The Lessons We Learn From Mistakes

I'm not sure if I made some blunderous mistakes yesterday, or handled myself well in a panic situation. It all depends on how you look at the events that occurred. I'll take you through it:

I subscribe to AppSumo which sends me email notifications about deals on software and other web based packages. For instance, I received a year of WorkFlowy Pro for a year by clicking on the deal in an email they sent. Yesterday the deal was for a trio of MacPaw software designed to help clean up space and delete duplicate files on my Mac for only $25. I read the reviews and didn't find anything dodgy.

My laptop is my livelihood, and I spent a lot of money earlier this year upgrading to a newer model, so I want to protect it as best I can. Therefore, I felt like I was making a wise investment when I made the purchase.

I still can't say it was this software that did it, because the computer has always been a little bit buggy. Nothing to be alarmed about which is why I've never taken it in, especially since all Apple products seem to come with some quirks these days. My iPhone screen chooses to stop working sometimes, I regularly have to turn it off and turn it back on when certain applications just don't want to open, and Siri talks to herself on occasion.

But, when I couldn't empty my trash because applications were "still running," I went to do what I normally do which is restart the computer. However, this time I thought to myself, it's been a long time since you shut it down all the way, you should go ahead and do that.

So I shut it down and proceeded to clean my home/office. When sat down at the computer to start it back up, it did nothing. No response. I held the button for two seconds. I held the button for ten seconds. I tapped it quickly. I shut the computer and opened it back up again. Held for thirty seconds. Nothing.

I felt the panic begin to rise. I often go immediately into crisis mode when I think my computer isn't going to start up again. These babies are expensive, the genius bar takes forever before you get to speak to someone, and this always happens when I have something due very soon. I've been through this enough now though to know panicking is not the way to fix the problem. There was nothing I could do but contact Apple support.

So I Googled the number on my phone and hit the call button. Someone answered right away. An actual human being! When does that ever happen? I started to remind myself this is why we spend so much on these Apple products, because they come with awesome bonuses like live humans answering their phones.

As I'm explaining the problem to the technician on the phone, my computer starts up. By itself. I tell him this and he starts instructing me to click this, click that, read me this, does it say that, and before I know it he's remote assisting me. We look up my serial number and see my over the phone Apple support warranty period has ended, and that's when my heart dropped.

And here it goes. The sales pitch. This is when I realize I'm not even speaking to an Apple support tech, I'm speaking to a representative from a third party support company who specializes in Apple products (so much for thinking Apple has amazing customer service). This is also when I remember, didn't I buy that warranty plan from Best Buy when I bought the computer?

I looked at the time and I had two hours left of my working day. The Geek Squad is great, don't get me wrong, but I've know a few too many people who walked away with their devices "fixed" while in the store only to get home and find them not working again. Plus, waiting in their line isn't any better than the Apple Genius Bar.

No. There was to be no hanging up and driving all the way to Best Buy to re-explain what was happening and run the risk of hours spent in their store. I needed to make sure this computer didn't crash and I needed it fixed now! So I signed up for the plan. Now I get one year of 24/7 over the phone technical support on up to 4 Apple devices. Something I'll probably need again 366 days from yesterday when I'll have to pay another $120 to get it.

Where did I go wrong? Was it downloading the software yesterday morning? Or, was it when I chose to try calling for support instead of making use of the plan I'd already paid for?

Or, did I go wrong at all? Perhaps the problem with the computer had nothing to do with me and the results were a blessing in disguise? There was a time when what happened yesterday would've sent me into a complete panic and instead, I kept my head. Sure, I spent more money than I meant to, but I saved on time. Now you could say I'm doubly covered. I've got phone support for minor software problems and live support at Best Buy for major hardware problems.

Working alone now, I can no longer look over the top of my desk to the technical director and ask for his help when things go awry with my computer. No, I have to find the solutions myself. I have no idea if these solutions were the right ones, but if they weren't I'll know that for next time.

The lesson for now: trust your gut and learn to rely on yourself. I had a bad feeling about that software even after reading the reviews and yet I wanted to believe it was a good thing so I bought it anyway. Next time, unless I need it and it comes highly recommended to me by sources I trust, I'm not buying it. And, even though I called someone else to fix the computer yesterday, that was the right solution for the problem at hand. At the very least I feel doubly insured I will have someone to call again in the future if I need help.

The Learning Hour

I do not claim to be an expert in anything. Believing you already know it all closes the mind. Closed minded people cease to grow. I want to grow every day. I want to learn something new every day.

It's one of my favorite aspects of managing social media accounts. Every client I create and share content for provides opportunities to research and learn something new. Often these are topics I would never think to search out for myself.

For instance, when I have a need to discuss air conditioning repair or renovations around my home, I know the process, materials, and jargon due to my experience managing content for clients in those industries. This eliminates a lot of miscommunication, and often puts the technicians and contractors at ease when they realize I come to them more informed than most. They begin to treat me like a fellow rather than a customer which is how I prefer to conduct business.

I realized a long time ago I will always be a know-a-little-about-a-lot kinda gal, and choosing to pursue a career in content marketing and social media has made me embrace it. It serves me well that not only do I know a little something about many things, but I still want to learn more things about everything. What I already know gives me talking points when I meet almost anyone. Learning more will only give me more.

But I have to remember I need to continue learning about what I do as well! If I'm only ever learning about my clients' industries, I will fall behind in my own. So I instituted a "Learning Hour" in my day. The goal is for the last hour of my work day, every day, I dedicate one hour to reading and researching marketing and business trends. This way, when I walk into a meeting with you, I'm walking in with knowledge about your business and mine!

Always search for something new to learn. Keep an open mind for the lessons life throws at you. Grow with them all.

The Way Of Working That Works For You

I learned a lot in college, as is the point of attending. While in school I learned I'm passionate about history and art, something I knew I had faint interest in when entering, but had no idea just how deep that fascination went. I learned how to develop film and print photos in the darkroom, and how to sculpt a vase with ceramic clay. My most important skills acquired from my years in the classroom: research, analyzing that research, and then writing about it.

It's those skills that transfer well into a marketing career. After all, marketing is researching a business and their demographic, analyzing that information, and putting together a plan with it. Since I'm a content marketer mostly, the writing about the information comes in handy too.

However, it was not college where I learned most about life. That I learned from motherhood. And from freelancing I'm learning the most about myself.

When you're teaching someone else how to navigate through life, you learn a heck of a lot about it. You find yourself teaching your son, "People who say 'I can't' never get anything done. Say you can!" "Never give up. Keep trying! If the first thing you try doesn't work, try again in a new way until you get there." "One step at a time!" As I'm saying this to him learning to pedal his bicycle or tie his shoe, I'm realizing I need to listen to these words as much as he does.

Freelancing, working from home, and being a single mom are a daily exercise in juggling my way through life. This juggling has taught me more about myself than I ever realized I didn't know. Who knew all these years I'd been living life the way I thought I should rather than in a way that works for me and my personality.

For instance, I hate being chained to a desk (hence quitting the office job to work for myself from home) and at the same time I thrive on having structured routine to my day. Because of this, I get up every morning and make breakfast, make coffee, get dressed, and drive my son to day care just as if I were off to an office where I'd punch a clock. Keeping set working hours, dressing for work, working from my desk instead of the couch, all keep a semblance of structure to the day, and yet I'm not being restricted.

When I do work from home I sit at my desk, but I don't work from home every day. Something else I've learned to accept and incorporate into my day is the fact I'm highly extroverted. Kinda odd an extrovert wouldn't love working in an office where they're surrounded by people right? Well, here I am, the example of an extrovert who likes to work for herself by herself.

The truth is, freelancing is much better for my extroverted-ness than office life was. I love meeting new people as much as being around familiar faces. Working from various coffee houses around town gives me those opportunities to meet new people, and being mobile allows me to meet my clients in friendlier more comfortable settings. All the while, the drama of office relationships aren't a bother and the pressure of meeting rooms and presentation materials are almost non existent.

The point I'm trying to get at, and I'll just come out and say, is the only thing we should be doing is finding the way of working that works for us. I had no idea when I graduated college I'd be better off freelancing than being on payroll. When I had my son I started getting ideas about working from home so I could have flexibility to spend more time with him. Now I've made it happen and I've realized this is the right working style for me.

If you're not already working in a way that's best for you, then I insist, meet yourself and accept yourself so you can be yourself. It's the only way to be.

Socializing v. Networking

I don't call myself a social butterfly for just any reason. I love to socialize and meet new people. I find you almost always learn something you didn't previously know when you meet someone new.

Oh, you didn't know there was a Bob's Bagel Mart on Orange? Oh yeah, we go there all the time. Fantastic little bagel shop has the best coffee!

Or,

If you over boil the rigatoni a bit and then layer it with ricotta cheese in a pan, cover it with mozzarella, and bake it for a while you have a tasty Italian dish similar to Lasagna, but a little bit different.

As much as I love to socialize, as much as I love to meet new people and make new connections, I'm as nervous as the next gal when walking into a networking event. Networking events are a whole different ballgame from meeting people in a social environment. These events are designed specifically to bring about people who do not currently know each other in order for them to meet one another. Therefore, you have an event coordinated specifically for a bunch of strangers with the sole purpose of meet, greet, talk! It all feels very forced.

So what is the difference between a room full of strangers at a networking meeting versus a bunch of strangers in a pool room? Why is it I have no issue striking up conversation with the people at the pool table next to me and yet my rare, but still very much real, social anxiety kicks in at the door of the local social media round table meeting?

My theory is that when one meets strangers at a social event, the socialization isn't necessarily expected. It happens naturally. It's what I call organic socialization. At a networking event, it's expected. And not only that, but we as the networkers want nothing more than to present ourselves in the best light. These are those first impression moments, and we want to stand out. I don't know about you, but I immediately become socially awkward when I'm trying really hard not to be socially awkward.

On top of that, while networking events and social events alike bring about people with common grounds, the former usually means the common ground is work. It's what we do for a living, and what we've been talking about all day already. Now we're in a room full of people who are trying to sell their same skills and trying their hardest to outshine everyone else in the room. We all want to leave that memorable impression on the bigwig we just shook hands with.

And what do you talk about after the first five minutes of "Nice to meet you. I'm so-and-so and I do such-and-such for company ABC..."? Occasionally you do meet a person with whom you hit it off, and the conversation typically moves off the topic of work because you've realized you and this person have more in common than paychecks. But when it doesn't, you simply exchange business cards after a slightly awkward silence and move on to the next person.

Now that I've said all that, I still find great value in attending these events. When leaving, I always find that I ended up having a lot of fun. It ordinarily takes me a little while to shake off that odd bout of social anxiety, but once I do, I'm just as sociable here as anywhere else.

The thing about networking is, you're not going to see tremendous career changing results from one event, two events, even a year worth of events possibly. It takes time to build connections. But when you do become someone's go-to person, all that time is worth it. Networking is something we have to work into our modus operandi. Sporadic attendance to opportunities to meet like minded people will mean every time you show up you're a new person in the room.

I'll admit I've been more on the sporadic side in my career so far. I can't attend a lot of them as the babysitter issue is always there for a working single mother. It's difficult sometimes to decide which ones are worth the dollars in child care and more time away from my son, but I think I've let this become an excuse. But no more! I'm making a commitment here for all to see.

I will:
1. Go to at least one networking event a month.
2. Change it up - I'm not going to stick to just advertising and marketing events. I'm going to attend a variety so as to meet more potential clients in addition to fellows in my industry.
3. Be patient and accept that it will take time to build connections and may cost me money to do so.

This Business About Business Cards

Websites are pivotal when working for yourself. Most people know this, they accept this, and they're thoroughly baffled by how to make it happen. Luckily for me, my experience as a project manager for two agencies specializing in building websites has given me some inside know-how on easy ways to make a website. The business cards were another story.

To get nice high quality business cards, you need design files. While I have more design skills than the average Jill, my experience is limited to saving files for web, not print. So I needed the help of designer, which can get expensive if you don't know people.

I should mention now that I am extremely blessed. I have some of the most fantastic connections in the city of Orlando. If you do not, then you need to figure out how to meet the people in your city who can hook you up and do it, but that's a subject for another post.

A very close friend of mine is one of the most talented people I know. She's been behind me the whole way supporting me in every step. She's my cheerleader, my mentor, and just an all-around great friend. I'm lucky that professionally she is also a designer. She is the genius behind my Managed By Rita logo, she collaborated on my website content, and she is the designer of my beautiful business cards.

She is also a full-time art director and part-time graphics professor for a local college, so understandably there was a waiting period for her to make room in her schedule. There were some missed opportunities during this waiting period, and I'll admit I was bummed. Nothing makes you look more unprepared and unreliable than when you're done giving your pitch about yourself and what  you can do for a person and you have nothing to show for it.

Oh you're in social media? Great! Give me your card. I'd love to chat with you sometime about business.

***crickets***

Oops, well, I don't have them yet, but let me give you my number and email on this scrap of paper you're sure to lose in three minutes. Don't hesitate to give me a call...

I have since received my business cards, and they were 100% worth the wait. Not only do I now come equipped with my second most important piece of marketing materials (website being the first here), but they're eye-catching, unique, and something people will remember. Even more important is that through all those missed opportunities I've learned one of the most important lessons in business. Be prepared. Every day. Every time. With everyone you meet.

The Freelancer Signal

So is freelancing mostly sitting around in your batcave waiting for the Rita signal to go up and then you mete out some piping hot social media marketing justice? Because that's how I imagine it.

My friend asked me that in a text message shortly after I'd told him my decision to freelance full-time. I answered with my attempt at a quip:

That's pretty accurate. Don't tell anyone though. Gotta keep my secret identity under wraps.

How awesome it would be if my desk were actually located in my freelancing "batcave," (or butterfly cave in my case) and it was as easy as waiting for the call. There I'd sit, typing furiously on my laptop and my eyes drift to the window as they so often do. Staring off into space, my butterfly signal appears lighting up the sky (a pretty amazing feat seeing as I work during normal daylight business hours...). I jump up, don my super freelancer cape, and fly off to the social media marketing rescue for the client in distress.

Yes, how amazing that would be. But alas, it is not so easy. First of all, as if I need to say it, there's no such thing as a freelancing signal. Secondly, most people don't know they need social media help, and if they do they don't know how to find it. Therefore, a big part of my job is to go out find those distressed clients myself. Then I need to sell them on their own need for help and me as the solution to their problems.

Networking. Selling your image. Showing up everyday. That's how we freelancers get it done. 

The Coffee House Office

Nowadays, if you visit a coffee shop in Orlando during the day, whether it be Starbucks or a little local hole-in-the-wall, you're likely to encounter the mass of freelancers setting up shop. You'll know them by the open laptops, headphones in their ears, papers and notebooks scattered over the table they'll occupy for hours at a time, and they're those pesky people who take calls while you're trying to read your book over your flavored coffee beverage. 

What can I say? Coffee is apart of our culture. For so many of my cohorts in this business, 2 am is when they tell me they're the most creative. The problem with that being your preferred time to work is that your clients are conducting business at the normal 9 to 5 hours. This has led to a high dependency on caffeine for many who work in the middle of the night but still have to "show up" during the day. 

More than just the coffee, the draw is getting out of our home offices for a while. Working from home doesn't always need to mean being at home. Personally, I need my time being exposed to other people or I'd go crazy. We're not all introverts who choose to work this way because we're too antisocial to handle an office full of people.

In fact, the choice to work for myself from home was a big one for me. I labored over the fear I'd become lonely and end up miserable. The coffee house office was my solution though, and swayed my choice to cut ties with the corporate life. Turns out, I get to be more sociable. Instead of the same faces day in and day out, I meet new people frequently.

For a social butterfly like me working in a social industry, this is quite perfect. 

  

What Do You Do?

It's a simple question. Most people have no trouble answering quickly and succinctly. I'm a doctor. I'm a teacher. I'm a general contractor. However, for me this question poses quite a few complications in answering with ease.

It is possible I take the question too literally. What do I do? Well, every day I wake up to snuggles and kisses with the world's most handsome little man. That is, unless he's sick or he woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. Then, I wake up to whining and tantrums.

Once I've handled my mommy duties for the morning – breakfast, clothes, teeth, and the dreaded daily battle get him loaded in the car and even worse to drop him off at day care – I move on to the work that pays.

I spend the bulk of my day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at times Pinterest. Most of the time is on the clock and some of it is personal time just fiddling around. The rest of my "work day" is juggled between various blogging interfaces, websites, and email accounts.

I ride my bike often, practice yoga, meditate, and have lunch with friends and colleagues whenever I can.

I'm a coffee house expert. I know which have internet problems and at what time of day they're most prone to experience them. I have preferences to which I will use as my office any given day depending on what my work load looks like because I know which will have the most conducive environment.

I play pool on Wednesday nights, where I've become the bar room's official website and social media consultant (something I really should consider charging for but what can you do when it's friends asking right?).

I recently opened my own social media management business, so "Business Owner," or "Entrepreneur" should be added to the list somewhere.

I could also answer with, "I'm a writer," or "I'm a photographer."

A very dear friend of mine who hates cleaning pays me to tidy up her house for her on Fridays, so let's add "housekeeper" (which was actually implied with the mommy role).

So there you go. Now, if we ever meet and you ask me that question you will know why I pause before answering. You'll understand why I sputter out some over complicated answer that has you thinking, man I was just trying to make small talk. 

I know that's not what people are after when they ask me what I do. I know they don't want a literal rundown of what I do on a daily basis. They want to know how I earn my money. (That's really what people should ask. Who pays you?)

But truly, I just find this question a difficult one to answer. Perhaps it's because I have a problem with identifying myself under a job title. Perhaps it's because I don't have your typical 9 to 5 job with an office, name tag, and a phone extension.

I guess what I should choose for my answer is, "I'm a freelancer." Yeah, freelancer, we'll go with that.