It’s been six weeks since my husband and I left Arizona for our new life in Massachusetts.
It’s been 2 1/2 months since I started sabbatical for my marketing business, and stopped volunteering for KWSS Independent Radio.
This is Part Two. This post will cover thoughts about my business and radio. You can find Part One here. Please forgive the stream of consciousness.
“You can’t see the full picture when you are in the frame.”
I read this recently, and it’s absolutely true. My business turns 11 in September. I was part of KWSS Indie Radio for 16 years. Managing and running both, while taking on client work at the same time. Being able to take this time off to reflect, decide what works and more importantly, what does NOT work, is not something I take lightly. I love my business. I love working in the music industry. It took about 7 years to finally merge my business and radio into being more exclusive to the music industry. I’m definitely planning on still being a part of it in some way in Massachusetts.
There’s so much I still don’t know about how I want to proceed, even after two months on sabbatical. I think much of that has to do with not realizing how run down I was with my work. When you are a solopreneur, it can always feel like an uphill battle. The moment you stop to take a breath you are behind, so you just keep grinding away. Having this opportunity to take the time away makes me want to be very intentional about my business strategy moving forward.
Self-discoveries so far:
*I would like to do more voicework. I started my radio-career out of voice-acting and podcasting. The part of radio I do love is producing my show. Mixing playlists. Making spots to play on-air. How will this work in the world of AI voiceovers? We shall see.
*At the same time, I am not missing radio. Yet. Specifically, managing a station. It’s a heavy weight I’m very glad has been lifted. I didn’t realize how heavy until I left. Don’t take this the wrong way, I loved my time at KWSS and I love radio and its purpose is more important than ever. I’m not sure where radio fits into my life here on the east coast. I could circle back to podcasting. Or both! I guess we will all stay tuned!
*I don’t want to manage too many social accounts. I want to show you the strategies to do it yourself. 10 years ago the demand for video wasn’t even a thing. Now it’s a continuous cycle of staying on top of the latest trends and get those videos made and posted. The best people to put those videos together and roll them out are the businesses themselves. Plus, the more I would take on to manage, the less I have time to promote myself.
*If I were to continue daily management for a business, it’s going to be very selective. I’ve been very proud of being able to help others with very tight budgets by managing their social sites, but at the same time I was undercharging for my services. That means I would need to take on more and more just to have a decent income month, and as I said above that leaves less time for my own promotion. I have a combined total of 27 years experience in marketing and promotions under my belt, it’s way past time to level up.
*I’ve been thinking more about passive income, perhaps in the form of Affiliate Marketing. I don’t know much about it currently, but I’m investigating. What I do know is I have many products and services I use for business and audio, why not share and get a little kickback?
Of course there are still many things to do before I begin actively working again. We move into our home at the end of August. Once we get unpacked and have that permanent address, I can figure out the best way to transfer my business from AZ to MA. I promised myself (and my husband) a six month sabbatical, so I’m not in any major rush. I want to make sure I’m doing everything correctly in the transfer process. I can’t wait to roll out the next version of my business!