Ditching my comfort zone

Success doesn’t always come from doing what other people can’t – it sometimes comes from doing what other people won’t.

We often hear about the importance of trying new things, getting away from the ordinary, experiencing something different. Never approaching or being afraid of change limits what we can accomplish. This time spent living in our comfort zones stops us from advancing, both personally and professionally.

So why do we hesitate to step outside our comfort zones? I don’t think I’m alone when I admit that I prefer to play it safe and stick to what makes me feel protected. In my comfort zone there are no surprises and few difficulties. In my comfort zone, failure really isn’t an option.

What I continue to learn, though, is that stepping beyond this feeling of assurance means embracing change. If I refuse to change, I’ll get left behind.

So how can we step outside of our comfort zones? You have to put yourself in a situation that’s unconventional, and you need to develop the confidence to know you can achieve anything with the right effort. This can be done in various ways. For me, it was a recent SEO staff training.

I was asked to train the Bohlsen Group team on search engine optimization. Admittedly, I initially knew very little beyond my ability to carry on a basic conversation on the subject. I knew that any advanced questions would leave me stuttering and backtracking.

So I took to background research – SEO guides, Power Point presentations and YouTube videos to gain a much broader understanding. I’m not an expert, but my grasp of SEO is now much greater than before. Win.

Except – understanding the basics was just the first step. I still had to present to our entire staff and field questions that I had to answer. Relaying all that I had learned to my colleagues? My hesitation to step outside the comfort zone was front and center.

Looking back, I now see that this training wasn’t just for the staff – it was a self-training in developing my confidence in my own abilities. I learned something new, and because of it, was simultaneously forced to advance.

When we force ourselves to in a new direction we’re almost always surprised with what we accomplish. It might be awkward at first. It might be difficult or embarrassing. But success in so many realms happens when we take risks and face our fears, not from playing it safe. Embrace what you don’t know and use it to better yourself.

Are you ready to ditch your comfort zone?

The mentor effect

By Ryan Simpson

College graduates everywhere have recently made the long awaited transition from student life to the workforce. While this is an exciting experience, it’s also a nerve-wracking time of uncertainty. The new independence and responsibility that seems to suddenly appear can feel like the widely referenced ‘quarter-life crisis,’ but I see it more as a temporary transition to embrace – it’s an opportunity.

More than anything, finding a mentor and cultivating that relationship is what can turn this opportunity into the tools needed to jumpstart your career. As I’ve worked my way through the transition period, I’m learning that no one in the working world is ever too young or old for a career mentor. Having turned to several of mine for advice on numerous occasions, I’ve found that there are four main reasons to maintain these relationships at any stage in a career.  

Ease the transition periods. Mentors can help alleviate the stress of starting a new job by sharing industry and company insights gained from years of experience. By learning about others’ early successes and failures, I have been able to gain a clearer picture of industry expectations and learn to avoid pitfalls – so far.

Learn the simple lessons. A former college professor told me that the best thing one can do throughout their career is simply to continue asking questions, which always shows engagement and a willingness to improve. In the fields of PR and advertising our methods and tactics are constantly changing. Practitioners should always be asking questions in order to improve efficiency, and it’s often a mentor who will be able to pinpoint these simple but impactful lessons.

Elevate your career. A mentor is likely to be established and successful in their industry, and the best advice and insight will come from those who have relationships with individuals of varying levels of experience in numerous related industries. There is no rule saying one mentor is the limit as you develop your career path – find and cultivate relationships with those whom you aspire to be like in the future.

Have a cheerleader. The workplace environment is very different from the college life. While the collaborative atmosphere at Bohlsen Group lends itself to conversation and frequent interaction with colleagues, it’s important to have someone on the outside able to provide tips on fostering relationships in the office. Additionally, when both personal and professional questions arise (and they will), you’ll need a cheerleader in the wings.  

As beneficial as the help of a mentor is for the mentee, the relationship is symbiotic. As you move forward in your career, you may simultaneously be a mentor as you continue learning from your own. How have your mentor relationships affected your career? 

Visually narrate your brand with 3 tips

Photography has never been more popular than it is today. The user-friendly aspects of the smart phone camera, photo-driven social media sites (think Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook) and the availability of low-cost beginner DSLRs each allow people to make it a hobby and a habit. As more companies follow suit and use images to show off their events or behind-the-scenes company culture, it’s crucial to start with a creative strategy.

Here are a few tips to narrate your brand from a visual standpoint:

Capture images that help – not hurt – your story. You can’t show everything, so focus most on what deserves to be front and center. With this in mind, it’s important to stay mindful of what I call the three F’s: finding the “what” to capture, framing the picture aesthetically and focusing on the most important part. Just because everyone knows how to snap a photo doesn’t mean everyone should. In any setting, only allow those that have the creative eye and the company’s brand in mind to help create the visual story.

Think outside the box with social media. Creative thinking will take you far beyond simply attaching a picture to a tweet or Facebook post. At Bohlsen Group, we like to host photo contests on our clients’ Facebook pages to encourage fans to offer their own content and increase engagement simultaneously. You can also pin images from your Flickr account to Pinterest, using your own photos instead of solely relying on re-pinning.

Internally, our recent month-long photo a day challenge offered a fresh visual perspective on our company.

Improve your iPhoneography. People love feeling a behind-the-scenes connection with a company or brand, and posting spontaneous pictures from your smart phone offer authentic, personal insight. If you want to improve your iPhone’s pictures, Camera+ is an app superior to the standard camera, much like the difference between a DSLR camera and a point-and-shoot. If you like the look of filters, there are hundreds of apps, including Pixlromatic, Hipstamatic and Vintage Camera, that provide endless options aside from the popular Instagram. You can export these filtered pictures into your camera roll or share them directly via your social media platforms.

In PR we know that content is king, so our creative services division uses photography and videography to strategically provide our clients with content. We embed videos into digital collateral, produce video blogs and enhance social media posts with pictures. Our industry continues to become more visual as PR evolves in the digital world, and we increasingly have the ability to support our messages with high-quality images.

How do you visually narrate your brand?   

Post-grad: Lessons from the real world

While millions of college graduates have spent the last few weeks settling into the ‘real world,’ I’ve been reminiscing about my own graduation and the early days of my career. I remember that feeling of simultaneous enthusiasm and terror as I searched for jobs and ventured, wide-eyed and smiling, into interviews hoping that someone would give me that shot I needed.  

When I look back on the past three years, I realize how much I’ve grown as a professional. I’ve had ups and downs, made mistakes and experienced successes. And as I’ve embraced the lessons that have come with each, I realize this is the pattern of any successful career.  

If you’re in this new group of young, aspiring professionals, here is my advice to you:

Be confident in your abilities. With experience comes confidence and poise, and it develops over time. I remember attending strategy meetings early in my career and feeling apprehensive about speaking up. While there is a fine line between being self-assured and overly confident in your abilities, I’ve developed a confidence in my skills that helps me to better interact and collaborate with coworkers, supervisors and clients.    

Recognize where you can improve. When you’re searching for a job or trying to prove yourself in a new workplace, it’s only natural to play up your strengths. However, an experienced professional knows that there are always additional skills to gain. Whether it’s attending a webinar to learn about new industry trends, tweaking your leadership style or changing the way you approach group projects, it’s important to seek opportunities to continue improving yourself as a professional.

Know that sometimes, the hard way is the right way. Whether it’s admitting that you made a mistake or making a tough phone call to a client, I’ve learned that the easy way out isn’t always the mature thing to do. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and step outside your comfort zone to resolve an issue.

Learn to say no. I definitely had this issue early in my career, and my enthusiasm to take on work would lead me to take on more than I could handle. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. It’s much better to be honest than to miss a deadline with a client or drop the ball on an important project.  

Ask the right questions. While we’re told there is no such thing as a dumb question, that isn’t free rein to ask for the sake of doing so. Do your research and prioritize what you need to know before approaching a supervisor or project lead with questions. 

Understand that promotion follows hard work and dedication. My previous work experience was incredibly rewarding and although I served in two different roles at the same company, I was never actually promoted (gasp!). But the experience I gained with the company was invaluable to my career, and I relished the opportunity to demonstrate my skills. I recently received my first promotion of my career, and it was something I felt truly reflected the dedication to and quality of the work I had done.

10 ways to recharge your work batteries

Keeping a creative edge at work seems to be harder than ever these days. Technology has made it possible for work emails and texts to find us anywhere and at any hour. Many businesses have reduced employee count, requiring the remaining staff to work harder with less.  

Add in the background commitments of families, bills, health issues, carpools, in-laws and other life stresses, and it’s a wonder anyone can focus long enough to stay sharp. Those PTO days you have? Use them wisely. There are certainly times you need them to deal with the obligations of life, but I’m a firm believer that in this stressed out world everyone should keep a number of those precious days in reserve just for you.

So, what is the best thing you can do to feel renewed? Everyone is different, but your special day should ultimately rest your brain and soothe your soul. Here is a list of Indianapolis-area options that are inexpensive (some are free) and all within I-465.

1.) Bike the Monon Trail and stop along the way for a leisurely bite to eat.

2.) Hang out at the Main Library. Sit upstairs and enjoy the downtown view with a good book.

3.) Pack a wine and cheese picnic and relax in the IMA gardens. 

4.) Walk the newly completed Cultural Trail and find a new place to enjoy lunch.

5.) Catch an afternoon game at Victory Field.

6.) Pick up a White River State Park pass – seven great attractions in a beautiful setting.

7.) Explore historic Fountain Square. 

8.) Go for a stroll along the Canal Walk – people-watching central.

9.) Enjoy a daylong scavenger hunt and take a friend “Goodwilling.”

10.) Volunteer.  Nothing makes you feel as good as helping someone else. 

According to The Huffington Post, the average American worker leaves two unused vacation days on the table each year. This year, how will you recharge and take a day for yourself?