I also love speaking. Big groups, small groups, one-on-one one, you name it, and I love it. I was a Coms major in college and reveled in every bit of that experience. Give me a room full of people over a math problem any day. Might explain why it took me five tries to finally pass College Algebra, huh? My point – we’re all good at something and sometimes it makes sense to move outside our respective comfort levels and learn something new. Plus, I truly believe that video blogging is — and should be — an integral part of smart social media strategies, so if I’m going to talk the talk and tell my clients how important it is to vlog, I’ve got to walk the walk. I’m just that kind of gal.
For me, video blogging is a whole different milieu. Don’t get me wrong – I’m so not afraid of a camera. I’ve been on TV a hundred times. Had my picture taken a million more. You don’t do what I do and not have considerable media exposure. But, when it comes to sitting down alone in front of my FlipCam and doing a video post – goodness, but I’m my own harshest critic. Anyone relate to that concept? I’ll bet so.
Here’s the thing. Whether it’s your first blog post, your first presentation in front of a group of people, your first sales pitch or your first video blog post, it’s probably not going to be perfect. But, the only way to get started is to take the first step–get over your insecurities, take a leap, and get the darn thing out there. Or, as I learned at Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker’s SOBCon event, the veritable think tank of the social web, launch the damn thing, then tweak it.
And so, without further ado, I’m launching it. My first video blog post. Sure, I cut off the top of my head – but I wanted you to see the necklace I was vlogging about. Sure, I could’ve used some lipstick but, guess what, that’s what I look like. Not always perfect. Sure, I need to learn a few tricks, and I especially need to learn how to edit, but what the heck, I’m putting it out there, warts and all, so that you can see that we all start somewhere. I’ll work on perfection next time. But, until then, I’m not afraid to show you my first effort.
And, in case you missed it because you were (1) blinded by my beauty, (2) entranced by my words or (3) counting my many wrinkles, my cool necklace is from the folks at Survival of the Hippest, and you can stalk them on Twitter at @TheHippest.
So there, I’ve done it. Gotten over the hump. Launched the damn thing. I’ll get better. But there’s gotta be a starting point. Now it’s your turn. What are you procrastinating about? What are you dragging your feet on? I double dog dare you to launch the damn thing. And then tell me about it so that I can give you a virtual pat on the back. And maybe even buy you a beer.
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”