Thoughts on Therapy: Year Three

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Thoughts on Therapy: Year Three

On this blog, I always try to be authentic and honest, even as a business owner trying to market my services. For example, in the past I’ve blogged about ending my passion project due to burnout and how I handled taking bereavement time as a freelancer. I’ve even gotten extra-vulnerable and shared insights I gleaned from therapy, reflecting on both the one year and two year milestones. So today it’s time to dive into my thoughts on my third year of going to therapy!

Last year, I wrote about how the pandemic shifted us to Zoom therapy. Though it felt strange at first, in May 2021 I was finally able to resume in-person sessions with my therapist and it was wonderful! I had forgotten how much you lose in body language that’s just outside the Zoom screen, and how nice it is to sit in a safe and cozy space with a person who is dedicated to helping you process, unlearn, and grow. This year was a lot between my grandma’s death in late February and my mom’s in early April, so I had plenty to talk about in therapy. Here are a few of the takeaways.

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5 Social Media Marketing Lessons from Lil Nas X's Debut Album Release

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5 Social Media Marketing Lessons from Lil Nas X's Debut Album Release

In the world of social media marketing, it can be difficult to keep up with trends and craft creative content on a regular basis. Especially in the nonprofit realm, it’s easy to fall into a habit of churning out the same old similar graphics and posts, without considering how to change it up and be playful. That’s why today, we’re learning from one of the best social media marketers out there: Lil Nas X. Here are five lessons we can learn from Montero himself:

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The Power of Facebook Groups

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The Power of Facebook Groups

When teaching social media workshops or crafting custom strategies for my clients, I frequently recommend Facebook groups as a useful tool. “Really? Facebook groups?” is often the response. People are skeptical of anything to do with Facebook--it seems too political these days, or they fear the site is losing users to platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Yet, Facebook continues to be the largest social media network, and Facebook groups are currently used by more than a billion people per month. If your audience is on Facebook and you can add value for them in an engaging group, then why not go for it?! Groups are an excellent way to move your audience through the funnel, from the consideration phase on to being a regular customer and then to being a passionate advocate for your brand.

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A Conversation with Angelo Jasa-Phillips: From Creating Content to Developing Strategy

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A Conversation with Angelo Jasa-Phillips: From Creating Content to Developing Strategy

This is the 13th post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview smart humans about their experiences in the world of social media. You can read past features here.

This month, I interviewed Angelo Jasa-Phillips, a marketing professional who is the Digital Engagement Manager at GLSEN and has worked on both social content creation and strategy. In this blog post, we dive into how social strategy differs from social media management, and so much more.

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Best Times to Post on Social Media

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Best Times to Post on Social Media

Ah, the age-old question. When is the best time to post on social media? When will most of my followers see it? When will it get the most traction? I hear this question frequently from my clients. As some of you may have guessed, the answer is: “It depends.” While there’s lots of research on the subject, I always advise folks to take it with a grain of salt and instead, dig into their own analytics to determine the best time to post. Today on the blog, we’ll be exploring some general advice on what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to posting times.

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7 Ways to Make Your Instagram Stories More Engaging

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7 Ways to Make Your Instagram Stories More Engaging

In recent years, Instagram Stories have surged in popularity. Increasingly, Instagram users are viewing Stories even more than in-feed posts. Those circles at the top of the app are just so enticing! Today on the blog, I’m diving into how you can make your Instagram Stories more engaging for your audience. People on the internet love to share their opinions and feel heard, so making it interactive is key. Here are seven ways to create engaging content for Insta Stories:

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Why I Use a Social Media Scheduling Tool

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Why I Use a Social Media Scheduling Tool

For years now, I’ve been a fan of scheduling tools to tackle the daunting task of social media management. While social media may seem easy to the untrained eye, not everyone who has an Instagram account can do a great job managing social media for a brand. Social media requires a thoughtful strategy, with clear goals and a solid plan for execution. So many businesses launch social accounts and quickly let them fall out of date because they don’t have a plan for posting consistently. That’s where scheduling tools are a lifesaver! Here are a few of the main reasons why I use a scheduling tool.

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A Conversation with Rachel Barnhart & Ana Liss: On Dealing with Negative Comments

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A Conversation with Rachel Barnhart & Ana Liss: On Dealing with Negative Comments

This is the 12th post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview smart humans about their experiences in the world of social media. You can read past features here.

This month, I interviewed Rachel Barnhart, a Monroe County Legislator, and Ana Liss, the Director of Planning & Economic Development for Monroe County. Both women are intelligent, hardworking, and have dealt with negative comments and online harassment. In this blog post, we dive into how those negative comments impact mental health, what platforms and people can do better, and more.

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Celebrating 2 Years of Serve Me the Sky Digital

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Celebrating 2 Years of Serve Me the Sky Digital

Picking a business anniversary is a funny thing. There are many dates I could have chosen: June 2017, when I signed my first freelance client. July 2018, when I got my DBA. But the day I chose to celebrate is May 6th, because that’s when it felt most real. That was the first day I sat down to work for myself full-time after walking away from my stable day job.

When I celebrated this milestone last May, we were two months into a global pandemic that no one would have guessed we’d still be living through a year later. Running a business during a global pandemic is hard! It seemed that with many organizations, when times got tough, marketing was an easy thing to slash from the budget. To get me through a slow time, I picked up some part-time work as a contact tracer, which was fascinating and engaging. Business has been ramping back up, and I’m so excited about that!

In addition to running a business during a global pandemic, I also had to navigate doing so while helping care for my mother as she declined due to stage 4 cancer, then grieving and taking bereavement time while self-employed. This year was a lot to handle. I’m proud that my business is still standing here strong today, after a super difficult year.

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On Taking Bereavement Time as a Freelancer

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On Taking Bereavement Time as a Freelancer

This topic is unusual for a business blog where I typically talk about marketing and social media strategy, but I thought it would be interesting to explore and helpful for other freelancers going through similar situations. In late February, my grandma passed away at 93 years old, and in early April, my mom died of cancer at 59 years old. Hell of a way to start the year! Not working at a traditional company where I could check in with HR and get standard bereavement time, I was uncertain about how I would navigate taking time off to grieve. Here are a few things that worked for me over the past few months:

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