When writing for others -- freelancers, ghostwriters, and journalists often neglect their own voice and brand. Although I’ve been writing for the past seven years, I’ve often neglected writing for days, weeks, or even months at a time. After making the decision to leave an awesomely rewarding job with the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) to focus on consultancy Pursuit with Liz Presson and my business TrepRep, I have placed the future of my professional career and family on my ability to produce amazing and compelling content. If I can’t provide valuable articles on a daily basis for a year, how can I convince the entrepreneurs and businesses I work with that what I provide is worth investing in?
Inspirations
I have several inspirations who I owe the credit for this year’s upcoming, non-stop series of articles. The first of those inspirations came to me in early November at the 2014 CEO National Conference in Orlando when I met Tru Pettigrew. Tru is founder and CEO of Tru Access and a Millennial insights expert. After stating that he blogs every single day, I was inspired by his commitment to writing and impressed by his ability to consistently produce content. I thought ”what if I were to write for myself every day?”
The second piece of inspiration came from author and entrepreneur Michael Simmons. After sharing my idea and mission for TrepRep, Michael asked all of the questions that I needed to answer but was afraid to face. After working several years to produce the best possible content for clients and others, I had accumulated a very average if not poor brand for myself. If no one can see my value and the impact I can have on others, why would they trust me with their own voice?
The final piece of inspiration for my promise to publish every day this year came from one of my favorite wastes of time – sports talk radio. While listening to 670 The Scorein Chicago, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes about the importance of practice from musician Jascha Heifetz.
“If I don’t practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.”
How can I expect to be a thought leader and expert in my niche of entrepreneurship based writing if I wasn’t practicing with my own voice every day? The best professionals in every field weren’t all born with the most talent, but they worked the hardest to get to that point and continued to work harder than anyone else even after they had established themselves as experts.
My Promise to Readers
I promise to not write each day just to stroke my ego. I pride myself on always providing value to the reader no matter what I am able to get in return for my effort. My quest to become a ‘professional’ writer didn’t come from a passion to write, but from my need to help others, and my passion for small business and entrepreneurship. Stick with me this year and we can learn from each other!
One down, 364 to go. No excuses, no turning back. 2015 will be full of broken diets and promises, but my quest to consistently provide interesting, informative, and inspirational content throughout the year is not something I will give up without a fight.
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Tomorrow’s Post: 5 Ways to Embrace Criticism as a Writer
Michael Luchies is the Founder of TrepRep, Director of Content Programming for Pursuit, Interview Editor for Under30CEO, Entrepreneurship Lecturer at Illinois State University, TEW 2 contributor, and writer of all things entrepreneurship. Connect with Michael on Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.