Mitch Mitchell first introduced me to Bev Mahone in his post 21 Of The Top Black Social Media Influencers and I've been following her tweets ever since. It wasn't long before I started following her audio podcasts, YouTube videos, blog and…well let me just go ahead and introduce Bev Mahone now and let her tell you more about her online success in this interview.
Introducing Bev Mahone
Ileane: Bev, it’s my pleasure to interview you for the blog. Please introduce yourself to the readers here at Basic Blog Tips. Give us some background and tell us about your recent projects.
I was born and raised in Ohio and graduated from Ohio University with a degree in journalism. My career has taken me to West Virginia, Boston, New Hampshire, Saudi Arabia and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
After getting married in the late 80s, my news career brought me to North Carolina, where I worked for the NBC and ABC stations. I also taught Writing for Radio and Television News at a local University. Then after spending more than 25 years in the radio and television news business, I was forced to “reinvent” myself by using my media expertise to create my own media consulting business: BAMedia. As a media trainer, I work with middle-aged women on how create their own voices through various forms of media.
I also hosts my own radio show called The Boomer Beat every Monday from 12pm – 1pm on WCOM Radio in Carrboro, NC.
As far as recent projects go, I recently released by third book titled, Don’t Ask and I Won’t Have to Lie: 50 is the new 30 and other tall tales. It’s no secret that women lie but did you know those lies change as we age? The book addresses those lies—from my personal experiences.
I’m also excited about the brand new card game I created as a spin-off to the book. It’s called “Don’t Ask.” You and your partner must decide how you would respond to different situations. If you match you get a point. If you’re playing with another team, the first team to get to five points wins the game. What I’ve discovered is there’s a lot of talking that goes on during the game so it takes a LONG time to get to five points. One of my girlfriends calls it “the deck of dialogue.” OK—here’s a shameless plug: You can order your deck if you follow this link: http://beverlymahone.com/about/bevs-products/
In addition to being a veteran journalist, best-selling author and media trainer, I am also wife, mother of a college senior and grandmother of a four-year-old grandson. (Wanna know how I felt about my daughter’s teenage pregnancy, DON’T ASK! or read my book).
I refer to myself as a 50-something woman on the move and making a difference in the lives of others as well as my own.
Ileane: I started doing more audio podcasting recently and I noticed that you have quite a few podcasts up and running. I’m also hearing some rumblings from people complaining about Blog Talk Radio due to the quality of the audio. What’s your take on that and what’s your favorite website to use for your audio podcast and why?
What many hosts on BlogTalk Radio fail to understand is the quality of the audio is poor because of the equipment being used. Although I am not a techie by any stretch of the imagination, I do know when you use a phone line over a computer, you aren’t going to get the highest quality sound.
The shows I have on BlogTalk Radio are recorded from my live show on WCOM Radio. It’s a real studio so the quality is going to be better for sure. As far as my favorite website for my audio podcasts, I like Podomatic. It has different categories for people to search to find what they’re looking for and it ranks the podcasts. I’m happy to say my show, The Boomer Beat, stays consistently in the Top 20. Some weeks it even ranks in the Top 10.
Ileane: As I mentioned earlier, I was introduced to you in a post that Mitch Mitchell from I’m Just Sharing did called 21 of the Top Black Social Media Influencers and immediately I was “super impressed” by how quickly you responded by issuing a press release about being honored in Mitch’s post. Can you tell us how you did that? Is issuing a press release a complicated process?
For me, writing the press release was a simple process because I’ve been writing them for years—and Lord knows, I’ve read my share as a journalist! As a media trainer, I teach others how to write their own releases.
A press release is an announcement. It lets an audience know what you’re doing, have done or are about to do. It is a publicity tool to give you more exposure among your peers and potential future customers.
The press release I did on the Top Black Social Media Influencers was a win-win situation because it not only gave me exposure for being on the list, it also gave publicity to Mitch who created it. I call that a win-win promotion.
Is it a complicated process? It could be if you don’t know how to write them or where to distribute them but I am offering some free ebooks as a guideline. If you go to my website, www.beverlymahone.com and click on free ebooks, you’ll be able to download them.
Ileane: The last time I was on your blog I noticed that you and your daughter were involved in some community outreach in your area. It reminded me very much of the times my daughter helped me with a Rites of Passage mentoring program that I volunteered with. Tell us why you picked this particular charity, the Central Childrens Home of Oxford NC to donate your time to.
This is a long story and I will do my best to give you the short version. One Thursday morning I went to a Coffee and Contacts meeting in my area to connect with a woman who had been trying to get up with me for months. I had never been to one of their meetings and didn’t know anybody there but that’s where she wanted to meet. During the meeting a woman stands up and announces that she’s looking for volunteers to help with a makeover project for a cottage at the Central Childrens Home.
My ears perked up because my (former) father-in-law used to be the Executive Director there. After the meeting, I approached the woman and told her about my connection. She asked me what my father-in-law’s name was. I told her and she started screaming. She said that was the very same cottage they were planning to renovate. I told her although Mr. Bryant had passed away, his son still lived in the area along with his granddaughter (my daughter). Then I just volunteered to be a part of the project. After telling my daughter about it, she wanted to volunteer also—so we did. We had so much fun in spite of the hard work and LONG hours and it truly brought us closer together. My daughter was asked to speak at the unveiling ceremony and she has gone one step further by committing to visit the children once a month at the Home.
Bev Mahone on YouTube and Collaborations
Ileane: Bev, you also have a YouTube channel, how does that play a role in your overall strategy to get your message out there? What video has the most views on your channel and how were you able to accomplish that?
I’m just playing around on YouTube! I don’t have any real strategy. I just record when I feel like it on whatever subject I feel like talking about. The video that has the most views is: 12 Days of a Menopausal Christmas. It has over 6600 views and I think it’s because of the subject matter—not because of my own efforts to get people to the page.
Ileane: What advice would you like to give to someone who’s looking for success online? Is there anything we should be doing – or AVOID doing as we try to grow our online reputation or build our small business?
It’s about relationships. You have to build them. You have to be engaging and interact with your online connections on a personal level. You don’t have to know their life story but by getting to know more about them, you find out what things you may have in common. People are more willing to do business with those they know, like and trust.
Be honest and genuine about who you are. Never make claims about being able to offer a service when you know you can’t, but surround yourself with good people so you can make good referrals. For example, I teach a radio course. I always tell the student I am the “creative” side of radio but I have an awesome “technical” side by the name of Martin Brossman. He comes in and fills in the gaps for what I don’t know. I never want to mislead anyone into believing I can do ALL things—only God can do that.
[box]Watch Bev and Martin Brossman talk about the book release of their book Social Media for Business[/box]
You have to also clearly understand who your audience is when it comes to business. Who are you trying to attract? Who are the best people for what you have to offer? You have to reach out and touch them. You have to speak their language. Unfortunately, I see too many people online who try to be all things to all people and I don’t personally think that works.
Don’t oversell. Now I know I’m all about publicity and promotion but I do think some people overdo it when it comes to tooting their own horn. If you see someone singing their own praises all the time and no one else is, you should be suspect.
Take your online relationships offline as much as possible. With social media being the way it is, you can have connections all over the world but I recommend building strong virtual bonds within your own area and take them offline so you can see if their online presence matches up with who they are in person.
We have an online community in my city called Inside919. (You can join if your telephone area code is 919). The administrator, Pat Howlett, encourages us to meet offline and even hosts a monthly luncheon and Final Friday event so we can connect. It’s a great way to get to know others up close and personal and establish more of a business relationship.
Form partnerships and collaborations. Find others you can team up with conduct a webinar or ebook or whatever. But before you do that, make sure you do your homework/research on who you’re teaming up with. Just because they seem popular with the social media in-crowd, don’t get bamboozled into believing the possible hype. Some people can talk a good game but not be able to produce results. Then you have those folks who want to take over and show everyone how great they are—or think they are.
Finally, respect others.
Closing Thoughts and Words of Advice from Bev Mahone
Ileane: Lastly Bev, tell us what’s on the horizon for you. Any behind the scenes projects you got going on? What’s on Bev Mahone’s wish list?
Well, I was hoping to get on Oprah before she went off the air but I never got the call. One thing I’ve learned is you can’t sit around waiting for something to happen, you have to go out and make it happen.
I am thankful for having a long and successful career in radio and television news because it has taught me so much. And now I can pass on what I’ve learned to others. I know how challenging it can be to switch careers at midlife because I did it. I also know the challenges one can face trying to get their name out there when the media is so focused on youth. I know this is my calling and I absolutely love being able to help others have their time to shine.
As far as future project go, I am currently working on two books, which I expect to have published in 2012. The titles are: How to Get on the News without Committing Murder. The other is, Make Your MESS Your MESS-age.
I want to thank you so much for the opportunity to be interviewed and as you can see, I tend to be long-winded. (that’s the journalist in me)!
Ileane: Bev, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview.
Well readers, there you have it. This interview was an inspiration to me in many ways. What are your take-aways and some of the things you find most interesting about Bev Mahone?
Pingback: BizSugar.com
She is a great woman and I can’t believe that she is 50 as at the pic she looks about 25. She had a nice life and she is hard-working. I think I should follow her and to know more about her work and business.
Hi Anna, Bev looks too young to be a Grandmom! Thanks for your lovely comment.
What a great story! God bless Bev!
Hi Dave, thanks for saying that!
Thank you Anna for your kind words, but Lord knows, I don’t ever want to be 25 again. The things I was doing at 25…..well let’s just say if I were famous, it would be on Entertainment Tonight!!! 🙂
Once again, thank you for the interview Ileane and after reading it back, it looks like one of Mitch’s VERY LONG posts 🙂
Thank you too Dave.
Bev, you’re welcome, but the pleasure is all mine.
Now you see how easy it is to write long stuff, eh? lol
Hi Illeane,
Great interview! I love reading about new people who have found success in there niches and how they go there… so inspirational. She’s a wise woman and Bev’s advice on “Be honest and genuine about who you are.” is so right on.
I think when you allow yourself to shine as who you truly are, you will naturally attract others just like you.
Thanks… very much enjoyed it. Will be sure to check out her site. 😉
Michele, there are so many lessons we can pick up on in this interview. That’s a great one that I know you and I strongly agree with. Thank you.
Hi…This is really the best story!!I hope I can have a chance to interview her too…
Hi Clark. I hear you….
Hi, Ileane,
thanks for introducing Bev to us, I like how the interview was developing. I specially like her honesty when saying that she doesn’t actually have any strategy for youtube, but that she just plays around.
Kristina, Bev is fantastic, isn’t she? So glad you enjoyed the interview. Thanks.
Interesting comment: “You have to also clearly understand who your audience is when it comes to business. Who are you trying to attract?”
I guess that is the real beauty of social media…it gives you a great way to connect with your readers/viewers/listeners and find out what REALLY interests them.
Great interview Ileane…:)
Mark
Mark, you picked up on another key point that I bet some folks might have missed. You’re pretty good 🙂
Seriously ~ this is where a lot of people make mistakes and get discouraged. You can write an entire blog post on the one thought alone.
If you ever want to guest post here and discuss that topic further, just let me know (or any topic for that matter).
Thanks Mark!
Very inspiring interview. I would never have a chance to know you and your success if Ileane didn’t do it. Hopefully I would see Bev one day on Oprah.
All the best!
Hey Tuan, you’re right there is still hope that you’ll see Bev on Oprah, now that she has her OWN network. Who knows, maybe Bev and I will hook up and get our own show. The Bev and Ileane Show – sounds like a winner to me!
A women at fifty with relation net work is great. Her duties as generalist are appreciable and there is lesson of struggle in achievement.She has managed every aspect beautifully.
Hi,
Nice Introduction about Bev Mahone.
Thanks
To Michelle,
I think I am honest to a fault sometimes. Speaking my mind has never been my problem—I’m now learning to temper it as I grow older 🙂
To Jamal:
You are so right about the “struggle in achivement.” It was not my intention to paint myself as having accomplished everything “beautifully.” There has been a lot of sweat, tears, frustration, etc during the reinvention process—which I might add is an ongoing process in my life.
I definitely had to go THROUGH the storm (a few times) to see the rainbow. Thanks for commenting.
Hello Anna, really deep and meaningful interview you’ve done here with Beverly Mahone, (btw the youtube video on menopause was hilarious). It seems that Bev haves a great life experience, especially in journalism which I’m very interested in (blog noted).
What a great interview Ileane and Bev definitely has impressed me with how great a background she has. I really enjoyed reading this and liked particularly the part about “press releases”. I think that done properly, it is an awesome way to get the word out. That’s just that, have to do it properly. Off to get that eBook on her site to see more 🙂
Well, nice to know you Bev. If Ileane has you featured here, I have no doubt that from now on, I will be keeping a “close” eye on you, lol.
DiTesco, I need to download that ebook asap! Press releases are a fantastic way to get backlinks too. I’m sure your clients will like the sound of that tune. You always bring such positive vibes with you when you come here. I truly appreciate you!
Wow, just look at all of those achievements! Ms. Bev is such a successful individual with a stellar attitude. Thank you so much for sharing your interview! I especially took to heart the segment about taking online relationships offline. This is something that I need to focus on.
And I will definitely be check out those e-books on press releases!
Thanks again!
Paula
very interesting interview,it inspired me so much.. it’s nice you posted here it’s really help me.thanks for sharing.
Wow what a great girl, I can’t believe that her age is 50 her face is look like the age of 20 or more than 20, T hank you Ileane Ive learn Thant life is only hard working to success..
Hi Ileane and Bev!
Ileane, like you I first met Bev as a result of Mitch’s “21 Of The Top Black Social Media Influencers.” After visiting several of her sites and reading some of her articles, she further stood out because she resides in an area where I lived and worked for 25+ years. But even more than that? She engages with her followers, and didn’t ignore the new people she met as a result of Mitch’s article.
Thank you for spotlighting her and her valuable work. I’m real pleased to get to know her better through your engaging interview.
Bev, you’re a true inspiration for reinventing one’s self. That game? Oooh, I’ve got to get it! Sounds like a great Christmas gift, too.
To: DiTesco,
Believe it or not, journalists do comb through press releases looking for story ideas and interesting people. But here’s a secret: If the headline of the release and the first paragraph doesn’t grab their attention, it probably won’t get read. I’ll let you in on another secret, I probably threw away thousands of releases over the course of my news career due to how poorly written they were and if a journalist is being honest with you, they’ll tell you the same thing.
Hi Vernessa,
I just came from reading your blog. I, too, must get out more! Would I be a complete idiot if I said I had no clue as to what it was about?! I could guess but that might be worse.
Now I can match a Twitter name with a real name because I honestly didn’t realize CoachNotesBlog was you.
I appreciate your kind words. I definitely believe in engaging others in social media. Even though Twitter runs a million miles a minute, I try to catch as many folks as I can just to let them know I see them and glad they were in my stream at the same time. I also love to RT others when it’s of value.
I didn’t know you used to live in NC. I’d be curious to know why you moved. Maybe you, Ileane and I can do a Skype call sometime. I’m still trying to get the hang of all of this technology. 🙂
Hi Bev,
You’d probably have to pay someone to train you to be “a complete idiot!” LOL I’m guessing you mean you had no clue as to what the short-story was about? That’s a bit of departure from my usual writings, but the mystery in the story is up for any blogger’s imagination. Do skip back over and read some of the articles meant for small business owners. (*shameless plug*)
Glad you made the connection between CoachNotesBlog on Twitter and me. I also use my name on Twitter (@VernessaTaylor) but tend to tweet less under it. As for NC, though I’m still in NYC for another few weeks, I haven’t moved. I did move from the Triangle about 4 years ago, following my kids (and grandkids) to the mountains after they decided to go back to pick up or finish up degrees. I liked it so I stayed when they returned home (ATL and Triangle).
I like the sound of a Skype conversation with you and Ileane. Ileane and I talk several times a month; would love for you to jump in on some of those interesting conversations.
Hey Bev – When you get a chance, add your other emails to your Gravatar account. (That technology thing!)
To: PcPrima,
Funny thing is when I started networking online, I forgot how important it was to connect in person because you start connecting with friends around the world. But I do know that in order to really establish myself as a businesswoman, I must make some NOISE in my own backyard and yes, I am rather loud! 🙂
Hi there. Thanks for the information. It’s a really interesting interview you’ve done there. Great job!
You know what’s funny is that I’ve mentioned Bev many times on my blogs, as I’ve appeared on both her Blog Talk Radio program and her radio program now. I have even linked to the interviews and presentations; guess overall I haven’t been the best promoter for you, Miss Bev, even though I posted an interview with you on my business blog in September 2008. Ileane seems to have way more juice than me. lol
Great interview, and I’m glad a new group of people have found out about you Bev. Definitely a person worth interviewing.
Indeed a great story and an equally inspiring interview. It truly illustrates that if you have passion for anything, that can surely take you to heights. And thanks once again to Ileane for bringing out such nice stories, time and again. 🙂
To Mitch:
You have been the MOST EXCELLENT promoter! Problem is, the people you are connected with don’t travel in my circles so they wouldn’t be interested in what I have to say. I have tried to connect with them through their blogs but most of them are written about subjects I either don’t know anything about or subjects I’m just not interested in.
I appreciate your connection because it has led to other valuable connections.
Great interview I suppose.. I just hope one day I’ll be able to interview her.. 🙂 Inspiring story by the way..
What Your Optimized Press Release for Online Should Have……….Search…….. You get to keep the brand fresh in their minds and you re able to enhance the visibility of your business too. A press release is your opportunity to get a message through without having to use hard-sell techniques sales pitches and marketing buzzwords..These days it s a best practice to optimize your press release for the Web.
I guess it helps to be a professional journalist if you want to become a blog writer. at least the writing is taken care of.
To: Josh,
You said….”It truly illustrates that if you have passion for anything, that can surely take you to heights…” Your statement is right on the money! I truly LOVE what I do and would do it even if I didn’t get paid for it.
To: amabaie,
I don’t necessarily think you have to be a professional journalist to be a blogger but I do think you should know HOW to put sentences together so your thoughts make sense and have a message. Thanks for commenting!
I think that the most important point can be summed up at the end of the post with this quote:
“One thing I’ve learned is you can’t sit around waiting for something to happen, you have to go out and make it happen.”
A very inspiring story! Thanks for sharing it. Glad I found this blog and the interview with Bev! Off to read the other posts!
“I definitely had to go THROUGH the storm (a few times) to see the rainbow. Thanks for commenting. ” Just want to add … that there’s no way you will appreciate success without failing. And life is a never ending process of ups and downs when in comes to all aspect of our lives. Just keep on moving …. and trust God’s plan for us.
Great inspiring interview. Good questions as well.
Bev has quite a long and impressive portfolio.
Personally I believe a list of black social media influencers is a weird thing. Does the color of the skin make any difference in social media? Unless it is used to make a statement or awareness.
Danny,
Thank you for your comments. Even with my long and impressive portfolio, I am still overlooked in some circles. Skin color shouldn’t make a difference anywhere but, sadly, it still does. There are numerous lists that get generated highlighting the so called Top Dogs in Social Media and rarely, if ever, are there any blacks OR women on the list. That’s why lists get created—to even the playing field.
To Beverly: The good thing about doing something that you really love is that you don’t feel working, you are just like doing your hobby and it fulfills you when it’s being appreciated even if you are earning just enough but indeed you can feel the satisfaction that you are looking for a job.
Beverly has some good comments , I think you are right it has no effect but the social media is effected through this.No doubt about this.However,it is wonderful blogging site and I do appreciate the effort.
To: bernadithong1,
You are right on the money! I would do this even if I didn’t get paid a dime. I love bringing peoples’ stories to the world—giving others their time to shine in the media spotlight!
Thank you Ileane for introducing us to Bev. Bev, you seem to have lived such an interesting and productive life! I’m headed over to your blog for that press release freebie and will definitely check out The Boomer Beat.
Hi Denise,
Thank you for your comments. I just read your blog and tried to leave a comment. Eldercare will, indeed, be a leading job opportunity of the future.
This is a great interview Ileane. I like knowing more about different people. Bev seems to be a very strong personality as we can see it in the interview. That picture is gorgeous too. Keep it up and interview such great minds Ileane.
Mario,
A woman with a “strong personality” is not how I would identify myself but it’s accurate. 🙂 I have learned over the years that I shouldn’t rely on others to make things happen and taking risks doesn’t always mean failure. And when I do fail at something, it becomes a learning opportunity. Thank you for the compliment.