Last night I made a spur of the moment decision to attend an event in Atlanta. Thanks to a tip from one of my professors, I heard about this awesome event just in time. The Social Media Club’s Atlanta chapter hosted an event called Behind the Curtain that featured a panel of social media executives from five top level companies including Coca-Cola, The Weather Channel, UPS, Krispy Kreme and Zoo Atlanta. It was a rare opportunity and I’m so glad I got to experience it. It proved to be a night full of powerful social media insights, networking over beer and tacos, and plenty of laughs and live tweeting (#SMCATL). Ready to hear all about it?

The first speaker was Kelley O’Brien from Krispy Kreme (the only doughnuts worth the calories, in my opinion). She shared that Krispy Kreme is a brand that is all about love and said “To us, life is a celebration. We engage with our fans and celebrate every day." If the adorable bunny doughnuts below aren't proof of that, I don't know what is. Kelley mentioned that Krispy Kreme is a humble brand and how it’s important to keep that in mind when planning content. She also gave some great insight on planned vs. real time content. When  #DeflateGate surfaced, Krispy Kreme took notice of the social trend and quickly sent out a highly successful post that saw a lot of engagement. The part I found most interesting was that Krispy Kreme has gotten rid of all traditional marketing techniques, including tv and radio, and replaced it with digital marketing. For a large company, it surprised me to hear that, but it seems like they know what they’re doing!  

Next up was Jen Miller from Coca-Cola. I was so eager to know how a massive, world-wide company like Coke manages its social media. My curiosities were satisfied! Coca-Cola aims to be the most reachable and engaged brand in the world, but when the company is being mentioned over 33 times a minute (in English alone) what can you do to manage it? The answer is The Hub. The Hub is somewhat of a social command center used by Coke that monitors all social mentions and cranks out thorough data reports so that the company can stay on top of daily brand sentiment. While discussing the company’s 2014 Super Bowl commercial, America Is Beautiful, Jen said “We’ve learned to use data to help drive big campaigns.” 

The most interesting thing I heard from Vincent was how he was so honest in saying that in order to truly compete, you have to "pay to play", meaning companies must utilize promoted posts. It was fascinating to hear how competition plays a major part in social media strategies. 

The speakers sat for a panel discussion at the end of the event which was a nice way to round out the evening. Overall, I was impressed with how each company had completely different objectives and strategies for their social media. I feel that so many people lump all social media content into one big pile, but companies that are succeeding are careful about their audience, the message and the content. I’ll definitely be taking all of these things into consideration in my future career. I actually just applied for a social media assistant position with the Colorado Rockies, so wish me luck! Baseball and social media sounds like the perfect job description to me.

Overall, the experience was relaxing, enjoyable and filling. I’ll definitely be back soon for another panini (I can’t stop daydreaming about it!). Next time I might try to go for an evening meal since Diesel offers live music several nights a week. Give me ideas for my next Foodie Exploit below!

When did the word ‘health’ become a taboo? You might be thinking “No it isn’t! Being healthy is a mainstream topic that everyone and their mother is discussing. Right?” Well yeah, everywhere you look all you hear is ‘gluten free’ this and ‘gym membership’ that. But there is a lot more to health than what you eat or how often you exercise. People seem to forget that overall well-being is a balance between physical health and mental health. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tricked myself into believing “well if I eat right and I’m in shape, I’ll feel good about myself and be happy.” This is such backwards thinking. Many people fail when trying to become more physically healthy and it can easily be a result of not having a solid foundation of mental health. If you’re pushing yourself to be healthier because you are unhappy with your self image, you’re ignoring the underlying problem instead of mending it. And here is where I make my point; health (at least the mental side of it) is a taboo topic. People don’t talk about it enough, and many deem it as an issue only for those who are dealing with extreme cases. Society has shoved mental health in a corner, and I’m urging everyone to march over and pull it out of the shadows. 

 I have recently been making a point to really reflect on what is going on inside of my head; what triggers me to stress out, what makes me feel anxious, what makes me feel unmotivated, what really makes me happy. These things are so important to how my daily life is lived. Over the past few years, I've come to realize that I have been coping with anxiety issues my whole life.  I never realized it because I was so brainwashed by what I thought mental illness meant. I let myself be afraid of judgement, and I'm happier now that I have allowed myself to understand what my brain was telling me. 

Compare it to physical health; for instance, if you go jogging every few days to stay in shape, you are actively maintaining a state of health. So, we should think of our mental health in the same manner; every few days (or even more often) we should be checking in with ourselves, reflecting on our mood. If our mental status isn’t in an ideal place, we must put in the maintenance to bring it back up. For ideas on how to give your brain a boost, check out my post on five ways to be happier!

Start to incorporate more mentally healthy habits into your life, and I promise you will thank yourself. Caring about your brain should be a daily healthy habit, the same as eating well and brushing your teeth. The brain is an amazing organ, and it deserves your attention. You are the only person who can truly know what your brain is telling you, so you owe it to listen. If you feel depressed, or angry, or full of anxiety, take time to untangle the root of these feelings and understand yourself. Having mental issues is nothing to be ashamed of. It is a result of possessing the most complex organic structure known to man. Every human experiences these things. Being aware of our mental health is the best way to prevent more serious problems from developing. The same goes for physical health. We eat well and exercise to prevent life-crippling diseases; so we should think about mental fitness in the same manner. 

You are in control of your mind and your mental reactions to situations. I feel that the more in-tune you are with yourself, the more you will understand your feelings, which can only benefit you and your life. Stay positive, stay focused on what really matters, and stay happy!

Tell me below what motivates you!

Life is underrated. I hear too many people who constantly dwell on the negative things in life, and I want that to change. I believe in happiness. If you only get one life to live, I want to live it happily. This post ties into my thoughts on Mental Health Awareness Week, so I decided to share five new ways you can incorporate happy habits into your life. Some of the activities listed help overall mental health, which in turn will lead to a happier you!

2. Think happy thoughts. This is something that I (fortunately) learned at a young age. You can’t count on the rest of the world to give you a good day. No matter what goes wrong, or how many times other people’s actions bring you down, you have to keep your head up. You still have the power to smile, to be positive, and to be optimistic that things will get better.  A couple of years ago, I started keeping a ‘happy jar,’ an idea I found on Pinterest. Basically, every time something happy happens in your life, you write it down and stick it in the jar. If you’re having a bad day you can cheer yourself up by reading all of the wonderful things you’ve experienced. My mom likes to make a point to leave the office for the day with a happy thought in mind. So often by the end of the day, we are weighed down by all of the problems that have accumulated over the past nine hours. Instead of going home feeling negative and upset, try and remind yourself to focus on at least one good thing that happened during the workday. For more helpful ideas, read Lauren Conrad’s fabulous blog post on 10 ways to boost your confidence. 

3. Meditate. I’m definitely not an expert on this subject. I don’t know how the Buddhist monks do actual meditation (you can read a how-to on it). When I go to meditate, I will start by clearing my mind. It can’t be done just by snapping my fingers, though. It takes careful practice, because usually I have a million things I’m constantly thinking about. So, the best way I’ve found to make your brain be quiet is to let yourself think. Seriously. Close your eyes, sit in a comfortable position (I prefer the classic pose), and think about everything buzzing around in your head one by one until you have nothing left to think about. Then your mind will actually relax. I think a lot about my breathing rhythms as well. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, taking a few minutes a day to try and get your mind off of stressful things will do wonders for your mental health. For an extra happy boost, try meditating outside. Communing with nature and soaking up the sun’s vitamin D can make you feel rejuvenated. 

4. Exercise your brain. Sometimes, when you have a lot of things stressing you out and making your mind race, the best thing to do is redirect your brain's focus on something else. I love doing crossword puzzles and playing similar puzzle games (Candy Crush had me hooked for a while). I also love Lumosity, a brain training company that makes customized brain ‘workouts.' I used to check in on Lumosity daily to keep my brain on its toes. Lumosity also tracks statistics and uses neuroscience to improve brain functions such as speed, attention and memory. I highly recommend trying it out; you can get a lot out of the free membership (if you can spring for it, though, the paid one is worth it!). Challenging yourself to think in different ways can give you fresh perspective and improve your mood. If you feel stuck on something in your life, give it a break and exercise your brain so that you can come back to it later with a sense of renewed confidence. 

5. Put yourself first. It’s okay to be selfish sometimes. At the end of the day, it’s your life! Carve out personal time to check in with yourself, and encourage yourself throughout the day. Be your own cheerleader and your own best friend. Set goals with only yourself in mind. Put yourself first more often. You’ve gotta look out for number one, that’s you!

I’m not saying you have to rush out and change your life, but why wouldn’t you want to spend your time on the Earth being anything but happy?

I don’t like admitting it, but for most of my life I’ve been hesitant to step out of my culinary comfort zone. There are certain things I just never considered trying, and way too many circumstances where I’ll adjust my order at restaurants (I mean really, if I want to add bacon to whatever I’m eating don’t judge me, and why do onions have to come on almost everything?!).

As selfish and control-freakish I can be sometimes, I’ve come to realize that cooking is an art just like any other; composed with thought and passion. You can’t customize the paintings you look at, or the music you listen to (imagine telling Jimi Hendrix to sing in a different key, I don’t think it’d go over very well). So I think I owe it to myself to stop being so damn picky and eat things the way they’re intended to be eaten.

Aside from all of that, I’ve always been a lover of food. I love cooking it, learning about it and of course eating it. I look for any chance to find new places to explore, and I especially love sharing those experiences with others. I’ve always appreciated a distinct restaurant when I see one, and lately I’ve been inspired to bring out my inner foodie. While I don’t have the budget (or the refined palette) for all of the top-notch five star restaurants just yet, I can still explore the many unique spots in my own neighborhood. That’s how my new series Foodie Exploits was born. My mission is to seek out places with great atmosphere, noteworthy menu items and detailed decor for a one-of-a-kind dining experience and share my findings right here. Are you ready to dig in? I know I am.

If you have any favorite spots you think I’d like feel free to drop a comment below!