Tag Archives: economy

Slingshot Around the Moon

01 Monday Mar 2010

Posted by in Career

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Moon

Photo by Jon Sullivan

Remember in Apollo 13 when they ran out of fuel and had to use the gravity of the moon to slingshot themselves back toward earth? As a country, we are now on the far side of the moon.

What I mean is this: Economists say we’re just starting to pull out of this historic recession. So, before the chance slips away, how are you positioning yourself to succeed on the other side of it? I’m hearing stories all the time now of someone using this difficult time to change their life’s trajectory, and I’m so excited to see new ideas and ways of doing business slingshot out into the recovery. It’s about time for a new way of doing media, in particular, don’t you think?

I’m no career expert, but I like to see specific suggestions when I read a post like this, so I’ll try to give you a few to work with. Here are some ways you might position yourself for the growth of your career or business in the next few months:

– READY: If you’re ready for a change in your career, think first about not just what you really want to do, but what your lifestyle will look like. If you have been thinking about becoming a freelance writer, would you like to stay at home or travel? Do you want to teach people to write in a group setting, or would you rather tutor? You have a unique opportunity to change courses right now without people questioning the break on your resume, so if you can afford it, go for whatever you really want!

– AIM: Now that you’ve got a target, research the heck out of it. Start with Google, but then branch out. If you’re looking for more magazines to write for, look up people that are well-connected with your target clients/employers on LinkedIn and Twitter lists, and follow/friend them. Then listen to them. Follow the rabbit trail of your targets online, learning what blogs they follow via Google Friend Connect and what they read on Delicious (I just discovered the usefulness of this myself! I know, I know. My husband says I’m five years late to the party, lol). What do they blog about? If they only blog for work (meaning they might be assigned to a particular topic), what is their perspective and what issues do they harp on within the context of their chosen/assigned subject matter? This takes some time, but it will be worth it to get to know the person you want to talk to. What if you discover that the entrepreneur you thought you wanted to work with is a maniac who has left a wake of angry colleagues and employees behind him? Respect your instinct if a person’s online persona is surrounded by controversy, and move on to a new target if need be.

– FIRE: Now you’re prepared. Network in new places: Twitter chats, mentoring groups, industry-specific networking lunches, or even cold-calling people are great ways to make connections if you’re prepared and really have something to talk about. I hate networking when I’m doing it in desperation for a new job, and I suspect the people I clung to when I used to do this hated it, too. I have a unique opportunity as a WAHM to network for the fun of it, the way it’s supposed to be done. Because I have the luxury of meeting people without immediately needing something from them (you may too, since we’re still on the far side of the moon), I’m not only more relaxed and enjoying myself more, but I’m also finding that people are more willing to talk to me when I ask.

– SLINGSHOT: Your positioning and hard work will carry you to success as the economy thaws. Have fun, and if you’re working on a new project that you’re excited about, please leave me a comment or msg me on Twitter. I’d love to hear about it!

What do you think? I hope this was helpful. Do you have more ideas to share on this topic? Please leave me a comment. Thanks for reading!

We Will Party Hard

06 Monday Apr 2009

Posted by in Life

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I just had to listen to some Andrew W. K. the other day and tell myself to lighten the frick up. I’m tired of worrying, tired of the economic doom and gloom, tired of the bad news coverage of Michigan. Have we hit bottom? Probably not, but why wait? It’s time to take a break and throw a party, for no other reason than the fact that we’re all still here. Turn off the Fox Fear Channel and do a little victory dance with me.

I present you with some positive news from my neck of the woods:

1) I don’t live in a war zone.

2) I haven’t lost any family or friends to disease or accidents lately.

3) The birds are singing straight through the April snowstorm outside. The air is clean, and the crocuses are blooming.

4) My first baby is due next month.

5) My pregnancy nausea has lifted enough in the last 2 weeks that I can enjoy food again! I’ve missed our special times together, food.

6) My husband is truly wonderful and only gets better with time.

7) I haven’t had a migraine in so long I can barely remember how awful it was. What an unspeakable blessing!

Okay, can I get churchy on you for just one second? The Bible advocates partying in a crisis. Oh, yes it does! Psalm 23:5 says: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” That’s Israel’s King David celebrating the fact that in the middle of a war, God says “Time out!” and throws out a banquet spread. Awesome! Go find that bottle of wine you were saving for a special occasion.

Times are really hard, but is it ever as bad as we fear it will be? (I’m preaching to myself here.) What are you celebrating today?

RIP, Ann Arbor News

24 Tuesday Mar 2009

Posted by in Media and Publishing

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Yesterday Mlive.com broke the news that The Ann Arbor News, my hometown newspaper, would be closing in July, to be replaced by AnnArbor.com. The paper has long been called “The Ann Arbor Snooze” and has shrunk to near ad circular size, as reduced advertising revenues required the paper to cut back on reporting and printing costs. The article on Mlive.com also reported that a handful of other Booth newspapers in Michigan would be reducing employee wages or cutting back to several days a week to survive.

It’s sad that Ann Arbor, the city in Michigan with the lowest unemployment rate (7.3% in January), would lose its paper first, but that is probably because Ann Arbor is also best able to convert to an online news format. The new AnnArbor.com claims that “92% of the Ann Arbor community has the skills and technology set-up to receive and engage with online news.” Yes, what will the other 8% do, and whose responsibility is that?

I admit I never read more than the headlines on the front page of The Ann Arbor News, the weather forecast, and the cartoons–and that was years ago. I got community events news from The Observer (the print edition is still far superior to their web presence: they’re going to need to do something about that soon), and national news online. My mother prefers the print format of the news but admits she was planning to cancel her subscription in the near future anyway, after decades of receiving the daily paper, because there was no longer any content in the paper she couldn’t get elsewhere….

Could this have been avoided? I’m tired of asking the question. People have been advising The News for well over a decade on how to adapt to the times, and they either botched the attempt or it simply wasn’t a feasible business model. The fact is that the community will adjust, trees will be saved (let’s be honest: printing newspapers is no longer sustainable or responsible), and more people will be out of work. Someone I know in the printing department hasn’t been able to find a new job, despite already having searched for months. She woke yesterday to hear the news of her impending layoff on the radio. That makes me feel sick to my stomach for her. But what to do?

I want to find an economically viable alternative to The News and take advantage of this vacuum to meet the needs of the community while employing some good people, but I don’t know how to get people to pay for news when it’s not crucial to them, and advertising revenue only covers the most basic (in this economy maybe uselessly so) of reporting. AnnArbor.com might just be the best option. I’m eager to see how they handle the transition. Maybe local news is just one more thing that needs to contract when times are tough. RIP, Ann Arbor News.

Beyond the Recession/Depression/Cluster…

04 Wednesday Mar 2009

Posted by in Career

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I just heard a third radio program discussing how maybe the media shouldn’t be discussing the possibility that this is a depression, because it might freak people out. Does spending an hour of airtime apologizing for possibly eroding consumer confidence by discussing the erosion of consumer confidence make up for the fact that you’re unnecessarily eroding consumer confidence by discussing it? Wtf, people? To move forward, we need to spend time planning for the future, not just pinpointing exactly how bad things are and adding to the hysteria. /mediarant>

Let’s look ahead. Beyond this recession/depression/cluster fudge is a gleaming future that, at least temporarily, does not involve nuclear war and destruction of this lovely planet. What are you doing, what am I doing, to prepare for it? For one, I’m not opening those stinking quarterly statements! Provided the stock market doesn’t utterly collapse, and I guess I do believe there still will BE a stock market in ten or twenty years, my portfolio will recover. If we keep investing now, hopefully we will be able to take advantage of historically low stock prices and make a bundle to retire on…someday. How low is low enough for you to start investing in the market? Are you already?

What are you doing to recession-proof your career? Do you believe there is anything you can do?

Are you considering moving? Do you think you might have to? What are you willing to sacrifice, or what have you had to sacrifice already, to stay afloat or to position yourself for the future?

Are you like my Twitter buddy @shelisrael, who believes cities like Detroit are in a prime position for a revival? Are you fleeing the burbs or Rust Belt to move closer to coastal or Southern cities? Downsizing? Stuck in your McMansion with a fat mortgage?

As nervous as I am that my beloved Michigan will be totally left behind in the next fifty years as the country’s economy shifts, I’m also quite curious to see how things will look in 2 years, 10 years. And I’d really like to know that someone out there is thinking ahead and facing the future. Let me know how you’re doing and what you’re up to in Comments.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

02 Friday Jan 2009

Posted by in Media and Publishing

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It’s hard to ignore the continual bad news in the media industry: layoffs, mergers, bankruptcies. It seems to me that the first casualties, at least in new media businesses supported exclusively by advertising revenues, are the full-time editors and freelance writers. “More quantity, less quality” seems to be the only way for some businesses with paper-thin profit margins to make it, but it also sets them up for future collapse by undercutting their investment in interesting content…and content is king.

How is your employer weathering the economic storm? Have you had to make any difficult decisions about what or whom to cut lately? And on a more upbeat note, has the current economy had any positive effect on your company’s transition to the new media reality? We all know print is changing (read: dying a slow death), so maybe these massive layoffs will produce some new ventures (provided some capital can be scared up) and ideas to move the industry forward. My current plan is to continue to seek out work with publishers who need freelance help, begin to blog and look for opportunities to gain experience in new media, and write creatively on the side. Fortunately, I love variety in my work.

It’s an odd and sometimes tiring thing to be part of both the media and auto industries. Both seem locked in a tailspin. But video killed the radio star, not media altogether, and cars replaced horses, but transportation continued. What do you think these industries will look like in 30 years, and in 50? How will you adapt to stay ahead of the curve?

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