Mark Sherrick | Blellow: A Productivity Microblog for Professionals

Who’s On Blellow? Mark Sherrick

posted by Veronica Jorden on May 27th, 2009

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Blellow is growing! New members are joining everyday, but after almost 3 months, there are a few members who have become friends. These folks have been Blellow evangelists since day one and we couldn’t have gotten to where we are with out them. We’d like to introduce you to one of those friends today; regular guest blogger and all around good guy, Mark Sherrick.

Name: Mark Sherrick

Location: Bristol, CT

SkillsMarketing: Sales, Creative Consulting

Current Status: Contrary to the image my blog posts and some other things I do present, I am unemployed at the moment. I am in the beginning stages of the setup of my freelance consulting stuff.

What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working towards officially being a freelancer.

Favorite part of freelancing/entrepreneurship?
Its hard to say, really. I enjoy being my own boss and making my own choices.

Biggest challenge you face as a freelancer/entrepreneur?
That first step off the cliff is a big challenge. In the past, I had huge issues with second guessing myself, but I am beyond that now.

What are some of your favorite tools that you are using to run your business as a freelancer?
My brain, for the most part. But for actual tools, Twitter has done great things for expanding my network and introducing me to some great folks. As for software, since most of what I do is conceptual, I don’t have to use too much beyond using the general Microsoft office stuff and GIMP for occasional graphical work.

As a freelancer have you found it hard to balance work and play time? What do you do to try to keep things balanced?
As a person in general, I have a hard time balancing work and play. It’s why up until launching my freelancing, most of my work has been in places where I’m not stuck behind a desk or anything like that. Working at home does make balancing things a bit easier for me, because everything is within reach.

Has Blellow been helpful to you? If so, please share how it has helped.
Blellow has been amazingly helpful. I have met some amazing people and gotten some great advice on what to do and what not to do. I really appreciate the social aspect of Blellow as well, because working at home, all I have is my dog and cat to keep me company, and they don’t talk much.

Where can you find Mark?

http://www.twitter.com/heythatguymark
http://themarketingmark.blogspot.com
http://blellow.com/marksherrick

Want to get in contact with Mark? Here’s how:
sherrickmark@gmail.com is really the best way to get ahold of me, I check my email much more than I use my phone or anything else.

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Posted in Blellow Member Interviews, Freelance, SXSW, Uncategorized
Tags: Freelance, freelancer, Mark Sherrick, marketing

What’s Your Story: Part 2

posted by Mark Sherrick on May 7th, 2009

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Last time, I spoke about finding your story. Having your story is great, but I also need to tell you, it’s not enough. Its a great start, and a big step, but it’s not enough. Here’s why.

Did your qualifications change? Have you learned a new skill? Have you gotten a new certification? Do you have a new project in your portfolio? Did you cut your hair? Did you wake up this morning with a headache?

Okay, that last one was a little bit ridiculous, but I still made my point. Your story is not a classic novel, your story isn’t a comic book. Your story is more like a television show. Things change, things evolve, things come and go. Yes, you could also say your story is like an autobiography, but you’d only be partially right. If you want to equate your story to an autobiography, then you’re one of those people who was famous when they were a teenager and wrote an autobiography at the age of nineteen. What about when you’re thirty, or forty, or even twenty five? What happened then? Your story for business purposes should NEVER stay stagnant, it should always be updated.

Think of a resume. You would change your resume every time something changed about your work history, or your education, or anything relevant. Your resume is just a physical representation of PART of your story, it just needs to be changed more often than a resume or any other physical representative does.

But the good thing is if you do change your story, and it either doesn’t help or hurts you in the short run, there’s nothing that says you cannot changing it back. Sometimes a step back is in reality a step forward.

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Posted in Freelance, Guest Bloggers
Tags: Freelance, Mark Sherrick, resume

What’s Your Story?

posted by Mark Sherrick on April 17th, 2009

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In the comments of my previous blog post on Blellow, I was asked in the comments to expand on what I meant when I write about your personal story.

Every product, every service, every business, basically everyTHING has a story. Why did you pick that brand of pasta over the other, why did you eat at one restaurant instead of the one across the street, why did you buy that computer brand instead of the cheaper one?

Because of the story each of those things that you bought was in your mind, the better story. This post will probably sound very Seth Godinish, and to be honest, he is one of the biggest pushers of the idea.

The story that you need to create is what will make people choose you over someone else. The story that you create will tell everyone what they need to know about you, without you having to say a word. Your website, your bio, your clients, you yourself; all of this is within your story.

For example; this is my Twitter bio:

Freelance/blogger for hire. creative thinker, technology dork, music geek, free minded, passionate, curious, husband, creator, and marketing guy.

In short form, this is my story. It presents a certain image in a potential client’s mind, in my followers’ minds, in the mind of someone who happened across my page however they did. Twitter bios are literal interpretations of your story, since you need to use words. Your bio picture also is part of your story. Your bio is you. You are your bio. If you are looking for a particular type of client, your story will present that. As also previously stated don’t just put stuff in your story for it to be there, because it will be obvious once things actually get going. Clients and viewers and others can smell bullshit. If you manage to fool them once, they will not fall for it again. Neither will people they tell, and so on.

Who are you? What do you want? What do you have? What do you do?

Answer those questions honestly, and you’re on your way to crafting your story. It’s as simple or as complex as you want it to be… just make sure it is YOUR story you are telling. You may already be telling a story, whether you know it or not. Please know it. Please.

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Posted in Freelance, Guest Bloggers
Tags: bio, Freelance, Mark Sherrick, twitter

How To Compete As a Part Timer

posted by Mark Sherrick on April 14th, 2009

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I’ve done a few posts about part time freelancing over the past few weeks, and I hope they’ve made sense. Breaking into freelancing as a part timer is a viable option for some, as is actually STAYING part time. One thing I haven’t really discussed is how to actually compete with all the fulltime freelancers out there.

Honestly, its simple. You need to have a good story. You need to be able to let people know why you are the right one for the job, no matter how many projects you accept or how much time you spend on them. A great story told by a part time freelancer will always beat a mediocre story by a fulltime freelancer, or a fulltime professional for that matter. You just need to find the right people to tell your story to.

Don’t craft your story and jump right in and start flinging it around, either. Once you have your story, put it out there and see if anything happens. You can always tweak your story as you go along if you notice something that’s attracting the wrong types of assignments. Don’t be afraid of anything that comes to you. You are never under any obligation to accept something that is offered to you. Don’t wait too long to find something though, because that may mean your story needs some work.

Some people would say to find a freelancing network site and concentrate on the short term or smaller payout jobs, because the full time folks don’t want those. Bullshit. A fulltimer is just as likely to take something they can fire off quickly if they have the time and the skills to do it. Go after those long term deals, and you can use your part time status as an advantage. I’m not going to tell you how. You need to use your story to tell a potential client why you are the one for the job.

To tie back to my earlier posts, do your thing, don’t do something because you feel you have to, or because it’s presented. Be yourself; don’t try to be someone else, because you are not. Don’t be afraid to take that no pay assignment or offer up yourself for no pay at first — but don’t forget to ask for recommendations if you do free work — they can be, and usually are more valuable than money.

You can compete with anyone, even if the next job is your first one. If the job is right for you, and your story shows that, it doesn’t matter who the other people are, the job is yours. Take it.

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Posted in Freelance, Guest Bloggers
Tags: Freelance, job advice, Mark Sherrick

Part Time Freelancing

posted by Mark Sherrick on March 27th, 2009

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Until a few months ago, I never considered freelancing to be something for me. I doubted my ability to be able to go for long periods with possibly little money, if I didn’t have an ongoing project. It’s funny how things change.

I was speaking with a friend of mine who freelances in a completely different field than I am involved in, and he mentioned that when he started freelancing, he had started part time, while still holding a full time day job. He did so because he was in the same boat as me, not sure if the jump was one he could make… especially since he was freelancing in a different industry than what he worked in.

Freelancing part time gives you the opportunity to get in to the depth that you want to. Not everyone can just jump right in and start swimming, sometimes you have to learn how to swim first. Take a few small projects that can be done in a weekend, or do something simple for a friend, or an organization you are part of. Not only does that get you experience, it also starts generating a portfolio, which you can then show to prospective customers as you do more and more. Keeping in touch with clients you have done things for in the past will also maintain and expand your network of possibilities.

Some people even stop at freelancing part time. If you are freelancing in something that you consider a hobby, but don’t want to do it full time, don’t force yourself. Making the jump to full time self employment is not one to be taken lightly. If you do continue to work full time or part time and freelance on the side, you do have to be very careful to avoid conflicts of interest, and your employer’s intellectual property and things like that. You don’t want to get your freelance clients, and especially yourself, in any trouble with your daytime employer.

With today’s economy as it is, freelancing is becoming more of an option to many more people. Be prepared for it to take a while to break in, and be prepared for clients to shop around for price. You may be tempted to take the jump to full time freelancing before you are ready. Keep your head level and stick to the plans you have made for yourself. Pay attention to internal factors rather than external. Take your time and do things your way. That’s the only way.

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Posted in Freelance, Guest Bloggers
Tags: blellow, freelancing, Mark Sherrick

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The following articles were tagged: Mark Sherrick.

Who’s On Blellow? Mark Sherrick

What’s Your Story: Part 2

What’s Your Story?

How To Compete As a Part Timer

Part Time Freelancing