We were lucky to catch up with Alana Vorda recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alana, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Oh baby, both my confidence and self-esteem are works-in-progress.
Perhaps some have attained the holy grail of 100% confidence and self-worth, and kudos to them (I mean, #goals right?), but that is certainly not the case for me. Rather, it is a journey that I am CONSTANTLY working towards…which is kind of neat when you think about it. Hear me out: elusive goals are often the most motivating. There’s something about them not being attainable and always justttt out of grasp that enables you to truly appreciate the process itself.
The good news is, the process is rather simple: I purposefully search for ways to challenge myself with new and difficult tasks–that I either surmount or make mistakes to learn from. Both are a win in my book because with each win or loss (aka lesson) I’m cultivating a little more confidence in my skills, abilities, and myself.
On the topic of developing self-esteem, I often refer to the quote by Les Brown that lives rent-free in my mind, “If you do what’s easy, your life will be hard. However, if you do what’s hard, your life will be easy.” For me that means welcoming those challenges, endeavoring through difficult tasks, adventuring beyond my comfort zone, and heaven forbid, ever falling victim to complacency.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
For over two years, I’ve been “Houston’s real estate social media manager” with a portfolio of clients that are: builders, realtors, property managers, the list goes on. I consider myself to be SO lucky to have built a network of such incredibly talented professionals like my o.g. clients: Chris Phan of Truss Real Estate and East End home builder Vecino Homes. Growing their accounts from 1k followers to over 11k within a year without running a single ad was frankly, really freaking cool!
Truth be told, I don’t typically focus on followers since they’re a vanity metric, but I’m referencing this stat to illustrate my modus operandi when working with clients: when you show up authentically and prioritize genuine connection, you’re BOUND to find your community. Social media is so special in its ability to connect people and that’s my biggest goal for my clients because once you find your community, the customers will follow *cha-ching*
Lastly, a little update…Okay, I know I just went on about my portfolio of real estate clients so prepare yourself for a 180. Whiplash anyone?
The MOST exciting thing in 2024 has been my venture outside of the real estate industry and taking on the meal prep company My Fit Foods as a client. My roots and heart are still in real estate, but you know me and my love for new challenges by now. I’ve been creating some of the funniest content I’ve ever made while testing the transferability of my management skills to a different industry and it has been very, VERY rewarding. It has also sparked a new (creative) fire in me, so I’m looking forward to what industry I’m going to tap into next. Bring it on!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Let’s do this…
1. Network. I use my @vordasocial Instagram account for networking with other SMMs, videographers, etcetera (there’s even a video of me talking about this exact topic on there). Oftentimes, social media managers (actually, this probably applies to most professionals) consider other individuals in the same roles as competition and it is NOT THE CASE! Shift the perspective: we are allies. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called another social media manager for advice, to refer them a client, to hire them. I sincerely believe there’s plenty of pie for everyone to get a piece, so I encourage others to consistently grow their network of clients AND colleagues.
2. Boundaries. Whether it’s your pricing, the dynamic with your clients, your work-life balance: set and maintain your boundaries. Oftentimes I talk to young professionals who have boundaries, but they do not defend them. I always want to empower people to respect themselves (and others) and one of the best ways to do that is by being very clear with your boundaries. This could be as simple as, “I don’t take work calls on the weekend unless it’s an emergency.”
I’ll give another example: I had a client recently who I had 3+ conversations with regarding the purchase of fake followers. It’s something I take a hard stance against for both ethical and strategic reasons. Therefore, the client was not surprised when I chose to terminate our agreement once I discovered they had purchased followers. I didn’t love voluntarily decreasing my income, but I thoroughly believe that when we allow people to cross our boundaries, the ripple effects are most deleterious to our self-respect–which is never worth it. And bonus, this doesn’t just apply to work, it’s also a life hack 😉
3. Capitalize on your client’s personality. This is a tip specifically for SMMs.
Every client and brand has a unique personality and it’s the SMM’s job to figure out what that is and how to convey it through content, because that’s how you’re going to build their online community.
Let’s use home builders as an example. Sure, everyone loves to see pretty homes, and your client builds a solid product; but how do you set your client apart from all the other home builders when they’re all building modern farmhouses?! Prioritize selling the brand’s personality, not the product >> Who is the brand? What do they care about? Are they quirky, nerdy, sarcastic, awkward? Whatever they are, convey it in their content and the people it resonates with are their audience *ahem* customers. Plus, it makes content creation so much easier because you don’t have to force your shy client to do those trendy TikTok dances *awkward*
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’ll talk about this ad nauseum, but I’m always looking to grow my network. Videographers, social media managers, copywriters, graphic designers, you name it. Bottom line: I want to collaborate with you. And I love a range of talent: people just starting their careers, to seasoned professionals. My clients all have different needs and budgets so it’s essential for me to have an extensive network of people available to hire or send referrals to.
For example, I started with a new client in June who needed someone to run their newsletters and Klaviyo which are both SO far outside my scope of expertise. Fortunately, I easily reached into my network and referred a colleague that I met over 2 years ago who I sporadically remained in touch with. You just never know when an opportunity will arise!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vordasocial.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/vordasocial
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/vordasocial
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/vorda-social
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
