caitos-corner

[caitos-corner]

whatEVER

Where to begin….I foresee many challenges my client will likely face when implementing my recommendations. Over the course of many weeks I have been able to identify most of the challenges mentioned in the implementation video lecture. I honestly foresee my client not taking my suggestions or implementing them. He is very laid back, almost too much, to effectively manage a social media account. I do not feel, he personally will be consistent, follow my suggestions, establish metrics to meet, or measure them. He is open to the suggestion of using several platforms, he does know his target audience, and he has some great ideas, I just don’t see the follow through, or the willingness to keep on top of things or change with technology. I believe there will not be nearly as many challenges if he uses a social media manager, as he would be a pretty hands off person. Because he is so laid back, and go with the flow, I believe he will allow his social media manger to do what is necessary to be successful.

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Social Creatures by Nature

Before effective media content is developed and shared, there must be a plan. What I have learned is that it is not just posting a ton of pictures, selfies, or polls hoping for likes, followers, and shares. There is much planning that must go into managing social media platforms, and the work starts even before the planning. Research your competitors, see what is working, what is not working. Next decide on the message, brand, tone your company wants to convey and ask yourself, “What do we want to say and how is our message/how are we different, how can we be different? What sets us apart from our competition?”,and go from there. Once you decide on your message, next starts the planning stage. What is your target audience, what age group, what platforms does my target audience use? Next, determine the frequency of postings and which type of posting should be done at what time. Develop categories. Postings can fall into one or the other. Keep your categories and timing consistent. For example, categories can be: general info, news/events, engagement/feedback. Each category can have its own specific time to post. General info can be months, whereas news/events weekly, and engagement/feedback can be more often, such as weekly. Having structure also allows for the social media manager to be engaged enough with the audience to be able to immediately identify a crisis and be pro-active versus reactive. Damage control is easier if you are responsive which comes from being very involved and active with the platform management. The type of content is important too. Knowing which platforms can accommodate which types of postings is important. Posting a long video is not going to work on Tik Toc. Also, trying to force a short video with lengthy wording that flashes so fast in order to get all of it in the short video, that it is too fast to read defeats the purpose. Posting hashtags that block the words on the screen is also non-productive. Keep messages short and uncluttered, use the proper platform that best accommodates your videos, pictures, collages, etc. is important and presents a professional image. Once all of these things are mastered, and you have specific metrics that you have set as goals to meet, then you can proceed to the next step. You frequently have to monitor your progress, go back to your competitors, review and repeat all of the above steps as this is an ever changing environment. Once you have your metrics, where you have gone, it is easier to see where you want to go or need to go. At this point, you can start implementing ads. Knowing which platforms are the most effective and doing your analysis, you are better equipped to determine and implement the type of ads, the message, and the format you want to convey your message. When you decide what type of ad to use, you can determine which platform would be best suited to carry that ad.

The Royal Academy of Art is listed as one of the top 30 best social media communities... they are known for their viral posts. Here is an example of one of their viral twitter posts. 

https://twitter.com/TheMERL/status/983341970318938112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E983341970318938112%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feconsultancy.com%2F30-brands-with-excellent-social-media-strategies%2F

As far as what does becoming a social organization have to do with the principles of effective content development and sharing? It is not a matter of becoming a social organization. Any 6 year old can post videos of puppies and be considered a social organization. We, as humans, are each a social organization within ourselves. The question is whether or not the social organization is effective, and that DOES have to do with effective content development and sharing. If an organization does not research, plan, implement timelines, decide on a message, have methods by which to measure and reach metrics or goals, and change with the times, they will be left behind and not be an effective social organization.

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I like eggs...(w8 4 it)

The effective principles of online community building with social media does not consist of one or two blanket statements. There are several principals that are interwoven within each other. Having a plan, a vision is crucial. Unplanned willy nilly posts and shares without any format is not successful. To have a plan, a business has to determine their focus, their audience, and their message. The quality of engagement is just as important. You want the engagement to support the business and the community. 

I will give you an example, sort of off topic. I was reading a debate online. The comments from both sides of the fence were getting heated. Granted each side had valid points, and the goal was to come to a common ground. It started to get out of hand when each side gave up the format and started hurling insults at each other. So, me, wanting to break the cycle, sort of make people stop and regroup. In the middle of this quagmire, I posted three words: “I like eggs.” It had nothing to do with the topic, but it was a statement that stopped the hate. It made each side take notice, and the comments back and forth stopped. I had a couple of chuckles out of it, and it served its purpose- to defuse the bomb. What is the lesson? Be careful of what type of community engagement you are seeking, just like the lawyer who should not ask questions to which he does not know the answer. Problem 1: There were no safeguards in place that prevented this from getting out of hand. Problem 2: I was able to insert a comment that had nothing to do with the topic of discussion. While community engagement I feel is the most beneficial strategy to use to grow your business, there has to be a format and checks and balances. When your audience takes the conversation in a different direction, that may not be in alignment with your company’s values or mission, the business could lose it’s target audience. It is harder to get an audience back than to keep it.

A good natured engagement is the jabs that the fast food burger joints sling at each other. It gets the audience talking and remembering their brand.

https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-wendy-jokes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

 I learned much about growing an online community. I started out this course with the mindset of thinking that a bunch of pictures and random posts and a bunch of likes and followers was what it was all about. My client’s business has not opened yet, so this was a big learning experience as my business owner is starting from scratch, he has a blank slate with which to start. My client’s business will be opening this year, it is a pottery and ceramics store called Gnome Daddy Pottery. There are so many principles of growing a business, and so much to consider when formulating a plan that suits this business. I learned that one size does not fit all. Each business needs a separate plan, a good bit of analysis and research, and taking the owner’s wants and needs into consideration. I learned to listen to the client, do my research, and tailor a plan for the business. This is nearly a full time job if you want to do it properly. My client is somewhat strong willed and has his own vision which I had to incorporate it to a plan that works. His is a unique situation. The community is small with a strong support and willingness for neighboring businesses to succeed. Neighboring businesses will typically refer their customers to other businesses in the community to assist them. The businesses have a strong relationship with their customers. They may, in the midst of a conversation, say, “Oh, you’re interested in pottery? There is a shop just down the street you might be interested in.” They will refer customers to each other’s businesses to foster a community of support.  So growing this business will include alignment with other businesses social media accounts as well as an in person relationship building.

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Weak 5

You will notice my title: weak, not week. This is because the security of government, businesses, and consumers’ data is weak. 

After watching The Legal Side of Big Data, the questions being asked are what big businesses should be aware of when using data and what consumers should be aware of? The answer for both is the same. Big business and consumer’s data is not safe and there is limited privacy. We all think we are safe and private and that privacy is automatically taken care of....someone else’s problem. My message to both is that it is your responsibility to secure your own data because no one else is going to do it. 

The lecture was eye-opening, but also provided some solutions. Big business needs to audit their privacy standards and protocol, to say the least. If government can create and enforce the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability laws to protect the medical privacy, they can do so with data. Although only a small portion of the HIPAA laws address privacy, one of the rules is “minimum necessary.” This should be applied to businesses as well. Only use and share the minimum necessary to get the job done. Limit the number of people who have access to data, have concrete plans of what will happen to that data in a bankruptcy/merger/acquisition. 

In addition to safeguarding our data, how about incorporating business ethics when collecting data for use, finding out how it will be used and by whom if the business sells it? How about making the “How we use your information” understandable by the average consumer? 

CONSUMERS: How about finding out how your data is shared? How about reading an agreement, however, painful it may be? How about being conscientious of knowing to whom you are giving your data? How about putting a little bit of effort into research instead of looking for instant gratification and not reading and agreement or clicking Yes because you want to read an article or play that game NOW? If it sounds as if I am being harsh, I am. Yes, businesses have a responsibility, but so do you. 

As far as my analysis of the article The Internet’s Original Sin, it is the perfect title to what we have become. I say we because we are part of the problem. However, I am not sure I know how to fix it. Big companies track mobile devices and monitor your online activity to give a more personalized experience. Well, it is frustrating to me. I just got done ordering a set of luggage for my daughter, and now EVERY single ad is about luggage. I have already purchased it. The likelihood of me purchasing more is not very good, so stop it already. Information being traded amongst data brokers like Pokemon cards, the more surveillance, the more sale of data, it is an infinite circle. I am not quite sure how to fix this. Yes, I agree it may have started out as something good, but this has created a monster. It is an endless circle, I am not sure we can get off the hamster wheel. Like George Jetson said, “Jane! Stop this crazy thing!” or Ellis Grey from Grey’s Anatomy, “The carousel just keeps turning.”

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Junk Newz

Oxford Internet Institute’s article “Three reasons junk news spreads so quickly across social media��� cites algorithms, advertising, and exposure. I agree, in part. I think that there is only one main reason with two subsets.

Algorithms is the main reason. Once an item is queried or an article read, the algorithms ramp it up into full gear supplying you with more of what you want.

Advertising may be partly to blame, but it is the algorithms that are behind the advertising. My neighbor was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was told after surgery she would not be able to lift her arms or move in a way that would permit her to wipe or bath herself. I searched online and purchased an item that would help. For the next two weeks all ads on Facebook, Amazon, and Google were geared toward incontinence.   I was looking up the price of silver and silver coins online at money metals exchange last week. Imagine my surprise [sic] when a Money Metals Exchange ad populated on a Buffalo, NY news site I was reading.

Exposure may also be partly to blame, but it is the algorithms that are behind the exposure as well. We have all been exposed to ideals by our parents. We tend to make friends based upon shared interests and views. Posting online between friends regarding commonalities drive the algorithms to provide us with more of what it perceives us to want. The algorithms will only give more of the same type of information versus a different ideology or perceived fact. What I learned in my statistics class is that you can prove just about anything using a data set that supports your view. I am constantly getting aggravated at my friend whose favorite saying is, “Why can’t it be both?” We are so conditioned to reinforce our own beliefs because we are fed what we crave. If you live in a small town of 500 with no exposure to the outside world, and everyone pizza every day for dinner, and you are told everyone in the world eats pizza because that is the law, and you are not exposed to information stating otherwise, you will always believe it is the law to eat pizza every day for dinner.

My own personal beliefs why junk news spreads so quickly is because we are given information based upon our online habits and when it is in alignment with our believes, based on ads and exposure, we take this as gospel and feel the need to spread it to everyone because we want to make sure that those “uneducated buffoons” who know no better are enlightened. If something is less likely to align with our personal beliefs, it proves us “wrong,” and people are not conditioned to like being wrong.

Individuals and businesses should be aware that they have to be extremely careful with social media. I believe there must be two levels of review before something is posted. I don’t mean that two people have to review everything, that is not always feasible. Write a possible post, review, wait, review again, then post. I will give an example of two statements: When I look at you, time stands still. OR Your face can stop a clock. It is irresponsible to believe that every reader or consumer has the same thoughts, thought process, values. The pendulum of information must swing mostly in the middle. Knowing that there will always be nay sayers, always a population that is not satisfied no matter what you do, will help to stay one step ahead. Like Hootsuite says, prepare answers for every outcome, be prepared, do research, know your audience.

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Social Media Consultant

There are so many qualities an SMC should possess. To narrow down would be difficult as they are all equally important: integrity, knowledge of all platforms and the business for whom he/she consults, adaptability as this is ever changing, and the ability to prioritize because you can plan all you want, but when you have multiple proverbial fires to put out, knowing how to change, regroup, and prioritize is key.  If I was acting as an smc, I would follow what Hootsuite advises. I have learned a few things that will be very useful. I would use Hootsuite to manage all of my client’s social media accounts for streamlining and consistency. I would re-assess monthly- or more if needed-how well my strategy is working, learn from the successes of my client’s competitors, and also try to engage my client’s customers by interacting with them...joining the conversation instead of always leading it. 

I have done none of this so far, as I am not an smc. So what would I do in the future? Start. You have to start somewhere. I must say it is refreshing to learn things I can actually use out in the workforce, and not just in class. 

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The Social Dilemma

Now that I have your attention...

After watching the 2020 film The Social Dilemma, I found this GIF that illustrates a perfect example of the power of social media. The GIF reads as I’M BROKEN and I’M FINE all at the same time. The message is completely contradictory and depending on the psyche of the viewer, either of the messages can be interpreted. 

Social media began as a platform where people can connect with one another virtually. It gradually evolved into a more widespread usage: connecting long lost relatives, friends, and old loves. In an effort to enhance the user’s experience, intelligent algorithms were developed to identify data, analyze it, and provide the right output at the right time. Like anything in life, the bigger it became, the more powerful it became. 

Social media soon discovered there was money to be made, simply by tracking data, and giving the user an enhanced experience. The more enhancement or engagement, the more addictive the action of staying engaged. The movie showed that middle schoolers and young adults spent so much time tethered to their electronic devices that personal interaction goes by the wayside. A room full of pre-teens can sit there for hours, not uttering a single word, even though they are all chatting to each other. Users are becoming addicted to the social media platforms. Young people’s minds are not fully developed until nearly their mid-twenties. The cause-and-effect portion of the brain is especially underdeveloped. Therefore, this population is highly susceptible to misinformation and disinformation.  They are easily manipulated into thinking that their looks are not good enough, thanks to filters that remove imperfections. They are reliant on self-esteem based upon the approval of others. They are not learning to interact with others in real life. They are not learning human interactive skills, how to navigate difficulties in real life relationships, and will have trouble functioning in the real world once they grow up, go to college, and try to navigate the business world. 

I blame big data, I blame artificial intelligence, and big data farms. There are dangers to the use of this technology as it is a powerful influencer. As in the example in the movie, if you have a user that has shown by their data footprint, he/she is likely to believe in conspiracies, then the user is “fed” more stories that would appeal to that user. This is where the danger lies. The movie mentions that artificial intelligence or algorithms are not intelligent, as in brain smart. It cannot discern what is fact or fiction. It merely analyzes a pattern and gives the user more of what they like to see. I am not saying this is a bad thing necessarily. I like puppies, I like housecleaning and storage hacks, I like hair tutorials. No harm no foul. The only downside of this that I see, is that I find myself watching so many of these things, I end up avoiding real life things I should be doing, like being a productive member of society. I feel bad for being lazy by watching my phone all day. Now what if I was a person who was a bit unbalanced, or had an explosive personality? What if I suffer from mental illness? My data footprint may now look quite different. What if I am fed more of the disinformation that feeds my illusion? I am now a ticking time bomb and you have just lit my fuse. 

An algorithm is only as good as the developer. The danger I see here is with much power, there is much influence. I fear that we can become victims of someone else’s agenda. I agree with much of what the movie discusses. These algorithms and use of data has made us reliant on artificial non-tangible facets that are not real life. We are kept divided, separated from others in real life, we lack social skills, we hide behind keyboards. There is a new term I use. Instead of liquid courage, we now have internet courage. I used to have a friend that I could speak with about politics, as an example. In real life, we are on opposite ends, but we were respectful and can have a conversation and still be friends, even though we differ in opinions. I had to stop being friends with her because she was horribly vicious when she was behind her keyboard. I finally wrote, “You are rude and unkind. When people ask questions of you to get a better understanding of your position, you answer the questions by spewing hatred and insults. You are not like this in person. I think you have forgotten that there are people with whom you are speaking.” Social media has the power to connect us, or to divide us, keep us alone, keep us addicted to their platform, influence us, keep us fighting amongst ourselves, and doing so by allowing misinformation or disinformation based upon the agenda of the algorithm’s developer. 

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You have a job that offers health insurance, good for you!! What does it cover and how do you use it? 

We previously discussed the types of payments you can expect to pay when using your insurance. We learned about deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and non-covered items. 

Some insurance plans only have in network coverage, and some have in and out of network coverage. 

Huh?

In network coverage means that the providers (hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies) participate with your insurance. 

Oh, that means they take my insurance, I get it!

Um, no you don’t. “Take my insurance” means they will submit claims to your insurance company. It does not mean they accept what the insurance allows. When a provider participates with an insurance company, it means that both the insurance company and the provider agree on how much the provider should get paid for the service they provided. If a participating provider bills $1,000 for an xray and the insurance company says the provider should only get $800 for that xray, then the participating provider has to write off the difference between the billed amount and the allowance/allowed amount/fee schedule (these three terms all mean the same thing). If the provider did not participate, then YOU pay the difference. Remember, if the provider does not participate, they don’t have to listen to the insurance company and they can charge you as much as they want.

OK, so why do they say in network instead of just calling it participating provider? 

There are many different networks. A network is an agreement. Each insurance company has many different networks. Each provider can decide in which networks they want to participate. So, you may have ABC Insurance, and you call your doctor and ask if they participate with ABC Insurance. The doctor’s office will usually ask you for your ID number or group number and they will enter your numbers into the insurance company’s system to see if they participate in your insurance policy’s network. 

That’s it for today’s Tidbit...more on out of network or non-participating providers at a later date. 

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Tidbit: Coinsurance?! I only have one insurance.....

This tumblr account was started as part of a school assignment. As I said in my very first post, I want to keep this account after class is over and use it to pass on life’s tidbits of information that can be helpful to others. These little tidbits are not my class assignments. I will differentiate my school posts from my tidbits, although my classmates are more than welcome to read them. 

One of the most confusing, boring, and frustrating subjects is insurance. If the industry would just make it simple we would all be happier. 

I will break down health insurance speak to people in easy to understand terms. When I refer to health insurance, this would include dental, vision, and prescription coverage too.  

I find that the average person can last approximately two minutes before they nod off or go to their happy place...so just a tidbit at a time. 

Other than the cost (premium) of insurance, there are four times you will be paying money out of your pocket for your insurance. 

Deductible- this means you pay your part first before the insurance company starts to pay their part 

Copay- a flat rate dollar amount you pay at the time of service- like an office visit copay

Coinsurance- a stupid word that the insurance companies use to confuse you- what they should actually call it is “percentage copay” because that is exactly what it is. When the lab sends you a bill and tells you that you that you have a 10% coinsurance, what they mean is you have a 10% copay.

non-covered services - self-explanatory

This is how insurance works- You go to the doctor and your office visit copay. If the doctor does any tests or treatment that is not routine (because routine costs you nothing), you pay your deductible, then if there is still money that is owed after you paid your deductible, then you pay your coinsurance. (Most doctors usually wait until the insurance company processes the claim before they send you a bill for your deductible and coinsurance). 

The End 

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I was tasked with logging my use of social media and technology. I am not a big Facebook user, I don't have social media accounts that I use at all. I have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Gab, etc. The only one I use is Facebook. No problem, I don't use social media much. However, I do use technology. I find myself surfing the net several times a day just to look up information, read current events, or to pass the time. I like to text and if time permits, I get into a texting conversation, I find myself using talk to text and give quite lengthy soliloquies. I don't proof read, so after I hit send, I have to send more texts to correct my mistakes. My friends have a laugh about that.

I do know my weaknesses though, and it is not text. In so much as I don't like to admit it, I like to play games on my phone. The problem is that I allowed them to take up so much of my time that I had to uninstall some of them. Which ones? Clash of Clans and Merge Dragons. I was wasting too much time. Regarding Merge Dragons, they frequently have three day events. If you don't spend money, it will take three full days and you MIGHT reach the end of the event and get your bonuses. I was finding myself zombified, staring at my screen, getting headaches and neckaches. I did nothing but get frustrated, angry at not finishing, and generally disappointed in myself as I would like to think I am a grown up. So once I decided these games are not healthy for me, I uninstalled them. Max Stossel would be proud.

I gave this background information because I was excited to see my progress as I don't spend much time on my phone or using technology or social media. I still like to play games, but I have shorter games on my phone such as solitaire. I logged my time for 24 hours. I start the day out with Facebook...7 minutes...so far so good. Throughout the day, and I am not including technology used for school assignments, I logged my time I spend playing games, texting, surfing the net, social media, Youtube, Netflix, Kindle, checking bank and credit card balances. No problem, a moment here and a moment there. When I got to the end of the day and tallied my time, I calculated 300 minutes. Wait, that's five hours?! I was shocked. Five hours? If I spend five hours, and I don't think I am as bad as many people I know who cannot pry their eyes away from their phones. 

The lesson I learned is that I am just as bad as others, I just use technology a little differently. 

So next, was going cold turkey... 24 hours. I turned off all notifications (I usually just have bank account, credit card, and text notifications active), except text notifications from my daughter who lives out of state. I had to put my phone, computer, and tablet in a place where it would take effort to get them. This way I could not mindlessly reach for them. 

What I found was something quite interesting. It is not so much that I missed the social media or technology, I could not use it as a distraction. If I can use an analogy here, it is similar to a smoker. A smoker will have a cigarette when they wake up, before and after each meal, before leaving to go somewhere, after arriving somewhere, before doing a task they do not want to do, and after the task is done as a reward. I did find other things to do: laundry, cleaning, homework. If I could provide a little more insight into myself, I get upset when tasks are not complete, I get upset when I spend so much time with technology, but I use technology as a distraction, so I am actually compounding the problem. I am not sure how I can resolve this, but I think I may have to figure out why I feel the need to be distracted because it will end up making things worse. I need to ask myself the $64,000 question:

What would it feel like not to have things hanging over my head, and why is it so scary to be happy and productive? 

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Social Media Rabbit Hole

I have a snapchat, Instagram, and gab account where I have posted once and deleted them as I do not see any value they add to my life. I don’t have a tiktok. I do have a Facebook account that I check twice per day. I will either post a funny meme, or I will notify my retirees about changes in their medical insurance (I work in Human Resources and am in charge of the benefits). The Facebook icon is not on my home screen, so it is not readily available to me. I do not have much social media influence in my life. I do not thrive on the number of likes I get or how many followers I have, if any. I do not really consider me or my life so important that others would hang on my every word. Other than texts, calls, or voicemails, the only notifications I have enabled are for my bank and credit card accounts. I do not look at stories on Facebook, I do not want to get sucked in. Although, when I do check Facebook in the morning, I watch the short tiktok videos because they are funny; however, once I start, it is hard to put down, so I try to keep a time limit of 15 minutes.

I agree with Max Stossels that social media is not real life. The morphing of the pizza was disturbing but a good analogy. It was interesting to see the pictures of the faces of people as they looked up from their phones. I don’t use social media too often because it makes me feel mad that I waste time on something that is not productive and physically not healthy. If I am on my phone, I am sedentary which is not good.

In reference to Emma Rathbone, her concept is correct, but examples are not. I never stared at a wall or seemed to wander about or flutter like a feather with no direction. Before the internet, I read, watched tv, went to work, ran errands, went to movies, shopped, or visited with friends. This is pretty much what I do now. Though she is correct, before the internet you had to rely on magazines, books, and encyclopedias to verify perceived facts.

How do you think having the Internet constantly available affects your life? Although I am not a big social media user, having the internet available is very convenient as I am always thinking and have questions pop up in my head. The internet if my first choice to diagnose and ache or pain, wonder how much water my plants need, purchase items, verify how to spell a word, and much more. The internet is a much faster way to get things done. If I want to see movie times, I look them up online instead of waiting on hold while listening to a long tape. I love being able to find out where I can purchase items instead of calling tons of stores or worse: driving around to all stores. 

What are some times when you haven't had access to the Internet for an extended period of time, and what was it like?  Whenever I am on vacation, I never use the internet and it was wonderful!

What are some things you would like to do to be more intentional about your use of technology? I have already deleted games off my phone that cause me to play them for 15 hours. After a marathon session, I just feel angry, mad, and lazy.

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Welcome to Caito's Corner.

For the majority of my career, I have navigated the insurance industry. Most people don't know how to choose a plan, how to use it, or if their claims are processed correctly. I have helped hundreds of people in my career understand the ins and outs of insurance by using easy to understand language. It is my goal to offer a better understanding of the insurance industry by giving very useful Life's Tidbits.