Conversation with a Creative: Meet Kathleen Ostrom

In today's Conversation with a Creative, I got to catch up with Kathleen Ostrom. Kathleen is the solopreneur and artist behind Leen Jean Studios, a custom stationery and calligraphy business based in Aurora, Colorado.

If you love beautiful paper goods you will fall in love with Kathleen's designs. I've been a repeat customer of Leen Jean Studios because I cannot get enough of her beautiful work! In today's conversation we discussed the challenges of being a solo creative, working from home and the importance of determining your own career dreams. 

HS: What does creativity mean to you? 

KO: Creativity, to me, is when you’re inspired by something in life. It can be translated to the artistic side of life but you can be creative in any field. I see that the most with my husband who’s in finance. I see him using creativity in a different way. It’s being inspired to solve a problem or to create something new. 

HS: Tell us what Leen Jean Studios is and how it came to be. 

KO: I studied graphic design in college. And then was working a graphic design job. This idea came to me and I didn’t really know what it was exactly. I kind of knew where I wanted it to go. I love paper. I love art. I wanted to create a greeting card, paper product line as well as something geared toward the wedding industry and calligraphy. I was really interested in those things. I was really new in that field but it was just something I really loved to do. I still have the piece of paper I wrote. This “web of dreams” for Leen Jean Studios. I feel like my dreams were so small looking back. It’s cool to look back and see I didn’t know where I was going with it but at the same time I did. The name is from my name “Kathleen Jean” named after both my grandmas. It worked because it rhymes. That’s how I came up with the name. 

HS: What is Leen Jean Studios now? 

KO: It has three categories: wedding, calligraphy and paper goods. So with that I do a lot of wedding industry, wedding invitations and paper products you would need for your wedding as well as envelope addressing and different calligraphy items. That rolls into the calligraphy side. I do a lot of custom work for people for homes, nursery, gifts, a lot of different things. That’s very open ended. It’s tailored to what a person wants. On the paper goods side are greeting cards, notepads, prints and different things like that.

HS: Which are you most passionate about? 

KO: I think the greeting card side. I love paper. I love quality paper. I get to use the calligraphy side when I’m making the greeting cards. 

Image Courtesy of Leen Jean Studios

HS: What does that [production] schedule look like in a given year? 

KO: I’m definitely always creating new products. That’s what I’m working on today and this week, a bunch of new card designs. I’m going to the National Stationery Show in May so I really need to amp up my product line by then. It’s kind of an industry standard that each year you’re producing new work. You’re always adding to it. 

HS: Can you go back and tell us a little about your career trajectory? How did you get from college graphic design major to running your own company? 

KO: In my first graphic design job out of college, the idea of Leen Jean came to me. From that point on I always knew this was something I enjoyed doing. I thought, “I’m just going to do it because I enjoy it right now.” I had big goals and dreams but I didn’t know what the future would hold. I knew I wanted to do this because I enjoyed it and I liked it. That’s where my talents leaned toward. First I started doing it on the side. Then I went to work for an agency and I was always trying to find a balance of making the time to do [Leen Jean work]. At some point while I was working at the ad agency Leen Jean started to demand more time. I was starting to build a name for myself and to get more work so it became more obvious and forced me to make a decision about my professional goals. Where do I want to go with this? I had an awesome job. It was a great learning opportunity; I was promoted to art director. It was awesome but it wasn’t. I had to decide “is this where I want to be? And why?” It was a great honor to be promoted. But it was never my dream to be an art director at an ad agency. Not to say that’s not a great job. It was but it wasn’t for me. I realized that quickly. I wanted Leen Jean to be more. I had to find a way to make that happen. That meant leaving the agency. I took another graphic design job that let me grow in the design field but I could leave [at the end of the day] and not have to worry about it and not work overtime as much. Then I could focus more on Leen Jean. Professionally a lot of people didn’t understand why I did that. I took a pay cut. In a lot of ways it was a step backward. That [art director] job took so much of my life. I had to ask myself, is this really what I want to go after? I had to make that decision. 

HS: Do you view yourself as a freelancer or as a “company?” 

KO: I’m both in some ways. I definitely see it eventually being not dependent upon me always, having other people to help me. Right now I don’t. I’m at this “in between.” It’s just me right now. It’s hard. I’ve struggled the past few months. Running your own company and wanting it to grow requires you to wear many hats. They’re not all my strengths but I still have to do them and do them well in order to make it succeed. It’s a challenge. 

HS: So you work from home. How do you make that work for you? Any strategies? 

KO: Get outside. That’s key for me. Being outside inspires me. It helps me to clear my head and see the bigger picture. I can get really overwhelmed with the feelings of everything going on. I stay in my own little bubble and worry about it. If i go on a walk life is so much better. That’s definitely key. 

HS: You recently moved from central Virginia to Colorado. Has that affected your work at all? What is moving like as someone who mainly works from home?  

KO: I definitely knew before I moved that it was going to be a transition because I had been in an environment and community that supported me so much. It was a support system that I knew and didn’t know that cheered me on. Removing myself from that was going to be a challenge. So far I have enough contacts and enough people outside of that area that knew me and knew my brand enough that it hasn’t been as hard of a transition as I thought it would be. I was intentional about meeting new people here in this area. it’s naturally growing here. I have enough supporters whether online or from different areas that have kept me going in this transition. I totally didn’t know what to expect, but it’s really been good. 

HS: What are your biggest obstacles to creative output? And how do you combat them? 

KO: Knowing that I have to wear so many different hats. I get overwhelmed with the logistical side of things. Also, [it’s challenging] working from home, feeling like there’s so much to do around the house or whatever. It’s just making myself sit down and start drawing or painting and then I’m fine. I just have to get to my drafting table to do that. 

HS: Where do you go for inspiration? Any one our readers can check out who really inspires you? 

KO: The mountains. Outside just really inspires me. I try not to look online excessively. I really try to challenge myself to create original work. There’s a balance between learning and growing and creating original work and not copying other people’s work. As a creative you don’t want to be copied. I try to respect that for other people. I really try to focus on things that inspire me personally: going outside, seeing family, meeting people and hearing their life stories. Community inspires me too. 

HS: What is the best piece of career advice you’ve been given? 

KO: “Go for it.”

HS: What is your advice to someone who’s at the beginning of their career who would like to have a job like yours?

KO: Keep practicing. Keep doing it. No. I would say, the biggest thing I’m realizing for me personally, I do what I do because I enjoy creating. I feel like that’s where the Lord has blessed me. So I have to remind myself and keep remembering I do what I do because I enjoy it and find joy in it. Don’t worry about the pressures of feeling like you have to have so many followers or quit your day job so you can arrive at some point. Is this something you truly enjoy? If it’s not something you really enjoy it’s not worth the energy and time it’s going to take to make it into something bigger. It’s ok to just do something because you enjoy it. 

Image Courtesy of Leen Jean Studios

HS: Parting thoughts? 

KO: Fear is something that’s going to be there. I’m not an exception and some special case where I own my company. That’s what this country was founded on. We’re not special people. That’s just how it is. When you own your own company it’s hard sometimes. There are things unknown. You can tell fear to take its place in the backseat. You can let fear in on the road trip. But you tell it it’s not driving and has no say in where you’re going. 

My thanks to Kathleen for a thought provoking chat! I know you'll want to find her on the interwebs so definitely check out her website and online store here (featuring some a-dorable Valentines!) and follow her on Instagram here.

Read advice from Kathleen and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here.

The Entrepreneur Chronicles: What I Learned from Starting a Business in One Month

Yes, it was rash. But was it too soon? I argue that it wasn't.

Here's how it happened.

The Entrepreneur Chronicles: What I Learned from Starting a Business in One Month

Back before my days of social media strategist/writer/consultant, I mainly did just one thing: acting. And when I say "mainly" I don't mean like "most of the time." I mean that was what I viewed as my career even though I'd spend anywhere between three months and nine months out of the year not doing the thing I loved. 

During one such period of working survival jobs I got a quirky gig as a princess with a character performing company in Nashville. Yes, I literally dressed up in costumes, brought my own soundtrack and sang Disney songs to sweet little girls wearing plastic tiaras and lip gloss. They loved it. I loved it. Everyone was happy*. :-)

*(Except when I was tasked with portraying Hannah Montana. Couldn't escape the skeptical side eye I got at those parties.)

I moved away from Nashville at the end of 2009 and spent another year performing in dinner theatre (while lightly freelance writing on the side) before embarking on a new parallel path to performing: the business side of show business which led to social media for live experiences which led to grad school which led to launching my full-time freelance career as a writer/social media strategist. All along I was still performing professionally when a good opportunity came along. 

Cut to fall 2014. (5 years since I had retired my glass slippers). It was Halloween. I was the candy passer-outer at our abode. 

And my mind was blown.

*Ding dong.*

Aren't you a pretty Elsa!

*Ding dong.*

Oh! Queen Elsa!

*Ding dong.*

Oh look! Elsa.

I began to feel a bit like Bill Murray in that film about February 2. How many Elsas could come to one door on one night?

That's when ideas began to come together in my mind. Einstein called this "combinatory play"--when you begin to piece together ideas that didn't necessarily originate with you and you create a new idea out of them. 

I set about researching. Were there any princess-type companies in Lynchburg? How about Roanoke? Charlottesville? Was this actually legal to do? (Lucky me--I've got a lawyer sibling!) I had a slew of actress friends who would be perfect to hire. Would they be interested? Available? I could use independent contractors. Pay roll wouldn't be a worry. I had experience performing at princess parties before. I could train the performers. I knew how to create a website. Marketing is my sweet spot. 

So all I needed to know was how to conduct research, make a website, get some friends on board and buy costumes? 

I needed a name. I needed some friends to say it was a good idea. And I needed those costumes by December 7--the date of a big public event where we could make a splash. 

I crunched some numbers and figured out that if all went well I could make back my investment by early March. It was low risk. It was exciting. Why not give it a try? 

Perhaps it wasn't as easy as all that. Did I oversimplify it? Would it have all gone better if I had created a long-term business plan, got funding, launched a perfect product?

The answer is "no." I didn't oversimplify it. You know what would have happened if I hadn't just gone for it?

Nothing at all, dear friends. 

In short, I would've over-thought it. I would've talked myself out of it. But instead, in this instance, in this low-risk instance, I just gave it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? 

I'd be out a grand and I'd fail in front of my friends, family and community. 

Worth the risk.

So on December 7, 2014 Enchanting Entertainment was born. A cool five weeks after the idea popped into my head. 

You may be toying with an idea. You may have a dream passion project or have thought "somebody should really do that." What if it's you? What if you're that somebody?

It may be worth the risk. As one of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin says, "Choose the bigger life"--whatever that means to you. 

Go do it. And sprinkle some fairy dust while you're at it. 

The snow Queen and friends on december 7, 2014

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The Save Sweet Briar Success Story: 5 Lessons About Making an Impact

Sweet Briar College campus, Photos by Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography

You probably recognize the name of Sweet Briar College because you heard it mentioned on NPR or in an article on social media. The women's college was declared dead around this time last year then against all odds and expectations, it made a fairly shocking recovery. I've had the privilege of spending a few summers at Sweet Briar College when I worked there with Endstation Theatre Company. My husband and I chose their stunning campus for the location of our engagement photos and I sort of, well, fell in love with the beauty of Virginia there. 

When I heard the news that Sweet Briar would be closing I was saddened but not surprised. We all knew that women's colleges were in decline and that Sweet Briar had suffered from low enrollment. I wouldn't be deeply impacted by the loss of Sweet Briar. I was an outsider who enjoyed the tranquil campus. I would miss that. Little did I know that Sweet Briar alumni would sweep in, raise money, and save the institution. Fast forward a mere seven months since Mission: Save Sweet Briar was officially accomplished and the school is boasting its highest application rate in half a century. This is some serious, Lazarus-level coming back from the dead stuff. It's just amazing. So what can we all learn from this Cinderella story? Here's a few things I've noticed.

The Save Sweet Briar Success Story: 5 Lessons About Making an Impact

1. Social media can be a game changer. While the Save Sweet Briar Movement may have been able to achieve similar success if it had occurred prior to the advent of social media, it's undeniable that social media was critical to networking, spreading messages and galvanizing this donor base. Social media gave alumni and supporters all over the country a front row ticket to what was going on right here in central Virginia. That was a huge component of this movement working. If you have a product or message that you're passionate about, there's no replacement for growing awareness through a well-executed social media strategy. 

2. Institutions rise and fall on leadership. A president and a board were ready to wash their hands of the struggle of running a women's college. They didn't see a way out. There was no Plan B. They were going to shutter the doors. Alumni stepped in and immediately began to cast a vision. They weren't just complaining. They weren't just upset. They were going to take action. Sweet Briar's success can be credited to the leadership of its alumni. The success or failure of any organization can be attributed in large part to its leadership. We must choose our leaders well! 

3. Actions reveal what people really care about. Leaders must cast vision that inspires constituents. And no matter what their people say or how much they press "like," it's the real-life actions taken by human beings that show what they care about. Actions are telling. Whether in saving an institution or simply in how people treat one another, actions really do speak louder than words. Sweet Briar was saved because people were passionate about it enough to take action.   

4. The best days can often come after “the game has been called.” Many, many people did not give Sweet Briar a chance. The Save Sweet Briar movement talked about "coming back" and many of us just sort of shook our heads and sighed. They couldn't really raise all that money. The damage had been done. Pink slips had been issued. The school had no chance. Little did any of us know that not only would Sweet Briar make it, it would blossom and achieve unprecedented milestones. Sweet Briar is the Rocky Balboa of colleges. It just keeps getting back up again. And you know what? There's no reason why your best days can't still be in front of you.   

5. Never underestimate the power of good press. Sweet Briar has gotten a lot of media coverage over the last year. No doubt that the media coverage helped put Sweet Briar on the map. I totally get why a high school senior would apply to Sweet Briar. Look at what their alumni were able to accomplish! Who wouldn't want to join those ranks? Publicity probably didn't have a lot to do with Sweet Briar's recovery, but it certainly has helped it's growth in number of applications received. Good press is gold. 

Every time I think of Sweet Briar it reminds me that when things are looking bad, it in no way means that we have to give up. When an organization or business has strong leadership, good storytelling and communication, and passionate, action-oriented people, the potential for achievement really is huge. Go Sweet Briar. Proud to know you.  

[VIDEO] How do you get people to read your whole post?

Get to the point.

Get to the point right away!

Online article readers don't have the patience to let you warm up and ease into what you want to say in your blog post. It's like journalism. It's an upside down pyramid (shout out to Mrs. Huff, my journalism professor!)! Give your audience the most important, compelling information first! And let them know from that very first sentence that you have solid take-aways for them if they read on. 

In the social media classes I teach it blows me away how semester after semester so many students don't really get to the crux of their message until a few paragraphs into a blog post. Does this feel familiar?

I didn't really know what I was going to write about today. I could go in so many different directions! I was going to talk about this other thing but then I changed my mind. So now I'm going to write about this thing. **Here's what I'm actually writing about! 

Everything before the ** needs to be cut. Your process is important and may be interesting to your spouse or your puppy but your blog readers don't care about that irrelevant information. Get to the point. Get to the point right away. And that's your Tuesday tip. 

If the process of blogging isn't all sunshine and rainbows for you maybe you could use my Blogger's Editorial Calendar Cheat Sheet. Subscribe to the blog here and I'll send it to you today.

Do you have a hard time settling into what your blog post is actually about? How do you get started writing? 

Conversation with a Creative: Meet Joshua Mikel

I am oh so pleased to hop back into the interviewer chair and pick the brain of yet another brilliant, creative soul dwelling among us. This month I got the chance to interview actor/writer/musician/designer Joshua Mikel! I first met Josh via Endstation Theatre Company where I was actor turned marketing director and he was the resident playwright. Little did I know then that Josh would randomly continue to pop up on my TV and at my visits to the movies. (I saw him on Nashville and in Million Dollar Arm, among others.) I'm really excited to introduce you to this prolific, multidisciplinary artist. He's just cool. Cool and funny. And inspiring. Read on, people!

HS: What does creativity mean to you?

JM: I think, very basically, creativity is an ability to think differently. Imagination. Seeing potential in things where other folks might not. Very early on (as early as Kindergarten) I found that being creative garnered me a lot of positive attention from my friends and teachers, and so being creative was always a fun thing for me. I used to think that everyone saw wonderful things in their heads, say, when a teacher asked them to complete a creative project (they had the imagination), only they hadn't incubated the skill or vocabulary to translate that idea to what they were working on. I still do believe that, only some folks are more inclined to lose that side of themselves as their energies move (or they're pushed) towards other interests. I was lucky enough to have family that encouraged my imagination and encouraged me to practice. My grandma was a painter, my parents are super creative in their own right, and both my brothers are as well. 

HS: Tell us a little about your career path. I first met you as Endstation Theatre Company's resident playwright, but you've had pretty steady acting work over the years and it seems like that what you spend more of your time doing. Could you tell us about your career trajectory?

JM: I started acting my junior year of high school. I had the time of my life playing Gollum in The Hobbit (before the movies). My mentor (friend and AP English teacher Jerry Smith) at the time pushed me to apply to FSU to study theatre. Once I got there I auditioned for everything that was going on. I met Geoff [Kershner] and tons of other folks that shaped me creatively and still do to this day. I found that I was learning more doing student productions than I was in my classes, so I did as many shows as I possibly could. Meanwhile, I decided to double major in creative writing because I'd always been interested in it and serendipitously the School of Theatre at FSU had brought in a visiting chair, Mark Medoff, whom I was able to get a couple playwriting classes with. He encouraged me to write young audiences plays and pushed me to submit one, my first TYA [Theatre for Young Audiences] play: The Monster Hunters, to The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. It won the TYA award at KCACTF, and later was published through Playscripts, and that began my relationship with them. While all that was going on, I started doing student films at FSU with their pretty incredible film school. I graduated in '07 rather unceremoniously after fulfilling my final requirement for graduation via a CLEP test I took on Liberty's Campus while in Lynchburg working with Endstation on The Tell Tale Heart and The Mind of Poe (might have to read that sentence twice). Meanwhile, I was touring full time playing drums for my band Look Mexico. I traveled with them for another three years and in 2010 we parted ways as they moved to Austin and I moved back to Atlanta just as Atlanta's film scene was starting to take real shape. I landed an agent that October (thanks to the reel I was able to scrape together from my FSU films) and each year in Georgia has been better than the last. 

Joshua on Abc's nashville 

HS: So you're based out of Atlanta. How did you land there as opposed to LA or NYC or anywhere else?

I grew up in Conyers (Southeast of Atlanta) and when I parted ways with my band, I knew that Atlanta had a burgeoning film scene (they shot Prisoners on the street behind my parents' house. Never in my life did I think the industry would be that close). It just made sense to come here, be close to my family and get some early credits before trying to enter those larger markets. Thankfully so much of the business has relocated here and self taping for auditions has really taken off as well which makes auditioning a million times easier (and less terrifying than going into a room with casting directors for them). 

HS: So, are you an actor that writes plays or a playwright that acts? How do you identify? And how does your time break down for each art form?  

JM: At this point in my life, unfortunately, I'm definitely an actor that writes plays. I don't stress about it too much, because I know creative folks' output generally waxes and wanes (we can't all be Stephen King), but I do think I was way more dynamic and exciting when I was primarily a writer. I hope to get back to some sort of writing schedule in 2016. I'd say 50% acting, 10% writing, 10% Facebook, 10% stressing about work I'm not doing, 10% Netflix, 5% stressing about how I used to be a better artist, 5% Fantasy Football. Is that 100%? I don't know, I'm too distracted. 

HS: Ha! So, do you write for other mediums as well or mainly stick to the stage? 

JM: I've written some short screenplays, some crappy poems, a couple short stories, and I'm working on my first feature length screenplay.  

HS: Secondary question: which came first? Writing or acting?

JM: I think writing, but that was mostly really crappy angsty high school poetry. I think it's probably up on a Live Journal somewhere, and I talk about women's clavicles like every other line.  

HS: I always feel kinship with other multidisciplinary creatives. Did anyone ever tell you that you should only be a playwright or only be an actor? If so, how did you combat that?

JM: My mentor told me a while back that one day I would have to choose. I always took it as a matter of pride that I never would, but the longer I tried spinning all these plates, the less fulfilled I felt and the less I felt like I was creating my best work. Just this year I decided to calm down my music video work and was feeling a lot less compelled to continue doing graphic design (because it's a thankless f*cking career). I've since found more time to focus on acting, but the tough times are when acting jobs or auditions aren't making it across my plate. I've yet to figure out what to do with that time. I think I work very well on a schedule, but the nature of the film business and auditioning runs contrary to that. 2015 has definitely been a transition year. 

HS: What is your approach to writing a play? Can you tell us about your creative habits when you're creating a new work?

JM: I like pondering on the play for as long as I can until I sit down to write it, and once I do, I try and crank out a draft as quickly as possible (in a week or so). That's at least how my past three or four plays have worked. Then, hopefully, I can get the thing read out loud and go back and do some drafts. And hopefully, shortly thereafter, all that writing misery will be over. It's never that easy. 

Good Good Trouble on Bad, Bad Island at NextStop Theatre. Photo by Matt Rose Photography 

HS: How does your acting work inspire your writing? Writing inspire your acting? Do the two influence one another? Do you ever write parts you'd want to play?

JM: I think, when I'm writing, it is very much like I am ad libbing for every character.  I don't much like writing at coffee shops anymore because I like saying the lines out loud. I think the better actor I become, the better writer I will be for sure. And yeah, there are a handful of parts I'd like to play. Mostly fruit people in my latest TYA play The Whole Bunch. 

HS: And Virginia people get the chance to see that play next month when it premieres in Lynchburg! We are lucky. So, what inspires you to write?

JM: I used to just write stuff I thought was cool or funny (and still do in my TYA work), but lately I've been aiming to write stuff that asks those larger questions (this is going to sound so dumb and pretentious) of why we're here, or to help shed some light on one issue or another. Not in a teacher/student way, but in a "let's have a dialogue about this weird thing we all experience" way. I've been wanting to tell a story about racism for a long time, but it always seemed a little patronizing for me to write a black character experiencing racism, but I think I've figured out a way into that story, and I'm real excited about it. 

HS: Very cool. So, I think you and I are about the same age. We graduated college at the same time. I've noticed a lot of my actor friends burning out or bowing out after hustling throughout their 20's. It doesn't seem like you're slowing down at all. How do you stay encouraged and inspired to continue pursuing acting and your goals? 

JM: I see it too, and I think what's helped me stay afloat is kind of what we've been touching on- I've thankfully got other coals in the fire, so when I lose and feel helpless acting, I still am commander of my destiny as a writer. I luckily have encouragement and things to look forward to in both worlds. And I've reconnected with my band, so writing music and playing with them gives me another exciting thing to look forward to. Also, I'm fortunate that there is so much going on in Georgia. I'm lucky to be close to my family (in proximity & in love). That when sh*t is hitting the fan in my work life, I have them close to recenter myself. Also I'm fortunate to know my type. I think so many people aren't really honest with themselves about the type of characters they should play. I think one of the best realizations I've had as an actor is that I'm not your typical leading man material. It changed how I saw my work, and how I marketed myself. Every show has a meth head, a pizza guy, a murderer, or just some creep. It's my bread and butter. 

And let's be completely honest, I'm fortunate to be a slender white male. You change a single one of those words and my path would have been exponentially harder. 

HS: What is your advice to someone who is just starting out but who'd like to do what you do?

JM: So many folks these days get caught up talking about what they're doing, telling people what they're going to be working on before they even lift a finger. Just quit talking about it, and do it. The proof is in the pudding. Are you creating good work? No. Then keep working and stop hollowing out your intentions with Facebook updates and crowdfunding campaigns. Encouragement is fantastic, but you have to be honest with yourself about the extent and quality of your output. I am speaking from experience here. I can post a Facebook update and get smoke blown up my ass from here to doomsday, but all I'm doing is stroking my ego, riding a slowing wave, and distracting myself from real work. 

"Just quit talking about it, and do it."

Gary Garrison talks about your "artistic age." How long have you been practicing your craft? I've been acting since 2001. I'm 31 years old, but artistically I have been practicing my craft for 14 years. I am 14 years old as an actor. A two year old can't expect to have the same successes as a 14 year old. It is dangerous to compare yourself to other artists of different artistic ages. Pat yourself on the back for what you've accomplished, but don't expect credit for stripes you have not earned. Stop talking about how hard and miserable it is to be an artist and just be one. I don't know a single person that I would call an artist that does not create. 

Learn more about Josh by checking out all of his creative endeavors online. You can find his acting work here, follow his playwriting work here and view his most recent reel here. 

Read advice from Joshua and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here. And if you'd like more articles like this in your life, subscribe here! Once a week you'll get my blog right in your inbox. No bombarding, I promise. Just inspiring, helpful posts. 

15 Strategic Questions to Answer to Determine your New Year's Goals (and then nail them.)

I am wildly excited about New Year's.

No, not New Year's Eve, but the new year. The fresh slate. The beginning. The opportunity to make changes and to do life better. 

This week, as things are likely still a bit slow at work, is the ideal time to carve out some you time to reflect on the year behind and strategize about the year ahead.

This year represents 1% or more of your life. It deserves some contemplation and strategy.

As you're thinking about who you want to be and what you want to have accomplished by this time next year, I challenge you to consider these 15 strategic questions. The answers to these questions will help you determine exactly what your goals should be and what you need to do to achieve them. 

So carve out some time on your calendar, grab a moleskin or virtually grab a notepad on your computer, put a pot of coffee on or heat up the kettle and answer these questions. 

15 Strategic Questions that Will Help You Achieve Your New Year's Goals

1. How do you want to be different one year from now? What do you want to have accomplished one year from today?

2. Why do you want to make this change? What is your deeper motivation? 

3. What do you need to do this year to get there? What are the practical steps you need to take?

4. If you could accomplish three specific things this year, what would they be? 

5. Two specific things?

6. One specific thing? 

7. What books do you need to read to help you reach these goals?

8. What podcasts do you need to listen to?

9. What habits are currently a part of your life that don't support your goals? What are some practical ways you can release yourself from those habits? 

10. What habits do you need to adopt?

11. What relationships do you need to cultivate? Who do you need to ask to lunch? 

12. What relationships do you need to step away from? Which friendships in your life are draining, discouraging or are adversarial? 

13. What are all the possible obstacles that may pose problems for achieving your goals? How can you prepare for them in advance? 

14. How can you break down your big year vision into smaller, more manageable goals? What are the practical small goals that add up to your bigger goals?

15. What can you do in the next three months to put yourself closer to your ultimate goal? What can you accomplish in the first quarter of the year to give yourself a winning start to the year?

Nailing your goals starts with determining where you want to be a year from now. Start with the end in mind and zoom out before you zoom in. To reach your goals, determine what you want to achieve, why you want to achieve it, and what strategies you need to put in place to ensure success.

If you liked this post you may like this one about how to kick the new year in the pants or this one about social media resolutions .

Gift Guide for the Multi Gig-er in Your Life

It's that time of year to find the perfect gift for the people you love. If you are multidisciplinary or know someone who wears several hats (which, these days, is a heck of a lot of us) then this gift guide is for them (or you). I pulled together a list of some of my favorite books and finds that I use regularly (or want to use!) that multidisciplinary and/or creative people will love. And last year I put together this Gift Guide for Entrepreneurs, so you may want to take a look there for some gift inspiration as well. Take a gander friends! Happy holidays. 

Gift Guide for the Multi Gig-er in Your Life

1. A planner. Truth be told, I use a running task list/schedule right on my MacBook Air as well as a Google calendar that syncs with my iPhone (if you’re sensing an Apple pattern, you’re probably right) but if your multi gig-er loves the feeling of putting pen to paper, get her this beautiful Rifle Paper Company planner.  I almost wish I wanted to use a paper planner just so I could have an excuse to get this one.

2. Subscription to audible.com. Multi gig-ers are often long on curiosity and short on time so audiobooks are perfect. My husband was able to Snag a 3-month trial for me last year for Christmas and I LOVED it. I just finished listening to 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam and now I’m starting the Lean Startup by Eric Ries. I absolutely love being able to listen and learn while I’m doing something like running, cooking or driving. 

3. Better than Before. This book, by Gretchen Rubin, was one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Rubin unpacks the various strategies we can use to change our habits. Every strategy doesn’t work for every person. Rubin provides a ton of different options and you can see, based on your personality and preferences, which ones might work for you. I’ve found the strategies that I learned by reading Better than Before to help me be more productive and happy with the choices I make on a daily basis.

4. Portable charger for an iPhone. There are some stressors in life that we can’t control and then there’s the stress of having a dead iPhone. This portable charger is just $10 and gives you an extra 9 hours of time talking on the phone. It’s cheap, it’s small, it comes in pretty colors. Why haven’t I had this for a long time? We should really use things that make life easier, shouldn’t we? 

5. A Spotify Premium subscription. I know everyone has their streaming music provider of choice but it really doesn’t get better than Spotify. If your significant other is a multi gig-er—especially of the creative or athletic variety—then Spotify is a win. The premium version is just $10 a month and gives you access to pretty much all music of all time (minus T Swift but plus Ryan Adams, so…). For the musical theatre types, Spotify has karaoke tracks to even the most obscure tunes, so he or she can rehearse songs in the car, at home, wherever, without the need for an accompanist or shelling out cash for a karaoke album they’ll only use for a few weeks or months during the rehearsal process. It also has an amazing feature that gives you music that matches the speed of your steps when you’re running to help you keep pace. Spotify makes life better. That is all.

6. A framed print of a favorite quote. It’s probably on Etsy. And if it’s not you can get artwork custom made. Just ask Kathleen. I found this really pretty downloadable print of one of my favorite Bible verses—Galatians 6:9 in an Etsy shop. I printed it off, put it in a Michael’s frame (purchased with a 40% off coupon, of course) and now I have this beautiful, meaningful quote hanging right above my desk. I love it. Your multi gig-er will too.

7. Tile. This may be the year to drop $25 to get Tile. Tile connects to whatever it is that can get lost and helps you keep track of it. Multi Gig-ers have a lot to mentally keep up with. This means that keys, headphones, wallets, smart phones often don’t make the cut for memory space. This is too helpful not to have. 

8. Essentialism. This was one of the toughest books I’ve read because it completely challenged my multi-gig mentality. Greg McKeown purports that the best way to be effective in life is to say "yes" to one really important thing and "no" to other things that are good but not the best. McKeown had tons of great time management strategies in this book. If nothing else, read it for that. But he also challenges our busy, do-it-all attitudes. By the end of the book the reader should really know if he is spending his time in the best possible way. I recommend this book. I don’t agree with every point—at least for my journey. But it’s good and challenging.

9. An inspiring mug. I seriously attribute part of the start to my happy day with drinking coffee from a mug that I love. This one is an old standby. I love it so much that after it accidentally got dropped and broken my husband swiftly ordered me a replacement. He knows me. And Carole King makes a morning great and that is a fact. 

10. A wall calendar that doubles as an art print. I’ve gotten pretty committed to Rifle’s cities calendar each year but there are tons of beautiful and inspiring calendars out there to choose from. Think inspiring quotes, landscapes or even a personalized calendar that has photos of friends and family. The multi gig-er definitely needs a calendar in her life so this is an easy gift win.  

So there ya have it! Find anything on this list that would be perfect for your loved one? If you see something you'd like, it never hurts to forward this or post it on your social media. Maybe your Santa will come through. I hope you and your family have a peaceful and joyful holiday season.

Want more ideas? Check out the Gift Guide for the Entrepreneur. And, of course, subscribe to the blog so you get future posts right in your inbox. 

Conversation with a Creative: Meet Jennifer Ashley Tepper

                                                                  Jennifer Ashley Tepper (PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY)

"Thrilled" almost describes how I feel about today's interview, but not quite. I'm over the moon to continue the Conversation with a Creative series with theatre historian and producer, Jennifer Ashley Tepper.

I first met Jen back in 2010 when I struck gold in the boss department and got tapped to be her intern at Davenport Theatrical Enterprises. Since then I've watched Jen curate and oversee the production of some 500 shows and grow to be a leader in the Broadway community. Jennifer is the author of the Untold Stories of Broadway series and was recently named one of the ten professionals on Backstage Magazine's "1st Annual Broadway Future Power List." She's also one of the smartest and most accessible people I've met in the entertainment industry. Please enjoy this conversation with Jennifer Ashley Tepper. 

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Conversation with a Creative: Meet Jennifer Ashley Tepper

HS: What does creativity mean to you?

JAT: I think creativity means doing things that haven’t been done before—whether that means telling a story that hasn’t been told, writing music in a way that it hasn’t been written, producing in a new way, etc. Anyone who is asking themselves “what’s the best way I can do this job today,” based on knowledge of the past and the present and a goal for the future, is probably being creative.

HS: Let’s revisit your career trajectory a little bit. Many people know you as the author of the Untold Stories of Broadway and the Director of Programming at 54 Below. But they may not know you once managed me as your intern. (Ha!) Let’s back it way up, you went to NYU—you studied what? What did you want to do? And how did you get from there to here? 

JAT: I went to NYU Tisch and majored in Dramatic Writing. I always knew I wanted New York City to be my college, and it was. I majored in Dramatic Writing because I loved theatre and I loved writing, but while I sat in classes full of would-be playwrights and screenwriters, I wanted to be a theatre historian/producer. I tailored my college experience to my own career goals by producing my own shows, taking a variety of classes, collaborating with students in different departments, seeing tons of shows all throughout the city, and doing many internships and volunteer jobs. 

I had many, many jobs from the time I graduated NYU in 2008 to the time I started working at Davenport Theatrical (where I was lucky to have you as my intern!) in 2010. I worked for several directors, including Michael Berresse on [title of show] on Broadway and Michael Greif on a handful of projects. I P.A.’d workshops, I assisted producers, I worked on benefits, I produced my own concerts, I did many a day job from tutoring to babysitting. I began collaborating with people like Kevin Michael Murphy on the If It Only Even Runs A Minute series, and Joe Iconis on all of his concerts and shows. 

It was working on Bloodsong of Love at Ars Nova, a great musical of Joe’s in 2010, that got me my job as Director of Promotions and later Director of Marketing & Communications at Davenport Theatrical. Ken Davenport saw what I was doing marketing and audience outreach-wise on Bloodsong of Love, and brought me in for an interview to talk about doing the same things for his shows. I worked for Ken for about three years, on shows like Godspell and Macbeth on Broadway, while at the same time still continuing to do many of my own projects. I met my now-publishers, Brisa Trinchero and Roberta Pereira, of Dress Circle Publishing, through Godspell and they asked me if I’d be interested in pitching a book to them after seeing an If It Only Even Runs A Minute concert… so it’s all connected. 

Do what you love. Do it loud and proud. And you will find the right people and they will find you. That’s also true of what happened next, which is that 54 Below was looking for a new Director of Programming and the powers-that-be knew me because of my work producing Joe Iconis’ concerts. I’ve been at Feinstein’s/54 Below for over two years now.

"Do what you love. Do it loud and proud. And you will find the right people and they will find you."

HS: You grew up on cast recordings in Florida. What were your dreams about Broadway then? And when did you begin to figure out your specific skill set (your “unfair advantage” so to speak) and get clear on where you wanted to go and what you wanted to do?

JAT: I always said that I wanted to “be the theatre”. I loved performing at theatre camp and in high school, but I knew from a decently young age that I wasn’t going to be a professional performer. I directed, I wrote plays, I tried a lot of different things—but what I was really passionate about was a combination of theatre history and making new theatre happen from a leadership standpoint. I studied theatre from afar so much in Florida that I knew there were tons of people who did a variety of jobs in theatre. I knew there was more than “being a performer” or “being a writer”. I knew about the Ira Weitzmans and the Ted Chapins of the world from the time I was a teenager, so I knew that there were many unique jobs one could do. While I didn’t necessarily know exactly where I fit into that, I knew it was possible. 

Honestly, one of the two best things I hear about my “Untold Stories of Broadway” books, that makes me the happiest is from young people: “I never knew there were so many different jobs in the theatre I could do that were so exciting and important!” That I can tell the stories of the casting directors and the house managers and the company managers, alongside the performers and writers, is something that means a lot to me. Hey kids! You can do so many different things that will make theatre happen. Just try everything. Dive in.

HS: You’ve done a heck of a lot in your twenties. What is your advice to someone in college or coming out of college that wants to kill the game before 30, like you have? 

JAT: Do what you are passionate about, right now. Just start. If you want to be a producer, produce a new play in a basement for 10 people. If you want to be a singer, go to an open mic. If you want to be a journalist, start a blog. If you want to be a writer, write and do a small reading with the people you know now. Don’t ever wait for permission. Just start, even if it’s at the smallest level, and then soon you’ll be at level 2 and then level 3. Make it happen for yourself. 

"Do what you are passionate about, right now. Just start."

Don’t burn bridges. Don’t put yourself or anyone else down on the internet or in public. Remember that this is 2015, and you have no idea who will read what you write. Answer every email, even if it’s just a one-sentence response saying you appreciate the message. Read a lot of books about what you want to do. Go see a lot of people doing the thing you want to do in person. Reach out to people you admire and ask them for advice. Don’t let anyone stop you. Honestly, one of the people I most respect in this business told me in 2009 “Don’t try to write books about the theatre, no one reads them and no one can make a living from doing that”. That was his opinion, and I don’t respect him any less for giving it to me, and it didn’t stop me from trying to write books about the theatre. I can name 10 experiences like that I’ve had. This business can be discouraging, but you mustn’t be discouraged. Behind every successful musical theatre is a trunk of 20 spec songs written for shows they never got, before they got the one that put them on the map. That’s true for every successful professional in the arts. You can learn from people’s advice while also trusting your own compass. 

Work with people you admire, even if it means getting them coffee or observing them from a corner of the rehearsal room. If you are just starting out and have the time, volunteer to do things for free. People talk a lot about the internship culture being a bad thing, and I absolutely agree that it has gotten out of hand and that in a lot of ways, people are taken advantage of in ways that shouldn’t be happening… but that said, almost every paid job I have ever gotten has happened because I started out doing something I was really passionate about, that I was volunteering to do. Don’t be afraid to do things for free or for not-a-lot-of-money if you are getting a lot out of the experience. Get a day job too, and make it work. Nothing gets you a paid job doing what you love faster than making yourself indispensable as a volunteer or intern.

And lastly, it’s all about perseverance. It’s all about sticking around. Talent is part of it, and timing is part of it… but you need to be indefatigable. I have so many friends who are just getting their Broadway debuts, or their first big jobs, in their late 20s or early 30s. Especially if you have a distinctive talent, and don’t fit into a specific mold, it sometimes takes TIME.  Keep going. 

HS: Did these accomplishments come as a result of focus, specific goals, and ambition?

JAT: For me, absolutely, but I think they also came from being open to any number of paths, and saying “yes” a lot. They came from working really hard at every job I got, whether it was the job I wanted at that moment or not, and trying my best to observe and learn from absolutely every person around me.

HS: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? Or were the books birthed out of a need to share these incredible stories with the world?

JAT: I always knew I wanted to be a writer. But the books were definitely born out of both that, and an excitement to explore and tell the stories of Broadway, theater by theater.

HS: How did you get the idea to write the Untold Stories of Broadway? 

JAT: My time at the Lyceum during [title of show] is really what sparked my fascination in thinking about Broadway history, theater by theater. I loved the idea that any time anyone did a Broadway show, they were sharing the space in spirit with every show that had come before them. My time at the Lyceum, and then at Circle in the Square during Godspell, were definitely a huge part of what gave me the idea of talking to a variety of theatre professionals, based around their memories in specific theaters. The theaters themselves really connect us all. 

HS: One thing I’ve noticed online is you have this hilariously self-deprecating tone—you’re able to promote your work without anyone noticing. Case in point: “Some days you shoot an interview about your books for ABC NEWS!!! In the center of Times Square!!! And a pigeon literally lands on your shoulder during the interview!!! #HopeTheyIncludeThatPart” As a writer, we’re always tempted to self-promote, self-promote, self-promote. Do you have a strategy for promoting your stuff in a light-hearted way or is this just your personality coming out?

JAT: I think you just always need to be yourself. People who know me well know that what you see online is really what you get in person. That’s not to say that 100% of what you’d get in person is posted on social media—but what IS posted, is genuine. What’s posted online is the 2% of my day that I choose to share with friends publicly, and also with thousands of strangers. With anyone, from my best friend to a celebrity to a stranger, I am also aware that what I’m seeing is only 2% of their day. 

People who rock at social media seem very aware of this, to me. Laura Benanti keeps it completely real on social media, and is very personal, but you understand that you’re seeing 2% of her day, and she is choosing what she wants to share publicly. She’s not word vomiting her entire life on you, but when she does tell you what’s going on with her, it’s what is really going on with her. I think it’s amazing that we can all connect on social media, and I love being able to talk to theatre folks all over the globe through it—it’s an important aspect of life in 2015, and one that I’m grateful for and love using. 

I think people who “promote” and “network” successfully aren’t thinking about it or approaching it that way, in those words. When I’m working on a show I love, I want to tell people about it, the same way I’d want to tell people if I just saw Oprah walking into Hamilton. When I’m making a new connection at a get-together, it’s because I really want to learn more about that person. Promoting for the sake of promoting or networking because you think you’re supposed to, is useless to everyone. But if you’re doing something you care about and think is great, and sharing that with the world, that’s something I want to read about or talk about. 

HS: You somehow seem to flawlessly integrate your passion projects into your “work work.” Can you talk a little about that? How do you do that? 

JAT: I honestly believe that if you work hard enough at your passion projects, you can find ways to make them into your “work work.” That said, my close friend and frequent collaborator, Joe Iconis, and I were discussing this recently: it’s often much more challenging to work with friends you have existing relationships with, than it is to work with new collaborators. It’s also often much more rewarding too, and it often—but not always—yields more exciting results.

BUT for example, when I am negotiating a 54 Below engagement with a friend, or portraying a friend in a certain way in their interview in my book, it is a challenge to navigate your friendship and loyalty and previous collaboration while also doing your job to tell the most truthful story, or make the best show. It’s much simpler to start out with a blank page and cast an actor from an audition or write an article about your interview with a stranger. In some ways, the work is going to be better if it’s a collaboration based on years of mutual understanding and a shared language about theatre (hello great theatre companies like Steppenwolf!), but it’s also sometimes hard to tell where your loyalty to the relationship and collaboration ends and your loyalty to the project begins. It’s a challenge that’s written about so well in my favorite musical, Merrily We Roll Along, but I also understand it more as the years go on. What do you do when a friend you’ve been working with for years isn’t right for the part anymore, or doesn’t have an artistic vision that you feel matches what you’re trying to create? What do you do when what the show needs or what the story needs is not what your collaborator needs? 

It’s such a tricky balance and the truth is that if you are making your passion projects, which are things you do with people you care about, into “work work” that is what you make a living doing, you are always figuring out how to balance the two. All I want in my life is to work with people who I think are great artists and great people and figure out how to make shows happen that I believe in. Those two things have an overlap for sure, and nothing is better than when your friend and collaborator is right for a part or a job that you can give them and that they can also excel at. But sometimes that’s not the case, and I think being able to recognize that, recognizing the times when you have to do what’s best for the project, and not for the friendship, because truly you’d be serving neither if you tried to push the two things together where they don’t fit… that’s the key to integrating. Knowing when to do it.

HS: I have to ask you about any time management advice you may have. You’re a prolific writer while also producing every night at 54 Below. How do you meet your deadlines? 

JAT: I find that doing a lot of things at once, helps me to do everything better. If I need a break from answering emails from 54 Below artists, I take an hour and come up with questions for my next book interview. If I need a break from doing research for my book, I take a break and brainstorm new musicals we can do in concert at 54 Below. I have so much on my plate that I literally never procrastinate, because I know that if I’m not getting something done at any given moment, what I’m giving up is my ability to do something I want to do later. If I’m not using this next free 90 minutes to do 90 minutes worth of something, I am not going to be able to have dinner with a friend next week, because I’ll need to do these 90 minutes of work, then. It sounds crazy, but it really works for me. I know that there’s so much I want to do, that any moment I’m not doing something is taking away an opportunity I’ll have later. That said, I really don’t work around the clock—but when I am working, I am getting a lot done, efficiently. 

I also have a few efficiency tips that I basically live by, that help me a lot. 

1) If I am at a computer doing work and any email comes in that I can answer in two minutes or less, I answer it right away. (That’s actually a Ken Davenport rule—thanks, Ken!), 

2) If I’m not at a computer, or if it’s an email that I can’t answer in two minutes, it goes into a folder for that specific project. Then, I work on emails one folder/ project at a time. 

3) 90% of what I do is most efficiently done via email (notice a pattern here?). Knowing when something should be an email, and when it should be an in-person meeting or phone call, is a huge part of efficiency. 

Wow. I am an email monster.

Also, I find it helpful to be on social media while writing. I know that most writers don’t, but I do. Seeing people living life and being excited about theatre while I’m writing about theatre, makes me motivated and inspired to write things. Never do I tweet more than when I’m in the depths of working on my book, and want to share little tid-bits of what’s going on as I “explore” the Nederlander Theatre, or the original run of A Chorus Line, or anything else. I love that social media allows that to happen. Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted something recently about twitter being a helpful tool to exercise one writing muscle, while using a different writing muscle to create a full-scale off-line project. I think one feeds the other, and I have to say that facebook and twitter make me write faster and better. They inspire me as I’m writing and make me more efficient, as crazy as that sounds. Facebook and twitter make me want to share the best version of the longer-form thing I’m creating with people, because they make that sharing a tangible thing in the moment, even though it’s only a bite-sized preview version. They help my brain.

HS: Do you ever deal with fear that the thing you're working on or promoting will flop? How do you power through that? 

JAT: Hal Prince said it far better than I could. “I have had financial successes that were artistic failures, and financial failures that were artistic successes.” I think that great work does not always go hand in hand in with technical “success”. You do what you believe in, and you do it the best you can, and that’s all there is. So it doesn’t bother me at all to work on something that doesn’t sell out, or doesn’t make money, or any other technical barometer of success, as long as I’m proud of the work I did. The goal is to make something great and do your best to get as many people to see it as possible. I always aim for that to the best of my ability, but no one hits that all the time. And being disappointed in your own actual work is okay too. We should all be giving ourselves challenges that are challenging enough that we’re not always going to meet them the first time out. “What’s the point of demands you can meet?” and all that. 

Jen with Lin-manuel miranda and lONNY PRICE

HS: It seems like you’ve created your own niche on Broadway (historian, under appreciated musical lover, promoter of new work, etc). How did you decide where to focus and what path to go down?

JAT: Well, thanks! I think it’s all about diversifying your talents, and being proud of doing multiple things at the same time. You don’t have to pick one career or one job title. You are not limited to one thing. This isn’t the Game of Life where you’re a “teacher” or you’re an “entertainer” or you’re a “real estate agent”. You can be all of those things, you know? All of the different things I do feed each other in such a great way, that gets better all the time. I had such a wonderful, in-depth interview with Patti LuPone recently for my third book, and I know it was because of the relationship/ trust we have, because of working together during her engagements at 54 Below. I have learned so much from producing concerts of new work that has informed so much of what I’ve been able to do to produce concerts of old work and bringing underappreciated musicals of the past back to life. I understand yesterday’s writers better, because I understand today’s writers. 

No project is an island, and everything you do is going to inform your work elsewhere. I think about Matthew Murphy, who I so admire, and how both his work as a dancer, and his work with the new musical theatre community, has informed his production photography for new Broadway shows. I think about Mark Fisher, and how his work as a performer, as a theatre person, as so many things, has informed his work as an entrepreneur at Mark Fisher Fitness. We live in a world where producers are also writers, and actors are also musicians, and stage managers are also photographers… and I think it just gives everyone more respect for each other’s work, and more understanding for the work they themselves are doing. 

HS: BONUS: Any parting thoughts or words of advice to creatives? 

JAT: Pick up the pen/ phone/ computer/ keyboard/ camera/ paintbrush/ script/ trumpet/ anything, AND DO IT! 

Learn more about Jennifer on her website and follow her heartfelt obsession with theatre and hilarity on Twitter and Facebook. And pick up the Untold Stories of Broadway Volumes 1 and 2! They make great holiday gifts!!

Read advice from Jennifer and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here. And of course, subscribe to the blog so you get future posts right in your inbox. 

What I Learned from Running My First Half Marathon

As of July the farthest I had run was 5 miles. And, let’s not get hasty, I had only done that a couple of times—once in 2014. Twice in 2015. Never any further. For context, I ran a 5K for the first time in 2011 and cried at the end because it was—in my mind—an unattainable accomplishment.

My training for that milestone literally began with jogging 30 seconds, then walking 30 seconds, then jogging 30 seconds, and so on.  I had never really run a full mile until that year. I had always thought some people were natural runners and some weren't. In PE classes growing up I would run/walk when they made us take laps throughout the neighborhood surrounding my school. I had never voluntarily run. Ever.

Then I got inspired by Freedom 424’s Run 4 Their Lives race in 2011. I did the whole couch to 5K thing and felt accomplished and then hung up my running shoes until fall of 2013. See, that was the year that I saw my husband and Dad run the Virginia 10 Miler and I became allured by the intoxication of Race Day Excitement.

Medals! Personal records! FREE PIZZA BEFORE 10AM! 

The next year I ran the 4 Miler (the 10 Miler’s more modest cousin) and during my training I hit that 5 mile peak I previously mentioned. That was a really big milestone. But then I got somewhat complacent during my first winter as a runner. After all, guys, it’s cold out there. And an outdoor runner does not a treadmill runner make. So by the time May 2015 came along I had to re-train to do the Run 4 Their Lives 5K again. Then I did the Humankind 5K a month later and that’s when I started thinking about a 10K. 

This summer I thought a 10K (just over 6 miles) was a somewhat attainable, yet very challenging goal, if I really stayed focused. July came and a race opportunity didn’t materialize, but I wasn’t ready for that distance anyway. I guess I didn’t train hard enough when we went overseas for 2 weeks in May (aka didn’t even bring my running shoes. Just wore my Sperrys and enjoyed lots of tapas.) 

Then I saw that at the click of a button I could get on a team and register for the Virginia 10 Miler for free.

Free things can be so motivating…

*Click.*

And that’s how the “if you give a mouse a cookie she’ll end up running a half marathon” metaphor happens.

I made a running schedule and began building up mileage from July-September. One more half mile this week. One more half mile the next week. Lots of hours pounding the pavement (literally) in the summer heat. As Dr. Prior pointed out really eloquently in my recent interview with her, this was really good medicine for my soul. So much of my work is in my head (blog posts, Facebook advertisements, interviews, typing, typing, favoriting, typing.) Doing something physical was exactly the balance I needed. So even though I sweated a lot and ran very slow, I loved it. I found a better headspace. Endorphins started doing their thing. Anxious thoughts began to calm. Slowly but surely I felt strong and capable. 

The last 6 weeks of 10-miler training also included choreography rehearsals for my latest musical project. Like 20-30 hours per week of dancing + 15 mile weeks. There was lots of cardio in my days and while learning the dances was intricate and challenging (and sometimes frustrating) for my brain at first, all that cardio was really, really wonderful. 

10 Miler Day came one sunrise after a 3-hour dance heavy show the night before and 3 hours before a 2-show day. But I came. I conquered. I ran 2 hours in the rain. 

But I didn’t care! I did it! For the first time in my life I ran ten whole miles! Talk about a “runner’s high.” Three months before I had never run more than half that distance! 

Preparation, little by little, day by day, {putting the time in} can add up to really meaningful impact.

So then after the Virginia 10 Miler—which, if you’re unfamiliar with the course is hills on hills on hills—I found myself thinking, “This is only three miles less than a half marathon. That is something I could do. And I could do it soon.” 

Backed up by affirmation from friends and again intoxicated by Race Day Excitement, medals, personal records, and pizza, I signed up for the Richmond Half Marathon that would occur 7 weeks later.

Because I apparently have to up the stakes on things like this I didn’t train all that well between the 10 Miler and the Half Marathon. Lots of weekend travel, rain, cold temperatures, etc etc, kept me from sticking with my plans to increase mileage between the 10 Miler and the Half Marathon. So if you happened to notice I didn’t have any “training day milestone selfies” posted, welp, you’re right! Didn’t post because they didn’t happen. 

This is all well and good except it got me worried about if I was going to be able to run the whole course. The furthest I ran over that seven week period was seven miles—and I only did that once. Could my body hang on to the endurance it had built up in prep for the 10 Miler? How long does it take before that kind of fitness wears off?

I’m always interested in the minimum effective dose but this time I didn’t *actually* know if I had kept running enough to stay in shape for the half or if I didn’t. 

Half marathon morning was the day I’d find that out. 

I was anxious about my lack of preparation and I was anxious about the cold. It would be quite a bit colder than any weather I’ve trained in the last few seasons. Would it be two and a half hours of misery? Would I have that horrible throat/chest pain that you sometimes get in cold weather running? I didn’t know. And then of course, I forgot my gloves. 

The morning of the race it was cold but I think my excitement overtook my anxious thoughts. I decided I wasn’t going for any specific time goals. I just wanted to finish. Slow and steady. No walking. That was the deal I made with myself. 

Over the course of the 13.1 mile tour of Richmond I had many a epiphanic thought. They hit me all along the course and I jotted down two or three word clues in my notes app on my iPhone while en route so I could further expound on them later. 

Here they are. 

What I Learned from Running My First Half Marathon

Names have power.
Throughout the course people had signs posted and were holding signs to encourage racers. Often the encouraging messages would be personalized. Names have such power. Why does a sign with your name on it encourage you more than a sign that is simply made for everyone—no specific name? Being called by your name is a reminder that you are seen. A message just for you in a sea of thousands is incredibly special. Some runners even made sure their names were on their backs so people—who didn’t actually know them—would call out their names and encourage them. They didn't care if those people really knew them. They just needed to hear the sweet sound of their own name. Names are powerful. 

Humor encourages in a way that inspiration, maybe, really can’t. (tweet that.)
This is another sign observation. When you’re doing something challenging, like a half marathon, and people encourage you through humor it is just wonderful. One that particularly made me laugh was a sign that said “Run? You thought they said ‘rum!’” Humor distracts from the pain and reminds us of universal humanity. You holding the sign and me over here running, we’re really the same. 

Having a partner that challenges you often can help you do and become something you never anticipated.
JuanCarlos didn’t transform me into a runner. But his example and his enthusiasm and his encouragement certainly contributed volumes. If JC hadn’t ever been very into running, I can guarantee you I wouldn’t have done a half marathon last week. Choosing a partner that makes you better and encourages you toward good things is a really wonderful thing. For those of you who haven't chosen yet--CHOOSE WISELY! (Yes, all caps.)

The endorphins are reason enough to run. Really.
This whole post isn’t meant to convince you to take up running, but seriously, endorphins are well worth the effort. This year I had more work and responsibility than ever before, and I noticed a marked difference in my ability to sleep well and live free of anxiety and stress (for the most part) because I have incorporated running into my regular routine. I wake up feeling different than I did during last winter when I was not running regularly. Running will not necessarily give you a sexy body (especially if you’re like a lot of runners who finish a run famished and then head for the nearest carb) but it will give you endorphins which are really, really worth it.

Races are awesome because you get to rub shoulders with elite runners—or at least see them do their crazy, lightning fast thing.
During the half marathon I got to see the lead female marathoner run by me (we had parallel courses for a portion of the race.) That was SO cool just to share the street with her. And also, all of us regular-paced half marathoners were so compelled to encourage her. Organized races are awesome because excellence and encouragement abounds. They are a happy and inspiring place.

I’m just like you.
Well, I’m just like you if you’re thinking “You are PSYCHO! I could quite literally, never do that!” I’m telling you right here, right now, the worst mile is the first. It gets easier. It gets more fun. It gets relaxing. It gets inspiring. It’s incredible how much you are capable of doing. Don’t spend time trying to “believe in yourself.” Stop thinking. Go do it. You can do it. You really, really can. (Tweet that.)

So these are my half marathon reflections, observations, and somewhat veiled attempts at persuasion. I hope you feel encouraged to get out there and do something you really didn’t think you could. I know that you can. To help you figure out what steps to take next, download the quarterly goal setting workbook for FREE below.

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3 Ways to Optimize Pinterest to Get Noticed and Gain Followers

It’s a first here on the blog! Today we get the pleasure of a guest post from Carrie Waller of Dream Green DIY. In my efforts to provide more valuable content to you guys, I’m including some guest posts that will help you up your game on social media. With almost 50,000 Pinterest followers, Carrie is the best person I know to share about how to grow a following on Pinterest. Welcome, Carrie! 

Thanks for the warm welcome, Hilary! I'm thrilled to be here and to share a few quick and easy tips for maximizing your reach and influence on Pinterest. This social platform is one of my favorites for a number of reasons (beautiful room photos, cute cat pictures—oh, my!), and because of this, it has actually been one of the easiest for me to grow in the past five years. All it takes is a little bit of authentic passion—which, I imagine, most of you already have—and some strategic planning as you pin. Read on for my tried and true tricks, but I'm also curious to hear your perspective, so do share your own strategies in the comments!

1. Choose your board covers with care. 

Although some of my boards are group boards and I don’t have access to customizations like board covers, switching out those lead images can do wonders for the overall look of your account. I go in about once a month to change the cover images on my boards because I think it adds freshness to the overall look of my feed.

Take care to choose an image that crops well, and think about the overall color scheme you want to show off to your followers. I like to treat my Pinterest feed like my Instagram—I only pin images that match my bright white/bright colors aesthetic so that I can create that “branded” look whether you’re looking at my Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook profiles. To change your cover photos, click on “Edit” at the bottom center of each board, and then click the “Change” button next to “Cover.” Scroll through the options with the arrow, and then click “Save Changes.”

2. Fill your about section with useful information.

Another piece of your profile to pay close attention to and to keep updated over time is your “About” section. This is the first place that prospective followers will check to figure out who the heck you are, so make sure to include the big ticket items: your name, your job title and blog name (if applicable), other identifying titles and places where people can find you, and your location. You can add your URL in a separate box in the profile editor, so you don’t need to worry about including that in your “About” paragraph.

I include my name, my blog name, plus all of the places where I contribute my freelance writing, and then finish with my city, and state. I also just recently added my email and Snapchat handle to encourage more engagement there.

To edit your profile, just click on the “Edit Profile” button in the top right corner and enter your info in the window that pops up. I like to sync up my various profile copy between Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter so that my collective profile descriptions feel cohesive. Oh, and don’t forget to add a smiling headshot to your profile, too, so that people can put a face to your name!

3. Don’t forget to pin your own content.

Like most creative bloggers and content creators, Pinterest is my top referrer for new readers. This is where my projects have the best chance of going “viral” thanks to the huge following that Pinterest garners, not to mention the search-ability (which I’ll cover in the next bullet item). So, as you work to create original, high-quality content on your blog or website, don’t forget to pin it to your own Pinterest feed! By strategically adding your projects to the mix, you have the opportunity to share it with, really, the entire world.

I see the most success with this methodology when I pin to shared boards. These special group boards feature a whole slew of creatives with their own followings, which exponentially increases the likelihood of a viral pin.

If you aren’t part of any group boards, I would encourage you to put yourself out there and search around for a group board that fits your niche and style, and then try reaching out to the board leader (shown in the first circle on the left). My favorite group boards are BHG’s Best DIY Ideas, Blogger’s Best DIY Ideas, and DIY Bloggers in case you want to follow along or see examples of this.

Are you all about Pinterest? What are your favorite uses for Pinterest? 

For more great tips from Carrie on maximizing the opportunity of Pinterest, check out her blog and read the full post here! She’s also written extensively on Snapchat. Check it out here and here. 

7 Surprising Ways to Use Hashtags

Hashtags have infiltrated the culture. In fact, there's a new generation that doesn't even see a pound sign. So, other than #liveauthentic and ironic quips, are hashtags actually useful? 

If you're building a brand and have a specific message to spread, then the answer is "yes."

Hashtags amplify messages and help to tell stories in ways that media hasn't previously seen. When paired with other tools like video and images, hashtags illuminate perspectives we most certainly never would have experienced. Think front row seats to not only your friend's wedding across the country but to global events like the Olympics.

So how can you use hashtags, in practical terms, today? Here are seven ways. 

7 Surprising Ways to Use Hashtags

1. Hashtags can be used to expose you to new audiences on Instagram. Hashtags can be used to find new images or to expose your work to a new, relevant audience.

2. Hashtags are integral to Twitter chats. Did you know there are tons of organized conversations on Twitter around specific topics on just about any subject? Twitter chats help you connect with others around a given topic. It’s a great way to grow your audience and contribute to relevant conversations. 

3. Show your audience more of your brand by adopting your own hashtag. This is a great way to not only brand each of your Instagram posts but also for your fans to get involved and share their photos of your product or event.

4. Use trending hashtags to increase views on your tweets. Do you have something relevant to add to a trending topic on Twitter? Using a hashtag that already has a lot of eyes on it means your tweet will be exposed to more people.

5. Encourage fans to use your hashtag. Build community with brand loyalists by encouraging them to adopt and own the hashtag. 

6. Use hashtags across social media channels, connecting your message across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and even YouTube.

7. Utilize hashtags for social listening. Determine which hashtags and keywords people are using when they are talking about a topic relevant to you. For example, in my work with Broadway shows, we regularly monitor hashtags and keywords that include names of our lead performers and alternate spellings of show titles. 

Social media, as a whole, affords pretty incredible opportunities to find and connect with people who are interested in what you have to offer. I encourage you to try using hashtags in a new way and see what kind of results you get. 

What's the biggest win you've experienced thus far using hashtags?

Mine are finding people with similar interests on Twitter because of Twitter chats + seeing my own wedding from about a hundred different angles. #Hilos1021 if you're curious. ;-)

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Conversation with a Creative: Meet Emily Landham

This month I sat down with Nashville-based actor and social entrepreneur Emily Landham to talk about her approach to creativity and art. I've known Emily almost all my life and probably wouldn't have guessed when we were small kids that we would have such unique yet similar career paths one day. I've been watching Emily from a bit of a distance the past few years and when I was brainstorming about who I wanted to interview, Emily was at the top of the list. I've been intrigued by her story of graduating at the top of her acting class at NYU, to immediately getting cast in a critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway show, and then somewhat abruptly moving to Nashville and starting over. Enjoy the conversation with Emily.

HS: What does creativity mean to you?

EL: I feel like every human being is innately creative. Some people don't necessarily have more of it [creativity] but they can’t get away from it. Some people are burdened with it rather than occasionally blessed by it. I fall into that category— “burdened by it.” Creativity belongs to everyone. I’m not a fan of the “select few” philosophy. It’s also a commitment. Creativity is dependent on the practical relationship between yourself and your instrument. How much are you willing to give it? It’s work. It’s a lot of work. 

HS: Can you tell me about how you were first drawn to acting?

EL: I was always very quiet. I was straight up shy. I think perhaps—healthy or not—acting was a way to connect in a formal way. It’s ultimately a very formal way of communication. It can seem chaotic but it was organized chaos. It felt safe. I showed up more when acting, when memorized, as opposed to human to human moments. I also love to play pretend. I love to imagine something that isn’t there until it almost is. The Tom Sawyer play was my first. I played the girl, Amy? I do think mostly my love of acting, is about my love to communicate, connect, work with people, and collaborate but I love doing it in a formal setting. 

HS: You studied at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and in other celebrated studios throughout the years. What is one of the greatest lessons you learned about creative expression in your training?

EL: The heart and soul of acting I learned from my childhood and from Wynn Handman. I learned professionalism, skill, and technique at NYU. Wynn helped me get the heart that I lost at NYU. It was about rigid expression. He does not teach technique, he demands honesty. He says incredible things like he wants to "help us find the agitation of the essence.” You go into the class thinking: “What the hell does that mean?” He’s not afraid to turn an actor into a child. Remember how easy it was to see things as a child? NYU is professional about acting. Wynn Hangman Studio is holy about acting. To them storytelling can save people and change the world. I can have the best British accent of anyone on that stage but unless I am meeting that with an absolute need to tell the story then what am I doing up there? That’s what he retrieved from me—to not be afraid to see the things that nobody else sees. Acting is not about being seen; it’s about seeing. And inviting the audience to see with you. Each material is like a human being. When you meet a new human, you have to gauge—are they a handshaker? A hugger? We adapt who we are to get to know someone and also maintain authenticity. You adapt your approach. That’s why he doesn’t like technique. Some plays he would say “just memorize the lines. and try not to think about it.” Other plays we need to do serious work and do backstory, etc. He was there to maintain the integrity and break all the rules. 

"Acting is not about being seen; it's about seeing."

HS: After graduating you booked a critically acclaimed production of CRIPPLE OF INISHMAN. You were headed for Broadway and no doubt, a film career. Not long after that you completely changed your gameplan: you relocated to Nashville and started Branded. Why the sudden huge change?

EL: I’m so glad I left. It was an interesting and tumultuous time for me. Right when I graduated I did have some big things happening and it was helpful and exciting. When I decided to leave, that was fueled by my finances. From the outside it looked like I was kicking butt, but there were way more “no’s” than “yesses.” I have a tendency to focus on the “no’s.” I was priming myself for disappointments. I wanted more Oscars than Kathryn Hepburn. When I came back [to Nashville] I was not intending to stay. I was home for the holidays. I was walking down 5th avenue by some homeless men who were laughing. On the right was a bus with a friend of mine on the side of it. I was jealous of the homeless men for laughing and the friend on the right for being successful. I didn’t know what I wanted. Success or die. I came back home and decided to stay home for two months then come back. I needed more time to not act. I needed to paint and live at home for awhile. Then Nashville Shakes was doing ROMEO AND JULIET. I thought ,”What the heck. I might as well try. Since then I’ve booked 8 or 9 shows here. And I’m booking some national commercials and films that are pretty big. In some ways it was grace. Who knows what would’ve happened if I had stayed. My weariness brought me home, and it just so happened that the south is kind of popping. It might be good “bigger fish in a smaller pond.” Staying in Nashville made me a better actor. Even if I wasn’t gonna do the huge roles and multimillion movies, NYC Is a city of specialities. I want to be an actor and run a social enterprise and write in the morning. Coincidentally or not coincidentally it makes me a better actor. I like that better. I’ve done the best performances of my life in Nashville. I’m southern through and through. I love the south and thrive in the south. 

HS: Tell us about the BRANDED Collective! How was it started and what does it do?

EL: The BRANDED Collective employs survivors of human trafficking from Nashville-based non-profit End Slavery Tennessee. The women work with local artisans to design and handcraft the jewelry collection. 25% of the profits go to the rescue and restoration of survivors.They’re in desperate need of work, money, and resume building. Most of them have criminal records. We train them in the art and craft of jewelry building. It’s a jewelry collection of beautiful different metal jewelry. Each piece contains a number that represents the practice of branding. 28 million people have been trafficked. Many victims of human trafficking are branded. Their captors physically mark them with a number or symbol. The process is often violent: a forced tattoo, a burn or knife cut. They’re branded like a cow. It strips them of their name. When you receive your item from the BRANDED Collective, you are BRANDED. Each piece contains a unique number that represents one of the millions trapped in the nightmare of trafficking. Become a number to restore a name. We have five that work with us—two at a time. End Slavery works very closely with the FBI. These women are definitely in the early stages of restoration.

HS: How do you balance running your company and still pursue acting and producing?

EL: I’m not sure I am making it work. (Laughs) I’m trying real hard. The dream is to act and run BRANDED. Neither of those make a consistent enough income. I’m also producing. And that is my day job. I still nanny every now and again. I’m learning I have to be able to say "no." When you’re starting a business, everyone wants to help, and have coffee, and share their good idea. If I don’t have time I need to say “no.” The other thing that I’m just now becoming aware of is “don’t f—- around.” One reason New York was hard for me, is that I want to please people when I ask for something. If you want to succeed just ask for something. Last week I got in touch with an agent in Atlanta. At some point she said “You are awfully aggressive.” I don’t need to waste time being too sweet or too careful or waiting for the right moment or hoping that I’m not bothering someone. Ask. If they don’t get back to me ask again. And then if they don’t get back ask again. I don’t have time to be timid anymore or even pleasant. (Laughs) Kidding. Do be pleasant. 

HS: What are your big crazy goals in your career(s)?

EL: I was such a goal-setter in college, I’m almost becoming less of a goal setter. Part of setting good goals is setting realistic goals. I’m not really good at setting realistic goals. I’m kind of in a goal sabbatical to learn realism. I do have the goal of BRANDED where we have salaries—me and my co-founder. I would love to be able to employ five survivors full time. I would love to give five women full time work. That’s a very lofty goal. I’m really impressed with how much we’ve done in just a few years. Acting, at this point in my career, those things have resulted in serious disappointment and prevented me from seeing the incredible opportunities that I have had. By setting lofty acting goals—which are very much out of our control—I’ve stolen some joy from myself.

HS: What is your advice to a young creative who wants to do more than one thing?

EL: Do it! I think it’s awesome. Know going into it that you will have to be particularly organized. You’re going to have to know how to say “no.” If you want to do that much and spend time with everybody and please everybody I just don’t think it’s going to work. I don’t think you can do everything. I want to write books and paint and play piano, but acting and BRANDED are really where I put my focus. There will have to be some prioritizing. If there are five careers you want then you may need to reconsider that. But if there’s two, I absolutely believe in multifaceted careers. But do be realistic about it. That will look different for everybody depending on what they’re looking at. I think there’s a book called Multiple Careers that’s really good. 

HS: Any parting thoughts?

EL: I do think that it's important to schedule in time for rest and fun, to watch a Netflix or go on a date. The moment that all the things that you’re pursuing means you’re not reading new books, working out, sleeping, seeing friends, then you are out of balance. I do think for someone who advocates saying “no”—things can be thriving but if I'm really irritable, not eating, not sleeping or working out or reading, for me, those things that fill you up and bring you pleasure, if you’re so busy you’re not doing those things, then stop viewing those successes as a good thing. Success is not worth your own self losing joy or becoming irritable. I also don’t think busyness is a sign of status. 

Read advice from Emily and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here.

If you liked this conversation with a creative you may want to go back and read the conversations with John, a filmmaker, and Karen, a writer. And if you really like the blog, well then it makes sense to just subscribe, right? Also, I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There's a lot of creative conversation to be had. 

5 Tips for Managing a Multi-Gig Life

Multi-gig friends, let’s have a heart to heart. You have multiple passions, multiple commitments. You thrive on variety and change. Your worst nightmare is being chained to a desk all day and netflixing away your evenings. I get it. 

But you’re also probably a little bit tired. It’s hard to stay on top of things like laundry, the dishes and even the mail. If it weren’t for calendars and to do lists you would always forget something. Even with calendars and to do lists you may still often forget things. 

Today I want to share a few reminders with you about how to manage and even excel in living that multi-gig hustle. Here’s a few things I’ve learned along my entrepreneur-actor-consultant-writer-committee chair-church volunteer-wife journey. 

5 Tips for Managing a Multi-Gig Life

1. Every so often do a gut check. Are your commitments worth it to you? If you feel like you’re struggling with keeping things in balance, the truth is, you probably are. So what can you let go of? What commitment isn’t holding up its end of the bargain when it comes to you values? Michael Hyatt views life like a closet. You can continually put new commitments and ventures (clothes, in this analogy) into your closet, but your closet is only so big. Some things will have to come out to make room for new items. You probably know what those things are. So do a gut check and determine what might need to go.

2. Get enough sleep. This is imperative. If you’re going to be switching gears throughout the week and wearing different hats you have to be as alert as possible. That means get the sleep you need. This is truly my secret weapon of managing my multi-gig life. How long would you sleep without an alarm? How long do you sleep when you wake up right before your alarm? That’s a good indicator of how much sleep is ideal for you. Protect your sleep! Protecting your sleep is truly protecting your brain. You need ever synapse firing throughout the day to do all you do.

3. Make time to exercise. This is especially important if many of your gigs are sedentary or use more of your brain power than physical power. A few weeks ago I talked with Dr. Karen Swallow Prior about how running brings balance to her life as a writer and academic. The same thing is so true for me. If your work has you typing away on a computer or writing in a notebook, you’ve especially got to prioritize exercise. And major bonus points if you can also make that exercise happen out in nature. 

4. Check in with your loved ones. Do the people who matter most to you think you’re overdoing it? Are they getting the quality time they need? Those closest to you probably have a really valuable perspective on your life and how you’re spending your time. Don’t let your relationships suffer because of your work. That trade-off is never worth it.  

5. Time activate your day. This is something that I learned back in high school when I learned about time management at a Stephen Covey seminar at Student Leadership University. Determine what is urgent, what is important, what is not urgent and what is not important. Prioritize accordingly. I typically have a pretty legitimate to do list each day. I have to plug each item on my list into a specific time within my schedule to ensure I accomplish what I need to accomplish. This keeps me on task and moving along. If I don’t account for each hour of my work day I will get distracted and think I have far more time than I do. I never have more time than I actually do. :-) For example, right now I’ve given myself 45 minutes to flesh out this blog post (disclaimer: the outline was already written). I better stay on task to make this happen. It’s my only opportunity today to work on it. 

These are a few strategies I use to make sure to keep life balanced. To be honest with you I don’t have the margin right now that I’d like to have. I’ll be chewing on that (when I can!) in the next few weeks and looking forward to the holidays when I can make some bigger changes for 2016. 

What are your secrets to balancing multiple commitments? Maybe you’ve got a day job and a passion project. I’d love to hear about your particular situation. So leave me a note in the comments here or on Facebook or Twitter! I’d love to hear from you.

Also if you’re interested in working with me on my multiple projects, I’m currently hiring interns for the spring! Full descriptions over here. 

5 Things Every Blogger Should Know About Social Media

Social media can and should be a blogger's best friend. But when you're juggling a blog AND Instagram AND Twitter AND Facebook AND Pinterest AND Snapchat AND Periscope and...it can be a little overwhelming. 

So today I want to share with you five things to remember about how to maximize the opportunity of social media as you grow your platform. 

5 Things Every Blogger Should Know About Social Media

1. Your blog is your home base. Social media are your outposts. Facebook will change its algorithm. Instagram will add more and more advertising. The only platform you have complete control over is your own. So when in doubt, put your primary focus there. Followers on a Facebook page are much less important than subscribers to your blog. 

2. The same content does not work on every platform. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just write something once and then copy/paste it to every other platform. While quality content stands the test of most any platform, we have to mold it to fit natively into each platform. Taking a screenshot of your blog or a status update and putting it on Instagram will not work. Pay attention to what works in each platform and adjust your content to fit that.

3. Every social network is not necessarily a good fit for you or worth your time. If there's a new up and coming social platform, for many bloggers, our first instinct is to jump right on. But it's better to give primary focus to two or three platforms. For this blog Facebook gets my primary attention. Secondary platforms are Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. I'm leaving Periscope and Snapchat alone (for now.) :-) 

4. Trying new things is not only a good idea, it's a necessity. You have an important story to be told. It's easy to fall in love with a certain platform (like Wordpress or Squarespace or Youtube) but we need to remember that all this technology will change. The story is what's most important. So be open to trying new things. Where would TV be without Netflix? Where would radio be without podcasts? Be open! 

5. Social media is an irreplaceable opportunity to build relationships. Your blog is the primary place where you build community. But social media gives you the opportunity to massage relationships and touch on lighter topics. Use Instagram to put a face to a name, use Facebook to share a helpful or humorous article. Ultimately the blogger/audience relationship is person to person.  

As overwhelming as all the social media management can be, never before have people who have a passion to share a message been able to quickly share it with so many people. I encourage you to take time every so often to look at your overall blog and social media strategy and see what is working, what isn't and what you may want to change. 

Which social platform have you seen be most helpful as you grow your readership? Where do you find community is being cultivated? 

Conversation with a Creative: Meet Dr. Karen Swallow Prior

Photo by Lashonda delivuk

Last month I started a new feature in which I interview creatives one by one, seeking to learn  their creative strategies and lifehacks, what creativity means to them and how they combat fear. You guys seemed to really be inspired by John Carl (if you missed it click that and catch up!). Today I'm thrilled to be back with my second creative conversation. Dr. Karen Swallow Prior is an author, professor, thought leader and let's be honest--mad cool fashionista. We sat down in August and talked about writing, running and trolls. Enjoy.

HS: What does creativity mean to you?

 KSP: Creativity is a human expression of being made in God’s image. But while God creates out of nothing we who are made in his image create out of materials. So for me creativity cannot be separated from the materials that we draw from. That’s why as an educator and a reader I think it’s important for creative people—people who want to be creative—to fill their stores with good material. I don’t labor under the illusion (that many do) that creativity is simply “inspired.” For me, as a writer, I think i’m going to be the best writer I can be by reading the best [writing] I can read. That [principle] applies to other arts as well. [It’s important] to learn from the artists who have gone before us, to continually refresh our stores with others’ works and ideas. We don’t create out of nothing; we create out of community.

HS: Can you further unpack that connection between creativity and community?

KSP: We don’t create out of nothing; we create out of the materials and ideas that have come before us. That’s a kind of community. Community can be physical— the people you’re surrounded by —but also community [can be experienced] from art that has gone before us. There’s influences to draw from and the influence we have on others. That’s part of community too.

HS: So what have you been reading lately? 

KSP: My reading is suffering from this digital age (laughs). I’m reading a lot more short pieces, blogs. Then I read the books that I teach for class. I really only read a few new books a year. So I do most of my pleasure reading in the summer. I’m finishing up now, a book I’ll be teaching, Imagining the Kingdom by James K Smith. It’s the second in a series. It has to do with how our habits and practices shape our thinking and desires.

HS: One thing I’ve noticed about your writing is that it is prolific. It seems like you’re publishing an essay every day. How do you do it?

KSP: I don’t feel like I’m ever “off.” I can’t shut off my brain. I run every day and that’s when I’m thinking about my writing or refining something I’ve been working on or I’m listening to audiobooks or podcasts. I run in the morning and then I’m writing or teaching in the afternoons and then writing more in the evenings. It has become a natural rhythm.

HS: Do you have any strategies for combating writer’s block?

KSP: I have too many ideas. That’s my problem! So I definitely have a problem with having too many ideas and not having time to write about what I want to write about. I don’t enjoy 80% of the writing. I enjoy having the ideas and I enjoy editing and revising. The actual creation of writing and getting the first draft down is painful and unpleasant. The researching part is easy because I can google (laughs). Shaping the work is really hard. Making the connections—I have to think really hard about making the connections. Sometimes something is intuitive to me and making it clear and articulate is difficult. Somewhere between the idea and putting it all together is the painful part. The polishing is the fun part. For example, the Cecil the Lion/Planned Parenthood article—my editor called. I said “I’m really busy, I don’t think I can, let me think about it. Let me think about it this morning.” I couldn’t see what I could say. I went running. And while I was running a phrase came to my mind. I texted my editor and i said “I think i have it” and we talked on the phone. The phrase was “willfull ignorance.” I had to run several miles before it came to me and then I had to run several more to flesh it out. As I was running another idea came to me. I had so many threads of thought it was hard to focus it. Back to community. The stereotypical writer/editor relationship is antagonistic. But I love my editors. I’m blessed to have good editors. i love being well-edited. The writer/editor relationship is one of the best examples of community and iron sharpening iron. I get to a point where I’m trying to make these connections. One of my editors will reorganize my paragraphs. Being well-edited is when someone takes my raw materials and makes it sharper and clearer. It makes my writing better. That’s one of the reasons I don’t want to have my own blog. As an academic we have the process of peer review and it’s very healthy for the most part. In popular publishing the editing process is the parallel. Someone else with perspective is balancing and proofing. They’re the gatekeepers, judgers and assessors that come into play before it goes out into the world.

my husband and i went to dr. prior's book signing of course. :)

HS: I was curious if there was a deep connection between your running habit and your writing. It sounds like there might be.

KSP: I really believe in balance. (That’s one reason I’m excited Liberty is hosting Bernie Sanders). So much of my life is in my head: teaching/reading/writing. I’m not an athlete, I’m not good at anything physical, but running gives me something physical. To be outside balances and takes away some of the stress of my brain. Same with taking care of the animals: the horses and the chickens and Ruby and Lucy (See her Instagram to see photo proof of all!).

HS: What does your writing routine look like?

KSP: It’s very, very unorganized. I’m working around teaching so it’s not the same schedule every day. During the semester I try to build my writing into it. I really need to be more organized.

HS: Your first book for non-academics came out in 2012. You’ve been a professor and academic for quite some time. Can you talk about the shift to becoming a sought after voice for Evangelicals and an author? How/why did this shift occur? Are these goals you had always wanted to achieve?

KSP: Since I was in college I wanted to be a syndicated columnist. I was inspired by George Will. This was before the Internet was invented (laughs). I always imagined being a columnist for a newspaper but that was before I went on to become a professor. This was when I was an undergrad english major writing for the student paper. I didn’t know I was going to go on and be a professor. When I began teaching my students helped me. Because of my approach to teaching—putting life and literature and my faith together—that began to be a driving message—how those things connect. Thus my Twitter handle: lovelifelitgod. Booked was inspired by students who asked me for reading recommendations. It was inspired by their desire to read more. It took several years to get a publisher for Booked. Right around the time that I got the publishing contract for Booked, I was contacted for a new christian women’s blog. It was a total coincidence. Social media has allowed this to happen for me. When I was trying to get a publisher I wasn’t on Twitter yet; I was writing notes on Facebook. A student encouraged me to join Twitter.

HS: And the rest is history! So on the topic of social media--you know, when you first dreamed of becoming a columnist you probably couldn’t have imagined the instantaneous feedback you get now on social media. And the trolling…what’s your approach to that?

KSP: Even though I never could’ve imagined trolling in social media form like we have today, it’s my academic studies that prepared me for it. My specialty is the 18th century english novel. The whole development of the english novel was trolling. A writer would write a novel like Pamela and then another writer would write their “anti-Pamela.” There were all of these spin-offs. This sort of thing has been in print culture since print culture was created. This antagonistic dialectical development of ideas—it’s the same thing on Twitter. Instead of 1000-page novels it’s 140 characters. So in terms of things that have happened to me, controversies and attacks, it’s not personal. They don’t even know me. When they don’t even know you, they’re basing some critique off of one thing you wrote. I don't take it personally. There’s real damage that can be done. But most of the damage is done to the people who do that sort of attacking.

HS: How was Booked conceived? Is it an idea you had in mind for a long time?

KSP: The idea for the book came to me from a book called How Movies Helped Save My Soul. Before the book came [in the mail] I was walking. I thought to myself, “how literature helped save my soul. I could write that book.” That goes back to the community. We’re all influenced by the things we surround ourselves with. That’s why it’s a good idea to surround ourselves with good things.

HS: What is your advice to a young aspiring memoirist?

KSP: The memoir genre is big now. A lot of people are saying it’s overdone. I would caution one to keep that in mind. It’s really important not to tell your story until you know how that story ends. I’m not a big fan of memoirs by really young people. It depends. There has to be a sense that that story in your life, that that story has ended before you write your memoir. It’s the same thing with like a Christian, radical, dramatic conversion. It’s dangerous to propel people out into leadership or on a platform before that story has been able to take root over time. Don’t be in a hurry to tell your story. The other advice I would give: every one’s story is a part of someone else’s story. it’s important when telling your story to handle other people’s stories with care.

HS: What is the best advice you’ve received in your career (and/or journey as a writer)?  

KSP: The best advice I received about writing a memoir, was to, in the drafting form, to tell more rather than less in drafting. You can always take stuff out. That changed Booked for me. When I handed in the draft my editor wanted me to tell more of my story. Be honest and vulnerable without being overbearing. I naturally would’ve been more reserved.

HS: Who are your mentors?

KSP: The early mentors in my life were pastors who cultivated my leadership skills when I didn’t know I had them. I have to give credit to two or three pastors who saw me doing things that I never would’ve seen: leading, speaking. Never would’ve ever! They get credit for seeing that in me.

HS: Any closing thoughts?

KSP: I would never want to have to rely on my writing as my livelihood. Not to say that other people couldn’t or shouldn’t do it--and even though time is always an issue. In talking with other writer friends who are trying to make their living from writing, I find it very freeing to not do that, to be able to write, as I want, in the limited time I have. I write out of passion rather than financial need. People criticize writers for constantly promoting, but it’s how they make a living. This is what they have to do. Whether you have a “day job” or write full time, there are going to be sacrifices you make. You have to choose which sacrifices.

Dr. Karen Swallow Prior is author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me and Fierce Convictions: the Extraordinary Life of Hannah More. Did something in this interview resonate with you? Share it in the comments! 

Social Media: Good vs Evil (or "It Might Be Time to Pull the Plug If…")

Social media. You crazy thing you.

Because of my access to you I’ve built a business, grown friendships, been confronted by a famous person, an acquaintance, and a stranger. I like you less when people use you to talk about politicians. I like you more when people use you to spread awareness about international crises and ways we can band together to make a difference. 

The truth is sometimes we need a breather from you—from your ever-present, all-access, overload of information. Sometimes people use you to complain, to be passive aggressive and to overshare. When we humans have a platform to share our thoughts it can get a little funny. So today I’m proposing ten reasons that we, your oh-so-faithful users, may need to take a break from you. (I’m going to move on to addressing the readers directly now. You may not want to listen…) 

It Might Be Time to Pull the Plug on Social Media If…

1. It makes you more angry than happy.

2. It makes you more jealous than happy.

3. You can’t resist the urge to lecture your friends and followers. 

4. You feel like your impulse control is waning. You check it at every opportunity. 

5. You spend a lot of time following people you don’t actually have relationships with in real life. 

6. You post content that you wouldn’t say out loud to a bunch of acquaintances. 

7. You can’t resist the urge to confront someone you know in real life on social media.

8. You can’t resist the urge to confront someone you don’t know in real life on social media. 

9. You feel guilty and voyeuristic about how you spend your time on social media. 

10. You’re so annoyed by the content that other people post that you volley back and post about your frustration. 

Perhaps you sense the common theme here. If social media draws out negative emotions in you more often than positive ones then maybe you should pull the plug. If you have trouble with boundaries and self-control on social media then maybe you should pull the plug. If using social media means you are observing life more than contributing to it maybe you should pull the plug. 

Social media is a mystifying animal. Just this week we Peanutized ourselves, raved about Ryan Adams’ 1989, and mourned the loss of Yogi Berra together online. We experience community with people we never would have had a meaningful conversation with at this point in our lives if it weren’t for social media. 

We can interact with like-minded people, learn from thought leaders, see our friends’ children grow up across the country, and even share a laugh together via social media. 

This vast landscape of online communication can be used for good and it can be used for evil. If social media brings up more negative feelings than positive ones, it may be time to shut it down for a little while or for a long while. 

Don’t forget that you ultimately hold the power. You are not held prisoner to any negativity that creeps into your life via social media. You can use the platform for good or you can opt out altogether. Just don’t be passive. That’s the big request here. Social media can be used for good or it can be used for evil. I encourage you, use it for good! 

Do you struggle with any (or many) of the items I listed above? What do you do to combat those tendencies? I’d love to hear about your strategy in the comments! 

10 Ways to Up Your Writing Game

If you have a message you’re passionate about conveying, you’ve probably already recognized the importance of good writing. As a social media and communication instructor I’ve been amazed at the array of writing levels I’ve come across in college classes. Some students (a very few) have such a challenging time getting the mechanics of writing correct, that I’m completely distracted from what they’re trying to convey to the reader. On the opposite end of the spectrum, writers like Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Harper Lee, and Shakespeare have changed the world through their excellent writing. If we ever want to convince anyone of anything, we have to be able to communicate well.

So back to you. You have a passion. You have a cause. You have a business. You want to promote something. 

What can you do now, in practical terms, to inspire others to support it? 

I want to encourage you to focus on improving your writing game. Here’s ten ways to do just that.

1. Do Morning Pages. One of my favorite books on creativity is Julie Cameron’s the Artist’s Way. Cameron’s book is chock full of wonderful ideas to get your creative juices flowing but her most formidable idea is to start each morning writing three full pages of unedited, stream of conscious writing. In her own words: “Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow.” The more you write, the better you will get at writing.

2. Write 200 words a day. Make a habit of writing about aspects of your passion/work/message/thoughts/business every day. 200 words is a manageable goal (that’s about the length of a paragraph or two.) All it takes is about 200 words a day to begin to create a catalogue of content you can use for blog posts, social media updates, content papers, eBooks, workshop content, and eventually full-length books. A secret of creating great content consistently is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel each time you want to share your message with the world.

3. Use Hemingway Editor. Ever wish you had an editor who could look over your writing before you hit “publish?” The Hemingway app analyzes your writing and highlights text that can be improved by suggesting you use a simpler word, use active voice, simplify complex sentences, etc. Give it a whirl. In fact, when I’m done writing this post, I’ll use it myself. 

4. Read Bird by Bird. Anna Lamott’s classic writing book is practical and inspiring. It starts off like this: “Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around mybrother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”

5. Read On Writing Well. One of the most helpful texts I read in my journalism classes, Zinsser’s book has sold something like a million copies. Read it. You can start by reading my post celebrating his wonderful writing advice. 

6. Use active voice. Sometimes in our first swipe at writing something we have trouble getting to the point at the top of the sentence. Let me rephrase that. Get to the point at the top of the sentence. It can be hard but it makes for better writing. 

7. Draw readers in with an enticing introduction sentence. Make that first sentence pop. If you’re writing an article on a new coffeeshop write a first sentence that makes the reader feel like she is there. And if it’s a blog post make sure it clearly indicates what the reader can expect from the rest of the piece.

8. Edit ruthlessly. The quote has been attributed to William Faulkner, Stephen King and Allen Ginsberg. We don’t know who said it first but we do know it’s a hard truth. “Kill your darlings.” Some of the most beautiful passages have to go. Serve the story. Serve your audience. Don’t preserve text just because you like it. 

9. Write like a person. This is a piece of advice I’ve stood by for some time. This separates the good writing from the trying-to-be-good writing. Write the way you speak. Yes of course you can be more articulate, more well-edited, and more clear (isn’t that one of the perks of writing over speaking?) but be sure you don’t sound like a robot, or a rambler, or (God forbid) a telemarketer. 

10. Write what you want to write. Maria Popova of BrainPickings is a big advocate of this one. If you think the topic will be interesting or helpful to your audience but you're not into it then don't write about it. The spark starts with you! You'll write more and better if you write about things that interest you. So don't be swayed by what you think you should write. Write what you want to write. 

These are my ten tips to implement for more effective written communication. They can be summarized like this: write a lot, read a lot, edit a lot. 

Do you have writing advice of your own? I'd love to hear it in the comments! 

Conversation with a Creative: Meet John Carl

 I always get pretty excited to talk about creativity with anyone who wants to broach the subject. There's so much us creative-types can learn from one another: from strategies to battle the fear of rejection to the ways we get inspired. Today I'm starting a new regular feature in which I take these offline conversations online and share them with you.

First at bat: John Carl. 

John is a New York based videographer and filmmaker. We’ve been close friends since our college days and it’s been fascinating to witness John’s rise from computer lab assistant to director of photography for shoots with household names like Microsoft, Sharpie and Motorola. (Oh the places you'll go between 20 and 30!) John and I have had plenty of conversations about creativity, entrepreneurship, art and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. So today I wanted to kick off a new interview-style feature on the blog with this chat with John. 

HS: Can you share with us a little about your career trajectory? How did you arrive where you are now?

JC: Let’s see. Video by way of photography by way of graphic design by way of music by way of computers—a circuitous path. I never knew exactly where I was going but I wanted to keep my engine on. My cousin Davy says, “You can’t steer a parked car.” I just knew that if I kept doing what I loved that I would eventually find a way to turn it into a career. That’s the short answer.

The slightly longer answer is that I got a camera that could shoot video, a DSLR in 2009 and just started shooting video for fun. After posting a couple videos online, I got a call from Levis about a job and it was a bigger job so it seemed to be the right time to go freelance and start a company. I reached out to some friends and we started a company (DuckDuck Collective). The first year or two were very scrappy. We had to hustle a lot and accepted any work that came our way: weddings, senior portraits, events—not the most glamorous work in the grand scheme of the industry but we were paying our dues. Lynchburg was the perfect place to do that because it was so cheap to live here. Eventually clients wanted more video work and our numbers began to grow. Then on one of our bigger jobs in California we learned that the client had asked the agency why they were hiring “some kids from Virginia” as opposed to professionals from LA or New York. That was insightful and when I realized that even your zip code communicates something about your perceived level of skill. So we decided to move. I wanted to put off LA for as long as possible. It feels a little inevitable in this industry. So off to NYC we went and that’s where we are today. We have new office space, a new camera, lots of other new gear and some new services that aren’t announced yet but I’m very excited about. The business continues to grow.

HS: So why filmmaking? How did you find yourself there?

JC: Filmmaking is the only thing that incorporates all of my interests: cinematography, music, audio, people, technology and most importantly, story. And I get bored really, really quickly so I need something that keeps me moving between all those different disciplines. So I kind of feel like my whole life was leading up to filmmaking.

HS: What does creativity mean to you?

JC: Creativity is a way of turning ourselves inside out. [It’s] trying to share truth or create beauty to make something worthwhile that didn’t exist before. To rip off Dr. Prior, it’s our desire to imitate God. He creates so we want to create to be like Him. When we’re creating we’re most “god-like” in a sense. But I also view it as a struggle: there’s a real terror that comes from staring at the blank page. You have to push through the fear, make something, let it be substandard, then repeat and hope you improve in the process. And sometimes you do; sometimes you don’t. So there’s an anguish and joy that come from it.

HS: Tell me more about the joy.

JC: Well, my love language is words of affirmation so when someone praises something I’ve done I find a lot of joy in that. But the process is enjoyable too. There’s a joy in having done something well after working really hard on it. Sitting down to make a song, film, design, is super enjoyable. I mean, except the parts where you want to throw your keyboard out the window. But it’s mostly enjoyable. Plus I’m not good at anything else. (laughs) I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t create.

HS: How do you combat your tendency toward perfectionism?

JC: Poorly. (laughs) I have a dear friend who recommended this book to me called Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (And Rewards) of Artmaking. There’s a chapter on perfectionism and the author basically redefines perfectionism as fear. It’s essentially just overvaluing other people’s opinions and fearing their critique. So you wind up doing nothing. It’s not a good thing. So when I say I’m being a perfectionist about something what I’m actually saying is I’m fearful. Oof. Apparently I’m very fearful.

There’s a story in the book that was pretty transformational for me. It tells the story of a pottery professor who, on the first day, told everyone on the left side of the room that they would be graded based on the quantity of their work, and on the right, by the quality of their work. On the last day of class, he did find several perfect pots, but interestingly, they were all from the quantity side of the room. Those students didn’t concern themselves with being perfect, just with learning the process. So I’ve been trying to learn from that story by focusing on the process of creating to set myself free from the tyranny of perfection/fear.

All that said, there’s definitely a limit to discovering quality through quantity too. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. If you’re truly just focused on quantity that would be bad. You need time, occasionally, to focus on quality too, on making things without spiraling into perfectionism. Moderation and balance is the key. Give yourself permission to do both types of projects.

HS: Can you share a little about your creative process?

JC: Well. There’s what it has been and what it should be. What it has been is that it usually starts with feelings, when I’m feeling strongly about anything (happy/sad/angry/pensive, whatever). I haven’t been approaching it as a process; I’ve approached it with a product view. What do I want to end up with? Doing it that way it’s easy to go off the rails. For example I’ve recorded tons of songs that are half to two-thirds done but I haven’t shared them out of a fear of not being good enough. So I’m actually trying to learn to love the process or even develop one in the first place. Art & Fear talks about this. The author says your responsibility is not to make people love your art or gain approval. Your job as an artist is to love the process. Judge your value as an artist by how you’ve grown in the process. Give yourself permission to fail and you’ll get better. That’s hard. I’m learning to sacrifice my ego, be humble. I don’t know why I ever started believing I was the type of person that would only put out good work. That’s dumb. Focus on the process. Oh yeah, so back to the process. It generally starts with having an emotion or an idea, then there’s a “dark night of the soul” full of self-loathing, then giving up or nearly giving up, then pushing through, then eventually I like what I’ve wound up with (quasi). It’s about learning to love obstructions.

"I don’t know why I ever started believing I was the type of person that would only put out good work. That’s dumb. Focus on the process."

I saw a documentary by Lars von Trier, called the Five Obstructions. He asks a filmmaker to remake the same film with five different obstructions. And over the course of the film he learns to love the obstructions. It’s fascinating. When he “cheats” on one, Lars punishes him by assigning him to remake his film with no obstructions at all and the filmmaker hates it. The point is, we actually love and need obstructions. Even though it’s really fun to complain about them. Whatever the limitation is: money, time, right team, etc. The point is to not let any of it be an excuse to stop. Stopping is the enemy. Whatever the twist or obstruction is you have to embrace it and keep pushing.

HS: Do you ever feel creatively blocked? How do you power through that? Any strategies or techniques?

JC: Of course. All the time. The way I power through is just trying to get inspired by other people’s work, Pinterest, Vimeo, real life experience. For whatever reason my life is really dramatic so I have a lot of real world inspiration for creating things.

HS: What is your advice to a young creative who wants a career like yours?

JC: Do whatever it is that you want to do often and don’t wait for somebody else to come along and give you permission to do that thing. No one is coming. No one is coming to give you your big break. Big breaks are an illusion. Getting lucky is hard work. There’s an agency I do freelance at sometimes and on the wall when you walk in it says, “The harder I work the luckier I get.” I love that. I spent a long time being bitter about my college education. I was dissatisfied about all I was not getting taught about graphic design. But at the end of the day when you enter the “real world” no one is responsible for your success other than you. The greatest skill as a creative [can have] is to know how to teach yourself and acquire knowledge. Especially now, with the internet, there is no excuse for anyone to not know anything they want to know. Any information you want to learn, any creative skill set you want to acquire, you can find it online or in a book and often learn it faster and better than in an academic setting. Even if you’re going to an amazing school, the students who do well are the ones who are self-motivated and self-teaching. The ones who do poorly are the ones who are lazy and expect spoon feeding. I think one of the biggest predictors of success is how well you can teach yourself new things and how well you can motivate yourself to do that.

HS: Parting thoughts?

JC: I tried to have a full time job once and it was by far the most unhappy I’ve ever been. I was a tiny cog in a massive machine. I worked in a cubicle. We discussed things like “printer policies” and had to passive-aggressively label our lunches in the fridge. I hated my life. I took a risk though and quit. It has been, without a doubt, one of the best decisions I ever made. So to anyone thinking about going freelance: do it. DO IT. 

Read advice from John and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives.” Grab your copy here.

John Carl is co-founder and president of Duck Duck Collective, a video production company based in Brooklyn, New York. Connect with him on Twitter @JohnCarl. Have something to add to this conversation? We'd love to hear from you. Just hit that "comment" button below. 

Hilary's Tuesday Social Media Tip 003: Why are you on social media?

This week I'm back with another quick video with a social media tip and a challenge! 

It's so easy to get bogged down and focused on things like number of likes, number of followers, or how often we are posting. But let's not get distracted.

The real name of the game is lead generation, growing our email list, increasing brand awareness, or fill in the blank with your goal of choice.

We'll never know if we hit it out of the park if we don't know what we're aiming for. Why are you on Linkedin? Instagram? Twitter? Facebook? Periscope? Having a lot of followers is great. Posting regularly is great. But do you know what you want to achieve? Get crystal clear on who you want to reach and what action you want them to take. That is Step 1 in achieving your goals on social media. 

Do you ever feel a little confused about your purpose on any given platform? 

5 Questions I Ask Every Client Before We Start Working Together

I love my consulting work. I thrive playing the role of outsider looking in, offering suggestions and solutions. Fun fact: I was in a club in 7th grade at school called "Future Problem Solvers of America." (Yes, that was a thing-- I guess?) I've always been energized by coming up with solutions to problems. I do this regularly with my clients who need a fresh set of eyes on their brand, social presence, or overall marketing strategy.

But before I say "yes" to an opportunity to come alongside another organization, I ask a few questions. They give me clarity to know if I'm a right fit, to know if the leaders know what they want, and they help me determine exactly how to support that organization. Here are five questions I ask before I start any consulting gig.

5 Questions I Ask Every Client Before We Start Working Together

1. What are your goals? Getting "big" on social media is never the ultimate goal. It's what that influence can achieve. Clients need to be able to articulate what they want to accomplish through social media. Brand awareness? Lead generation? High profile relationships? We will never be sure that we have succeeded if we don’t have concrete goals set at the very beginning. So make it clear what you want to accomplish. 

2. What are your pain points? As a consultant I need to know what your biggest problems are—this is likely why you called me in the first place. What aspects of a social media strategy make your head spin? Where do you want to make progress but the roadmap is a little fuzzy? What would you be happiest to outsource and never think of again? What keeps you up at night? 

3. What does success look like for you? How will you know that the mission has been accomplished? Is it hitting a certain number of followers? A certain percentage of email opens? What needs to be accomplished in order for you to know that working with me was the right choice?

4. Which platforms are you currently on? I have to know the details of which social platforms you are on, when you joined, what kind of activity you've had, and if you've done any advertising on those platforms. To present a clear strategy moving forward, I have to know where you're coming from.

5. Who are you trying to reach? You’ve heard that you can’t not be on social media but do you know who you are trying to reach there? What time does your audience get online? What kind of purchases do they make online? Which social platform do they prefer? You have to have a clear picture of your target audience in order for me to help you reach them. 

These are just a few of the questions I need answered up front in order to effectively help organizations maximize the potential that lies in social media and marketing online.

Do you have any questions you always ask potential clients or vendors?