Ask Franklin – How Do I Get My Big Project Started?
This episode of Ask Franklin we discuss getting that BIG project started.
Dropbox Review
Dropbox is one of those handy inventions where the more you use it, the more you come up with reasons to use it. Now if you don’t have access to an online server to share your movie clips and graphics, this just might be the next best thing. Dropbox is a cloud-based file sharing service that syncs file across all your computers, supporting Windows, Mac and Linux. It works with files (video, graphics, text, anything) of any size, and it syncs automatically whenever a new file appears or a change is detected. Best of all, it’s free for a 2GB account.
Creative Expert Video Series Launches
Just a quick note to announce a new series I am doing for Millimeter Magazine (Penton Media Inc.) which is called “Creative Expert with Franklin McMahon”. Each week on the video show I will cover a range of creative tips, reviews and techniques for media professionals.
The One Secret To Keeping Your New Year’s Goals
At the beginning of each year people make a lot of plans for resolutions. I don’t believe in waiting or starting around a specific date, but the new year does bring a sense of hope and newness to many, so it can be a good time. In a few months some of these new plans never come to fruition, mainly because of one thing: no measuring. A good recipe for success is measuring progress and tracking the status. Goals need to be specific (“I will get 3 more clients this week” instead of “I’m going to try to get more work”) but they also must be trackable to allow progress to be charted.
Is Your Brand Just a Technical Service or is it Emotionally Compelling?
There is a big difference between a brand and a service, a brand is more of a story and a service is more of a task. So when you do networking with potential clients, how do you describe yourself? Do you stick to talking about the task? I have always disliked the term “freelance”, I always prefer that people position themselves as a company, even if it is just them. But freelancers, especially when they are just starting out, often stick to just describing the tasks they do. For example if they do web work, they will mention they can do all the coding, host the site on a server and maintain the site on an ongoing basis. They sometimes just stick to the technical side, just the facts. The problem is they have no leverage. Another person could describe the same exact thing. Just rattle off the list of tasks. There is no compelling reason to go with you as opposed to the other person. Even if you both do good work, it is tougher for the client to choose, and then it becomes more of a coin toss.
Sharpening the Saw – Close the Web Browser and Open Your Mind
We’re all busy, we all have lots of tasks, projects, things going on. We are focused on growing our career. This could mean networking, gaining new clients, making things happen. But what about you personally? What about your skill set? Your talents? Self-improvement and self-growth? Author Stephen Covey covered this in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, in fact it’s the 7th Habit, sharpening the saw. You are the saw and you are always engaged in keeping things improving, growing and sharper. This could cover many areas including your mind, spirit and physical body. Pertaining to your career, it is often essential to learn new skills, become better at things. But who has the time?
Schedule the time.
Black Belt Mindset – Interview with Franklin McMahon on PowerPOD Podcast
This week I was a guest on PowerPOD, the podcast hosted by Jim Bouchard, which focuses on inspiration and motivation by having a black belt mindset. We talked about a large number of topics, including my karaoke skills, Media Artist Secrets TV, producing podcasts for a living, celebrity marketing, social media, being in the “beam” of the spotlight with marketing and lots more.
A lot of fun! Check it out:
JimBouchard website – Black Belt Mindset
Are You Ready To Perform The “Is This Helping Me Grow My Business” Experiment?
Are you ready to try an experiment? It can be fun and it can show how effectively you may be running your own business. The truth is too often we pour enormous amounts of energy into items with little to no payoff. Take a look at your to-do list and then examine your next week, next month and someday to-do list. Chances are you may have hundreds of items. You’ll sort and analyze them at some point, but how you do that can be the difference between stagnation and success.
Interview with New Media Producer Franklin McMahon on Meetings Podcast
This week I was on the Meetings Podcast and host Mike McAllens and I talked a lot about my career, video production, podcasting, photography, Media Artist Secrets, Rumor Girls, social media, Willard Beach TV, acting, Millimeter Magazine, Maine and lots more. We also went over some of my career development tips and how to be a rock star for your business.
If you get a chance check out additional episodes of this podcast, very informative and Mike has great guests such as digital marketing guru Mitch Joel of Twist Image and Six Pixels of Separation.
Lots of fun, enjoy! (click the play button below to listen)
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Link to Meetings Podcast and Interview Transcript
How Desperate Decisions Can Destroy Your Business
One of the most powerful skills you can master is decision making, especially when it comes to your career. Many books have been written supporting the fact that impulse decisions, that is going over the facts and then deciding rapidly and affirmatively, is a good way to proceed. The argument is that even if you spend hours going over the pros and cons, ultimately the best path is the one you initially lean towards. We all know people who can decide quick and move on, who don’t second guess themselves. One of the things we hear more often is that to get better at decisions, just make more of them.
Portland Pecha Kucha Video Presentations
A few weeks back I hosted the Portland Pecha Kucha Night featuring 10 creative presenters. Each person had 20 slides, 20 seconds each to tell their story. It was a great night and lots of fun, now we have the presentations from the night up on YouTube so you can check them out. Visit the page below and then click on the videos down the right side. Lots of great perspectives from many different creative careers, hope you find them as inspiring as the audience did that night.
Ian Page/Portland Rockumentarian
John Swan/Painter
Marcia Feller/Retail Display Techniques
Kathleen Kelly/Cyanotype Photograms
Michael Shaughnessy/Sculptor
Erin Curren/Portland Playback Theater
Thomas Hillman/Brand Designer
Luke “Lukaduke” Fuller/Painter
John Stass/Furniture Maker
Greg Daly/Diorama
Bonus clip:
This one is actually from the previous Pecha Kucha but I liked it and thought I would include it here. It is from Dave Poole, who I have had as a guest on my Creative Cow Podcast…very talented guy!
When is it Time to Stop Networking?
When is it time to stop networking? When it no longer is working for you. Networking, meaning in person, runs a spectrum from uneasy to comfy. You may attend a regular networking event for the first time and you may be a little apprehensive. Lots of people you don’t know, the location is unfamiliar, you have to make fairly cold introductions. But you get to know people and it becomes easier. In fact perhaps you attend the meet or function on a regular basis. You have now gone to it for months and you know everyone. You have made a lot of great connections, gotten new clients, but now it’s more like meeting with your friends.
Embrace Your Ego and Become a Rockstar for Your Business
It’s funny, I almost think everything I learned about egos I learned from doing fashion photography. I mean the whole industry is rich with egos, both in front of the camera and behind the camera. But that’s half the fun. It’s talent mixed in with a lot of posturing. Sometimes it’s about attitude, sometimes it’s about confidence. Often both. But how does that apply to your business? Well a lot of it can directly apply, especially there days where “you are your business”.
Everyone has an ego. Some are humble about it and some want to shout everything from the rooftops. Some have alter-egos. Superheros for example. That is when you have a plain, more generic, ego or identity and then you have one that is really out there, powerful for the world to see. If you start to examine people who have really achieved a lot in their career, you start to see a lot of egos on display. These could be business people, sports figures, entertainers, notable web people and so on. In fact you may see some who have more ego than talent, they are driven to the spotlight so relentlessly that the spotlight becomes the mission.
An Evening of Creativity – Pecha Kucha Night Maine – October 8th
I’ve been involved in the creative arts community for many years, so I am especially excited about Pecha Kucha Night in Portland, Maine on October 8th. If you are not familair with Pecha Kucha you can read up about it on the official website or on the Maine website. I will be hosting that night and we have 10 very talented, creative and dynamic creative aritsts who will be presenting. The hook is each person has 20 slides and 6 minutes and 40 seconds to tell their story.
You can sign up for the event via Facebook right here and join the fan page
Pecha Kucha Maine
Here is the concept:
Pecha Kucha Night, devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (Klein Dytham architecture), was conceived in 2003 as a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.
But as we all know, give a mike to a designer (especially an architect) and you’ll be trapped for hours. The key to Pecha Kucha Night is its patented system for avoiding this fate. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show.
Pecha Kucha (which is Japanese for the sound of conversation) has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown, without having to rent a gallery or chat up a magazine editor. This is a demand that seems to be global – as Pecha Kucha Night, without any pushing, has spread virally to over 100 cities across the world.
The event will be held at Space on Congress St. in downtown Portland, I encourage you to get there early for mingling beforehand, as it does tend to be a who’s who of creative people in Portland. If you can make it, I look forward to seeing you (come over and say hi) for what will be a really fun and inspiring night.
October 8th Presenters
Ian Page/Portland Rockumentarian
John Swan/Painter
Marcia Feller/Retail Display Techniques
Kathleen Kelly/Cyanotype Photograms
Michael Shaughnessy/Sculptor
Erin Curren/Portland Playback Theater
Thomas Hillman/Brand Designer
Luke “Lukaduke” Fuller/Painter
John Stass/Furniture Maker
Greg Daly/Diorama
Franklin McMahon (MC)
