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We opened our new business in June 2017. With absolutely no experience of managing any social media accounts other than my own Facebook page, the world of posts became my reality. My wonderful niece helped us set up accounts and encouraged us to get posting. The use of @, # and emoji’s was incredibly scary. Oh and blogs! Let’s not advertise it's taken me 3 years to muster up the courage...
Gosh just got a whole new meaning
So I needed a marketing strategy according to all of the business courses I’d attended. I have to say, our local Business Gateway were fab! How Lyn and Wilma put up with us all, covering modules from start up business and planning to accounting, I will never know. We really were like a group of high school horrors, weren’t we Borders Campervan Conversions?!
With a budget of zero pounds & pence, I had to think outside the box. As an avid listener to Chris Evans, then BBC 2 breakfast show, I loved hearing the ‘Great Job Wednesday’ slot. So, I emailed the show telling them briefly why I thought I had a great job. Needless to say I didn't hear back for a few weeks. Of course I had emailed at the start of the school holidays - oops! So imagine my surprise when out of the blue on a Friday in September I received a telephone call from the BBC. I nearly - no I can't say that...but you know what I mean (I was incredibly shocked).
After spending a weekend researching all things alpaca, finding the answer to absolutely every alpaca question imaginable, I felt I was ready. After no contact on the Monday, I thought they had decided to run with someone sensible and had given up hope of my radio debut. However, on Tuesday afternoon came the call - we were going live in the morning! Sleep did not happen that night.
The following morning, hubby decided he was going to ‘advise’ me of what or not to say. Absolutely not helpful in any way, shape or form. As he gesticulated through the the glass, I indicated my thoughts to him and evicted him to the car, parked at the old cottage out of sight, sound and mind to listen on the car radio! A lovely producer rang and there in that moment the reality hit. I was about to talk to Chris Evans, live on the radio. Me, Chris and 9 million or so listeners. In my mind I repeated ‘it will be fine, do not swear, it will be fine!".
It was the most terrifyingly wonderful experience ever. Vassos announced me as an Alpaca Tracker (instead of trekker) so from the start there were giggles all round. It felt like I had spoken for all of 10 seconds, when really it was longer. It went by so quickly, Inevitably with all the things I had researched and wanted to say, I didn't. But it was wonderful and Chris Evans, a true superstar, was the perfect radio host.
He did ask me a question at which my response almost slipped out a swear word. Needless to say when hubby returned from listening to the radio in the car, the first words out of his mouth were ‘gosh’. My response to avoid using a very very bad swear word, live on the BBC at breakfast time. The question taxed me and by this point, the end in sight, I didn't want to slip up! Needless to say to this day when a very very bad swear word is the likely response, my hubby will turn to me and say ‘gosh’. The interview ended with the song ‘these boots were made for walking'. A song that still makes me smile today.
We have met so many wonderful trekkers and received so many words of encouragement and support from our radio debut that we can't thank everyone enough.