The Wisdom of Youth
Ahhh, the wisdom of youth. We have the privilege to work with three twenty and under individuals this summer. They bring freshness, energy, and comic relief to our work day. Although we sometimes roll our eyes and say, “Hmmm!” to some of the ideas and antics, they are a real asset and benefit to our little company.
There are times our age is glaringly apparent. For example, when one goes into Staples to purchase printer ink and then laments about the high cost of said ink to the young man who has the pleasure of waiting on you, the lamenting old fart. One is aghast to find oneself saying things like, What is this world coming to, young man? I could sell my firstborn for less than the cost of printer ink!” FYI, I am not the one complaining to Staple’s employees…I’m just saying. Then, there is the whole social media thing, ugh!
If it were up to me, I would stay behind the scenes making beautiful, good-for-you soap and products. I would never attend a market. I would never put my face on social media. I would never do a speaking event. I would hide in my soap studio with my bad hair, that’s not as bad as it was, wear comfortable pants and shoes, and play with my goats when I take a break—not caring if I smell like goat and have hoof prints on my back.
Alas, this is not the way of the world. In order “to stay relevant,” -who comes up with these buzz terms? Like I am irrelevant if I don’t put my face on Facebook? Gahh, you see my frustration? Anyhow, to stay “relevant,” a Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok post must be published at least twice a day. Otherwise, people forget about you and what you are doing. I feel silly even writing those words, but this is what the social media gurus tell us.
The Bibbed Wonder has done almost all the social media up to this point. I am too forgetful to be in charge, and my secret weapon is to do things really badly, then I don’t have to do them…shhh, don’t tell The Bibbed Wonder, insert wink. However, the fact is, if I hate doing something, it is not a priority, and I simply won’t do it. I don’t feel clever, witty, or engaging. It is so far out of my comfort zone because it goes against everything I was taught growing up; be humble, work hard, and don’t brag or boast. In my eyes, social media contradicts those teachings. The Bibbed Wonder and I refer to social media as “The Look At Me Show.” But that is what one must do to promote one’s business in this day and age.
We have a young lady who just graduated from high school and is attending IUP in the fall, majoring in marketing. With her fascination with her phone, this young lady can drive one bib overall wearing curmudgeon off his rocker. She’s a great kid. She works hard, she’s smart, and when she is focused, one cannot ask for a better helper. The Bibbed Wonder’s frustration level with phone use was reaching an all-time high when he decided to “embrace the suck.” Rather than lose his cool, he sat down with our up-and-coming marketer and told her if she was going to be on her phone all the time, he would use it to his advantage. She is now in charge of social media.
What could have been an uncomfortable and heated conversation has turned into a fantastic win/win situation. Our young social media guru has knocked it out of the park with her posts, engagement, and creativity. She has created “stories” and “reels.” We don’t even know what a story or a reel is on social media. It’s been impressive to watch our following and engagement improve. More rewarding has been to watch our young prodigy grow in her self-confidence and ability. We have no doubt she is going to make an amazing marketing professional.
Jenna, The Wonder Girl, has also advised us to increase our engagement with some fantastic ideas like drawings, a customer of the month drawing, and subscription boxes. She also got us digital business cards. It’s the coolest thing! A person just taps their phone to the card, and all our information is on their phone, AND it takes them to the website. It’s so cool!
These capable and creative young women will drag us into the modern world, albeit kicking, screaming, and complaining. We may be old, but we are smart enough to recognize and appreciate the wisdom of youth.
As always, dear reader, stay safe, be smart, appreciate the wisdom of youth, and keep washing your hands.