Nota Bene: Lucky points
My lucky points have gone up recently. I’m not sure why and I’m not asking. As someone recently said to me, “Don’t worry about why someone likes your work, don’t ask why, just take it all in.” I’m applying that philosophy to my luckiness.
This particular streak is supported, buttressed and inspired by kindness. Kindness in the form of a mentor. An angel, if you will, who literally pointed his finger at me and said, “You are magnificent…wanna see how far we can take it?” The first stop has been into a realm of work that I had never done before. (Well, not literally because it is content creation and writing, but just in terms of the medium of video/directing/editing….)
Of course, I did what any normal person would do when faced with such praise and with such an offer. I stopped breathing. Then I panicked. Then I called an emergency meeting with my Brain Trust. Then I dove in and started doing the actual work and realized that I LOVE it…and, miraculously, I can do it, too.
But I can’t possibly gloss over the amazingness of having someone, who is brilliantly good at doing this work and more, standing behind me telling me that I CAN do it, that I AM doing it and, then, fiercely taking every little success and thrusting me into the next stage of NEW.
It’s been a thrill and fire in my brain and belly. And it’s been a win/win. I’m helping his company and he’s helping mine. And, the joy we’re both taking from the match is just, well, sublime.
And who doesn’t want more joy? And who doesn’t want to challenge themselves to be bigger, better and badder? And who would turn their nose up at lucky?
The answers to those questions are definitively: ‘lotsa people’. I should know—’cause for a while, I didn’t, I didn’t and I would. But survey says that it seems I’ve released a healthy portion of those nasty behaviors. How lovely.
So, no questions asked, just working my ass off and soaking it in, this lucky…(and maybe refusing to change my socks—you know, so I don’t break my streak.)
Image credit: Rob Warde
Filed under The Business, Writing | Tags: copywriting, mentor, video treatments, writer, Writing | Comment (1)Follow the Smoke
Full disclosure: I watch American Idol.
Each week on the show, a musical genre is chosen – and a master in that genre mentors the contestants. This week the genre was Motown and the mentor was Smokey Robinson.
I’ve become his biggest fan. Yes, he’s an amazing artist, singer, songwriter, performer. But, that’s not what got me.
He was so supportive, so positive, so excited. What an amazing mentor. Smokey pointed out things that he thought could be improved, but he was just so darn encouraging. He was genuinely happy, actually ecstatic, to be working with these new singers.
When one of the contestants, Adam, performed one of Smokey’s songs, the Motown Icon hopped to his feet leading a standing ovation. Mind you, the rendition was really brilliant. But, I loved that Smokey was the first to acknowledge it. This man is no Diva.
I’m following the Smoke because that’s the kind of mentor I’d like to be. No, that’s the kind of person I strive to be.
Filed under News, The Business | Tags: American Idol, Julie Roads, mentor, mentoring, mentorship, Smokey Robinson | Comments (2)can a mentee fall in love with their mentor?
I find my blog stats wildly interesting. Through my own, I found that someone landed on my site after searching this question: ‘can a mentee be infatuated with their mentor?’ Presumably, I came up in the search results because I have written about mentors and mentees, though I haven’t tackled this particular situation. But, it’s an interesting question…
And the answer is yes.
You may or may not know this, but I hold over 500 hours of yoga training and teacher certification. Incidentally, this training provided me with quite a bit of information on this issue. Because be it mentor/mentee, teacher/student, doctor/patient, etc…this is a real issue for many people.
It’s natural for the mentee to imagine themselves or to actually become in love with their mentor. This mentor, afterall, has all of the information, has found success, is living the life the mentee yearns for and exerts a sense of omniscience, power and control – over all situations.
Because the mentor holds the power, I believe it is the mentor’s responsibility to maintain the boundary, not abuse their position, and act like a real person. There is a wonderful book called Ethics of Caring: Honoring the Web of Life in Our Professional Healing Relationships by Kylea Taylor, featuring a Foreword by Jack Kornfield, that I highly recommend. Yes, I realize that it say’s ‘Healing’ Relationships…and they are speaking to yoga teachers, doctors, healers, therapists. But sometimes I am all of those things to my clients. Marketing your business and self-promotion are intense, they require growth, risk-taking and a real and internal look. Maybe they don’t define ‘healing’, but they do incorporate critical points in the process of transformation and development. Anyway, my point is this book will be helpful if you’re in the ‘mentor’ roll.
If you are in the mentee, student or patient roll and you are struggling with feelings for your ‘mentor’ or if you feel that your ‘mentor’ is being inappropriate in any way, please get help and support. Talk to someone that you can trust or call the RAINN hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673).
Filed under How To | Tags: blog, blog marketing, Blogging, copywriting, Julie Roads, marketing writer, mentee, mentor, mentor relationship, Writing Roads | Comment (0)please help me be a freelance writer!
One of my clients/readers just wrote to me in response to the series I’ve been posting about how to become a freelance writer and insisted that I remind (though notify might be more accurate) everyone that I provide consultations for the brave souls starting freelancing businesses/careers. This involves one on one guidance, tutorials, planning, strategy, networking (how to and actual connections), brainstorming, problem-solving and unlimited question answering (and possibly work to fill your portfolio as I need 5 of me to get everything done).
I agreed to posting about this service I provide because it is the most gratifying work that I do. When I started out, I had…ummmmm….pretty much no one and nothing to guide me. I read as much as I could and had a sister-in-law in the biz for some help (but she had been in the advertising world for some time, very successfully, before she went out on her own – so we were coming from very different places, very. I mean, she left her advertising firm and took some clients with her to her own shop – without naming names, I can tell you that they are top makers of chocolate and pet food, top.)
I would have given anything to have a kind, caring, supportive, optimistic, enthusiastic, encouraging, honest, info-packed, experience-heavy person to mentor me, anything. So I’m pleased, proud and thrilled to do this for other people. I love it.
If you want to chat about this personally…hit the phone typewriter key at the top of this page and send me an email or give me a call.
Talk soon,
Julie
Filed under How To, The Business | Tags: blog, Blogging, copywriter, copywriting, freelance writer, how to become a freelance copywriter, how to freelance, how to write, Julie Roads, marketing copy, marketing writing, mentor, mentoring, writer, Writing Roads | Comment (0)a good mentor is invaluable, whatever a good mentor is
I used to have these little daydreams that this incredible, powerful, well-connected, confident, loving, helpful, Julie-infatuated woman would show up and be my mentor. She would tell me everything that I needed to know, she would introduce me to people I needed to know, she would burst me on to the scene.
Hmmm….well, she never actually showed up. Not in the form I thought she would, anyway. She shows up in a lot of different people. Advice from colleagues, the support of my dad, how-to articles that inevitably make their way into my browser at exactly the right time. I think, for a little while, I waited around for her. I just sat there – waiting. And then, I got off my ass and became her. I don’t think it was a conscious decision. In fact, I’m just realizing it as I write. I got to a point where I had no choice but to do it myself. Everything else just fell into place. This patchwork mentorship happens on a daily basis – I find everything I need to know, I find the people I need to know, I burst myself onto the scene.
And while I try not to vilify myself for my weakness, I still wish for Her some days. So I am her for other people (as best as I can be). When the opportunity arises to give back, to guide, to make someone’s way a bit smoother – I’m there. I’m part of their piecework. Does that all encompassing mentor exist? I’m sure, I mean, I’ve heard tell. But now – I’m thinking, She doesn’t necessarily have to be. I’ve learned that I can hold my own hand, all by myself.
Filed under How To | Tags: copywriter, copywriting, mentee, mentor, mentorship, Writing | Comment (0)
