It is very quiet here in my little corner of the world.
And while I'm not actually less busy, the frantic "busy-ness" is gone.
I'm spending more time thinking and cooking.
And, I admit, I'm stockpiling chocolate and red wine. That will help me persevere, not matter how long this lasts. (Speaking of perseverance, that was the topic of my latest interview with Michael e. Stern. As always, you can hear the perseverance in his voice.)
I am also listening to voices of reason -- here's another one of my favorites, historian and philosopher, Yuval Noah Harari.
To all my clients and coaching groups, my message is the same: be proactive, be flexible, be helpful. And keep learning and evolving.
For example, I do think LinkedIn will be increasingly important, so on the blog this week, I've posted a recent video, LinkedIn ProTips: Beyond the Basics with Melanie "The Marketer" Deardorff.
What should you be doing now? It depends. There's just no one-size-fits-all formula right now. But you can always...
- Stay in touch. Reach out, one person at a time, with a genuine and simple message of care and concern. Let them know what's happening in your corner of the world and find out the same.
- Give yourself a purpose. Many of my clients are doing what they know how to do: communicate with helpful and useful content.
- Keep things in perspective by focusing on history and limiting news consumption to twice daily (really).
- Be smart. Since we're probably still not thinking straight, don't make quick decisions, pay closer attention to everything and reach out for a second opinion when you're not sure.
And I want to share a few timely resources for our time:
- Freelancers Union: What freelancers need to know
- HOW Design Live: Podcasts for Staying Engaged During Social Distancing
- Webinars from The Creatives Roundtable
- Design Positivity: https://www.designpositivity.com/
- Graphic Artists Guild Social Distancing Survival Hub
- David Whyte: The Courage in Poetry (starts April 12)
- Learn about Google Analytics (on April 6)
FOR WOMEN
Also, my friend, Galia Gichon, personal finance expert for creatives, has teamed up with 2 colleagues to present Woman’s Compass: The Course, which launches May 5!
For this course, they’ve designed an in-depth and detailed program to help move you from “mole-whacking” to mindfully managing your finances, legal needs and overall wellness including nutrition, exercise and mindfulness. Over three months, you’ll create your plan and build the knowledge and confidence to tackle it purposefully, with direction, understanding and support … your own personal inner compass! My affiliate link and details here.
More resources:
- Sign up to get my blog posts via email here
- Sign up for bi-weekly Quick Tips here.
- Subscribe to the Marketing Mentor Podcast on Apple Podcasts
- Check out the YouTube Channel