These long podcasts that these guys are doing, sitting on the couch and filming, that's what YouTube is pushing because it's keeping people engaged on the platform the longest, longer than these 10 minute videos.  Sometimes those videos will take off six months down the road or even a year down the road. Let's kick this off. Uh, Ralph and I have been doing these disruptors network events, both in person and virtually Ralph. I think our first one was 2021 where we had like Kyle Wistel, Mark Pattinson and everything. Yeah, you're right here. Just like this around this time of year too. Yeah, definitely. So, so, you know, and we had a really good live event. The last two, we've actually been fortunate enough to, uh, to sell out. And this one we figured, let's go virtual. Let's bring everybody in. And the topic that I, Lauren, like we were just talking about on the social media aspect, the funny story is, is that, um, I was one of the first people on my space and as it kind of went away when Facebook came into the picture, that kind of, um, that was kind of a black eye for me was social because I thought, well, all these platforms are just going to come and go. And I didn't really, um, value Facebook when it first came along. So I just never really got into that world until after I'd already made it in real estate and decided I wanted to get into coaching, writing, speaking, um, and try to build other businesses outside of sales. So that had something to kind of fall back on. See, that's the thing. A lot of people think, um, they want to sell forever because they love sales and I definitely loved it. But, um, you will get to a point where you don't anymore and you're going to wish and hope that you've built other infrastructures around something that allows you to step out of sales. If you want to, you may want to continue selling, but, you know, owning real estate and having cash flow from investments, you know, building a social media, you know, presence and being able to parlay that into other businesses is always really interesting. And so, um, I just ignored social media for a long time. And I just focused on phone calls, emails, and direct mail to build my business. I got that up to a hundred deals a year. I was doing a million dollars a year in GCI, single agent and, um, top agent in Alabama and all that stuff. And I just kind of got bored. And so I was like, let me write a book about how I've succeeded so well in real estate and share this with the world. And that kind of turned into people that took off number one. And then I started speaking and then I realized how, um, how much this was helping people. That kind of kept me going. But I started out charging for coaching, like for a split second, a couple of months, I realized that really wasn't the path to really see mega growth. See, the reason why I went free on the coaching is because I knew how important social, um, equity was in terms of just people that know who you are and really respect and love you. And I knew that going free would grow that big social presence for me to where then at that point, I could basically have my choice of what kind of businesses I wanted to get into or kind of what direction I wanted to take it from there. So put a lot of sweat equity into me. I was losing a hundred thousand a year for a couple of years building this brand, you know, and not everybody can do that. Um, but I knew how important after I really, after I made it in real estate and then took a step back, um, and really looked at what I could do in the coaching world. I realized how incredibly important social was. And now I preached agents to do social unlike what I did in my business. And if I did social in my business, it would have been on steroids compared to what it was, um, you know, but I didn't, but agent should, you know, so that's what I'm here to talk about with you guys today, whatever I could do to help you with whatever problems you're having with social, um, you know, in terms of building your, your real estate business or any, any businesses, you know, I'm just Ralph asked me to do this and I was more than happy to do it. Um, you know, to see what I could do to share my experiences to help you guys grow. Lauren, tell us a little bit.  So yeah, tell us a little bit about when you made your transition into social and some of the results that you've had so far. So I was in, when you guys were selling out in 2008, I was graduating college. I started in financial advising the day that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac went under was the day I got my financial services licenses. So I sat front row to the, uh, housing market collapse, but the thing that I had learned is we were one of the first eight schools on Facebook. I literally on Facebook, we had this beach that was probably like three, three or five miles from our campus and our freshmen could not have cards on campus. Okay. And so, and it was in Connecticut. So a whole bunch of cabs are running people back and forth and I was like, well, this is just incredibly inefficient. I'm just gonna put something on Facebook and said, Hey, five bucks ahead. I'll come pick you up from the beach and I'll drop you off at whatever party you want to go to because I was playing volleyball at the time and I didn't have, I wasn't drinking. So I was like, let's go make some money. So I did that and started, you know, my own little Uber service and that really quickly helped me understand the value that social media could bring in terms of putting your message in front of a lot of people. So when I went into finance and all of their regulations around social and messaging and marketing, like it almost killed me. Cause I was like, this is, it's exhausting. Like why am I on cold calling and running it like Ricky was, right? Which is, it just kind of was killing my soul a little bit because it wasn't an alignment with what I believed. I wanted to come from a place of education and service and information. So when I transitioned into real estate, where we have a lot more flexibility on what we can put out there, I was like, all in my husband was Navy. I went all in on serving my military community. I immediately saw an opportunity in Facebook groups, which is my first social media love. I started a local community for relocating military families and we grew that very quickly to support a full team. And then I expanded that program nationwide in 2018. And today we do about 5,000 transactions a year and serve about 100,000 military families. That was my first love, but you don't get a lot of street cred. You don't get a lot of like brand recognition for building Facebook groups, especially when you own them and you're running them. But you're not, I'm not in the groups every single day, right? And frankly, I don't really want a whole bunch of you guys knowing about them. And now I'm regretting sharing this. So don't do that for me. But then I want to expand the TikTok. And I was like, Hey, you know, I saw an agent and going off of what we had just talked about, who was heavily trying to recruit other agents to support them, to work with them. And at the end of the year, she shared her statistics of how much money she had made. And she was like, Hey, come work with me. I can help you sell houses. Let's do this. And, you know, the like last day of the year is like I made 12 grand in real estate this year. And all I thought to myself was if you can help people do better than that, you have a responsibility to get big in your messaging. And so I came from a place of service and I want to challenge each one of you guys here that may sound egotistical to you, but I hope it's not.  And you come from education, you always put your clients first. You have a responsibility to be visible, but and it's on us, right? So that's why I really took it to TikTok. I grew 100,000 followers in a year. December 15th decided, Hey, I'm going to see if these tactics work on Instagram. And I think today I said I was at 2,300 followers when I started and today I met 48,000. So they work on Instagram, too. And just to put that into perspective last month, a week from this past Monday, she was at 30,000 followers on Instagram. And I think that that's that's what's really cool about like obviously there's codes being cracked. Ricky didn't get into it either, but Ricky, you're 250,000 followers on Instagram right now, right? Yeah, to 230. Yeah. Yeah. So I guess, you know, and and again, I I'm about 2,000 or 20, 20, 200 somewhere, 2100 somewhere around there. What did you guys, when did you all start seeing that?  I had glimpses of of I had glimpses of what could be, but my challenge to what I can made to doing, right? I woke up on December 2nd, 2021, I was like, I'm gonna post one TikTok a day for the next 30 days and see if this is like a viable form to grow my business and grow my personal brand. And I know I was trying to grow my personal brand, but that's really was what I was doing. So as I went through that process, I quickly learned that if I just set aside 30 minutes in the morning to record, like I can record three or four videos a day. So why would I only post one of them? And what happened was is that the third and fourth video that I was posting a day started really hitting different because I stopped caring. The first video I recorded was like for everyone else, but I thought that they wanted to see you. The second video got a little bit closer to who I am authentically. And then the third and fourth video is like, well, crap, I now I told people I was gonna do three or four videos. So I better figure out something to say. And those videos started taking off. And that to me was like a learning process of peeling back the layers of who am I actually versus who do I think people want to see on camera. And that is a big shift that I want business owners to go through is that you don't have to be a mirror of the people who already exist. You don't have to be a mirror of me.  It's about figuring out what works for you and then duplicating it and multiplying it and compounding it and doing it over and over again. That's awesome. And Ricky, what about you? When did it start to kind of take off for you? When did you start getting traction? I know you mentioned building the brand is actually putting you in that in the red in the beginning. I don't know, man. You you tell me I'm still waiting for it to take take off.  Nothing I had really went viral. I had a couple of videos that did pretty well, but it's just been a really slow, gradual climb. I didn't really have any thing that like popped, but I just consistently posted every day on all platforms, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, every single day for years. I think that was really big.  And then you won't even realize it, but you'll kind of look back at a video from like six months to a year back and you'll be like, wow, that is a completely different person and your whole editing style and scripting of the videos and stuff are just completely different. You don't even realize that you just kind of slowly transformed. There was a month last year, like maybe June or August, where I was at about two hundred and twenty thousand for about a year straight. And it just was I was losing people were unfollowing as many as were following. And it was like a year straight. I just was kind of stuck right there. And I just quit posting for like two weeks. And I was like, I need to really sit down and figure out this whole algorithm. And like so I talked to Meta a couple of times, like had deep conversations with people at Meta and like was really just researching and studying and watching. And I came back. This was before I was post like now I'm doing like four to six posts a day on Insta and, you know, which I don't I don't suggest that for anybody. If you're a real estate agent, really one a day is like really good. Like that's really what you where you should be. At least one a day have that be the goal. But, you know, I'm trying to build this global brand. So I have to do more. But I understood I started to understand the algorithm a lot more on Instagram. And that was when I started actually treating it like a job. So that's the point I wanted to make is that up to that point, I was posting whatever, whenever, and that only got me so far. And then I was just plateaued out. But then I then I got very intentional and actually started spending time brainstorming content ideas, filming, batch filming, you know, 10, 20 videos at a time and getting to where I had a system in place where I could literally pump out four to six posts a day. And until I started doing that, I didn't really, you know, I didn't really start picking back up the growth. Now I'm picking up 200 organic followers a day on Instagram, which is incredible. And it's all from that consistency of posting. I can get into like algorithms and stuff, you know, but but YouTube's a little different, right? YouTube is like some of these videos don't take off for like six months after you post them, right? And everybody, everybody looks at the gram stuff and the, you know, some of these guys that get 100,000 views and, you know, in the first 48 hours. And that's great. But honestly, not everybody, not all of us can be those YouTube superstars that go out and get hundreds of thousands of views. So how do you win on a lot of these platforms? You have to look at each platform and try to figure out what the game plan is for YouTube. It's like very long. What they're pushing is very long form content, like hour long videos, these long podcasts that these guys are doing, sitting on the couch and filming. That's what YouTube is pushing because it's keeping people engaged on the platform, the longest, longer than these 10 minute videos.  Sometimes those videos will take off six months down the road or even a year down the road. It's really crazy how the whole thing works. So now my Instagram strategy is four to six times a day to get 200 followers. And then on YouTube, it's like I'm posting videos and getting a thousand views and I don't care because I'm playing such the long game on YouTube. It's not even funny. Like I'm hoping that I know that one of these videos, two, three, four, ten of these videos are going to like take off in six months, you know what I mean? So I think people are super impatient. They they they just they're not willing to treat it like a job. You know, so that's the main thing with agents.  You got to call them and follow up and so on and so forth. So your calls in the morning and then all of your media, marketing, social media, content creation, brainstorming, all that stuff in the afternoon. So you got all afternoon to really crush social media and all morning to really crush customer relations. You made a really couple of good points there. By the way, YouTube stuff, for instance, like that, I think people want immediate gratification with it and you're right. It's not that stuff takes forever and even TikTok. And I'm sure Lauren, you can speak to this too. Sometimes a video will start off really slow and then it picks up crazy traction and then you see over a couple of weeks and then it restarts again and you get more views and more follows. So I think the way these algorithms are working right now, it's that you have to be patient with all of it. And and both of you said something I think is really, really important. It's the consistency of it that every video of yours is not going to get a ridiculous amount of engagement, ridiculous amount of likes, but if you're consistent with it, some of it will. So, you know, maybe you guys should just speak a lot of it. Lauren, you can speak to that a little bit.  You want to build off a consistency because that's what builds actual relationships and community. Here's the reality that me and Ricky have a tremendous amount of followers. We all have a tremendous amount of followers.   It does not matter. Sorry. I curse. Delman. Okay. But in all sincerity, like this is one of the things that, that frustrates me is that I had this lady, I love trolls, by the way, and Ricky, let me know what your best troll comment is because I'm going to get a t-shirt that puts my best troll comments on it. And one of his was like, it's like her videos aren't even consistent. And I was like, number one, they consistently pay my mortgage. Okay. Number two, number two, some of my highest converting videos are my lowest viewed videos. Not every video is supposed to be viral. There are different kind of formats for getting as many views as possible for positioning yourself as an expert to, you know, moving people through your conversion and sometimes you hit the holy grail of all three. But the best question I feel like people can ask themselves before they post right now is what's my intention with this post? Am I looking to, you know, create new relationships and get them from as many people as possible because people who don't know you exist can't buy houses from you? Or am I really trying to get deep with the people who have already followed me to show them I'm a person of substance and that can really help them through this process? So ask yourself before you put out each post that question. And it doesn't matter if it gets 100 followers, you guys make 10 grand off of one good client. Like I'm so tired of like, let's chase a million views. Why not just get down to the real numbers of what you're trying to get out of this thing? And let's, let's focus on that. This is a, uh, this is a, an event here for real estate. These are all real estate agents, right? You guys listening? Is that correct? Am I right? Yeah, mostly, mostly real estate mortgage. Yeah. Oh, okay. So, so like there's two things.   Like if you have, like as a real estate agent, if you have, like, uh, if you get like 300 views on a video, that is like super. Like if it's, if you're hashtagging your area and like you're, you're following is pretty concentrated to people that are in your market and you're really working social media the way that you need to, to build that local presence, like 2, 300 views on a video for free is like amazing. Um, you can convert so much business, uh, out of that. If you're doing it every day and you kind of have a conversion process, but, um, Lauren was right. Like the, like the videos, like that don't get that much engagement that are very niche to your audience and whatever your niche is. Um, you know, that's really like building that trust with your current followers, you know what I mean? Like, you know, you do viral videos to get more followers in and then, then these really niche videos that don't go viral because they're so niche really kind of continues to build a brand and the trust with your current followers. And you got to kind of have both, you know, you got to kind of do some general stuff to try to bring more people in. Hopefully the algorithm picks something up. But like as an agent, I mean, if you have like a thousand followers, man, you could have, you could, you could sell so much real estate, you know, out of that, um, you know, so I could get into all kinds. I could take this so many different directions. It's not even funny. I mean, what I, what I found, and you guys both mentioned it is local. And I always think that the, that the riches are really in the niches always with this stuff. And, you know, Lauren, I know that you do both of you guys do a lot on Tik Tok. I've, I've found that Tik Tok stuff really works more locally than any other, any other app that I'm using. Man, I don't know if you guys find the same thing that I see a lot more people see me locally on that app than they do necessarily besides my own followers, that people who aren't following me already on the, on the other stuff. I mean, how do you guys feel about that? I think it, I think it works across the board because part of it for me is, is like, if I'm an agent trying to get business on Instagram, I'm searching the area and I'm going to engage with people that's in my market that I've never, that I'm not connected to at all. I'm trying to find new people that aren't in my ecosystem to connect. I'm using, I'm using the social media platform to be social and connect and engage with people.  They wouldn't work with me. So then I kind of gave up on it. And then I just re-entered the Tik Tok world maybe like six months ago and I'm just kind of posting whatever I'm making for Instagram. So I have like a thousand followers or something like that, but I don't really pay attention to it much. So I'm not really an expert on Tik Tok. Ironically, it's like the Tik Tok lay in the room. I focused a lot of my attention on Instagram recently. So I'm a cool, let me give you guys a lesson on branding. Okay. The very first talk that I went to go, uh, give about Tik Tok and about, you know, how to grow an audience on Tik Tok. Uh, some of you guys know him. Oh, what's Sharon, president of Real, right? He was there. He's like, so you're like undisputably like the number one, like coach for Tik Tok agents. I was like, you were totally right, Sharon. I am undisputably the only Tik Tok coach for real estate agents. That being said, um, I spoke, so I focused a lot of my time and energy there, but I think the appeal for Tik Tok is that we have this idea that we can get tremendous more views because that's what we've been sold. But the platform has changed a lot over the last 12 months and I do not see that same thing happening. So I think we need to be aware of that. Um, in my opinion, since transitioning to Instagram, my conversions to the roof and I'm more interested in conversion than I am interested in views. So I think that both of them can work. I think that there's a lot of limitations on Tik Tok right now for the messaging, uh, to be able to engage with people like you can't message with people who don't follow you and you don't follow them back. Um, I like that we can integrate some, you know, auto responses into Instagram. You really can't do that on Tik Tok yet. I think that if you have a great creative that's worked well on Facebook and Instagram, should you run Tik Tok ads potentially. Um, but I've definitely seen a shift in it recently and it was out of my fear, the fear that Ricky just said that they're just gonna wake up one day and I'll be gone. The, you know, that I'll have no recourse. I wanted to diversify my audience, which is why I moved to Instagram. I've been focusing a lot of my energy there. So I found Tik Tok to be much more inconsistent recently. You guys both made a good point, actually. Um, somebody pushed me to create my own website a couple of years ago. It's just my name. I'm raftingnarrer.com and I put everything that I put, you know, I try to post everything there.  Is every, everybody, your concept going to some place that you own that, that, that nobody can take away from you? Yes, 100%. Can we talk about this for a minute?   And it's like a whole like circle around to know where that you own or can capture my information.  I was following these ladies on Tik Tok, great following, great engagement, 30,000 followers when directly their website offered them nothing. So if you are looking to truly build a community, the community is built on what you own. And you won't, they're really the only thing you can know is your website or those emails. And so you, if you don't want to develop a website, you know, getting those emails and being able to bring people, you know, even just one high value email a week, you know, use chat GPT, use your top performing posts, take the description, take it to chat GPT, have them rewrite it as an email and send it out. The people who read both are not going to realize it's the same because you have to tell something, something to someone 18 times before they remember it, right? Um, and the people who do are going to be like, oh, yeah, this girl's consistent. Gary Vee's been telling us the same stuff for 30 years. I'm glad that she's not changing her tone, right? So I, if you can make a massive difference in your business right now, it is to use these platforms to build that list. So then you're not reliant on the algorithm showing you to them again. So just to hop on that really quick. If you're a realtor, let's say you're selling 10, 20, 30 homes a year or something like that and you're starting to create content locally like Ricky said, what would you do for like, what is the signup? What is the registration or how would you try to get them to engage so that you can then cultivate the email list on that? Like you could have sent it from a weekly newsletter in your link tree, whatever you use. So just think of all the different, Lauren can add to the list of different offers that you can, that you can offer to your audience that could get them to give them your information because every single lead generation activity is the same exact process, right? It's to collect data, to then talk to them, to then remarket to them, right? Zilla leads, you're getting data to talk to remarket. Cold call, you get their data to talk to to remarket. Facebook, open houses, you get them a sign of things so you can take that data, call them and remarket. It's all data, talk, remarket. You know, so the better you are at collecting data and then using it to talk to people and remarket, then the bigger your business is going to be. He records every single thing we do. He uses all the stuff. He's very smart about it. And he always says, Hey, can I have the can I have the contact list for the people that go and I think that if you just consistently do that every single time, just really smart. It's really easy just being consistent with data.  That's it.  You're trying to turn it to sales. Oh, I don't have a website. I use. No, so I took out for a year and that was a mistake. And that's on Instagram for 40 days, a mistake with that. But my next one's SEO. So I'll be they'll be pushing out website here. I want to play that game a little bit and see how that goes. I believe in terms of lead capture, I use. I use Stan. I just set up a stand store. I moved away from Easybiolink and I moved into Stan store. It has a lot of the functionalities that that removes like another need for a platform. So I can literally get an email down, you know, someone downloads something that gets it to them right there versus me have to plug in an additional landing page. I like the way the analytics read, which is really important to me to create videos that are converting, not just getting views. And in terms of value, I call value exchange items to exchange for emails or for contact information, right? We mean Ricky play the same game.  I'm going to put so much free value out. But here's the reality of it. This is the book I'm reading right now. I haven't started it yet. So maybe Ricky will beat me to it. But if I were to tear out every single one of these pages and erase the numbers and I threw that stack of pages, these 320 pages in front of you and was like, Hey, what's that book mean? I'm going to give you an hour to read. I'm going to give you a week to read it. You're not going to have all the pieces of puzzle to be able to put it together, right? So number one, start from value without a place of fear that someone's going to take your idea, take your value and it's going to make them more valuable. When you put value out, it makes you more valuable to your community.  You just look like everyone else out there. Whereas I know Rob probably has some bad ass 12 week marketing plan and a 50,000 person local database and 60 business owners that he's been invited to this open house be scared to sell it to share that because he's scared some other agents could take that formula and make them more valuable. Well, we're actually losing business by not starting with that because we're waiting until we get on the listing appointment to share that. You're never going to gain the appointment. You're actually losing on the top end of the funnel. So focus on bringing high end value upfront and telling people what you actually do that serves them without fear that someone's going to recreate it because it's like them trying to put piece together all of those pages without numbers, right? So when it comes from building, you have to ask yourself, who is my client before they become my client? Because we want to step up the consumer funnel. So my military relocation program is also linked to a home buying education program savvy home buyer federally treadmarked we trade about still about 12,000 houses in the last two, three years.  Again, what's valuable to the person before they buy a home? What's valuable to the person before they sell a home? Who is your client before they become your client? And we can brainstorm here, but I'm guessing it's someone who lives in a certain proximity. So what's valuable to those people? Someone who is coming into a place of change in their life, identify the top three changes that have happened and to prompt people calling you.  What prompted that call today? Just ask, they're gonna be like, oh, thanks for asking, I got a new job. Awesome, why not create a value change? I am about, you know, increasing your income, increasing your job, upgrading your blank because that's what upgrades your home, right? So I've always really believed in stepping up the consumer funnel where it becomes a very blue ocean where the majority of agents fight in the red.  And then we're like frustrated when it's a transaction that comes off a Zillow. Well, that's where people go when they're ready to buy. I want to be in relationship with them six months through a year prior. So that way when it comes time to buying, they're not going to Zillow, they're going to warn. Reach. I'm talking some smack over there. So that is like, that was really cool. So that's what you said, like, you know, this little scenario and you kind of wanted to dig deeper. Like, oh, what's got you thinking about doing that? That is so key. And that brings up such a good point to, you know, people choose the real estate agent. The number one reason is because they had a friend in the business. And so if they're meeting you on Zillow when they're getting ready to do something, chances are somebody already has established that more long-term relationship. Kind of tough, actually. I mean, I'm never really, I tried Zillow for like six months when they first came out. I was like, this is, this is ridiculous. But, you know, why would I pay thousands of dollars for contact for data when I can get it for a couple pennies and just call people? Same thing I'm going to do anyway and develop those relationships long before they decide to buy or sell. Meanwhile, running into people constantly that want to buy or sell and helping them as well if I can, if they don't already have a relationship. But it's all that. I like everything he said right there. That was pretty key. Ricky, I feel like you'll love this. I tell my agents, you're like, oh, I'm thinking about doing a Zillow contract. I'm like, great. Is real estate a transaction or is it based on a relationship? Based on a relationship, awesome. Then why are you going to Tinder for what you're looking for on match.com? Oh, snap. It doesn't make any sense. But here's the other thing, guys. I went through this space where I was, probably where Ricky was, right? In my business, I was like, I want to scale how you get more relationships, how you get more conversations. And so it was that decision, do I invest into Zillow? And if I'm not going to invest into Zillow, what do I invest in? And I will tell you that decision, like that crossroad, to say I'm not going to invest in renting other people's attention and renting other people's media. I'm going to build my own that I own that I can turn up and turn down. I can turn on the faucet when you turn it down. It's protected my family's livelihood through ups and downs in the market. Whereas, you know, a lot of my colleagues who chose to go the seemingly easier route, the transactional route, the Zillow route, have been subject to Zillow Premier and Zillow Flex. And now it's per lead and now it's per zip code. And their livelihoods, ability to feed their families are as completely reliant on something they don't control. It's terrifying.  And I know we don't own our social accounts, but I own it a whole hell of a lot more than I own Zillow.com. You mean Tinder? Can we get t-shirts made? You own your name at least, you're right. You're on your name and your image and all that kind of stuff, so you're building your brand one way or the other. But here's the thing, if Ricky goes down on IG tomorrow, he has 220,000 people, he's going to launch another account in the bank, Ricky! Like, he owns himself. And his likeness and his teachings, you know, it's not the end of the world. You could relaunch, probably grow faster. That's a good point. People will be seeking him out on social media trying to figure out where that account went and then come fly back into it, especially if you're spending a lot more time on Instagram. I just sent an email out. I just sent an email out. And all my followers will be right back. It's a good point. There's that email list again. But yeah, Laura, I mean, that ties into what exactly what Ricky was saying with the YouTube game. And I think that so many people, not only like, there's a whole plan behind it with the email marketing, if you can gather text message and everything like that. And I, Ricky, you and I are cut from, I'm a heavy like Mike Ferry agent. So cut from the similar cloth where I feel like prospecting is absolutely key. We run a large mega team and I didn't add Zillow in until Flex became an option where we just pay the referral back in 2021 or yeah, 2021, but that is such, it's such a YouTube style game where things just kind of pop. And I also feel like I personally lose sales from time to time. I have people call me and tell me, hey, we didn't go into your team, but this happened with an oil tank and we need your help with this and blah, blah, blah, blah. And I tell everybody, I'm like, you might lose, I had heard this years ago, but you might lose a sale, but never lose a client. So don't get bent out of shape when that happens. You'd be amazed how quickly three years starts to roll back around and those people have that life change where they decide to size up and whatnot from that. But I think it's super important having a plan behind and don't over prepare to the point where you're like in analysis for Alice's either, but having a plan behind that so that if you're gonna make the prospecting call, if you're gonna build the content that there is, what is the goal? Are you going to get an email address? Are you going to then nurture them with emails that go out, Ricky's three times a week, that's perfect for clients and that's incredible, but are perfect for realtors and that's incredible. But for the consumer side of things, is it twice a month? Is it once a week? Is it kind of figuring that whole thing out? Once a week, once a week. On the same day of the week forever. Forever. And never miss one. But yeah, I mean, that's- The client says 2007, I never miss a Wednesday. It's literally why I sell a hundred properties a year. That's awesome. I think that everyone's panicking right now. Here's my question to you, Ricky. How many emails is that you sent? One to my real estate clients per week. Per week for how many weeks? From 2007 to now. So 52 times 13, 14, 15. How often do you reuse your emails? Do what? How often do you reuse your top performing emails? Oh, well, it's a market report kind of thing. So it's all kind of relative to what's happening in the market right that second. It's more like I actually sit down and type my opinions and stuff around the current, you know, breaking news type stuff. I was so excited to be honest with you, because we have such a different approach to, I mean, both extremely valuable and both extremely work guys. That's the thing. If there are so many different ways to do this and sometimes people get stuck in the right or the wrong, there isn't a right or wrong. There is just due. But like Ricky, I do the opposite. Where I have like a capsule of like 52 emails and then I just recirculate my top performing emails. Yeah, so for me, yeah, that's awesome. It works. You see, you have to guys, it's such a good point. Like figure out what works for you. But for me, I can't do that because I want everybody to have the most recent. What I feel like is happening. What the inside market, like what's happening right now today, maybe a new restaurant opened down the street. I want them to know about it.  Email back for a chance to win a gift card or I'll meet you there for lunch anyway. So, and that's why my emails are one so big because they're so customized around not only me and my personality, my opinions, but also the current market and what's happening, you know, in the market and locally. So I, unfortunately, I can't do it like that because I'm trying to really bring them like so much value, I like as much value as I can rather than just sending them the same email I sent a couple of years ago or whatever. On the, on the email side of things do you folks ever go in with the video component as well and then try to drive back to YouTube or something like that? I don't, because once I do that, they get lost in the YouTube shuffle and the YouTube algorithm and it could shoot them anywhere. So I did that a couple of times and I didn't really like the fact that it kind of took them out of my ecosystem. You know, now I could do in bed, I could do what's the one company that does those. Bomb bomb. Bomb bomb, I could do bomb bomb where it's embedded or something like that. But I just got to a point where, you know, images and like just typing out, you know, my thoughts or whatever I think or map market stats really worked really well. So I just never did the video. I kind of leave the video stuff for social media, right? So like if they're getting my weekly emails and they're following me on social, then they'll see my videos on social for the video aspect of things.  I do it for a second. We have a question, guys. Jacqueline's asking what tools you guys are using to make the videos. I'm using, I think the best thing, and I guess you guys can comment on this to where I've seen the best engagement is if I use the tools that are in the platforms themselves as much as I can between the captions and the music and that stuff within each platform. So I try to film the videos in one way that I could post on every single platform. And then I use, I always use tools within the platforms to edit the video or caption the video, whatever it is. It helps, I think it helps with engagement, but you guys may know better than me. Lauren. I was, when I was only working on TikTok, I was using within the platform, but now I've moved to recording natively on my phone, 13 with no special settings, except for probably 4K recording. I, any of my talking or speaking videos, I don't speak directly a camera anymore. I haven't done it in more than 45 days and I'll probably never do it again. I think that that is incredible. And there's a small, not small, maybe, but could be potentially huge group of people who could do that really well. But I found where my sweet spot is just having a camera right here, recording on the side view and then cutting those snippets so I can just be myself. And so if you're struggling with how I overcome this obstacle of creating video, like don't create video, just document yourself on what you're already doing, talking to clients, taking coaching calls, talking to vendors. And then your true authentic self can really come out. So that's why I put it in and it's performing just as well. So now to reinvent the wheel. Lauren. Lauren, are you recording right now? Yes, I am. You will see this. Everyone say hi. Hold on. I'll say hi. I'll tag you all. Send me your IG. Ricky, I'm going to show me that you have some kind of fixed camera set up to how much you're recording. Yeah, I got a camera sitting right here and then I'll do like two or three zooms a day with like entire offices, teams, stuff like that. I'll have it right there. You guys see all that stuff on my videos and stuff. But I'll do, I'll do both. So I'll do a lot of documentation, chop that up for YouTube and Instagram and all that stuff. But then I'll also do a lot where I'm talking directly to camera and actually create as well. I like that diversity of having a video that's from the side talking to a zoom. And then the next one is me talking directly to you. But something else that Instagram did here lately is pictures. They actually came out and admitted that they kind of overdid it with engagement on video and went too hard on video and they came and brought it back to try to equal it out a little bit between images and video. And right now they said it's about a 50-50. This is what Instagram said about a week ago that they've got it pretty balanced out, which is really cool. So I also try to do like a Twitter quote or something like that every day or five times a week or whatever. Those get the most engagement. Like my videos will get 200,000 likes, but those Twitter quotes will get like 2,000 to 3,000 likes. A lot of reposts, right? A lot of shares. Yeah, a lot. Yeah. Yeah. So those do really well. So I like to diversify it between documentation, creation and images versus videos. That's what's helping me really grow a lot right now. It's just kind of hitting it from all angles. I really appreciate you, Lauren and Ricky. You guys are awesome. Brett, thank you for helping me put together and I'll let you close it. Yeah, no, definitely.  It's really cool. Totally. Again, all three of them, semi-different styles. And it's just, it's excellent to see what's happening here and how they're just doing amazing things in the industry. So hey, thank you so much for watching today's video. I hope it brought you tons of value. Let me know what you think in the comments and I'm going to put the next video right here for you. So you don't have to go anywhere. You can just click this video to keep that Ricky train rolling. Hey, we'll see you guys on this next video and I'll talk to you soon.


This video complies only with Division IV of the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Codes. This video has been revised since it was originally produced in 1996 to reflect new safety standards. In addition to what you will view, you must be aware of the following. Training must be done at least annually or more frequently if needed. Training must be specific to the equipment used at your location. Training must be specific to the location or work environment in which you will be using a forklift. Machines are designed to help us do our work. And when it comes to lifting and moving heavy loads, the forklift is the machine that allows us to do jobs we could never do alone. But as with all machines, the forklift can be dangerous if not operated properly. This program will cover the basics of proper operation and safety procedures for forklifts so that you can learn to use your lift trucks safely and efficiently. Forklifts fall under the definition of an industrial vehicle. They are to be used for the movement of materials, not people. And they are not for highway use. For the purposes of this video, we will focus on the use of forklifts as they apply to agriculture. We will look at standard forklifts and rough terrain forklifts. Only operators who have received training and have been authorized by their employer to operate the vehicles can drive a forklift. This is the law. Operators must have good vision and be physically and mentally fit. And it is best that no one under 18 years of age be allowed to operate a powered lift truck. A forklift is like a car in some ways. It has a motor and drivetrain to supply power to the wheels.  And it has devices to let you control the speed and direction of movement. But unlike a car, it also has a powerful hydraulic lifting system. The steering system is also different from a car in that the forklift often steers with the rear wheels, not the front. The rear wheel steering and a specially designed axle allows sharp turns and precise movements. It is important that you realize there are many types of forklifts made by a variety of manufacturers. And while there are many things they all have in common, there are also differences. Some of these differences can be in the controls, instruments and maintenance practices. But because of this, you must study the operating manual supplied with your lift truck and become familiar with these differences for every kind of lift truck you operate. It is very important that you, the operator, inspect the forklift at the beginning of every shift. If the vehicle is found to be unsafe or there is apparent damage, you should report it to your supervisor immediately and it should be locked out and tagged according to your employer's lockout-tagout procedures. These are the areas to be inspected. The tires. Is the inflation of pneumatic tires correct? Are the tires in good condition? Are all running lights working? Is the battery in good condition? Batteries should only be changed or serviced by maintenance personnel or those specifically trained to do so. Check the forward and reverse mechanism and the lift and tilt controls. Are the forks or other load-engaging devices working properly? With the forklift shut down, visually check the condition of hydraulic hoses for pinch points and worn spots. Check chains, making sure the cotter pins are in place, and make sure carriage bolts are secure. Then, with the forklift turned on and under pressure, check the hydraulic hoses for fluid leaks by running a piece of paper over all the surfaces of the hoses. Never use your bare hands to do this. Are the brakes working properly? Is the steering mechanism okay? And is the fuel system operational? It is a good idea to keep inspection logs for each forklift in operation. It takes a little effort, but once you get in the habit of doing so, it isn't that bad. This will give you a verifiable record for regulatory agencies. It also provides a maintenance history of each machine and can point to major problems that might develop. Once again, it is very important that you study the operator's manual for your specific forklift and complete the suggested safety inspection as required by your employer. When fueling your vehicle, it is extremely important to follow proper procedures. Always turn off the motor and do not restart it until the fuel has been properly handled and the fuel tank cap has been replaced. Refer to material safety data sheets for proper personal protective equipment required for your fuel application. In the case of a fuel or oil spill, follow your company's policy for cleanup procedures and never use an open flame to check fuel levels. Before loading a trailer, there are several things you need to do. First, check to make sure the truck driver set the brakes. In addition, chalk the rear wheels to prevent the trailer from rolling away from the dock when it is being loaded. If the tractor is not attached to the trailer you are loading, make sure the front of the trailer is properly supported. Is the landing gear in good shape and properly set? If you are unsure of the reliability of the landing gear, you should use a nose jack. Next, inspect the inside of the trailer. Is the front wall solid? Are there any spongy spots or holes or broken and cracked decking in the floor of the trailer that could cause the forklift to break through? Finally, check the dock plate going into the trailer. Make sure the plate is properly secured between the dock and the trailer. These simple steps may mean the difference between safe loading and an unnecessary accident. It is very important that you follow these procedures. Failing to do so could cause a serious accident. This illustration shows what can happen if the trailer is not properly secured and the dock plate is not properly situated between the dock and the trailer. As you can see, a position shift of the trailer or dock plate can have a serious consequence. Now the trailer is ready to receive a load. But before proceeding, we need to discuss load safety.  The load capacity is the weight that your forklift can safely lift and carry. Each forklift must have a label that states its load capacity. Most of the forklifts used in nursery applications are rated to carry 3,000 to 5,000 pounds. If you are unsure of the weight of the material you are supposed to carry, you need to ask your supervisor for this information. The majority of the loads you will be moving will be safely under the load limits of most forklifts. But some loads can come close to exceeding these limits. A safe way to test if a load exceeds a forklift's limits is to lift it a few inches above the ground and drive slightly forward and backward and apply the brakes. If the forklift is unstable in any way, do not attempt to move the load. The scientific principle involved here is center of gravity. The center of gravity of an object is the single point about which the object is balanced in all directions. It is very important to understand how the center of gravity of a load in forklift combined affects the stability of your forklift while on the job. First, we'll start with the center of gravity of the load itself. In the case of this pallet of trees, the center of gravity is pretty much the center of the pallet because the load is evenly distributed over the entire surface. When judging the center of gravity of an odd shaped load, it is generally at the center of the bulk of the weight. In this side view, notice where the center of gravity of the load and the center of gravity of the forklift are. Now watch what happens to the combined center of gravity when the load is lifted. This is important to know because when you pick up the load with your forklift, the center of gravity of the forklift and the load combined will be determined by the weight and arrangement of the load. For example, in this illustration, the center of gravity from front to back is here. If the load is above the rated capacity of the forklift or if it is placed incorrectly on the forks, the center of gravity will be off and cause the forklift to be very unstable. The center of gravity of this load from side to side is here. Again, it is very important when carrying a load that you have the center of gravity between the front wheels. As you can see from this illustration, if the center of gravity of the load is too far off to one side, the whole forklift could tip. Once you are sure the load is safely within the capacity of your forklift and you have arranged the load to optimize the center of gravity, the next concern is the stability of the load. After picking up the load, gently tilt back the mast in order to cradle the load. Always keep the load as close to the carriage as possible. A load that is not properly secured or stabilized will tip or fall off the forklift. If this happens while being moved, the result can be serious damage to the material and possibly serious injury to people in the area. Remember that you, the operator, are responsible to know the proper load capacity of your forklift. You are also responsible to know how to properly place and secure the load in order to ensure safe handling of material. If you ever have a question about the load capacity of your forklift, center of gravity, or stability of the load you are working with, ask your supervisor for assistance. Asking questions can ensure your safety. If you have to temporarily leave your forklift, you must follow these procedures. Make sure you lower the load, put the forklift in neutral, and be sure to set the parking brake. If you are ever going to be out of sight of the forklift or more than 25 feet away, you must also shut it down. We will now discuss some general safe operating procedures. Again, you as the driver are responsible for operating your forklift safely. This includes driving at safe speeds. If there is more than one forklift operating at the same time, you must keep at least three truck lengths distance between them. Always use extreme caution when approaching blind spots and intersections and sound the horn as a warning. And never pass other vehicles going in the same direction. When moving with a load, the forks should only be high enough to clear obstacles and unevenness in the floor or ground. Raising them too high will affect the center of gravity and create a possible hazard of hitting overhead objects. When ascending or descending a grade with a load, you need to travel with the load upgrade. For example, when traveling down this ramp, you need to keep the load uphill. Always go straight, never at a diagonal. If you need to go up an incline, you must again keep the load uphill. When you are ascending or descending a grade without a load, the opposite is true. You must always keep the forks facing downhill. Always use extreme caution when ascending and descending ramps and inclines. Following these simple rules can mean the difference between safe operation and a serious accident. You should always be looking in the direction that you are traveling. You must also have a clear view of your path. If the load you are carrying obstructs your view, then it would be better to travel backward with the load trailing. But you must do so while always looking in the direction you are traveling. When backing up like this, go at a slower speed and be extra careful when turning so that you don't hit objects with the load or cause the load to tip. Never travel faster than is safely possible. Make sure your steering motions are smooth and sweeping. Never turn or stop suddenly. This can cause the load you are carrying to shift or fall. It is your responsibility to look out for people. Pedestrians always have the right of way and never drive a forklift up to someone standing in front of a fixed object such as a wall. Never allow a person to cross or stand under the forks when they are raised, whether or not there is a load, and never carry passengers. If you need to lift people with the forklift, you must use a special lift basket that meets OSHA regulations. It must be secured to the mast or forks, and when it is lifted off the ground, never allow a person to step out of the safety basket. Observe all posted signs such as height restrictions, weight restrictions, speed limits, and stop signs, and never park your forklift where it would obstruct access to fire extinguishers, fire escapes, electrical panels, or stairways. Also avoid running over loose objects, especially when carrying a load. If something is in your path, stop your forklift following the proper procedures, get out, and remove the object. If you ever find yourself in a situation where your forklift is going to tip over, it is very important that you follow these procedures. Never jump from the truck as it is overturning. You will be much safer if you grab onto the steering wheel, brace yourself, and ride the truck over. This is one reason why it is so important to wear your seat belt at all times. Remember, a forklift is very heavy, and if you try to jump out, you are much more likely to be crushed by the forklift itself than to get out safely. The bottom line is to know your equipment. In addition to all that we've discussed in this program, watch out for differences in the operation of your machine. Be aware of the temperature of the vehicle, watch the gauges, listen for changes in the sound of the motor, the lift mechanism, how the tires sound against the floor. Notice any changes in the smell, such as something that is too hot. Also, look out for unusual oil or fuel smells. The more you know about your machine, the wiser you will be to its safe operation. If you ever have a question, ask your supervisor. It's better to be safe than sorry. In this part of the program, we are going to discuss the proper procedures for operating a forklift on rough terrain. The definition of a rough terrain forklift is a hybrid powered industrial truck with oversized tires and high ground clearance, which can be used on unstable and uneven work surfaces. As we saw in the first part of this program, a standard forklift is to be used on smooth surfaces such as pavement, concrete, and packed surfaces. Rough terrain for our purposes refers to operation on gravel, dirt paths, and any out-of-door site where a standard forklift would get stuck. As you can see, a rough terrain forklift has a high ground clearance allowing it to cross terrain that a standard forklift would get stuck in immediately. Its large tires help prevent getting stuck in soft ground and mud, and provides a smoother ride for both the driver and cargo. Some rough terrain forklifts are equipped with four-wheel drive. Just as with standard forklifts, it is very important that you conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle before every shift. Once again, every manufacturer's rough terrain forklift is a little different, so you must refer to the operator's manual for specific checkpoints. If you find anything wrong, make a note of it on your checklist and report the problem to your supervisor immediately. All the same rules that apply to refueling standard forklifts also apply to rough terrain vehicles. If you follow the same procedures, you will ensure a safe working environment. Always turn off the motor and do not restart it until the fuel cap has been replaced. Know the load capacity of your forklift and the weight of your load Just as with standard machines, this information is very important. There may be times, such as when working on very soft surfaces, that you will need to carry less than the rated capacity to avoid becoming stuck. And the same rules apply regarding the center of gravity and the stability of a load. Always keep the forks as far apart as possible for the load in order to have the greatest stability, and always keep the load against the carriage. In addition, keep the forks as low as possible when transporting the load. Be aware of sloping surfaces when raising a load. If you raise the load at an angle, you could possibly tip the truck. When working with a rough terrain forklift, choosing a route is a very important decision that you, the operator, need to make. It is always best to choose the route with the least obstructions. If you must choose a route with bumps, slick spots, or loose material, slow down. Always keep a safe distance from the edges of ditches or excavations, because the ground can give way. Remember that a forklift is very heavy, and when loaded, it may easily cause the ground to collapse, or another vehicle might not. Also, use extreme caution when the route is muddy or slick, especially if sloped. Travel slowly and avoid turning, which could cause the truck to slide or tip over. As with a standard forklift, if your rough terrain forklift starts to tip over, never jump from the cab. Brace your feet, grasp the wheel firmly, and lean forward and away from the point of impact. Remember you should always be wearing your seatbelt. When leaving the rough terrain forklift on an incline, tilt the carriage slightly forward and lower the forks until the tips touch the ground.  You may need to chalk the wheels if the incline is steep and the forklift is loaded. These rules apply even if the driver is going only a short distance from the truck. In rough terrain situations, the slightest movement of the truck, if it slides or rolls, could cause the truck to tip, especially with a load. The forklift is a tremendous machine, and when used properly, will make an impossible job by hand possible. But it is up to you, the operator, to always be alert to the safe operation of your forklift. If you follow the instructions you have been given in this program and study in further detail the safety procedures for the specific forklifts you drive, you will ensure that your work will be safe and productive.


When the narcissist is on their deathbed after everything you have been through with the narcissist I'm sure you can't wait until they die Or maybe the narcissist in your life has already died and you had to take care of them up until that point After they abused you After they ruined your life They never treated you fairly They were never kind to you They were so abusive to you that you developed psychic abilities You became hyper aware because you were constantly walking on eggshells You were constantly putting their needs before your own and they loved that about you They wanted you to forget about your needs and focus on them and it's no different when they're on their deathbed They will expect you to be there They will expect you to take care of them, which may be a very difficult thing for you to do You may not want to help someone Who has spent their entire life trying to destroy you But that is what they will expect from you and being on their deathbed It's not going to cause them to become less important or proud It's no different to when they are sick And I am sure that you can remember how the narcissist was when they were sick For many of you, I'm sure it's hard for you to forget When the narcissist is on their deathbed They will be worse than they usually are They will be even more demanding and disrespectful They will be even more arrogant and entitled They will not apologize for everything that they have done Unless they can use it to manipulate you But that's only if their intimidation isn't effective When the narcissist is on their deathbed You should expect more manipulation and abuse They will be mean until the day they die They're not going to change They can't just suddenly become a different person All they can do is manipulate you And the only people who will be there for them when they're on their deathbed Are people who are still under their spell Or people who just feel bad for not being there And if you are there for them They will be even more entitled They will be even more ungrateful And they will not show any remorse They will not show any regret or guilt for what they have done And when they die You should not expect anything from them in their will It will be left to the golden child It will be left to their enablers It will be left to the people who validated the illusions of their false self People who were susceptible to their manipulation People who didn't try to oppose their false narrative People who kept a code of silence They will leave money for people who weren't even there for them But they won't leave anything for you Even when the narcissist has the opportunity to correct the wrong that they have done They still won't do it They will be bitter and mean until the very end They don't suddenly change They don't apologize to you So don't expect them to show remorse Don't expect them to show humility Don't expect an apology Because in most situations You're not going to get that from a narcissist But even if you do It's not going to be genuine If it was They would have corrected their wrongdoings a long time ago Why would anyone have to wait until the very end to try to correct the errors of their ways They never spent any time with you They never talked to you They never got to know you You were never enough for them Because they were not enough for themselves And that is why they were always distracted They were always preoccupied with other things Things that made them feel better about themselves Things that made them feel like they're worth something And it's no different when they're on their deathbed They're not going to be happy just because you're there for them That's not going to be enough for them They're still going to take you for granted Just as they always did They never knew who you are Because they never knew themselves And that is why they were always distracted That is why they were always preoccupied with other people and things Because they needed other people and things to constantly tell them what they needed And they couldn't find that with you You didn't tell them who they were You didn't validate the illusion You didn't support their false narrative And that is why they were never there for you That is why they were never committed to you Because you were a bearer of truth You were grounded in reality So they weren't actually running from you They were running from the truth and reality that they didn't want to accept They were running from themselves They were running from the shame that they didn't want to deal with And when the narcissist is on their deathbed Sometimes they may break down and cry But that's only because their shame is eating them alive They can't run from it anymore Because they know their life is coming to an end But even when they cry and they apologize to you It's still all about them They don't care about you They just don't want to die Because death is the ultimate loss of supply There's no illusion when they're dead There's no false self It is the ultimate loss of their power and control Thank you for watching I hope this video resonates with you Please like, comment, share and subscribe If you would like to donate My PayPal link is in the video description Coaching Inquiries You can email me at coaching.narcsurviver.co.uk Thank you for watching and I'll talk to you soon


Hey you guys welcome back to week five of the royal wedding sew along. Today we are going to be talking all about the skirt. So the skirt pieces are the same no matter whether you're making view A, B, C, or D. It just depends on the length. So I have prepared mine for the shortest length which is technically the cutting line for view C. But if you're making any of the other views just use the cutting line for whatever view you want. You remember we talked a couple weeks ago about the pattern layout. So all of my bodice pieces were cut out from here and then I moved all the fabric up and I've got my three skirt pieces on the fabric now. So we have the skirt front which is placed on the center front then we have the skirt side front placed kind of toward the edge and then down here we have the skirt back. And you really need to pay attention to the grain lines. Remember if you're not using a border print fabric you can pretty much ignore the grain lines for view A and B and do like I have and only follow the grain lines for view C and D. And you can see here that the grain lines for view C and D are not necessarily parallel to either edge of the pattern piece. What's going to happen is this edge here is going to get sewn on here so it's cut that way so that the pattern kind of continues up and around your body. It's really actually a well designed pattern layout for a skirt and then the skirt back is here. And again I'm kind of ignoring the grain lines for view A and B and only using the ones for view C and D.   Alright so I've got all my skirt pieces cut out and now I need to transfer all of these markings to the fabric. These are going to tell us where our pleats go. Each of the skirt pieces have them so the easiest way I find to do it I mean there's like a ton of ways to do it but I like this tracing paper so you can see here it's like blue and you fold it around your fabric so that the blue side is facing the wrong side of the fabric on both sides and then it comes with either a flat I'm sorry flat um little rotary tool or one that's like serrated so that you can just press gently along the line and it will transfer the mark to the pattern piece for you nice and simple so I'm going to do that transfer all the marks to the skirt pieces um and then I also need to clip all the notches um you guys know how to clip notches and then you're going to want to transfer these um circle the large circles to your fabric as well in the same manner that we did for the bodice pieces in the two previous videos this is where our pocket is going to go so that's why you have to mark that and then once we get all this stuff transferred we ready to sew the skirt together so I'll be back for that all right so here are all of our gorgeous skirt pieces and remember the skirt on this pattern is not lined um so we have to take a few minutes tedious tedious minutes and finish all of the raw edges so you can surge them you can zig zag stitch on the edge you can turn them under and stitch um there are lots of options for you there but you have to do all of them now um because we're getting ready to attach the um pockets and once you attach the pockets to the side seams it's very very difficult to finish the raw edges at that point so I like to go ahead and just get it taken care of so yeah you're going to finish this edge you're going to finish this edge on all four pocket pieces I know I warned you it's tedious um both raw edges here both raw edges here both raw edges here both raw edges here and then thankfully this one's on the fold you can skip that but both raw edges here it is a lot so obviously if this is not for you and quite honestly if I didn't have a serger I definitely wouldn't do it this way um but you could in theory create a lined skirt you just cut out all of these same pieces out of your lining fabric um and then sew the skirt and the lining the same way um attach the lining to the lined bodice and attach the main fabric to the main bodice and attach them together as you normally would but I'm staying true to the pattern in this regard and I kind of like an online skirt it's hot humid here so as much you know airflow as we can get um the better so I am going to go tackle all of that I'll be back in 14 days three hours and 22 minutes okay I've got all my side seams surged say that five times fast um as well as the pocket bags all surged on all sides except for the top um and now I have also um attached the side front to the front and pressed that seam open very beautiful um because our our um raw edges are already finished okay so now we are going to start making our pleats and we have some solid lines from when have we traced um from our pattern pieces and we also have some broken lines and so you're going to on the right side of the fabric basically I'll need two hands to do it so you'll have to just kind of work with me here but basically you're going to find that solid line and you were going to pinch it up um on the right side and you're going to match it up to the um dotted line and you're going to do that on every occasion that there is a solid and a dotted line like on the back pieces there are two so there's another one somewhere around here um and I'll do this obviously more precisely when I'm not filming but and then you want to pull it up and over to the um dotted line and then once you've got those in place something similar to that you need to take um some pins and you're going to pin down vertically um down the pleat that you have just made so you'll have some pins stuck in vertically there boop boop boop um all the way down that line and I like to use these all metal pins that don't have a um like a plastic ball on the end because that way when you take this garment um to your ironing board you can press over the pins and there won't be any issues of melting or anything and you can press everything beautifully in place um and so like a basting stitch along this line to hold everything down so pleats are all done I love this part they are really really gorgeous I did want to mention that on the center front pleat you're actually going to overlap them ever so slightly so that at your seam line the two pleats match up perfectly and then flow from there so there isn't like a little gap in between them um you have to overlap it within the seam allowance um so that that point is perfect at your seam line okay um so now that we are done with all of that pleating my back pieces are done too we are going to start attaching the pockets and so remember I told you that I like to do two of the pocket pieces in lining fabric and two of them in self fabric um so you have to pay a bit of attention um when you're attaching them because you want to make sure that you don't see the lining part so the lining part has to be attached has to be attached okay um has to be attached to the front pieces and the self fabric part has to be attached to the back pieces and that is if you can visualize with me um when you attach your um back pieces here and you know you've got your side seam and you go to put your hand in your pocket um the part that is going to be touching your body needs to be the self fabric if that's hard for you to visualize don't worry I'll show you as we continue getting this made but um it's very simple to attach these pockets um I'm just following the same instructions in the instruction booklet so you can refer to that but basically you're going to you know stitch these to all four side seams and then you're going to place the back pieces right sides together on top of the um front pieces um and at that point your pockets will be pressed out like so and so then you'll just sew around them like this all the way down and that will create your side seam but leave your pocket opening so just follow the instruction super simple all right she's all sewn up isn't it beautiful um okay so this is what I was talking about with the pockets so when you attach the self fabric to the back piece and the lining to the front piece when you go to put your hand in you will see the self fabric and not the lining fabric so that's all I was trying to say I guess technically this would be like a lot this would be a pocket facing I don't know if you want to look at it that way or not but just remember to put the um back piece the what am I saying um just remember to put the self fabric on the back piece and the lining on the front piece and then you'll never have any like peek-a-boo moments with your lining okay so now we've gotten all this I'm gonna do something a little unconventional and I'm gonna go ahead and hem the skirt too um simply because this is a very full skirt and we've got a lot of bodice going on especially the pleated version so just to have like a little bit less fabric at the machine trying to handle it I'm gonna go ahead and hem it um I only recommend this if you are very confident that the length of your skirt is where you want it to be if you made a muslin um with the skirt or if you used the um information on the back of the pattern that says link from base to base of neck um if you measure that and you know that that's a good length for you then go ahead and hem it also if you're making the one with the border print you can shorten that at this point you're stuck with how long it is so you can go ahead and hem it too so I'm gonna go ahead and do that I'm gonna play around with my blind hem foot um this is quite a bit of a circle though and it is like you know this edge is curved so I'm not 100 confident I'm gonna be able to get it that way but I'm gonna try so I will report back on the best method to hem this gigantic 15 mile long skirt hem okay there we have it our skirt is completely assembled um including the pleats that are gorgeous the inseam pockets which are great and I was even able to do the blind hem on the skirt it's not that rounded at all you shouldn't have any issues doing any hem you want um either turning under twice um or surging and turning under whatever you want um but can you even see my stitches I hemmed and hawed about changing the thread to red but I don't know I just thought that there was still some white and I didn't know if the red would show more on the white than the white would show on the red so I left it out so you guys tell me I mean obviously no one's going to be that close to me or my hem I hope not um anyways so but I mean full disclosure if you want to see there's like millimeters of it um I will I will say on a solid color fabric blind hem foot all the way and this is what it looks like on the inside so I did end up surging the hem and flipping it under um and then those extra stitches are what makes up the blind hem one more small detail is that I just wanted to point out that I did not sew up any of the center back um we'll talk more about this when we go to install the zipper but for me it's easier to install the zipper um when when it's not sewn together at any point um so I'll show you the method that I prefer for the zipper in a couple of weeks but for now we've got a bodice um and we've got a skirt so next week we will get to work on the linings oh did I already say this I can't remember what I've said and what I haven't the skirts are the exact same for both versions so whether you're making ab or cd you'll use this method to make your skirt okay so next week is the linings and we'll go over both linings in one video in one week so I'll see you all back here then thank you bye