V.C Social Media Brand Management for Professionals & Trades People

Anyone landing in Vancouver/Lower Mainland in October or November? I would love to help you settle in! (NO payment it's my way of paying it forward!)

Haven't posted in months!! It sure has been busy!!

Exciting new adventure has started!

I have started at a new company Hugh & Mckinnon Realty! It's part time working in the accounts and admin department helping out...for now... watch this space people the big goal is to become a Realtor!!

I will be posting still about my experiences here and posts that you may find useful or you can identify with.

Looking forward to having you all in my new adventure and who knows possibly helping you once I get my Realtors license!

We are so excited to try this out! I remember being a teen and going to a rink it was so much fun!

Two surprises this weekend...surprise number 1...we love Bovril spread...we love it with toasted, cheese, we love it with eggs and cheese on toast we love it plain..

On an intense craving out of desperate I made toasted cheese and lathered it in Soy sauce...possibly a little too much but man oh man the results were satisfying!!

We have had an abundance of toast and soy sauce this weekend..we got it down to an art just enough sauce to keep the crunch yet still tastes delicious.

It's funny how certain tastes of food can bring comforts to you with just a bite.

The second surprise is when a phone glitches there is a function on it whereby if you tap the power button a few times in succession it calls 911....we never knew that, so imagine our surprise when the 911 operator called back. Even after explaining the situation a police officer came out to check.

The officer came quite quickly and when we opened the door he was so friendly and engaging. He spoke to the kids and took them to see his cruiser. They were so excited to see the lights and speak to a policeman on a personal level and there was even more excitement when they got stickers from the gentleman!!

The RCMP were amazing. So grateful that we have them!

Today I was standing on the playground, laughing with my group of friends.

It was such a feel good moment. We are a diverse and dynamic group of ladies and I am so grateful to have them in my life.

One of my biggest worries about the move was not fitting in culturally and not forming deep relationships that I have back in South Africa. I was worried that the people I would be meeting would not get my sometimes dark sense of humour or like me on my quirky days or accept me on my sad dark days.

I have not been everyone's cup of tea and they have not been mine. That's OK. That's normal.

I think that's one of our biggest fears especially as adults. Rejection...

Unfortunately rejection happens, and that's OK.

The same goes for growing your professional network..Rejection is not a sign that it's you, its a sign that something or someone is not right FOR you. It is finding out what is being rejected and deciding on whether you are going to act on it or whether you are not going to act on it. Ultimately rejection is a form of growth and an opportunity for self reflection.

Don't be scared to be your beautiful self , to share your experiences and knowledge because it will attract the right people to you..both personally and professionally!

Another week has flown past!

I was speaking to a friend and it feels like we have been here forever but at the same time it feels like we left South Africa the other day.

Schools are now gearing up for intake and it's so important to see how your district deals with kindergarten,elementary and secondary intakes.

Districts have a website and that shows you the how's, catchment areas etc.

If you decide to go the private route you will need to speak to the individual school.

When discussing schools the question always comes up private vs government schools.

We have been very happy with the government schools in our area and speaking to parents this seems to be the natural choice as well.

Private schools may be chosen because of religious reasons and how much support a child needs i.e are they sporty,are they academically inclined,do they require more attention, are they gifted etc.

From what I can see choosing between the Two systems seems to be a preference rather than a necessity.

Our experience of government schools where we stay have been very positive. The classes are small, the teachers have been amazing and the courses offered have been great. We have also received support from the school and teachers.

My advice to prior to moving into an area research the schools. Look at the Fraser Reports on the schools that are in the area before you move. Also get onto the mom's Facebook groups for the areas you have earmarked and ask them the questions. Local knowledge is the best knowledge!

Examples of unexpected costs that we found out about when we first started here:-

1. School Field trips (they range between a few dollars to $20.00). I think with covid we forgot that children in general do have field trips and tours and also for young children they didn't not really cater for them precovid in Primary School..

2. Hot lunches ,this term going for basics (just the meal no juice or treats and the cheapest on the list) we are looking at around $100.00/ $120.00 per child. This is for 20 meals (once a week over 20 weeks)

3. MSP (our provinces medical insurance) as they were on student visas we had to pay $75.00 per child

4. Stationery. We were told that schools include it in the donation that is paid yearly however this in our case was not correct. As with SA each year the pack prices change.

5. Fundraisers a big thing in SA and a big thing here!

6. Lunch time snacks...we are in a nut free environment so Peanut Butter and Jam sammies don't cut it. One needs to have snacks and then a packed lunch.

If you think of any other costs that caught you by surprise feel free to share!

Everyone ra ra's their highlights, their achievements and shining moments. Very few open up about their raw challenges because they do not want to be seen as weak.

The lesson I learnt last week is that vulnerability is not a weakness. It takes strength to express the vulnerability and to accept support that comes with that.

Social Media paints a picture that one wants the world to perceive however when it comes to bare honest truth unless it really is sensational very little truth is put on there.

Perceptions are changing because people want to see the truth, people generally by nature want to help they also want to see that they are not the only ones in the boat.

So how does this influence the way you run your professional account?

Your posts should reflect love,honesty, truth and respect. These are the pillars of society. These are the pillars of the community you want to build.

People want to see what challenges you face in the industry, they want to partake in finding solutions and they want to see how you overcame the challenge.

Where are the ties to love honesty truth and respect then?

Love..the love/passion for your industry/position/project/opinion comes from the way you write about it.

Honesty... by taking accountability for your emotions, actions and words. Giving honest insight into opinions

Truth..making sure that you are factually correct, not sugar coating and beating around the bush. Life is full of truths and it is your responsibility to live by them

Respect.. not only to others but yourself, people will become respectful to your work online and in time if you manage your account and information correctly you will generate more interest in your community.

One of our biggest skills and most important skill is the ability to communicate. Without communication we are not able to do much.

People when they start on a journey ,especially one that means changing jobs or trying to get a new position the first thing they need to do is to communicate that need. This applies to you if you are a business owner too!

The next step is to start networking and building their community. You can only do so with communication!

On various forums there are discussions about "I have applied for a job" but nothing has happened. I look at this statement and a million thoughts go through my mind..but the biggest one is how did you communicate prior to this?

If you are not active on the correct platforms then how are people going to know about you? Should you not have started by communicating with members of your industry prior by saying hey this is me! These are my thoughts and my ideas! These are my opinions and some of my solutions.

By building your industry community and your online professional presence it will do you the world of good!

Let us help you . We are able to assist!

[email protected]

Photo Credit to Mignon Mapplebeck on a wonderful visit to Calgary!

That feeling when opening the boxes and special items are taken out!!

Finally after 16 months our sentimental belongings are here! So excited!