Write what you know, research the rest

Today’s is Tip Tuesday.  This is where I give you tips in writing, anything that I come across (except crafting, which will be on The P. Lynne Designs blog).  This is information only, and it makes sense in life to me, and life as a writer.

As you may know, I am a blogger and freelance writer.  It is my job to make others look and sound good, as well as make myself look and sound good on paper and in the digital world.  I also wear many hats in my business and have many facets that will eventually get consolidated into one cohesive unit.  For the moment, I am loving this exploration. So, what does it have to do with today’s tip?

As you explore your many talents, and we all have them, it does not have the top ones like musician, dancer, or writer, you could be great at delegating, tasting a food, or even complaining.  I know people who always complain, and as my dad says, they will complain If you “hung them with a new rope”. Ok, I am getting off the subject, but the point is an expert in anything.  Oops, let me make my point.   As you explore your many, talents, you may be called to talk about them.  Some people shy away from this sort of thing, but if you are a talker, you will be asked these questions in life:  “What do you do” and “What are your hobbies”?

I love dancing, playing a musical keyboard, paper crafting, and Disney for starters.  I can tell you almost all things about these subjects, such as the perfect glue to use on chipboard, the correct way to do a paradiddle (that’s a tap dance term that I obviously do not know how to spell correctly, LOL), The perfect spot to view the fireworks at Cinderella’s castle, and what G#min7 chord is and how to execute them all.

So, what do the things that I love have to do with the subject of writing what you know?

Well, I know about these subjects, in addition to organizing, being a Christian, marketing, chocolate, sushi, being a single person, writing, and being an aunt.  I can write about these subjects in my sleep.  I have studied them all my life, and when I am asked to write something on them, I know what I am talking about.  Does that mean that I cannot write about being a parent?  I am afraid that I may steer some people in the wrong direction, but I have to research on some things, such as disciplining a child.  I can tell what I do as an aunt. Most of these answers will Most likely be based on your experiences with the subject, but even with subjects you know about, you may have to “fill in the blank” on parts you are not sure of.    (Such as wait times for the Slinky Dog Roller Coaster.)

What if I do not know something?

You have a plethora of information that you can research.  For instance, I can tell you where I would stay at one of Walt Disney World’s 22 plus resorts, but I cannot tell you how much a room is for 5 nights, and the amenities that you would get when staying.  It depends on your situation:  what are you going to be doing besides the parks or are you a new Disney Vacation Club member?  I will have to research the answer for you.  That G#min7 chord I mentioned earlier?  I cannot play it on a guitar so I would have to research it for you.  Clogging (a country dance similar to tap dance)?  Yep, that too.  Plus, researching make information more credible.  Not only that but for some things, such as a scientific equation or theory, you almost need to research the information to prove that it really exists.

So, there is nothing wrong with researching a subject that you do not know.  It is fun, and you can sit at the computer or in the library and leave your bottom lip hanging on the floor when you discover something new and different. Not only that

but some of these subjects (like Quantum Physics or theory, oops, Star Trek Voyager term, LOL), makes for some good discussions when you have nothing to say at a party.

Blog.litcentral.com

Motivational Monday: Humility (or How to be Humble)

Hello, today starts what I hope will be a more structured blog.  I have been thinking about how to make my blog better for readers and I think I have come up with a solution to my problems with my blogs, Constancy and sustaining a topic.  The topics I have come up with for the rest of the year should be able to motivate you to try new things in the writing world, entrepreneurship (which includes possibly being an author of your own book), updating your social media posts and profile, and other things that will help you be a better you.

I will tell you in a later post on how and why I decided to change the theming of this blog, and I hope you bear with me as I decide rather leave this blog on the current platform or to switch to another one (WordPress or Tumblr).  I already have an account for both platforms, it is just a matter of what makes sense to me, my business, and my audience.

Now that I have gotten formalities out of the way, today’s topic is about humility or the act of being humble.

Most of my Motivational Monday’s will be on what I have heard the Sunday before in church.  I will try not to get too preachy or too much into what the scriptures say, but I am not ashamed of who I believe in, and I am not going to water it down, either.

This is my definition of humility:  to give of one’s self and to help others achieve their best self.  Now here are examples of that:

Say you are attending a PTA meeting (PTO in some places) and there is a call of action for volunteers at a bake sale.  New books are needed for the library because the ones that are there are torn and battered, and they need a little TLC. You volunteer for the bake sale and other fundraisers which are needed to put books on the shelves at your child’s library.  At the end of the school year, the president decides to recognize some hard-working parents and other family members of students, but your name is not mentioned at all.  Perhaps the president looked over you but given how many times you decide that you should run the many fundraisers that the school had, recognition was not needed.  You leave in a huff, and your friend, whose child also attends the school, ask you what the matter is.  You tell her that the PTA president did not say that she was so grateful for your efforts in running the many fundraisers for the school year, and you are not volunteering for another thing.   Is this an act of humility? This, by the way, happened to me when I was a teen, only it was not a PTA situation, but I volunteered to print off cards for members of the publicity team to hand out to people in recognition of their birthday during service.  Boy, did I get an earful from my mom, and I left out of the sanctuary in a huff because no one during service did not say, “and we want to thank Patti Logan for the printing of the cards.”  This was the humbling moment that I remember still (yes, I am still a member).

How about this:  The chairperson who runs the food pantry is looking for volunteers to help out with giving out clothes for a clothing drive or to donate clothes for those who need it.  You decide not to because you do not want to help out anyone who may be smelly, missing teeth, or should have a job lined up for them and going to work and besides that, your pink and purple dress does not belong on someone who is going to smell it up even more.  First of all, it is rude to try to figure out what a person does with the clothes and second, is this practicing humility?  Let these two examples marinate in your soul for a moment.

I have watched my mother all my life, including the times when we were in transit (Military term for waiting for your base housing).  She has taken people to go shopping, when the spouse has their car, or they have no car at all.  Tech sergeants sometimes did not make much money to afford a decent car, especially if they had a family.  I was friends with a girl a couple years younger than me, and not only they did not have decent clothes to wear, but they were being made fun of as well.  I could have done the same thing, but I did not.  Her stepfather was abusive because he did not have the money to feed her and her siblings (one who was a baby) and wife.  I think as soon as they moved, the parents were getting a divorce.  He even threatens to beat me one time for no reason.  Even when we moved to our present location, my mother has taken food to the sick, help out in our church’s food pantry, taught Sunday School and so forth, without complaining or crying about how much time she was taking time away from her own family.  We did not suffer from that humility.  Mom has never asked for payment for gas and sometimes will not take it if the person offered.  I try to do as much as I can without question too. I never ask for gas money. 

This is the art of humility.  I am not bragging about what I do, and I do not ask for recognition either.  I do not try to run things when something is already set up.  If the head of an organization ask for me to lead it, I make it a joint effort because someone may have better ideas then I do, especially if this is my first time doing it.  Sure, if someone wants to say I helped or say that I lead something, that is on them.  I will stand up and immediately sit back down.  I want the focus to be on the program or the event, not on me. 

Being humble also means excepting help when you need it.  Do not turn that person or organization down.  This is the part I have a hard time doing because I am so used to being independent, but sometimes I have to let people do their thing because there are so many people who do not and will not care for a person.  If that person sees you struggling, and they want to help, explain to them what is going on

if you trust them.  If not, except the “gift” anyway, thank them, and move on.  You may need that extra boost, pick-me-up, or that extra $10.  There are a lot of people who want to Pay it Forward.  It is their way of giving back.

There are a couple of scriptures that support on how God feels about humility, and the first one says; “Humble yourselves, then under God’s mighty hand, so he will lift you up in His own good time.  Leave all your worries with Him because He cares for you”. 1 Peter 5: 6-7.  The second one is, “When Pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2. Both verses mean you should not be so proud of yourself that you are not willing to help others.  You are given grace and God will lift up you to where you need to be in your journey.  Proverbs sums it up to say when you are humble, you will have the wisdom of doing the right thing for God and others and not for self.  There are more but I need another whole post to explain it all.  These two scriptures just spoke to me.

Takeaway:  I urge you to volunteer and help someone without saying a word.  You not only help others, but you will learn about yourself in the progress, and it does not have to be in a shelter, a food pantry, or school fundraiser.  You can volunteer by just encouraging others and give of your expertise without asking for anything in return.  That is the best part of being humble is when that return is not expected.

Have a good day, and God bless.

Happy Fall everyone

Well, Saturday was the first day of fall (Autumn for some of you formal folks), and it is time for all things, harvest, Halloween, and the last holiday, Thanksgiving.

I will not say that I enjoyed my summer, nor do I hate it either.  My summer was so-so.  I cannot say anything about my summer at all, except this.

First of all, my July 4^th was wonderful yet hateful at the same time.  The way I planned my summer was to lay low from June 21^st to July 18^th, travel to Orlando, Florida for all things family reunion and Disney, ending the rest of the summer in this “catch up on my business and revamp where I can” type of summer until the first of September 1^st.   Instead, my parents did not want to travel to Florida, I had not saved for Florida, and neither did my brother, sister, and nephew.  I did not get to see my city’s Red, White, and Boom celebration because my parents and I were in their hometown of Tuscaloosa and Moundville, Alabama.  Mom did well coming and going, but the hotel was not the most promising.  In fact, we ended up changing hotels in the middle of the week.

The first hotel was a hot mess dot com.  We arrived at a less than quality Howard Johnson, at 4808 Skyland Blvd E, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405.  They were in the middle of a room renovation, switching out television sets, peeling walls, worst breakfast in the history of me having the worst breakfast, bad handicap bathrooms (mom needed one) I ever seen, and I have been in some bad hotels.  We stayed there until about Tuesday of that week.  Next hotel was actually a better deal with a nice room, a couch, handicap bathroom on point (except I missed my bathtub) and had to stay in the room with the parents.  The first one, I had my own room. This room was spacious for three of us.  The only things I hated about that room in addition to the shower deal, I was catching an allergy/cold that lasted all summer (last week I finally am starting to feel like myself again) and dad snoring on some nights (He had the c-pap machine, but he did not use it, what was that all about?)

The 4^th was spent at one of my uncles’ house, and he threw down with the food.  We had ribs, chicken, brats, corn on the cob, spaghetti with meat sauce, greens, desert, baked beans, and watermelon. There was Potato salad, macaroni salad, and a few other things that I could not remember.  We visited my aunt in Bessemer, AL, and I had TCBY for dessert one night (that company decided to close up in Central Ohio, it was one of my favorite places to eat Froyo.)   

I took off for August.  I prepared to write posts, but I did not publish anything.  Look for those to come at the end of the month.  I did not vlog anything or create anything. I was preparing for this month, but this month, I did not much either.  So, it is now the time to get back to work full time.

Pigeon Forge, TN (Copyright
2015 P.Lynne Designs

Fall in love with a forever changing blog….

New in this blog:

Starting October 1^st, I will break this blog into segments.  I have been meaning to do this, but as I was not sure how to do it, especially with it being in Blogger format.  I have been researching other blogs and found that everyone was able to break off their subjects into different segments.  One reason is for an organization and the other is, so I know what keywords to put for my readers to be able to find a post.  The segments are:

-          Motivational Mondays- Encouragement from writing your first post to anything that has to do with you and writing your masterpiece.  The first piece of this newly minted day is on Humility.  Look for it next Monday.

-          Tip Tuesday- Enough said, but it has to do with tips on writing, except on journaling.  I will save those for ….

-          Write it Down Wednesdays- (honestly, there are no days of the week that goes with journaling).  I addressed this one of my posts.  I recently started a series on journaling.  I had so much fun tackling this subject until I want to write about it at least once a week. 

-          Throw Back Thursdays- This is a post that I can update or a subject that I previously posted about and give it a new twist.  No, this is not another chance for me to attack Abby Lee Miller (I wish her well in her cancer treatments), but this is for posts that promote motivation, writing and other stuff related to the current status of my blog.

-          Facebook Fridays – Well, it is for more than just Facebook, it is for all of the social media, at least the big six (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube). I did a series a couple years ago on social media as I know it, and I recently wrote about Facebook as an updated version of that series.  Again, like the journaling series, I had fun writing it until I want to write on the subject for a while.

-          I will skip Saturday and Sunday, which would be a good time for me to do a Social Media Saturday or Sunday, but I want to spend time with family and friends and to regroup from the week. 

That is it for now.  As for Fall…

·         Embrace all of what fall brings. 

·         This is bonfire weather, pass the popcorn and apple cider while you read a book under a cozy blanket weather. 

·         Leaves are falling, and kids are ready to jump into a pile of them. 

·         Time to find that costume for the end of October.

·         And finally, have a bountiful feast consist of turkey, stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, and Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie. Do not forget to give back to those who have to do without.

Be grateful the little things.  Again, Happy Fall/Autumn.  Be safe, warm, and God Bless.

How To Support

Photo by Google.com

Today, I want to talk about support, the importance of support, and the supporting of others.  Support comes in all different ways.  As a noun, the word support means “a thing that bears the weight of something that keeps it upright”.   One of the words that are a synonym for the word “support” is called “brace”.  You can also call it material assistance.  As a verb, it means, “to bear all or part of the weight of something”, or “to hold up”. Another verb meaning is “to give assistance”.  This verb meaning also has the word “brace” as a synonym.  So, why I am I talking about support today.  As in many of my posts so far, it was “on my heart”.

To put it in context, it simply means, “to bear the weight for someone, something, or some act” who needs it.  To hold them up, to give encouragement.  Here are three examples:

Last Wednesday, May 23^rd, I went to an event that supported two people who I personally know.  I have never in my life been to an event like this before and I enjoyed myself, as I looked at their work, as well and many different artists.  I was happy to do this for them, and I have known them all their lives (in fact, they were born one day apart).  They are part of my family, although not through blood, I feel like it.  When you are in a church family, you support one another through each other’s good times (such as this event tonight), bad times (such as several recent deaths of church members, including a dear, sweet, but no-nonsense, 108-year-old, who I affectionally called my “grandmother”), and in-between times.  This is why I often tell people to connect with someone.  It does not have to be in a church setting, but as a Christian, I have to say it is paramount that if you were brought up in the church, find a home church, where people are supportive in that way.  You may need to talk to someone.  Councilors are good, and they are effective, but they can often seem cold on the supportive level.  I will get back to you on another post.

Another example is, as you may know, I received a sort of devastating news in the career area when Longaberger announced to employees and the sales field that they have ceased operations.  I felt like I have lost support from everyone in the company, except for the consultant’s Facebook Group, Longaberger Chat, which is a private group.  It feels good that I know that I am not alone in this lost.  The love this group gives to a sales field who many do not know what to next.  I thank God I have a backup business in my P. Lynne Designs company, the one I created from scratch, but many consultants do not.  Many, like me, have quit their jobs to go into full-time direct selling with this company.  Many consultants have lifetime customers who they have been selling to for years, compared to my little, almost 18 years selling for them.  My customer base never picked up in that way, which is why I never became a director like my upline manager, Marilyn. In this group, there is not much negativity for Longaberger. It is not allowed.  Many are just trying to get their lives back on track, even if Longaberger decides to reopen.  It is good to go in the group, ask questions, and have someone help you understand the answers.

Finally, speaking of P. Lynne Designs, I could not pull this company off if it wasn’t for the support system of many people. The sales numbers are not there, yet, and it takes time.  I know who to turn to when I have questions.  It is a 2-in-1 system of Renae Christine.  The groups are Handmade Titan University and Ultimate Architect.  For instance, I had a question about having my website, P. Lynne Designs in compliance with the European Union, even though for right now, my plan is to only sell to customers in the United States because I did not want to deal with international shipping costs, which can be more than the product itself.  Later down the road, after I get established, I can add on shipping to the rest of the world. Not only from the administrator of the group did I get a good explanation that I do not have to worry about it nor there is no fee to get in compliance (I may not have to do anything), but it is nice to have that support, otherwise and even with prayer, I would be balling like a baby on why I can’t get anywhere, anymore. (please read the “Self-Doubt” post).

Why Support?

Support boosts positive self-esteem.  Support helps a person feel like they matter in the world and the world is a hard, cruel place.  In the first scenario, the support I gave was not about me, it was about the people who I came to see, directly, but it also helped the other artists who were part the event indirectly as well.  I remember that when I was a little girl, I had dance recitals (ballet (both demi-pointe and pointe-the toes are crying every time I mention this, LOL), jazz, and tap), Music recitals (organ and piano), the plays in high school, girl scouts, and choir concerts.  It made me feel good when my parents and others were out in the audience, cheering me on, even when a plie was not done properly, a paddle-diddle went wonky, or note on the keyboard or in my voice went awry.  Same goes if there is someone who is in need.  I know there is a difference between attending a Girl Scout flag ceremony your little one worked hard on and giving a dollar to a charity, but it really isn’t.

The support of others.

When you give your money, your time, and really your space, you are letting someone know that you care about their plight.  You want that homeless person to get something to eat, a place to stay or a job.  It is no different than if you come to see a play, their artwork, or even buy from someone who has a small business. The only difference is you are supporting someone who may not know how to help themselves, has forgotten how to help themselves, or thinks that the world is a cold, cruel place.  It does not matter if that help is volunteering to get them food, or just a smile as you walk past them on the street.  That smile, that dollar, or that food could have been the first thing they received in days.  You all seen the videos of people helping out, right?

Takeaway Moment….

Please take a moment to support someone.  Not only a family member, friend, but a stranger.  I must have been a magnet for giving out money to help out earlier in the month.  Not only did I attend the event, but one night, I decided to go to a new place to eat (new to me).  I was right around the corner from where I live, and I went it to get some gizzards (ended up with 2 legs because of what the owner said about the gizzards).  Anyway, I was approached by this homeless woman for money to eat.  I had no change, so I told her that I have to wait to see how much the food was going to cost.  I am sitting waiting on my food, and the woman comes in, goes to the bathroom, then approaches me again, asking me if I can now give her some money.  Now I am not the type of person that gives anything if you beg and ask me twice.  I went ahead and gave it to her.  After I left out of the diner, another person asked, and I gave him a couple of dollars.  I opened the car door, and another woman asked (I think they are now traveling in groups of three), and when I only gave this woman only a quarter (because that is what she asked for), she asked, “is that all you got”.  Again, I started to not give it to her, since she was picky on the amount I gave her, and she was practically ready to sit in my car (I was in the back putting my food in), but I gave her a dollar anyway.  I felt good but felt uneasy at the same time.  A couple weeks later, someone else asked me to give them some money, and I gave.  So that made 4 people in one month.  I think God was testing me for something, but it serves as a teachable moment.  Be willing to give of yourself, your time, and sometimes your money.  That is the true meaning of the word, “support”, that a dictionary cannot define.  Make it part of your 2018 (what’s left of it).

Traveling Videos

This is part 4 in a series of blog that is sort of out of order, and I do apologize.  At first, I thought, I will mention these videos in case writing is not really their thing, and that’s it.  Actually, I am really having fun with this series, and I wanted to continue with it for a while.  I know it has been a month since I wrote the first one, but as usual, life got in the way, and I sort of wanted this series to transition me off of the controversial posts, as I am saying goodbye to them.  Not even Trump’s latest thing with Putin is driving me back to these posts.  Let someone else have them.

So, today, I am tackling the travel video, and the different types of them.  The reason behind writing this as a separate post is this is a broad subject.  You can do all sorts of things with this type of video.  I love watching them, and like my last post, there are some posters I do watch, and I will mention them, although it is not as many as the family videos.  First, a PSA that bears repeating:

Protect yourself.  Post your videos after you come back.  When posting while on vacation, you are giving thieves notice that your home is an open banquet for your goodies.  You know thieves love goodies.  In fact, do not post your address.  Be very careful.

Amusement/fun videos

I love these videos.  These are the “try it before you get there” videos.  They can give you a plethora of information of what at a theme park, popular vacation destination, or this is “what your getaway looks like and this is what you get to do”.  I am going to give you two different perspectives on this type of video and the first one is POV or Point of View.  POV is that, your point of view.  Say you are on a roller coaster, and you want to show the path and which direction the car is going.  Do not point the camera on you.  This is showing your reaction.  Point it on the track.  Be careful to hang on tight to your camera, but make sure that you are securely in your seat.  In either case safety is always best.  For that reason, Universal Studios Orlando do not allow you to film on rides.  The other reason is what I mentioned in an earlier post, they are protecting their IP (intellectual property).  Disney does not have that restriction or at least they do not enforce it. 

The person who I watch the most is Spokesmayne.  He posts a video almost every evening live from either Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Orlando. (in fact, I am waiting on him now).  He gives me my Disney fix until I am able to take a trip (hopefully in 2019), and with the equipment he uses, I feel like I am right there with him and his girlfriend, Jennifer.

Another channel I watch, although not as much is ResortTV1.  They do pretty much what Chris does, but the only thing I do not like about this channel is in the middle, they have to mention sponsorships, and that is sort of a turn off for me.  Yes, when you get as many views as they do, people tend to notice, and want to sponsor you to bring in others to their shop, but I am usually there to see what is in the parks, how long it is going to be there, so I can make plans.

Informational Videos

I have not talked about these videos, but they serve as a purpose as well. Sometimes it is news, showing what is around the parks, food reviews, and general information. 

For these videos, I turn to Dis Unplugged.  They give news on what is going on in the parks, the company (both Disney and Universal Studios), Food reviews of the eating places and resorts, and sometimes legal stuff. (I like what Pete Werner of Dis Unplugged says, “boring legal stuff).  This help me as a 2 unit stock owner of Walt Disney, and as a fan of Disney.  But I mostly listen to them for travel advice.  They also cover the cruise line industry on their other channel, Dreams Unlimited.

A word for the wise on both of these types of videos, I mentioned equipment.  You do not need a fancy camera to start out with.  In the case of Dreams Unlimited and Dis Unplugged, they are professionals, so they feel that they need the equipment to give you the best quality videos.  This is their job.  If you are taking family vacation shots, a simple phone camera or your click and shoot camera will do nicely.

Another warning do not let Google take control over your vacation photos and turn them into a video.  I did when I took my cruise.  I had to edit because there were a couple of unflattering photos that made into the video.  Photos is not the best way to have a video in my opinion.  Photos do not show the whole picture of what you are looking at.  It is best that if you are taking a video, you do the editing.  You can control what in it, the music, and the tone of the video.

One of my "Animals from my cruise
in January 2018 (c) 2018 P.Lynne Designs

Now for some more tips on travel videos. 

1.    Do show the adventure.  If you want to show your child surfboarding for the first time, do it.  If you want to show you eating a strange new food from the Fiji Islands, do it.  If you want to show the tour of your stateroom from a cruise ship, do it.  It shows that you had fun, you have learned from your trip something new and different, and if that the person viewing it may want that same experience.

2.    Do not show all the fun.  If you want to inform about something that happened to you, and you do not want people to have that same mistake, put it in.  In my last trip video, I gave a warning about tour guides in Jamaica and how some tour guides may want to take you to Indian shop owners instead of Jamaican shop owners.  Nothing is wrong with it if that is what you want, but I and my friend wanted to give back to the people who were born on the island vs. an immigrant. Our tour guide took us to the Indians instead of the native shop owner.

3.    Have a clear video.  It does not matter what your camera equipment is if your picture is not clear enough.  Try not to have a grainy video.

4.    Have narration.  I like to know what I am looking at when I view a video.  If you do not have narration through the video, at least have an introduction.  This goes back to another reason why you can edit the video when you get home.  You can add in the introduction. At that time, you can say when you were there and what was happening. Also, in the introduction, mention the places you went to and what you did there.  Do not haphazard put up a video.  Give it some order.

An array of pumpkins makes
a great video opportunity
(c) 2014 P. Lynne Designs

5.    Finally, have fun on vacation.  People do not have to see every aspect of your vacation unless it is necessary. Sometimes it is necessary to “unplug” for dinner when there is a security measure involved. For example, both Disney and Universal do not like you to have your camera out while you are walking through their gates.  Once through the gates, you are free to take as many photos and videos as possible, except for the riding rule and Universal, as mentioned earlier.

Takeaway Moment:

The first rule of vacation is to have fun. It is nice to see vacation videos, but have fun just being you. Unplugging helps sometimes.  Remember the POV video and the information video and take care of you and your equipment for safety factors.  Equipment can be replaced, but you cannot. One thing I did not cover is be mindful of others around you.  you are in a public place and there are some people who do not like being photographed or videotaped.  Also, use a panning shot show what is around the area that you are in.  Highlight when you can.  Also remember that these videos are for memories first, public second.  Your child may not remember the moment, but you have it on video, so they can.  Last remember to use good lighting, keep the camera focused, and narrate often.  This ends part 4 of this series. God bless.

Protect yourself from Unwanted Viewers

It is important to protect yourself
and your family and still produce good, quality videos
.  Photo by Bromium

This is third in a series of vlogging, which is something I have been meaning to update from the last time I wrote about this topic.  If you had not had a chance to view them, I have written about videos you should be doing to get the most views on your channel if you have on or plan on starting one for 2018.  Today, I want to talk about how to protect you and your family once the viewers start watching your video channel.  I talk about YouTube mainly, but this applies to any platform out there: Facebook Live (and a new feature, Facebook Watch), Instagram and IGTV, Twitter, and many others.

Going Viral

It is important to know when your video is a one-hit wonder or when it goes viral, which I will go into more in just a bit.  Truth be told, not every video you make is going to get to that point, where the moment someone mentions your name, you are elevated to that of a Justin Bieber, a Kardashian, or even a Logan Paul.

Going viral is the newest thing for getting views, but not everyone has what it takes to go there.  When you do, it is a good sensation when a viewer recognizes you, and according to most of the YouTubers I have mentioned in my last post, most viewers are sweet, and they only wanted to thank you for brightening up their day or giving them the information, they needed for a problem that needed to be solved.  Going viral is the video that people talk about at the office (did you see that video where…).  It can be politically charged, cute, or thought-provoking.  It starts with something in the video that is out of the ordinary.  I will get to more on that subject in a different post.  Know this: once you have that video that gets people talking, be prepared to go into protection mode.    

Why give this advice?

My channel has only 158 viewers, so I have not gotten to that point where a viewer recognizes me.  So, why am I giving you this advice?  Perhaps, I may be talking you into creating a channel of your own, or you may want to see what’s out there for you.  I am not in your head, but I could be.  Safety may be one of your concerns, and if that is the case, keep reading.  Call it a preventive measure.

Addressing the situation

One of the most common things between me and popular YouTubers out there is location.  We do not give out our real addresses. We give general locations of where we are, such as a city and state.  Nothing else.  It is for our own protection.  You may have noticed that even in my blog posts, and I mention my city, I say Central Ohio, that’s it.  No city.  It is the same with my videos.  Yes, I am in the phone book, and at one time, I had an unlisted number, until I became a business person.  Now, I have a phone number that rings into the same line as my home phone, and I use my cell phone as well.  I currently do, only because of a couple of things I need it for.  One day, I will switch to just my mobile phone.

The reason I protect myself is I do not want to wake up in the middle of the night and finding someone standing over me or come home to an empty house. 

If you do not mind viewers sending you mail, set up a PO box to receive that mail, especially if you are in the phone book.  The PO box also protects you from having threats sent to your mailbox.  Set your phone number to private if you have a landline phone or do not give out your number at all.

Traveling

I never post pictures, videos, and blog post while on vacation.  (Although I accidentally posted family pictures on my IG (Instagram) account the evening of July 4^th, I did not give the location of what city I was in). Again, for safety reasons, plus this is a good opportunity for being “Off the Grid” for a day or a week to enjoy yourself, and not let your social media accounts dictate how you want to spend your vacation or a shopping trip.  When you go shopping that is for you and only you, enjoy the moment.  Your viewers will understand.

Take the time after your trip to edit, refine, and post as though you are on the trip now.  In videos and posts before your trip, do. not mention when you are going, unless you want a person to visit the same place.  I do not mind, but I also post after the fact too.  Same goes if you do travel videos.

Family

This is tricky because there are some rules that you can set while at the same time, you can also protect your children as well.

Since I do not have children of my own, but I do have nieces and nephews.  One particular situation that comes to mind is the year after I started my YouTube channel.  I did not know what I want to create at the time, but I found my sister’s children doing something very fascinating.  My nephew was 2 and my niece was 1 at the time (they are now 11 and almost 10), and I was making a video of me interacting with them, especially my niece, who had gotten to the point of walking pretty good.  She toddled over to me, and said, “Ta Da”, which was her favorite word to say. (And the only thing I could understand her to say at the time.)

Anyway, after that, I uploaded it, errors and all.  My sister saw the video and was furious with me.  She was screaming to the point of telling me that she did not want their father, her ex-boyfriend, to see the video. I screamed back, “my camera, my channel, and I will post what I want.”  This was in 2009 when YouTube did not give a care in the world about what the guidelines for this sort of stuff, as long as you post it. (Translation: Before Google bought it).

I reluctantly took it down, and I thought that it was a missed opportunity for me to get views on it, but not so fast.  Did I get permission?  Just because they were my niece and nephew, that does not give me the right to make a video. They were family, but not my children.  You have to ask these two questions: 1. Do you want/or can your children be in the video/picture? If the answer is no, move on.  Do not ask why and do not beg them to give permission.   2. Can I post this on YouTube/Vimeo/Facebook Live/IGTV with you in it?  If the answer is again, no, edit the scene and take the person out.  Do not blur their face.

Last name protection

A couple of family video channels I watch do not give out their last name for their own safety, but it is easy to find them on Google.  I did a little experiment and looked up their YouTube channel name, and Google had the full information, including the last name.  I will not give the channel name and who I looked up since they do not want it revealed.

When I introduce myself on my channel, I only give my first name, but I do not give out anything else, such as my marital status, age, and as mentioned earlier, my location.  I really do not care if you find out my last name or not.  It is listed as part of me being a business owner, and it is needed for legal purposes.  I am very proud of my last name.

I am not going to tell you one way or another on giving out your last name.  If you want protection, that is for the PO box address. 

Speaking of that, if you do show packages you receive on camera, you may want your address to stay anonymous. Use a sharpie or some other black marker or tape to cover up the address.  It is a good idea to cover up the sender’s address as well.

So, these are the tips I and other YouTubers use in order to be safe when making videos. I hope you keep these tips in mind when you create your first video.  I have sprinkled little takeaway moments throughout the piece, so, there are none in this portion of the post.  Remember, be safe no matter what you do in life.  Do not let anyone stop your dreams or your joy.  You got this. God Bless You and your family.  

More Videos to Increase Viewership

Photo and Title by P.Lynne Designs

In part 1 last month, I covered different types of videos that are popular on YouTube RIGHT NOW.  These videos include The Haul and unboxing shopping videos, food videos (cooking and Muckbong), and ASMR (sound stimulating).  These are the videos that seem to get the most viewership, and allows the creator to see 100, 1000, or even 100,000 viewers and subscribers.  Remember, the more viewers and subs you have, more likely you will see revenue in the form of money, sponsorship, and free product to trying and to review.  If you have not read the post, you can start here.

If you have read it, I will give you the rest of the list. So here we go.

Come with me Videos

By Videezy

These are the “this is what is in “X” store”, the “I came in here to buy “this” product, but here is what else they have”, and the popular, “what’s new in my store” video.  Now, I have a disclaimer to this type of video.  Most store chains do not like videos being shot in their stores by customer, unless you get permission. Let me explain what “getting permission” means to the average employee, “Call our corporate office”.  I am sorry, but when you are planning out a video, calling corporate is the last thing on your mind.  When you are first starting out, the best thing to do is shop in a specific location all the time.  The employees will see you coming, and you can begin talking to them casually and gaining trust.  Eventually, they will come around, and you can explain your business, or do like Romana of Cherish Treasures did and know someone who works for these stores.

Here are some the reasons they do not like them.  For one, they are afraid that you are the competition trying to find out store secrets.  Another is something called IP placement.  IP stands for Intellectual Property.  In other words, our old friend copyright.  I have several posts on this, so I do not have to explain how careful you have to be when roaming around the store with a video camera.  The last thing is the safety of their customers.  My advice to you if you decide to take on the come with me video is go during a time of day when there is less people or during a time when employees are most likely to be busy with another customer.  They also have security roaming around.  Stick to only your purchases.  And lastly, have fun and do not stress about it if an employee ask you to put the camera away.  Also, taping on your phone helps, it makes you look like you are viewing your messages.

Daily videos

By Suspicious Observers  

These are the videos where you can document your day.  Some people do straight talk about what happened during the course of their day while others will show it.  This type of video are for people who start off with their lifestyle video channel (crafts, food, etc…) then when they gain viewers, the creator will launch channel with everyday living.  Sometimes, the creator will start off with daily vlogs, then launch their niche channel, and gain a whole new set of viewers.

Family videos

By Twitter

These videos are a hybrid of the daily videos, only it involves a whole family.  I watch quite a few of these, like Holden It Down, who talks about hair, adopting her kids (she has 2, Elizabeth and Edgar), and family life.   I have mentioned these families before:

• Cullen and Katie Husband and Wife (Cullen and Katie) who has 2 additional channels, Katie on the Flip Side, and a podcast channel, Don’t Tell Mom, and have 2 children, Macey Gaines and Brooks, and dogs, Adabelle and Emma; Cats Whitaker forgot the other cat’s name.
• JK Today, featuring Katie’s Brother-in-law and Sister, Jay and Kelley, and their three kids, Madelyn, Bennett, and Emily, dog Socca, and cat Snuggles.
• GabeBabeTV , Husband and wife (Gabrielle and Chad Sr.) with their children, Ceej (Chad Jr) and Reagan), dog, Oscar,  who have 4 additional channels; The Gabe Fix, Chad Life, Ceej Life, and Let’s Make Out- A Podcast channel.
• Britt’s Space (formally The Nive Nulls)- formerly married mom (Brittany) of 3 (Audrianna, Kiland, and Maddox).
• Samika Vlogs – Husband and wife (Sam and Jennika) with 3 children (Noah, Penelope (PJ), and Ezra).
• LaVigne Life - Husband and wife (Jerry Jr. and Dee) who has 8 additional channels, including 2 channels featuring their kids, Jerry III and Jorden.
• Daily Davidsons Husband and wife (TJ and Tiffany) with 4 children; Jaden, Chance, Carter, and soon to be born baby girl.
• AprilJustinTV - Husband and Wife (April and Justin) with 2 sons, Liam and Jacob (Jake), two other channels; Cooking with April and AprilAthena7
• Naptural85 -  Husband and wife (Whitney and Felipe) with 2 children, Olivia and Theo, cat, Chubs, has 1 other channel, Whitney White.

Yes, I watch them a lot.

Takeaway Moment:

You can have a lot of fun with these videos without making them boring.  Unlike the others, where you can show something new and different each time you put a video.  All of these videos, except a couple have gotten their viewers first, then branched off to their different channels.  For example, Gabe Flower-Rader of GabebabeTV and The Gabe Fix talks about fashion, her favorites products of the month, and recently started talking about her progress with her latest pregnancy and birth of their baby girl, Reagan Elizabeth (her and Chad also have a son named Chad Jr. (Ceej)).  The point is to always to switch it up, so your audience will not get bored, unsub, and move on. One other tip: remember to edit.  Some viewers do not like it when you have an extra long video (the average with all these family videos is around 10-15 minutes in length).  More specialized videos can go a little longer.

I hope you take a look at all these channels and show them some love.  This post is not sponsored by any of these channels and the ones mentioned part 1.  I love watching them and seeing the children grow, which some I have been watching since some of these children were babies, so I feel like I am part of their family.  I have never met any of these families in person.

In my next post, I will talk about how I and these YouTubers protect ourselves from people showing up on their front porch.  Until then, be safe, and God Bless You.