Greetings Y'all

Hi, my name is Nestor Vera.

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

SME, Take: Three

It has been a rough road on my mastery journey since MDL class to this point. Back then, I had decided to set three tangible goals to achieve while in SME. My first goal was to comprehend, design, and construct virtual communities to interact with users professionally. Second, to utilize social media platform and interact within those communities through their user-generated components; With the third goal being to identify future trends developing on social media and their virtual communities.  

The class content that I found most useful can be found in our first week’s assignment. First was Klout, since it analyzed all my social media accounts in numeric measurements, and displays percentages that show me in detail that outlines my strategy’s successfulness. Here is some of my social analytics statistics.

Secondly was TweetDeck, since then I have been experimenting with this application, and may be a benefiting factor as to why my Twitter activity has increased from four weeks ago. In addition to similar class content, I have been using Facebook’s post scheduling system, but the activity for those analytics are not reflecting within Klout for some reason. As you can see below ‘s Facebook’s Insights that my activity has been better from the first week of class and has had some impact on my Facebook analytics.

The third piece of content from this class I am now using is Flickr, and with more practice, I believe it will benefit me as a journalist since I attend a plethora of exclusive events requiring media credentials. It could also possibly lead to potential freelancing gigs through other media agencies as well as forming lasting relationships from the constant networking. 

The last piece of class content I was most intrigued with was the introduction of Twtrland.com.  Bear in mind, was re-branded to klear in the middle of 2015 as an all-in-one analytics platform for socialmedia.

 “Our mission is to measure the social web and make it universally accessible and useful to brands across the world so that companies can effectively use social media to build and enhance their brand in a meaningful way. The new funding will be used to further accelerate business growth by developing the sales and marketing team.” – CEO Eytan Avigdor

As SME comes to a close, I can’t help but feel as if I’ve reached a social media milestone of sorts.  Not a huge leap, but as the saying goes, “slow and steady wins the race!”.

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

SME Part Duex

“Life is what happens while your making other plans” - John Lennon

 Being that pictures are worth a thousand words, here is the list of my original Goals.

Taking this course for the second time, gave me the chance to further explore different options and experiments other than the ones listed above. Even though it may be simple for most, I did find it difficult to maneuver social media posting tools given how unpredictable my schedule is at the moment. Getting sick also didn’t help things either, but one still must pick thyself back up. 

I must admit that I am ecstatic my Flicker, Facebook, and Linkedin communities have improved significantly. I could not have done it without the help of my Facebook community offering suggestions as well as my wonderful classmates. It’s a Shame that we had experienced FSO notifications glitches so I was not receiving their wonderfully helpful feedback in my email so that I could see it in time.  

So I would like to take this time to thank them for their fantastic insight is motivational for me to try a different approach. Which is the best 3 pieces of class content that were the most helpful. 

I want to really thank you for giving me the best sound advice so that I may improve the areas that most definitely lack strength in. 

I want to wish my classmates all the best in their future endeavors, as well as hoping that the advice I was able to provide helped in some way to help them improve on their journey.

Best, Nes  

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

MMR

                       Sunday, December 18th, 2016 Greetings, So the universe had decided to throw some unexpected extra difficult challenges during my mastery journey that I had to get even more creative than what I had originally planned when I wrote out my original mastery journey plan.  

Lynda.com is still my go to place to get me out of technical jams but taking the time to sit through and apply the tutorials are easier said than done. And hopefully, you pick the correct ones that will not waste your time.

So time management is the hugest hurdle that has conflicted other than misinterpreting the assignments along with the online platform not making it easy to interact with classmates. So I have decided to combine ideas on advice from a few online course director and the Success Seminars I have attended.

I have put together a peer support group on Facebook to interact better with other mastery students outside of NMJ that need the instant feedback of ideas and are interested in getting peer to peer tutoring or just have someone else to vent to about assignments or anything else that can be hindering their mastery journey.

Another fellow classmate may add you this group and will be open to all the NMJ, Public Relations, Marketing, and any other degree programs looking for extra help. The thing is that if you get the help, you must turn around and assist another fellow student in need complying with the ethics policy we must uphold.

I am very thankful to my instructors and peers that have supported and are pushing me to do my best. So I think its time for me to return the favor by inspiring others while I do the same.

I hope to be chatting with all of you on the facebook group for the New Year. Have a wonderful and safe holiday!

Best, Nes

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

DNP Mastery Journal

And just like that, another month has come and gone and I am one month closer to completing my mastery journey.  And “To Be Honest” quoting a friend and colleague of mine, just as he is about to be blunt, is that I really wasn’t truly ready for all of this.

This mastery course is a very intense challenge for me because of where I am in my professional career and in my personal family life is conflicting as a distraction on what I really need to be doing in order to really benefit from the process and journey.  

I knew I downplayed my expectations of this course. From the beginning, I had set it in my mind that as long as I did my best it would be enough, that it had to be enough. But what I am finding out in journalism that as soon as you think you have your story figured out, it could change. From your location, your interview subject, to even your entire story. I felt that in the first week since I had prepared stories and subjects to interview that my entire month would be smooth, fun, and simple and of course I was very wrong.  I knew what needed to be done, and still made simple oversights and lost valuable points by not reading directions correctly, and making the same rookie mistakes over and over again.  Which is getting frustrating because I know I can do better and somehow still fall very short.

The course expectations of me are very simple, they are for me to be a journalist student and follow the instructions of the course and its content. And knowing myself, I want to go above and beyond, but I have some real bad habits that I need to change and I’m not as for assistance on them nor communicating properly to fix it, feeling more and more like quicksand sinking deeper and the more difficult it becomes to get unstuck. The capstone project is a perfect example of what I think is expected of me then I end up being completely wrong. And I know its because I am not speaking up and communicating properly nor prioritizing things correctly either.

The content I feel that I am benefitting most from is the content my classmates’ post, where I get to look at the assignments from their perspective and their interpretation of the assignment. I’m one of those people that need that human-to-human interaction.  I like that perspective of others who challenge me to become better. The discussion posts are a great way for me to get that. I learn through their techniques as I give them a bit of mine. This is why I still message past classmates for insight and words of encouragement from a Facebook support group one of them started. It’s a less formal platform where we use to post a preview to our assignments’ and get advice on how to improve.  We would even remind each other about assignments due or if key information was omitted from part of the assignment. I honestly would not have made it through my last two classes without their support.

What this course has definitely prepared me for to become a better journalist by marrying all the techniques that we have learned from MDV through all the assignments on the use of different various techniques in order to tell a newsworthy story.

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

MDV

Multimedia Development and Editing has come and gone in a blink of an eye, and I am now one month closer to graduation.

 I knew from the get go that this class was going to be a challenge. Learning the Adobe programs, I tried to pace out possible stories throughout the four weeks as soon as I got a glance at the course in FSO. I had very high expectations for this class because it would be the first time to experiment with storytelling through audio and pictures.

 The course’s expectation of me was a bit of a challenge, since I do have a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the Adobe Software. Lynda.com was still not enough help for me. As a result, I sorted out tutoring from two classmates that know my learning style and took time to sit with me, as I did my publication assignments.  I fell of track between weeks 2 and 3 due to personal reasons, but I truly feel that I finished strong in week 4.

 The best resource that I had, as far as content goes, was how simple and self-explanatory all the information was on FSO. The fact that I did not got lost in a river of links in order to open more resources was really helpful.

 This course truly helped me become a better journalist by giving me the tools to properly break down my stories. Learning how to create news stories using sound design was an interesting alternative to put the audience right in the middle of the context depicted through the various sound bites. The biggest challenge I had was trying to make sense of what I gathered between the plethora of photos and audio files gathered, breaking them down into as specific format, number and time limit.  

 Time management is still my biggest challenge with balancing my family life along with my professional work schedule.  

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

Research and Investigation Skills Development Mastery Journal

I truly feel that I exceeded my original goals and expectations within this course. I took steps to get assistance from two other instructors who helped me at times where my course director couldn’t. I also took extra initiative in reaching out to a fellow peer who was recognized as the valedictorian for his own respective graduate degree in seeking suggestions, tips, and advice for developing my writing ability.   Furthermore, I even attended open hour sessions at the campus-writing center. This all proved to serve in showing me that success can be achieved if one can be perseverant and committed to exhausting all resources available.

My main issue was and still is time management. I had to originally withdraw from this course my first time around due to personal issues. However, I failed the second time due to the unforeseen circumstances of a severe illness, which befell both my family and me reflected by my attendance. Naturally, I would find myself behind consistently, since I am not the strongest writer. I found myself last week writing the entire last Sunday for 20 hours and almost still did not make the deadline.  

I had a rough start since in the first week I lost Internet connection, and in my second week I didn’t even hand in my discussion post because

earthquakes in Ecuador

had struck, and my mother was unaccounted for 24 hours. I was proud of myself because I pulled myself together and handed my publication assignment in on time, but suffered in my grade. At that point I stopped making excuses for myself and just worked harder. I must thank everyone that helped me get through this class because at this current pace I stand to get perhaps a C+, and could use my

success seminars

to boost that grade. If not, I wouldn’t mind repeating the class again using both of my grade forgiveness passes. Since I only get better by correcting my own mistakes, and bridging my weaknesses. I want to be better, and I also must thank my class mate

Glen

, who’s positive posts kept me motivated during the week, particularly when my family was hit hard by the earthquake in Ecuador. Luckily

everyone is safe

, and much was gained from this overall educational experience.

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

Legal Aspects of Media NMJ642-O

 Seriously am in disbelief as its already week four of month four! I feel as I just started even after taking 4 months off due to my newborn, whom is now an infant holding her head up on her own, rolling over, and army crawled for the first time yesterday! Just as she is blossoming, so is my progression in mastery.  

 It may be hard to believe, but I have enjoyed every single assignment that I was given this month due to the educational factor of each, especially that each assignment affected the other or build off from the previous one. It’s not fair to week four’s assignments since due to my personal life schedule, I am choosing to do my mastery journal entry assignment prior to completing them so that I don’t lose points just as I did with other assignments.

 Overall each assignment in this course was very challenging with the readings and the amount of law we had to cover along with the hypothetical scenarios in the short amount of time on top of my daily responsibilities. I feel each assignment was necessary because it made me question and reevaluate my websites design (again) so that I may protect myself and future employees/freelancers from the content we plan to post and make available to the public. Knowing and preparing for these key (worst case) legal concerns and scenarios I may face in this forever-evolving communications industry is; as I always say, “is better to know it and not need it. Than need it and not know it!” 

 I am looking forward to tackling and completing this week’s final assignments and learn more crucially important lessons and information as well as balancing life and prepping for a family road trip to NYC for the holidays.

Wishing you all a Happy Holidays as well as Prosperous and Merry New Year!  

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

This was the first half of today! Its important to have fun and experiment but more imperative to be SAFE! #SAFETYONSET #SAFETYFORSARAH #NOFILMISWORTHALIFE #SlateForSarah #stuntwars #stuntwars2015 #STUNTS #COMPETITION #OCTOBER10AND11 #OrlandoSpeedWorld #october #aimexpo2015 #occc #orlando #ExtremeYamahaExperience #Yamaha (at Orlando Speed World Dragway)

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

Mastery Journal Entry. Writing for  interactive media,

Writing for interactive media superseded my expectations. I must say that I did try my best to be at the level that was asked of me, but I do still feel as if I could have definitely pushed harder and made more of an effort. It did allow me to build confidence in my writing abilities since I was able to complete most of the assignments on time. But the last assignment to complete, time was not on my side along with the right amount of un avoidable responsibilities. Sometimes one has to pick and choose what seems like the right call at the time. Even though it may not be, but I still wish I could really take my own advice sometimes and push through the all the difficult times as easy as I motivate others to do the same. The toughest parts about personal hurdles are that it’s always easier to fix the other person’s troubles than your own with much more ease. But what does matter is that it may take some time but it is possible to get through it. And making peace with the fact that it may take some time to happen, maybe even more than once and or more than you would like it to, but one can do it!

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

Feeling crazy humbled ATM!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTBFO_KANN4 #FSNation #fsSPOcollaborate #fullsail

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

Holy ShNikEees, its not a rumor!!! Its really gonna happen!!! This 24hr Mickey'Ds is Beta testing it so next time you feening for your Breakfast fix, you know where to get your medicine!!! (at McDonald's at 7055 Narcoossee Rd.)

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

Almost didn't make the last shifts. Luckily had nothing but #puremotivation to get there and now feel a bit guilty that I had so much fun with such Amazing peoples!!fullsail #feedingchildreneverywhere #100 #FSNation #fsSPOcollaborate #fullsailBTS

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

When asked, "Since there is still room to sit in a on guest speaker for the Music Business, would u like to join?," what followed my lips was a "Hellz yes!" Never turned down an opportunity to learn something new!! #KeepPushing thats for you @chrisvizzy!! (at Full Sail University)

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

Aaliyah, AnaMaria, Logan, & I would like to formally introduce our Social Media Family to Mariah Angélique Vera Castellana. I personally would like to thank every one of our friends & family whom (This Time) respected our choice of keeping this great news private. As well as my instructors, mentors, SPO Bosses, and production crews that covered for me on my many trips to the hospital and doctor visits due to wifey’s high risk status. I would also love to thank the staff & administration at The Primrose of Winter Springs school for their role helping Aaliyah Vannessa getting ready to be a big sister as well as catering to wifey’s medical needs at the work place. Finding balance perusing my Master’s Degree, work, husband and Fatherly duties were only possible with the love and support of or closest friends & family in and out of our work places.

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

I am really aggravated and disappointed in myself because I have been so distracted by multiple productions, my Job, personal life with family issues. That I have neglected my original mastery plan since I really wanted to dive in to re-launching my old site, which at the time did not have all the benefits of social media (Where Myspace.com was the best) that exists now along with monetizing of YouTube.com, Google ads and analytics. I feel that I should only be concentrating on my site now especially knowing back when I only worked on my site I made so much progress even though its so much easier now to do so.

 This past Friday I got the opportunity to work with 2 amazing music producers/song writers by the Name of Danny Flores & Jean Rodriguez develop a Singer known as Natalie Rodriguez of Telemundo’s “Yo Soy El Artista” into a song writer, which was just pure magic. I managed to briefly entice Natalie interest and to agree to sit down with me at another time for an interview for WhatsYourRhythm.com.  

So I am thinking that I may need to take a month off from school to redesign my site the way it should so that I can do it with the same intensity that I use to.  The magic that took place in that recording studio are all the reasons why I started WYR. There is no doubt in my mind, heart, & soul that I witness a part of Latin Pop Music history. https://instagram.com/p/4cPFFpLmBK/

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

“Life is what happens while your making other plans” -John Lennon This is my plan, we  will just have to wait and see what happens. 

[sowhatsyourrhythm]

I assume you sent for me because someone told you I was The Best, well I am only The Best because I work with The Best!

Harold S. Stamper, CEO of Stamper Oil co. (via sowhatsyourrhythm)

I never saw myself as a leader, especially when the respect you share with those you work alongside brings the best out in your own expertise which reflects on the job as a whole.