podcast that women travel for hours. Meagan: Way far, yeah. Like to other countries sometimes even. Shannon: Yep, but 9 minutes was too far for them. She said that 9 minutes was too far. The paramedics might not get to me in time. If I bleed out, I'm going to die. If baby gets stuck, I'm going to die. I'm putting my birth experience over a live baby.Obviously, they know I care about the safety of my baby but that's obviously their job. I left that appointment in tears. It was a great start. It didn't improve from there, really. I think spent the next, I think your booking-in appointment is about 8-10 weeks so I then spent the next 30 weeks listening to your podcast, and researching stats, risks, benefits, and percentages. I lived, breathed, and slept statistics for VBACs because she probably 99% is our last baby. We've now got two of each so we don't need any more. I knew that this was my last chance to get the birth that I wanted. Off the back of my booking-in appointment, they referred me to the consulting midwife at the hospital. She is higher up than a community midwife or just a midwife on the ward but not quite the head of midwifery. She's kind of somewhere in the middle. I had a few appointments with her and while it was beneficial, it still felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall because she wasn't listening to what I wanted. Every time I would come back with a statistic or a risk that she had– like if I corrected her, then I'd just get a “Mhmm, yeah. Okay,” or a patronizing nod. Meagan: Like, Yeah, sure. You think you know what you're talking about but you don't. Shannon: Yeah, kind of. At this point, I was 28, a mother of three and I was about to have my fourth. They were treating me like a child or that's what it felt like anyway. So I went to every appointment knowing that's what I wanted. I read off my stats, my risks, my percentages and told them I wanted a home birth. They again weren't for it. They tried everything they could to get me into the hospital. We have a midwife-led unit and we have the labor ward. The labor ward is more for ordinary births like if you are going for the epidural and you want the more hospitalized birth whereas the midwife-led unit is more of a hands-off. That's usually where the birth pool is. Meagan: If you want more of a medicated versus unmedicated, those are the differences here. Shannon: As a VBAC after three sections, normally there would be no way on earth that they would have signed me off for the midwife-led unit. I was too high risk. However, to get me into the hospital, they signed me off for the midwife-led unit. Meagan: Nuh-uh. Shannon: Yeah. That's the option they gave me because I was close enough if there was an emergency, but I wasn't too far away. That was their trump card. Meagan: Okay, okay. 24:37 Getting ambushedShannon: I still said no. I still wanted a home birth because that hospital was the one I had my daughter at during the pandemic and I did not trust any of them after being lied to by the consultant and coerced into having that third section. I just didn't trust them to do what I wanted. Meagan: Yeah. It makes sense. Shannon: Pardon? Meagan: I said it makes sense that you didn't feel that they were completely trustworthy. Shannon: So then I got to 36 weeks and I had a routine midwife appointment at 36 weeks. I walked into the room and my midwife was there but so was the head of community midwifery. I wasn't told she was going to be there. I was ambushed. She basically said to me that– I have it written down because I made a post at the time. She said that basically, my baby would die if I carried on with my plans to home birth, that there was a risk of shoulder dystocia, and hemorrhage that would both result in death. A delay in the paramedics getting to me so that would be death. I didn't want a cannula inserted as a routine at the hospital so that would be a risk factor. I have a high BMI so again, that goes against me and they said I had low iron because I was refusing blood tests so that again was something that went against me. I was told that if I hemorrhaged and lost around two pints of blood that I would die, that my veins would have shrunk so they wouldn't be able to get a cannula in me. I was told that they wanted to send three midwives to my birth. They normally send two but for some reason, they wanted three. I was told that my previous experience should be put to one side because it happened during COVID and it's not representative of how it is now. I was told that I was making the entire midwifery twitchy. Meagan: Oh my. Shannon: Oh, the midwife I saw at the first appointment, the one who made me cry, she was one of the ones who was on call and they told me if she was on call, would I go to hospital and I said, “Maybe.” In my mind, I'm thinking that they were trying to put her on rotation to get me into hospital. Meagan: Sneaky. Shannon: Yep. I was told that the head of community midwifery's responsibility is to make sure I'm comfortable with the risks but it's also her responsibility to make sure her midwifery team isn't traumatized by my birth. I was also told– oh, they wanted my husband to be at the home birth assessment as it's their responsibility to make sure he is aware of the risks of death so he is not traumatized like I hadn't spoken to him about any of this. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Shannon: On my way out of that appointment, my midwife, the one who had supported me as best as she could said to me that she can't wait until I give birth so that it's all over. Thank you. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Shannon: Yeah. So that was that. Meagan: Wow. What a way to feel loved. Shannon: I know. Again, I had to go to these appointments alone because my husband was home with the three kids, and my mom, again, lives an hour away. I don't have the support here so I had to go to these appointments on my own and to be faced with two midwives who are just coming at you with these scary statistics, it felt like I was ambushed.I think I sent an email then and complained. I got this really lengthy email back but it was basically filler but it had happened already. 28:40 Shannon's VBA3C birthShannon: Yes. So, my birth. She was due on the 1st of July but I always thought she would be due somewhere between the 25th of June and the 28th of June. I remember the 27th of June, I needed to go and get new brake pads and discs put on my car. It was the last thing I needed to do. I sat in the mechanic's feeling a little bit uncomfortable and a lot of pressure. I think I was about 39+3 at that point. I was just really uncomfortable. I sat there for about two hours and I was just like, Ugh, why is this taking so long? Meagan: You were ready to move on. Shannon: Yeah. The next day, my husband went into the office and I remember messaging him, I think you should have stayed at home today. Something just doesn't feel right. I feel a bit off.I woke up on the morning of the 29th of June and I had hip and leg pain which isn't unusual for me. I've got hyper-mobility syndrome so my joints are extra bendy anyway so to wake up with pain is quite normal, especially in pregnancy. It was half-7:00 in the morning and my husband thought it would be a really good idea to cut his hair for him. It's half-7:00 in the morning. I'm nearly 40 weeks pregnant and I was doing his hair. Then I felt a twinge. I was like, I don't recognize that pain. I'll keep an eye on it. They turned into contractions. I had my first contraction at half-7:00 in the morning and they got stronger. I said to my husband, “I think you need to sign off now. This is it. It's happening. I'm going for a bath to see if they go away or if they stay.” We had a food delivery come in that day. We had an Amazon delivery come in and we had I think the carseat base was coming in as well that day. So in between my contractions, I was having to go to the door a deal with all of this stuff that was going on around me. The contractions stayed and they didn't peter off. They just stayed. At this point, I was on all fours in the living room mooing like a cow which is bizarre because, with my first one who was my only experience of labor, my mum said that I was eerily quiet. It was different to make noise this time. My husband rang my mom and let her know what was happening and then he rang the hospital. They told me that the home birth service wasn't available that day so I'd have to come into hospital. It was only after he told them my name that that happened. We'll leave that just hanging there. Meagan: Yeah. Shannon: Then I burst into tears because I thought that as soon as I go into hospital, that's it. I'm not going to get my vaginal birth. They're going to find some reason to section me and that's it. My mom came and drove us to the hospital. She was staying with the kids anyway. I think I got to the hospital at about 3:00 in the afternoon. They examined me and I was 4 centimeters so I was allowed to stay. They took me into the room and I stayed there until I had my baby. I just labored. I don't remember a lot of it to be honest. When they say you go to another place, you go to another place. Meagan: You do. Shannon: The gas and air were amazing. I did try the birth pool but we had an issue here where they had to have air vents fitted in the rooms with the gas and air and they weren't done in the birth pool. I was in the birth pool for about an hour, but I wasn't allowed the gas and air. The pool was all right, but the gas and air were helping me more. I went back into the room with the bed and even though I said to my husband, “I don't want to be on my back,” I was on my back for most of the time. That's where I was comfortable. When I was in the pool, I said no to the continuous monitoring. I just wanted intermittent with the monitor. We didn't know what she was. At this point, we had no idea what she was but they couldn't find her with the Doppler. They asked me to get out of the pool and put me on the bed and they were going to scan to see where she was. I couldn't roll onto my back at this point. I was on my side and I couldn't roll on my back to get them to scan me to see where she was. Then I opened my eyes and the consultant that had lied and coerced me into my third section was in the room and I specifically said I don't want to see her. She was standing at the end of the bed and she said to me, “How long are you going to push for?” I said, “As long as I need to. As long as me and my baby are safe,” and she left. That was the end of it. I didn't see her again. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Shannon: Yeah. That was that. They managed to scan me and they found her. She was just really low. That's the only reason they couldn't find her. She was fine. She was happy. It went on again for about another couple of hours of moving from all fours on the bed to my back and I remember sitting up on my knees upright and I felt something go. I was like, “Okay, I think my waters have gone.” They had a look and they had gone on their own. I didn't have to have them pop like last time. There was no meconium. It was all good.I remember spacing out for a while going to that other place. I came to and it was burning. That ring of fire is real. It was real. I said, “Okay, it really stings. Something has changed.” The midwife lifted up the sheet and she said, “Oh, there is the head. Quick!” They had to scramble to get everything they needed. My husband was texting my mum so I got all the time stamps. They saw her head at 3 minutes past 10:00 at night and she was born at 14 minutes past 10:00. She slid out and we found out she was a girl which my husband told me which was what I wanted. I remember saying, “I did it. They said I couldn't, but I did it.” They wanted to get her a yellow hat because we didn't know what she was but because she came out so quickly, they only had a blue one so she's got a little blue hat and yeah, she was here. It was amazing. I did have two second-degree tears. They did only repair one and I wish they had repaired both because going for a wee afterward with the open one was hell. Meagan: Yes, not fun. Shannon: But I would take that over a section recovery any day. I was going to the park with the kids 3 days post-birth. I was walking around the house. I was able to go up the stairs. It was amazing. Yeah, I did it. They told me I couldn't and that I would die or she would die. Meagan: They really put up a fight and tried so hard. Let me tell you too, I don't know the right word but to stand up to that type of pressure, oh my goodness. That is hard. That is very, very hard. The fact that you did and it's not like it didn't affect you. Of course, it affected you but you were able to go and you were like, “Listen, I know the research. It's in my favor. I'm okay. I believe that it's the best choice because I really have researched it and truly believe that it's the best choice for me and my baby.” They just tried so hard to not let that happen. 36:32 “We are all so proud.”Shannon: They did. I think it was the next morning and I was just sitting in my room with my baby quite happy. The head of midwifery came into the room and I had met her once before. She said to me, “Well done, you did it. All of our phones were going off last night because it was flagged that you had gone into labor and we were all waiting to see what had happened. But you did it vaginally and we are all so proud. Well done.” I was like, “Well, you didn't tell me that at the time, did you?” Meagan: You're like, “I wish you had cheered for me in my pregnancy and not made me feel like I was crazy or scheming my husband,” or all of that. Oh my goodness. Shannon: Yeah. Meagan: You have gone through a lot on top of your birth and trauma there and recovering from all of that. You have grown so much and achieved so much. You should be really proud of yourself. Shannon: Thank you. I am. I think that like I said at the beginning, if it hadn't happened the way that it happened, I'm going to train to be a doula in May and June. Meagan: Yay!Shannon: Because I don't want other women to go through what I went through. Like I said, if it hadn't happened the way it happened then I wouldn't be here today. I'm grateful for the experience, but I wish that I had more support at the time. Meagan: Right, totally. I mean, that's definitely something that led me to the doula and obviously here where I'm at too. I think through these birth experiences, it's hard to deny that fire inside of you when you feel it. Right? You're like, I want to help people not have the experience that I had and have a better experience to the best of my ability. I'm sure that you will do it and you're going to take this passion and you're just going to flourish and touch so many lives. I'm so excited for you. Shannon: Thank you. 38:30 VBAC after three CesareansMeagan: Okay, so let's talk about VBAC after three C-sections. I think this is sometimes a hard one because we do have providers throwing out things and blank statements like, “If you hemorrhage, if this, if this, and if this, you and your baby will die.” When we hear those things, it is very scary and very overwhelming. When it comes to VBAC more than two after multiple Cesareans and more than two, the stats are harder to find. Did you find that it was really harder to find? There are not a lot of huge Cochrane studies at least that I know about where they have studied VBAC after three Cesareans specifically. Shannon: Yep. Meagan: We are often told by providers that the chances of uterine rupture are astronomically higher than our typical VBAC or VBAC after two Cesareans. For people in your area in England, what did you find local study-wise for your stats? I'm curious to see the difference. Shannon: I didn't. There wasn't anything, no. I remember I had to relay as much information as I could on VBAC after multiple Cesareans because I remember them saying to me that after two Cesareans, the risk of uterine rupture doubles and when they say that to you, you're like, Oh my god, that sounds really scary. What they don't tell you is that it only doubles from 1% to 2%. There's not much here that is different because there really isn't a lot. There was not support especially not from my hospital or anywhere like that for me. I just had to do it on my own. The internet is your best friend. Meagan: Yeah, I know. This darn internet can be your best friend and your enemy at the same time. That's why we are here and why we have our blog and all of the things because we want people to be able to find that best friend side of the internet and really dive in. We do have a blog on vaginal birth after three Cesareans. It is titled, Is VBAC After Three C-sections the Right Choice For Me? We will have it here in the show notes so definitely check it out. In it, we talk about how uterine rupture makes the idea of VBAC very scary. The word itself, “rupture” makes it very, very scary. When I think of something rupturing, it doesn't look pretty. It's something that we want to talk about in its real form. Uterine rupture happens. When it does, it is typically an emergent situation. However, it doesn't happen very often and when we're talking about VBAC, the world feels like, and I'm talking about world as in other countries too, it is bigger than it is like you were saying. It happens in really less than 1% of people so they are showing that with VBAC after multiple Cesareans, it might be slightly higher around 1.2%. It's just so hard. What I think is unfortunate is that it's not being offered enough to show the real stats, but what this podcast and what Facebook and all of the groups out there, the VBAC groups are showing, is that VBAC after three Cesareans is possible. It is possible. Do your research. Find the support and you did it. I mean, I'm going to say that you did it without support. I mean, you had support from your husband and stuff, but to the fact that they were showing up at the end of your bed like, “How long are you going to push for?” That type of stuff is not combined with the definition of support for me by the way and ambushing you and those things. You got through it without that much support backing you up in this decision. That is where we are shy here. I think that we don't offer the support. One, if you're listening and you're a provider and you offer VBAC after three Cesareans, please let us know so that we can chat with you and get you added to our list. If you've had a VBAC after three Cesareans and you are listening and had support, please message us so we can add your provider to the list because VBAC after three, four, and all of the Cesareans may not be the best choice for everyone, but for those who want it, let's try to get the information out there. Read up. Get the information. Like I said, it's going to be in the show notes and the blog. We have our course. There's not a ton out there on vaginal birth after multiple Cesareans so find what you can. Read what you can. Find the stats and do what's best for you. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Our Sponsors:* Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: drmombuttbalm.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast 327: Working with Teaching Anxiety [Consultation Call] with Lindsay McMurray   Description: Anxiety about teaching yoga and not feeling confident about getting up in front of a class of students is normal. Lindsay McMurray was struggling with teaching anxiety and posted in the Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group asking for advice. This consultation call with Shannon Crow is a result of that.   Lindsay McMurray is a certified yoga teacher who is also trained in the Yoga for 12 Step Recovery program. She is currently gooing through her 300-hr YTT with plans to become a yoga therapist. Lindsay has been practicing yoga since she was 12 years old and has supported her through many personal challenges, including eating disorders, and drug and alcohol addictions.   In this consultation call, Shannon and Lindsay discuss her fear and anxiety about teaching yoga. Shannon shares from her own personal experience and offers suggestions about strategies Lindsay could try out to address those feelings. If you have ever felt nervous to teach or if you are feeling scared to put something new out into the world, this episode is for you!    Key Takeaways: [4:08] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode, Lindsay McMurray, who joins her for a consultation call. [9:29] Lindsay posted a question in the Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group about getting confident in teaching yoga which prompted this call. [11:54] How have things changed for Lindsay based on the comments on her post? What has she found useful? [13:33] Shannon and Lindsay discuss her training programs and her experience in teaching during these programs. [15:48] Lindsay shares how her past experiences, anxiety, and feelings of self-worth are tied into her ability to teach yoga. [16:44] Shannon talks about the importance of how we support people with their mental health. [18:25] Has there been a moment for Lindsay in her teaching career that she felt everything was working? [20:26] Shannon invites Lindsay to reflect on what the benefits are for students walking out of her classes. [25:03] Shannon asks Lindsay if it's possible for her to teach now and together they explore the options of what that could look like. [28:01] There's nothing to be ashamed of with regards to feeling anxiety or feeling nervous to teach. [28:54] Lindsay shares some insights about her anxiety around teaching yoga. [31:19] Shannon pops in to share about an exciting free webinar by OfferingTree. [34:11] Shannon shares something that has helped her with her teaching anxiety. [34:46] Shannon shares about the anxiety she felt before starting the podcast and Lindsay talks about her fears about teaching at the treatment center. [39:07] Lindsay shares her "big why" for doing this work. [42:08] Shannon helps Lindsay put into action her plan to teach at a recovery center and reduce the amount of time she spends planning her classes. [47:56] The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook group community has been an amazing resource for Lindsay. [53:07] Shannon shares some of her takeaways from this conversation with Lindsay.   Links: The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 326: Teach Yoga with Confidence with Shannon Crow Facebook Post about Teaching Anxiety Saugeen Chief Shares Optimism About Upcoming Tourism Season At Sauble Beach OfferingTree Webinars Common Mistakes on DIY Websites (and How to Avoid Them) - OfferingTree Webinar The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Episode 284: Beyond Pronouns and Pride Month with Shannon Crow Previous Consultation Calls 002: Reconnect With Your Yoga Practice with Nina Andic [Consultation Call] 018: Get Creative with Your Yoga Cues [Consultation Call] with Brittany Alred 029: Creating Your About Me Page with Trevor Parks [Consultation Call] 040: Grow Your Audience with a 5-Day Challenge with Patricia Fasciotti [Consultation Call] 059: Market Your Yoga Teacher Training with Ashley Hagen [Consultation Call] 072: Email & Content Strategy [Consultation Call] with Kristen Boyle 081: Set-Up to Teach Private Yoga [Consultation Call] with Stephanie Brunson 097: Focusing In On Your Niche [Consultation Call] with Susan Hopkinson 132: Marketing to Increase Private Bookings with Amanda Mays [Consultation Call] 178: Tired of Social Media? [Consultation Call] with Devon Pelto 198: Share Your Yoga Specialty with Megan Mulrine [Consultation Call] Shannon Crow on Instagram The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group Pelvic Health Professionals   Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.   Quotes from this episode: "The more I do it, the more comfortable I get." - Lindsay   "It sounds like you're putting a ton of pressure on yourself to deliver this perfect class." - Shannon   "You don't realize how much we don't tune into these sensations in our bodies in the way that we feel physically and yoga provides that." - Lindsay   "There's nothing to be ashamed of with regards to feeling that anxiety or feeling nervous to teach." - Shannon   "My best yoga class experiences are when I don't even notice the teacher, like I forget the teachers there." - Lindsay   "I think the power is going to be in sharing your story, in saying, here's how yoga helped me." - Shannon   "Keep doing just one tiny thing when things feel scary or things feel overwhelming." - Shannon   "It's a huge myth that you have to reinvent the wheel every time you teach a yoga class." - Shannon

Chris takes a retrospective look back over the tracks that shaped the clubs through the 2 big influential dance music decadesRelive the club scene of the 90s and 00s with some of the best house, trance and techno classics every Friday night @10pm on Club RevivalGet in touch  chris@freedomfm.ie HOUR1Sterling Void & Paris Brightledge - It's Alright (House Mix) (1987)Clivilles & Cole - A Deeper Love (A Deeper Feeling Mix) (1991)Kim English - Nite Life (Joe T. Vannelli Mix) (1994)Todd Terry pres. Shannon - It's Over Love (Funky Green Dogs Miami Club Mix) (1997)Alison Limerick - Where Love Lives (Dancing Divas Club Mix) (1996)Donna Giles - And I Am Telling You (Stonebridge Remix) (1994)Blaze feat. Barbara Tucker - Most Precious Love (DF Future 3000 Mix) (2004)Tweet - Boogie 2Nite (Seamus Haji Boogie Mix) (2003)The Beloved - Satellite (Freedom Vocal Mix) (1996)HOUR2Inner City - Big Fun (Club Mix) (1988)Judy Cheeks - Reach (Brothers in Rhythm Club Mix) (1994)The Todd Terry Project - Weekend (Greed Mix) (1995)Kings Of Tomorrow feat. Julie McKnight - Finally (2001)Louie Vega & Jay Sealee feat. Julie McKnight - Diamond Life (Dance Ritual Mix) (2002)Eve Gallagher - You Can Have It All (Rhyme Thyme Productions Mix) (1995)Coming Out Crew - Free, Gay & Happy (Deep Throat Vocal) (1994)Praxis feat. Kathy Brown - Turn Me Out (Delorme UK Club Mix) (1994)Hannah Jones - Young Hearts Run Free (Way Out West's Heavenly Vocal Mix) (1994) Thanks for listeningChris Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I don't have any special commentary on this particular set other than it's an extension of everything already released. There are a lot of golden nuggets included here and volume 4 speaks for itself. I'll be putting the finishing touches on volume 5 today and will then start on volume 6. The final two volumes of this series will drop later this coming week. The annual Fall Edition will drop the following week (as there is a ton of promos clogging up my inbox at the moment) and our normal schdedule for the latest releases will resume. I know y'all have been eagerly anticipating new music and they will be heading your way shortly. Until then...ENJOY! Album : The Ultimate 90's House Classics [1998 – 1999] Vol. 4 Genre : 90's Classic House Year : 2021 Total Time : 3:27:59 1. Todd Terry pres. Shannon - It's Over Love (Funky Green Dogs Miami Club Mix) 2. Jordan Knight - Give It To You (Hot Tracks Remix) 3. Powerhouse feat. Duane Harden - What You Need (Full Intention Power Mix) 4. Bob Marley vs. Funkstar De Luxe - Sun Is Shining (Funkstar Club Mix) 5. Tori Amos - Jackie's Strength (Wedding Cake Club Mix) 6. Janet Jackson - Together Again (Tony Moran 12" Club Mix) 7. 98° - Because Of You (Hex Hector Club Mix) 8. TLC - Unpretty (Pumpin' Dolls Club Mix) 9. Gloria Estefan - Heaven's What I Feel (Love To Infinity's Classic Paradise Mix) 10. Deep Dish with Everything But The Girl - The Future Of The Future (Stay Gold) (David Morales Classic Club Mix) 11. Donna Lewis - Love Him (Soul Solution Club Mix) 12. Christina Aguilera - What A Girl Wants (Thunderpuss Dirty Club Mix) 13. Catapila - Void (I Need You) (Mark Picchiotti's Discofied Trance Vocal) 14. Madonna - Nothing Really Matters (Club 69 Vocal Club Mix) 15. Club 69 feat. Suzanne Palmer - Much Better (Future Shock Make It Better) 16. Mandy Moore - Candy (Hex Hector Club) 17. Cyndi Lauper - Disco Inferno (Soul Solution Mix) 18. Pet Shop Boys - New York City Boy (The Thunderpuss 2000 Club Mix) 19. Madonna - Ray Of Light (Calderone Club Mix) 20. Cher - Dov'è L'Amore (Tony Moran's Anthem Mix) 21. Soul Solution feat. Carolyn Harding - Let It Rain ('98 Remix) 22. Jody Watley - If I'm Not In Love With You (Dano & BK Remix) 23. Pocket Size - Walking (Sal Dano & Brian K. Mix) 24. Cher - All Or Nothing (Danny Tenaglia International Mix) 25. Hannah Jones - You Only Have To Say You Love Me (Rosabel's Classic Club Mix) 26. Ralphi Rosario feat. Donna Blakely - Take Me Up (Ralphi's Original 12" Mix) 27. Ultra Nate - Found A Cure (Full Intention Club Mix) 28. Billie Piper - She Wants You (Erick Morillo Double Platinum Vocal Mix) 29. Barbara Tucker - Everybody Dance (The Horn Song) (Club Asylum Remix) 30. Xscape - The Arms Of The One Who Loves You (Frankie Knuckles Club Mix) 31. Kathy Brown - Joy (David Morales Classic Club Mix)

Meet Shannon Shannon is the Executive Director of The Community, a nonprofit he founded while incarcerated to foster the successes, humanity, and agency of people with criminal records. He is also Co-Owner of Paradigm Shyft, a new Second Chance employment consulting agency that trains incarcerated people prior to release and helps employers benefit from this untapped pool both while incarcerated and post-release.  Meet Adam Three days after turning 15 years old, Adam was involved in a gang-related homicide and received a life sentence. He would become the youngest inmate within the walls of Wisconsin's most violent adult prison. But over the following 23 years of incarceration, he would renounce his gang membership and work tirelessly to keep teenagers from joining gangs. Today, Adam is dedicated to providing those released with the resources needed to succeed and making our community a safer place. What exactly does Second Chance employment mean and why should people care about it? Shannon: So second chance employment basically just refers to helping people who have gone through the justice system get employed after that experience. So it can be anyone who was sentenced to probation, sentenced to some years in prison, or as in Adam's case life in prison. One statistic that, to me, is the only conversation that needs to really be had when it comes to, what do we do when it comes to people coming out of prison and people that have criminal records, is that 95% of people who go to prison, come back. So who do we want them to be when they return to our communities, because they're going to be coming, regardless of what a person thinks, or what anyone believes in terms of their political ideology, they're going to return. So we should at least have a process set up to incorporate the value they have as human beings and as employers and as citizens as much as possible. So second chance employment is all about how do we best do that? Adam: Just to expound a little bit on what Shannon said, If 95% of the people that are going to prison come home, we should care about it. Because eventually, at some point, 95% of the people that have been incarcerated might be your neighbor. So do we want that neighbor to be somebody who can contribute successfully to society or do we want that somebody to be someone that feels ostracized has to go back to what they used to do because nobody will hire them? A lot of people who have gotten out of prison have children, and in no way is it an excuse to commit crimes if you can't provide food for your family, but we have to look at it realistically and understand that okay, if John Doe has served his time or her time, and they want to contribute to society, but nobody will hire them, what are they going to do? Again, no justification, but we have to really start looking at things logically. What has been the experience of companies and people in general who have hired from the justice impacted community? Shannon: So one thing I want to point out with that is that term is really interesting because there's a lot of debate within the advocacy groups and justice reform groups and abolition groups and all the other terms that go around this kind of word and really just comes down to people that have gone through the carceral side of the system, you've got justice impacted, system impacted justice-involved, there's a number of terms. That's one thing, I would definitely want to encourage anyone who's looking at it to not get too scared by what terms do I use or what language is appropriate? I think people would generally be very open to somebody just asking, "How do I refer to this population?" The heart is usually the most important thing. So that's one thing I want to touch on is the language can sometimes be a barrier for people when it comes to getting involved in a lot of things and the way the world is operating now with a lot of areas opening up for groups that have traditionally been disadvantaged to some degree. The numbers kind of speak for themselves, and you have the second chance business coalition has been put together and they have a number of companies, big-time companies, Kroger, Walmart, MasterCard, McDonald's, Amazon, they've all signed on as supporting this, and showing that they are really behind the value this population brings, and really trying to incorporate them. 82% of managers report that the value of Second Chance employees brings to the organization is as high as or higher than that of workers without records bring. It's something that we hear a lot too from organizations that get people jobs, and they get out. Even on work release, which we both experienced inside before we were currently in prison working at free jobs, is that there's a hunger, there's a humility, there's a desire to really show and get our life back that you get from workers that are formerly incarcerated that you don't always get from people who have been out in the world and kind of take a lot of things for granted. So both the numbers and our experience that we've seen personally and from groups that we work with, who get people jobs, shows that there's a significant value behind this population being hired not just as charity, but to help everyone grown and help out their bottom lines. What happens if there's still discrimination based on criminal history if that's the way companies are looking at things? Adam: I think it kind of goes back to what I was referencing earlier. What happens if that's the case? Let's say somebody with a criminal background applied for a job, they turn them down, and or continue to get turned down, what does that look like for them? So what does going dark look like? What does somebody do? So I think when you ask what happens, I feel and this is truly unfortunate, in my opinion, but I feel another victim is going to be creative because what other options are there? If they cannot work to provide that food or shelter for their family what does that look like? And so many times people just disregard that. They just kind of say, well, they shouldn't have made that mistake. But I'm a firm believer in whatever sentence you have shouldn't necessarily be deemed as a life sentence. If you're sentenced to five years in prison for whatever crime and you get out, if you can't get a job because of that record it becomes a de facto life sentence and that's unacceptable. How can companies approach finding second chance employees? Adam: They approach one of the many re-entry organizations that are in Milwaukee currently. Us, for instance, Partners and Hope, we are constantly bombarded by employers saying, "Look, we need workers, we just need somebody that's going to show up, day in and day out and work hard, we're willing to pay them well." One of the biggest myths I think people who have been incarcerated are told is that nobody's gonna hire them when they get out. Right now, at least in Milwaukee, in this jobs boom, it's the exact opposite. We can pretty much store our rock and find an employer willing to hire somebody. For a lot of people, whether they're in work release status, or Huber status, those are people that they know, for a fact are going to show up, unlike a lot of the other employees. So right now it's the best time in recent memory, in my opinion, for those who are with criminal records can get employed. I would imagine on a national level, that there are resources available for that? Shannon: There's a variety of resources. The things that I've seen, that I've encountered, that I find reliable, are kind of reaching out to some of those that can connect you to others. So Adam's organization, Partners in Hope, and mine in The Community, we very much are hubs where you can come to us we have a variety of partners. We're very deep into this space, in the city, and statewide and even nationally. The https://secondchancebusinesscoalition.org/ have a lot of little resources, a lot of advice, things for you to go to and organizations can then kind of have more of a boutique approach. So if you are trying to just get information on maybe an organization to contact or some stuff to read and get a better understanding of things. That's what stuff like Second Chance business coalition will help with or some of the other state entities, there's a lot of resource directories and so forth. But then if you really want to understand how to deal with individuals, the micro-level, that's where we would come in and be able to help incorporate and even attract, retain and train and retain talent. We have a whole pipeline of people coming out that we're connecting with to get them trained so that they will be really prepared to enter job fields and have connections with organizations and industries before they get out. So there's that loyalty concept as well. Honestly, you can reach out to us, and we probably can connect anybody in the state with where they're trying to go and what they need help with in this regard for hiring for this population. Can you share with our listeners one of your favorite networking experiences that you've had?  Shannon: I have a number of them because when I was inside, I was immensely blessed to just have people who would allow me to make three-way phone calls. So the organization itself began because of a small donation we had from an executive director of an organization called Hudson Link in New York, and they were one of the preeminent higher education prison programs in the country at that time. So just doing that reaching out to him and staying in touch with him and then he donated to help the organization get going and donated along the way. He's just been a really powerful advocate and resource since 2013 back when I first connected with him. So that was one when I was in and when I got out, clubhouse. A friend of mine who I knew in high school, I just was talking to him about a trucking company that I had set up with a friend. At the time I didn't know what I was gonna do and he was like, "Let me connect you on clubhouse, there's this trucking guru." I didn't know what I was doing, I just got on there and right away from that, I made so many connections nationally, in the work that we do that is really just borne fruit. It's just been really cool how the craziest things are just you go down an alley and find yourself in a palace sometimes. Adam: For me, if I had to describe my life, and success so far be at the results of networking. For me, one of the sessions that we run here is called Building Bridges with Law Enforcement, where we invite officers all the way up from rookie to inspector within the MPD to come to humanize the badge. We give our guys that have gotten out of prison, a chance to humanize the tattoo, so to speak. We create a safe space for conversation to be held so we can look at each other as human beings. One of these sessions there was at the time, a Captain that attended and she has since been promoted to inspector. She now is the supervisor of the police academy and last year with all the George Floyd and Blake situations, there's definitely a need for better relationships between the community and the police department. So that connection led me to meet the captain at the police academy and we came to a decision on how to best combine those who have gotten out of prison with those just entering the police department. So we came up with this idea where I was introduced and went undercover at the police academy. My name was Lieutenant Smith from Detroit and I kind of just gave myself a chance to humanize myself without the preconceived biases of incarceration. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life and it all came from a session that we did here that led to one step further and one step further beyond that. How do you stay in front of and best nurture your network? Shannon: For me, it's just been a matter of always trying to make sure that I'm connecting people to other people or resources that I see they need. Because then that fuels them to in turn, remember me when something comes about that they would find to be valuable to the work I'm doing or any projects I have or even like in my career in general. So it's always about putting myself out there for them first, and then trusting the process that it will come back around. Even if it doesn't you're still helping people that you've, for whatever reason found a connection to, and by then helping their work, it's just helping you still, because that's the whole goal is to have a macro view of the way we're operating instead of the transactional way which is a terrible way to operate the world. It'll come back to me, even if it doesn't because you directly offer something to me, you're just doing your work and doing good by the connection I made, the resource I provided or the help I gave you is going to help us in general, because I believe in what you're doing. Adam: For me, I would say, given the job title that I have now, community outreach specialist, networking and keeping those relationships active is paramount to the success of my role within this organization. I think it boils down to little things, just being a human being and accepting others as human beings as well. So as crazy and as simple as it sounds like I go back to those lessons I learned in the sandbox of just play nice with others, seem interested, be interested, and it might be off the topic of whatever current meeting you might be in, but I feel relationship building is a pivotal part of network building. Nobody's going to remember someone that just looks at you as a means to an end, I think you really have to look at the person as a person, which seems like an odd thing to say. I feel it's extremely important to humanize one another because I think that sticks in people's minds in the end. We've all heard of the six degrees of separation. Who would be the one person that you'd love to connect with and do you think you can do it within the sixth degree? Shannon: It's an interesting question because, for me, I feel that anyone that I look at it and they give me a sense of, "I wish I could talk to that person," just in my experience. Also, I'm kind of a baby, I've only been out now for eight months. But my degree is in business and I've read countless pieces of literature about how the world operates in this sense. So I feel like I'm versed enough to say this, that on the way to meeting that person through the six degrees, one of those degrees is going to be more interesting and more valuable in the person I felt like I was trying to get to. So it would be more so that I'd be wanting to reach that person with the intent of finding out who really is going to be more intriguing and more connected to or aligned with what I'm trying to do in life along the way. Again, just trusting that process. I like to explore, I think I'm just gonna find the thread and pull on it and I don't think that going for the ultimate specific person that I think is going to be who I want to talk to, is the best way to go. Adam: To answer that, I kind of have to help you understand what it feels like to have served 23 years in prison. Prison is a very dehumanizing place so I find that even today, I sometimes struggle with anything is possible. Even though I know that consciously, sometimes I feel not, actually, I'll take a step back before I answer my own thought. Inside everything kind of looks like it's a movie so when you watch the news, or you watch a movie or TV show, it all seems foreign, you don't necessarily feel as though you're a part of society. So now that I'm out, sometimes I have to tell myself you can contact whomever you want to. There is that avenue for that and I've realized in the two and a half years that I've been released, that the six degrees of separation concept are very accurate. I can only speak to really Milwaukee at this point, but I feel that there are very few people in Milwaukee that I couldn't contact within someone in my social circle. Then taking that nationally, I feel depending on the circumstance, the same would probably apply. I feel you have to have a give or a reason to reach out to some of these individuals. But I think at the end of the day, it's possible. I don't know if I put a name on the person I want to meet, but it would definitely be a large investor because I feel if we had the funds to do what we needed to do, we could truly save some lives. So rather than approaching a person for a reason, there will probably be a foundation that has the means to help us financially and make our community a safer place. Do either of you have any final word or advice to offer our listeners with regards to growing and supporting your network? Shannon: I think really just if you have any interest in the field that we're in, and in hiring from this population, and connecting to the pipeline of people we are working on right now, just contact us. We have a lot of experience and connections in this space to be of value to a person if this sparked their interest. Adam: I guess the last thing I would suggest is we get that people who have been incarcerated at the end of the day, they've heard somebody and you can't uncry those tears of that pain caused. So we get it, but at the end of the day, knowing that 95% of the people that come out, are going to in some way need to make the society a better place and so we just want to ask people, for those of you who are thinking about are contemplating hiring somebody with a criminal background, would you want to be held responsible for the worst mistake you ever made in your life, and have that held against you forever? Again, not taking away from the pain and harm that people have caused, we get it. But at some point, if we're truly invested in making our community a safer place, we have to start looking at things a little bit differently. Hopefully, at some point, everyone can give those who have made a mistake, a second chance.   Connect with Shannon & Adam   Emails: adam@paradigmshyft.org and shannon@paradigmshyft.org  The Community: https://thecommunitynow.us/  Community Warehouse: https://www.thecommunitywarehouse.org/

In this episode, we are talking about the sixth form programme at KGS and all of the elements that come together to make this programme the whole package.  Although Sixth Form at KGS provides a strong academic programme with outstanding grade results, the programme also provides valuable life skills and experiences.    EPISODE THREE TRANSCRIPT SIXTH FORM AT KGS: THE WHOLE PACKAGE [00:00:00] Students: [00:00:00] I think to anyone, it can be quite daunting moving from GCSE to A-level looking at universities, but KGS has made that really easy. I quite enjoy having a smaller classes. And I think that really helps when you can work together as a class. For example, in politics, we do quite a lot of debates and it's quite interesting to work together and debates - you pick arguments and you write how you're going to speak… [00:00:24] …whereas in a bigger class, I think it'd be more difficult. And also you get more one-on-one time with teachers and you can just email them [00:00:30] and ask them questions if you have any queries. So it's quite good. [00:00:36] Narration: Hello and welcome to the Kingston Grammar School podcast. Throughout this podcast, we will be speaking with faculty and students alike about important topics surrounding the Kingston Grammar School or KGS community. I am your host, Shannon Vandermark and whether you are a present or future parent… [00:00:55] …or student or simply interested in KGS, you are very welcome [00:01:00] for any listeners new to Kingston Grammar School, KGS is an independent co-educational day school located in Kingston Upon Thames, England.  Officially founded in 1561, the school can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. KGS is one of the most successful coeducational schools in the country.  Inspirational teaching, and a deep commitment to pastoral care means that students grow in confidence and understanding and individual [00:01:30] talents and creativity are able to flourish. [00:01:33] In this episode, we are talking about the sixth form program at KGS and all of the elements that come together to make this program the whole package.  Although sixth form at KGS provides a strong academic program with outstanding grade results. the program also provides valuable life skills and experiences. [00:01:53] Co-curricular activities on offer are vast from KGS's renowned hockey and rowing programs to [00:02:00] a variety of choices in music, drama and community service, for example.  The school's motto of work well and be happy is keenly demonstrated through each student's bespoke sixth form experience. My guests today include Headmaster, Stephen Lehec, Head of Sixth Form Lecture Program Anna Edwards, Head of Upper Sixth. [00:02:21] Chris Wenham and Head of P S H E Maria Robinson. I am still conducting these interviews remotely for this episode, [00:02:30] but it looks like I might be able to record an episode inside the school very soon. My first guest was Headmaster Stephen Lehec, who I get to chat with every episode and is always a delight. [00:02:44] Shannon: Hello, Steven. Stephen: Good morning, crikey. I guess no one knows it's morning. Hello. Good day. Good morning. Good evening and good night. And were you I'm very well. Thank you. Shannon: Thank you for sitting down and talking to me about the sixth form program at KGS. [00:03:00] Why do you think the sixth form at KGS is the whole package? [00:03:04] Stephen: Oh, gosh, that's a really big question, but it's a really good one because I guess you could ask any school leader, you know, does your sixth home offer everything that you think it should? And they'd say of course, because to some people, it just really needs to be around your A-Levels or preview or IB, the traditional competing factors A-Levels and IB. [00:03:23] And people would say. We've got what you're going to need in terms of the quality of teaching and the facilities and the [00:03:30] resources. They're going to get you to the next stage of your life. Be that a fantastic career or university. And we say, Yeah, KGS. That is really true, but that's one sixth or even one seventh potentially of what your Sixth Form experience will be. [00:03:45] So you've got the academic package, which is going to get you to your next stage. You've also got your extended learning, which is not only going to get you to university, but going to get you to the best university or course that you want to be prepared for. This could be Oxbridge. This could be studying [00:04:00] Ivy league in the United States. [00:04:01] This could be Canada. This could be your, this could be studying photography at Falmouth. It's the best photograpy course in the country. Right. But that's super curricular as we call them. Plus, you're going to have co-curricular so many, six forms don't have co-curricular don't have sports for students at that age. [00:04:14] They kind of very much rely on them doing it outside school or college. Right. We have all the careers and education advice because we have dedicated people to do that. We have all the outward bound and the trips. So that's Russia, that's Germany. That's France. That's South Africa. And on top of that, we teach people how to [00:04:30] cook a meal safely without giving themselves food poisoning… [00:04:32] …we talked to them about how to iron a shirt for your first interview. We have a lecture program that we're going to hear about. And we've got lots of bits of education, lots of soft skills preparation for life. And because you're in a school that is the type of school we are, you have a really kind of wraparound pastoral care system. [00:04:47] So. You have a teacher group that's 10, 12 people, or studying similar subjects to you with a tutor that knows their subjects, knows what your aspiration is that makes you welcome. Whether you're, someone's been in the school for the last three, four, five years, or you're [00:05:00] somebody who's brand new to the school, who's got a buddy and a mentor and a tutor and the prefects. [00:05:04] And so actually. We offer the levels and the advice and the guidance, but we offer so much more. I can't think of anything else we could put in that would make the Sixth Form experience, more happy, more fulfilling, more rewarding. And that's why, I guess we feel it's really just the whole package. Shannon: And those two important years from 16 to 18, there's quite a few choices out there for parents and students. [00:05:27] Aren't there. How do you invite people to see what [00:05:30] KGS is all about for those two years? Stephen: We have open events around June and that's in the summer of their year 10, all schools deliver fantastic service in their own, right. Everyone has their own individual way of approaching things, but obviously we get a few hundred students who every year look to us and say, if I'm going to change, if I'm looking at a potential change for six form, if I want something different, what does KGS offer? [00:05:52] And if they're looking at us, they're probably looking at two or three other schools and colleges as well. We're not gonna pretend to be a college. There's certain subjects we don't offer. We don't do [00:06:00] sociology. We don't do media studies. We don't do business studies, our profile in terms of our subjects. [00:06:03] We've got nearly 38 levels, but they're pretty facilitating academic subjects. It's sciences, humanities. Maths is very strong. We do economics rather than business studies. We do sports studies. A-level rather than BTech. We want students to go to Loughborough, to Birmingham, to Oxford, Cambridge, to Harvard, to Yale or to wherever, you know, I'm most conscious of making sure I get an American reference in when I'm speaking to you, Shannon. [00:06:27] Shannon: Syracuse University - you want to get them in there. [00:06:30] Stephen: Absolutely. I was just about some tip of my tongue, that number three on my list, looking around. And then I think people are surprised by the package by how much is on offer at KGS. When people are looking around on wondering and thinking, can I fit my choices in and where am I going to get the most support to get to the best university possible? [00:06:47] Then we're obviously an option for people and we get so many applicants that we want to cherry pick those people that we think are going to make the most of it, but also those people who really want to come because they want to come. Not because [00:07:00] their parents have said they should come. It's about getting from those couple of hundred applicants, the 20 to 30 who are really going to make the… [00:07:07] …absolute most of being here because it's going to fuel their desire, give them extra bits of potential to succeed and absolutely become a Kingstonian because people that come to us in the sixth form get embedded within the school. They're not visitors to the school. They're members of the school. Shannon: I just wanted to ask you, I know that you've got two daughters, is that right? [00:07:25] And so the older one has only just started university. Stephen: Yeah. I [00:07:30] started in KGS in 2014 and she was just about 20 year nine. So she came with that and she loved it, did so well with a GCSE. And then I tried to that classic thing as a parent saying, these are the levels you need to do. Because I have this vision of you going to Oxford and she was like, dad, you know what you say, to all the other people about being their choice, not the parents' choice. [00:07:53] She said that applies to me as well. Well, good for her. I was like, Oh wow. You know, we've got the grandparents involved. She [00:08:00] ended up doing biology, which was the subject. She dropped him. Sorry to say, but she did plastics. She did maths. She did drama, which was her favorite A-level. And that was the one I was like, Why are you doing drama and she said because I love it. [00:08:13] And I'm good at it. And actually the staff here are phenomenal, both the theory and the practice. So what a great choice for her that was. So she ended up kind of coming out with three stars, which was amazing and an EPQ and a love of netball and rowing and sports and community [00:08:30] service. And she was a prefect and I stayed out of all of that. [00:08:33] I was kind of like, I don't want to know. Because you made your choices. This is your bed.  You're going to lie in it. And so I said to her, right, but you're on for really good grades. So I want you to think about Oxford again. And he said, Dad, you're doing it again. You're interfering. I've spoken to Mr. Cooper, the academic deputy, I've spoken to Mr. [00:08:49] Fitzgerald. Who's director of careers and universities. I've spoken to my teachers. I'm going to go and study liberal arts and natural sciences at Birmingham. And I said why? And she said, [00:09:00] because I want to study liberal arts and natural sciences. She's majoring currently in economics, which she didn't study for at A-level. [00:09:06] And she said, and that is the best university for that course. So that's the course I want to do. That's the best university for it. That's where I'm going to get into. And you can keep your Oxbridge, isn't your thing. And I was thinking, Oh no, my stats, my Oxbridge stats. [00:09:23] But that's the thing. We have students who make very informed decisions and we have to remember the, whether it's our own children or other people's [00:09:30] children, it's their choice. It's their life. So Alice was for me a great success story here, she did well,  she did her own thing, really proud of what she's doing. [00:09:39] She's now on the verge of completing her first year at Birmingham. Shannon: Wow. I can tell how proud you are of them and not just because of the stats obviously, but because they are making their own decisions, which you as a father and a headmaster have encouraged. Absolutely. Thank you so much for speaking with me. [00:09:55] Stephen: Not at all, not at all. And I apologize for rambling on about lots of stuff that I'm very [00:10:00] excited about and, um, Really, really excited for what the next few years hold once we can start meeting people again in person IRL, as people say, starting to have real life meetings, Shannon: hashtag IRL. Absolutely. And it's been lovely chatting to you again. [00:10:14] Stephen: Thank you. [00:10:18] Student: I came to KGS in first year. So I was 11. So I've been here the whole way through. I preferred the idea of going to a smaller school.  Sport was really important to me; I play netball and hockey and KGS [00:10:30] offers that as well. I was also interested in other schools that had a combined cadet force, because that's a massive part of my life here at KGS. [00:10:37] And then also just the subjects I wanted to take. [00:10:43] Narration: next. I was joined by Anna Edwards, who is head of the sixth form lecture program, and also head of the psychology department at KGS and his enthusiasm for the program was so tangible that made me want to attend myself. Anna: The sixth form lecture program is fantastic. [00:11:00] I absolutely love running it partly because I get to then listen to some of these fantastic lectures myself, which is a real bonus. [00:11:07] Each year, we have a broad range of speakers, so they can be politicians, novelists, academics, those just sharing remarkable life stories. They come and speak to our six form alongside more six form specific lectures. And the purpose of the program is to give our students a greater academic diversity and enhance the curriculum that they do. [00:11:29] And it [00:11:30] gives them access to speakers that they may not come into contact with. Usually. It's really important that they develop alternative perspective to some of the views that they've been exposed to. And this in turn helps develop their cultural capital. I'd like to think that all the students will have a lecturer too, that will stick with them and will be really memorable. [00:11:51] Shannon: What do you think it is about young people at this age in particular that is interesting to you and why are you passionate about supporting young people at this [00:12:00] age in their lives? Anna: Sixth Form is such a key two years. We often talk about the transition between primary school to secondary school, but this transition between six form and leaving home, it's monumental, it's huge. [00:12:13] They will have to develop a huge amount of responsibility over their own health, finances, wellbeing, and there's so many things to consider that we, as a school, have a responsibility to prepare our students on how to manage this. [00:12:30] And how to manage these changes alongside PSHE. We take them through a lot of these changes, these processes, how to apply for their UCAS, how to apply for student finance, how they'd go about applying for a universities, abroad, how to… [00:12:46] …keep themselves safe at university while on nights out when traveling festivals and also how to safeguard their own mental health. When they're at university, university is marketed as a really [00:13:00] exciting time for them, but actually it can be quite difficult. So if they know, and if we show them where there are student services, if they find themselves in a difficult position, we know that we are sending our students off with the best opportunity to enjoy their time at university or work. [00:13:16] Shannon:Right. You don't get training for other phases in life so much, do you? know, still, unfortunately, fortunately, sometimes Anna: there are stages in life where actually it would have been nice to when having children be handed an instruction manual, but we try [00:13:30] and do that for them as much as possible. Shannon: Why do you think it's so important for a student to present themselves as well-rounded, while they're leaving KGS or while they're leaving academia or moving into another phase? [00:13:41] What is the benefit of a well-rounded individual in your opinion? Anna: You've only got to think that the ever-changing job market means that you probably won't be in a job for life and your future jobs may involve a completely different set of skills. So to succeed in the future in potentially a fast [00:14:00] changing labor market, you need to be a lifelong learner. [00:14:03] You need to be comfortable with continuous adaptation and willing to move professions or even industries if your profession becomes obsolete. So. Right from the get go. Students need to be seeking opportunities to keep the interests and abilities, broad and honing all their skills included their soft skills. Shannon: I guess, historically, the options for work were a lot more finite, the train for [00:14:30] a profession. [00:14:30] You did it for life. Didn't you? So. The importance of being well-rounded has evolved, would you say, over time? Anna: Yeah. Yes, definitely. I mean, I'm here recording a podcast as a teacher. This was definitely not my intention, but jobs evolve. A lot of our students will be doing jobs that don't exist yet. So we need to prepare them with skills that they can transfer between professions and industries. [00:14:52] Shannon: It's really interesting. I have a, one-year-old you say you're far off thinking about these things, but as soon as you start hearing about this stuff, you just start going. [00:15:00] Yeah. I already want him to be listening to music and taking swimming lessons, and I know it's quite far off, but are these things that you start to think about even from a young age? [00:15:09] Anna:  It's so important that you have interests for life, that you may have an interest in sport. You may have an interest in theater. You might have an interest in music. And actually these are things that you take with you and are important in later life. Even if it's just socially. Even if you then later on when you're working, you find a recreational football team and you can make [00:15:30] friends and have a way of exercising. [00:15:32] It doesn't have to be a competitive thing. It can be more to help your wellbeing. Shannon: And it's just life experience, isn't it at any age. And I think as children get older, students get older. I can only imagine it gets harder to persuade them or suggest that they keep their options open. But this sounds like a great way to give them lots of experience. [00:15:52] Anna:  Yeah. I would echo that and I think as they start becoming teenagers and the social aspect does become important, it is important to keep [00:16:00] all those things that they. Enjoy, and that gives them lots of different outlets. Shannon: Okay. Well, thank you so much, Anna. I know you've got a lot to get back to and, um, I really appreciate your time. [00:16:11] Anna:  Thank you very much. Okay. Take care. Thank you. Bye-bye. [00:16:17] Student:  We've been doing some interview style stuff to prepare us for applying for jobs. And then also interesting lessons as much more of a lecture, kind of feel to them compared to GCSE is where you'll have to take notes and you can decide [00:16:30] how much extra work you would like to do. And you've got all this independence and you know that however much work you're going to put in, [00:16:36] You're hoping to get those results out. Narration:  My next guest was head of upper sixth, Chris Wenham. Chris is also a chemistry teacher at KGS and is so passionate about guiding students through this monumental phase in their life. Shannon:  Hello, Chris, how are you? Chris:  I'm very well. How are you?  Shannon:  doing good. Thank you. I wanted to just kick things off by speaking to [00:17:00] you a bit about your responsibilities as the head of upper six and what your role is there at KGS. [00:17:06] Chris:  My job is anything related to the upper six. So whether that's on the academic side, in terms of helping students making good progress, whether that's pastorally and various other bits in between at the moment with the upper sixth, a lot of planning going into the end of year events and making sure that, you know, after this disrupted season of COVID, we give them the sendoff that they deserve. [00:17:27] You know, that's a little bit of fun for me at the end of the year, kind of putting [00:17:30] together leavers' clothing, hoodies, putting together the yearbook, organizing their prom. That's a nice way to ground off that time. So yeah, the whole spectrum of different things. Shannon:  And how would you say the sixth form program at KGS differs from other schools in your experience or knowledge of other schools? [00:17:45] Chris:  So I think at KGS, what we really try to do is to provide a personally tailored education. We're not a one size fits all. So you have to fit in this box. Actually, you can pursue your passions wherever they take you. So if you are [00:18:00] a high flying academic, then we want to push you. We want to make sure that your curriculum is as challenging and stimulating as possible. [00:18:06] We want to encourage you to have the highest aspirations, but if you want more vocation in your plans, then actually our careers department is very set up for that. And our careers advisor is not kind of fixated on this one track. You have to do. There is something for everyone, whether you are a sportsman or woman, whether you are interested in the spheres of drama and music, actually, there are plenty of ways where we [00:18:30] just encourage our students to thrive and excel. [00:18:32] So the thing I love about KGS, we're not an academic hot house. We get excellent results and I'm very proud of what our students achieve, but actually that is in a whole range of disciplines and fields. It is not simply about grades at the end of two years. Shannon:   Right. And why are you so passionate about supporting young people at this particular phase in their lives? [00:18:51] Chris:   I think the sixth form is so important. It is the culmination of everything that has gone before years. One to five are very important in shaping boys and girls [00:19:00] into who they are going to be. But actually sixth form is the time where all of that groundwork comes to fruition in terms of them making their own decisions for what they want to do with their lives. [00:19:10] Beyond that, I've always found it incredibly rewarding, working with sixth formers. They are a fun, creative, exciting, engaged bunch of individuals and actually helping them make the decisions that will impact the rest of their lives is just a massive privilege. And no one day is the same and I absolutely love it. [00:19:28] Shannon:  It's such an interesting [00:19:30] age, isn't it? Chris:  Absolutely. There are so many options and things to discuss and things to work through. It's just lovely. When you see young people find their passions and actually want to pursue it. And it's like, yes, our job is done. You're ready to kind of spread your wings and fly. [00:19:44] Shannon:  Right. Wow. That's great. And do you have any advice to students approaching sixth form or to parents of children approaching six form in terms of A-level choices and so forth? Chris:  In terms of your A-level choices, obviously you can't try all the levels, you are narrowing down, but when reflecting on [00:20:00] the subjects that you want to do at a level, what is it that you enjoy most at GCSE that is going to be the thing that you're going to enjoy spending the vast majority of your school career doing. [00:20:09] So again, don't choose something which you think, or that'll look good on a CV, or that will help me get into that university. It's like, well, do you want to do that? That is the key.  Shannon:   A bit harder to swallow for parents, do you think?  Chris:   It can sometimes be hard can't it, particularly if there are things that have influenced you as a parent. [00:20:27] But I think on the whole, all parents want [00:20:30] their children to be happy, doing something that they enjoy and actually sixth form and school is a time where you can make mistakes as well, but it's a safe place to make mistakes. And if you end up doing the wrong thing, well, actually it's correctable and we can give them the support to move in the direction that they want to. [00:20:45] Shannon:  Is there any advice you have, particularly for parents as they're deciding where to send their children? Are there any words of wisdom? Chris:  That's a good one. I think we want to showcase ourselves and all schools want to showcase themselves as actually, you know, [00:21:00] being caring for the individual and looking after the best interest of your son and daughter, talking to staff, you know, I love this school. [00:21:07] I've been here for. 11 years now. And it's just been an awful lot of fun. So, you know, those interactions with staff and actually seeing what do they enjoy? What is the character, what is the ethos of KGS? That's really important as we'll be the ones who kind of have the day-to-day responsibility for looking after your sons and daughters. [00:21:23] Shannon:  But it's such an important phase of their lives. It's important that they do have the support that they need or that they can benefit from it. [00:21:30] It sounds like you give a lot of that out. Chris:  Totally crucial. It is just such a joy and privilege being in the position that we are as teachers actually, you know, this is the end, this is the culmination they're ready to fly and they're prepared for this and they're ready to go onto the next thing. [00:21:41] So, yeah, it's a great place to be. Shannon:  And this must be of unique ending of a term for you as you near the end with this group of students, you've all gone through quite a year, two years in there. Chris:  Yeah. And I think it's been hard for them, particularly this cohort. They haven't had the normal sixth form experience and the [00:22:00] normal rites of passage that you might hope for sixth formers. [00:22:02] But actually I think, again, it's the testament to the wonderful resilience of teenagers. They have rolled with the punches. They have taken onboard ever changing government advice and just got on with the job in hand. And just like, so we don't like it, but we've got to crack on and we've got to do our best. [00:22:16] And that's what I've loved this year. I found it hard watching sometimes in terms of, as they struggle with the uncertainty, but they have done so well. And with the right kind of guidance and support, what an amazing life experience to have in terms of building resilience [00:22:30] and flexibility, for sure. Yes. [00:22:31] Shannon:  They are going to be well prepared for anything that life throws at them after this. I'm sure. That's right. Well, thank you so much, Chris. And, um, I really appreciate your time today. No, it's been a pleasure speaking to you. Chris:  Thank you so much, Shannon. Narration:  Finally, I spoke with a psychology teacher, Maria Robinson, who is also head of P S H E - a remarkable and comprehensive program that really prepares students for life beyond KGS. [00:22:57] Maria:  PSHE is those I'm sure plenty people know what [00:23:00] it stands for, but it's personal social health and economic education. So it covers a very, very broad range of topics. My interest is primarily in mental health as a psychology teacher. That's where my interest as lane for many years. And that feeds into the PSHE program that I run here. [00:23:16] It's not just us talking about mental health. It's basically trying to equip our students for life in and out of KGS as well. So we look at skills like building resilience, in them. What we do is we try and give them situations that might arise so they can have [00:23:30] ideas about what they would do, what warning signs to look out for. [00:23:33] We can't stop trials and tribulations that are going to happen. We can't stop bad things happening, but what we can do is make sure they're equipped so that when things do happen, they've got some idea about how to cope with those situations. Shannon:  And what's an example of a situation you might be helping prepare students for. [00:23:49] Maria:   It could be something that they all go through, so it could be exam stress. So what we try and do is give them skills from very early on. So in the first year we have a be happy program, which teachers love going over [00:24:00] with them. So. We talked to them about keeping safe and keeping healthy, but we also say, what do you do in your downtime? [00:24:05] What could you do to make yourself happy? So we look at things like Lego. We look at gardening, mindfulness cooking as well. So lots of different things that they can try if they're feeling stressed. So in that situation, when stress does happen, we can't stop that. How are they going to cope in that situation, but also having outlets for it. [00:24:24] People that can talk to those people they can talk to in school. We obviously put them to outside agencies as well, if they [00:24:30] want to talk to them, Childline things like that as well. So it's just giving them options happen. Invaluable. When they leave us at the end of the sixth form, then they're gonna find it more difficult to access the sort of support they get at school. [00:24:41] I know that universities do strive to put support packages in place for them, but. Students are then expected to show a lot more independence and they may struggle when they're in an unfamiliar situation to ask for the kind of help they need. So what we want to do is prepare them beforehand, tell them how they can access support with us, and then when they leave us as well, and also to remind them [00:25:00] that when they leave, they can still come back to us. [00:25:02] They can still turn to us for support. What I do is I email them all in their first term, after they've left us. And I do that around about world mental health day. And just say, we're still here for you. If you need us, you know, look after yourself, look after your mental health. And we also point them to external agencies at university that they can get help with their, if they need us, that kind of support whatsoever left us. [00:25:22] Shannon: So actually the sixth form program at KGS extends past when they leave you. Maria:   Yes, that's it. They may physically [00:25:30] leave us, but they're with us. Shannon: That's wonderful. Why are you passionate about supporting young people at this particular phase in their lives? What is this phase that has caught your attention and your passion? [00:25:41] Maria:   I think as a predominantly a level teacher, this is the age group that I've been working with and I've had two children go through this stage as well. They're at university and beyond now, but that moved from being reliant on your family on school and to certainly send home friends. To then becoming more independent. [00:25:58] It's really exciting, but it's very [00:26:00] scary for them as well. They're expected to act like adults in some situations and in other situations they're being treated like children. So it's really important that they get good advice and support to help them with this transition. Shannon: Do you have any anecdotes or memories of when your own children were going through this phase that informs the way that you support or guide the students now? [00:26:21] Maria:   Well, I was developing the program when they were both in the sixth form, so it was very useful. I would talk to them about the lessons I was doing. They also [00:26:30] made me jump in there because we also do a sort of more fun side for the episode. Next we give, we talk to them about skills like washing, cooking, cleaning. [00:26:37] Yeah. Ironing. And I realized I hadn't taught my son to iron a shirt. So we very quickly had a lesson on that. It was about the support afterwards as well. When my son went off to university, he found his second year quite difficult emotionally, and he needed a support from us. So it was. Making sure that I knew where to find that support for him, explain to the students before they leave us that they may need the support. [00:26:59] So [00:27:00] we look at mental health in the sixth form of how to get help when you're with us and how to get help beyond when you were at university. So they know that there are people out there who are waiting to hear from them. If they need to help inform the program for me. And it made me realize that parents need PSHE lessons as well. [00:27:15] Shannon: I know you've got kind of a timeline of the program that changes when a student enters lower six than when they leave upper sixth. Can you run us through that timeline and how your support and the program evolves and changes with this? Maria:   Yes. So the government [00:27:30] starch tree program. Is only four years, one to five. [00:27:32] So when they go into the sixth form, we have a lot more flexibility. We are required to put on a program for them, but there's much more flexibility in what we actually deliver to them. So what we do is we have sort of three themes that run through each term with both the lower and upper sixth. And we're looking at being an independent and respectful citizen. [00:27:48] We look at preparing for life after school, and then we look at keeping socially and academically healthy. So the lower sixth, we look at simple things like how to make Cornell notes. Obviously they've learned how to make notes [00:28:00] lower down in the school. But as a meeting into more challenging lessons is how to keep them precise and how to keep them useful. [00:28:07] So just very simple skills like that. We also look at the start of applying to university. What sort of things do they want to consider? What courses, where they look at? What about the geographical location? You know, do you want to stay close to home or do you actually, is this your chance to break out and be more independent and go to a bit further away from home? [00:28:24] Volunteering and the role that we as a school play in our local community, we also [00:28:30] consider wider topics such as LGBTQ issues in society. And also we look at political influences, which is preparing them for when they go into upper sixth and they're going to be voting. Right. We then in the spring term, that's just one term in the spring term, we focus on safety for them. [00:28:45] So we look at personal safety and obviously as they're getting older, they're more likely to be out at night. So we look at safety around, um, being out of the house. Safety around drugs and alcohol, because that whole scene is going to change for them. When they leave home, we look at driving [00:29:00] because we're going to start seeing them taking driving lessons and driving tests. [00:29:03] And this year we looked at issues around masculinity, the concept of toxic masculinity, because we want to raise awareness with our students of what is happening currently and what may happen when they leave us as well. In the summer, we sort of continue a bit on that topic. We talk more about consent. [00:29:18] We talk about gender equality and we're taking part in the HeForShe campaign, which looks at building gender IQ and that's part of the UN movement for gender equality. So we're sort of getting involved in bigger campaigns. We fine tune their [00:29:30] personal statements. We look at interview skills, so some universities will still do into your practice, but others don't, but every student will at some time have an interview in their life. [00:29:38] So we practice some of those questions. We look at networking and personal branding. We want them to consider their online presence from a professional perspective, not just from a perspective of what their friends can see. We look at voting they're about to turn 18 or they may have turned 18. So we look at what happens, what a voting booth looks like, what would be expected of them, how [00:30:00] to search for details of their local MP and who they might want to pick for. [00:30:04] And then we also talk about trip planning, which is a nice way. We sort of spend Christmas looking at things that might go wrong. If you plan a trip abroad, you might go into ready with your friends, look at all these scenarios. What could you do in those scenarios? And then we spent the final term really preparing them for leaving us. [00:30:18] So that's what I was saying earlier. We talk about, you know, washing ironing, cooking, shopping, cleaning. We also look at their mental and sexual health and where they can get support for that when they leave us. Yeah. [00:30:30] University accommodation, student finance. We want them to be able to make choices with up-to-date information to hand. [00:30:36] Yeah. I think it's a reasonably comprehensive program, but there's always more that we can add. Shannon:   It's very comprehensive. Definitely teaching children to become functioning adults, which, being in the workforce and just being out in the world, you realize how few people have those life skills! Yeah. Great. [00:30:52] Okay. Well, thank you so much, Maria is really nice chatting with you. Maria:   Thank you, Shannon. Yeah. Narration:   Thank you for listening to this episode. [00:31:00] of the Kingston Grammar School podcast. If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming KGS sixth form live event, please check out the Kingston Grammar School website at www.KGS.org.uk. [00:31:14] Or follow KGS on Twitter @KGS1561 on Facebook @KingstonGrammar. Or on Instagram, KGS1561. If you haven't listened to our previous episodes, do check them out. [00:31:30] In the first episode, we spoke to various students and faculty about the school's pivot into online learning during lockdown and how the KGS community was looked after and continues to be looked after in these uncertain times. [00:31:43] In the second episode, we covered the hot topic of personal devices, such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones in the classrooms and why KGS sees these one-on-one devices as tools, not toys.  Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts [00:32:00] so that you don't miss an episode and take a moment to rate and review the podcast as it helps listeners to find us more easily. [00:32:07] Join us next time when we speak to some luminous KGS alumni.  Special thanks to our guests this episode, Steven Lehec, Anna Edwards, Chris Wenham and Maria Robinson. Thank you also to Alison Williams, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Kingston Grammar School. This has been an Applied Reality Production, Executive [00:32:30] Produced by Shannon Vandermark, Sound Design by Alex Marcou.    

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk with Seth Halpern, Senior Vice President and the GM of the small/medium business division at WP Engine & Flywheel WordPress Managed Hosting, all about the importance of good, quality hosting for your small business site and entrepreneurial projects. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode twenty of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Before we get into it. Shannon and I have decided to move the show back to bi-weekly. It's just gotten busy in our daily businesses and we need to focus on those. So for the rest of this season, these shows will come out every other week! With that, Shannon, are you ready to rock? Today we have Seth Halpern, Senior Vice President and the GM of the small/medium business segment at WP Engine & Flywheel WordPress Managed Hosting.  We're going to talk about how picking the right hosting is imperative to your success online and some tips on how to make your site stand out online. Just a quick full disclosure, Goldstein Media is an agency partner with Flywheel and a very happy customer for more than 4+ years now. Welcome Seth! Topics & Links Let's start off at the beginning. Who are you? What do you do? And what's your connection to small businesses and entrepreneurs?So Flywheel and WP Engine recently joined forces (WP Engine bought Flywheel to be exact), how does this help the small business and the entrepreneur?What does a daily life look like at a WP Engine/Flywheel?The WordPress CMS now powers approximately 41% of the websites online. Why is having a good host important for companies running WordPress websites?Both WP Engine (via Torque Magazine) and Flywheel (via Layout) have excellent articles and posts about business and operations, not just hosting. How has these blogs helped educate consumers on your brands?Let's get down the nitty gritty, what is WordPress Managed Hosting/Optimized Hosting? How does it differ from just getting a $3/mo server somewhere?A lot of these bargain hosting companies have “WordPress managed hosting,” how is WP Engine and Flywheel different? Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk with Seth Halpern, Senior Vice President and the GM of the small/medium business division at WP Engine & Flywheel WordPress Managed Hosting, all about the importance of good, quality hosting for your small business site and entrepreneurial projects. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode twenty of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Before we get into it. Shannon and I have decided to move the show back to bi-weekly. It’s just gotten busy in our daily businesses and we need to focus on those. So for the rest of this season, these shows will come out every other week! With that, Shannon, are you ready to rock? Today we have Seth Halpern, Senior Vice President and the GM of the small/medium business segment at WP Engine & Flywheel WordPress Managed Hosting. We’re going to talk about how picking the right hosting is imperative to your success online and some tips on how to make your site stand out online. Just a quick full disclosure, Goldstein Media is an agency partner with Flywheel and a very happy customer for more than 4+ years now. Welcome Seth! Topics & Links Let’s start off at the beginning. Who are you? What do you do? And what’s your connection to small businesses and entrepreneurs?So Flywheel and WP Engine recently joined forces (WP Engine bought Flywheel to be exact), how does this help the small business and the entrepreneur?What does a daily life look like at a WP Engine/Flywheel?The WordPress CMS now powers approximately 41% of the websites online. Why is having a good host important for companies running WordPress websites?Both WP Engine (via Torque Magazine) and Flywheel (via Layout) have excellent articles and posts about business and operations, not just hosting. How has these blogs helped educate consumers on your brands?Let’s get down the nitty gritty, what is WordPress Managed Hosting/Optimized Hosting? How does it differ from just getting a $3/mo server somewhere?A lot of these bargain hosting companies have “WordPress managed hosting,” how is WP Engine and Flywheel different? Shout Our Sponsor We want to thank SavvyCal (https://socl.bz/savvycal) the scheduling tool your recipients will love to use. We’ve all tried different ways to schedule a meeting. From sending times and dates back and forth until a time can be settled on, to services like calendly that just give you a block of times to pick from. Both of these ways are cumbersome. SavvyCal fixes this, it superimposes your calendar on top of your recipients so make it easy to pick a time that works for both of you. Go to https://socl.bz/savvycal and give them a try today! Tell them we sent you! Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com.

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk with Corey Haines of SwipeFiles.com about building a community, doing the entrepreneurial jump during Covid and much more! Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode nineteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Corey Haines of SwipeFiles on the show. Corey is a seasoned marketers and brand builder, who is going to talk to us today about building a community, a brand for your business, doing elearning courses to educate people, and all about his love for the no-code revolution online. Welcome Corey! Topics & Links Tell us your background? How did you find your way into marketing?Before becoming an entrepreneur, you worked in the tech/marketing world at Baremetrics, right? What was the journey like leaving that 9-5ish job to go out on your own?What is a Swipe File?What is Swipefiles.com?Tell us about the community behind SwipeFiles.com?How can small businesses use the swipe file technique? What are the benefits and how does one get a swipe file started?Tell us about your courses (Mental Models for Marketing and Refactoring Growth).You are also a podcaster. You have two shows. Tell us about them?Everything Is MarketingDefault AliveYou're a big proponent of the no-code movement? Why? How can no-code help the small business owner and entrepreneur?What are some of your no-code tools?You're an entrepreneur and small business owner. How do you make time for all your projects, your family, and have a life outside of work?We're all slowly getting out of the Covid-19 pandemic, finally. How has the past year-plus affected you? How have you coped? Special Offer: DIGITALMARKETINGDIVE - 50% off Swipe Files membership (swipefiles.com/membership) Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk with Corey Haines of SwipeFiles.com about building a community, doing the entrepreneurial jump during Covid and much more! Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode nineteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Corey Haines of SwipeFiles on the show. Corey is a seasoned marketers and brand builder, who is going to talk to us today about building a community, a brand for your business, doing elearning courses to educate people, and all about his love for the no-code revolution online. Welcome Corey! Topics & Links Tell us your background? How did you find your way into marketing?Before becoming an entrepreneur, you worked in the tech/marketing world at Baremetrics, right? What was the journey like leaving that 9-5ish job to go out on your own?What is a Swipe File?What is Swipefiles.com?Tell us about the community behind SwipeFiles.com?How can small businesses use the swipe file technique? What are the benefits and how does one get a swipe file started?Tell us about your courses (Mental Models for Marketing and Refactoring Growth).You are also a podcaster. You have two shows. Tell us about them?Everything Is MarketingDefault AliveYou’re a big proponent of the no-code movement? Why? How can no-code help the small business owner and entrepreneur?What are some of your no-code tools?You’re an entrepreneur and small business owner. How do you make time for all your projects, your family, and have a life outside of work?We’re all slowly getting out of the Covid-19 pandemic, finally. How has the past year-plus affected you? How have you coped? Shout Out (Ad) So as much as we’re over the pandemic, we’re still dealing with Covid-19. Masks still need to be worn. Just because you need to wear a mask doesn’t mean you have to be uncomfortable. This is where our sponsor comes in. Breezy Masks have Silver-Nano protection. They are breathable, lightweight and fog free. They have two versions. Xchange: Most protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: The most breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Check them out today and thank them for sponsoring Digital Marketing Dive. Go to: https://socl.bz/masks Special Offer: DIGITALMARKETINGDIVE – 50% off Swipe Files membership (swipefiles.com/membership) Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM.

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to Amanda Natividad, the director of marketing for Growth Machine, a content strategy, and SEO firm. Amanda talks to us about how to best use content to not only get found online in the search engines but grow your authority online. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode eighteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Amanda Natividad, the director of marketing for Growth Machine, a content marketing and SEO firm. She's going to talk to us all about how content and having a content strategy is crucial to success online and in SEO. Welcome Amanda! Topics & Links You weren't always in marketing, content strategy/production, SEO, what did you go to school for originally?You were a journalist for a while. What was that like? Where did you do your stint?You're a professionally-trained chef. What made you go in that direction? What stopped you from becoming a chef full-time?We're all emerging from our bunkers after this last year of Covid-19, I know you're a parent, what's it been like working a full time job and having a little rugrat running around?What is Growth Machine? What are your primary responsibilities there?How do you use your previous experiences as a writer and a chef in your work at Growth MachineHow does Growth Machine help the small/mid sized businesses get found online and increase their ROI?Tell us more about Growth Machine and link-building. It's one of the most dreaded tasks for many in the online space, but it's an important one.What are some tips you can share with our audience when it comes to content? Many people see a blog as a hurdle and are intrigued by whitepapers and other lead captures, but are intimidated. What are some suggestions you have to help people get past these “phobias”?What tips do you have for writing effective copy when it comes to small business owners?Why is it important to have an overall strategy when it comes to digital marketing?  Amanda's Links Growth Machine Free SEO Course The Writer Finder The Growth Machine Podcast Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to Amanda Natividad, the director of marketing for Growth Machine, a content strategy, and SEO firm. Amanda talks to us about how to best use content to not only get found online in the search engines but grow your authority online. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode eighteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Amanda Natividad, the director of marketing for Growth Machine, a content marketing and SEO firm. She’s going to talk to us all about how content and having a content strategy is crucial to success online and in SEO. Welcome Amanda! Topics & Links You weren’t always in marketing, content strategy/production, SEO, what did you go to school for originally?You were a journalist for a while. What was that like? Where did you do your stint?You’re a professionally-trained chef. What made you go in that direction? What stopped you from becoming a chef full-time?We’re all emerging from our bunkers after this last year of Covid-19, I know you’re a parent, what’s it been like working a full time job and having a little rugrat running around?What is Growth Machine? What are your primary responsibilities there?How do you use your previous experiences as a writer and a chef in your work at Growth MachineHow does Growth Machine help the small/mid sized businesses get found online and increase their ROI?Tell us more about Growth Machine and link-building. It’s one of the most dreaded tasks for many in the online space, but it’s an important one.What are some tips you can share with our audience when it comes to content? Many people see a blog as a hurdle and are intrigued by whitepapers and other lead captures, but are intimidated. What are some suggestions you have to help people get past these “phobias”?What tips do you have for writing effective copy when it comes to small business owners?Why is it important to have an overall strategy when it comes to digital marketing? Shannon’s Event At The End Of April. April, The 23rd: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Amanda’s Links Growth Machine Free SEO Course The Writer Finder The Growth Machine Podcast Shout Out (Ad) So as much as we’re over the pandemic, we’re still dealing with Covid-19. Masks still need to be worn. Just because you need to wear a mask doesn’t mean you have to be uncomfortable. This is where our sponsor comes in. Breezy Masks have Silver-Nano protection. They are breathable, lightweight and fog free. They have two versions. Xchange: Most protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: The most breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Check them out today and thank them for sponsoring Digital Marketing Dive. Go to: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there!

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to Emmy Award-Winning journalist Kerry Barrett on how to get the most out of your online brand, online video, and presence online. Kerry has worked as a journalist for 20+ years and now brings her on-camera expertise to individuals and companies of all sizes. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode seventeen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Emmy Award Winning Journalist and turned brand ambassador and video/brand presence expert Kerry Barrett of Kerry Barrett Consulting. Welcome Kerry! Topics & Links Tell us a little about your background? How did you find your way into journalism?You've worked all over the country, including Philadelphia, how was each place different? We're sure you have stories for each place.How is work/life balance different now, being and entrepreneur, than it was as a TV journalist?What is Kerry Barrett Consulting? What is your aim? Let's talk storytelling. It is such a buzz thing. How do you explain the process and the importance to potential clients in a concise way?You're very active on social media, especially LinkedIn, how do you balance social media time with work and life?What's your favorite social network? You're on quite a bit. And very active.How are you using digital marketing to help your clients gain exposure and grow their business?What are some of the offerings that you do for your clients? What makes Kerry Barrett unique and special?Tell us more about your Friday livestreams and your video podcast(s)What have you taken from your time as a journalist and applied to your entrepreneur life?Hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? The most rewarding? Shannon's Event At The End Of April. April, The 23rd: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to Emmy Award-Winning journalist Kerry Barrett on how to get the most out of your online brand, online video, and presence online. Kerry has worked as a journalist for 20+ years and now brings her on-camera expertise to individuals and companies of all sizes. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode seventeen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Emmy Award Winning Journalist and turned brand ambassador and video/brand presence expert Kerry Barrett of Kerry Barrett Consulting. Welcome Kerry! Topics & Links Tell us a little about your background? How did you find your way into journalism?You’ve worked all over the country, including Philadelphia, how was each place different? We’re sure you have stories for each place.How is work/life balance different now, being and entrepreneur, than it was as a TV journalist?What is Kerry Barrett Consulting? What is your aim? Let’s talk storytelling. It is such a buzz thing. How do you explain the process and the importance to potential clients in a concise way?You’re very active on social media, especially LinkedIn, how do you balance social media time with work and life?What’s your favorite social network? You’re on quite a bit. And very active.How are you using digital marketing to help your clients gain exposure and grow their business?What are some of the offerings that you do for your clients? What makes Kerry Barrett unique and special?Tell us more about your Friday livestreams and your video podcast(s)What have you taken from your time as a journalist and applied to your entrepreneur life?Hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? The most rewarding? Shannon’s Event At The End Of April. April, The 23rd: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) So as much as we’re over the pandemic, we’re still dealing with Covid-19. Masks still need to be worn. Just because you need to wear a mask doesn’t mean you have to be uncomfortable. This is where our sponsor comes in. Breezy Masks have Silver-Nano protection. They are breathable, lightweight and fog free. They have two versions. Xchange: Most protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: The most breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Check them out today and thank them for sponsoring Digital Marketing Dive. Go to: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM. Join The CommunityWe have launched our community! It’s FREE and full of great people.Join Today!Let’s Go!

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to Annie P. Ruggles of the Non-Sleazy Sales Academy and self-proclaimed human-Muppet about how to sell, ask for money, and be successful as a small business owner. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode sixteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Annie Ruggles of The Non-Sleazy Sales Academy Welcome Annie! Topics & Links Annie! Where did all of this come from?What do you see as the biggest challenge in sales for small business owners?What are some misguided things that small business owners do that actually turn off potential clients?What do you see as the magic sauce in digital sales?As a small business owner yourself, what do you find are some of the hardest things to stay consistent withWhat words of wisdom do you have for small business owners?https://www.facebook.com/anniepruggleshttps://annie-p-ruggles.mykajabi.com/the-non-sleazy-sales-academyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anniepassanisi/https://www.anniepruggles.com/ Shannon's Event At The End Of April. April, The 23rd: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to Annie P. Ruggles of the Non-Sleazy Sales Academy and self-proclaimed human-Muppet about how to sell, ask for money, and be successful as a small business owner. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode sixteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Annie Ruggles of The Non-Sleazy Sales Academy Welcome Annie! Topics & Links Annie! Where did all of this come from?What do you see as the biggest challenge in sales for small business owners?What are some misguided things that small business owners do that actually turn off potential clients?What do you see as the magic sauce in digital sales?As a small business owner yourself, what do you find are some of the hardest things to stay consistent withWhat words of wisdom do you have for small business owners?https://www.facebook.com/anniepruggleshttps://annie-p-ruggles.mykajabi.com/the-non-sleazy-sales-academyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anniepassanisi/https://www.anniepruggles.com/ Shannon’s Event At The End Of April. April, The 23rd: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM.

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to David Anderson of Leadstra about entrepreneurship, business coaching, podcasting and so much more. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode fifteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have David Anderson of Leadstra. Welcome David! Topics & Links Intro: Who is Dave Anderson in life and business?Dave's "why" in business and life Let's talk business! What your various business pursuits are, how you became involved, what markets you are serving.Positioning yourself and your business in an overcrowded digital market. How do you do it?What tips can you give small business leaders in building their brand digitally? How do they position themselves and companies as leaders?  Or what should they absolutely NOT be doing?Final thoughts  Shannon's (and Dave's) Event At The End Of April. April, The 23rd: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to David Anderson of Leadstra about entrepreneurship, business coaching, podcasting and so much more. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode fifteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have David Anderson of Leadstra. Welcome David! Topics & Links Intro: Who is Dave Anderson in life and business?Dave’s “why” in business and life Let’s talk business! What your various business pursuits are, how you became involved, what markets you are serving.Positioning yourself and your business in an overcrowded digital market. How do you do it?What tips can you give small business leaders in building their brand digitally? How do they position themselves and companies as leaders? Or what should they absolutely NOT be doing?Final thoughts Shannon’s (and Dave’s) Event At The End Of April. April, The 23rd: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Also we have a community where you can interact with one another and with the guests. Check it out at Community.DMD.FM

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to the founder and former-CEO of Moz and the co-founder of Sparktoro, Rand Fishkin. He is also the author of "Lost and Founder" a book about his life as a startup founder and his adventures raising money and growing a business with venture capital. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode fourteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have the co-founder of a great new digital marketing intelligence tool, Sparktoro -- Rand Fishkin. He is the former founder of Moz, a SaaS SEO software company and the author of Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World. Rand is prolific on Twitter and very accessible. If you get a chance, definitely follow him on Twitter at @RandFish. Welcome Rand! Topics & Links Tell us about your book Lost and Founder.What is Sparktoro? How is it different to the tools over at Moz?How are you approaching Sparktoro differently from what you did at Moz?What advice would you give small & mid-sized businesses entrepreneurs that you wish you had when you started at Moz?https://sparktoro.com/blog/raised-a-very-unusual-round-of-funding-were-open-sourcing-our-docs/ Shannon's Event At The End Of April. The last Friday: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk to the founder and former-CEO of Moz and the co-founder of Sparktoro, Rand Fishkin. He is also the author of “Lost and Founder” a book about his life as a startup founder and his adventures raising money and growing a business with venture capital. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode fourteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have the co-founder of a great new digital marketing intelligence tool, Sparktoro — Rand Fishkin. He is the former founder of Moz, a SaaS SEO software company and the author of Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World. Rand is prolific on Twitter and very accessible. If you get a chance, definitely follow him on Twitter at @RandFish. Welcome Rand! Topics & Links Tell us about your book Lost and Founder.What is Sparktoro? How is it different to the tools over at Moz?How are you approaching Sparktoro differently from what you did at Moz?What advice would you give small & mid-sized businesses entrepreneurs that you wish you had when you started at Moz?https://sparktoro.com/blog/raised-a-very-unusual-round-of-funding-were-open-sourcing-our-docs/ Shannon’s Event At The End Of April. The last Friday: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Join The CommunityWe have launched our community! It’s FREE and full of great people.Join Today!Let’s Go!

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk with marketing legend Mark Schaefer about his latest book Cumulative Advantage and how it applies to life and business. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode thirteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Mark Schaefer on. Mark is a globally-recognized author, speaker, podcaster, and business consultant. He is a prolific writer and speaker whose work sits at the intersection of marketing, technology, and humanity. He has advanced degrees in marketing and organizational development… holds seven patents… and is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University.  He is the best-selling author of nine popular books… including the very first book on influence marketing. His blog, GROW, and podcast “The Marketing Companion” are ranked among the top rated publications in the marketing field. We could go on and on about Mark, but let's get on with the conversation. Topics & Links His Website: https://businessesgrow.com/His Books: Cumulative AdvantageMarketing RebellionKnownThe Content CodeSocial Media ExplainedThe Tao of TwitterReturn on InfluenceBorn to BlogLessons: Essays to Help You Embrace the Chaos What is the Cumulative Advantage?What inspired him to write the book? Shannon's Event At The End Of April. The last Friday: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk with marketing legend Mark Schaefer about his latest book Cumulative Advantage and how it applies to life and business. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode thirteen of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Mark Schaefer on. Mark is a globally-recognized author, speaker, podcaster, and business consultant. He is a prolific writer and speaker whose work sits at the intersection of marketing, technology, and humanity. He has advanced degrees in marketing and organizational development… holds seven patents… and is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University. He is the best-selling author of nine popular books… including the very first book on influence marketing. His blog, GROW, and podcast “The Marketing Companion” are ranked among the top rated publications in the marketing field. We could go on and on about Mark, but let’s get on with the conversation. Topics & Links His Website: https://businessesgrow.com/His Books: Cumulative AdvantageMarketing RebellionKnownThe Content CodeSocial Media ExplainedThe Tao of TwitterReturn on InfluenceBorn to BlogLessons: Essays to Help You Embrace the Chaos What is the Cumulative Advantage?What inspired him to write the book? Shannon’s Event At The End Of April. The last Friday: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com. Join The CommunityWe have launched our community! It’s FREE and full of great people.Join Today!Let’s Go!

In this episode Seth and Shannon talk with Alex Hillman, who is quite a renaissance man. He is the co-founder of one of the original co-working spots in the nation, Indy Hall, in Philadelphia, PA. He is also the author of the Tiny MBA, and the co-founder of Stacking The Bricks, an educational company that helps entrepreneurs on their journey. Preroll Ad:  This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode twelve of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Alex Hillman on the show. Alex is the co-founder of Indy Hall, one of the oldest (2006) co-working spaces in the nation (maybe the world). He is also the author of the the Tiny MBA (*full disclosure our title sponsor for this show, thanks Alex). He is also the co-founder of Stacking the Bricks, an e-learning course business for product-centered entrepreneurs. Topics & Links Who is Alex Hillman?IndyHall.orgWith the pandemic Indy Hall's online coworking community has been growing beyond the Philadelphia-area.Open Hall!Tiny MBAHow did it come about? What's the origin story? What is your favorite part of the book?Stacking the BricksWhat is it? What is 30x500? Who should enroll? Shannon's Event In April: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Seth and Shannon talk with Alex Hillman, who is quite a renaissance man. He is the co-founder of one of the original co-working spots in the nation, Indy Hall, in Philadelphia, PA. He is also the author of the Tiny MBA, and the co-founder of Stacking The Bricks, an educational company that helps entrepreneurs on their journey. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to season two, episode twelve of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Today we have Alex Hillman on the show. Alex is the co-founder of Indy Hall, one of the oldest (2006) co-working spaces in the nation (maybe the world). He is also the author of the the Tiny MBA (*full disclosure our title sponsor for this show, thanks Alex). He is also the co-founder of Stacking the Bricks, an e-learning course business for product-centered entrepreneurs. Topics & Links Who is Alex Hillman?IndyHall.orgWith the pandemic Indy Hall’s online coworking community has been growing beyond the Philadelphia-area.Open Hall!Tiny MBAHow did it come about? What’s the origin story? What is your favorite part of the book?Stacking the BricksWhat is it? What is 30×500? Who should enroll? Shannon’s Event In April: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

In this episode, Seth and Shannon discuss personas and how to use them. They also discuss how you can still be genuine and real online and be a persona. Preroll Ad:  Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome the second season and the eleventh episode of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Topics & Links Being authenticA difference between being a personna online and being in-authenticSpeaking to your target audience  Shannon's Event In March: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth Looking for other great podcasts? Check out my curated list over at Podchaser Shannon Stop Checking Your Likes -- Shake off the need for approval and live an incredible life by Susie Moore Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon discuss personas and how to use them. They also discuss how you can still be genuine and real online and be a persona. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA https://socl.bz/tinymba Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome the second season and the eleventh episode of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Topics & Links Being authenticA difference between being a personna online and being in-authenticSpeaking to your target audience Shannon’s Event In March: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth Looking for other great podcasts? Check out my curated list over at Podchaser Shannon Stop Checking Your Likes — Shake off the need for approval and live an incredible life by Susie Moore Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk about what small business owners need to know about digital marketing and how they should tackle what appears to be a gargantuan feat. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome the second season and the tenth episode of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Topics & Links Shannon's Event In March: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth The Matt Report Podcast → veteran content creator and director of content at Castos (our podcast hosting provider). Check out Matt Medeiros' podcast! Shannon Local Podcasts. As small business owners, we need LOTS of knowledge...I promise there will be a podcast on what you are looking for.  Support your fellow business owners. Don't know how to find them? LinkedIn...Search podcast...Use filters. While you are at it, connect with the podcaster and encourage them! Small business is better together!Seth's 2 cents. Check out Podchaser to find local podcasts. Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Seth and Shannon talk about what small business owners need to know about digital marketing and how they should tackle what appears to be a gargantuan feat. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) – Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome the second season and the tenth episode of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Topics & Links Shannon’s Event In March: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth The Matt Report Podcast → veteran content creator and director of content at Castos (our podcast hosting provider). Check out Matt Medeiros’ podcast! Shannon Local Podcasts. As small business owners, we need LOTS of knowledge…I promise there will be a podcast on what you are looking for. Support your fellow business owners. Don’t know how to find them? LinkedIn…Search podcast…Use filters. While you are at it, connect with the podcaster and encourage them! Small business is better together!Seth’s 2 cents. Check out Podchaser to find local podcasts. Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

Title Sponsor This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the ninth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Topics & Links RedditNewsletter CrewIndy HallTraffic Think TankMarketing JuntoCommunity.SwipeFiles.comLinkedIn GroupsFacebook GroupsCircle.coWordPressbbPressBuddyPressDiscourse Come this Friday to Indy Hall @ Home Open Hall. Free online co-working. (First Friday of every month) https://indyhall.org/open Shannon's Event In March: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Table for Four Virtual Networking Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth Indy Hall @ Home Shannon The Art of Community by Charles Vogl Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Title Sponsor This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the ninth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Topics & Links RedditNewsletter CrewIndy HallTraffic Think TankMarketing JuntoCommunity.SwipeFiles.comLinkedIn GroupsFacebook GroupsCircle.coWordPressbbPressBuddyPressDiscourse Come this Friday to Indy Hall @ Home Open Hall. Free online co-working. (First Friday of every month) https://indyhall.org/open Shannon’s Event In March: Piecing Together A Success Business https://socl.bz/6R Table for Four Virtual Networking Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth Indy Hall @ Home Shannon The Art of Community by Charles Vogl Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

In this episode Seth and Shannon go deep on social media filters and how they reflect on your business. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the seventh episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth Mark Schaefer's book Cumulative Advantage Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Seth and Shannon go deep on social media filters and how they reflect on your business. Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the seventh episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth Mark Schaefer’s book Cumulative Advantage Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the seventh episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth Marketing Junto Shannon Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Business Brilliant by Louis Schiff Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the seventh episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks are Silver-Nano Protected, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-Free.Xchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth Marketing Junto Shannon Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Business Brilliant by Louis Schiff Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2021. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) - Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the sixth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? How do we stay up with all the changes to the algorithms across the web? From Google to Facebook, to Instagram to Linkedin. Everyone of these sites has an algorithm. Learning and staying on top of the changes can be a full time job. What is a person to do? Read, read, read. You follow it or you hire someone to do it for you. Do what you're good at and hire for the rest. Links To Resources We Talked About: Google just realized a December Algorithm + This ArticleStoopInbox → A great way to consume newsletters. This is how Seth stays up on all the Algo changesFollow leaders in the spaces that affect you on Twitter.SearchLiaison on Twitter → Google's outward facing account to announce things like an algorithm change.Seth's SEO Twitter listInsights On Marketing post about the Google algorithm update Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks - Silver-Nano Protection, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-FreeXchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth BrowserStack -- This web app has saved me so much time with cross-browser and device testing. It's great! Shannon Improved Together -- LinkedIn resource to promote content effectively.  Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2020. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined checkout PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) – Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the sixth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? How do we stay up with all the changes to the algorithms across the web? From Google to Facebook, to Instagram to Linkedin. Everyone of these sites has an algorithm. Learning and staying on top of the changes can be a full time job. What is a person to do? Read, read, read. You follow it or you hire someone to do it for you. Do what you’re good at and hire for the rest. Links To Resources We Talked About: Google just realized a December Algorithm + This ArticleStoopInbox → A great way to consume newsletters. This is how Seth stays up on all the Algo changesFollow leaders in the spaces that affect you on Twitter.SearchLiaison on Twitter → Google’s outward facing account to announce things like an algorithm change.Seth’s SEO Twitter listInsights On Marketing post about the Google algorithm update Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks – Silver-Nano Protection, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-FreeXchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth BrowserStack — This web app has saved me so much time with cross-browser and device testing. It’s great! Shannon Improved Together — LinkedIn resource to promote content effectively. Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2020. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined checkout PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the fifth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Links To Resources We Talked About: WordPress.orgSquarespaceWixWebflow Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks - Silver-Nano Protection, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-FreeXchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth Swipefiles - Great membership site where you can go to view different teardowns of popular sites, landing pages, email blasts. From the design to the copy, this site helps improve how you market your brand as well as your clients' brands. There is also a great forum community. Full of marketers and designers who are there to help. Shannon Traction Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wicken. Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2020. These are by far the most comfortable masks I've worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined checkout PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preroll Ad: This business book is excellent: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba) Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Intro: Seth: Hey, Everyone, and welcome to the fifth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media, and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Links To Resources We Talked About: WordPress.orgSquarespaceWixWebflow Shout Out (Ad) Breesy Masks – Silver-Nano Protection, Breathable, Lightweight, Fog-FreeXchange: Most Protective. 5 layers of protection with silver-nano technology.Sports: Most Breathable. 2 layers of protection with silver-nano technology. Link: https://socl.bz/masks Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth Swipefiles – Great membership site where you can go to view different teardowns of popular sites, landing pages, email blasts. From the design to the copy, this site helps improve how you market your brand as well as your clients’ brands. There is also a great forum community. Full of marketers and designers who are there to help. Shannon Traction Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wicken. Outro: Seth: Well, that was so much fun Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. I want to shout out to Breesy Masks for keeping us covered in the craziness of 2020. These are by far the most comfortable masks I’ve worn. They are lightweight and moisture-wicking for a cool and comfortable experience. Check them out. The link is in the show notes! Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. If you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined checkout PodChaser and give us a review there!That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

In this episode we talk about being authentic with your messaging on in business and in our personal lives online and on social media. Intro: Seth: Hey Everyone and welcome to the fourth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Links To Resources We Talked About: Shannon on LinkedIn ← See examples of how Shannon is authentic on her social media.Authentic leadership and what it actually means articleWant to know how you stand? Check out this leadership quiz Shout Out (Ad) This business book is great: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba)Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Seth and Shannon's Recommendations Seth StoopInbox.com - A place to get all your newsletters in a great, readable manner outside of your busy inbox. Android/iOSOn that note check out Seth's newsletter InsightsOn.Marketing Shannon Mine isn't an app today. My recommendation is the book Dare to Lead By Brene Brown Outro: Seth: Well that was great Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. Also, if you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We really appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we talk about being authentic with your messaging on in business and in our personal lives online and on social media. Intro: Seth: Hey Everyone and welcome to the fourth episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. Shannon, you ready to rock? Links To Resources We Talked About: Shannon on LinkedIn ← See examples of how Shannon is authentic on her social media.Authentic leadership and what it actually means articleWant to know how you stand? Check out this leadership quiz Shout Out (Ad) This business book is great: Tiny MBA (https://socl.bz/tinymba)Tweet length business snippets from a business innovator in Philadelphia with more than 15+ years of business experience. Seth and Shannon’s Recommendations Seth StoopInbox.com – A place to get all your newsletters in a great, readable manner outside of your busy inbox. Android/iOSOn that note check out Seth’s newsletter InsightsOn.Marketing Shannon Mine isn’t an app today. My recommendation is the book Dare to Lead By Brene Brown Outro: Seth: Well that was great Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. Also, if you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We really appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

The show notes and links to what we talked about are below: Intro: Seth: Hey Everyone and welcome to the third episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I'm Seth with Goldstein Media and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. In the last episode we went a bit off topic and discussed the very important topic of staying healthy and using technology to help us achieve that. This week we're going to talk about helping small businesses not only get online, but thrive. Shannon, you ready to rock? Shannon: Let's do it! Before we start diving in, can I just say something? Digital marketing is freaking scary!!!  Seth: It definitely can be. But with the right plan, it doesn't have to be. Shannon: Seriously. You've seen my ineptitude when it comes to the mechanics of social media and websites… you've had to be my knight in shining armor more than once! For everyone listening, who shares my distaste for the details...take a deep breath. We are going to do this together! Seth: Yea, we're in this together. Shannon: There are so many resources. So many paths to take for effective social media, and so many networks to utilize. How do you decide what's best for you and your company? Seth: It can be daunting. But planning it out can help. Also, remember, not all networks are needed to promote your business. Go where your customers are. Shannon: I've found that it is of utmost importance for the small businesses that we work with to have a plan. A GOOD PLAN. Find someone to build a comprehensive plan for your business. Everything needs to work together. Social media, websites, email/text blasts, events, etc. The messaging needs to be consistent across all platforms. The messaging also needs to be consistent in its frequency. We are creating trust. Find someone who knows how to incorporate all of that into your marketing plan. If that isn't something you can do right now, build a plan yourself temporarily until you can.  Links To Resources We Talked About: Shameless Plug: DIAM Business (Hey! Seth put that in here not Shannon)Posting to Instagram via the Vivaldi browser. (Seth's quick tutorial on setting that up). **Note: You can only post pictures this way. Not videos.**Apps to make Social Media easierHootsuite (IG, LI, TW, FB, Pinterest)BufferTweetdeck (Free)Business.Facebook.com (A great way to manage your business presence on Facebook)Later.com (Instagram Scheduler) Seth and Shannon's App Recommendations Seth TapTapes.com -- A great way to discover new podcasts. Very much in beta, but really cool concept.s ShannonIt's an oldie but a goodie! Snapseed (Android) (iOS). I use it for my marketing photos. It is an easy way to get a polished look.  Outro: Seth: Well that was great Shan.  Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD's social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing.  Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. Also, if you're enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We really appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That's it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The show notes and links to what we talked about are below: Intro: Seth: Hey Everyone and welcome to the third episode of the second season of the Digital Marketing Dive Podcast. I’m Seth with Goldstein Media and with me as always is the amazing and talented Shannon of DIAM Business Consulting. In the last episode we went a bit off topic and discussed the very important topic of staying healthy and using technology to help us achieve that. This week we’re going to talk about helping small businesses not only get online, but thrive. Shannon, you ready to rock? Shannon: Let’s do it! Before we start diving in, can I just say something? Digital marketing is freaking scary!!! Seth: It definitely can be. But with the right plan, it doesn’t have to be. Shannon: Seriously. You’ve seen my ineptitude when it comes to the mechanics of social media and websites… you’ve had to be my knight in shining armor more than once! For everyone listening, who shares my distaste for the details…take a deep breath. We are going to do this together! Seth: Yea, we’re in this together. Shannon: There are so many resources. So many paths to take for effective social media, and so many networks to utilize. How do you decide what’s best for you and your company? Seth: It can be daunting. But planning it out can help. Also, remember, not all networks are needed to promote your business. Go where your customers are. Shannon: I’ve found that it is of utmost importance for the small businesses that we work with to have a plan. A GOOD PLAN. Find someone to build a comprehensive plan for your business. Everything needs to work together. Social media, websites, email/text blasts, events, etc. The messaging needs to be consistent across all platforms. The messaging also needs to be consistent in its frequency. We are creating trust. Find someone who knows how to incorporate all of that into your marketing plan. If that isn’t something you can do right now, build a plan yourself temporarily until you can. Links To Resources We Talked About: Shameless Plug: DIAM Business (Hey! Seth put that in here not Shannon)Posting to Instagram via the Vivaldi browser. (Seth’s quick tutorial on setting that up). **Note: You can only post pictures this way. Not videos.**Apps to make Social Media easierHootsuite (IG, LI, TW, FB, Pinterest)BufferTweetdeck (Free)Business.Facebook.com (A great way to manage your business presence on Facebook)Later.com (Instagram Scheduler) Seth and Shannon’s App Recommendations Seth TapTapes.com — A great way to discover new podcasts. Very much in beta, but really cool concept.sShannonIt’s an oldie but a goodie! Snapseed (Android) (iOS). I use it for my marketing photos. It is an easy way to get a polished look. Outro: Seth: Well that was great Shan. Shannon: It was great!! Reach out to us on DMD’s social media channels and let us know what challenges you are having with digital marketing. Seth: This season is going to be great! I want to thank Castos. They are the podcast hosting we use. Check them out at https://socl.bz/castos and give them a try and support Digital Marketing Dive. Also, if you’re enjoying the season, please feel free to give us a review in Apple Podcasts or the podcast directory of your choice. We really appreciate all the support. If you feel so inclined check out PodChaser and give us a review there! That’s it for this episode, but we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at hello@digitalmarketingdive.com or join our Discord server here: https://socl.bz/dmd-dc.

Maureen O'Shaughnessy, EdD, is the founding director of Leadership Preparatory Academy, a nonprofit progressive micro-school in Washington State. With a master's degree in educational administration and a doctorate degree in educational leadership, she has an extensive understanding of the components needed to transform the education system. Dr. O'Shaughnessy is the author of Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids: A Step-by-Step Process that Empowers Frustrated Parents to Innovate Education and has served as head of school and principal internationally in countries such as Kuwait, Hungary, and Ecuador. Weaving in a strong emphasis on service and leadership at each school, she has been an educational change agent across the globe. And now as founder of Education Evolution, she aims to disrupt the education climate as we know it to help ensure each child is seen, heard and valued and met where they are academically, socially and emotionally. Key Takeaways: 5:26 Hearing out the needs of our children and the role of micro-school in it. 8:51 Getting to know Maureen and how she got into this new movement towards Education. 13:48 Advice on how to deal with frustration in the midst of confusion with their children's education's sake. 18:25 Seven Steps to Innovative Education 31:21 Leadership Preparatory Academy as a Scrappy and Happy School 43:12 Hardest thing about Micro-Schooling 50:28 What metaphor describes Micro-Schooling? Quotes: "We're talking about adults, adults, adults, but I don't feel like the kids are in the conversation as much as they should." -Shannon "It's (Micro school) just a chance to rethink education and make sure it's working for our learners." -Maureen "You definitely want to get really clear on your mission and you need a tribe." -Maureen "You're never gonna grow. You're never going to improve if you never get starting." -Maureen "Brains don't learn sitting and being talked at, and most of the college classes are memorize and spit it back out again." -Maureen Social Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenoshaughnessy/ Education Evolution LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/education-evolution-podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdEvolutionPodcast/ LEADPrep LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadprep/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LEADPrep/ Micro-School Coalition LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microschoolcoalition/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/microschoolcoalition/ Class: Build Your Own Micro-School Book Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids: A Step-by-Step Process that Empowers Frustrated Parents to Innovate Education

Tiki: Modern Tropical CocktailsBy Shannon Mustipher Intro: Welcome to the Cookery By The Book Podcast with Suzy Chase. She's just a home cook in New York City, sitting at her dining room table talking to cookbook authors.Shannon: My name is Shannon Mustipher, and I am the author of Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails. When I'm not working on writing and developing cocktails, I'm the spiritual advisor, a.k.a. beverage director of Glady's Caribbean, which is a rum-focused bar in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I also work as a consultant and educator on the spirit of topics and cocktails.Suzy Chase: This is the first cocktail recipe book written by a working, African American bartender and released by a major publisher in more than 100 years. When you decided to write this book, were you aware of that statistic?Shannon: Yeah, I was. Just a little background. I'm a big history buff, always have been, and I want to say maybe a decade ago, I became aware of a book called The Ideal Bartender by Tom Bullock, who published in 1919 and worked at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. He was the first and the last to publish this book, African American bartender to publish. There are a lot of bar books floating around, but that one, I just didn't ... I wasn't hearing of it, and my peers weren't reading it, and I just thought it was fascinating that it was like this little nugget of history. When I decided to write my book, it was five years ago, and I didn't know when it was going to be published based on the negotiations I was going through with my publisher, Rizzoli. For it to come out in 2019, a 100 years after Mr. Bullock's publication, just feels like there's something about it that was meant to be.Suzy Chase: I'm probably the only person in the world, but I never knew that Tiki was a huge category of cocktails. For some reason, I thought Tiki was like a vibe or a mindset. Talk a little bit about that. Shannon: It's all those. In regards to Tiki being a cocktail category, it's helpful to keep in mind that when Tiki came about in the late '30s, I mean the first Tiki bar was a spin-off of hinky dinks and that became Don the Beachcomber. Don the Beachcomber, his name was Ernest Gantt, was kind of a world traveler, rum aficionado. Came up with this idea of creating an escapist experience in his restaurant because this is at the end of the Great Depression, and people were looking for some relief from the day to day. The type of cocktails he came up with differed from every other in that you could blend a couple different spirits in one cocktail. That had never been done before. You could also blend a few different juices as opposed to most recipes that would have one or two at the most and various sweeteners and things of that nature. Those features of cocktail you're not seeing other styles of cocktail, and that's ... The recipes are like the core of what makes it different. Then there's other elements like the attention to vessels and presentation and things like fire and orchids and all this craziness that just not ... you're not seeing it in other styles of cocktail. From I would say a structural standpoint where the recipe concerned, there are some clear differentiations. Then of course in the presentation, you don't see that outside of Tiki. Suzy Chase: Last week Grub Street mentioned you saying you're a central figure in the Tiki renaissance in New York City. It's all about the appearances the element of surprise. Do you think this is a misunderstood tradition or a forgotten tradition or both? Shannon: I don't it's as misunderstood as it was when I got my start five years ago. I had to qualify in that on the west coast where Tiki originated, it never fully disappeared. Right? There was a moment where there was only a few bars that still had the authentic recipes. The reason for that was there was secrecy around those recipes, and they were coded because the restaurants and bars that served Tiki in the '40s were very popular, and the information regarding those products was considered propietary. It be like, think of the recipe or formula for Coca-Cola. That's proprietary. Right? When the people that created those recipes and worked in those restaurants retired, they didn't necessarily share the knowledge. This sort of knowledge begins to die off, and then add to that in the late '60s and '70s, American mixology in general was on the wane. It was associated with a generation that was a little bit older. Younger kids, the hippies so to speak, weren't interested in drinking cocktails like their parents did. They preferred recreational experiences. You know what I mean? Yeah, from the '70s through the '90s, there was no information really. You had Tiki tea in California and Los Angeles and Tonga Hut remained open, and there are other places. Outside of a handful of bars, people didn't really know the recipes anymore. The few that did, they weren't talking about it or giving out those recipes because that was just a culture, to keep them under lock and key. When Jeff Beachbum Berry began writing his book about 15, 20-odd years ago, he did the most extensive research into Tiki, went to all those bars, and looked for the rum bottles and scoured any document he could find and was able to reverse engineer and figure out what these drinks actually were. As his books became more popular, and people were more aware of what he was doing, then Tiki started to make a comeback. It wasn't reduced to oh, it's a sweet, tropical drink with an umbrella in it. People began to see the workings and the mechanics of this style of cocktail and understand and appreciate the level of craft that goes into taking eight or 10 ingredients and balancing it in a cocktail. Now, the cat's out of the bag. Right? We have the Jeff Beachbum Berry books. We have Smuggler's Cove, which does an excellent job of talking about not only the history of Tiki and showing us those recipes as well as Martin Cate's newer recipes. The information is out there now. Maybe there are people that still misunderstand it, but it just doesn't have to be that way anymore. Whereas 20 years ago, there just was scant means to educate yourself about it. Suzy Chase: Give us the short history of rum. Shannon: Yeah, sure. Rum is a byproduct of the sugar industry. When European powers began to colonize the Americas, the top priority was to find a cash crop or some other resource that would provide a large stream of revenue, big stream of revenue. Initially the thought was gold, and that didn't really work out. There was experimentation with various things, rice and cotton. Sugar was the one, especially in the Caribbean, that had the highest yield. Just some context, the kind of revenue that was coming out of just Barbados or Jamaica alone by the late 19th century, was on par with oil boom or the gold rush and what took place in Silicon Valley more recently. There had never been a moment in the history of the world where there was such a big shift in the economy. It's important to remember that rum is not just a style or a category of spirit that came about because that's what someone wanted to make. They had this idea in mind of a flavor profile and certainly wanted to craft. It's a byproduct and another way to add revenue to a sugar plantation, their operation. For who are less familiar, in order to produce rum you need molasses or you could use fresh cane juice, but rum as we know it in the Caribbean came about when planters were looking for a way to utilize molasses which was regarded as a waste product. They discovered that you could ferment it and then distill it. This began in earnest around 1705. Prior to that, in the earlier part of the 17th century, there was a little bit of rum production on the islands, but it was basically moonshine. It wasn't packaged. It wasn't bottled. People didn't regard it as a spirit category in the way that we look at spirits today. It was just, this is what we have to drink in terms of alcohol because we can't make beer here. It's too expensive to bring over wine. In fact, the wine doesn't really travel well in the heat. This all began to change, and rum started moving towards how we think of it in a modern sense in 1650 when Jamaica was taken by the British. The British adopted rum as the liquid that they will give out in their daily ration, which became a form of payment in addition to a supplement to the really poor diet that the sailors had on board. By 1750, the Navy had grown to such an extent that they could no longer source the rums themselves from the islands, but they hired an outside firm called [ED & Man 00:11:08]. This firm would source the liquid from various islands and then take them over to London. They created a proprietary blend, and they would age it there. Meanwhile, for those of you who don't know, brands the way we think of them today, they didn't exist back then. A distiller didn't have a face or a label. They didn't make liquid and put it in a bottle and sell it. They'd make liquid and sell it to brokers, and the brokers would create the brands and sell the products. At this time, there was a robust business around that in the scotch and port and sherry categories in London. These merchants caught on to the rum, and they realized that it was par on with single malt scotch, especially the rums from Jamaica which are highly prized, because they had a really special aroma and heavy body due to their production processes. By 1820s, this is when you start to see rum appear as a commercial product in Europe. To this day in the Netherlands and in Germany, the preference for rum [inaudible 00:12:23] Jamaica styles that haven't differed too much from that time. By 1860s, then you start to see rum become a big global business, do brands like Bacardi. Where we are today is we are getting back to looking at the earliest styles of productions of rum. We want what we consider to be more authentic expressions that haven't had sugar added and are made on stills or in facilities that have been operation for 200 or 300 years. It's a really great moment for the category, especially where Tiki is concerned, we can make the recipes the way they were intended. There was a moment in the '70s through the early '90s where the rums that were in the original recipes were not available in the U.S. You could attempt to make the drinks, but you were not really going to really hit it. Now, we can make those drinks again. Suzy Chase: In opinion, what's a good rum to start off with if you're not familiar with rum? Shannon: Well, here's the thing. Rum is a huge category. You can make it in over 90 countries. I compare it to wine in that ... Let's say you look at gin and whiskey. Sure, there are some variations and different brands and styles, but it's not such a huge spectrum of rum. You can get something that's like really light and dry and clean, or you can get really fruity or earthy and funky or on the sweeter side depending on how it's produced. To answer that question, I'd say you have start at least five, because if you are trying to pick out a starter, there's so many places to start. If you take one bottle or one style, you're not ... It doesn't really capture what rum is about. With that in mind, I would suggest picking up a spectrum of rums. Right? On one hand, you want to start with say a lighter rum. For that, I would suggest Rhum Barbancourt [bonk 00:14:33] from Haiti. It's made from fresh pressed juice. Has a little bit of a delicate gassiness and fuller element to it. You can sip it neat. You can put it in cocktails. It's really easy to work with and to enjoy. From there, I would suggest picking up a bottle of an un-aged overproof English style rum, and that would most likely be Jamaican rum. That could be Rum Fire or Wray & Nephew. If you're lucky enough to go to Grenada, I really love the River Antoine. What that bottle is going to do for you is you're not necessarily going to drink it by itself. If you want to have more intensity, then you'll need a rum like that. In terms of something that's just more like everyday drinking rum, cocktail or otherwise, I would suggest picking up a Barbadian rum or a Bajan style rum, because those strike a nice balance between being fuller bodied and rich, but also really clean and smooth and elegant and super easy. The drinking culture in the islands differ from the island to island. That's reflected in the styles. In Barbados, they have this pastime called liming, which means that you gather with your friends at a little shack called a rum shop, and you sip rum all day. Maybe you use mixers, but for them it's not ... rum isn't cocktailing. Rum is just spending time with friends. Right? Then from there I would suggest you would want pick up a rhum agricole from Martinique or one of the former French territories. Those are really cool. They're made from fresh cane juice like the Barbancourt I mentioned, but their standards of production, they have a DLC around it. They're very particular about what you're going taste in the glass because they want to highlight and emphasize the [tarare 00:16:27] of their respective geographic areas. There's also a lot of influence from Armagnac and Cognac production there. With the agricoles, you get to see a really high level of production and crafted. You don't typically associate with rums, but I think trying those will shift your perception around what you think rum is in a positive way. Lastly, some people prefer what they would call a smoother, rounder, richer type of spirit. I find that people that prefer whiskey have a tendency to enjoy Spanish-style rums which undergo more time in the barrel because the Spanish approach is more influence by wine and sherry where the base liquid is not what's emphasized, but what's emphasized is a barrel regimen and the house style and the skill of the blender. That's what they want you to taste in the end. Suzy Chase: Yeah. I read in the book that for example, Jamaican rums have kind of grassy notes, and that's something you wouldn't even think about with rum. Shannon: That's why I love it. Prior to opening Gladys and working in that program five years ago, I was into a pre-prohibition era cocktails and gin and whiskey and all that stuff. I still enjoy it on occasion, but if God came to me and told me that from here on out I was confined to only drinking one spirit category, I'd happily choose rum because there's one for everybody and for every mood or hour or what have you. If I want something that is really dry and light and crisp, I can find it in the rum category. If I want something that's big and bold and chewy or even smokey, I can find that in rum as well. If I just had gin for instance, the spectrum of options is limited. Suzy Chase: In Tiki, chapter one kicks off with foundational cocktails. What are those? Shannon: Where rum is concerned, there's what we call the holy trinity, which is rum, sugar, and lime. They just work really well together in the earliest rum drinks. The Navy grog, that's rum, sugar, and lime. The Caipirinha, it's made with Cachaça so it's not technically rum, but the Cachaça is sugar and lime. The same is true for the [Dakaiti 00:19:00], which rum, sugar, and lime. In those foundational drinks, we walk through those cocktails so that you can taste the different styles of rum and get a sense for how those rums behave. The underlying elements are more or less the same. Also, those drink a base template for others cocktails that follow, and so the bulk of Tiki drinks have those three elements and them build from there. Suzy Chase: There's a technique in the book called fat washing spirits. What does that mean? Shannon: It's an infusion. It was pioneered by Don Lee who is a partner in Existing Conditions currently and got his start at PDT. With fat washing, you take an oil. It could be derived from an animal. Don Lee's was smoked bacon fat. I do a lot of vegan fat washes, so I love coconut oil. Essentially you I guess steep or infuse the liquid with the oil for a 12-hour period at room temperature, and then you freeze it so that the solids separate. They come to the top. You skim it off. You strain it. What happens is that the liquid is now, it has those fat molecules in it. It takes on a different texture and a creamier mouth feel. Milk punches utilizes the same principle. They're very labor intensive. It requires multiple steps and a number of ingredients and a couple days to achieve that result. Yeah, milks punches which were popular in the 18th century, have made a little bit of a comeback in the modern bar, is where that idea is derived. Fat washing with oils is much faster and more consistent. Suzy Chase: You created a cocktail inspired by a reggae song. Tell us about that. Shannon: It's one of my favorite cocktails actually. It's called the Kingston Soundsystem. I was approached by Punch Magazine to pick a reggae song and make a cocktail. I really love Skylarking by Horace Man. It's a really chill, laid back, kind of lazy day kind of song. I was like, okay. There's a bird reference here. I love the Jungle Bird. I'm going come up with an unusual twist on it. The idea was kind of like a white angelonia. I wanted to make a white Jungle Bird. For those who are not familiar with the cocktail, they Jungle Bird has aged Jamaican rum. It has Campari, lime, and pineapple. I looked at each of those elements and went on the other end of the spectrum. Rather than aged Jamaica rum, I used an un-age higher proof Jamaica rum. It's call Rum Fire. Instead of Campari, I used a gentian liqueur called Suze. I love that stuff. A consumer right now, the American public is not too hip to it, but I think it's wonderful. I use it kind of in a way, a lot of people have used St. Germain in the past, which is elderflower liqueur, but way too sweet for my tastes. I want something dryer. That's stands in for the Campari. Rather than pineapple, I wanted to again reference Jamaica so I use Soursop. Soursop is a large fruit about the size of a big cantaloupe, and it has little prickles on it. Kind of think of it as a prickly pear. It has a really wonderful, delicate, floral aroma in the nose. It's delightful for those who have not tried it. Then again, not very sweet. Kind of tastes cross between a pear and an apple, but it has a really clean, dry finish on it. There's really nothing else like it. Then of course, there's a lime. The result is a drink that follows the Jungle Bird template, but takes it in a dryer, more herbaceous direction. Suzy Chase: Do you think we can find these ingredients in our local grocery store or liquor store/Whole Foods? Shannon: It depends on where you live. Soursop, you'll find it in Caribbean stores or Asian stores. If you can't find the juice, you can usually find it as a frozen concentrate. That would be Goya or [lafame 00:23:43]. Then where Suze is concerned, yeah, if you live in an area where you can get to a decent liquor store that has Craft products, you'll find it. Suzy Chase: As a bartender, what's the most annoying request you get the most?Shannon: I don't. I like bar-Suzy Chase: Nothing? Shannon: You know how some people are like, "Oh my God, you're ordering a Mojito now. It's busy." For me, I'm there to serve the guests and I'm delighted to do it. You're there to get what you want, and that's why I'm there, to give you what you want. Case in point. I was doing a pop-up, and it was Tiki drinks. Someone wanted a Martini. I was so excited because she was getting what she wanted. I made a her what I hoped was a really good Martini. I really enjoyed it and so did she. Suzy Chase: They're more than 60 beautiful color photographs in this book. You call Tiki a theater for the senses, and you get such a good feel for that with Noah Fecks' photos. Tell us about your friendship with him. Shannon: It's a beautiful one. We met through a mutual friend, Nicole Taylor. She's the author of the Up South cookbook. Suzy Chase: She's amazing. Shannon: Oh, God. I want to be her when I grow up. Suzy Chase: Me too. Shannon: I met her a decade ago. She's just so dynamic and has forged her own path. She's totally Nicole and just ... I don't know. I can't go on enough about her. I had a birthday party and she invited him to tag along. She predicted that we would quote unquote ride off into sunset together. We hit it off that night, and we're chatting. He approached me shortly thereafter about doing some test shoots at Gladys because he shoots a lot of food. He wanted to added some liquor and cocktail content to his book. The shoots went really well. I worked in the photo industry for the first five years of living in New York as a style and prop assistant. I knew procedures of how a shoot would go. It was really smooth and the images were beautiful. Shortly after that, he suggested that we do this book with Rizzoli. Suzy Chase: I don't know how long this book took you, but there is a full color photo with every cocktail in this book. I can't even imagine the work that went into that. Shannon: Well, I mean, had I know how much work was going to go into it, I don't know if I would have agreed to do it. Suzy Chase: I mean, just looking at it I just think, wow, that's a lot of work, but it's gorgeous. Shannon: I mean, to be fair, I believe that that work is not just what I did in the two years that I was writing it and producing a book, but in the years prior that I spent studying visual art and practicing as an artist, I went to [Ritzies 00:26:52], studied painting and art history. I started drawing when I was five. I was always making things. The book was really exciting in that not was I able to share my recipes and more importantly, my approach to flavors and ingredients, but also could indulge that part of me that wanted to create images. That was the intention behind the photography in the book. Now, you look at a lot of cocktail photography and it follows a formula. It's like, okay, here's a drink on a bar or against some kind of backdrop or what have you, and that's pretty much it. Because we're working in Tiki, we wanted to go beyond and create vignettes that would evoke a story. Suzy Chase: Well, you did it. It feels like it's a culmination of your fashion background and your mixology background. This is all of that in one book. Shannon: Oh, yeah. When I closed my studio shortly before I moved in New York 12 years ago, I had a lot of friends around me who were dismayed because, "You're so good. Why are you doing this?" I had various reasons. I didn't think that what I refer to as the art industry was for me. One of my biggest reservations around it was the accessibility of that work and the class issues around it. Right? Where do most people go to see art? They go to galleries. They go to museums. Museums are wonderful institutions, but there are a lot of people that can't afford to go to a museum, or culturally it's just not an inviting place for certain individuals. When you go deeper than that, when it's time to buy artwork, that's again confined to a class of people. Taken further, when a collector acquires a work, doesn't necessarily get seen. I think the statistic is that 70 to 80% of all the artwork is in storage. This idea of making this thing for a select few is probably just going to sit in a dark room. That's not where I wanted to put my energy, and that's not how I want to share what I had to say in the world. With that being said, being able to make a cocktail book where my creativity could be there and it was very accessible to people. I mean, a cocktail is like 10 or 15 bucks. Most people can do that every once in a while, was really gratifying. Suzy Chase: Now to my segment called my last meal. What would you have for you last supper, and what cocktail would you have with it? Shannon: I'm a pretty simple person. I would have ostrich steak. Suzy Chase: That's simple? I thought you were going to be, "I'll just have a taco." You say ostrich steak. That's so interesting. Shannon: It's so delicious. You ever had it? Suzy Chase: No. Shannon: It's going to change your life. Okay. Suzy Chase: Where do you get that? Shannon: Okay, so I had it in South Africa. I think that if you live in Africa or certain parts of the world, I mean, I think you can get ostrich here. The whole point is in South Africa, it's not a big deal. That's the meat that they have. Right? Like we have cows, they have ostrich. It's like a steak, but the texture ... I don't know. I can't even tell you why it was so good. I'd do that and pair it with a nice glass of wine. Suzy Chase: Not rum? Shannon: No. Suzy Chase: Wow. What kind of wine? You're just throwing me off today. Shannon: What kind of wine? Probably a Zen or ... No, that's too sweet. I don't know. Something kind of dusty, maybe [Linwood 00:31:00]. I used to work in wine. I still enjoy it. Yeah, I mean, rum's great, but I just don't if it would go that good with the steak. Suzy Chase: Where can we find you on the web, social media and in Brooklyn? Shannon: My website, Shannon dot ... shannonmustipher.com. It's not a dot. That's my email. On Instagram, same thing. Just Shannon Mustipher. I don't have an alias. I'm like, no ... I want you to find me. It's not like, what's her handle? Just my first, I say. Put it into Google. You'll find me. Suzy Chase: It's M-U-S-T-I-P-H-E-R for everyone out there. I also want to remind everyone that we're going to be doing a free live Tiki talk and book signing at Lizzyoung Bookseller in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn on Thursday, May 30th. Look for more information on my Instagram and Shannon's, and we we hope to see you there. Thank you so much, Shannon, for coming on Cookery By the Book Podcast. Shannon: Suzy, it was a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time, and I look forward to seeing you next Thursday. Outro: Follow Suzy Chase on Instagram at Cookery By the Book, and subscribe at cookerybythebook.com or in Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening to Cookery By the Book Podcast, the only podcast devoted to cookbooks since 2015.

GUEST BIO: Shannon is an Application Developer at Lifion by ADP.  However before she became a full-time Application Developer Shannon was an actress. EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Shannon Kendall is Phil’s guest on today’s I.T. Career Energizer show. She has taken an unusual path into the world of IT. Prior to becoming an Application Developer, 7 years ago, she was an actress. She is currently working at Lifion by ADP. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (0.45 ) – So Shannon, can I ask you to expand on that brief intro and tell us a little bit more about yourself? Shannon explains that she came from a very technical family, but did not believe that a career in IT was for her. Instead, she followed her passion and became an actress. Shannon did well and was proud of her work. But, she realised that she did not find it particularly fulfilling. At times, she had to take boring acting jobs to pay her bills. One day, while looking at Instagram she found out that a friend and fellow actress was learning to code. Very soon after that her friend posted a photo of herself giving a speech at a tech conference in Thailand. This inspired Shannon to consider a change of career too. She took a few online JavaScript tutorials and enjoyed them. Almost immediately, Shannon realised that she had some natural ability for coding. She was good at recognising patterns and solving problems in innovative ways. Even as a child, she had a creative streak and was always investigating different ways to get things done. (4.16) – Have you been able to bring anything from your acting career to your IT work? Shannon says yes, she has. As an actress, she learned to be good at taking direction and handling rejection. Plus, working collaboratively within a team was something she did every day. She has found all of those skills useful in her new IT career. (6.10) – Can you please share a unique career tip with the I.T. career audience? Shannon says that it is important to get comfortable with not knowing everything and be willing to get things wrong. When you work in tech, you are never going to feel totally ready. Things move at a fast pace, so you have to be comfortable with learning as you go. In fact, if you do end up feeling totally ready you can be pretty sure that you are not pushing yourself enough. It is important not to let your fear of being wrong hold you back. You have to learn to put yourself into challenging situations. For example, not long after Shannon started her career she was put in charge of a complex project. At the time, she was worried she was not ready, but her manager persuaded her that she could do it. It turned out her manager was right. All of the team members knew that she was new to IT, so they and her manager were very supportive. As a result, she benefited from their guidance and was allowed to learn as she went. Everyone benefited from the fresh perspective and different leadership style she brought to the team. The project was a big success. Phil agrees that it is important to stretch yourself, but, pointed out that you also need to be careful not to take things too far. If you do this you will avoid getting in too much above your head and failing. (8.18) – Can you tell us about your worst career moment? And what you learned from that experience. This is a tricky question for Shannon because she has only been working in the industry for 7 years. So, she jokes that she has not yet had the chance to fail spectacularly. However, Shannon admits that she hates those times when she gets stuck for two or three days on a bug. When that happens, she starts feeling that she is letting the team down. This is despite the fact that the more experienced developers repeatedly tell her it isn’t an issue and that it happens to everyone. (10.19) – Phil asks Shannon what their best career moment was. Shannon said that happened after she had been working in the industry for around about a year. At that time, she was working with a team that came up with some new architecture. Getting the project ready in time was not easy, partly because it was so innovative. So, the team ended up having to work late into the night to get things ready for the demo. They were very tired, but incredibly proud of their work, which was really well received by the senior team. During that presentation, Shannon realized that despite being new to the industry she had already been involved in something special. The work she had done on that project was going to make a positive difference and carry on doing so for years to come. It was the first time in her working life that she had felt that way. The first time she had made a real difference. (13.13) – Can you tell us what excites you about the future of the IT industry and careers? Shannon is excited by the fact that the IT industry is becoming increasingly diverse. For example, everyone on her current team, apart from her project manager is a woman. She believes that this diversity will lead to the development of better products. In the tech industry, collaboration is essential. The fact that people from different backgrounds and perspectives are now working so closely together it is bound to result in new, different and interesting solutions. Now is an especially good time for women to get involved in tech. The industry needs good multi-taskers which is one of the reasons female developers are in such high demand. Shannon also likes the relative job security the IT field has to offer, at the moment. There is huge demand, so securing well-paid work is not hard. (16.57) – What drew you to a career in IT? Interestingly, it was Shannon’s science teacher who set off a series of events that would lead to her working in IT. If anyone in Shannon’s science class had finished their work early, they were allowed to complete a logic puzzle to gain extra credits. Shannon really enjoyed doing them. That is when she fell in love with problem-solving and learned to look at things in a logical way. Without realizing it she was learning the skills that would later prove to be invaluable for her work as a developer. (18.16) – What is the best career advice you have ever received? Someone once said to Shannon that she did not realize how skilled she was. At the time, she was working as an actress, and in restaurants. For years, she did not understand what they meant. But, later she began to realize that she really had developed quite a broad skill set, without really knowing that she was doing so. Skills that she uses to this day, for example, her waiting experience makes it easy for her to interact with all kinds of people in many different situations. Shanon says that “No matter what, you have skills that you can draw upon”. (19.45) – If you were to begin your IT career again, right now, what would you do? Shannon says she would not be so hard on herself. She is a bit of a perfectionist and a people pleaser. As a result, she holds herself to a high standard and rarely gives herself enough credit. So, if she were to start her IT career again, she would not beat herself up so much. She would not have tried to force herself down the career path of becoming a developer advocate like her friend who was also an actress. Instead, she would recognize straight away that she had to do what made her happy. Shannon believes that if she had done that she would have progressed faster and settled into the IT industry quicker than she has done. (22.03) – What are you currently focusing on in your career? Since Shannon knows that she wants to be a leader in tech she is looking for opportunities that will take her closer to that goal. (24.13) – What is the number one non-technical skill that has helped you the most in your IT career? As an actress Shannon got used to being put into strange or stressful situations and being expected to keep her cool and still perform. This is a skill she has found to be very useful in her IT career. (26.06) – Phil asks Shannon to share a final piece of career advice with the audience. Shannon’s advice is to “stay open to opportunity.” She thinks it is important not to judge what you are doing now based off of something you think you will need for the future. Shannon feels she has made this mistake herself and it has caused her to waste a lot of time and energy. In a fast moving industry trying to predict where things will go in the future is pointless. It is much better to apply yourself to what you are doing now and go with the flow, when it comes to the future. She also shared the fact that she likes to keep track of any little tricks she picks up by noting them down on a spreadsheet. Shannon also does the same with her mistakes. For example, if her team points out she has missed a step, she notes it down. So that the next time she is going through the development process she remembers to get it done without any prompting from her team. BEST MOMENTS: (5.38) Shannon – "I always like making things with people because I enjoy the give and take." (6.30) Shannon – "A lot of what holds me back is my fear of being wrong, or this sense that I'm not ready." (16.09) Shannon – "It’s just about your ability to solve problems, and communicate and work with others." (17.44) Shannon – “When I decided to try coding, for the first time, it very much felt like I was solving logic puzzles again.” (19.28) Shannon – “No matter what, you have a skill set that you can draw upon, that will be an asset into any field you go into” (27.11) Shannon – “You need to make that checklist and improve it and follow it.” CONTACT Shannon: Twitter: https://twitter.com/snkendall_ @snkendall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonkendall-/ Website: https://github.com/snkendall

HOLY SMOKES! Party Favorz keeps the festivities moving along with the long overdue Such A Good Feeling - 90's House Classics part 8. As mentioned in the post Back In Time - More 90's House Classics Coming Soon! I had put together an additional 3 part set of some of the biggest House Music tunes of the decade that was the 90's. Each and every song that spans this series (like the initial seven that were posted) was a massive dance floor hit and reached the number one spot on Billboard's Club Music Charts with one exception, Funk Boutique by the Cover Girls. If several of these songs sound remotely familiar even though this may not be your era, it's because they've been heavily sampled in today's dance music. Deskee's Dance Dance is a good example of that. In fact, I just stumbled on to the original sample that it was using from a very obscure early 80's track, which I have now forgotten. It's killing me because I just heard it a few days ago and forgot to make a mental note of it. It just goes to show that what's old is new again and the recycling of classics disco cuts heavily influences what you hear today. All the more reason I think Madonna should go back to her roots for her next album and stop chasing after whatever the latest sound is. I think it would be HUGE for her if she embraced her earliest work and modernized it for today's dance floors but I'm just one voice with an opinion. I've got two more of these going up this week before I launch into the 2017 Jingle Electric. In fact, I plan on making your head spin with the number of releases coming out in the next couple of weeks so hold tight because they'll be coming at you fast and furious! Until the next time...ENJOY! Album: Such A Good Feeling | 90's House Classics pt. 8 Genre: House Music Year: 2017 Total Time: 1:30:06 Brothers In Rhythm - Such A Good Feeling (DMC Remix by Dimitri) Urban Soul - Show Me (Def Club Mix) Joey Negro feat. Taka Boom - Can't Get High Without U (Eric Kupper Classic Funk Mix) Jaki Graham - Ain't Nobody (Love To Infinity Classic Paradise Mix) Bizarre Inc feat. Angie Brown - Took My Love (Sure Is Pure Room 101 Mix) Me'Shell Ndegeocello - Who Is He And What Is He To You (DT's N.Y.D.C. Mix) Mr. Fingers - Closer (Frankie Foncett Dude Mix) Deskee - Dance Dance (Tony Humphries Mix) The Cover Girls - Funk Boutique (12'' Remix) Blue Pearl - (Can You) Feel The Passion (House Mix) X-Press 2 - The Sound (Nush Pizza X Press Remix) Lil' Mo' Yin Yang - Reach (Little More Mix) Reel 2 Real feat. Erick More - The New Anthem (Union City Mix) Todd Terry pres. Shannon - It's Over Love (Funky Green Dogs Miami Club Mix) Blondie - Atomic (Diddy's 12'' Mix)

Shannon Burnett-Gronich has come a long way since her days as a single mother of two, struggling to make ends meet. Through hard work and a focus on helping others find success, Shannon has developed into a successful, multi-faceted executive. Her expertise has enabled her to help hundreds of people with business development and personal growth by training and coaching them in marketing, event production, networking, and much more. Shannon has spent ten years building an international conscious business community, focused on helping small businesses grow through education, marketing, and cooperation. Known as the owner of an exclusive "Million Dollar Rolodex," Shannon has successfully attained over $3 Million in F-R-E-E press, and has taught hundreds of people how to do the same. Shannon has appeared on television, radio, and in the press, and has co-authored the Amazon #1 best seller "Law of Business Attraction - The Secret of Cooperative Success" with T Harv Eker of the Millionaire Mind.   Shannon Burnett-Gronich has produced over 300 events and conferences since 2001 with 100+ exhibitors and 100+ volunteers. She discovered that most sponsors, speakers, and exhibitors do not have the education or plan to be successful. In order for them to continue to come back year after year, Shannon developed a simple system to train businesses and their teams in the fine art of conference excellence - helping them get the results they want and make more money. She also has been an exhibitor of multiple booths that required planning, marketing, team training, sales, database building, and follow-up. She has the ability to systemize and implement a plan for follow-up so that all leads turn into cash. This is through investors, joint venture partners, product sales, and sponsors. Shannon's event production clients include Dr Linda Hole, Jim Self, Stewart Levine of Resolution Works, Dr. Gary Null - America's #1 Health Guru, and T Harv Eker. - Secret to the Millionaire Mind.   Notes from the session: Secrets for a Great Press Release 1. Tagline that sizzles (12 to 14 point) Think Like Magazine Editors (Checkout at grocery store) 2. Introduction - Invite people to talk about challenge or problem (Quote someone famous as substitute) Lean toward statistics 3. Body - Quote yourself as an expert (preferably from other publicity from known sources) 4. Solution - What the remedy is 5. Call to action to readers to use information, go back for more 6. Contact information   Media Kit Contents - Expert Power Bio, Press Release, Company Pieces, Action Photos, Sample Media Done, Articles or Clippings About You, Fancy Annual Report   www.shannongronich.com/powerbio   The Interview Transcript   Nonprofit Chat with Shannon Gronich Hugh Ballou: Greetings, it's Hugh Ballou. We are in this session of the Nonprofit Chat. We have had a series of really good interviews. Tonight is no exception. We have a special guest tonight, Shannon Gronich. Shannon is a dear friend, and we collaborate a lot together. Shannon has presented at my leadership empowerment symposiums multiple times, and each time, she adds more and more value to what I do. Shannon, welcome to the Nonprofit Chat. Shannon Gronich: Thank you so much for having me. I love the work that you do and really appreciate all of the individuals that you have touched in my life with your skill of how to build a high-performance team and how to collaborate and all that you do. Thank you, Hugh. Hugh: Great. Thank you. We are better when we work with good people, and I enjoy the collaboration that we share. I know things about you. You do a lot of things. You produce events and get sponsorships. Tonight, our channel is about creating the documents and the story to get picked up for free publicity. Tell us a little bit about your background in doing this and how you got to that level of expertise. Shannon: Thank you. That is a great question. I have always been doing events and bringing people together, ever since I was in high school, when I would throw parties and bring people together. When I started doing events, I looked at the marketing budget and the expense of that and how to grow that because a lot of times, you can spend money on marketing and not get the results you want. We were doing a local conference here in Florida and getting about 500 attendees, which is an incredible amount of individuals. So we studied how do we get picked up by TV and radio and print? We cracked the code for developing a press release that anybody can do. You don't have to be a great writer. You don't have to be a nonprofit even, even though this is for nonprofits. You do have an edge because of your nonprofit status. We were able to use this system for our event, and in one press release, we went from 500 to 2,000 attendees. The article got picked up in multiple places. Since then, I have helped attain millions of dollars of free publicity, not only for multiple events, but for multiple projects and individuals and lots of variations in between. Hugh: You have a book on this topic. What's the book called? Shannon: Media Magic: Instantly Get Radio, TV, Print, and Internet Press to Give You Limitless Publicity. Hugh: Where can people find it? I guess you can find it on Amazon? Shannon: Yes, you can find it on Amazon. If you get it there, Hugh, I always say to email me, which is in the back of the book, a receipt because I will give you a free copy of a training with Jay Abraham's ghostwriter that is just powerful. If you get it from Amazon, send me the receipt. Or you can go to my website shannongronich.com and instantly get that recording, too. Hugh: Great. That is a super offer. I know your content is stunning and absolutely works. This publicity thing, in my first book, I had a chapter on publicity. When I worked in St. Pete, I developed personal relationships with all the media, so when I sent in my announcements, they knew who it was from. And I knew how to make it complete so they would be able to print it. They said that was very rare because people would give them in all kinds of forms, and there would be things missing, like what time the event was and where to go in the properties, where it was. I developed a template that had a checklist of important things. I also found that a lot of people, and this was in church music, I had open events that were accessible by everybody, so it was important for me to get the word out. I do find that for many years, publicity was an afterthought. If you wait until the week before, it is too late. I find that that is a common thread with people running a charity or some sort of church program. We are so busy producing the event that we forget about the publicity. Let me run a paradigm by you. I encourage people to appoint someone in the organization to be in charge of communications, which would include event publicity, internal and external communications. There would be one person to develop the system, and that person needs to have certain qualifications. Do you find that that works in groups you have worked with? There is some person dedicated to sharing information? Shannon: Absolutely. Whomever is dealing with the event, whether it be the marketing coordinator, the person in charge of marketing, or the event coordinator, they do need to look at that plan. You hit on a sore spot for a lot of people. I have had people call me ten days before their event. Now, we have worked miracles and have done in the daily. Ideally, if you are looking at a project, if you can be 120 days out, 90 days out, then you can start building those relationships with publications, trade magazines, bi-monthlies, monthlies, quarterlies. We have a beautiful magazine here in our area that comes out four times a year, so you have to plan way ahead to get into their calendar of events or articles or anything like that. Hugh: Would you talk a little bit about that timeline? I encourage people to go backwards from the event. When you are thinking about all of these different types of publications, it's a challenge because magazines have a different kind of lead time. It's the publication day, but there are different kinds of lead time. There is a flow with this. Talk about working backwards from the event. Shannon: Absolutely. Then I want to be certain to share the six essentials that go with it. Working backwards, I always invite people- One of our greatest assets is our media list. We hear our greatest asset is our contact list, which is absolutely true. Another huge asset is our media list. With the media list, I use a simple Excel sheet. I also have them in my CRM system. But I use a simple Excel sheet that has name, publication deadlines, key contacts, but also I target writers or contributors because they can sometimes get us in to publications easier or expedite that process. At least, when you start creating that list, find out where you want to be. Locally seems to be the easiest. You do want to have on your vision board to target big publications and magazines. However, starting local and getting that media list together is key. Find out who does quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily. How about radio shows? You do this chat once a week, and you probably book it out a few months in advance. I even know radio hosts who are booked out six months in advance. The more lead time you can give with an event- I like to have at least 120 days so you can start building those relationships. As you have a relationship with media, it's a lot easier. You can do exactly like you said, Hugh: “Hey, I have something that is coming in.” Let them know your timeline, and they can work within it. But especially as you are building that new relationship, you do need a little bit longer. Hugh: Absolutely. I used to worry about bothering people with my stuff, but it is their job; they are looking for stuff! We are actually helping them do their job. Isn't that right? Shannon: Yes, there is thousands of dollars of free publicity with everybody's who is watching this name on it right now. They are looking for stories. Now they are not looking for free advertising. This is that fine line. They are looking for good stories. I focus on these three primary things. We have all heard of negative news and things like that. You can buy in and tap into some of that. But the three things that I focus on are education; community outreach, which is where a lot of events tie in, community giveback; and human interest. They love human interest, overcoming adversity, challenges that somebody may have. You may ask what this has to do with a nonprofit. How does this benefit me? When people see Hugh Ballou has overcome—Hugh, I am sitting here trying to say something you have overcome, but I have never heard you overcome any challenges. But when they read that, they are going to go, “I need to know about Hugh. Let me connect with him. Who is this individual?” Hugh: I am getting over being bashful. You have hit on a subject, which is so key. Russell David Dennis has joined us. Welcome, Russell. I like his three names; he doesn't usually use them, but I think there is a rhythm to it. I ran a pretty good music program in a major church in St. Pete, Florida, across Florida from where you are in Melbourne. I did really good events. There was a person- I had relationships with writers in music to critics. I had writers that did business. St. Pete Times was my customer, so St. Pete Times had different people who did different writing for different topics. I built a relationship with all of them. There was one time I had Sir David Wilcox, the Queen's Musician, coming from England. We were doing this big-deal concert. I sent in my announcement to the calendar listing, just modestly sending it. The person sent it back to me and said, “We can't publicize this church event. It's not of general interest.” So I went to the music critic, and they jumped on it and did an interview. I had a front-page picture of the rehearsal with Sir David and my choir, which was much better than a calendar listing. This guy being a music critic knew this was a nationally renowned conductor that we were bringing to St. Pete, Florida, and they jumped on it. It was to their advantage to run the story, which they did. It didn't fit one person's model, but it fit another person's model. I could have gone back to her and gone “Nyah, nah, nah,” but I didn't because it didn't fit her model. It fit the other model. Just because somebody said no, like you said, you have different people who have different slants, we can go to another place and it might be of interest to them. Do you have a story around- It's not doing the run-around, but finding the fit, the proper thing to say. Shannon: A lot of people say, “What do you say? You have the press kit together. What do you do?” That is where in the media list, I do identify multiple people. You know we have a bull's eye and aim darts at it? I imagine having a handful or fistful of bull's eyes and I send them out to multiple people. I say, “I'm not sure where this goes. Maybe you can direct me.” Most of the time, where it gets to where it's going, they have heard about it from different locations, so it tends to have more impact or attention. Hugh: The other thing I think is important to know is that you are sending it to the real person. You have checked to make sure it is the right person, and you spell their name correctly. Shannon: I am old-school on picking up the phone as much as possible and getting their permission and letting them know to expect it. Also to follow up and expect multiple No's, No I didn't get it, No I didn't read it, No it's the wrong department, No we don't want to print it. My biggest success was when I was rejected 13 times, and they ended up calling me when they were going to print. They said they had remnant space. Once they did the layout, they realized they had one space, and they did a full-profile picture and an entire article. Hugh: Love it. That is amazing. You slid by something here that I want to come back to. The press kit. What is that? Shannon: That's a great question. That is the six things we have talked about. There are six things to be ready for the media. The first thing is your press release. Having what it is that you are doing. I have a simple system that is one page, double-spaced, title at the top. It's very much story-focused as opposed to advertising. You even quote yourself as an expert. When you quote yourself as an expert, I wouldn't say, “Shannon, author of Media Magic.” I would say, “Shannon, author and marketing strategist,” or something very general because when they look at it and if it looks like you want free press, there is a higher chance of it ending up in the trash. We keep it very simple. The press release is one thing that you want to have ready to go. When you call them or connect with them, they will say to send it over. The other thing is I like people to have ready their expert power bio. An expert power bio- I say power because this is a story about you. If you are a nonprofit, this can be a story about your board or individuals who are involved. Having this ready tends to get people to pay attention and notice who you are, and you are not having to sell yourself. The third thing is company pieces. Do you have brochures or business cards? Have those items ready to send out on a moment's notice. Is there an event flyer you are working with? Sample PR that you have been a part of. Have you been on radio or TV or articles? Sample PR that you have contributed is great. The next one is things that have been written about you, the third-party writing. Those are other items. The last two is your order form. I don't always send this in with the press release. But having that ready because a lot of times, individuals want to know what you offer. Tell me more about who you are and what you offer. Have that ready so they can get an overview is key. The last thing is action photos. Action photos are you in action. I know that we want to update our headshots and have those, but do not send those in with a press release. You are really wasting your time unless they ask specifically for a headshot. You always want to do what they say to do as opposed to what I say to do. I am teaching you a format that has worked, but you want to follow what they say. Hugh, can I share a little story about action photos? Hugh: I love it. You know I had a photo career previously, and I see a lot of really stupid pictures. People standing around smiling is not credible. It's not very interesting. Shannon: Action photos. What happened with me is when I was first learning this formula, they asked if I had any photos. I said yes and sent in a headshot. All I got was a real small article and that was it. I started looking at what they were really looking for. The next time, when they asked if I had an action photo, I said yes and put together a picture of me and a woman standing in front of a booth or display. I am looking at a brochure pointing at it with her. This was our action photo. They gave us a quarter page for the photo and then a quarter page for the article, and it was huge. They really love things that make it stand out. So I send in a few things when we submit the press release so they can pick and choose and connect with an image. Hugh: That's a really good list. I want to make sure we get a numbered list and put it on the website. If I heard you right, nonprofits stand a good chance of getting free publicity because of the kinds of work that we do. Did I hear that correctly? Shannon: Absolutely. Everybody, yeah. But nonprofits have an advantage because many times, they hit all three of those things: the human interest, the community, and the education. If you can tie in all three, that can be more powerful, but it only takes one. Hugh: And you talked about the bio. I guess there is a whole methodology around that, and you speak about that in your book. But why are the leader and team bios important for getting free publicity? Does that lead to more attendance, more donations? What is the net result? Why do we have those bios included? Shannon: With the bio, and Hugh, I think I did get your permission, I am going to give them my 12-step system for free. If they go to shannongronich.com/powerbio, they can get the 12-step system that I take people through. There is actually a 13th step, which is listing your contacts or clients, even if it is a past company you have worked with. I found by adding that number 13, there has been gems, as I have talked to people, where Delta might have been a client for them. They sometimes forget key names they are able to share. So please get that. Why it's important is that one of the most challenging things for individuals to do is to talk about themselves or what people might consider bragging. It is the most powerful thing to stand out in the crowd and get people to pay attention and notice you. I found that in the bio process, it really speeds up that- if you are working with a door, and they want to know who you are and what you are doing and why they should entrust you with their money, they could see this is who you have worked with, this is what you have accomplished, this is what you stand for, it makes it easier for them to write a check. You are actually not having to talk as much. With the media, they want to know who this is. Why do I need to pay attention to this individual? Hugh: Wow. Shannon: With your board, especially with donations and grants, I know that is a separate topic, but it's important. They want to know, even with media, who is on the board and who is running this organization and to be able to share and showcase it, you have some supportive, whether it be big names or their skillset, that this is not just a whim. Or if it is just getting started, you have really positioned it with some leaders. Hugh: You want to position yourself as a professional. You are giving us professional tools. I know sometimes people have asked questions about bragging about what they have done. It is just a factual representation of what you stand for. That way, the person on the other end can choose what they want to extract if they want to print some of that. So those are really good points. I want to go back to the website of shannongronich.com/powerbio. Russell, what do you think of all this? You spent a lot of time working in the nonprofit sector, and there are so many people who keep things they do a secret. Russell Dennis: A lot of them don't want to talk about themselves because they feel like it's bragging, or they are a little bit apologetic about it. It's important to talk about what you are doing. People want to know what it is that you're doing. They are interested. A lot of times, some nonprofits you get social workers, and they are uncomfortable talking about value or bragging, it sounds salesy or markety. You are marketing. You want to present an image and you are telling people about what you are doing. Bob Proctor talks about it: What's so great about that? You have to talk about what's great and what people are getting out of it in the terms that mean something to them because it's not about you. Hugh: Bob Circosta. The Whizcat. You had the Bob part right. I know we know both of them. So Russell, you pinged a couple ideas here. Shannon, we framed this, at least from my limited perspective, in promoting upcoming events. What about continuing to share the important things we are doing, the big successes, as a follow-up to an event or as an ongoing communication with the media? Is that any different than promoting an event or something coming up? Shannon: Even an event, there are ways you want to craft it. What education piece can you contribute? What education piece is your nonprofit? They are always looking for that type of information. If there is something in the media that is happening now that you can piggyback on, that can really get you some traction and mileage. I am just going to use this example. We had one woman tie in Donald Trump in her article and media, and they picked it up and went wild with it. If you are in real estate and the real estate market, something is happening with that trend, see what is in the media and what people are talking about. If there is a way to craft around a story what is happening there, that is a great way to get some steam. Hugh: Is that called newsjacking? Shannon: Yes. I like that. Hugh: Yeah. You can get some extra buzz, can't you, if you piggyback on what is going on. It could backfire though, couldn't it? Shannon: Yeah. I am always real mindful of religion and politics. Don't let that stop you. You just want to be careful. You're right, Hugh. What I have noticed about marketing is that 100% of the time they are inaccurate about something. I just had to always be thankful for what I got. I have had them spell my last name wrong. There is 100% of the time something has been incorrect. I am grateful for it. I have had bad press. I have also worked with people who have had bad press. There are different levels of bad, but there are also different ways of twisting that. One of my bad press stories, they took a picture of our event road sign, which had our website and our phone number and our company name, and it said, “Road signs are loitering our town.” It was negative news. But it was a half-page photo, so that was great. I had another friend come to me with something that was horrible for her when it happened. She was in a lawsuit, and different things were coming up. She was nervous about her event. She wondered if she didn't do her event, if that negative news would be really bad. They kept writing about her in the paper. They even mentioned her event, and her event sold out like a month in advance. But she was a woman making a difference in the world. Her event was around empowering women and leaving an impact and human trafficking. Despite her personal drama going on, she was a woman with purpose and passion, and she had to keep focused on her vision and mission through doing this. It turned out to be just incredible for her. Hugh: So getting attention and getting to what the essential message is. If I'm hearing you also, we want to set ourselves apart and define what is so important about what we are doing. That is what Russ was talking about with the Whizcat. I have seen a lot, and written a lot, of bad press releases. Give us some of the worst practices and how you would change that. You have seen some bad ones, I'm sure. Shannon: Yes. People spend thousands of dollars on publicists, and then they come to me and say, “Nothing got picked up.” So I look at their press release, and it's an ad. All it is is selling. That is the number one mistake: taking a press release and selling yourself. If you are paying for advertising, that is something that would make sense. But a lot of times, they don't pick it up. Don't put your logo on the top. That is free advertising. I know people have that style, but I found that if you just put the tagline at the very top, add a number if you can- The one I said for my event, the tagline was “85 ways to improve your health in six hours or less.” We had 85 booths, it was a six-hour event, and it was around health. That was a very creative way. People are like, “What is this?” and it got picked up. Do as much as you can to not market yourself. Also, keep it one page. Keep it simple. Double-spaced. Less is more. This concept of more is more is going out the window as a whole in life. I found that less is more because that gets them wanting to connect and ask questions. I know this is off the press release, but you also have to remember that you are talking with them. When you are interviewing them or picking up the phone and they say, “Tell me about this story,” don't talk at them for ten minutes. Just give them this snippet. “I want to share 85 ways to improve your health in six hours or less. It's a great event. I think you guys want to know about it. We want our community to know.” Less is more in each aspect of this to where they are kind of pulling it out of you. Hugh: And the less needs to be valuable. Think about what the essential message is. Back to what Russ said a minute ago, why they should care. We need to hit with the why piece of this. These elements are really good. This goes for social media posting as well: I see people hammering really hard and selling. Getting some coverage, whether you want people to retweet it or share the post or you want the media to pick it up in publications, you can't be arrogant about what you're doing and press it out there like you are selling them a used car. I find that very helpful. Shannon: And the other key piece with the publicity is- Do you care if I go through and tell them what the key components are? Hugh: Go for it. Shannon: This is one of the ways I find it's simple to get millions of dollars in free press. The tagline is at the top. Usually in 12-14 font, 5-7 words. Sometimes it can be a little more. Make that sizzle. The way I have learned to make things sizzle is an ongoing practice, not worrying about what the article is saying, but how to write a tagline. Next time you go into a grocery store, look at Oprah or Cosmo, these magazines that have spent billions of dollars in learning how to craft press releases. Take a picture and look at them and figure out how to use it in your business. “Three strategies, nine tools, how to,” those educational pieces are very easy. Use that to start training your brain to look at what works. If you search “Hubspot blog generator,” you can actually put in three nouns and it will help you come up with catchy titles. It's not perfect. You can play with it. But it will help you get that idea of what is going to get them to pay attention. That is the absolute number one most important thing. Then you go into the introduction, which is the second most important thing. That is where most of the time I invite people to talk about the challenge or the problem. It's best if it has stats, numbers, and references of where you find that information. That is really powerful. That is the number one thing I would select. If you cannot for some reason identify a problem, then you can quote somebody famous. Paul Pilzer is an economist I have used. Einstein, I have seen individuals use. You want it to be relevant. But try to lean toward the stats and talking about the challenge. Usually, 2-3 sentences at the most. Real short and sweet. Allow them to want to pay attention a little more. The second paragraph, there are only three in this process. The second one is the body. In the body, you always start with quoting yourself as an expert. When you quote yourself, it's a formula. You do beginning quote, states Hugh Ballou, transformational leadership expert. With Hugh, I would put Forbes-recognized because guess what? Forbes is a big name. That's a little different than Media Magic. You want to put that big name, but otherwise, keep it general. Then end quote. You are quoting yourself as an expert. It's a statement. It's not a quote like you would put in social media. It's more of a statement about what the problem is that you are a solution for or why it's important to address that. Then you give a few more sentences. It could be five or seven sentences because you want to keep it on one page, double-spaced. That is where you start talking about the solution and driving them toward- if it's a solution for stress, you might give them one solution. In the third paragraph, the call to action could be, “Go to my website to get this information.” Do not sell in the press release. It could be a call to action to the readers or the publisher. This press release is something that could help our community, or it can be a call to action to the readers. Take this information to make your nonprofit go to the next level. At the very bottom, you put your contact information, phone number, and website. Hugh: As tax-exempt organizations—Russ can weigh in on this with his experience in the IRS—we have to be very careful with a call to action because we are not selling, and we can be classified as unrelated business income if we are selling a program or a call to action. When you advertise or do an interview on public radio or TV, they are very restrictive. You can say, “For more information, go to,” and it's typically the homepage of the organization. As charities, we have to craft those statements very carefully. Russ, do you have any more wisdom on that point? Shannon: I just want to say it's actually best to do that whether you're a nonprofit or not. The more you can stay away from selling any type of thing, the better it is. Thank you for bringing that up as far as the rules of nonprofits. Hugh: Russ, do you have some wisdom on that? Thank you, Shannon. Russell: Sure. As far as the call to action for nonprofits is building a good story and telling people where they can get more information. You want to give more information. If you can hit them with facts about the problem you solve and why those facts are important, that is what matters. We ned to move forward on this and take action to solve this problem. Find out how you can get involved. You leave it at that. With a nonprofit, you really have to hammer the problem and why it's important to the people you are trying to reach. Hugh: Russ has noted the steps you just went through with the press release in the chat box. I encourage people to register at nonprofitchat.org to get the notes, which will then send you to the archives so you can get all the history of the nonprofit Exchange. We used to do a separate chat and exchange, and the hashtag was #nonprofitexchange on Twitter, which still goes on simultaneously with this live interview. We found that we wanted to incorporate more energy into one event. So interviewing experts and providing worthy information brings a whole lot of value. We are targeting nonprofits, but this works for businesses, too. I don't think there is anything I've heard that wouldn't work for business publicity, right? Shannon: Correct. Hugh: Thinking about some of the things you have talked about before, the elements of the press kit, is there somewhere on your site that people can get that checklist for the press kit? Shannon: It might be in one of my blogs, but I am not certain. Hugh: I want to see if Russ can grab those five. Go ahead, Shannon. Give us those five. I think it's worth repeating. Some people call it a media kit, a press kit. If I understood, you are doing a physical kit that is hard-copy. Shannon: I have it on my website. I have a Media Access to different radio shows, things I have done in the past. When we talk about showcasing what you have done in the past, either things you have participated in or written about you, having those are great. I do like to have something. There are environments I go into, like CEO Space, to have something that is in a folder or include a disc of you. Most of it I put on the website or send in an email for that initial contact. Hugh: Got it. So the things in the press kit are? Shannon: The expert power bio. The press release. Company pieces. Hugh: Company pieces like? Shannon: A brochure, business cards, flyers about the events, anything regarding your company. Action photos. Hugh: Action photos. People doing stuff. Shannon: Yep. Sample media that you have done, anything you have participated in. And then articles or clippings about you. Hugh: Love it. Was that too fast, Russ? Shannon: As a nonprofit, if you have a fancy annual report, or things you have, I would consider the end report as a company piece that a nonprofit has that you can include in that. I would suggest it anyway. Hugh: If you are sending an email, you could include a link to that website, if it is a lengthy report. Sometimes they are. The reporter could go and search that out. Part of what you ran by before, I'd like you to say more about the title. I find that the title can make a huge amount of difference. You mentioned a way to come up with snazzy titles. I use the Google Keywords tool, and I put in what I think is a good title and it gives me other words around that. It helps me think about other words that maybe I didn't think about. You mentioned using Hubspot, and they have a blog title generator. Shannon: Yeah, that's really great. As you are out looking around, see what's out there. What I found that numbers are the most powerful. That gets people to know, “Okay, there is a system here. This is synchronized.” There is an ending. For some reason, if you can tie numbers into your taglines, that is the best. Looking at how to's. My personal human interest was, I sent it smaller, but they printed, “Paralyzed woman heals with ancient Chinese exercise,” incorporating how you overcome adversity. If you are doing charity work and have an impact on a family or in your mission, you can tie that into the tagline. Hugh: Speaking about- Shannon: I don't say any names. Some individuals will say- I wouldn't say “Hugh Ballou is coming to Melbourne.” This is how a lot of people write press releases. I would say, “Forbes-recognized transformational leadership specialist coming to Melbourne.” I wouldn't mention the name because the name won't mean anything in the title. But the Forbes would. Hugh: Got it. This is a gold mine of very useful information, Shannon. Let's give the name of your book again. Shannon: And then Robert Green has a question on Facebook that I want to answer if he is still with us because I love Robert and I know you do, too. I put you two together. You can get the book at shannongronich.com or on Amazon. You can send in the receipt, or if you do it on my website you get it right away: I give you Jay Abraham's ghostwriter's training on copywriting. It is Copywriting Secrets. Shannongronich.com. Media Magic: Instantly Get Radio, TV, Print, and Internet Press to Give You Limitless Publicity. Hugh: It was a while ago that you wrote it. Shannon: That is a long one. Hugh: That is a testimony. He is a well-read man. Shannon: One of my favorite things in the book that a lot of individuals talk about is I have actually given power words. These power words are really groovy, especially around putting around your power bio. It gets you to think of things like “articulated, created, developed.” Those are verbs that are action/results oriented. There is hundreds of them. I alphabetize them. That right there, people say they look at it all the time. It is a great resource. Hugh: Outstanding. Russell, of course you have read that book, right? Russell: I have. I highlighted a few pieces. It's always good to remind myself when I get stuck for action words in a blog post. This is right here in my office. I remember Shannon's action words and flip it to the page. You can say the same thing with several different words. One of the mistakes I see a lot of nonprofit leaders make is when they are writing things, particularly grants, they use passive language. That was a habit I had for a long time. When you are using that passive language, it doesn't convey the message as quickly and succinctly, so you want to use these action words in grants. Especially when you are quantifying your results and how you are going to measure what you're doing, you want action words. When you are talking about what you are going to accomplish, you want to use these action words. We have the number of people who are on food stamps, for example. You want to have these action words there so they are operative and available. In the press release, it has to be short, snappy, and get them to *audio cut* Shannon: Russell, do you find that when you're submitting a grant- And I want to make sure we get to Robert Green's question. Do you find that when you're submitting a grant that them knowing they have media exposure, do you ever submit where they have been in the media, with publicity, with grant proposals? Russell: Depends on what the request for proposal asks for. If you have been highlighted or featured, that is always a piece to add to your credibility. In most bios for board members and that type of thing, the important things you put in there are these are the things we have done. If you have gotten those numbers or results for things you have done in the past with other projects that go into that, that is pretty powerful. It adds to the credibility. You have that in the press kit. I would add that into the nonprofit press kit. Who has funded you? Who have you worked with? What results have you managed to get with other or similar programs, especially if you are following up with something? Now let's take it to the next level and have people come back to learn more about it. Hugh: Really good advice. That whole thing, Russ, about passive language- Russ is a gifted writer, as you might guess, so he pays attention to those things. There is a huge difference in how people are going to receive it. Shannon, what is this question that has been lingering out there? Shannon: Robert Green, with Think Global Start Local, says, “I am on a mission to inspire people to do more planned giving to support nonprofits in general, and one in particular. This is a sophisticated proposition. This is really about shifting people from being considered donors to meaningful donors. Is this something I can craft into a well-written press release or a story?” Absolutely, Robert. I can see a few angles with that. One is the education piece of letting people know the benefits of that, the impact they are having. There are other benefits, like tax benefits. Thinking about the education piece of the benefits. Also, if there are any meaningful stories that can be crafted around this of individuals who have done the meaningful donation, there is probably a number of angles you can take with that press release. Hugh: Thank you, Robert, for that really good question. Sometimes the donations are like a sympathy card. What we want to do. That paradigm shift he is suggesting is so important. We want meaningful supporters who make meaningful donations. I think what people want to know is what is going to happen as a result of my donation? You referenced it when you said what is the impact of the work that you do? Russ talked about it when he said earlier on about the why piece. I keep going back to that. If you have a why piece, why do people need this? To couple it with the impact, and you quote yourself and others in your organization, then they know you have the leadership ability with you and your team to actually accomplish it. There is also a rhythm of getting information out, Shannon, isn't there? You want to be covered on a regular basis so the cumulative impact is stronger than a one-time release. Shannon: This is where if I could leave individuals with anything is scheduling this as part of your operations. It is a meaningful and worthwhile and impactful way. Especially fi you are a nonprofit where you are struggling and don't have much of a marketing budget. I tell you that if you are spending anything on marketing, incorporate this free publicity piece because you can actually expand your marketing dollars even beyond that. Hopefully my story of taking an event from 500 to 2,000 people shows you the value of putting time and energy into this. I have had thousands of dollars in one particular project in publicity and am able to turn that into some great things. Please look at this as part of your operation and plan is getting that coverage on a regular basis. Sometimes you get it and they say, “This isn't going to work,” so you have to tweak the tagline. Even with an expert who has done it a number of times, most of the time, I nail it now, but as you are learning how to do this, you are building relationships and moving things forward. Yes, you should be every week spending time getting yourself out there. Hugh: I want to invite people to check out Nonprofit Performance Magazine at nonprofitperformance.org. We do useful articles. The next edition will be on boards. Shannon, if we wanted to craft a press release on the new board member or the importance of the people on our board, would that seem to be newsworthy if we have high people in our organization doing good work? Speak a minute about that. It seems self-serving or kissing up to people, but in the other sense, it is celebrating a person who has a lot of connections and a lot of value to the community, and they are putting the value into the work we are doing as a charity. Is there a press release piece around new board members or new board initiatives to celebrate the power of the board that we have? Shannon: Absolutely. I would try in your press release to keep it as singular-focused as possible. If you have six people on your board, look at doing some individually. But a new board member would be welcoming. Focusing on what their expertise is that they are bringing to the table. If they are somebody like Hugh Ballou who has been in Forbes, you can name drop. Russell: Shamelessly, at that. Hugh: I love it. I love it. Shannon: It's true. You are such a prime example of when you have had certain levels of accomplishment that are internationally recognized, those are opportunities to name drop and leverage that with your board. It's telling the story where we are welcoming this new person. Here is what they are bringing to the table. Quoting them. This is a place to quote them on the impact they are going to be leaving here. Quotes are real short and sweet. It's one sentence with you in the middle. Hugh: Love it. Think about a parting thought. Maybe there is another tip or thought you want to leave us with. Shannon, you have given us some very useful stuff in this interview, thank you so much. As we are winding down and wrapping up this hour, which has gone way too fast, what is a parting tip or thought you would like to leave people with? Shannon: I just want to share one of the biggest transformations that I see in this media kit process. That is the power of the expert power bio. I did give you the 12-step power bio at shannongronich.com/powerbio. Going through this process and creating that, I have seen this for me personally be able to get wages like an attorney. I have seen individuals get speaking gigs that they didn't necessarily get before. The expert power bio is usually one of the first places I start with people because it has the greatest impact on the results that we have in multiple areas of the nonprofit. When you are talking to donors or media, when you are looking at proposals or agreements, if you don't have that, put energy and time on that because right now, there are thousands of dollars of publicity waiting for you. There are stages waiting for you. There are radio interviews waiting for you. They just need to know who you are and why they want to pay attention. Hugh: Wise words. Russ, thank you as always for being so diligent in capturing the sound bites that matter. Shannon, thank you for sharing your wisdom with the nonprofit world. Shannon: Awesome. Thank you, Hugh, for your work. I can't say enough for how grateful I am and all the lives you have touched in my world at our events. Hugh is on our executive team, so he is just a rock star. Thank you, Hugh. And thank you, Russell. I love you, too. Russell: Good to see you again. I love this. Like I said, this book is in my office. Shameless promotion. It is best to let your friends recognize you, Shannon.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannon Whaley Traveling Wildwoman! Women's business and marketing coach - works with passionate and driven service based entrepreneurs, taking side gigs and turning them into sustainable businesses. Lisa gets sidetracked to begin with, forgets to eat and then buys a really expensive salad. Has been doing this for a while, but has kind of changed and morphed all along. Just broke up with 3 year boyfriend, and is moving to Italy. Longest relationship except cats, who are living with her mom. She thinks a lot of people start coaching to live wherever they want. Hannah Dixon (listen to the episode with Hanna here) Location independent. Danielle LaPorte - amazing author on figuring out what you want to feel, to be the person you want to be. Shannon's core desired feelings: ease, passion, freedom, adventure. (I use these when I'm making decisions, will they get me closer or father away from my mission?) Intuitive feelings with excitement or trepidation "don't do this!" "Now that I'm sober, I have more access to those feelings." - Shannon "I have a feeling, I don't know how often I listen to my intuition" - Lisa Met boyfriend long before they got together, she was a cocktail waitress in Seattle, he was a DD for his friends. 2013 - Left Seattle and moving to San Diego to be a hairstylist, but also had to be a waitress to support her growing hair business. But really didn't want to do the same thing she was doing in Seattle. Was invited to Cayman Islands by boyfriend to visit, and moved there because she wanted to do something different. Her boyfriend was already sober, she knew she was done and needed a clean start. "of course I was that girl and came home wasted" - Shannon When did you discover that you could make money online? The Pathfinder, Nicholas Lore Started looking at what was possible for her, yoga teacher, coach... Coach! Had gone to Tony Robbins events, and used to be a counselor and has a degree in psychology, and thought "That would be a perfect way to use my degree and help people" And I could help anyone anywhere in the world. "Everything I wanted when I graduated from college, but didn't know how to access" - Shannon Working with women in crisis, vs. making themselves better. She's taken two coach trainings, Institute for life coach training, inner glow circle. Becoming an assistant trainer so she can be a coach trainer. Has a one-on-one clientele and a group class starting in April. Has a retreat coming up in Italy in June. Who is coming to you? Coaches. I've helped a man start a fishing charter business, "It transcends industries, but I prefer working with women and coaches." Where do you start? Work on getting legal first. (terms, disclaimers, permits, licences) Work on money "I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever figure it out" - Lisa "We are all doing it over and over again, and it shows up in a different outfit every time"- Lisa Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Working with a money strategist coach - Carrie Fry Williams You want two checking accounts. All business money goes into business checking. All personal money goes into personal checking. two savings one is profit / one is taxes All business money goes in to business checking, and pay myself twice a month from there.   My first business basically shut down, so I've launched a new one! Now, 50% of what I make goes to me personally. - Shannon "It's so common with entrepreneurs, they pay themselves last." - Shannon I help women make their business sustainable. - Shannon In the Cayman Islands, you need business partners. I didn't' know what I was doing, and they ended up pulling out because of that. We have a gift, and our strong points aren't business related. This isn't natural for me. I don't want to be like my dad, and I don''t want my daughter to have to take care of me. - Lisa Shannon "Needed support because I felt lost" There are so many horror stories about people handing their money over to someone and getting stolen from. "I'd rather be in my zone, and hire this out" - Shannon "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing to make money" -Lisa "It's my sugar daddy, it pays for me and the cat, and my 30 year old daughter-not really" -Lisa I want to show women that it's okay to be human. I don't want to do stand up anymore, but I want to go speak, and inspire women through my comedy. I want to journey with them. That's how I want to make my money, plus it's location independent. I know there are things that I'm supposed to be doing... Visit Shannon's website, and sign up for the free gift! (opt in guide!) about how to thank clients for signing up, keep them warm, send them gifts, keep them coming back, give them actual valuable things so they look forward to your messages. How would you work with me? Read the Pathfinder. Know what it is you want to be doing. I recently wrote a vision statement: "I am bringing thousands of women laughter, community, and self acceptance though my comedy and self acceptance through Honestly Lisa." I want them to know that I'm going on the journey with them. Audio/video, words, blogging, weekly newsletters and speaking. SPEAKING - how do you make money doing this? Have packages - Like the Be Silly Now Course (21-day video series)  "How can I be a coach, I don't have my shit together" -Lisa "If I'm going to lie to myself, just being fully aware of it" - Lisa Danielle LaPorte is a good model for me..  "I think I'm a really fun girlfriend" - Lisa Death Coaches  (listen to the episode with Martha Jo Atkins here) Construction coaches for men who didn't have a knowledge.  "Have your breakdown, show you're a real person, and come out on the other side with takeaways" - Shannon "I'd love to do a fake seminar that actually gets people real" - Lisa "These are the spiritual leaders I'm supposed to be following?" - Shannon Contenders for getting on track Marie Forleo's B School Martha Beck Being Boss Verbal Rorschach love - ugh eyes - green tacos - pork blanket - fuzzy peaches - fuzzy computers - it's on life - amazing tie dye - ugh bras - necessary  avocado - not ripe If you had a favorite bush, what would it be? NO BUSH!    "Waxing never gets better. I should youtube it. It's like the first tie, every time" -Shannon   How to leave a love note on iTunes for my Podcast. From your computer: 1. Open the iTunes software on your desktop. (Not the web version.) 2. In the search bar (upper right-hand corner), type in “Honestly Lisa”. 3. Click on our album cover that pops up towards the bottom of the screen. 4. This will take you to the homepage for our show, but make sure you don’t accidentally select one of our individual episodes instead. 5. Right under the show description, you’ll see three tabs. “Ratings & Reviews” is the second one listed, and this is the one you want to click on. 6. On that page, there should be a button called “Write A Review” and if you click there, it will hopefully let you create a post with your thoughts! From your iPhone: 1. Open the “podcast” app that comes pre-installed on all current apple smartphone devices. 2. In the lower right-hand corner, you’ll click on the magnifying glass “search” button and type in “marriage is funny”. 3. Click on our album cover that pops up towards the bottom of the screen. This will take you to the homepage for our show, but make sure you don’t accidentally select one of our individual episodes instead. 4. Select the “reviews” tab toward the top of the screen, and you’ll see a purple “Write a Review” button on the next page. 5. It might ask you to log in to your iTunes account, but otherwise, this will open a form where you can enter your thoughts!

Lydia Guarino @lydiaguarino | data.world | GitHub Shannon Byrne @s_byrne | Blog | GitHub | shannon@emberitas.com Stephanie Riera @stefriera | The Frontside | GitHub Show Notes: 01:23 - Emberitas 02:50 - Developing Curriculum For Women By Women 10:16 - Pairing People Together 12:14 - The Volunteers and Support 18:42 - Getting Women to Attend Meetups 23:20 - Icebreaking Exercises 27:42 - Takeaways From the Event 33:35 - The Future of Emberitas 36:10 - Favorite Parts of the Event Resources: @iheartemberitas Ember ATX Women Who Code The Iron Yard Tilde Women Who Code Austin Slack Community We Speak Too ember-women Transcript: CHARLES: Hello everybody and welcome to The Frontside Podcast Episode 52. We're coming to you live from Frontside HQ where we can help you zero in on that precise experience that you want for your users. So, if that's something that you're interested in, go ahead and reach out to us at Frontside.io. Today, actually we got a pretty large panel today. It's a hardcore Austin posse - Lydia Guarino, Shannon Byrne, and Stephanie Riera. And we're going to be talking about kind of a passion project of theirs called Emberitas. We're going to be digging deep into it. But before we get into that, I want to introduce everybody. Lydia is a product engineer at Data.World which is a social network for your data. It's actually a really cool startup where you can go and you can upload your data and you can see other public data sets and slice and dice them. It's really cool. Shannon, who has been a developer since 2013, is kind of in the startup scene and been ubiquitous certainly in the circles that we've run in here in Austin. And so, her latest gig has been as a code school instructor teaching JavaScript and Ruby on the full stack. And of course, you've heard Stephanie on the podcast many times. She's a developer here at the Frontside. Without further ado, let's talk about Emberitas. What exactly is Emberitas and how did it get started? SHANNON: Emberitas is a 1-day 2-track workshop for teaching Ember to women. Last year, what was it? Like April maybe of last year, or maybe March, we were at an Ember ATX meetup. Brandon and Charles were talking about how to get more diversity into the Ember meetup. And then, of course, Lydia and Stephanie and I, as sort of the token ladies of Ember ATX, kind of huddled in a circle and we talked about how other communities in Austin were doing things. And of course, there's Rails Girls which is a 1-day workshop to teach girls programming through a little bit of Rails. We were like, "Why not do the same thing with Ember?" And so, after that, we just kind of picked up on everything, split up a lot of the work, decided we were going to do it, and made it happen. And we hosted our own 1-day workshop for teaching women who had no knowledge of coding some of the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through Ember. And then taught other women in town who maybe were using Angular or had some experience with Rails or whatever, but didn't know what Ember was, the basics of Ember, so that they could then take that back to their companies and make more Ember jobs for all of us. CHARLES: For someone who's worked on trainings before and tried to develop them, how challenging was it to develop a curriculum for women -- literally, all spectra of experience with development. It sounds like a difficult task. And I'm curious what considerations did you take in when you were developing this curriculum and what did it encompass? LYDIA: One of the things that we did to make that a little easier on ourselves is we split the workshop into two tracks. We had a beginner track and then we also had an intermediate track. Shannon ran with the intermediate track and I ran with the beginner track with an understanding that for beginners, there's a lot more discussion about some of the basics of web development in general or how you think of a project and how you start with the basic building blocks of HTML and CSS, and then grow into building an application. For the beginner course, what I wanted to focus on was taking those basic building blocks and showing how they can be converted into an application. We actually started with making static web pages and then converted those gradually in pieces into an Ember application. Ember actually makes that pretty straightforward to do because there's such strong conventions that there's obvious places to put all of that information. So, we built everything in HTML and CSS, and then we came back and layered on Ember on top of that but the project was the same in both scenarios. And I'll let Shannon talk a little bit about how she approached the more advance course. SHANNON: For the intermediate course, one of the challenges was that it was very open as to what that would mean. It wasn't intermediate Ember; it was an introduction to Ember for anyone who considered themselves a developer. So we had some people who came in and they had a little bit of JavaScript experience and then we had some people who were already full stack JavaScript developers and then some people who had experience with like an NPC framework. People were kind of coming from all over the place, was my expectation. And so, it was kind of difficult to approach that, to be honest. I wasn't really sure what to do and I had a lot of false starts as, I'm sure, most people do who kind of create tutorials. Now that I'm working on curriculum for a code school, the same thing happens. There's definitely a lot of after the fact, being like 'duh'. Now I know I should have done it this way. But the way that I approached it was really just a result of conversations that Lydia and I had been having for years, which is how there's sort of some unique differences on what we've seen for how women kind of communicate and learn a little bit differently especially when they're in our classes and the experiences cater just to them. So, I just kind of went off of that and said, "Okay, how do I like to learn?" And then kind of applied that to how I developed the curriculum. It was a lot of, "Well, you might think we could do this, but actually that doesn't work. Let's try this." And so you go through it and it's kind of like a lot of false starts, a lot of learning together, a lot of like having these tiny little frustrations that you normally have when you're coding, and then achieving something together. And so the ultimate goal of both the beginner curriculum and the intermediate curriculum was not to teach everybody everything about Ember in one day, but to give them the confidence that they could go out and do whatever they wanted with Ember or just explore more about development in general, after that workshop. CHARLES: That makes me curious, Shannon, if you can unpack that a little bit more. You said that there were challenges and things that you took into account in developing this curriculum that was specifically for an all-woman studentship. Can you elaborate on that? What were some of the concrete things that you made that you custom-tailored? SHANNON: To be completely honest, there weren't a whole lot of things that I could really custom-tailor. It was more just thinking about the things that I had witnessed in terms of working with women specifically, and seriously as a result of the conversations that I've had with Lydia, trying to be much more conversational, trying to allow the questions that generally arose sort of drive what we did instead of being very rigid about how we did it, and the approach that I thought was going to work. And generally, just kind of being like quick on my feet and allowing the course to go at the pace that it should go and not trying to force anything, and really mostly trying to read the room and understand that we might not get to everything in one day. LYDIA: From the very beginning, from the very conception of this idea, we wanted to build something by women for women. And so, it was really important that we chose female instructors which is one of the reasons that Shannon and I volunteered to be the instructors ourselves when maybe we would have wanted to seek someone else to take that piece of it. But this is something that we were personally passionate about and we knew how we learned Ember and how we could translate that into something that would be accessible to the broader community of women in Austin. So, we did some targeting with specific groups in Austin that were women-driven. So, Women Who Code has a big following in Austin and we reached out to that community and we made sure that all of the sessions were, like Shannon mentioned, collaborative. For instance, in the beginner course, everyone worked as partners. You weren't just sitting there by yourself isolated with your own level of knowledge, you have somebody to bounce ideas off of you, you have somebody right next to you to ask your little secretive questions where you're a little embarrassed to raise your hand but you need someone to quick correct you. I also made sure that when I was teaching the course itself, it was less lecture and more tutorial which allowed me to walk around the room and actually speak to each individual pair about where they were in the process. So, instead of losing people throughout the course because they had slipped behind, I knew where everybody was for the entire day. While that slows down the overall speed for some of the faster people, it meant that we didn't have anybody take off at lunchtime which is a problem for a lot of workshops as somebody gets so far behind that they just give up. That was something that we wanted to try really hard to avoid with this particular workshop. SHANNON: Another thing that I want to say, if I can go back and fix my sort of bumbling before about what I specifically did. I thought about something I actually specifically did. In a lot of online tutorials, what I found is that it will tell you to do something but it doesn't quite tell you why. And answering that 'why' question is something that's always really important to me when I'm learning something new, so I added a lot of that into the tutorials that we did. Either out loud I would explain it or I would say, "For anyone who's interested, there's a link in the curriculum that will tell you exactly what that is," a much longer explanation of what a computed property is, why that works, and sort of even some of the internals in JavaScript if people were curious in learning that, to answer that why question for attendees. CHARLES: The 'why' is a question that unfortunately gets such short shrift in almost everything that we do. It's like shocking unless you see the absence of why. The other thing I wanted to ask too, Lydia, was you talked about making sure that everybody was paired up so that nobody got behind. Were you deliberate in kind of making sure? I know you had something like 40 students in the first one, so it can be difficult to kind of assess the skill level of each one. But were you able to be deliberate in those pairings and to kind of match people with a productive set of skills? LYDIA: I think that it's actually a little bit dangerous to have people label themselves before they get into a project. So instead of saying 'hey, if you've had some experience here, maybe work with somebody that's never seen this before', I tried to avoid that. So I actually let them choose their partners -- rather I just assigned them based on where they were sitting in the room. And for any kind of gaps we had there, if I had one pair where those people had way less experience than another group, we had an army of volunteers that were available to come and kind of sit down next to one of the pairs and help them work through the pieces. And I think that that's one of the major things that helped the day running smoothly because instead of having to have me come over and help them over and over again, we had somebody that could kind of more quietly come over and sit down and work through the tougher pieces or if someone got stuck on a bug, help them untangle it. CHARLES: I think that's fantastic because having participated in running trainings before, I know that's one of the biggest challenges of keeping everybody together and moving forward in unison is making sure that everyone can do things like do an npm-install. I had an entire training derailed because one person just could not figure out how do it. It was basically just Brandon and I and it was terrible. I guess the question is how many volunteers did it take to make that go smoothly? And I guess the follow on question is do you think that's indicative of kind of the Ember community at large when you guys proposed this event that you were able to really draw on this large pool of ready volunteers to show up? LYDIA: The volunteers were actually a strategic move that Shannon and I spoke about early on which was that part of what we wanted to do is show how welcoming and how supportive the Ember community in Austin is. And so, most of the volunteers that we had on hand were actually members of Ember ATX that were interested in increasing diversity as well. So these were people that they could meet in events and people that would encourage them to come back to a meetup next month or whatever. And you could see these are like really approachable, fantastic people and they're ready to help and they're excited about having you join our community. To keep it running smoothly, to answer that question, we were kind of split. Shannon's had a little bit more people in it than mine but I ended up having close to 20 people. So I had 10 pairs. I actually had almost as many volunteers as I had pairs. So we had some drifters floating between the two classes. But at any given time, I had at least five people running around the room in addition to myself. So, that's a lot of volunteers to coordinate, but we actually had a lot of support from Ember ATX and from people that really wanted to help out. SHANNON: That's a huge ask to ask 10/15 people to come out for the whole day on a Saturday. Even for attendees, that's a lot to ask people to do. And to have so many people from the Ember community in Austin come out and do that, I don't think -- maybe there was one volunteer, Lydia's husband, who didn't know any Ember. But everyone else was from the Ember community and either did Ember professionally or as a hobby, so it worked out really well like that. I was really glad to see that because the whole reason that I do Ember is because of the people that I met at the Ember meetup and I keep going back. And that warmth that I feel about the Ember community is kind of why I feel so great about doing Ember and why I choose to do Ember professionally is because that feeling that I have kind of follows me around while I code in Ember which is kind of silly. CHARLES: I don't think it's really silly at all. I think that's so much of the pervading narrative is that technology is about technology when in fact it's about people in the community. And I think it's great that kind of almost as just by virtue of holding the event and having those volunteers, what you're giving them is not just a set of tools but also you're kind of giving them a small part, that being the benefit of it is giving them this community. SHANNON: What was really excellent too and I think what made us be able to kind of coordinate with the volunteers really well is that Lydia and I were running the classes but Steph was really in charge of coordinating the day and making sure that things run smoothly and making sure the volunteers knew where they needed to be and where they could be most helpful because our challenge was that we actually were in two different spaces. We were able to get space donated to us by The Iron Yard but the Iron Yard campus in Austin is actually like there's kind of a field between their two locations where the classrooms are and where their main space was. And so, what kind of happened was that without Steph kind of like wrangling the volunteers into the right place, the volunteers were kind of forgetting that there was this kind of second intermediate location to come to. And so, I'm so thankful that she was able to be there and just be focused on coordinating the day of type stuff to make sure that everything ran smoothly. STEPHANIE: Thank you, Shannon. That's so sweet. I did want to make a quick mention about the volunteers. I feel like, especially in our industry, we hear a lot about the "brogrammer" and we give a lot of slack to men, particularly white men in the tech industry. I think it's very important to highlight most of the volunteers that we had were all men. And it's these men that are spending their Saturday there to coach and teach women. I think it's a very beautiful thing to see because a lot of these women, I think, they are intimated by going to meetups and going to hackathons because they feel like it's not an inclusive environment and they can't ask questions in a room full of guys. I think that's indicative of 'that's not always the case'. Yes, there might be a problem in the tech industry but there are also people that care and you can see that through the volunteers. SHANNON: It's no lie that the three of us were really the only girls at Ember ATX until we put Emberitas on. We didn't have a large pool of experienced -- not even experienced Ember developers, but even people who had just sat down to try out Ember in Austin who were female to pull from. And so that was always the go-to was to make this so that we could have this be able to diversify Ember ATX in one way by bringing more women in, but also just to make the community stronger overall. I'll say again the Ember community is far and above the best programming community in Austin and I wanted to make sure that every other girl at least had the opportunity to know why I rave about Ember meetups and the Ember community and everything about Ember. And that doesn't just go for Austin, obviously. To shout out as well to Leah, who already does so much with Women Helping Women in Austin, Tilde actually donated a bunch of extra swag to us from the Ember Conf from last year, Ember Conf 2016. So, that saved us a ton of money that we got to use towards other stuff. And then saving money on that, then we got to do a happy hour after that we also invited sponsors and the rest of the community, too. We had a bunch of Ember community members who weren't able to spend the day with us volunteering but they still came out and had a couple of free drinks and got to chat with all the attendees as well. So overall, the whole day was really fun and full of Ember community members. CHARLES: Personally, I'm so sad that I missed it. I was out of the country although it was on my birthday. So, it was like a good birthday present to know that that was like going on in my community back home. Having not been to so many Ember meetups since, have you all noticed and I guess this is really just kind of a question for the four, have you noticed real traction like an uptick in the number of women in attendance and kind of an increase in that level of interest from women in the community at large? LYDIA: The meetup right afterwards had a pretty major uptick because a lot of the people that had come in through Women Who Code and are already kind of avid meetup goers took a chance and came to the meetup. And I've seen several of them come to a couple of the other ones throughout the year. There's at least two people that I've seen repeat show up a bunch of times. When you've got a meetup of about 40 people and even if you just increase it by two more, that's like actually moving the needle pretty significantly. The trick about increasing diversity, that's a little bit above chicken and the egg problem, is that the best way to get women to attend is to have women attend. And so, you want to have some women in the room when other women come for the first time because then it becomes a welcoming environment and you can start kind of the snowball effect of, "Okay, I'm welcome here. I see that this person is comfortable in this setting. That means that I'm going to have an easy time integrating here as well." SHANNON: The timing in terms of -- if we were to do this again actually, one thing I'd improve is to make sure that all three of us could be at the upcoming Ember meetup and that we plan to do it the week before the Ember meetup, so that energy is high and all that kind of stuff. But I think there was something that prevented each of the three of us from maybe even being at that next Ember meetup which really was not a good idea. Maybe one of the three of us was there. So, that's something that I'd like to improve upon is being more strategic about fulfilling on that goal. And then another thing that I'd like to do as well like we have Women Who Code slack channel here in Austin and we have an Emberitas room now and we do actually chat on there. And I'd like to incorporate that into what we do as well, is having a community for the women who met there to continue speaking online, so that we can develop that community and I can post in there and say, "Ooh, there's an Ember meetup tonight. Let's all go." But I know a lot of them. I think a lot of them went to an event together that I didn't know about. When Yehuda was in town, I think a handful of people talked about going to that and they met up through the Women Who Code Ember room. So, that's cool. CHARLES: That's fantastic. I actually think this is a good opportunity to plug something that I learned about through [Emily], who is Alex's girlfriend, is the WeSpeakToo which I think is another good way. You talked about that Catch 22, the chicken and the egg of the best way to have women to attend is to have women attend. I also think the best way to have women attend is to have women speak. And to see that in terms of leadership, there's representation there. And so, there's a tool that I just found out about that I think is really cool that helps kind of solve that Catch 22 or lower the friction if you were a meetup organizer. You can go and you can find there's a list of women in Austin, it's only in DC and Austin, but it's coupled with an analysis of the ratios of female, male, and non-binary speakers in Austin. There's a signup sheet where you can go if you're a woman or you're non-binary and you can sign up and you can enlist your levels of expertise. And if you're a meetup organizer -- you hear a lot of people say, "Where do I find someone who can speak at my meetup?" And so, that tool exists now. Everything's for Austin. If you go to wespeaktoo.org/austin, there it is. I certainly hope the three of you guys are on that list if you're not already because I've seen each one of you speak and there's a lot to share there with the community. And so, if you're listening too, I think it's also a good resource if you're in the DC area or in Austin area or if you want to bring it to your own city. Anyway, I just wanted to share that as what I thought is a cool tool. SHANNON: And to plug another list too. I have to get the URL, I don't know it off the top of my head. But Leah for Women Helping Women put together a list of female Ember speakers to make that available to all the Ember meetups. But even if you're a non-Ember person, these are a list of really great speakers. Some of them spoke at Ember Conf last year, other people who put in their proposals and then other people who were just like interested in speaking locally. She has that list somewhere and I'll try and find the link to it. CHARLES: I will definitely look for that. The other thing that I wanted to talk about before we moved on was we've talked about how you paired people up, you talked about kind of a tight-knit community you created and they were going not just Ember meetups kind of user group but also the bonds that were formed were maintained as they went to other meetups. When we were talking about this part of the podcast, you mentioned some of the icebreaking exercises that you did but you didn't give any specifics. You didn't give any details. I want to hear about this and I want to hear what the best ones were because I'm so curious. Again, I'll just throw this question up. What was it that you did to kind of break that ice and what were the best results that you saw? SHANNON: The icebreaker was actually a little bit of a happy accident. We had budgeted time for an icebreaker at the beginning and it was something that kept slipping down the priority list until the morning off. And on the morning off, we had discussed different brainstorming ideas beforehand but we hadn't settled on anything. And in the morning off, we were like, "You know what we should do is we should have them as a group act out programming terms or programming concepts." As a group, they had to decide on a way to explain some programming concepts like a wow loop or http or something like that. They had to describe that physically. STEPHANIE: Also, we use HTML too which is a hard one. CHARLES: Did you just write them on cards and hand them out to people? LYDIA: Yes. I literally was scribbling a list as people were walking in of terms that we thought would probably possibly work. And then we've split them up into groups and passed them out. I have to say people came up with the most creative things. It went so much better than I would have ever dreamed. CHARLES: Is any of this on video? What was the best one? SHANNON: I have the wow loop dance. I think it's posted on the Emberitas instagram page that you can all go check out. It was so funny. They all went up there and while one of them was clapping, all the rest of them had a dance. And then when she stopped clapping, they'd stopped dancing. And so, it's really straightforward but it was just hilarious and sort of the big personalities of some of the extroverts in the room were given their chance to shine there in the morning and I was laughing so hard. It went a lot better than I think we expected it to since we had done zero preparation. LYDIA: That said, Shannon put together a fantastic survey at the end so that we can kind of gather feedback on how to make this better in the future. And we had several comments about the icebreakers themselves. And one of the things that we might want to tweak in the future is exactly how we let different people participate in that activity because some people that were a little bit more reserved, a little bit shier like starting out the day with basically public speaking or a performance was a little bit rough. Now, I'm going to argue that when you push somebody out of the comfort zone as soon as they show up for the day, everything else is going to be great because they've already stepped outside of their comfort zone and they've already done the thing that's going to pull them out of their shell and be able to talk to other people in the room. CHARLES: Right. The point of those things is vulnerability and to make it safe to be vulnerable. And so, someone who is definitely in, someone who walks around into these groups as a shell, I definitely see the value in that. SHANNON: The other thing too is one of the positive things about an icebreaker like this is you could kind of take a backseat or kind of [inaudible] off to the side, so we didn't require everyone to say something out loud either. So, there are positives and negatives. I think that was like an overall learning thing about doing this is for me, I definitely am a perfectionist and I want everything to go perfectly and I want everything to be exactly my way. It was learning that no matter how well something goes, you can't please everyone 100%. And getting the feedback on the surveys and just seeing how, for some people, the icebreaker was their favorite part of the day. For other people, it was their least favorite part. Some people wanted more workshop time, other people wanted way less workshop time and to focus more on community building and this and that. And so, we can't please everyone but we've really pulled off something really cool that I think made a lot of the stakeholders very happy. CHARLES: Yeah, definitely, which kind of goes right into my next question which I'm going to ask to all of you is what do you feel are kind of like the key things that you learned from this based on the survey, based on your experience, based on conversations with the participants and observations later on? What was it that you feel like was kind of your biggest takeaway? Why don't we start with you, Lydia? LYDIA: For me, the biggest takeaway was that it really makes such an enormous impact for women to see other women speaking and women putting these types of workshops and things on for other women. That was the one thing that stood out to me the most in the feedback was that people were just so excited to see someone relatable up in front of them giving these presentations. And that having the opportunity to see a room full of women that were interested in the same things that they were interested in was incredibly inspiring and encouraged them to kind of go out on a limb and try something that they hadn't tried before and follow up in the future with more meetups and things like that, which was precisely the goal. I feel like our primary goal was to get women to feel like this was an accessible community and I feel like that was where we excelled the most. CHARLES: How about you, Stephanie? STEPHANIE: I wanted to piggy back off of what she just talked about because I, myself, we just touched on something earlier and it was about the feeling of being uncomfortable. It's no secret that and I said it there, I hate public speaking. Absolutely hate it, it terrifies me. I hate doing podcasts, I hate doing all kinds of speaking. But I realized how important it is. And then as Shannon was saying like you can plan and you want to try as hard as you can to make everything go as smoothly and perfect as possible, but sometimes things will happen. And I remember at one point of the day, she came up to me and asked me a favor and was like, "Hey…" She had been emceeing all day and asked, "Do you mind doing the middle part?" And I think it was talking about Ember ATX and why it was important to do this workshop and all of that. So I was caught completely unprepared and I was very hesitant. But in that moment, I thought to myself, "Well, we are choosing to be leaders in the community. We are choosing to put ourselves out there and do something for the greater good. I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to force myself to do it." I think it went well. The first bit of it, I was very nervous and I just admitted it to everyone. But someone else came up to me afterwards and told me, "I think it meant a lot to people to see someone just take something on and speak from their heart, and you can see that they're so nervous but they're still doing it." And so, that's the point I wanted to make was yes, I'm uncomfortable with it but it's the only way you can grow as an individual. I also want to send a message through that which is yes, we're all women, we're all bad ass, we all have this purpose that we want to achieve and we're doing it. So, that was my biggest takeaway. So, thank you, Shannon, for that unexpected request. SHANNON: Yeah. That kind of came as a result of like I was trying to emcee and teach and I went up to Steph and she was like, "I'm nervous!" And I was like, "Look, I need to lay down. I've been talking all day. My brain is mushed." And she did such a great job and I was so happy that you did that. For me, I would say Lydia definitely covered all of the philanthropic reasons that this is important and why it went so well and everything that was great. For me, I think that I had been going through some stuff. Like sometimes I question - am I really good at what I'm doing? Am I doing the right thing? Can I accomplish this? The sort of questions that everybody has. Taking this on and sort of planning it from start to finish on our own, doing all the marketing, getting all the sponsorships, getting all the attendees, communicating with all the attendees, trying to pretend that we were kind of more official than we were. I was individually texting people to their numbers and it would be like, "Reply with STOP if you no longer want these texts." Just to make it look like we were something official when really like I'm copying and pasting from one person to the next. And we're trying to get literally everything done, just the handful of us that were working on this. It made me start thinking about what do I really want to do. I had never truly considered teaching other people to code until this. And now, I'm trying that out. Since then, through Emberitas, we've done another lecture series for high schoolers. We did a weekend workshop for high school girls and honestly, it opened up something in me and I was like, "We need to be teaching high school-aged kids to code." I know that's something that a lot of organizations are trying to do but I now have a very specific idea of how I want to approach that. It really gave me a lot of confidence that I really needed at the time. I think that I threw myself so hard into doing Emberitas was because I needed something to really be passionate about it at the time. And then it gave back to me everything that we put into it and I was so fortunate for that. Just to watch everyone having such a good time and everyone learning something and just the look on someone's face when they get something and then the look of someone's face when they make something is so cool. And that's just what I loved about this whole experience. CHARLES: Yeah. It sounds wonderful. Here we are in 2017, what's next? Are there any further events that we can look forward to? Are there any grand plans? I mean, you kind of alluded to some of that, doing more education for targeting a younger age group? What can we look forward to? Why don't we start with, Shannon? What can we look forward to in 2017?
SHANNON: What you can look forward to in 2017 is me updating the website a little bit. It's still the typo-ed place it was at the very last day before the workshop. So, I need to update that so that people can get more information and contact us if they're interested because I have had a lot of people reach out to me over Twitter, through our Facebook page, all that kind of stuff, asking when we're going to do this again, and if we're going to do it in other cities than Austin. What was really cool was all of our curriculum is open source, so we put that out there and we told on our Twitter that people could check out our curriculum. And one morning, we just started getting ding…ding….ding…ding…ding…all of these GitHub pull requests from people in Seattle. And it turned out that a code school in Seattle was using it as part of their curriculum. And so, a couple of those girls reached out and we're like, "Oh, we might be interested in posting one of these in Seattle." And so, hopefully doing something like that would be really fun. Additionally, just kind of improving the curriculum. We need to sit down and kind of click out the best things about how we approach doing the beginner curriculum, the best things about how we approach doing the intermediate curriculum, and sort of entwine those together. So, a lot of kind of behind the scenes work to get things in place and then a lot of planning to put on the next one. And so, the biggest thing that limits us from putting on more is money. We need sponsors and we kind of already hit up everybody who does Ember here in Austin. So, we're going to have to expand our reach if we want to put on another one of these at the same quality that we did before. CHARLES: So, you heard it here. If you're interested in seeing this happen, by all means, reach out and send money. SHANNON: Yeah. CHARLES: Lots of money. SHANNON: You can email me: Shannon@emberitas.com, if you want to talk about any of those things. Or hit up our Twitter or our Instagram. Yeah, there's place to contact us if you're interested in helping us out in any way. STEPHANIE: And it's also important to point out that a lot of those sponsors gave lightning talks. SHANNON: Yup. STEPHANIE: So, you can have your plugs in there. SHANNON: Yeah. You can show up and have a captive audience for five minutes. CHARLES: Alrighty. In closing, again, I want to kind of go around and ask what was the number one -- we talked about kind of mistakes that were made, things that were learned. In terms of the number one impactful thing that you feel like this event had and this kind of process had either for the external world or even for the internal world, like affecting the way that you work day to day. What has that been? What has that been for you, Lydia? LYDIA: My favorite part of the entire thing was that some of my best friends and I decided to build a thing that we cared about. And then we watched it grow into something amazing, and then we got to see the people that got to enjoy the beautiful thing that we built. It was just one of those moments where you feel really proud about deciding to take a risk and deciding to kind of put yourself out there and do something that is outside of your comfort zone that makes it totally worthwhile and makes it so that you want to do it again, and again, and again. And I'm just really grateful that Shannon and Steph thought this was a cool idea and just had to make it a real thing. SHANNON: I was just thinking, as usual Lydia says it best. That's exactly what was so great about it was we did it together, it was great, we want to do it again, we want other people to do it. There's something so inherently rewarding about this experience and it was just so much fun. And I'm so glad that I got to do it with the two of these guys. CHARLES: Yeah. I think just kind of watching from the sidelines, just the energy that it generated. I think it touched everybody who participated, who volunteered, and even people like me who just kind of watched it from the sidelines as part of the general community. And so, I am really looking forward to what you guys are going to bring in the future. And I really hope that you don't allow it to just fall by the wayside and that there is some continuance of it. And I promise I will participate this time. But thank you, thank you, thank you so much for doing that. It really was wonderful. Thank you all for coming by and sharing the story of Emberitas. You can find them on Emberitas.com or if you want to reach out directly over Twitter, it's @iheartemberitas. Hopefully, we get to hear from you and we'll continue the discussion. And thank again. Thanks everybody for listening and thanks to you guys for coming. SHANNON: Thanks for having us.

Hugh: Greetings, this is Hugh Ballou. My special guest today is my dear friend and colleague, Shannon Gronich. We have known each other at least ten years. We met at a CEO Space event and have had casual conversations the last few years. Shannon has invited me to be a presenter at the Business Acceleration Summit in Melbourne, Florida. Whoa, has that been a power-packed event. I have learned more and more about Shannon’s multiple gifts. Today’s topic is how social entrepreneurs get publicity. We do great stuff, but nobody knows about it. Well, let’s tell people. Shannon, welcome. Shannon: Thank you so much. How to get free publicity is what I am really excited about. Hugh: Give us some background. I always want to know why this person is qualified to talk about this. I could read a bio or something, but it’s much more fun to hear it from the person themselves. Talk about yourself. Shannon: I love events. I produce close to 400 events. Within the process of doing events, I learn how to really work with the media, what they are looking for in stories. I came up with a simple system. I have gotten over three million dollars in free publicity and have developed a simple system that anybody could do the same. You don’t have to be a copywriter; you don’t even have to be a good writer. It’s something that when you use this format, it is a great way to attract publicity. Hugh: How many dollars? Three million dollars in free publicity? Shannon: Yes. Hugh: And you have produced 400 events? That’s mind-boggling. That’s impressive. People actually come and attend these events, I assume. Shannon: We have had thousands of people attend some of the events I have done. Hugh: That would tell me that this publicity thing works. Let’s get into your topic. I am a small business owner. I work by myself, I have done lots of good stuff, I have great social media, but I’m not sure I make it work really well. I also have a charity that does lots of good stuff. I’m not sure I get the publicity I deserve there. What are the problems you see with small business owners and social entrepreneurs? Shannon: It’s exactly what you just shared. You have these two amazing projects that you are working on, and it’s actually getting media attention, but also getting what is already existing to amplify and attract more. A lot of times, businesses are spending so much time working on their business that they don’t take time on marketing. I always tell people that if you are not getting the results you want, look at some of these key components, one being your press kit. Spending more time on your market. I know that with one of my first events, before we first cracked this code, we were getting 500 attendees. Once we cracked that code, the next time it went to 2,000 attendees. We had all the media in our area pick it up. The story was awesome. There were different variations. That type of impact took time, dealing with rejection because we had a number of people say no, they didn’t read it or no, I’m not the right department. You have to be okay with following up, but as you can hear, to go from 500 to 2,000, that was absolutely worth putting in that energy to get such a high return. Hugh: Amazing. Usually I am told by marketers that you need to spend $100 per person to get people there. You are telling me this is another model. Shannon: Yeah. There are a couple challenges I hear from people. They hire a publicist. I love them; I think there is a lot they can do. They hire a publicist and don’t get the results they want. I am big on empowering people to learn some of the tools, the language so that when they hire somebody or when they are sending out a piece, they know it will get the results. At the end of the day, it is all about the results you are going to get. The second thing is also as you said, spending the money but spending the time. If you turn some of that into time, taking time to get on the phone or develop a story or have a conversation with the media to sell them, not giving them too much information, but putting this together, I have seen people spend a lot less on their marketing and many times get free press. Hugh: I have a copy of your book on this. What is the title of that book? Shannon: Media Magic: How to Attract Limitless Radio, TV, Print Publicity. Hugh: That’s a pretty good book. It gives me some thoughts on things I had no clue about. How could people get Media Magic? Shannon: They can go to shannongronich.com or on Amazon. If you send me a receipt from Amazon, I give everybody an interview with Jay Abraham’s ghost writer who is also a contributor in the book. If you don’t know who Jay Abraham is, he gets paid six figures a day to go into corporations and deal with their marketing strategies. His ghost writer, who has also been in all areas of publicity, is sharing copyrighting secrets and language for prosperity, and I give that away for free for anybody who reads the book. Hugh: Jay Abraham is legendary. And a ghostwriter is someone who has to think within their brain and write for them. We will link to that underneath this video and in the podcast show notes. I will remind people to go to hughballou.com to find the different links for the different shows, and then the notes are there, too. Part of my problem in publicizing is people want to know who I am and what I do. Part of what I help people think through for themselves that I can’t do for myself is as a leader, we are people of influence. Defining ourselves is an important paradigm, is it? Shannon: That is actually the first step. Hugh, I think you’re really fortunate. The first step when I’m working with someone is to develop what I call an expert power bio. We have our bios and our resumes. But an expert power bio is what makes you stand out and sizzle and have the media pay attention. And Hugh, with you being in Forbes Magazine, your years of success, some of your clients, you have a lot of the key components to stand out as an expert. I know that when you are coming to town, any time I say that he has been featured in Forbes, that adds instant credibility. Some people that might be listening to this say, “I don’t have that success.” What is great about this expert power bio system is that you can actually… I have had 20-year-olds or people coming out of a job and creating a new business… There is a way to add sizzle to your bio or even use association with someone that you learned from or trained with to help you stand out. That is one of the first things people look at. Hugh, you are in a unique position because you are teaching leadership. People, especially with nonprofits or businesses, you are in an industry where I think at least with your press releases, the first thing is developing a tagline that sizzles. What is the benefit of leadership? We have to look at that end in mind. What is the story we are going to tell? There are all kinds of things with media. You can look at negative news and talk about politics. But there are three things I focus on with the media that everyone loves. They love human interest. You have been a musical conductor, Hugh. That story you tell. Maybe somewhere where you have overcome adversity. They also love community giveback. If you are involved in the community, and I know your listeners have nonprofits, that is easy for them. They have human interest and community giveback. And the third thing is education. Those are the three things that I focus on with individuals that I find it’s really easy when you have crafted a story to get the media to print. That is what they look for. Hugh: Wow. Do you have a checklist about that somewhere? Shannon: I do. My book is actually a workbook. You can write or scribble in it. I wanted people to get in the action. Anything I do, I think we should get into action. Kind of like you, Hugh. You do the same thing. Hugh: What I heard you say is we need to focus on results. When I did my first speaker one sheet and I sent it to this advertising company that specializes in one-sheets, I had a call with the chairman. He says, “This is all about you.” I went, Uh oh. I don’t like the tone of this. He said that it needs to be about them. Yes, I work on leadership, but that word gets people stuck in a rut, so I try to communicate what happens. They don’t buy leadership; they buy results. But it is through leadership that we make a difference. So how to present that. You are so right. People want to know what they are going to get out of this. Bob Circosta, a friend who sold six billion dollars on home TV, said, “What’s so good about that? We have to define the benefits of it.” Shannongronich.com or Amazon to get Media Magic. I need to pull that out and reread it. You are reminding me of things that I know but I am not using. Let’s go back to other tips. By the way, if you are in Florida or if you want to go to Florida in the winter, in January, that would be a good excuse to go to the Business Acceleration Summit. Businessaccelerationsummit.com is the website. I will be there with other thought leaders. It is a life-changing couple of days. It doesn’t take you a long time, but there is a lot of power packed into it. It’s where Shannon and I connect with people and share useful information. What are other tips?  How do we do a power bio? Shannon: I would love to offer that for free. If they go to shannongronich.com, I used to only give this to my clients, but it’s one of the most difficult things that people have to do: how to write about themselves. It’s a challenge to write about yourself. It’s a challenge. So I decided to give it away for free. I have a twelve-step program, which should really be a thirteen-step program because there is a thirteenth step. The thirteenth step that is not there, but I do share in a follow-up email, is a list of clients. One time, I had a woman that I was working with, and she was struggling with doubling her prices. She had a lot of clients. She was in this place where she was working herself overtime and needed to get to the next level. So we worked on her power bio, and when I started looking at her work, first off, she was amazing. She came from a job, and in that job, her exclusive account was Delta for three or four years. I asked her, “Can we list Delta as one of your clients?” Sure enough she could. Adding Delta as one of her accounts for her bio made it easier for her to double her prices with new clients. It was really great. Power bio is essential. I think it’s one of those things that people should really spend time on. The free press system I use is just a one-page tagline that sizzles, again talking about the results for the individuals. I will share a secret with you that you can use the next time you go shopping. Oftentimes, when people send me press releases, it’s an announcement. I just haven’t found that to work. The most successful press release that I had about an event, the tagline was, “85 Ways to Improve Your Health in Six Hours or Less.” We had 85 booths, and it was a six-hour event. That is how we came up with that tagline. Numbers are really essential. Those stand out above everyone else. When you go shopping next time, look at Oprah and Cosmo. They have spent billions of dollars in seeing what taglines will get people to buy magazines and read their articles. They are all short and sweet, and many times they have numbers. Take those and fill in what you can put in. It could be “Six Secrets to,” “Seven Steps to.” This doesn’t just apply to your press release. I found that if you are doing a workshop title or an email that you want to get opened, all of these principles can be universal in marketing. I had an event that I purchased a number of years ago. They had been doing meditation, and they had been at the event for a number of years. It was like a yoga meditation. They had a hard time getting people to come to the event. We changed the title to “How to Attain Inner Peace in Ten Minutes or Less,” and the classroom filled up. Hugh: That’s worth this whole call right there. We are guilty of making announcements. I am thinking this principal would be a good power bio for your bio page on your website. Where else would they use the power bio? Shannon: What I was just sharing with the tagline is for the press release. The power bio, I use it with my proposals. I use it anywhere that I want people to pay attention and I don’t want to be talking about myself. Does that make sense? Any time I am sending out a proposal or anything like that has really doubled my conversion. I know you can use it with grants. They want to know who your team is. If I am going to an event, if people have hired me to do event consulting, if it is a first-year event, oftentimes people question if they can pull this off. When you have someone on your team who has produced 400 events, really your whole team in your nonprofit should develop a power bio. Hugh: When you send out a press release, I assume there is something about me in the press release. Shannon: No. Hugh: Oh. Blow up that assumption. Shannon: There are many ways; there is not a right or wrong here. In the Associated Press, a lot of times people do put something about themselves. I have found that if you want free publicity, it cannot look like advertising. I may attach a bio as a separate thing, but when I send a press release, it is strictly about the story. How I position myself or you, Hugh, as an expert in the power bio is there is a certain place. I share this in the book, too. We quote you as an expert. You do the quote, and then you say, “Hugh Ballou, leadership expert.” Then we finish it. It’s a neat formula of how that works. For you, I would not say “founder of SynerVision.” I would do Forbes because Forbes is a big name. For me, I just say, “author, event producer,” really basic titles. The idea with this is you want the press to interview you. You want them to be telling the story about you. If you are marketing you, then they are like, “This person just wants free advertising.” Hugh: Wow. That has blown up an old paradigm I’ve had in my head, but it makes so much sense. So it’s okay to add another sheet as the bio. Shannon: I would keep them separate. I would not attach it to the press release. I would keep it as two separate attachments, or just a small thing in the body of the email. This can also be used to get speaking gigs. When you send in that information, you can send your power bio. You can use this material for lots of things. Hugh: That’s awesome. We are talking about the press release, which is a whole different format. You go over that in your book. You are also doing another biannual event soon. Shannon: It’s the Media Magic Sales and Marketing Intensive. We are actually working on your power bio, which you leave there with, as well as your press release. I have brought in some experts. I have a woman who is a regular contributor for the Huffington Post and Yahoo News. I have someone else who has been on The Today Show. I bring in other experts. This is an intensive where we work on your media kit. We have a website expert who comes in and helps you figure out how to convert through that. Hugh: I know that website expert. He is very good. He does both marketing and websites. The websites aren’t just a pretty picture, but they actually convert. That’s the whole message I am getting here. We tend to send out messages that don’t convert. We want to know how many people are going to come and buy our products or join our charity or come to our events. I’m thinking there are a lot of things I see churches and charities do wrong. They send an announcement. There is no compelling reason to want to go. They don’t get it because they know the reason, but they didn’t share it with anybody. It reminds me of the TED Talk with Simon Sinek, “Begin with why.” You are coming from that perspective of, “Here is what you are going to get.” You hit them in the face and interrupt their thinking because people are expecting the boring announcement. Instead, they get, “Hmm, pay attention.” The power bio could be a separate piece. In your press release, could you link to that? They could choose to find out more that way. That About Me page is usually done poorly as an afterthought when really that is the lead piece. This is establishing your position of influence in my world. There is also a segue with social media. I see lots of bad things in the form of an announcement, and people are selling you before you even know who they are. I’m thinking this whole concept could be a power concept for social media. You want to address that separately? Shannon: I think that with everything we do, we want to be mindful of the language we are using. Another expert we are bringing to the upcoming intensive, he is a sales expert in time shares and hotels, and he has a heart of gold. He has been able to crack the code based upon different personalities. One of the things is: Out of the 17 different personalities, there are the top two dividers of head and heart. In marketing, I love that he uses the Aflac example, how Aflac brings in the heart and saves time and money, which is the head. When we look at marketing, if you can at least hit those two touch points, then you can hit more of the masses. For me, I speak about community and human interest, which are heart stuff. I may lose people because I won’t talk about how to save money and how to increase revenue and more of the head things. You really need to combine the two in any of the marketing we are doing. Hugh: Absolutely. I am thinking of the Aflac duck. You got that thing that comes to your mind, and it’s really top-of-mind marketing. People really think about it. We also don’t spend time explaining who you are and building relationships with people. Then we really hammer them with promoting our event. Why should they do that? We don’t have a relationship with people. There is a different conversation around that. We are coming close to our time here. This is extremely valuable information, and I want to make sure we don’t send people down a foxhole. Let’s give them some clear directions. The Media Magic one-day intensive, where can they find more information about that? Shannon: They can find that at shannongronich.com under Events. I want to make sure I say one more thing before we go. Everything can be found on shannongronich.com or even businessaccelerationsummit.com. The real magic formula that I think of is yes, the language and what we say, but it really is the relationships and talking to people. How I have been able to get millions of dollars in free press is talking to the media. I don’t just send it out and expect them to pick it up. It involves emails and phone calls and expecting them to say no but having the vision of following it up. With my biggest success, I was rejected over ten times. No, we didn’t get it. No, we didn’t read it. No, it’s not a fit. I tweaked it a little bit, and at the very end, I don’t usually give up until the magazine goes to print and I know it’s done. I know that each time I just have to keep working at it and building that relationship with them. The editor ended up calling me and saying that they had a remnant space, and they gave me an entire page in the magazine. It’s really key to pick up the phone and not say too much. Use that tagline that sizzles. Say that you have a story that you think they would be interested in. You have a piece that might be great for their readers. You are coming to them first. Make it about their readers. Have them ask questions. If you fire-hose them, that is too much. That is why the tagline that sizzles, maybe a couple of stats about the challenge or problem you are solving, and get them engaged in asking questions. Hugh: Awesome. You may not remember, but I owned a camera store in St. Petersburg, Florida. I built out a very substantial footprint in providing film and chemistry to photo labs in industry: police departments, newspapers, the whole city of St. Pete, etc. I built that by relationship, exactly what you talked about. I got to know people. I visited them. I had something novel to talk about. They would say, “Oh, by the way, do you sell this? We need some of that.” So it’s really about connecting with people. You have helped us set a new paradigm. I am bad as a businessperson in understanding that. I teach people to think that way, but this is a good reminder for me. In my charity and the charities that I work with, we think that because we have a worthy cause, people should print it. When really, they don’t have a lack of people sending them stuff. We want to stand out from the crowd and create a compelling reason. People can find out about all of this at shannongronich.com. It’s not really a commercial. You are giving away free stuff and information on how to get free publicity. I am doing an event the next time you are doing your media intensive in Florida, and that’s a good reason to go to Florida this time of year. The Business Acceleration Summit, there are many good reasons to check out that information. Like I do, you give away a lot of free stuff. Shannon: I want to help so many people. Hugh: You do. This is a helpful interview. I am grateful to have you as a colleague and friend and that we collaborate on a lot of events together. As we come to a wrap here, I want you to think about a tip that you would like to leave people with. How do you get the world to pay attention to the important things you are doing? What is a parting thought that you have for people? Shannon: It is that every single one of us has a story. I have found that every business and individual has at least 50 stories that someone wants to hear and know about that is either inspiring, educational, or uplifting. There is not a lack of inspiration in each cause or individual. It takes time and energy and effort. It’s not much. You can do this in a short period of time of sharing that with the world and standing up and letting people know. Even adversity can be turned into a way of moving people to take action. Hugh: Great advice. Shannon, thank you for sharing your wisdom with people today, especially with me.   Get the free Power Bio Template at http://shannongronich.com

I'm guessing between 1996 and 1998, there was a clear shift in dance music. Trance had bubbled up from the underground and illegal rave parties to the mainstream, while Soul Solution (Ernie Lake and Bobby Guy) had started a new big-house sound making them the go-to producers for the major and independent labels. Club 69 (Peter Rauhofer) went from smooth gay house music to big tribal circuit-style beats, while Hex Hector, Ralph Rosario, Victor Calderone, Tony Moran, Razor N' Guido & Johnny Vicious (among others) were perfecting their own sound for a new generation of party-goers. By 1999, all bets were off and these folks dominated the charts as well as the clubs. That's not to say classic house music had died, it just began a slow and steady evolution and frankly, today has come full-circle. I guess the saying goes "what's old is new and what's new is now old." I didn't get back into the scene and playing at clubs until 1999, but my interest was already sparked in 1996 when I picked up a copy of Kristine W's Land of the Living album and Funky Green Dogs Fired Up maxi. There was definitely something in the air and I was totally feeling it. I have to say, after working out the Year-End Edition for 1998 and 1997, these are quite possibly the hardest sets I've put together in a very long time. One, I'm not intimately familiar with most of the songs and two because of the varying styles (i.e. Trance, House, and Circuit) made it pretty damn challenging. Ultimately, I kept a few of the massive Trance bangers but dropped most from the set list to keep things more cohesive. If Trance is your thing, then swing on over to the three-part Trance Classics I put out a while back. Perfect? Not even close; but I think I did a pretty damn good job. I'll let you folks decide.  For now, sit back and enjoy some of the best dance music 1998 had to offer. Album : Year-End Edition 1998 | volume 1 Genre : Circuit, House, Progressive Year : 1998 Total Time : 01:25:45 1. Reina - Find Another Woman (Hex Hector Main Club Mix) 2. David Morales pres. The Face feat. Juliet Roberts - Needin' U (12'' Mix) 3. Cevin Fisher's Big Freak - The Freaks Come Out (Sharp Freaks At Trade Mix) 4. Shania Twain - From This Moment On (Soul Solution Remix) 5. No Mercy - Kiss You All Over (Johnny Vicious Ova Club Mix) 6. Todd Terry pres. Shannon - It's Over Love (Funky Green Dogs Miami Club Mix) 7. Mousse T. vs. Hot 'N' Juicy - Horny '98 (Mousse T.'s Extended Mix) 8. So Pure feat. Sheleen Thomas - Changes (Soul Solution Vocal Mix) 9. House Of Prince - Perfect Love (Club 69 & Peter Rauhofer's Universal Mix) 10. Kimara Lovelace - Circles (Hex Hector Club Mix) 11. Lisa Stansfield - I'm Leavin' (Hex Hector Club Mix) 12. Dario G - Sunchyme (Original)