So...I Read 100 Books in 10 Months

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So...I Read 100 Books in 10 Months

Back in May, I recapped what it was like to read 50 books in five months. I had set a goal of reading 100 books in 2019, which I thought was quite ambitious. When I reached 50 books in May, I figured I’d still need until December to reach my goal of 100. I should have known that by October 27th, I’d be done with Book 100!

I won’t talk about all 100 books in this blog post, so if you’re curious for the full list, you can peruse it (along with mini-reviews!) right here. As I’ve talked about this reading challenge with friends, family, and strangers, I’ve gotten tons of questions. Today I’m going to share the answers to the three most common ones:

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How to Run a Successful Instagram Takeover

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How to Run a Successful Instagram Takeover

For over three years now, I’ve been working on a project called I Heart ROC. We tell the stories of Rochesterians living in and loving Rochester, NY. One of the ways we’ve been able to grow our following is through Instagram takeovers. When I joined in May 2016, we had about 800 Instagram followers. By October 2019, we’d reached 13,000 followers. Because Instagram takeovers have been such an effective strategy for us and for many others, I thought I’d share some tips on how to run a successful Instagram takeover.

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On Saying Goodbye to a Place You Love

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On Saying Goodbye to a Place You Love

I recently had to say goodbye to a place I love: a little family cottage on Cayuga Lake that we’d enjoyed for eight summers. After seven years, the upkeep got to be too much for my parents, and they decided it was time to move on. When I found out via a Facebook post over the winter, I was crushed. I’ve never had the wind knocked out of me, but I imagine it would feel like this. I’d been getting ready for a yoga class and the post literally took the breath from my lungs. I sat down and cried.

It took several months for the cottage to sell, which allowed me to avoid reality for awhile. When my parents finally received an offer and it was time to clean the place out, reality sank in. I had to acknowledge that this was really happening. I knew our last weekend at the lake would be tough, but I had no idea how emotionally draining it would be.

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7 Takeaways & Action Items from Upstate Social 2019

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7 Takeaways & Action Items from Upstate Social 2019

Last week in Rochester, social media beginners, fanatics, and experts alike gathered at the Temple Building downtown for the 5th annual Upstate Social Sessions, the largest social media conference in New York State outside of New York City. It’s jointly founded and run by two badass women, Danielle Raymo and Leah Stacy. This year was the first time the event spanned two full days, and it was jam-packed with great #content. Seriously, the word content was said so many times I started to forget what it means.

It’s easy to attend a conference, walk away with a head full of ideas, and head back to work inspired, but lacking time to implement it. So here’s a list for you of 7 key takeaways from the event and 7 action items you can tackle to start putting that knowledge to work!

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Thoughts on Therapy After One Year

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Thoughts on Therapy After One Year

If you had asked me two years ago, or even 18 months ago, if I thought I’d ever go to therapy, my answer probably would have been, “Ew. No. Why would I go to therapy?”

For years, I believed you only went to therapy if there was something “wrong” with you. But at some point in 2018, my perspective started to shift. I noticed positive depictions of therapy on TV shows I love, like Crazy Ex Girlfriend and Bojack Horseman. Friends were talking about going to therapy. All of Twitter was abuzz with therapy chatter. If all these people were going, maybe it was...normal?

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Maintaining Your Digital Identity

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Maintaining Your Digital Identity

This summer, I spent some time thinking about, and cleaning up, my digital identity. What’s that? Why? How? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Defining Digital Identity

Your digital identity is any aspect of your online footprint that’s discoverable by the general public. Honestly, it can and will be used to judge who you are as both a human and a professional. But don’t be scared. I’ll walk you through why you should care about it, how you can craft yours, and what you should do to maintain it.

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Recap: Social Media for Small Businesses

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Recap: Social Media for Small Businesses

I recently had the opportunity to teach a class at the Rochester Brainery, a community classroom space that offers one-time classes on pretty much any topic you can imagine. Whether you want to make a wreath, learn about paranormal activity, or decorate a cake like a pro, the Brainery has you covered. 

My class was on Social Media for Small Businesses; we had a great group and the attendees asked awesome questions. The class was comprehensive and chock-full of examples and activities! On the blog today I’m sharing just a taste of what it was like and some key takeaways that may help you as a business owner.

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100 Compass Workouts & What I've Learned

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100 Compass Workouts & What I've Learned

I’d be lying to you if I told you fitness was something that always came easily to me. In elementary school, I tried all the sports, like soccer and softball. In middle school, I enjoyed a brief stint on the swim team. In high school, I found my niche with crew. I rowed for four years and we were state champs my junior year! It was incredible to feel like a good athlete; I’d never experienced that before. I was the most in shape I’d ever been in my life. Unfortunately, the catty climate among my teammates had me eager to get out by my senior year, and I didn’t pursue rowing in college.

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Performative Honesty on Social Media

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Performative Honesty on Social Media

There’s a trend I’ve been noticing on social media for awhile now. I call it: performative honesty. 

You may have seen it too. An influencer, a blogger, or even a friend of yours shares something thoughtful, vulnerable, and reflective… paired with an ultra-curated photo of their perfect life. Something doesn’t quite match up. They’re sharing about their anxiety and pairing it with a professionally taken photo, makeup done, hair looking fly, cute outfit. They’re projecting perfection, and writing a caption that says “no no, I’m not perfect, I’m just like you.” It often leaves you questioning if the content in the caption is real, or fake like the photo.

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5 Creative Tactics to Try on Social Media

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5 Creative Tactics to Try on Social Media

Keeping it fresh on social media can be a challenge. Once you get in a groove, it’s easy to keep delivering quality content in the same old ways. Clever tweets with images in them. Carousel posts on Instagram showing off new products or event photos. Enticing Facebook events that make everyone want to click “Interested.” 

That’s great! But we can take it to the next level with just a bit more effort and planning. Here are five creative tactics you can try on social media.

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