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"It may seem like everyone has a blog, or a social channel they want you to follow, and that's because it's true. It has never been easier to turn your expertise into a revenue stream and becoming an influencer will help you do just that.
Let's start with the most important questions: What exactly are influencers and why are they important? In general, an influencer is someone who has influence. I know, I know, it isn't very helpful to define a word by using the same word, but sometimes things really are that simple. Word-of-mouth marketing is nothing new and it's probably the driving force behind most of your consumer habits, whether that's buying a product, binge-watching a show, or downloading an app.
But in today's digital world, the word 'influencer' is most commonly ascribed to someone who has clout through her digital channels, or as some like to call it, 'social currency.' Whether she has a lot of followers or really high engagement, when she speaks, her audience listens, they act, and—most importantly to brands—they buy."
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"Don't we all desire to be winners in our various field of endeavor? Wouldn't you want to stand tall and get ovation from your friends and loved ones after achieving a feat? Everyone desires to win in life; we all want to be successful in everything we do. It is no secret that everyone, whether young or old wants to be champions and achieve success in whatever they do. People want to excel in sports, academics, business, career, finances, health, relationships, and in spiritual life. Why do some succeed, while others failed, why are some so far behind in the game of life while others are well ahead? Why does it seem like everything goes very well for some while others appear to be struggling in everything they do? What does it take to become a champion? Can anyone win in the game of life and become as successful as they desire?"
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"The number of articles about successful people's habits are innumerable. Dating back to The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey, we've been obsessed with what it takes to do well. But for most people who work in large organizations, it is not that easy. Their lives are not defined by the ability to design their own habits, or routines; their work lives emerge from the environment that they work in, and the forces—operational, hierarchical, and functional—that exert themselves on their daily lives. Successful people in these environments, we've found, have routines that are distinct to their social systems, and these routines differentiate their performance."
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"After losing my way in life, just a bit, I re-launched a writing career—a childhood dream—and began to send work to literary magazines. I was bursting with hope for affirmation of my great skill and broad experience. Editors would be glad I sent them work. I would be a literary star.
I sent out stories and essays confidently at first.
Months later I would get a reply in the mail—from The Paris Review, for example (I'm a sucker for the biggest names). I would stand motionless, desperate for acceptance, floating amongst the stars with hope. I'd slip my finger under a loose corner of the flap and tear. Take the slip of paper and hold it up to my near-sighted eyes. The pain of rejection dragged me from the stars into the red-hot magma at the core of the earth.
I'd get a letter from a lit magazine and cringe at the pain I was about to feel. I would try to cut off hope—it seemed easier than to be disappointed again. Then I'd hope against hope, wishing for that surge of affirmation from being accepted. But I knew at this point that it wasn't likely. I'd whip through those three stages several times. Then I would say, 'Open it. It might just be what you want to hear.' I was right twice. But hundreds of times I got a rejection, and each one floored me for days, if not weeks.
But I chose each time to keep working at my craft. I may be more talented at dogged perseverance than I am at creative writing.
It doesn't matter. I have to write. If I don't, Franz Kafka's quote comes true: "A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity." ... So I've bird-dogged my goal: to keep out of the asylum and instead to benefit the world as my Higher Power wants me to do."
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We stood up and tried to make our voices heard. We’re really proud of what we have accomplished so far, and are so grateful to all the people who have joined our cause. They gave us strength. They gave us hope. You give us hope. But let’s face it—it’s not enough. And the merchants of chaos keep peddling their wares.
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