Stephen Smith
I discovered Stephen thru the InContext blog. He was quite excited about quitting his management position to return to blogging and consulting full time. Many of us consider this option but few take the leap. This interview is about his strategy, plans for the future, and attitude. Stephen’s bio is at the end of the article.
Dawn Groves: You have a lot of irons in the fire. Would you list your blogs/websites/online profiles?
Stephen Smith: Sure, it’s actually very easy, I’ve created a hub-page at http://stephenpsmith.com/ where you can see everything I’m up to: Twitter, the blogs, Facebook, Delicious, the whole enchilada.
You have a cool tag line concept: business development through personal development.
Business Development through Personal Development means you can use productivity principles to enhance your ability to lead, manage, and execute the functions of your business. By becoming more disciplined and focused you can improve everything – make more products, improve service, create more sales, even make more money.
I decided that my skills and talents were better served advancing my own business instead of someone else’s. When I work for myself, dedication and personal development result in greater rewards, financial and otherwise.
This motto played part in my decision to leave my job, because no matter how much effort and improvement I put into it, my return never changed. Upper management wasn’t willing to discuss changes to my compensation package. Neither were they willing to change the underlying structure so I could focus on my core work responsibilities. I decided that my skills and talents were better served advancing my own business instead of someone else’s. When I work for myself, dedication and personal development result in greater rewards, financial and otherwise.
You just quit your day job to pursue online success full time. A radical step. What are your goals?
Stephen: Well, my ultimate goal is to lay around on the beach and drink margaritas…har, just kidding. Short-term? I am going to be re-connecting with people who’ve dropped off my radar because I’ve been immersed in the restaurant biz. I knew some amazing people and it wasn’t fair for me to fall off the face of the earth like that. We were in the discussion phases of project development. I’m looking to finish those projects, generating revenue streams to support other, bigger projects.
Well, my ultimate goal is to lay around on the beach and drink margaritas…har, just kidding.
One of my dearest dreams of the past two years has been to transform the Work.Life.Creativity site into an active, engaged community. Eventually it’ll evolve into a membership site with two kinds of content: “freemium” and members-only (read as paid subscribers).
I’m also working on a book about my experiences in the Hospitality biz (read drafts of the chapters at Foodie Lust). Of course I’m continuing my coaching and consulting practice via In Context MultiMedia.
My Long-term goals include writing a cookbook, developing another membership site (no, I can’t give you any details yet), and running a marathon. And maybe running off to Italy to learn how to cook, like Bill Buford.
Ambitious plans. What are you going to do differently to meet those goals?
Stephen: One of the biggest lessons I have learned from being a solopreneur and from working my a__ off at the Tavern is that you need to take time for you, your family, your hobbies, your health. I am setting aside time each week for NOT working. And I will definitely enjoy evenings home with my Lovely Bride.
I am setting aside time each week for NOT working. And I will definitely enjoy evenings home with my Lovely Bride.
Click to view Stephen's schedule form
How will you structure your time?
Stephen: Good question. I actually sat down to think about that recently and came up with a weekly agenda based on a blog post I wrote three years ago: Work at Home Productivity. It includes yoga and running each morning, then breakfast with the Lovely Bride. I also plan to work on my book for at least one hour each day and then do some income-generation via niche/affiliate sites. Lastly, each day I’ll write posts for the IC blog and/or for WLC.
Afternoon activities will vary. Time will be set aside for clients, creating information products and networking. I may or may not have a regular schedule.
If you were to start your business today, is there something that you would do better or differently?
Stephen Smith In Action
When I first started I didn’t think ahead; I just wanted the business.
Stephen: When I first started I didn’t think ahead; I just wanted the business. Then I got too much business and became exhausted, unhappy and wondering how I got to the place I was. Turns out I’d been on autopilot and never thought through my growth strategy. Heck, I didn’t even consider what I wanted my life and business to look like. So if I was to do it over, I would start from my 5 year strategic objective, developing business and marketing plans based on where I want it to be in five years. I’d have a smart strategy targeted 5 years ahead, ready to handle my business as it expands.
I’d have a smart strategy targeted 5 years ahead, ready to handle my business as it expands.
You’re generous with your writing and expertise. How do you plan to earn money?
I already make a small amount of money (in the low four figures) from advertising on some of my sites. As I return to publishing content regularly, traffic will increase and the advertising income will grow.
In mid-October I plan to do some client work again, beginning with teleconferences and one-on-one coaching for small business marketing, blogging, etc. I also have products in the pipeline that I’ll be promoting.
What do you see as your greatest energy drain(s)? How will you manage it/them?
The big problem is distractions, like my Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Hmmmm. I don’t really remember any energy drains from the last time I did this. The big problem is distractions, like my Twitter and Facebook accounts. Fortunately, I’ve been fairly successful in limiting my time on them. They do come in handy, though, for prospecting for new clients…
How do you recharge? What is your favorite energetic resource?
I love to read. I’ve also started running and enjoy it immensely. Reading is an escape from day-to-day busyness; running is a good way to clear my mind or work out things simmering on the back burner. Yes, I do carry a notebook and pen with me when I run.
I love to cook as well. I find prep and kitchen work to be very zen-like and relaxing. When I’m dicing the onions, I’m just dicing the onions. Not thinking about the next step, not worrying about the weather. Just dicing the onions. Then when we sit down and actually eat the food I’ve prepared, well, that’s just another moment for mindfulness and enjoyment.
Do you have a favorite blog post you’ve written?
Oh, man, it’s hard to say. I’ve been blogging for five years. I think my favorite series of posts are on the 7 Habits. I certainly had a lot of fun writing them and they continue to draw a lot of traffic. For anyone interested, 7 Habits Ebook is a good place to start. Now that I think about it, that series and the e-book could probably stand a little freshening up…
How do you deal with the discouragement or frustration that comes with working on your own?
Har. If you ask anyone they’ll tell you I’m ridiculously upbeat and positive about what I do. Almost obnoxiously so. I suffer disappointments, we all do, but I try to learn from them and not repeat them. I have studied a little Zen as well as business and marketing, so it gives me a larger perspective.
"It makes me smile because it tastes like vinegar."
What is your driving force, Stephen? What makes you do what you do?
The age-old question. The short answer is that I love to share and tell stories. I find it immensely motivating that people are willing to pay for a transfer of expertise. Teaching Sells, indeed. The long answer is a blog post “Looking Into the Future.”
I find it immensely motivating that people are willing to pay for a transfer of expertise.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
My darling project is the forum and blog at Work.Life.Creativity. I’m just head-over-heels with the idea of this community and its potential to help people. I would love for people to get involved with it again. Over and over for the past couple of years it has been orphaned and neglected because we have so much to do. But investing a little time will make a difference to all of us who are stressed-out, harried, or sincerely frightened. We can learn things to enhance and improve our lives and our work. Professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, regular working people in every field can share experiences, learning and teaching at the same time. I encourage all your readers to check it out, comment on a thread, ask a question, get involved. All of us together are way smarter than any of us alone.
Thanks, Dawn. I appreciate the serendipity of working on this interview over the Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer and the beginning of something new. I’m reminded of the opening verse in Jimmy Buffet’s song “Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes”:
“I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try to recall the whole year
All of the faces & all of the places
Just wonderin’ where it all disappeared.”
Well, I know where it went now, and how to go about getting it back.
About Stephen: Stephen Smith is a customer-service oriented professional with over 15 years of experience in hospitality management leading sales and service (that’s a fancy way of saying that he used to manage restaurants and hotel banquet departments). Coming from that dynamic environment, Stephen brings high-touch experience to the internet with hands-on coaching and education. He has been teaching and consulting with small businesses for over three years, leading to an invitation to present at SOBCon (Business School for Bloggers) in 2009. Stephen writes at the In Context Blog, a web-based resource for social media literacy and business development through personal development.
Web: http://stephenpsmith.com/
Blog: http://blog.incontextmultimedia.com/
Twitter: hdbbstephen
6 Responses to “Blogging for a Living:
Marketing Blogmeister Stephen Smith Takes the Leap”
Being new-be to vocational retooling my life for success, your interview was very inspiring to me. When reorganizing our vocational worlds staying focused, organized, and maintaining an overall “balance” in life is a healthy road to go down. Great interview! Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Hi LouAnn, I’m glad the interview resonated. I think one of the most challenging aspects of leaping into new vocational horizons is planning for the worst while hoping for the best. It’s a yin/yang thing. (I’m a martial arts person so I think that way.) We can become almost superstitious about bad scenarios and yet, by facing the possibility and devising a Plan B C and D, we take the drama out of it. It’s. It’s just another problem to address, just another aspect of the full monty experience of success.
There’s a great website, Admitting Failure http://www.admittingfailure.com/, that talks about it unabashedly. Of course, Stephen is in a different ballpark because he’s done this before. He understands what he’ll be facing. But many of us simply cant deal with the possibility that it *wont* happen, so we shoot from the hip. We’ve got chutzpah which we do need. But we also need reality and planning. We need to surround ourselves with good resources: people who’ll encourage us to be all we can be, who won’t support whineyness or avoidance tactics. Objective, compassionate colleagues who wont let us get away with lame excuses. Folks who call us out to be our highest, bravest versions of ourselves. Warriors.
I mean, what else is there to do anyway? Time moves forward regardless. We might as well get busy, but be smart about it.
Oy, I blathered too much. Well, its my blog so I can get away with it.
Take care!
Great points Dawn, the number one thing to remember if you are considering a transition like this is to plan ahead and save some money. You should have 6 to 9 months worth of expenses covered before you make a leap like this.
Good morning stephen. I”m up early.
So my question to you then is, what if you cant save that much. Alot of folks dont have 6 to 9 months of savings, especially now. Some have already been laid off. But they want to do it anyway. They feel emotionally and intellectually ready for the shift.. Thoughts?
Thanks for the opportunity to share with your readers, Dawn. I really appreciate it.
i enjoyed it stephen. You’re doing what a lot of folks would like to do. It’s encouraging. Enjoy!