Category: Business

Why I have trouble booking flights more than a few days ahead

I have real problems booking flights too far in advance. If you know me in real life, you already know that I leave it to the last possible minute. Even overseas trips! Anyone would think we were cashed up! Most of the time, short-notice flights cost way more than those booked in advance. But I can’t do it, I always end up leaving it to the absolute last minute possible (a stress-filled mix of price, availability & timing). Continue reading Why I have trouble booking flights more than a few days ahead

Look at the view out of my office window today

Today we’re in Cairns working at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. We (Iscariot Media) are representing proppaNOW, and selling artwork and tshirts. It’s a funny thing, thinking about where the business has come from over the past two decades. I would never have imagined myself speaking confidently about the artists and their works. It’s easy with the proppaNOW group though,  as their work is clear in it’s intention and I know their bodies of work so well.

I’m looking forward to the next three days. It’s a completely self-funded event, so fingers crossed, Cairns will love (and then buy) our shirts. 

Why I began blogging?

One of the participants last week at the Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program, asked me why I began blogging.

I originally began in 2008/09 after I attended a workshop, facilitated by Edgeware, but run by Eddie Harran. In that probably only one and a half hour workshop, Eddie explained everything from blogs, MySpace (was dying but not quite dead), Facebook, Flickr, Blogger, WordPress, RSS, Twitter and more. He gave context to the different platforms. I began to understand what things meant, in what order they happened, and importantly, how I could use them for my work.

But really, the answer to the question is, I began blogging for business. I wanted to share ideas about Indigenous education that I felt were being missed. I mean, it’s easy to talk to a group of pre-service teachers, but once they’ve graduated? It’s much hard to capture them. The odd after-school professional development session doesn’t really help people who know so little.

I had built websites from templates before Eddie’s talk. The first I probably built in the very early 2000s. It looked terrible. I continue (mostly) to build my own. I care less for the look of a site, than I do for the site’s organisation of information and the quality and usefulness of its content.

Why do I blog now? I still blog for business, but on this space in particular, I blog for myself. I rarely tweet out what I’ve written, I don’t count or measure the statistics. And the odd person or two eventually finds their way here.

Here. I blog for me.

Update: I was cleaning up the categories on Deadly Bloggers, and found this post I wrote in 2012. It relates.

I deleted the Facebook app off my phone

I’ve had one of those weeks. The self-doubt weeks. It’s during these weeks that I tend to delete Facebook “friends”. I have no idea why I do it. I mean I know the triggers and stuff. But I can’t work out why I think unfriending makes a difference. It’s all in my head. I know. Continue reading I deleted the Facebook app off my phone

#FollowFriday

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, that is, document those deadly folks who are my #ff recommendations.

I first started this list back in September 2013 … a never ending list…

  1. @LukeLPearson – an energetic, passionate Koori educator who initiated and drove the rotation curation account @IndigenousX
  2. @IndigenousX – a rotation curation (shifts change each Thursday) of Indigenous Australian voices
  3. @AnitaHeiss – author and activist who tirelessly works for a range of grassroots community causes online and in real life
  4. @TheKooriWoman – her no holds barred political, cultural and social opinion. She games, she writes, swears, she’s deadly
  5. @NomadiqueMC – He’s sweary, he’s #metal and Green. One of the first people I followed on Twitter and one of the smartest brothas I know
  6. @Utopiana – not on the Twitterverse as much as the Facebookz, but if you need to keep up with her blogging, you must follow
  7. @SivParker – since joining the Twitterz she has owned it – storyteller, political observer, grassroots, activitist
  8. @Ren_1 – I can only describe in hashtags #realz #hiphop #critical #grassroots #truth
  9. @NareenYoung – a deadly sistah who never fails to stand up. Insightful, critical and essential
  10. @Liz_Loveslife – she doesn’t blog (much to my disappointment) but her mix of politics-edu-black tweets rocks
  11. @MsLou – black, feminist, lawyerly, unafraid
  12. @DrSRP – academic, intellectual, perceptive, fun. Asks questions, links meaningfully
  13. @DB_1974 Dameyon Bonson is a LGBQTI and Suicide Prevention Advocate. Makes you think and act

Don’t know what a #FF is? Don’t worry, it’s a little bit 2010, but here is a quick history: http://technorati.com/social-media/article/do-you-followfriday-on-twitter-what/

Learning to lead

So, it’s 10.35pm, and I’m struggling to come up with anything to post.

Right now I’m so overwhelmed by both my paid and unpaid work. I feel like I’m neglecting clients. They’re so wonderful I can’t believe they haven’t Tweeted how crap the service (or lack of) is that they’ve been getting. All my work is fulfilling, and I know I need to delegate more effectively, but I’m still learning how. I must be so frustrating to work with me sometimes.

I’m definitely still working in the business than on it.

My volunteer work is taking up so much more time these past months, but there is currently no one to take my place and I do love the SEQICC and its vision. So leaving the organisation is absolutely out of the question right now.

I noted a few articles on Hilary Clinton’s leadership secrets today. While some of the ideas are valuable, they don’t necessarily help an ordinary woman like me right now.

What did help me today, was two particularly inspiring conversations I had.

The first was with someone who “played the possibility game” with me. Over the course of two hours, we trusted each other, told the truth to ourselves and each other, and came up with a pathway to creating something new in Brisbane, something that could really make a difference to the community. I only met her today, but she was inspiring and the meeting made me believe that people can work together without constantly border protecting.

The second was with an amazing Murri women who I’ve grown to love and admire over the past few years. Another ordinary woman, but an extraordinary talent and and mind. She gets me, understands the challenges of being a parent, a parent of teens, and working as an independent, with artists and within a creative space. I trust her implicitly. She also pushes me to be brave and to value myself and what I’m capable of. Coming away from two hours with her, leaves me energised.

Okay. So it turns out I do have something to write about this fine #blogJUNE day.

I’m still learning about leadership. I find myself reflecting on it more and more. The conversations I have help me to put the pieces together.