Sometimes I fall down. Like a few weeks ago. I fell down, and I hurt my back. It still hurts.

A LOT!

Life must go on however. There are still things I must do.

Pushing through the pain is one of them.

Yes, I’ve been to see someone. Nothing is broken.

Yes, it’ll heal with time.

Most things do.

But I had to make the conscious decision to get back up, get back on the bull, and go out into the world every day.

I get to choose whether I get up or not.

And so do you.

Yep, some days are easier than others to choose to get up.

And yet still, it’s worth it. It’s worth getting up each day, because of  the new possibilities, of the new hope that the next day might be the best day.

Because if you don’t look back, usually the very next day IS the very best day, of the rest of your life.

I hope you’ll choose to get back on the bull.

Today.

Tomorrow.

Every day.

Even when it hurts a little.

PS: If you can’t see the video, click here. It’s only 1:14.

And no, this is NOT how I hurt my back

One of the best ways to connect with people is by being in front of them. Live interactions are better than online interactions. The more folks I can see, the more folks I can get deep with, become friends with, and learn from. Same with you and your business. If you can get in front of your customers and potential customers, or employers and potential employers, you can close the deal and make the magic happen.

As it’s impossible to be everywhere with everyone, get social with your pictures instead!

If you’re connected to me on Facebook, you’d know my favorite way to connect to folks is through my ever changing profile pictures. I post pictures of me with my favorite people, and I post pictures of me speaking or just me goofing off. It really connects with folks, as I frequently get over 25 comments about folks I otherwise don’t hear very much from.

I also love to take pictures at conferences I speak at and attend, and share them on Facebook too. It encourages folks to leave comments, share their favorite memories, and give feedback about a fun time in their lives.

Here are a few tips you can use to get social with your photos:

1) Candid shots win - Folks love candor. Professional shots don’t play well, and folks can smell the lack of authenticity. I had a professional headshot taken and 40 folks took time from their day to let me know how much it wasn’t me. True…and valuable feedback for when I send information about my speaking. You can take candid shots of you smiling at your business or with friends and share those.

2) Smiles win – Folks love a real smile.  The bigger the smile, the more folks like it. No sense posting frowny pictures, find one that has you smiling, and share that one!

3) Other people win – If I’m spending time with a friend or connect with someone at a speaking engagement, I try to post their picture up once we become friends on Facebook. You could do this with your customers as they come into your store, or as you see them around town. Carry a lightweight digital camera to snap the impromptu.

What do you think about this picture and this article?

• Does this photo connect with you?
• How could it better connect with you?
• How could you use photos to better connect with your fans and your business?

Thought I’d share a few places you can find a few more of my social media and networking insights, as I don’t always put all my helpful tips here. Please visit and leave a comment if you find the content shared valuable.

Business Insanity Radio with Barry Moltz

Barry and I talked for 10 minutes about Networking for Nerds (his words, not mine):

• Relationship Geek – oxymoron or business truth?
• Offline networking – as important as online?
• Feeding Your Friendlies – what’s this all about…and can you really use this to get more business?
• Social Media Saturdays – how are you planning to teach folks Social Media in just 5 30 minute sessions?

Bridging Old & New Social Media Series with CB Whittemore

CB asked me some great questions about social media:

• How/why did you get involved in social media?
• What do you like most about social media?
• What do you like least about social media?
• How has social media changed how you interact with the marketplace as a consumer or customer?
• What 5 suggestions do you have for companies to implement so they can more effectively bridge old media with new media and connect with end users?
• Any other thoughts to share about the effectiveness of social media in forging stronger relations with customers and how best to do so.

If you’d like to have me as a guest on your show/blog or have any questions you’d like me to answer, please contact me using the contact form found in the top navigation on your  or by clicking here.