CT No.23: My story, others' stories, your story
A year in review!
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a sleepy little week that I’ve always loved. It’s full of recapping and goal setting, getting pensive and looking ahead.
I’m planning great stuff for this newsletter in the new year. In the meantime, it’s a quiet week with no tool review but a buncha lists.
Thanks to everyone who filled out the survey after the light shaming of the last issue (hehehe I’m pretty proud of that because it worked). You can still complete it. It’s one question!
As always you can
My 2019 in review: Personal bits
My year began anxiously; I was a director in the agency arm at a legacy media company, excited by new projects on the horizon but miserable about nearly everything else work-wise.
I loved my team but was using my subject matter expertise less and less. I pitched and helped win big projects... that crashed and burned internally. I wrote plenty of contracts and juggled responsibilities fairly well. But it became increasingly apparent that I was spinning my wheels to make more money for wealthy white men and women who were satisfied with a world that served them. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a massive problem with authority, so little of my day-to-day sat easily. In April I took a needed vacation… and sobbed at the thought of going back to work.
So I quit, abruptly, with minimal planning. For my health and sanity and future. That was in May. Initially I thought I’d get a new job and just take freelance in the meantime. But the full-time gigs weren’t exciting me as much as the new project-based work I found and that was offered to me. I joined a coworking space. I focused.
Turns out my agency experiences and all that contract-writing prepped me well for running my own business.
Now, in late December, I’m satisfied with all of my new directions. Running my own one-person shop keeps me focused on:
Working with companies whose mission and values I support
Identifying methods and tools that make sense to provide strong foundation digital creators and marketing teams
Taking a holistic data-driven approach to creating and measuring web content that benefits audiences first... which means changing the way decisions are made
Developing and testing new approaches to creating a better web
Exploring new models for digital media that scale to sustainability for all involved
Amplifying and championing new voices, especially in the media and audience-building industries
Determining a better way to approach digital privacy and measurement
Connecting digital content innovators through events and work projects
Bringing my whole self to my work (and not shoving aside thoughts and ideas that don’t fit some dated operational mold)
Writing about all of the above
For the first time in a while (probably in all of my 30s), I’m genuinely excited about what the new year will bring. I mean, I’m still terrified. I see so many roads where previous travelers have scorched everything in their path.
But those are not the only roads.
You know what Doc Brown is saying.
You might be on the verge of something new as well. If you’re a digital content or marketing professional thinking of going out on your own in the new year, I invite you to reach out to me. I’ll do what I can to help — especially talking tool stack and methods and pain points.
Thanks to everyone who has given The Content Technologist a place in your inboxes. Thanks to everyone who has ever shared this newsletter or brought it up in a work meeting. And most of all, thank you to all of my amazing clients, who keep this newsletter going.
It’s hard out there, but there is work to be done. There’s a foundation at the bottom and a light at the top.
Best of the best, by all metrics
Here are the top three most popular Content Technologist issues of 2019:
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Newsletters! They’re the new blogs. Here are my favorites about tech and content and operations, collected. Many are paid; I advise a considered investment if we are to be in this content business together:
And it’s not related to anything covered in this newsletter, but Ask Molly is a guiding light.
Again, an open invite: I would love to hear your story. Your new big ideas. Your frustrations and solutions. I would love to hear your directions and considerations. Reach out, whenever. (You can just reply to this email. I will see it!)
Much love and I’ll see you in the new year.