How I’m Going to Close Out February

Five days ago, I posted a screenshot to Facebook about the fact that the President of South Africa is planning to confiscate land from whites in South Africa and redistribute it to black South Africans. The conversation since I posted it has been interesting, to say the least. I won’t get into the back and forth as much as I will say that, when posting things that could be offensive to some (which accounts for almost everything these days), don’t be afraid. The truth is the truth. If you believe that imperialism and colonialism are wrong, say that. If you believe that a culture that promotes rape (of enslaved people or anyone else) is wrong, say that. If you believe that any form of supremacy is wrong, say that. And, if you believe there are exceptions to those things, say that too. But, before you say any of these things, put yourself in your opposition’s shoes. While it is important to see where others are coming from, ask if they’re looking at the situation objectively or from a perspective of pride in their ancestors. Because, though there is value in seeing how someone could get to see things the wrong way, there is more value in helping them to see it correctly.

I’m doing both; seeing things objectively and with pride in my bloodline. Africans enslaving Africans was wrong and still is. But, in the words of Meek Mill, “it’s levels to this,” and Europeans enslaving Africans who had virtually no chance to return home and then carving up the continent like a Thanksgiving turkey was one of the most evil acts of literal and cultural genocide known to mankind. So, excuse me for not conceding to the generally accepted Western consensus that some kind of statute of limitations for the hell Africa and those in the diaspora still suffer from has passed. Actually, don’t excuse me. I don’t desire the respect of those who think reparations of some kind are not in order because, to see worth in your respect I would have to find value in your integrity.

I am an unapologetic, proud man of the Lost Tribe before I’m an American professional. No matter what, that will always be.

 

Make neutralizing the dominant narrative a priority.

Don’t Get Snapchatted

I don’t mean don’t get caught on Snapchat. I mean don’t let what happened to the successful social media startup happen to you.

Facebook (owner of Instagram) offered $3,000,000,000 (a lot of zeros, right?) for ownership of Snapchat. Snapchat said “No. We want to maintain creative control.” Facebook said, “Cool. You do that.” Then Facebook subsidiary, Instagram, Ivanka Trumped Snapchat. No unbelieveable Law & Order-like disclaimer saying “The following feature is original and does not replicate any other application or brand.” Instagram just said “We’ve got stories now.”

As a business owner, you want to retain creative control over your idea. I understand. But, if you care that much about maintaining that control, protect your idea on the front end. Patent it. And sometimes, even that won’t work. Sure, Snapchat could have patented the idea and could take Facebook to court but how many rounds in a courtroom do you think Snapchat could last against a giant like Facebook? I’ll give it 2. So, sometimes as an entrepreneur, you have to count your losses and just sell. Shoot, $3 Billion gained doesn’t sound like a bad loss to me.

 

Make professional development a priority.

A Bit of Polish Goes A Long Way

I was born into a generation where folks believe that what you see is what you get.  I’m here to refute that.  Stop being OK with mistakes.  Yes, they happen but, if you can fix them, do it.

I was looking at an acquaintance’s social media account the other day.  The person wrote something along the lines of “These Are tough days In america. No one knows Which way is up.”  Now, this is a degree-holding adult with no understanding of where to place capital letters.  Or, worse, it may be that she just doesn’t care.

Now, on to the next example: Recently, a gentleman reached out to me on LinkedIn.  I didn’t know him from a stranger on the street but, sometimes a person’s profile will intrigue me enough to accept the invitation to connect.  Sadly, his did not.  Immediately, I saw that his profile photograph was scanned in, poorly cropped, and discolored.  Additionally, the positions he listed on his profile didn’t align with my professional goals.  All in all, there was nothing that made me say “It would behoove me to connect with this fellow.”  A polished profile may have done that though.

I’ll put it this way: Shoes are made to serve a functional purpose, but the unpolished shoe won’t get you past the interview.  The same applies to your presence online; it serves a purpose but, if the purpose it serves is unintentional and lazy in nature, you won’t get past Point A.

 

Make professional development a priority.

Why Going Viral is Not a Marketing Strategy

“I’m just going to create this one piece of dope content and it’s going to go viral and I’ll be on front street.”

How many bloggers think this is how it works?  Because those bloggers are wrong.  People post dope/motivational/thought-provoking content every single day and most are never recognized for it beyond one or two retweets, at best.  I like to think that I create quality content 4-5 days a week (I try to go for 5 but some weeks, I just don’t have a Fitness Friday in me).

Don’t get me wrong: plenty of people go viral by mistake.  Well, they plan to go viral and then get lucky.  Most people who plan to go viral never do.

It has taken me nearly 4 years to get 200+ followers on The Reader.  I have had one post go semi-viral and that is because I was retweeted by an executive at Black Enterprise.  Pretty cool day for my stats.  But that was it.

Now, I average a steady flow of 50-100 hits per day, with some days doing 200+ when I get enough retweets and my hashtags hit a trend.  And that is fine with me.  Because, that’s likely 40 people who come to my website every day to see what I’m talking about and get my input on professional development, leadership, millennials, lifestyle, and all other sorts of topics.  Might not gain me thousands of likes but I know that I’m making some people’s lives better on a consistent basis.

I create great content 5 days a week because I know that, one day, I won’t go viral.  I will slowly gain enough readers that I won’t need to.  And, in the event that I get lucky and have Beyoncé retweet me or have Diddy repost one of my Instagram graphics, I will have created enough great content to gain a consistent following.  The problem with one viral photo and no solid strategy to keep the momentum going is that you will lose that momentum very quickly.  For example, my place of employment just had a couple of photos go viral on Instagram and Twitter last week.  They needed someone dedicated to picking up the ball and running with it.  But, not having that led to a missed opportunity.  And, after that wave is gone, it’s gone with no guarantee of returning again.

So stop trying to make a picture go viral.  Just take the picture.  Or write the post.  And make it great.  The rest will take care of itself.  Or it won’t.  But at least you did your best.

 

Make professional development a priority.

Stop Hiding

So many people I know who are trying to be entrepreneurs/consultants and/or build their brands refuse to make themselves accessible via social media and, in this day and age, I just cannot understand why.  How, in a day and age when almost everything is accessible via the world wide web, are you not?  You cannot hide behind a veil of privacy settings forever.

Now, I’m not saying that every aspect of your life needs to be shared.  I’m not saying you need to have a profile on every social network.  But I shouldn’t go to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles only to find that I cannot see anything except a profile picture.  And, if you do have private pages, make sure you have public ones as well.  Many people don’t know it but, in undergrad, I had two Twitter accounts.  One was for my boisterous bachelor behavior and the other was one that displayed my professionalism.  Now that I’m older and more mature, I no longer need multiple accounts.  I am able to integrate my professional and personal lives seamlessly.  My circle is smaller.  My nights are shorter.  But, for those of you still straddling the fence, I strongly suggest creating Twitter and Instagram accounts that, at the very least, make you look like you have a respectable level of education and social skill.

Now, as far as LinkedIn goes, if you are in/aspiring to the professional arena, you must have a profile.  If you don’t know how to build one, PLEASE reach out to me.  It is imperative that you keep building your brand up.  LinkedIn might not get you a job but not having a profile on there may hinder you from getting one.  Better safe than sorry, right?

 

Make professional development a priority.

This is NOT What LinkedIn is For.

Right this moment, I’m at work. I decide to sign on LinkedIn b/c I have to learn more about an alumnus who is interested in donating to the School of Law. And this is what I see on my timeline as a result of a like from one of my connections:

Thankfully the director of my department didn’t happen to be walking into my office at that moment or he would’ve thought I was on Facebook or Instagram or something.

I’ve posted before about LinkedIn profile pictures but I didn’t think I’d have to worry about unprofessional selfies being posted to timelines. LinkedIn is not Facebook. It is for professional networking. Why are we turning it into a social hangout spot? I’ve seen plenty of Instagram posts floating around my timeline but most are inspirational posts so I figure, “Why not? Motivation is an important part of professionalism.” But the beach with your brother or husband or wife is not. So how about we get back to using LinkedIn for professional reasons only. Leave the rest of the stuff for the SOCIAL networks.

Oh, and if you’re on LinkedIn liking these photographs, you’re putting yourself in the same boat as the people who post them.  You’re causing the rest of your personal network to be subjected to unprofessional posts.

Disclaimer: I did not post this just because it was two guys.  Even if it were two gorgeous women, I’d say the same thing.  There is a time and place for everything.  LinkedIn is not the place for shades and shirtless photos.

Make professional development a priority.

Stop Accepting Everyone on LinkedIn

OK, you need to realize one thing: LinkedIn is not Facebook.  It’s not Twitter.  It’s not any of the traditional social media sites where you have the option of making up your own name and creating a fictitious personality that will get you a date with some dream guy/girl.  It is a professional networking site that you ought to be utilizing to (re)connect with people you know or reach out to people who know people that you know.  Too many people attempt to connect with me on LinkedIn without me knowing how in the world we are connected.  I don’t hesitate to decline their invitations, especially after I text a friend who is listed as a mutual “connection,” only to find out that said friend doesn’t actually know the requestee either.

Folks, you have to be selective with the people you choose to connect with online.  Some people who have hiring clout take these connections very seriously.  Everyday I look at my news feed and there are notifications of new connections being made.  If I’m connecting with someone new, I would prefer it not be anyone who could potentially be running a pyramid scheme or trying to start a company that doesn’t align with where I’m trying to take my brand.  Guilt by association is not good for business.  (And I cannot stand when people are up there using their stage names but trying to connect with me professionally.  My headline does not say “Rock group manager” so it is highly unlikely that I will connect with someone whose name screams “HEAVY METAL”).

I say all that to say this: Know who you’re connecting with.  Send a text to a mutual contact.  If you have no mutual contacts, reply to the person’s request with a message saying something along the lines of “Excuse me, have we met before?”  If (s)he replies that you haven’t and don’t provide a legitimate reason for wanting to connect, let the person know that you are very protective of your online reputation and say that hopefully one day you’ll have a professional commonality but at this point you do not see the need to connect.  Keep it professional and show class but protect that online rep.  It will make the difference between you getting a job and not getting one.

On the topic of LinkedIn, I would love the opportunity to take a look at yours and work to strengthen it.  I am currently in the process of updating and adding to my profile but feel free to take a look at it, especially since it has already been rated by LinkedIn to have All-Star strength.  If you like what you see and want some work done on yours, let me know and we’ll set up some time to get it looking as great as it should.

Make professional development a priority.

Getting the Most Out of Your Smartphone

“Smartphones, dumb (stuff).”

That’s the edited version of the last line of a chorus on R&B artist Trey Songz’s most recent album.  And, where it has nothing to do with professional development, I see plenty of people who use their smartphones for so so soooo many pointless things.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  I have a few games on here that won’t help me develop myself professionally but, dagnabit, they’re fun!  But there are many more applications on my phone that help with my productivity and knowledge of my craft.  I’m not saying you need all of the apps I have but there are definitely a few that can help everyone’s productivity and adding an overall air of a seamless technological experience.  So here are a few apps I use daily that you should check out and see if they fit into your lifestyle.

Holy Bible by LifeChurch.tv – This app starts my day off.  Before I even wake up most days, I get a reminder to read.  It starts me on the right path.  Also, there are some great reading plans if you’re looking to further your understanding of the Word.

Tempo by Tempo Al – This is my personal choice for calendar applications.  It allows me to speak an appointment as I please (Work tomorrow at Nordstrom from 11-7) and properly inputs the event.  Also, if I’m meeting w/ someone, it pulls their contact info from my address book and email account so I can look at what we’ve discussed recently.  These are just a couple of the features I love but I recommend you play around with it.

Dropbox by Dropbox – The first cloud application I was exposed to and, therefore the one that stuck.  Really, you can choose any cloud app as long as it’s accessible from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Evernote by Evernote – This is actually the app I’m using to write this post.  I began typing it on a laptop and needed to finish via phone so here I am.  It’s a cloud that you can use as a word processer, photo album, or for voice recordings.  And it utilizes a cloud (obviously) so I can access my notes anywhere in the world.

Buffer by Buffer, Inc. – Usually, if you see me tweeting throughout the day and I’m at work, I’m not actually live tweeting.  Instead, I use an application called Buffer that allows me to post to my Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles at specified intervals throughout the day.  Sometimes I’m posting a quote.  Other times I’m posting the link to a blog post or magazine article I’ve written.  But every single Buffer post is done with the goal of measurable returns.

Gorilla Workout by Heckr, LLC – Do you need a good workout but haven’t got a gym membership?  Check out this app.  It has daily workouts for anyone in any physical condition.  And most you can do at home, in your neighborhood fitness center, or on a playground.  The hardest thing is just to get started.

Acorns by Acorns – Our grandparents had a great savings plan way back in the day.  That plan was to, at the end of the day, dump their coins in a bucket/jar and save them for a rainy day.  But, with the growing popularity of debit cards, cash is not used as much, thus making the change jar a thing of the past.  That’s where this application comes in.  Acorns takes the lose change from every debit transaction and puts it into a savings account.  The money is then invested and, if you leave it there to grow, you will begin to see a return on your investment.

Flipboard by Flipboard, Inc. – It’s 2015.  We don’t have time to thumb through newspapers or even really keep up with all the news sources on television/the web.  So how can we filter out which stories are important?  Well Flipboard begins to help with that.  Flipboard allows you to choose the categories that matter most to you and read their updates.  Kind of like a more focused, more in-depth Twitter.

These are just a few of the many apps I use regularly.  Keep checking in for more suggestions from week to week.

More Than Selfies

I tweet about this pretty frequently.  I’ve written  a couple posts on it before.  But I will say it one more time: Take better pictures for your professional networking sites and blogs.  I specifically mean your LinkedIn profile page and possibly even your Twitter and Instagram accounts as well.  Being that I have great relationships with a few photographers, I am able to get some high quality photographs for a reasonable price, in the event that I have to pay anything at all.

For those of you in need of a LinkedIn profile photo, make sure you’re professionally dressed.  Whatever your profession (or prospective profession) make sure that your LinkedIn photo reflects that.  So, if you’re looking to be a nurse, your best nurses uniform is acceptable.  If your goal is to be a corporate executive, it wouldn’t hurt you to put on a nice suit or blazer.  Oh, and make sure you are well-groomed.  Gentlemen, a haircut/shape-up that is no longer than a week old and clean nails are a must.  Ladies, light makeup and a sophisticated hairdo are nonnegotiable.  And EVERYONE, you must have clean teeth.  Photoshop can whiten them but getting spinach out of your teeth in a picture is easier said than done.

Now, if your goal is to stay at home and do very little with your skills, go ahead and leave the jeans and tee shirt photo on your LinkedIn profile.  I saw a woman who had a picture like that standing outside of her car with the car door open and all I thought was “This photograph was not taken intentionally.”  LinkedIn is not a place for you to make mistakes.  It is a place where you have one shot at greatness.  If a recruiter is looking for someone with your skills and sees that the outward appearance doesn’t match, guess what?  You just missed out on a 45,000/yr job.  Oh yeah, and make sure you smile.  No one wants a sour person on their team.  Even if you’re not a toothy smiler, at least turn your lips upward.

I was prompted to write this post because I took a few photos today. They serve different purposes because each was done intentionally.  So reach out to a photographer, let him know you need a couple headshots, and be willing to shell out up to $50.  Invest in your professionalism and the return on investment will be much greater.

Google Me! (And Yourself While You’re At It)

Every time I get an opportunity to speak somewhere, I know that the group of students and/or young professionals I’m speaking with will search for me after I leave (if they’re not Googling me as I speak). And when I interview for a job, I know that the person interviewing me will likely do the same. So, in order to be proactive and protect my brand, I search for myself periodically. I make sure to take a look at the web results as well as the images associated with my name. What I don’t ever want to do is to be speaking to a group of students about professional development and a student raise his hand to ask me why there is a photograph of me passed out drunk or wearing a shirt with obscenities. See, my brand leaves room for me to have a drink or two from time to time. It even allows me to question the status quo as far as political issues go. But what you do not see when you search for me on Google is me swearing (with the exception of me directly quoting others). So, how do you establish an online presence? I’m glad you asked.

1) Formulate a plan of action
The coolest thing about the internet is that you can choose who you want to be. Of course some people take that too far (hence shows like Catfish). But really, the World Wide Web allows you to develop a persona that otherwise would not be possible. For me, I decided that I wanted to be recognized as a professional development consultant. Take some time to write out your goals and then decide how you can use the internet to leverage that brand. Social media is a great tool. I recommend toying around with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to begin with. Pinterest is also an awesome way to get your content discovered.

2) Clean all negative content off the first page of results
Most employers will not look past the first page of search results. And, those who do probably won’t look past the second page. So you have to get your name out there. The more positive content you have out, the more quickly the negatives will fall down in search results. So write, write, and then write some more. Post your material to your blog, message boards, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other websites that are intended for sharing. Before you know it, people will have clicked on your positive content so much that any negatives you may have had will be on the fourth or fifth page of search results.

3) Write!
I said it before but I’ll say it again: Write. The better you get at writing about your subject matter, the more people will trust your judgment. The more they trust your judgment, the stronger your brand will get. Not to mention that the ability to write just might be what gets you noticed by the right people. My blogging has given me the opportunity to write for magazines, journals, and other blogs across the nation. The consistency of my posts has gotten me numerous speaking engagements. So, please write. You never know who will read it.

4) Make better decisions
I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions. But, since it’s the first Monday of 2015, I will ask you to resolve to do one thing: Make better decisions. At a point in history where almost everything done outside one’s own home is recorded by one camera or another, your ability to make great decisions is what will keep your online presence intact. My father told me time and time again that it takes years to build a great reputation but one bad decision can ruin all that you’ve worked hard to build. So make a decision today to be intentional in everything you do. If you go out for drinks, do so with the knowledge that too many will land you on Instagram as a meme. If you tweet an offensive statement, just know that words are often misconstrued years later and, if you have any hopes at a corporate career in the future, that may be pulled out of the Twitter archives 15 years from now. For those of you who, like myself, are set on entrepreneurship and, therefore, believe they haven’t got anyone to answer to, how wrong you are. Poor word choices made by owners of major companies can cost them millions in revenue every year. So choose your words wisely. They will be what make or break your future.

Take my advice folks. I don’t know a lot but I know a few things and I know that how you are perceived is what is going to put you in a position to make your dreams come true. So protect your name. Enhance your brand. And Google me.