For anyone who has ever wondered what it takes to make the move from home based, part time business to full time, real live office business, I’m going to share with you how our first two days in business have shaped up, in the form of what I like to call “The List”. Check emails Reply to emails Call the sign company Drink coffee Go to new office, measure windows, floors, doors. Realize how much work needs to be done to get the new office up to snuff. Drink more coffee Answer 5th cell call of the day (and it’s only 9:30!) Get call from old job asking how to work Photoshop. Go to IKEA. Don’t buy anything, just try to decide what we really need. Cell phone – Mom wants to know when she and Dad can come visit the new digs. Drink more coffee. Take bus. partner’s toddler to do a number two. Call to lease nice shiny new camera. Get credit check done. Make list for Home Depot. Go to Home Depot. Forget list. Buy a whole lot of crap for new office construction. Get Home Depot card (another credit check). Call to get new phone, Internet and Crackberries. (Another credit check) Wonder what the hell the credit bureau must be thinking. Unbeknown to us that this is the first of SEVERAL calls to our beloved telephone provider and we still won’ t have a phone number till the end of the week. Edit artwork for sign company. Would be much easier if we had an office phone number to put on our sign. Take another call from old job wondering where my last time sheet is. Wonder if I should claim an extra hour for Photoshop support. Take toddler for a pee. Drink more coffee. Write requirements doc for actual billable work. Leave voicemails for people. Go back to IKEA. Actually buy stuff. Start to realize how expensive crap is. Check emails. No time to reply to emails. 4pm – better have some lunch. And breakfast. Lose paint swatch for new office walls. Lose chequebook. Try not to lose the children. Find chequebook. Draft two show proposals to send to network contact. Start drinking wine instead of coffee. Go to Home Depot again to pick up all the stuff on the list that we forgot. Drink more wine. 10:30pm – Dinner time! 11:30pm -Collapse. So for all you budding entrepreneurs out there – whenever any business owner says “You have to work really hard when you do it on your own” – they are right. But you know what – it’s all worth it in the end.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life
Today is our first official, full time day in business, as Jester Creative. Okay, so our web site is still under construction, our office is a shambles, but we have projects, more projects than we know what to do with, and somehow we need to balance making progress on the projects with renovations, a new web site, drumming up new business, and oh, yah, maybe spending some time with our families too. To some, this may seem pretty daunting. I admit, at times (usually 3am) it is. But given the choice between this and getting up every morning, trudging to some grey office, to do work so someone else can make a profit, I’d take the daunting task any day. Working for someone else no longer appeals to me. To be honest, I don’t think it ever really did. Sure, I have worked on a lot of really cool, groundbreaking stuff in my career so far. And if I hadn’t had those experiences, I certainly would have never built the network of contacts or gotten the experience I needed to be where I am at today. So, I guess this post is a recognition in a way. A recognition of all of the people, jobs, events, and life experiences that, over the past 36 years of my life, have contributed to this moment. It really is the first day of the rest of my life.
Do you need a "Pick of Destiny"?
Last night the Hubby and I watched “Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny“. For those of you who may have just emerged from under a rock, Tenacious D is the “World’s Greatest Rock Band”, and consists of members Jack Black and Kyle Gass who, in their own words, totally rock. The premise of the movie is this: Kyle and Jack meet by chance in Hollywood. A bunch of funny things happen and Kyle takes Jack under his wing, mentoring him on how to become a true rocker. A bunch more funny things happen and they start to write songs together but then stumble upon the dreaded writer’s block. They discover the long lost secret of The Pick of Destiny, and set out to find it for themselves, as it is sure to solve their musical problems. A creepy guy played by Tim Robbins tells them how they can get the Pick. They set off on an adventure to do just that. A bunch more really really funny stuff happens and I’m not going to tell you how it turns out but it involves Satan. Just rent the DVD and watch. Now I know it seems odd for me to want to get all philosophical about a very silly movie. But that’s why I love movies. Because no matter how silly they are, there is always a message. Hell, even Bubba Ho-Tep has a message! (Another one for all you rock dwellers to rent if you’ve never heard of it). First of all, with all the crass humour aside, Pick of Destiny is about people who are following their passion. Sure, their songs are kind of ridiculous. But, they are actually pretty good (Jack Black’s vocal ability is astounding, and Kyle Gass plays a pretty mean guitar). But all of that aside, they are extremely serious about being the Greatest Rock Band that Ever Lived. And they are willing to go to any length to live their dream. They ignore anyone who tries to shoot them down or stand in their way. They just barrel ahead, and do what they set out to do. Imagine if everyone was capable of living their lives this way, what we would be able to accomplish. If everyone were able to find their passion, then carry out their passion, and do it to their fullest potential. That’s pretty awesome, don’t you think? Here is what I’ve learned in a very short time about following your dream. There is no Pick of Destiny. No magic wand or pill or stroke of luck that you can wait for that is going to solve all your problems and help you to move forward to live your passion. You just need to decide you are going to do it and then figure out how you are going to do it. Many of us think we have things standing in our way, like silly day jobs, kids, mortgages, etc. Living your passion doesn’t mean giving up any of those things. It means waking up each morning with your heart wide open. It means sharing with everyone you know, and everyone in the broader community too, what you are passionate about. It means creating your work and putting it out there. If you don’t feel confident in doing that, it’s only because you need to learn more about it, and practice more before you are ready. But you will know when you are ready. And then you won’t care what people think anymore. You’ll just be doing it. Now that I am living my passion, I find that I have slowed down, taking in every new experience that comes my way. I am more free to enjoy each moment. Sure it’s going to be crazy busy. Sure, we have a lot to learn about running a business. Sure, there are plenty of naysayers around, trying to cast doubt on our plans. But all of those things seem much less apparent because my heart is wide open, because I am creating, free of my previous self imposed limitations. Because I know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Like Tenacious D, I’m living my dream. Find yours, and live it too.
It's all fine to think positive, but you have to make an effort
I was at a fundraiser last night for the Ottawa Humane Society. It was a great time, everyone all dressed up, eating fabulous food, drinking fabulous wine, spending piles of moola on auction items, all for the good of the puppies and kitties. I’m all about stuff like that. At our table, we got into a conversation about the power of living your life in a positive way. It all started with a reference to “The Secret”. I have not seen this film, or read the book, nor do I really have any interest in it. I guess it’s a turn off for me because I don’t believe for one second their promise what they will tell me will instantly change my life and give me all that I ever wanted. I’m not really too crazy about their viral marketing techniques either. Anyway, back to the conversation. Something that one of the people said really struck me. She said “Having a positive state of mind is only the first step. It still takes work.” And she is absolutely right. Think about something in your life that has been a great challenge. Maybe it is the death of a loved one, a relationship break-up, the loss of a job, the start of a new one. All very challenging, emotional experiences. All that can be helped by being positive. But it goes beyond just thinking about it. Take a break-up, for example. You break up with your boyfriend, and you feel bad about it. You sit back and get yourself into a positive mind set about it. You think happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts. It helps for a while, but eventually the bad stuff creeps back in. Why? Because you have done nothing about it. You haven’t changed anything. You still feel bad, because you’re just hiding behind your own pollyanna thoughts. So you pack up the old beau’s toothbrush and shaving kit and throw it out. Then you get out of the house. You surround myself, not with people who will commiserate with you about what a jerk he was, but people who will help you to rediscover how fabulous you are. You have hopeful, positive conversations and make happy connections with other people. You do things you enjoy, like listening to music, reading. Things that put you in a happy state of mind and keep you there. What we all ultimately want is happiness. But it takes work. Just thinking about it will not make it happen. But putting yourself in a positive state of mind, then venturing forth and taking action, will get you closer than you ever thought possible.
Outshout the Voices
I’m in the process of taking some pretty big risks right now. Jumping out of the corporate rat race to become a self-employed media diva comes with it its fair share of risks. Setting up a new office, getting our first big contracts going, and drumming up new business; all of it has risk attached. It’s scary, and although much of the time I know I’m doing the right thing, every now and again (like, this morning, at 3am, waking up out of a dead sleep), I jolt – “what the hell am I doing? Am I nuts, giving up security and a steady paycheque for something that may only last for 6 months?” It would be pretty easy to just chicken out altogether. It would be easier to just stay where I am, doing the same dreary writing jobs year after year, working for someone else the rest of my career, making okay money at it, but never really “making it”. That prospect makes me miserable. Then, I think again, and promptly talk myself out of that line of thinking. My brilliant business partner calls it “outshouting the voices”. What that means is, when you find yourself talking negatively to yourself, or when you hear the voices of your nagging family member, friend, or colleague in your head (or in person, for that matter), saying things like “Oooo, that sounds risky” or “Wow, what are you going to do if the contracts don’t come in?” or, “Oh my, do you really think this is a good idea?” or any other negative, joy-killing rants and roars, you need to simply talk louder than those voices. In your head, or out loud, it doesn’t matter. But shout. Scream, if you have to, to drown out the negative talk. Replace it with positive thoughts, like “I can’t wait until I can be my own boss full time”, or “We just rented a great office in a fabulous neigbourhood – our location is going to be very good for business.”, or “I have the finances in place right now to get me through the initial push. I shouldn’t be worried. The money will come if we continue to be passionate and work hard at it.” Okay, so you can probably tell that I’m still trying myself to outshout the voices in my own head. It’s a continuous process. It takes practice. But do it, and it gets easier every day. So, the next time you take a risk, whether its changing the direction of your career, or just getting up the guts to introduce yourself to someone new at the next big event, just take a deep breath, and start shouting.
The Importance of Getting to the Point
If you want something….if you have something someone else wants….then share it. But don’t share it in such a way that you pussy-foot around the idea, beat around the bush, float all around it, or do anything that contains the word “around”. Just say it. GET TO THE POINT. I often sit in long, boring meetings (as I’m sure we all do) and wonder “What is the point of this? How can this benefit me/my business? If someone is just yammering away, content in their own self centred view of the world, I tend to tune out. I think about my grocery list. Or those hundreds of emails I have to reply to if I ever get out of this godforsaken meeting on time. But what I don’t do is focus on what people are talking about. Why? Because they aren’t getting their point across. If you want something, ask for it. If you have something to say, say it. If you have an idea, find the people that can help you implement your idea and tell them about it. Clearly. Concisely. Get their attention, then leave them wanting more. If they want more, give it to them. But don’t take up a lot of their time with bogus, broad statements about why you are the best or brightest. Just show them how it will work. And then go do it. It’s like the boy who likes a girl but doesn’t want to tell her, for fear of rejection. So he bugs her, taunts her, gives her bits and pieces of the more annoying aspects of his personality. She wonders, “what is up with this guy – what’s he trying to get at?” and eventually, out of confusion and frustration, she stops paying attention. Meanwhile, the boy is working hard, really hard at trying to get her attention, but to no avail. Eventually the girl loses interest and finds some other guy. The poor boy is out of luck and stuck wondering “What did I do wrong? Why didn’t she pay attention to what I had to say?”. The sad part is all he really had to do was be up front, say what he meant and then wait for her to come calling. If you want something – find out what it takes and go get it. It takes nothing more than a little thought (i.e. get your shit together) and a little more courage. But I’m telling you, it will pay off way more than if you sit there, flapping your lips, and not making a point. So, make it your goal this week to find something you want, and go get it…but GET TO THE DAMN POINT. Or you’ll find you might be outta luck.
Passions
After a somewhat marathon session of editing, I am home, feeling contented, relaxed and confident. I had forgotten how much I love editing video. It’s been a few years since I’ve edited anything of substance. And it’s definitely a new experience for me using this new-fangled computer equipment. You see, I’m an old timer. Back in my TV days, I used to edit tape to tape, in a bare bones environment. I was lucky if I had a video switcher somewhere in the middle to do a dissolve or a fade to black. I only had 2 channels of audio at the best of times. It was pretty hard work, but I am still very proud of the stuff I created back then. Even won some awards doing it. Someday I will digitize all those old Betacam SP tapes sitting on my bookshelf and show it off. Digital video is a relatively new concept to me. Funny, when most people I know now who do video have only ever done it in the digital sphere. What I am learning, though, as I start to get used to my Final Cut Express software, is that the basics are still the same. Back in the day, I was really good at making a 1 camera shoot look like it was shot with 3 cameras. Today, I learned that I haven’t lost my touch. (It’s all in the way you shoot it, by the way). I also used to have a great sense of flow and timing. Again, that has not gone away with my transition to the non-linear editing realm. I guess that’s what it’s like when you are passionate about something. No matter how long you are away from it, you never really forget it. You can just pick it up, like it was yesterday, and get back in the groove. And, I have to say, I’m pretty damn happy that I’m getting my groove back. I guess what I’m really trying to say is, when you find that thing you are passionate about, hang onto it. I lost my passion for a time, but I think it was because there were other things I had to learn in order to turn my passion into a successful business. Now that I’ve learned that bit, I’m very much looking forward to living the passion. And I’m definitely looking forward to all the new things I’m going to learn in the process.
Adding My Voice to the Chorus
I’m exhausted. It’s been a really long week. I essentially have two jobs right now, so I’m sure I’ve put in at least 70 hours this week – probably more. I haven’t seen my husband much, or my dog, or my cats. I certainly haven’t seen much of my parents, or my brother, or my nephews. But at this precise moment, 9:10pm on a Friday night, I have decided to create something. It’s not much, just a blog post, but in a few minutes it will be something that didn’t exist previously. Something has changed for me over the past few weeks, as I’ve started to comment on other people’s blogs, do a little Twittering, and post to my own blog. Before I got involved in this stuff, I didn’t really have an outlet to spit out the things I was thinking about. So I simply didn’t spit anything out, and as a result, the stuff just kept going around in my brain. It wasn’t out in the open for others to see, therefore nobody could give me any feedback. I was stuck. Stuck with all of these ideas floating around me but not really knowing what to do with them. Now that I’ve started to get this stuff out, I’ve realized, by sharing with a few other people what’s going on in my head, that I feel better. I feel like I’m contributing to something big. I’m hearing what others have to say and adding my voice to the chorus. And people are listening. And the result is that I’m getting a lot more ideas, and becoming a lot more focused and decisive about what I want to be doing in my life and work. Pretty neat, huh?
We have much to learn from our elders
I came across a blog this morning that has made me aware, yet again, of the wisdom that older people have to share. Don To Earth is a blog by Donald Crowdis, known to many Canadians as the original host of “The Nature of Things“, now hosted by David Suzuki. Don is now an energetic 93 year old and, one of the oldest bloggers. I have taken a read of some of his posts, and he has a lot to share. I wish more seniors would take up blogging. Our elders have so much wisdom to pass on, so much history to tell. And as they leave us, this history leaves with them. It’s up to our generation to do what we can to capture the wisdom of older people. Maybe that means volunteering at a seniors’ community centre, teaching a computer course. Maybe it means helping your grandma or your dad to set up a blog, or a web page of any kind. Maybe it means having conversations with the older people in your life and then documenting their stories for them. Here in Canada, there are only three World War I Veterans still surviving today. Once they are gone, their stories will be gone too. In 20 years, the same will be said about WWII Vets. Let’s find some ways to give our elders a voice. Use the power of the Web to capture the voice of the previous generation…so we can share it with future generations.
Work is Personal
People always say things like “I don’t mix my personal life with my work life.” I think there is a fundamental problem with this way of thinking. Work is intensely personal. What one chooses to do for a living is part of what defines them. Whether I am a waitress at a greasy spoon diner or the CEO of Microsoft, there is a fine line between what I do and what I am. What one does for a living drives everything from social circles, living arrangements, to an entire lifestyle. I don’t normally ask people what their job is. I ask them what they do. It’s a much more thought provoking question. “I’m a call centre manager”, one person might say, if I ask what their job is. If I ask what they do, though, they may answer, “I work with a bunch of people that help other people solve their problems with technology.” Now, isn’t that much more interesting? I am a creator, a storyteller. I make ideas happen. That’s what I do. What do you do?