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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Tag: social media

  • Using Social Media to Strengthen Your Personal Brand

    Using Social Media to Strengthen Your Personal Brand

    5 Steps to bring your personal brand to life through social media

    social media

    At the dawn of the era of social media there seemed to be a mixed reaction of excitement and fear over this uncharted territory. Excitement over the doors these new online outlets were providing for us to connect with each other to an extent yet unknown. Fear that this meant our personal lives were forever meant to be on display. For years it seemed that the only message circulated about the proper use of social media was a warning cry about the detrimental affects our profiles could have on our careers and professional lives. We’ve been warned to watch what we post in fear that our employers- current or hopeful- could be scanning our pages to uncover our faults.

     

    I believe the tides are now turning in favor of social media. Time has brought a new understanding of how to leverage these powerful platform s and use them to our benefit. While it is important to monitor what parts of your lives you want publicly broadcast, your social profiles can also serve as the best way for you to show off the best parts of yourself. The message is no longer a warning about what not  to do but rather a chorus of advice around what to do to leverage social media to your greatest favor.

     

    In part 2 of our series on building your personal brand we’re taking a look at how you can use social media to most effectively- you guessed it- build your personal brand . With the right know-how you can turn your social presence into a machine that strengthens your personal brand and allows you to tell your story to the world. We’ve got 5 simple steps you can take today to get started.

     

  • Don’t Expect Me to Smile. Or Meow.

    Colleen Viana reflects on her experiences with catcalling and opens an important discussion about street harassment
    PHOTO: Ralph Crane.
    PHOTO: Ralph Crane.

     

    On any given day, there are three things I fear while walking the streets of New York City:

    1. Pigeons (better known as rats with wings)
    2. A sea of tourists (though less of a fear and more of an annoyance—if you work in SoHo on the weekends you’ll understand)
    3. Catcallers

     

    The inevitable “damn girl!” or “what’s up, beautiful?” while at first complimentary, is enough to ruin your walk to work, the bodega, the bars, or hell, even the laundromat. A shout-out to your derriere can even cause more frustration than those relentless pigeons, sadly. It wasn’t until recently that I started contemplating the pragmatics of these very uncomfortable situations. The other day, for instance, I had to stop myself from looking back to shout, “YOUR MOM’S CHEST HAIR” when asked “where did those luscious locks come from, sexy?” It’s a constant reminder to pick your battles; but when is enough, enough?

    There is no way to easily confront being sexually harassed; that is essentially what catcalling is, believe it or not. It’s a conversation that is easily avoidable, often uncomfortable in the same manner as experiencing it. They are not moments we wish to recount, yet it happens so often that this unhappened conversation needs to start happening.

    So here is my story about the first time I can recall being catcalled, and not liking it (but when do you, really?).
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