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That Solo Life: Co-hosted by Karen Swim, founder of Words for Hire, LLC and owner of Solo PR Pro and Michelle Kane, founder of VoiceMatters, LLC, we keep it real and talk about the topics that affect solo business owners in PR and Marketing and beyond. Learn more about Solo PR Pro: www.SoloPRPro.com
Episodes
Monday Mar 30, 2020
Monday Mar 30, 2020
In today’s episode of That Solo Life, we are checking in with YOU! We hope you are well and enjoy this conversation about the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on our business lives, our personal lives, and the world. From the relief available for independent contractors and the self-employed to suddenly having co-workers in the form of spouses now working from home, we cover it all.
How are you navigating this new landscape? We’d love to hear your stories. Please share with us at soloprpro.com.
Monday Mar 23, 2020
Monday Mar 23, 2020
We remain in the thick of a COVID-19 world, where change comes by the day, even by the hour.
Many of us who normally work from a home office as solos have gained new colleagues, with family members working from home and children home from school. How’s that going?
We find ourselves busier than ever working to keep our clients’ constituencies informed yet with an eye on what this means for the economy and our businesses in the long run.
Self-care is more important than ever. Be conscious of your intake – mentally and physically. Let’s face it, we’re stuck at home with snacks. Treat yourself but also take time to get outside.
This is also the time to support our fellow small businesses. Buying gift cards or placing take-out orders is a great place to start. We are also conscious about looking out for our neighbors, especially the elderly.
We are realistic yet optimistic for what these new methods of work and communication might mean for the future. What innovation and opportunity might be in store where businesses can not only bounce back from this, but thrive at higher levels?
Time will tell but until then, we are here with you and for you.
We’d love to hear from you! Please share your experiences with us at soloprpro.com.
Monday Mar 16, 2020
Monday Mar 16, 2020
The arrival of COVID-19 has brought with it unique challenges for the business world and our communities across the globe. What does this mean for our businesses? For the normality of our lives? As of the recording of this podcast (on Wednesday, March 11, 2020), we are in taking things day-by-day mode, dealing with the progressing scenario.
Rather than approach this event with fear, Solo PR Pro’s Karen Swim says, “Every challenge presents an opportunity for growth and improvement.” We hope this episode is helpful to you as we discuss ways to counsel our clients through this global crisis, demonstrating our value as PR Pros, and ways for you to maintain your personal and business health.
SoloPRPro.com is here for you, with the following resources and more to come:
COVID-19 and Crisis Communications
How are you working your way through the challenge presented by COVID-19. Please share your experiences with us at soloprpro.com.
Monday Mar 09, 2020
Monday Mar 09, 2020
Let’s circle back and level-set to reach the business-critical ask.
What?
Right.
Corporate speak. Why do corporations speak the way they do?
Two recent articles, which we've been discussing in the Solo PR Pro Members' Facebook Group, brought this to mind:
- Molly Young, Vulture.com: Garbage Language Why Do Corporations Speak the Way They Do?
- Olga Khazan, The Atlantic: Corporate Buzzwords Are How Workers Pretend to Be Adults
Why does the business world feel the need to complicate communication to this degree, and how can we, as communications pros, make sure that clarity wins?
We’d love to hear your take on this. Visit us at soloprpro.com.
Monday Mar 02, 2020
Monday Mar 02, 2020
From webinars to conferences, blogs to heading back to the classroom, there are many ways for us to invest in ourselves and our work with ongoing professional development.
It’s important to remember:
- Don’t be deterred if you can’t afford an expensive conference right away. There are many smaller, more cost-effective opportunities, in-person and online.
- The professional development you pursue doesn’t have to be PR-centric. Maybe it’s a creative writing conference, or a series on digital marketing.
- If you and a colleague are attending different conferences, share notes.
- Follow conference or subject area hashtags.
What are your favorite ways to keep your PR tools sharpened? We’d love to know! Visit us at soloprpro.com.
Monday Feb 24, 2020
Monday Feb 24, 2020
As communications professionals our workdays are full of decisions. From making decisions in the best interests of our clients to making decisions about our businesses, some days there is little bandwidth left over for the simplest of choices, like what to eat for lunch or what to wear on any given day. Is this you? Then listen so you know you're not alone and to get some ideas on how to evade this feeling.
How do you combat decision fatigue? We’d love to hear from you. Visit us at soloprpro.com.
Monday Feb 17, 2020
Monday Feb 17, 2020
Today, we are thrilled to have as our guest Gene Zaino, founder and executive chairman of MBO Partners, a company he launched to reinvent the way independent consultants and organizations work together. Gene is a nationally-recognized expert in the next way of working and he joins us today to discuss the impact of recent legislation -- in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and most recently the Federal level with the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 -- on the state of the independent worker.
Listen to learn what impact this legislation may have on your work as an independent contractor, the proactive steps you can take, and what’s next in a business reality based on the work of employees and independent contractors.
Stay up to date on this issue and all of the elements of working as a “solo” at soloprpro.com.
Monday Feb 10, 2020
Monday Feb 10, 2020
L-O-V-E – Love! Since this episode falls near Valentine’s Day we decided to talk about the ways you love your work, your business, your solo life! 2020 has already presented its own challenges -- AB5 and its Federal counterpart the PROAct, it’s an election year, and more. Join us and get some ideas on how to keep the spark.
How do you show love for your business? We want to know! Visit us at soloprpro.com to share.
Monday Feb 03, 2020
Monday Feb 03, 2020
PR Pros, marketers, creatives, we know that much of our work requires “energy out” behavior. To stay mentally and physically healthy, we need to take the time to replenish bodies and minds.
It’s easy for negative thoughts to take hold if you are physically or mentally run down. It isn’t helped by the truth that many PR pros are wired to be overthinkers. It helps us succeed professionally but can also lead to unnecessary rumination.
In today’s episode, we share our experiences and talk about ways to make sure our cups remain full and we are equipped to enjoy our lives and succeed in our businesses.
As always, we’d love to hear from you. What self-care tips can you share? Visit us at soloprpro.com to let us know.
Monday Jan 27, 2020
Monday Jan 27, 2020
Working for yourself is great, with many items in the “pro” column. Two of the potential challenges for many solo practitioners? Asking for client feedback and reviewing ourselves. In today’s episode, we discuss several ways to solicit this information from clients and put systems in place to measure our own professional progress.
How about you? How do you check in with your clients, with yourself, to make sure you are achieving goals and serving your clients well? Visit us at soloprpro.com to let us know.