I have been
meaning to write about my SxSW experience and all of the people I met. But instead I am posting Top 5 photos from SxSW with some of my thoughts on how to navigate the big sea of social media.
1. Set Your Priorities Right
Pregnant & Beautiful, Cherishing the Moment. Pictured: Alyssa Francis
Many of us emerged into the world of social media love what we do, and
one of the most asked question the digital moms ask is “how do we balance it all” with our families and our work. Set your priorities right, and take care first what really matters in life. The rest of it? Peanuts. Embrace those moments in your life that you’ll never get back, it’s ok to
take a day off, or even a week off – we are all here waiting for you.
I love that when we were at SXSW John Andrews of Walmart showed Alyssa and me this beautiful location to take a few photos of Alyssa and her baby bump. Because moments and pictures like this… they need to be cherished when possible. Everything else can wait. Even in the social media world, where everyone is waiting for the instant gratification.
2. Be Patient
Patiently waiting. Dog at the Kirtsy/Alltop Party.
Money. Money. Money. Must be Funny. It’s the Rich Man’s World.
Everyone wants to monetize, monetize, monetize – while being authentic, organic and transparent. Right?
Yes, take the paid opportunity to
write about dolphins, if you
love dolphins, but don’t feel like you need to take every opportunity to make money only for the money’s sake. If you are not real, it will show through. Be patient – you will get more opportunities to make money with what you love, but stay focused and stick with what you love. Gary Vaynerchuk wasn’t an overnight success, why do you think you would be?
And go and read again Nro 1. Prioritize – is money really the most important thing for you, or is it just a cherry on the top?
3. There Is Your Truth, My Truth and The Real Truth
Someone’s sunny is someone’s crummy.
Someone sent me a message asking “How was SXSW? I heard the weather was bad” and it made me think of how people see things differently, and how “truth” can be something totally different to different people. I thought the weather was amazing in Austin, but then again, it was in the 30s when I left New York. Someone else’s expectations were probably much different from mine.
Sometimes it doesn’t really even matter what the
real truth is, if people see things their way and think their “truth” is the only truth. It is just something we need to get used to it. Life is rarely black and white, and neither is social media.
There are three
truths: your truth, my truth and the real truth, all of them different. This is the biggest difficulty and at the same time the biggest advantage of social media and citizen journalism.
We just need to stay true to ourselves.
4. Give Boot to Old Ideas and Be Creative
Cowboy boots turned into a flower vase at the Kirtsy/Alltop party.
Do I really have to elaborate this one? I didn’t think so.
5. Play With The Cards You Have.
Sometimes you might have the right hand without even knowing it.
It is too easy to compare yourself to someone bigger and better and more successful and start feeling the blues. Don’t do it! Don’t compare yourself to the others, and more importantly don’t try to be like others. Yes, have mentors, and idols, and people you look up to, who can be your role models.. But the key to success is not trying to be like them. The key to success is being
you, being unique, offering something others don’t have.
Set your
own goals and define your success – there is no one way of doing things, create your own path. And remember to look back and give a pat on your back when you have taken steps towards your goals.
If you want to see photos of people I met at SxSW, check out my Facebook page.
