Ms. Annie Sells is curious if you have ever seen what 20 pounds of hamber patties looks like in a resturant kitchen.
Just in case you have not, then feast your eyes on this. Instead of enjoying the moon light of a beautiful Sunday night, this is the sight I beheld tonight.
No one ever said that reaching your dreams and goals was easy. No one ever said that embracing your true self and fighting the good fight would be moonlight and fairies.
Be blessed, work your ass off, and if you have to moonlight then do it and be proud of the hard work that you put in. I know I am.
Ms. Annie Sells has worn many hats and among them in 20 years of experience in the restaurant, hospitality, and service induatry. So when I got a call asking if I could fill in a few shifts here and there I thanked my Abba father and said sure.
What are you doing to reach your goals and dreams? Are you going the extra mile to be your true self? Are you putting in the hard work?
Today is a new day, one that everyone who is honest would gladly admit that they are proud to experience. On any given day, I would likely write to you about my beloved home of Fort Smith, Arkansas.
I might talk to you about reaching out and connecting to your friends, family and potential clients via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and WordPress. I might even talk to you about marketing and adversiting solutions for your business and the various ways that you can utilize social media to save yourself and your business time and money.
All of these forms of technology and ways of connecting on the grid are relevant to our way of life. But let’s suppose for a moment that you were to become disconnected from the grid or the grid were to go down for any one of a million reasons. Then what?
My last article on this site was Social Media: Now What? and included a picture of an old computer. It’s no secret that ever day people across the globe are struggling to provide a roof over their heads, food in their bellies, are fighting against horrible diseases, and for their safety. War has become a part of everyday life, so much so that Generation X hardly blinks an eye lash at its ever-present danger!
So you ask “why has the theme of my written gift to you changed?” How did we get from Social Media: Now What? to The Grid’s Great: Where’s Your Radio? Ask me. I would be happy to explain.
Ms. Annie Sells is burning her candle at both ends these days. Okay, this year… Don’t tell my Momma because she will chew me out! My defense? A girl has to do what a girl has to do.
Z’s Daddy is working on his Bachelors. Ms. Annie Sells is working on her Masters. Z’s Mommy and Daddy are working full-time and then of course Z’s Mommy must do her subcontracting jobs. So since school work for the week is complete, now I am up to my elbows in a subcontracted project that I feel very passionate about! Above see my favorite winter coffee mug with chi tea. What keeps you going?
A respected colleague posted a full analysis of their Facebook activity to their news feed and I could not resist checking it out. I was redirected to Zeebly and accessed Social Me. After more than five years in online marketing and social media advancement this was new to me. Okay … I have been busy. So sue me.
The next step was to allow them access to my Facebook page. They said I use Facebook a ton. Big surprise there.
According to their analysis 83% of my posts come from Facebook (of course with the assistance of many apps) and 7% come from Android. (This is about to change folks, as I just ordered my first tablet computer today). Rumor has it that the average person posts from Facebook 58% of the time. I talk the most about Social Media, Community, and Business and am ambitious and spontaneous. They examined my statuses, looked in depth at my speech, my likes, my post times, my friends, and much more to figure out my online personality.
Of my 1,200 plus posts they are usually about education, general questions, culture, love, excitement, my day, humor and happiness. The personality traits that they attribute to me are extroverted, confident, compassionate, spontaneous, traditional, spiritual, ambitious and optimistic. They say that I have published more words than the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which has a total of 36,363 words. Too bad they only looked at Facebook, if they ran the same analysis of all my social media channels, then I am sure that I have published what amounts to many books.
My most popular status thus far is:
“To every single one of you who are on my friends list – – I enjoy catching up, looking at pics, hearing about you and your family, sharing jokes and news, along with getting and sometimes giving…”
Ironically this sums up my philosophy. We all have an online presence. Whether we are aware of it and manage it is our choice – this goes for individuals, organizations and businesses alike. This motivated lady took it upon herself to brand herself and to learn how to teach others to do the same. This assessment of one of my platforms shows that my efforts have not been in vain.
Do you ever have those days where something that you have seen or heard rattles around in your head? I have sent 100’s of emails, processed tons of invoices, answered more questions that I can count and have been BUSY. But all day long, as I have gone about the business of life, these two items just would not get out of my head!
Item #1 – 19 Julian Smith’s first of 19 Thoughts about Finding Your Purpose –
“Those who win are producers, not consumers. The first thing you do each morning should be active, not passive – no Facebook, no email. Whatever you choose should put you in a state of mind for the rest of the day. Choose carefully.”
I will be the first one to admit that the difference between an off and an on day is how I start my day. On the weekends, or rather off days, I will start my day with quiet stillness and coffee. You will not get me moving without it and odds are you will not get me online or on the phone, unless it is to post a blog or column article. My perfect day begins with me sitting on my huge front porch sipping on coffee, processing my dreams from the night before, and letting the world slowing drift in one sight and smell at a time.
However, on days are a little different. I wake up as close to when I have to leave as possible (I mean minutes), go to the bathroom, jump into clothes, grab my stuff and make it to the car. I crank the ignition that doesn’t require it (out of habit), drive to work (usually in silence), come in, load the coffee pot and plug in. Plugging in includes turning on the computer, connecting my mini-computer to sync (phone), logging into at least two email accounts (sometimes 3 and throw in social media sites for good measure), checking the voicemails (on at least two phones) and many times putting on my headphones (for tunes).
How do you start your days? What is the difference between your on days and off days?
Item #2 – This quote,
“When you internalize facts, you begin to internalize a conception of the world. You begin to try to fit new facts into a network of old facts. You begin to operate in a liminal space that taps both conscious processing and broad intuitions.”
We become what we think, see, hear and do. It is our past and present that shapes what we believe and who we become. Choose wisely or suffer from rattling head.
Do you love flowers? Most people say that they like flowers and would be flattered to receive them. BUT very few people truly love the flowers of a plant.
Love requires sacrifice. How many people do you know who will sacrifice for a plant, much less the flowers of a plant?
I love flowers. I love plants. I spend a lot of time and resources (money, blood, sweat and blisters) and energy investing in having plants and flowers surround me.
I love social media. Do I love the concept, the time spent, and the resources spent?
I love the flowers of Social Media! The flowers of social media are the relationships that enrich our lives and our businesses, which of course are extensions of us and our lives.
Just like I love gardening because I love plants and their flowers, I love the flowers of Social Media and everything else that goes with it, even the sacrifice! Most would say that is not Social Media! The flowers are part of the plant.
Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with a small business woman who actually just wanted to talk. She wasn’t looking for free advice or trying to sell me anything.
It seems that my name kept popping up on her computer screen and she finally decided that it was time to meet the persona in person. I am so glad she did!
Sharon is one lady who understand the value of networking, whether by utilizing technology or just in good ole fashioned face-to-face meetings. She has been with her company for 24 years and in that time she has built a business, but she has also built a family.
The joy that I get out of my career is the clients that have become my family. – Sharon Herrick
What can I say? At home in Fort Smith, Arkansas it has hardly rained in two months. Even the watermelons are in short supply and they can grow in road ditches, given that they get enough water. Where I normally have a beautiful flower garden and vegetable garden, I now have a lot of brown and dying vegetation. The 100+ temps day in and day out are exhausting, horrible for the economy and well – depressing.
But on a much happier and lighter note the pool has been oh so inviting. Here is where my confession comes in:
I have spent as much time playing with my monkeys, as I call them, as possible, teaching my son how to swim, getting way too much sun and swimming, swimming, swimming. When it is too hot to breath and everyone I know is closeted in their homes under their inefficient air conditioning, I have had friends over for BBQs and playing in my much-loved swimming pool.
Today, I, Annie Sells had the privilege of talking to some really incredible people, one such person was Sherese. She and I where in the back seat of a car, being driven to dinner and I confessed to her that I haven’t been writing of late and have neglected my online friends and fans. She wanted to know why. I told her the truth. I have spent my time connecting as authentically as possible with the people in my life. For if you cannot connect authentically with the people who you can see and reach out and touch, how can you possibly connect authentically with people in your virtual world?
I say you cannot.
Now that I have a clean conscience, let’s get back to work.
I want to send a special thanks to Ms. Sherese Duncan of Efficio Inc. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with, speaking with and getting to know her both professionally and personally over the last 8 months.
Sherese you have reminded me of several things:
1. There is no box, only our core.
2. We must believe in ourselves.
3. We must be active and take ownership.
4. Only we can push ourselves to excellence.
I say thank you and pray that you like all the small business owners and entrepreneurs that I know experience true success, fulfillment and happiness in your work and in your personal life!
According to their analysis 83% of my posts come from Facebook (of course with the assistance of many apps) and 7% come from 
