Pleasant Surprise to Start the New Year: The Power of Social Media 4

Pleasant Surprise to Start the New Year: The Power of Social Media

Original Quote by Terri Lind Davis, Graphic via Laurie Laizure, founder Interior Design Community

With the New Year now upon us, seems like there is a breath of fresh air blowing in for many. I can feel the ripple through all the social media channels.

We are all getting geared up to make 2016 a great year. Everywhere I turn, people are reporting unexpected signs, contracts, jobs and new mindsets that are filled with hope and anticipation of all the New Year will bring.

I have been laying low this past month due to not one, but two hand surgeries for long-term carpal tunnel syndrome which was starting to cause actual nerve damage. This is something I had been putting off for a while  but now was the time. I will be glad to be on the other side of recovery to start the New Year off running.

During my recovery, I have had the time to do a lot of thinking about the past year…what progress was made on goals and how I will move forward in the coming year.

My word for last year was “focus” and I had a whole list of things that focus was going to be on. I had to adjust my sails quickly when I discovered my neglected Website had gone haywire and I needed to refocus my priorities there.

What started out as a search for a band-aid quickly evolved into major surgery. It was a long and frustrating journey, with many wrong turns and learned lessons.

Thankfully it all turned out for the best as I finally found the right person to help me create a Website that married my Interior Design self to my Artist self.  It’s so sweet to  finally feel whole. I realize now that a good part of last year was spent focusing on getting ready for this year,  and that is exciting!

Some time before my Website crash, I had come up with the quote above that embodied my emerging business that now included my artwork as well. I first shared it on a twitter chat called #colorchat where I was invited to be a guest. The topic was focused on color in art. I knew then from the feedback I got, it was a quote many would connect with. And it was a quote that would be part of branding my business.

So when Laurie Laizure, founder of Interior Design Community,  requested quotes from members, I threw it out one more time. Laurie created  graphics and shared each quote via social media channels.  Some of them went viral and started popping up everywhere you turned. One of those quotes was mine. We were all amazed when my quote was then picked up by House Beautiful and shared via social media channels starting last summer.

Prior to this nice surprise, I had moved on to a second Web designer to help me complete my Web site. I loved that she first presented a complete schematic of the all-important home page  BEFORE  jumping in and starting the design of the actual site.   I knew when I saw one of the mock-up slides that she had listened and understood the essence of my business. She gained my trust for some of the smaller things I may not have been sure of at that point and during the progress of the project.

It is a huge relieve to finally have my site up and running again. I know some were wondering why it was down for so long. 

 I am very excited to move forward in 2016 and had an unexpected surprise to start the New Year.

I was checking out at the grocery last week and was drawn to a particular magazine.  I am a recovering magazine addict but honestly rarely buy anymore. (With the onset of Pinterest and the blog craze, I have saved tons of money, lol)

However, that day I had an irresistible urge to throw this particular mag on the check out counter with the rest of my groceries. Thumbed through it briefly at home but then laid it aside. Well just the other day, I picked it up again. This time, I suddenly turned to the very last page, something I rarely do. Lo and behold, I see my quote, now shared by Better Homes and Garden quarterly issue of DECOR magazine.

I could hardly believe my eyes! It took a while for it to sink in that my little ole quote had made it all the way to a national publication.

I have had many people ask me how I was able to swing that.

Well, now you know.

The Power of Social Media.

Thanks for stopping by!

May we all have a SIMPLY SIGNIFICANT New Year 2016!