Tanya Chedrawy: Small Talk, Big Ideas and Social Media Engagement

“Essentially, I am in the business of putting the spotlight on individuals who make an impact. I continue to hone my skills, which is the point of life-long learning. That is what makes life interesting, and our personal narratives remarkable.”

 Tanya Chedrawy

Tanya Chedrawy MPA(M) 2016, has over ten years experience in building media strategies to enhance organizational positioning and profile via market research, competitor evaluation, and multiple communication vehicles.  She agrees with Binod Sundararajan that every voice matters. We all have an innate longing to connect, to engage in conversations that encourage, inform, entertain and inspire.  Whether communication takes a traditional form or moves into the arena of social media, successful outcomes reside in an individual’s ability to transmit messages with clarity and integrity.  Social media has given local dialogue a global reach that invites a robust and diverse discussion.

Tanya enjoys conversations. As creator, host and producer of “Small Talk, Big Ideas” on Eastlink TV, she has applied her knowledge and experience to attract a wider audience. In a recent FaceTime interview with CFAME Connection, Tanya shared insights on how social media can leverage and build circles of influence that pursue, as Binod noted, the greater good for society.

CFAME Connection: You host and produce, “Small Talk, Big Ideas.”  You tell people’s stories.  How do you prepare for the interview?

Tanya: I like to meet with the person before taping to build a rapport and to get a sense of who they are, not just about what they do. I find that when I talk to someone there is an inevitability that those golden nuggets of information come to the surface. Always! I love discovering those nuances about people. All of us are interesting in our own way and have a unique story to tell. Even if we don’t think so! This is all in addition to doing an insane amount of research. I like to be prepared!

CFAME Connection: How do you use social media to exchange ideas and knowledge?

Tanya: I only like to use my social media to spread positive messaging or pose questions about important societal issues. I am a very private person and choose not to use it for anything personal or posting about family or for posting my every thought or action. For me, personally, social media should be harnessed for important dialogue or for galvanizing people around important events/causes/issues.

CFAME Connection: How do you build a community of engaged listeners?

Tanya: In terms of building an online community of engaged listeners, I’m still trying to figure this out! This is particularly challenging for me because you can only view “Small Talk, Big Ideas” if you are a subscribed Eastlink customer. Unfortunately, clips are not made available online so I try my best to promote the show and my guests as much as I possibly can through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

CFAME Connection: You have said every voice matters.  How can we position our voice as distinctive?

Tanya: A business mentor of mine has really been helpful on this front. He told me to create one phrase that explains who I am and what I do. Once people become familiar and identify with that phrase, they will take notice, especially if my message is relevant and delivered with respect. Essentially, I am in the business of putting the spotlight on individuals who make an impact. I continue to hone my skills, which is the point of life-long learning. That is what makes life interesting, and our personal narratives remarkable.