I joined a group of community members who organized and hosted a public event attended by 300-350 people. My role was to live stream it to expand reach. At this time, live streaming to social platforms was brand new.  My “second camera” was my cell phone and I had it positioned on a 1980’s camcorder tripod. The local news crew didn’t recognize it as such. They moved the easel with the agenda so their big camera could have the shot they wanted. However, they put the easel in front of my camera! It was interesting to see a convergence of technology and shift in control of distribution of information.  I was proud to learn that this event had over 20,000 views.

I LOVE TO COOK! And I’m pretty darn good at it, if I say so myself.

I host small dinner parties in my home to offer cozy opportunities to have deeper conversations and meet new people.

But I also live stream and share my cooking tips on the socials.

www.sixat7.com for private dinner parties.

www.chezamy.com for cooking tips.

I think live streaming is a huge gift to society. We can connect with people in ways and locations that used to be impossible. And it allows us to distribute and control our message with much greater affordability and reach.

For a year, I live streamed daily under an alias to test the waters of building an audience from nothing. The platform I used is no longer available as it was acquired and integrated into a larger, well-known app. What I learned was live streaming is just public speaking, consistency is really drip marketing, and being clear on why you’re doing the work is very important to stay on topic and in alignment with your big-picture and short-term goals.

However, it requires us to learn new skills and multi-task during important work. This can be frustrating as it doesn’t always feel as important as the results we are striving for. Practice is the solution.

For 3 years, I attended a trade show in Los Angeles.  At the last one, Erin Brockovich was a keynote speaker.  I didn’t know what to expect but I was very excited to see her speak.  She was hysterical, so much smarter than Hollywood presented her to be, full of sass, and incredibly passionate about clean water. 

The takeaways from her presentation were: let logic and common sense guide you, you need leverage in numbers to make an impact, stay loyal to your cause when it gets tough or lonely, and love-love of each others as human beings is your why. 

Here I had a chance to talk with her for a good 10 minutes.

Such a joy!   I’ll never forget this.

At 48 1/2 years old, I started to take horseback riding lessons in the discipline of saddleseat riding. I was completely unprepared for how demanding this sport is physically, intellectually, and emotionally.  It can be quite defeating when you realize an 8-year-old is riding the same horse you ride during your lessons and the kiddo is making it look super easy!  Horses are amazing teachers. 

And yes, this fella really is that big!

 I love volunteering when and where I can.  Here I am the Easter Bunny for photos with little kiddos, pets, and I even convinced a few adults to join me for the charity fundraiser.  Other volunteer work includes moving appliances and furniture, donating household items, sewing masks for a men’s homeless shelter, selling raffle tickets at a fundraiser, and taking photos at events.

I am very interested in finding a way to work with elementary aged children to help them build their own educational foundation with hopes that it will impact their future success in life. The pandemic has made this challenging.

Working from home can be awesome when my days are interrupted by Luna and her energy of pure joy.  She reminds me to get up and move, go outside, and get snacks.  She is also known to get excited for live streaming and wants to join in the fun! As soon as she sees the phone on the tripod or hears me start speaking, she often squeals with delight and starts playing soccer.