Love it. Love it. LOVE it!
Gina is starting to talk to other people in her profession (helloooo, networking) and is enjoying a positive response, not to mention building a supportive community that will pay dividends as she continues to fine tune her business. Also huge is the fact that Gina put down, on paper, where she can see it, a list of what she is good at. If you haven’t tried it, this truly is an amazing exercise, especially when stuck at a crossroads in your career, in life, or in Gina’s case, starting a new business.
Worries? Low confidence? Doubts? Thoughts of “Am I really cut out to do this?” All of these thoughts are totally, TOTALLY normal during times of change. However, the trick is to not dwell on what you might NOT accomplish, what bad things MIGHT happen, and what failures COULD lie ahead.
Instead, the trick is to change your thinking.
A great way to start is with the post-it note exercise: putting down on paper what you are good at, why you are valuable, what makes you unique, what you CAN do, etc. etc. Keeping this in front of you on a daily basis is even more powerful, for as your brain absorbs those words day after day….lo and behold you start changing how you act- and changing what travels through your brain.
Now that Gina has sampled different types of client projects (and different types of clients) and has gathered more information from professionals who have built careers in her desired field, Gina and I have begun preliminary conversations about the type of work she wants to focus on in order to fulfill an even greater goal when it comes to her new business: following her passion and writing about the subject matter she cares about most.
As an example, Gina was recently nominated as a Role Model and Virtual Mentor for Women and Girls from the Hot Mommas Project (www.hotmammasproject.org). Interestingly, Gina’s research on a client project led her to interviewing the "Chief Hot Momma" of this project, Kathy Korman Frey, at which point Kathy began following Gina on Twitter. When Kathy read about Gina’s career reinvention on www.trueprofessions.blogspot.com, she nominated Gina!
What was Gina’s response? Well, let’s use her exact words “Let me tell you, Ellen, when you ask what I want my career to look like, this is exactly it - to inspire others through the things I have learned and am doing. It is thrilling to me that I get the chance to do this!”
Wow- what can be better than that?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Career Makeover Wednesdays: Daycare Duty to Writer Extraordinaire
By Guest Blogger Gina Blitstein
Well, from reading Ellen’s last blog entry about me, I guess I have made more progress than I thought I had when it comes to networking. Ellen encouraged me to reach out to other writers to find a network in which I could gain knowledge and support in my new endeavor. It was actually rather fun thinking about who I have already come across in my travels in cyberspace who would be interesting to talk to about professional writing. For some reason, I didn’t feel nervous about this kind of networking. It was actually kind of empowering to go at this from the standpoint that, although I am new at the game, I am also nonetheless a writer.
I did phone a writer who I identified as having the type of career I visualize for myself. She was remarkable to talk to! She proved to be everything I hoped she’d be: honest, forthcoming and an incredible source of information and guidance! That was definitely the type of experience I had hoped for - and I sure got it! The result of that interaction for me is that I know there’s help out there should I need it. I don’t have to work in a vacuum. When I need some advice, I can get it without feeling like I am asking for the “secrets of the universe” from people - it’s just what my writers’ community does for one another. I like that sense of “community.” Support is a powerful thing.
Talking with an experienced writer also set me to thinking about my career in “bigger” terms. I’ve been thinking about what I have already accomplished, what I am on my way to accomplishing and what I someday dream of accomplishing. My new writer friend is living her dreams, so why can’t I, right?
Ellen gave me another assignment which was to write myself self-affirming and inspirational “post-it” notes for myself to use as a means to remember my strengths and aspirations. This exercise really took me by surprise! Once I sat down to write them, they just came pouring out of my fingers - 19 in all! Here they are:
What a great week on the career reinvention front - I found both a supportive community and a mission statement! I feel so empowered!
Well, from reading Ellen’s last blog entry about me, I guess I have made more progress than I thought I had when it comes to networking. Ellen encouraged me to reach out to other writers to find a network in which I could gain knowledge and support in my new endeavor. It was actually rather fun thinking about who I have already come across in my travels in cyberspace who would be interesting to talk to about professional writing. For some reason, I didn’t feel nervous about this kind of networking. It was actually kind of empowering to go at this from the standpoint that, although I am new at the game, I am also nonetheless a writer.
I did phone a writer who I identified as having the type of career I visualize for myself. She was remarkable to talk to! She proved to be everything I hoped she’d be: honest, forthcoming and an incredible source of information and guidance! That was definitely the type of experience I had hoped for - and I sure got it! The result of that interaction for me is that I know there’s help out there should I need it. I don’t have to work in a vacuum. When I need some advice, I can get it without feeling like I am asking for the “secrets of the universe” from people - it’s just what my writers’ community does for one another. I like that sense of “community.” Support is a powerful thing.
Talking with an experienced writer also set me to thinking about my career in “bigger” terms. I’ve been thinking about what I have already accomplished, what I am on my way to accomplishing and what I someday dream of accomplishing. My new writer friend is living her dreams, so why can’t I, right?
Ellen gave me another assignment which was to write myself self-affirming and inspirational “post-it” notes for myself to use as a means to remember my strengths and aspirations. This exercise really took me by surprise! Once I sat down to write them, they just came pouring out of my fingers - 19 in all! Here they are:
- I do great work
- I am organized and professional
- People are pleased with the fruits of my labor
- I am intelligent
- I am a talented writer
- My work has value to others
- I am hard-working
- I am easy to talk to and a good listener
- I can help people achieve their goals
- People enjoy reading what I write
- Writing is my life's work
- I can earn a great income by writing
- I will work on my own terms
- I will write biographies of inspirational people
- Shy is not me
- I have interesting things to say
- The real me is not only good enough - she's great!
- I am proud to be a writer
- I have valuable insights
What a great week on the career reinvention front - I found both a supportive community and a mission statement! I feel so empowered!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Career Makeover Wednesdays: Daycare Duty to Writer Extraordinaire
Ok. Let’s start with this statement in Gina’s last post: “I am not particularly comfortable with the prospect of in-person networking - or any networking at all. Because of that fact, I have naturally gravitated toward online marketing. It seemed a logical fit for me, since I am more an introverted writer-type than a hand-shaking networker. Ellen assures me that face-to-face networking is a vital skill for me to develop and I know that she is correct.”
Ahhhh…networking. Most people dislike networking. In my experience, people who heavily dislike networking do so because they have a determined view that they “are not good at it.” What does this mean? In my experience, this attitude is accompanied by certain behaviors: avoidance, procrastination, stalling...all leading to “analysis paralysis.” In other words, if you really dislike networking, you tend to do nothing.
I have a friend who often asks me for job hunting advice so he can not only escape a job he has outgrown, but also leave an industry he is tiring of, and perhaps enter a new career altogether. Our conversations go something like this:
“How can I get out of my job quickly?” asks friend.
“Networking” I respond.
“I think I have finally figured it out: I want to leverage my skills and enter a new career altogether that I find exciting and rewarding – how do I go about doing that?” asks friend.
“Networking” I say.
Did I mention my friend dreads networking? Dreads the thought of reaching out to people to ask for help…dreads bothering people who haven’t heard from him in months or even years….dreads not knowing what to say and fearing he will owe them something in return for their trouble.
So, why do people dread networking, in particular the friend I am describing? Because it is unfamiliar territory, a behavior that is not practiced, and asking for help feels extremely awkward when you feel like that is all you are doing, since you don’t fully grasp that networking is a give and take situation.
Back to Gina. Interestingly, Gina IS a good in-person networker, no matter what she claims. Perhaps not as comfortable as she is with the online method she gravitates to so easily and naturally as a way of building her business, however, her day care business of 20 years demanded she interact with people on a daily basis who were either using her services, or interested in buying them. Gina had to speak with people face to face from the very inception of her business since without people entrusting their children to her care, she would have had no clients, no pipeline of clients, no referrals, and well, no 20 year business.
The fact that Gina has discovered a whole new world where she can meet hundreds, if not thousands, of people with a mere click of a button who might be potential clients or serve as resources to building her business is great. However, as her coach, I am still challenging her to mix the old with the new.
Ahhhh…networking. Most people dislike networking. In my experience, people who heavily dislike networking do so because they have a determined view that they “are not good at it.” What does this mean? In my experience, this attitude is accompanied by certain behaviors: avoidance, procrastination, stalling...all leading to “analysis paralysis.” In other words, if you really dislike networking, you tend to do nothing.
I have a friend who often asks me for job hunting advice so he can not only escape a job he has outgrown, but also leave an industry he is tiring of, and perhaps enter a new career altogether. Our conversations go something like this:
“How can I get out of my job quickly?” asks friend.
“Networking” I respond.
“I think I have finally figured it out: I want to leverage my skills and enter a new career altogether that I find exciting and rewarding – how do I go about doing that?” asks friend.
“Networking” I say.
Did I mention my friend dreads networking? Dreads the thought of reaching out to people to ask for help…dreads bothering people who haven’t heard from him in months or even years….dreads not knowing what to say and fearing he will owe them something in return for their trouble.
So, why do people dread networking, in particular the friend I am describing? Because it is unfamiliar territory, a behavior that is not practiced, and asking for help feels extremely awkward when you feel like that is all you are doing, since you don’t fully grasp that networking is a give and take situation.
Back to Gina. Interestingly, Gina IS a good in-person networker, no matter what she claims. Perhaps not as comfortable as she is with the online method she gravitates to so easily and naturally as a way of building her business, however, her day care business of 20 years demanded she interact with people on a daily basis who were either using her services, or interested in buying them. Gina had to speak with people face to face from the very inception of her business since without people entrusting their children to her care, she would have had no clients, no pipeline of clients, no referrals, and well, no 20 year business.
The fact that Gina has discovered a whole new world where she can meet hundreds, if not thousands, of people with a mere click of a button who might be potential clients or serve as resources to building her business is great. However, as her coach, I am still challenging her to mix the old with the new.
Hence, the latest “action item” assigned by me involved challenging Gina to reach out to 3 professionals within her field and schedule phone calls (these people are perfect strangers but she has identified them via the Internet). Instead of just “chatting” with them virtually, I wanted to “raise the bar” in terms of her networking behaviors and challenge her to have a voice to voice exchange to see what she might learn.
Gina has already completed one meeting, and what made the meeting so successful were the networking behaviors she employed. Gina successfully:
1. Identified individuals on the web who might share their learning experiences as professional writers and perhaps even have some work to pass along to her.
2. Acted as a resource for this individual, sharing her growing wealth of knowledge and expertise in the social media arena, helping this person become more familiar with Twitter in particular.
3. Gained vital information from someone in her field who has been making a living as a writer for years, thus gathering information that will help Gina make her own business more successful.
Networking, while it may never be wholly comfortable for someone like Gina (and it certainly might be something my friend forever avoids) is so critical to your career that if you don’t have a network you better get one, because you’re gonna need it.
In fact, networking can actually be fun, whether you enjoy the enormity of working your way around the world wide web or you feel more at ease establishing valuable, face-to-face relationships.
Check back for more tips on networking and if you want to learn more about the value of networking online and how it can help you meet your career goals, check out Gina’s latest article on Twitter: http://womeninbiz.sbresources.com/blog/blogpost.cfm?threadid=91&catid=12
And get to WORK! :)
Career Toolkit: The Resume
Step 1: Send resume to employer.
Step 2: Hear back from employer.
Step 3: Get interview.
Step 4: Get job offer.
If only it were this simple! While the resume is the universal calling card to finding a job, when it comes to job hunting (and I say this over and over again to my clients!) it is just ONE tool you utilize to get a job or change careers. What are the most important things a resume should have? In one word: results.
Capturing the results of your good work demonstrates that you have contributed not only to your own professional development, but you have contributed to making your employers successful. This is what potential employers want to see on paper, and hear from you during interviews. In other words, they want to hear what you can do for them.
If you shrink from your resume, wonder what it says about you, or have a suspicion that your resume could do a much better job of representing you, you are not alone. I encourage you to take the first step and shake the dust off your resume and take a good hard look. Need help?
We have special pricing for a one time coaching session through August 31st where you can get professional guidance on your resume! Contact us at info@traversesolutions.com for more details!
Step 2: Hear back from employer.
Step 3: Get interview.
Step 4: Get job offer.
If only it were this simple! While the resume is the universal calling card to finding a job, when it comes to job hunting (and I say this over and over again to my clients!) it is just ONE tool you utilize to get a job or change careers. What are the most important things a resume should have? In one word: results.
Capturing the results of your good work demonstrates that you have contributed not only to your own professional development, but you have contributed to making your employers successful. This is what potential employers want to see on paper, and hear from you during interviews. In other words, they want to hear what you can do for them.
If you shrink from your resume, wonder what it says about you, or have a suspicion that your resume could do a much better job of representing you, you are not alone. I encourage you to take the first step and shake the dust off your resume and take a good hard look. Need help?
We have special pricing for a one time coaching session through August 31st where you can get professional guidance on your resume! Contact us at info@traversesolutions.com for more details!
Taking Care of Yourself
What an honor it was to be part of the annual NALP conference (www.nalp.org) in sunny Puerto Rico! I was very impressed with the myriad of topics ranging from leadership to diversity, and I was even more impressed with the audience who actively participated in our workshop: "Leading in Challenging Times: Recharge, Refocus, and Renew."
What struck me most while at the conference was how much more stretched people seemed this year, in large part due to the rapid and unexpected economic changes. Leaders are faced with fewer resources while still being held accountable for strategic organizational initiatives and performing in fast-paced, demanding environments. This is why it is more important than ever to make sure you take good care of yourself so that you can better lead, manage your time, and feel good about yourself and your accomplishments at the end of the day.
Incorporating stress relievers - from taking a walk to meditation - can do amazing things for your health. These self-nurturing behaviors can increase your energy level and help you make better decisions about your career - and your life. Interested in bringing our workshop to your organization? Contact us! http://traversesolutions.com/contact.php
What struck me most while at the conference was how much more stretched people seemed this year, in large part due to the rapid and unexpected economic changes. Leaders are faced with fewer resources while still being held accountable for strategic organizational initiatives and performing in fast-paced, demanding environments. This is why it is more important than ever to make sure you take good care of yourself so that you can better lead, manage your time, and feel good about yourself and your accomplishments at the end of the day.
Incorporating stress relievers - from taking a walk to meditation - can do amazing things for your health. These self-nurturing behaviors can increase your energy level and help you make better decisions about your career - and your life. Interested in bringing our workshop to your organization? Contact us! http://traversesolutions.com/contact.php
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Career Makeover Wednesdays: Daycare Duty to Writer Extraordinaire
By Guest Blogger Gina Blitstein
From our very first coaching session, Ellen has posed this question: "How do I plan to promote my business and keep my pipeline consistently full of work?" And from that first coaching session, my answer has always been that I am not particularly comfortable with the prospect of in-person networking - or any networking at all. Because of that fact, I have naturally gravitated toward online marketing. It seemed a logical fit for me, since I am more an introverted writer-type than a hand-shaking networker. Ellen assures me that face-to-face networking is a vital skill for me to develop and I know that she is correct. My current assignment from her is to contact other writers to forge relationships with other professionals in my field, which will benefit my business when it comes to understanding what others in my field are charging, challenges they have experienced along the way - and perhaps they might even have some work for me! She also continues to encourage me to attend local networking events and follow up on prospects with whom I've already had contact. In addition to the new challenges Ellen has given me, I continue the online marketing strategy that I have already implemented on my own. I thought it would be interesting to discuss the marketing I did in my previous career in contrast to what is necessary to promote my new career. This week I would like to discuss the differences between working with people in person and working with people I've only meet on the Internet. There are certainly some similarities - and some distinct differences. My child care business was, by necessity, a face-to-face kind of job. Parents would want to meet me, interview me and really get to know me before entrusting their children to me. Background checks and reality checks - that is as it should be when choosing a person to care for your precious little ones. My business was me and I was my business. If I had emitted a vibe that was anything less than competent and trustworthy, I would never have gotten any business. The personal relationships I built in my business insured satisfied clients and many referrals throughout the years. In many ways, my new venture as a freelance writer demands the same things of me. I need to project an air of confidence in my talent and demonstrate that I can be trusted to meet deadlines and expectations. There are, however, some marked differences. As a freelancer, I can actually market my business and forge new relationships with potential clients without ever actually meeting them in person. I can use tools available on the Internet to meet and network with others in my field and potential clients alike. I am a big fan of Twitter for the purpose of communicating about my business via the Internet. Twitter is a social networking site where you can send 140-character messages out to those users who follow you and read and reply to their messages. Twitter affords me the opportunity to meet other writers, folks who may be interested in my writing services and others who simply find me interesting. Every Twitter interaction is a potential networking opportunity because I frequently "Tweet" (which is the word used for the act of sending a message) about my work and the challenges and successes I'm experiencing in my career reinvention. The key to enjoying successful networking on Twitter is to make yourself a resource for others - not to "sell your services." Of course I don't only talk about business - I also mix in some Tweets about "life" in order to keep my Twitter persona likable and real. Twitter gives me the opportunity to showcase my talent and personality - which is a real godsend for this lady who still finds it a bit uncomfortable to network in person. I have recently been hired by a couple people I "met" on Twitter who needed my writing services and I've been in contact with several others. One of the most effective things about Twitter for networking is that no one "has" to listen, so my audience is already predisposed to being interested or they wouldn't be following me in the first place. Twitter has already proven to be an effective source of business for me. A link to my business website is right in my profile so it's easy to refer interested parties there. For a business that doesn't have a brick and mortar location, the Internet is a great way for me to meet potential clients from all over the country, too. Networking in my new field is the same yet different than in my previous one. In person meetings are no longer the only way to make business connections because the Internet affords me so many other ways to let people know about my work. What remains the same is the need to convey my qualifications and passion for my career - and I remain more comfortable at that online than I am in person. Twitter is easy and convenient to use, provides me with an interested audience for whom I can be a resource and expands my potential client base throughout the country. I can Tweet whenever and wherever I want and I don't need to dress to impress. Sounds like a networking relationship made in heaven! That being said, I do want very much to hone my in-person networking skills. Ellen has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and reach out to both other writers and locals who could benefit from my writing services. She has equipped me well to do so: I now have a pitch with which I am comfortable which explains exactly how I can be of service to others. Online networking can only take me so far. I fully believe that the bravery it will take me to "spread my wings" will serve me well throughout my new career. I am eager to see where reaching out to other writing professionals will take me in terms of confidence, networking skills and professionalism.
From our very first coaching session, Ellen has posed this question: "How do I plan to promote my business and keep my pipeline consistently full of work?" And from that first coaching session, my answer has always been that I am not particularly comfortable with the prospect of in-person networking - or any networking at all. Because of that fact, I have naturally gravitated toward online marketing. It seemed a logical fit for me, since I am more an introverted writer-type than a hand-shaking networker. Ellen assures me that face-to-face networking is a vital skill for me to develop and I know that she is correct. My current assignment from her is to contact other writers to forge relationships with other professionals in my field, which will benefit my business when it comes to understanding what others in my field are charging, challenges they have experienced along the way - and perhaps they might even have some work for me! She also continues to encourage me to attend local networking events and follow up on prospects with whom I've already had contact. In addition to the new challenges Ellen has given me, I continue the online marketing strategy that I have already implemented on my own. I thought it would be interesting to discuss the marketing I did in my previous career in contrast to what is necessary to promote my new career. This week I would like to discuss the differences between working with people in person and working with people I've only meet on the Internet. There are certainly some similarities - and some distinct differences. My child care business was, by necessity, a face-to-face kind of job. Parents would want to meet me, interview me and really get to know me before entrusting their children to me. Background checks and reality checks - that is as it should be when choosing a person to care for your precious little ones. My business was me and I was my business. If I had emitted a vibe that was anything less than competent and trustworthy, I would never have gotten any business. The personal relationships I built in my business insured satisfied clients and many referrals throughout the years. In many ways, my new venture as a freelance writer demands the same things of me. I need to project an air of confidence in my talent and demonstrate that I can be trusted to meet deadlines and expectations. There are, however, some marked differences. As a freelancer, I can actually market my business and forge new relationships with potential clients without ever actually meeting them in person. I can use tools available on the Internet to meet and network with others in my field and potential clients alike. I am a big fan of Twitter for the purpose of communicating about my business via the Internet. Twitter is a social networking site where you can send 140-character messages out to those users who follow you and read and reply to their messages. Twitter affords me the opportunity to meet other writers, folks who may be interested in my writing services and others who simply find me interesting. Every Twitter interaction is a potential networking opportunity because I frequently "Tweet" (which is the word used for the act of sending a message) about my work and the challenges and successes I'm experiencing in my career reinvention. The key to enjoying successful networking on Twitter is to make yourself a resource for others - not to "sell your services." Of course I don't only talk about business - I also mix in some Tweets about "life" in order to keep my Twitter persona likable and real. Twitter gives me the opportunity to showcase my talent and personality - which is a real godsend for this lady who still finds it a bit uncomfortable to network in person. I have recently been hired by a couple people I "met" on Twitter who needed my writing services and I've been in contact with several others. One of the most effective things about Twitter for networking is that no one "has" to listen, so my audience is already predisposed to being interested or they wouldn't be following me in the first place. Twitter has already proven to be an effective source of business for me. A link to my business website is right in my profile so it's easy to refer interested parties there. For a business that doesn't have a brick and mortar location, the Internet is a great way for me to meet potential clients from all over the country, too. Networking in my new field is the same yet different than in my previous one. In person meetings are no longer the only way to make business connections because the Internet affords me so many other ways to let people know about my work. What remains the same is the need to convey my qualifications and passion for my career - and I remain more comfortable at that online than I am in person. Twitter is easy and convenient to use, provides me with an interested audience for whom I can be a resource and expands my potential client base throughout the country. I can Tweet whenever and wherever I want and I don't need to dress to impress. Sounds like a networking relationship made in heaven! That being said, I do want very much to hone my in-person networking skills. Ellen has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and reach out to both other writers and locals who could benefit from my writing services. She has equipped me well to do so: I now have a pitch with which I am comfortable which explains exactly how I can be of service to others. Online networking can only take me so far. I fully believe that the bravery it will take me to "spread my wings" will serve me well throughout my new career. I am eager to see where reaching out to other writing professionals will take me in terms of confidence, networking skills and professionalism.
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