3 reasons why I deleted Periscope -- and it felt GREAT!

Just on the off-chance that you haven't heard of Periscope, it's an app owned by Twitter that lets you broadcast live to the world through your cell phone. I had heard about the app earlier this year, while I was crossing my fingers that it was not one more social media tool I would have to master for my previous job as the Media Relations Manager at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society. Since I handled all their social media, it really put a damper on my desire to do my OWN social media, and the thought of another platform was just TOO MUCH for me at the time.

 

Broadcast live from your phone on Periscope

 

I remembered hearing that Lion Country Safari's Marketing Director was broadcasting a lot of their animals live. My previous boss at the Zoo was like, "You would enjoy promoting the Zoo through Periscope, because you have experience reporting live." I immediately responded with a firm, "No thanks! I have too much to do, keeping up with and creating all the content for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram." 

Photo from Periscope

 

But here's the thing-- I DO have a lot of experience reporting live from back in my news days. I enjoyed liveshots, even when it had me out in less-than-desirable spots...

 

Got a lot of sympathy for this one -- and it was one of my final live shots!

 

So when I finally tried Periscoping (or "Scoping"), I was HOOKED. I mean, really hooked -- so much so, that my battery drained down to 15% every time I would broadcast, LOL! Note: the app really does drain your juice quickly, so I recommend a Mophie or a portable juicepack so your phone doesn't die mid-Scope.

 



 

Within 20 days, I did 80 Periscope broadcasts and garnered more than 50,000 hearts. Those are kinda like "likes," and you can get unlimited hearts from viewers of your Scopes.

 

I even bought a Joto Universal waterproof case... yep, this link to the product is my Amazon affiliate link...

 



...just so I could Scope live while I was snorkeling my favorite place, the snorkel trail at Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach. That got a ton of positive reactions!

 

 

 

I also bought a cool set of clip-on lenses...
 

 ...that give you a wider perspective. I only used them in one scope at Palm Beach, but I have had fun taking photos with them.

My Palm Beach photo! This, and Singer Island, were my favorite places to Scope



So, you may be wondering WHY did I delete the app from my phone? Let me count the ways:

1. I was getting notifications like crazy from people that I follow who would Scope. After your phone buzzes 6 times in 10 minutes during a business meeting, people start giving you the "eye." It got annoying, especially when it was a Scope labeled "Test" (from when someone would be doing their first Scope). *Update -- see below comments -- yes, you can turn off notifications, but even if I had known that (because I did NOT know that) I doubt I would have turned them off. I actually enjoyed scopes from Lion Country Safari and PenguinSix and wouldn't have wanted to miss them.

2. It felt like I couldn't find my footing. I did have my largest amount of hearts broadcasting from a beach sunrise on Miami Beach, because the Miami name gets automatic recognition. I don't live in Miami, and most people (unfortunately) don't recognize Palm Beach as quickly as they would Miami. I am working to change that now in my current role as PR Manager for Discover The Palm Beaches, the official tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County... but I also wanted to try doing more than beach Scoping.

I tried doing a makeup tutorial, because I love doing those on my YouTube channel and they are well-received, but that flopped (and a Hater/Troll called me "ugly!" I told him his spirit was ugly, and he actually agreed with me, bless his heart-- he needs prayer). I tried doing a Scope after a church service where I play, and the singer sang "Ave Maria" while I accompanied her-- that actually had a crazy-high retention rate, but only 11 total live viewers. Well, come on, now, we're giving you a concert experience! A little bit frustrating trying to figure out a niche.

3. The main reason is because it started becoming WORK. It was fun at first, but after a few days, I realized I was broadcasting just to broadcast and get hearts. Felt like I was losing my soul, haha! Ok, that's overdramatic, and not really -- but I did feel like I was not paying attention to the location where I was actually standing, because I was staring at my screen and responding to comments and questions. It took away my enjoyment of what I was doing.

When I was Scoping, I felt like I was reporting live, even if it was on the beach. For perspective --the first time I did a beach liveshot at Bathtub Beach on Hutchinson Island, I felt so thrilled. Then when the night wore on, I was like, "I'm WORKING at the beach. Who am I kidding? This ain't fun." That's how I started feeling about Periscope.

When I was snorkeling and doing those broadcasts, my friends with me were having good times, admiring the sealife. But there I was, chugging along, holding my phone up and down, above and below the water... trying to squint to read the screen in the bright sunlight... there in body, but not in spirit. So it was like a huge wakeup call, and one of the last Periscopes that I have done.

Well, at least THEY were having fun that day...



I realize that it's a hot trend right now to Scope, and some of my blogger friends like Nicole at One Picky Chick and Lauren at Working Mom Magic are doing a #SeptemberScopers challenge. I am all about supporting them, and if you want to watch some cool ladies do their thing broadcasting, this is the group to follow.

But having written all of that, let me just say that I do not regret deleting the app from my phone. I re-installed it temporarily, just for this blogpost so I could screenshot some of the images on my profile, and my phone started crazy buzzing again with all the people Scoping. It was a reminder of why I was just DONE with it... at least for now. Will I ever Scope again? Maybe! Only time will tell... and you will have to stay tuned and follow me on Twitter to find out!





Key West vacation, day 2

9 a.m. -- Woke up to this glorious view...

I am feeling a bit cracked out from drinking a triple espresso since the rooms didn't have a regular coffee maker. Lesson learned: an espresso is not a regular cup of coffee.

10 a.m. -- I have made my way down to the hotel's private beach. Just want to say how glad I am that they have fruit-infused water... It's the little things that make for big luxury!

When you first walk out of the lobby:

Love the sand sculpture.

Found the shadiest hammock, you can see our room balcony from here.

Looking left from my hammock.

Get it, Jetski Man!

I'm reading this February 2015 O magazine, and it has a wonderful deep thought.

It says, in Martha Beck's column, the following:

"If you're hungry and you eat a square meal, you'll feel better. But you won't feel ten times better if you eat ten square meals. Our culture instills in us an unfettered lust for more, more, more. Like a cancer, that lust doesn't know when to stop. Consider asking, How can I make do with less? You'll find yourself headed for the even-keeled moderation that leads to real happiness."

SO POWERFUL! Love it, as I eat my leftover chocolate cake from the Better Than Sex dessert restaurant...

1 p.m. -- I was so busy working in my hotel room (yes, unfortunately I have been spending a chunk of time daily having to keep up with my job)... I almost missed my planned snorkel trip! I didn't realize the time was 12:30, and I was supposed to already BE AT THE MARINA!!

I flew out of the door and raced in my car, parked and ran there. I was out of breath by the time I made it onto the catamaran, and the captain was like, "Slow your roll!" But I had made it!

 Notice the LSU flag on this mega-yacht. Geaux Tigers, even in Key West! :)

The ocean conditions were decent with clear visibility, although winds were high and there was chop. It made the snorkeling a little rough because I was fighting the waves. I think this mag be my final snorkel excursion for quite a while. The Blue Heron bridge snorkel trail in Riviera Beach has me so spoiled, nothing really compares.

The only things of note today that I sighted were huge barracuda, and a sting ray. Of course my camera battery was dead by the time I saw the sting ray. But it wasn't a big deal since I see them all the time at the Blue Heron bridge.

Yellowtail snapper...

 Brain coral...

 I think this is some kind of boxfish...

 The big, bad barracuda. This picture doesn't convey how large they were.

 Check out dem teefs!

 #SnorkelSelfie

The catamaran, from Key West Sebago. The company offers snorkeling, sunset cruises and sailing. The crew members were perky and helpful. Highly recommend.

On the way back in, I admired what was allegedly Oprah's vacation home (one of them) until she sold it a couple of years ago. The internet confirms she did rent out all of Sunset Key cottages to celebrate her 44th birthday with a few of her celebrity BFF's... 

I love Sunset Key -- it's this little island with fancy homes and bungalows, only accessible by boat right off of Key West's shores. No cars are allowed on it so people just drive golf carts.

There it is, the distant island...

4 p.m. -- Best slice of pizza ever at Duetto's, a delightful, small cafe-type spot right between the marina and Sloppy Joe's Bar on Duval. It bills itself as "A Taste of Italy in Key West." 

Totally gave them a glowing review on Trip Advisor because they were so hospitable, the pizza was so crazy-good and inexpensive, and another customer suggested it. I literally said "Wow!" as soon as I bit into the garlicky goodness, and the fellow customer heard it and said to me, "Best pizza ever. Give it a good review online." So I did!

7 p.m. -- Awesome dinner with Kelly Aline's work posse at the Casa Cayo Hueso. This spot is cool! I wish it had a secret passageway I could explore. It looks as if it would have one.

10 p.m. -- Shenanigans ensue on Duval Street. 

Angela Street!

Key West vacation, day 1

There is so much to write in this post, I hardly know where to begin. In case you didn't know this about me, Key West is my FAVORITE place in the world! I love soooo many things about it. It makes me feel like it's a tropical New Orleans! For example, Duval Street to me is like a classier, cleaner version of Bourbon Street. There's so much to see and do, everything is both laid-back and fun and funky all at once... I adore the kitschy architecture, the tourists, the clear blue water, the sunsets, the predictably sunny weather... Just everything about it!

My friend Kelly Aline lives in DC, and she came to Florida for a work conference. My husband Nathan and I picked her up in Orlando, then took her to stay with us in West Palm Beach a couple of days. Today, I brought her to her training conference here in Key West, with the awesome benefit of getting to stay with her in this amazingly luxurious hotel, the Waldorf Astoria's Casa Marina. We livin' in high cotton, y'all!! 

Check out the view from our private balcony-- I was flipping out over it.

Of course we had to spend some time on the hotel's private beach...

I went sightseeing while Kelly Aline was in her conference networking get-together.

Choo choo! It's the Conch Train.

The Southernmost Hotel.

I heart conch shells. Did you know Conch are also people? Interesting info straight from Wikipedia: Bahamians in the keys continued to be known as "conchs". Other residents of the Florida Keys, especially in Key West, began applying the term "Conch" to themselves, and it is now applied generally to all residents of Key West. 

The cliche "I'm in Key West" photo. Had to do a Southernmost Point selfie!

Sweet and well-fed Key West kitty.

SUNSET!!!! This is from the private hotel beach... Can't wait to watch a sunset from Mallory Square. These Key West sunsets are legendary. These photos I snapped with my iPhone look fake to me, but they're so real.

Historic cigar factory...

There are bicycles, mopeds, and other modes of tourist transportation galore! These reminded me of my SmartCar.

For years now, I've been dying to try the voted-number-1-in-America dessert restaurant (don't laugh at the name, it's a brilliant marketing ploy), Better than Sex. FINALLY got to enjoy it with Kelly Aline!

Chocolate and Brie grilled cheese with a strawberry champagne dipping sauce. Dusted with cinnamon, cocoa and powdered sugar. My favorite thing!

Delicious! I was like, this restaurant has already surpassed my expectations!!

She ordered the Cookie Nookie, which was a chocolate chip cookie pie and ice cream. This description is under-selling the fantastic dessert!

I feel guilty posting these iPhone pics, because they just don't do these works of art justice. The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife team, Danny and Lynn Johnson. Lynn a is master self-taught baker- everything is created in-house! The decor is charming, very cozy and romantic. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Check out my behind-the-scenes kitchen shots! This is where the magic is made...

I admit that my chocolate dessert, which won an award in 2013, was not the best pick for me. I should have gone with the Key Lime Cream Pie!

So, to make myself feel better, I ordered the Perfect Partner ice cream drizzled in white chocolate. :)

I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that after all of that indulging, I looked at Kelly Aline and declared, "I feel sick." Then we burst out laughing and kept on eating!!!

That's messed up...

Anyway, we decided to walk it off going down Duval Street.

Only on Duval will you see a water sports and Cuban cigar kiosks connected to a Denny's. Somehow, it works in Key West.

I've been looking for some cheap aviator sunglasses that perfectly fit my face, and I found these at a Duval sunglasses shop for $25. Do you like them?

Kelly Aline said, "Our futures are so bright, we're blinded!" That must be why we are wearing sunglasses at night. Or we just cray-cray.

Vacationing in a postcard spot is fabulous. I can't wait for Day 2!!!