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How to supercharge your online security with Brian Chappell

 

How to supercharge your online security with Brian Chappell

How to supercharge your online security with Brian Chappell

Brian Chappell is a cyber security expert, having worked in the industry for many years, authored books, spoken at events, and worked with international companies connected to the topic. While the whole subject can feel scary- no one wants to think about being hacked and losing their data- there are some really easy things we can all do to keep our online world a whole lot safer.

Brian talks about how hackers work. why passwords really do need to be different for different accounts, what two factor authentication actually means, and shares lots of actionable tips that just make a LOT of sense.

As discussed in the episode, Brian is giving a webinar on this subject for Small Business Britain and Lloyds Bank Academy called How to Protect Your Customers’ Data next week… here’s the link to that https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Kqt1X09QRfucMlflCUDY1w

Small & Supercharged Book

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Is it all bad? In praise of social media…

 

in praise of social media

Is it all bad? In praise of social media…

Have you noticed? Every time social media is mentioned in the news lately, it’s for something bad, isn’t it? This publicity then increases people’s fear around its use- and I get it- but we need to remember that the issues that make the news are in the minority, that social media will continue to be a part of our lives… and that burying our heads in the sand won’t solve anything… and that’s what this podcast is all about.

The main issue for me is that it’s not the platform’s fault. It’s like blaming paper for what journalists write, the car for the drunk driver… it’s the conduit for the badness. The badness comes from people who use it. They are the problem.

I do understand the fear, particularly when we look at the younger generation and their use of it moving forward, but deciding to ban something that can be so beneficial isn’t the answer. Or, at least, I don’t think it is.

I do have concerns about the next generation and their use of social media, but perhaps not for the reasons you may think. I worry that there’s not enough education in schools about it and how many parents don’t educate themselves about it so they don’t understand the platforms when the times comes that they need to. In my opinion, schools should be teaching social media (and the associated skills such as photography, videography, caption writing, online networking, safety) because it’s not going away, it can be a hugely valuable tool in supporting a happier life and better prospects, and pretending it’s not ‘a thing’ and will go away is just silly.

Anyway… I recorded a podcast about all of this! I hope you find it useful…

Small & Supercharged Book

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Social media ads 101 with Aggie Meroni from White Bee Digital

Aggie Meroni White Bee Digital

Social media ads 101 with Aggie Meroni from White Bee Digital

Social media ads are here to stay. We all have the ability to place them, but that doesn’t mean that the whole process isn’t overwhelming. Particularly if you’re just starting out.

As a Meta Lead Trainer, I teach a fair amount about the ads process and how ads work on the different platforms, but for this episode I wanted to go deeper and speak to an ads specialist who works across a range of platforms, and that’s Aggie Meroni, the founder of White Bee Digital. Aggie is an expert in paid social, working with individuals and agencies to help them maximise the effectiveness of their ad spend.

Aggie has worked for years with a range of businesses when it comes to placing ads on social, and here she gives us a masterclass in how to get started on the ads journey. Yes, it can feel like a lot, but with Aggie’s help, tips and some of her fab freebies and checklists, it needn’t be at all.

Find out whether the boost button really is a waste of money, how much money she suggests you need to spend to make an impact, and why Christmas should start in September if you’re serious about ads… it’s a good one!

To find out more about Aggie and White Bee Digital, just see the website.

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Comfort, stretch and danger- it’s all about the zones

comfort, stretch and danger zones

Comfort, stretch and danger- it’s all about the zones

Let’s talk about comfort zones. Well, more precisely comfort, stretch and danger zones.

Lately I’ve been spending a fair amount of time in my stretch zone, as I share today, and this has made my comfort zone a whole lot bigger. And this is a good thing when it comes to growth. Even if it feels scary!

What are comfort, stretch and panic zones

If you’re wondering what comfort, stretch and danger/panic zones are, then you’ll hear all about this in the podcast, but as a quick ‘cheatsheet’ style guide for you…

  1. Comfort Zone: The comfort zone is a rather ‘lovely’ place. When you’re there, you feel at ease, calm, secure… maybe even confident. In your comfort zone, you’re unlikely to feel stressed and you’re likely to find that when you’re in this zone, you do things you’ve done many times before. It’s easy to stay in this space- I mean, who wouldn’t, it sounds like the dream, right? Well, not quite, as whilst it’s safe and secure, nothing that exciting happens in there. Opportunities to grow, learn new things and push yourself are non-existent, and this isn’t all that good for personal development.
  2. Stretch Zone: The stretch zone is where it all gets interesting. If you imagine the comfort zone as a circle on a piece of paper, the stretch zone is the area just beyond that circle. This is where you learn new skills, try new things, explore new ideas. You might feel uncomfortable, excited, a bit anxious, like you’re stretching yourself (hence the name), but it’s not awful. When you’re here, you’ll be learning and growing… and the really good thing is that when you achieve inside your stretch zone, your comfort zone expands to take it in, to provide a stepping stone to your next area for growth.
  3. Danger Zone: The danger or panic zone is an area to try and avoid. You don’t feel stretched here, you feel panicked, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, you might also become emotional because it all feels too much. You’re unlikely to learn in this area (because of the panic!). Most people can achieve the tasks inside the panic zone without the stress if they get there in steps. To do this, look to have the activity that has caused the panic as a goal, and keep stretching the stretch zone to edge closer.

Tune in in all the normal places- Apple, Amazon Music, Spotify… anywhere you usually listen to your favourite podcast.

Small & Supercharged Book

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