Day: October 23, 2019

“Always be yourself and surround yourself with people who support that” with Stephen Sharer and…

“Always be yourself and surround yourself with people who support that” with Stephen Sharer and Candice Georgiadis

Always be yourself and surround yourself with people who support that. Being in a big world every single day, it’s easy to feel pressure to be someone you’re not, and it’s easy to follow the wrong crowd. If you can focus on yourself, accept yourself for who you are, be your biggest supporter, you can accomplish so much.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Stephen Sharer. Stephen is one of the fastest growing social media personalities with a loyal fan base of over 6.5 million YouTube subscribers. A leader in providing family friendly content with a positive message of “Staying Awesome” and “Sharing the Love,” Stephen and his family have engaged over 2 billion viewers to over 400 viral videos of positive family fun. Stephen has always been socially conscious, in high school serving as a coach for Special Olympics and a mentor for Best Buddies and now committing his time to paying it forward by granting Make-A-Wish dreams and private meet and greets with critically ill fans.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve been creating videos and performing since I was young, so I was naturally drawn to that aspect of making YouTube content — my favorite after school activity as a kid was actually filming videos and creating content with my friends. Once I got a bit older, my funny videos gained traction and won a few awards, which led to a turning point where I had record labels reach out to me asking to create music videos for their artists like Blink 182, who actually licensed my footage. This is when I learned the influential power behind social content, and I knew then I wanted to be able to continue making it as a career.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?

The response from fans has been the most interesting thing since starting my career as a YouTuber. The positive response and messages I receive every day from my fan base of Sharers has been incredible. Whether it’s a drawing sent to me by a fan, or a tender-hearted message about how I positively impact their family every single day. I never could have predicted this response when I first began this journey. I have now participated in 3 Make-A-Wish requests and it has been amazing to have that opportunity to create short videos for children and families going through a hard time.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?

When I first started, I often was forgetting to hit record or not turning on the microphone. The things that come so naturally to me now were so foreign to me at first — imagine filming a whole vlog without any sound, or performing an entire epic scene or stunt without having ever started the recording.

Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Always double check the steps in your process, no matter how simple they might be.

Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

With so much content out there, it’s important to me as a creator to use my platform to make a positive difference in the world. Share the Love is my brand, my motto behind every video I create. I want my channel to be a place for families and people of all ages to be able to enjoy G-rated content, feel inspired to create, get out and explore and feel motivated after watching me. My videos are fun and upbeat, and they all include family-friendly, positive messaging. My motto is “Share the Love” and I encourage my fans to do this every day.

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

Make-A-Wish, a nonprofit that grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses, is a cause close to my heart because it truly embodies the “Share the Love” message. I have been lucky enough to meet several children through Make-A-Wish to help turn their wishes into reality. Most recently, I spent the day with James, a young boy living with Muscular Dystrophy who happens to be a huge fan. We had an epic day spent at the Sharer Family house where we explored in the woods, played with Nerf blaster, went to an arcade and even got to make a vlog together. The ability to put the “Share the Love” message into action and have a positive impact on kids and families like James’ makes the hard work that goes on behind the scenes of being a YouTube creator worthwhile.

Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

When I was making videos in high school, I made a Blink 182 cover video with my swim team just for fun and it ended up getting about 20,000 views. A few months later, AT&T, who was sponsoring Blink 182’s tour at the time, reached out and asked if they could include my video in the band’s music video. This really opened my eyes to the power of video. While it wasn’t for a few years that I decided to take on YouTube full time, this was definitely a pivotal experience for me and made me realize that regardless of the number of views a video gets, if you reach the right set of eyes it can have a tremendous impact.

Are there 3 things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

In today’s world, it is so easy to get caught up in the negativity around us. As a society, we often forget that there is so much to be grateful for and so many reasons to Share the Love. I am so passionate about the Share the Love message because it is a reminder to do three things: have fun, give back and spread positivity. I use it to try to encourage others to do these things in their own communities. With the pressures of life, it can be easy to get in the trap of taking life too seriously, and if we committed to having more fun as a society, we’d be taking steps in the direction toward a happier way of life. Then of course, it is obviously important to focus on is paying it forward and giving back to the community. In addition to that, spreading positivity is something that sounds so easy, but many of us forget to do. I’ve chosen to use my content to spread positivity, but anyone can take small actions like complimenting somebody, standing up to a bully, or even remembering to smile more, saying “Please” and “Thank you,” and appreciating people for what they DO versus focusing on the things they don’t…these things go a long way! They may seem like small steps individually, but put together we can create a tidal wave effect of sharing the love.

What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?

I end every single video encouraging my fans to “Stay Awesome and Share The Love.” This phrase has become a catchphrase for me and is often quoted by my fans and their families too! They make me realize that the message of “Share the Love” is bigger than just a YouTube channel — it’s a social movement. If you want to use your platform for social good, you have to seek out ways to move beyond the platform. One of the ways I have done this is through my official merchandise line available at StephenSharer.com, where we sell apparel and accessories with our brand message on it. When you wear something with a positive phrase like Share the Love, you are making a statement about what you stand for. Everyone has something special to offer and representing yourself with a strong and positive message like this helps bring out the encouragement in all as well as inspire others to Share the Love too.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Always be yourself and surround yourself with people who support that.

Being in a big world every single day, it’s easy to feel pressure to be someone you’re not, and it’s easy to follow the wrong crowd. If you can focus on yourself, accept yourself for who you are, be your biggest supporter, you can accomplish so much.

2. “Enjoy the little things in life.”

My YouTube career took off extremely fast (I was one of the top 100 YouTube channels in the US). A lot of major milestones were accomplished that were beyond anything I could imagine. It’s important take a step back and to make sure to reflect on every accomplishment, no matter how big or small they seem at the time.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I’d love to continue to expand the reach of the Share the Love message and keep encouraging more positivity in the world. If we all were able to accept people for who they are, compliment them on the things they accomplish, and contribute a little more positivity every day, you could make a person’s day a little brighter and create a ripple effect and encourage those around us to keep spreading happiness and sharing the love.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Don’t mention a person’s past mistakes when they are trying to change. That’s like throwing rocks at them while they are struggling to climb a mountain.” This quote is important to me because it reminds me that everyone is going to something whether you can physically see it or not. And it reminds me to treat everyone with respect and appreciate them for the things they do, no matter the size.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Taylor Swift is one of the most influential people for me. It is amazing how she transitioned genres while not just maintaining, but growing a multi-generational audience. On top of that, she is a marketing genius, an incredible businesswoman and, most importantly, she always gives back. She is a strong believer in herself, connects with her fans often and is very involved with her family.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can find me on YouTube and Social Media here:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/stephensharer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephenSharerOfficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephensharer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephensharer

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

“Always be yourself and surround yourself with people who support that” with Stephen Sharer and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“A true leader doesn’t ever judge”, with Marianne Fonseca and Candice Georgiadis

Leadership in my opinion, is an attitude of being 100% selfless. Leaders help care for people’s needs and put the wellbeing of others before their own.
Also, a true leader doesn’t ever judge. They understand everyone’s unique journeys in order to help guide them.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Marianne Fonseca.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to help people in need through missionary work. My mom raised me to be very generous. When I was a kid, she used to volunteer at an organization that provides support for people with AIDS. She then became the director of a local orphanage in our city, so she had taught me the importance of helping others from a young age. In general, I have always admired people like Angelina Jolie, who would choose to help the world without any obligations.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?

I don’t lead the organization I work with, but I really value being a part of it. The church is called Churchome and it was founded by the lead pastor Judah Smith`s parents in Seattle. The church offers many programs, one of which is the mission trips lead by pastor Joanne Ramos. Since I started doing mission trips, the most interesting thing I’ve experienced is how people can work together to do beautiful things without having known each other prior (we mostly get to meet the other volunteers only a couple months before the trips). I am also amazed at how easy it is to adapt to circumstances, like housing and roommates, lack of sleep, not eating what you are normally used to etc; you just come together as a group for a bigger cause and forget all the little things that normally annoy you back at home. It’s a supernatural thing and something I have experienced each trip I have participated in. It’s real proof that we can be so civil and loving when we come together for something greater than ourselves.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I am new to mission trips; this is only my 4th time going on one. I think the biggest mistakes I have made so far had to do with language barriers. Since English is not my mother tongue, I have made some funny mistakes when talking in public or even praying for others and not seeming to find the right words. Most of the times its funny and I learn for the future, but most importantly I have learned to not fear speaking in public and to not be ashamed of my accent.

Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?

Our church gets involved in a many different areas in numerous countries. From what I have experienced and seen, I know that they are making a big difference by providing the inhabitants of Kampala, Uganda with a better quality of life.

In Sri Lanka, where I have volunteered twice, we worked to provide protection to single mothers and their children, since domestic violence is very common and it happens to almost every Srilankan woman. Some of them have nowhere to go and by running away from their husbands, they are no longer accepted at home by their own families. We help by providing them with temporary housing and food We also work on their reintegration in society, we have classes to teach them basic jobs like baking, sewing etc.

Our church is also very close to the organization A21 against human trafficking and slavery, which has done a lot of work in helping to recover victims and arrest criminals convicted for human trafficking.

Can you tell me a story about a particular individual who was impacted by your cause?

My pastor, Joanne Ramos, has always been an inspiration to me. As a young adult, she was lost and involved with drugs etc, but she turned her life around and became a believer of Jesus through a very beautiful story. For 20 years now she has led one trip per month in 12 different countries, doing a beautiful job in helping humanity. It impacts me to think that someone who is broken can be “born again“ and then do so much good in the world. It made me realize that no matter how broken we are inside, it is still possible to get out of that situation and change ourselves and even change the world around us. It gives me a lot of hope.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

As a church community, we are trying to bring the Jesus’s message across the world and help in any way we can. Every country has their own different needs. Often times, the root of the problems we are trying to solve (such as human trafficking, basic sanitation, right to education etc.) are linked to a deep political situation, a lack of financial resources, or corruption, bribes and criminals. Which makes it almost impossible to fight against a whole system. As I’m writing this, I get really concerned as to where our world is going and how we need to rethink about our real priorities. Why do we tend to be so selfish and not care to look at our neighbors? Shouldn’t they also be given the chance to live happily in this world? I say we can all do better. We can all push ourselves and go out of our comfort zones for others like we would want done for ourselves. You don’t need to look far to find someone in need, there’s always a chance someone in your community is in a worse position than you.

How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

Leadership in my opinion, is an attitude of being 100% selfless. Leaders help care for people’s needs and put the wellbeing of others before their own.
Also, a true leader doesn’t ever judge. They understand everyone’s unique journeys in order to help guide them.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

There isn’t really anything I wish I knew before, as these trips are so special and beautiful and have taught me so much. You end up getting so much more out of helping others than the people you are actually helping sometimes. It surprises me how close you get to everyone involved and I really wish I started doing these trips earlier, that’s the only thing I wish someone told me.

I think we already have an answer to that — love others and treat others like you would like to be treated. I know this is very cliché, but it is the underlying truth to bringing change to the world. As humans, we tend to have a selfish nature, but I believe that if we truly invested time in loving others like we love ourselves, the world would become a much more perfect place.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Live in the moment. I often spend so much time worrying about the future and used to have anxiety about things that haven’t even happened yet. I have learned to control myself and to focus on the `now` and just take it one day at a time. It’s surprising how much happier you can be when you live each day to the fullest.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

yes, Melinda Gates

How can our readers follow you on social media?

instagram @marianne_fonseca

facebook mariane fonseca prado

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

“A true leader doesn’t ever judge”, with Marianne Fonseca and Candice Georgiadis was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.