Write from Wrong

Another great day.

Life sure is good for this soon-to-be at least partially employed gal. Mainly because I serve such an amazing God, and He has brought such amazing people into my life.

This morning I met with my first ever potential freelance client. It was a group of four guys about my age who've formed a little shop called Black Lab Creative. My friend Mike told me to call them. I always do what I'm told.

They office out of a little brick building with a big fence around it that contains... wait for it... black labs! Well, one black lab and one chocolate. They were so nice (the guys, not the dogs -- though they were nice, too). I sat in a conference room with them for about 45 minutes, passing around samples of my print work and telling them about myself. SO. WEIRD.

Instead of selling pashminas, Cole Haans, tighty whiteys, travel services or zit zappers for others as I've done for the past 15 years, now I'm selling me.

The cool part is I was totally confident. They treated me as an expert on all things internet and I rose to the occasion. It was empowering to say the least.

At TRG, I worked with so many smart, talented people that I tended to shrink back in meetings. But I am realizing now how much I soaked up over the years -- to use for this very reason. I took for granted how much other people know about the internet outside of an online agency because I lived and breathed the stuff for 7+ years.

They all seemed to like me and the one guy sent an email later saying as much, and that they'd like to use me in the future. They have a couple other copywriters they use but no one with the online experience I have. And they've been getting a lot of requests recently for web work. Yay! He also sent me -- unsolicited -- about 10 names, both client side and agencies, that I should contact using his name as a launch point. He didn't have to do that.

My friend Betsy also forwarded a nice email about me that she sent to some contacts of hers. And two former CH guys are showing my resume around the agencies where they now work. The encouragement I have received from former coworkers and other connections in the biz has been tremendous. I'm very grateful people have been so kind. I think back about how little I've done to really encourage others in similar situations, much less actually try to help them, and it makes me a little ashamed. But I'll start doing that now.

I'm excited to get this new venture going. I need a logo, letterhead, a website, etc. but that will all come in time. First, however, I need a paying client and not just a bunch of leads.

Tomorrow's Friday though, and it's not a great day to start on stuff. So I'll be taking my little sister out to lunch for her birthday (she's 17), and enjoying my last day of "goofing around."

I have a feeling things are going to start taking off soon! Thank you, Lord.