Position Yourself for Change

Second Article in the series by Patricia Thibodeau

We know what we want to accomplish. We have a dream. But how do we get from here to there? How do we find what Joseph Campbell calls “our bliss.” First and foremost is to believe we can do it. Second is to position yourself for change.

Look hard at what you enjoy doing. But be realistic. Not just anyone can be a pilot at age 50. But if flying is your bliss, take those lessons, and get your license. You may not do it for a living with a major airline, but you can still hire yourself out for friends.

Not everyone, even though the spirit is willing, can design clothes for the masses. But if fashion is your bliss, make your own clothes (and be sure to sew in a label with your name on it). And then don’t be afraid to tell people you did it yourself. People who cannot sew are always looking for someone who can.

If travel is your thing, work part time for an agent; you’ll learn the business and may just wind up with a full time job.

If you enjoy talking on the telephone, sign on as a fundraiser. The pay isn’t much, but ASPCA and several other non-profit organizations in our area have yearly campaigns, and are always looking for help.

If you enjoy meeting people, go to work as a greeter at Walmart. I’m serious. Those people want to be there, and it shows in their smiles.

If you like tools, if you are a weekend carpenter, if you can teach someone to make cabinets, then Lowe’s or Home Depot is calling your name.

If you enjoy gardening, buy a good lawn mower, print up some business cards and drop them on doorsteps in your neighborhood.

If you like makeup, sell Avon.

True, working at a hobby is different from working to earn a living, but you still should find something you love to do. Find something that lets you feel after 8 hours just as good as you did when you started the day. Work is a four-letter word, but if it’s not work, then it’s bliss. If you had your dream job, what would it be?

If you like cutting hair, get some good shoes with strong supports, and go to technical college for a degree.

If you love to tinker with cars and have an innate sense for what “that strange little noise” is, search out automotive courses at the community college and start your own business working nights and weekends for people are off only during those hours.

If you love to make jewelry, do it in your spare time. There are several shops throughout the Metroplex that will agree to furnish an outlet (on consignment) for your merchandise.

If you simply love cleaning houses, do that. I’m serious. There is always a market for someone who doesn’t mind dusting and mopping and washing windows and doing laundry for someone else who doesn’t have the time, the patience, or the want to. Now this one will probably involve you being bonded, and that costs money; but there are cleaning services in our area that are currently hiring, and they’ll help you with it.

Are you an out-of-work accountant with tax experience but can’t find a tax service to hire you? Call your friends. Tell them you are available. At discount rates. You’ll be busy at least half the year. Matter of fact, if you’re an out of work accountant with tax experience, call me and I’ll hire you.

OK, so maybe you need something a little more lucrative than part time or minimum wage. It’s hard to feed a family of four on a fast-food-window salary. But without training, that’s about all you’ll ever have. But if you truly enjoy food and like people, take courses in restaurant management at the community college. Did you know that the D/FW area has more restaurants, per capita, than any other area in the United States? Get the training, and then get the job.

And that sounds pretty good, but what if you quit high school before graduation? GED classes are offered at regular intervals in our communities. The cost for the test is $65. After you’ve passed the GED, you can pursue higher education.

Do you like computers? Would you enjoy being an admin or an office manager? Again, community college.

But what if you like computers and would enjoy working with them daily but simply do not have the time (or money) to take formal classes? There’s an answer for that, too. Ask a friend to teach you. And then if you don’t have one at home, use the computer at your local library to practice what you’ve learned. Be diligent about it.

The rule for learning is this: tell me what to do and I may remember; show me what to do and I will remember; let me do it myself and I will not forget.

No, it’s not going to happen overnight. But it will happen. You just have to have a dream, dare to believe in it, and then position yourself for the change.

Blessings and Hugs,
Patricia Thibodeau

Ad Campaigns that Get Results

Advertising has never been as important or as varied in form as it is in today’s business world. Though it doesn’t take a degree in communications to create a successful ad campaign, nor is it a matter of happenstance and luck (though both of these may play a part in what lies ahead).

When you are trying to decide what tactics to use to get the word out about your business, you should understand that simply following the course of a previously successful campaign, by some other business, is not always the right course of action. One truism in the world of advertising is that different companies get different results with different campaigns. To make the most out of your
advertising, you’ll need to look inward. Decide what salient points you want to get across, what method would be best in doing this, and in what areas your advertising would be best received.

The answers to these questions will give you an immediate head start to creating a successful ad campaign.

The first thing you’ll need to decide when designing an ad campaign is who your target audience is. Once this decision is made, you’ll have a better idea of what to say to them, and how to say it. Most importantly, you’ll be able to find out the best ways to reach them.

If your target audience, for example, is the rich and affluent, it will be a waste of your money to purchase ad time during television shows these people are unlikely to be watching. If your target audience is blue collar, you might want to steer clear of advertising messages and avenues that are more likely to appeal to the rich. Demographics are the numbers advertisers live and die on. While some people argue that these statistics and numbers are stereotyping and unfair, the truth remains they are surprisingly effective. If you want to reach a potential audience, you’ll need to spend some time researching these individuals and families and find out where to reach them.

One of the biggest mistakes many first time advertisers make is to assume anyone cares about what they have to say. They don’t. Your job is to make them care through a quality campaign. While you and your friends and family members may be thrilled with your full color ad in the local paper, most everyone else will just consider it one more thing to flip by on the way to the news. If your ad is just like everyone else’s, this will go double. People stop and take a look at things that are out of the ordinary. Sometimes the best ads make no sense at all upon first look. Sometimes they even serve to annoy or aggravate the audience. This, surprisingly, is a rather effective form of advertising. While a certain percentage of people may see an irritating advertisement and make a statement like, “I will never shop there,”, a great percentage of these same people will not follow through on this vow. They can hate your advertisement, they can fail to fully “get” your advertisement. What they must not do is ignore your advertisement.

Finally, find out what the competition is doing. Do it better. If they are having success advertising on a certain channel, buy advertising during the same time slots and make your ads flashier, more direct, and more creative than theirs. Advertising is a fascinating and expansive field, but it is also cutthroat. Make sure you come ready to play hard.