Building Your Breadth of Knowledge = Expertise

I have always been of that personality to take every an all kinds of opportunities that come my way, hoping that in some way they will pay off. The short, it can run you thin on energy and time but in the long you become an expert in a wide range of expertise.

Always variations to this rule, stick to new opportunities that still in some degree point back to your main goal and industry. For instance, I have for the past 4 years been involved with local educational facilities to help with the planning of their new media courses and talk to students in specialties of this  like game development. This is in my industry still so helps show I am a leader.

Recently this year I took on a challenge, to develop a course for ICTAM (Information Communications Technology Association of Manitoba) for high school students that would introduce them to new media development and ICT. This went so well, with many sleepless nights and early morning traveling up North but in the end it was so successful that now the University of Winnipeg has picked this up! Again still in my industry.

I have led workshops for non-profits, worked with associations, I am now heading up the Interactive Advisory Group for New Media Manitoba and of course I still do projects of building websites for promotion and applications too. Somehow I manage to sleep…sometimes.

My latest project is an online media blog site for interactive professionals. It is steered to my industry but I am doing more marketing and analytic type work then project management and other things I would normally do.

The thing is, I have tried to push myself into a web of different areas to gain experiences and some life skills through the many great people that I have worked with, paid and non paid. It has paid off and continues too. Moving around in other areas, visiting work and possible lack of for an opportunity to do something different is something people notice and it speaks LOUD.

Taking the plunge to just do it is the hardest thing, but in a few years you will look back and go ‘Wow I would have never done what I have done if I stayed working at that one company for years!’

Expand your opportunities, expand your experiences and you become the expert!

Filed under: Archived, Business, Facts, Small Business, Time Management, breadth, Business Development, Company, Entrepreneur, Interactive, Marketing, Philosophy, Prioritize, Social Media, Social network, teaching, Time Management

Sometimes I Feel Like My Brain Is Going To EXPLODE!

Seriously, there is multi-tasking then there is running your own small business on your own. I think at any given time I am doing at least 7 things at once [updating Twitter, reading news articles, emailing clients, reading email, working on spec docs, reviewing projects, drinking my coffee and then thinking…when was the last time I ate?].

Then there is my dear friends and family…whom I don’t see that often and I always get the ‘Your WORKING!!?? – Bunk!’ statements all the time. I think that majority of my relationships have turned digital. My mom even text’s me. I love it!

When I thought I had enough on my plate, I started another business to add to the workload. But hey, it all ties in together so why not! The truth is, that starting new adventures that are closely tied to the abilities and expertise of what you already do really will add value. I am sane enough to know and understand that. It is called growth and breadth of knowledge and skills.

Although a busy life it is all me, and yes all my friends and family know this that is why they accept it. I live for this rush and if you knew me like some do I am a ‘needy’ personality, so having this multiple groups of people to be around 24-7 it does satisfy the business and personal needs that make me Coree.

A few things I do in order to keep my head from exploding:

1. Walking my Dog: Pablo saves me in so many ways. I have to move my butt to exercise and get some fresh air, plus seeing his fuzzy butt running with the wind blowing his ears does make me smile and changes any negative mood.
2. I cook a lot! 2-3 meals daily for my hubby and me. I also take time to make soups or casseroles that can be frozen as well. I am always bringing food to my mom, which she loves and makes me feel good that I can take care of her too.
3. I go to the gym….sometimes. Let’s face it, mental drains call me to take a nap, but I do get out to run and do weights a few times a week and I don’t feel guilty at all about it.
4. I meet people for lunch, and then work out of Starbucks or another coffee joint for the rest of the afternoon.
5. I take days off in the middle of the week because I can and do whatever I want. The few summer days we had, I was on the patio, I do yard work or clean the house, head to the cabin or go shopping with my mom on her day off. I even sleep if I want too. I am the boss right!

So although I do feel like my head is going to explode, I do take advantage of owning my days and professional status and play boss…if you notice the time stamp on this post I am also working at night right now.

Filed under: Advice, Business, Small Business, Time Management, Business, Business Development, Company, development, Entrepreneur, Girlone Interactive, Interactive, LIV interactive, Marketing, Prioritize, Technology, Women in Business

Introducing: LIV interactive! – Girlone Interactive’s New Child Company

It has been nearly a year since the process started to make what was a bunch of ideas to take the past 8 or so years of building my career into a working project that I could watch grow. 

I have spent multiple hours working in my local community and have made great contacts who have helped me grow tremendously as I have supported the same on their end. I wanted to push the interactive digital media industry more, getting away from the consistent surveys that have been rampant trying to ‘define’ this industry (using a TON of dollars to do this I have to say) and then came…LIV!

LIV interactive connects today’s interactive media businesses and leading expert professionals through a series of personalized blogs around Business, Design, Development, Content and the Community.

LIV Interactive is an educational tool that can provide a wealth of collaborative and useful information to our users in one central location. Information that could take years of industry events and board meetings with several industry and government associations to obtain. LIV Interactive also helps to bridge the gap of the complete unknown of what is going on in your local industry.

We have launched our working beta site (what is a working beta site? well this is a site that is still in the final stages of development so there could be some adjustments to the site as we move forward.) however since we are dependent on content we had to launch this site to our public to build up content.

Grow with us, share the site with people you know, sign up to be a contributor and help us make this new company as successful we possible as we represent Manitoba and the talent within with the industry beyond boarders and abroad! 

Visit us today at: http://www.livinteractive.com and sign up to become a contributor today!

Filed under: Business, Small Business, Business, Business Development, community, Company, development, Entrepreneur, Interactive, Marketing, Social Media, Social network, Technology, Women in Business