Category: Work

Tools & kit, Work

Sound advice

Here is the soundest of advice from Hunter Gatherer 21C’s Nicholas Bate:

Only listen to vinyl when working; a break and a walk will be naturally necessary every twenty minutes or so.

This could be the nudge I need to set up my turntable again.

Currently, I have a playlist on Sonos of mostly guitar instrumentals curated from my music collection. It runs for nearly a full day and ensures (after a couple of opening tracks with vocals) that I’m not writing with other people’s words in my head.

It’s not vinyl, but it includes some sublime tracks. Here’s a taster:

Opening vocal tracks:

Loser, The Grateful Dead (“I’ve got no fear of losing this time.”)

Hair of the Dog, Nazareth (“Now you’re messing with a son of a bitch.”)

Hello Hooray, Alice Cooper (“God, I feel so strong.”)

Thereafter, a mix of the sweetest guitar music:

Blue Valley, Thomas Blug

And The Address, Deep Purple

High Nights, Sutherland Brothers & Quiver (an instrumental from Quiver’s Time Renwick, later of Al Stewart and Pink Floyd’s touring band amongst many others)

Cloudy Day, JJ Cale

Weiss Heim, Rainbow

Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers, Jeff Beck

Samba Pa Ti, Santana

Journey of the Sorcerer, Eagles

Little Wing, Stevie Ray Vaughan

Another Place, Jeff Beck

Scandinavia, Van Morrison

Angel (Footsteps), Jeff Beck

Where Were You, Jeff Beck.

And, much, much more. Just so much great music!

Photo by Adrian Korte on Unsplash

Freelancing, Work

When YOU are the brand: Tips for sovereign professionals and micro-agencies

(I wrote this for my Burning Pine site, but then realised it belongs on here, too.)

When you’re a small business, a micro business or a freelancer, it’s different.

Whatever you do centres on you. That’s not an ego thing. It’s just that clients are buying “you” – the unique blend of experience, skills, understanding and relationship you bring.

Here are a few tips and reminders for those who find they’ve inadvertently become their own brand.

Understand your USP

It’s probably not your professional skill. If you are a designer, writer or accountant, your clients are probably not (just) buying pictures, words and numbers. You may be an average financial adviser or marketer who is exceptionally good at listening and empathising. You may be an SEO expert or trainer on the invoice, but your value is in being a sounding-board, informal coach or counsellor. It can be hard, but you need to understand what the client is buying, as well as what you’re selling. That’s not easy to put in a brochure, but it’s what drives loyalty, repeat business and referrals.

Make your client look great

That’s your job. Leave your ego at the door and make your client look great to their boss or the board. That’s what pulls you up through their organisation and across the organisations of their career path, building a network of contacts and new clients as you go.

Always be professional

Get up, get dressed, be at your desk. Even though “dressed” is seldom a suit and tie. Even though “desk” isn’t in an office with a PA. Written back when Blackberry was still a thing, there’s a lot of value in Nicholas Bate’s Professionalism 101 (here as a handy download). Nicholas is now at Hunter Gatherer 21C.

And, always be tolerant, patient and resilient

What do you think? What have I missed?

Photo by Marcus Neto on Unsplash

Work

What’s on your slate?

There’s so much wisdom in Steven Pressfield’s posts, but this particularly resonated, “You have to have a slate.”

I was doing a free rewrite on the lot at MGM when a producer friend spotted me on the bungalow’s porch and plopped down in the chair beside me. She asked me what I was working on beside this freebie. 

I hesitated.

Don’t hesitate…

“you have to be able to rattle off four, five, six projects—and be able to pitch ‘em all with full professionalism.”

Read the full post, and more, here.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Work

The writer’s deal … or dilemma – Steven Pressfield

Today’s Writing Wednesdays post from Steven Pressfield gets to the heart of a writer’s dilemma: do you stay true to your work and possibly earn nothing (“Nobody wants to read your sh*t.”), or do you compromise to the demands of the market?

Reflecting on the author Elizabeth Gilbert’s deal with her writing, he asks if we’re prepared to do the same.

Her deal was:

“I will never ask you to support me. I will support you.”

That’s a mighty challenge to integrity and income.

Read Steven’s full post here.

Work

The Stoic and the sale – Kasey Pierce

This is good. Stoicism and salesmanship, especially as it relates to creatives and reluctant sellers.

Being published in indie publishing is a lot like starting in acting, none of us are experts, everyone is trying to get noticed, and it’s not at all glamorous. Although it is an honor and privilege to be published, to get your book in the hands of the people, to find your readers, takes some elbow grease. This means…you become a salesperson.

Photo by Ethan Hu on Unsplash

Work

Sort out your energy levels – Nicholas Bate

Without energy, you are nothing. Great ideas get fuzzy and die, good intentions collapse in a withered heap.

Nicholas Bate has essential guidance…

1. To do the things you want to do, you need energy.

2. Level 1 Energy is dependent upon MEDS, meditation, exercise, diet and sleep.

3. Take time out; move/take stairs/dance/carry; eat wide (variety) and deep (local, in season, simple); sleep.

4. …

Read the rest, here.

Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash

Work

Take time to think big – @DanielPink

Harried by the relentless, depthless demands of email, social media, Zoom, phone and Slack?

Here’s a great idea from author Daniel Pink, originating with statesman George Schultz – the Schultz Hour.

Pinkcast 4.07. This is how to carve out an hour a week to think big. | Daniel H. Pink

Image: Claudine Gossett Photography (via UChicago News)