In this month's business owner recap episode, Zac and Micah discuss their key takeaways from the episodes of the #IHateSocialMedia Podcast so far. They re-emphasize the previous guests' focus on the importance of authenticity on social media and commiserate on the difficulties of delving into social media as people to whom constant self-marketing does not come naturally. Sometimes you just have to "embrace the cringe" in order to be authentic online, and since "to cringe and be cringe is human," you're bound to find other people who resonate with your brand of cringe online. Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow Retro Media Digitizers at: https://www.facebook.com/rmdigitizers https://www.instagram.com/retromediadigitizers Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

Mark Lane, serial entrepreneur and web-developer extraordinaire, appears in this week's episode to discuss his business ownership story as well as his web and software development expertise. He shares the events that led to him owning four different businesses over the course of his career, and he also gives tips on which website builders he most recommends for business owners to use. Micah and Mark also delve into the future of web-development and where Mark believes web and software development are headed over the next few years. Follow Eco York at: https://www.facebook.com/ecoyork https://www.instagram.com/ecoyork https://www.youtube.com/ecoyork Link to Eco York: https://www.ecoyork.com/ Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos Follow Retro Media Digitizers at: https://www.facebook.com/rmdigitizers https://www.rmdigitizers.com Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

This week we're back with part 2 of this amazing conversation with Scot! Micah and Scot talk about how to step away from formulas when creating content and authentically engage with your followers and truly "find your tribe" on social media. In business terms, they discuss the necessity of reaching people outside your sales funnel instead of focusing solely on people who are immediately ready to buy. In Scot's own words, "People buy from people, people don't want to buy from companies," so get out there and post like a person. Follow Rogue Worship Leader at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070187511213 https://www.instagram.com/rogueworshipleader Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos Follow Retro Media Digitizers at: https://www.facebook.com/rmdigitizers https://www.rmdigitizers.com Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

We've been eager to dive into the nitty gritty of creating successful content. If that is you as well, the wait is over; your moment has arrived. Join us as we talk with B2B social media marketing expert, Scot Leonard about cutting through the noise on social media and the difficulties of producing fresh, authentic content when creativity is monitored by committee. Scot and Micah also discuss, not only the importance of authenticity on social media, but also HOW to create authentic, relatable content for both your business and your personal social media platforms. Also, if you like Star Wars, this episode is for you because you'll also get a sneak peak into Scot's experiences running popular Star Wars meme page Rogue Worship Leader. Follow Rogue Worship Leader at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070187511213 https://www.instagram.com/rogueworshipleader Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos Follow Retro Media Digitizers at: https://www.facebook.com/rmdigitizers https://www.rmdigitizers.com Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

This week on the #IHateSocialMedia Podcast, we look at social media from a different perspective by sitting down with local wedding photographer, Jodi Anderson, and talking with her about her experience getting her Instagram hacked. Go with us on this gut-wrenching journey as she talks about watching as her carefully curated feed was slowly deleted, one photo at a time, while she was locked out of her account. But nothing could keep her down for long, and Jodi also speaks to the process of rebuilding her brand and forging ahead despite the setback. We were inspired and think you will be too! Follow Jodi Anderson Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/photographybyjodianderson/ https://www.instagram.com/photographybyjodianderson/ Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions/ https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions/ Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto/ https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos/ Follow Retro Media Digitizers at: https://www.facebook.com/rmdigitizers https://www.instagram.com/retromediadigitizers/ Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

Alexa Freyman is a historic journalist who researches the history of people and places all around Berks County, Pennsylvania. This week on the podcast, Alexa shares her story of building and growing her own social media channels and communities covering the history of Berks County, PA as a passion project. She and Micah discuss the importance of keeping posts and pages consistent and authentic, as well as the business and networking opportunities that her social media endeavors have brought to her doorstep. For Alexa, social media is much more than a means of self-promotion. Instead, Alexa uses her platform to build connections and communities around her followers' shared love of Berks County history in an effort to make Berks County a better place in the future. Be sure to check out her website: www.berksnostalgia.com. There you'll find one of her wildest research projects: Stoneman Willie (linked below). She not only wrote about it, but she was interviewed for a New York Times article (also linked below): Berks Nostalgia: https://berksnostalgia.com/finding-the-truth-about-stone-man-willie/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/us/stoneman-willie-buried-pennsylvania.html Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow Berks Nostalgia at: https://www.facebook.com/BerksNostalgia/ https://www.instagram.com/berksnostalgia/ https://www.youtube.com/ @BerksNostalgia  https://www.tiktok.com/@berksnostalgia Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions/ https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions/ Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto/ https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos/ Follow Retro Media Digitizers at: https://www.facebook.com/rmdigitizers https://www.instagram.com/retromediadigitizers/ Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

This week, Micah is joined by business-partner-in-crime and self-proclaimed social media hater, Zac Godwin, to discuss the genesis of the #IHateSocialMedia podcast. Zac gives listeners a peek behind the curtain by telling the story of naming the podcast as well as expressing his own frustrations with social media while still acknowledging its necessity for business. Micah and Zac discuss the increasing generational distrust for marketing and various media forms and how that distrust makes social media a crucial tool for businesses to make personal connections with people in their audiences and communities. Additionally, for those of you looking to make a podcast of your own, make sure to stay tuned for Zac's and Micah's dialogue on the struggles and successes of starting and running this podcast! Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions/ https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions/ Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto/ https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos/ Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

This week Micah meets his match with another small business owner who takes "do it yourself" to a whole new level! Join Micah as he talks to Reading, PA-based visual artist, Jean Esther, about the process of building his own art business and studio. Jean discusses the highs and lows of pursuing his passions, from the low of dropping out of college to the high of renovating and operating his own art studio as a space for other artists to pursue their dreams alongside of him. He also details the importance of social media in growing his business and showcasing his work.   Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions/ https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos/ https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto Links to Jean's businesses: https://artcorner.net/ https://metasabian.com/ Follow Art Corner: https://www.instagram.com/artcornercrew/ https://www.facebook.com/artcorner.net Follow Meta Sabian https://www.facebook.com/MetaSabianUniverse https://www.instagram.com/metasabian_universe/ Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

In today's episode, Micah is joined by Josh and Chelsea Vatter of Vatter Hauling, a local New Holland business that handles junk removal of all forms. Since starting the company, Josh and Chelsea have seen most of their business come from Facebook, so they take this opportunity to share what DID work for them with Facebook and what DIDN'T work for them with other forms of marketing. They discuss their misadventures in print marketing and marketing on Instagram as well as the importance of posting consistently, utilizing Facebook groups, and learning your business's market.   Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions/ Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos/ Follow Vatter Hauling: https://www.facebook.com/vatterhauling Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

This week on the #IHateSocialMedia Podcast, Micah chats with Pastor Matt Meservy of Christian Fellowship Church about his thoughts and experiences surrounding marketing for a church or any other non-profit. Matt shares the importance of marketing and being present on social media as a church or non-profit as well as the need to be authentic on social media and focus on the things that make you who you are as an organization. He also discusses the great opportunity to preserve authenticity that addressing negativity on a public forum provides.

In this week's episode, Micah moves to the interview seat while his wife, Rebecca Durling, takes the role of interviewer to ask him questions about his experiences as a small business owner! Micah covers the whys and hows of starting and running his own video production company as well as the many obstacles he's encountered along the way, such as customer acquisition, buying a second small business, and navigating both busy and quiet seasons. He also covers a topic that most certainly has NOT been an obstacle: being business partners with his wife. 😉   Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/   Follow MR Sterling Productions at: https://www.instagram.com/mrsterlingproductions/ https://www.facebook.com/mrsterlingproductions/   Follow Vivid Home Real Estate Photography at: https://www.instagram.com/vividhomephotos/ https://www.facebook.com/vividhomephoto/   Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

In this episode of the #IHateSocialMedia podcast, Micah sits down with online fitness coach, Noah Durling, to discuss his strategies, successes, failures, and advice for managing a B2C fitness influencer Instagram page AND for selling to customers via social media. Noah explains the factors that led him to choose Instagram and LinkedIn as his primary social media platforms, and he recounts his early growing pains in choosing an audience for his online coaching business as well as how he pivoted to find the audience that was right for him. Make sure you stay tuned through the end to hear Micah's and Noah's top book recs for business success! Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Follow Noah at:   / ndpersonalcoaching   Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com

Come along on our journey as we learn how to effectively use social media to grow our business! Social media is a crucially important tool for businesses to utilize effectively in order to make connections, build brand awareness, and drive sales, but it can be daunting to know where to start--and it can be even more daunting to try to figure out all of the myriad ingredients to the social media secret sauce of success. (It's an intricate recipe) Our goal with this podcast is to help ourselves, and other small businesses and start-up influencers like us, to find those ingredients and, in turn, grow our social media followings and online brands--and we want it to be a free tool for you! There are hundreds of expensive courses on social media management online, but it's almost equally as difficult to know valuable those courses will be to you as it is to know how to manage your own social media. We want to provide a way for us and our listeners to learn together. We'll be talking to social media experts, influencers, and business owners and picking their brains about what worked for them, what didn't work for them, and what social media tips and trends are just hype! We can't wait to embark on this expedition with you as we learn how to love social media together! Links to our businesses: https://mrsterlingproductions.com/ https://www.vividhomephotos.com/ https://www.rmdigitizers.com/ Contact us at: ihatesocialmediapod@gmail.com