Dads & gallery co-curators Quajay Donnell & Richard Colon are building community & leading by example

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Dads & gallery co-curators Quajay Donnell & Richard Colon are building community & leading by example

Years ago, I interviewed both Quajay Donnell and Richard Colon for my passion project, I Heart ROC. We’ve all experienced a lot of life changes since then, and our friendships have grown too, so I was excited to check in five years later for a podcast interview! We talk about how photography has helped them better get to know Rochester, their journey to founding Behind the Glass Gallery, and their experiences as dads. At the end of the day, sometimes you’ve just gotta jump in the bounce house, even if you’re in your 40s and you know your legs will hurt the next day!

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Jon-Stephen Stansel on creativity & humor as a social media pro and dad

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Jon-Stephen Stansel on creativity & humor as a social media pro and dad

I’ve followed the work of social media consultant Jon-Stephen Stansel for years, so I was thrilled when he agreed to chat with me for the It’s a Lot podcast. After getting his start doing social media at higher ed institutions and government agencies, his online connections led to him working with brands like Invincible, Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, Hazbin Hotel, Sausage Party: Foodtopia, and Avatar: The Way of Water. In this conversation, we talk about the joys of being creative and funny on social media, how AI lacks taste that’s necessary to succeed as a social media manager, the dark pits of the internet, and more. In the second half of the show, we also explore Jon-Stephen’s life as a dad and the joys he’s finding on his parenthood journey.

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LinkedIn influencer Jayde Powell is ditching outdated notions of 'professionalism'

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LinkedIn influencer Jayde Powell is ditching outdated notions of 'professionalism'

Five years ago, I interviewed Jayde Powell here on the Serve Me the Sky blog, long before she became a sought after LinkedIn influencer! Jayde has been building her personal brand for a long time; now, she’s getting $20,000 brand deals for her LinkedIn content and earning over $200k per year from her influencer work. I was stoked to catch up with her for the It’s a Lot podcast. In this episode, we got into the nitty gritty of brand deals (including red flags she’s learned to suss out ASAP), her plans for retiring from social media by 40, what her different income streams look like, how she’s breaking free from the limiting box of ‘professionalism,’ and more. I find Jayde super inspiring, and I hope you will too.

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Illustrator Anoosha Syed says you have to know your "why" when it comes to social media

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Illustrator Anoosha Syed says you have to know your "why" when it comes to social media

This week, I was thrilled to chat with children’s book author/illustrator Anoosha Syed. She’s had a fascinating career path so far and she’s an incredibly talented artist, and she’s a new mom as well! We had a great conversation about content creation, building a brand online, letting go of dreams you once had for your career, and how damn hard it is to balance freelance work and motherhood.

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Therapist & content creator Alaina Brubaker talks performative posting on It's a Lot podcast

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Therapist & content creator Alaina Brubaker talks performative posting on It's a Lot podcast

This week, I launched my podcast, It’s a Lot, where I have honest conversations about social media, parenthood, and other things that are a lot. My first guest was therapist and content creator Alaina Brubaker. Five years ago, I interviewed her here on the Serve Me the Sky blog about starting her therapy Instagram, what inspired her to start creating content, how she developed her aesthetic, how she’s grown a following, and more.

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What I've Learned from Posting Twice a Day on TikTok for 2 Years

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What I've Learned from Posting Twice a Day on TikTok for 2 Years

For the past 2 years, I’ve posted twice a day on TikTok, once in the morning and once in the evening. It was a long and fascinating journey that helped me learn a lot about this unique, ever-evolving platform. Looking to enhance your own TikTok strategy? Here are 5 things I learned from posting on TikTok twice a day for 2 years. 

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A Conversation with Kelsey Sweet: TikTok Strategy, Experimentation, & Collaboration

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A Conversation with Kelsey Sweet: TikTok Strategy, Experimentation, & Collaboration

This is the 17th post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview smart humans about their experiences in marketing and social media. You can read past features here.

This month, I interviewed Kelsey Sweet, Social Media Strategist for the Buffalo Bills, whose work focuses on influencer marketing, TikTok strategy, and cause marketing. In this blog post, we dive into wacky TikToks, analytics, mental health, and more.

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The TikTok Experiments, Volume 9: Using Trending Sounds on Every Video for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Volume 9: Using Trending Sounds on Every Video for a Week

In an effort to understand TikTok’s mysterious algorithm, I regularly conduct experiments to learn which tactics help videos gain traction. I’ve experimented with 3 minute videos, CapCut templates, an SEO hack, and more. In September, I experimented with a core component of TikTok videos: trending sounds. I don’t use trending sounds often; they’re not usually conducive to the kind of content I make. But trending sounds are supposed to be important in getting your videos seen, so for one week, I used trending sounds on every video I shared. To be frank, the results were surprising. 

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 7: Using an SEO Trick in All My Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 7: Using an SEO Trick in All My Videos for a Week

Throughout 2023, I’ve been experimenting on TikTok with the goal of better understanding their mysterious algorithm. I’m hoping to determine which commonly-promoted tactics are worthwhile and which are overhyped. In June, I experimented with an SEO trick that I’ve seen circulating the platform: hiding keywords in your video so the TikTok algorithm knows what your video is about and who to serve it. The results of this experiment were mixed. Today I’m sharing exactly how to do this SEO trick for TikTok and what I learned from the experiment.

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

I’ve worked in social media marketing for over ten years, but I’ve never been an early adopter of a new platform…until now. My disillusionment with Instagram is at an all-time high and a new app was the talk of TikTok, so last week I joined Lemon8. This newcomer to the social media scene is intriguing and has the potential to be extremely popular. I’m sure you have a lot of questions about where it came from, how Lemon8 works, and more, so let’s dive in!

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