Lisa Sicard of Inspire To Thrive is a long time participant on this blog, almost 7 years now. In that time she’s switched from working at a newspaper to becoming self employed months ago. She wrote a book titled How To Tweet And Thrive On Twitter in 2017, which I wrote a review about.
1. First, tell us about the area where you live. I know little about it, including Providence, even though I spent 4 days there once.
I live in Hope, Rhode Island which is part of Scituate. It is about 20 minutes to Providence if there is no traffic. I used to work in the city of Providence for many years, and when there is traffic it could be an hour ride.
2. You have an interesting early history. How did you connect web design and graphic arts when you were going to college when the “web” didn’t actually exist?
Great question. I went to college before the web came along when I got my graphics art degree. Later I went at night for web design. I also took classes in marketing at Bryant College.
3. What made you get into advertising and sales?
I fell into it. I started to deliver a weekly newspaper as a kid, got a job there typing classifieds and they taught me graphics. I worked full time summers and after school in middle and high school and on weekends. I went to a vo-technical high school for graphic arts.
4. What was the first social media platform you adopted, and how did it spark an interest in social media overall for you?
Twitter. I was running a retail website for my ex-husband’s website and made the biggest sale from it. I learned quickly the power of Twitter. It was a medical scrub website.
5. I think Twitter’s your favorite platform because you wrote a book about it. Am I correct? Yes or no, tell us your favorite and why.
Yes, from above but I met wonderful people there. I met you, Mayura, Brenda Lee, Donna Merrill and Ryan Biddulph to name a few from those early days on my being on Twitter. I met some local ladies during an earthquake on the East Coast. We used to go to lunch a few times a year until we all had issues with elder parents. We still tweet to each other though 😊
6. You started your blog Inspire To Thrive in August 2011. What led you to creating it and was it your first blog? Also, what lessons did you get from Who Moved My Cheese (I read it also lol)?
I was inspired because people were asking how I made sales from social media for the retail website. Instead of taking calls and answering e-mails I started a blog thinking it would be easier. Little did I know, right?
7. Only 2 of the original 11 blogs you followed are still putting up new content (yes, I checked lol). I’ve noticed the same thing happening by looking at old comments on my blogs. I know you believe blogging is important for business, but with so many abandoned blogs, do you see it as a viable solution for the majority of business owners or those hoping to make money online?
Yes, you must get new readers all the time! It’s just like with my old day job in sales. You always must prospect. I try to leave comments on blogs I visit for the first time. If I really like them, I’ll sign up for future updates.
8. You’re a great connector on social media. Do you have a schedule you follow or are you just full of energy? Do you have high hopes for its future?
9. You recently became self employed. Is it what you were expecting? Where would you hope to be in the next 5 years?
I think so, I work a lot of hours. When I first started, I planned on having slow Mondays and Fridays so when I wanted to take a long weekend it would be easy.
I’ve been working most of this Monday and sometimes I do take appointments on a Friday. I’ve hired a few freelancers and hope to expand on that in 2019. I’m trying not to work every weekend but it’s becoming harder to turn off totally.
Most of my business has come to me, I haven’t had to knock on doors and I hope the referrals continue to come in. It’s that way both with my local and international clientele. I treat every customer liked I’d like to be treated 😊
10. Your turn; tell people about your blog, your business, your social media connections and anything else you want to mention (including bragging about the Red Sox winning the World Series lol).
The first time the Red Sox won the World Series was surreal, just as the first time the New England Patriot’s won the Super Bowl! As a kid I was embarrassed to wear any of their apparel. I was a big Boston Bruins fan too as a kid and a member of the Bobby Orr fan club 😊 These days I mostly watch the Patriots on the weekend. I unplug too during the games.
I hope to inspire others with my blog. Inspire people that want to work from home, start their own business, blog or just handle their own social media. I like to provide tips and tricks in most of my posts.
A lot of my ideas come from my experiences. Other times I have sponsored posts where I still input my own experiences into them. I don’t usually accept posts that are cut and dry. After all, it is my space.
Another thing I share is mistakes along the way. I find people love to learn from other’s mistakes, so I make plenty of them and share them. Recently, I could not figure out how to edit a sponsored post on Facebook. It took me 2 hours to figure it out. You must cancel the sponsored version and then edit the original post and do another sponsored post from it. Now I can do it in 5 minutes but if I can save someone a few hours, why not? Time is our most precious asset.
That’s a philosophy I share often, that you must spend time or money to make money. There is NO way of getting around that. No shortcuts, and I love when I read other blog posts that explain it takes time to build a blog. I cringe when I read others say build a blog in a day or hours. Really? Maybe the shell but not the content or the audience. It all takes time.
Anyways I would not have made it this far without help from my Techie, Mayura DaSilva of Mayura4ever who helps often when something technical isn’t working on the site. I recently hired someone to manage my SEO as well to free up my time.
I learned a lot from Donna Merrill who I met in person, Bren Pace, Adrienne Smith, Ryan Biddulph from Blogging from Paradise and Janice Wald from Mostly Blogging, Erik Emanuelli from No Passive Income, and Cori Ramos as well as YOU Mitch.
There are of course many others that came later like Sam Hurley, Gail Gardner, Jan Gordon, Darren Rowse, Neil Patel, Mike Allton, Dawn Abraham to name just a few. It takes a village as they say!
Hey Mitch and Lisa,
I was a regular on Lisa’s blog when I used to write my first blog. I am following her on twitter too from my personal handle.
You are right in noticing that a lot of blogs have abandoned. One such blog is basiblogtips by Ileane smith which I used to follow.
Its good to see Inspire to Thrive still thriving and inspiring.
Thanks for this quick interview.
Regards
Vineet Saxena
Glad you saw it Vineet; Lisa’s good people. I wouldn’t totally say that Ileane’s abandoned her blog as much as using it as a vehicle for other bloggers, especially since she created another blog in her own name.
Hi Mitch, Thank you so much for putting this together. Wow, we have known each other a long time here.
Time sure flies when we are busy blogging away and sharing on social media. I don’t think I would want to add up the hours we have put in : )
Have a great new full week of the year Mitch!
Thanks for doing the interview Lisa. I hope people learned a lot of great things about you. 🙂
Hey Mitch and Lisa,
I met Lisa about a year and a half ago, when I won a giveaway on Cori Ramos’ blog. Lisa designed my blog logo, and we connected ever since. She even wrote a guest post for my blog. I have to say that she is great, and I follow her Twitter tips, because she know the medium very well.
As for you, Mitch, I hadn’t “met” you before, but I will follow you from now on.
Keep up the good work, both of you 🙂
Marios
Thanks for your comment Marios, and glad to have made a connection with you. Lisa’s a good kid; I’m glad she agreed to do the interview. Have a great 2019!
Weekend? What’s a weekend. You can’t just turn it off…unless you go somewhere where their are no emails.
Hi David, I should have clarified – I oftentimes work just a few hours on the weekend. And normally I have my mobile device with me to respond to anything important that comes in.
The only exception is on vacation on the motorcycle or snowmobile – the 2 places I can’t really be on the phone….Breaks are important, otherwise we can get burnt out.
Lisa: Go Pats! 🙂
Mitch: I found your post via BizSugar. (I am one of the moderators there.) I have been communicating with Lisa in the blogosphere and we have been tweeting now and then… 😉
I have been blogging since 2002 and podcasting since 2006. I have been struggling with creating content on a regular basis, but I haven’t given up.
Thanks for doing this interview with Lisa. It is an inspirational piece and it gave me food for thought, and fuel for my (writing) soul…
All the Best,
Martin
Welcome to the blog Martin. I’m glad Lisa consented to doing the interview; it took us a while to get it done. 🙂 It’s interesting to see you’ve been podcasting since 2006; I never heard of podcasting until probably 2013 lol
Hi Mitch and Lisa,
I want to first thank you for the mention here Lisa. It was great meeting in person when you came up to Maine. We surely have to do it again when the weather gets normalized lol.
I call you the queen of Twitter because you have so much knowledge and master that platform so well. You have taught me so much in this area.
I enjoyed reading your past experiences which lead up to you doing everything full time now. You are so knowledgeable in so many areas that you share not only with your readers, but on social media also.
Keep up the wonderful work my friend,
-Donna
Hi Donna, you are most welcome. I’ve learned a lot from you over the years and now you are my queen of Video!
Your last post about it was fabulous! We are heading to Maine again this year and hope to connect. Will be in touch Donna. Thanks for coming by here and commenting and sharing too 🙂 Have a great day!
Hey Mitch and Lisa,
Good to see you both together.
I have known Lisa for years and she’s one of the forces behind my blog. But I didn’t know she started her current blog in 2011.
Thanks for putting up this interview Mitch, helping with more information about someone I consider a true friend online. I hope we meet and shake hands some day.
Happy New Year
Thanks for stopping by Enstine; Lisa did a good job with her responses to my goofy questions. 🙂
Thanks Enstine for coming by. You learned something new about me 🙂 Yes, I’m so glad we became friends in the blogosphere. You never know if we may meet someday 🙂
I started blogging way back before social media had really caught on. I have started using it more over the past year, but I am wondering what social media sites Lisa would focus on in (if any) in addition to Twitter.
Hi Mike, I would also focus on your Facebook page and being involved in groups. They do bring a lot of people to your blog if done correctly. If you have a page you do have to do some boosting of posts today to be seen.
Hey Mitch! Long time no see! Hey Lisa! Great to see you here! This is an awesome interview. I’ve followed Lisa for over 8 years now and have watched her create her own little empire. Little I say now because she is rapidly growing it and will be slaying the world in the very near future. 😉 It’s very admirable when entrepreneurs venture out on their own. It has to be very scary not knowing when your next “paycheck” will be coming but so many are doing it. And doing it well might I add. It’s great to read about your journey, Lisa. I so admire all you have done. Keep at it, girl!
Great interview, Mitch!
Bren
Hey Bren! Glad you enjoyed the interview with Lisa; she great stuff! 😉
Aww, thanks Brenda. It can be scary but I think you have to get over your fears to move on and accomplish more.
I love being able to work from almost anywhere and early a.m.’s when I am the most creative. I still do meet with local clients pretty regularly but it’s on my time.
Thanks for coming by on this one Brenda! I can’t believe it’s been over 8 years – WOW!
Hi,
This post is very inspiring indeed. A great story. Fabulous interview with Lisa.
I too only learned about podcasting in the last two years. Such a great way of passing on the wealth of information.
Cheers Nathan…
Lisa’s good people; glad you liked the interview. I don’t listen to many podcasts, but I’ve been interviewed for a few of them so I appreciate them greatly. 🙂