Minnow University live on air recap.

Hellooooo friends!
In case you missed class here are my notes. Just in case you didn't know, class time has changed from Tuesday night to Saturday 7:00 pm CST, 8:00 pm EST, or Sunday 1:00 am - 2:00 am UTC. Check out, Introducing Minnow University Radio on Msp-Waves! // An Initiative to Help Minnows and New Users!.

As mentioned, today's class is the last one airing at this time. We look forward to seeing you during the weekend. @swelker101 and his lovely wife @isaria will be leading those classes on the weekend. I look forward to working with this powerhouse couple. Due to @swelker101’s schedule he hasn't been able to dedicate the time to this project during this new time slot. Moving forward, he will have the time to really dive deep into these topics. Not sure I will be able to join them every week, but I will be cheering them on. Until then, you and I have the next two hours to discuss value adds. Then at some point we will have a guest come on air and share their thoughts and experience on Steemit.

@sirlunchthehost, joined us on air for the first half and you can listen to his interview by clicking the link above. Everything else we discussed is written below. :)

Adding value

Steemit talks a lot about this topic, but what does it mean to you? To me it means one way of acting and thinking, but to you it may mean something completely different. For the purpose of today's lesson, let's say to add value means to surround yourself with it. For example, when I first started on Steemit, like many of you I wanted to figure out how this platform worked. Everyone preached about value, but where could I find it? I started with the person that brought me to the platform. I read their entire blog. I didn't understand the challenges they were facing, but I loved what they had to say and how they said it. I learned two main lessons by reading their blog.

1. They select excellent thumbnail pictures.

The picture they selected and title made me want to read their post.

1. They write about what they know and what they are passionate about.

This is important because when you write what you know, about what you love it shows and readers can tell.

After reading their blog, I then looked at their comments. Who did they comment on, why did they comment on this post, and are these people someone I would want to follow as well? Turns out they were. These people wrote about their life, about finances, and about randomness. Do you see what is happening here? A cycle is forming.

The cycle looks different for everyone, but typically the cycle of value begins with finding it, understanding it, and adding to it. Since you are here on Steemit and Discord, in my opinion you have found value. The next step as mentioned above is to surround yourself with it.

1. Find what others are doing. Use what you like.
   I am a visual person, so an interesting picture or title will lead me to click on that post. Is this the same for you? I would find an interesting picture, click on the post, read their post then see who they were reading/commenting on. Before I knew it I was engaging with other members.

The key here is to search and find. Then search and find again. Keep looking for interesting posts and commenting will be easier over time and not feel forced. Most actions that are forced are not adding the value that is consistent over time. We are all growing and learning together. Being consistent is key. So, that's adding value, let's dive deeper into finding it.

Finding Value

After diving deep into the Steemit ocean, I was introduce to the world of Discord. When I was introduced to the MinnowSupport Discord I soon associated it with the word COMMUNITY! I didn't realize that Discord was initially created for gamers and I have yet to join a gaming community. I don't know about you, but I am a part of about twenty-five different servers. Active in about five of them. Many of them serve different purposes, and many serve similar goals, but all of them connect people to people and people to projects. There I connected with other users. Through Discord, I connected and aided with different community projects like this one. Like Steemit, it was very confusing at first because it was another world I had never heard of. Filled with people, colors, and purpose.

Are you overwhelmed yet?

If Steemit isn't confusing enough, there are chat rooms outside of Steemit called Discord for live chatting. There is a chatting room on Steemit.com, but it isn't anything like Discord. When you are ready to dive deeper into the Discord world, take it in small doses. Being active in Discord can be a blessing and a curse if used incorrectly. When you join be warned that you may be sucked into the world of chat and distracted from your goals on Steemit. Use Discord wisely! It’s fun, it’s busy, it's filled with people, and it's filled with opportunity. The blessing of Discord is the ability to connect with users that you may not find or hear of on Steemit. Be careful not to spend so much time on Discord that you forget to connect with people and write posts on Steemit. If you use it to help the work you do in addition to Steemit then it will be a blessing. If you use it as an outlet for what you wish you did on Steemit then it will be a curse. When you are ready, check out this complete list of various communities by clicking HERE.

What kind of projects?

There are community groups with similar interests, groups with various contests, and a group for the radio shows. These can be awesome places to compliment what you do on Steemit. You can promote, you can educate, you can learn, and most importantly you can have a ton of fun.

Value

To define value is like defining success. How do you define value? Asking and answering this question will vastly change the way you swim through Steemit waves. For me, value is added, value is found, and value is filled when ideas are aligned with people and purpose. What does that mean? That means whatever idea you have must be aligned with the people you surround yourself with and the purpose you have for it. If you create a post with an idea and a purpose for the people reading, then in your own way you have created value.

Everyone can add value, but it's what you value that makes it worthwhile.

I value Jesus friends people, I value financial freedom, I value people passionate about their interests. I don't value those that talk about change, but aren't actively creating change. I don't value controversial conversation that doesn't cause or lead to change. That sounds more like argument and venting. i think there is a place and time for it, but I don't seek those places. I value honesty, integrity, and life.

What this means and looks like for you is different. Doesn't mean it is wrong, it just means it is you. Whatever you decided to add value, don't think you have to defend it, just know that you may have to explain it.

The journey of value adds.

When I started on this blogging world, I read and watched a few videos. One called, THE STRANGER - PAPA'S ADVICE FOR NEWER USERS - PART 1 answered a lot of basic questions. Granted, these older posts have some outdated information, but it is there for you. I loved the value he adds and advice he gives because he stayed true to who he was and had learned how to do it in a fun and unique way.

Formatting posts quickly became my favorite past time on Steemit. Writing was fine, but
I LOVED formating my posts. I have a few posts saved, but these are my favorites.
Text Dividers for your Steemit Posts - Copy and Paste!
Markdown Editing for Steemit Posts. Easy Copy and Paste!
Formatting and Editing your Blog | Cheat Sheet Included | Just COPY and PASTE!
Animated Text Dividers! - - Simply Copy and Paste .gif dividers
Steemit Made Easy: Guide To Understanding How Things Work and How to Use Unknown Features!

You will notice that several of these posts are from the same user. You will find that the content you enjoy is generally from people that you would enjoy following. So, I do. I follow these members, I comment on their posts. I constantly remind them how much I appreciate the work they do. Do you know what happens next? Sometimes these members follow me back, sometimes they comment, sometimes they upvote. Notice that I said, SOMETIMES! They owe me nothing. No one owes you a comment, no one owes you an upvote, no one owes you a resteem. You owe it to yourself to do it.

Over time, your work will speak for itself and improve. My first post called, 6 months into 2017: What is your challenge? was a random idea I had. My real intro post called, My Friends call me Kubby showcases my learning for formating and writing. Slowly I started to learn that I liked writing about my daily life. It is time to say goodbye.... is an example of a post I wrote during a difficult time. Another example that is a little lighter in nature is a post I wrote about the time my parents decided to go on vacation and leave me with their beloved chickens. The Chickens are rebelling; Would you talk to them? When my life was uneventful and ideas for posts were nowhere to be found, I joined a writing contest that forever changed me.

Join contests and allow what you thought to be challenged.

I learned about writing length, I challenged myself with fiction, and I made so many friends. I joined another contest after that and wrote a piece called, Birthmonth, Day Nine: The love story that shouldn't have been.. From that post, I started meeting some of my favorite members. So you want to go plant based? This writer is a friend, this writer is visiting me in March, this writer and I have supported each other for some time. Over time, I also decided to become more involved in the community. "I want you, do you want me? - Kubby for MSP Moderator" I love the formatting of this post and have recently revisited it to help remind me why I do what I do.

Through network and Discord, I made friends that created art for me that I showcase through post decor/formatting. Art contests are one of my favorite ways to meet other artists. If you click the word art contest, you will find one of my favorite art contributors. She is so talented and is constantly running challenges.

The point is you will make lots of friends while on Steemit. Did you notice that world? It is the game changer of this entire post.

YOU!

Only you can write posts, only you can make the effort to comment, only you can challenge yourself to improve. So as class comes to an end, let me ask you a question?

Do you have the value behavior to succeed?

.....Class dismissed.

Minnow University is brought to you by witness @swelker101. Please Consider Voting For Swelker101 Witness. Use the witness page https://steemit.com/~witnesses. Scroll until you see this box and enter swelker101.

This project is lead by Shane with the support from @isaria and @kubbyelizabeth to help new Steemit users understand the concepts and basics of Steemit and other STEEM blockchain platforms. We have working relationships with MSP at PALnet and The Writer's Block to help educate minnows on how to grow their accounts without resorting to spam or practices that may stunt their ability to flourish on the platform. Please join us at our Discord server.

Brought to you by Pink Professor,