Share in the CDC Anniversary Celebration
LinkedIn reminded me on June 1 that Cathi Douglas Communications marked its second anniversary, something that would have slipped my mind in the craziness of deadlines, admin tasks and real life.
Truthfully I have had a blast working as an independent consultant since a sudden layoff in May 2014. I wasn’t prepared emotionally to be suddenly without a paycheck, but it turns out that I was more than ready to strike out on my own.
I was blessed to have a ready network of professional colleagues, past mentors and fellow PR practitioners who welcomed me to their ranks and gave me invaluable advice. Their encouragement gave me the confidence I needed to consider hanging out my own shingle.
Being my own boss certainly had appealed to me over the years, but I harbored serious doubts about whether I could handle invoicing, balance sheets and collection calls – and if in doing so I could attract enough assignments to earn a decent living.
My doubts have disappeared. Not only did I wisely purchase some systems that keep me on track, such as QuickBooks for accounts and Basecamp for project management – I have also hired people who supplement my weak spots: Mary makes sure that CDC is marketed 24/7 with scheduled blog posts, social media blasts, a quarterly newsletter and a kick-ass website. Erika set up my books and continues to organize the dollars and cents.
One factor I hadn’t counted on is how much deep and varied communications experiences have prepared me to become self-employed.
If I hadn’t worked as a newspaper reporter/editor for 10 years, I wouldn’t be nearly as efficient at meeting demanding deadlines, nor would I know how to conduct effective interviews. And if I had not edited magazines for 20 years, I certainly wouldn’t have honed my feature-writing, organizational and publications skills. Five years as an account executive at a full-service public relations agency prepared me well business-wise. I know how much I need to make in order to keep the Internet connection running and the bills paid, and accounting for my time in 15-minute increments instilled the monetary value of my time.
I thank God every day for the opportunity to write for a living on my own terms. It’s a gift I envied but never thought I would be given and I strive to do it the best way I can. Happy anniversary to CDC, its clients, and my support system!
Truthfully I have had a blast working as an independent consultant since a sudden layoff in May 2014. I wasn’t prepared emotionally to be suddenly without a paycheck, but it turns out that I was more than ready to strike out on my own.
I was blessed to have a ready network of professional colleagues, past mentors and fellow PR practitioners who welcomed me to their ranks and gave me invaluable advice. Their encouragement gave me the confidence I needed to consider hanging out my own shingle.
Being my own boss certainly had appealed to me over the years, but I harbored serious doubts about whether I could handle invoicing, balance sheets and collection calls – and if in doing so I could attract enough assignments to earn a decent living.
My doubts have disappeared. Not only did I wisely purchase some systems that keep me on track, such as QuickBooks for accounts and Basecamp for project management – I have also hired people who supplement my weak spots: Mary makes sure that CDC is marketed 24/7 with scheduled blog posts, social media blasts, a quarterly newsletter and a kick-ass website. Erika set up my books and continues to organize the dollars and cents.
One factor I hadn’t counted on is how much deep and varied communications experiences have prepared me to become self-employed.
If I hadn’t worked as a newspaper reporter/editor for 10 years, I wouldn’t be nearly as efficient at meeting demanding deadlines, nor would I know how to conduct effective interviews. And if I had not edited magazines for 20 years, I certainly wouldn’t have honed my feature-writing, organizational and publications skills. Five years as an account executive at a full-service public relations agency prepared me well business-wise. I know how much I need to make in order to keep the Internet connection running and the bills paid, and accounting for my time in 15-minute increments instilled the monetary value of my time.
I thank God every day for the opportunity to write for a living on my own terms. It’s a gift I envied but never thought I would be given and I strive to do it the best way I can. Happy anniversary to CDC, its clients, and my support system!
