The following is a guest blog from my husband, Pete Strella. You never know what to expect when you’re meeting with potential clients, and Rachel has recently fielded some surprising questions when discussing her experience in being qualified to provide social media services for certain companies. When Rachel brought this to my attention, I didn’t […]

The following is a refreshed version of the December 24, 2011 blog, Unplug for the Holidays? No Way! I asked folks on my social networks if they will be “unplugging” for the holidays. For those of you who aren’t “plugged in” to online geek lingo, “unplugged” means disconnecting from the internet – from computers, tablets, […]

By Rachel Over the years, there have been many instances in which I’ve had multiple meetings with potential clients about their social media presence. After investing many hours in outlining potential strategies in the hopes of landing their business, many prospects have instead taken these suggestions for their own internal use rather than hiring me. […]

By Christina Wood Christina Wood Social media is dynamic in so many ways. At the core, it provides us with a platform to engage each other intellectually, challenge personal beliefs, ignite emotions, and in some cases, rock us to the core. If you don’t believe me, search Twitter for the #BlackinAmerica hashtag. I’m sure you’ll […]

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in December 2012 and was updated in September 2026 to reflect what I’ve learned since then. Toward the end of 2012, my business hit a wall. Within two months, I lost six social media management clients and roughly 40 percent of my revenue. Strella Social Media was only […]

By Rachel This past year has been a little busy. Among them starting a mastermind group, and working through client turnover, it’s sometimes difficult to establish a rhythm, let alone set aside time to reflect on where I am and where I want to go, rebranding the business, launching my new product,. I admit to […]

Every other month, we interview one of our management clients to ask them about their experience in social media. This month, we are delighted to interview, Justin Leader of Special Risk Insurance Services, Inc. Be sure to connect with Justin on LinkedIn and follow Special Risk on Twitter. Justin, tell us about your business, your […]

By Rachel I've found that some businesses fail to realize their full social media potential because their goals are simplistic, misguided, or unrealistic. My favorite example is the goal you’re probably thinking about right now: getting more sales! Make no mistake – increasing sales is fundamental to business success. Sales growth is also one of […]

by Ric Albano Next Saturday, November 24th has been deemed Small Business Saturday, positioned between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the post-Thanksgiving shopping spurt. On the surface, this is a very good thing. It brings widespread awareness to small business in general and should cause consumers to think of the little noticed shops they […]