A tribute to 1 Million Cups St. Petersburg

By: Daphne Taylor Street

www.StreetMedia.info

Copyright (c) March 9, 2014

 

I’d cringe during introductions, especially under professional circumstances. I’m not shy, and I know I’m great at what I do, and I certainly needed to attract more prospects, but I dreaded that inevitable question much like other people dread public speaking or swimming in shark infested waters, “So, what do you do?”

Deep breath, and here we go: “I’m a writer,” I’d say.

Then they ask, of course “So, what do you write?”

“Uhhh. Just about anything. What do you need?” I’d answer.

Wrong answer. Eyes glaze over, everyone rapidly switches the subject. I didn’t even have the good fortune of a bad pitch – I had no pitch, but technically, I didn’t have a better answer. What do I write? The longer version is that I write multi-million dollar award-winning grants and proposals; create economic development and  feasibility studies; press releases for celebrities, businesses and events; implement full-scale content management and social media management plans; co-author, ghost write, edit and publish books, eBooks, articles and blogs; draft business plans, marketing plans, communication plans and strategic plans; develop and co-author curricula; create project management and evaluation designs… Uh, so yeah. What do you need?

For the past couple of years these interactions always left me thinking: What the hell is it that I do, exactly? Believe me when I tell you that this isn’t good for business. For a while I survived on a few contracts. For one company I would do grant writing. Another hired me to write their press releases, for another I was securing government contracts, while another used me as a subcontractor to write investor prospectuses, proposals, governmental questionnaires, etc. The juggling act of these various jobs eventually fell apart. Between the seasonal work inherent with proposal writing and relying too heavily on the subcontracting work with a proprietor who failed to make his payment to me and has been ducking me ever since, I needed to change. Quickly! And I needed to be able to describe what it is that I do–explain it in a way that conveys value as an overall service not just a series of odd writing jobs.

Meanwhile, I had been walking to this little spot downtown nearly every Wednesday morning from my nearby apartment. A narrow building, squeezed between City Hall and a beautiful old Episcopal church, named the St. Petersburg Greenhouse. Each week I wandered in and sipped on complimentary coffee among 75 or so people–all interested in discovering new opportunities, new businesses, open to ideas and curious about one another. Of course, a native such as myself, I knew some of these folks already, but in this environment we came here for a different purpose–to support new ideas–so the conversations strayed from the usual. People talked about their projects, shared resources and introductions, and they chatted about why they are anticipating hearing the next speaker.

The next speaker–that’s what we are all truly here for! This is 1 Million Cups, a national movement that has created a supportive environment of entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Each week, two speakers get six minutes to give an educational presentation about their business followed by twenty minutes of constructive feedback and questions from the audience. Every week I’ve gone, I came away inspired, I learned something and I felt connected to this group. I decided that I needed to speak, but if I couldn’t figure out how to explain what I do, no matter how great I might be at public speaking, this would be a disaster.

Perfect! I thought to myself, I’m great at mitigating disasters! So, I went home to fill out the application to present on-line. Here’s the funny part–it’s not just a simple application about your topic and such. It asks real questions about your business, the kinds of questions that could be a little challenging to someone like me who’s more than a little scattered about what it is that I do. Again, perfect! The act of answering these questions forced me to figure out some of the things that I needed to get clear about and fast. I was re-developing my business as I was filling out an application to give a presentation on it.

As it turns out, 1 Million Cups is not just about promoting and supporting entrepreneurs, but it also is an educational platform, helping participants build skills and tools needed for success. That certainly proved true for me. After filling out the on-line application, I also had to build a new website that would further explain my business, so that at least audience members to connect with something for more content, samples, testimonials, etc., and I had to design the 6-minute presentation.

Now, let that sink in for a second. How much stronger would a business pitch be if it had to go through all of that work for the sole purpose of bringing clarity to answering three simple questions: 1) What do you do?;  2) How can that help me?; and 3) Why are you the best person to do it?

So, there I was, the morning of the presentation. As is my custom, I walked there and I ended up arriving way too early. I stood in the darkened room for a bit, thinking cheerfully about what I had just created, all of the work and mistakes that I made to get to at least this slight bit of clarity where I can finally explain to an audience–What do I do? Slowly others started to arrive, and I couldn’t wait to show off my creation. I pitched, and I had fun! The feedback and questions from the audience were thoughtful, and I sensed that I had sparked some interest in at least a handful of people. I was right, following the presentations, I had people waiting behind just to speak with me about potential projects and collaborations. I received a handful of business cards from people wanting to meet with them, and others emailed me asking for project proposals. The end result was more than I could have hoped for, and the overall experience was absolutely critical as it helped this new phase of my career take shape.

Thank you, 1 Million Cups St. Petersburg! I’ll see you Wednesday.

eBooks – an emerging market

iPad, Nook, Kindle and several other formats of eBooks are taking the publishing industry by storm and turning the tables for self-publishers. As most business people know, developing and sustaining profitable intellectual property/passive income is the single most important investment, I recommend creating eBooks. Here are some industries that can benefit off the top:

1. Restaurants: develop and publish cook books to promote your restaurant and help brand its cuisine. Include historical notations of the restaurant or amusing/entertaining stories about its staff and guests. It can have lots of graphics or just a few to highlight the best your publication has to offer. Selling this will not only remind people to be excited about your food, but it will also broaden your market reach, helping to target tourists and media.
2. Artists: Do you paint, sculpt, work with metal, wood, glass, beads or t-shirts… no matter your medium or how high-quality or grassroots, creating an eBook will greatly increase your exposure in your community and to new markets. From your brainstorming and creative process to the beginning stages and mistakes and mishaps to the grand creations, you can document whatever story you find compelling to tell your audiences. Lure them into the tale of your creations.
3. Performing Arts: Do you dance, sing, act, perform spoken word? This medium is for you. Collect a photographic profile to portray your experiences and the process of creation. Tell a story about you and your art. If you don’t write, hire a ghost writer (like me)–many won’t charge as much as you might fear (like me), though some will. Use this to gain exposure and increase your brand for audiences and prospective patrons and directors.
4. Nonprofits: Your role as a visionary professional is critical to your community. You change the landscape of your community by the services, advocacy and philanthropy you offer. Tell your story. Let your public know that you are often a silent and overlooked thread in the fiber holding their community together. Use this to help educate the community on your importance and to assist in cultivating donors and underwriters that see your value, perhaps from a very different perspective, perhaps for the very first time.
5. Small Businesses: You are our community’s heroes! You are symbols of overcoming odds and surviving through tough times and succeeding through determination, creativity and hope. Your story is an inspiration! Tell it. Share it. Remind your public that you are here, serving them and need their patronage to stay alive.
6. Bigger Businesses: Often you began as a small business or a great idea or invention that rose to the top. You dared to dream big and made that dream come true. You employ hundreds, even thousands of people and provide goods and services that consumers and other businesses or even our government counts on to live and thrive. Your story is about strength and dedication and growth. Remind your public that the seed of where you began has only made you larger not heartless. Tell your tale.
7. Museums: You are of and for your community. Remind them. Remind your community about your history, what you have to offer, where you are headed. Remind your community that your doors are open wide to welcome them and their families. That there are no barriers regarding race, gender, creed, socio-economic status–you are here for all. Your story is critical to the prosperity and preservation of your community’s history, arts, dreams and innovations. What you truly curate is culture, and you are open to everyone.

You don’t need to do it alone. Hire a freelance writer, photographer, graphic artist and/or a consultant to assist. A consultant (like me) can coordinate all the talent and expertise you need to get your eBook developed, converted to the various digital formats needed and digital checkout through your website and on the purchasing lists of Kindle, Nook and iPad. Most often the full development and publishing process will cost between $900 – $3,000 from beginning to end. Are you interested? Feel free to contact me at Street Media: dts.streetmedia@gmail.com

Lessons from a freelance writer – balance and support

What have I learned so far as a fulltime freelancer? Balance is everything. Balancing time, projects, priorities, personal and professional life, etc. In the end, balance has been the lesson, and I’m getting better at it.

It’s easy to spend your waking hours on business development strategies, branding, pitching for projects, networking–oh and then actually doing the projects. And, in the very beginning, I think you almost have to do this. Afterall, it’s survival here–you have to get work in the door and work lined up and people wanting to work with you to keep paying your bills and to feel safe in knowing that you can keep paying your bills. But, once that’s achieved, you need to know when to tap the breaks a bit and slow down to a comfortable cruise versus the high-speed chase.

You also need to balance time networking, marketing, pitching and branding with “doing” the work and knowing how much work you can take on, what resource you have if you end up with more on your plate than you can handle.

On the one hand, it’s my job to drum up business and keep getting projects in the door. Afterall, I’m a freelancer, so without new projects, I’m without cashflow. On the other hand, I am an army of one, so making sure I balance out projects and deadlines is critical while I’m always keeping an eye out for new ones. <–This all may seem obvious, but there’s a point here…

In an age where more and more freelancers and entrepreneurs are budding up, a real skill, once you’re certain you have something valuable to offer and others know it too, is planning for success. Many more businesses fail because success came, and they weren’t prepared for it, than people might think. It’s not always that the clients don’t come and the contracts fall through, etc. Often times it’s overcommitment leading to missed deadlines, broken promises and failed deliverables that shuts down an operation.

I’ve not fallen victim to either fate, yet, and I remain cautious, making sure to say “no” and to make certain that I never have more than three projects on my plate at once and no more than three more in the pipeline to maintain a successful balance. And that’s just my personal guideline–I know myself. Others may be able to handle more or less, but it’s important to know what that number is, or risk biting it and facing failure.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, keep other resources on hand–other freelancers or partners outside of you that you can send projects to or work with in case you need the extra set of hands, eyes and brains. Not only do you need to have backup plans for when your deadlines become too much, but also it’s important to plan for being human–illnesses, personal and family crises, etc. Develop a professional support system/back-up plan for emergencies.

Truthfully, though I try to plan and maintain a healthy network of colleagues for mutual support, I still make mistakes, and not everything runs as smoothly as I like, and outcomes aren’t always the slam-dunk I  anticipated. Mostly, though, I’m finding increased success in this crazy freelancing journey–for me and my clients. And that’s awesome. Here’s to progress!

You cannot succeed if you don’t take a risk,

and without failure, you’re not likely to learn much or get any better.

Wanna be a freelance writer? 7 Tips

I’ve received a lot of requests lately–people wanting me to give them leads to start freelance writing. Truthfully, there are some really credible books out there on the subject, some even targeted towards the niche of writing you would like to do: Amazon.com (or just do an Amazon.com book search on “freelance writing, and take note of the various dropdown options for a more specialized search).

Here are some tips that might help you should you decide to begin freelance writing:

1. Electronic versions of writing samples–develop a blog. WordPress and Typepad are two platforms that I’d recommend highly. Be certain to use categories so that people can easily find various subjects that you may have experience with (e.g. movie critiques, food, travel, politics, economics, celebrities, community profiles, local issues, etc.). If you do other types of freelance writing, have those categories listed with samples also, such as copywriting, press releases, business plans, reports, analytics, etc. If they have been published elsewhere (big bonus), be sure to cite that and include the link or details of the publication. Also, be certain to have both MS Word and PDF versions of your sample copies available to send as attachments in emails and to print to have in a hardcopy portfolio.
2. Keep writing–even if you don’t have someone else to publish your stuff yet, write and post it on your own blog. Develop and cover stories, craft articles, conduct interviews, delve into citizen journalism. Be certain to always cover unique and compelling angles to stories. If you’re freelance writing for other types of media such as brochures, press releases and business plans, do the same thing. Keep writing, and keep putting yourself out there.
3. Get published–this is the only way to truly build your credibility. What being published says is that someone else thought enough about your work to spread it around under their name. Often times it even means that they thought enough of your work to pay you for the opportunity to spread it around under their name. Even if it’s just a blog or community newspaper that won’t pay you for your work, it’s a start. You get a byline. Patch.com and Thoughtcatalogue.com are two such places you might try, depending on your subject matter. Again, if you’re doing more business-oriented writing, then vs. getting published, get clients. Volunteer to do work for free for nonprofits you like. Get noticed, network and begin building a reputation if you don’t already have one.
4. Get work–query article ideas to publishers that cover topics that align with your niche. Send a link of sample writing to blogs and such that you read regularly, and ask if they would be interested in a freelance article from you. Scan through Craigslist and similar sites that post jobs and gigs for writers–you’ll find a lot of garbage, but there’s quite a bit of legit stuff there, too. Similar for business writing freelancing. Put yourself out there, and hunt for opportunities. Oh, and network. Talk to people–real, live people. Tell them about you and what you do and what you want (a very quick elevator pitch). Be friendly and generous, and you find others will be friendly and generous in return.
5. Build credibility and branding–be the go-to person not only for your clients and potential clients but also for others in your field. Blog not only what you write but also about your writing and the business of it all. Develop a following and a network of colleagues. Pitch joint projects to share specialties and resources. Give freely of ideas and innovations–you might think you’re going to give too much–do give too much. You will cash in on the bigger picture, being the source of all of those great ideas and innovations. Your reputation as the go-to person will grow, and you will be noted as an “expert” in your field.
6. Be in demand–once you’ve been published for a steady amount of time, you will begin demanding increased pay for your work, provided you’re actually worth it. So do always keep working to improve your craft, and listen carefully to constructive criticism and feedback. You may not always like or agree with it, but it’s invaluable stuff. Always ask for it. You might learn something that will supercharge your work and take it to big places. Also, read. Read everything, and study how the big players do your job. Once your demand builds, and so too will your  pay, be very delicate when you have to shed your lower paying gigs to have room to take on higher paying ones. Remember the hands that helped you to grow. No one likes an ingrate, and it can bite you hard later on. Offer to continue giving them some articles once in a while for good measure. Keep doors open and relationships positive. Mend those that have been damaged as possible as much as possible. This too will influence your reputation and build your overall demand.
7. Stay hungry–keeping your operation lean and mean no matter how much or how little cash comes in the door, it will serve you well to avoid getting jaded. Not about the subject-matter and not about the business. Continue to crave, be imaginative and stay curious–stay hungry. This way, there is little chance you will soon become irrelevant.

I’ve spent 11 years writing in the nonprofit and for profit business environment, and I am a communications junkie. I had a mentor throughout much of this time who helped me develop a reputation within certain circles in the community that have greatly helped my success in freelancing. Not only those individuals, but knowing how to network and build and sustain those relationships have proved to be a critical tool. Therefore, I had an advantage when I made the leap from full-time employee to full-time freelancer–an advantage not many others have.

I also was not hesitant to take on a small overnight job that allowed me time to write on shift to help with cashflow during slow times and also to build a little savings to get me through future slow times. And, there will be slow times. I also have to take balance very seriously–balancing time for play, sleep, wellness, deadlines, self-promotion and hunting for the next big opportunity.

Freelance writing for a living isn’t for everyone–it’s a full-time job x 2. Possibly more when you first get started, just like any small business entrepreneur. You are an army of one, so must make time for all of the needs of the one, or you will burn out and ultimately fail in some definition of that word. And, still, that’s okay. Failure is the greatest teacher if you allow her to be. So, if you bite it on a deadline or two, or you bomb a story or things just don’t work out–it’s okay. Do an autopsy of the situation–find out what went wrong, then, learn from it.

You’ll get better… and that’s success.