Shiny Project Management

Over three years ago, I wrote a blog post about who would be on my dream team. Effectively, I wanted someone who wold support me. I wanted someone who would say “yes, let’s look at HOW we do that”, rather than a naysayer who thinks it’s the wrong idea, or someone else has done it “better”, or “you’re doing too many things”.

 

Why does this matter? Well, during 2018 so far I’ve been quietly asking myself some questions about what I want to do. I haven’t earned money online in years and it felt so intimidating to start again. Harder than starting for the first time. (Which is why I asked Suger for advice and she wrote this blog post for me on how to get clients.) And when I was thinking about what I want to do and why, I kept coming back to this dream team. I want to help ideas work. I don’t care how many. I have a million (and one) ideas. I want to do them all. I don’t have a singular goal in life (or work or business or anything else). I have lots of goals. I like it that way!

 

You can call it multipotentialism, multipassionate, renaissance person, a generalist…and lots of other names for it.

 

Or as I am calling it, Shiny. This works for a) me and my fellow Firefly fans and (probably) more importantly, b) shiny object syndrome.

 

Hustle

You call know how I “looove” the word hustle. I’ve tried to write about it. A social media post finally framed it for me in a way that I can understand it. And because of that, I wrote my first post that a) felt clear about hustle and b) was published on Medium: The Isolation That Hustle Promotes (Even If It Doesn’t Mean To).

 

Shiny Project Management

(Old info alert!) So this is what I’m doing now. My main focus of my freelance offerings will be working with business owners with shiny object syndrome who want to get all of their wild ideas actioned by someone who gets it and doesn’t say “no we can’t do all of that”.

 

Naturally, you can read more (if you want) on my Hire Me page.

 

Shiny Project Management

 

Fuck Should

I needed some uninterrupted time to get some work done on the weekend, so I sat in my car at the beach (the wind was too cold to be outside) and began a structural edit of the book. It’s around 18,000 words but it’s ALL OVER THE PLACE. I really need it to be in some kind of order before I can start a rewrite of it to make it more coherent. And before I start finding where to insert my research. But the good news is that I am working on it and while it’s a long way from being published, it is finally back in progress.

 

All Under NormalNess

Yep, so I’m doing all of this under the banner of this, a personal blog. Why? Well, while I still have a gazillion (and one) other websites, it’s more likely you know me under this blog (and its associated social media accounts) than any other site I’ve started over the years. I feel like I’m fighting a “should” here about making sure I look “professional” and …and then I get bored thinking about it. Just like I felt weird and boring blogging about blogging on Bloggers rand Bacon, but it feels fine to update and republish that content on this blog. Go figure. It’s what feels right for me so that’s what I’m doing. I still feel wanky and self conscious typing the words “ideal client” but in this case it’s relevant: an ideal client of mine won’t be scared off by all the things I talk about on this blog. They just won’t be. The opposite in fact. They’ll relate to it. Identify with it.

 

Something like this happened to me on offline life too. A few years ago a recruitment agency got picky at me for not wearing a dress, high heels and makeup to job interviews. But what seemed to bug them the most was that I wore an orange suit jacket. OH NO. I mean, if you can’t handle me wearing an orange suit jacket (which FYI is one of my most complimented items of clothing) then you will not like working with me. So now if I have a job interview, I deliberately wear is as a filter for employers who won’t suit me. 

 

And that’s where I’m at, and where I’m up to these days!

 

Do you freelance or take any type of work through your blog? What sort of things do you do?

 

15 Replies to “Shiny Project Management”

  1. I think it makes perfect sense to do all your work here, personal blog, personal job, right? And you are after all selling your you-nique services. I bet those agency people felt silly when they discovered the Netflix original, Orange is the New Black! Didn’t they get the memo?! Keep on being awesome!

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I think the agency was pre-OTINB so clearly I was just way ahead of the curve 😉

  2. Good for you!!! Walk your own path and create your own dream – no one else will so why not.

  3. Bravo for not only considering WHAT it is you want but now having plans to get it.

    This is a good news post! You have so many skills and talents and need to make them WORK for you as you help others achieve their goals.

    Wishing you well.

    Denyse x

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I had a meeting early this week with a business coach so I’ve had a few things to focus on and I need to work on explaining and communicating some of my more unique skills!

      1. That sounds good. I would have trouble explaining too. I only said to my hub recently I find summarising really hard. Remember in the early days of blogging conferences we were told we had to have “an elevator pitch” to get our blog’s purpose said in the time of an elevator ride!
        Good luck. Sound promising.
        Denyse

  4. You are your brand so it makes sense to do whatever you want to! There’s so much “advice” out that you just have to stick with what resonates with you.

  5. Excellent- congrats on the new venture! I love the idea behind it- well done!

  6. I love the idea of this. Get it? Idea of it?…actually, the pun was accidental. Seriously though, go for it – and wear the orange jacket.

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      haha exactly the point though! The idea of it!

  7. Good for you to take actions to pursue your dream. Wishing you well.

  8. Wow Vanessa, that’s very exciting. I love that you took the time to step back and consider what might and might not work and where you can add value.

    And yes indeed, very shiny! #fireflyfan #teamlovinlife

  9. Keeping all your skills under one banner seems like the perfect move! Good luck xx

  10. Sounds great, Ness! I love that little story about your orange jacket too, I think there’s a big lesson in there!

  11. You go girl!!!! Love that you are doing this. Makes sense to keep it all under this banner too. I’m so excited for you. Can’t wait to be your cheerleader.
    Fuck Should: Love this header. Yes, remove “should” from the vocab. It’s a bullshit word. Turn your “shoulds” to “coulds” and your “coulds” to “cans”. Then kick that “can” to the curb and turn it to “will”. #teamlovinlife

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