www.inkthinkerblog.com — Startling realization: Every time I try to explain what I do to others, I realize that I don’t actually know. Note to self: work on that. – kristenking 12:12 PM May 03, 2008
This weekend at SOBCon, every time someone asked me what I do, I gave a slightly different answer. (It would be interesting to gather up everyone who met me and ask them all to tell me what they think I do. If you’re game, leave a comment to that effect.) I finally got to the point where I said, “You know, I actually have no idea. What do you do?” And we laughed at how totally clueless we were (and, at least on my end, what a relief it was to finally admit that to someone and find out they were in the same boat).
During one session on Saturday, Lorelle VanFossen challenged attendees to say what their blog or their business does — what their purpose is — in no more than 10 words. It was like pulling teeth. I have to hand it to my tablemate Anita Bruzzese, who rapid-fired questions at me and wouldn’t let me stop until I came up with at least some kind of answer. It was amazing and difficult and I loved/hated every second of it. I needed someone to say, “Wake up, girl! What are you going to do for me? How can you do it? Why should I believe you? Why should I pick you?”
I didn’t figure it out until I was at the airport waiting for my delayed plane on Sunday night, but I think I finally came up with my purpose:
I help people figure out what they want to say — and them I help them say it better.
A slightly more formal version might be:
I help individuals, companies, and organizations identify their message and express it brilliantly.
I want to tweak the language a little, but I’m comfortable with the idea. From resumes to Web copy to proposals, I’m helping people figure out what they want the world to know about them, and then I’m giving them the language they need to share it with their audience. Hiring managers, customers, grantors — they’re all audiences, and it’s all marketing.
This, my friends, where my big ideas for my business and for this blog are coming from: the realization that I’m spending a LOT of time on topics and activities that don’t have anything to do with my purpose. No wonder I’m feeling burned out.
So there are some changes coming, but I don’t know what they are for sure yet. I do know that there will be some major revisioning of the Query Challenge. It takes up a huge amount of my time with zero tangible return on the investment (and yes, there is that warm fuzzy feeling I get from your success stories, but I haven’t been able to feel that or much of anything else lately because I’m so numb from being spread too thin all the time). I do know that I will also be making changes to my freelance writing website, and, of course, to this blog. I welcome your input and your suggestions.
While I come up with my next steps, I want leave you with this question: Are you being true to yourself with your writing career? Are you really spending your time the way you want to be? And what do you need to change to be able to answer both of those questions with a resounding YES?
Tags: freelance writing blog, freelance writing, freelance, writing, personal branding, life purpose, career purpose, burnout, avoiding burnout, figuring out your career path, professional goals, what do you want to be when you grow up, what do i want to be when i grow up, sobcon, sobcon08, anita bruzzese, lorelle vanfossen, kristen king, inkthinker
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Well done! It’s not easy is it?
I don’t know you or your work well enough but this works for me – especially the informal version.
I’m a plain english gal!
Joanna
Joanna Young’s last blog post..SobCon08 Round Ups
Bravo Kristen!
That’s a beautiful description. If that’s only the starting point, I can’t wait to see where you land. :)
Liz Strauss’s last blog post..Joanna Young at SOBCon08
Love the post! I think it is so important to stop every few months and ask yourself these questions. I was just sort of doing that today as I’m am about to commit or not (still trying to decide) about a new writing project.
Tammy’s last blog post..Bead Grant Deadline Looming
“I help individuals, companies, and organizations identify their message and express it brilliantly.” – I LOVE this!
Still working on ours. We’ll want to run it by you since you can help make our message be brilliant!
Mary-Lynn’s last blog post..How to Offer Criticism Without Being Critical
It took me awhile at SOBCon08, but here’s mine:
“I guide people to the good stuff.”
Since I do travel, Web 2.0/social media and drag racing, one sentence has to cover a lot of bases! :)
Sheila Scarborough’s last blog post..Pull up your travel socks
Timely post! I attended the first session of a copywriting course tonight, and the instructor (a local branding guru) told us to come up with our taglines first, and that everything (logo, identifying the right marketing media, etc.) would follow. Sounds like you’re on the right track!
Kristen, your pitches are great. I went through a very similar “stuttery” process at SOBCon08 and concluded that what most of us need first is a deeply rooted sense of who we are and what we offer in a business sense. Second, we need to be able to explain that identity to anyone, anywhere, at any time, in the way that best suits their understanding.
So there’s probably not a set-in-stone perfect way to always describe yourself. But you probably won’t need to deviate much from the two descriptions you gave of yourself above, either.
I’m starting to be much more true to myself as a writer. I need to let go more, let the stories flow more, let my writing get “wetter” (i.e. less dry). I do feel like SOBCon08 lit a fire under me to do that.
Best wishes unspreading yourself going forward, Kristen!
Easton Ellsworth’s last blog post..The SOBCon08 Step Forward Challenge
Ah, the old mission statement. :))
I think for both business side and blogging side, that can be different. For blogging, my purpose is to educate and build community through sharing of ideas and experiences. Okay, sue me. That’s eleven words.
For writing, to enhance the customer’s image through expert writing and editing. There – ten words exactly. Yea!
I hate the ‘what do you do’ question.
One thought on the query challenge, perhaps have a different querier play challenge-host each month. Said ‘coach’ can be the one to gather success stories, compile updates…I’d be happy to lend a hand to a task or two.
Abra’s last blog post..On your mark-
Girl, you’ve hit the nail right on the head. Last year was a busy year for me. I landed a lot of clients and provided a lot of writing services. But by October, I was beginning to feel so burned out that I couldn’t think straight. Worse yet, I couldn’t seem to land many repeat client work, which was very frustrating for me. I decided to take a few weeks off. During that time, I determined that I needed more than a few weeks off. My brain was fried.
It’s been months now, and I’m just now beginning to feel like I’m getting back on track. I’ve done minimal work for others. In fact, I haven’t done a lot of writing since October. The little bit I’ve done has been strictly for myself. I write about things I’m passionate about and enjoy writing about.
I wasn’t true to myself or my writing career because I was doing things that were meaningless to me. I hated them. But I felt like if I were going to get anywhere (as a “writer), then I had to “serve my time” and do the dirty work.
Now, I’m thinking that I must have been nuts. I was putting myself through extreme stress and pressure…for NOTHING.
The first step I’ve taken this year was to reflect on my personal dreams and goals. There are lots of things I’ve dreamed of doing/being throughout the years, but always managed to push them aside. I’m following after one of those dreams now. I’m back in college, working towards earning my degree so I can teach school.
I’m excited to see what changes you have in store. Changes are scary sometimes, but almost always good–and necessary! Follow your intuition and heart! :)
It’s funny how we (freelancers) spend so much brain power and time articulating content and messaging for other people, and maybe not enough time identifying those things for ourselves.
Really good points, Kristen. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It will help me take stock in what I’m doing (or not doing, but should be doing!)
Laurel Homer – Freelance Marketing Jobs’s last blog post..Best Practices: How to Tactfully Nudge a Client for More Projects
Ah, Kristen. You’ve basically touched upon an issue that I’m sure is on the minds of many of your readers, mine included.
I could actually easily say what I do: I write informative, entertaining articles about subjects that are important to my clients’ readers. Easy to say, difficult to do, even more difficult to believe in.
If I’m honest with myself — and lately it seems that I am more so, everyday — I’ll admit that I do this almost exclusively for the money. I’m not wholly in love with freelance writing — I’d rather write books, novels and/or screenplays — but I hate not having an income independent from that of my husband. On the other hand, I’ve spent 20 years watching the clock at different jobs solely for the money and have found myself increasingly unhappy and unfulfilled.
They say that if you do what you love, the money will follow. As you get older, though, the advice just gets scarier to heed at the same time that it resonates more strongly. And it’s not as if I fear change — just six years ago I quit a well-paying, fast-track job with a fantastic boss so that I could fulfill a lifelong dream: backpack around the world for an extended period of time. I ended up traversing four continents in as many months, half of the time with my best friend (now my husband), and the other half on my own. I’ve lived and worked in 3 different countries. Generally I don’t just embrace change, I seize it by the lapels and mash my face into it.
But for some reason, when it comes to what matters day to day, the work that gives shape to my life, I’m just terrified.
I’m so looking forward to how you address this conflict in your own career and life! Perhaps it’ll give me the impetus to finally make those changes myself.
Cheers,
Marjorie
Marjorie’s last blog post..How to Beat Stress Without Really Trying
Regardless of the ten word answer(!!) — Cube Rules: career management mastery to survive — and thrive — working in a cubicle — the key question in this post for me was “Are you really spending your time the way you want to be?”
My answer is no. However, I think I know how I should be spending my time. So, I’m going to change that.
As a small aside for your readers, the biggest theme I’m seeing from those that attended SOBCon08 was: I’m going to change what I’m doing to something better.
Makes you want to go again, doesn’t it?
Scot Herrick’s last blog post..5 most under-appreciated posts on Cube Rules
Excellent exercise, Kristen! I think you nailed. Now let’s see if I can do as well as I commence brainstorming.
IrreverentFreelancer’s last blog post..Here a Guest Post, There a Guest Post, Everywhere a Freelance Guest Post
The second version is excellent. It’s clear, concise and lets me know, as the consumer, exactly what you do. More importantly, it lets me know exactly what you can do for me. And in marketing, that’s the most important thing.
Great meeting you. Thanks for the great talk on Saturday. Can’t wait to watch where you go.
Great comments, y’all. Sorry I’ve been so slow to respond. Here goes…
@Joanna Young – Thanks for the reinforcement. First, I was thinking in terms of “explanation” with the informal version. Now, I’m thinking in terms of “tagline” — and I don’t think either of these is there yet, but I’m okay with that for now.
@Liz Strauss – Thank you! I will keep you posted. :)
@Tammy – What a great idea: giving yourself a quarterly evaluation. Am I satisfied with my performance? Am I achieving my goals? Is it time to set new goals? Should I give myself a raise? Is it time for a promotion?
You raise a great point about being mindful of the work we accept. If it doesn’t move your closer to your goals, what’s the point? Well, sometimes just getting a paycheck is worth it, but not always. Great comment.
@Mary-Lynn – I’m REALLY looking forward to hearing what you guys come up with. Thanks for all of the WP help this week. :)
@Sheila Scarborough – Hmm, there’s a thought: Do you have to have one one-liner for everything, or can you have a one-liner for each area of your business? Or maybe, “I guide people to the good stuff…in travel,” “I guide people to the good stuff…in racing,” etc, for each of your sub-brands. Oh, the possibilities!
@Cory – Wow, being told to come up with a tagline in the first class? I think I would have had a heart attack. :) Let me know what you come up with.
@Easton Ellsworth – You hit the nail on the head: “…what most of us need first is a deeply rooted sense of who we are and what we offer in a business sense. Second, we need to be able to explain that identity to anyone, anywhere, at any time, in the way that best suits their understanding.” That’s exactly it. Like you said, once you find that center, it’s easier to stay there. And I think I’m finally there, or at least close to it. :) Phew!
@Lori – I think 11 words is completely acceptable. Great purpose statements, both of them. How is what you’re doing aligning with those missions? Would love to see you expand on that in a post.
@Abra – After this weekend, I’m starting to think we’re all in that boat! Thanks for your idea about the Query Challenge. I will add that to the list.
@Hope – I remember discussing this a few months ago, and I’m so glad to hear how you’ve taken that realization and turned it into something productive. Good for you! Thanks for the encouragement.
@Laurel Homer – It’s so true: We’re either too busy with other people’s work to focus on our own stuff, or we let ourselves believe we are because it’s easier than facing the uncertainty. Don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to pull that off anymore. :) Come back soon and let us know how you’re doing with taking stock.
@Marjorie – Your raw honesty is so refreshing. Thank you for having the courage to put all of that out there for us to learn from your experience! Money is easy; happiness is the hard part, and the day to day minutiae is (are?) the terrifying aspect because THAT’S WHAT WE SEE ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. I don’t have an answer yet, but I think that in itself is an answer: The answer is the process, and vice versa. What do you think?
@Scot Herrick – Woohoo! Virtual high five to you, friend. Let me know how it goes.
@IrreverentFreelancer – Thanks, girl. I have to confess, it’s a relief to hear that you don’t have an answer to that question right off the bat. :) Always reassuring to learn that your pals are in the same boat — so you can get there together!
Thanks for all of the comments, folks! Did I miss anyone? Keep them coming!
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11 words.
Am I being true to myself? Absolutely. I’m refusing to get boxed into this ‘niche” garbage (it’s garbage for me; if someone else wants to work that way, goody for them).
I write about anything that catches my interest. And I get paid for it.
And I don’t have a “day job”.
Yes, I am being true to myself.
Publishing under a half a dozen names means there are days when I feel like Sybil, but . . .
It’s worth it.
Am I happy every moment of every day? No. But, overall, I’m happy with the direction I’m going, and enjoying the journey.
Devon Ellington’s last blog post..Quick Check-In