The Power of Communities

/0 Comments/in , ,

In spring of 2015, I was asked to keynote the AGORA Conference at Red Deer College. Now that Tad Hargrave of Marketing for Hippies, the inspiration behind my talk is coming to Red Deer on Thursday, I’ve finally been inspired to put it into a blog post. Here it is…

When I was first asked to speak here I was mad…then excited…then full of insecurities. I mean I’m not an expert in anything really, what the hell can I share? Ya, I’m an entrepreneur, I’m passionate about business, marketing, social media and volunteering, but I’m not leader in any of those mediums.

So I sat down and started writing with the intention that I’m going to inspire you guys to walk out of here and change all the things. To be leaders. To make an impact on the world.

You’re off the hook 🙂

My goal today is much simpler and truer to who I am, and it’s been the foundation of every single thing I’ve accomplished and am proud of in my adult life.

My goal is for you to walk out of here I don’t know…maybe inspired isn’t the right word, but compelled to find your communities and get involved. In something. Anything. And in any capacity.

The Power of Communities.

What’s the first thing that pops into your head when I say communities?

When I asked on Twitter I got #12SeasonsandaMovie. I also got similar responses – groups with a common interest, support network, and my favourite:

“Community, to me, is a by-product of the decision to be involved, to participate, to reach out to others, it’s the inevitable result.”

My first thought that comes to mind when I say communities, is my hometown. I grew up in Munson…which is a tiny dot on the map. A small village between Drumheller and Morrin. Our little farming community ate, slept, breathed community. We played sports together, went to school together, had concerts, potlucks and even a lot of our parents grew up together. Everybody knew Everybody. Which is awesome right? Until you’re a teenager, then not so awesome.

I still feel deeply rooted in that community, it’s my base, my hometown…that I never want to go back to, but take comfort in knowing it’s still there. That community is invested in me too. Have a baby, get married (or vice versa in my case) they’ll throw you a shower and celebrate. And they’re there for the shit parts too – the deaths, the hardships, the losses – they’re invested in you and genuinely want to witness your life play out. I think because that sense of community has been so instilled in me my whole life, I always search out communities to be a part of in any capacity.

Where do you find your people? Your communities?

Let’s start with online.

Online Communities

Favourites – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn groups, maybe you find your people on Tinder.

Man I LOVE the social media. My husband doesn’t think 40K tweets is worthy of much, but I’m here to tell you it IS worthy of something…it gave me connections, a community to build my business.

How many here are on twitter? DO YOU LOVE IT? DO YOU FOLLOW ME? @BrendaSarg … go tweet me.

You can find ANYTHING on twitter. Marketing experts, Big Brands, educators, moms, start-ups, seniors, even Grumpy Cat is on twitter. Even if starting a business isn’t in your future plans, it still has its benefits. Connections. In various avenues that you may not even have thought of, or may not even be of value to you…yet. Ya, there is a ton of bullshit to sift through, but there is a ton of opportunity to learn…about your city, town, your politicians, your non-profits and even what events are happening  – locally and globally. Twitter is my google, I’ve gotten to trust some of my community enough that if they recommend a business or service to me, I trust it’s a good recommendation.

Opportunity. I can’t say it enough…all communities bring opportunity. Knowledge, growth, support…and tons more.

Shortly after I started twitter I was considering a career change, I had tweeted back and forth with a guy who owned his own web design company. I tweeted him one day (never met in real life) and asked him if I could meet with him and pick his brain. Once you feel part of a community…you open the opportunity for asks.

I was working at a civil engineering firm and had offered to do a site for a gym owner…NO CLUE what I was getting in to, zero experience, no skills. And I did it. Then I did another one for a few bucks.

Two websites. Two.

My 3 year old was in daycare at the time and I was just really needing to get him out of there. I came home one Friday, stood in front of my husband’s moving lawn tractor and shouted “I WANT TO QUIT MY JOB AND DESIGN WEBSITES”.

Well, he didn’t run me over and for some crazy reason agreed that I should pack in my 10 and a half year, well paying career and try to be a web designer.

Because you know…2 websites.

I took to twitter. Set up a business twitter account so I could continue being a smartass on my personal one and reel in the customers on the other.

I lasted one week I think. Couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be dry and super professional or I’d be building a false community, a community of people I probably wasn’t even going to enjoy because they were attracted to fake always-super-sweet-and-positive-don’t-disagree-with-anyone me.

Change of plans. I decided at that moment that I’m my brand. I wasn’t confident enough to really pimp my services anyway so I just connected with people AS ME. Engaged. Talked about stuff I was interested in. There is ALWAYS someone on Twitter that has thought your same thought, has been through what you have, or who can offer valuable advice. In time…your community builds. Your support system grows. You have that base…people invested in you who want to see you succeed and will be ambassadors for your business. Sales people that you don’t have to put on payroll – awesome!

I always say twitter built my business. And it did. It taught me a ton, helped me figure out and target my demographic, to meet local industry leaders, and build mutually beneficial relationships with them, and put resources in front of me I never knew existed.

That community built Unlimited BS. By referring me, investing in me with their businesses themselves, and maybe they got something out if it too…being a part of a new business making it. That feels good to be involved in. My online community supported me.

Can’t bring yourself to jump in and talk to perfect strangers online? Ya…it’s weird. I get that.

How about build your own community? You know what you like, what gets you jacked up. Volunteer somewhere. There are a million opportunities to volunteer. Seriously…ridiculous amount of opportunities. Check out Volunteer Central. Or just think of what you like doing, and do it with, or for, someone else. Boom.

I guarantee there are others out there that want to be part of whatever that is. GUARANTEE! And the great thing about volunteering…you’re only going to do it if it’s something you believe in. And others will do it with the same motive.

Why is that awesome? You will be making connections with people that are in line with your values. You never know what kind of opportunity that will bring. In your personal life, your career, your life.

When Ronald McDonald House opened in Red Deer in 2012 my girlfriend asked if I wanted to help her put on a dinner there. They have dinner groups that purchase supper for the families staying there, cook them supper and clean up after. To give them a break in their stress-filled days. She had stayed at another RMH when her daughter has having surgery and said it took a load off. She could focus on her daughter and not providing dinner for the rest of her young family.

So we put it up on Facebook to see if we could get 6 other people interested. HOLY! Ya..I think we had around 40 people wanting to help.

That community of cooks to prepare meals, sponsors to pay for dinner made itself. Before the first dinner, we had decided to form a facebook group named – Real Housewives of Red Deer, a place for people to sign up to join us to cook every time we had a sponsor step up with the money. Three years later, we had over 200 members, and most I’ve never met. It’s individuals who want to be involved, but either are new to Red Deer, don’t have the funds to put on one of their own, or just aren’t able to round up 7 other people to cook with them.

These strangers…these people I’ve never met, built our community. Without people signing up meal after meal, or sponsors offering to send money to purchase a dinner, RHRD would not exist. Us Real Housewives of Red Deer would be sitting at home watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills instead of offering up a reprieve to hurting families and making a difference.

A community of volunteers.

Networking Communities

Like it or not, in the business world, you’ve got to embrace networking. Ugh. Networking to me has always meant suits blowing smoke up one another’s asses while looking at their phones.

But you have to do it. You have to make connections to move your business forward.

Is anyone familiar with Social Media Breakfast Red Deer?

So what we do is we get together for 2 hours once a month, have a speaker, and it’s attended by local business owners, marketing and communications managers, city employees, and everything in between. Generally people wanting to hear what works and what doesn’t for others in their city and industry. Sharing of ideas. And not just small business either, bigger corporations and non-profits also are involved. A community doesn’t have to be the same demographic… all you need is one common interest or goal.

After its second meeting, I was asked if I’d like to join the Steering Committee. I did…super hesitant, but felt like I needed to get involved to get more connections…and get my name out. I joined and then they all quit…one by one. And ya, I’m delusional enough to believe it had nothing to do with me 🙂 We went through a number of challenges, committee members, and I nearly shut it down twice because it was just too much. I wanted this community of people, but didn’t feel like I was giving them the value I should have been. FINALLY we got the right group. There are 3 of us now and we just work [5 now!]. We’re inspired, we’re motivated, we’re figuring out who’s talents lie where and how to trust those talents.

We just held our 24th event on Thursday and it was awesome. [40th now!]

And our community is making it blow up.

Me by myself? I would have packed it in, without a doubt. Yes, we were still getting the people to the events, but the value was slipping. Thankfully…that group of people had faith in us and wanted this to work…now, we’ve got this. We’ll supply value again. We’re invested in them, and they are invested in us. I think that is what makes a community a community. Being invested.

So I’m going to wrap up with this post I came across on the Marketing for Hippies blog.

_______________

He prefaces the story talking about the woman born over 100 years ago. She was a teacher, a wife and mom to 3. At that time, female teachers were not allowed to work while they were married, so she had to give up her job. She was heavily involved in the church and instilled deep levels of self-respect in her 3 children.

Tragically, the church that held and heard the voices of her father, husband, and son – who all served as pastors there – also echoed the sudden, loud, sickening sound of the gunshot that took her life inside its walls six years after her son was murdered for speaking not only his mind, but the minds of so many others.

He then goes into how there is so much pressure to change the world, that everywhere we turn there are messages, speakers, pinterest posts with inspirational quotes on some majestic backdrop telling us we are meant for bigger. BE BIGGER. Impact the world. And ya, I see that all the time. Spend 2 minutes on Pinterest or Facebook and you’re inundated with it.

That you need to be a hero to affect social change.

Bullshit. You need to be a part of things…communities, not a part from.

We’re told, constantly, that one person can make a difference.

Implied in this story is that Martin Luther King Jr. was the spokesperson and only person who really mattered in the civil rights  movement. That Gandhi was the the movement for India’s independence. That Nelson Mandela was the leader of the anti-apartheid movement, etc.

But that’s historically inaccurate. There were MILLIONS of people involved in those movements without whom all those mentioned above would have been lone and lonely voices.

One person can’t do much, really.

That’s what communities are for. That’s what movements are for. And any of the big names you could mention of positive change makers (and there are, thankfully, many) were outgrowths of a movement, not the leaders of it. They served the movement, not the other way around.

So who was that woman I talked about?

Well, she was born Alberta Christine Williams. But she died Alberta Christine Williams King.

Her husband was Martin Luther King.

Her son was Martin Luther King Jr.

Her name is not well known and yet, through her son (and in many, many other ways we may never know), she blessed this world.

Without Alberta, there would have been no Martin Luther King Jr.

The lesson here is…

Who’s to say what might or might not happen because you and seemingly small, mundane or common things that you do? With a community behind you, your voice matters.

[you can read the full blog post here: “Why Stop Playing Small is Bullshit“]

_______________

So no, I’m not a leader, nor do I feel any pressure to be one. The goal isn’t to be bigger than, or a part from…the goal  is to be a part of.

Start building communities. It’s the premise for all movements, all successes, and it opens you up to a world of opportunities.

 

Tad Hargrave is holding a Workshop – Marketing for Hippies 101 – in Red Deer at the Scott Block Theatre this Thursday, July 21st from 10am – 5pm. It’s an awesome opportunity to learn from a skilled, successful, community-minded marketer who I clearly admire A LOT. You can register here:

REGISTER

 

Are you taking EVERYTHING? Stop that.

/2 Comments/in , ,

Here’s what I know today.

Social Media has given everyone and their dog a platform to tell you what to do and how to do it. It can make your head spin and I’ve got caught up in it way too many times to count. “I should do that! I should try this. WHOA I can quadruple my income? SIGN ME UP!”

Every day there is an article on when to post, what to post, what to do, what not to do, and countless self proclaimed experts telling you you’re doing it wrong. Even shaming you so you throw in the towel because you don’t want to look like the idiot they are making you feel like.

SO many tweets bitching about people cross posting. (Posting/linking to Instagram or Facebook from twitter) While I 100% agree it’s a bit annoying, does it really affect me? Nope. Scroll on by. Unless you want to privately help that person understand why maybe it’s not the best idea for their followers, maybe just shut up. Scroll on by.

Is my blog advice? Sure, maybe to some. But I’d like to make it perfectly clear, all I have to offer is what worked for me, and what I’ve seen work for others. I’m a big believer in never taking ALL the advice you are given. Take what you need and leave the rest.

Accept that we’re all really just sharing what worked for us, what research has shown in a snapshot of time, what the stats are, or whatever the case may be. Who says you aren’t the one to blow those stats out of the water? RIGHT? You could totally be that person.

We’re all unique. And how we want to share our message is unique. Don’t be crammed into a rigid DO THIS NOT THAT plan, pay attention to what your audience is responding to, and let that guide you.

Take what you need and leave the rest. Click To Tweet

Always.

Unless it’s chocolate…take all of it.

 

 

Checking out your competition

/0 Comments/in , ,

Are you giving your competitors your time and attention?

You should be.

I think it’s wise to know and understand what they offer. Not so you can copy it…or even surpass it. But so you can differentiate what sets YOU apart. How are YOU different? The difference doesn’t have to be a reinvention of the wheel, it can be as simple as…I do this process this way and it’s rocking my clients’ socks.

There’s also opportunity to learn. What do you admire about how they do it? Does it inspire you? Push you to up your game? These are all good things.

Side note…I hate the word competitors because I visualize pissy behaviour which rarely, if ever, is the case. At least in my industry. Everyone is just out there busting their butts to be their best at what they do and deliver a service or product that jacks them up.

My point is do it. Give them time and attention.

As much as networking with people in your community and future client pool benefits you, networking with those in your industry also has great value.

Just don’t let them in your heart. I think at some point that happens to all of us. You push the comparison in there when you’re feeling self-doubt or insecure and then you start weighing how you measure up…or don’t.

Stop that shit.

It’s destructive and can be paralyzing. Give it a few minutes if you have to and then MOVE ON.

Remind yourself, every damn day if you have to, what YOU offer. How YOU are different. Click To Tweet And most importantly, how YOU make your Clients feel. I guarantee every small business owner and entrepreneur is doing something unique that sets them apart.

Took me a while to get there, if I had questions, I asked a stranger online. Why? Intimidated. Scared to ask for help…even from my mentor sometimes. Being the new old lady on the block made me stay in my bubble for quite some time. Now I’m confident that I’m good at what I do for my Clients. We partner well. And getting to know others in my industry has provided me with opportunity for growth, some referrals, and some really sweet connections and resources.

You can’t beat that.

So give competitors your time and attention. It’s worth it.

 

Hey Partner

/0 Comments/in , ,

I get that it’s hard to trust someone with  something as close to your heart as your business is.

Especially when you feel so grey as to how to direct them so they can possibly understand your message…your brand.

You’re not creative.
You have no idea what your website should look like.
All you really know is how you feel about what you do, what you offer, what you’ve got going on.

FRICKIN AWESOME!

I don’t see all those points as a strike against creating a site that sells you and that represents YOU. At all. So long as you know what your business looks like, how you want your potential clients to feel about it…that’s what we need.

Because that’s the heart and I so dig that. All I need is for you to tell me – NO SHAME – what you’d love your business to be. The why you started. It may not be there yet, that doesn’t matter. Build it and they will come? Ya, that. Click To Tweet

Don’t be intimated that you don’t have a clue about web design. You don’t have to. Just like I don’t need to be able to create your product or service. That’s what this whole deal is about.

Consider me a partner. In a total non-John-Wayne-kind-of-way.

I promise we’ll get there. I’ll ask you a million questions, some may make you uncomfortable, but we’ll get there.

wait…uncomfortable??! Forget it, I’m out!

Hold up. Uncomfortable almost always means growth and getting to where you want to be, so let's embrace it. Click To Tweet All I mean is that I’m going to ask you to really think about why you want a website. Things like this…

How do you want your potential client/customer to feel?

excited?

calm?

educated?

motivated?

What voice are you using?

professional?

personable?

funny?

dry as shit?  (<—we’re going to need to talk about that one)

Ok…so I’ll cut the awkward feel-y BS…just know that I get it. Starting is hard. Reaching out for help in your solo venture is hard.

I KNOW IT. 

But what have you got to lose, let’s do this partner 🙂

Contact Brenda

 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

/2 Comments/in ,

I’ve never had the answer to that question. Ever. And if I were to be 100% honest, I still don’t.

Did you have one of those School Day Treasures books growing up? I think they were from Regal. Well every school year had a spot to write what you wanted to be when you grew up.

2016-02-02 11.50.40

All my entries were “don’t know”, nurse, or veterinarian. Coincidentally, that’s what two of my best friends wanted to be.

They truly DID want to be those professions. They had some seed of it planted in their very being.

Either I never had a seed or I just didn’t water it, but I can truly say I’ve never had the strong push towards a certain career. I’ve always just started something and ended up loving it.

Except Subway. And I even loved it until they wanted me to wear a visor. Seriously…who wears a visor???!

When I was probably 5 years old, a friend and I buried a dead mouse in a Mr. Bones candy coffin. (I’m a farm kid so gross is second nature to me. 🙂 ) As an adult I did spend a few years pining over becoming an Embalmer and Funeral Director, so maybe that was my seed? If so, that seed has now been buried, I will never be an Embalmer or a Funeral Director.

So if I had to fill in the “What do you want to be when you grow up?” form today? I’d still draw a blank, knowing that I love what I do today, but there is always something bigger waiting for me behind that next corner…and then the next, and the next.

What would  you check off? Same as when you were a kid? A new graduate from high school? University?

Trying to get out there in your community? VOLUNTEER!

/0 Comments/in ,

I believe wholeheartedly that a small business or entrepreneur needs it’s community to survive.

You have to be involved in something. Anything. Big or small, popular or not…getting involved in your community is SO KEY.

Why?

Because you look good if you volunteer.

That’s part of it, let’s be real here. But it’s WAY more than that.

It’s…

Connections

Perspectives

Struggles

Celebrations

Friendships

Peers

The situations volunteering in your community will put you in can teach you a million lessons for your business IF you are paying attention.

So pay attention…

What are some struggles? Can you help? Can you alleviate those struggles in some small way?

DO THAT.

What is your community jacked up about? What’s fun and makes them feel a part of something?

DO THAT.

What messages are groups in your community trying to share? Can you get behind that cause? Lend your time or talent to back it?

DO THAT.

Are you a home based business and are hermitting up? Haven’t washed your hair in a week because you don’t REALLY need to see anyone to do your job?

Here’s the straight truth…

You are probably losing touch with your community and your work (and personal hygiene!) is going to suffer.

Get out there. Get involved. Meet all the people. Embrace the awkward. Click To TweetI guarantee your business will benefit. People hire people. And they can only hire people they know are there.

So get there.

24/7 isn’t working for you.

/4 Comments/in ,

Here’s the thing about being a solo entrepreneur.

IT’S ALL YOU.

Ever go to bed feeling spent? So frickin spent. Not just tired, but spent. Because you are stretched between work – attaining new clients, servicing old ones, learning new ways to market and life – momming, dadding, wifeing. You want adult time…but then shit. Who’s got energy for that??!

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the I WILL KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY IMMEDIATELY AND AS CONSISTENTLY AS I CAN. Because I am woman, hear me roar! Click To Tweet

Or whatever.

I kind of just wanted to say that hear me roar deal…

But really? You suck. Because all the things are suffering. Because your mind and actions are interrupted, sporadic, and crazed.

So stop it. Serious.

Set regular hours for when your clients can contact you. Don’t be available 24/7. Just don’t, unless lives depend on it.

You have to be connected to other things besides work, to do good work. Whatever “connected” means to you…

… connected to your family

… connected to your social life

… connected to your volunteer work

… connected to your cat

It really doesn’t matter what it is, just don’t let those connections be sacrificed for work. No one is good at giving 24/7 of themselves to their work. Click To Tweet (I actually have no statistical facts to back that up…but it’s got to be true.)

Put it away.

It’s not always urgent.

Go connect.

Just Start

/0 Comments/in ,

How many times have you procrastinated on just starting that thing?

Starting that business you love.

Starting that conversation.

Starting that design.

Starting to grow your business because the start feels overwhelming.

OVERWHELMING.

DAUNTING.

EFFING IMPOSSIBLE.

So here it is…my huge, life altering solution.

JUST $#@! START YOU GUYS!

lol…yes, it’s truly that simple and yet that seemingly hard.

Want to start blogging? Trust me, I KNOW the mental block, the freak-out-ed-ness (new word) of putting your thoughts out there. But you’ll find your audience, it won’t happen immediately, but you will. A new trick I’ve picked up in this marketing blog (I wish I could remember where or I’d credit it!)..set the timer for 6 minutes. Not 5. Not 7. Six. Six minutes to just write shit. You have 6 minutes and you don’t need to schedule in or prep yourself for 6 minutes. If you think you do need to schedule in a 6 minute block…check yourself.

It works. You’ll be surprised. Just write…whatever is in your head. It’ll be random and messy.

JUST START.

Thinking about collaborating with a business? Send that email. Stop thinking about it, START.

Thinking about starting to tell the world about  your new venture but are afraid? Why? Worried people won’t share your excitement?

JUST START.

Send that first tweet. Write that first facebook post. Don’t wait. Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Until the stars align, until the laundry is done (p.s. the laundry is NEVER done).

START NOW.

And lastly…if you are needing a new, FRESH, packed with your energy, website?

JUST START 😉

START BUTTON

Eff the Shame

/8 Comments/in ,

What am I all about these days?

Staying jacked up. Staying excited about my work, my life.

I magically ended up at this random website that is based halfway across the world, more than once. That’s got to be a sign right? So, I signed up for some work to get to the heart of what I’m about…which leads also to what my business is about. Because I’ve always said “small business web design” but YAWN. WHY am I small business web design…this I’m getting to the bottom of.

Will discovering WHY you do what you do feel like your “true calling” or some sort of “soulmate” action?

pfffft. I’m going to say no. At least not in my world…but I’m sooo not a romantic so maybe it will for you! (If it does, please don’t tell me or I’ll be jealous)

It WILL however, feel like excitement, like clarity, and maybe even like your insides are dancing. That my friends, is frickin awesome. Who  doesn’t want to feel like that?! I can tell you I most certainly do. It’s a drug…and makes me want more and more to get in tune to how I can live like that…

ALL THE DAMN TIME.

How did I get here? A long road. Like really long, and it punched out a few times along the way with some crippling self doubt. But I’m here now! I’m proud of my business. I’m proud of my ethics. I’m proud of my work and what I do for my Clients.

Sadly there were times I couldn’t say that. Times of shame. Frickin shame you guys, it’s a killer. Shame that I didn’t have the knowledge to build a site from scratch, to code it. Shame that I use pre-made themes to create websites for my Clients. Shame that I never went to college for this or have any certifications in design.

ALL THE FRICKIN SHAME.

Operating from a place of shame is the shits. You can’t be truly confident in your work when your ego is veiled in shame. It makes running your own business mentally exhausting.

And now?

EFF THE SHAME.

Why? Because I’m creating websites that are bang on to my Client’s brands. I feed on their excitement and vibration they have going on when they speak of their business. I’m getting to know them. And there is a REALLY good chance I now consider them friends.

Is that wonky? A weird way to operate a business? Ya…probably. But being weird is not something I’ve ever denied being.

Maybe that’s what makes Unlimited BS different. And maybe, that’s why we should work together 🙂