Elusive Time

"Elusive time", what a paradoxical phrase. How can you be seeking something that you're always immersed in? Having said that, in my life time is very elusive. It's not just free time that I'm seeking, it's time to do everything else. Currently, I am the VP of PR for my local Toastmasters club, as well as the District Toastmasters PR Assistant. Regarding the Public Relations Society of America, I am our chapter's Mentor Program Chair. Other than those two organizations, I also do pro bono PR and web development work (with more to come). And, of course, I have a full time job.

Outside of professional development, I also participate in a community band, have a wonderfully supportive boyfriend that I live with but still hardly see, frequently do meal prep and work out, and immensely enjoy participating in two of the three R's (reading, writing, and not so much arithmetic).

Right now if I were you, I would be sitting there thinking "I'm going to close out before Christine starts complaining." As my beautifully straightforward significant other would say: "do you" (ie. close out if you want), but as I would say, er, type: how often have you all known me to be pessimistic?

My point in writing this is to inform my faithful readers that we do have more time than we think. My weekdays frequently go something like this:

• 6:40am: Get up
• 7:00am - 7:45am: Work out
• 7:45am - 8:15am: Shower, prepare for work 
• 8:30am - 12:30pm: Work 
• 12:30pm - 1:00: Lunch at my desk doing personal work 
• 1:00pm - 5:00pm: Work 
• 5:00pm - 9:00pm:
• Tuesdays: Toastmasters
• Wednesdays: Coding Class 
• Mondays/Thursdays/Fridays: Study, extra PRSA or Toastmasters work, food prep, Gilmore Girls binging 
• 9:00pm - 10:00pm: Cuddle up and spend time with the bo 

Since I've been arguably overloading I've noticed that we really do have quite a bit of time and when we fully embrace it, it makes afternoon walks to the lakefront or a rare day off that much more enjoyable. Plus, I feel like a useful and productive member of society. So there's that. But I do have to say the rarity that I get to see or interact with my friends and family does get to me. Luckily, they're all amazingly understanding and supportive of my crazy life. I hope they all know how much I truly appreciate them.

Work hard, play hard.
Christine

Enjoying the fruits of my labor at the PRSA Mentor Program Kick-Off

Facebook Reaching Out to Suicidal Users

As reported a few months ago, Facebook may now reach out to check on you if someone reports that you may be suicidal. I can empathize that critics may think this is an invasion of privacy or that Facebook is overstepping. Maybe technology has no place in asking questions about your life but on the other hand, if it helps save some lives, is it really that bad?

Personally, I've been in the situation where I wish this had existed. Friends on Facebook that I can't remember the last time I've talked to face-to-face popping up in my newsfeed saying how they'd like to go lay on some train tracks. Maybe I'm not a typical desensitized Millennial because I was actually concerned for the person. It was obviously a cry for help. But when seeing this, I myself felt helpless. People that she was obviously closer to were already commenting and providing support. If they couldn't help, what could I do?

In this case, it would have been nice to be able to anonymously reach out and let them know that someone cares what happens to them. My hope would be that taking the face away from the concern, the person wouldn't feel at all attacked or embarrassed. The anonymity may also make them hope that it's coming from someone they were really hoping to hear from, maybe pushing them to actually seek support.

Anonymously,
Christine

Facebook Interest Lists

It seems that Facebook is changing something about their functionality or interface daily and one of my favorite new additions is that of interest lists. With proper utilization, these lists can be one of the easiest ways to find relevant and interesting content for clients or even for personal use.

How they work

On Facebook, there seems to be a page for anything and everything someone could be interested in. By searching a simple word or phrase, multiple pages that one can “like” and “follow” come up. After doing so, updates from that page will show up in that person’s newsfeed. However, because of the way Facebook sorts information, updates from pages you have liked may never make an appearance in your newsfeed and even if it does, it may get buried by all the other information and updates that are constantly being added by other pages, friends, etc.

Luckily, with the use of interest lists, this can be remedied! Through an interest list, you can choose multiple pages to all contribute to one list. Thus, when you go to view the list, all things that appear are from the pages you’ve assigned. For example, if I wanted a list dedicated to social media tips, I would assign all pages that I thought were relevant. Then when I check the list, I have a whole separate directory of just things relating to tips about social media.

How to set it up

To set up a Facebook interest list, simply scroll down and click on “interests” on the left sidebar. You should then be taken to a page with a button labeled “+ Add Interests”. After clicking that, you can either search for lists that have already been created, or create your own. To create one, click on “+ Create List”. You will then be taken to a place to search for all the interests you would like to add to your list. When you’re satisfied with your selections, click “Next” where you can name it. After you’ve done that, you’ve successfully created an interest list!



Staying current and relevant through Facebook pages is very important to keep members up to date and have accurate information portrayed. Interest lists are a great way to maintain engaging content and an active page!

Click here to see the original post.

Facebookingly yours,

Christine

Why Social Media?

As the Digital and Social Media Coordinator at SAMI, I am constantly on the lookout for the newest and greatest social media research and channels that could aid our clients. Day after day, the planet’s online scene expands and transforms with new trends and platforms, making keeping up a very difficult task. Over time, I’ve heard a question plenty of times phrased in a multitude of ways: why social media?

Social media is loosely defined as applications and websites that allow users to create and/or share content with others as a means of social networking. As an organization, this means that you can actively engage with your audience, respond to concerns, answer questions, and so forth in a way that was previously impossible. Compared to devoting a huge chunk of one’s budget to advertising and looking for a way to talk at audiences, social media is a free way to have a conversation with audiences. And they aren’t small audiences either. According to Facebook’s Earnings Release, there were 1.32 billion monthly active users as of June 30, 2014 (an increase of 14% year-over-year). According to Twitter’s Earnings Report, Twitter had 271 million monthly active users as of June 30, 2014 (a 24% increase year-over-year). So why is it smart to utilize social media? Simply put: free content sharing and conversations with possibly millions or billions of people.

As being on social media can be a great asset to clients, it can also be a great hindrance. When users engage with an organization and attempt to communicate with no response, users may become frustrated and use their platform to spread negativity. Also, if an organization doesn’t commit enough time to keep a social media platform up to date, users won’t see a point in connecting or, depending on how far out of date, might even question if the organization still exists.

This is where your digital and social media coordinators of the world come in. I am here to help clients establish, maintain, and thrive in their online presence whether that be by promoting the upcoming conference, performing crisis communication, or anything in between. Effectively utilizing social media is a huge benefit to any organization and we’re here to help.

See the original post here.

Conversationally,
Christine

2015

2015 Resolutions 

It's odd for me to make a list of resolutions because I don't really believe in conditional life changes ("I'll start working out as soon as I'm less busy with work" makes me wonder, why not start now?) but there have been a few things on my mind lately. I decided to take this opportunity to join the rest of the world in looking forward to 2015 and fleshing out my commitments.

1. Reconnect with Old Friends. I hate talking on the phone. It always seems awkward, there are no nonverbal cues, and I never know when people are in the middle of something. For the upcoming year, however, I hope to get over my hatred of telephonic communication and nurture some lost camaraderie. As much as I dislike it, talking on the phone is infinitely better than any type of text based communication. So, friends, expect some calls (and don't be afraid to call me). I really, honestly, wholeheartedly, do miss you! 
2. Read. Read. Read. I love to read. Unfortunately, I am one of, if not the, slowest readers on the planet. Because of this and life's fast pace in general, reading gets pushed aside. This year, I want to remedy that. I started, and restarted, American Gods last year and am hoping to finish it, and others, in the coming months. Along with novels, I also want to be better informed in the world's current and past events. As much as I've tried to avoid politics in the past, I've accepted that it is extremely important to know what's going on, even if it means upcoming disagreements and the imminent sadness of the direction the world seems to be going.
3. Write. I have binders full of handwritten confessions, promises, dreams, and thoughts dating back to as early as I can remember. Following stints of a mute pencil, I always ended up returning to my journaling ways. There are few better feelings than that of being able to accurately and perfectly convey a thought in written or verbal communication. I want to continue to write, grow, convey, share, and learn. 
4. Fitness Consistency. In the year after leaving college, I started running. The main reason I picked running as my chosen method of fitness? Because there was no other type of workout I disliked more (mostly because I was terrible at it). Thus, me being me, I decided to challenge myself to find the joy in jogging, sprinting, fast walking, etc. In the months after, I lost 20 pounds and was running consistently and uninterrupted for farther that I ever thought I'd be capable. After moving to Milwaukee, looking for a good gym, waiting for my health insurance to go through, and a host of other excuses, I'm working on again gracing the fitness organization with my presence consistently. 
5. Reevaluate Relationships. There is a saying that has always haunted me: you're spineless. I remember my best friend at the time telling me this in early elementary school days. This phrase in its many forms, all I know far too well, has followed me throughout my life. Friends telling me that I let people walk all over me, I'm like a jellyfish, why don't I stand up for myself, stop being a doormat, was a common occurrence for as long as I can remember. When I got to college, something happened. I can't pinpoint a moment or event, but instead of apologizing to people who had done wrong to me, I was now angry. Very angry. Friendship-ending, wall-punching, tear-stained, picture-burning angry. I began to cut ties and stand strong against those who hurt me or my friends. It felt like two decades of anger spewing out on surrounding people and things. People that I absolutely knew would be around forever were hurting me in ways I didn't think possible. But in the midst of all of this bull-headed aggression and depression, I realized something I really wish wasn't true: people will not fight for a friendship. From my experiences, people will not actively apologize. They will not seek you out to make sure you're okay or to talk about what happened. They will accept that you haven't enthusiastically attempted to communicate with them, and they will move on. This is where I find my most difficult ambition of 2015: reevaluate the people in my life. Remember why I cut ties with that person and if appropriate, reach out and talk to them about the situation. Work on my reactions. Control the anger. In some cases, return to the forgive and forget way of life. In other cases, let go of the past and accept that it's a friend lost for a legitimate reason. It's obvious that the years of silence and forgotten time spent together is easily cast aside by most. However, for me, I genuinely miss it. 

2014 Accomplishments

I've noticed over the years that I'm not the best at giving myself credit for the things I do. Thus, in addition to the above list of what I hope to improve on, I would also like to look back on 2014 and make note of my successes. 

1. Blog. I've started and (mostly) successfully maintained my blog. Although I do struggle with how I want it to be perceived (personal, educational, humorous, etc), I've decided that as long as my writing is improved and there are people that enjoy reading it, it's worthwhile. 
2. Website Building and Online Presence for Myself and Others. Built a website for myself (although now I'm working on rebuilding one), for my brother, and for another client. I've also worked on strengthening my online presence and knowledge while also increasing client's presence. 
3. Fitness Milestones. Although my original intent was to lose weight (surprise), I've discovered multiple other benefits to all of the running and dieting I did which has overall caused a paradigm shift for me towards health and not just wanting to be skinny. So far, my farthest run was 6 miles in 65 minutes (because treadmills shut down after that period of time), something I perviously believed impossible for me. I've succeeded at making and eating half a dozen new healthy recipes or meal alternatives, I can walk up numerous flights of stairs without getting winded, all my vitals check out perfect every time, my future looks brighter, and my muscles are actually getting more toned. What started out as an avoidance of future health problems has grown into a passion to accomplish previously unattainable goals. 
4. Career Change. After college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. An Organizational and Professional Communication degree can take someone in an innumerable amount of directions. I had previously worked for a lawyer and decided to take an opportunity as a family law paralegal (without any law education). After a few months, it was clear that the mounds of menial paperwork, constant flareups of drama, and egos of those I worked with weren't for me. In my experience in the law industry, I had the chance to work with some of the most ethical and honest people I've ever met, and unfortunately a few of the exact opposite characteristics (do you sense a Difficult Dwight post coming because it is definitely in the works). From there I worked hard and did some soul searching in which I found my current position: Digital and Social Media Coordinator. I am infinitely more happy in this career and line of work and am excited to see what the future holds. 
5. Ken. This may seem like a weird accomplishment but my intention isn't to say "I've scored a man." Instead, my point of listing my significant other is that I have successfully removed myself from an unhealthy relationship and ended up finding someone that is more kind, knowledgable, passionate, and caring than I had ever dreamed possible (and who is, in my opinion, extraordinarily out of my league). I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and found someone I can see growing old with. I think that's something worth mentioning. And yelling from rooftops. 

To the new year: welcome. Cheers!  

Christine 

Boolean Searches

Have you ever heard of Boolean Searches? If you've done any research or taken any classes about the internet within the past decade, you most likely have. These advanced searching tools are key to successfully navigating the expansive world wide web to find exactly what you're looking for. They are simple rules that all search engines, like Google or Bing, use to help you find exactly what you need. I LOVE knowing these rules, so I thought I would share!

• "Quotations"
• These are used to find exactly phrases. For example, if you're looking for information on irish whiskey and type that phrase alone into Google, it will not only search for both words together, but also both words separately leaving you with pages of unhelpful information to muck through. By typing "irish whiskey" you will come up with only results that pertain to the entire phrase. 
• AND
• Using this tool, you are able to search for multiple things at once and your search results will contain only material with both of the words or phrases you've chosen. For example, typing dogs AND cats, your results will all contain both dogs and cats. This also works with quotations to combine phrases. Searching for "irish whiskey" AND "bars in Wisconsin" will come up with those very specific results. 
• OR
• This is used to find topics with at least one of the words or phrases included. It comes in handy when there are multiple versions of words or phrases. A good example is VP OR "Vice President" OR "V.P.". 
• NOT
• This is nice to know when you keep coming up with extra words that you don't want to include. For example, let's say you're looking for the top social media channels other than Facebook. You could type something like "Social media" NOT LinkedIn. 
• Parenthesis 
• Finally, we have parenthesis. Use these when you're trying to combine multiple tools above to find something. When you start looking for very specific information, these are extremely convenient. An example would be Account AND (executive OR coordinator). 

I hope this helps! Happy searching! 

Love AND knowledge, 

Christine 

For more information, click here or here. 

Why?

When I was younger and I imagined going to college, I had a pretty clear picture in my head of what it would be like: new friends, random afternoon naps, a sporadic class schedule, and constantly being surrounded by knowledge. I thought about the mountains of books I would pore over, the thousands of pages of notes I would take, the long hours into the early mornings spent making every last word of my essays perfect. Looking back on my experiences I realized that there was something much more important that I learned; something that will always be with me and always serve me well. Not only did I fill my head with every last bit of information about the Expectancy Violations Theory, I also learned to never, ever stop seeking knowledge. I learned to always ask: Why?

The biggest mistake of an assumption that I made about college was then when you’re done, you know everything you need to know to be successful. That pretty piece of paper that is mailed to you a few weeks after moving back into your parents’ basement was proof that you were qualified to get a career and start your life.

I’ve been out of college for over a year and I think I’ve learned more since leaving than I ever did while inside its concrete walls. Don’t misinterpret; I will never regret how much I acquired and wouldn’t change my days or newly gained knowledge for the world. I think, though, that it’s easy to forget about life after.

I’ve started to not just accept the world around me, but to question it.

When I was told that living on my own in Milwaukee was a bad idea, I asked why. I was given answers about it being dangerous. In response, I looked up crime rates and statistics, which enabled me to make a conscious decision of where to live and how to stay safe.

When I was told to save all my money in my bank account for when I needed it, I asked why. I heard that keeping that money there was a security blanket. While keeping some safe in case of emergencies, I also learned about investing and have joined the money market.

When I was told that I shouldn’t apply for jobs that I wasn’t 100% sure that I would get, I asked why. I was told that I was never going to be hired. I decided that that was up for the employer to decide and have gained a job that I love going to every day.

I think one of the biggest mistakes that I feel people make is to feel content. Being content with the way things are now means that one no longer questions, challenges, or seeks. Nowadays, we have an indescribable amount of knowledge at our fingertips. I think it would be the worst shame to waste it. Always ask why because when you don't you accept the way things are. This is when we stop pursuing. This is when we stop moving forward. This is when we become stagnant. 

Onwards and upwards!
Christine