Influence(r)

I was talking with a friend the other night, and I mentioned not knowing what to write about next on the blog. I have been here before—waiting to write until I feel I have something worth sharing. She told me she knew it would come to me...and whatever I wrote would help people because I was an influencer.

I am in marketing, so of course the definition of influencer that first comes to mind is some fancy blogger wearing designer clothes at an amazing place tagging every item available for purchase.

I don't have 10,000 followers but it got me thinking—if I have influence, what type of influencer do I want to be?

Influence 1: the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways : SWAY 

People are literally obsessed with becoming famous on social media. Instagram, YouTube, TikTok. Many are even buying followers. It seems exhausting to me. The need for approval is so overwhelming that Instagram has been testing out what it would look like to remove the "like" feature. They claim this will help reduce the associated impacts on mental health and societal pressure. Wow.

I think what people are missing is that they don't need 10,000 followers to have influence.

We can influence at home. I am influencing my children every day in my own home. They are watching how I live my life and how I respond to circumstances. This audience is more important to me than any other. I have my share of parenting fails, but acknowledging the influence I have at home helps me to respond better—and to admit to them when I have made a mistake. This opens doors to conversations that both my children and I can learn from.

We can influence at work. We can have a positive attitude even when things may not be going our way. We can offer to help those around us that could learn from a skill-set that we possess. We can reach out to people in different departments. YES, it is possible to make friends with people that have different talents and interests. We can provide internal customer service the SAME way that we provide it externally. When you adopt this attitude, the people around you will notice something is different about you and be influenced to be more collaborative and positive as well.

We can influence in public. You'd be surprised how much your interactions with people in public can influence. We are all so "busy" that it's easy to miss an opportunity to just be kind. Ask your waiter or waitress how their day is going; pay them a compliment. This random act of kindness can can influence the way they react to you and respond to others. If someone is rude be kind back. Your response will most likely make them question their behavior and influence how they treat you and the next person they come in contact with. Pay it forward.

I realize these are all very simplistic pieces of advice. But in this world filled with unrealistic expectations and high demands, our response is everything. I am an influencer...and you are too.

XO,

C