Staying Open, Staying Bold
Posted on Feb 4th, 2010
by
Melissa
One of the first things you learn in Buddhism (even if you've only studied it in tiny baby steps like myself, making only the very slowest progress) is that it's a total myth that there's anything ever to hold onto. Just as Rose learns so sadly in Titanic, even the handsome and fearless hero who has saved your life is at the end totally human and fragile.
The economy continues to be a challenge for many of us. Just a couple of weeks ago I found out that a contract that was to be my main source of income for the next seven months was ending and I was going to need to wrap up all of my research and ideas and news with my business partner into a neat package quite quickly. My mood has gone from complete acceptance (hey, that's life) to panic (at like three am) and back, but the one thing I wanted to do my best to stay open to was just that - being open.
That last contract came to me quickly, right on the heels of another contract ending. It was a prospect I had been talking to for some time, but thought was months away from making a decision. And what I've noticed is that the clearer I get about my true purpose and what kind of work within public relations and marketing really sings for me, really flows, the more interesting work flows right to me.
That doesn't mean there aren't scary moments. I feel a bit challenged right now, but I'm doing my best not to fall back into my old habit of scrambling for work and grabbing the first opportunity. Instead I'm taking a deep breath and allowing that I have a little bit of breath room and I want to see how creative I can be with it.
So yesterday instead of calling contacts and beginning my search in ernest for new clients I met a friend for a belated birthday meal, went to hear another friend speak briefly at a bicycle meeting, and went shopping. Yep, shopping. As I walked along our hippest shopping corridor in my beautiful beach city with a brand new t-shirt in the most amazing turquoise, I decided to stop in and buy something for yummy for dinner from a local gourmet grocer. This grocery store happens to be run by a pair of ladies that I have talked to a few times about assisting them with pr and marketing - but it hadn't gone anywhere, and the last time I had brought it up they seemed too rushed to even remember what I was talking about, as if I'd been speaking a foreign language.
But I still shop there when I'm in that segment of town, and here's what popped into my head a) you love that chicken tortilla caserole and really want it for dinner and b) get over yourself. So I went it, bought my caserole and then one of the owners appeared and greeted me by name. We had a nice little chat and she admitted to me that they really needed to start thinking about marketing but didn't know where to begin, and didn't frankly now how to afford it. She admitted that they realized they had a bit of a pr challenge (which in truth is an opportunity) because they were both really shy and they now realized that they came off as too busy and stand-offish. She admitted it had been easier in their first store (still existing, still thriving) because it was in such a connected neighborhood, but this newer larger store was a whole new story.
Huh. Imagine. I told her that my partner and I would be happy to talk with them about in about two weeks when we finished our current project. I went through just a few of the wonderful things they did for the community that many might not be aware of, and how public relations could actually be much more affordable than advertising. I also said we could work together and put them through a sort of short, sweet "bootcamp" to teach them how to handle the marketing and pr themselves.
It was a great conversation. I left the store happy to have dinner and delighted I'd stayed open and decided to shop instead of slaving away at my computer.

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