As I'm growing into this blog, I'm becoming more and more conflicted with the possible perception that the brand is about generating income at the expense of mental health. I can definitely assure you all that is not the case, but I wanted to create a blog category that would eliminate any articles that have product recommendations in them. If you're not interested in reading about product recommendations for fishing rods, golf clubs, workout equipment, and other items that may be helpful for men to use in hobbies that prioritize their mental health, you can click on the "without product recommendations" category to filter out those articles. That category will only have content without links to suggested products. This filter will also allow me to feel better about posting more hobby-oriented posts with more product suggestions and to target those specific blog entries for SEO while allowing the posts solely about mental health and encouraging one another to be fully organic and from the heart without worrying about where my keywords are placed or if enough people will let me create backlinks to the content.
As I navigate the possibility of going back to work, figuring out how I'm going to run the business aspects of the brand and blog, and learn to balance my time between work and family I ask again that you all stay patient, provide feedback, get involved, and enjoy the ride. Ideally, I would love to post at least 2 articles a day with one being solely something inspirational, motivational, or just pertaining to men's mental health and one focusing on products or activities that men can use on their journey to prioritize their mental health.
I'll be sending out a newsletter each week and it would mean a lot to me if you all would subscribe on the home page so that I can send that out to you. The newsletter will have things in it like topics we might discuss in the upcoming week, a schedule for the blog, any collaborations I've been able to put together, or community events that I'd encourage us to get involved in. Like anything else at The Lockman Lounge, I'd welcome feedback on the newsletter. At the early stages of this website and brand, I am honestly open to any input from readers. The social media comments will have some impact on what I post or how but the core of the business model and how the brand will best be utilized will be determined here with this community. I'd definitely love for the social media followers to take part in that but want each of you who are early readers to know that your opinions really matter to me, and I know that you all are either believers in John or passionate about mental health, so I'd love to have you beside me on this journey.
Lastly, I'd like to encourage you all to build a brand of your own. It doesn't have to be a website or a social media account but build a brand. I've discovered in the last month or so since losing my job that I spent nearly a decade building a brand that was exclusively connected to the company I worked for. The skill set that I developed and sharpened each day in that career is transferable and I'm thankful for that BUT the brand isn't mine. So here I am at 38 years old, starting over, and I have no personal brand outside of the business I spent so much time in. The really cool thing about all of that is that I'm loving building this new brand. Who is John? I'm passionate about men's mental health, I love NFTs, I like to golf, fish, and gaming, and I'm a girl dad! My previous brand existed around transportation and how good I was at my job. I'd love for my new brand to be all about the things that I'm passionate about. Create your brand and you'll never wake up asking yourself, "What do I want to do today?" or "What do I want to be in life?" You'll have all of those answers already and if you ever decide to make your brand your livelihood, you'll have a great foundation to start with!
Thank you all for taking the time to read. I'm beyond excited for everything that 2023 has in store for me, my family, The Lockman Lounge, and all of you. Do something positive today and take care of yourselves.
John
About the Author:
John Lockman is passionate about promoting men's mental health. Having lost a family member to suicide at an early age, he is committed to raising awareness about the disproportionate number of men affected by this devastating issue. Through his own personal experiences and his website, www.thelockmanlounge.com, John hopes to help men think differently about how to prioritize their well-being and become more comfortable acknowledging and processing their feelings in a healthy way.
In addition to his passion for mental health advocacy, John also has almost two decades of experience in the business world. Most recently, he oversaw roughly 100 million dollars of annual revenue and was responsible for managing a team of 75 employees. In this role, John had a significant impact on customer service, profitability, employee retention, and marketplace growth. With his wealth of knowledge and experience, John is a seasoned professional with valuable insights to share.
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