Words to the Wise

So, it’s the end of yet another year of planning, working, writing, editing, testing, blogging, podcasting and all the other fun things I get to do for my clients as well as for my freelance business. Looking back one year ago at this time causes me to see some very notable diferences the past year has made:

- A year ago, I didn’t have a blog. Now, I have two, and another one planned for early 2008.

- A year ago, my home office was half the size of my current office. I even have a window now.

- A year ago, the only presence I had on the web was my website. Today I have the site, the blogs, a social media press room, a social networking presence and much more.

So what happened over the past 365 days? Well, I went for it. I took action. I made the calls, sent the emails, took the chances and completed the projects.

I couldn’t have done it without the help of my loyal clients, friends, mentors and students.

To all of you, I say Happy Holidays and all the best in 2008!

Jason

Ps. If you’re reading this, and you’re not signed up to receive updates in your inbox, I encourage you to sign up so you don’t miss anything in 2008.

In my early copywriting and public relations days, I was lucky to have some good bosses. Go and look at my resume, and you’ll see the companies I’ve worked for who gave me good bosses. They’re the ones who gave me the freedom to be creative and offer new, big ideas.

I was also lucky to have some really, REALLY bad bosses. Those you won’t find on my resume. I’m not just talking about people who didn’t understand creative work or who were just trying to put their mark on everything I did, I’m talking about some true knobs of epic proportions. Bosses who offered clients crappy work day-in and day-out. Bosses who said one thing and really meant another. Bosses who berated you in front of clients because your ideas were not what they thought the client wanted to hear.

They know who they are. They read this blog. Welcome back, by the way.

What, me? Smug, you say? Never. Actually, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank these less-than-desireable leaders for teaching me how NOT to do business. During my time at these companies, I sat in meetings where my bosses would NEVER offer new and big ideas. Nothing fresh, nothing outrageous, nothing out of the box. Everything they did lacked courage and creativity. It oozed of complacency and the status quo.

As for me, I just sat back taking notes in those meetings. Notes about what NOT to do, how NOT to act, and how NOT to ever, EVER be like these people, ever.

All the jobs I’ve hated, I’ve learned from. Successful people will tell you that learning happens more when you fail, than when you succeed. While, in hindsight, I wouldn’t call working for Knobs, Inc. et al a failure, in the beginning of these jobs, I was certain I was a failure by going against the company grain, offering fresh ideas, and not settling for the obvious solutions. The truth is, I was learning some of the greatest business lessons of my life.

My lesson today for you is to always fail forward. That means that every time you feel like you’re failing, look for the lesson. It’s there. All the time. When you’ve found it, you’ve advanced. At one ad agency back in Connecticut, I was to come up with some ‘fresh’ radio spots for a client. So that’s what I did. The result - five spots my boss HATED. He wouldn’t even show them to the client. He swore at me, threatened me and then threw my spots in the trash.

Was that a failure? Maybe at the time. Today, those five spots have brought me more freelance copywriting work than I could have ever imagined at the time.

I failed forward. You will too.

“This Hour Has 22 Widgets” to Deal With Unique Products and Services, Marketing Strategies and Tactics

News Facts:

• Jason Pedley, a North Carolina-based freelance copywriter, has announced he will host a BlogTalkRadio show called “This Hour Has 22 Widgets.” Pedley’s host page can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/jason_pedley.

• “This Hour Has 22 Widgets” will showcase products, services and ideas from his clients and other companies across America and discuss marketing topics and ideas that contribute to business success.

• Pedley’s first guests will be Kim Mack and Staci Douglas, founders of Out of the Box Party (www.outoftheboxparty.com). Pedley will interview them about their online business and what marketing tools they use to be successful. The segment can be heard live on BlogTalkRadio.com on Tuesday September 25th, 2007 at 10:00am Eastern time.

• BlogTalkRadio allows anyone to host their own live radio show online. Hosts are assigned a number that they dial into and use a web-based control panel to manage callers, advertising, music and effects. Listeners are given a dial-in number to call that allows them to ask questions and interact live with hosts and guests. Listeners may also send emails and instant messages to the hosts during a show to ask questions.

• Shows can be scheduled up to one month in advance and listeners can tune in on the BlogTalkRadio website at www.blogtalkradio.com. All segments are recorded and available afterward as podcasts through the BlogTalkRadio website and iTunes.

• Jason Pedley is a freelance copywriter with website content and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experience in real estate, gaming, tourism, dining, entertainment, retail, meetings and conventions and technology.

Please use this URL to access a purpose-built del.icio.us page, for more information about Jason Pedley: del.icio.us/jasonpedley

(Visit www.jasonepdley.com/resume.html for Jason Pedley’s history or www.linkedin.com/pub/2/64b/756 for Jason Pedley’s LinkedIn profile.)

Quotes attributable to Freelance Copywriter Jason Pedley-

• “I got the idea for my BlogTalkRadio show after hearing one too many dry, run-of-the-mill podcasts produced by PR agencies and hosted by account executives reading word-for-word from a script.”

• “This Hour Has 22 Widgets injects life into the podcast and brings excitement and energy to the format. ”

Please email press@jasonpedley.com to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes.

About Freelance Copywriter Jason Pedley:
Jason Pedley is a freelance marketing, public relations and advertising copywriter who provides value to his clients by writing copy that is on time, on target and on budget. His copywriting experience has brought him projects in gaming, tourism, real estate, entertainment, retail, non-profit, technology and other sectors. To learn more about Jason Pedley, his services, and how they can help your organization, visit www.jasonpedley.com, jasonpedleycopywriter.wordpress.com, or email him at press@jasonpedley.com.

Contact Info
Jason Pedley
860.886.3455 cell
press@jasonpedley.com
www.jasonpedley.com

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