 Chicken or Egg - Which Comes First?
According to an episode of Ilise Benum's Marketing Mentor podcast, guest Stephanie Mickelson suggests courage comes first - confidence will follow. I can get behind that. It takes courage to step out and do the thing - whatever "it" is. Once you take that first step (or leap!), repetition will bring confidence. Reframing Stephanie also suggests reframing butterflies as excitement, not danger. This also makes sense as it can be easy to get lost in anxiety and paralyzed by fear thanks to those butterflies. Dial down the "flight or fight" mechanism for yourself with a little self-talk mental adjustment. Excitement moves you forward! A friend recently alluded to this conflict in a different way - Fear vs Adventure. About Your Business Whether you're starting your business or a new endeavor in your business, most of us don't start out with much confidence to get started. Questions abound!
Return On Investment (ROI) At some point, you break out the yes/no paper or spreadsheet to weigh your options. Depending on the fire in your belly, the dislike of your current situation, or the length of your "yes" list over your "no," it takes courage to take that first step to simply start. That first step is the hardest. Confidence Keeps You Going After that, it's moving a fly wheel with momentum on your side. Repetition and the daily work move you forward, even if it's little by little. That repetition helps you gain confidence to repeat and do even more. Where Are You? Do you feel like you're lacking courage or confidence? Can you see the difference in your situation? How do you propose to move yourself forward? If you'd like a hand or even a simple pep talk, I'm very happy to lend an ear and share ideas how you can make progress! Let's Chat by email or message me on LinkedIn!
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 What's a Brand Update?
A "brand update" is a pivot in your marketing—a change in how you want to be seen or known. This can be mostly cosmetic—your brand colors, logo, font style—or it can be bigger like updating your business's focus or messaging. What Would Prompt a Brand Update? This has as many answers as the day is long—it could be anything.
How Do You Do a Brand Update? It depends on the type of update. Much can likely be done on your own or you may feel a need to hire assistance. I'm a big fan of easy template-based options where you can hire someone to do the work and train you in the process so you can manage it on your own with updates anytime you wish. This is what I do! If you're eager to learn, I'm happy to teach!
Changes Ahead! Read. Write. Engage. is in the process of some updates in look and messaging! I'm beginning year #3 for my business—it's time to shake things up! I'm getting bored with the look of some things. I'm also getting more confident in my messaging and niches. I've added a couple of new professional associations to share.
What About You? Have you gone through a brand update? Words of wisdom to share with me and others? Are you considering a brand update and you're looking for a hand? Happy to help you with ideas or to find assistance! Love to hear from you - Let's Chat by email or find me on LinkedIn!  What Do You Want to Do More or Less of?
That's really the crux of the matter with Artificial Intelligence (AI), isn't it. How will AI actually be useful to each of us? We're urged to "Just play!" "Get comfortable with it so maybe you have a job in the future." (whaaaaaat?!) Benefits to Enterprise or Corporate Businesses These are seemingly fairly obvious. Changes are already happening. Rather than a Human First approach - what could we do with all of the existing human staff if each were equipped with this amazing tool to unlock discovery - we're instead faced with AI First mentality - how can we reduce staff and replace with AI capability to achieve status quo (but with greater profit margin) and maybe see improvements beyond what humans could do. The entire AI discussion really needs flipped. My thanks to Robert Rose of This Old Marketing podcast for initiating the thought in episode 484. Robert suggested rather than AI cutting jobs, why don't we keep jobs and instead expand reach, productivity, and creativity of the existing work force. Absolutely brilliant. AI Forward vs AI First Words matter. A number of corporations have recently posted news they're "AI First." A review of this Forbes article shares "AI First" places AI at the core of their corporate strategy. Companies such as Amazon, Duolingo, and Shopify recently said the quiet part out loud, initially with quite a bit of backlash, but more large corporations with the same message is dulling the response. Compare that with "AI Forward" as suggested by Paul Roetzer of Marketing AI Institute. AI Forward is more focused on ways to help humans maximize their use of AI as a partner. There are no delusions. Even with AI Forward, jobs will be impacted as less humans will seemingly be needed. But AI Forward aims to maximize the human factor and benefit rather than simply replace humans for the sake of saving money or higher profits. But What DO We Want AI to Do? AI is lovely when it conveniently works in the background to make our lives easier - restaurant or purchase suggestions based on our history, smoother phone use with connected applications, advances in science and research. But what do we want to do with all of this supposedly new-found free time thanks to the wonders of all that AI will do for us?
What Do You Want to Do MORE of Thanks to AI?
What Do You Want to do LESS of Thanks to AI?
AI is Here - Now What? None of us necessarily asked for it or had any concept to consider AI in our lives, but here we are. We're going to need to figure out how to make the best of it while hopefully limiting the worst of it. (cue old B-rated sci-fi movies with AI taking over the world and unstoppable!) It does behoove us to stay on top of advances. Play with models and features regularly. Use it where useful in your life and business without letting AI do everything for you. If you're not actively involved in the task you assign to AI or your intern (whoever you delegate to), you will not be able to cogently speak on the topic. It's Learning 101. But be aware. Be selective. Be Human. How are you using AI in your business? Love to hear your thoughts - Let's Chat by email or connect on LinkedIn!  What Is a Professional Association?
(2 min read) These are organizations that support like-minded people in pursuing their expertise, providing a networking and education opportunities. They are typically industry specific. The number and cost of available options vary widely. There is something for literally everyone! Why Are They Useful? Professional associations typically offer many benefits.
How Do I Find One? Depending on your career, such organizations may be rather limited (only a couple exist or even just one) and may be well known to those in the profession. Simply talk to folks in the field and ask about professional associations to begin your search for options. A simple Google or AI search may generate results for you. Join groups or activities on social media or locally and you'll likely hear about worthy related associations. Challenges You may feel you relate to or could fit into multiple groups, not simply one. Just start somewhere.
Test A Few Out Purchase the shortest length of time you can find - 6 months an option? - but understand most will be a one-year commitment. Get involved—like REALLY involved!—to see if it resonates with you.
Once the membership period is completed, consider joining a couple of different ones if available to see if there's a style or benefits you prefer. My Take I have held a membership with the Editorial Freelance Association for two years now. This year, I decided to switch it up and try National Association of Independent Writers & Editors (NAIWE) and Professional Editors Network (PEN) to feed my editing background. I'm also a member of a couple of museum associations to develop that network. I have access to a couple of other in person networking associations locally that enable me to connect with folks in real time in person. As a freelancer/solopreneur, involvement in my community helps me keep current on best practices in the field, news of the day, and amazing networking opportunities to learn from others and share what I may know. If you're not involved in associations, I highly recommend you consider it! If you'd like to chat with someone to just shoot some ideas, Let's Chat by email or LinkedIn!  Is a Website Useful for a Small Business?
(2 min read) I give this an emphatic YES! A website is your business's store front. It's your personal platform and active "calling card" for the world to see what you do and why you do it. It's a space to showcase your work (think Portfolio page or Blog pages). It's the perfect place to connect with your current and future clients, especially if you include a way to enable visitors to sign up for your newsletter! A website is owned territory, not "rented" land. Relying on social media for your marketing is dangerous as the platform holds all the cards and can cut you off at any time, for any reason. A website and newsletter list are yours forever. But AI - How Will I Be Found? Well, you won't be found without a website! Searches are different these days with far less "type a question in Google" and instead "have a chat in ChatGPT." AI is changing the landscape quickly - 6 months makes a difference. This is an article from 6 months ago but from a known source, Forbes. People are certainly still searching, but the queries and searches are different. How we respond to questions through our websites matters. Key words and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are quickly becoming things of the past. Think FAQs Rather than Key Words It's time to change how we make our websites visible in AI searches. Put yourself in your customer's shoes. Play with how you would search for something that may be answered on your website! Think more in terms of the question rather than key words. Think more like a brief response than website links that may pop up in a search. As AI users ask their questions, best practice suggests they ask AI to cite sources in the response provided. That is how you will be found - do you answer the question on your website? Here is a rather extensive review of how to improve your content optimization for searchability. How Do I Get Started with a Website? This prior blog post should help with the basic how-to when creating your website. Let's Chat if you'd like assistance or to simply kick around ideas for how you'll get started. Who Should Have a Website? Anyone who owns a business, no matter the size. There are very affordable options available to create something that looks good, isn't hard to create with or update, and that you can learn to manage once it's created if you need a hand. One of my special talents is teaching clients how to update and do the work themselves if they'd like. Visit this blog post for a few website platforms I recommend for small businesses and solopreneurs. Let's DO This! If you don't have a website yet and would like a hand or ideas, I'm very happy to brainstorm with you! Let's Chat using your favorite method or message me on LinkedIn. I am your biggest fan and cheerleader! I would love to help you get your message to your ideal customer. I specialize in serving small to medium-sized nonprofits, fellow entrepreneurs, and non-fiction authors with tools that will help you ENGAGE your customer - Let's Chat!  Entrepreneurs in an AI World
(2 min read) This post is in follow-up to a recent blog post. I'm not sure I made my point clear at that time so will aim to improve in this edition. Considering Being an Entrepreneur I suggest there is no better time than now to begin your journey down this path!
"Constraints Breed Creativity" I'm not finding this quote attributed to any one person but it seems to be more of a general philosophy. I do like this concept related to it - Theory of Constraints by LeanProduction. How this relates to the current job market and entrepreneurs? If you're feeling the winds shifting at work, in your job or your career field, it's time to get creative in how you'll weather the storm. An entrepreneurial venture may be just the trick for you to supplement your current status or jump ship completely. You may decide you just don't have an entrepreneurial bone in you and need to consider retraining to a different career field or look at retirement. Both are very valid options we'll all be reviewing. I caution that "early retirement" is becoming harder for many to realize as savings have drained for many in recent economic years. We're living longer and generally healthier. However, when health takes a turn—boy, does it get expensive! Many need or want something to do to keep mind and body busy, even if a sizable income isn't critical. A "side gig" or entrepreneurial endeavor may be just the thing for you. The Time is GREAT to Become an Entrepreneur! Have courage. Take heart! You've got this! Consider this an opportunity rather than a loss. The weather may be stormy, but how will you ride the waves? If you'd like to chat ideas with someone about what being an entrepreneur entails, my door is always open - Let's Chat! Email me or message me on LinkedIn any time! If you need a hand getting plans into place - none of us are experts in all things - I'd be honored to be of assistance. I'm a whiz at supporting small to mid-sized nonprofits, fellow entrepreneurs, and nonfiction authors to make their dreams come true! I assist in developing/maintaining websites, social media management, email distribution, newsletter and PR material creation, proofreading and editing - a variety of services. I'm also a great listener and problem solver with over 35 years developing care plans and strategies for return to home and independence as a hospital physical therapist. Happy to chat strategy if useful - Let's Chat!  The Future is Here
(4 min read) The disruptions are beginning. We are on the cusp of another leap in acceptance and advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Reports are increasing of "enterprise" (large-scale) employers not hiring and letting AI use evolve among employees. Employees aren't necessarily being trained in ways to use AI, but are expected to "figure it out" and be productive in using it. Early Reports Paul Roetzer has shared recent podcasts of The Artificial Intelligence Show compiling news from AI developers about the increasing usefulness and "intelligence" of AI. Employers are staking a claim they simply will not hire until staff demonstrates a human need that AI is unable to fulfill. People are being urged to be prepared to be "AI Supervisors," overseeing AI tools or "agents" to ensure output is accurate and ready to share with a human-centered voice. Employers are proclaiming they are "AI First" more than "AI Forward." Refer to this May 6, 2025 blog post by Mike Kaput for specifics. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic (home of Claude AI), was interviewed May 28, 2025 in Axios and it has gotten everyone's attention. He predicts AI will soon eliminate half of all entry level jobs within the next couple of years. (mic drop) He predicts US unemployment could reach 10-20% with the impact on white-collar jobs. So much for the benefit of that college degree. Where to from Here? There has to be a way to prepare ourselves and our children for this unsettled future. I have two college students nearing graduation. I recall when I was graduating college years ago the doom & gloom predictions about the job market, and that was before the advent of AI. That part isn't new. But we really seem to be on the precipice of new territory as much as the development of AI has been pushed. Human First Consider jobs or at least aspects of jobs you enjoy that require a human touch, interaction, or synthesis. Those will continue to need humans. A massage therapist and many in healthcare use hands to treat. AI currently is computer-based. The introduction of robots - machines who will do things - will add a different wrinkle not addressed in this post. Physical activities will remain human in the near-future. Become AI Educated Training abounds and is increasing in how to use AI tools, many free or very affordable. Find those. Invest in the time to get comfortable with AI tools and resources. Play and practice with various AI tools. Be curious. Explore. Be prepared to be a leader, supervisor, or synthesizer of AI tools and output, validating and verifying information generated. Become an Entrepreneur! As more "traditional" jobs go away, the opportunities will abound for non-traditional roles. This is an amazing time to start your own business and go in unexpected directions! Find unfilled needs and be the one to fill them. Take courses including webinars, read books, listen to podcasts - much is available for free. Different Way of Thinking It's all well and good to start thinking outside of the box and strive to blaze your own trails, but the entrepreneur role tends to be patchy, "gig" based, and project oriented. You pull many single or limited number projects together to create your income. Marketing is continual on top of the workload. There is "back shop" work to be done on any business to keep finances, taxes, and project planning (your calendar and your sanity!) in order. Plan on Challenges + Time Marketing and the business of your business are not intuitive. Most of us were not trained in such things, so there's a learning curve. Plan on a minimum of three years to start to see a return on proceeding down this path. That doesn't get the immediate bills paid when you're facing sudden job loss. Start building that emergency fund and nest egg to offset this transition. Work on educating yourself and do market analysis while you're working to build a "side job" that may well become your fully entrepreneurial job. AI Will Impact All Jobs There's really no way around it. AI will disrupt the job market - it's beginning already. None of us can plan on decades at the same job. Jobs, whether through an employer or on your own as an entrepreneur, are likely to be cobbled together - many part-time roles strung together. Creativity will become a must for how you position yourself - identify your skill set, quantify successes, and think broadly about job titles. Some current entrepreneurial roles will become absorbed by AI. However, many other opportunities await, perfect for those with an entrepreneurial spirit willing to put in time and effort, predominantly focusing on talking to people or partnering with others. SmarterX (Paul Roetzer) offers a number of tools to help you analyze jobs, tasks, and problems using ChatGPT. If you'd like someone to talk through ideas and talk strategy if you're considering an entrepreneurial adventure, I'd be thrilled to chat! Let's Chat by email or find me on LinkedIn and message me.  Should I Create a Newsletter?
(4 min read) The short answer is YES, as soon as you're able! The trick is, don't get hung up on perfection before you start. It's so easy to get absolutely stuck in your head and held by perfectionism or fear. Why Would I Want a Newsletter? To share your thoughts. To connect with your audience or clients. To become trusted. To develop a base to "sell" your business. How Do I Create a Newsletter? The first step will be to choose what service you'll use to send or distribute your newsletter. That service may have templates within it to create your newsletter. If you don't care for the templates the delivery service provides, you can head to Canva to create your newsletter and paste it into your delivery service. I'd recommend downloading at least a jpg/png of the cover page to post in the email that will be sent to encourage folks to open the newsletter as you may have to share this newsletter as a clickable pdf. Where Do I Create a Newsletter? There are a number of services available, many very affordable for a freelancer or solo business. Here is one comparison review courtesy of Mailtrap. It's also not difficult to change providers if you realize you don't care for whichever platform you select.
How Often Should I Post a Newsletter? As often as you feel comfortably able, but do your best to be consistent in posting. Consider starting at one level and work your way to more frequent from there.
What Do I Share in a Newsletter?
How Do I Get Sign-ups? This is the million dollar question. It takes Time and work to increase your contact list. Patience is key.
That's a lot of territory covered! I'm hopeful it helps you decide whether a newsletter is right for you. If you'd like someone to simply work through newsletter plans and chat strategy, I'd be thrilled to chat! Let's Chat by email or find me on LinkedIn and message me. If you decide you'd like to create a newsletter but need someone to create one for you with your material or at least get you started designing a template for you to simply update, Let's Chat!  Hone Your Craft
(2 min read) Quentin Tarantino is apparently often quoted as saying, "When people ask me if I went to film school, I tell them 'No, I went to films.'" There are many ways to prepare yourself for life's adventures, including starting your own business: * Rigorous formalized education * Life lessons * Immersing oneself into a passion * Jumping in to Just Do It! Overthinking Unfortunately, we're often our own worst enemies. Self-sabotage is real and often completely unintentional, but there nonetheless. Structured education programs—college, trade school, certificate programs—aren't for everyone. Apprenticeships are common in trade schools and were more the norm years ago. These days, if you're not in a business where apprenticeships happen, you can more often find mentoring relationships to guide you. Sometimes jumping in and figuring things out as you go is the best way forward. As Nike says—Just Do It! Develop a Plan Any BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal - thank you, Jim Collins) needs broken down into steps. As you're creating or developing your business or next big pitch, start with some brainstorming - throw all the ideas out there so you can begin gathering like ideas together. You may head for old-fashioned pen and paper, sticky notes, maybe Trello or Asana style cards work as digital sticky notes, or you're into mind mapping. Next step—gather like ideas together and prioritize. Which steps are needed first? Research is likely a key step early in your process—before or just after your brainstorming. This is where Tarantino's philosophy comes into play. Sometimes the research IS your education or training. What do you need to research and how deeply? Just don't get lost in the education phase. It's OK to Be Messy Planning may be lovely, but sometimes you need to simply jump in and get dirty. Try some things as you go. Get into the thick of things. Figure your way out. That in itself is the education process. In our house, we try to celebrate mistakes as noted in the film Meet the Robinsons. Every mistake is a learning opportunity as you Keep Moving Forward! Let's Chat! If you're looking for someone to chat strategy with, I'm here for you. Happy to be a sounding board or help you get out of your head (or your own way!). If you're looking for a partner to dig in and figure things out as we go, I'm with you! Shoot me an email or message on LinkedIn. But whatever you do - Just DO It!  "What kind of editor do I need?"
(2 min read) Excellent question! It depends on what stage of the process you are in and the needs you identify. It likely also realistically depends on your budget. There are four generally accepted types of editors:
What is a Developmental Editor? This is your "big picture" editor and the first line of editors you may hire. This person reviews your story arc, chapter organization, and offers suggestions about your genre or ways to tighten up your story line. What is a Line Editor? This editor works more at the paragraph and sentence level to ensure smooth flow of your work. This is where language and style improvement happens. What is a Copyeditor? This is often who you think of when you think "editor." These editors look at grammar, spelling, punctuation, fact checking, and general consistency. What is a Proofreader? A proofreader is your final check to make sure there are no typos, double words, incorrect words (to, too, vs two), or punctuation errors. They even check typesetting to be sure headings are consistent and there are no "orphans" or "widows" - words that hyphenate poorly across pages or paragraphs. Proofreading and Copyediting are two distinctly different services but often blend together for authors. Many such editors ensure they're proficient at both levels to offer both services. Extra Book Assistants
"Aunt Suzy" is Not a Good Editor Whoever you ask to assist you in the editing process of your book, it really is worth spending at least some money for fresh, unbiased eyes to review your work to make it the best it can be. "Aunt Suzy" may have been a high school or college teacher, but she loves you dearly and will read as if you're absolutely brilliant. It is not unusual for humans to "read" words that are not actually in print. As the author, we know what we mean to say so may "read" words that aren't on the page. It's also easy to more quickly skim the work rather than see every dotted "i" or crossed "t" for errors in words or punctuation. In writing the work, you've reviewed and looked at the work so many times, you become a bit "blind" to how it may flow or read to others. I've added a couple of resources for your reference. This post summarizes and touches lightly on the differences between the types of editors. The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) offers publicly available resources to help guide you including a more extensive Guide and a Rate Chart to help you budget for editors. You've poured your heart, soul, and time into this work - doesn't it deserve the best treatment with editing services optimizing it? I provide a number of services - including proofreading and copyediting - for nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and authors. I look forward to discussing ways to Engage your customers - Let's Chat! |
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