“In the Hot Seat” Audrey from Social Media 4 Beginners

I’m very excited to welcome Audrey from Social Media 4 Beginners, for our first “In the Hot Seat” interview.

Audrey, a great woman with a big heart, has been online since 1999, that alone deserves great respect.

Her focus right now is her website Social Media 4 Beginners where she teach social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to the end user.

An honor to have you here Audrey!

 

1. Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

First and foremost I am a wife, mother, grandma and friend. I have been in the Internet Marketing world since 1999 however, it wasn’t until 2011 that I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Internet Marketing.

After many interviews and let downs my sister and I decided to build our own Internet Marketing/Web Design company. We did this for a couple years but both felt led to follow other passions. She went into Criminal justice (I know a far cry from Web Design lol) and me into the wonderful world of creating online courses.

 

2. How did you get into the online business world, what inspired you?

My dad has always been an early adapter and he brought along all 6 of us kids with him. While my friends were playing outside I was stuck inside learning DOS and how the computer operated.

It was in 1999 my sister landed a huge contract with a company that needed Search Engine Optimization, so she hired me to learn it and be the go to person for all things Search Engine optimized.

Since then, I have expanded my knowledge through college and hands on training and love the possibilities that the Internet gives us as business professionals.

 

3. Could you briefly describe your blog or website?

I offer Hands on Training Video Tutorials for the most popular Social Media sites like Facebook, Skype, YouTube and Twitter. We offer a yearly or Lifetime membership to the site which gives you access to all of the courses on these sites.

The website is different in the fact that it is geared towards the end user, just starting to use the different Social Media sites and are 45+. So many businesses are geared towards helping other businesses become successful on these social sites however, no one is helping the end user to safely and easily navigate these sites.

 

4. How did you come up with the idea of your website or blog?

In 2013 I noticed a lot of my mom and dad’s friends were getting on Facebook and were not understanding how it all worked. One of their friends sent a private message to a friend but instead of private messaging them, they wrote it on the friends Facebook wall (now known as your Timeline).

I put together and uploaded a Beginners Guide to Facebook Video tutorial on YouTube and three years later it has been viewed almost 200,000 times. In 2015 I did an updated guide, since Facebook likes to change things around, and it currently has almost 60,000 views. Looking at the demographics of those watching these videos 55% are over the age of 45 which revealed a huge market that needed some help in learning these social sites.

 

5. What is it that drives you to work for yourself, running your own business?

I have always been an entrepreneur at heart as well as an encourager and someone who loves to help others. I have such a strong desire to create a business that can help others achieve their passions as well as mentor young woman to become entrepreneurs themselves.

Of course the biggest thing that drives me is to be able to buy my Dad a yellow convertible and give my husband the opportunity to pursue his passions, which he has so selflessly given up to take care of the family.

 

6. What`s your best advice to find balance between work, family and life?

Learn to say NO and set your boundaries ahead of time. For instance, instead of getting together with friends during the day for lunch, I already know it’s going to take longer than an hour, I’ll make plans for dinner. This way, I’m still working on my business during the day and in the evening time I can enjoy my family and friends.

I know the great thing about working for yourself is you can work anytime, night or day, but I have found setting certain hours to work has helped me enjoy the little things in life and I’m not consumed by my work. This was a huge hurdle to overcome.

 

7. How do you define success running your own website and online business?

Many would say that success is having the money coming in while their laying on a beach in Cancun, but to me my success comes from watching a Grandma who is living in an Assisted Living Facility be able to see her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for the first time in years over Skype.

Or having the daughter of a Retired Veteran thanking me for showing her Dad how to use Skype because she can now see him all the time. Or the laughter of woman while their looking at their News Feed on Facebook.

 

8. What’s the most frustrating part of running your own business?

Being alone! I love working with people and being able to bounce ideas around with different people. Not having that has been one of my biggest struggles.

I have my Dad and my sister who has helped me tremendously and we talk all the time on Skype, but I miss that face to face interaction. Oh and having an accountable partner. Miss that too.

 

9. What’s the most positive aspect of running your own online business?

If I want/need to take off I can. If my family needs me, I’m able to be there without having to ask someone if I can go. I can take my business with me and not skip a beat. I set my own hours and do the very thing I love to do…teach.

 

10. What skill have you learned along the way, that you find invaluable running your online business today?

Time management. To this day I’m still learning this but have gotten so much better. My mind set when I am behind this computer is…I am working and distractions are my enemy.

I remember reading a study from the University of California Irvine that showed how it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back in the groove of a task after you’ve been interrupted and sidetracked.

I’ve witnessed it in my own business so I try my hardest to keep all distractions to a minimum and stay on the task at hand until it’s finished.

 

11. If you could travel back in time, to when you first started this online journey what advice would you give yourself?

Be patient, it’s not going to happen overnight. It might not even happen in a year or 5 years but it WILL happen and you WILL be successful! Just don’t you quit! This goes along with one of my favorite poems:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

 

12. What do you see in the future for you and your business?

I see my business taking off in two ways.

The 1^st is working with Assisted Living Facilities, Retirement Homes and 55+ Communities and offering a membership to the homes so that their residents are able to learn these Social media sites through Hands on Training classes. My curriculum/membership site is already in one of these homes and I am working on bringing it to other homes locally and in Washington State.

The 2^nd way is offering my membership site to affiliates and allowing them to offer these courses to their followers as well.

Thank you Audrey for sharing your online journey with us! 

 

Do you want some more exposure? See if “In the hot seat” is for you.

This is the community where Audrey and I connected, grateful that they provide a platform where great connections are born.