Hit The Share Button

I belong to a few women entrepreneur FaceBook groups, and one of the common complaints I read is how many women don't feel supported by their friends and family. They're trying hard to build an email list, get content out to the masses, or look for some encouraging words from their loved ones. They don't understand why it's so hard to get the people closest to them to hit the 'like' and share button. Personally, I think most people don't realize how important their 'thumbs up' are in our posts. They may see it, read it and move on. It's that simple. I also believe that many people who post on social media are only looking for people to comment on their stuff and not bother with anybody else's.

Building any business is daunting, and technology has, in many ways, leveled the playing field. For example, we may not have the money to invest in a brick-and-mortar, but we can sell products online. Our blog or articles may be turned into ebooks or upload videos onto YouTube. It's become more accessible to share our ideas and inventions. We all want to believe that we have a built-in audience through our network made up of our family and friends, but the reality is we need to reach a much larger audience to find success. Still, it would be nice if our close-knit community hit the 'like' button or shared our posts. It doesn't take that much effort and would mean the world to the person whose putting their work out into the cyber world to have some recognition.

It's hard not to take it personally when we put our work out there for the world to see and have only a couple of people acknowledge it. But, I'm here to tell you to keep at it anyway. You never know who may need to hear your message, see value in your artwork, or need the solution you're offering to a problem they've been searching for. I believe we create our own luck by working on our business and growing our community, even if it seems to be taking forever. Too many people give up and get discouraged when things aren't falling into place quickly enough. Instead, we need to celebrate all wins, no matter how small, and continuously improve our work.

We could all use a pep talk, and I'm happy to be a cheerleader for anyone who needs to hear positive reinforcement to keep them on track to reach their goals. My cartwheels may be a little rusty, but my pom poms are always ready for action.

I've been fortunate to have wonderful people in my corner to keep my spirits up. They take the time to comment and share my articles, which keeps me motivated. I, in turn, try to promote their business as well. It feels good to support and encourage each other. So next time you're scrolling through social media, hit a friend's post with a 'like' and share it. I promise you won't break a nail unless you really hit the button hard.