This is the first in a 2 part series based on an interview with Monica O’Brien. Come back tomorrow for the next post in the series, subscribe to the blog, or become a fan on Facebook. Read other posts from the interview»
I’d been writing Twenty Set for a year and a half. That one started out about generational issues–specifically, Gen Y. Resourceful Marketer was more about the consulting work that I’ve been doing—it included topics like market research, consumer insights—it was more professional in its topics.
Maintaining two blogs was almost impossible.
I’ve combined the focus of my two blogs into a single blog. I’m going to focus more on marketing to Gen Y, including research that I find about marketing to Gen Y. For example, I was reading an article yesterday on Brand Week that talked about how Gen Y cares about the environment, but they don’t take any steps to help the environment. That is, they’re just not willing to spend extra money on eco-friendly products.
I’m also working on a project with a friend of mine. It’s the Huffington Post for a Gen Y demographic. It’s still in the works, but it’ll be about life’s major inflection points – major life changes like marriage, a new job, kids, graduation — things like that. We’ve got about eight writers lined up and each are at different points in their lives, so we’ll have a range of viewpoints.
I’ll think about a post for days and then sit down and write it out in 20 minutes. A lot of my posts come from personal experience and rants, so that makes them easier to write. At this point, I don’t have a good process because I’ve been blogging for so long and I know what my Gen Y audience likes. I know how to write a winner quickly for that audience.
I haven’t been posting as often as I would like. Partly to overcome that and partly because I want to write a book, I’m working on a series about entrepreneurship called “60 Days to Entrepreneurial Freedom”. I’d like to get feedback on my ideas before I invest the time to write a book. I also figure that if I don’t have enough ideas for 60 days, I probably don’t have enough to fill a book.
When I wrote my article for On Damsels in Success, I was working in manufacturing where the way to get ahead was really by being the squeakiest wheel. But I was expected to be quiet, smile, and help plan the holiday parties. Ultimately, though, when I started speaking up at meetings, people started listening—even if it seemed out of place. From that experience, I learned that it’s not impossible to break out of expectations.
I’m the type of person that always has new ideas, but I don’t always follow through on those ideas. That’s not always a good thing – but it’s not always bad, either.
Growing up, I usually I wanted to be a singer and an actress. I also had phases where I wanted to be a doctor, photographer, and/or lawyer. I always wanted to be an author. I wrote a lot of children’s books when I was young.
I traveled a lot when I was young because my dad was in the military. It was hard, but I was probably a bit drama queen about it. I was really awkward as a kid so it didn’t help that I had to move every two years. Now I’m not sure how to put down roots.
I never considered joining the military. I couldn’t imagine putting my kids through that when I hated it so much; it would hardly be fair after all my whining!
I can’t even pick from all the things that have gone “horribly wrong” at some point in my life. But I’m still here.
If you’re not failing, you’re not trying. ♦
Monica O’brien is an ambitious young woman who has only started her dream-chasing and something tells me that she has great things in her future. Read her blog. Follow her on Twitter.
Published Monday, October, 5, 2009