Sometimes a work assignment makes you reflect, and causes you to consider the bigger picture. Nature, people, animals, the food supply, the earth.

While working on a produce packaging assignment, I was asked to inquire about sustainability efforts. The companies that create fruit and vegetable packaging told me they’re using less plastic, or recycled plastic, or recyclable-friendly plastic. This is being driven by consumer/retailer demand and current/future environmental regulations.

As I conducted further research, I found myself overwhelmed by facts about plastics. Soon I was in the territory of Chicago Daily News columnist Sydney J. Harris, who wrote an occasional feature called, “Things I Learned En Route to Looking Up Other Things.” 

In the spirit of that recurring Sydney J. Harris column, here is what I learned:

• 430 million tons of plastic are produced each year. 
• One-third of it is single-use plastic.

• Of the plastic that is produced, 9% is recycled, 19% is incinerated, and 72% is in landfills or the environment.
• In the U.S., about 5% of plastic is recycled (partly due to infrastructure challenges).

• Plastic that is not reused or recycled, breaks apart to form microplastics. 
• Microplastics are plastic pieces less than 5 mm long - about the size of a pencil eraser.

• Microplastics make their way into our fish, meat, tofu, fruit, vegetables, and get into our drinking water, blood and organs.

• 22 million pounds of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes each year. 
• Humans consume a credit card-sized amount of tiny plastics each week. 

On April 20, Earth Day, I realized it’s time to make personal changes. After all, this year’s theme is “Planet vs. Plastics,” and the goal is a 60% reduction in production of all plastics by 2040. While I don’t produce plastics, I do consume them. Why not consume less?

So I’m now buying peanut butter and salad dressing in glass jars (not plastic). I’m mixing frozen orange juice with water in a glass pitcher, like my mother once did. I’ll make my own iced tea (rather than buy huge plastic bottles of it), and switch to cat litter in cardboard containers (rather than big green plastic jugs). And although I long for berries in the green pulp cartons from my childhood, those plastic clamshells seem ubiquitous (except at summer farmers markets). 

This writing assignment definitely made me think about our planet. While I don’t plan to revert to “Little House on the Prairie” living, I’ll aim to buy paper, cardboard or glass packages — instead of plastic. Thanks to the facts I discovered, I am inspired to do so. #

-- Sarah Klose

Further reading:

MIT Technology Review, October 12, 2023. “Think that your plastic is being recycled? Think again.”

Chicago Tribune, April 28, 2024. “86% of Great Lakes litter is plastic, a 20-year study shows. And the plastic is 'just getting smaller and smaller.’“ (need subscription to read article)

Earth Day website

Relevant links: 

Fight for Freelancers USA

Everything You Need to Know about the USDOL Independent Contractor Rule

"Are We About to Lose Our Independence?" March Stet President's Post

To subscribe to the Freelancer Dispatch newsletter, please email Lila Stromer

After enjoying a successful career as a freelance writer for over 30 years, could I wake up and suddenly find my clients gone without a trace? Naw! Not in an America where Independent Contractors (ICs) have been freely choosing how they work and live ever since the Declaration of Independence was penned. 

Yet the nightmare of finding our way of life ripped out from under us is about to become a reality. On March 11, the US Department of Labor (USDOL) is launching the  “Classification of Employees and Independent Contractors Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” 

That regulation is modeled after California’s AB5 law, passed in 2019. As a result of AB5’s reclassification of Independent Contractors as employees, the careers of 4.5 million Independent Contractors and entrepreneurs were destroyed – despite a rescue plan of numerous carve-outs.

All the destruction that AB5 has inflicted on the Golden State can now spread its tentacles nationwide to affect 72+ million Independent Contractors. That's almost 45% of the U.S. workforce, according to MBO Partners. Freelancers in over 600 different fields will be fair game -- everyone from CPA’s, caregivers, hair stylists, landscapers, physical therapists and translators, to graphic artists, writers of all stripes, real estate appraisers, dental hygienists, truckers, musicians, and bookkeepers. To name a few.

Bluntly put, our business is none of the USDOL’s business. What have we IC’s done to deserve this? Absolutely nothing. In fact...

• According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of self-employed workers (62%) say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job, compared to (51%) those who are not self-employed.

• From Upwork: 74% of ICs say freelancing has given them greater control over their life, while other benefits include attention to their physical health and work-life balance.

Given those stats, why are we being force-fed a “solution” for what was never a problem in the first place?

Turns out, a groundswell of pushback is erupting: U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R- LA) will be using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to attempt to repeal the rule. On January 16^th,  Fight for Freelancers USA co-founders have filed the first suit against the USDOL. More suits are following. Ultimately, the rule will be catastrophic to the entire U.S. economy, no doubt necessitating SCOTUS involvement. But that doesn’t mean we can all sit back and hope for the best.

Time is of the essence. The time to act is now. With the USDOL regulation ready to pounce on March 11, it is imperative we all voice our opposition to this deleterious rule by contacting our U.S. Congressional representatives. Tell your U.S. Rep and both your U.S. Senators to support Senator Cassidy’s and Rep. Kiley’s Congressional Review Act that will stop the USDOL rule in its tracks. You can even make it personal in how the rule would/could affect your business.

Even if you’re not an Independent Contractor, you most likely work with or hire them, considering the hundreds of professions ICs represent. Do you really want your hard-earned tax dollars going towards the enforcement of rules that will wipe out millions of jobs and small businesses? 

The clue here is in the name. Think “opposite.” Because there is nothing fair about the “Classification of Employees and Independent Contractors Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” It is patently unfair. And downright un-American.

-- Laura Stigler 

P.S. Please plan to attend IWOC's Special Meeting on Tuesday, April 16, when Employment Attorney Lori Goldstein will be discussing the USDOL rule, how it can affect you and how you may be able to protect your business.

James T. Ardito, who blazed a shining trail as the co-founder and first president of Independent Writers of Chicago (IWOC), died on December 29 in Evanston.

Ardito, 78, launched IWOC in 1981 for a creative group of mostly local, print-media independent writers. It would grow and develop over the years into what it is today, still standing tall as other local, professional writers groups have withered away and died in today’s difficult environment.

 As a writer, Ardito presented himself in a well-earned confident manner as one who would generate original copy or advertising that he guaranteed would “sell” the products and services of international corporations, as well as for other more modest endeavors.

Ardito offered to write blogs, brochures, E-marketing, newsletters, social media and web content, specializing in multiple areas of topical expertise —advertising (including radio and TV), food, health, medical, marketing and sales. He could also provide employee communications, brand strategies, videos and industrial training films. A man of many facets, to be sure.

After serving as president and remaining many years as a member, Ardito allowed his membership to lapse. Much time had passed until 2017, when he attended “Life in the Freelance Lane,” an IWOC program presented at Evanston’s library by current president Laura Stigler and board member Jeff Steele.  

Reigniting his passion for the organization he first established, Ardito immediately rejoined IWOC with new gusto and once again, brought his enthusiasm to IWOC’s Board of Directors on which he served from 2018 to 2019.

In his profile, Ardito made sure to describe himself proudly as a professional writer who had served as IWOC’s “Charter” President. “What a joy to see it survive and thrive for decades,” he said.

An obituary posted Jan. 1 at Legacy.com pointed out that Ardito had been born in Hamden, Connecticut, earned his B.A. from Franklin Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and then earned his Master's degree in advertising at Michigan State University.

“If it had anything to do with selling, he could—and did—write it,” the obit noted. “Jimmy told stories, all kinds of stories, scary stories around camp fires for his kids, funny stories for his nationally syndicated column.” 

"Funny" followed Jim everywhere: He loved looking at life through a humorous prism.

Jim resided most recently in Skokie, Ill., and is survived by his wife Merry Juell, two grown children, Sam and Zoe, and a brother and sister.

No details were mentioned regarding a memorial service, except to say that a “celebration of life” would take place at a later date.

-- Tom Lanning

Editor's Note: Here is link to a funny 2019 Stet article Jim Ardito wrote on rejection letters. Note that he also pays homage to his Italian heritage by including a recipe for Lobster Fra Diavolo (the instructions are not for the squeamish). 

This last November, I sent an e-blast to you all regarding the latest news in the fight against a US Department of Labor (USDOL) job-destroying ruling – the PRO Act (Protecting the Right to Organize) containing the ABC Test. Its aim is to classify Independent Contractors (ICs) as employees. (If you don’t know what I’m referring to, find out here.) In that email, I mentioned that the ruling was poised to be enacted around Thanksgiving. That didn’t happen. While versions of it are currently making their way around various states (IL, MN, NJ, RI, NY, etc.) the ruling is still pending on the national level, with a possible launch in January. In the meantime, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has been taking meetings to hear both sides of the issue. 

Our business is none of their business.

Politicians and unelected officials should not be able to decide how we work and live. It is our constitutional right and responsibility to fight back:

1) Contact the White House and voice your opposition to the PRO Act/ABC Test. 2) Find out where your U.S. and State Congressional Representatives stand on this ruling. If they support IC’s, thank them. If they support the PRO Act/ABC Test, set them straight. And 3) get into the business of those unelected officials in the USDOL and on the National Labor Relations Board. Let them know in no uncertain terms where you stand. 

Make your voice heard. I have.

On November 28, I spoke for ten minutes on behalf of IWOC and myself in a teleconference hosted by the OIRA. There were nine in attendance, representing the OIRA, the USDOL, DOL’s and OIRA’s Offices of Management and Budget, and DOL’s Wage and Hour Division. While backed with stats and facts, my statement was intensely personal. It had to be if I wished to make any impact. If you’re curious as to what I presented, my statement is posted below.  You may even relate to some of it. Or at the very least, be informed and inspired enough to contact your representatives or write an op-ed, and make your own voice heard.

Will my voice – and that of the millions of Independent Contractors expressing their concerns – halt the enactment of this deleterious ruling? We can only hope. But to not fight and just accept what will be forced upon us...is unacceptable. 

Stay tuned, 

Laura Stigler

STATEMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

11-28-23

Thank you for accepting my request for a meeting and hearing me out. My name is Laura Stigler. I’m serving my 8^th term as president of Independent Writers of Chicago, speaking for myself and on behalf of our members. I’ve been a freelance writer for 34 years. Previous to that, I worked as a full-time employee for 14 years – the first 2 years in retail advertising, and the next 12 working my way up to Creative Director at J. Walter Thompson – which at the time, was the world’s largest advertising agency. For 10 of those years at J. Walter, it was glorious. The training and experience I’ve gained I wouldn’t have traded for the world. Everything I’ve learned there I continue to put to use in my freelance writing career. 

But in the last two years working at the agency, there was a regime change, turning my days into nightmares where I experienced the kind of backstabbing that is often depicted in movies and novels about the advertising industry. I went into a deep depression, where I’d go home every night, jump in the tub and read fairy tales to escape, as I didn’t do drugs. After my boss sabotaged my work only to throw me under the bus in front of a client, I was fired. Which ended up being a blessing. I vowed never, ever to work for a jerk again. So I decided to go freelance. This was in 1989.

Nonstop since then, I’ve been happily and successfully making my living as a freelance writer, setting my own rates, hours and picking and choosing my clients. At J. Walter, I wrote TV and radio commercials and print ads. But being a freelancer allowed me to expand my own skill sets exponentially, enabling me to offer an extensive variety of writing services that answer the different needs of a wide variety of clients. Need a website written? A blog? A video script? A press release? I do all that – and more. In doing so, I’ve developed solid, trusting relationships with my clients, in every case giving my all in providing my best work, and rewarded with being paid my hourly rate willingly, eagerly, and promptly. In the 30+ years of freelancing, not once have I been stiffed. And for the very few times payment was late, I handled it, appealing to those clients’ better angels.

To those who believe they’re doing Independent Contractors (ICs) a favor by forcing them into being an employee, thinking that is more secure: My experience should tell you, that is simply not the case. Sure, as an employee you’re secure – that is, until you’re laid off due to budgetary concerns. Or you’re fired by a nefarious boss. Or you’re canceled because of a misspoken word. Or the company simply goes out of business. Oh, by the way, the iconic J. Walter Thompson – the world’s largest ad agency? They no longer exist. 

According to Fiver, “Over 80% of independent workers strongly or somewhat agree that having multiple sources of income provides a greater level of security than relying on a single employer, and 89% agree having control over their work life allows them to adjust to changing economic conditions rather than being tied to the decisions of an employer.” 

Keep in mind, too, that when you lose employment, you lose your health insurance. Poof! Gone. How secure is that?  As a freelancer, even if you lose a client, you still get to keep your health insurance – as long as you keep up your premium payments. 

That’s the thing about being independent. It teaches you responsibility. To find your own health insurance. To be proactive in paying your quarterly taxes. No, you don’t get paid vacation or paid family leave, but what you do get in return are three benefits money cannot buy: Freedom, variety and flexibility. 

An example of flexibility:  I was able to earn a living while helping my dad take care of my mother during the four years she battled cancer. 20 years later, I was able to be the caregiver for my dad for 5 years until he passed away at the age of 99, all the while, taking on writing assignments that I’d work on in between the hours of helping my dad. As an employee, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.

Regarding freedom and variety, that is something you do not get as an employee. Oftentimes – and I speak from experience, you can end up working on the same thing, day after day, year after year. But as a freelancer, I get to be creatively stimulated – and happier – by freely working for a variety of clients on a variety of assignments. So if I were to have to work for one of my clients as an employee – assuming they’d even want to hire me as such, does that mean I’d have to give up all my other clients, and be forced into working in a way that I’ve come to find soul-crushing? Why? Just because you say so? Or because of some ill-thought-out arbitrary rule?

I’m referring here to Factor 5 of the USDOL’s rule, the one that emulates prong B of California’s AB5 ruling that destroyed thousands of jobs and small businesses. The personal stories are heartbreaking. That factor states you will be classified as an Independent Contractor if “The service is performed outside the usual course of the business of the employer.” Well my business would be wiped out, because I’m in advertising and the majority of my clients have been ad agencies. 

You say, “But they can hire you as an employee!” Fat chance. No ad agency will hire anyone my age for full-time employment. Ageism is rampant in that industry. Once you turn 50, you’re out. Happened to my husband and to my dad. But the way to beat that – is to be a freelancer. I get hired – and respected because of my expertise, my experience, and the fact that as an outsider, they count on me for bringing in fresh ideas and an out-of-the-box perspective. In total, I’ve garnered millions of dollars’ worth of business for my clients. My reward? They continue to hire me and pay me more than they would were I their employee.

Corroborating my experience are these facts from Upwork:

·       85% of hiring managers say that working with independent talent allows them to access specialized skills or expertise. 

·   79% agree that working with independent talent has enabled their business to be more innovative. 

·   Nearly 80% of hiring managers who engage skilled freelancers say they are confident in their ability to find the talent they need, compared to just 63% of those who don’t engage freelancers.

Let’s also take into consideration the fact that often, smaller businesses will hire IC’s because they simply cannot afford to take them on full time – they can’t afford the vacation pay, health insurance and countless other expenses that go with hiring full-timers. So what will happen is they’ll drop the IC’s altogether. The IC’s will lose their clients. And their clients will lose someone they’ve depended on to help their business succeed. Which in turn, has caused many small businesses to go under as well, because they’ve basically lost their work force. 

According to MBO Partners (a job sourcing platform for ICs) and Freelancers Against AB5, there are 72.1 million Independent Contractors in the U.S. representing over 600 professions ranging from accounting, graphic artists and language translation to hair styling, physical therapy and writers of all stripes. That’s almost 45% of the nation’s workforce. The destruction these rules will do to the nation’s economy will be catastrophic. 

But what it all basically comes down to is this: Millions of IC’s in professions across the board have been voicing their opposition to this rule. If it provided such great “protection” for freelancers, why are only unions in support of it? As it is, the NLRB is being sued for overstepping its regulatory capabilities (with franchisees) and this USDOL regulation will also be sued in court. The millions who have chosen to be Independent Contractors are living exactly how we want to live – with freedom and flexibility. As Americans, that is completely within our right to enjoy. Any ruling that impinges upon that right is a brazen infringement on our God-given unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

And personally, I don’t want my tax dollars going towards rules that will ruin my business and that of millions of others, including the businesses of the writers my organization represents. 

In sum, this so-called Classification of Employees and Independent Contractors Under the Fair Labor Standards Act is patently unfair. And quite frankly, un-American.

Thank you.

Submitted by Laura Stigler

NOTES:

9 people were present in the meeting: Stephen Davis, Robert Waterman -- DOL/Wage and Hour Division; Andrea Reyes, Laurel Havas --  Office of Management and Budget / OIRA; Claire Monteiro- OMB Labor Branch; Amy Hunter, Lyda Harris, Rina Majmudar DOL; Dean Romhilt – DOL/SOL  (represents Secretary of Labor)

You won’t find my name anymore on the list of IWOC members. After a dozen years of freelancing and IWOC (including a couple of terms as president), and about 30 years in newspapers before that, I have decided to retire. This won’t be a semi-retirement of doing a few projects here and there to keep my hand in. It’s walking away from everything all at once. 

You see, I reached the point where I want all of my time to be my own. This past spring my wife and I took a bird-watching trip to the border country of southeastern Arizona, someplace neither of us had ever visited. Of course I had a deadline overlapping the trip, had to ask for flexibility from an editor, had to push to get ahead before we left, and had to push to finish the assignment when we returned. I decided I’d had enough of jamming my pleasures into the spaces between work. In addition, my journalism work has become more difficult in the last few years. People aren’t as cooperative — when they bother responding to interview requests at all. I don’t know why that is, and while I could speculate about the reasons, ultimately reasons don’t matter. Only the effect on my work matters.

I will miss IWOC very much. It was invaluable in helping me master the mechanics of freelancing, but the greatest benefit was finding a group of friendly, helpful, and supportive people, and it is all of you that I will particularly miss. I don’t recognize as many member names as I used to, but that’s good because organizations need to change if they are to survive. IWOC especially needs to do that as writers face the age of artificial intelligence (as true a moniker as it could be since what it produces has little to do with actual intelligence) and business “thought leaders” (a term much like “artificial intelligence”) who see it as an easy way to generate their “content” (meaning clusters of words that have the appearance of being substantive).

I found IWOC through a friend who worked at a Sun-Times suburban newspaper and became one of the many casualties of the post-recession newspaper economy. She saw an ad for a freelance bootcamp by this Chicago writers organization, and she wanted to go but not alone. So I took a day off from my newspaper job, and we went. What I found was people who had made a successful living from freelance writing for years. Not too long after that, when the idiocy at my corporation grew beyond my tolerance, I remembered IWOC and thought, “If they can do it, so can I.” 

I’ll miss trips downtown for IWOC meetings, too, because downtown is downtown and always stimulating and interesting. I haven’t attended in person recently because, pandemic aside, I moved from southeastern Wisconsin to Madison where my wife has a job with an actual office. (I was walking to the train station with George Becht one night soon after joining IWOC, and he told me that after a few years of freelancing I wouldn’t want to return to an office job. He was right.) Reaching downtown Chicago is now a minor expedition — driving to Milwaukee to catch Amtrak to Union Station — instead of an easy ride on the Metra North Line. 

You may be curious to know what my retirement plans are, other than watching birds. Well, my plan is to figure out tomorrow when tomorrow arrives. It’s another lesson learned from freelancing: adaptability. If something doesn’t work, no big deal; you do something else. It’s time for me to find something else. 

I hope you all fare well. 

-- David Steinkraus

 As is my custom, I’m taking December off. But I thought it might be a good idea to end this roller coaster of year on an up note, with a repeat of a posting bearing thoughts – and a song -- to carry us through the holiday season. And beyond.

_______________________ 

As I sit here in lotus position upon my mountain top (remind me to bring a pillow next time), I’ve come to contemplate something no great philosopher has ever thought of before: The Secret to Happiness. What brings happiness? Living in a country where each is free to pursuit their own, it’s no doubt different for everyone. For me, it’s being productive – especially when it has to do with creation. Whether it’s a project I just finished for a client, or having written a song – that’s the absolute best. Where I get most of my “highs.” It can also come from being productive in other ways. Making a particularly succulent beef bourguignon, for instance. (Ask me for the recipe.) Or finally cleaning up my office. (I can breathe better!) Anything, big or small, that I can accomplish to my own personal satisfaction makes me happy. Temporarily, at least. And that’s the catch.

Creativity. Productivity. As with anything in life that isn’t permanent, it ebbs and flows, often influencing my moods. So what can sustain us in between? Keep us buoyed during the down times? Or all the time? In light of all this heavy pondering, I’d like to share the lyrics of a song I wrote recently that might provide at least one answer. 

Picture it being sung by a guy. A real character with a twinkle in his eye. Not a spring chicken, he’s been around the block several times and after experiencing life’s ups and downs and witnessing much, has gained this bit of wisdom...

THANKS TO GRATITUDE

Written by Laura Stigler-Marier

Well I may never get to Easy Street

But I walk to town with shoes on my feet

No, that ain’t my McMansion on the hill

But my four walls keep out the evening chill

And my job may not be what dreams are made of

But at least...I ain’t been laid off

Yeah, compared to most my troubles are few

And the ones I got 

With the help of God 

I manage to get through

Yeah happiness ain’t nothing but an attitude

And I am one

Happy son-of-a-gun

Thanks to gratitude

Ya know, Easy Street has got its share of potholes

And what’s behind them mansion doors, God knows

As perfect as that other side may seem

Up close, the grass ain’t always all that green

Rich or poor, we all got our problems

If you’re alive...you got ‘em

Ah, but compared to most my troubles are few

And the ones I got 

With the help of God 

I manage to get through

Yeah happiness ain’t nothing but an attitude

And I am one

Happy son-of-a-gun

Thanks to gratitude

Thankful for my friends

For my simple life

And thank you Lord for sending me

My saint of a wife

Ohhh, happiness ain’t nothing but an attitude

And I am one 

Happy son-of-a gun

Yeah I am one 

Lucky son-of-a-gun

Thanks to gratitude

It’s all about gratitude

Thank you, gratitude

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah everyone!

--Laura Stigler

P.S. If you would like to hear the melody, contact me and I could send the scratch track. Trigger warning: I’m singing it acapella. 

“Thanks to Gratitude” ã2021 Laura Stigler-Marier & Ken Marier

-

When I think of the TV show "Friends," I recall the witty writing and the six talented actors who brought the script to life. Especially Matthew Perry, with his comedic timing and animated facial expressions in his portrayal of Chandler Bing. 

"Friends" originally aired from 1994-2004, and I worked in the corporate world then. I often stayed late at the office to finish projects. One night a week, three of my coworkers would gather in a cubicle nearby at around 6pm, and spend the next hour laughing loudly.

What were they talking about? "Friends." They were discussing, analyzing and dissecting every scene of the previous night's episode. Week after week this went on. I'd try to work, but overhear them, and find myself unable to stop laughing at the "Friends" episode all over again. 

What might not be known, is that Perry would drop into the writers' room and contribute by pitching jokes and helping craft the scripts that we enjoyed so much. After the show ended, he harbored ambitions to write. In 2016, he wrote a dark comedy play called “The End of Longing” which premiered in London. His memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing” was published in 2022 in which he shared his struggles with addiction, with the aim of helping others. 

Thank you for the laughs, Matthew, and for your big heart. The world needs both. Please rest in peace.

-- Sarah Klose

Harking back to our September 12 (and popular as ever) Writers’ Roundtable, let’s give a round of applause for the resounding success that it was! As is our custom, we did not record the meeting out of respect for everyone’s privacy. But that doesn’t mean those who didn’t attend should be kept in the dark. I’d like to share some of the knowledge gained during that fruitful hour just in case the issues raised happen to be what's on your mind as well.   

Which brings me to the first topic raised by Moderator Jeff Steele. Starting the back-and-forth with a bang, Jeff asked that loaded question, “How do you find work?” From there, the questions, answers, advice and opinions went flying.

1. How do you find work? This is the $64K perennial question that comes up in all our Roundtables – and frankly, whenever freelance writers get together. The answers offered up were multiple and all worth exploring. Here's a sampling:

•  LinkedIn: Always a popular suggestion. The success rate varies, but there are definitely jobs to be found there – specifically, if you sign up for LinkedIn Premium. No promises but one attendee spoke of how it resulted in some very lucrative and steady gigs.
•  Freelance Success (FLX). A membership-based website and publication, when you subscribe for a monthly or annual fee you’ll have access to a treasure trove of resources, job listings, classes and more. IWOC members who have experience with FLX swear by it.
  
• Directory of Associations. Associations are always in need of content – for newsletters, trade magazines, press releases, etc. The directory lists associations for nearly every category imaginable – all across the country. Check it out. Then start connecting!
  
• The karma of Cold Calling. This technique is as old-school as you can get, yet arguably grants you with the most tried-and-true results when dialing for clients. That personal touch goes a long way in making connections in this otherwise email- and X (formerly Twitter)-obsessed world. But there are rules, such as always starting at the get-go by succinctly identifying yourself and asking “Do you have a moment?” when a prospective clients picks up the phone. 

2. Handy resources for content creators...

• Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Journalists, researchers – anyone needing a source for their content will find this website invaluable.
  
• Qwoted.com is where you can “find experts, guest speakers and story ideas instantly.”
  

3. How do you write a CV(curriculum vitae, Latin for “course of life.”)? Much depends on who you’re writing it for. A CV includes a brief account of one’s education, qualifications and previous occupations. Similar but more detailed than a resumé, the “voice” should be appropriate to your target. Applying to an academic, research or financial institution would be more conservative in tone than if you were applying for a job at an advertising or public relations agency. Don’t be afraid to infuse it with your personality – something that surely makes you stand apart from other applicants. And there’s always Google, where you can find any number of templates and suggestions as to how to write a CV that will work double time in helping you land the job. 

4. Just say, “Yes!” to an assignment. Even if you have no experience in the subject you’re asked to write about. You’ll surprise yourself at what you can do, and the satisfaction you’ll feel when you’ve tackled it. Plus, taking on something you’ve never done before will expand the diversity of your portfolio. That said, on the occasion you feel the assignment is way out of your wheelhouse, perhaps recommend another (IWOC) writer who may be perfect for it. (Just make sure you get their permission first!)

Much more was covered -- and discovered in our session. Even then, it was only the tip of the iceberg. (Good reason to have another Roundtable in early spring!) But as far as this last one, if you weren’t there, wish you were. To those who did attend, thank you so much! Please feel free to mention other helpful advice that was shared around the table. Just click the dots next to the headline to comment below. 

Till the next round...

-- Laura Stigler