SEPTEMBER 2022: SEPTEMBER RESET
Contents
1.
THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: A BACK-TO-SCHOOL MINDSET
September’s back-to-school mindset makes this month a perfect time to mentally reset our businesses. PIC Chair Jacqui DeBique talks about the challenges and opportunities.
2.
THE WEEKS EFFECT: PIC MEMBERS FIND INSPIRATION FOR GROWING THEIR BUSINESSES
Brent Artemchuk talks to Daniele Dufour, Kathryn Hollinrake, Phil Sach and Christopher Trotman about the business-building tactics inspired by Warren Weeks.
3.
IABC’S INDIE COMMUNICATION CONSULTANTS REUNITE
Sharon Aschaiek shares the resources, connections and inspiration she gained from the most recent online gathering of IABC’s shared interest group for consultants.
1.
The Independent View
A back-to-school mindset
By Jacqui DeBique
It was mid-morning some day in mid-August. The exact day is less important than what happened next as I stood at my bedroom window, smiling, eyes caressing my lush green lawn, freshly cut just the day before.
As I revelled in my L-shaped terrain, verdant despite a dry summer, I was totally unprepared to spot the thief of summer joy lying 20 feet below. I blinked a few times to be sure. Nooo! My stance went from relaxed to taut. Then, sigh.
A single, yellowing leaf lay curled up, mocking me and my incomplete summer to-do list. Though it seemed like an all-too-early end of summer and start of fall, there was little point in me being surprised by this annual turn of events. But was I ready for the triumvirate: September, fall and the back-to-school mindset?
Even though my daughter is well past the back-to-school age, for me, September still signals a reset. It’s a time to park in my memory bank the sun and fun of summertime, and the corresponding lighter workload, and gear up for a renewed commitment to my work, career goals and professional development.
Just as it is for students, for many of us communication professionals, this time of year is characteristically marked with new opportunities to learn and reconnect with people in our social networks. We’re back in the saddle, ready to reach out to clients, who themselves are primed to go full throttle. Communicators who have decided to go solo may now be launching their practice, while some indies may have decided to go in-house full- or part-time. Workshops and conferences gear up.
Whatever your scenario, September and fall 2022 also pose new opportunities and challenges. For example, contentious return-to-office and hybrid work policies that came into effect after Labour Day could present expanded opportunities for indies thanks to dissatisfied employees leaving their jobs. On the other hand, many of us might be feeling anxious and apprehensive navigating our own comfort levels when socializing without mandatory mask mandates, even though we’re ready, on some level, to be back in-person.
This issue of The Buzz reminds me of the classic essay, “What I did on my summer vacation.” Our writers — Brent Artemchuk and Sharon Aschaiek — gave us the gift of their time to help PIC members embrace September full on.
In “The Weeks Effect,” Brent revisits Warren Weeks’ workshop of April 20 and how four PIC members — Daniele Dufour, Kathryn Hollinrake, Phil Sach and Christopher Trotman — amplified their businesses with the tips that resonated for them most. For Daniele, it was tip #7, give away your best stuff, a notion befitting PIC’s 2022–2023 theme, sharing expertise. As she says, “It’s all about paying it forward.” Kathryn, Phil and Christopher have already seen an uptick in interest in their services thanks to acting on Warren’s insights.
Participating in a new global special interest group for IABC’s independent communicators, Sharon Aschaiek got a wellspring of resources, connections and inspirations. She shares many tips from the session, from fee schedules that ensure we get paid, to ideas to bring clients onside with DEI, to podcast resources.
The PIC executive team is looking forward to seeing many PIC members and friends on September 22 at our mask-friendly social. Adopting a back-to-school mindset for this event and reading the stories in this issue might be the just-in-time reset we all need to help us through this seasonal transition.
2.
The Weeks Effect: PIC members find inspiration for growing their businesses
By Brent Artemchuk
PIC members continue to be inspired by media training expert Warren Weeks, who was our featured guest at a Zoom event in April. There, he shared 18 tactics for entrepreneurs who want to successfully grow their solo communications businesses.
As we head into fall, and back to thinking about increasing personal branding and client outreach activities, we talked to PIC members Daniele Dufour, Kathryn Hollinrake, Phil Sach and Christopher Trotman. We wanted to know which tactics inspired them, how they integrated them into their businesses and the results they've seen so far.
Tip #7, Give Away Your Best Stuff, fascinated Daniele Dufour (she/her). She had recently read a report from Imagine Canada indicating that as of August 2021, only 15% of registered charities were operating their business as usual due to prolonged effects of the pandemic. She decided to offer free communications consultations to several not-for-profit organizations. Her goal? To help them solve challenges through strategic communications.
As a result of her efforts, Daniele realized how many neighbourhood initiatives – such as cultural events, camps, mental health advocacy and food bank services – are driven by charities. Further, these groups play a critical role in creating and maintaining happier and healthier communities at a moderate cost, if not for free.
“This initiative was both educational and inspiring,“ says Daniele. “There are many ways to support local charities, such as volunteering, opening doors to additional support or resources, or simply promoting their good work to people who might benefit from their programs and services.
“It’s also about paying it forward, so if you own your own business, sponsor, donate or offer visibility in your workplace by adopting one or more charities, then educate your employees and external audiences about their programs. Your reward may not come back in dollars and cents, but you’ll learn things you can use in other projects – and you’ll feel good doing it.“
“There are so many little things that can affect the success of a portrait,“ says Kathryn, “and I hope these nuggets help clients and prospective clients get the results they want without excessive stress.”
As for the impact of her stories, Kathryn reports that interest in her services has increased significantly since she introduced these stories into her LinkedIn page.
For freelance writer and communicator Phil Sach (he/him), the feeling was like a kid in a candy shop, there were so many takeaways. So, which tip resonated most? In Phil’s case, there were two – tip #6, Put Out Stories, and tip #8, Sell Your Sawdust (how you ply your craft).
Shortly after listening to Warren, Phil started posting fundraising communications tips on LinkedIn and other social platforms. Since he began this approach, Phil’s seen an uptick in inquiries about his services and has onboarded several new clients.
“There is infinite opportunity out there,“ says Phil, “but the number one hurdle is client awareness of you and your work. So, how did I build awareness? By creating content and sharing stories, including my ‘sawdust’! I find that my interaction with peers and potential clients has increased. I also feel a greater sense of accomplishment and promise for what’s to come.“
Christopher Trotman (he/him) started Trotman Communications because he saw a gap in how non-profit health-care organizations were communicating internally and externally about the work they do. And, as the pandemic progressed, he witnessed first-hand the lack of awareness many people had around community health centres as well as the programs or services they offered. As a result, he took a page straight out of Warren's playbook (tip #6, Put Out Stories).
Over the next year, Christoper plans to post two communication tips per week (104 in total) geared to raising awareness of – and supporting – community health organizations. That translates into a roster of ongoing tips. Many of these tips will translate to non-profit organizations generally, so they’ll do double duty.
Says Christopher, “Post-pandemic, I’ve witnessed a shift in the importance community health centres and non-profit organizations are placing on communicating effectively to all stakeholders, including staff, clients and partners. I definitely want to support that critical shift in mindset. So far, I’m seeing great response to my content, so I feel like I’m accomplishing what I set out to do.“
Whether you’re a new or established entrepreneur, Warren’s tips are universal. Review them again and think about which ones might best help you build your business on an ongoing basis. It’s the perfect time to test one or more of these valuable ideas.
Our thanks again to Warren! Learn more about him on his website, connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter.
3.
IABC’s indie communication consultants reunite
By Sharon Aschaiek
Resources, connections and inspiration.
That’s what I took away from the most recent meeting of IABC’s shared interest group (SIG) for communication consultants.
The August 25 Zoom call attracted 24 communicators, primarily from Canada (including some PIC members), the U.S., Britain and Europe. We talked about such topics as:
- pricing and rates
- our business successes and failures
- podcasts to help us succeed.
Show us the money
When it comes to how we charge for our work, corporate writer and PIC member Ellen Gardner, ABC, says she prefers working on a retainer. She tries to avoid being in situations where she hasn’t been paid anything yet for her completed work.
“We need to be better at defining good terms of payment and asking for some payment up front,” she said.
Public relations executive Rick Alcantra of Philadelphia said he prefers to charge 50% of a project’s fee up front, and then 25% midway and 25% at the end, as a way to secure more money up front.
How do we suss out early whether there’s a fit between what we want to charge and what a client is willing to pay?
“I ask clients about their budget expectations, and I give them a range of what a project will cost,” said Illinois-based corporate communications consultant and keynote speaker Rob Biesenbach. “If we’re not in the same ballpark or league, there’s no point in going ahead.”
As business strategist, “preparedness evangelist” (love that!) and PIC member Jacqui d’Eon, P.Eng, ABC, MC, put it, “charging what you are worth is not necessarily what the client wants to pay — if that’s the case, they may not be valuing your expertise.”
Diversity, equity and inclusion
For those of us whose communications work involves DEI matters, we sometimes need to educate our clients on best practices.
When Jeff Hutson, an Indiana-based consultant to retirement plan stakeholders, wanted to include a question about gender identity in an employee survey he was developing for a client, the client expressed discomfort. Because Jeff’s proposal was grounded in extensive research, he was able to make a facts-based case to the client.
Internal communication specialist and PIC member Priya Bates, ABC, MC, SCMP, IABC Fellow, talked about a book she and her business partner are writing about DEI. She noted that while DEI has become a bigger priority in society and organizations, “change is happening too slowly for the marginalized and too quickly for the mainstream.”
Podcast recommendations
Digital agency leader and PIC member Cyrus Mavalwala, ABC, MC, recommended the 2Bobs podcast, which focuses on the art of creative entrepreneurship.
“Human whisperer” and communication coach Chaya Mistry of the Netherlands suggested the Selling to Corporate podcast, which shares tips for generating corporate leads.
And Ellen thought we might appreciate Ditching Hourly, a weekly podcast on “breaking the habit of trading time for money.”
Business headshots
Finally, for a while now, I have been considering updating my business headshot, which was last done in 2017. One photographer I’ve consulted with is PIC member Kathryn Hollinrake, who does creative, stunning and high-quality work. At the SIG meeting, several participants shared other suggestions for headshot photographers. Thank you again!
And thank you, IABC, for offering this excellent forum for us indies to connect, talk shop and help each other out. The next one is set for noon on Thursday, September 29.
Buzz off, Coronavirus – We’re networking!
After two long years of lockdowns and restrictions, we're hosting our first in-person event of 2022!
Join us at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 22 for a night of fun and networking. Meet and mingle with fellow PIC members and friends. Fill your Pandemic Experience Bingo card by finding out who bought an air fryer, saw a virtual concert or cut their own hair. You’ll catch up with old friends and make new ones, plus you might win a prize.
Note that this is a mask-friendly event. No mask is required, but you are welcome to wear one if you feel more comfortable doing so.
Join us on the PIC executive
We’re still looking for a Co-Director of Programming to partner with Christopher Trotman. You’ll work with the executive to develop professional development ideas tailored to those of us running our own businesses, find speakers and set up Zoom calls and Eventbrite notices. You’ll also help organize social events, like the in-person event at the Duke of York on September 22. Email toronto-sig@iabc.to to explore the opening.
Changes to the PIC member list due September 28
As a PIC member, you can gain visibility on the PIC member list on the IABC/Toronto website. Send your updates to PIC’s director of membership, Maureen Hosein, ABC, at maureenhosein@yahoo.com, by Wednesday, September 28. For new profiles, send your:
- Name
- Company name
- City (to help us know who’s in our neighbourhood)
- Email address
- Telephone number (optional)
- Website and LinkedIn URLs
- Social media accounts, if any
- Business description (up to 80 words).
If you are already on the list, does your listing include your LinkedIn profile? Have you earned an OVATION, Silver Leaf or Gold Quill award you can brag about?
See you on social media!
Build and strengthen your connections, advance your business and network with other PIC members on social media. In case you missed them, recent posts shared on our social media channels include:
- When it comes to word of mouth, the precise words describing what you do don't matter. But if what you do is easy to remember, that’s all that counts at this stage. Michael J. Katz makes it clear.
- A comms/PR firm should re-examine the indemnity provision in its contracts, which should provide that "companies it represents will be responsible for any liability the PR firm incurs as a result of statements issued on a client’s behalf." PR News reports.
- 25 experts weigh in on the best ways to use social media in content marketing, like build your brand, join the conversations, be human and tell stories, by Ann Gynn for Content Marketing Institute.
Who we are
Professional Independent Communicators (PIC) is a special interest group of IABC/Toronto. PIC’s mission is to support independent IABC/Toronto communicators through professional development, networking and marketing. The Buzz informs members about upcoming events, shares professional development tips from past meetings and keeps us connected.
IABC connects communicators from around the world with the insights, resources and people they need to drive their careers and their professions forward.
Editor: Sue Horner | Designer: Austine Fischer
Executive team
Chair: Jacqui DeBique | Past Chair: Arlene Amitirigala | Membership: Maureen Hosein, ABC | Marketing & Sponsorship: Brent Artemchuk | Communications & Social Media: Austine Fischer, Sue Horner | Programming: Christopher Trotman