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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Sun Up to Sun Up, Project Mgmt & Your Work Schedule

#focus
My new routine is growing on me.  I am working constantly to create a profitable livelihood, my new word to use in place of career seeing as how I am trying to bring my skills to the ca-front.  And the responsibility is looking good on me.  New tools and resources and being able to take advantage of such freely can give anyone the inspiration they need to remain productive ...  however it is the process of seeking out these tools that will show you just how much work it takes to actually ... well, work.

This week I pieced together a RFI for a friend that wanted to make a presentation to a local, promising, small business.  She wanted me to create a project plan and detailed scope of services that pertained to completing a string of tasks.  The end result, launching and maintaining a full out branding campaign for a new clothing company and relaunching its mothering urban entertainment company.  Easy enough. (side eye)

"I know how to get the work done." She explained, "I just don't know how to put it into words."

I set out doing research, compiling content, creating a project plan, budget and checklist.  I even put in a FAQ section for pizzazz.  Within a few hours she was forwarded a formatted PDF e-document composed to make the simplest of minds understand ins and outs of the services of my girls awesome work.

Like I said, easy enough.

What we do is sometimes so overwhelming to us that we forget just how we got to where we are.  I was greeted today by Black-life commentator Roland Smith on CNN giving his reasons why the African American unemployment rate is at its highest in 27 years.  Which really hit home because this means that as for as long as I have been alive the very community in which I live, love and rely on has progressively gotten worse.  Which only means to me ... that .. it must be getting better from here.  Coming from where I'm from (an eighties baby & Detroit-native) unemployment and the notion of entrepreneurship has always come hand in hand.
Optimistic .. i.e. "can't tell me nothing" #kanyeshrug


When asked, I replied, "Sometimes it is the Bridge that is greener,  and on top of all that, it connects BOTH sides."
*I visited the Japanese Tea Gardens this week with @IgboSwag, it was absolutely beautiful!

Being a freelance anything in the eyes of my Assembly Line-era family is the same as "not having no job".  However, my argument is this, wasn't entrepreneurship what started Motor City in the first place.  Wasn't it also such that further the independent civil rights fights for blacks in the 40s, 50s and 60s?  I mean, I don't think many large pharmaceutical companies were doing event sponsorships for Equal Rights Rallies.

Sun Up to Sun Up
My entrepreneur life is teaching me so much on a daily.  From sun up to sun up, is my newest mantra ... it describes my work day.  No naps, a few breaks, tons of phone calls and emails comprise my day.

I have gotten into the habit of not taking "no" as an answer.  And by keeping a well scripted log of my actions I am putting different spins on BethanyEast PR events and connections.  A string of lessons has taught me some key things:

  • look for roads less taken when it comes to my industry,
  • ask the right questions and do the research necessary to get the right answers
  • be courteous of your time as well as other peoples time
  • stay relevant and/or maintain knowledge of what is relevant
Simple enough right ...?

I know where I am.  Do you?
Upon this revelation, my girl who I had completed the earlier mentioned work shot me a GChat, "Thank you.  I don't know how you do it." ... my reply, "Me either."


  • always be open to new lessons, continued lessons and old lessons.
What have you learned about your #werq ethic lately?  I am anxious to looking into more black-/minority-/oddly owned businesses and events ... talk to me people.

TTYL.

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