Difference Maker!

Difference Maker!

Kristen Briggs is this week’s difference maker! She’s a mother who lost her husband and son to gun violence. She decided to share her healing with her book, Release and Unleash. An author, entrepreneur and impact leader, Kristin is one of those beautiful people that, when you meet her, you know instantly that you are in the presence of someone extraordinary.
 
She writes in her book, “Death is the only thing you can’t come back from. I had a choice to die within or LIVE within and out!  Every day, I consistently take steps to better myself and work on myself. The loss of my husband was an excruciating adjustment in my life. But it was also an opportunity for NEW GROWTH! I could have easily wallowed in pain.  I could be depressed, stressed, and simply an emotional wreck. OR, I could GROW through the loss of my husband. GROW while HEALING. GROW through the PAIN.”
 
Kristen practices what she preaches. With a strong mind, heart, and spirit, she pushes her message to as many people as she can.
 
Whether she realizes it or not, she had been a difference maker for me. Life can be the hardest thing we will ever go through, or it can be greatest experience. Most times, life lies somewhere in between. But connecting with people like Kristen makes the hard a little more tolerable and the and greater so much more appreciated.
 
Kristen doesn’t sugar coat things though.  She acknowledges it takes work to maintain a positive attitude.  She recommends asking for help when needed and always give a smile. Like Kristen says, “Smiles are contagious.”

Evergreen and Everlasting!

Evergreen and Everlasting!

Our goal in business is to attract.  We want to bring awareness to what we do and why. We know it’s important to get our stories out, and for people to like us. We know a newsletter is a great tool to keep us on the forefronts of people’s minds.
 
So how do we grow our sphere of influence? How do we capture emails (aka first party data)?
 
We get there by generating lead magnets.
 
Some examples of lead magnets are:

  1. Quizzes
  2. Resources
  3. How-To Guides/eBooks
  4. Checklists
  5. Workshops/Trainings
  6. Free offerings
  7. Webinars

When you create your lead magnet know:

  1. One size does not fit all.
  2. KEEP IT EVERGREEN

eBooks and How-To Guides are a great way to generate leads. But if you wrote a 25-page how-to guide on navigating My Space… well, I don’t think that would be generating too many leads for you today.  My God, think about how many social media how-to guides and tutorials have become irrelevant since the start of the pandemic merely two years ago.
 
But if you are lucky enough to be in an industry where the same question is always asked, and the answer is always the same:  use a lead magnet to help generate awareness of your product or your mission. In addition, you will eventually build the steam needed and backlinks to your website.
 
Quizzes are also a fun quick way to grab peoples’ interest and easy to create. The one below I created in under 5 minutes.
 
https://qz.app.do/when-a-tree-falls-on-your-home
 
Dandelion-Inc’s tip to you is to try a few different ways and see which have the best results. Also be sure to make them evergreen. Those are the ones that will grow.

Edible Fact!

Edible Fact!

Your reach in the world is not as big as you think.

Other people do not know you as much as you think they do.
 
Once we all accept this about ourselves, we find ourselves humbled.  We will be liked for the right reasons, and we will appreciate others more.

This was the best wakeup call I heard this week on a random podcast I tuned into.  Try as I might, I cannot find the podcast or guest speaker in my listening history.
 
Nonetheless, this woman was discussing her time as a political commentator in Washington, DC. She believed she was known. She believed herself to be popular, well-liked, and untouchable.
 
Unfortunately, Ms. Popularity developed a drinking problem during this time. The drinking could have been related to ego or social life, or both – we may never really know. What’s important is: it took a stay in rehab to learn the reality of her situation.

She walked into the healing facility, expecting fanfare and recognition by everyone in the room.   And then the wakeup call happened….
 
NO ONE KNEW HER!
 
She was no different than the other people in rehab with her.

They did not know her net worth, the famous people she has interacted with, or the influence she once had. All they knew was she was one of them. They struggled with the same inner demons and wanted to regain some semblance of normalcy. In fact, when she was ready to go back to work again, someone offered her a job at a pizza shop to help her out. To her, this was the truest act of kindness.
 
I am not saying don’t grow and don’t do good. I’m saying grow! Do good!

But, please – be humble.

And no matter who you are, realize that the people who don’t recognize you likely far outnumber those who do. I think there’s a comfort in that. Anonymity removes a tremendous amount of pressure.   And if you’re really honest with yourself – living a relatively nameless life has many more perks than celebrity.   
 
So, take a load off. Embrace being just a kind human amongst countless other kind humans.

Sun or Shade?

Sun or Shade?

Believe it or not, I do not like crowded spaces, large rooms, or talking in front of people. I like to go unseen. My favorite spaces are outside exploring the world around me, taking in every detail. I also love being with my friends and family, where I can just be imperfect me.
 
Unfortunately, most of my passions completely contradict all the above. I like to control almost every situation as much as possible. I will gather large groups of people so they can connect and grow their passions. I will cold call, door knock, text strangers, and speak in front of huge crowds of people. This creates so much anxiety inside.
 
So, I run. I run not to win a race or to be considered athletic. I run so I don’t go crazy. I run to release the stress that is inside of me because if I don’t, I may never move again. Sometimes I run on pavement and sometimes on trail. Each provides a different kind of therapy.
 
When I run on the road, I can get lost in my thoughts. I dream. I sing. I find resolutions. I create.
 
When I run trail, I stay focused in every moment. I look ahead to map out every step, but not too far ahead to miss what is right in front of me. On trail, you must pay attention to how the sun and the shade affect your perception of the terrain.  If you don’t stay vigilant, you will fall.
 
This is what I want you to takeaway:

  • First and foremost, you are not alone.
  • Find your release.
  • Find that sweet spot of focus. 

I literally train myself daily on all the above. Find your mode of release, mediation, yoga, running, hiking, painting, whatever it might be, you too will find yourself training your mind on all of the above too.