I Took a Break From Periscope and Almost Broke My Business

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From March 1 to March 7, I didn’t use Periscope. I didn’t do any Periscope broadcasts and I didn’t watch any.

If Periscope is not your jam, a seven-day fast from this social media platform means nothing to you. But Periscope is my jam, my jelly, and my bread and butter. I LOVE PERISCOPE.

And that’s my problem. I was watching and/or listening to Periscope broadcasts ALL THE TIME – in the morning as I got ready for work, in the evening when I took walks through my neighborhood, while I was cooking, while I was driving, while I was painting my nails and waiting for them to dry.

The people I follow on Periscope are fellow bloggers and content creators. They’re female entrepreneurs who are slaying the game and I am eager to learn all their tricks of the trade.

But I was so obsessed with Periscope that I was barely spending time in prayer and reading Scripture.

So essentially I gave up Periscope for Jesus.

And I didn’t even miss it. Or so I thought.

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How to Not Freak Out About the New Instagram Changes

instagram changes

It’s official. Starting tomorrow Instagram is changing its platform and using an algorithm that will affect what appears in your feed. Instead of the latest 150 posts showing up chronologically as they have in the past, images and media will appear in your feed based on “the likelihood you’ll be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post,” according to Instagram. Yes, this sounds a lot like Facebook and yes, you should have expected this since Facebook owns Instagram, but no, this doesn’t mean you should give up on Instagram.

As I’ve been known to say — don’t get bitter, get better.

This change will not only affect what you see in your feed, it also affects how likely your followers are to see your content. This is huge if you’re trying to use Instagram to build a personal brand or to promote your blog, book or business.

For years I used Instagram just for fun, but back in October I started an account for my personal brand and business — @seejavaciawrite — and started posting occasionally. But I will be honest with you, I’m worried I’ve done too little, too late.

But instead of throwing a virtual temper tantrum and organizing a protest and petition against Instagram, I’m going to get my feed in “formation.” Here’s how you can do the same…

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How See Jane Write Has Changed My Life

5 years of Jane

Five years ago today I gathered with a group of a dozen women at a local Mexican restaurant to talk about writing. This was the first official event of See Jane Write.

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From the first See Jane Write event on March 24, 2011

Today, See Jane Write is an award-winning business and boasts a lofty mission — to empower women to be the authors of their own lives through writing, blogging and entrepreneurship. I want women to write and live lives worth writing about. I want to teach women how they can use their words to make a living and to make a difference. I want to help women build their blogs into businesses and turn their passion for writing into a profitable career.

But when I started See Jane Write five years ago, my intentions were less noble. I started See Jane Write five years ago because, quite frankly, I was sad. Very sad. So sad I could barely get out of bed most mornings.

In 2009 I left my newspaper job in Louisville, Ky., and moved back to Birmingham (where I was born and raised) to teach. The classroom and the newsroom are very different places and I was having a hard time adjusting. And since I no longer felt like a “real journalist,” something I’d wanted to be since I was 15, I was having an identity crisis, too. I was also regretting returning to my hometown and, most of all, I missed being around fellow writers.

So, I started See Jane Write. And that changed everything.

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Meet Joi Miner

joi miner

If you’re coming to the See Jane Write 5th Anniversary Party tomorrow you should prepare yourself to meet a host of interesting female writers and bloggers. One of the most interesting women in the room will be poet, author, editor, and motivational speaker Joi Miner.

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