Tag Archives: dreams


Permalink to SwitchPitch Start-Up Event Made These Two Things Apparent

SwitchPitch Start-Up Event Made These Two Things Apparent

switchpitch credit @startupamericaLast Thursday, I attended SwitchPitch, hosted by start-up hub 1776 at their unfinished 12th floor office space on 15th Street in the District. The event’s premise turns the traditional start-up pitch gathering on its head. Instead of entrepreneurs pitching groups of venture capitalists for funding, local companies like Motley Fool and LivingSocial pitched projects to qualified treps who are more than capable of getting the work done.

Not only was it fun to get better acquainted with the DC tech scene and infiltrate all-male clusters of entrepreneurs networking and flexing their self-employment prowess, but I enjoyed hearing America Online co-founder and former CEO/chairman Steve Case’s keynote moderated by serial entrepreneur and SwitchPitch brain-father Michael Goldstein.

Sitting smack dab in the middle of DC’s startup movement, (Mayor Vincent Gray told us that there are 420 startups in the city of DC alone.) made me realize two things.

One, large companies—much like the small to midsized communications firms aiellejai talks about in our latest white paper Blindsided!—know that they need the right talent to drive the innovation that’s crucial to these companies’ survival. And when these companies can’t identify that talent in-house, they begin to look for smaller companies to acquire that already have this talent in place. Though entrepreneurs shouldn’t build companies with the sole purpose of selling out big-time to titans like Google, (Steve actually said he prefers to invest in “built to last companies,” not “built to flip.”) large companies are definitely on the lookout for smaller companies with insanely smart staffs/leaders and viable products that can augment large companies’ offerings.

Two, a few hundred attendees at the SwitchPitch event and the Startup America frenzy slowly blanketing the nation are both evidence that people are convinced that running a company is sexy and relatively doable. But it was refreshing to hear Steve tell a different story about his beginnings with AOL. He explained that while everyone saw the company as an overnight success, the company as a whole had been grinding away in anonymity for 10 years.

As a trep (I picked that term up from other articles and blog posts. I’m trying it out for the first time here.) who has been in the game for a minute, I know it’s important to tell newer treps that this game is often lonely, thankless and the furthest thing from sexy imaginable. Of course, that statement will probably prompt new entrepreneurs to ask me, “Well, why do you do it?”

My answer? Because the nagging allure of making a greater impact—and a larger return on my skill set—outside of the 9-5 world just won’t leave me alone.

Seasoned entrepreneurs, what’s your answer?

Photo credit: @startupamerica


Read Blindsided! Why the rapid pace of social media communication and measurement is leaving PR agencies behind

blindsidedIn his Forbes.com article, “PR Agencies’ Lost Year?”, Peter Himler of Flatiron Communications makes the argument that while PR agencies are fixated on the obvious rise of mobile technology and the visual web, they’re missing real opportunities to use creative hybrids of earned, paid and owned media tactics to broadcast client messages to already overloaded audiences. Himler’s article prompted aiellejai to produce this white paper. In it, we explore why the PR industry was blindsided by the emergence of new technology and the choices these professionals will have to make internally and externally to remain valuable players in the midst of the new accelerated pace of communication.


Permalink to Over Lunch: PR firm vs. Content Creation Consultancy

Over Lunch: PR firm vs. Content Creation Consultancy

orgin-of-aiellejaiStrong writing is at the core of every strategic communicator’s skill set.

In this episode of “Over Lunch,” aiellejai’s Chief Content Architect Angie Jennings Sanders explains why she decided to launch the company as a content creation consultancy instead of a public relations firm. “That way, we can serve our clients directly or we work with PR firms to lighten their load,” she said.

 


Permalink to Over Lunch: The Origin of “aiellejai”

Over Lunch: The Origin of “aiellejai”

orgin-of-aiellejaiWhen people see our company name on our business cards, we can tell by the looks on their faces that they have no idea how it’s pronounced. It’s A.L.J.  Pretty simple, right?

So how did we come up with this name and why is its meaning so important to us? To launch our new, biweekly short video series, “Over Lunch,” our founder and Chief Content Architect Angie Jennings Sanders breaks the name aiellejai down to the syllables. 

 


Permalink to 4 Reasons Why You Can Trust a Consultant to be Productive

4 Reasons Why You Can Trust a Consultant to be Productive

In February 2010, a nor’easter dumped 2-3 feet of snow on the mid-Atlantic and crippled productivity for at least a week. In January 2011, an ice storm left thousands stranded on highways and roads in the Washington, DC area. They all left work early to avoid the impeding storm, but were caught right in the midst of it.

With each storm, the case for teleworking became that much stronger. However, it seems that employers are still slow to adopt this method of work.

The Harvard Business Review released the findings of a study supporting the idea that remote employees are more engaged than those who are in the office.  “The team members who were not in the same location with their leaders were more engaged and committed — and rated the same leader higher — than team members sitting right nearby,” said Scott Edinger, founder of Edinger Consulting Group.

Some employers reject employee requests to work from home, possibly because they believe these employees will somehow be more productive if they’re under the employer’s watchful eye. And even though these same employers may trust the advice of a consultant over their own employees, they still seem to reject the idea of working with a consultant. Perhaps they think she’ll inflate the working hours on her invoice.  Or, again, employers prefer to keep an eye on those who work for and with them. However, here are four reasons why that same consultant has every intention of completing projects on-time and to the best of her ability.

You’re not her only client. Time management is critical for a consultant, especially if she works on an hourly rate. All of her clients want what they want when they want it. And all their projects are urgent. Therefore, goof-off time is nonexistent.

She has less time to get to know you. You and the consultant have agreed on a project plan that dictates that the job will be completed in a finite amount of time. Unlike an employee, this consultant doesn’t get a 90-day trial period to get to know you and how you work. Instead, she probably only has a few billable hours. A good consultant is efficient enough to get the most out of these few hours to get her job done right.

Her reputation is on the line. And even if she had the wacky idea to goof-off on your project, not put her best foot forward, and exceed your expectations? What would that do to her business? What good would it serve her to jeopardize future work by performing shoddy work for you?

She’s a consultant because she works independently and doesn’t need constant supervision. Consultants excel at what they do because they’re able to multitask and identify problems and solutions quickly.  She wouldn’t do her job any better if you were there to look over her shoulder. Most likely, her performance would be worse. And that would be bad for her and you both.

Share with us: How does your company regard working with outside consultants? Consultants: do you sometimes have to work to overcome the misconceptions potential clients have about how you work?


Permalink to The Most Important Lesson I Learned About Self-Publishing

The Most Important Lesson I Learned About Self-Publishing

Twist, the novel I self-published in 2008, rattled around in my head for at least three years prior to me even putting pen to paper. The road to publishing became harder with each step but slowly, I took those steps that sometimes seemed impossible to me.

I wrote the first draft. Re-worked the draft, hired an editor to complete the final draft, secured print and design vendors and finally produced the finished piece.

I thought the hard part was over, but I had no idea that the real work was yet to come.

The biggest lesson I learned when I self-published is actually rule number one in product marketing: before introducing a new product, you should have a market that’s ready and willing to buy. By the time I learned that hard lesson, I’d done only a handful of book shows and had run out of marketing dollars.

Seth Godin suggests that we authors begin marketing our titles at least three years before the publication date. Yes. You read correctly. Three years. “Three years to build a reputation, build a permission asset, build a blog, build a following, build credibility and build the connections you’ll need later,” he wrote in his 2006 blog post.

This makes total sense. Your audience is constantly bombarded with messages. It’s your job to get your audience to know you as an author and/or thought-leader well in advance of your publication date. In other words, your audience should be paying attention to you long before you begin selling this final product.

The same principle not only applies to self-published authors, but also the authors with any kind of deal from a publishing house. You can’t depend on your publishing company to invest fully in your marketing—especially if you’re not a top-tier author. Once your book is published, the clock on its shelf life begins to tick.  If you wait until then to market your book, then your book will be old news by the time you start to see an ounce of momentum.

It’s been four years since Twist became available for purchase. Did I sell millions of copies? No. Did I get discouraged? Yes. Did I learn a lot? Absolutely. I’ve just begun to tinker around with my second novel. But this time around, I’m definitely looking for ways to decrease publication costs—I’m considering an e-book over printing—and increase my marketing budget. And before I complete the rough draft, my audience will know that this novel is coming—in the next three years.

Share with us: Are you an author? How soon do you begin marketing your books? If you’re a first-time author, what are some key components to your marketing plan?


Permalink to 6 Reasons Why College Degrees are Still Valuable

6 Reasons Why College Degrees are Still Valuable

What’s with the devaluation of college degrees lately?

Rick Santorum, a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, earned a bachelor of arts degree from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s of business administration degree from University of Pittsburgh, and a juris doctorate degree from Dickson School of Law.  However, Santorum—a person with three degrees— thinks that making the option to obtain one college degree available to all Americans is a bad idea. As a matter of fact, it’s downright snobbish.

In the September 2012 issue of Parenting magazine, Shawn Bean writes that college did nothing for him other than make him a great father. However, according to his bio on his website, Shawn is an “award-winning author and nationally recognized magazine writer,” “has twice been named Writer of the Year by the Florida Magazine Association,” and is the “executive editor at Babytalk, the parenting magazine with more than five million readers.”

And he’s the executive editor of Parenting Early Years. And he used to work for CNN. But I’m sure obtaining a college degree didn’t play a role in any of these accomplishments.

This devaluation and blatant deception needs to stop.

Okay, we’re still suffering the effects of the longest running recession in history and some of the most educated people in the country can’t find work. I get it. But completely changing the discourse by saying that college degrees are unnecessary is like telling everyone that they’re throwing their money away by renting a home instead of buying one.

That argument is swirling in the toilet as we speak.

So let’s tell the truth here. How do the college experience and the resulting degree benefit you other than ushering you to a cubicle?

It’s your pathway to worthwhile connections and opportunities. One of the most important things about college—that I wish someone had schooled me on earlier—is that everyone you meet on campus, whether it’s your roommate or your professor, is a valuable connection that can help you in the professional world. Think about it. Any letters of recommendation you need will probably come from these people. Any internship and job leads will probably come from these people. If you’re looking to start a company, then these people will most likely either be your business partners or lead you to startup capital and/or clients.

It makes you think for yourself. Let Santorum tell it, college campuses are filled with “liberal college professor (s) trying to indoctrinate” you. It’s quite the opposite. These professors’ jobs are to urge to you think critically for yourself. There’s no way you can pass through the doors of a reputable institution without thinking for yourself at some point.

It proves you can finish something. With prodding and encouragement from teachers and parents, you finished high school. At college, you’re thrown to the wolves. If, when, and how long it takes you to finish is totally up to you.

It makes you work in groups and independently. Go on any job interview and one of the questions that potential employer will ask is, “Are you able to work in groups and independently?” Thanks to a college degree, your answer will be, “yes.” In college, you’ll work on projects alone, but you’ll also be required to complete many group projects. You’ll also learn how it feels to be in a group with people who don’t pull their weight—great preparation for the workplace.

It shows you can pay bills. If your parents aren’t independently wealthy, then chances are you’ll be paying for something during your college career. Those things include books, clothes, food and rent and utilities for your off-campus housing.

It’s your ticket in the door. If you’re from a small rural town like me, then going to college is your only option. Did I work jobs that I didn’t want to after graduating? Yes. But I never doubted that my degree would get me closer to my dreams. A college degree may only get your foot in the door to where you want to be, but that beats standing on the street wishing you could walk up the driveway.

Share with us: What’s your college degree worth to you? Will you continue to tell the next generation that college is a must?


Permalink to Are You Really an Entrepreneur? Take this Test to Find Out.

Are You Really an Entrepreneur? Take this Test to Find Out.

Shantel, my 16-year-old niece, asked me if I had a job. Why did she ask? Because she noticed that during her visits, I’m usually free to hang out with her on any given weekday.

First, I explained to her that with careful planning, I’m able to get my work done in advance so that I’m free to spend time with her. Then I explained to her that I don’t have a job. I run a company. I’m an entrepreneur. Her uncle—my husband—is too.

We pay life taxes to be able to hang out when family comes to visit, run errands during the middle of a weekday and not have to adhere strictly to the normal 9-5 hours. These life taxes include economic hills and valleys, unrelenting ambition and a willingness to work when everyone else is asleep.

In June, as part of their Startup Month, Forbes.com sponsored a questionnaire from Kauffman FastTrac to test entrepreneurial aptitude. Kauffman FastTrac helps aspiring and established entrepreneurs start and grow companies.

The test, which is by no means scientific, confirmed that I was an entrepreneur. I was pleased. Out of the 22 questions on the questionnaire, five stuck with me the most:

Q: I can prosper in an environment with many questions and few answers.
My Answer: Average
Even when I was a part of the 9-5 world, my career was filled with many questions and few answers. Being an entrepreneur is no different. Although I’m afforded more freedom to find answers to those questions my way, the stakes are a bit higher because I call the shots. I answered “average” because I sometimes get frustrated at first when I don’t have the answers. But I have to remember that it may take a while, but the answers are usually revealed in their own time.

Q: I can hang on in hard times and recover quickly.
My Answer: Needs improvement
This element is especially important, especially given the current economic climate. I answered “needs improvement” because I still work on managing my expectations and realizing what I have control over and what I don’t.

Q: I take responsibility for my own success.
My Answer: Strong
I come from a poor family and from a rural town. So whatever success was coming to me was going to be up to God and me. I’m a firm believer in “God helps those who help themselves,” and I try to do everything I can to help his plan for me along.

Q: I can do the tasks necessary to succeed, whether pleasant or unpleasant.
My Answer: Strong
While I was pregnant with my daughter, I embarked on a cold-calling campaign for aiellejai. I bought a list that didn’t have all the contact information I needed. I performed Google searches to update the entire list—more than 2,000 entries—and locate the communications and marketing staff I needed to reach.

Q: I provide for my own needs with little support from others.
My Answer: Strong     
Although I answered this question with “strong,” aiellejai reaches out to outside content creators and other vendors as our client needs dictate. My answer pertains to the day-to-day operations and client-facing activities.

Take the test and let me know how you fare. Are you an entrepreneur?


Permalink to President Obama’s Right: You Didn’t Build That (Alone)

President Obama’s Right: You Didn’t Build That (Alone)

Watch one episode of Current TV’s Deadliest Journeys and you’ll appreciate all our nation’s roadways—from the rough but definitely passable dirt country road to the interstate highway.

Risking life and limb on the most treacherous of roadways just to get from point A to point B is everyday life for people in various parts of the world. The episode I caught was set in Papua New Guinea, about 1,500 miles north of Australia. Kevin, a delivery man, is tasked with hauling a load to Kongo, a town 140 miles away from his home.

This drive sounds simple enough. But on an island that’s 178,703 sq. mi. with more than six million inhabitants, there are only three poorly constructed roads. Kevin drives his double trailer truck over unpaved, steep and painfully uneven roads—in icy and muddy conditions—to reach his destination. In addition to dealing with the elements, Kevin must be on the lookout for thieves and looters. An accident makes him a prime candidate for robbery. Throughout the trip, Kevin chews betel root—a carcinogen—to stay awake.

A trip that would take roughly two hours for us here in America, takes Kevin 10 hours. After he drops off his load, he hops back in his truck and immediately begins the trip back home.

What if you were Kevin and had to risk your life every day to make deliveries, simply because your country doesn’t invest in roadways that could make your job safer and easier? What if you owned a delivery company in Papua New Guinea? How could you make a profit when it’s hard to predict how long it will take to complete simple deliveries?

When I think of President Obama’s recent remarks about how government investments in roads and bridges help businesses succeed, I can’t help but agree.

“Somebody invested in roads and bridges,” the President said. “If you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”

Although infrastructure isn’t the bulk of what government does, it’s certainly an important part. And aside from roads and bridges, how could we possibly expect to see the level of entrepreneurship in this country without some standard of education, health care, and government support of business?

Mitt Romney’s campaign recently launched the “These Hands” ad featuring Jack Gilchrist, owner of Gilchrist Metal Fabricating in Hudson, New Hampshire. In the ad, he asks, “Through hard work and a little bit of luck, we built this business. Why are you demonizing us for it?” Over the years, Gilchrist Metal has received $800,000 in tax-exempt revenue bonds, government contracts of close to $100,000, and a $500,000 SBA loan.

It wasn’t the President’s aim to demonize those who are in business or to insinuate that they didn’t work hard to make these businesses successful. His remarks were meant to get business owners to realize and admit that no one travels the road to success alone.

Education provides the critical thinking needed to generate new ideas and grow business. Higher education fosters our social skills and gives us the opportunity to make the connections that will open doors for us. And infrastructure makes it possible for us to conduct business on time and predictably on budget.

Give credit where credit is due.

Do you think we’d have the level of successful entrepreneurship if it wasn’t for our infrastructure?

I was unable to find a clip of the “Deadliest Journeys” Papua New Guinea episode, but check out a clip from the Pakistan episode. This was probably one of the most intense drives documented on television.


Permalink to Oprah: Do You Know How HARD it is to Build My Own Network?

Oprah: Do You Know How HARD it is to Build My Own Network?

Fox hit the airwaves in 1986 with only one show, The Late Show, hosted by Joan Rivers. The show tanked after only one year.

The network regrouped and attacked prime time with shows like Married with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show. They added one show each week for the next few weeks. Fox struggled along but now, after 16 years, it’s legitimate in the eyes of the viewing public. However, it’s still the butt of many jokes because of its gang of failed programs.

So why is it that we—myself included—expect Oprah to accomplish with OWN in just a few months what it took Rupert Murdoch years to do with Fox?

On March 28, I wrote a post about Oprah’s obvious problems with OWN, but after watching the first five minutes of  Oprah Builds a Network part one, which aired on July 8 on OWN, the media mogul’s honesty and candidness set me straight.

“No one will ever understand what it took to do that last year… and while at the same time trying to build a network…” she explained. “I can honestly say that I wasn’t committed to the network because I was committed to [The Oprah Winfrey Show].”

Oprah’s name precedes her, and that often makes us forget that she’s human, just like us. One person making the leap from producing a one-hour television show to a 24-hour network is seemingly impossible effort. Her admissions during this show were the first we’d heard her utter about how tough this feat has been to pull off—even for her. “In this particular instance, being Oprah was a great asset and a detriment because it raised the bar and expectation for this little network beyond anything that I was capable of doing on my own,” she said.

She went on to say that she and her team were nowhere near ready to launch OWN, but media hype and public expectation propelled them forward. Oprah sounded as if she regretted launching with such a bang and not being able to build slowly and see her vision come to fruition.

“I wanted to move forward with the network in a way that would be progressive and that would be thoughtful and that would be innovative and that would be inspiring,” Oprah said. “That was my vision. None of that happened.”

At a dinner party, Lorne Michaels, writer and producer of Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and 30 Rock fame, put things in perspective a bit for her.

“This thing you’ve taken on is huge. It’s big,” he said to her. “And nobody wants to see you sashay from the set of The Oprah Winfrey Show into this new business and everything go okay. You’re going to have to pay your dues. You’re going to have to learn the hard way. And you’re going to have to use the word mother*$ker a couple of times.”

Michaels also advised her to physically position herself on or somewhere very close to the network to ensure her vision is executed properly.

Here I am trying to run a little company and I’m judging Oprah for launching an entire television network.  And for that, I’m sorry. She’s encountered programming hiccups and Twitter gaffes along the way, but what’s important to note about Oprah is that she keeps going. That gives me motivation to keep pushing along with my miniature endeavor in comparison.

Set your DVR to catch the replay of Oprah Builds a Network parts one and two on Sunday, July 22 from 6-8 p.m.


Permalink to Mad Men’s Roger Sterling is a Dream Killer

Mad Men’s Roger Sterling is a Dream Killer

Dream killers are people who poke holes in your aspirations. Or they pull down their pants and take a smelly dump on everything you hope to be and achieve. Misery is the main reason why they brandish their salty words at unsuspecting idealists. These common thugs are unhappy with their lives — personal and/or professional — and take pleasure in dragging hopefuls down in the pits of despair.

Dream killers can pop up anywhere. In this season of Mad Men, copywriter Ken Cosgrove’s dream of becoming a science fiction author stares down the barrel of Roger Sterling’s gun — plated with a shiny coat of hater chrome.  At a dinner party with agency partners Roger, Pete Campbell, Don Draper, and their spouses, Ken’s wife Cynthia brags about her husband’s gift for writing thought-provoking fiction. Little did she know, she’d just ordered a hit.

“When this job is good,” Roger says during a one-on-one meeting with Ken at the office, “[this job] fulfills all your needs.” After Roger busts a cap in Ken’s dream, viewers can almost see the blood on the carpet. At the end of the episode, Ken tells Peggy Olsen that he’s abandoned the silly idea. As he walks away, he tracks blood on the floor with his shoes.

This episode got me thinking about how our personal aspirations fit in our 9-5 lives.  Latoya Tardy, president and owner of Work Wonderful, explains how much of our lives our employers truly own and gives advice on how to save our dreams from sudden death on the job.

Why is it that companies believe they’ve bought an employee’s entire life with a salary?
Employers believe employees should be grateful to have a job.  These employers pile on extra work, are less mindful of employees’ personal obligations and assume employees’ will stand for the treatment because they have no other options. Many employers don’t realize that the job market is actually changing.  When they experience excessive turnover, they’ll realize employees can’t be bought.

On the other hand, the minute your employer knows that you’re the “super employee”— meaning you’ve been there for a few years, don’t rock the boat, accept incremental raises, and always put your best foot forward — your life has been purchased. You’re paid well for what you do according to your employer, and for those reasons, they’ll use you.

Technology has increased our accessibility for better and worse. How much of an employee’s time does a salary actually buy?
When you move up or around in an organization, you’re expected to make certain sacrifices.  Time is usually one of those sacrifices.  We’re always connected and essentially always working.  Salary does not buy time, but the expectation that employees are responsive and attentive has been taken out of context because of technology. You set the bar for how much time you’ll allow your employer to take from you.  If you answer the e-mails on Saturday, the bar has been set that you’ll always answer e-mails on Saturday.  Even doctors break away sometimes.  Everyone should.

How can employees balance their 9-5 job with outside, lucrative interests?
If you trust your employer, you should disclose your outside interests to them. Most companies require employees to disclose outside endeavors that require time and resources and generate income.  If an employer feels that you’re being totally honest with them, then they’re less likely to scrutinize your outside opportunity.  Build it into your vision of growth for the company.  Show them how your outside endeavor can help you grow and help the current business.  Once you have their buy in, they’ll be more understanding if you can’t stay late because of another obligation.

Mad Men is set in the 60s. Do you think employers are less or more supportive of employee’s endeavors outside the office? Or do they care?
Do employers care about these endeavors?  They absolutely do!  Retention is becoming a problem and employers are getting nervous. They’re less supportive if it means this endeavor could potentially take you away from them. They also need to be sure you’re not sharing trade secrets. Employers are supportive of your outside endeavor if it’s not deemed as direct completion for the company, doesn’t use the knowledge you gained at the company and if the employer feels you’ve been up front with them about your career plan.

Latoya Tardy is a human resources professional with 13 years of experience in building teams, managing recruitment, creating staffing and retention programs, managing compliance and observing behavior in corporate America. Work Wonderful is a northern Virginia based consulting firm designed to help both employees and employers forge better working relationships and create workforce synergy.