Over the last two years, I've become a natural at using social media marketing to position myself as an authority in natural living and to promote my emerging health coaching service. I faithfully posted to Facebook and Twitter at least a dozen times a day. I entered a new blog post every weekday. I shared images and articles via
Instagram and
Pinterest several times a week.
I have over 700 likes on
my Facebook fan page and over 700
Twitter followers. I've got a few hundred followers on other social media platforms and my mailing list too. To the outside online observer, it looks like I really have my shiitake together.
Unfortunately, social media success does not equal career success. I'm not in the business of acquiring social media followers. I'm in the business of helping people discover the freedom to live guided by their passion and purpose.
When I slowed down long enough to let this sink in, I realized I was abusing social media. I was busying myself with tasks that were comfortable and without risk to trick myself into believing I was making progress. Meanwhile, I was avoiding scary new territory that was full of risk of possible rejection. Of course, there was plenty to gain by putting myself out there. In fact, success as a health coach, and as a human being who takes responsibility for her freedom, requires taking risks.
