Anne Talmage Cooksey's Blog

Tik...what?!? Yeah, that was my first reaction, too. But after I heard Gary Vaynerchuk of VaynerMedia (marketing/advertising genius, YouTube creator of #askgaryvee, author of "Crushing It") mention TikTok, my ears pricked up. I had to check it out.I downloaded the app and signed up for my account. Seconds later I was scrolling the TikTok feed. I found tweens and teens jumping up and down with their friends (sometimes with parents joining in accidentally/on purpose!) pretending to be forks in a garbage disposal, dancing, doing challenges, sticking their wet hair in snowbanks (so it would freeze standing straight up), lip-syncing trending songs and comedy routines, stacking themselves up in doorways, doing gymnastics, pranking each other, drawing, posting lots of cute animal clips, and so much more. Add in loads of in-app effects/filters and you've got a major party going on!I couldn't help smiling -- the videos are 15 seconds or less (continuously looped, so you can watch one as many times as you want). This isn't picture-perfect Instagram. This is just fun -- real people in real life having a blast--sharing what makes them unique. And the more mistakes or unexpected outcomes, the funnier the clip. The overall feel is positive, supportive, anti-bullying, quirky and creative. It's brave and it's bold. Egirls are redefining the word "cool" while people of all ages are uploading clips of both the heartwarming and the tough stuff going on in their lives.How did TikTok move to the forefront? Remember Vine? Vine, Twitter's famous 6-second, video-sharing, continuous looping app, was discontinued in December, 2016 and left a big hole just waiting to be filled. Musical.ly--home to a community of lip-syncing, joke-cracking, and live streaming teens--launched in 2014 and exploded in 2016. "Musers" became the new social media celebrities and influencers. ByteDance, a Chinese company which owned TikTok (an international short video platform), purchased Musical.ly in August, 2018, targeting the U.S. teenage market. ByteDance combined the two apps, keeping the TikTok brand. And a whole new world was born.Forbes, TechCrunch, Economic Times, Social Media Today, CNBC, and more are paying serious attention to TikTok as it grows exponentially with more than 800 million downloads worldwide. According to South China Morning Post, "the Beijing-based ByteDance is the world's most valuable unlisted start-up." TikTok is in the very early stages of trying out sponsored video ads that will direct users to the advertiser's website. If you are in social media advertising, keep your eye on TikTok. Pediatric dentist offices are some of the first to test the waters by posting TikTok videos of the dentists and their employees having fun with the latest challenge or trending dance moves.I jumped right in and started uploading videos. A recent one has me replacing bran flakes with Lucky Charms and hiding Reese's Peanut Butter Cups inside a frozen veggies bag in the freezer. That 15-second video has over 64,000 views at last count...and it's still rising. Not because it's documentary worthy, but because it's an unexpected laugh out of left field. The comments section is priceless: "Be right back--gonna check the vegetable bags," "Why do I have siblings and never thought of this?" and "This is pure genius."http://vm.tiktok.com/eB5rcD/With all the tension in the world these days, I'm in the mood for TikTok's comedic relief and lighthearted vibe. Are there creeps lurking in the wings? Sure, but they're also on FaceBook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Like all social media platforms, you need to be aware and vigilant, especially if you have teens on the app. TikTok has parental controls, a minimum age of 13, privacy settings, and a community ready to call out any unsavory character or behavior--especially bullying.I use it as a platform to encourage and support anyone who is willing to take a risk, be vulnerable, and show the world who they are. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for TikTok. Oh, and if anybody calls out "Hit or Miss!" near you in a Walmart or Target and other people respond back "I guess they never miss, huh?," don't panic. It's a TikTok thing. Come join the fun!

I borrowed my sister's copy of A Wrinkle In Time way back in elementary school. Life changed. I became Meg: Calvin befriended me, Charles Wallace held my hand, Sandy and Dennys tolerated me, my father disappeared, and my mother cried. Every new story and character intrigued me, opened my world, and taught me about the enormous power of Love.I shared my passion about all things Madeleine L'Engle with my hometown youth pastor, Reverend Sarah-Anne Colegrove. After reading A Wrinkle In Time, Sally decided to invite Madeleine to our Fall Weekend All Church Retreat in Sharon, Connecticut. As well as an amazing writer, Madeleine L'Engle was also a Christian laywoman, speaker, and workshop leader. The gift of 48 hours in my favorite author's presence fell out of the heavens and into my starstruck lap!That weekend I drove into New York City with another one of my pastors, Reverend Dale Greene, to pick up Madeleine and bring her up to Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon. We met at her office at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine where she worked as a librarian, then stopped at her apartment where she lived with her husband, Hugh Franklin, to gather her things. Books galore -- even the bathroom had amazing wall-to-wall bookshelves! Personable and kind, she welcomed us into her world like old friends.Friday and Saturday flew by -- I drank in every moment of every workshop, conversation, and shared meal in the Cedars. Saturday night I ended up in the Sharon Hospital Emergency Room with a chipped elbow after falling in the main room. Madeleine was also nursing an injury that weekend which was the reason why we were driving her to and from the Retreat. Gracious and compassionate, she had me sit next to her after I returned in my bandages and sling. She said we were now twins. Could my life get any better if I had planned it? Actually, yes. And this is the reason I will always love and treasure Madeleine L'Engle. When the time came to drive her back to Crosswicks, her home in Goshen, Connecticut, she asked me to drive along. We walked into her big, roomy kitchen and after a short space of time, she turned to me and said, "do you want to re-enact the beginning of A Wrinkle In Time?" "Yes," I said. "How?""This is the house where it all happened. Go up the stairs, through the playroom, and into the bedroom. Lie down on the bed...and start."I raced up those stairs in a flash. And did exactly what she said. I became Meg. I woke up in the bed, bumped my hip on the ping pong table, creaked on the third step leading into the big kitchen, and looked at Madeleine with a huge smile on my face. "Now, go outside. You'll find the star watching rock and the rock wall where Louise the Larger lived." She smiled back. And I was gone, eager to see.The memory still makes me cry. What a gift. She saw me. She saw my inner Meg. She saw my awkward, unsure, half-baked self and ministered to me in the most holy and loving way possible. And that connection has lasted my entire life.Six months later, Madeleine L'Engle spoke at the Chapel at Vassar College. I was one of hundreds of students who attended. Afterwards I went up to say hello. I figured she wouldn't remember me, but I was in for a surprise."Hi, Madeleine...I don't know if you remember me...""Annie! How's your elbow?"When you are Named, you become more fully who you are meant to be. Madeleine L'Engle wrote "love isn't how you feel...it's what you do." Thank you, Madeleine, for Naming me during a time when I had trouble Naming myself. I've always held on to that. You may be gone from this planet, but never from my universe.  

FaceBook got to me.  Politics had taken over the Book. Twitter encouraged people to tweet angrily at the universe in 140 characters or less. Then I found pics of food, exotic scenery, marketing tips, yoga poses, and inspiring quotes. That was for me! I headed for Instagram.What started as a platform to display my new Snapchat skilz became a fascinating and humbling experience. On Instagram, engagement is key--a back and forth conversation that builds a bond.Here are ten important things I've learned this year:1. #Social on SocialReally read what somebody posts and make a relevant comment. Don't post an inane emoji or thumbs up. Respond to other people's comments and get a conversation going. Mention users (@name). Regram posts that inspire you and give shout-outs to accounts who deserve extra love for their amazing content.2. HashtagsYou have thirty. Use them. Don't put them at the end of your post. That's spammy. Put them in a comment. Use 15 broad and 15 specific. You will attract all sorts of new people who may like your pic and give you a follow.3. Follow/UnfollowDon't follow someone and engage with them only to unfollow them in the middle of the night a week after they follow you back. It's not cool to increase your numbers that way. It's just not classy. A simple app like InstaReport lets them know right away that you've unfollowed them, so it's quickly obvious you were just using them. There are real flesh and blood people behind each account--business people you may meet at some point in your career, face-to-face. That's going to be uncomfortable. It's more fulfilling to be honestly successful with a smaller group of authentic, organic, engaged followers who enjoy being part of a community than to mimic success with followers you don't even know.4. Time Your PostsInstagram changed the chronological feed to an algorithm that gives priority to posts with higher engagement. So you want to post when your followers are scrolling. Use Iconosquare or a similar app to let you track when your followers are most active on the Gram.5. Direct Message People You'd Like to Engage WithNo middlemen exist on Instagram. You can direct message Beyonce if you want (good luck getting a response, but don't forget to immediately screen shot and post if you do!). Reach out and let them know their post was cool or what they said in their post touched you. Don't send an automated thank you for their follow -- I get we're all busy, but automated just leaves me cold. Unless, like one woman did, you send me an automated follow thank you that not only follows me back but has a call to action for specific, dedicated engagement in it to encourage me to keep her as my follower. She makes engagement for a follow a win-win.6. Clean Up Your FeedGet rid of posts with few likes or those less than meaningful pics. New and future followers will be scrolling your feed. Make it look inviting! Use a color scheme, post in a pattern, lighten up on the text, give it a cohesive overall brand that lets a follower know right off the bat it's you. Have some fun, be vulnerable, be yourself -- people follow and engage with people who touch their emotions in some way.7. Use Your Post To Get People InvolvedEngage followers by asking questions. If you're an author, give a few title choices and ask what they like best. If you're planning a meal, ask for suggestions. One woman posts an introspective, spiritual question each morning and asks people to answer in the comments. I've met some really deep thinkers via her feed. Have a contest to give something away of value (one of your products). People like and want to feel part of a discussion or a brand or a group.8. Comment/Like Posts with Relevant HashtagsGo outside your comfort zone and chat up these people. If you have an Albino Doberman, reach out to others who have one as well. Build your community. If you are a writer, give those other writers in your genre a like and a follow. Strike up a conversation. We're all just waiting for someone to wave at us across Instagram and say hello. Be the first one to make a move. It's the best way to stand out in the crowd!9. VideoDo it. Put up a video. Your followers want to get to know YOU. Instagram is a visual medium--the 60-second video option is a great way to let your followers into your life. No need for Hollywood perfection--we want to hear what's going on in your business, what's happening with your kids or your super-cute dog or your weight-loss goals, and what's new and exciting in your world. We want to see who the person is behind the posts--it's nice to put a name to a face, and it's really nice to hear your voice, too!10. Give and ConnectGive your information, your expertise, your songs, your poems, your philosophy on life. Every day, wake up and think, "what can I post that would help someone on Instagram today?" A quote, a business book, a new smoothie recipe, a funny joke...it's all about giving, not taking. The joy of Instagram is how many intangibles you can give away for free with no expectations of anything in return. And the amazing thing is...it comes back to you tenfold. In ways you would never expect: in friendships, in business connections, in knowledge, in compassion, in celebration, and yes, sales. I have bought more products via Instagram after having one-on-one conversations with the people who create the products.Instagram is being taken to a new and higher level of connection by people all around the world who truly care about reaching out to learn, teach, and experience each others lives. People are becoming more aware and socially responsible on this platform, taking Instagram in a better, less self-serving "selfie" direction. Is this what Instagram intended in its conception? Probably not, but platforms have a way of transforming and morphing to meet the needs of the humans behind each keystroke. The need for global relationship and community is growing stronger each day.

Officer Tommy Norman of North Little Rock, Arkansas, advocates positive community policing with daily interactive engagement. He gained both national and international attention when Atlanta activist and rapper, Killer Mike, stated during a CNN interview that Norman was "doing something right by connecting with inner city youth and minorities of color." Officer Norman is invited to communities all over the country to help implement his model of #CommunityPolicing.He posts daily content on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter promoting positive community interaction with the police. Recently, he was in Long Beach, California on the Power of Partnerships in Community Policing Tour. He is a profound example of how one person can effectively reach out, change lives, and touch the hearts of millions by starting in his own community, one person at a time.You can learn more about him inEight Second Gold, available on Amazon.

Eight seconds. That's all it takes for Gen Z'ers to filter, process, and decide whether or not what they are seeing on their device is worth their time or money. As advertisers scramble to win over this audience, born after 1996 and connected to a global internet since day one, they are turning to social media celebrities to help them keep up with these digitally aware youth.

A recent article from The Springs magazine in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas promoting Spirit Dad and Shoulder Surgery Recovery!

The paperback version ofSpirit Dadis now available on Amazon! A big thank you to everyone who has read it -- I loved hearing what you thought! Some of my favorite comments are:"Just finished your book! I have been reading all day just to find out what happens!""What could make me fight sleep and stay up past midnight when I have to wake up in five hours?! Your book!"I love Sam!""I stayed up way too late reading Spirit Dad--I can't put it down!""Read. This. Book. Now.""Hurry up and write the next one!"What makes me the most happy is that teachers are recommending it to their students and grandmothers are sharing it with their granddaughters. I am thrilled that Spirit Dad reachesout and entertains all age groups!My original plan was to end the book on the last page. End of story. But when I got there, I just couldn't say good-bye to these really fun characters! They just wouldn't get back in the box and be quiet!So for all of you who are wondering what's next in store for our heroine, Sam, her funky best friend, Michael, and her "awe, shucks, ma'am" heartthrob, Gray...stay tuned.Spirit Dad: Lost and Foundwill be released in April, 2017. The adventure continues with new bad guys, a freak snowstorm, a young Special Olympics hopeful in desperate need, and, of course, Sam's dad, Forbes Harding, a.k.a., Spirit Dad, trying to stem the tide of this latest calamity fest!

I'm getting ready to publish the paperback version of "Spirit Dad." I dedicated it to the memory of my own dad.My father USCG LCDR, Stuart Talmage Scharfenstein, was killed, along with two other pilots, in a helicopter crash on June 29, 1961 at the Air Station in Salem, Massachusetts during an instrument training mission. The cause of the accident was failure due to fatigue of an RE5M7 rod in the Sikorsky aircraft. I was born three days later.My mother signed every gift, card, note, and letter to me: "all our love, Mom and Dad-in-Spirit. There was never a day I didn't feel his presence or his love. I often carried on conversations with him to the point of stamping my size 3 sneaker on the ground in the backyard in frustration while shouting up to the heavens, "why can't I bring my swing set up there and have you push me?!"

The Harding family lives in the wealthy bedroom community of Beaconsfield, less than an hour’s drive outside of New York City. Up until a few months ago, 16-year-old Samantha Harding’s biggest worry was what to post on Instagram.But when her beloved father is killed in a drugstore shooting, she is plunged into a world of grief and confusion. In addition, her mother’s sudden personality change after a weekend in the city leaves Sam and her little sister, Sarah, alone and vulnerable.To deal with her pain, Sam writes private messages to her departed dad’s old Facebook account. Through this, she learns he was murdered in cold blood and their family is in danger. Now it’s up to Sam to find the killer, with help from beyond the grave, and stop him before it’s too late.

I lost my bearings and fell jelly side down in the laundry room this morning--on my shoulder repair side, too! Good thing my winter fat is still lush and dense...it was more of a moon bounce than a twig snap. Felt like a busted bag of sugar...too scared to move for a minute. As I assessed the damage, I remembered a physical therapist's wise words, "if the pain doesn't make you drop to your knees, you'll probably be okay." As I got to my feet, I realized my repair had escaped intact. The rest of my right side was pretty banged up, especially my right hip and my right bicep muscle. Hopefully, nothing ice packs, ibuprofen and Arnica cream can't handle. Second time in a month. Honestly, I need a hamster ball to move safely from point A to point B.I wasn't preoccupied or moving quickly like the last tumble. I didn't trip over anything or slip on a wet surface, but I had just woken up after not getting a good night's sleep. Plus, I was recovering from a sinus infection. I need to add these to my list of things to be aware of after my shoulder surgery. I think I just got dizzy because one minute I was up, the next I was down.So, if you have a fall, don't immediately panic. Stay still for a few minutes, especially if you felt dizzy, and mentally go over how your body feels. If you don't have sharp pain that makes you think you're going to throw up or cry uncontrollably, you can move to a sitting up position. Rest. When you're ready to stand, hold on to someone or something. Apply your ice packs immediately. Bruising and straining/spraining is painful, but you don't want to stiffen up. I started to hold my arm in sling position again. Then I heard the voice in my head..."Put the arm down, Mrs. Cooksey. Put the arm down!" Am I ready to attempt pendulum swings again? Nope! But I think my repair and I will live.