Difference Maker!

Difference Maker!

I lived in the Washington D.C. metro area from 2004 until 2016; twelve years that spanned my late twenties until early forties. Believe it or not, I think this is the first time I have ever stated the length of time in D.C. correctly. I don’t know when the lines of time became a blur, but here I am. I surmise it’s because twelve years seems so miniscule when I think about how much my life has changed. Like sands in the hourglass… just kidding!
 
Truth to be told… I miss it.
 
I miss being able to kayak the Potomac on a whim. I miss hiking the Billy Goat Trail. I miss the vineyards. I miss being able to shop at ethnic grocery stores to create whatever food dish I want. I miss the restaurants, the nightlife, the day life, the school systems, my kid’s friends, the culture, the growth, the potential, and the acceptance. I miss my friends!
 
I miss my success.
 
With all that said, I am the one who made the decision to move back home. Because more than all those D.C. attributes, I missed myself.
 
I missed what this place gave to me, it seemed forever ago, and I needed it back.
 
After moving back home, a friend recommended a book to help with my transition. The book has become a bible to me.   Its title is, This is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are, written by Melanie Warnick. This is an extraordinary book about connections to where we live, and the impact it has on our emotional and physical well-being. This book was my catalyst to the Walk Youngstown Campaign. And I had the honor of meeting her when she came to Youngstown for a book reading.
 
Not only did moving back home help return the part of me that went missing, but I learned how to truly appreciate, love, respect, and support my home more than I ever did in my youth. 
 
I’m very much a product of the many places I’ve lived. And it’s possible for more than one place to feel like home. So yes, thankfully, D.C. is only four hours away for when that part of me needs to be energized again too.

Evergreen and Everlasting!

Evergreen and Everlasting!

One unfortunate truth that is evergreen and everlasting is the market cycle. We see interest rates increasing, and real estate and businesses starting to slow. I’ve avoided looking at my 401k for the past 2 years, petrified of what I would see.
 
It is time to look at what expenses could be cut or reduced, personally and in our businesses. Even I have done it in my business and personal life. Dandelion-Inc is responding to the financial downturn by creating more affordable service packages without sacrificing our expertise. Personally, my weekly dinner menu has been altered to include many more leftover reinventions. It’s like I’m Sandra Lee, Semi-Homemade.
 
It has been said before, to get your return on investment in the world of digital marketing you need to spend double, if not triple, the amount than what you did five years ago.
 
We know that digital marketing is an essential component to all businesses. The cost to invest in it can be a burden that’s difficult to bear in an economy that may or may not be heading into a recession.
 
So here are some of my tips on reducing digital marketing expenses:
 

  1. Apply the 80/20 Principle. Keeping your marketing organic. Focusing your efforts on 20% of your market will provide you 80% of your business.
  2. Please get rid of those digital platforms, software systems, apps, tools, etc. that you don’t use to its fullest capabilities or at all.
  3. Repurpose and refresh already used content. Now that’s an evergreen and everlasting idea.
  4. Social media is your least expensive marketing channel. Keep that in mind when looking at ways to reduce your expenses.

 
The greatest part about applying all the above is that it will give you an opportunity to assess what was working, what was not, what you need, and what you don’t.

Edible Fact!

Edible Fact!

BUILD IT UP
 
Everything I ever knew came from you
Everything I wanna be, that’s in me
That comes from me
Open up your fist and let me out
I was made to run around
And let me feel the air beneath my feet
Let me go
And I know not everybody gets a new life
And I know not everybody gets to start over again
But I do know what I’m doing with my new life
I’ll build it up, break it down, build it up
Build it up, break it down
Build it up, break it down
 

You can fly away too, that’s on you
But don’t tell me what I cannot do
I can tie on my shoes and put on my coat
I’m living a history, the one that I wrote
And I know not everybody gets a new life
And I know not everybody gets to start over again
But I do know what I’m doing with my new life
I’ll build it up, break it down, build it up
Build it up, break it down, build it up
And everything I ever knew
Everything I ever knew
And I know not everybody gets to start over again (everything I ever knew)
But I do know what I’m doing with my new life (everything I ever knew)
Build it up, break it down, build it up (ooh, everything I ever knew came from you)
Burn it up, break it down, build it up
You can fly away too, that’s on you
 

I heard this song by Ingrid Michaelson for the first time when I was watching the short drama series on Netflix, Little Fires Everywhere. I instantaneously grabbed my phone to Shazaam it, and immediately add it to my play list. Some listeners may apply these lyrics to a lover;  but not me, I apply it to EVERYTHING.
 
It is a fact; we can always start again. It is a fact; we are who we are because of the decisions we make. It is a fact; there is no one who can take credit for you other than yourself.
 
It is a fact; I listen to this song when I run to give me that extra charge in confidence that I need to overcome my own inner doubts.

Sun or Shade?

Sun or Shade?

This week’s sun or shade is simply this speech from Joaquin Phoenix. I came across it on Reddit and felt the strong need to share. 

If you don’t know what Reddit is, it’s social platform to millions who have the ability to sift out their interests and join communities. I love it because I only see what I want to see.