How Social Media Changed My Life

by Doug Stewart on July 6, 2010

Frank Eaton AKA Pistol Pete

Famous Perkins Resident, Frank Eaton, AKA Pistol Pete

A few years ago I lived in a quiet Dallas neighborhood. My wife and I had a beautful house with a beautiful landscaped yard.  Little did I know how much my world was going to change in a few short years.

I left my corporate job and started my own business. Then my wife lost her job. Property values climbed and so did our property taxes. Soon our mortgage payments ballooned too. Our American dream was becoming a nightmare. We fought and we struggled to pay our bills. Finally we sold the house. We divorced. 18 years of marriage gone down the drain. A new life was beginning for me whether I wanted the change or not.

At this time we moved my grandparents to a nursing home too. Grandma asked if I would take care of the “Perkins house” for them. I told her I would.

Perkins is a sleepy  little town 10 miles south of Stillwater, Oklahoma with a popluation of about 2,300. Now I grew up in Oklahoma. But I grew up in Tulsa. Not a rural community. In Perkins I felt like an alien who just landed in a strange red dirt world.

Social Media Changes My Life

All alone with my dog, my grill and the glow of my computer screens, I signed-up for a couple of dating websites. Most people don’t talk about dating websites as “social media.” But they are. After a few dates, I met a great girl. We’ve been dating for over 2 years now.

On Facebook I reconnected with people I graduated high school with. In fact, we just celebrated July 4th with about 10 other couples . . . all through the magic of Facebook.  It was a blast.

Through Twitter and LinkedIn I’ve met a lot of great people in the business community. New clients are finding me and learning about what I do. It’s been a great experience so far. And I only see it expanding and growing more.

So what does this mean for you, the small business owner? How will this help you dominate your space on the web?

In Dallas, I was a member of a networking club. After a few meetings I started to get leads and new business. But it was a slow process.

Armed with a blog, twitter and facebook, people get to know me faster. Trust is built quicker. Therefore business relationships are able to develop faster. New clients get to know you and trust you at an accelerated rate. Your business grows.

Don’t get me wrong, it takes a lot of work. I write on my blog regularly. I tweet. I meet people face-to-face (that’s where the real magic takes place). I generate a constant communication flow and I’m involved. I try to help everyone I can through these social networking tools. I don’t “sell, sell, sell.” I “help, help , help.” Then the business finds me.

I recommend you start a blog. Start a Facebook page for your business. Set-up a LinkedIn page. You don’t have to do it all at once. Buy a book or take a class. Get started and do your best. Then start on the next one. Your business contacts will start expanding. Your business will grow. And before you know it, you will be kicking the big boys’ butts.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

Tagged as: blog hosting services, change, change my life, dallas, dallas neighborhoods, divorce, Facebook, frank eaton, human interest, linkedin, my life, new life, oklahoma, online social networking, pistol pete, property taxes, social information processing, Social media, social network service, the facebook era, twitter, web 2.0, world wide web

  • http://twitter.com/TheDMailMan Blase Ciabaton

    Wow Doug, thanks for having the courage to share such a personal post! I'm a big fan of testimonials and case studies that explain the specifics of people's challenges and the steps that they take to address those challenges. In a “big picture” way, I think that's really what business is about: solving people's problems. As an “ex” big corporate American guy like yourself, I think that small businesses are generally better positioned to listen to customers' problems and to solve them. Doing this is probably the easiest way to “kick the big boys' butts.”

    I also support the spirit of “help, help, help” instead of “sell, sell, sell.” This is a critical way to build trust within the social media community and with potential customers. Finally, I agree that a slow, well-thought approach to social media is way better than diving in head first. Before getting started in earnest, I read books on both Twitter & LinkedIn, and found that they made the time I devoted to social media much more impactful. Thanks again for sharing! Keep up the good work! Blase

  • http://www.fightthebigboys.com/ Doug Stewart

    Thanks Blase. This blog post was in draft stage for a very long time. But I believe you have to show you're a real person in your blog. I've “preached” that lesson to others. It was about time I took some of my own medicine.

    You introduce a great point about the value of listening to your customers. Most small businesses can listen to customers more intensely. Delivering a much more personalized service than “the big guys.” Great point.

  • http://www.writtenbysumer.com/blog webcopywriter

    I'm one of those people you've encouraged to show your personality on your blog! Doug, this post is amazing. It's authentic and real and speaks volumes about who you are as a person and as a business owner. Thank you for sharing this.

  • http://twitter.com/MelodyBrooks Melody Brooks

    Doug, what a great post…it shows what an amazing man you are. You're not afraid to be yourself, and that is inspiring. Often I find myself censoring what I put on Facebook because I don't want to offend those potential clients who might be looking at my wall. Maybe I need to rethink that to some degree. Thank you.

  • http://www.fightthebigboys.com/ Doug Stewart

    I like your personality. It makes your blog sparkly and bubbly. You can't make that statement about most blogs. I've also learned a thing or two from you Michelle. In fact, I'm still learning from you. Thanks!

  • http://www.fightthebigboys.com/ Doug Stewart

    Thanks Melody. I overheard someone say, “you can't hide anything in a small town.” Well we all live in a small town now. Social media and the internet has put windows around us all. I guess that means we have to quit throwing stones too.

  • http://twitter.com/MWinterfeldt Maggie Winterfeldt

    Thank you for this wonderful post, Doug. Unfortunately, your story sounds similar to what happened to a lot of people during the past several years. The candor and positive attitude with which you reflected on your experience are inspiring, and I applaud your perseverance. You have shown us social media at its best.

  • http://www.fightthebigboys.com/ Doug Stewart

    I'm glad you enjoyed the post. You're right. My story is the same as many others. My life is filled with great friends and supportive people now. Many I've met or reconnected with through social media.

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