Because the last several months have been some of the most difficult for me. I truly would describe it as surviving instead of thriving.
My main goal for 2021 isn’t to train for some brand new Ironman race or achieve some lofty professional or financial goal. While I have set some fitness and financial goals for myself, they are the top of the priority list.
To get it out there in the open my main goal and top priority next to being a husband and father: my mental health.
Right before the holidays I was officially diagnosed with depression with a side of anxiety and mounting, overwhelming life stressors.
Just how bad was it?
As we take time to reflect on this past year, with all its ups and downs, we want to thank you for continuing to support us and for showing up for your community. Because of you, we were able to fund our first ever scholarship program, and we awarded four Black Creative Students scholarships to students from all over the country. This year, we were also able to publish 26 new blog posts, had 10,400 page views, added and featured 4 new contributing editors, hired and on-boarded a super creative new social media, Greer Blount, and offered our first writing internship to Maggie Barbour who created and published 10 posts in less than 12 weeks.
It's been an eventful year for out team, and to close it all off, TNM founder Kevin O'Connell is sharing his thoughts on 2020, dealing with change and transitions as a new dad and entrepreneur, and finding new approaches for 2021. Keep reading for Kevin’s end-of-the-year message!
Working freelance may sound glamorous at first, but those who've been doing it for a while know it takes hard work. Getting your business off the ground isn't easy and sometimes it means juggling various projects all at once, but it also has it's benefits - I mean you are your own boss after all!
This week, writing intern Maggie Barbour asks The Niche Movement's Editor-in-Chief Jaylene Perez and founder Kevin O'Connell, both of whom have experience in freelancing, what it really takes to make it work.
Read on for Jaylene and Kevin's best practices when it comes to finding clients, marketing your services, settings rates, and more!
For all those in pursuit of professional development, this week we're taking a look at which skills you'll want to brush up on depending on your specific industry. Whether you're a freelancer, marketer, entrepreneur, or work in another creative role, you'll want to read up on what will make you and your work really shine.
Tap below for the full post!
Job searching is a tough task on its own, and job searching during a pandemic... well we know it's not easy. You'll have to be flexible, know how to network and market yourself, and really hone in on what it is your looking for as you search for the right fit.
To find out what can help you land your dream job, keep reading!
Forget about the classic elevator pitch. A 60 second introduction goes by in a flash, but your digital footprint lasts a lifetime. Our 4 Step Guide to Build Your Digital Brand is here to open the door to untapped opportunities. Rooted in The Niche Movement workshop How to Make Your Digital Brand Work for You, this guide walks you through how to envision, design, and execute your own digital brand.
We live in a limitless connection economy. This means there is boundless opportunity, but it takes tenacity and a solid personal brand to turn that opportunity into reality. A well-utilized personal brand breaks through the networking noise. Whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, email, or YouTube, digital channels provide an avenue for crafting your image. In this podcast episode, The Niche Movement Founder Kevin O’Connell sat down with 40 George Washington University undergraduates to hold a workshop. Together, they untangled the foundations of what makes a good personal brand.
This certainly took time, patience and dedication. But by staying true to who I am and encouraging a path that makes me want to write every day, I stumbled upon my own personal brand. While some readers may judge my writing or my stories, I do not. I write for myself, but I publish that writing on my blog to connect with people, to support progress and to give something back. This is true to who I am and how I thrive in the world. I am not happy unless I am somehow connecting with others, and I am not fulfilled unless I am doing something creative for myself.
Being geeky has always been a part of me. So much so that I made it my professional “brand” (which I put in air quotes since branding can be a loaded term but it’s the best way to capture a professional identity). I created the moniker “Higher Ed Geek” for myself several years back as a way to capture who I am, what I care about, and a way to distinguish myself in a crowded world.
Kevin shares tips on both creating visually appealing content using Canva, as well as tips for using that content to build up your personal brand. Start with Part 1 or go right ahead onto Part 2!
