10 Things (plus one) that Happen to you When you Love your job
If you've always done what you love as a vocation or made a career change to pursue a dream, then you've probably experienced one of these points mentioned below! Here are somethings that happen to you when you love what you do for a living:
1. You hate sick days
2. You have eureka moments more often
3. You have a lot of bed-side idea scribbles (keep a notepad by your bed)
4. Your to-do lists look pretty sexy
5. You. Love. Mondays (Yeah, right)*
6. You don't mind working weekends
7. You take less desk selfies (Yeah, right#2)*
8. You forget to eat
9. When people ask you what you do, you are either extremely enthusiastic or extremely hesitant to tell
10. You are expected to be happy 24/7; you, after all, are 'living your dream'
11. You have days when you are frustrated with this thing that you love to do but it only lasts 4 seconds and then your back to hating sick days and the desk-selfie drought.
*The points with 'Yeah-rights' in parentheses are actually true. I've stopped hating Mondays and stopped taking so many desk selfies.......we have to do something about those desk selfies. I miss them.
What do you love about your job?
Surprise for My Silent Readers!
What's a blog without it's silent readers? Our Silentós! In the last 2 weeks, a few of our silent readers have reached out to me to say hi or to comment discreetly. I'd like to say 'Thank you' for those messages and reading PGI, even if you don't comment. It means a lot. 😘
I have 3 surprises for you and other readers as well, to make sure your experience on the blog is synonymous to the expression 'walk in the park'. Here goes!
Breezy comments! [Surprise#1]
I have been speaking with a few of the readers and some have mentioned that they have experienced some difficulty commenting on the blog. So...surprise! Commenting just became a breeze. We are trying a new system that makes commenting much easier. You can now comment anonymously even, finally! Lay out that dirty laundry and whoosa! Try it out and see. Previous comments on the blog had to be removed to try out this new system, that was a difficult sacrifice. So please make our comment-loss worth it by commenting! We are trying out this new comment system to make sure commenting is as easily as licking an ice-cream cone....on a breezy day!
To my regular commenters 😍, without you this blog would just the sound of clicking keyboard keys followed by crickets and silence. Thank you for the comments!!! I definitely appreciate you. Your comments aren't deleted, they are stored in the Disqus account to which you signed up. We are trying out this new commenting system to see if it works for us. Don't stop commenting! You make this blogger giddy😘
[David Bragdon, Kikelomo Omotalade, Ife.O, Otelemuye, Kacheetee! Thanks!]
The Subscription button! [Surprise #2]
Why play catch up when you can subscribe now by hitting the pretty blue button?! Posts come straight into your mail box, casually, no big deal. Gives us a chance to slide into your DM too. Wink.
The 2 posts a-day challenge! [Surprise #3]
I’m on a 2-posts a day challenge, until the month of April! I'm pushing myself just a little bit more. It is, after all, our implicit mantra on PGI, "Encourage. Push. Extra mile. Better you." The challenge is challenging, I have to tell you, living up to its name. It's a pleasure though, writing it and seeing you respond. Thank you for all the feedback and encouragement! Please remember to share posts and to use the new features!
xx
If you have other suggestions on how to make your experience better, please let us know below! I'm so going to try this anonymous thing.
How to Turn Down a Job Offer like a Boss
Skills needed: Interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, communication
Turning down a job offer is like saying 'No' to a guy or girl who just asked you out on a date. It's just all so sensitive and "egg-shell-y" and probably requires just a little more tact than if you were accepting the job. Why? Well, because the asking party is usually the vulnerable party, plus mismanaging the situation could end up unprofitably for you. So tread softly and say 'No' gracefully, bearing in mind that the future is a crazy plexus of opportunities and you never know who you might meet down the road. Make sure your "No" doesn't have a finite tone to it and whatever you do, one thing should always be at the back of your mind, "future relationships and opportunities".
Below are 5 tips to consider when turning down a job offer:
(1) Be grateful for the opportunity and express it.
(2) Say "No" like you'd say "Yes". If you can, show up in person to turn down the offer, otherwise call in. An email or text should be the last resort. No getting back to them at all is not an option.
(3) Be honest about the reason you are turning down the offer. Better prospects, better renumeration, commute distance, whatever it is, let them know. They just might let you work from home, match that paycheck and promise you a promotion in 2 months! Wouldn't that be perfect?! They might even throw in a travel package and a pet dolphin!
(4) Be assertive about your decision. Be certain that you really don't want the job. Going back and forth leaves you looking inconsistent and may impact future relationships with the organization.
(5) Leave the communication channels open. Connect with your interviewer and other key people you interacted with during the candidate selection process on professional platforms like LinkedIn, if that's ok with them. Be sure to recommend people who you think might fit the role you so gracefully turned down....like a boss.
Did I leave anything out? Please, add below!
Blogger Scorned
I recently read a post written by a blogger who was very distressed by the fact that someone had been imitating her blog. I can understand the frustrations of people stealing posts, techniques and pretending like it was their idea without attribution to the creator. It's a good case of plagiarism and even more irritating if they get more comments on "your stuff" than you did. Lol!
However, another way to look at it is this - you have just inspired another artist; original or not.
If there are copyright violations by all means take action but don't let it get to you. No one is quite like you, no one creates like you. God has given everyone the ability to create, Him being the Master Creative Director and all. He created everything, including you. You have the ability to create, so create! No two people can create the same way; find your edge and capitalize.
“An original writer is not one who imitates nobody, but one whom nobody can imitate.”
#NoBlogWars
6 Hacks to Improve your Workspace
My desk sometimes looks like i share it with the 7 dwarfs but it really is just me, and on occasion, Ed. My former excuse used to be entropy, you know how they say we live in a world that is in a constant state of inclination to disorder and all, well, i like the 7 dwarfs explanation better. Anyway, it turns out our productivity is tied to the condition of our work spaces and two decades later, I now understand why we had table lockers in primary school; it was to train me for my life now. Well, I'm proud to say I didn't get trained then and i'm still trying to figure it all out. Lol. Here are 5 ways to improve your work space and subsequently enhance productivity:
Stare
Step back from your work station, fold your arms and stare at it. If it's not a mess, well, skip this post and read our second post of the day; if it is a mess, keep staring until you come to a state of complete discontentment, take a deep breath and shake things up a bit.
Reduce clutter
The more items you have visible, the more distracted you'd be, the less productive you'll become. Keep your work space to the barest minimum, leaving only your primary equipment and a pen visible at all times. Other items can be brought out as needed and of course, immediately put away after use. Discard trash promptly.
Subdue the 7 dwarfs in you
Ensure your space is always clean. If you will be having a meal within this space, remember to air it out and clean off any food residue or particles and to use a coaster beneath your cups all the time.
Use Good Lighting
Ensure that you have enough light for your tasks, invest in a good desk or standing lamp. Get in as much natural light as you can. Natural light is a great way to stimulate your brain and promote alertness.
Play with Colour
Use the right colours to enhance your productivity and creativity.
To stimulate your mind; blue is recommended, for a creative buzz, try yellow or purple; for motivation for physical tasks, red works; for a calm and serene work environment, green soothes. Also note that the combination of these colors have a combined effect of their stimulating properties.
Indoor plants
I don't know what it is but when i look at Judah (my plant), i get a little calmer and maybe happier. It might be because green soothes or because i'm easily amused. However, table plants and indoor plants are known to improve concentration, productivity and well-being. I guess that's why i get giggly- that and the presence of the dwarfs.
Get your own Business Idea in 6 Steps!
Developing a business idea is probably the simplest part of starting a business. Forget the belief that you have to be extraordinarily smart or be a mad scientist to invent something or to be innovative. Bleh, forget it! What you really need is an understanding of yourself and of the market you are trying to get into and from there, sprouts your business idea! *pop*
According to the Entrepreneur (and my Entrepreneurship teacher), a business idea is simply finding a solution to a problem within a market!
There are three main ways of developing your business idea:
- You identify a need in the community and you create a business plan around that or;
- You capitalize on your skills and create a need or;
- You build on an existing business concept!
All three ways aim to solve a problem within a market. Now dropping all business school lingo, here are 6 steps to building a business idea:
1. Scribble down the things you love to do; or something you are really good at; or a task you hope to achieve by acquiring the skills required. It could be cooking, creating craft, solving problems, playing games, sports, climbing trees, whatever. Scribble. Scribble. It's important that you build your business idea on something that you love to do.
2. Ask yourself "What need is present in my community that can be met with my skills or with this passion that I have?" To help you along with an answer to that, imagine something that annoys you on a daily basis in your everyday life; for example, waiting for the bus. Ask yourself, how can i improve this process of waiting for this *insert adjective* bus?
Then ask yourself, "How can i improve this process and get PAID for it?" Don't be afraid to answer this question too. People make money, they want to spend money; true they like good deals but that's another post entirely.
3. Do some research on how the market (people & transactions) might respond to your idea. This might involve surveys, interviews, general interactions with the community finding out what their needs really are. From this step, you might find affirmations to your answers to Q2 or more information about what people really need!
4. Implement your grand idea but start small. You don't want to invest too much at first. Plus, the earlier you introduce cost containment systems in your business, the easier it is to ensure your overheads (expenses) don't go crazy in the future! Start small, remember "lean is the new robust".
5. Pay attention to the market trends and know your competition. Know what the other tree-climbers are doing and how they are improving. Don't spend all your time focusing on them though, that's the perfect path to being unproductive.
6. Keep learning like your business depends on it....because it does. Continuous learning is the spinach to your business. Never stop learning and keep figuring out ways to improve on your business.
P.s (1) Scribble down even the crazy ideas (2) Don't pay ALL your attention to the other tree-climbers (3) Develop your skills daily (4) Develop other talents
What are your thoughts on starting a business? Do you have a business you are trying to improve? Do you obsess over other tree-climbers?
To Be or Not to Be a Blogger
Here's a hypothetical question to consider as a blogger or an aspiring blogger: If there was just one person who read your blog in the entire world, would you keep blogging?
Would you work as hard as you do to give a consistent quality of posts for one reader to ensure his/her satisfaction?
Would you still do Give-aways?! That would be one lucky reader! She/he would be the only give-away winner! Well, actually, luck would have nothing to do with it and that wouldn't even be winning, more like having a gift registry. Lol.
On a serious note though, those questions help you figure out how much of a commitment you are willing to invest in blogging. There might be days you have thousands of readers, sometimes just a few consistent readers and on some grey days, just 2! On those grey days when you feel a little discouraged, just think of that one hypothetical reader and blog away.
Much love to my one hypothetical reader! I love you, thanks for getting me out of bed everyday!
PGI's most read post last month had over 1000 hits!! Thanks for the shares!
PGI's January Girl - Joko
I met Joko 6 years ago within the walls of NYSC Lagos orientation camp, Iyana Ipaja. Of course, we spent all free our time in Mammy market, eating indomie and drinking Berry blast on those hot, lazy harmattan afternoons and at night we nibbled pancakes or skewered suya with Milo (little wonder we got fat in camp LOL!). Who says serving the country is not fun?
Anyway, i met this bubbly, fun girl who was an entrepreneur and had mentioned this fact in the first 5 minutes of us meeting. Entrepreneurs my age, 6 years ago, were pretty rare, so i uuuuuuh-ed and aaaaaaah-ed in wonder, in my head. Also, much to my amazement, she had brought along with her to Ipaja, her newly printed business cards, which she handed out to anyone who cared to receive them. For the first time, i was observing a real business owner first hand, networking and actively building a business! It was thrilling and inspiring. She was completely oblivious to the effect she had on me but I think she might have sowed a crazy entrepreneurial seed in me that day. It has been more than a delight seeing her business grow and her passion and hard work payoff over the years.
Jokotade Omojirade Shonowo is the girl behind the renowned PoshClick Portraiture and this exceptionally talented business woman is PGI’s January Girl! She has a Bachelors degree in Microbiology from Olabisi Onabanjo University and made a career change to photography in 2010!
Ok, time to hang with Joko! And we are going straight to the point of this post with the first question!
Joko................Gala or plantain chips?
Plantain Chips
(You can tell a lot about a person from the answer to that question)
How long have you been a professional photographer?
About 6 years now
How did you know this was what you wanted to be and how did you make the career transition?
It wasn't cast in stone from day 1 but I definitely had an unwavering passion for photography and I pursued it against the odds.
I pretty much started photography actively during my service year in 2010 whilst serving at Recreate Consult as the Client Service Representative.
What was the model of your first camera?
Canon 400D
[Thief: Your camera or your phone?
Joko: ?]
My Phone.... In fact, none😂😂😂
Your favorite Photography mentors or blogs?
Ty Bello , Sue Bryce , Elizabeth Messina and Susan Stripling
Where is your favorite place to visit?
Seychelles
Is PoshClick like your second baby?
PoshClick is actually my first baby but of course it had to move over for Demilicious to assume her rightful position.
How many photos of Demi do you have? Rough estimate
Over 5,000
Is she ever there while you work?
Yes, sometimes. In fact, she went with me to a product shoot last week and was extremely good. She’s mummy's little helper😘😘😘
What are your hours like?
I have 20 hour-work-days. I'm a walking zombie sometimes.
How do you get yourself out of bed after a long night working?
I would rather sleep in but the only thing that drags me out of bed after a long work night is a DEADLINE.
What do you love the most about your job?
Finding beauty through my lenses
9 pm, Thursday night what are you doing?
Spending time with family
What was the last item you bought ?
Cod Liver Oil - Orange Flavour
What do you sing in the shower?
Nothing- I’m always quiet, I strategize in the shower
Lagos traffic survival kit?
Good Music/ Good Company , Gum and Water
4 THINGS I LEARNT
1. Do what you love and Network! Even Iyana ipaja NYSC camp is a great networking platform. Who knew?!
2. Set deadlines for yourself and sometimes, be quiet in the shower (Note to Self, Ike!)
3. Follow your Dreams, even as a mum!
4. Orange flavored cod-liver oil exists, i can’t even begin to ask whose idea that was
Thank you so much, Jokotade, for being PGI's January Girl!!! Love you loads!
PoshClick Portraiture:
Phone: +2348023655153
Instagram @poshclick
PGI loves to honor everyday people who inspire. The great news is, we are all capable of inspiring! Do you know someone who inspires? Click here and share with us!