“Thank you!”

This column begins with a big “Thank you!” to all of the people who helped to send my column last week racing across social media. I’m referring to the column about lessons I learned as an author agreeing to keynote a retreat on a cruise ship. I’ve written a lot of columns, but that one took off as hundreds immediately began sharing the news across social media.

That happened because so many of you chimed in with my friends around the world to send that inspiring column in a viral direction.

Front Edge Marketing Director Susan Stitt and founding Editor David Crumm like to call these friends “allies.” But I’m a cheerleader for authors who want to reach even higher—to ignite what I like to call “raving fans.” (I wrote an earlier column about that goal, as well.)

What does it take to ‘go viral’? It takes just a moment of your time.

As a marketing cheerleader, my point this week is to shout out loud and clear:

The moment or two that it takes you to “share” or “like” or “repost” or “comment” or “forward” new columns about our authors really does spread light in the world—and it compounds, doubling, tripling and going viral to give a boost to people we don’t even know yet.

To make this as easy as possible, there are convenient social media buttons right at the top of this column. Or, if you prefer, you can copy and paste the URL above and share that. Want to connect directly with me in this effort? That’s easy: Here’s my Shining Brightly website, my Facebook and my Linked-in pages.

Why should you help share this news? Well, meet a cancer survivor who literally saves lives by going viral.

My podcast this week is about going viral in cancer advocacy with the incredibly courageous and creative Allison Rosen. At age 32, she was diagnosed as “young onset” with stage II colon cancer. Like the journeys I describe in my memoir Shining Brightly,  Allison decided not to let this diagnosis crush her. She decided to transform her life into a beacon of hope for millions.

Yes, you read that correctly: millions. Across Tik Tok, Allison has shared her story with millions as a young woman, ostomate, cat lover, dancer, patient—and professional cancer expert.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. 

You can listen to our podcast right here:

So, please, let me cheerlead once more:

Get screened! 

Wear blue in March! (When friends ask, “Why?” you can tell them it’s the color of colorectal cancer awareness and ask them if they’ve been screened.)

And, if you want to help save lives, share energizing columns like this one across the Internet.

Allison and I both have lost far too many friends to cancer for us to be timid about this, so let me be loud and clear one last time:

Sharing this news across social media can save lives.

So, go!

Share this with friends right now.