cherry pick your clients!

In a day job, there may be times when you don’t always get along with every single supervisor, coworker or client that comes into the office.

One of the benefits of being a freelancer is that you get to pick & choose your clients. (Sure, sometimes money is tight and you don’t have the luxury to be incredibly picky).

You will be speaking to this person on a regular basis, so make sure you consult first with a face-to-face over coffee. Are they on the other side of the country? Enjoy a continental cup o’ joe over skype. The point is, get a feel for the client personally before moving on to any sort of proposal.

No paycheck will be worth it if you are stuck dealing with somebody you can’t stand.

Do they seem passionate about their business or product?

Do they have realistic goals in mind?

Are they communicative / accessible or do you go days / weeks without contact?

Are they somebody you would be proud to have on your resume / portfolio someday? Meaning…do they inspire you?

It’s easy to work for somebody who feels passionate and confident in themselves or their product. As a freelancer, you shouldn’t be settling for anything less than these types of clients – your hours are too valuable to waste getting frustrated on sub-par prospects. The worst thing you can do is take on a client that ends up making you regret the project or worse, burn any bridges!

In the spirit of the season, I thought I’d give a quick case study run-down on some of my most inspiring clients this year and what they are up to these days:

Recent case studies of inspiring clients:

• Everybody learns public speaking in schools, but what about how to listen?
  Congrats to Chris Fama, Cayuga Community College professor for his thesis for his second master’s degree “listening” being published!

  The book, called “A Listening Curriculum for the Lower-Division College Student,” helps professors create a course solely on listening – a skill Fama believes is not taught enough in schools. The book is now selling on Amazon.com. Published by the German company Lambert Academic Publishing, the book sells for $55. Chris has an inspiring work ethic, keen research skills and unique insights that truly will help shape the future of communication.

• We are in an age of a reading renaissance, where Young Adult (YA) novels like Harry Potter, Twilight and Hunger Games spark infectious interest in books at an early age. A perhaps unexpected – but welcomed effect – of this generation is young aspiring writers. Allyson Richards started writing her first novel Enlightened when she was 15 years old. Currently 17, she is developing her supernatural fiction novels into a 4-part series that is sure to capture the hearts of readers, from early tweens to Twilight moms.Her year was full of national, regional & local TV, radio and internet features; book festivals; secured speaking opportunities for libraries, schools, clubs and book stores. Allyson Richards most recently emceed her local library’s teen reading week. She manages to juggle these engagements with the poise & professionalism of a true industry veteran. Look out for, publishing world! =)Some people go their whole lives without go after their dreams headfirst. Allyson’s accomplishments would be admirable for anyone; but for someone to achieve her dreams before high school? Her passion is contagious and she is a joy to work with.
• One of the most fabulous ladies of Orlando, Heather Unger of Heather the Realtor launched her new website and gained even more momentum establishing herself as THE realtor for first time buyers and families alike. What I loved about Heather is she is not afraid to be quirky, different and “own” it. She has an unparalleled sense of style (you can tell from her new site and the homes she sells) and such a wide array of life experiences. She was on the Bachelor, House Hunters and sold more than $50 million worth of real estate in Orlando?

What about you? Where do you find your favorite clients?

JK really knew what she was doing.

Don’t worry, I am not talking about turning my home office into Hogwarts or anything, but there are a few tricks up my freelance sleeve that I can attribute to my four-eyed friend.

Modesty is underrated. Think about it. When Harry was a small, insecure orphan and he found out his powers were indeed, magic, he did not go around lifting up his bangs, Bieber-style, pointing out his lighting scar. Everybody else talked him up, gushing about his legacy and foreshadowing his importance. Even when he first demonstrated telltale acts of bravery, he did not inflate his accomplishments. Only when he gets cocky for a chapter or two does it backfire on him. Moral: Let your actions speak for themselves. Don’t just tell a prospective client what you will do for them – do it. Give them an example of two of the types of ideas you can bring to the table.

It’s okay to acknowledge and say the name of your “evil enemy.”
Initially, everyone in the Wizarding World would gasp in horror if they heard the name “Voldemort” escape someone’s lips. Harry learned to defy this concept later on in the series, realizing that just saying the name wouldn’t bring destruction. It would, however, let your enemy know you are still a formidable opponent, and force their hand, putting the proverbial Quiddich ball in their court.

Of course, there are many cases when it’s looked down upon to mention your competitor in advertisements or articles. A start-up company needs to prove themselves first. But look at companies like Apple versus Google, or the most recent example of New Egg calling out Best Buy. Sometimes it only brings to light certain company weaknesses or perceptions that give you a chance to respond accurately and in some cases, spin the story the complete other way. In  this instance, either ignore a parody and either poke fun right back or comment intelligently. (Responding by going overboard with defensive corporate legalese is almost like Malfoy bullying Ron repeatedly just because Ron mutters a joke under his breath.)

If your mentor told you to trust somebody – and you trust your mentor – follow their footsteps and don’t over think it.
The friend of your friend is your friend. (I won’t go into too much detail here in case of spoiling the last movie for those who didn’t read all the books). But let’s just say an old mentor or professor constantly talks fondly about another professional contact, but you keep hearing rumors that the person is not the greatest person to associate with. If you trust your mentor, you should also trust their judgment and not burn any unnecessary bridges. You will need them later!

Don’t open a 50-year-old book without knowing the reason it was shut to begin with.
Remember when Ginny Weasley became possessed by Tom Riddle by confiscating the book and then getting sucked into its magical – yet evil – vortex of communication? Similar to the old adage “don’t take down a fence without knowing the reason it was put up,” this tip is especially important when it comes to the business world. Before making any huge process changes at work, make sure to research the history and purpose behind the current methods. Somebody before you just might have known what they were doing, so take some time before judging books by their covers.

Discover your inner Patronus
A Patronus Charm is an insubstantial animal protector created by the advanced Patronus Charm spell, and one way to defend against Dementors and certain other dark creatures.

Patronus shapes been said to reflect the personality or feelings of the witch or wizard. For example, Harry creates a stag, Hermoine creates an otter and Ron creates a Jack Russell terrier. When faced with risky decisions in the business world, do you avoid the situation, or face it head on with your own strategies and tactics? Many people reach a certain level of success, but very few can maintain on top for a long period of time. Providing great service, listening to client feedback and constantly improving without getting too comfortable are just a few ways to protect your business.

Awards are not the most important thing.
The Goblet of Fire was thought of to be the most honorable award bestowed upon a wizard. Contestants were forced to sweat blood and tears to participate in dangerous, exhausting tasks to receive…a Goblet. A Goblet that sucked you into another location where your enemy has you right where they want you. I am not saying that submitting to awards makes you more vulnerable – a little friendly competition is always healthy. And who doesn’t want a shiny trophy or two, telling the world of an accomplishment of glories past? The trick is to not let it consume you. Don’t let the idea of an award dangle in front of you, making you lose sleep when those are precious hours you could be using to dedicate to your client or office. If your clients are happy and feel you are their priority, then you all win in the end.

In the real world, nobody cares what your Ordinary Wizarding Level (OWL) score was, or about your Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (NEWT) courses.
Sure, a diploma is impressive and shows dedication. But how often do you check a new hire’s GPA or their exam scores? It really doesn’t matter what how high your grades are as long as the internships, the connections, the leadership roles and the portfolio can show off what makes you unique and proves you can excel at the desired position you want when you graduate. I wish I could go back in time and tell my studious self to not let school define me. It’s how you apply that knowledge outside the classroom that matters most.

Sacrifice for the greater good of the company or client.
Don’t literally sacrifice yourself or stop eating or anything! But as we all know, valiant Harry and the Order of the Phoenix risked their lives to help save the world from evil (on several occasions). Be not a burden, but a blessing, to your business. Don’t get in your own way. Instead of wondering why somebody else in the office is getting promoted and you are not, stop feeling sorry for yourself and try harder. If you own your company, don’t get discouraged with small failures or feel defeated when you lose out on a project. It can become a vicious cycle of failure, insecurity and then defeat. Instead, remember why you are here in the first place and try to become more selfless. If you work for a company, try to see the end goal from your boss’s perspective and do your best to help the business grow. If you work for yourself, then remember that clients always come first. If you remain selfless in the workplace and keep pushing forward the battles that lie ahead, you just may come out victorious.

I can think of a million more, but I must be off now. My clients need me! =)

Cheers to the final Harry Potter movie!

You don’t have to be a Ghostbuster to realize Halloween is my friend.

Some of my own favorite homemade costumes in the past have included:

-          Team America outfits (complete with the soundtrack blaring from car en route to party)

-           Dirty Martini drink with a olive hat that you could actually sip cocktails out of with a giant pixie stick straw (my best friend, the Cosmopolitan drink, had an equally cute outfit, complete with a cherry-on-top hat).

-          Rainbow Brite, with my old school colorful shoe-lace ribbon clip

-          I tried to pull of a cute Transformer costume last year, but didn’t have the time to prepare. Can’t win ‘em all, I guess.

Making creative, crowd-stopping costumes is an art; but thinking of them is a science.

I thought I’d put my creative costume brainstorming powers to good use and share some fun ideas for this year’s Halloween festivities. Consider this my good deed, since I am not giving away candy to Trick-or-Treaters this year. My motives are purely altruistic and have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I am sick of seeing the same “sexy [insert nursery rhyme character here]”’s flouncing about every single year. =)

New adage, courtesy of moi’:

Give a friend an idea, they will be a stupid nursery rhyme character again next year.

Show them how to think of these ideas on their own, and they just might pleasantly surprise us next time!

1. Beyond Blockbusters: What are your favorite movies this year? Think deeper than the #1 Blockbuster that has a hot couple everyone will try to imitate.For example, if you are into animated movies, try imitating Coraline or better yet, a cloud with meatballs.Into cheesy comedies? Give a nod to Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum with a security outfit, and staple bunch of animals on your outfit.If you are four guys and can play it off perfectly, try being the guys from the Hangover. Don’t forget the chipped tooth and baby doll in the pouch.Show your love for the recently deceased in a respectable way. For example, this would be a nice year to not leave Baby in a Corner…My rule is: avoid prepackaged nylon versions that are being sold for $100 at a party store. Unless you want to run into your twin all night.
2. Television Break: As much as you might clear your social calendar to watch Grey’s Anatomy or Entourage, it might be tough to re-enact – unless you happen to have an extremely diverse-looking group of friends. If someone doesn’t “get it’ within ten seconds, it probably isn’t that distinctive of a character. Props can make or break a posse as well. I’ve seen four striking ladies – 2 brunettes, a redhead, and a blonde – totally pull off Desperate Housewives outfits. Mostly because of the red apples or muffin baskets in hand, a “dirty laundry” basket, bright lipsticks and flawless character mannerisms.Taking this a step further would be a very memorable commercial or SNL skit you think would be fun to re-enact. i.e.) Dirty Mouth? Clean it up!
   Kristin Wig’s Target Lady, anyone?
3. Ball is in Your Court: Famous Athletes are fair game. Don’t they say imitating is the best form of flattery? I am not sure exactly who they are, since I have a feeling we’ll see some ref-shouting Ms. Williams’s in a tennis outfit, just like we saw a few stoned Michael Phelps’ performances last year.
4. Current Events CAN be fun!: Whether you are playing off the Octo-Mom or creating your own little political satire, 2009 brought plenty to parody. What better way to lighten the news then to poke fun of it in costume-form?
5. Gauge Your Audience: If you can further play off the theme of your audience or location too, even better. For example, if you are attending a co-worker’s party and you are all in the advertising business, it might be fun to Mad Men-ize a few colleagues and show up with red ties and cigars.
   

If you are hosting your own party and want to get even more creative, you could ask everyone to bring their own carved pumpkin. The best / scariest / most creative wins something. Scariest edible treats are always a good time as well.

Hope my creative costume ideas helped! If nothing else, we are giving Bo Peep a much-needed break this year. High five.

Well, I know about energy, passion, and brainstorming.

I also am one of the few people that recognized what they loved to do at an early age, with my first published literary masterpiece* printed in the 4^th grade.

*By masterpiece, I mean a compilation of my schoolwork that my teacher loved so much that she found a printer to sponsor a beautiful rendition of my compiled essays.

However, there is a double-edged sword in having a profession where you love what you do every single day.

Entrepreneurial spirits tend to have a handful of other inventions or blooming companies you “moonlight” (stay up late working on your own projects) every single night. When you ask this type of person, “So, what’s new?” the answer is almost always a laundry list of projects and sites and books and blog and classes and new organizations and…are you still reading? I would have dozed off by now with my eyes open. You are probably one of these go-getters yourself. Good for you.

In a regular workday, I stare at the computer screen for hours on end, swapping syllables and cutting/pasting sentences so much it looks like a fridge magnet game. Then finally, everything just fits perfectly, and the perfect article or story gleams back at me. I barely have time to pat myself on the back when my momentary satisfaction is stolen by another sales letter or advertisement tapping my shoulder, waiting impatiently for me to write in time for deadline.

I know many creative designers and social media activists feel the same way. While I can’t fathom the notion, I imagine that is also how it works for other people passionate about other occupations (like number-lovers adding up budgets).

The problem with these kinds of people in an office or work environment where they actually love what they do? The moonlighting fades.

Since the passion is lit all day in the office while you are hammering away at your favorite tasks for your company, you can be burnt out by the time you get home. Ready for activities or creative outlets or god forbid, to relax.

Instead of spending time cultivating you big-money, game-changing idea, time goes by and you get comfortable working for “the man.” For some people, security and benefits are more important. For others, getting in this rut is dangerous and will ultimately make them unhappy if they don’t at least ATTEMPT to move forward with their lifelong goals.

• Take time out for yourself and soul search.
• Stay involved with activities outside of work that make you happy – whether it’s sports, or a more obvious form of networking. You never know who can help you take your dreams to a reality.
• Don’t make the office your new home, if you don’t plan on being there forever. Offer to take on a wider variety of projects. Take advantage of lunch breaks and office hours/holidays. Leave work at home when you can. Make one night a week a day for your projects only, and hole up to cross items of your to-do list.
• Timing is key. Bad economy is a bad time to start some businesses, while others are finding a niche market and finding it the perfect launch time. Perfect your business plan to incorporate timelines and profit margin comparisons.
• Dive in, don’t just dip your toes. If it’s worth doing, and you feel that strongly, starting out will always give you anxiety and make you nervous. Whenever you decide to move forward, as scary as it may be, don’t. look. back.

Creativity cannot be rushed. Yet for it to be productive, it must.

What music helps you “put blinders on” so that you only see your canvas / screen / notepad / sketchpad?

“Creative Mood Music” that helps stir creativity:

-         Film scores like Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

-         Soundtracks from your favorite movies

-         Slow Jazz, Instrumental, Environmental

-         New Age

-         Techno/electronica / dance / house (whatever this genre calls itself these days)

Perhaps there is a little coffee bar or jazz place on the water you can check out during lunch to breathe in the music.  Your mood music should change depending on the creative endeavor, because music effects emotionally.  I like to listen to smooth, sultry yet upbeat music from artists like Regina Spektor, Mandy Bergen, John Mayer, etc.

An artist trying to depict a dark message should probably listen to a different channel/track than a public relations professional trying to catch their bearings before coming up with new story angles.

Music that helps you focus and wrap out creativity before deadline time:

-         Golden Oldies

-         90s alternative

-         Classic Rock

(Psst: Sensing a pattern? Sometimes when you know the words so well you subconsciously sing along, or completely ignore the song altogether. Either way, it’s not getting in the way at your task at hand.)

I am one of those freaks that prefer silence during deadline time.

Not by choice, exactly.

My embarrassing lack of song lyrics knowledge makes for an interesting karaoke night, but not a fun working environment. My brain starts to get distracted and sing along, but since it never knows the proper words, it turns into a multitasking disaster.