Blog - Life in the DayngrZone

5 Super Simple Tips to Make Your Brand More Enchanting

{ October 14, 2020 } - Trish

Let’s face it, in social media, everyone’s vying for your customers’ attention. So how do you make your brand stand out from the rest? The key is to be enchanting! Today, I’m sharing five tips you can implement to make your brand more enchanting.

5 Super Simple Tips to Make Your Brand More Enchanting

1. Cultivate a Little Personality

We’ve all seen it, brands dedicated to pushing content and not much more. Instead of solely pushing out your message, which makes a brand boring, pitchy, predictable, unapproachable, and absolutely uninspiring – aim to convey personality and authenticity with every interaction. If the people behind your brand are smiling, your community should feel it.

It’s social! You’re having a conversation, so don’t bore people. Your unique presence and personality will separate you from your competitors. What do you want people to remember most about your brand?

2. Respond Promptly

Today, no one wants to wait in a phone queue. Customers are turning to social because of its instant nature. Therefore, it’s not enough for your brand to engage. You’ve got to be quick about it. Gone are the days of getting back to your clients in 24 hours. We’re all impatient and our attention spans are getting shorter.

Therefore, you’ve got to make every effort to get back to customers and potential customers within the hour — even if that reply can only be, “We’re working on it and should have an answer shortly.” Never let your community feel ignored.

3. Engage and Be Inclusive

I’m a big believer in being inclusive vs. exclusive when it comes to brand communities. You should interact and engage with as many people as appropriate, treating them all as equals. Treat the new name reaching out to your brand as kindly and expeditiously as you would the well-known influencer. Remember how you felt the first time a big brand took you seriously. Make everybody feel valued and appreciated.

4. Set Expectations

Don’t leave your customers or your community guessing. Set expectations for things like who will be responding and when. No one wants to guess if their question is going to be answered now or tomorrow when you’re back in the office. Publish the hours you’re actively engaging on each of your channels and who will be responding. This gives your customers and your community clear information on when you’re online and they’ll be pleased to know that they can count on you to be there when they reach out.

5. Use Different Forms of Media

Did you know there are at least seven different learning styles? Text alone isn’t going to cut it for everyone. Think about your customers and their different learning styles and how you’ll incorporate these different styles into your social strategy to help make your brand more enchanting to a wider audience.

You can create videos on YouTube, conduct video chats on Zoom, Skype, and even FacetTime, host webinars and create podcasts so that everyone in your community can get to know your brand (and your team) in the way that feels the most comfortable to them. Added bonus, chatting with people face-to-face (even if it’s across the social web) connects you on a deeper level than just Tweeting or emailing.

Are you using any of these methods to wow and amaze your customers and community? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below or Tweet me @Dayngr.

Burgers and Cupcakes in NYC

{ October 3, 2020 } - Trish

I’m a sucker for a good burger and a delicious cupcake so when I found Burgers and Cupcakes in NYC I knew I had to try it out. You’ll want to, too!

If you’re ever in New York City’s Garment District, be sure to stop into Burgers And Cupcakes for a burger and of course, a cupcake or two. I found this spot while on business in NYC and colleague and I gave it a try. The burgers were out of this world. Just phenomenal. So good in fact, that I was so eager to dive in, I didn’t snap a picture! I know, I’m awful, But it looked so good and tasted even better.

The Burgers and Cupcakes Menu

They have a wide variety of burgers to choose from like their Turkey Burger, Veggie Burger, Grilled Salmon Palliard Burger, Lemon Grilled Chicken Breast Burger, Crispy Chicken Breast Burger, Portobello Mushroom Burger, and the traditional Beef Burger. They also offer a daily burger special, too. There are plenty of toppings to choose from and lots of options for sides, too. So good! My mouth is watering just thinking about this place. It’s become one of my favorite restaurants to go to whenever I’m in New York City.

Raspberry Fizz Drink

If their burger selection was impressive, even more impressive is their variety of cupcakes that ill surely satisfy your sweet tooth. They offer daily specials and also offer some cupcakes that are decorated to celebrate the seasonal. As you can see, we were there close to Halloween (hence the decorations on the cupcakes) so I picked up a four-pack to bring home to the kids. They’re going to love them – guaranteed.

While ordering my burger, I couldn’t resist trying one of their berry fizz drinks. It was so cool and refreshing. It reminded me of a spritzer. I’ve got a plan to try to recreate them at home with my own mason jars. I’ll keep you posted if that ever happens!

Over the years, I’ve gone back to Burgers and Cupcakes many times and even had the opportunity to bring the kids. They loved seeing it in person. You will, too.

Burgers and Cupcakes NYC

Burgers and Cupcakes is one place you won’t want to miss for a casual bite and a cupcake (or two!) to go!

Burgers and Cupcakes
458 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10018
(212) 643-1200

Fall Hiking in North Carolina

{ September 15, 2020 } - Trish

Fall Hiking in North Carolina

Have you ever thought about Fall hiking in North Carolina? Fall in North Carolina is a great time to hit the trail, hike, and commune with nature at one of the many local hiking areas along the Crystal Coast or across our beautiful state. The blush of the leaves, scampering wildlife, and cool, crisp breezes that keep the mosquitoes at bay make this the ideal season to get off the couch and head for the woods. Let’s face it, we could all use a bit more time in nature.

I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the board at The North Carolina Coastal Federation so I’m pleased to share that they organized the development of two of the most popular trails in the coastal region and that the Federation has trail maps available at the trail entrances for folks to use and learn more about these natural recreation areas. You can also get them online at: www.nccoast.org.

Hike Hoop Pole Creek

Hoop Pole Creek is a 31-acre maritime forest that serves as a refuge for fish, wildlife and plant communities in an enormous diversity of coastal habitats. The property was purchased in 1996 with a grant from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund and is permanently protected by the federation. You can hike the low-impact, half-mile trail. It’s open to the public during daylight hours and is located off Highway 58 in Atlantic Beach next to the Atlantic Station Shopping Center.

Grab the Hoop Pole Creek fact sheet or the Hoop Pole Creek Trail map

Hike Patsy Pond

The Patsy Pond area is in the Croatan National Forest and is one of the most diverse natural areas in North Carolina. It is a place where plant species of a longleaf pine forest coexist with plant species of the state’s coastline and barrier islands. Two well-marked trails exist – a three-quarter-mile and a 1.75-mile trail. The trail entrance is on Highway 24 directly across from the federation offices in Ocean, about halfway between Morehead City and Swansboro. Trail use is open to the public during daylight hours.

Grab the Patsy Pond fact sheet and the Patsy Pond Trail map

For more information, visit:

North Carolina Coastal Federation
www.nccoast.org
(252) 393-8185

Do you have a favorite hiking trail in North Carolina? Let me know. I’m always looking for a new adventure and a new place to explore.

4 Helpful Tips for Bringing Out Your Inner Creative

{ August 1, 2020 } - Trish

Hey bloggers, let’s face it. We’ve all been there. Whether it’s writer’s block or lack of inspiration sometimes you need a little help bringing out your inner creative. If this sounds familiar, here are 4 helpful tips.

4 Helpful Tips For Bringing Out Your Inner Creative

1. Brainstorm

You can do it by yourself or you can do it with some creative friends. Make it a habit!

Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm and set time aside to do it! Grab your planner and schedule some time to sit and come up with ideas.
Give yourself permission to experiment. There’s no such thing as a bad idea. Remember, someone, somewhere pitched Sharknado.
Write every idea you have down. The more ideas you have, the more options you have.

2. Get Outside

Goethe once said, if nature is your teacher, your soul will awaken. I believe that.

Take a brain break. Step outside and get some fresh air – even if it’s just right outside your door, standing on the porch while the dogs howl.
Go for a leisurely walk. There’s something about nature that just soothes the soul and resets creativity.

If nature is your teacher, your soul will awaken. – Goethe

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3. Have a Few Creative Outlets

Seems like common sense stuff right? But how are you feeding your creativity? What creative outlets do you currently have?

Read a good book.
Watch a great movie.
Take a class (think photography, painting, drawing, music, etc).

4. Live Life

You’re probably going to find it easier to be creative if you’re going out and living life to the fullest. Or, fuller than you are right now. Say yes, to new experiences.

Travel whenever possible. Even if that means exploring the next town over.
Go to a cultural event. This opens you up to richer, life experiences.
Surround yourself with a diverse group of friends. Having friends from different cultures and friends who speak different languages really broadens your horizons and changes the way you see the world.

I hope you’ve found some value in the tips I’ve shared. These are some of what’s worked for me over the years and I’m sure if you try a few you’ll find yourself back in the swing of things in no time!

What are some of your favorite ways to get your creative juices flowing again? What would you add to this blog post? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Graduation Announcements Your Graduate Will Love

{ May 23, 2020 } - Trish

This is a sponsored post through Basic Invite

School is out and it’s officially graduation season and regardless of what’s going on in the world, you’ve got to celebrate your grad in style! I’m sharing some beautiful graduation announcements both you and your graduate will love!

If you know me, you know I am all about a great party and celebrating in style. In fact, we just recently celebrated my son’s 16th birthday with the cutest yard signs and a caravan of cars playing the Happy Birthday song as they drove around our cul-de-sac to share in our celebration in true social distancing style. We really don’t let anything stop us from celebrating the milestones in our lives. So, if celebrating your son or daughter’s recent accomplishments like graduating from high school or college is high on your priority list, I think these Basic Invite graduation announcements will be right up your alley.

Some of My Favorite Graduation Announcements

I’ll share a few of my favorites below, but you can customize their products to get exactly what you want. Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows you almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design, you can change the color of each element on the card. With over 180 colors to choose from, your product is sure to be exactly the way you want it. Plus, there’s no guesswork involved. You can order a printed sample of your actual graduation invitations or announcements before you place your final order. Foolproof! You’ll be able to see the paper quality and how it will print, and make sure the card is perfect!

Those are some of my favorites, but there are hundreds to choose from, so you’re sure to find something that would be perfect for you and your grad. I just love all the options.

Double Bonus – Envelopes and Address Capturing Service, Too!

And if beautifully printed announcements and invitations weren’t enough, Basic Invite has over 40 different envelope colors to choose from. With so many options, you can make your envelope match your announcement or invitation. Bonus: All of the envelopes are peel and seal so they can be closed quickly and securely.

Another bonus, their address capturing service. If you’re a busy parent like me (and what parent isn’t?) Basic Invite offers an address capturing service that allows you to easily share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social network to request your friends and family’s addresses. Not to worry though, addresses are stored in your account and can be selected during the design process. Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders. That’s sure to make your life easier, and we all want that!

Design Your Graduation Announcements and Get 15% Off

If you’d like to give Basic Invite a try for their graduation invitations, graduation announcements, or thank you cards, or the multitude of other printed products they have, they’re offering 15% off right now with coupon code: 15FF51

Enjoy! I can’t wait to see what you create.

If you’d like to check out Basic Invite on social media, to see what they’re sharing you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

P.S. I’m a rose gold fanatic, so I thought I’d let you know that they also have foil cards available in rose gold. But if you prefer something more traditional, they have good old gold and silver foil cards as well.

Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza Offers Tasty Pizza

{ March 4, 2020 } - Trish

Are you a pizza lover? Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza offers tasty pizza and more. One of the things we’ve missed about our hometown was the pizza. Delicious, mouth-watering, New York-style Pizza is something we’d grown accustomed to, but have always had a hard time finding when we’ve traveled. Now that we’re residents of the Crystal Coast, we’ve been hunting for really good pizza.

Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza Offers Tasty Pizza and More

We’d heard about Circle Pizza and Subs in Emerald Isle but had never stopped in so we thought we’d give it a try. Circle Pizza and Subs is a nice, casual dining restaurant where you can eat in or take out. We decided to eat-in and though we only wanted to grab a slice and head off on our next adventure, we weren’t too disappointed to learn that pizza by the slice wasn’t an option. Instead, we opted to grab a table and get a large, sausage pizza.

It looked so good that I didn’t have an opportunity to snap a photo before everyone started digging in. It really was delicious! Plenty of sausage, cheese, and just the right amount of sauce. Personally, I like a crispier crust and in all honesty, I didn’t explore the option to request that when I ordered so that’s my fault. Overall, it was a really, really good! So good, we only had two slices left, and took those home in a doggy bag. Yum!

Subs, Sandwiches, and More

I don’t know about your kids but my kids can be picky at times. The nice thing about Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza is that there are plenty of options. In fact, you can get traditional subs here (meatball, Philly cheese-steak, etc.) as well as other types of sandwiches (grilled cheese, burgers, BLTs, etc.) pasta, and more. Side orders include tasty french fries, onion rings, garlic bread and so much more. See the full menu.

They offer free delivery with a minimum order of $15. What’s not to love?

Check out Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza for Yourself –

Circle Pizza and Subs

7702 Emerald Drive

Emerald Isle, NC

Phone: (252) 354-8885

20 Ways Social Media Is Like Your Crazy Ex

{ February 24, 2020 } - Trish

You’ve read social media comparisons before but when it comes to strategy, have you ever stopped to think about how social networks are like your crazy ex?

Both had you enamored at first, and then you realized how much time and effort it was going to take to keep things going. Thrilling, exhilarating and sometimes a little scary, here are 20 ways social media is like your crazy ex.

20 Ways Social Media Is Like Your Crazy Ex

Neither should be left unattended
Both require plenty of attention
Ignoring them can be a really bad idea
You don’t want to mess with them when you’re drunk
You probably shouldn’t leave your kids alone with them
They can be totally addicting
They can feed your ego
They can build you up
They can tear you down
They can be fickle
They can give you a false sense of security
They can make you fall in love with them
They can drive you a little crazy
Both can be exciting
They’re accessible 24/7
You remember exactly what drew you to them in the first place
They can surprise you in unexpected ways
You should have a plan before you approach them
Both should be monitored
Much like your crazy ex, you shouldn’t rely on social media for all your needs

Though this post was meant to poke fun, social media for business is no joke. Like any relationship, the ones you have cultivated through social networks require nurturing in order to be successful and stand the test of time.

What made you fall in love with social media? Has your relationship with social media grown and gotten better over time, or are you frustrated and leaning toward a breakup? What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this article, check out 25 Ways Social Media is Like a New Lover!

Fresh Seafood and Southern Hospitality at Crab Shack

{ February 15, 2020 } - Trish

Fresh Seafood and Southern Hospitality at Crab Shack

If you’re looking for extra fresh seafood and good ole’ southern hospitality then put the Crab Shack, in Salter Path, on your must-visit list. We stopped in for a celebratory seafood dinner and not only enjoyed the food but we loved the atmosphere, as well. In fact, Kenn enjoyed it so much, he decided to vlog about it below.

Located on the island in Salter Path, on the sound side of Highway 58, Crab Shack serves up fresh seafood and southern hospitality daily. Their restaurant is a 40-year-old, family-owned business run by commercial fishermen so you know they’re delivering the freshest seafood in town. In fact, when you visit you can enjoy waterfront dining and see their fishing boats docked right outside. The kids were delighted to see a real, working fishing boat, right on the water and close enough to touch.

Fresh Seafood on the Menu

The food was delicious. During our last visit, we had clam strips, scallops, shrimp, flounder, and the kids had chicken tenders – some of which you can see featured in the video above. In addition to the wide variety of seafood available, there’s also traditional landlubber fare like burgers, barbecue, chicken, and steak. There are plenty of kid-friendly items on the menu making this a family-friendly restaurant. But don’t take my word for it, check out their full menu and see if there’s anything on it that appeals to your tastebuds.

Visit Crab Shack –

The Crab Shack Restaurant

146 Headen Lane

Salter Path, NC 28512

Phone: (252) 247-3444

Open daily from 11:00 AM

Have you been to the Crab Shack? What did you think? What are your favorite spots here on the Crystal Coast?

3 Tips for Keeping the Social In Social Media

{ January 1, 2020 } - Trish

The best part of social media is being social. So don’t limit yourself to being social only on the web; nurture your connections by taking them offline. Today, I’m giving you 3 tips for keeping the social in social media.

1. Help Connect

It’s not just about your product, brand, or organization now that the conversations have kicked off and you’ve made all these amazing connections. The people you’ve been communicating, interacting, and engaging with really need to connect with each other, too. Events are really important for community building. Create meetups, tweetups and other offline events to get your community together and interacting – not just with your brand, but with each other. Facilitate introductions to help others get connected, and build their networks both online and off.

2. It’s All About Relationships

Think of social networking the same way you think of networking offline. It’s all about relationships. People want to do business with people they know, and support the people they like. Make time on your social calendar for attending industry events. That will provide an opportunity to meet your followers one-on-one, reconnect with clients, meet new prospects, and deepen your relationships within your community. The personal connections you make at these events will also help drive referrals to your social media channels and corporate website.

Platforms like Eventbrite (see: others like Eventbrite) can help you find and share events to attend. Don’t stop there though. Let your community know where and when they can find you, by sharing this information on your website and in your blog.

3. Close the Circle

Once you get back to the office, be sure to close the circle with all those great people you’ve met. Let them know it was great to meet them and thank them for chatting with you. Also, take a moment to think about projects you can work on collaboratively. When you genuinely take an interest in what others in your online community have going on, they’ll be more inclined to check in and see what you’ve got going on as well. Real connections help you to feel more invested in people’s projects.

Cement these relationships by meeting routinely. If you’re bound by geographic restrictions, pick up the phone (or use FaceTime, Zoom or Skype) and connect. Face-to-face connections are wonderful, but when that isn’t practical, hearing someone’s voice is the next best thing.

Do you connect offline with the people you met online? What’s one simple step you would add to help keep the social in social media? Let me know in the comments below.

5 Super Simple Tips to Make Your Brand More Enchanting

1. Cultivate a Little Personality

2. Respond Promptly

3. Engage and Be Inclusive

4. Set Expectations

5. Use Different Forms of Media

Related posts:

The Burgers and Cupcakes Menu

Burgers and Cupcakes NYC

Related posts:

Fall Hiking in North Carolina

Hike Hoop Pole Creek

Hike Patsy Pond

For more information, visit:

Related posts:

4 Helpful Tips For Bringing Out Your Inner Creative

1. Brainstorm

2. Get Outside

3. Have a Few Creative Outlets

4. Live Life

Related posts:

Some of My Favorite Graduation Announcements

Double Bonus – Envelopes and Address Capturing Service, Too!

Design Your Graduation Announcements and Get 15% Off

Related posts:

Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza Offers Tasty Pizza and More

Subs, Sandwiches, and More

Check out Emerald Isle’s Circle Pizza for Yourself –

Related posts:

20 Ways Social Media Is Like Your Crazy Ex

Related posts:

Fresh Seafood and Southern Hospitality at Crab Shack

Fresh Seafood on the Menu

Visit Crab Shack –

Related posts:

25 Ways Social Media is Like a New Lover

Related posts:

1. Help Connect

2. It’s All About Relationships

3. Close the Circle

Related posts: