Prescription for a "Make it Count" Monday: Coffee and Aspirin with Dee Anna David

It's Monday. The week has just started out and you are almost done with your first day back at work. 

The pressure is on to make this week "the week"....the one where you actually finish that project you've been delaying, the one where you ask your boss for the raise you feel you are long overdue, the one where you finally book the trip you've been working hard towards (you know, the one you are saving for by sacrificing your Starbucks).

OR on the other hand, it could be just another Monday where time flies by and before you know it, Friday rolls around and you feel as though you have nothing to show for the past 7,200 minutes of your life. The choice is yours.

MAKE MONDAY COUNT! 

To help make this Monday different from the last, we have a little prescription courtesy of Dee Anna David. What's her remedy for making Mondays count?

Coffee and Aspirin. Learn more about Dee Anna and the role Coffee and Aspirin play in her daily life.

BLOG: http://coffeeandaspirin.tumblr.com/

Who: I'm Dee Anna, a ten-year lifestyle media professional and writer paying rent in Los Angeles. Over the past decade I've traveled all over the country, made a lot of friends, and have had a lot of fun. I could tell stories from behind the proverbial velvet rope all day but now I'm on a mission to change the world, one socialite at a time, and teach people what I had to learn the hard way: The most important thing in life is not to count your blessings, but to share them.

I've finally been convinced to open up and share this behind-the-scenes look at life as I know it: travel, media, events, fashion, nightlife, my "deetours," and the projects and charities my friends and I are taking on in 2011 to fight poverty, AIDS, support disaster relief and most importantly initiate change by engaging the lifestyle and nightlife industry to join in our mission.
 
What: cof·fee \and\ as·pi·rin
Noun - A perfectly adequate substitute for sleep when a more than full-time profession in lifestyle media, wild travel schedule, ten-item new year resolution list and unbreakable love of nightlife doesn't allow much time for naps.

How it all got started: I am a very, very lucky girl.
Over the years, I have held an amazing career in lifestyle media, that has shuffled me all over the country, lead me to experiences many people will never have, see things many will never see, and make so many amazing friends all over the place. Everyone thinks their friends are amazing, but mine really are.

When my beyond perfect life suddenly fell apart at the end of 2008, I was at no shortage of support to turn to and help me put the pieces back together, a process that more than two years later is still in progress, but I’m getting there. And, when in the end of 2010 with my 30th birthday approaching, I decided to do a $5k fund-raising campaign for charity: water to fund a dedicated clean water well in the Central African Republic, the rush of support surprised even me.

My inner circle, my family, my mentor and my “best friend” in each of the four states I’ve at one point had my mail forwarded to, came through right away. But thanks to the overwhelming love and support from business associates, co-workers, every ex-boyfriend/old flame that ever meant anything to me except one (don’t judge him, we’re in a weird place), long lost friends and even a few surprise social media followers, I was able to shelve marketing tactics I had originally planned to use,  the goal was met ahead of schedule and turned out to be the first of many more charity projects to come … which leads me to, the list.

The Resolutions aka "The List": New year’s resolutions are important to me, partly because, I was born on New Year’s day. I’ve always had a doubly perspective that each year is a new chance to achieve anything and everything a person wants out of life. This year, I told myself that I would set goals that didn’t just have to do with my career path. I’ve already exceeded all of those. This year, my extensive list of goals would focus on happiness and fulfillment outside of just my career.
 

1. I will commit at least 5% of my take home earnings next year to charity and aim for 10%.

2. I will do at least 3 more charity projects this year. At least one will involve giving time, not just money. Projects I am contracted and paid for will not count.

I will not be a victim of my vices

3. I will get back on mint.com and use it daily to manage my spending and saving.

4. I am holding myself to a strict policy of how much clothes I am allowed to have at any time. When I am over my limit, I must donate some. I will not sell or consign any clothing or accessories this year unless it is for charity.

5. I will spend no more than half of what I spent in 2010 on clothing and accessories (baby steps).

6. I will cut down my caffeine intake. I am a huge coffee and Red Bull addict with a daily routine of one Starbucks and three Red Bulls each day. That will cut to half by summer and no more than an average of 1.5 per day by year’s end.

7. I will cut back on my drinking. I don’t drink as often as it looks like I do anyway. In my industry, I’ve had to learn to go out to all hours and stay sober. But when I do, I can overdo it. I have a small frame and a Mexican tolerance. Dangerous combination. I haven’t figured out how to make that quantitative yet.

I have spent the last several years in flight mode. When I go to sleep on New Year’s Eve 2011, I will know that I am where I belong.

8. I will get over my fear of driving and learn how to drive again (this ties to the beginning of what happened to me in 2008).

9. I will get over the past, my fears of hurt and let myself be open. Stop seeking out men with inherent flaws and stop pushing away the others. (Already this year I have failed at this one disastrously.)

10. The biggie. I will determine and settle in the city I see myself in long term. That place may or may not be Los Angeles. It most likely will not be Phoenix. Las Vegas, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and New York are all possibilities.

Bonus ongoing resolution: To every year, no matter what, always find a way to go to at least one, new locale to which I’ve never been and have one experience I’ve never experienced.

The Jaclyn of All Trades asked Dee Anna for some words of encouragement/wisdom with regard to shifting perspectives. Here's what she recommends.

"The most important thing in life is not to count your blessings, but to share them. I believe in karma and if you don't pay it forward, you will pay it back, but even more important than that, we are all here to share. 

In today's world, financial security is an immense blessing but if it isn't that then maybe it is time, or wisdom or love. We all have something to share to help improve the lives of others. Sharing your gift with others, not only makes them feel good, but it will always immediately benefit you as well. Sharing your gift is a good way to grow upon it. 

For me, it was a ten year experience in marketing as part of a team that helped me achieve my goal for charity: water, realize that I was capable of managing and succeeding in such a marketing campaign on my own, and this even lead me to a couple new friends I never would've met otherwise."

As you can see, Dee Anna is living proof of her wise words. She plans on launching another campaign for charity: water, a few weekends ago she ran as part of an ASU alumni team in support of the Pat Tillman foundation (www.patsrun.com) and her next stop will be a project in support of an organization called European Disasters Volunteers (http://www.edvolunteers.org)

See? Told you I have the perfect "make it count" Monday remedy. Now, how are you going to make life count this week, next week and the many more weeks to come?

Share your comments, your tips, share your stories here. 

And for daily inspiration, reflections on life and some pretty phenomenal photos, be sure to check out Dee Anna's blog http://coffeeandaspirin.tumblr.com/

Until we meet again,

The Jaclyn of All Trades

P.S---We made this Monday count by distributing an amazing startup story! Please check out the press release for GivetoGetJobs.com, a job board, featuring careers in the corporate social responsibility and social enterprise sectors, that is launching next week, Monday May 2nd.

"Just Ask Jac" Answers Client Development Questions from A Fashion Forward CEO

Need some start up or social media advice? Then Just Ask Jac. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Just Ask Jac column features real business owners with real business challenges seeking advice or insight on a range of topics. The Jaclyn of All Trades is here to answer questions and provide simple, new strategies while sharing them with you too. 

Meet Nadia Murdock. 

As the CEO of Manchester PR, (founded in November 2008 to help undiscovered designers and start up businesses put their stamp on the consumer market), everyday is a different day for Nadia.

And why is that? In addition to overseeing all client projects for Manchester PR, Nadia also writes and contributes content to several blogs and media outlets including Examiner.com where her articles revolve around fitness in New York.

Fashion meets fitness and equals....business. Nadia has it all covered. 

Keeping busy with her writing while navigating through client management mode often presents some challenges around business development. So, savvy, stylish Nadia came to Jaclyn Mullen, the Jaclyn of All Trades to get some answers on new client development and management. Here is our "Just Ask Jac" session.


Nadia: What are the primary steps when working with a new client? 

Jaclyn: When working with a new client, it is essential that you understand their expectations. In truly defining the outcomes they would like to achieve, you can formulate a plan and structure to attain those goals. 

The first step I recommend when prospecting a new client is performing a client assessment. Provide your client with a questionnaire which asks them what their budget is as well as how much time are they willing to invest towards this endeavor. It's also important to find out their primary and secondary goals. If primary goal is an increase in sales, that's where you want to focus your initial efforts--on acquiring customers. If primary goal is branding, then you may go more of a content development route both online and offline.

The 2nd step is outline your initial strategy then determine the ability to forecast that goal. Ask yourself and the client, will we test this strategy? If so, for how long (30 days, 60 days)? What are we trying to determine from this test (how much media coverage they get, ROI)? Once you have a grasp on the strategy and what has proven successful that's where you get into Step 3. 

The third step is to launch a well thought out strategy with supported structure. The purpose of outlining and testing your initial strategy was to see what worked and didn't work. Why spend time on something that didn't reap rewards? You may utilize the approaches that didn't work in the future but right now, you want to focus on what did work to help your clients start meeting their goals as soon as possible. Relaunch full speed ahead with a clear sense of direction, clear benchmarks and a clear time commitment from both yourself and the client.


Nadia: Have you ever said "no thank you" to a potential client?

Jaclyn: Business is all about matching needs. Clients have needs that services must fulfill, in turn businesses have needs that by providing client services must get fulfilled--the most important being income.

It's really hard for any business owner to turn down a potential project. But if the client has different expectations that you can't justify with your skill set then why start down a slippery slope?

Some clients may not be ready for your services YET particularly if they haven't budgeted for them. Budgeting goes beyond the financial aspects, it shows that the client has thought and planned out their business model to ensure a healthy base and longevity for themselves. Fifty percent of all businesses fail due to poor or no planning at all. Should you assess a client and determine they aren't a good fit refer them to someone who is or suggest they incubate a little longer then reach out to you after 3-6 months.


Nadia: What are the number one goals a business owner should set for themselves when taking on a new client?

Jaclyn: Support and measure.

How can you determine as a company that this client is successful? Is it press hits, event attendance, an increase in sales? You want to quantify your results which leads to the most common goal amongst clients; increase in revenue.

If you do a good job and give your clients an ability to measure what you are providing, you can establish a long-term relationship which improves your revenue and overall profitability too.

I also want to add that another important goal for business owners servicing clients is clear communication and thorough time management. One hour is VERY precious especially as you build up your client roster. You need clear communication with the client so that you can relay their objectives to a member of your team, measure your company's ability to meet those objectives all while managing time.

And these answers aren't just applicable to fashion. They can be applied to many businesses across the board. The point is, get out there and find those potential clients. You never know which one of your prospects may turn out to be a really good business match.
  
Are you in fashion and are looking to branch out from being under the radar? 

Be sure to contact Nadia Murdock, CEO of Manchester PR, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm MST. 
Phone  201-218-0238
Email:  nadiamurdock@manchesterpublicrelations.com

You can also keep up with the latest developments at Manchester PR through their blog and Twitter.

http://www.manchesterpublicrelations.com/blog/

Manchester PR Twitter

We'd also love to hear from you. Feel free to share your client development success stories and tips in the comments section. The more, the merrier. Thanks for reading this "Just Ask Jac"....be sure to come back for future posts. You can also follow Jaclyn Mullen on Twitter.