I (temporarily) fell off the blogging wagon, but I’m hopping right back on. For now, I am committing to a Tuesday + Friday publishing schedule, with a goal of increasing it to three times per week later on.

What have I been up to?

The short answer: reading, learning and brainstorming (and client work, of course).

The longer answer: I have been spending a lot of time focusing and redefining my business. This journey began about 8 months ago at the Creative Freelancer Conference. At the end of the conference, we each wrote down “Things I’m committed to doing for my business in the next six months” on a card. The conference leaders would mail us the cards in about six months, as a friendly reminder of our goals.

I received mine in the mail about a week ago:

Guess what? I am working from my own office, which I absolutely love. I have spent the last six months developing a marketing strategy. My website and resume are current, sans one recent project. I (obviously) started a blog, and I am putting the finishing touches on my e-newsletter. (I’m working on the sign-up form for the newsletter, but you can also email me to get on the list.)

Looking at this list gave me a huge boost of confidence, because when I wrote those goals, I thought I might accomplish two of them, at most.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll talk more about how I’ve made it this far (it involves a lot of reading and asking for help) and where I’m headed next (including new services!). I’m really excited to share my new goals with you.

One thing that has been instrumental in developing these new goals is my Empire Building Kit series from Chris Guillebeau. Days 1 through 41 of the 365-day EBK course have seriously rocked my socks. I wanted to mention the EBK today because it goes on sale tomorrow for another 24-hour launch, which is the first time it’s been available for sale since I bought it. If you have your own small business, or are interested in starting one, I highly recommend checking it out. I’ll talk more about what I learned from it tomorrow.  Feel free to comment or email me with questions too.

Thanks for sticking around through the post drought. I really appreciate it.

As I mentioned in Monday’s post (“Anyone who says, ‘Looks don’t matter,’ is a liar”), my mom and I went to a spa last weekend. During my massage, the massage therapist and I were chatting a little bit. I think I said something like, “I bet after all this work, you’ll need to hire someone to give you a massage.” And then I laughed.

I should mention that, up to this point, I felt very comfortable and relaxed. The massage was going great.

And then, she started talking negatively about herself and her profession.

She went on for a good 10 minutes about how she’d never get a massage because all massage therapists are perverts. She would never let anyone touch her. She talked about how she was really bad at draping and that draping was the worst part of massage therapy school. “But, don’t worry, I’ve never exposed a client.”

I’m sorry, what??

This was my first massage (which she knew) and I had plenty of my own reservations about stripping down to my underwear and letting some stranger touch me. I had kind of gotten over it (she is a professional, it’s perfectly fine, I told myself) — until she starting talking down about herself and her profession.

What she said completely changed my experience. Her lack of professionalism made such an impression that it overshadowed her excellent technical skills.

What I learned

Business is about so much more than just the service you provide. I’m very conscious of my own short comings. I know I have highlighted them for clients on numerous occasions. Maybe it’s a fear of failure, so I feel like I need to warn them first, just in case I mess it up.

“Well, I’ve never done this before, but I’ll give it a try.”

I’m sure my clients are brimming with confidence when they hear that one. I’ve had a very good track record so far, and I took the job because — even though I hadn’t done x specifically before — I have the skill set to be able to successfully complete the job. My clients don’t need to hear my nervous inner dialogue.

Before I went in for my massage, the salon owner said very positive things about the masseuse. I felt completely confident and trusted her expertise. But, after hearing her speak down about herself and her profession, my opinion completely changed. After all, if she doesn’t believe in her skills, why should I?

What you say matters. No matter where or how you say it.

It is so important to pay attention to the language we use in person, on the phone, via email, on Faceboook, on Twitter — everywhere. It all matters. Off the cuff comments or random rants on Twitter still make an impression.

I have a tendency to do or say stupid things when I’m rushed or nervous. Since I can quickly compose and publish, I don’t always take the time to edit myself. But, I’ve realized that it’s important to take time and think about what you want your brand to say about you. Because we all have a brand, even if we don’t own our own business or have a logo.

What do you think?

I’m still discovering and developing my brand. Where are you at in the process? Have you had any experiences where a comment changed your perception of a business?

Lately, I’ve been having a series of mini-epiphanies. I think I’ve finally heard the same sage advice enough times from enough people for it to really sink in. Or perhaps I needed to experience it from the client/customer perspective to really “get it.”

Look the part.

Over the weekend, I treated my mom and myself to a spa day, courtesy of a Groupon I purchased awhile back. We spent over three hours getting a manicure/pedicure, a one-hour massage and a mini facial. The services were fantastic – but the staff were sloppily dressed and there was an avalanche of dirty towels piled in the massage room. The glass was smudged with dirty fingerprints. There were scuff marks on the wall. These details made me question whether I would return and pay full price for the services. The salon just didn’t “feel” high end.

I was reminded that it is more than just the quality of work that matters to your clients/customers. Read the rest of this entry »