by Tara Joyce | Sep 30, 2011 | My Journey | What's On My Mind
This is the fourth installment of Christine and my monthly Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series. On her blog, I answered her question:
“What methods do you have in place or have made use of that allow you to obtain objective feedback on your web-design to be sure you’re reaching your target markets? Do you have anybody who specifically markets in your field or perhaps an un-biased colleague who helps ‘test’ your site to be sure that they would ‘buy’? Please share how you research and refine this topic in your work.“
My Question to My Mentor:
“You’re a multi-talented lady, and I fancy myself the same. You’re baking a number of very interesting pies at the moment. How do you ensure each pie (i.e., each interest/passion/business/avenue of expression) gets adequate attention? How do you make the time for everything you do and still do your best? I am in a constant struggle with making more time for my writing… and, less imperatively, my cross-stitching, and I want to learn from your ability to manage multiple interests.”
Christine’s Answer:
Great question, one I’m constantly re-visiting in my own work! But wait, you didn’t get an intern yet so you can go out joy-riding? Just kidding…
Entrepreneurship is about transformation, flexibility and openness to try new things. Multi-talented business persons are great at creating activities and projects, but sometimes develop a tendency to become over-committed. Despite this, as talented as you are at creating projects, so are you smart enough to create time for your cross-stitching my multi-talented friend!
by Tara Joyce | Sep 20, 2011 | Self/Business Growth
From the moment we are born we are shaped by the expectation of others.
Their assumptions weigh us down. They sit like a backpack, heavy on our shoulder. Sometimes invisible to us.
These ideas about us are not ours, but we can hold onto them as though they are.
Our Energy Mustn’t Be Squandered
We need to be conscious of what people ask of us, and what they reward us for being.
by Tara Joyce | Sep 14, 2011 | My Journey | What's On My Mind
I’ve learned something about myself. I have performance anxiety.
It cripples me. It makes me freeze.
When it envelopes me, it blocks me from seeing the whole. It’s hard to see out of it. All I can see is through it.
I’ve had it since childhood, but before now, I hadn’t seen it for what it was. Even thought she’s been right beside me for so long.
Here She Goes Again
My negativity, the voice in my head, she is ANXIETY. FEAR. JUDGEMENT. over what I am. Before I thought she was helpful, saving me from my own embarrassment. But now I see that she acts better than me, in attempt to keep me down. She needs to feel better than all the shit I create.
by Tara Joyce | Aug 31, 2011 | My Journey | What's On My Mind
This is the third installment of Christine and my monthly Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series. Funny enough, this month, we asked each other near identical questions… on her blog, I answered her question: I LOVE doing everything myself. While I joke that I need a clone, I always feel like the job is done best by me. How do you decide when it’s time to ask for help or hire another professional?
My Question to My Mentor:
As an independent business owner, I often find I am tempted to do ‘everything’ myself. How do you go about determining the roles you take on and which you will employ an outside professional for? When you do determine you need outside help, how do you go about finding the right person for the job?
by Tara Joyce | Aug 25, 2011 | Self/Business Growth
Looking at your résumé, aside from it’s purpose to ‘get you a job’, would you say that it really shows who you are?
Looking at mine (on LinkedIn), I am struck by how I appear in it. It says nothing about how I actually spent, nor spend, my days. It says little about ME, other than where I went to school (can’t you see how smart I am?), where I’ve worked (yes, THEY hired me!) and what titles I was given (don’t I sound impressive?). It’s a very inaccurate picture of how I add value to the world.
When I wrote it, I was hoping to do a good job of selling you on what I appear to be.
