The term “porch pounder” refers to a light, refreshing wine that’s gluggable enough to crush on a patio from AM to PM. This, however, is MOSTLY just a marketing resource.
hi friend. This is not your typical porch pounder because this is not your typical monday. I mean, I wish that starting the week in a cloud of collective tragedy was actually less typical than it’s become — but that’s why I’m here.to talk about how we “business as usual” on the feeds when business as usual evaporated about a decade ago with the 2016 US election, if it ever existed at all.I know, it feels stupid. silly. selfish. to be thinking about what to post while folks are burying their neighbours. and yet. for the weekend, social media became the place where we share our sorries and our values and our links to fucking do something, but from there, it feels like a game of chicken waiting to see who resumes their “normal” posting first. we worry that talking about our work, sharing our day-to-day in the form of desk-beverages, or turning our hobbies into 10s aesthetic videos sends a signal that we don’t care.and you fucking care.(if for some reason you don’t care, I have no idea why you’re still on this list because you won’t be welcome in any of my community spaces or offers anyway. if you see the things happening not just in the USA but around the world at the hands of the Trump administration as anything other than the disgusting, despicable, human-rights-destroying actions of a tyrant, here’s the door:
Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences
now that it’s just us here, I’ve put together some notes on how to both show up and protect your energy online this week, and ongoing, because this is the not just one bad news weekend to move past. it’s an uprising.
[ LET’S GET INTO IT ]
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no “right words,” just right values
nobody needs you to say the best thing. you don’t need to make a poignant statement about whatever specific horror we’ve most recently witnessed to move forward. if anything, I think we get so stuck on this part that we don’t take action in the ways that matter (or we bypass actually feeling the way we need to feel, as humans, in order to show up as leaders). you do need to make sure folks understand your values — especially those of inclusivity and human rights. this is a great time to share a refresher of who is (and isn’t!) welcome in your spaces. if you’re launching something, make specific note in reference to that offer as you start rolling out sales messaging again.
lead with what you know
you don’t need to become an expert on social change over night and pivot your entire content strategy to support that mission. you do need to find ways to stay active in social change on a personal level, and that might mean you post less because it takes CAPACITY to be engaged that way. rather than challenging your capacity even further by placing expectations on yourself to become a new kind of leader, when you do show up, start with what you know. there’s a reason why I’m in your inbox right now to talk about this through the lens of social media: this is the arena where I can have the most impact because I already have the expertise.
preserve energy for what matters
a slow and steady approach to posting is going to be so supportive right now. activate your “bare minimum” social strategy — the styles of content that feel easiest for you to create, the conversations that you could lead in your sleep, and the frequency that allows you lots of rest time in between. while it does matter that we stay present on our platforms and grow our businesses because with those resources we can impact more change, there’s absolutely no reason to stretch yourself thin just for the sake of showing up. social media matters, but not more than supporting your communities in person, caring for those you love, and nourishing yourself so you can wake up again and do it all tomorrow.
doom-doing > doom scrolling
the temptation to consume every inch of the internet right now is immense. I’ve found myself losing hours of time this weekend (and I’m traveling, so I can only imagine how much worse it would be if I was in my normal routine at home). the question I come back to whenever I notice myself in too deep is: what am I actually looking for? I notice this habit of collecting — places to donate, posts to share, resources to explore — as almost a self-soothing mechanism. but what happens after? all of those resources include a call to action, and while sharing does help SO much, I wonder if you can create some kind of pause to break the scrolling spell and actually do the thing, too? for an actual tangible tip, I recommend setting an intention every time you open your phone for the next few days, like: “I’m going to look for three new resources I can share” and once you’ve achieved that goal, step back into the physical world to continue the work.
also, a note on the “new” US tiktok ↓
this headline has been (reasonably) buried amidst the rest of the painful news, but there’s been a massive shift in how social media is being engaged with in the United States: the US version of TikTok has officially changed hands. while it’s too soon to see the implications, if you’re using this app in the USA take extra note of any changes happening to the terms & conditions, as well as updates to their policies around hate speech. (if you’re not in the USA, nothing changes!).
to wrap up, I’ll remind you that social media is about relationships. we’re sharing in support of the folks who follow us, and so whenever you feel lost or stuck as to what to say, ask:
what do they need? how can my work meet that?
and if you’re not sure of that answer, my DMs are open. I might be a little slow to respond since I’m in a retreat in the jungle this week, but I would love to offer the expertise I have around online community to help you make the impact you’re here to make, with yours.
