In this ever-changing world we live in, social media is without a doubt the one thing that seems to be driving more business, engaging more people and evolving the fastest. In the Fall of 2012, I knew that in order to remain an effective communicator and to help my customers move forward, I had to find a way to get more out of my social media interactions. So, as most of us do, I went to the Internet to find out how I could use social media more effectively for business.

After some research, I found Instant eTraining and signed up for their Social Media Web-Conference Plus Hands-On Certification Track . I have to say it was an intense, six-week course that featured web-conference sessions, a hands-on social media project, weekly assignments and quizzes, fabulous mentoring sessions and then a final project dissertation. At the end of the course, I became a Certified Social Media Strategist.

Jill Hammergren, Certified Social Media Strategist

I won’t lie to you, it was a lot of work. But I am pleased to say that I learned so much in a very short time and the team to which I was assigned, Social Savvy Team 9, was terrific. We managed to work hard, despite our great physical distances– I’m on the U.S. East Coast and the two others are on the U.S. West Coast– but thanks to social media, we were in the same place at the same time.  We were humbled to have been recognized by the course administrators for having the best dissertation among the really great ones the other teams presented. We would not have accomplished what we did without  meeting Krista Neher, the CEO of Boot Camp Digital. Krista was one of our expert trainers during the Instant eTraining sessions and she literally wrote the book on social media– Social Media Field Guide Social Media Field GuideFrom the first time she started speaking, it was apparent that Krista Neher was passionate about social media. That passion and enthusiasm makes her a perfect candidate for our The Media Pro’s feature LEAPforlife- Living Passionately and Enthusiastically for Life.

Krista is considered a pioneer in social media. She worked in the corporate world and then for a startup, where she was forced to do more with less– a common theme for most small businesses.  She created one of the first corporate Twitter strategies and corporate blogs– long before “social media” became ubiquitous.

Krista Neher, CEO Boot Camp Digital

Krista Neher
CEO Boot Camp Digital

After the startup was sold, Krista’s business Boot Camp Digital, evolved organically and is now a wildly successful international multimedia business that has her services in-demand and her passport full of interesting stamps.  “When you do what you are great at and focus on spreading your message, things can really fall into place,” Neher said, “I just returned from India where I led a two-day Boot Camp for an IT company and I’m heading to Europe next month.  When you do something you love, it is easy to go to work every day and stay motivated.  The truth is that I love what I do, and based on the feedback that I receive from our training programs, people love our training because it gets them results.  I am passionate about what I do because it actually makes a difference in people’s lives.  I  know that I’m helping people, and the work that I do matters.  The key to success in my opinion is finding the intersection of what you love and what you are great at.”

Krista says she wasn’t always doing what she loved, but now that she is, her life has changed.  “Before I discovered my passion, work was work and my life was my life.  I worked hard (usually 60+ hours) at a corporate job and I was pretty good at my job.  That being said, I always felt like what I was working on didn’t really matter.  It wasn’t changing anything” said Neher, “Now, I find meaning because I know that my training is helping people to get results that really matter to them.  It isn’t just about doing work it is about doing work that makes a difference.”

Krista has recently completed her third book, Visual Social Media Marketing Visual Social Media Marketing

“Visual Social Media Marketing #VSMM is about one of the latest trends in social media – visual communications,” said Neher, “It is a short read with lots of case studies and examples and is intended to help people who already have the basics of social media to take their marketing to the next level.  Over the past three years, social media has become increasingly cluttered and it is difficult for brands to stand out.  Visual marketing is emerging as the key way that brands can break through the clutter and be heard online.  With the emergence of sites like Instagram and Pinterest we know that digital marketing is more important than ever.”

Krista has advice for others about following their passions. “The reality is that when you are really passionate about what you do it shines through.  People can pick up on real and genuine enthusiasm and passion.  The truth is that I love what I do,” said Neher, “I get to help people get better results, sometimes results that change their business.  I recently gave a social media keynote presentation for the second year in a row at a conference for business owners.  After my presentation a woman came up and told me that she heard me speak the year before, implemented my suggestions and it turned her business around.  That is where my passion comes from– from knowing that my message actually helps people. Finding what you love isn’t easy. The key, in my opinion, is to try different things– focus on what you love and what you are good at and things will fall into place.”

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