What are We Producing?

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A fabulous online friend posed a wonderful question the other day through email correspondence.  While musing over the impact and investment of creativity and business coaches, she asked a very simple question that often pops into my mind.

One of my favorite characters from last winter's adventures. He's producing his own wind-powered bike.

Are you [hiring a creative coach] to take your photography to the next level or are you trying to build the blog?

As a freelancer with an inner entrepreneur who wrestles with an inner child and an eclectic, though demanding inner artist, this question has no simple answer.  As with most major decisions in my life, it depends on the day, the weather, the moon and sometimes the wind.

What it truly boils down to, the true core of the question, who am I and what do I do?  Or better yet, what do I produce?

I pose this question, because I’m feeling that need for full on production.  I’m approaching that time of the year when I tend to retreat- both literally and figuratively- and the production aspect of what I do kicks in.  Not in a monetary manner for clients, but in an artistic manner- for myself and for the sake of producing.

The winter months are my time for artistic endeavors, Walkabouts and wandering, reading and philosophizing and examining the state of my business and my approach towards its future.  I literally slow down- in all aspects of my life- and kick back a little.

And my friend’s question and my recent disengagement from the trusty old wifi has me truly analyzing my forward momentum.

Do I move forward as a writer?

Do I move forward as a documentary photographer?

Do I put the wheels in motion for a full blown production studio?

Do I build an online business around my blog?

Do I continue to juggle freelance work, commercial multimedia production and writing for a living and hope to squeeze out some documentary work in the “down time” and hope my clients actually pay their bills so I can fund the documentary work?

Or do I just put everything on the shelf and be a black and white photographer- in a darkroom, coddling her negatives and relishing in the fumes of fixer.  (Yes, I like that aroma- go figure)

Or- here’s a nice wrench in the whole argument, do I just retreat from the world, live off the land, relish in the beauty of small town America and do lapidary and photography- just for the sake of itself?

Oh, the tortured logic of an artistic entrepreneur.  Because really, they are all wonderful options.

So, I come back to the original question, and it’s not a new one to this blog.  Who are you?  What do you produce?  Why do you follow this line of work?  What’s your impact on the world?

And, if someone were to pull the plug on all the technology in the world and we were to revert to the mid 1990s- pre-internet boom- or even worse, the mid 1950s- pre-computer days- where would you be?  Or rather- who would you be?

What would you produce?  Why would you bother?  Who would benefit from your efforts?  Would you still be the insatiable entrepreneur- all Atlas Shrugged style or would you be the existential being living by a pond all Thoreau/Walden like?

As we approach another year and start to contemplate our plans for growth, the future and the big picture- maybe we should stop and reevaluate some of these fundamental questions.

Oddly, I pose these questions to myself often- but I never come up with a true answer.  And when an answer arises, it usually changes.

But what I do find is that vision- that dream future that I see and am walking towards- usually surfaces after the frantic ADD leaping from one possible career scenario to another possible business option subsides.  And once this Medusa-esque beast goes to sleep and I’m left with that one rational voice in my head, that true-self that quietly speaks up after the madness has subsided, I return to one thing.

Storytelling.  I am a storyteller.  I use images, words and sounds.  And I create.

That’s it.  You can have the rest.  Give me the time and space to create my art.  Give me a little food and a dry roof over my head (a train/plane ticket helps too) and I will just create.

Your turn.  What do you produce?  Why do you produce?  If you were take it all away- all the shiny bling of the internet, social media and the computer, what would you be left with?

And be sure to visit Farnoosh’s fabulous blog, Prolific Living, when you have the chance!  She prompted this post with her insightful questions.  Her blog is wonderful, so spend some time over there!

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Adapting to Life at 10,500 Feet

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My recent Western Relocation has landed me in the highest incorporated town in America.  With a whopping population of 600-ish people, Alma is about as high as you can get for a Rocky Mountain town.  While walking outside my door and being dwarfed by a 14K foot mountain peak that’s literally half a mile away is a wonderful way to start the day, there are a few adjustments for this location independent nomad.

Our daily walk in the shadow of a 14K footer!

And while the move went smoothly (give or take a few weather systems), my ability to adapt has been challenged in several ways since I came to this quiet little town.  Here are a few of my recent adaptations.

Connection.

Connectivity is by far the greatest challenge in this move.  You truly do not realize how dependent you are upon the internet in this line of work until you can’t find a connection.  The local coffeehouse is wonderful, and for good reason, they do not provide wifi for their customers.  Being a strong proponent of community gathering places, I totally understand.

So, while walking through town on my first day here, I noticed the local pub had a wifi sign on the window.  Perfect.  And they’re open at 6 am for breakfast- even better.  So, the following day, I bundled up- did I mention the average temperature is about 15 degrees at this elevation- grabbed my backpack and walked down to the pub at 9 am.  Amazingly, a people were actually having a beer and playing pool.

Did I mention that I’m next to South Park- or the town where the cartoon was based? I can see a novel or a sitcom growing out of this town.

I grabbed a table next to the window and parked my ass there for hours. I ordered a ‘giant pancake’ (literally twice the size of my head) and a bottomless cup of coffee and commenced to getting my wifi on.

And I’ve been back almost every morning since.  I’ve opted for just the Sysco coffee sans ginormous pancake.  And I hate to admit this, but I really like it.  When I open the door to the pub, literally and figuratively called “Alma’s Only Bar” I kinda feel like Norm walking into Cheers.

I know who will be sitting at the bar, that the bartender will be having her coffee and chatting with the locals and that the chef will be sitting at the bar table with her laptop.  I join her in the mornings, we share a table and get to work.  And she always gives me such a warm welcome when I walk in.  There’s a fire blazing in the wood stove and the coffee is hot.

What more can you ask for?

The transition of the bar crowd vs coffeeshop crowd in the morning does take a little bit of an adjustment.  Luckily, I grew up in the restaurant industry and was a bartender for ten years, so I speak the language.  There’s no NPR or folk music playing, usually the entertainment news or CMT is on the bar television.  There’s no debate of politics, in fact there’s very little talk of politics at all. Unless the Rogue politician gone Hollywood pops onto the TV and the bar will fire up with the latest talking points spinning out of the media cycle.

But, a little color in the morning is a nice change of pace.  I met Uncle Johnny the other morning, who kept the fire stoked and the conversation interesting.  A former police officer from Pittsburgh, Uncle Johnny is the go-to guy in the bar and probably in the town. I have a feeling if I need anything, Uncle Johnny would be the man to ask.

When he introduced himself, I had to smile a little.  I had an Uncle Louie in Pawleys Island who could, and I quote “make things happen. If you need me to take care of somebody, you just let me know.  I know people.” Literally, his exact words.  Love it!

So, while my connectivity is still a little spotty, I am learning to adjust and hoping my online communities will understand my lack of availability at the moment.

My favorite "office" from last winter's Walkabout. I hope to be there in a few more weeks! Image from my Blackberry.

Work Schedule


As a location independent professional, I’ve learned to work almost anywhere when necessary. But even when not traveling, I have certain times of the day when my creativity emerges and I ride that horse for all it’s worth.  My new living arrangement (and it’s only for a few more months) is very small.  Tiny.  300 square feet tiny, with my dog and a roommate.  Yea, wrap your brain around that for a sec.  No bedrooms or quiet corners for this little night owl to dive into her writing and production.  Conundrum.

I have found the local coffeeshop- sans wifi- to be an excellent place for contemplation and writing.  I sit next to a giant picture window that looks out over Main Street and that mammoth 14K foot mountain by my house and work away.  Or try to.  I’ve met some wonderful people there and have gotten some writing done, but mid-afternoon is my least creative time and they close at six.  My most creative time is at night, and I’m hoping to find a little more rhythm there soon.

My other major work schedule adjustment relates to the first point of connectivity.  Not having evening access to the wifi- unless I want to be that girl chained to her laptop in the corner of the bar, sipping whiskey and being anti-social- has meant that I only check email once a day.  I hate to admit this, but I rather like that aspect of this new schedule.  It takes some getting used to, but I enjoy not being chained to the inbox.  So, I’m left to have conversations with my roommate in the evenings or read a book, both of which are rather enjoyable.

I do worry that my writing will begin (or is already) slipping with the lack of late night writing.  Hopefully my muse will adjust as well and as I find my rhythm here, I’ll be able to compensate for my challenging work schedules.

My winter chalet from last year. If I can adjust to this tight living space, I can live anywhere! Image from the blackberry.

Finding a New Market- or Not

My new town is only 30 minutes from Breckenridge, where people, business and social life abounds.  My plan was to drum up some local business to tap into when I’m not traveling. I researched the town prior to moving and lived here ten years ago, so I have some idea of what to anticipate when putting my freelancing self into this market.  But, putting myself out there requires one major element of a business that I am lacking at the moment- transportation.

If you’ve been reading this blog the past few weeks, you saw the lovely pictures of the Vintage Vanagon I so diligently navigated cross-country with the canoe/sail on top.  Well, she took a big shit last week and left her exhaust system in shambles on a mountain pass.  So I am sans wheels. In a town of 600 people, with a handful of businesses’ and no mass-transit to the next major town.

Oops.

And oh, did I mention the big mountain pass that you have to traverse, complete with hairpin turns and snow banks to get to Breckenridge?  Oyyy.

So the other night, when faced with the possibility of no wheels all winter, I did some serious spreadsheet forecasting of all the possible scenarios of living here with or without a car and running my business.  I highly recommend everyone do this often, particularly when you’re contemplating new avenues of your business or trying to understand where your opportunities lie.

My major question in this whole line of rationale was the following- was the Universe trying to force me to focus on just the online business by taking away the vehicle and the wifi all at once.  I understand that there’s the element of free will in here- and I can choose my own vehicle and such- but I tend to pay attention when things unfold and try to find the lesson within the mayhem.  By not having the distraction of the internet and having very limited options for income, I would literally HAVE to build my online business now and not mess around with more freelance jobs and “real” work.

My spreadsheets helped- tremendously.  I made about 10 different versions of the possible revenue streams and how they would budget out through the year.  I used Mac’s Numbers and their built in budget template and played out all the possible options.  I narrowed my possibilities down to three and then focused in on the one budget that was my ideal goal- both monetarily and for the type of freelance/online business balance I see myself juggling this year.

I then busted out the iCal and put all the budget milestones onto my calendar and planned out the following year!  Holy Crap!  And today, when I was beginning to stress a little about creating local fliers for freelance services and getting over the pass to network, I opened up the spreadsheets and looked at my calendar to see what I truly should be focused on.  And I did just that.

Funny how that whole planning thing works, isn’t it?

I know, seems rather obvious, but for this artistic entrepreneur, planning doesn’t always come naturally.  I can strategize like nobody’s business and I can visualize the big picture, but putting the tiny little steps necessary to get me there into action, well that’s a challenge.

So, back to my transportation adaptation.  Looks like someone will be driving cross-country- AGAIN- in two weeks.  My truck is going to have to make the journey out here, so this nomad can be mobile again.  Hitching a ride over that pass and to my desert town next month is not a task that I’m looking forward to.

Now, it’s your turn.

So, if you’re still with me, how do you adjust your work routines and schedules to a new location- be it on a business trip or a major move?

What are your necessary elements for productivity- no matter where you are?

Are you a serious planner or fly-by-the seat of your pants person?

Do you have spreadsheet planners for year long forecasting or a special method for bringing your plans to action?

What’s the strangest place you’ve worked in for wifi access? Go on, you can tell us!

Filed Under: entrepreneurship Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Where to Start When You’re Ready to Ditch the Cubicle

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You’ve been working for other people for an eternity, or at least it feels that way.  You’ve made your bosses thousands and thousands of dollars, decided the course of someone else’s business and devoted your talents and strengths into building someone else’s empire.

Everyone has a passion and that passion can be a business- even racing farm animals is a viable business!

And that’s not a bad thing.  You’ve taken the time to learn how a business runs, made mistakes on someone else’s dime and made lasting friendships with colleagues and employers that will last a lifetime.

But, now you’ve got the itch.  You have to scratch it.  You have a different reality in mind for your future.  So, where do you start?

Identify Your Passion.

I’ve talked at length about passion on this site, so I’ll just refer you to a couple links to follow up on this point.  Passion is the fuel behind the 12-15 hour days you’re about to embark upon.  It’s the fire that lights under your ass in the morning and causes you to leap out of bed ready to dominate the world.

But how do you find your passion? Thousands of resources exist to help you identify that passion and finding the one that speaks to you is necessary before moving forward.

I was fortunate to have my passion arise at a young age.  My dad bought me my first SLR at the age of 10 and I never looked back.  That does not mean I’ve always been a photographer though.  My passion, is more of who I am and less of what I do.  I’m walking right into a contradiction here.

My passion does not necessarily mean that’s how I make a living.  It’s taken me many years to learn and accept this fact.  I do still make money using my camera, but my goal- what sets my ass a-flame- is the thought that my other revenue streams will one day fund my documentary photography work.  This vision is what propels me forward in my artistic entrepreneurial endeavor.

So, even if your passion is not the exact means of how you make a living, be sure that your passion is in bed with the endeavor you decide to make your own.  For without the fuel of your passion, you may not have the strength to make it through the dark and twisty places that you WILL travel down.

The crowds waits for the pic-racing to begin at the NC State Fair.

Visualize

Close your eyes for a few minutes and see your future self engaged in the business that you are striving to create.  What does that person look like?  What are they doing?  How do they carry themselves?  What is the joy that they are embracing while traveling down the path to entrepreneurship?

You must visualize yourself within the business or company you are creating.  Visualization relies upon the passion quite heavily, for it’s the excitement that the passion creates which formulates the vision of your future self.

Write this down, sketch it out, create a vision board and tell a few dear friends or family what that vision is and how you are going to make it a reality.

The little piggies wait for their turn to race!

Build Your Framework

To build a house, you draw up a blueprint, lay the foundation and then build the framework.  The walls and trim-work come later, once the building is sound and stable.  The same concept applies for your future entrepreneurial endeavor.

Write out your plan first.  The size and scope of your business plan will vary greatly depending on your type and size of business.  I started creating complicated business plans and never seemed to connect with the complexity and formality of it all.  If you are building a small, solo-prenur endeavor without outside investors, than your plan can be small and organic.

Get the basics down on paper- the mission statement, executive statement, the staff or support system, the goals of the business, descriptions of the products and services and an analysis of the target market for your endeavor.  You’ll find that certain areas are more important to your business structure than others, so be sure to focus on the areas the meet your needs.  Many resources exist for writing your plan, so find one that makes sense to you and dive in.

I use frameworks that I’ve found while reading Ladies Who Launch and The Organic Entrepreneur.  The styles of business plans presented in these books speak to the way my mind works.  You must know how your mind works in order to find the appropriate plan that you can bring to life.

Gather Your Mentors and Support Systems

Absolutely necessary.  You must, MUST, have people in your daily sphere of interaction that can guide you, provide support and be a sounding board as you navigate these tricky entrepreneurial waters.  Sometimes you just need someone to scrape you off the floor when you’ve fallen so hard you don’t know which way is up.  And sometimes, you just need someone to revel in your accomplishment over a glass of wine.

Find people who understand you, who comprehend what you’re building and why you’re building it and who have traveled down a similar path at some point in their lives.

When I was slogging through the path of a professional photographer, I hit a wall with my work.  I had no real network and no mentors.  Big problem.  I knew it was time to return to school, so I applied to one of the best schools in the country for photojournalism. And one of the major reasons I returned to school was to surround myself with people who were smarter and more talented than me and to build a network of colleagues and mentors.  And I did, and I love it!

You don’t need to return to academia to find such a network, your people are all around you.  Go to a MeetUp for your area of interest, contact someone who has been wildly successful at what you are hoping to build or attend seminars where the speakers are inspirational and accessible.

Be sure to meet people at a similar stage as you during these meetings and events.  Exchange contact information and really get to know them.  Your peers can be as valuable as your mentors.  I can not emphasize enough the value of having someone who understands your struggles and triumphs at this stage of the game.  Find these peers, connect with them and grow together.  You need them, more than you can imagine!

The little piggies race for cheese-doodles.

Build Your Online Platform

Your platform is huge- this is a big one!  Devote some serious time to building your platform for reaching your customers.  Everyones platform looks a little different and will vary dramatically based on your business and your target market.

Are your customers hanging out on Twitter chatting it up while they’re at work?  Or are your potential clients stay at home mom’s who use Facebook for hours on end to stay in touch with their friends and fellow moms? Do your potential customers even know what GoWalla or Tumblr are and will they ever use social media?

You must answer these questions before building your platform.  Identify the location of your customers and start interacting in that space.  Build your presence on this social media platform first and then branch out to another form of social media to expand your platform.

Scott Stratten, author of Unmarketing, made a fabulous point in his book that I wish I knew at the beginning of my platform building.  Focus on just one social media platform at time.  Build your presence on Twitter, make it strong and then branch out to Facebook or a blog.  This approach is not often mentioned, but makes perfect sense.  Why build a relationship with a person on one platform, then immediately send them somewhere else.  Stratten built his Twitter following to over 10,000 before he ever created a blog post.  By that time, he knew his audience well and could provide content that would benefit them the most.

Your platform should have at least a homepage or blog, a connection to Facebook or Twitter and an email subscription sign up for your site.  Remember, the online platform is often your first introduction to your potential customers or clients.  First impressions are essential and most people make a snap judgment on when visiting a website in about 3-5 seconds.

If you have the resources, hire a designer (and use WordPress if you’re building a website/blog) to make your online platform as professional as possible.  Be sure the design reflects your target market and create a uniform presence across all platforms by using the same color schemes, logos and photos of yourself.  And yes, those photos need to be professional as well.  Use the same avatar photo on all your platforms and be sure the picture is up to date and as professional as you can afford.

Now, Leap.

You’ve done the heavy lifting, you’ve identified your passions,  you’ve visualized your endeavor, your support system is in place and your platform is built.  Now, it’s time to just take the final leap and dive into the great unknown.  Just remember to keep that support system nearby at all times and keep your vision in the forefront of your thought bubble most of the time.  When you leap, remember that your wings will appear as you sail through the air and at some point, you’ll land in the place where your dreams live.  It won’t happen tomorrow, and might not happen for many years, but it will happen.

The following images were taken at the NC State Fair in 2006.  The wonderful folks at Hogsway Speedsway Pig Racing allowed me to tag along for an afternoon and photograph their business.  The love and affection they shared for their animals was very refreshing and does show that even the most unlikely of business ideas can be grounded in passion and successful!


Pig Racing – Images by Crystal Street

Filed Under: entrepreneurship
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