#MidweekMinute 5/15/19: Breakin' up is hard to do

Hot take: I don’t think we should break up Facebook. But plenty of people do. (Facebook itself, unsurprisingly, doesn’t.) Moving on…

Facebook is introducing Birthday Stories, which function like an event story insofar as they compile content from multiple users to tell a singular story, and even feature birthday song stickers. They’ve also got some new tools for small businesses, including automatic ads, appointment functionality, and new video editing tools within the platform (you can do text overlays! Fun!).

Facebook’s been testing a WhatsApp payments tool in India, and is now creating a new team to develop the feature’s international rollout, with primary offices in London and secondary staff in Dublin.

Instagram introduces @shop , an of-course-shoppable account to highlight shops and makers from across the platform. They also might be developing a Stories sticker that plays a music video snippet with some lyrics over it (though this whole story might just be one epic Rick Roll).

Instagram is also introducing some of Facebook’s fact-checker technology (that’s not really where I go for news and information… but people are, I guess?), and is going to be flagging anti-vaccination posts - though exactly what effect that “flagging” will have, I’m not sure.

MailChimp is introducing a bevy of new features, including websites (domains, templates, and hosting), ad retargeting on Google and social media, social posting, smart recommendations, recurring postcards, and a CRM (they already integrated well with several existing CRMs, but now are straight-up introducing their own), in the hopes of becoming a one-stop shop for small businesses’ digital needs. Not exactly social media, but worth having on the radar, as the new platform increases their integration with social media platforms.

MORE INFO ON ALL STORIES:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

FAQ: IGTV?

Once Instagram’s 10-second Stories took off, it was time to introduce another video format: IGTV. These longer-form, 10-minute-max videos lend themselves well to episodic content. But should you be using it? And, if so, what are some best practices?

In all honesty, IGTV is still so new that even the most experienced social media video creators are still figuring out best uses for it. But getting in early on a new format isn’t exactly a bad position to put yourself in. Here’s some tips if you’re considering it.

#MidweekMinute 5/8/19: F8 wasn't the end of it...

Facebook has announced some loud & clear guidelines for how it’s shifting its algorithm with regard to video content - they’re preferring content that viewers return to repeatedly and deliberately, videos that keep viewers engaged for at least one minute and are at least three minutes long, and original content.

Facebook Messenger debuts a new Desktop app and some new features including co-watching (like Watch Parties), “Close Friend” designation, emoji status options, and a scheduling tool for appointment-based businesses like beauty and healthcare providers - and is planning to create interconnectivity between Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Facebook’s enterprise-level tool, Workplace, has also experienced their first redesign in years, focusing on chat, News Feed, and groups, while also delivering notifications about the company.

We’ve known for years that Facebook was developing its own cryptocurrency, but that story is moving forward as they seek investors. The latest rumors state that the currency is intended to be stable (not prone to the fluctuations of currencies such as Bitcoin) and that it may even seek to replace credit cards by undermining their processing fee structure.

Instagram is Working on a New 'Join Chat' Sticker which would enable Stories viewers to join a private chat group, direct from a Story.

Twitter is now allowing GIFs to be added to retweets. (See reaction below.)

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

MORE INFO ON ALL STORIES:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

FAQ: SEO

I’ve had a LOT of people ask me about SEO - but many of those people don’t actually know what it means. They just know it’s important.

They’re right that it’s important. It’s part of how you get found online. And there’s a lot more to it than simply being on social media.

You know I hate turning down business - but, truly, SEO is a specialty unto itself! Even comic strip Christine recommends finding a dedicated expert if you’re serious about improving your SEO.

#MidweekMinute 5/1/19

Obviously, Facebook’s F8 conference - and the resultant announcements, and IMMEDIATE updates - is the big story this week. I’m even having a special livestream Thursday night with a few experts to go through some of the changes; join us live!

Facebook has announced they’re downplaying the newsfeed in favor of groups and events, making Messenger and direct communications with “close friends” a bigger priority, and upgrading the Dating features that they’ve apparently already had for a year in certain countries (did you even know? I didn’t; I recall announcing that it was coming, but didn’t know it had already happened!).

Facebook has also officially blocked surveys that mine for personal information (which is what got them in all of that privacy hot water to begin with).

Instagram has announced upcoming updates to their Camera feature, the immediate rollout of the Donate button for Stories that I mentioned last week, upgrading its Creator functions for more creative story options, and allowing influencers to sell things directly (more of an affiliate situation than a shop).

Twitter has announced several new live video content partnerships with content creators including Viacom, LiveNation, and the NFL. Not a fan of the new Twitter redesign? It’s all good; you can change it back. Twitter is also creating new tools for users to report misleading election-related posts, starting with India and the European Union - which, IMHO, is хорошая идея.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn is testing a “Services” feature for freelancers, which would help connect them directly to potential clients.

more info on all stories

View my Flipboard Magazine.

FAQ: Is Facebook dead?

Is Facebook dead?

Between the data crisis and Zuckerberg’s January 2018 game-changing “Facebookpocalypse” announcement, hoards of people have huffily announced that they’ve “quit Facebook” - and encouraged others to do the same.

Sure, some people have left. But is it a significant enough percentage of your audience that you need to shift your business plan around it?… let’s see what the data says.

My comic book alter-ego paraphrases Mark Twain:

#MidweekMinute 4/25/19 (just past midweek...)

Disclaimer: this blog features 95% less scandal than that Wired expose.

Facebook is once again refining (read: changing everything around in) Ads Manager. They’re also testing upvotes and downvotes for comments, a la Reddit.

Facebook is also expanding their 3D image offerings - 3D images can now be added to Stories, Android users can now create and post 3D images, and even desktop users can make 3D images (though it’s a slightly more elaborate process).

Many had originally speculated that AI assistant functionality - much like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, or Google Home - would be part of Facebook’s Portal videochat device… it wasn’t, and isn’t yet, but Facebook has confirmed that they are now developing one. (Any bets on names? Mark? Zuck? Comrade?)

Instagram has rolled out a multiple-choice Quiz sticker for Instagram Stories (a welcome upgrade to the previous “yes or no” surveys), and announced plans to introduce a “Donate” sticker, bringing the ease of Facebook Donations to the Instagram Stories platform.

Instagram is also considering tinkering with possibly hiding “Like” counts on pictures. (But how will we know who’s popular???). This echoes comments from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who, in an interview at TED, expressed regret at the platform’s early focus on follower count and likes, and said that he would like to see Twitter move away from followings and more towards interest-based browsing - echoing Facebook and Instagram’s shifts towards “meaningful interaction.”

For now, Twitter is testing updated desktop layouts, has announced the upcoming rollout of a mute replies button and other options to combat abuse, and has acquired Highly, an app that turns article quotes into tweets.

LinkedIn has added the ability to label your “team mates,” to better prioritize updates from your most relevant contacts. They’re also discontinuing their standalone Job Search app, reabsorbing the app’s functionality into the main LinkedIn app, and added a calendar integration feature for Android.

LinkedIn has also revamped its advertising tools, adding Lookalike Audiences, Audience Templates, Interest Targeting, and Bing search data (because Microsoft).

MORE INFO ON ALL STORIES:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

FAQ: Must I advertise on social?

The January 2018 “Facebookpocalypse” is still being felt… with many pages experiencing limited organic reach.

Does that mean that Facebook is now “pay to play”?

What about other social media platforms? And, even if you CAN get organic traction, should you still be putting some ad dollars towards social media?

My comic alter-ego is always mindful of the needs of teeny tiny micro businesses - and, for them, ORGANIC can be the best source of data…

#MidweekMinute: App Tweaks

Now that we’ve all recovered from the FB/Insta/WhatsApp outage (honestly, I didn’t even notice it - I must have been busy on Twitter that day - or even IRL (gasp!)…

Facebook is experimenting with a few changes to the user experience. First up, they’re considering merging the newsfeed and Story feed into a single side-swipe interface (in a continued effort to get you to actually use stories on Facebook). They’re also testing bringing Messenger back into its main Facebook app, instead of forcing you to open the separate Messenger app to read messages on mobile. (That’s not the only change for Messenger - they’re also discontinuing Messenger Scan Codes.)

Instagram, meanwhile, is tinkering with their algorithm to demote content deemed “inappropriate” - sparking debate over what exactly that means. (Fewer belfies?)

Twitter is playing with a whole bunch of app changes in its new twttr experimental app (available by application only); they’re playing with swipe gestures (swipe to like!), improved conversation-thread tools (identifying authors, nesting original tweet context into replies), and creating a “true black” dark mode to save battery on mobile devices.

LinkedIn continues their march away from professionalism and into “social media” by adding reactions (and more photo stickers).

learn more:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

FAQ: Getting active on LinkedIn

How often do you log into LinkedIn?

If you’re still using it as a static resume hub, only logging in to update new information or when you’re looking for work - you’re missing out on a TON of opportunity.

It is NOT the same as Facebook, however…

Or, as my comic counterpart would say: it’s like real-life networking; bring your best business self, and leave the cat pictures at home.

FAQ: Should I use a Group or a Page?

You may be hearing a lot about Facebook Groups. But what are they? Are they different from Pages? Are they part of Pages?

My hot take, which not everyone will agree with (MLMs, I’m looking at you): Groups are for conversation, not sales. Tread carefully. Make sure you bring VALUE to your groups - otherwise, don’t do it.

And, regardless - definitely keep your page.

This week’s comic barely scrapes the surface of this complicated topic - but here’s her take.

FAQ: Do I still need a website?

Time for the flip-side of last week’s question: if social media is so important, do I still need my own website as well?

They’re pretty different things. Here’s why you need both.

My comic alter-ego agrees:

View fullsize

Connecting IRL: #LinkedInLocal White Plains

As discussed on Social last week, #LinkedInLocal is a grassroots global organization, blessed by LinkedIn, that connects people IRL at local networking events. I first attended one in New York City in January 2018, then spoken on a panel in December at an event in Spring Valley, here in Rockland. My friend Pasquale Palumbo, who attended the December event, and I immediately started scheming our own event in Westchester. With the help of our sponsors, TD Bank, we were able to make it happen last night- and will definitely be doing another one sometime in the very near future!

The point of a #LinkedInLocal event is to facilitate networking within our communities; it is not meant to be a major profit-generator for the hosts. We kept our ticket price low - $10 - mainly to cover refreshments, and because attendees are more likely to bail on a free event. Many of these events also host panelists or speakers. Our panelists - Risa Hoag of GMG Public Relations, Daniel Guiney of ZRM Brokerage, and myself - discussed LinkedIn best practices, guided by moderator Joe Ferraro of the One Percent Better podcast.

Some of the key issues discussed included:

Profile Tips

Use all profile options at your disposal; a fully-filled-out profile is to your best advantage! Link to the real pages for companies and schools whenever possible, since that will connect you to their larger communities. Have a professional profile picture. Your headline shouldn’t be your default “Job Title at Company,” but rather what it is you actually DO (a subtle, yet crucial distinction). And for goodness sakes, give your own SEO a boost by using lots of relevant phrases and keywords in your summary!

Using LinkedIn

Engaging with other people’s content, and in discussions that are relevant to you and your industry, is at least as important, if not more so, than putting your own content out there; be sure to dedicate some time each week to at LEAST doing that. Research people who you’re meeting with, would like to meet, or are pitching - it is a priceless resource to gather valuable information on anyone, and it’s free! Also explore alumnae networks whenever possible - if you’re going on a trip, for example, you may be able to find people who went to your school who are in a relevant industry to you who live in that city, which can open you up to great new connections.

Who To Connect With

Arguably the most interesting part of the discussion dealt with who one accepts (or approaches) as a new contact on LinkedIn. Risa prefers to only connect with people she’s met in real life. Dan believes in maximum reach, regardless of existing connection, and reaches out to strangers regularly to add to his overall network. I fell somewhere in between; I rarely send out connection requests unless I have a reason (sometimes it’s they were suggested and are in a relevant industry and share contacts with me, sometimes they’re a speaker at a conference I’m speaking at or attending, but oftentimes it’s because we’ve actually met somewhere IRL), and my stance on acceptance of connection requests is getting slightly stricter now - if we don’t share connections, RELEVANT ones, you’d better be of clear and direct value to my business community.

Me being me, I of course live-streamed our full discussion, which you can watch below.

Many thanks again to our hosts, TD Bank of Rye!

Social: Brian Wallace on #LinkedInLocal

Have you been to a #LinkedInLocal event near you yet?

It’s a grassroots movement - blessed, but not RUN, by LinkedIn - of networking events taking place all over the world.

I first met Rockland native (and current Midwesterner) Brian Wallace of NowSourcing at a #LinkedInLocal event in NYC, and he later brought me into an event closer to me in Spring Valley. In anticipation of my friend Pasquale Palumbo and me hosting our own first #LinkedInLocal White Plains event on Monday, April 1 (with more such events to hopefully follow), I asked for Brian’s take on the LinkedInLocal concept, as well as his top tips for ensuring a great #LinkedInLocal event.

Here are some of Brian’s top tips for throwing your own #LinkedInLocal event:

1 - Get A Great Venue:

Make sure it has good acoustics, spots to network, take pics, video, etc. 
Should have enough space for the size you plan on doing

2 - Have A Great Team:

Helping get speakers / moderators / MC / event space / food / social
Organize the team - make sure they all know their roles and what to say

3 - have enough time to promote:

At least 1 month
Use Eventbrite, but also promote on Linkedin through #linkedinlocal hashtag
Lots of the global linkedinlocal movement will also help - over 800 cities!

4 - deliver value to the audience:

This shouldn't be a crappy leadgen / sales pitch
Know how to explain the value of your LinkedIn network from a social / soft skills side as well as the latest and greatest tech / content trends happening on the platform.

5 - work together:

LinkedInlLocal is a grassroots movement and sometimes there may be multiple groups of people / personalities / locations.  It doesn't have to be a turf battle - work it out and make it the best that can be!

FAQ: Do I have to be on social media?

I will admit that my feelings on social media are a little biased, being a social media strategist and all… but there’s a reason I entered this line of work, and that is because I truly believe it to be an essential tool for all businesses, large and ESPECIALLY small.

My comic alter ego agrees with me, too:

SOCIAL, SCHMOCIAL

FAQ: How often should I post?

You will see statistics indicating how frequently you should be posting on each social media platform.

And I am here to tell you that those statistics are bunk.

My comic alter ego puts it more concisely:

POST FREQUENCY

ATOMIC = Small, but Mighty

Photo: Christine Gritmon

There are loads of great recaps of Andrew and Pete’s inaugural conference, #ATOMICON19, coming out this week (I’ve got a roundup of some at the end of this post).

I’m going to get straight to the point, and tell you the biggest takeaway I got from each speaker’s session. (Speaker photos by the fabulous Laura Pearman unless otherwise indicated.)

(And if you think #ATOMICON19 sounds amazing, just check out what they’ve got on tap for #ATOMICON20…)

Photo: Laura Pearman Photography

What Is An Atomic Business, And How do you Become One?

Andrew and Pete

Don’t deny or fight your fears - instead, FOLLOW them, to break the “Catch-22” cycles of defeating self-talk that stop us from taking risks, losing before we even start.

Solutions to help us follow our fears to break our Catch-22s and level up our businesses:

LEVEL 1: This is impossible -> Inspiration Sparks

LEVEL 2: This is impossible for me -> Consequence Forecasting

LEVEL 3: This is impossible to start -> Proof of Concept

“Tony…”

Part of Andrew and Pete’s opening schtick was the idea that, with each “Catch-22” cycle of fears that fed upon themselves, a new title for the opening keynote was required - and, thus, new “survival guide” postcards needed to be printed and distributed by volunteers throughout the audience. This is all 5 “revised” postcards, plus the FINAL final: a poster-sized version, featuring the original title.

Photo: Laura Pearman Photography

Superstar Selling

Victoria Fleming

We close sales every single day in the course of living our ordinary lives - from negotiating with our children to put on their shoes in the morning, from asking someone to marry us, and ANY conversation in between with an end goal of gaining agreement. Thus, actual selling needn’t be that scary or different.

Photo: Laura Pearman Photography

How To Create And Market A Highly Converting Sales Webinar

Teresa Heath-Wareing

Webinars should educate your audience on the WHAT and the WHY, but reserve the HOW for your paid product. Do NOT feel bad about selling that valuable information!

(Teresa was generous enough to do my Facebook Live show right after Atomicon - check it out here!)

Photo: Laura Pearman Photography

How To sell With Social Video Without Feeling Stupid

Dan Knowlton

You need to do some crappy videos before you can figure out how to do excellent ones. Just do it. Seriously, start right now. And then learn from your mistakes, and do better next time.

Photo: Laura Pearman Photography

HOW TO MAKE MORE TIME FOR YOUR MARKETING

Christine Gritmon

A bit of time spent planning out your content strategy can save you a lot of time in the long run. Block out distractions and just do it!

(Note: this was a group discussion breakout session; there were several others, which will likely be covered in some of the recaps listed at the end of this post!)

Photo: Laura Pearman Photography

Confident Live Video

Ian Anderson Gray

You don’t need a ton of gear or perfect on-screen presence to do live video. All you truly need is a smartphone or computer, a strong internet connection, and yourself - filled with energy, warmed up, with control over your posture, breath, and diction - it is, after all, a live performance, and you are the instrument!

Photo: Laura Pearman Photography

The Business of YOU

Chris Ducker

Never compare your first step to someone else’s hundredth. Your journey is your own - and, if you keep your marketing person-to-person, you DO have the power to become somebody’s absolute favorite! And that really does need to be the goal - because a strong personal brand is 100% unique and 100% future-proof.

I was so proud of my friend Sarah Clay for FACING THE FEAR and doing her very first live video! We had two phones going: one broadcasting live on her Instagram feed, and one on my Facebook page. Check out our stream-of-consciousness recap above!

Photo: Christine Gritmon

Some more excellent coverage of the event (I will be adding to this list as more are released):

Simon Raybould: Make a better conference presentation

Danielle Bayes: #Atomicon19 sketchnotes

Chris Huskins: Key Takeaways from Atomicon 2019

Dan Knowlton: ATOMICON: 10 Reasons To Go

Rachel Extance: How Andrew and Pete use stories to spark action

Rebel Base Media: Was Atomicon 2019 Worth It?

Gavin Bell: Had an amazing time hanging out with @andrewandpete at Atomicon last week!

Andy Biggs: What did delegates make of ATOMICON19?

OK, peeps - so who’s joining us for #ATOMICON20??? (Yes, I already have my ticket!)

FAQ: Which platforms should I be on?

This is, without a doubt, the question I hear most frequently.

The pressure of being on ALL the platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and whatever else the kids are using these days) is part of what makes social media seem so daunting for many busy small business owners - not to mention casual everyday users!

But don’t worry - you don’t need to be everywhere.

…or, if you’re more of a reader:

PLATFORM FATIGUE

FAQ: Hiring out social

Should you hire someone else to manage your social media accounts & content?

The answer: it depends…

Many thanks to Greg Gritmon (aka Mr. Christine Gritmon) for lending his talents to this easy-peasy comic strip explanation!

HIRING OUT SOCIAL

BAREing Our Inhibitions with Susan Hyatt

I was thrilled to be in the room with coach Susan Hyatt for the New York City launch party of “Bare,” her latest book.​

Susan’s BARE method is, nominally, an anti-diet diet book; in her practice, she does help women lose weight, and trains other trainers in her certified method. However, she will be the first one to tell you that it’s not really about weight loss, and it is certainly not about doing anything unhealthy in pursuit of a certain look. She rejects that utterly, and will, in fact, tell you that “weight loss coaching” is simply an easy in to find women who are ready for the REAL work - the work of letting go of societal expectations, ​and learning to put all of your energy towards making yourself happy, at ANY weight.

Although we are Facebook friends, I was honestly shocked that Susan truly knew who I was when I walked in the door - but she did, as well as details about my life. I loved that!​

As I do, I live-Tweeted her talk... and, as Beyoncé is her prime inspiration, I accompanied each insight with an appropriate Beyoncé GIF (one of which she specifically called out while retelling her journey towards the publication ​of “BARE”).

I have written the Beyoncé of diet books. @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/OhQpPTUHVY

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​In Hyatt-world, “Beyoncé” could be taken as shorthand for “confident, kickass, unabashedly feminine, and a total game-changer.” Her book is not about making women feel bad about their weight, or to tell them what to do in order to get smaller. It is about finding their own POWER.

I created the book advance WITHOUT the publisher - choose yo’ self, ladies! @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/ekgpDhwBgx

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

Despite her magnetism and following, “BARE” actually had a hard time finding a publisher. Hyatt recounted a specific weekend where she traveled to NYC to meet with book publishers, only to find little interest when she arrived. She turned the weekend into a video shoot, creating the online portion of her BARE program - and turning a loss into a gain of not only productivity, but also profit.

My special sauce was helping a woman realize she’s valuable and amazing AS SHE APPEARS TODAY @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/DcyOyBJJSU

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

While Hyatt’s signature programs nominally revolve around weight loss, her mission is about empowering women - and training her certified coaches to do the same.​

Under the guise of weight loss, I was doing the real work of unwinding the message they’d received since childhood that their bodies were not valuable unless they fit a certain standard @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/OutdzNaKOT

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​Hyatt referred to weight loss as a “Trojan horse” to get her messages of empowerment into womens’ hands.

This isn’t about THIGH GAP;
This is about WAGE GAP.@susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/mv2r0Iw8CL

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

Why women? Why not men? Well, if you exist in our society, you are likely aware of the messages society feeds women from birth about the connection between their physical appearance (skinny!) and their worth.​

The national emergency is not a fucking wall; the national emergency is violence against women’s bodies.@susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/8HyUFwxWdi

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​These messages about worth - and worthlessness - have created a world full of women who are wasting so much of their time and potential feeling “less than.” Something as silly as weight is holding women back from so much in life.

When a woman isn’t giving her power over to an externa plan...
SHE BECOMES UNSTOPPABLE, BITCHES!@susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/NYm1P3Tdz7

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​And we have come to Hyatt’s raison d’etre: freeing up the part of women’s minds that they waste on societal messaging so that they can apply themselves more fully to whatever it is that THEY want to do.

1. How much time do you spend every day thinking about your appearance in a negative way?@susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/65DPMRx5HB

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​In our BARE notebooks, we had to think about & write down about how much time and energy we devote each day to thinking about looking bad: our weight, our attractiveness, even what we wear. The time we essentially waste on worrying that we aren’t good enough on the outside.

What’s a goal you have for yourself right now? @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/AB07tZnLVZ

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

Next, she had us each write down a goal we have for ourselves - then share that goal with the person next to us. Each pair was to look into their partner’s eyes and reassure the sharer that she could do it, and that we believed in her. (This exercise was more powerful than I had expected!)​

Who knows about the extra mental workload women have - the extra part-time jobs we have on top of everything else? @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/4NVE33sukj

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​We spoke about the “emotional workload” that so many women bear disproportionally in their homes.

You may be becoming awake to all the ways in which you are keeping your circus together - and when I asked you your goals, you may have had a reaction to that. @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/0DxRINzPZo

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

Societal beauty norms are not the only energy sucks, claiming our thoughts and limiting our potential - this mental workload of “keeping your circus together” ​is another large part of what holds many women back.

If you were able to take all that energy that you spend ruminating on why you’re not good enough, and turn that towards achieving your goal, what would happen? @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/ZmdNJLqGlA

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​What could we do with that time, that energy, that potential, if we weren’t wasting it on things outside of us? What if, instead, we could RECLAIM that energy, and put it to work for us?​

Yes, I do have hired help now - but I also have freed up all that energy I used to spend worrying about myself and not being good enough, and that has actually made me a time CREATOR @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/tPLkmRxsBi

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

The idea of “you have as many hours in a day as Beyoncé” isn’t entirely accurate - she, like Hyatt, has all sorts of help - but another thing these women have in common is that they’ve chosen to bring their FULL selves to their OWN goals, to block out the distractions, and to virtually CREATE TIME by applying themselves to their own work.​

The power of this book is really a recognition of the power we take from ourselves @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/XSCgez4QMk

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

​This book is not about getting skinnier. This book is not about eschewing yummy food, or working out for hours every day. This book is about eschewing the limiting BS and working on your GOALS. On yourself.

I really am out to disrupt the diet industry’s battle cry that if you only had more willpower, you could have what you want @susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/ehOOtyOJBR

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

Women HAVE willpower. We just need to give ourselves permission to apply it fully in the service of our wildest dreams, and to ignore the messages that we are wrong or bad if we fail to live up to unrealistic societal ideas - of beauty, of body, of priorities.

A woman does not need more
WILLPOWER;
She needs more
PLEASURE@susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/YMD765lkkM

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

We need to serve the master of OURSELVES.​

One of Susan’s personal stories that has touched me the most is one she shared on Facebook a while back (and has likely shared elsewhere).​ She was not always this fabulous, sparkly, globe-trotting badass reigning atop a seven-figure business empire. 

She was once a blander, heavier, unsatisfied stereotypical suburban mom. 

One weekend, as she and her family packed up their minivan to head home from a trip to the lake, she broke down in tears. She had a life she really DID need a vacation from, and she couldn’t bear to go back to it.

While I am not quite in former-Susan’s shoes (I’ve already found some sparkle), this really does resonate with me as a mom of small children. I run a household and a business, and it feels like there’s just not enough of me - and contributes to that overall concept of, “Who am I to be fabulous?”. So I asked ​Susan to share, on video, those first steps she took to break out of that rut, to reclaim her life and steer it so firmly towards FABULOUS - and she generously obliged.

(And you KNOW your girl got a video...)@susanhyatt #letsgetbare pic.twitter.com/7bnhQi4LA4

— christine gritmon✨#ATOMICON19 #DigitalWomen (@cgritmon) March 2, 2019

Thank you, Susan and friends, for a glorious evening celebrating OURSELVES and our power. There was dancing, champagne, yummy food, a sequined photo booth - and, above all, a feeling of HOPE. 

We all self-elected to be in that room. We are all up to the challenge of being our best selves, as defined by US. We are ready to rise above the bullshit, to BARE our insecurities, and to remove them, in the service of ourselves.​

Let’s do this, ladies.​