Jumping In
Sometimes the hardest part is the beginning
I still shudder when I think back to my college swim team morning practices – having to walk up the hill to the sports center in darkness, shivering from winter winds blasting your body, putting on a speedo still damp from the prior evening’s practice, and then standing on the pool deck, barely awake, knowing that getting in the chilled water would be fine once you were submerged and moving, but dreading that initial contact with the surface.
Jumping in is always the hardest part, and that goes for many things in life, including starting my own business. I recently announced the launch of In Like Flinn Communications, with the same trepidation I felt standing on the pool deck all those years ago.
Coming out with an announcement like that is usually celebrated and introduces your new business to colleagues, your network and potential clients. It can also feel a bit uncomfortable - as a reporter and a communications leader, my role has always been to highlight what others are doing. Putting the spotlight on myself, and committing to try and stay front and center through constant outreach, social media posts and networking requires applying the same advice I give others but to my own business.
One thing that I struggled with was coming up with the “why me” reason. There are endless number of other consultants, businesses and agencies promoting themselves with shameless abandon on LinkedIn and other places. What would make me stand out? What could I offer that wasn’t already out there? What’s my “value add,” as they say in corporate jargon?
After being in the media business for more than two decades, I have worked on many kinds of projects that would fall under corporate communications – pitching media, conference support, content planning, social media strategy, crisis communications, internal communications – the list goes on. But lots of other folks have done these things as well. What element do I enjoy the most, has value to potential customers, and would feel authentic to my experience? For me, it came down to storytelling.
I know, many of you may read that and groan. The phrase “corporate storytelling” certainly has been overused by many and can seem silly. But what being a journalist for more than a decade taught me was the difference between relaying talking points and corporate jargon meant to check off boxes but hold little meaning (“we are a best-in-class solutions provider…”), vs providing an interesting take on something. This is a critical element that most companies ignore to their detriment.
At Bloomberg, where I reported on technology, world disasters, wine and healthcare, I prided myself on taking complex or seemingly boring topics and turning them into interesting articles that would drive clicks. At the time, I don’t know if I could articulate how I identified these interesting stories and angles – it’s one of those things that feels like you just know it when you see it – but after switching careers to PR, I needed a way to help others without my background understand.
What I realized, after breaking down my thinking process, was that as a reporter, my brain was listening during interviews for a story arc – a challenge to overcome, an underdog in a race, a mystery or problem that needed to be solved. How this looks practically for a business is to think about the issue your product or service is meant to address.
Mapping out your business’ competitors, customers, advocates and challenges can help identify potentially interesting story arcs: are you a latecomer to the market, but have some special sauce that will make you the eventual winner? Are you developing something truly new that can help customers with a problem no one else has been able to address? Are you working on something that would solve a long-standing challenge or industry goal?
I enjoy these exercises and figuring out answers that not only differentiate a company or product from the competition, but also that can pass the BS-test. If your description of what you can provide or aim to do is too “fluffy” or self-serving, most journalists won’t use it in their articles, and others may be unlikely to repeat it in their own retelling of what you do. So it’s critical to come up with something truly unique and authentic.
For my business, I decided to highlight my own love of this process as my differentiator. I know that when I say I help companies translate complex science into memorable content, I can back that up with decades of examples. It’s unique to me, in that I have had full careers as a top-tier journalist (and still freelance today!) as well as someone who has led communications at several companies.
Once I figured this part out, I felt much more comfortable advocating for myself and my business – “jumping in the pool” so to speak. And so far, it has been a great experience - Many friends, contacts and former colleagues reached out to wish me well and some wanted to discuss working together. I know there are many challenges that come with running a business, but I can say I believe in what I am doing. Now, I am looking forward to following the very advice I give clients, and plan on sharing insights and learnings on a regular basis. I hope you’ll follow along!