(Photo credit @cristian1)
I wanted to send a brief update on what’s been happening here at Digital Orchards and to wish all of you a safe and healthy Happy Holidays!
#eship-journey-update
Entrepreneurship is always full of challenges, but being a solopreneur has had some unexpected twists & turns. I have fully enjoyed having a more flexible schedule and continuing to offer 1:1 support to my many motivated clients who are looking to chart a longer-term pivot into tech. The flexibility also allowed me time to run in a local political campaign that while unsuccessful, helped me to realize I’d like to stay engaged in my community. I will be joining the Board of Directors for the Center for the Arts in Homer in Jan 2022, a space for local creators, students, artists, and national musical acts to convene & engage. This is in addition to being VP for the Board of Directors for the Zonta Club of Cortland, which does important work in supporting programs for women & children in our area. Recently, I also was invited to speak to the team at Coder (a series B startup) on how to grow professionally at startups, and look forward to giving more talks like this in the new year.
In terms of challenges to overcome: I was initially surprised to learn that I was more effective in my biz when I was working on it alongside a full-time job! (Ouch) It took me longer to realize why: (a) I missed the regular cadence of the academic calendar, and (b) I missed collaborating with a team of colleagues! So for the last few weeks, I’ve been working on connecting with & learning from other solopreneurs in order to better shore up the foundations of my business and think more about the offerings I’d like to provide.
#announcements
So here are a few announcements that I’d like to share with you:
I’m re-dedicating myself to publishing a bi-weekly newsletter for all of you – to continue sharing tech industry soundbites, career growth/job search tips, job postings, and other random items that appeal to me. Hit reply if you’d like to offer topic suggestions or have burning questions to be answered!
I will also start offering free weekly 30minute drop-in Office Hours ONLY to my subscribers in Q1 2022! More details to follow in the next newsletter on how to sign up.
As I really like engaging with small groups, I’m planning to launch a series of short workshops in Q1 2022 on topics like revamping your resume, refreshing your LinkedIn profile, career planning, finding the right job postings, and more. Feel free to suggest your topic of interest too!
After testing out multiple platforms this fall, I have decided to use Walden to centralize 1:1 coaching engagements and to keep Teachable for my courses. This will help me better support my clients’ accountability in reaching their specific career and job search goals.
I look forward to sharing more of these business updates with all of you – and thank you for continuing to support me in this journey! It means the world to me!
#random
A dinosaur embryo has been found inside a fossilized egg. Very cool tho I hope we all remember what happens when we try to control velociraptors! (see Jurassic Park/World movies)
