Linders' internship a 'Positive' one

Linders, a native of Rushville, Nebraska, who will graduate in May with a degree in communications, worked for The Positive Life Company, a motivational speaking firm co-founded by her mother’s college roommate, Amy Dix.

From May to December 2018, Linders was responsible for managing the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages. As a Social Media Specialist, Linders researched social media user behavior and then implemented what she learned. She created and uploaded photos and videos, answered messages from page users, and created posts to promote events and inform and engage page users.

Linders said the number of likes on The Positive Life Company Facebook nearly increased by 40 percent during the course of her internship and made similar progress on Instagram. She used Friday live videos on Facebook to ask viewers about their weekend plans and find out and share different ways they stay positive.

“I came up with ideas I thought would generate a good buzz for the company. My posts purposely aligned with the three pillars of the company: Character, connections and community. By being positive, you improve your character. I encouraged our page followers to make connections which could benefit them and also focused on community service,” Linders said.

One of Linders’ most memorable social media posts during her internship related to the loss of a family member. Linders decided to paint rocks with bright colors and positive phrases to promote kindness and honor her cousin who died from suicide.

“I saw it as an opportunity to reach out to people all over the country and inspire them to always be kind and have a positive attitude because no matter what someone is going through, it will get better,” Linders said. “Working for Amy impacted my life in a huge way and helped me deal with negative things in a positive way.”

A highlight of Linders’ internship was assisting with the June 14 launch of the Omaha chapter of The Positive Life when she first met Dix and co-founder Joe Pilka face to face. The 30 members of the chapter meet monthly to support one another by maintaining a positive outlook. A Lincoln chapter was launched in September, and others are planned for Phoenix, Dallas and Jacksonville, Florida, in addition to an online chapter.

Dix said Linders was the voice of the company online during her internship with impactful and inspirational posts.

“Mariah exceeded our expectations and was a perfect fit for our goals. What was most impressive is her personal zeal for life. She truly exemplifies all of our morals and mission for the company,” said Dix, who will be speaking at CSC March 21.