Social media is a crucial part of pretty much any business these days, whether you're doing an online business or a local business or something that's more brick and mortar, however, it can be a total can of worms when you start to open the door into this world of social media, especially if you're a new entrepreneur who's trying to balance everything you need to do in your business itself, along with everything you need to do.

To keep up with all the social media trends. On today's episode, I am pleased to be joined by my longtime assistant and social media manager, Chris Daining. Chris has been working with me for a very long time and has run my Facebook page and my Pinterest account for years, and she has a wonderful feel of what is working right now and what isn't in the world of all the social media.

You might remember Chris from a previous episode because she's also a veteran gardener and has been in love with gardening since she was a child helping in her parents vegetable garden. She's gardened in the colder climates of Michigan and Wisconsin and also in sunny and warm South Carolina.

In addition to writing her gardening blog, The Homestead Garden, with tutorials and advice on how to find joy in your garden in every season, Chris has been my right hand woman with all of my business adventures for many years, and this was a fun conversation with lots of juicy nuggets. So here we go.

You're listening to the old-fashioned on-purpose podcast where ambitious people master the art of returning to their roots. Have you found yourself disenchanted with society or wishing you could opt out of the rat race? Perhaps you're craving a life that's meaningful and tangible, a life where you can create and produce instead of merely consume.

I am Jill Winger, best-selling author and long-time home center. Over the last 10 years, I have helped thousands of families create or connection grow amazing organic food and find the ultimate fulfillment through an old-fashioned lifestyle, and I can do the same for you. Now on to our episode.

Hey Chris, welcome back to the podcast.

Hi Jill, thanks for having me again. Yeah, so you were definitely the first one who came to mind when I was planning out like the topics that I thought we need to have an episode on social media, and there's, yeah, this is going to be a super fun conversation because this is something you've worked on a long time, and I worked on a long time with you. So I feel like there's lots of fun tidbits to share here.

Absolutely, looking forward to this. Yeah, so I was actually thinking the other day, when did you start working for me? Because people will ask me like, how long have you had Chris or who's on your team? And I'm like, I don't Chris has been there. I feel like you never weren't there. You just like, I can't remember life before Chris. So what year did you come on? I'm sure you remember.

Okay, I was looking at my records and I only started my records seven years ago.

So seven years ago, I was working for you.

Wow, I started doing social media, and you know, all that kind of stuff for people eight years ago. So it's possible like right at the end of eight years.

I started for you, but it like got more serious in seven years ago, whatever year that is right, whatever year that is and do the math.

Yeah, and so you so you had other clients initially, like you were kind of a VA or virtual assistant for a lot of different homestead bloggers. And then over the years, I started like hogging you. I feel a little bit more.

If you like Chris help out. And then last year or the year before you came on full time. So now you're officially on like you're the executive assistant on my team.

For those of you who email like hello at the prairie homestead or you're, you know, doing any of those customer service emails. I can't get my ebook to download. Chris is here to talk to and she knows my business inside and out. So you also though have managed my Facebook page and my Pinterest for many years.

And that has been awesome because I feel like a lot of times entrepreneurs are talking about outsourcing social media.

It gets tricky because it can work beautifully and it can be sometimes an assess that he depending on how much you have on your plate. But it can also be really poorly.

And there's a lot of times when I see folks try to outsource it. Maybe it's the wrong match and the person who the outsource to two doesn't understand their voice for their content style.

And it just falls flat. So I know with you, that's why I'm one of the reasons I'm so, so thankful like it to work with you is you are brilliant at understanding what I'm trying to communicate and what the prairie homestead brand is about and you do an amazing job sometimes better than I do myself for trying on social media.

Thank you.

I feel like that we make a really good team because I always I'm like stalking you on Instagram.

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