Off the Record with BJ Murphy

Senator Jim Perry is a native of Lenoir County and proud father of three. He went to Woodington Middle School, South Lenoir High School, Lenoir Community College and North Carolina State University. A few days ago, he dropped by Magic Mile Media and Neuse News to chat with BJ about a range of topics including some of his career and life experiences. Jim shared his thoughts on how our legislature works, why we should pay attention to the Second Amendment debate, and the importance of the North Carolina 2020 census. Key points A peek into Jim Perry’s early life and the school years Jim’s first real job and first stab at entrepreneurship Business lessons Jim learned from a career at Affordable Care Inc. Being a senator can seem like a thankless job and it is definitely time-consuming Challenges in North Carolina and why your census information matters The current situation with our state budget and other hot issues The Second Amendment: it’s about culture and the realities of our environment What would 48-year-old Jim Perry tell his 22-year-old self? How can you help? www.bjmurphy360.com www.jimperrync.com

In our first podcast episode of 2020, we’re doing things a little differently. In the studio is Gram Spear, Vice President of Perry Management Inc. A native of Kinston, Gram attended Appalachian State University and East Carolina University. His wife and several friends recently launched a faith-based private school to deliver classical education accessible to all students, regardless of economic backgrounds. On this episode, Gram chats with BJ about basketball, social media, business practices, life, legacy and a deep commitment to faith. Key points • The backstory: Gram’s early life and the Spear’s family business • How Gram ended up at Perry Management Inc. • Thoughts on LinkedIn • Businesses need to control their own narrative   • Examples of how people spread misinformation on social media • Opportunity scholarships in North Carolina • Gram talks about his faith and how it impacts his business and family life   • Hope Preparatory Academy is offering classical Christian education   • A great Brandon Ingram story • What advice would 52-year-old Gram Spear give to his 22-year-old self? www.bjmurphy360.com

Some of this mess you guys are doing on Facebook has GOT to GO for 2024! Let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree with us and look - if you agree with us - we still love you. And if you don't - we still love you. But also we said what we said. - BJ Murphy & Aleatha Thrower

This is probably the most "Off the Record" we have ever been. But you know what? "We said what we said."

Aleatha walked into the office and said we had to record today because she needed to fuss at me. But then I threw her off her game as only I can do. Enjoy her rants! www.bjmurphy360.com

After a 6-month to 10-year hiatus, we're back!!! Aleatha admits she was becoming too famous, so she stopped recording OTR. Find out what's been happening and what we would've told our younger selves. #offtherecord www.bjmurphy360.com

BJ has 4 cups of coffee before 11am and was up at 2am - what in the world!? And Aleatha just might skip Christmas altogether! hahaha

In this episode of OTR, Aleatha decrees she doesn't like fake people. #bigsurprise We discuss App State family weekend, my latest talks at ECU and North Lenoir, and more. Then my OTR Commentary chastises elected officials for not representing the people first. www.bjmurphy360.com

We celebrated my 41st birthday with a special guest...Aleatha's momma! She addresses what "swivet" means and one mistake today's parents make. Oh, and guess how many times Aleatha's momma popped her on the show! www.bjmurphy360.com

Aleatha's in a swivet and we're spun all the way up on this episode of Off the Record. This may be the most Deep Run episode yet. www.bjmurphy360.com

Aleatha and I kick off a "new season" of OTR with a winding down of life's events this summer. We have an intense discussion about why we should stop caring about other people's opinions. www.bjmurphy360.com

Using Text Messaging to Grow Your Community Did you know you can use text messaging to connect with people and grow your brand? Zac shares how he’s been doing exactly that after getting the idea from Gary Vaynerchuk. As a marketer, BJ is always on the lookout for new developments in social media, so he’s keen to see how small businesses and entrepreneurs can incorporate text messaging into their marketing. Tune in to hear the discussion. Key points • The Neuse News/ Magic Mile Media team had a Christmas party, and it was a blast • Have you heard about Jingle Stumpy and the Christmas tree with no limbs?  • Zac explains how he is giving out his cell phone number to build his brand  • Will WhatsApp or some other entity introduce a similar service? • Organic reach on LinkedIn is not really great compared to a year ago • Ideas for using text messages to promote your brand • There's no way to know whether the person sending you a text is a real person • Annoying new followers who like all your posts and then quickly try to sell you stuff  • Has Zac’s dad been watching and sharing our podcast episodes? Call to Action Save Zac Holcomb’s number 252-549-0247. Send him a text, tell him who you are, tell him about your business, and connect with him.  Episode 2.16 www.bjmurphy360.com

How does government help businesses in Kinston? How has social media helped Zac’s brand? How does one post a classified ad online to Neuse News? As Magic Mile Media marks its third anniversary, BJ and Zac unpack the answers to these questions and hint at upcoming speaking engagements.  Key points • Zac has had an aggressive social media presence and business is growing  • Magic Mile Media is three years old • What does the government do to help business owners and entrepreneurs?  • BJ posted two videos to show how easy it is to promote an event or place a classified ad with Neuse News self-service option • BJ will have quite a few speaking gigs in 2020 • Educators are striving to make their courses relevant to industry requirements  • Using video to tell the story of sports in a way that promotes the Neuse News brand • Zac has a challenge for BJ… and it has something to do with Kinston’s basketball scene www.bjmurphy360.com

Spotlight on Kinston’s 17-Year-Old Entrepreneur With the help of his family, 17-year-old Shane Swindell opened a business in the old K-Mart building on N. Queen Street, Kinston. The store is aptly named Shane’s Discount Outlet and provides quality pieces of merchandise at discounted prices. BJ and Zac sat down with Shane to discuss why he started the business, ideas for a social media marketing strategy, and the young entrepreneur’s business and academic aspirations.   Key points The What and Why of Shane’s Discount Outlet  Opening hours  What you will find at the discount outlet How does he find good deals?  Staffing and resourcing Ideas for a social media strategy Shane’s plans for school, college, and beyond Why your brand should be about you  www.bjmurphy360.com

BJ and Zac sat down to catch up as well as recap the recent Social Media Masterminds meetup. They discuss Zac’s experience with TikTok and how he dared post a funny TikTok video to LinkedIn–yes, the professional site. Is BJ making progress towards his goal of mastering video? Tune in to find out. Key points Where did the idea for an SM3 meetup come from? Most people over-analyze their content before posting Why did Zac post a TikTok video on LinkedIn? Day trading attention You need to choose a social media platform to be active on Telling our local news via more video Recording videos can help more people… and future generations www.bjmurphy360.com

What philosophies have driven BJ to get to where he is today? On November 18, 2019, he revealed this and more to students of East Carolina University. BJ talked about his own student days, his career journey and his sojourn into politics. Besides giving career advice and nuggets on entrepreneurship, BJ shared the story of how Neuse News came to be. Key points Will resumes become obsolete? BJ’s recounts his college years and early internships Why BJ went into sales… and politics Leadership lessons from Hurricane Irene Spotting marketing clues and using them to shape business strategy How the mayor of Kinston used social media during two hurricanes The inspirations behind Magic Mile Media and Neuse News Why most newspapers in the country are losing subscribers year after year Neuse News has put out about 3,000 pieces of content in 16 months Local news online for free without pop-up ads–how is that possible? Philosophies that have shaped BJ’s journey Why BJ videoed this event at ECU’s College of Business www.bjmurphy360.com

It’s Okay to Get a Vocational Education at the Community College  Magic Mile Media and Neuse News were at the 2019 Holly Jolly Holiday Show at the Kinston Community Center. Amidst the bustle, BJ and Zac took time out to record this podcast episode where they pondered the merits of internships, our community college system, and the four-year college degree. They also caught up on recent happenings in business and on social media.   Key points • Why students love visiting Additive America, Neuse News, and Magic Mile Media • Magic Mile Media is partnering with Lenoir Community College to develop a livestreaming course  • Being successful in social media for business requires much more than hashtags  • Are you considering vocational education for your high schooler? • Instagram has phased out the vanity metrics on likes… and not everyone’s happy • What does it mean for Neuse News to transition from a project to a “legit” business? • How BJ will respond to LinkedIn connections who insist on a salesy introduction Call to Action  Do you think we should encourage all high school students to get a four-year college degree?  www.bjmurphy360.com

Dear high school students,  It's OK to get a vocational education at your community college. In fact, there are many occupations that will pay you handsomely if you possess the right training and skill set.  To your success,  BJ   www.bjmurphy360.com

LinkedIn and Facebook algorithms seem to prioritize native, organic content over reshared posts. Knowing which types of posts get more reach helps you choose how to repurpose or create content for various social media platforms.  On this episode, BJ and Zac discuss what they’ve learned through trial and error, recent business developments, how they deal with haters on social media, and so much more.   Key points • What it takes to livestream a football game • Why Zac started recording (and livestreaming) his 3D printing process • How Neuse News is using the YouTube channel • Selling versus telling stories: People don’t like to be sold to but they like to buy • Should businesses send marketing campaigns via snail mail? • The Neuse News email newsletter is free and ad-free • Formatting video for IGTV • Zac’s LinkedIn “algorithm test” • Two Facebook hacks: native videos and watch parties • BJ’s interesting experience with a hater • Embracing the people who don’t like what you’re doing www.bjmurphy360.com

The Facebook Journalism Project with Anna Ratti Have you heard about the Facebook Journalism Project (FJP)? Facebook is partnering with local journalism entities across the country and providing them with grants to support projects aimed at building community through local news. On this episode, BJ is joined by Anna Ratti, an intern student from East Carolina University. Using Q&A style, she gathers all the information needed to submit a Neuse News application for an FJP grant.  Key points  • What is the Facebook Journalism project and how did BJ hear of it?  • Specific Neuse News activities that the Facebook Journalism grant award would fund • Key players and resources needed to realize the Neuse News sub project • Who will benefit from all this?  • About community engagement and drawing upon diverse perspectives in the community  • How will success and impact of the sub project be measured?  • Plans to enhance organizational sustainability  • Potential challenges and how they will be addressed • Current audience numbers and demographics  • Redefining how some local newspaper stories are covered www.bjmurphy360.com