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Start to star challenge improving my videos and myself part 2

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Hello again; I hope you have been well since my last post. Today, I’m going to update you on the conclusion to the start to star video challenge that I recently participated in.

 

I should have posted this last week, but I am still recovering from the ill effects of a malfunctioning cpap machine. I am feeling more energetic every day and hope to soon be back on schedule with my blog posts.

 

Last time I shared about week one of Holly Gillen’s start to star video challenge. I shared the videos I recorded each day as part of the event. And this time I have more short videos for you.

 

Just like last time I will include two links. The first one will be an embedded version that you can play without having to leave my site. The second will be a direct link to the youtube video.

 

Contest results

 

And now I guess you would like to know if I won or not. I did say that there was a free seat in Holly’s upcoming online course to the winner. Well, I didn’t win the contest. But if you have been folloiwng me long at all, you know I still feel like it was a success.

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Start2star challenge improving my videos and myself part 1

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Hello again; As you should know by now my number one or core belief is to do what you can as well as you can today and then do more or do it better tomorrow. I feel that this is the only way to love yourself and still make progress towards your goals and dreams.

My history with videos

And to that end today I want to talk about recording videos. I decided a few years ago that recording videos spotlighting the amusement equipment I am working to sell along with interviews of my clients and visits to sites of local interest would be very helpful to my amusement equipment brokering business.

However, as a blind person I had a lot of things to sort out. I understand that sighted people struggle with this too. But at least no one questions your right to want to do them or tries to tell you that you shouldn’t even make the effort.

I started by buying a video camera. I asked for it for christmas. It turned out that this didn’t really help because to use it meant getting someone else to help me record on it. And back then I was more about doing things on my own.

I still have it and we use it occasionally around the house. I am still hopeful that someday soon I will find the resources to start visiting my clients on location. And when that happens, I plan to get more use out of it.

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Why I sing and how I can help you free the song in your own heart

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Hello again; I just recorded another video for my podcast about the amusement industry and the equipment my clients have for sale. Its called Calliope Corner, and you can find my videos on youtube.

For those of you who haven’t seen any of them I should tell you that I start off each one with me singing and then I introduce the show, mention the website and contact information; then go into whatever ride, game, inflatable, etc I’m talking about.

Its been a while since I recorded one of these videos. I was launching the new site and dealing with some minor health issues. But I had forgotten how much I enjoy recording the videos. More importantly I forgot how good I feel when my friends write to say how nice my voice is and how good I sound. One friend even suggested that my singing could make me famous.

I am happy with my singing, but it wasn’t always that way. A very short time ago I wouldn’t have had the confidence to sing in public much less on youtube where millions of people could see and hear me.

Some history

You see, on my dad’s side of the family most everyone can sing or play a musical instrument or both. My grandfather J. V. Ivey was a great finger picker guitar player. He also sang mostly country and had a radio show in their home town of Union, South Carolina.

My dad Maxwell Ivey Sr. played the guitar and sang too. He was more of a strummer. Him and his brothers and friends had at least one band when he was a teenager.

Being a daddy’s son I wanted to do what he did. When me and my brother Michael were young he bought us both starter guitars. He put different colored finger polish on the frets of mine to help me make the chords. i could make the sounds but couldn’t make music.

I could sing or at least my mom and dad never complained. Me and my dad would sing along to radio, 8 tracks, and later cassettes while driving to and from events, family outings, scout meetings etc. We liked the same music and sang together.

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16 Benefits of Being Blind — Number 14 is HILARIOUS!

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  Most people see blindness as a bad thing. A disability. A curse. Something they’d not want to have. But it’s not… not always! What most people fail to realize is that there are actually some perks to being blind. Seriously. According to a couple of blind people I know, there are! If you don’t … Read more

From blog commenting and community building to podcasts radio shows and beyond

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Hello again; Recently, I’ve been blessed with a lot of amazing opportunities. I was asked to write a guest post for Adrienne Smith, I wrote an article for Red Wine Magazine, and I was a guest on the Real Talk with Lee radio show. I am working on an interview for Gill Andrews of True Stories with Gill, and I have several more online radio show interviews scheduled.

Now, some of these breaks came from continuing to be active in building relationships through blog commenting. But some of these opportunities came from actively seeking to be a guest on blogs, podcasts, and radio shows. Today, I’m going to share the methods I have used and the results that came from each. I hope that I can help you to create more chances to introduce yourself, share your message, promote your business, raise funds for a non profit, etc.

Now, I should mention that until recently I didn’t openly solicit any of the many guest posts or podcast appearances I have received. I was able to come to the attention of other bloggers through blog commenting. I would read their posts, leave quality memorable comments, share their content, and eventually contact them directly by email. Or sometimes they would write to me. The point is I got to know them by supporting and helping with their site. And then they would decide all on their own to reach out to me.

I learned this strategy from Adrienne Smith, the blog commenting super star, and it has obviously worked for me. I believe in it with all my heart. And it will always be part of my marketing efforts. It is one of the most effective uses of my time in my opinion.

But last month I read a post by Ann Smarty on Boost Blog Traffic entitled How to Get Interviewed by Popular Blogs (Even If You’re Not a Big Shot In it She says that any of us can become one of the experts that the top bloggers, authors, podcasters, and radio and tv show hosts turn to when they need a source for their next article, blog post, . or show guest. And with the hundreds or thousands of people out there who need experts its just a matter of putting yourself where these people can find you. And she included several sites where you can go to meet these authors and show hosts. I’m going to share my experiences with the sites she recommended along with a couple that I found on my own.

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