For other reasons than my business coach suggested, I started a project that will stretch my comfort zone, introduce me to new people, and teach me new things. Those are my goals.
The project is to ask five questions of people who seem “successful.” I, of course, do not define success as many others do. Success, to me, is comfort in your own skin; loving what you do – if not all the parts of it; being good with your life. Obviously, a business (or job) had to be doing well enough to support the person; and finances are not involved in my questions.
So, the questions:
- What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
- How did you get here/what brought you to this place in life?
- What are your three most common tasks?
- What is it that people get wrong or improperly assume about what you do?
- What’s your favorite tidbit/trivia about what you do?
An Example:
Lorrie Nicoles, Owner, Tora Writing Services
- I am a writer/editor for small business owners. I’ve been doing this version since 2013.
- This is the long part. I was determined to get an Engineering degree from Berkely, so I did. After two years in my field, I got laid off and decided that this was not what I wanted to be doing.
Looking at my skill sets, I realized that I had a strong history of figuring out software without much training and then turning around and teaching it to people, so I managed to get a job for a small software company doing all things communication for a piece of software – training, support, documentation, trade shows, and so on.
The problem with being a technical writer is that it is very easy to get laid off. The last one was in 2009, a great year for losing jobs, not for getting them.
I floundered for a while. Having one solid client but with the possibility of losing work, I decided to go into business for myself. There has been a fair amount of floundering since, but at least I’ve been going in a good direction for me.
- As a writer/editor, blogs and newsletters are where I spend most of my time. As a business owner, marketing and complaining about being a business owner are probably what I do most.
- The first is the assumption that I write books. When we get past that hurdle, it’s understanding that not all writing or editing is the same and I can only do what I do.
- I love the surprise on a client’s face when I manage to get it right and in their voice. The theory is all well and good, seeing the reality can be shocking.
Presentation
Write ups will vary. I will post them on the Tora Writing site under 5 Questions, as well as give them to the interview subject. Some will appear in my newsletter.