Freelancedom Book Club Discussion: The It Factor

June 30, 2011 By 2 Comments

When I chose The It Factor last month as our first book club book, I didn’t really expect to be so put off by it. The Amazon reviews were, for the most part, overwhelmingly positive, and its subject matter was one that — as an introvert with social anxiety — I couldn’t get enough of.

But the book  made me angry. Why? The author seemed to have little respect for the readers he was trying to help, blaming their inability to connect with other people on arrogance and laziness.

Is it just me? Is my resentment warranted? Am I just not the intended audience for this book?

Either way, I still felt as if the book contained a lot that was worth discussing. So without further adieu…

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Spill It: What Does Networking Mean To You?

June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Earlier this week, J. Maureen Henderson wrote a post for Forbes on what networking isn’t… and what it could be. I cheered as I read her post, because she got it. She got that networking wasn’t about desperation-fueled schmoozing. (Well. It shouldn’t be.) It wasn’t about working a room or handing out business cards willy-nilly. It was about conversation. It was about connection. It was about all the ways we connect with others on a daily basis, in a thousand different ways.

“Blogging is networking,” she wrote. “Being on Twitter is networking. Sending your BFF a job posting that you think would be perfect for her roommate is networking. Asking Jim in Marketing if he knows someone who is aces at web design is networking. When your new hair stylist asks what you do for a living and you answer her? That’s networking.”

Last year, J.M. did a video interview with me about my career coaching business. That was networking, too. One of J.M.’s blog readers saw that video and became my very first e-course student.

What else is networking?

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The 5 Most Common Problems Freelance Writers Face

June 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

So. This virtual Networking for Word Nerds thing is now a… thing. Third Tuesday of every month. You can make it a recurring event on your calendar and shit. Its existence makes me feel… productive. And happy. Because I get the chance to meet new, fabulous freelance writers every time I sign on.

Anyway.

Every month, I’ll be writing a post over at Brazen Careerist in order to promote these events. Here’s my latest!

The life of a freelance writer is not an easy one. There’s the constant hustle. The pressure to come up with fresh ideas that are both newsy and original. The late paychecks from delinquent clients. The ways in which you open yourself up to public criticism from everyone, including anonymous commenters who seem hell bent on crushing your very soul.

I’ve experienced it all but, when I eventually launched my own business — coaching other word nerds — I was regularly surprised by the issues that were holding them back the most.

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Finding A Writing Partner Who Will Make Your Dreams Come True

May 23, 2011 By 4 Comments

This image is 100% about partners, and 0% about the huge crush I used to have on Burt Ward.

This is an excerpt from a post I wrote for Brazen Careerist. It was written both to promote my upcoming Networking for Word Nerds event (register here) and to sing the praises of having a good writing partner. (I love my writing partner to bits.)

Enjoy!

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post calling for a “writing partner who can kick my lazy, procrastinating writer’s ass.”

Now I have a writing partner I love, plus another partner I email my daily goals.

I’ve also left behind a low-paying permalance gig that had me feeling stuck. I’m well on my way to making more money this year than I’ve made previously, and I’m feeling more productive and successful than ever before.

Coincidence? I think not.

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Filed Under: community, shameless self-promotion, writing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Introducing A Monthly Word Nerd Networking Event

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last month, I partnered up with Brazen Careerist to put together a virtual Word Nerd Networking event. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and some of you even asked to be alerted about future events.

Et voila!

I am now the official host of a monthly Networking for Word Nerds online event.

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Today’s Definition of Networking? Not So New

April 21, 2011 By 4 Comments

My adoring fans. Um. In my fantasy life.

If you’ve hung out on Twitter lately, or spent time on just about any business blog out there, you know that networking has been redefined as a whole lot more than just the ol’ happy hour hustle.

Instead of circulating a room with nothing but small talk and business cards, you’re now advised to connect with people wherever you go, building and maintaining authentic relationships with others and helping them out before seeking out help for yourself.

Similarly to what I’ve said on this blog, you should just be yourself, and trust in karma.

Refreshing. Right?

Of course it is. For those of us who have always seen sales and self-marketing as slightly sleazy/cheesy, this shift in the status quo is a huge relief.

The thing is, these tactics are nothing new.

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Word Nerds: Join Me For Some (Virtual!) Speed Networking

April 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Writers. Bookworms. Editors. Publishing professionals. Word nerds all. We should totally hang out.

Back in November, I co-hosted a Word Nerd Networking event in NYC that attracted a whopping 75 people. It was pretty damn awesome, and I’d like to do more of those. It was great getting to meet so many of you IRL!

Alas, some of you missed out, because… well… not everyone lives in the Tri-state area.

Which is why I urge you to check out tonight’s event. It’s totally virtual.

Brazen Careerist approached me several weeks ago with the idea of hosting a virtual speed networking event on their site. As I’ve taken part in several of their Network Roulette events in the past, and thought they were pretty fantastic, I was excited at the prospect of putting together a similar event for word nerds.

Which brings us to tonight’s event: Networking for Word Nerds. Totally virtual, you could be wearing nothing but panties and striped knee highs and nobody would be the wiser. Meanwhile, you’ll get the chance to chat up peeps who have been published in numerous national publications, who have published books, who run online magazines, and who generally rock the word nerd house.

So yeah. Basically? You should register. It’s at 8 p.m. EST, and only one hour.

Related: How to Throw an Event That Rocks the House, How to Build Your Network Without Having a Panic Attack, Networking for People Who Hate Networking: Network Roulette

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How To Throw An Event That Rocks The House

November 24, 2010 By 6 Comments

A Dramatic Reenactment of the Entrance to Word Nerd Networking

Last week, about 75 people crammed themselves into a small back room at the Galway Hooker for an event I’d planned with the fantabulous Marian Schembari.

Needless to say, I was shocked. It was my very first foray into event planning, and I had assumed we’d be lucky if even five people bought tickets.

But apparently, we had hit upon a real need amongst word nerdy types.

In the end, the event was a success. People raved to me about the great conversations they’d had, and the connections they’d made. They even asked me when the next event was taking place! (To which I began laughing maniacally because I was having a nervous breakdown… you’ll soon see why…)

Still — as I assume happens with most events of this sort — not everything went smoothly.

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How To Build Your Network Without Having a Panic Attack

November 10, 2010 By 17 Comments

That time you saw me at that thing? I was screaming on the inside.

There are sooo many things that terrify me about networking events. I agonize over the best way to approach people, and then wuss out and don’t approach anyone. I assume that, when people see me cowering in the corner alone, they instantly know I’m lame. I worry that my obvious social awkwardness is turning off anyone I happen to be speaking with. I berate myself for being so completely boring.

I’m an introvert. Extended social interactions exhaust me and, after awhile, I hit a wall. I also have social anxiety. Drinking helps. My shrink has suggested pot. My Xanax just puts me to sleep.

But as I mentioned yesterday, taking networking from online to in-the-flesh is SO. IMPORTANT. It can solidify a relationship that you’ve developed online, or lead to new, promising connections. Also? Despite the fact that y’all terrify me so damn much, I love meeting new people and forging new connections. It’s just so gratifying to connect with someone who shares my interests… who can act as a sounding board… who I can swap tips and war stories with. And maintaining those relationships can be key in moving a career forward. Remember my post on bringing in new projects without lifting a finger? The bulk of the work that comes to me nowadays is thanks to people I’ve worked with in the past, or people I BS with on Twitter, or people I’ve met at this or that networking event, thanks to several large glasses of wine.

I want you guys to have that, too.

I’ve been reading Networking for People Who Hate Networking, and the book mentions several times that introverts benefit the most from events that combine structure and open time. Which is pretty darn great, because Marian Schembari and I have been masterminding an absolutely EPIC event.

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Networking For People Who Hate Networking: Network Roulette

November 9, 2010 By 3 Comments

A few months ago, I read a piece over at Lemondrop on IRL Syndrome, and immediately diagnosed myself as a victim of the disability.

As I read through the piece, I nodded with dawning recognition at passages like these:

“When I email a gal, I’m imbued with all these crazy powers. Confidence! Wit! Charm! On my Powerbook or my iPhone, I’m George Clooney at a cocktail party. On a date, without my assorted Apple products, I become … the Mac guy.”

I knew of what he wrote. Because, you see, I’m better in writing, too.

It makes the prospect of building my professional network somewhat daunting. And while being an introvert doesn’t necessarily have to be a liability (as I’m coming to learn from reading books like Networking for People Who Hate Networking), social interactions don’t only drain me of energy. They also terrify me. Which means I have to ease myself in slowly.

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