The Pursuit of Balance: Creativity, Wellness and Self Promotion

The Pursuit of Balance: Creativity, Wellness and Self Promotion

Here’s what you can expect from this issue:

  • Fuel Your Creativity?
  • Content Spotlight
  • Gold Standard Content Creators?
  • How Heather Helps?
  • Calls to Action

Note: You will not see another edition of this newsletter published until May. I am on vacation for the last two weeks of April on an educational trip that I am excited to share more about once I return!

Fuel Your Creativity

February and March have both been extremely busy months professionally, but in my continued pursuit of Balance, I have been spending time outside the office fueling my creativity.?

This month I started attending a yoga class through my company’s gym, taught by my colleague and friend MJ F. . I am progressing each week, gradually working my way to a headstand which I never considered trying to master before. It’s a fun way to work towards a fitness goal and is certainly a literal interpretation of Balance that I didn’t anticipate at the start of 2023.?

A photo of shrimp sizzling in a pan with tomatoes, white wine & garlic sauce topped with parsley.
Shrimp in white wine & garlic sauce with tomatoes.

I’ve also been cooking more by trying out new recipes. One of my intentions this year is to expand the number of recipes I know how to make, and I derive satisfaction from making something that my husband and I both enjoy. Here is a photo of a shrimp in white wine & garlic sauce recipe that I’ve now made twice, DM me if you want the recipe!?

Recently, I attended some satellite events hosted by some of my favorite Web3 companies during this year’s Outer Edge - LA & Riyadh ?? convention. I didn’t need to attend the conference this year to reconnect with some of my favorite people in the Web3 space and meet others whom I’ve only spoken with online previously. Screenings, immersive experiences, live performances and jaw-dropping art galleries were all part of this great experience alongside creative individuals in the community.

Heather with three friends from the Web3 community.
From left to right: Heather Epstein, Rhyver White, Fari Jaan and Steve Neigut at the NFT LA After Party hosted by 90s Babes, Punkmetender and other partners.

The crypto/NFT market itself is still down from where it was at this time last year, but projects with substance are continuing to build on the foundation of their respective communities. John Kraski talks a lot about the future of Web3 and who will succeed in the space. For me it’s these companies/communities:

No alt text provided for this image
Left to right NFTs: Stardust Generation by Stardust7, 90sBabes, Remarkable Women/Rachel Winter, The Everyones and Nick Lee tribute by House of First artists.

Whatever your creative outlet is, make time to explore it regularly and make time for yourself!

Content Spotlight

As part of Women's History Month, I decided to post about a professional accomplishment. You can check out the full post here .

Screenshot of a recent LinkedIn post from Heather Epstein posting about a recent professional accomplishment.
Heather Epstein and Honda Motor Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe.

The Strategy

Promote my own success.

Why it Works

My intention with this post was to both offer a window into my internal communications role and share a win that I’m proud of.?

Women’s History Month is not the only time to celebrate the accomplishments of women, but it’s certainly a good excuse to shout about my success from the proverbial rooftops of LinkedIn.

In addition, strategic hashtag use drew more eyeballs to this post

This post was especially popular among associates at my company, including senior leaders.?

No alt text provided for this image
Analytics showing popularity of my post among Honda associates.

Other Considerations?

I don’t base future content off of how many impressions or engagements past posts perform, but it is worth paying attention to the type of content your audience is interested in. My key takeaways from this post were:

  1. LinkedIn users love celebrating professional accomplishments. I will give myself permission to share more successes when possible.?
  2. Authentic employee advocacy/ brand ambassadorship is a win for the employee and the employer. @American Honda Vice President of Information Technology Bob Brizendine said it best in the comments of the post:

Comment from Bob Brizendine reads: Amplifying your accomplishments externally is a good thing for you, and for our company! It helps reinforce our brand as a place where people can fulfill their dreams through Honda. Keep it coming!
Screenshot from the comment section of my LinkedIn post.

What the Numbers Say

Peakaboo, LLC , a LinkedIn analytics tool co-founded by?D A N I E L H A L L ?and?Nancy Debra Barrows M.S. CCC-SLP , helps you visualize all comments, mentions, hashtags and engaged attendees from any LinkedIn post, consolidated into an easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet. The tool also shows how much time users are spending on your content, which can really add up over time. The best part is that the only thing you need to get the data is the post URL.

This post received 7,130 impressions as of the writing of this newsletter, 46 comments, 1 repost and 187 reactions (117 likes, 50 celebrations, 15 hearts, and 5 supports).?

Gold Standard Content Creators

  1. Marie Zimenoff ?

Marie is the CEO of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, a think-tank for career industry professionals dedicated to creating, innovating and sharing best practices.?

I had the pleasure of meeting Marie in-person for the first time recently for lunch along with Dan Roth , and the drive from LA to SD was worth it to see them! Marie was in SoCal to host her organization’s 2023 symposium, Envision the Future of Work.?While I couldn’t stay in town for the conference itself, it was wonderful to spend some time with both Marie and Dan!?

Marie is also a member of the Thought Leadership Branding Club , so it was great to spend time with someone whom I am used to only interacting with virtually.?

If you are a career service provider, you should get to know Marie! Check out one of her recent posts discussing the use of AI in career services.?

Photo of Heather Epstein, Dan Roth and Marie Zimenoff in San Diego, California.
Spending time with Dan Roth and Marie Zimenoff in San Diego, California.


2. Debbie Soon

Debbie is the co-founder and chief growth officer of HUG ?? , one of my favorite Web3 communities. HUG is unique in that its focus is the curation and discovery of emerging NFT artists. Highlighting underrepresented artists is really important to me in the Web3 space, and HUG does an amazing job of welcoming and highlighting artists from around the world. Debbie is also one of the sweetest people I have met, and I’m grateful to have known her for the past couple years.?

Debbie recently shared more of her story in a podcast interview. Check out the post here .

3. Sophie Beren ?

Sophie is the founder and CEO of The Conversationalist , an innovative platform that empowers Gen Z to break out of echo chambers and have difficult conversations. Sophie is a unifier, a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 winner in the education category, and talk show host of POVz.?

Sophie is also someone I’ve known for years, dating back to attending and working at Camp Ramah in California . Sophie inspires me daily with her growth and accomplishments, and I’m so proud to know her! The Conversationalist might be geared toward Gen Z, but everyone can learn from what they are doing to unify the world, one conversation at a time.?

Sophie recently relaunched POVz with some changes, check out that announcement here .

How Heather Helps

Here are five ways I can help; feel free to send me a direct message with your ask:

  1. Resume review
  2. Introduction to someone in my network
  3. Referral to my employer, for a specific role you are interested in?https://www.honda.com/careers
  4. Open Conversation/ Career Reflection Brainstorm
  5. Feedback on Optimizing Your LinkedIn profile/ content strategy ideas

Calls to Action

? Don’t forget to?subscribe here !

??Follow?#HeatherHelps ?to see more of my content!

??Share this newsletter?with two connections you think would gain insight from it.

??Engage with Me! Comment below with questions you have about content strategy.?

??DM me! See a piece of content on LinkedIn you think is awesome? Send it to me via LinkedIn messenger so I can take a look!

??Follow me?on other social channels including?Twitter ,?Instagram ,?Post ?and?Clubhouse !


Stay Golden?

MJ F.

Safety Strategy Leader American Honda Motor Company, Inc.

9 个月

Heather Epstein I love this message. I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner! I am so honored to have awakened your curiosity for yoga as I know you continue to practice even after I've stopped teaching. Happy to be part of your journey both professionally and personally.

回复
Dr. Kari Janz

Author, Substack writer and therapist

1 年

Well said, Heather. Thanks for sharing!

回复
D A N I E L H.

#1 Platform Data Analytics Guru - Adoptive dad of 7 - Helping put the HUMAN back in HUMANity. World Class AI Song producer. I help you flush your feed of fake connections!

1 年

Heather Epstein - All of us at Peakaboo, LLC deeply appreciate your continued support. We are truly humbled by your trust and commitment to our brand.

回复
Sophie Beren

Founder & CEO at The Conversationalist, Forbes 30 Under 30

1 年

Heather Epstein I absolutely love this message (and I'm so honored by your inclusion of me and The Conversationalist!) We all need to be better about giving ourselves permission to celebrate our accomplishments. Grateful for the reminder ??

Eileen H.

Innovative Thinker & Digital Content Manager - I strive to take ideas and processes to the next level.

1 年

Great article!

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