I ❤️ Working from Home

Next week marks my seventh week of working from home due to COVID-19. By all measures, we are living in strange times, and let’s face it, after this, many things won’t just return to normal. One advancement I hope my office makes is the understanding that working from home…works. For my job in particular, I feel that I can do it almost anywhere, and quite frankly, that type of flexibility is my dream.

That said, I didn’t always embrace remote work. During the Snowpocalypse of 2010, I had one of the greatest shocks of my life. Though the federal government was closed, my employer sent out an email saying all of us had to work remotely. That email dropped in my inbox like a bomb. Prior to this, every snow day was a surprise vacation day. No school. No work. A good time to cover up with a blanket and watch all of the TV I could digest.

When I had first started that job the year before, laptops seemed like a perk of the job facilitating our ability to work at both the home office and onsite with our federal client. Little did I know, my employer was also banking on us using them to work a regular eight-hour day on snow days. Sounds surreal, but I was truly hurt to lose this holiday.

Though I still don’t like working on snow days, working from home is actually one of my favorite work perks. I truly think there’s little that can be done in the office that also can’t be done from home (on most days), and I’m thankful that most of my work experiences after 2010 embraced a flexible schedule. The work can be seamless, and for someone who’s always been efficient with work, I see less of a need to be confined to four walls for eight to nine hours per day.

I like to be free, yet there are some who disagree. With my latest job, I asked for flexibility as part of my negotiation and was told that wasn’t a possibility. Also, I tried to hire someone whose only caveat was that she needed to work from home, and I was told that my company wouldn’t pay someone to stay home. Ironically, now in the time of a pandemic, we are all working from home, and I’m starting to read articles with many employers viewing work from home as a permanent possibility. Quite frankly, I would love it. Here area few reasons why:

1. Commutes are eliminated. I’m saving two hours each day, and I can fill that time with healthy activities like exercising and morning meditation.

2. The “come as you are” work environment is quite comfortable. Athleisure has long been my favorite style.

3. Video conferencing is a game changer. You can be face-to-face when needed, and collaboration options are expanding.

4. Multitasking home and office responsibilities becomes second nature. Ain’t nothing quite like cooking and eating your breakfast during the daily morning conference call.

5. Both the employer and employee save money. Employers save on the overhead that comes with an office (printers, electricity, snacks, etc.), and almost each of the activities listed above save the employee money. Right now, I’m saving about $60 per week from commuting. I haven’t purchased any clothing since being home, and I’m finally making my own breakfast and lunch each day. That’s about another $70 in savings each week.

IMPROVing

My improv mates and me. Acting normal and what not before our final showcase.

I DID IT! I took a six-week improv class, where each week I was on stage with my mates zipping, zapping and zopping and learning to say “yes and.” Also, there was that five-minute speech that I practiced for two weeks and delivered like a pro. For me, all of this is about improvement - as a business leader, but also just in my day-to-day life.

You see I first learned about The Unified Scene Theater about two years ago when I walked into a ColorComm event without fully knowing the subject of the evening. I was ready for a lecture, but ended up in an exercise that scared me. There was the zip, zap, zop warmup, but also singing in a circle and dramatizing workplace scenarios. For someone who has a polished reserve, I was panicking on the inside and left before the night was truly over.

Flash forward two years. While public speaking and reporting is part of my 9-5 norm, I still didn’t have full confidence in my ability to think on my feet. So, encouraged by my sister, I signed up for Improv for Business Leaders, and it was one of my better moves for 2019. Now, I’m no improv expert, but practice improves confidence.

A Message

I can attest that this quote is true. I can also attest that while you’re trying to set up for your perfect shot with a blue sky, positive quote and your niece whose outfit complements yours, almost inevitably, some folks will walk into the frame.

The Midtern

When you’ve been at your craft for 18ish years, it’s uncomfortable, risky and frightful, but most of all challenging and rewarding to try something new. 

That’s what the last year has been about for me, and I’m better for it. I finally tried the client side.

Benefits

1. Exposing yourself to a new topic.

2. Expanding your network and meeting new people.  

3. Sharpening your skills.  

4. Sharing your ideas and experience.  

5. Analyzing your likes, dislikes and desires.  

Pop Your Corn for Sorry to Bother You

Writer and director Boots Riley discusses his debut feature at the recent Color of Conversation film festival. Riley drew on his own experience as a telemarketer, and, like Cassius, he used his alternate voice to his advantage.

Sorry to Bother You...this movie from the incredible mind of writer and director Boots Riley is a trip. It's a revealing flick that critiques capitalism, tiptoes on the line of sanity, and then (maybe, just maybe) falls completely over the border.

Let's begin with voice. Many black folks tailor our tone and pitch for specific audiences. My dad has always had his workplace and new people voice. It's dry and more nasally than the Mississippi-born-and-bred daddy I recognize. I've been told my voice also fluctuates. I, like, have a little valley girl from the suburbs in me, and, sometimes, especially on the phone, that's advantageous. 

In Sorry to Bother You, Cassius Green (played by Lakeith Stanfield) gets a job as a telemarketer, and to succeed in developing the on phone relationship "adjusts" his voice from Oakland-need-to-pay-bills-live-in-my-uncle's-garage black man to World-citizen-no-worries white man. And it works - incredibly well.

Cassius elevates himself from the general pool of marketers to the uber pool that works deals. Like major deals in foreign and economic policy. Meanwhile, his former colleagues (including Steve Yuen of The Walking Dead fame) strike to unionize and make the workplace fairer. Cassius literally crosses the picket line, and we go on a journey with Cassius to discover whether this cross is worth it. Results include the bandage on his forehead, an offer to make mega millions, and insight into what white folks do with black culture when there's just one or a couple of us in the room. Will Cassius escape or disrupt the system before it's too late?

Like I said, the movie is a trip, and while I thought I'd get it all in my one viewing, I need at least a couple of more viewings to take it all in. There's meaning in character names, environments/locations, clothing, songs, etc. There's always something coming at you, so keep your eyes open!

Storytelling 101: Connect With Your Audience

The June 14 SheSaysDC "Creative Storytelling" panel featured Allyson Hummel, Creative Director at Ogilvy and Karen Goodman, Group Creative Director at HAVAS.

Storytelling. That's my craft, and as I continue to perfect my writing and editing skills, I love to hear other storytellers share what they've learned.

This month, I attended two storytelling events - one focused on brands and the other on journalism. While these are seemingly separate industries, often, the stories told in each are meant to prompt individuals to connect with a brand or idea, feel certain emotions and perform specific actions.

SheSaysDC hosted "Creative Storytelling" with creative directors from two major advertising/media companies. With experiences ranging from health care to burgers, Allyson Hummel of Ogilvy and Karen Goodman of HAVAS highlighted the importance of keeping the audience at the center of the campaign during creative concepting and execution. There's a range of emotions here that may achieve this particular goal, but no matter the method, the story needs to be told in a way the audience wants to hear it.

Sometimes, audiences (and client budgets) are open to celebrity connections as was the case with the National Institute on Aging's "What Is Brain Health?" campaign. The Ogilvy team understood this was about a range of diseases that can affect you as you age (e.g. Alzheimer's disease), but these diseases are scary to talk about. Framing it as "brain health" offered a less anxiety-inducing entry to the topic. Actor Hector Elizondo, whose family has been affected by a number of brain diseases, was a natural fit, and he continues to be an ambassador.

In other instances, it can be time to step away from celebrity endorsement. HAVAS recently re-branded burger chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's. For years, the brands' advertising had been the same (and edgy) despite being in different parts of the country with vastly different audiences. Using FourSquare data that showed consumer habits before and after visiting the restaurant, the team realized that Hardee's provided comfort food while Carl's Jr. was about cravings. Hardee's eaters, who are largely in the Southeast and Midwest, are folks who aren't as prominent in mainstream channels of communication. HAVAS created Tastes Like America, an anthem to reflect them and their experiences. 

Invisibilia's Abby Wendle and Hanna Rosin describe their craft and interchangeable roles as writer and editor in the June 29 Creative Mornings lecture.

Like with brand storytelling, audience should also be at the forefront of journalism. The theme for this month's Creative Mornings lecture was craft, so the DC team invited Hanna Rosin and Abby Wendle of the podcast Invisibilia to breakdown their process. The duo labeled their presentation "Escaping the Parrot Trap or How to Use Your Mind Controlling Powers for Good (and Not Evil)." You see interviews often prompt their subjects for a soundbite, a soundbite based on the journalist's research or prevailing themes already in the news (see these 60 Minutes interviews).

To avoid this prompting Hanna and Abby offered five tips:

1. Do your research, but don't expect your final story to align with your preferred angle. Hanna relayed an anecdote in which she went into an interview expecting to craft a story around how a wearing a shirt that originally belonged to a Nazi saved a man's life in World War II. When the interviewer told Hanna point blank that the shirt was just a shirt, the angle had to change.
2. Pay attention to the way you bring your "character" (AKA interview subject) on stage. This is important across communication channels, but especially with radio and podcasts where they use theme music to help set the tone of the conversation. Abby relayed how a story about a Syrian orphanage started with dance music because the major voice in the story had wanted to be a DJ.
3. Stay on top of time. With both the advertising stories above as well as with podcasts, time is limited, and all content must be edited into a short story. Abby and Hanna described doing up to 15 hours of interviews for a 12-minute story. In this case, the editor of the piece plays a crucial role in providing clear images and themes for the audience to easily connect.
4. Hit the nail on the head with a bit of fiction. This is another point that applies to journalism and brand storytelling. The Invisibilia team didn't recommend making up details. They recommended that storytellers share elements of a tale, not a full play-by-play. Hone in on what resonates with the audience.
5. Provide a happy ending? Ending stories with a "happily ever after" is something that's wired into us from the time we are toddlers. We as humans want resolution and want to know that each scenario turns out okay. However, that's not reality. Hanna is okay with loose ends, especially if the audience needs to take action to improve a situation. Abby, on the other hand, believes the ending depends on what needs to be done. Stories that end on a higher beat can give hope, but she understands the need to also leave the audience in an unresolved space to enable a call to action.

#C2Maui: Greatness Lies on the Other Side of Your Comfort Zone

It really is like Chutes and Ladders. Sometimes, you move backwards to go forward. — Sophia Amoruso, Founder and CEO of Girlboss

ColorComm Founder Lauren Wesley Wilson interviews Girlboss Founder and CEO Sophia Amoruso. 

I've been up to some fun things the last couple of weeks, and the journey has been interesting. I started with a trip to Maui for the C2 conference. I've planned this since last December, but little did I know how on time it would be. Hearing Sophia Amoruso and other badass girlbosses share their stories of success and, yes, failure was a refreshing tonic at a time when I'm deciding the best next step for me.

C2 is always an opportunity to connect with women who have paved inroads and are ready to strip away some of the magic that adorns us. Like in the Real World, it's when people stop being polite and start getting real. That realness included ColorComm founder Lauren Wesley Wilson sharing how she found her path.

It wasn't the first job in DC in which her master's degree didn't guarantee success or make up for her not wanting to hang socially with coworkers. It wasn't finally landing a conversation with the PR pro she (respectfully) hunted for a year. They finally met, and there was no chemistry. It was a lunch filled with other eager young professional communicators that launched ColorComm. This was the niche, and even so, it took time for Lauren to let go of the career she thought she would have. This community swept her into this professional, and really, industry, development space.

In a session focused on driving dreams forward, Teneshia Jackson Warner, CEO and Founder of EGAMI Group & The Dream Project, noted that "the biggest robber of a great life is a really, really good life." And ain't that the damn truth? Sometimes, the steady biweekly or twice monthly check, the good(ish) healthcare, and the 401K match lull us into a life of comfort. But, really look at what you're putting in versus getting out of the situation. What is your hourly billing rate, and how much access does the job have into your overall life? Could you do this on your own?

In this session, we created vision boards, and mine looked similar to others I've created in the past. There's whimsy. There's freedom. There's cuteness and a desire to do good (and crazy things). I see myself as a freelance storyteller whose adventures change from day to day. I'm happiest when I am out of an office talking to interesting people, pursuing stories, producing events and sharing this content. Also, I enjoy a balance between work and personal pursuits. We all need downtime and self care.

Circa Line 5, the endorphins kicked in, and I felt playful.

Speaking of self care, while in Hawaii, I ziplined and played in waterfalls. Ziplining? I've done it before, but was reluctant to try because you know...the ground is comfortable. My cousin who traveled to Hawaii with me gave me the push I needed and basically told me I had to go. To my relief, the long, winding, rickety lines that I imagined didn't exist. The seven lines were all short and orderly, and on line three, I remembered to look around me rather than just hold the rope and breathe through the fear. The views were absolutely magnificent. Let's hope my next step is, too.

One of the best parts about my Hawaiian adventures was sharing the experience with my cousin.

This Time in Maui

Today a new, but familiar adventure begins. I’m back at the ColorComm Conference after a one-year hiatus, and I need this time to refresh spiritually and mentally. I look forward to being in the company of accomplished, ambitious women and hearing how they navigate their day-to-day challenges and triumphs.

I arrived to Maui two days early to adjust to the time change, but also to find adventure and relax. I am in awe of the natural beauty that surrounds me. Its look comforts, and the sounds are sweetly serene. I'm glad I booked a full seven days, so when I return to my everyday life, I am refreshed and finally ready...to launch my own BRAND new adventure. 

Social Media Hype: Follower Numbers

A couple of Sundays ago, The New York Times published "The Follower Factory," and the article had me on my couch praising not only its exposé, but also the mesmerizing graphics. You see the more I work on social media campaigns, the less I want to use the platforms myself. 

Audiences are sliced and diced based on items they have liked, where they live, their connections and personal preferences. You can be targeted based on array of factors that indicate your personal taste as well as your actual demographics. This is unsettling, especially since most people don't understand how the sponsored content ends up in their feeds.

Luckily, I work on public health campaigns, and targeting that I do simply encourages better health. However, with the 2016 political campaigns, we know that this targeting is particularly effective at reinforcing some of our worst instincts, and it is difficult to decipher fact from fiction. We also tend to end up in our own silos, with our own philosophies emphasized over and over again. With these platforms changing regularly, it's hard for systems like government to set transparency rules and regulations that bind.

This lack of regulations has led to the social media fraud/lack of transparency that is especially rampant. One first step for several figures who want to be noteworthy experts is to purchase followers to seem influential. I follow Hilary Rosen, one of the political influencers named in the article. I saw her speak at an Atlantic event, looked her up and those thousands of purchased followers likely help convince me to follow her, too.

Rosen and others like her purchased followers from one company in particular, Devumi. This company has "provided customers with more than 200 million followers" - many of which are bots that mirror real accounts. Like the article says, "these accounts are counterfeit coins in the booming economy of online influence, reaching into virtually any industry where a mass audience — or the illusion of it — can be monetized."

That's a shame. The general public needs to be educated on how these platforms market to and mislead them. 

March On

The 2017 Women's March gave me hope after the 2016 election left me heartbroken. While there are valid critiques of the march and which ideologies should have stood at the forefront, being there was a terrific revival of spirit. In the one year since, I have:

One of the more colorful signs from the 2018 Women's March.

1. Attended the second Women's March (more specifically I joined the procession to the White House).
2. Protested the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act at Capitol Hill.
3. Tweeted (and refreshed my own news feed a lot).
4. Received daily mail and email from Planned Parenthood, ACLU and/or Southern Poverty Law Center (and mostly shredded or deleted it). 
5. Bought a Maxine Waters T-shirt.

It's like I've bought a Resistance membership, but am simply sitting in the auditorium of change. I like the rhetoric and even the fashionable look, but am yet to become a catalyst. Am I simply following a trend?

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake speaks at the Jan. United State of Women Cocktails and Conversations.

Former Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake reflected on this sentiment during the Jan. 10 United State of Women Cocktails and Conversation event. She said the current wave of activism almost feels like a commodity, and she is interested in seeing it sustained when it's no longer on trend. 

One frank piece of advice from the former mayor - be honest with yourself about what you are willing to do. 

So, for me, how do I marry that thirst for change with my skills? I think it's strategic storytelling, and one mission for 2018 is to find a place to apply those skills. 

I love that women through movements like #MeToo and Time's Up are speaking their truth. I am especially interested in the connections with entertainment and activism, one of the intersections that has always interested me.