THIS IS IT. Now is the time. You are the one.

This guest post I wrote for 5 BY 5 Design's Inspiration page ran today:

I'm a freelance publicist and producer for creatives and entrepreneurs. I work with some of the most talented and innovative people in the world. I get to travel for work! When I'm not traveling, I mostly work in a hoodie and yoga pants. I work whenever I want, wherever I want. I am, quite literally, living my dream.

You know how I got this job? I made it up. I patchworked together my favorite things to do, what I know I'm good at, and called it a thing. I filed for LLC, made a website, and started. I had lots of people tell me I couldn't do that. But I didn't listen. Why? Because the people who were cheering for me were louder.

How did I get to this place? I realized a few years ago after staying at home with my boys for the five years prior that I just had this one time around. Maybe it was witnessing their daily joy, maybe it was coming out of the fog of the early stages of parenting, maybe it was the sleep deprivation. Probably a combination of those factors and others. There it was, clear as a bell: THIS IS IT. Now is the time. You are the one.

In this time I also realized that I was part of a dysfunctional marriage that was broken beyond repair. I could no longer show the boys how to be married to their dad well. I could, however, show them how to be solely happy; how to be happy alone. Which, if you think about it, may be the most important skill we ever learn. I could show them how to work hard, be honest, and build something from the ground up. I could show them that women are leaders. This will be my legacy. And I can't think of anything better.

THIS IS IT. Now is the time. You are the one.

When they asked me to do this guest post, I wasn't quite sure if they wanted me to do a PR tips list, or what, so I went to their website to see what others had written and found that the space where they put these articles is called "Inspiration". I've told this exact story at least 1000 times in person but had never written it down. Decided it was time, and here's the result. This is far better than any PR tips list in the inspiration category. We just get this one time around and every move we make; word we say counts. I hope you can find a way to get unstuck if you are. Tell the truth, especially to yourself. I wish you heaps of courage.

If you liked this article, you might also want to check out this list I made about knowing yourself better.

New Mini Appointments Available

I get somewhere between 6 and 10 requests every week to have lunch or coffee, to pick my brain. Now, I am a civic-minded person who believes strongly in mentoring and being a helpful part of my community, but there's no possible way I can satisfy that many requests as it could add up to twenty hours or more a month. Six months ago, I decided to take 1-2 meetings of this type per month, to keep connected and be a support system for my community. One to two meetings, I can handle, time-wise. I've had so many thoughtful mentors and I want to pay that forward. Then, recently, I had a woman starting a new blog ask if she could pay me for a couple of hours of my time, knowing she couldn't afford my monthly retainer, but dead set that I was the person she needed to talk to. In a move that startled me, I agreed. We met, she paid for lunch, and I used my Square card reader to charge her at the end of the meeting. She was satisfied, and so was I. I love helping people, I'm good at what I do, and it gives me so much energy. But: This is not a hobby. And I don't have endless hours. I have a mortgage. And children. Could I do this as part of my business?

With this I am announcing that I am now available for these appointments. The appointments are affordable and you'll leave with a newly formed, clearer path of where you're headed and a ton of information about how to do what you're doing well, or better. Are you stuck? Have a project that you need some help getting off the ground? Do you have a website but no content? Want me to focus some attention on your show/app/new site? Want to figure out what the next step is in your career? Need a bio? Do you have an idea that you don't know whether or not it has potential? See the list I made of how I can help you here.

I will start by offering two appointments per week, two hours each. If you feel like one isn't enough, book two.

If you'd like to talk more about how much they cost and when we can get started, please email me directly and I'll get back to you ASAP: kate@clever-kate.com, or see here.

If you liked this post, you might also like this one about Why My Life Doesn't Suck.

Featured image: EyeSpy Photography

This.

On Tuesday this week I posted to Twitter, as I do on occasion, my thoughts on a certain practice — putting "This." before a RT when you agree with something. I heard back from over 100 people, largely in agreement, that it was tired. It was a mostly hilarious exchange that had me giggling all morning. There were some that did not agree, which I expect as well. Encourage, in fact. In my head it was posed as a question, Could we stop doing this?, fully expecting some people to say no. Or argue why they really liked it and thought it was effective. No one really did.

Some were offended and thought I was scolding people for how they use Twitter. I see how someone who used "This" could feel put off. But, by saying so, they were scolding me for how I use Twitter. Funny how that works. We should use our accounts how we choose. Like cats? Cat it up! Love running? Show us your new shoes! Music nerd? Inform us! Like 'This'? Use it. By all means. I'm a writer and wordsmith with opinions about and love for communication and grammar and practices, so, I post about that on occasion. I value what each and every one of the people I follow have to contribute. I think it's amazing to have such a resource of knowledgeable people at my fingertips.

The bigger point here is this: Using Twitter is optional. It's voluntary. It's free. Use your tools better. (Thanks for that line, @nylons!) If I don't like the things someone posts consistently, I unfollow them. If I don't like what someone posts occasionally, I ignore it. Scroll right over. All the time.

Now, I hadn't seen anyone do 'this' (rim shot) particular thing that morning, but it was something that was all over my feed the day prior. I'd hoped the "This" trend would trail off. The reason behind that? It doesn't add anything. It is someone else's thoughts with a throwaway word in front of them. Does it matter too much? Nah. I said it because:

I wanted to see change, so I created it.

I just hope at some point to get 100+ responses about something that really matters. I'll do my part to make sure it happens.