Exciting Announcement: HSL Creative is Expanding!

I’ve gotten the opportunity lately to share all of the exciting services that we offer at HSL Creative with several groups. When I’ve told people that I write, refresh and offer a fresh eye to companies looking to better communicate their messages online I inevitably get two responses: Oh that’s perfect! I really need a writer and/or social media help! That’s amazing! 

or

Oh that’s awesome! Do you also do design? 

Well as of November 1 the answer to that is YES. I’m expanding the team to include several of the best designers and also, hardest workers, I’ve ever met.

Introducing Briana and Casey. I went to grad school with these two and have partnered with them on several projects already. They are both incredibly talented, very creative and great additions to the HSL team.

Briana specializes in web design including Wordpress front-end development and HTML. She also has a knack for telling stories with images through infographic creation.

Casey is a jack of all trades who is our go-to for identity packages, logos, and print ads.

Whatever your content and design needs may be, we are the team to do it. You start with an idea and we'll help create the content and images that represent you best.

Welcome Briana and Casey!

Need design, social media, or writing help? Shoot us a message and we'll get to making your dreams a reality. 

10 Tips to Boost Creativity the Einstein Way

Ever since I was tagged a “creative” person as a kid, I’ve been drawn to the concept and study of creativity. Twyla Tharp’s the Creative Habit is one of my favorite books. I even put it in the name of my company. I recently read an article about Einstein’s perspective on creativity. He called it combinatory play.

Maria Popova phrases Einstein’s perspective like this:

“Creativity is combinatorial: Alive and awake to the world, we amass a collection of cross-disciplinary building blocks — knowledge, memories, bits of information, sparks of inspiration, and other existing ideas — that we then combine and recombine, mostly unconsciously, into something ‘new.’ From this vast and cross-disciplinary mental pool of resources beckons the infrastructure of what we call our ‘own’ ‘original’ ideas.”

It hit me like a ton of bricks that no great idea comes out of thin air. None of us can really take full credit for anything! Great ideas come from putting pieces together. Someone else’s comment here, someone else’s example there, and voila a new idea is formed that seems obvious based on putting the other two ideas together.

HSL Creative was founded after putting several ideas together. To me, it seemed like an obvious next step.

Yesterday I toured Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. The tour guide explained that while people think of Jefferson as an inventor he was really an innovator. He took other inventions and improved them. Combinatory play at it’s finest.

Here are 10 tips to incite more combinatory play in your life. I dare you to try at least 3 this week:

1. Explore an aisle of the bookstore that you don’t usually frequent.

2. Try out a new recipe with ingredients you've never used.

3. Make plans for lunch or coffee with someone who is not in your regular circles.

4. Subscribe to BrainPickings.

5. Sit in on your library’s book club meeting.

6. Listen to a public lecture at a local college.

7.  Ask this question at the dinner table: If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would you do with your life?

8. Watch a TedTalk.

9. Read a biography of someone that interests you who you've not previously studied.

10. Post a question on your Facebook status.

I encourage you to carry a notebook (or just your notes app in your iPhone) with you throughout the week and jot down ideas that come to you. When you’re open to connecting new dots, you are likely to do just that.

A Huge Lesson Broadway Taught Me About My Clients

The Bridges of Madison County ad in the New York Times

Last weekend I got the chance to visit my favorite escape: New York.

While I was there I took a stroll through the theatre district. It’s an interesting area. The theaters that line the street are both places filled with nostalgia and detached buildings that are constantly experiencing the loss of one show and the gain of another. That’s the exciting thing about theatre--it’s live and current and you can’t save it for later like media. It’s now or never, which well, isn’t that a bit like life?

Back to the lesson...

While in the theatre district I saw new signs on a marquis for a new show: The Bridges of Madison County, which I guess was originally a book and then a film. Neither the book or the film mean anything to me but there are two names attached that do mean something to me: Kelli O’Hara and Jason Robert Brown.

Kelli O’Hara is one of my favorite Broadway actresses. She is one of the best actors that sings and one of the best singers that acts. She is class personified and I LOVE watching her perform. Jason Robert Brown is one of the most celebrated composers alive today.  I’ve sung his beautiful music from Songs for a New World, Parade and the Last Five Years. His iconic sound is unmistakeable.

When I saw their names on the marquis that made up my mind for me. Take two artists I love, give them a musical and BAM, you’ve just sold me a ticket.

Perhaps my clients aren’t so different than me.

Maybe as an entrepreneur I can make the sale by offering my clients just two things that excite them. Two things that they need. One thing they need will attract them, but if I give them two, well, it’s a done deal. That’s a better offer than just one thing the competition is offering them.

Social Media Savvy + Experience in Arts Marketing Millennial Perspective + Killer Writing Skills Commitment to Flooring My Client’s Expectations + Journalism Experience

Whatever the combination, I’m convinced: two desirable qualities can nail the sale. 

Price, within reason, becomes a non-issue when you are meeting customer needs and delighting them.

Kelli + JRB = 1 ticket sold.

And I don’t even know the plot.

Don’t need to.

What are the two components you’re selling that will guarantee your sale? 

Last week I wrote about why I feel ok not living in a major city. It seemed to resonate with people.

The #1 Reason I Feel Ok Even Though I Don’t Live in a Major City

Me in Washington Square Park this Weekend. Taken by Juan-Carlos Lagares.

I’m from Nashville. A medium-sized city that as of late has become a “cool” place to live.

After college I spent time living back there as well as in Orlando and New York when I wasn’t living in quaint Virginia towns working in the theatre.

While people think it’s cool that I’m from Music City, nothing sounds sexier to the indiscriminate American than when you say you live in New York City.

Maybe it’s that so many people skulk through Times Square each year and can’t imagine that people actually live on that island. Maybe it’s because of the Stock Market or Broadway or Gossip Girl.

Any of those ways, since my last two years living in beautiful Central Virginia (far, far from the pace of the Big Apple) I’ve felt pangs of feeling less important, less “in the thick of it,” less, well, exciting, without a Manhattan zip code.

But as I was in New York this weekend I was reminded of the #1 reason that I have made peace with my (most likely temporary) residence outside of the Big Apple.

Social Media.

What I crave about living in a major city is the ability to rub elbows with influential people. I want to be challenged by people who hustle, have big dreams, and make a large and lasting impact on the world. There’s something about the pace of that place. People who mean business about their business move there.

Yes, there are pros and cons to living anywhere. If I was living on the Upper West Side I wouldn’t be writing to you today from my 200 square foot sunroom/office with windows on three walls (it’s a peaceful place).

But today is different than yesteryear. With the advent of online communities like Google+, Twitter and even sites like LevoLeague, I can connect with braniac freelance writers who do what I do but have more experience in the trenches. And spoiler: they live all over--not just in New York.

If I were in an isolated, internet-free world, I may be pretty sad about not living in a major city. But that is not the world in which I live. I am among a generation that has obscene amounts of information at our fingertips. I can read the daily musings of people like Chris Brogan, Michael Hyatt, and Jenny Blake and also enjoy the low cost of living and fresh air. It’s good to be alive. Right now. Right here.

What say you? Do you live in a small city? Longing for a major city? Which pace do you prefer? What are the drawbacks?

5 Commitments to Finish Strong for the 4th Quarter

There are only 3 months left of the year! Where did the time go? Today marks the first day of the final thirteen weeks of this calendar year. While some people may lose a bit of motivation this time of year, fall and winter are a fantastic time to make sure you’re finishing up on some solid efforts for your annual goals. You have 13 weeks left in the year. What are you going to do with them?

Here are five commitments I’m making for the fourth quarter.

1. Make decisions based on priority. Franklin Covey’s concept for regular goal setting starts with values. What do you value most? Your values should dictate your priorities which should dictate how you make decisions with your time, money and hard work. I’m going to take stock of my values and apply those values to my calendar, my bank account, and my brain power.

2. Pay more attention to importance than urgency. For the last quarter of the year I want to focus more on what is important and less on what is seemingly “urgent.” For example, instantly answering text messages, checking emails, and replying on social media feels urgent but is not as important as my work agenda or time with my husband.

3. Zoom out. I recently read Sheryl Sandberg’s best seller Lean In. Sheryl recommends setting goals on an 18-month schedule. I like that idea. Goals make me 100 times more productive than I would be if I didn’t articulate what I want to achieve. By keeping the big picture in mind I make better choices now that will get me where I want to be in 18 months or 5 years (which if you’re curious includes writing books, a consistent acting career, a thriving business, and becoming a homeowner.)

Question to ask:

What am I doing in these last 3 months of the year that contribute to those long-term goals? 

4. Hustle. It’s easy to go slow-mo with intentional living as the days get shorter and the mornings get colder. But in order to accomplish my goals I know I can’t let up during these months. In fact, it’s a great time to really focus and make some solid ground. I can do this through determining what I want to accomplish on a weekly basis and breaking that down to a list of five things or less.

5. Be consistent. Whether it's my investment of time in the lives of the people who are most important to me, consistency in giving something useful to people like you who happen across this blog, or consistency with clients to give them a wow experience, one of my five commitments for the fourth quarter of the year is to be consistent.

What about you? What are you focusing on this 4th quarter?

5 Best Practices to Increase Your Happiness on Twitter

Twitter is but one of several social networks that are used by millions of people every day. If you’ve ever started to get bored with Twitter, were ready to delete your account, or wondered why people used the 140-character tool in the first place, check out these five tips for enjoying Twitter 1. Determine how you want to use it. My favorite social network is Twitter. Why? Because I follow a mix of friends, family, and thought leaders that post interesting, engaging content that is useful to me. A follow list without purpose could you leave you bored and annoyed on Twitter. But following your favorite author, magazine, or athlete could make it very exciting.

2. Utilize a source like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to make sure you don’t miss important posts. As a social media professional I use Tweetdeck to schedule posts and to follow several lists from each accounts I manage. It helps me stay organized and keep track of the content that I know our readers would want to see. Using Twitter without other applications almost guarantees that you'll be overwhelmed and that you'll miss the good stuff.

3. Utilize Buffer. This fantastic tool let’s you skip a step when it comes to scheduling posts. You can set up a schedule for when you want posts to drop and Buffer slides each post into a slot. With the Buffer button in my tool bar it’s so easy to keep the content flowing without having to stop and decide exactly what time it’s going out. Buffer is also awesome because it gives me an analytics report that tells me how each post is working. I can find out number of clicks, favorites, retweets, shares, etc.

4. Favorite tweets that you want to return to. When I’ve got a little down time and I'm scrolling through Twitter on my iPhone I don’t usually want to click away from my feed. I’d rather read a full-length article on my iPad or laptop. I primarily use my favorites as a bookmarking tool where I can go back and locate content that piqued my interest. Sometimes it’s a quote I want to recycle, sometimes it’s just a tweet that I find funny, but often it’s a link to an article that I want to read later. Favoriting an item is the way I “save for later” and it works great.

5. Interact with others. Connecting with friends, colleagues, thought leaders, and people who you admire, is one of the hands down best aspects of Twitter. Last week I had a tweet exchange with Dr. Karen Prior, the woman who wrote my favorite book of the year. I began an email exchange with Howard Sherman, the former Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing, because I engaged with him on Twitter. Twitter is no replacement for eye contact and a firm handshake but it is an unprecedented mode of connecting with people. Maximizing that opportunity is by far Twitter’s coolest feature.

What is your favorite use for Twitter? Do you find other social networks to be more useful?

7 Tips for Being Your Own Publicist Online

Secret's out: we are not all celebrities and big shots that have a Samantha Jones-esque worldly wise publicist looking out for the messages we are sending out into the universe. Today your social media personality contributes heavily to client and colleague and even potential employer perceptions of you. Here are seven best practices for keeping a positive image online.

1. Vent somewhere else. Feeling the need to let off a little steam? Text a friend, write in your journal, or share it with your spouse. Don't type a status update. Venting via social media may have more negative repercussions than positive ones. You may come across as someone who has poor judgment or looks as if they have no one to talk to in the real world. It's bad press all the way around. Don't do it.

2. Keep away from unpleasantries. Whether it's photos of dead animals, oversharing about your morning hygiene routine or the details of your illness--think about your queasiest friend. Would she want to hear about it? If not, then just don't mention it.

3. Don't treat social media like a megaphone. Engage with others! Respond, comment, like. Don't waste hours of your day, of course, but the truly adept social networker finds that happy balance between sharing with his or her tribe and engaging with them. It's just rude to constantly post messages online and not respond to anyone else. Online manners FTW.

4. Avoid potentially offensive or polarizing statements. You probably know someone who is relatively meek in person and then seems to be an angry confrontational jerk on Facebook, amiright? Chances are, your perception of him has been affected by what he posts. There's nothing like logging on and realizing that former quiet, coworker is a little bit racist. Avoid off color jokes, criticizing others, and making sweeping statements regarding current events. Whatever you post can and could be used against you. So, just keep it classy.

5. Balance out that self-promotion. Social media provides an incredible venue to promote work that excites you. There's no reason not to let the world know when your album drops, you have a big art show, or are speaking at a conference. Just make sure you don't only turn to the interwebs when you have something to promote. Experts say self-promotion should be 10% or less of what you post. Adhering to that rule is a good idea.

6. Observe the Grandma Rule. Great question to ask yourself before posting anything: would I want Grandma to see this post? If yes, then go ahead and post it. If no, just skip it.

7. When in doubt, less is more. People can't twist the words you never say (or, type).  Don't feel the need to post something every day. Click "send" when you have something to contribute. Our words are our legacy.

What do you think? Do you have any rules to live by as you use social media? Do you have any tips for what to avoid? Post em in the comments!

6 Ways Grad School Launched Me into the Career of My Dreams

Three and a half years after I finished my bachelor’s degree in journalism I was stuck. My degree could’ve gotten me a job at a fledgling newspaper or perhaps an internship at a magazine. So far it had helped me make about 10% of my income annually. I knew none of that was where I wanted to be. I wanted to have a magical career where I had autonomy and got to help people communicate their stories better. Oh, and I still did not want to give up performing in theatre. I needed more options so I decided to go to grad school. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Here are six surprising ways grad school got me to my dream job.

1. I actually saved money. You read that right. No, graduate school did not leave me $100 Grand in the hole. Quite the contrary--I had a graduate teaching assistantship and got paid (not buckets and buckets but something) to dip my toe into the deep end of teaching while I got an education. By spending 20 hours a week teaching and grading freshmen work, I was able to get a free M.A. and get a stipend that helped me pay my bills and function like a 20-something who was not dependent on her parents. Score. This was an integral next step in the process of getting on my feet and starting my business. No debt!

2. I suddenly got credibility in my field.  Over night, the fact that I had decided to go to graduate school to study communication and media gave me major street cred in my field. Suddenly I was called a social media expert because people saw that I was serious about studying the inner workings of digital media. By studying a subject in graduate school, people saw that I was serious about it. I was no more passionate about learning about how people connect online than I was 6 months before, but now people saw that I meant business, so they listened to me and opted to hire me.

3. I was surrounded by people who got excited about the nerdy things I did. I, perhaps like you, perform better with fierce competition. I didn't know to be grateful for my classmates' commitment to the books at the time (sorry guys) but the fact that I was in small classes with people who were at the top of their classes in undergrad lit a fire under me. We had conversations (for fun!) about marketing, social media, and the digital landscape. We debated advertising techniques and product placement. This not only happened in the classroom, but it happened when we left class and went back to our cubicles, when we went to grab mexican food, and it continues to happen through mediums like Twitter. If I hadn't been surrounded by people who were passionate about this field, I would not be as knowledgeable in my field as I am now.

4. It bought me some time to figure out how my dream and reality could jive. I think this is really the reason a lot of people go to grad school. Not knowing what your next step should be is neither a bad reason or a good reason to go to grad school. For me, going to grad school gave me a little time to better formulate my vision for my future. I knew I couldn't and wouldn't be giving up performing any time soon (or well, ever permanently) but I also knew that during time between performance contracts I could not indefinitely go back to folding sweaters (as much as I LOVED that Anthro discount). I knew I needed a second marketable skill to support my arts habit. Grad school gave me time to figure out exactly what that could be and how I could make it all work.

5. I became a better writer. In elementary school I learned to write imaginatively. In high school I learned how to write a snazzy college essay. At university I learned how to write articles. In grad school I learned how to write a well-researched thesis. All of these different kinds of writing have helped me become a well-rounded writer. The academic writing is no replacement for professional writing but it certainly did not hinder my writing skills. It only helped me improve them. The more ways I know how to connect with an audience, the better.

6. I honed the skill of balancing. By taking classes, teaching classes, and working part-time freelance gigs, I learned the art of managing multiple tasks for multiple "clients" (whether it was 19 year-old students, my graduate school professors, or a client who wanted a press release). This delicate skill of balancing has transferred beautifully into my sole proprietor work. On any given week I knock out work for 8 or more clients. I need to balance deadlines, client personalities and their business goals. Grad school prepared me perfectly for that.

So often today experts are saying not to go to grad school. I know for me it was the absolute right decision. What about you? Did you regret going? Do you have plans to go? What are your concerns? Sound off in the comments.

6 Ways to Improve Your Website Content

The content on your website is integral to the success of your organization. Here are six considerations to make your website content really wow your audience.

1. Start with passion. You’ve created a service or a product or a business. This came from your head--you’re probably pretty jazzed about it. So let that come out in your writing! Don’t be afraid to geek out on your work, life’s purpose, or calling. Passion is contagious so let that come out in your writing. What is it about what you’re selling that is AWESOME? That bit needs to be all over your website.

2. What makes you special? This is a key aspect of stellar website content. You’ve got to say what sets you apart from the competition. Imagine you’re sitting with someone over a cup of coffee explaining your company. How do you phrase it? Articulate what makes you unique.

3. Get specific. Stephen Sondheim once said “God is in the details.” And he was right. Copy that jumps off the page is specific, sharp, and purposeful. Don’t be generic. Be incredibly specific.

4. Use imagery. Images are powerful. Think of the image painted by Martin Luther King Jr. in his “I Have a Dream" speech. Dr. King was a visionary who moved his audience to action through words. What potential you have to do the same my friend.

5. Find the story. A couple of years ago I read a life-changing book by Dan Pink called A Whole New Mind. Dan explained that every brand now is not only responsible for communicating what they are selling but also crafting a story that draws their audience into the excitement of the organization’s mission. Starbucks isn’t just selling coffee. They’re selling the Starbucks experience. And they did that through fantastic storytelling.

6. Talk like a person. No, really. Sounding “professional” is not code for sounding automated, dry, or robotic. Nobody wants to read that. People will connect with your brand when you sound like a person. That means be conversational. Think about how you would explain your company if you were chatting about it at happy hour. Often times people are congenial and articulate in person and sound like an alien on paper. Don’t do that.

If you tap into these six suggestions I guarantee your writing will communicate your message better. If you’d like me to review what you’ve written, edit it, rewrite it or if you’d just like to hand it off to me altogether get in touch by filling out the "Schedule Consultation Chat" form on the right side of this page.

Your story is begging to be told.

HSL Creative: a story about discovering your purpose

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

And thus begins the launch of HSL Creative. After 13 years of school, 4 years of college, 4 years of living all over, 2 years of grad school, and finally supporting myself as a freelance writer, social media specialist and actor, this day has come. I'm not starting a new job this week but I am finally embracing what I do and sharing it with the world.

I’ve always been a person who was curious. I’ve liked lots of things and had trouble narrowing down my interests. Choosing one major and one minor in college was challenging. (I ended up with 3 minors. Who does that?) Saint-Exupéry’s quote above resonates with me because I’ve finally gotten to the point where I know what my life’s work is:

My passion is to tell stories. Whether they're ones that I've made up, ones other people have lived, ones I perform on a stage or ones I share in a magazine article, telling stories is what I know I'm meant to do.

So with the launch of HSL Creative, there is nothing left to take away. This is the next step in living a life on purpose. I'm a storyteller. And I look forward to continuing on this journey of sharing humanity with you through the written word.

5 Tips to Kickstart Your Social Media Presence

Social Media Logotype Background

At this point every one knows their business needs a social media presence but maybe you’re not sure where to begin. Here are five tips to make sure you’re doing it right.

1. Determine your audience’s location. In order to reach your intended audience with your brand’s exciting message you first have to figure out where they hang out online. Thoroughly carve out the image of your customer. Does she tweet? Does he have a smartphone? How busy is she? Figure out where that person spends time online and invest your social media presence there.

2. Be predictable. Content may be king but consistency is queen. Post regularly. Your following will grow if they come to know what to expect from you. This doesn’t mean you have to post 10 times a day on the hour. But it does mean that you should stick to a regular schedule. Consistency is a characteristic of brand credibility. So be credible.

3. Contribute something. Social media users only follow brands that provide them with something--whether it’s entertaining, inspiring, or useful, people have come to expect to get something from the businesses they allow into their social media feeds. So while plugging your own stuff is a necessity from time to time, give people content they’ll find interesting even if it doesn’t lead to a shopping cart.

4. Check in regularly. While some of your online presence can be automated, you can’t schedule a connection with your audience. Be sure to check in regularly to comment, reply and take part in discussions online. Your absence will be noticeable if you don’t.

5. Keep it PUFI. PUFI? Yes. Pleasant, Useful, Fun, and Interesting. Your posts should fall into one of these four categories at all times--even better if you hit 2, 3 or 4. Keep your content light. Social media is not the right medium for heady debates. Your content needs to provide your audience with a good experience. So be useful, enjoyable and fun to follow.

These are five surefire ways to get your social media presence off on the right foot. Have anything to add? I’d love to hear it in the comments.