WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY

A lot has taken place this past year. Many of my clients have known me through a variety of roles: administering and volunteering at non-profits, including a media arts festival that is still operating to this day—via the new music community, as well as through the digital arts community—as a sound designer and as a producer. Still others in my circle of friends remember me from high school and university, where I performed professionally as a musician and sound artist, and studied history & art, design & photography.

I am nothing if not versatile ;-)

Which is one of the reasons I had mixed feelings when a job I'd held for close to nine years was suddenly eliminated due to budget cuts. All of my colleagues expressed their grief and loss, and surrounded me with support and encouragement. At the time, my son was due to graduate from high school in a few months, and was planning to start his very costly education overseas in the fall (I still tell him that getting a Law degree from the UK is one heck of a way to become a writer). Well my son has been in his new Law program since October, and here I am.

All this is to say, that what others view as setbacks, can also be reframed as windows of opportunity. I credit this empowering attitude to an executive producer who mentored me during my early years in broadcasting. (Hi Stewart!)

On receiving the news about the soon-to-be-disappearing job, I immediately started to revive my networks of clients and past collaborators. I was grateful to be invited to work again with a well-established client in the social change sphere, to manage and consult on several interesting projects. An emerging documentary filmmaker benefitted from my contacts in the industry and my knowledge of film financing programs, and I created a robust television, digital media, and marketing proposal that will easily be shopped around to broadcasters, distributors and other financiers. And a former colleague came to me to help her design a couple of book covers. A couple of startups are consulting me for advice on how to apply for funding. All work that I'm really proud of.

I've learned there are several approaches to working as a freelancer and networking, and it's best to try to keep a balance between making new contacts and performing the work that pays. As far as networking is concerned, I'm trying to keep all channels active. Face-to-face networking is best, we're told. For years I've been a recreational member of Meetup.com, and for the past few months have been joining several industry and business related meetups as well. I'm going to make a point too, of joining my first Likemind Vancouver event this month. If you're reading this and you've had a call or email from me to set up an information interview—well that's also one of my techniques to meet new people, reconnect with former colleagues, and to form stronger networks in the community.
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Another way to keep active is to join a variety of online and virtual networks. I cannot comment on the success of using Remote.com or Upwork.com to network or find work, but I do know that I have generated some good discussion through Alignable.com, a networking site that encourages us to connect with businesses in our local neighbourhoods, and I've actually been contacted for work through SIMBI.com, which operates both locally and virtually, using not cash, but virtual currency or a direct exchange of services and goods. Of course, LinkedIn is the standard for businesses, and provides a reliable way to keep tabs across most of my cultural and industry networks.

For the past few weeks, I've latched onto a couple of interesting podcasts, including FreelanceTransformation.com, and beingfreelance.com, both of which bring a variety of perspectives and tips to listeners, from people who have been there, and are doing it. Each interviewee talks about their technique to identify their ideal client, reach out to new clients, determine a value for the service they offer, and organize their practice.

It's an exciting challenge, repositioning. What are some of the useful tools and resources you've encountered, and how have they helped you with your business?