Diary of A Social Media Virgin - Part 4:  “Leaving Harbour” ...

This Social Media thing is a really powerful tool.  Well ……. Duh ! That’s a statement of the staggeringly obvious, of course.  But really it’s only obvious to those of us in the know.  There are still zillions of people out there who don’t see it, don’t want to see it, and arch their eyebrows with disdain and turn away.  Well, all I can say is that it’s beginning to show results for me in my world and the good ship “Twittering Granny” is well and truly underway, sailing out of safe harbour and into uncharted waters.

What, precisely am I talking about?  It’s that my Twitter presence is growing and the number of followers has increased substantially since I started this blog only a few weeks ago.  (From 170 to 370 approx.)  And when I opened my laptop yesterday, among numerous requests to “follow” me was one from a star of the film “The Secret”, John Assaraf – a  leading mentor, international bestselling author and business success coach.  It is such a compliment and a further illustration that what I am doing is reaching out to people I would not have the proverbial cat’s chance of reaching with traditional methods.

What he may have picked up on, as so many others have done, is a truly innovative venture which I took part in this week with Nick & Vanessa Tadd, which was the first of a series of “Tw-interviews” – an online conversation where I answered a series of questions in real time about my views on Social Media and how it was working for me.  (Have a look at #theNTShow on Twitter for the full stream.) Oh, my goodness, was that ever a learning curve? It was fast, furious (in keeping up the momentum so the conversation didn’t drop off people’s screens) and it taught me in that short space so much about how to use Twitter as a business resource.

I was so grateful for being asked to be the subject of what we think is the first ever use of Twitter for this purpose in order to lift my profile (my “find-ability”) to another level.   LaRae Wilkins commented on Vanessa’s blog on Ecademy“The Nick Tadd Show – Connections made and Lessons Learned” that “these two really do push the envelope of what’s possible.”

In addition, I feel extremely proud and humbled that an experienced and prolific blogger Hannah Coleman a.k.a. @dreamwalls, who was taking part in the “conversation” felt inspired to resume her blogging career as a result.  Fingers on keys folks!  That’s what it’s all about: get the message out there and don’t fret about what the “critics” may say.  Feel the support that is coming to you from all over the Social Media Universe.  Go Hannah! 
It was quite a “Twitter-athon” but a real “Tweet” to have taken part!  Oh dear, there I go again.  Do ease up on the puns, lady, if you don’t mind!

Please take a look at it on #theNTshow  and make sure to tune in next Wednesday 28^th October at 10.30 am when Nick interviews Tom Evans @thebookwright, who, by the way, I am talking to about possibly constructing these blogs into a book of some kind.  So here is Social Media leading me to the realisation of a life-long dream!

Invitation to speak ... !

A tangible result ... While meeting up with Nick when he spoke at a Business Scene event last Thursday, I spoke to various people about the way I am utilising Social Media to create business exposure.  One of these people promptly asked me to speak at her event in order to get the message out to the members of her organisation.  Is this working, or is this working?

(Note to Self:  What on earth am I going to say and how in the name of goodness am I going to say it?)  My tongue wrapped itself around my tonsils as I heard myself saying,  “Oh yes of course. I’d be delighted”.  A nerve-wracking prospect it is, at this stage anyway.  But I’m hoping that it will come together in time.

Working from home and potential for older women ....

Of course, one of the beauties of working on gaining visibility for my business this way is that I don’t have to go to an office.  I am, though, having to adopt quite draconian (for me anyway) self-discipline in structuring time and not to squander hours on following threads that may be fascinating but not necessarily productive.  But because part of the focus of what I am doing is to help older women, particularly, to find ways of easing financial stress, I commented on the article in the Mail on Sunday on how women generally experience more hardship in retirement than men.  I have been able to link it into various Twitter conversations on that topic.  One that is very close to my heart I can tell you!

Here is my comment:

"Speaking as one of the older generation of women who has peered into the void of retirement funding may I suggest looking at an alternative way of supplementing income.

First as a single parent and then after a second marriage that did not provide me with a long term income, I had made virtually no provision for my “golden years”.  I was unable to sustain a career while bringing up my children and when I looked at re-entering the workplace, I was way beyond the age barrier.  The only option open to me was part-time work of a quite mundane and depressing nature.

I discovered by chance a home-based business that has been very successful for me and still provides a residual income.   Women are great networkers, love talking to people and have an interest in caring and helping.  And what’s more they seem to have a natural ability to take advantage of the new online opportunities available now.  It’s working for me – I’m learning more every day.  In fact, I’m known as the Twittering Granny!"

There was quite some debate on this in the Ecademy “Home Business” club, where I commented:

“All power to home-based entrepreneurs who - mercifully now - have the option to develop a career while based at home with the children AND develop a business through the almost limitless opportunities offered by internet.”

Ecademy and BNI

By the way, I’ve just registered to become part of the Ecademy BlackStar community.  Not sure, at this stage, where it will take me in practical terms  but I’m confident it will open up new avenues of connection and mutual interests, Ivan Misner the founder of BNI for one , whom I’ve met several times as I’ve been an on-and-off member ever since I started my business.  He’s a great networker, one of the best and I really admire him. It’s a true compliment that he should request a contact with me.

I also have to thank a BNI colleague, the talented, very professional Tony Harris, who took time and trouble to produce my posh new photos.  Which one do you think is best to use as my profile picture?

Tony is a lovely man, based in Fulham SW London, and you might like to look at some other examples of his work on his website  www.tonyharrisphotographer.co.uk

Wellness topic  -  Bone Health

As you know, I am introducing different elements of the health and wellness message I advocate in each of these blogs.  This week, I would like to mention the issue of maintaining bone health which is a matter of real interest as we get older.  For women, the body stops manufacturing oestrogen through our 40s and 50s and this can lead to osteoporosis as, with age, the bones become more brittle. When a fall results in a broken bone in old age it’s very often the other way round – the bone breaks and then the fall occurs.

There are a number of ways that this can be helped.  I personally recommend natural solutions and there are a range of those on the market.  With regard to Hormone Replacement Therapy, which is often recommended, there is a growing body of evidence to show that the risks of HRT far outweigh any perceived benefits.  I will be posting results of some recent studies on health forums and, of course, on Twitter.

For those who would be interested in finding out more about this, I will be attending an event on 14^th November in Milton Keynes and would love to welcome those who are interested as my guests to listen to some very special speakers on this and other aspects of maintaining optimum wellness.

Here is a brief video on the subject of restoring bone density with an all-natural product, currently showing remarkable results in North America and now available in Europe.

Social Media and silver surfers socialising ....

Now – while I have your attention - I’ve been longing to do this and get some feedback, I’d just like to bring out an aspect of Social Media that is flourishing.  Let me tell you about my dating experience!  Yes, we golden oldies apparently make up a substantial sector of the online dating community, which is growing by the day.  One in five people in this country are listed as singles of all ages.  I’ve been fairly contentedly solo now for more than 10 years but I’m spurred on by a couple of friends and also my children who say I’m not old enough to give up on this sort of thing.  I’m putting that delicately as I’m not sure of the best way to phrase it!  Give up on the game has a different interpretation I realise!  Anyway, I’ve taken the plunge and registered.

There has been a fair old shift in my life over the past year as I’ve been supporting my daughter while she copes with the fall-out from the end of her marriage and I’ve taken up temporary residence with her and the beloved grandchildren in a tiny village in Hertfordshire.

Being a card-carrying, lifelong townie, the transition to country mouse has been quite an experience – fulfilling,  yes but somewhat isolated.  As we are new in the area, other than propping up the bar in one of the two pubs which the village boasts, there are not many ways to make new contacts. And that’s not really my style either! Hence the move towards finding fresh (male) companionship, a soulmate, “Lervv” however it’s best described ………. Well, you know what I mean...?!

So I got myself togged up this week and met up with a  local gent  who sounded nice, if a trifle shy,  appeared suitable,  pleasant-looking  … and quite sporty I gathered.  In the local gastro-pub , which lists Richard & Judy among its patrons, we consumed a drink and a packet of crisps (which turned out to be dinner) and toiled over an eye-wateringly stilted conversation about his sporting achievements past and present.  He had a lot to say on the subject.  I didn’t have a lot to say on the subject, I’m afraid, though trust me, I did try!

After a while, as our interaction was floundering, to put it at its kindest, he invited me to feel the muscles on his arm ……… and then his leg!  How fit he was!  “Didn’t it feel like iron? “, he asked.  Have I mentioned that he was a sports freak?  Well, I demurred, as a lady would, and found my hand taken and clamped, without my being able to stop him, onto these parts of his anatomy – presumably for me to admire ……..  whatever it was that I was supposed to admire.

Gentle Reader – what would you have done?  Well, yes precisely!  I was suddenly prompted to remember an urgent phone conference and I simply had to be there.  (I recommend this as a simple but totally believable strategy to anyone finding themselves in a similar situation – you might find it useful one of these days).  Blushing - I think I can still remember how to do that - stammering a thank you for the crisps, I backed out of the pub not knowing whether to be cross or to laugh.  If that’s an example of a close encounter of the dating kind, I think meeting Prince Charming may take a little longer than I had imagined!   And furthermore, tottering down the unlit, rutted mud path to our little cottage played havoc with the Jimmy Choos!

Well, I seem to have gone on far too long again.  I hope some of you are still with me and that you are tuning in at least to some of what I am “blogging on” about.    Not the sporty, gastro pub encounter naturally.  That is totally irrelevant, time-wasting and a bit of an indulgence really and you are within your rights to tell me so if that’s what you feel.  But it illustrates something … not quite sure what, at this stage.  I enjoyed writing it, though! And writing of experiences and what lights a spark is what I hope will connect us all and stimulate other people to do the same.

It’s too late now for the gym so that’s gone by the board for the day.   And somehow, do you know what?  I think I fancy a touch of retail therapy.  Wonder if Harrods is open on a Sunday? 

Until next week ………….

xxx

The Twittering Granny

Diary of a Social Media Virgin - Part 3:  "The "Twittering Granny" is launched - God bless her & all who sail in her ... !"...

Oh the thrill of getting recognition and feedback – someone out there is reading me !

I’m so pleased to report that this blog is beginning to gain momentum.  It’s exciting, flattering and humbling at the same time!  For a “newbie” in the game I’ve received comments and suggestions (generally favourable, it’s good to say)  from some serious professionals.  Penny Power, Nic Oliver among others have said kind things and there have been responses from as far afield as New York, Zimbabwe and the Land of Oz.  (In fact, thanks to the power of Social Media and Ecademy in particular, Dr Joe is now promoting his message of natural good health to a whole new network Down Under and everywhere).

This week, inspired by my friend and accountant, the Twittering Tax man, James McBrearty, I have morphed into the “Twittering Granny”.  (Please follow me on Twitter @joywebber).  You may be surprised to know that seniors are one of the fastest-growing groups to take advantage of the “connected-ness” that the web affords all of us, no matter what age we might be.  There was an interesting article - click here - .  Mind you, Boston-area blogger Millie Garfield, aged 80, puts me in the shade and makes me feel positively a spring chicken!

Whether you are 18 or 80, what a privilege it is to be able to communicate a message or a concept to so many millions without leaving home!  In fact, here  I am sitting up in bed with the computer on my lap, comfortably propped up by pillows.  Now how’s that for a modern way of doing business?  I need to become a bit more efficient, though, at all this Twittering, Tweeting, RTing, Following Friday and the rest, because time evaporates at an alarming rate while I attempt to keep pace with all the features that are there on offer.  How many times have I composed something clever, pithy and (I think anyway) extremely apposite only to find – at the click of the wrong button – that it disappears down the tubes, never to return!  “Frustrating” doesn’t even begin to describe it!

However - and this is very exciting – here is a development that’s happened in the past couple of days thanks to posting my blog on ecademy.  I’ve been asked by Jon Hansen of  Procurement Insights in Canada to be a guest on his radio show, the PI Window on Business.  Now how good is that?  What an opportunity so soon after plunging into all of this? And how well does it illustrate the power of this Social Media “thing” that so many people are sceptical about?  The phrase “return on engagement” has just crossed my radar to question the effectiveness and ultimate financial benefit of promoting through this medium.  In my view, everything in business starts with a conversation (which is what we do isn’t it?) and there is no simple way of equating the value that the initial exchange might have on long-term business achievement.  Or if there is I don’t know of it.  So thank you Jon for the opportunity to appear on your show ……. I can’t wait!

We’re logging onto various forums now, getting the website revamped. And my goodness there’s a whole nest of techie words to scramble up the mind.  You mess the DNS-A with the FTP, not to mention corrupting the HTML, and the whole thing could crash into cyberspace and never be seen again!  But grateful thanks to the irrepressible and multi-talented Nick Tadd for taking this on for me along with Peter, my beloved son.   (Yes, I did manage to pin him down eventually!)

Continuing the theme of introducing an aspect of good health, good drinking water is critical for us all.  Our bodies are 70%-80% water and we should ALL be drinking 6-8 glasses minimum per day to cleanse the system.  Don’t want to lecture you, folks, but we must be aware that this is what will allow the cells to function at optimum level.  And you can try just drinking a glass an hour – it makes the prospect seem less daunting.  Tap water is OK to drink – in the UK anyway – but it doesn’t always taste very nice and that can put people off.  It does also contain chlorine which is not all that good for us, to put it mildly.  Bottled water is an option but that can contain hazards in the form of the chemicals leeched from the plastic containers it’s sold in.  And it’s pretty well dead water.  Consider filtering water for drinking, cooking, making your tea and coffee as well as washing fruit and vegetables before consumption.  And it doesn’t mean that you can’t have your beer, wine - whatever - as well as long as you get the water down you.  Here’s another video of Dr Joe on the subject:

And how about the logo? Please have a look at the latest development.  Thanks to all who contributed views – we really appreciate your input.  I think this is what we will end up with, though the jury might still be lingering …… not precisely there yet.  Ces and Jay are very patiently and professionally handling the variations – lovely ideas too!

I attended an event with Stephen Covey this week, and he spoke directly to my heart and soul.  What a wonderful man he is and how he held that room of over 1000 people totally in his hand.  Spellbound I was!   He speaks of doing what you love doing that serves a human need and the concept of Servant Leadership.  He talked of having an abundance mentality and of “Cultural ID theft” and how we have become immersed in a cultural DNA where we constantly compare with other people.  Of finding your own voice and then inspiring others to find theirs.  Now isn’t that what all the social media platforms permit us to do?  Absolutely they do!  But please rein me in if I become too evangelistic about it won’t you, because I am a dedicated advocate as you’ve possibly gathered by now.  Anyway, do look at Dr Covey’s website on “The 8^th Habit – from Effectiveness to Greatness” to gain further insights into what he has to say:

Click here -

I was so proud to spend a few minutes in conversation and to have my picture taken with him.

He’s got 51 grandchildren!   Wow!   My tally so far is two.  So ……. way to go!

All the talk of purpose and value-driven principles was in my mind as I read an article in the Daily Mail when I got home which caused me to boil with rage. It probably did so for thousands of others too and with justification.  It has reaffirmed for me why it is that I am still promoting the business I am in, following a couple of years of sluggish progress and battling scepticism - even ridicule.  The article by Ros Coward “If ever there were proof of the folly of Doctors playing God, it’s this man’s barbaric death” is on this link and my comment is published there at the bottom along with quite a few others.  This is why I’m hanging in there and will continue to do so while there’s someone to listen. So, please, grab yourself a cup or a glass of something and read through to the end.  You will hate it!

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Dylan Thomas

Click here -

Oh, my ears and whiskers, look at the time!  I’ve been here most of the morning writing this.  But you know what?  There’s not much else I would rather be doing on a grey Saturday ………… and it’s FUN!   Thank you for staying with me to the end.  I hope it was worth it.  And just casting a glance at myself in the mirror, oh dear!   Our Joan (Collins that is) says we should always make the best of ourselves, at whatever age.  Hmmmmmmmmm!   Well, better get started then – off to gym and swim to see what can be done and to see if some of that glamour might just rub off on me!   Until next week.

Joy  Webber – the  Twittering Granny

Diary of a Social Media Virgin - Part 2:  "Paddling In the Shallows ...." ...

Well it’s week 2 and we’re launched! The journey (or rather it’s better described as an epic voyage) has begun. How will this undertaking lift me from the shallows to the crest of the business wave? Will we flounder on the rocks or will we be set fair towards the horizon? By now, you will have realised that I’m a bit of a metaphor freak and that may become a trifle wearing. So I’ll just have to restrain myself.

There are some who sneer and dismiss Social Media as new-fangled nonsense – “What are you doing messing with this stuff? Get back to the fundamentals of business marketing and just go talk to people”.

Others (visionaries like my mentors Nick & Vanessa Tadd) are shining a torch for a growth in business which is breathtaking in potential and which is tailoring itself daily to the changing and exciting media times we live in. However, N & V have opted to take a well-deserved break in the sun and so, chin set and shoulders squared, I’m here attempting to put some of the new systems into place. And one of the joys of launching into this new life as an inexperienced ingénue is the range of support and guidance that is out there from relative strangers. “Property Tribes” has provided some very helpful advice and support this past week - click here -

Something I’ve been grappling with for a while now, since my business started its downward spiral a couple of years ago, (a lot to do with family issues but more of that another time!) is just how to get across the essence of what I do and my belief – indeed passion - in the benefits I have personally experienced these last 11 years and more. And how these benefits can be of such value to pretty well everyone. My own health was not bad then but I was noticing a considerable decline in energy as I rounded the curve of 50 and I had always suffered from dreadful headaches and a dire sleep problem. There’s none of that now; I don’t get sick and, in fact, I think I am becoming healthier as I get older! And I’ve seen it happening with countless people over the years, which has been a main driver for me in persisting with my business through the highs and lows. Some people tend to think it’s all about hugging trees and following a harsh regime of diet and exercise. Well it isn’t all about that as I will attempt to convey in the course of these writings. And just to let you know, if you’ve ever tried hugging a tree, it can be a rather therapeutic experience. But I won’t dwell on that!

So we are looking at Branding the whole concept and working with Ces and Jay at Creatively Minded who have come up with some great visuals. We really feel that this will take me and my business to a new level and get us to stand out from the crowd. Talking through the guiding principles behind what I’m setting out to do, and bringing out the vision and purpose, has really helped me to crystallise the concept of this entire venture.

Here’s just a sneak preview for you brave souls who have stuck with me to this point ……… What do YOU think?






My aim with all of this is to engage people for longer periods of time, stay visible and establish myself as a resource and the “go to” person for my area of expertise. I understand that advocacy is an important part of successful social media engagement and I intend to advocate others, and have others advocate me, in order to increase my business exposure.

On that note, I’ve been helped tremendously this week by Bernadette Doyle whose article on successful blogging has given me and all those who read it on Ecademy an invaluable framework to operate in, from a true marketing professional.

I wanted briefly to introduce one of the aspects of my business which is gaining awareness in terms of maintaining optimum health and that is all to do with the quality of the air we breathe. Clean air is fundamental to our health and that of our children particularly. A lot of pollutants exist in our homes nowadays, infinitely more than did so 30-40 years ago, and these can affect our general health as we breathe them in on a constant basis. There are ways to help ourselves through various practices and technologies. I do urge you to explore them; a start would be to watch this brief video made by Dr Joe Kosterich, just one of the many people out there who are in tune with what I do and what I believe in, to give you an idea:

I’m faced this week with beginning on a total re-vamp of my website and, to technophobes like myself, this could possibly prove to be a bridge too far. We’ll see! I’m calling in some long-deserved (by me, that is) favours from my son who is obdurate in avoiding my calls when he knows I’m after him for something like this. However, Persistence is my middle name and ……… do you know what? He owes me!

Right now my task, for the rest of the day, is to go off and find I don’t know how many log-in details and passwords for connections to all the sites I’ve ever registered on, to start getting this “out there”. It’s going to be complicated I can tell you; I’ve got my FlickR confused with my Twitter, FriendFeed and Google Reader are, literally, closed books to me, Digg and Delicious are but names in the ether and Seesmic slides off the screen when I’m not looking and refuses to respond when I call it to heel ... but Nick is helping me with these.

Ho Hum ……… these are just some of the trials we business magnates have to bear!

Onward and upward!

Footnote: If you would like to learn more about how to maintain optimum health, we are inviting guests to join us on Tuesday 13th October at the European Headquarters of Nikken for a showcase event. All the groundbreaking technologies will be featured and experts on hand to answer questions. We also offer a buffet lunch and a tour of the premises to see this global company in action.

Please click this link for precise details - click here -

Joy