by Cindy Briggs, PhD
Last week I came back to social media after a 6-month sabbatical. I explained to my followers that during that time I wanted to really dig deep into bothy my personal life and my business life. One key point was developing my social media promise. A promise to me, and to my followers. I wanted a sort of mission statement for my time on social media– I had to put it into perspective.
This is what I have come up with. This is how I will be navigating the waters of social media from this time forward. Will I lose followers? Maybe. I pledge that my social media will be authentically me— and if some do not want to follow me– that is fine and I wish them the very best.
Social media doesn’t need to be hard. It doesn’t need to be soul crushing. It is a TOOL– not your complete life. I think over the past decade we have lost this perspective… or at least I did. I kept watching others “do it better”, “have it all together”, be “prettier” or “more successful” or a host of other adjectives. The thing is– it wasn’t all true. These were snapshots into someone’s life. I was evaluating me based on a non-reality. I was angry when someone would say something mean. People would insult me, my children, my choices, etc. It just became too much.
Then in dawned on me…. social media doesn’t control me, I get to control it. You may be thinking, “well duh” but sometimes we forget. We stop taking control. We let others dictate who we are, and what can be.
These are the promises I have made to myself. While I thought I was going to end up being “anti-social media” instead I am becoming “pro-Cindy”! I am going to dive into areas that maybe seem “odd” or “not on brand.”
I have been a business coach for years– but that morphed into more of an entrepreneurial coach— and that is even shifting a bit. I am not loving the coach word lately…. and I am diving into more areas to help female entrepreneurs. I am going to be recommending more books, looking at clothing choices, makeup, hair, and even lifestyle. I am going to use all parts of my to help my entrepreneurial community. While my PhD and three Master’s degrees give me the educational background…. I also have over 35 years of experiences. I want to share them to help others. So I will get back with you on what my title will look like moving forward!
Have you made a social media mission statement, or promise? If you haven’t- NOW IS THE TIME. Take back that control. Determine how you want to move forward. I promise it is worth it!
Dr. Cindy Briggs is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, college professor, wife and mom. Her mission is to provide programs that can help entrepreneurs and communities thrive. To find out more, visit www.cindybriggsphd.com.
