After our last FB Live which was tremendously well-received (as of today, we have 1,800 views, 248 comments, 29 shares and 91 likes), I knew we were on to a good thing! That was just a one-hour conversation that Vimi and I had.
What most people enjoyed was the casual conversation – in fact, one friend said it was like being in a cafe with us as we talked about the topics that really resonated with how to reinvent oneself during this pandemic.
I also realised that Vimi and I have a special rapport and we can talk nineteen to the dozen about anything under the sky. That’s something unique. We didn’t want to pretend what we didn’t know about.
This Sunday, 3 April I will be doing another FB Live. This time it is with a friend and a Redbox client, Gina Koay of City Wellness Pharmacy.
I know most of you have been bombarded (me too!) with so many well-meaning FB Live sessions and Zoom sessions on how to be resilient, how to be stronger, how to overcome challenges during this MCO. I appreciate all the talks that are going on daily on FB and everywhere else but I have to say this too, many of us need to make the decision between doing work (yes the very thing that pays the bills) and listening to talks, as good as they are.
Even for me, I decided that unless I have a guest who can share well on his or her area of expertise, I shall not be putting out FB Live sessions.
This is why when Gina and I had this conversation two weeks ago, I told her that I had to think of a compelling angle for our FB Live. Each time we ask our friends and clients to watch our FB Live, it is time they have to take out of doing something else.
FB Live sessions are not gabbing sessions or coffee sessions for want of something to do. They have to provide value to the people who are watching.
Finally Gina and I talked about what we could share and I wanted her to talk about how she has been marketing herself as pharmacist and business owner these 13 years.
When she opened her pharmacy in Island Glades 13 years ago, there was another pharmacy already in business. And soon after another one opened too. If you know Island Glades, it is a residential area with middle-class families but even so, three pharmacies were one too many. Eventually, the other two closed and Gina’s business was the only one left standing. I said there must be some reasons for her staying power and we will be discussing this.
Besides marketing her business, Gina has some creative ways of marketing herself.
As small business owners, the line between marketing oneself and marketing the business is often blurred. When you market yourself, you market your business. You are your business in the eyes of the public. We will be dissecting the ways she does this too.
So we hope you will join me and Gina this Sunday.
Make your favourite cup of coffee and log on to our FB page to listen to Gina’s story. I was surprised that I didn’t know that much about the life of a pharmacist before I spoke to her (researching your interviewee is important and never miss out this step).
See you this Sunday!
(If you are wondering why it’s on a Sunday, it’s the only day that Gina is available. Her pharmacy is considered an essential service hence she opens for business every day except Sunday.)