You gotta be kidding
Aug 22, 2008 work work work
Recently a writer pitched herself for a project I’m heading up for a client. Off I went to check out her clips site and get an idea of her skills and expertise. What’s the first thing I see? ADS.
What’s worse is that this person was using google adwords, which pulls keywords from your site to create ads specifically targeted to your audience. So she was asking me to check out her skills while hosting five ads that compete with what she’s offering.
So what first impressions did I get from a quick glance through her site?
- That she’s likely not all that savvy about marketing, which is a pretty big issue for a marketing job.
- That she’s not detail-oriented.
- That she doesn’t understand how the internet works.
- That she’s an amateur.
Would she put a bumpersticker on the front of the clips file she’s sliding across the desk to the HR person? Or stop a job interview to try to sell Tupperware? Then why does she think it’s a good idea to have ads on her “please hire me” site???
Argh. Now I gotta decide if I should say something to her. I mean, I’m not going to offer her work (I’ve already got people lined up) only sometimes when someone seems sincere but misguided I do try to tell ‘em WHY I’m saying no but other times I just don’t have the energy.
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Up and up and up
Aug 21, 2008 work work work
I had two great client meetings today. The first was with the owner and staff of this fantastic clothing store in the Short North, Substance. The clothes are beautifully designed, well-made and from sustainable manufacturers (often times using organic goods). There are fantastic purses from Ethiopia and the softest t-shirts designed right there in the store. They even have a handful of desigs made from discarded shirts brought in by customers. And the prices? Comparable to the clothes I was writing up at Express this summer (only much more beautifully, comfortably and respectfully made).
They brought me in for a Q&A about some web 2.0 stuff and I hope I’ll get to work with them further but whatever else happens, count me in as a fan.
Next I headed North to the Short North Business Administration to help John launch their new blog. Chris brought me in on the project — they set up the blog and asked me to help him figure out how to use the software. He’s a funny, personable, friendly guy and I had a good time showing him how WordPress and Twitter work. (He’s shortnorth on twitter.)
Now I’m watching Brett clean the kitchen while we wait for Abby to call and tell us she’s heading over to Kristen’s with the kids.
Anyway, it’s been a busy day and tonight will be a busy (social) evening and tomorrow I have some client calls and work to do then maybe I can rest a tiny bit this weekend. Or something. But today was fun — I like hearing about other people’s lives and I like helping them figure out how to do something new and interesting.
Oh last night I sent a proposal for a project that I’m really really really hoping gets approved (it’s a work thing — not a writing thing) because it would be a blast to put it together and I’d like to see what people would make of it. If you think you can type with your fingers crossed, please consider crossing them!
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Tags: abby, business, client, clothes, express, job, Kristen, project, software, wordpress, Writing
Gone all day today
Aug 19, 2008 work work work
Came home to 109 blog posts in my reader. Yikes. Luckily my inbox wasn’t as bad because I checked in all day in my iPod. God bless the iPod Touch.
Got to talk to Julia tonight after a long, long time. Way too long. Life is better with Julia in it!!!
Tomorrow isn’t as busy. I’m getting started on a client project that’s been waiting on some info and I need to prepare for a workshop I’m giving Thursday morning and a training I’m leading Thursday afternoon. Also I have an interview thingie in the morning. Then Thursday potluck!!! Then Friday will be quieter ’til late afternoon when I’ve got a phone conference then Madison has her first soccer practice and I think there’s dinner with friends (not sure about that part). But! Still quieter because at least tomorrow I don’t have to leave the house at all on Wednesday and not until late on Friday.
I got a great pep talk from my dad this afternoon after my meeting. He helped me focus on how to do some things I wanted to do but wasn’t sure how.
Sometimes there are lights at the end of tunnels!
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Tags: blog, client, interview, iPod touch, Julia, my dad, phone, potluck, Thursday, work, Workshop
All shook up
Aug 18, 2008 The Story of My Life, work work work
Seems like I’m living in a snowglobe minus the snow. I’m discombobulated and every time I think I’ve got my footing again — shake shake shake — I’m knocked off balance.
Good news: Let go of a timesuck client that people have been telling me to let go of for months.
(shake shake shake)
Bad news: Client still hasn’t paid me for last month of work.
(shake shake shake)
Good news: I think working around Brett’s schedule is more than do-able because the kids are older, I’m better organized and teleivion is a magical baby sitter.
(shake shake shake)
Bad news: Brett isn’t loving the job.
It’s kinda like that only it’s everything. Every. Little. Thing. So that’s how my mood is, too.
Good news!
(shake shake shake)
Bad news!
(shake shake shake)
Ad infinitum.
I am neither happy nor sad about this or that or the other thing but I am interested — sorta like a bystander in denial that the shake-ups are actually happening to me. I find this to be a sanity-saver since I’m pretending not to nice the way I’m being buffeted by whichever rotten kid is messing with my personal snowglobe.
(shake shake shake)
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Tags: client, denial, job, kids, schedule, snowglobe, work, working
First day down
Aug 11, 2008 The Story of My Life
And no one died, burst into tears (ok Madison did once but it’s because she saw a spider) or fell down the stairs. Yes, we survived the day without Brett. It wasn’t easy — I had to make my own coffee and the children had to suffer through my Mac & Cheese, which isn’t as good as Daddy’s — but we did it.
The kids and I cleaned 3/4 of the basement, which made a pretty big difference. I also moved the bright light downstairs, leaving the living room in near darkness. But it’s worth it to know my children aren’t squinting at their toys.
Madison is a lousy cleaner having no attention span and being easily distracted by every toy we unearthed. Noah spoiled me with his focused, attentive cleaning by age four, I guess. I finally quit nagging her and just set her up out of our way since she kept tipping over piles of stuff we’d just sorted. Now she’s very happily playing with, I think, her duplos. (”No,” she says. “PLAYMOBIL!” Sorry. Missed that.)
I’m grouching about a couple of late checks — both large-ish, one spectacularly late and one the same late it is every month. I dearly wish every client would pay in a timely manner instead of making me send repeated reminders. It’s part of freelancing that I really, really don’t like but there it is. I don’t know a freelancer in the world who doesn’t contend with it.
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Tags: cleaning, client, daddy, freelance, freelancing, grouch, kids, Madison, Noah, play, PLAYMOBIL, toys
