Sometime last year, or was it the year before? A fellow writer and former broadcaster sent me a message on Facebook. It was something to the effect of, I read your latest book and I liked it but it needs more information about social media.
On our new podcast, Gracefully and Frankly, Erin Davis and I talked about some words that are no longer appropriate. There are obvious ones of course, but in just the last week I’ve learned about others I never, ever would have imagined. And there was beaucoup confusion on Twitter.
They say you shouldn’t take business dealings personally. It’s been at least a decade since a client has tried to skip out on my bill. But I also know it often goes on. Because some companies put entrepreneurs, especially those in creative professions, at the bottom of the payables pile.
One of my voice-over clients asked me to consider a full-time job working only for them, late last year. It was flattering but I immediately turned it down. Some people in my circle thought I was nuts.
We talked about it a hundred times. We’ve been teasing about it via social media. And finally, a podcast featuring Erin Davis and me is out for the world to hear. Gracefully and Frankly, episode one HERE.
Memories of my early days in radio are a bit like a game of whack-a-mole. One vivid recollection will pop up and then, months later, that one will have been “whacked” and something else will emerge. I attribute this to a combination of heavy beer drinking back then, and those days being so darn long ago.
Attending public appearances was a regular part of my long broadcasting career. Emceeing, live broadcasts, presenting awards – staple ingredients in the stew of being in the public eye and trying to grow a following. Early on, I would get so nervous that I’d nearly throw up before I went on a stage.
One thing the pandemic has taught us is the value of the nation’s workers. Grocery store employees are essential. Nurses and PSWs are indispensable. This causes me to wonder how essential oils were placed in such a category. But I digress.
If you’re familiar with Fiverr, I know what you’re thinking. Fiverr. UGH. Cheap rates, cheap clients, ruining the freelance industry – shaking your fist at the sky! I get it, believe me, I felt the same way.
Listen to the audio version of this post or skip it and read on as usual.
I’ve been sitting with this for a while. Broadcasting sisters message each other. We share stories of the horrors we’ve endured and how we tried to get our managers to do what was right. And how all too often, those managers squelched us. Treated us like we were trying to cause problems. Sent us back into the situation with no new tools to resolve it. No intervention from our so-called “leaders”.
Update: Although this post reflects a moment in time, I feel it’s important to update my thoughts on the Depp/Heard case. I ought to have mentioned that I feel conflicted about my reaction to the testimony. I believe in believing women who allege abuse. Heard’s unlikability, desperation (as heard in recordings) to stay married to Depp, and many other factors have contributed to my perception. Her knowledge of what a Bruise Kit is, although she used the term incorrectly, is also a part of it. But I remain open to the possibility that I am wrong. The jury will ultimately decide.
Today, you have a choice! You can read the blog post below, or listen to it by clicking on this audio link. I would also love your feedback on whether you like the audio option. Thanks.
My first VO Coaching client is off and running, getting jobs and making his clients happy, Once in a while, I’ll devote a blog post to VO coaching tips. Even if you’re not in voice-over I hope these posts will lend a little insight into the VO world.
I was looking for some info about my first book, Celebrity Tantrums, and hit up Google. The book was published in 2003 so some of the details are fuzzy in my memory. Google never forgets. One link seemed a little strange so I investigated further and that’s how I found out about a mistake I’d made in the manuscript.
Every week, someone asks me about the freelance life. What’s it like to work for The Man all your career and then do your own thing? Lots of people are taking the plunge. Some who have been working from home since the pandemic will never go back into an office and now gig instead.. Others have seen the freedom and benefits of working for themselves. I’m no fortune teller, but I got lucky. My freelance/self-employment career began before the pandemic started. It gave me a chance to get a foothold on it before the latest spurt of growth in the gig-economy.