User-Generated Content, or UGC, is a fun and interactive way to gain visibility and engagement online.  

Savvy marketers include UGC as part of their online strategy.

It's super-effective on Instagram when you...

• Need fresh content 
• Want more engagement and comments on posts 
• Target younger audiences

User-generated content is also fun.

UGC invites subscribers and followers to send in pictures (or enter a contest) based on a theme or "news of the day."

It's a strategy that's long been used in television news. These days, foodies, clothing brands, sports and other visual brands are tapping UGC, too.  

Here's an easy example: There's a snowstorm and a TV news anchor encourages viewers to send in their cutest snow picture of their pets.

The station selects "winners" and showcases them with the owner's name or social media handle. The "winners" — the public — create an organic buzz by raving on social media (word-of-mouth marketing) how Fluffy made the news.

The public is gat...

On Monday night, a young man who calls himself an “unsigned artist” on Clubhouse was in a room (similar to a chat) with me and 250 others.

The topic was speaking with confidence. 

The man raised his hand, asking for feedback on a poem about the ruthless streets and people he’s known all his life.  

Clubhouse is an audio-only app, so everyone in the room could only hear this man’s voice.

A deep baritone enveloped with the thickness of the streets. 

His avatar was a logo; we had no idea what he looked like.  

We went merely by the sound of his voice, his mumbled words, his quick cadence.

It was nearly impossible to understand his words.

He raced awkwardly through his poem and asked for feedback.

He apologized for sounding “so ghetto."

One of the moderators on stage with me asked him respectfully to slow down, enunciate and recite the poem again.🎤

He did.  

The feedback came in heaps of praise and love for this young man who talked about why he’s so unsure—even embarrassed—abo...

We’re so quick to compliment others.

Still, most of us struggle to receive praise and kind words.

How do you respond when someone commends you on a business report, new hairstyle or an impressive run on the ski slopes?  

Do you smile and gracefully thank the other person? 😍

Or do you deflect their comments and start overtalking?

Consider this scenario: A friend says, “I love your shirt; is it new?”  

One typical response is: “Yes, I got it on clearance and saved $20. I couldn’t have afforded the full price. The car broke down last week...”😞

Another common reply: “No, I’ve had this since last year; the button’s missing from the sleeve. Gosh, I’ve gotta buy some new clothes!”  

The best answer, however, is one that is uplifting, positive and shows your own deep confidence.👈

{RELATED: HOW TO SCORE INTERVIEWS WITH PODCASTERS + REPORTERS. 1-HOUR VIDEO TRAINING. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS IT FOR JUST $99!}  

You smile, throw your shoulders back (even if you’re on the phone or Zoom), and ...

He had the stories in his heart and his head.

But David couldn’t get them out on paper.

No, it wasn’t a sales presentation or media coaching.

David was an accomplished project manager and engineer who was referred to me by a mutual business acquaintance.

He had a personal communication project that was new to me.   

Look, I had ghostwritten nearly 1,000 posts, articles, bios, speeches, editorials and messages during my 35  years in the news and communication industry.

But never one like this.

[Access My 3-Step Stories That Sell System Now So You Can Communicate with Clarity and Confidence…and Close More Clients. Click here! ]

David needed a Father of the Bride speech for his daughter Melissa’s rehearsal dinner. 😍

This was big; 150 people at the dinner and 500 for the wedding the next day. David knew some of the guests intimately; the others he had never met.

People would be watching.

And judging.

It could be a tough crowd.

And David—whom I had never met in real life—admit...

A magazine reporter, Rasheeda, emailed me to request an interview.

✨No pitching.

✨No press releases.

✨No chasing.

Rasheeda—who writes about nonprofit associations—contacted me late Monday.

{LEARN HOW TO CREATE A NEVER-ENDING STREAM OF ONLINE CONTENT TO GROW YOUR VISIBILITY AND BUSINESS. VIDEO TRAINING JUST $29.00!}

After exchanging four quick emails, we had the logistics down and the phone interview confirmed for Tuesday morning. 

That’s it.

🎯It can be this easy.

How did Rasheeda find me?

I had been showing up and offering free resources and value in a group we both belong to (not on Facebook😊)

😎Rasheeda was watching.

That was in early 2020.

She first contacted me in March, 2020 when the pandemic hit.🌎

Rasheeda was interviewing a few PR people about the importance of nonprofits having crisis communication plans.

She had seen my posts and poked around my website.

The article ran, I thanked her and that was it.

🤣Within just three months of Rasheeda’s first article being ...

"Just show up, share some value and post consistently." 

Entrepreneurs and coaches who want to be seen and heard must know how to show up.  Because showing up with valuable content brings credibility and clients. 

Your content is your ticket to business growth. 

But what does showing up as your true self (ok, the dreaded word "authentic") really mean???🙄

How do you...

💥Comment on an active thread in a way that's not salesy or pushy? 

💥Figure out what people want from you? 

💥Avoid embarrassing yourself in front of everyone on the Internet?? 

You can't be seen as a credible go-to expert in your niche if you're always questioning your self-worth and value.  

If you want more clients, you've got to share your message online with pride. The business will follow.   

Your message = money

Publicity = profits  

📢Showing up in groups, chats and podcasts means you have deep-rooted confidence and belief in yourself.

You feel worthy.

You know your message is important.   

You're will...

“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.”—Spanish Proverb

Much has been written about time and procrastination.

We often don’t realize how precious time is until faced with a crisis, usually related to our health or mortality.

Clearly, 2020 has been a cruel teacher.   

{LEARN THE STORY MAGNETS PROCESS SO YOU CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELF WITH PRIDE, PASSION AND PURPOSE. GROW YOUR IMPACT IN 2021. CLASS STARTS JAN. 4^th. ENROLL HERE!}

Still, long before the pandemic, most people spent obscene amounts of time watching mindless reality shows and complaining about something..anything. 

✔We dwell on our past mistakes.

✔We worry about future problems that likely will never come to pass.

✔We read books on time management and  productivity.

We fool ourselves.

And here we are on the brink of 2021 keenly aware of our precious time. 

Social media is packed with posts and stories assessing the past 12 months.

Pundits are predicting trends for the next 12 months.

🎉We stay up until midnig...

Stories around the holiday season run rampant.

From family and generational tales to Biblical passages, stories bring us together as human beings. 

It is the words within the stories that wield true power. 

{UNTANGLE YOUR WORDS WITH A CRYSTAL-CLEAR STORY SO YOU CAN ATTRACT YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS. SAVE YOUR SEAT FOR STORY MAGNETS- NEW CLASS STARTS JAN 4. CLICK HERE FOR DEETS!}

Words move us deeply.

We listen, watch and read with wonderment, curiosity and emotion. Well-written and well-told stories have the power to move us to laughter...and to tears.

One thing I’ve noticed in business as “Life’s Little Observer” (being a people-watcher and listening with a keen ear as a news reporter) is this...

The highest paid people in the room are exceptional storytellers.

Believe me, I have interviewed everyone from homeless people to presidents. During my 35-year career, I have seen it all! 

My point for everyday business pros like you is this: 

• Nail your story and you will quickly grow yo
...

Leaders are not supposed to know everything.

Plain and simple.

People everywhere—whether they are entrepreneurs, stay-at-home parents or retired—most often succeed when they are willing to ask for help.

They are smart about their strengths and weaknesses. 

{Untangle Your Words and Share Your Story. Learn the Story Magnets Method. Save Now for New Class- Starts Jan. 4th! Click Here for Details!} 

Like many entrepreneurs, I used to think that asking for help or admitting you don’t know something was a sign of weakness. But a few years into my entrepreneurial journey, I began thinking about delegation as a sign of humility; of being a human being. 

You just can't know everything.

No one does. And no one ever will.

Leaders appreciate and respect what they know—and don’t know.

They don’t see themselves as incompetent. They take a different approach by knowing they don't have to know everything.

Instead, successful folks look for people who have experience in what they lack or don'...