Facebook Insights

Facebook uses insights to provide statistics to help the user determine what is working for their account. I currently use this with our business page for the 235 Grill. It is a great way to show yourself how well you are promoting your business on that specific social media platform.  On the insights it shows actions on page which is the number of clicks your page’s contact information and call to action button. Along with page views, page likes, page reach consist of the number of people who saw any of your page post. This can be broken down onto total, paid and non-paid if you pay to sponsor a post. Finally, insights show post engagements this can be the number of times someone has engaged with your posts through likes, comments, shares and more. I have found this aspect of my business page to be very helpful it helps me know when I am not posting enough, what post the followers reacted to the most and helps me get the most out of my posts.

Henderson Genetics Insider

Good Afternoon, I’d like to thank everyone for tuning in as I interview Cody Henderson, founder of Henderson Genetics. Please Cody tell us a little about yourself.

I am a 2013 graduate of The University of Northwestern Ohio where I obtained an associate’s degree in Agricultural Business Management. I am the founder of Henderson Genetics and currently the head sales representative at Barns Unlimited.

Can you tell our listeners what Henderson Genetics is?

Henderson Genetics is a small show pig operation located in Alger, Ohio. We breed and raise competitive show hogs for the local county and state fairs. We currently farrow eight to twelve sows, two times a year. However, I look forward to expanding our operation in the next several years.

What does your job consist of at Henderson Genetics?

My job consists of a little bit of everything from maintaining a sanitary environment for the show stock to ensuring our herd has received their daily nutrition of feed and water. I keep up on our shots and vaccine records as well as continue to search for the next boar stud that will improve our champion genetics.

Wow, you’re certainly a busy person, so how long have you been operating your own business?

My family has been raising hogs since I was little we shied away from it for a few years and about the time I turned 15 I got serious about breeding I have been breeding for about eight years.

Did you have an event or something that really sparked your interest in the livestock industry?

At a young age I started showing as I got older I had a neighbor who was patient enough to work with me and teach me everything he had learned though out his many years of breeding. Jerry really did bestow a lot of his knowledge in me. Ever since then I have had a growing passion to raise competitive show hogs.

As a former pig showman I know leaving the local county and state fair is not only important to the showman but also to the breeder. Tell us a little bit about the success Henderson Genetics has had over the past couple years.

In 2011 I personally bred, raised and exhibited the reserve champion barrow at the Hardin County fair. Then in 2013 things really took off for me, we brought home grand champion gilt, barrow, born and raised along with grand champion carcass. Following that in 2014 we obtained reserve champion born and raised at our local county fair. In 2016 we breed the grand champion Berkshire at the Allen county fair, grand champion gilt, barrow and carcass at the Hardin county fair along with reserve champion barrow. We sold a gilt down in Nebraska and she took grand champion breeding gilt in their fair.

You certainly have made a name for yourself at the local county fair! What is it like to be able to raise consistently competitive pigs? How does it feel to win a county fair?

You would think the excitement wears off, but I am just as nervous watching each final drive. It’s exciting no doubt to finally see the end result of a project you have been working with for several months. Watching the final drive, you watch the judge walk around and go back and forth over the pigs when he pulls out the microphone and starts talking about the champion that are usually very decisive. He or she may look at one pig while they talk about the champion but then shake a different exhibitors hand to select the champion. There really is no better feeling.

As you mentioned previously in our interview you would like to expand your operation, have you put in plans into place to do this?

I have Darci, a big part of raising good quality show pigs all starts at your sow operations, maintaining a high level of replacement sows is something we will continue. We currently breed a large amount of crossbred hogs. I would like to raise a couple pure bred litters such as, Berkshires, Yorkshires, and Chester Whites. In the future we look forward to operating our own boar stud facility, this is that main goal at Henderson Genetics right now. Also, like any breeder I would like to reach out and be able to take our show stock to other county and state fairs. We have the quality pigs everyone wants just getting our name out there to reach a larger audience is something we are working on.

Well we are running out of time Cody I would like to thank you for giving us a little insight into the Henderson Genetics operation, I have enjoyed having you.

Thank you Darci for the chance to share my passion with your listeners.

That’s all we have for now folks, tune in next time for another insight interview.

How to be Rich in Your Twenties

Most people in their twenties  have no money. Actually, most individuals in their thirties are pretty broke these days too. So here’s how to be rich in your twenties. It’s always been a goal of mine, to be financially stable. Probably because I’ve known way too many people who’ve struggled with money issues. Feeling like you’re drowning every day? Um, that can’t be fun, so that’s why debt and I are NOT friends. I’m extremely fortunate to not owe any money, not even student loans! Believe me, I know how lucky I am. But that didn’t entirely happen by accident. Instead, it’s taken a series of smart and sometimes really difficult decisions to get to where I’m at financially. So I figured it’d be nice share a few tips that I’ve used over the past few years to save money. Because if you strategize and prioritize correctly, you really can be rich in your twenties.

1.      Trick yourself into thinking you are poor

I lie to myself every day. I make a certain amount of money, but I pretend that I make a whole lot less. You know what happens when I pretend that I make a whole lot less? I spend a whole lot less, leaving a whole lot more in my bank account. So how do you trick yourself into thinking you’re poor? Automatically deduct a certain amount of money from your paychecks each month and send that money to a separate checking/savings account. Then, forget about it. That’s your emergency fund. It can also be your down payment on that house you have always wanted. But it’s not money that you count on every month, because you don’t end up spending it on dumb things.

2.      Start the “no lunch at work” diet

I’m not talking about starving yourself. You really should eat several times at work, but you shouldn’t buy lunch at work. Wake up five minutes early every day and pack your lunch or, have a 10-minute dance party before bed and make your breakfast and lunch. I get mad at my brother because he doesn’t do this and he wastes a lot of money. What happens when you eat a $12 burger for lunch every day? You spend $60 a week to gain 5 pounds.

3.      Have ugly nails

Best nail polish EVER!!

You don’t need a manicure or pedicure every week. One of these will easily cost you $40. You don’t need to spend $40 a week or even every two weeks on your nails. Go to Walmart  buy a bottle of nail polish, and do your nails yourself. I don’t have the best looking nails, but I have $40 more in my pocket every week, and that makes me happy.

 4. Say Goodbye to Impulse Shopping

I try really hard to avoid impulse shopping. I do a really good job, but Amazon is so tempting! In 2.5 seconds, I can order pretty much anything that I want and have it at my house in two days. That’s kind of scary. Before buying anything, I like to wait a couple of days. I’ll see something that I want, but I don’t buy it before thinking about it. If two days later I don’t have the same need for that thing that I wanted so badly, I don’t buy it. This saves me a lot of money. A lot of times, we see something and we’re like, “oh my gosh this is so pretty I have to have it!!!”  *Click* purchased. Then, two days later, we look at those new boots we spent $250 on, and we want to cry.

5. Take as much money as you can from your employer

This doesn’t mean steal from your job that’s bad. However, if your employer offers to match your retirement in any way at all, make sure that you’re getting the maximum matching dollar amount possible. Yes, it means that your paycheck will be a little smaller if you’re putting away more money for retirement. But it’s worth it in the long run. You don’t want to be 65 years old and still working. That would be awful. Furthermore, you are young work every overtime hour you can. You can sleep when you’re retired and I promise there is nothing you’re missing at the local bar, from the words of Rhianna “work, work, work!”

7. Take advantage of apps that save you money

If you’re not using free cash-saving apps, then you’re leaving money on the table. No, I don’t sit down for hours each week clipping coupons and driving around to find more Sunday sale ads. However, I will use aps such as Flipp, and Walmart saving catcher. Flipp puts all the store ads in one place for you, it is easy to find deal that benefit you the most. Then once I have finished shopping at Walmart I will scan my receipt, it only takes three seconds! Some days I may only get .15 cents back but others I may get $12 back. Make time for this, after all most of our money is spent at the local super market.  

How to Rock a Twitter Chat!

                Personally I do not use Twitter a lot if I am having a bad day or a song really hits home with me I might tweet about it, therefore the idea of Twitter chat is completely foreign to me. However, Guy Kawasaki explains the do’s and do not’s for us in chapter nine of his book “The Art of Social Media.” A Twitter chat is a live event in which people include a hashtag in their tweets to discuss a topic. The host of the event will tweet a question and the audience members will reply with the same hashtag to see the discussion. The biggest challenge the audience faces in a Twitter chat is being able to think and type fast.

                Our first tip is to use the right tools. In a Twitter chat it is extremely important to include the short, Evergreen hashtag in every response, using Tchat and Twubs will automatically put the hashtag in your response. This not only makes it easier to follow the discussion but also makes typing a little quicker. Furthermore, Kawasaki advices the host to stay Q&A centered, in order for a Twitter chat to be successful you want to answer as many questions as possible. Continuing on he touches on things that most of us do frequently such as @mention your responses and this just helps the recipient receive your response. In conclusion a Twitter chat can be very useful in a business world if one can successfully promote the chat.

How Social Platforms celebrated Super Bowl 51

Super Bowl Sunday maybe the next most celebrated day after national holidays, many people celebrate so much they wish the Monday after was a holiday to get the day off work. Let’s face it we all wish the game was earlier in the day of even played on Saturday night. With all of the excitement of the bowl game how did each social platform use Super Bowl Sunday to their advantage?

                Each social platform such as, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat all had different ways to connect people all over the world watching the big game on Sunday. First Facebook added the profile picture frames in 2015 so each individual could show their support for their favorite team. Furthermore, Facebook has put their emphasis on Messenger this time around, with new virtual masks to help show your support.  Moving Forward, Snap Chat also created a special filter advertising Gatorade. This specific filter allowed the use to view themselves with the Gatorade being poured over their head kind of like the players would pour over the winning coaches head. Finally, Twitter in my mind advertises the Super Bowl the best. Not only do they create emoji’s for each team playing but also a Super Bowl emoji in case you don’t follow or want to cheer for either team.  Moreover, what is the Super Bowl without a great half-time show and the creative commercials. Twitter was able to promote Lady Gaga and Pepsi with their very own emoji. Twitter’s also introduced a new dedicated Super Bowl Moment to ensure people don’t miss any of the key news or highlights.

A Day in the Life of Yours Truly!

My alarm goes off at 4:15a.m. everyday! Although I may have to hit snooze one time before getting up, grabbing a quick snack, protein shake and my water bottle and off to the gym I go. Who knew so many people went to the gym so early! My gym partner, Kelsey and I start in on the weights, a brutal core exercise and finally finish with cardio. Did I mention how much I hate cardio? I really really hate it. By this time, it’s about 6:45a.m. and we are leaving the gym. Somedays it’s so hard to make myself get up and go to the gym but once I get there the people at my gym are so fun and encouraging it makes the early wakeup call well worth it.

                After the gym, I jam out to my favorite music; occasionally call in to the radio and win useless prizes that I normally do not want. Once I arrive home I grab a quick shower, put on some make up and dry my lions main of hair. Normally I try to eat a healthy breakfast such as, Special K, or scrambled eggs. I pack my book bag and I’m out the door. I am currently taking 25 credit hours so I have class each day from 9-4 p.m. I am ready to graduate; I refuse to come back in the fall for an extra semester. My Mondays, Wednesday and Friday classes are probably my favorite probably because Tuesday classes are an hour and 15 minutes, my attention spans only last 40 minutes. Therefore, this is a problem! Tuesdays I also have to deal with Dr. Franquesa, for anyone who is a business student prepare yourself for, emails that are too long, lectures that you cannot understand and test that seem to be nothing that you have learned over the semester.

                Moving forward after class I have to go to work. As many of you probably know we own a family restaurant in Alger, Ohio, called the 235 Grill. This usually pops up in all of my conversations it’s something I have become very passionate about. I love to cook, meet new customers, and continually improve my business. Remind you this is a family business so my boss is my father, as if I didn’t see enough of him at home. For the most part we work pretty well together but when one of us has had a bad day watch out! Normally I get to leave work about 11p.m. then it is time to go home and work on homework until I fall asleep. In conclusion, three hours of sleep each night, 25 credit hours and Dr. Franquesa will be the death of me! Happy senior spring semester, only 96 days until graduation!