Glued to the television watching the Olympic Trials for track and field, I found myself cheering and screaming at the screen as I saw Bernard Lagat attempt to represent Team USA in the 5000-meter race. At 41, Lagat is not the typical age of a distance runner. But he did not allow age to hinder him from not only qualifying but winning the race.

Another phenomenon took place in February at the Olympic Marathon Trials. Meb Keflezighi defied age placing second. Keflezighi is the only person to win an Olympic medal (Silver – Athens, 2004), New York City Marathon (2009) and Boston Marathon (2014). His Boston Marathon win at the age of 38 made him the oldest men’s champion since 1931.

At 36|86 I attended a presentation by The Family Adventure Guy, Charles R. Scott. In his presentation, he used Keflezighi as an example of the secret to optimal performance. Lagat and Keflezighi benefit from training regimens that can be applied beyond running.

Startup life is often perceived as requiring hard work, dedication, adaptability and sleep deprivation. Hearing one tout working 70+ hours a week or pulling all-nighters is not uncommon. Then, there is the notion of fast is as slow as you go.

Just like runners require rest, so do entrepreneurs. Without the proper work-life balance, burning out is imminent. The body can only take so much before it will take matters into its own hands.

If the body has to do it for you, you could be out longer than you want to. According to Keflezighi, “Being as dedicated to your recovery as you are to your harder workouts will allow you to perform at your max.”

Athletes use periodization, which breaks training into smaller blocks and phases. Within each period there can be focus on a specific skill or goal using building and recovery. Additionally, this makes the end goal more manageable.

Would an entrepreneur have the same level of success using periodization and what would it look like?

Being connected has become less a convenience as it has a chore. Looking at a screen whether it’s a phone, computer or tablet dictates our lives. Is it imperative you have your phone available at all times? Breaking away could make you more productive. Scott gave an example of a periodized work day.

• Wake up, usually after 7+ hours of sleep. DO NOT CHECK YOUR E-MAIL OR TEXTS.
• Meditate for 15 minutes.
• Take a 20-minute walk.
• Shower and get dressed.
• DO NOT CHECK E-MAIL OR TEXTS. Briefly review the day’s schedule and to-do list.
• Breakfast/family time. – Be fully present.
• OK, finally, quick check of e-mails and texts to see if there are any emergencies.
• Go to work.

His periodized schedule continues with breaking the day into manageable pieces. He suggests spending the morning on high priority, time-sensitive work and the afternoon on high-priority, longer-term strategy. There is even a nap thrown in for recovery. He recommends avoiding screens 30 minutes before going to sleep.

This may sound far-fetched, but the idea is to create balance. Identify work times versus recovery times and deal with them accordingly. You’ve heard that one should work hard and play hard. If you’re always working there won’t be any time to play.

There is a reason why returning from a vacation is refreshing. It doesn’t take a week to do that. Start working like Lagat and Keflezighi train. Remember to follow Keflezighi’s advice and “allow adequate recovery between hard sessions.”

We are going to @Rio2016_en! Congrats @Lagat1500 and family! @usatf @teamusa #RunToWin #RunToOvercome #TeamUSA #RoadToRio

A photo posted by Meb (@runmeb) on Jul 10, 2016 at 7:14am PDT

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When it rains, it pours. I haven’t counted, but there have probably been more updates to Instagram this year than all the years combined. The most productive update for me was allowing posts to be edited. That gift came to me as an early Christmas present in 2014. It allowed my perfectionist ways to take a backseat, encouraging me to post and obsess over it later. Last year when Instagram changed the ability to input custom locations it foiled many marketers and anyone hacking the hyperlink system. If a way to add hyperlinks in the post’s text is implemented, it will be a pivotal update. I feel like that’s what most people are optimistically waiting to happen.

Let’s look at some of the changes.

Logo and Design

The logo and design changes are the most obvious and most recent. If you’re a frequent user of the app, you’ll notice the design changes pretty quickly. Other than brands needing to change the icons on material, there isn’t anything as a user that requires your attention. Well, other than forgetting what the new icon looks like. I’ve found myself swiping through my phone screens when I know it’s on the second screen. That’s what happens when it’s been five years since a logo update.

Instagram’s accompanying apps (Layout, Boomerang and Hyperlapse) also received a logo change consistent with the new color scheme and simplistic look. Yes, I’ve had to search for them on occasion on my phone, too.

A New Look for Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

View Count

Following the Facebook model, Instagram users are now able to see the number of views on videos posted. It’s a change that took effect in February. This change empowers users with a hard metric. The Instagram influencers and marketers are the primary beneficiaries of this new feature. Much like Facebook, a view is registered after three seconds, which means if someone is merely scrolling it won’t be counted as a view.

Longer Videos

Since Vine started the video craze with 6-second clips, it seems every platform has tried to one-up the other. With Twitter being the corporate parent of Vine, it seized control of posting video on their platform. Instagram users can still post photos and pictures to the platform, but they appear in the feed only as a link. I wouldn’t say it was a deal breaker, but having content in the feed is a plus.

Instagram later responded with 15-second videos and Twitter followed with 30-second videos. Earlier this year, Instagram upped the ante by allowing 60-second videos. I’m not too thrilled about holding down the record button for 60 seconds, but I welcome the new capability. I should mention that Facebook does allow up to 20-minute videos, but that’s another story. I consider anything over 3 minutes to be like a long-form essay.

Along with 45 additional seconds came a throwback feature. For those meticulous Instagram users, they may remember being able to use multiple clips from the iOS camera roll for video. It has returned and with more video length capabilities. It’s a good time for it.

Algorithm

Ever since reading the Instagram post about the upcoming algorithm change, I wondered how users would take to the change. I happen to be very fond of the chronological posts. It affords me the opportunity to know where I left off and I can easily scroll through to catch up. Tweaking the algorithm reminded me that it is Facebook running the show. Using the word Facebook and algorithm in the same sentence will make some cringe.

It seems pedestrian now, but Facebook made the change in 2009. In February, Twitter rolled out an algorithm change. Twitter does allow you to turn it off, which I thank them for. Does personalized algorithm change mean Instagram becoming pay-to-play is looming over us? Only the folks at Instagram know.

As Instagram stated, this was done to improve the experience. Users were not the least bit as welcoming to this update as others. I recall seeing two things once this was announced. Users were boycotting as expected with petitions and hashtags. The hashtag #boycottinstagramalgorithms was gaining traction. The second thing was almost everyone urging me to turn on post notifications for them.

Instead of advising me to turn on post notifications, just create more engaging content. No one wants to hear it, but the algorithm may be a good thing for you depending on how much engagement you get from your followers. The people who care about your content will see it. This is not a reason for you to run away scared. It should make you strategize and become more creative. If you’re already doing that, keep at it.

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It was March 2015. I was en route to a social media conference and trying to download the latest app. I had been waiting on this app and finally Periscope had arrived. Meerkat had made a big splash at SXSW and the rumors of Twitter’s Periscope were all the rage.

I remember joining a Twitter Chat that was also being live-steamed via Meerkat. I thought it was cool because the people hosting the chat were in one room; they were Meerkating from their devices. It gave a real-time, behind-the-scenes look at what was happening.

Meerkat’s popularity grew at the conference and eventually SXSW had to post signs outside of sessions to deter attendees from Meerkating them. Tickets to SXSW are not cheap. I can understand the organizers not wanting to provide free content. SXSW was a precursor to the personal live-streaming phenomena gaining buzz.

Video has long be regarded as the vanguard. No one knew what to expect with it being live. The hope was for it to become more than another way to broadcast your life no matter how boring or monotonous it may be.

In late March we had a battle between Meerkat and Periscope. Who would win and why?

I remember my friend Eric T. Tung, who is deeper in the trenches of social media reality than almost anyone I know, adding Periscope to his presentation at the conference. He decided to live stream his presentation, but which platform would he choose?

He wouldn’t choose. He had a nice setup. He had two phones both with tripods and was Persicoping and Meerkating at the same time. He was committed to capturing both audiences.

The Periscope alert ended up driving me nuts after a while. I did like the user interface more than I did on Meerkat. At first there was an issue of the live streams going away as do snaps on Snapchat, or so they say. With Periscope you could download your session.

This allowed you to post it to you blog or upload it YouTube, Dropbox or wherever you wanted. Even if you happened to forget to save it, there are a few tedious methods to get it within 24 hours. I had to embark on this journey once, but never again.

Katch, which came on the scene three weeks after Meerkat launched has announced it is shutting down. The company’s farewell write-up doesn’t really say why. Live streaming isn’t going anywhere, so why are they? Well, Meerkat looks to be pivoting to a video social media network, according to Re/code.

If anything, Meerkat, Katch and Periscope validated the live streaming concept. Vertical video was once highly frowned upon, but Snapchat, Meerkat and Periscope made it more acceptable. Live streaming is not new, but putting the technology in the hands of the masses is.

Think about how Snapchat started off with private snaps. Recently there has been an increase in their Live Story feature at events. When the juggernaut of social media, Facebook, opened Facebook Live to everyone, the game officially changed. It looks like it took the best features from Instagram, Snapchat, Meerkat and Periscope.

Live streaming is here to stay. Pretty soon, we’ll be probably be talking about virtual reality and social media. Facebook’s purchase of Oculus VR should have put you on notice. I hope you’re ready for the Wearables Revolution. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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On April 11, 2012, the Kauffman Foundation launched 1 Million Cups in Kansas City with 12 attendees. It eventually expanded its model, which boils down to a cup of coffee and community, to Des Moines, IA, the same year. Four years later, and the initiative is active in 86 cities nationwide (21 of them in the South).

1 Million Cups has become a staple in many ecosystems. As a past 1 Million Cups organizer, I’ve witnessed what the educational program that caffeinates startup communities one cup at a time is capable of. Every Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., in cities across the country, communities congregate to hear one to two entrepreneurs tell their story. The presentations last six minutes, and a Q&A sessions takes 20 minutes.

The format and time are the same in every city. Each presenter receives tools and resources like the Kauffman Founders School Powerful Presentation Series to help them. The consistency of the program is one of the reasons for its success. If someone wants to be introduced to the entrepreneurial community, 1 Million Cups is the gateway.

There is at least one community in every state in the Startup Southerner coverage area, except for Alabama. Florida leads the way with seven communities, North Carolina has four, South Carolina has three, and Georgia has two.

1 Million Cups Around the South

You’ll notice the cities chosen aren’t always the biggest cities in their respective states. There is an interesting dynamic with 1 Million Cups. Smaller to medium-sized cities can find a unique fit in their communities. Much of the success of 1 Million Cups lies in hands of the organizing team.

Led by volunteer community organizers in each city, 1 Million Cups is facilitated by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Brad Felt states in Startup Communities, “The most critical principle of a startup community is that entrepreneurs must lead it.” Because of that, communities tend to have a personality much like their organizers. Each city may use the same format, but every city has something that makes their community special. You have to witness it to appreciate it.

The Kauffman Foundation provides support to help organizers make 1 Million Cups a success in each community. Hosting 1 Million Cups Organizer Summits and a Slack channel are a few ways organizers can learn from each other.

Presenting at 1 Million Cups for many is an introduction to the entrepreneurial community. Again, it’s a gateway. The members of the audience could be entrepreneurs, friends, community advocates, mentors, etc. The gateway goes beyond your community. Past presenters can apply to the Passport Program enabling them to present in other 1 Million Cups cities.

During the Q&A entrepreneurs are provided with immediate feedback. One of the coolest parts of 1 Million Cups for me is the question each presenter is asked, “What can our community do for you?”

Are you ready to caffeinate your community? If you’ve ever been to 1 Million Cups, please let us know why it’s special to you. Please tweet it out using the hashtag #1MCnation.

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As you navigate the social media landscape, you may realize similarities among the platforms. Hashtags that began on Twitter have since been embraced by almost every platform. Twitter Moments remind me of Snapchat Stories. Facebook’s emphasis on profile pictures and Instagram’s visual focus are ubiquitous.

With all the changes Facebook has experienced, it remains the most popular social media platform. Instagram wears the social media engagement crown. Snapchat owns the youthful demographic, and Pinterest remains the go-to for women. What does that mean for Twitter?

It saddens me to inform you that it’s dying. On February 6, 2016, #RIPTwitter was trending on Twitter amidst the idea that it would be launching an algorithm reminiscent of Facebook. Uh-oh! Kiss the reverse chronological timeline goodbye.

A few days later Twitter posted a blog, “Never miss important Tweets from people you follow.” Say it isn’t so. Luckily, it’s not mandatory, yet. Users have the option to opt-in. This is important because, going back to its core, I believe one of Twitter’s strengths is how fast news travels on the platform and how easy it is to find it.

As an avid Twitter user, there are three tips I suggest to cut through the noise and maximize the platform. In short, take advantage of lists, hashtags and direct messages.

Lists

Creating and managing lists is my most-prized Twitter tip. I very seldom visit my home feed because it’s cluttered and I don’t have a context to follow. The reason I love lists is because it gives me the opportunity to segment based on interests, location, event, etc. After creating a list, I can look at that list and follow exactly what I want.

Private lists can only be seen by you and users have no idea they’re on the lists. This may be a competitive tactic to use if you want to keep an eye on a competitor without them knowing it.

Before we go any further, let’s talk about some of the parameters of lists set by Twitter.

• 1,000 lists permitted per user
• 5,000 users permitted per list
• List names cannot exceed 25 characters
• List names cannot begin with a numerical character.

Sidenote: Being one that pushes the limits, I will tell you that you can begin a list with a numerical character. I’m not sure if it’s an oversight, but I used to write out numbers, but one day I decided to attempt to name a list beginning with a number and it worked.

There are two types of lists: public and private. Public lists can be viewed by anyone and once an account is added to the list, the user is notified they have been added. Private lists can only be seen by you and users have no idea they’re on the lists. This may be a competitive tactic to use if you want to keep an eye on a competitor without them knowing it. If you decide you want a private list to become public, every user on the list will be notified they’ve been added upon making it public.

You can share public lists with others or subscribe if someone has created a list you find valuable or useful. Creating a list for an event is a great way to keep track of attendees, speakers, sponsors, venues, etc. While building a list can be cumbersome, there are tools such as IFFFT that can help make list creation easier.

IFFFT uses a recipe that adds users to a list based on the hashtag that’s used.

Hashtags

That brings me to my next tip, hashtags. Twitter didn’t invent the hashtag, but they definitely propagated it. Hashtags have found their way into popular culture and it’s to the point where people have made it part of their vernacular.

From the days of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and now Slack, hashtags have been around. August 23, 2007, is considered as the birth of hashtags on Twitter. Chris Messina suggested it be used for groups.

how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?

— Chris Messina ✌︎ (@chrismessina) August 23, 2007

Hashtags have become the way users join, follow and categorize digital conversations. Like apps, there is a hashtag for everything. I don’t recommend going crazy with hashtags; there is a hashtag etiquette for each platform. Use hashtags responsibly.

Direct Messaging

My last tip is the often times abused direct messaging feature in Twitter. This is the way I further connect with people. Private conversations are great for quick messages. Twitter has allowed tweets to be shared in direct messages, accounts and hashtags are searchable, images and videos can be sent, and the 140-character limit is in favor of longer messages. Of course it didn’t start out like this.

On August 2015, the 140-character limit was removed from direct messaging. I, for one, can’t explain the excitement I had when this became a reality. Rumor has it that Twitter is thinking about changing the 140-character limit on tweets. That could potentially drastically change the digital real estate for Twitter. That’s another conversation, but an interesting one.

I’m not a fan of automating Twitter direct messages. I know that’s not scalable, but I prefer to be authentic in the way I engage. I like the idea of a welcome message, but most of the automated direct messages I encounter are people trying to sell something.

Although I’m not a fan, it may work for you or your brand. It doesn’t hurt to test and see what happens. In case you decide to test automating direct messaging, Crowdfire (formerly JustUnfollow) and SocialOomph are two tools you can try.

Quick points about direct messages.

• There is no character limit like the 140-character limit with tweets.
• You can send a direct message to anyone who follows you.
• If someone sends you a direct message you can reply even if they don’t follow you.
• Images, tweets and videos can be sent in a direct message.
• You can send a group direct message

Lists, hashtags and direct messages are my favorite Twitter tips. Embedding tweets, which you got a preview from above, is also a good tip. Embedded tweets are interactive and they encourage engagement. It’s become common to do it in blogging and other platforms such as Medium and Storify.

I can’t forget the integration of Vine and Periscope being significant or Twitter’s love for emojis and recently gifs. Did you get invited to the #GIFparty? It’s obvious there are more tips. I didn’t talk about analytics, live-tweeting or tagging. Maybe next time. What are some of your go-to Twitter tips?

The post 3 Ways to Maximize Twitter for Your Startup appeared first on Startup Southerner.

Facebook recently celebrated its 12th birthday. Wait, Facebook will be a teenager next year? I remember when it was in its infancy as Thefacebook. Where has the time gone? Once a virtual fraternity and sorority house where one could only gain access if you had a college email address, it is now 12 going on 40. How has this grown-up attitude affected startups and small businesses?

There was once a time when no matter what was posted on a Facebook page it was seen by anyone who “liked” the page. That has since changed, and in fact the algorithm is constantly changing. Your business page is now lucky to get 10 percent of its Facebook fans to see what has been posted. Facebook thought of a way to monetize, and users found themselves in a situation where they had to pay to play. But social media also levels the playing field, giving startups virtually the same platform as established businesses with actual marketing budgets.

Since it’s almost unheard of for a business to not be on Facebook, what can you do? Has your startup looked at your social media strategy lately? Do you have a social media strategy in place?

Social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, has to be part of the conversation, not an afterthought. Do not think of it as an option, rather a priority to consider. And remember, your social media goals should align with your business goals. Social media is an extension of the values and culture of the business—treat it as such.

Facebook can be used for advertising, but don’t forget that it’s a social network. This is not the time to be antisocial. Think of ways to connect with your customers. You do not want an audience. You want to build an engaging community by adding value.

I’m a proponent of being authentic. If your brand’s tone is whimsical, find a way to infuse that into your social media presence. Embrace who you are and do not try to be someone you are not. Once the conversations start, brand awareness, conversions, customer acquisition and lead generation become easier.

5 Social Media Must-Dos for Startups

• Load Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts with basic information about your company and easy-to-find contact information.
• Create a social media strategy and align it with business goals.
• Build community by connecting with your customers and adding value.
• Be authentic by infusing your brand’s tone into your social media presence.
• Update these accounts regularly—don’t let them go stale.

The post Yes, Your Startup Still Needs a Facebook Presence appeared first on Startup Southerner.

Tennessee bred and Arkansas fed succinctly sums up who I am. I was born in Dyer County in Tennessee and raised in St. Francis County in Arkansas. Both parents are college graduates of the Volunteer state. My pop graduated from the University of Tennessee and my mom from Memphis State, now University of Memphis.

Although I wouldn’t consider myself to be a digital native, my journey into computers began at an early age. I grew up a fan of the cyberpunk culture. To the chagrin of my parents, I was a kid who, by the time I was in middle school, was up to no good when it came to computers.

It’s safe to say my laid-back personality in real life was quite the opposite once my eyes were glued to a computer screen. There I was, the perfect candidate for the dark side of computing. I was a loner and had a huge chip on my shoulder for various reasons.

While others were splurging on typical purchases a kid would make, I was saving money to buy computer books or equipment. I remember saving $200 to buy a 10 GB internal hard drive that was on sale. One would laugh now as you can purchase a 1 TB external hard drive for one-third of what I paid for the 10 GB hard drive.

2600, The Hacker Quarterly and Phrack Magazine furthered instilled in me a sense of technological curiosity. Throughout high school my thought process remained consistent, which is why in college I had no choice but to declare a major that would keep me in my place of solace: cyber world.

What education seems to be doing to its students affected me in college. If you want someone’s creativity to be thwarted, strip them of their individuality and attempt to create a cookie-cutter student. That didn’t end well.

Relying on the skills I acquired over the years, I thrust myself into the real world and started working as an IT professional. A decade went by and I found myself needing a change. I had been intrigued by social media in the same way I took a liking to computers. It was the art and science that attracted me, not the likes and retweets. That’s how I became a startup person.

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