It has been a challenge. I coach women to claim their power in their relationships so that they can communicate their needs clearly and confidently, avoid conflict and have the love they deserve.
I had expected to speak on stages or in one-on-one meetings to talk about the problem of control and loss of power in relationships, how devastating that can be to a woman, and the long-term damage it causes. I was in the process of sending out material to book speaking engagements when Covid-19 upended it all.
The subsequent lockdown meant that I have had to pivot to interacting exclusively online, which meant quickly beefing up my online visibility. Visibility is what gets you in peoples’ faces, getting your message across and being relatable and vulnerable, so that people are comfortable enough to want to work with you.
That means spending a lot of time on social media. I chose Facebook, because it is most commonly used by more people, than Instagram, which is another new thing to learn, or LinkedIn, which focuses mainly on business. I have to be honest and say that I was not previously a fan of Facebook and I am not enamoured with it now, but it is the best way for me to get my message across.
I started a private Facebook page so that woman could have a safe place to discuss their concerns about challenges in their relationships and in order to make the group work and attract people to it, I have had to nurture it daily. I decided to set up a routine: Monday, I ask a question; Tuesday I post a short video on a related topic (I have included one at the bottom of the article); Wednesday, I interview someone or post a You Tube video on the topic; Thursday another video; Friday, a profile of a powerful woman; Saturday, something inspirational. That is a lot of work, particularly the videos. I think of a topic, write the narrative, record two at a time – I have to put makeup on (LOL) – and then I have them ready for Tuesday and Thursday. The profiles take a lot of research, but I believe it is important to showcase women like, Rosa Parks, Katharine Graham, Grace Hopper and Viola Desmond, who triumphed against all odds.
One of the challenges is stepping out of my comfort zone which I have no choice but to do. Learning new technology, like Zoom to hold a conference and present a webinar; Streamyard to be able to make Live Facebook presentations; Stripe to collect money; and those are just three. It seems as if I have to learn new technology every week. It is exhausting. I expect there will come a time when I am able to hire someone to do the technical stuff but for now, it is all up to me. The isolation is also a challenge and after a while, it is easy for the brain to check out during yet another Zoom call with people whose faces you know only from being on Zoom.
However, I am grateful that I live in Canada, I am healthy, and I am surrounded by people who are also healthy. I also see this as a time for all of us to reset and learn new ways of being and doing things. It will be up to the collective will of all of us to wake up and to create a new world. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,” and verse 3 tell us that there is “a time to tear down and a time to build.” This is the time for us to build a new world where everyone is respected and treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they are.