When social media first arrived, most thought it was the next evolution of the bulletin board and forums. There was a topic for just about everything, and everybody could respond in writing or post images or both. However, social media has since become a lot more than just posting thoughts and phrases. It has become an extremely effective way to influence many, many others. And it’s impact is so widespread, national governments now have to worry about it as an operational risk.

Some folks are just a natural to social media, jumping in like a fish to water. While making a digital dent might seem like the challenge impossible for many, these people are able to craft and deliver in such a way that that automatically develop large audiences online wherever they post. Dubbed “influencers,” these easy posters seem to be untouchable in the social media world, always seeming to draw more and more traffic no matter what they do. That was the case for one couple who had a huge following with their Instagram account. Every post they made was responded to with thousands of positive fans. Then they made one particular post that hit everything sideways. Like their other work, this post went viral too, but the effects were definitely unintended.

Who’s on First?

The couple in question involved Wendy Joseph as well as Dan Hennessey. These two were able to pull off what hundreds of marketing experts would pay thousands of dollars to learn how to do and still not get it right. That was because for these two, their postings were simply a natural extension of themselves. Their story begins back in 2006

Facebook Arrives

The beginning date is in the middle of the 2000s. The real estate boom is in full swing, and college students are poking around with this thing call the Facebook among other apps available on the Internet. However, unlike the typical gibberish of voting someone good-looking or not, or filtering through various posts on MySpace, Facebook offered something unique: instant reaction from others. That made it attractive to young people.

Easy Connections

Dan was barely in college and his number one goal was definitely not studying on Friday night. It was meeting girls. He and thousands of others just wanted to meet, socialize and connect. So, given that everybody seemed to be posting and connecting online to meet up, Dan like others signed up too.

Checking Out Friends

One of the key ways that Facebook became very successful was that once a person was accepted as a friend, they had access to another person’s contact list and friends. This networking feature allowed people to make additional connections with people whom they already liked and probably would like their friends as well. That was how Dan connected with Daphne, in a suggested friend message from the system. While Dan reached out, however, Daphne did not, but Daphne had friends too. That’s how Dan found Wendy. So, Dan tried Wendy next.

Dan Gets in Trouble

Unfortunately, while Daphne didn’t respond, she did talk to Wendy. When Wendy got Dan’s message, she asked Daphne about it, who confirmed Dan tried to connect with her as well. Dan wasn’t scoring points here. Wendy chalked up him to being shallow, which she wasn’t interested in and ignored him. Dan kept trying though. Finally, Wendy decided to find out more about him.

Stubborn

Dan was never known for being a quitter and he wore Wendy down. Finally, she decided to at least engage in a conversation. She responded and that’s when the flood doors opened. Not only did she realize she liked Dan, Wendy was actually realizing she was falling in love with him from a distance. Dan insisted in meeting, but she refused. She wouldn’t connect all the way with digital face. So, Dan got creative. Dan figured she wanted people and protection, so he invited her to a common friend’s party.

Dan Lied

He figured it was a long shot, but Dan threw the party invite Wendy’s way anyways. So, what was going to happen if she accepted? He hadn’t really thought that part through. Was it possible to make a party up? He was in college after all. Dan recruited his friend in on the gig and made up a party after all. They got everybody talking about it and, sure enough, a party buzz was happening. Now, Wendy just had to accept the invite.

The First Date

Dan was totally wired up and stressed. This was the first time he was actually going to meet Wendy. Granted, he had his friends, music and the right environment, but he still actually needed to come off right and not look like a jerk to her. Fortunately, Dan didn’t need to worry. They hit it off so well, the natural chemistry between the two took care of everything.

The First Night

With the last of the friends leaving the dorm room, Dan and Wendy were still up talking, connecting and figuring each other out like a deeper and deeper puzzle you can’t quit. Surprisingly, they both agreed they should stay friends instead of getting more serious, but they bonded that night. Wendy wasn’t ready for a serious swing and Dan still had to get some of his party mode out of his system.

Just Friends

Usually, when a girl tells a guy she just wants to be friends it’s code-word for she’s not interested, period. However, the two stayed connected and close friends for six months. Only then did they actually decide to try a relationship.

The Romance Takes Off

Dan, unfortunately, just couldn’t calm down with his partying. Wendy wasn’t blind; she was watching him connect and connect on Facebook, and his friends list kept growing, including a lot of other women. She never believed at that point that Dan was cheating on her, but he was definitely being very friendly, maybe too friendly.

Jealousy Kicks In

Wendy finally started succumbing to her doubts and wondering why the hell Dan had so many female friends on social media. Wasn’t she supposed to be his woman focus? That put Wendy into a negative spiral, and she stopped being social. Her studies had been suffering, and she needed to correct the ship quick to stay on track. Dan was, however, busy going elsewhere.

Alone

Dan kept with his partying despite Wendy’s concerns. He started leaving her alone and still going to his parties. Dan’s habit were starting to become a problem in their relationship, and he didn’t want to give them up. Then, Dan left his computer and Facebook page open, and Wendy came across it. Her curiosity got the best of her, and Wendy started reading his messages. Was Dan actually cheating on her?

The Message Was Innocent

Despite her suspicious, the message from a woman Dan never mentioned was innocent. But it was enough to set Wendy off, and she started tearing through all of his Facebook posts and messages, realizing he was talking to dozens of women. It sent Wendy into Sputnik orbit with her stress.

Getting to the Bottom of Things

Wendy was so full of doubt, she wasn’t sure anything Dan was telling her anymore was truthful. Her own confidence issues didn’t help. Dan wouldn’t quit partying, and her mind started play tricks on her. That led to arguments and soon their relationship was hurting. They finally broke up.

Hard Choices

Dan felt like he was being trapped and forced to give up what he wanted. Wendy knew she couldn’t get him to compromise, so she let him go to focus on her studies instead.

7 Years Later

Interestingly, Dan and Wendy connected again seven years later. They had grown as people and as individuals, so was there anything left to bring them back together? Wendy had kept herself busy and developed a YouTube voice on fashion and fitness. Her line of natural beauty and health hit it big, and Wendy was very popular.

Connecting Again

Dan was the first to try again. He happened to find Wendy’s YouTube channel and kept watching more and more of it. He was amazed with how she had grown, how her confidence had developed, and whom Wendy had become. He began to feel attracted to her again as well.

Meet Up

When they did meet up again, both felt awkward and wondered what the other one was thinking. The attraction was still there, but so was a lot of anxiety. Had anything changed? Was it worth even trying to just be disappointed again? Wendy didn’t want to be sucked down a hole again. So much had worked out for her since their breakup.

Slow Steps

They continued to communicate and talk. Dan even guest appeared in one of her videos. Wendy began to feel closer to Dan again and the feeling was mutual. So where was this going a second time around? The didn’t know, but they kept spending more time together again. The YouTube channel was cathartic as they were able to give advice on their own mistakes to others needing help.

Two to Tango

Dan and Wendy realized they had something powerful. It wasn’t just a feeling; Wendy’s channel had exploded to 100,000 followers. It had been 10 years since they first met and got together. Dan and Wendy decided to surprise their fans with something big. The posted a photo that changed their digital world. Side by side, the couple showed themselves then and now 10 years later.

Comparison

The couple’s photo and time lapse hit it big. Not only did the likes jump by the tens of thousands, the story hit the big press as well. Suddenly, their post was showing up in major newspapers and dailies. What the heck was going on? As it turned out, their dedication to fitness seemed to make time go backwards. Many thought the couple looked younger than 10 years earlier.

Glowing

It’s no big secret that fitness and eating right makes people look healthier. It showed in the couple’s photo, but they were shocked by how their audience responded. Realizing they hit on something big, Dan and Wendy decided to focus their channel on fitness and make it work for them. There theme would be different world locations while making fitness videos on location. The fans loved it.

World Traveling

They were different people now. Wendy was full of confidence, and Dan was far more focused on them versus his party days. The change brought them closer together. And, on one trip in France, Dan took the chance to propose to Wendy right in front of a very famous Tower.

Making It Work

The two knew their bond was something unique and special, and it took some absence to find it again. Dan and Wendy continued to keep moving around and, ultimately, they relocated to Costa Rica because the location worked better for their fitness on location theme. Most importantly, their relationship came back even stronger.