Terri Trespicio, author of Unfollow Your Passion, was one of our Bootcamp speakers last week in Florida.
She opened her talk by asking if we wanted to have a job, a career, or a calling.
People who have a calling stay with what they’re doing longer and find more fulfillment in their work.
Ted Capshaw talked about legacy when he was on the stage… about figuring out what impact you want your work to have and on who.
And Brian Clark, during a very lively panel discussion, spoke about the importance of purpose in guiding his decisions about what business ideas to pursue and for how long.
You might say there was a theme developing.
We do the work we do to make money, to earn a living on our own terms. But we get so much more out of our work when we keep our eye on how it helps people.
So how do you turn your work into a calling imbued with purpose?
Practice and Learn
Whatever skill you plan to bring to the market, soak in everything you can about it.
For example, if you’re writing email newsletters for clients, read email newsletters. Study the different approaches companies take. Find the nuances that speak to you and incorporate them into your own work.
Read news and blogs about newsletters and how to use them. See what other people are saying, and think about how you can apply their lessons to make your work better and richer.
But don’t stop there. Learn everything you can about the infrastructure of email newsletters. How do companies get people to sign up? How do they keep their lists clean? What role does deliverability play? How does the newsletter tie into company goals? And so on and so on.
And of course, do the work of putting pen to page, fingers to keyboard and practice writing newsletters.
Finally, think about newsletters and your own take, your own approach. What you might recommend that no one else recommends. What you might try that no one else is trying.
When you have a calling, you might find yourself leading the way when rules change, when audiences want something different, or when new technologies come on the scene.
Articulate Your Impact
Knowing you want to make a positive impact on people is just a start.
You’ll be far more successful at making that impact if you take the time to articulate a few key points about it.
Who, exactly, do you want to help? Is it small business owners? People in the pet care industry? Alternative health providers? New parents?
How will you help them?
Lisa Mullis, another of the great speakers at Bootcamp, suggested starting with your features. Maybe you offer a weekly newsletter as well as quarterly editorial planning. That’s the feature.
Next, define the benefits. These are the immediate positive changes you can make for a client. For example… Less stress because they don’t have to worry about getting their newsletter done on time. More time because they aren’t writing their newsletter and can focus on things they enjoy more. More money… more engagement… what have you…
Then define the outcome. This is the future, deeper benefit. Will their audience grow? Will they help more people? Will they become a leader in their industry?
And finally, once you know who you want to help and how you want to help them, think about what you want for your clients and customers. Maybe you want them to be better communicators with their audience… or to have the opportunity to invest in their communities.
Take these two steps — immersing yourself in your chosen craft and clearly defining your impact — and you’ll be well on your way to finding a calling rather than a career.
In Case You Missed It…
If you want more insights from Bootcamp, but sure to check out the live blog I did while I was there. When you do, you’ll get tips and ideas from many of the experts who spoke during the events — tactics you can start applying to your own business today.
Getting attention on social media is competitive. But you can give yourself an edge when you focus on creating content you know people are looking for. Based on trends, there are eight content themes that work again and again to get people to stop scrolling and start reading. Jen Phillips April shares what they are in her newest Trends & Technology column, which you can read right here.
In her latest Reality Blog, Jennifer Ayling touches on a couple of new tools you might want to check out… ideas for offering your services to people who might not have the needed budget… and several ways you can use ChatGPT as a helpful assistant. Give it a read!
3 Things I Thought You Might Enjoy…
If you want to see more from Terri Trespicio, check out her writing on doing work you love and dealing with criticism in a more productive way.
And for more from Lisa Mullis, she offers Tiny Tutorials to help you accomplish all sorts of things.
Finally, give a listen to Ted Capshaw explore the difference between surviving and thriving and how you can break away from one and start doing more of the other.
That’s all for now. Enjoy your week!
