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         One of the first times speaking to an Elementary School was in 2012. It was for a class project about Civics. That year, as we know, was a presidential election year. Each of us in the class had to take time out of our schedules and excite the young students about the election. The goal was to instill into the students a sense that everyone has a voice in the process, that everyone has significance. 
        In the presentation, we defined who was running for president, what parties existed, and how the election process works. The students loved it. However, when speaking to any group my approach is to have a simple basic message the audience can take home and grow from. That day, the basic message with my presentation was 2 words: “You Matter”. No matter your background, skin color, religion, favorite sports team, grades, food preferences, etc, Your Life Matters. Summing it up, an election shows us that we all matter in casting a vote. I then told the students to turn to the person next to them and say, “You Matter”. 
    “WHO MATTERS?” I then asked the group of students. “WE ALL DO!!” was their resounding group response. The hope was that those students would always remember that basic message of truth, but what’s in even greater desire is to see everyone on this planet understand those 2 words as well. 

       Currently, in our country we’ve been seeing headlines about groups and activists who say “Black Lives Matter”, “White Lives Matter,” and many other expressions. Although their intent they cay is all well and good, the idea of one life being greater than another desecrates the basic truth that ALL Lives Matter. Once we say one group of people is better than another, we begin to undermine the true purpose of our lives, not to mention the truth of our existence. The depth of our existence is not based on skin color or differences. We matter not because of our variations, but because of our fundamental value we all share in called life. The word “Matter” means to be have significance and worth. Our world has too many times forgotten that each person was born with that significance, and therefore matters. 
      Never will I forget my first presentation to that Elementary School, but more importantly I’ll never forget the students who proudly proclaimed their worth that day. Maybe our world can learn some lessons from this example. Maybe we all need to revisit this message in our own lives. Maybe, its time for us to once again turn to someone next to us and say, “You Matter” once more. And Maybe, just maybe, we need to go Back to the Basics, just like we did in that elementary school. Who matters? EVERY Life Matters, because Everyone has a Voice And Every Life has a Precious Purpose waiting to be filled. Truth is: You Matter. We Matter. Everyone Matters. 
#YouLifeMatters #BackToTheBasics 

If you have been following Wall Street, gas prices, or even Presidential Poll Numbers, than you’ll agree with me when I say that Life can be like a Roller Coaster. It has it’s ups and downs, it’s curves, and ridges, and most importantly you never know what you are going to get next lol.   
This past Saturday was spent at the Creek County Fairgrounds where the Creek County 4-H and Kellyville FFA Officer Teams met for some leadership training with me. We had a blast as we went through different group activities, brainstorming sessions, in-depth discussions, and more. Afterwards we all went together to Tulsa’s Incredible Pizza or TIPS for short. I can’t remember the last time I was there, but it was a great time of food, fellowship, and just getting to know one another better. 
As we got there, I noticed that TIPS had certainly went under some major renovations since my last visit. For example, you don’t get tickets anymore for credit, you get points added to your game card, they had expanded their mini-golf into Glow in the Dark, and most excitingly, they had added an Indoor Roller Coaster. It was EPIC! 
This roller coaster had become the talk of everyone there. All the parents marveled at it, all the grandparents were in awe of it, and the kids were more excited than Boone Pickens at the start of an OSU game 😉. Everyone was pumped about this new attraction. 
There was one kid, however, who caught the eye of myself and some of the students who were there. He stood out from the herds of kids, because he didn’t have a smile on his face. In fact, he had the complete opposite, a frown. He was sitting by himself, with his head in his lap where he had been crying. Come to find out, the little boy had been looking forward to going on the new roller coaster ever since he set foot in the building. 
When he got to the attraction, he sat down, buckled his seatbelt in, and just before the ride was about to take off, he was told by the attendant that he was not going to be allowed on the ride because he was not tall enough to meet the safety standard. There was no room for this young man’s little body on this gigantic roller coaster ride. So he got up and simply crawled into a ball and cried his emotions out. What’s crazy to notice was that in the midst of this place of fun, recreation, and good times, was now home to a boy full of sadness, heartbreak, and rejection. No one would have thought that you would find heartbreak in the middle of joy. Too often times this has become the case in our world. 
As I look at this scenario, I see a parallel between this setting and in life. One of the easiest ways for us to bypass an opportunity to impact others, is by losing sight of the big picture. It’s important to note that while we are experiencing joy, peace, and happiness in our own lives, there are many in this world who are not. As leaders we have a responsibility to reach out and share our strength of joy with one another. Life is a roller coaster, but that should cause us to be uncomfortably ready to be there for people. We can’t afford to get caught up in our entertainment that we forget about the true reason for our existence. I bet we all know someone at our schools, jobs, churches, etc, who are looking for a chance to part of something, but are told by society that there is no room for them on this crazy ride called life. Truth is: Limitations do not define us. Legacies are what defines us. We must never reject others because they can’t be part of something. There is always room for everyone. Will we be willing to let others in? Challenge yourself to include others, give them a sense to belong, let them be part of your life. This roller coaster wasn’t just meant for us, it was meant for how we include one another on it 🙂 
Truth be told, we must make room to serve and effectively lead others. There are 2 options we have in front of us: 1). we can choose to Accept Others by sharing our joy and including them in something bigger than you and me or 2). We can reject them because we simply think that’s the way it’s always been. Let’s choose to Accept Others and Bring them On. It can literally change our world. 🙂 
Now more than ever, we need leaders who seek to serve, who dare to drive the charge, and reach out to those who are missing out. Let us never forget that this life we live was never meant to be just for us and this roller coaster of life is is never too full for people to join, in fact, I encourage you to pull up a seat, fasten your seat-belts, and get ready for the ride of a lifetime, because there is always room for more. No matter how Tall or Small You Are! 😊

Do you ever feel like your life gets super busy? I mean, we’ve all been there at some point in our lives where time simply escapes us because of the constant demands of our daily schedules. Simply put: we get caught up in our own plans, calendars, agendas, so much that we forget to take the time to listen to the needs of others. 
So, the other day I was heading to Stillwater and to avoid the construction of town, I decided to be like Rodney Atkins and “Take a Back Road” . I notice that there are no cars, no traffic, no construction. Feeling good about life, I then crank up the radio to listen to hear some wise financial words from money expert, Dave Ramsey. Oh Boy, Life couldn’t be better 🙂 

   
As I’m listening to some great commentary and driving down this traffic-less road, I begin to zone into my own little world and forgot everything around me. Before you know it, Dave Ramsey is talking about one of my favorite financial topics on the radio about how to plan for retirement while in college 🙂 At this point, my mental juices are flowing, getting so caught up in the moment, I’m driving and then, all of a sudden, I blow right past a stop sign without even thinking. What was even worse was that a Police officer was right there at the intersection of where I crossed. As soon as I did this, I looked behind me and saw red and blue lights. I pulled my car over and talked with the police officer about what I did wrong, admitting that I was guilty as charged. He said to me, “Mr. Baumgarten, I pulled you over because you didn’t stop at the stop sign. In the future you need to make sure you stop, look both ways, consider other traffic, and then proceed with caution.” He gave me a warning and we both went our separate ways and even though I did violate a traffic law, the officer did his job greatly and made me thankful for the Awesome police officers that we have in our country.
 As I went on with my day, I couldn’t help but think of what I had learned from this event. You see, often times we get caught up in the business of life, the fast lane of life if you will, and forget to stop, look around and consider others who might come our way. In our daily lives, we must be willing to yield to what’s important, for if we don’t, it could be costly, not in just terms of a ticket, but in terms of time and opportunity. In this life, I don’t want for one second to miss out on what’s important. I don’t want to get so caught up in the world of ME, that I forget about the universe of everyone else. Each one of us was called to serve a very special purpose, but if we don’t take the time out to STOP and discover that important purpose, than how will we ever fulfill it? In this life, I don’t want to roll passed any opportunity, any chance to change a life, or any purpose that I’ve been meant to accomplish.  
Sure, it’s easy to get distracted, but we must remember to stay the course. We must stop, look around, consider those who are around us, and then proceed with life cautiously, seeking out opportunities to serve and being aware of the positive change we can make. Now, more than ever we need leaders to rise up and take a stand, people who are CAUGHT UP in the pursuit of impacting their surroundings and CALLED OUT to fulfill the purpose we have been destined to Live Out. And that’s a wrap! 
#PulledOverPerspective 

Last week I enjoyed speaking at my hometown church of Oilton Christ Fellowship. Whenever I preach at different churches its always different from my speaking at a school assembly, workshop, or teacher in-service. My speaking style shifts into a preaching dynamic and the message is always to the church globally more than to just that one particular church I am preaching at. Being a preacher’s kid, my heart is often stirred when I deliver these kind of messages, because I see so many things revealed to me through the scripture. Its almost like a jump start to my walk with God. It excites me and this sermon definitely fired me up, it’s an uncommon one, but one I feel compelled to share with each of you. Here are the sermon notes from last week. Simply put: We have to take a stand

Dear Church: We Can’t Stand Sitting Down,

Prepare the Way

“…Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Mark 1:3)

-God did not say be comfortable, He did not say take a seat. He called us to Take a Stand. There is Work to do and as ambassadors of the Gospel we are blessed to be part of it. We Have to Prepare and not just be Passive.

Galatians 5- We Have a Freedom Because of Christ Jesus, but with this Freedom comes a responsibility to Reach Others. What are you doing with this Freedom?

THE COVENANT IS PREVALENT

The Covenant I’m referring to is the Cross Jesus died on for us. It’s a constant reminder that there is a Promise of Love for Every Man, Woman, and Child on this planet. This covenant does not discriminate. Its meant to be a promise of love for everyone regardless of past experiences. The sting of our past must never defeat the next step into our future. This future requires U.S. to share this covenant, we must be willing to show others this love, just as Jesus did for us. The worst thing we can do is push people away who may be different than us. It is critical that we show the Love that Has Showed Us All So much.

The Covenant is Prevalent because it Made the Ultimate Difference in each of our Hearts and this world stands in need of knowing this urgent hope. This is where we come in!

As Believers we Forget that Love is a Portal to Our Faith. What is important is that our Faith is Expressing itself in Love, not condemning others through hate. We must let our lives be an example of this love. There is a vast difference between hating someone and disagreeing with another person’s lifestyle. This covenant of love can be shared with the world in way that compels others to draw near to Christ. Unfortunately, when we choose not to reach out to others in love, we begin to see a spiritual dwindle in our churches, because we begin deprive ourselves of achieving the purpose God has destined us to be part of. This type of action does not bring life instead, brings in death. Simply put: The Church Becomes the Church when we Leave the 4-Walls of the Church Building and Activate the Body to Reach a World in Need of Love.

5 Signs of Death in the Church:

-No New Leaders are Being Trained

-1 Age Group is emerging bigger than others

I speak to a Living Church, because the Covenant is Prevalent. Christ is Alive, but instead of sitting in seat, we must choose to take a stand. Speak life into our churches by actively reaching out to others. In other words, we must prepare the way.

3 Ways We Can Prepare The Way:

–Sound The Alarm-Reach Out

–Mobilize The Troops-Get Involved

–Fire Away-Put Faith Into Action

-“Sound The Alarm“-Reach Out. Let Others Know Who Jesus is. Share Your Hope and make others aware of His Covenant. How will you Reach Others?

-“Mobilize The Troops“- Get Others Involved and Share Your Vision of Impact. Are you actively making disciples for Christ?

-“Fire Away“-Combine Your Faith into Action. Aim Towards Your Target of Impact. Put all you have into all you do for the Impact You Envision to make.

Acts 3:1-12 tells us of how the Apostle Peter was able to incorporate all 3 ways by speaking life into a lame man. If you read this story, you will see that Peter is approached by a lame beggar asking for money, and Peter’s response is incredible. He says, “Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (‭Acts‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬ ASV)

Because of Peter’s unwavering faith, the lame beggar is healed. He begins to not only walk, but leap and jump for joy. People surrounding him began to take notice and were amazed at what happened. Peter activated his faith, he sounded the alarm by reaching out, he mobilized a troop by speaking life into the beggar, and he fired away his faith by putting his belief into action. This got people’s attention and soon we would see an impact unfold.

It’s Easy for us to take a seat & be comfortable. But that’s not what we’re Called to do. We Must Prepare The Way. At the end of the day, the Covenant of the Cross has become more prevalent than ever before, because it directly affects each of us and our daily walk with Jesus. We have to be more than just a people who simply sit in a Sunday morning service and conclude that to be the full extent of our relationship with God. There is so much more at stake than what we realize. Issues are waiting to be addressed, statements are needing to be spoken, hearts are longing to be touched, and stands are needing to be taken. It is a fantasy to think these things can happen by the mere reality of us sitting in our seats of comfort. We have work to do and this work won’t get done by itself. The truth is we can’t Stand Sitting Down.

The Covenant is Prevalent and there is no better time to make a difference than now. We must ask ourselves, “Will we be a people who simply takes a seat of comfort and cruises along with the norm of mediocrity or will we be the people who answer the call, realizing that enough is enough, passionately preparing the way for our Lord by taking a stand?” The choice is ours, the opportunity is here, will we choose to sit or will we choose to Stand?

400,000 stones…400,000 stones and counting. 400,000 memories, 400,000 lives and 400,000 reminders of all the brave men and women who gave their lives for us. At Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, you will find over 400,000 stones that celebrate the lives of so many people. Unlike many cemeteries, the stones aren’t just markers of marble, granite, and concrete, instead it signifies the people who were dedicated to freedom and realized that they were part of something that was bigger than themselves. These stones are tombstones and they symbolize their effort, duty, and sacrifice they put forth to embody our nation. The Stones of Arlington mean more than we know.  
However, even though these stones celebrate life, they also represent a struggle. Today, every 80 minutes a Veteran is lost to suicide. Nearly 49,933 veterans are homeless living on the streets, bridges, and overpasses of our cities. And thousands of Veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD due to constant stress from battle. The Stones are Evident and The Struggle is Real. These are the struggles that our Veterans are facing and sometimes it can be a bigger battle than the one they faced in uniform. Many have asked, “How should we as Americans respond to help our Veterans?” It starts by honoring them. 

  
Now more than ever, our holidays such as Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day have been morally reduced to be days of recreation, cookouts, and many times looked at as just another day off of work. These were meant to be days of remembrance rather than just another day. These holidays demand more than just celebration, they demand our reverence and gratitude as we remember those who fought for our rights. It’s no secret that our traditions and sanctity of honor have been put in place for a reason.  

  
After visiting Arlington on 3 different occasions I’ve found a new respect for our veterans. As you fly into D.C. you can see the 400,000 stones from high above and wonder what they are. But as you see them up close, you definitely know what they are and what each stone stands for. As we remember Memorial Day, let us remember the blood spilled, the sweat dropped, the stones erected, and the struggles that remain prevalent even today. The Stones of Arlington and the Struggles of our Veterans should spur us to think beyond ourselves and think of our fellow men. Who would have thought that a Stone and a Struggle would remind us of so much, what matters now, is how we will remember those who have given us their very all. God Bless our Veterans and God Bless America! 

An Interview is like the Trailer for a Movie, It Should Show Others a Sneak Peak of Who You Are and Leave the Interviewer With a Desire to Know More About You.
This past weekend I had the chance to work with Rodeo Queen candidates who came from several states to work in OKC on their interviewing skills, modeling, and more. I have no experience in any of the other fields, so we focused individually on interviewing. They did Super! Together we went over questions, responses, and how to be memorable. In this blog post, I have included everything we covered as well as takeaways that can be beneficial for any type of interview you might go into. Happy Interviews! 

  
Let’s Start With the Basics! 
The 3 “Know Ways” to Effective Interviewing:

1. Know Who You Are

2. Know What You Stand For

3. Know What You Can Do For Others

Question 1: Tell Me About Yourself:

This is an Open-Ended Question, meaning there is no right or wrong answer. This your chance to make a good impression and start your interview off on a positive note. Reveal yourself in a way that gives the interviewer a SnapShot of Your Life. You might mention your family, Favorite sports teams, hobbies, school background, career goals, pets, etc. Think of things about you that would Connect with the Interviewer. Always end this with a positive response about your excitement for a future. This will conclude your answer in a way that keeps your interview in perspective 🙂

Question 2: Tell me a time when you failed at achieving a goal and what did you learn from it.
>>This is what we call a Scenario-Based question. Your response should tell us about an experience or story you have had and a valuable lesson you learned from it. Your response does not need to be long, just something that articulately answers the question. Make your learning lesson one that sticks out from your story. 

For example: 

One of the biggest tasks I failed at was in my pursuit of National FFA Office. As they announced the new team and my name wasn’t called, I immediately felt like I failed everyone: my family, state, and support system. But once I got back to Oklahoma, people got behind me and spoke into my dreams. Because of this encouragement, I soon found myself serving others through leadership training and public speaking, utilizing my skills for more, although I did not achieve my goal in serving as a national officer, I was still getting the chance to serve others. The learning lesson I have found from this experience is that it doesn’t matter how many times we fall, what matters is how many times we get back up. 
>>In this response, I told a time I failed at a goal, the result of this failure, and what I learned from it. You want to be able to clearly state your experience as well as your learning lesson in a way that makes the interviewer remember you. 

Question 3: What is a skill set you have gained through your involvement within the rodeo industry? 

>>This is a question that is often overlooked. When we ask for a “skill set”, many times we see candidates respond with different adjectives and things like hard work, or how to be diligent. This is ok, but not exactly what we are looking for. When we say “skill set” we are looking for a specific skill you have learned through your involvement. Simply put: state the skill you have learned and explain how you have acquired it. 

For example: 

“One specific skill set I have learned through my involvement in rodeo is “Networking” skills. Whether it was by meeting new people or learning how to pick up a random conversation with someone, rodeo has taught me the importance of relationship building as well as the value of interacting with others.” 

>>In my response, I quickly stated the skill and outlined how I acquired it through my involvement. Remember Nothing is Dynamic Until it’s Specific. 

Question 4: What type of impact would you want to leave in the rodeo industry?

>>This is another example of an open-ended question, there are no right or wrong answers. Remember the 3 “Know Ways” we outlined earlier, this is your chance to show them who you are, what you stand for (the platform you have), and most importantly, what you want to do for the organization or company. I recommend thinking about someone who you know looks up to you, what type of impact would you hope to have on this person, better yet, how would you want to be remembered. 

For example: 
“Throughout my life I have been blessed to know a very good friend named Bradley. He has been someone to quickly offer a high five, a laugh, a hug, and made sure my brother and I always have a saved seat by him every Sunday morning at church. Bradley has always been a rockstar to us! But Bradley was born with an uncommon beginning, you see he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at a very young age, but never once has he allowed his diagnosis to define him. His joy and genuine concern for others has allowed him to have an enormous impact on those around him. Bradley has had a huge impact on my life and his life is an example of the impact I desire to make on this industry. An impact that sees people for their true worth, an impact that brings joys to people’s hearts, and an impact that brings out the best in everyone we meet.”

Question 5: What do you believe is one of the biggest challenges facing the rodeo industry today? 

>>This is an opinion question. We want to know your thoughts. No need for too long of a response here, just a simple answer accompanied with a personal solution. Again, provide vision with your answers.

For example:

“One of the biggest challenges I find facing the Rodeo Industry today is Rodeo Literacy. Like agriculture, Many people do not understand what we do and often confuse us with many different inflated stigmas that do not represent the fundamentals of our industry. If selected to serve, I will offer my best to see that we are educating as many people as possible about our industry and promote ways to get the word out that Rodeo is not just another industry, but a place where good leaders can become great.”

Question 6: What is the difference between animal rights and animal welfare?

>>This is a Compare and Contrast question. What needs to be done here is you need to quickly define the what Animal Rights and Animal Welfare is. You may throw in a statistic or fact that goes along with the definition. You never want to give too much information, but enough to where you feel like you have adequately answered the question. Most of the time you will be able to read the body language of your interviewer when you have achieved this.

For example:

“Although there has been much confusion between Animal Rights and Animal Welfare, there is vast difference between these two factors. 

Animal Rights is where you are advocating for the Voice of Animals. On the other hand, Animal Welfare is where we advocate for the humane treatment of animals. Animal Welfare is the side I stand on when looking at the difference between these two controversial factors.” 

>>Here you see I quickly defined the two factors, and then advocated the side I was on as if it was part of my platform. This shows your panel of interviewers that you are willing to take a stand and advocate for particular issues, a skill which is greatly admired and revered.

Question 7: What are your thoughts on the Obama Administration and the role they have played in our Industry?

>>This is where we incorporate the advice, “Better be safe than sorry.” This is a very polarizing and politically loaded question. Many times these sort of questions can be a huge stumbling block for interviewees. The best way to answer this type of question is to respond to it diplomatically. (Unless you are interviewing for a political party, but that’s for another day lol) Answering diplomatically means you do not show what side you are on. Why? Because it is a huge risk to take to show your political stance in an interview because you are unaware of the interviewers position on those issues. Answering diplomatically will ensure a safety net for you. 

For example:

“As I follow current events and watch our leaders undertake national issues, I see the President and his administration striving to make an effort to do what’s best for our industry, however, just as I would say regarding any president’s administration, there is always room to do more for our industry. I’m convinced that through promoting awareness and advocating rodeo friendly legislative action, I believe together, we can make an enduring impact on this industry that will benefit generations to come.”

>>With this response, I took a potentially deadly question and turned it into a power statement that embodied my overall purpose and platform. Most importantly, I turned a question that could have been negative and turned it into a Positively Vision-Minded Response. This type of response will do wonders for you in an interview. 

Question 8: Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

>>If there is one question I have learned more about than any other question from my mentors, through their coaching is this one. The world could be coming to an end, Wild Tigers could be on the loose in Oklahoma, Chickfila could be open on Sundays, nevertheless, despite the impossible, if you forget everything I say in this post, PLEASE REMEMBER that You NEVER EVER want to just say, “Nope. I think that’s all. Thank you for your time.” If you do this, you must be slapped, just kidding. 

But seriously, This question is the perfect chance for you to knockout your interview with a final punch. Own your platform, sell yourself. Show them the grand finale of your interview in this question. Whether you do this by sharing a short story, summing up your platform, giving them a quote. Do something that is memorable as well remarkable. Something that will separate you from the rest of the candidates. Most judges remember the beginning and ending of your interview, not as likely will they remember the middle. Again, make the most of this question, by giving them your very best!

Question 9: What will you do Now? 

No matter what field you are going into or position you apply for, the chances are you will have to go through an interview at some point of your life. The key to doing well in interviewing is just like anything else~Practicing What You Know. In this case, procrastination is our biggest enemy because if we do not immediately apply the knowledge we learn, it often becomes forgetting and falls into the abysses of “Do What Now?” and “What was I suppose to do?” Apply Your Knowledge Now for Best Results 😉
Question 10: What if my Interview Doesn’t Work Out?

Although no interview is made alike, you can be sure that these tips will help polish you and give you some confidence when you go to enter the room. Remember 1 interview does not define you and if one door closes, another door will open, I promise I’ve seen it work in my own life time after time. If one interview doesn’t work out, keep seeking out other opportunities. Always remember to keep practicing, keep interviewing, and most importantly, keep putting yourself out there, because you never know whose life you may touch and what door could open. And now you know the “Know Ways” to effective interviewing! God bless. 
  

Dear Friends,

This month marked my final speaking event of 2014. It has been a busy year with school, writing, and speaking, but its also been a blessed year. I remember in November 2013, after returning home from the National FFA Convention and not making the National Officer Team, I came back home wishing to put my training and skills learned to the same cause of Impacting Others, but instead through the realm of professional speaking and workshop presenting. At that point, I didn’t know where to go or how to start. But people once again spoke into my dreams and got behind me.

There is no way in the world I would be what I am doing today if it wasn’t for the mentors, teachers, & fellow speakers who have helped me along the way. I have to admit I still get a little nervous from time to time, but I love every minute of it. I wish I could tell you about all the stories I’ve seen. I wish I could tell you all the tears of inspiration. I wish I could describe to you the warmth of a hug from a student who discovered his self-worth again. When you get to see students fully engaged, when you get to see depressed adults truly encouraged, when you get to see people actively empowered to be the person they are meant to be, that my friends, is worth everything in the world! 🙂

My theme this year was “Engage. Encourage. Empower.” Here is the meaning:

ENGAGE: Get Others Involved

ENCOURAGE: Make Others Feel Their Worth Something

EMPOWER: Give Others the Motivation to Do Something.

As we move into 2015, I am excited to start a New Theme, however, I hope that this year you have been Engaged, Encouraged, but also left with the Motivation to Do Something Bigger than you’ve ever dreamed before.

Thank you for having me as part of your journey. Happy New Year and God Bless!

-Brandon

Did you know that IMPACT is waiting at your Fingertips? Just 1 Status, 1 Update, 1 Tweet could potentially Change Someone’s Life Forever. The question is, “What will You Post?”

In our world, the internet has emerged has one of the most revolutionary tools humanity has ever seen and very rarely will you find someone who has yet to experience an aspect of it. Growing up, we never had Internet at our house until I was an upperclassmen in high school where the choice of having it was no longer a luxury, but instead a growing demand. The lack of having internet while I was young is one of the primary reasons I have become so tech-savvy today. When I first started getting online and creating my networks, I was looking for avenues that would help me connect with my friends in school. Facebook and MySpace were the running networks that everyone had at the time and those were the ones I signed up for. However, as time progressed from high school to college, I discovered there was more to social media than just connecting with your friends. I found that you can motivate, inspire, and engage your friends in an uncommonly influential way. The opportunity to engage others in a positive and meaningful way is something I strive to do all the time as a speaker, but with a solid social media platform on the internet, engaging and reaching others is no longer limited to a speaking event or workshop, but now enhanced by just a few clicks of the mouse. There are many different networks you  can choose from, i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, SoundCloud, Google Plus, Twitter, and others. Today, I chose to put together a brief yet simple tutorial on how to use Twitter to effectively for engagement, because it is one of the more popular social networking sites and although it may look complicated at first, when learned, it can be one of your favorite sites to use.

1. Hash-Tags Are Your Friends #NotYourEnemy

One of the first red flags that new Twitter users come across is the hash-tag scenarios. Questions frequently asked, “What is a Hash-Tag? What do Hash-Tags do? How do I use them effectively?” All are good questions and for first time users, they need to be asked. A hash-tag is a simple way for you to index your tweet into a category that is easier for others to connect to. For example, if you were to search the #TruthOnTwitter you would find tons of my tweets, because most of my posts are hash-tagged with that specific phrase. I picked that phrase because I normally tweet on topics that are inspiring, scriptural, and motivating. The hash-tag will save your posts where others can come back to read what you tweeted by just a simple search. Some of even referred to the process of using hash tags as a way to keep specific records in a multi-billion user network. Using your hash-tags effectively will make it easy for referencing. Whenever I am doing social media workshops, I often recommend using at least one hash-tag per tweet. This way you are indexing your tweet in a way that is user-friendly and your audience will appreciate the simplicity of it. Do not let the world of hash-tags be a turn off for you, just like anything else some users use the power of hash-tagging well, while others abuse it. The important thing is to hash-tag tweets that you believe are important to you and to your followers. Although hash-tags look overwhelming at first, do not fear, they can prove to be very rewarding if used appropriately and purposefully. #TruthOnTwitter #BrandonsTwitterTutorial 🙂

2. What Should I Tweet About?

They say that effective tweeting has become an art in itself. If you really want to engage your followers by your tweets, think about what topics would bring out the best of your followers. For example, if you were to look at my followers on Twitter you would notice that the majority of them are high school and college students. If I want to engage my followers, I will tweet something that is relevant and important to those two age groups. When the state of Oklahoma has the biggest college football game of the year, which is Bedlam (University of Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State University) I will tweet something that will get my followers attention. See Picture below.

You will notice that this tweet received nearly 500 interactions within a day. How did this happen? It happened because I tweeted something relevant to my following that was then Retweeted and Favorited by hundreds of my following. When you Retweet a Tweet you are re-posting the tweet for the rest of your followers to read. When you Favorite a Tweet, you are endorsing the tweet just not re-posting for others to see. In this case, thousands of users on Twitter saw this tweet because of how many times it was interacted with. Tweet about current events that are important to you, causes you advocate for or against, this is your platform so make it what you want it to be. The great thing about sites like Twitter is that it allows you to create your own content and tailor to the interests of your followers in a creative and unique way. Remember: Tweet about things that are relevant to your following, timely, and engaging. 

Hint: Don’t be afraid to tweet a question or two to your followers. Its a great way to stimulate online discussion as well as receive feedback. 

3. Building Your Following

Your following on Twitter can dictate a lot of what you tweet about. The followers can also help boost your credibility as a user and create a greater likelihood of engaging new followers. Although there are many different apps that promise to boost your followers, the best way I recommend boosting your followers is by promoting your Twitter account through alternate venues. Occasionally, I will invite my Facebook friends to join me on Twitter, same for LinkedIn, and my Instagram accounts. This way you are building your network on what you already have. I can not say enough how important it is to tweet on relevant  topics that fit your following. Bottom-line: The more you engage your audience, the more traffic you are allowing your account to potentially receive. Just like anything else, building your following takes time, but with a solid game plan of who you would like to attract and what messages you would like your social media platform to promote will determine a lot of what your future on Twitter will be.

I hope this 3-point tutorial has been useful. If you would like to put your newly found Twitter skills to use, feel free to join me January 4th, 2015 at 10pm central for “Twitter Talk”. Its an online leadership discussion geared toward impacting our schools and world. All you have to do is use the hash tag #trendsetmyschool or tweet me @Brando_Baum

Thank you for reading, feel free to refer this tutorial to a friend. No matter what happens, keep tweeting, keep engaging, and keep trying new things, because that is when we grow the most. Spread the message, share the love,  Happy Tweeting! 🙂