Coming VERY Soon…don’t Miss Out!

(c) 2016 New3Creation
(c) 2016 New3Creation

There are so many things going on at New3Creation.

Awesome things!

Right now I want to share the launch of our New3Creation Academy, which aims to make you a better writer, thinker and executor! The Academy was birthed from the concerns of clients and individuals who’ve been approaching me about their writing concerns. Interestingly enough, Continue reading “Coming VERY Soon…don’t Miss Out!”

Tell Folks about it!

5 Ways to Make Your Business Better in 2016

startup-593324_1280

We’re embarking on another year and time is NOT on our side. Those projects you have lined up to work on…gone and forgotten about along with everything else you planned to work on in order to improve your business. You need to get on the ball and start making real moves to see your business soar this year. Read on to find out how! Continue reading “5 Ways to Make Your Business Better in 2016”

Tell Folks about it!

Stop Letting Shyness Hold You Back

pet-423398_1920

 

 

 

 

 

I did a previous post on how being introverted can pay off. Often times, shyness is tied into being introverted. This is a huge misconception. Shyness and being introverted are two different things. Shyness gets in the way.

Shyness holds you back and keeps people away.

If you are looking to make moves in your business, career or personal life, you have to conquer certain strongholds in order to succeed in these areas. There are steps you can take in the right direction towards conquering shyness. Here’s how writing can help you take those steps:

Uncloud your thoughts

A lot of the times it’s hard to communicate with people because your thoughts are all over the place. When was the last time you did a brain dump? When was the last time to released old, stale thoughts? Writing can serve as an excellent tool to release thoughts that may have been tormenting you for a while. Once your thoughts are cleared and organized, your communication improves greatly. You’ll be able to interact with others clearly and they will understand what you have to say. This helps replace shyness with confidence.

Jot it down before the meeting

If you’re having that dreaded meeting with your boss, have to give a presentation or getting ready to have that much needed conversation with someone that has offended you, it’s critical that you’re prepared to say what you have to say. Make a list of points you want to discuss and even bring it with you to help you stay on track. You won’t look foolish doing this. Instead, you’ll look like you mean business and will be taken seriously. Making this list will help you organize your thoughts and your emotions. It will also empower you to speak up for yourself. This will leave even less room for shyness to be comfortable inside you.

Be real with yourself

When no one is looking, when you’re having that private moment within yourself, choose to take the brave step and be HONEST. Be honest with yourself and honest about your feelings. Write down how that situation made you feel, the role you played and what you’re going to do about it. Remember this is a step, not necessarily a commitment. By taking this step, you’ll see a difference in your relationships with people and how you see yourself. Shyness will play a smaller role as time goes on and you use writing as an outlet.

Using writing as an outlet is a very powerful way of releasing and dealing with situations that may be troubling you. It’s been done over and over again as some of the most successful stories told originated out of someone who was ready to release through writing. If you’re interested in releasing and being able to be understood by people more, stay tuned…there’s a great tool coming for you from New3Creation! Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated!

Remember..ENVISION and CREATE!

Tell Folks about it!

Communication Will NEVER go out of style

Source: Sebastien Wiertz, via Flickr
Source: Sebastien Wiertz, via Flickr

What do you have to say? Do you know how to say it? If not, your message will definitely come back to bite you in the fanny. We’re seeing it every day in the news, aren’t we? People say foolish comments and try to take them back (i.e. delete their tweets and Facebook posts). But it’s too late, the damage has been done. What’s even sadder is it’s something that could be prevented in the first place! Continue reading “Communication Will NEVER go out of style”

Tell Folks about it!

Does Education Matter When it Comes to Writing?

Source: Pixabay photos
Source: Pixabay photos

I will say upfront – you don’t need any type of degree to be a freelance writer. However, there are specific skills that come with this line of work and are required in order to have a significant impact. So the degree is not necessarily required, but education is a must. Here’s why… Continue reading “Does Education Matter When it Comes to Writing?”

Tell Folks about it!

Chronicles of a Freelance Newbie: New Friendships Abound…

hands-460872_1280

These past couple of months have been really fast-paced. When I first dove into writing, things were moving really slow (of course they were) and some days seemed as if my voice wasn’t getting to anyone. Even though I felt that way some days, I still kept posting and interested readers would trickle in. Well while that was going on I was doing traditional networking and so many doors have opened since then, which makes me extremely excited for the coming year!

Shout out to Kim of Abundant Life Initiative, who provided me an opportunity to share an experience of mine with her audience. I don’t quite remember how we connected, but at some point we were really impressed with each other’s blogs. Check out the post here. There will be many more to come in the near future. =)

There have also been pavement pounding sessions that caused new relationships to form. This is mainly because I’ve chosen one particular cause to cover through my writing. It’s a cause that is near and dear to me as a person and a writer and I intend to raise awareness about it. What’s the point in being a writer if you have no particular passion? When I write about this particular topic I don’t try to impress, I just write. Some folks have noticed this to my surprise and are interested in collaborating with me on different projects which brings an unique type of joy to me. I’ll be conducting interviews, creating new programs and attend specialized meetings because of this topic and the way I chose to go about addressing it with my writing. Check out my posts on Intimate Partner Violence here. I’m not sure if I will post on this particular site about the topic, because it was designed for my freelance experience and work portfolio, but we’ll see what happens.

Moving ahead for the new year…

I’ve continued to have new clients referred to me and more meetings with folks (most of them other bloggers) that are interested in working with me. The opportunities abound!

Of course, there was a lot of cultivation for these opportunities to happen. It’s a very exciting time. Since I’m a strong believer in face-to-face interactions, I recently started a meet up group specifically for career enhancement. In the past several months, I’ve helped quite a few individuals with their career by providing them guidance and sharing my own experience with them for encouragement. So if you’re in the DC area, stop by one of our meet ups! The experience will be a fulfilling one!

From the new relationships I’m forming, I expect more business opportunities to arise for my writing and consulting services. I have to be prepared for that so I’ve been touching up my skills on copy writing and pushing to stay on top of my reading.

Even though it’s been kind of slow around these parts, trust and believe other areas have been very busy! For instance, I still post useful articles on my Hub Pages site, including my first recipe! It doesn’t hurt to step out of the box every now and then, which I plan on doing from here on out!

Deciding to get back into writing and use it for an outward purpose has been a fulfilling experience. Whether it’s writing or blogging, new ideas, skills and confidence levels have definitely developed!

What have you been up to? I’d like to know your plans for the new year.

 

Tell Folks about it!

Build Your Confidence as a Writer| 5 Secrets that Work!

You want to get more into writing, but you’re afraid your work will tank once it’s posted. Don’t have a negative attitude towards your own work. If your writing is not where you feel it should be, look over these 5 ways you can build your skills and confidence as a promising writer.

Expressing yourself through writing is a learned skill.
Expressing yourself through writing is a learned skill.

Writing Prompts

There are writing prompts galore all over the ‘net that will put your writing skills to work. Some sites offer daily and weekly prompts to get you moving in case you’re stuck on what topic to write or blog about. These can serve as great exercises since your writing is put to practice. So the more you do writing prompts, the better. Furthermore, once you link your post back tot he writing prompt site, you’re bound to get feedback from readers that can be really helpful for you (it will also generate a lot buzz on your blog). This is great because you get to engage with other writers who may be trying to improve their writing skills as well. Here are some sites that offer great writing prompts:

WordPress’ Daily Prompt

Writer’s Digest

Read

If you’re not already an avid reader, you should start developing this habit. No, you don’t have to go through a whole set of encyclopedias and grab a pen a paper, but its important to keep your brain engaged by reading more than you often do. The newspaper, short stories and the latest novel will definitely get your writing gear motivated to get productive. Being exposed to different types of writing can only serve as inspirational for your own work. Not only will you see different ideas and expressions, but you’ll also be exposed to new types of vocabulary and sentence-structuring. Your brain loves this kind of stuff. Besides, the material you read will provide you with plenty more prompts to blog or write about. This creates a better atmosphere of engagement with your audience as well.

Keep a Journal

Not that you have to disclose the details of your private life tot he world, but having a notebook is handy when certain thoughts come to your mind; many times we’ll come across something that will prompt us to write but by the time we sit down to do it the thought has gone. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas and thoughts that hit home or you may want to share with your readers. Write what you observe about life or people and incorporate that into your writing. Over time, you can go through the journal and see how your voice has progressed on paper. This is a definite confidence booster and will give you more things to write about.

Consistency

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. You have to develop a habit of writing on a regular basis. Your skills will build and your voice will definitely develop. The journal and writing prompts mentioned above will definitely help build consistency. The more you practice, the stronger your writer voice will develop. You’ll also be more inspired to write – to the point where you won’t really need prompts anymore. You become more in tune with what actually motivates you to write. This is also where blogging comes in as a handy tool. As a writer, you have to keep your blog up to date (if that’s something you chose to do; not for everyone) so maintaining a blog helps with building consistency with your writing skills.

Get Constructive Feedback

What’s the point of writing for a platform if you don’t have feedback? If you don’t want to ask friends and family, there are plenty of places online that will provide constructive feedback. If you’re on WordPress, they have a community specifically for those who want their writing critiqued or they’re blog posts reviewed and discussed before posting them. Writer’s Digest also has forums where you can bring up your work for review. Whichever route you chose to use, make sure you get some type of feedback for your writing. It has to be honest, constructive feedback so don’t give your writing to someone who will automatically say it’s superb.

Tell Folks about it!

The Joys of Networking|5 Powerful Ways to Boost Your Freelance Business

Source: Pixabay photos
Source: Pixabay photos

Are you trying to expand your writing business or get noticed? What steps are you taking beyond sitting behind the laptop? Yes, social media has its advantages but getting out there and getting involved definitely has it’s benefits.

Sometimes, it takes going back to the basics. Yes, we’ve read endless blogs on how to make connections for your business via Twitter and Facebook and this and that. All of that is good and true. I can personally attest to how Twitter alone has boosted my business, but in my opinion real groundwork still has to be laid before reaping the benefits of social media. Here are some ways your writing business can grow:

Small business meetings: These types of groups are all over the place. Every city, town and neighborhood has some sort of meeting group for small business owners, where a set schedule, they meet and share advice and pitch ideas to each other. It’s very beneficial and quite important for anyone starting out particularly in the world of freelancing. As you can see on my page, I am a part of Femworking which consists of women business owners who are looking to thrive in their talent. It supplies endless resources from folks who are more than willing to share what they know.

Running your mouth on the phone: I got one of my first decent paying clients by chatting with a former co-worker one evening. We were catching up and I was telling them of my latest venture as a writer so if they knew anyone who needed service, send them my way. I didn’t even take myself seriously when I said it. A few days later, I get a phone call from someone who was referred to me by that co-worker. I was elated and was able to formulate a great deal for myself and the client. Everything is not done via the laptop. Getting out there, chatting and communicating with those right underneath your nose just might lead to your breakthrough in writing. Let those close to you know what you’re up to.

Word of mouth: With the example provided above, I can’t help but emphasize even further. One thing that folks are good at is talking. Now is a good time to put gossipers to use! Once your service is out, it’s bound to spread. That’s definitely what happened to me. Word soon spread about my services and what I was offering. It was especially attractive because the prices were fair and reasonable.

Mixers: Another form of face-to-face networking. I’m pretty sure they hold networking meetings in your town as well. It doesn’t have to be a specific freelance or business network. It could be on the topic you blog or write about. I recently attended a mixer on public health. I stood out in the best way because I was the only one walking around the room with the title “blogger” underneath my name on the name tag. This got people’s interests immediately and I made great connection that way. It wasn’t a freelancing event, it had to do with an area that I was familiar with and figured I could someway tie it into writing since I cover health and wellness topics. Whatever your niche or passion may be, find a social event or forum being held in your area and attend, representing your website or business. Nothing but good can come out of it.

Explore your neighborhood: Check out the small businesses in your area and find out if they need a way to communicate with their customers on a regular basis. If so, don’t hesitate to tell them what you can do. You’ll have to convince them that they need you – which they do because every business needs to keep their customers engaged. Stop by, give them a business card (and/or resume) and let them know you can write for them. You can also visit the local newspaper offices, libraries and community magazines. All of those outlets involve writing services. If you get rejected, that’s okay since it’s all part of the process. Keep getting out there and engaging until you land some potential clients.

What steps have you taken so far? 

Tell Folks about it!

But it Looks Like You Don’t Even Care|5 Ways You’re Ruining Your Professional Image

Among the many hats I wear is that of a full-time career woman. Over the past 15+ years I’ve seen things and people come and go. This includes rights and wrongs as far as moving up the career ladder. Nothing too complicated, but little things that go a long way. People have come to me with questions regarding their advancement ad why they don’t move up as fast as they think they should. Well, there are always different factors and situations that will affect one’s career, but here are 5 solid ones I think will always stand the test of time.

Basic CMYK
Why would you do this to yourself?

Always complaining without presenting solutions. There’s nothing that irritates a boss or manager more than that one employee who complains about the company’s problems, but doesn’t present a solution of some sort. Not that your boss expects you to turn the company around by yourself, but many of them welcome suggestions that may help with current problems in the office. Don’t assume that your voice won’t be heard. Come up with a well thought out plan that can help with a current problem and present it at the appropriate time with your boss or during a staff meeting. You’ll be surprised at the end result.

Your physical appearance. This is one of the most common ways people ruin their professional image….their appearance. It’s quite horrifying what people chose to wear especially when they work in a highly professional environment that deals with plenty of customer service. You’re the initial representation of your company or department. It doesn’t make sense to wear:

– sloppy jeans

– tight jeans

– low cut blouses

– halter tops

– flip flops

These items damage your credibility and decrease your chances of being taken seriously. Do you have to come in wearing Armani suits five days a weak? Absolutely not. It doesn’t take an expensive wardrobe to be presentable everyday, especially if your office is business/casual. Some folks take this granted and become too comfortable with the “casual” part. Wearing a decent cut blouse and slacks will do the trick.

Here’s a useful link on office attire tips that won’t bust your budget: Perfect Your Professional Image at Work

Source: Pixabay photos
Source: Pixabay photos

Wearing your emotions for the world to see. There are many types of personalities in the average office environment. People come from different types of backgrounds and upbringings that may or may not mesh well in a professional environment. Additionally, some days at work are just awful and you’re ready for it to end already. While it’s normal to have such days and things don’t always go your way, it’s so important not to let your emotions control you and your reaction to the un-pleasantries of office life. Walking around with a frown or sitting at a staff meeting with your arms crossed and face turned up will get you absolutely nowhere. And don’t think your boss doesn’t notice because they don’t say anything.

In actuality, they do notice and make note of it.

It’s not a good look and it just shows you’re incapable of handling certain responsibilities, making management less likely to rely on you. Well if they can’t rely on you then your chances of getting that promotion are pretty much shot. It’s better to take a moment away from everyone and put your emotions in check. Whether it’s in a bathroom stall or venting to someone during lunch break, it’s better than walking around announcing to everyone how ticked off or disappointed you are about something. Keep it professional and make sure you do what’s expected of you…with a smile. It’s easier said than done, but it’s possible.

man-311326_1280Not giving your best. It’s funny how those who do the bare minimum of their responsibilities are always the ones looking for praise and accolades. All they did was their job (barely) and they didn’t even bother to go above and beyond. If you’re looking to stand out from everyone else, you have to give management numerous reasons to have confidence in you and what you deliver because at the end of the day, your work speaks for you. Doing the bare minimum and expecting rewards for just showing up to work won’t cut it. Paying attention to detail, reviewing your work before submitting and performing quality assurance are habits that will make you stand out in the crowd – especially if you have decent management. Have pride in your work and interactions with people. Believe it or not you’re building a brand of yourself and want it to be as effective as possible.

Now, this doesn’t mean slaving away and being treated like a doormat. Know your worth and be smart about what you produce. It’s important to not only be on the grind, but to give yourself credit for it as well. If you’ve created a new form or an effective way of doing things in your office, keep track of that as a kudos to yourself and update it on your resume. If the time comes for you to ask for a promotion or salary increase, you’ll have solid reasons for management to consider (if that doesn’t work out, there are other companies who just might appreciate your accomplishments!)

Source: Globalpost.com
Source: Globalpost.com

Getting caught up in office drama. Another big turn off for other co-workers and management is the office gossip. They can’t wait to spread the latest rumor (or start it) and get in everyone’s business. It’s unprofessional and makes you look unproductive and horrible at your job. It doesn’t matter if it’s a corporate setting, beauty salon or mechanical shop. Gossiping at the job starts nothing but trouble and at the end of the day does damage to your image. It shows that you have little to no work ethic and can’t be productive when needed. Plus, you’ll be surprised at how aware management is of office gossip, who started it and who keeps it going. The last thing you want is for them to see you that way or to categorize you as a gossip. It’s one thing to be aware of it and something else to be caught in the middle of it. Avoid those who come around to run their mouths. Don’t encourage conversation with them and make it clear that you’re not interested. Keep a low profile and stay productive!

Are you frustrated in your current job? Have you thought about your next move? Ask and share right here in the comments!

Tell Folks about it!

My Experience with Low-Paying Content Mills

nine-to-five-job-155175_1280

For the most part, every Freelance Writer’s journey begins with low-end paying jobs.  I don’t think mine is any different, especially since I was feeling my way around the dark the first few months of my freelance adventure. Like many others starting out, I stumbled across sites such as ELance and ODesk to get writing gigs and increase my exposure. So what was it like? Was it beneficial? I’ll attempt to answer those questions and more…

In the beginning I was totally unaware of how the freelance writer world works. All I knew was I was eager to get work and prove my writing skills to clients. I came across multiple articles that this field of work is not for the faint of heart and starts out very slow, so I didn’t mind when I came across my first few writing gigs that paid me between $5 and $10 for several hundred words. After setting up my profile on a couple of sites, I searched around and saw that other writers were setting their rates, based on their quality of writing and experience. I wasn’t near their level yet and looked at other profiles that were starting as low as $2 each article! I was ready to start low, but knew right then and there I had to limit how low I would actually start. After a few days of signing up and bidding for jobs, I was able to land a couple of ghost writing, copywriting and content jobs. This lasted for maybe three months before I was ready to throw in the towel.

Why I quit content mills              

Besides the obvious low rates, I felt I wasn’t gaining the experience I needed to stand out as a freelance writer, so I didn’t want to make it something I was doing for an extended amount of time. To be honest, I get more out of blogging and contributing writer assignments that have no pay than doing work for a content mill. Others are getting credit for my work that I put a good amount of research and effort into. I don’t see that as an effective way to build my own individual brand. After a few months, I walked away from it entirely and sought other ways to make money off of writing.

Don't expect huge payouts right away. Source: Pixabay photos
Don’t expect huge payouts right away. Source: Pixabay photos

Has “free work” gotten me anywhere?

Absolutely. For several reasons:

I venture out beyond content writing mills. This includes subscribing to other freelance writing job sites and improving my profile on Linked In. Not only do I flex through social media, I make sure I reach out to friends and family regarding my services. In fact, one of my first paying clients came through a referral of a friend. It was also my biggest payout I’ve made since starting out as a Freelance Writer.

I continue to work on my craft. Blogging and contributor writer gigs definitely help me develop my brand and challenge my focus. I interact effectively with other writers and bloggers who are going through the same thing as me. I get great tips and advice on how I can improve my exposure and build for future clientele. Even though there’s no pay yet, I have no regrets at this point.

I know my patience will pay off. I was warned several times that freelance writing starts out slow, especially if you’re looking to make money, so I focus on cultivating and building strong relationships that will pay off down the road. What makes it easier to deal with is that I enjoy what I write about. There are topics that I’m passionate about and love to research and share with the appropriate audience. Such things kill the time as my revenue builds up.

Everyone is different

My own journey and experience caused me to drop the whole content mill arena. It wasn’t my cup of tea and I didn’t see significant pay that I thought I should be getting, especially for the type of work I was submitting. I made a total of $70 over the few months I did content mills. My first client I got through referral from a friend was  at least twice that amount for half the work. So it’s up to others as how they want to value their time as they pursue profit from writing. Take your focus, goals and self-worth into consideration when deciding whether to do content mill writing.

What about you, do you have your own experience with content mills? How was it? Would you recommend to those starting out?

 

Tell Folks about it!