(Photos Courtesy of Click Images Inc. )
What comes to mind when I think about building an empire? First and foremost, hard freaking work! Being a #girlboss has it’s ups and downs. Seeing so many young girls thinking that it’s “so easy” to build a brand, build presence, and build your company, always makes me laugh and roll my eyes.
I started SassyGirlPR in 2008. At first it wasn’t SassyGirlPR it was just me, Stephanie being a freelancer. I wrote for many blogs, many websites, and even did some ghost writing for celebrities and others. Then of course I started to write my own stuff and have a voice. My goal when I write, is not to have others know MY opinion, but to THINK about the other side of the story. Then of course I wrote my first book, “A Bird’s Eye View” which was a nonfiction book and talked about many topics. Once I got my feet wet, I guess you can say the rest is history! I got offered to write for many other sites, one being Blogher. Not only did I write for Blogher and have one of my pieces go viral,
“This Woman Does Not Support The Women’s March” but I was a third-party consultant for them and this is where I got my start with #SocialMediaMarketing –
I did campaigns for JcPenney, American Idol, AT&T, just to name a few. And I instantly fell in love with the concept and the idea.
Now I started to learn and teach myself all about social media and how to use it to market businesses, books, blogs, etc. And I have to say, I had very good success at it – I mean, my books and blogs were being read in other countries and it was just amazing on how I connected with so many people. This by the way, is the purpose of social media: to connect with others on a positive note, not like it is used today to spread hate and misinformation.
In the meantime while all this was going on, I was teaching Preschool, Pre-K and writing toddler programs for schools. I presented at the NAEYC in 2000 and loved teaching the little ones. We’ll get into this at another time, but I built my business Sassy Productions Inc, as a side job, and let me tell you, I tried to incorporate a lot of other businesses, but those failed. Those failures are what helped me grow, helped me understand business, and helped me become who I am today. I learned so much from the failed business attempts that is why I took eight years of building SassyGirlPR – now known as Sassy Productions. I wanted it to work. I wanted to be my own boss and play by my own rules.
Timing is everything in life, as is having patience. Life is process for that matter. We learn as we progress. So today, I not only run a social media marketing company, handle PR relations as well, write blogs, write books, and help other businesses, I did it all on my own terms.
2016 I became an Auntie. That was the perfect time to step away from teaching and focus on myself and my nephew. And things have just taken off from there.
So you see, life doesn’t always work out the way you think it will. There will be turns, stops, obstacles, at every corner, but with patience, perseverance and never stopping enthusiasm, you can start to build your own empire- one piece at a time.
Find The Diary of A Social Gal Parts 2 and 3 here:( Friday and Saturday)
Facebook is in it for love and they want you in it with them. So how does it work?
Dating is now integrated with Facebook groups and events. If people in a group you’re in have created Dating profiles or if they’re planning to attend the same Facebook events, they might show up in your matches. Facebook Dating is free and contains no ads or in-app purchases. Your Facebook Dating profile will be separate from your main one, but it will tap existing features such as events and groups, as well as your network of friends to identify “secret crushes.” ( Which is a bad, bad idea!)
Facebook Dating won’t suggest your friends as people you might want to date. Your dating profile also won’t show up on your news feed or be visible to friends; it’s only for others using the dating service. Facebook insists it won’t use information gleaned from your dating profiles for advertising and says there won’t be ads on Facebook Dating. ( Can we really trust this?)
To prevent unwanted messages, photos and spam, Facebook Dating lets you message someone just once unless you get a response. Facebook also won’t allow lonely hearts – or creeps – to send photos or website links, which could help cut down on unsolicited body-part photos.
There were initially rumblings that the dating feature might be open only to people who list themselves as “single” and not those who are “married” or “in a relationship.” But Facebook has said this is not the case. After all, people often don’t keep their relationship status up to date or don’t use it in a serious way.
Facebook is telling users to keep your identity private which includes your last name and your actual profile you have on Facebook. They also are warning people that folks may misrepresent themselves and their intentions in their dating profile and this could lead to harassment or harm if you decide to meet them in person.
This is just another bad option for dating. People don’t trust Facebook when it comes to privacy, but they are going to trust Facebook looking for love? And why not found out the last name of someone that you meet online? How are you going to be able to keep yourself safe if you don’t know who you are dealing with?
When are people going to LEARN that EVERY dating site is a cesspool filled with criminals, pedophiles, and scammers. If you really want a relationship step away from your devices and into the real world . Using dating sites doesn’t allow you to use your intuition and folks are going based on the profile that someone wrote up- which is filled with lies!
Facebook is just in this for the money- they don’t care about you “finding love” – stop believing that fairy-tale that love is on these sites. The only thing you are mostly to find are STDs and hookups.
If you have been on Facebook lately, you may have come across an article that claims that if you eat chocolate cake, you can lose weight. Usually, every time you see stuff like this on Facebook, it’s not true. According to a scientific study done by the University of Tel Aviv, eating chocolate cake could actually help you on your weight loss quest, so long as you don’t to go over the 600 calories portion and you remember to balance this with carbohydrates and proteins.
I saw this and I was curious to see if this could actually work. According to the study, our metabolism is much more active in the morning, which is why our body is more able to burn calories early in the day. Best of all, by eating chocolate cake as part of your breakfast, you will avoid having cravings all day long. It sounds too good to be true.
On August 1st, I decided to start my experiment by just eating a normal size portion of chocolate cake. Now, you can pretty much eat chocolate cupcakes, chocolate whoopie pies, donuts, or cake. You can make your own or but store bought. The only thing I did when I bought store made cake was check the calories, fat, sugar and carb content so I chose the ones with the least in each category.
I ate my cake either at 6:30am before I worked out by 10am each morning. The ONLY thing I had for breakfast was my usual cup of coffee, a glass of water after I worked out and my piece of cake. Now, you HAVE to work out…. there’s no way around this. I usually work out by doing my cheerleading warm ups, yoga stretching, and, stairs, walking 2 miles. I do this at least 5 days a week. I would then eat a healthy snack later on in the morning if I got hungry, but for the most part, I was full all the way until lunch. I also drank water, so that is also making my stomach believe it’s full.
Today it’s August 22nd and I am happy to report that I lost 5 pounds and about 1 inch on my waistline.
This is NOT considered a diet. This was just a happy study to use as an experiment.A serious diet contains much more. But I will say, instead of doing those shake diets to lose 5 pounds, I would consider doing this instead. As always with every diet, it involves exercise. Please always be careful with what exercise program you participate in and always do your research before trying any type of diet.
If you would like my chocolate cake recipe, please follow my page, Clever Cakes, and look for my upcoming recipe book, “Love at First Bite,” being released this September.
Twitter is certainly an interesting beast to say the least.
You either will find great conversation, people bashing other people, athletes that get themselves into hot water and whom don’t interact with fans, and also people who aren’t too bright.
In this day in age, you’d have to be living under a rock to know that social media is filled to the brim with scammers, losers, guys looking to hook up, and even criminals. If you aren’t careful, they will find you, try to sweet talk you into believing that they are harmless, and then when you least expect it, pounce on the opportunity and take whatever they can get from you!
Social media can be a dark place, but it also can be a place where you can shine.
First off, let’s talk about the GOOD stuff you can find on Twitter. You can network very easily with folks in your niche. You can get folks to buy your product, service, and read your blogs and books. You can also find great conversation too! Now, all conversation should stay on the platform and never go into DMs ( unless that account is verified!)
DMS are the dark place – especially with guys who lurk on the site for their next victim. It’s really disgusting when a guy sends a girl (woman) a picture of his junk and thinks it’s a turn on! Um, from 1 to 10 you are a no, a never, and a someone who will get blocked immediately. Not only that, you will get reported for doing that. Why guys think that’s a way to get a girl (woman) interested in him, is beyond me!
Secondly, constantly hounding a girl (woman) to talk “Privately” is a Red Flag! Why do I need to talk privately with you? Why can’t you talk through tweeting me? A guy and a girl can get to know each other by asking general questions through tweets? Where are you from? What’s your favorite vacation spot? What do you like to do when you have free time? Etc…. There are MANY questions you can ask as well as having conversation about whatever they are tweeting about. Then maybe the conversation will naturally move to DMS if both parties feel safe enough to move it there. And it’s really not smart to tweet to someone that you wish no harm on them or that they can trust you. Um, nope. That’s not a good sign that you have good intentions.
Also, anyone who asks you for money in a DM is spamming you. Report those immediately.
Now, let’s talk about athletes on Twitter.
Athletes show me time and time again, that they really don’t “get” the power of social media and what it truly is good for. They either tweet the stupidest of things like; rap lyrics, content that is created for their brand that really has no purpose, telling everyone they have “moved on” from a situation when in fact they haven’t, responding to the press in a tweet that makes no sense, social issues, RTing crap, or my favorite, other celebrities and athletes.
These athletes don’t release the power of the platform. They all “claim” that they have a platform, but they misuse it every single time.
Social media is possibly one of the most powerful tools of the 21st century. Social media provides an avenue for athletes to not only engage with fans, but also influence them with the right content that helps fans make a decision. It’s also a great way to highlight inspirational stories and get people pumped up! Too bad they don’t know this and they listen to their agents, PR folks and other people in their camps on what to post and those people are not educated on this topic at all!
Then you have examples after examples of what NOT to do on social media which I stated time and time again in my book, “Victim No More.” But just in case you haven’t read it here are a few examples:
1-Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, voice of the Aflac duck, made some jokes about the Japanese tsunami over Twitter. He said, “Japan is really advanced. They don’t go to the beach. The beach comes to them.” Aflac is the largest insurance company in Japan. Gottfried was fired.
2-Nicole Crowther was a recurring extra on Glee until she tweeted some plot spoilers she had heard on set. She was more or less fired via Twitter by the show’s producer, Brad Falchuk, who tweeted in response: “Hope you’re qualified to do something besides work in entertainment.”
3- Toronto-based sportscaster Damian Goddard was fired for tweeting his opinion on same-sex marriage. Hockey agent Todd Reynolds had criticized Rangers forward Sean Avery for publicly supporting the cause. Tweeted Goddard, “I completely and wholeheartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage.”
Now, we have many other examples that have happened over this past year, but yesterday MLB reporter, Andy Martino, tweets: “After all the fluffy HOF stuff, it’s good to have on record that Rivera, man of faith, doesn’t consider these and other acts political dealbreakers: —- children sleeping in cages — making fun of a handicapped person — multiple accusations of rape Now we know where he stands.”
Seriously, he HAD to go there? He had to tweet POLITICS and combine that with a NY Legend who has done NOTHING outlashed while he was a New York Yankee and even now as a retired Hall of Famer. Why are folks so stupid to put their political views out there on social media when they are clearly on a platform they use for work?
If you notice, people only love free speech when you agree with them. Once you are on the other side, it’s no longer about free speech.
The best two responses are from this fan: “Mariano Rivera has been in the public sphere for two decades and has never been outspoken politically. This is likely because he’s too busy building churches and homes for impoverished children in Panama with his bare hands, and volunteering his time as a pastor in New Rochelle.”
And this fan: “I’m sure you don’t care but for the record this is the thing that will finally make me unfollow you. You’re entitled to your political opinion & free to express it but I prefer not to watch you shame an all time player & by all accounts a really good person over his opinion.”
Andy Martino, like the rest of the social media warriors, has not responded to these responses but am I surprised? The internet: turning cowards into tough guys daily.
1. Everyone has rolls when they bend over. Your body is NEVER going to look perfect. Ever.
2. When someone tells you that you’re beautiful, believe them. Stop thinking that people are just saying it, no they mean it.
3. Sometimes we all wake up with breath that could kill anything that is breathing. Bad breath happens to everyone.
4. For every woman unhappy with her stretch marks is another woman who wishes she had them. There are so many women who wish they were moms, remember that.
5. You should definitely have more confidence. And if you saw yourself the way others see you, you would. Your can accomplish anything you set your mind too!
6. Don’t look for a man to save you. Be able to save yourself. Men are not heroes, be your OWN hero and save yourself!
7. Life happens outside your comfort zone. If you never take any risks, you never grow. Life is about growing and learning. Don’t be afraid to live the life YOU want.
8. We all have that one friend who seems to have it all together. That woman with the seemingly perfect life. Well, you might be that woman to someone else.
9. You should be a priority. Not an option, a last resort, or a backup plan. Ever.
10. You’re a woman. That alone makes you pretty damn remarkable. 
You go on Facebook or Twitter and there you see a video of folks involved in some type of dispute.
You are automatically outraged! How could this be happening? You comment on every news media outlet on social media and you post it to your own profile.
Guess what?
You are part of the problem that is happening on social media platforms everywhere; you are judging based on ONE VIDEO you saw without seeing the entire incident!
The parts of the video that seem to ALWAYS be posted are the parts that are the “juicy” details that the media knows will have outrage follow.
When multiple videos present multiple possible truths, which one is to be believed? This is the question most don’t ask themselves BEFORE they judge a video. When do they ask this? Most ask this once they realize that they are being duped by the mass media for a reaction that fits their agenda.
Not only this, but on social media it’s so easy to do two things: 1) Lie and 2) Be anonymous. This can especially be done on Twitter. Twitter today has turned into a place you go when you just need to know the gossip and only do it with folks who believe the same as you do. When you find an “outsider” you attack. This is just what the mass media loves and wants. They love tweets from folks who fit their agenda. Right now they love folks who are against the President and all those people who are for him. He is the enemy and they are fighting this battle with their pose on Twitter. When will these folks realize that this can quickly turn against them?
I was ecstatic to see that Twitter suspended the account of the person who started the latest viral lie. But that doesn’t stop these folks because just as quick as they are to get suspended, they can turn around and create a new account. I have said this many times on my radio show, and I probably will say it a million times more; social media was NOT designed for political conversations nor is it the place where folks should be getting their news from. With so many bloggers who have an ax to grind, and folks who believe anything that they are selling, the internet has made it difficult to understand what it true and what is false.
The add the point, on Facebook this week, a woman created a post saying that a certain number of kids went home cancer free, and she wanted folks to share it so she did what you are “supposed to” do, she said, “ I bet you won’t share this!” Boom- over 1 million folks shared it WITHOUT researching just how true the post actually was/is. I can tell you that if kids who had cancer went home cancer free, and it was a huge number, the mass media would cover it. That is a heartwarming story and they do still cover those, especially on social media.
In closing, I will just give this advice to all who are on social media: 1) Be careful what you write and put out there. It can always come back to bite you later. 2) When mixing personal with business, be smart about it. This means not to incorporate politics and religion as those 2 topics can wipe out half your clientele. And finally, 3) Look at social media more as an investment, not just an activity. (Especially if you are a brand or business)
So, if you are like anyone else on Facebook, you probably did the 10 year challenge without even blinking an eye. It’s for fun, right? Well, if you are like me, you would think that the 10 year challenge is a way for Facebook, scammers, police enforcement and just about any other company to collect data using facial recognition algorithms on age progression and age recognition.
Now only that, but half of the stuff that folks do on social media can be seen as a way of marketing schemes to collect data on it’s audience to best determine how to get you to buy or use their product/service. When you click an ad on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, you give that platform very important information. You might not even know this, but when you pass a billboard on the highway, that billboard is collecting data of you through your smartphone.
For people to even complain about Facebook selling data or data breaches, for that matter, is ridiculous, simply because you are giving Facebook the data in the first place! No one is telling you that you need to give your date of birth, your most recent photos, check-in to places, and so forth. No one is forcing you to tell Twitter what you think about this, or post that picture of you eating sushi for the first time on Instagram. The only person doing all of this is YOU!
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all public forums. Yes, you can have your account as “private,” but the platform is still collecting your data whether your profile is public or private. What it comes down to is not giving out so much information. These sites won’t know what they know if you don’t tell them!
Be careful what you post. Be careful about what you say. It can always come back to bite you later on.
Life can be funny sometimes. It throws you curve balls, takes you on paths that you’d never think you would take and life always comes full circle. Each person has their own personal and unique life’s journey and along with it the interesting turns and twists that are unique.
One thing I learned this year is that life happens whether you want it happen or not. Being that I am a social media guru and I am online for about 60 hours a week, I get to see people’s lives evolve . I also get to see people’s struggles, complaints, life-moments, and everything in between. And from that I can tell you that life is short, really short. Every single moment in your life counts. Every decision you make will have an effect on your life in one way or another. What people don’t realize is that they have an opportunity to make a difference in the world and in themselves each and every day. That can be simply by saying hello, holding a door open for someone, supporting a friend, paying for someone’s coffee, etc.
Another thing that most people don’t realize is that we should never stop learning and growing. Traditions and rules were made to be broken. The concept of giving of one’s self to another, often is abused. People take advantage of good-hearted people, I should know. They aren’t appreciative of the fact that you gave of yourself, they now expect it. People who are more appreciative are those who aren’t expecting your kindness. Now, I am not saying that we shouldn’t be compassionate, open, and understanding, I am just saying to be wary of those with whom who are open to sharing your exceptional kindness with. … some don’t deserve it. But that doesn’t mean that you stop respecting them.
That’s another thing I came across this year. Social media has made too many people comfortable with being able to disrespect others without getting punched in the mouth for it. That then carries over to their “actual” lives and we have become more judgemental, angry, selfish, and greedy. If you live your life as if everything is about you, you will be left with just that; just you. Relationships aren’t designed for selfish individuals. But I have learned this year that being angry at people who don’t have the capacity to change is a waste of my energy and my time.
Speaking of relationships, I have learned this past year that some are not worth it, while some are worthwhile. The most important relationship that you will ever have is the relationship you have with yourself. Going into 2019, the best decision you can ever make, is putting yourself first. If you are still single, capitalize on it. Never settle. Know your worth. You deserve to be happy. Don’t end up with someone just because you need to be with someone. Never love when you are lonely. And if you can’t love who you are, how do you expect someone else to love you?
There is no right age to settle down but there is a right time. There’s a difference. Learn it in 2019.
Follow your own path. Don’t copy someone else’s life, live your own. You weren’t made to be a carbon copy of someone else, you were made to stand out and be an original. Be proud of who you are, how far you have come, and where you are going. Find people who support your goals, are happy for your success, and who are there to comfort you when you fail. Be authentic in real life and online. Stop trying to please others- when you are the one who at the end of the day, lives with the decisions YOU make, not anyone else.
Here’s to 2019! Go for your dreams, seek what makes you satisfied in your life , and make it happen.
Stephanie 's Corner 