sacha chua living an awesome life

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I want to write better so that I can learn and share even more. I outsourced editing so that I could get an idea of what “better” looked like. The first editor couldn’t think of how to significantly improve what I sent her. Maybe I’ve hit the “good enough” gap. But improvement isn’t just about polishing something until it shines.

I can write more. If my instincts are good, then I’ll get better the more I write.

I can learn more. The more I experience, the more I can share.

I can draw more, so I can make stories even richer.

Looking forward to sharing the adventure!

I reviewed my past eight years of blog posts and dusted off some articles that I think still have some uncaptured value in them.

Public speaking and presentation skills

1. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/11/11/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-webinar-part-1-front-row-seats/
2. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/11/12/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-webinar-part-2-from-audience-to-participants/
3. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/11/13/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-webinar-part-3-reading-the-room/
4. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/10/14/7-tips-for-remote-presentations-that-rock/
5. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/06/24/notes-from-totally-rocking-presentations-at-ibm/
6. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/10/09/public-speaker-worried-about-losing-control-dont-have-lectures-have-conversations/ or http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/08/14/from-presentations-to-conversations/
7. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/03/29/virtual-conferences-change-the-game/
8. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/03/02/want-to-grow-as-a-speaker-look-for-inspiration/
9. http://sachachua.com/wp/2008/08/04/finding-something-worth-talking-about/
10. http://sachachua.com/wp/2008/06/12/how-to-scale-presentations-up-or-down-the-art-of-timing/
11. http://sachachua.com/wp/2008/05/28/dealing-with-stage-fright/

The particular quirks I bring to this are:

• I link presenting with blogging and connecting, which is a particularly good combination for introverts
• I’m comfortable giving virtual presentations
• I love thinking about presentation organization
• I love flipping the dynamic for presentations (not just “speaker as expert”)
• I like sketching, and that’s become part of my style

I can create value by:

• helping other introverts and novice speakers identify their core passions through blogging/writing, and develop presentations around those topics
• helping speakers make the most of virtual presentations
• sketching explanations for other topics, and helping build a visual library of metaphors and examples

Connecting / networking

1. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/08/11/the-shy-connector-thinking-out-loud/
2. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/03/19/networking-outside-the-firewall/
3. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/03/10/making-a-name-for-yourself-thinking-out-loud-about-my-talk/
4. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/01/27/braindump-of-conference-networking-tips/
5. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/10/05/how-do-you-keep-in-touch-with-500-contacts/
6. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/08/26/exercising-my-network/
7. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/08/19/social-media-has-made-small-talk-easier/
8. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/02/04/conversations-about-networking-scale-structure-and-skills/
9. http://sachachua.com/wp/2008/12/07/lets-talk-about-passion/
10. http://sachachua.com/wp/2008/05/25/thinking-out-loud-taking-it-offonline/
11. http://sachachua.com/wp/2008/02/29/why-democamp-is-one-of-my-favorite-networking-events/
12. http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/09/29/networking-create-value-with-your-business-cards/
13. http://sachachua.com/wp/2006/09/28/conference-commando-networking-with-nametags/

The particular quirks I bring to this are:

• I’ve figured out a lot about how I can connect as an introvert (speaking, social media)
• I’m a geek, and I tweak my system

I can create value by:

• sharing tips for other introverts
• sharing tips on connecting through writing, speaking, and using social media
• connecting the dots

Productivity

1. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/03/24/how-to-do-a-lot/
2. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/03/21/five-reasons-why-im-experimenting-with-outsourcing-to-virtual-assistants/
3. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/06/22/log-your-accomplishments/
4. http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/01/15/travel-tips/

The particular quirks I bring to this are:

• I’m comfortable delegating tasks and projects, and I’m learning more about that
• I enjoy practicing relentless improvement

I can create value by:

• Sharing tips for personal delegation
• Sharing my process improvements and ideas

Looking at these lists, I think I’ll be able to create the most value by making presentations (and writing accompanying articles) about presenting and connecting. Presentations spread much faster than blog posts and they also help me practice visual communication, so my output will probably focus on that. Blogging is a great way for me to think through the topic out loud, organize my thoughts, and figure out what should go into the presentation. Editing can help me pick out the key messages for the different topics, express them more vividly, figure out what’s missing or redundant, and improve the presentation flow.

Although virtual presentation skills meet a timely need at work, the Shy Connector series and other networking tips would benefit a wider audience. I want to make a set of presentations and blog posts that can help introverts and extroverted newbies make the most of conferences, blogging, and other ways to connect.

Okay! Next step: get in touch with potential editors, explain my goals, and do a trial run of reviewing/revising one major post each.

I’ve been thinking of ways to get even better at communicating. Blogging and volunteering to do lots of presentations has helped me figure out what I want to talk about and how I want to talk about it, and I’m looking forward to exploring this further over the years. What could really help me take this to the next level, though, is working with a professional who can bring experience and a critical eye. An editor can help me distill my blog posts and presentations to the essential message, hold me accountable when I dither or when I skip over things that should be explained, and challenge me to express myself more clearly and vividly.

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that kind of detailed writing or presentation feedback. Teachers are typically too busy to help each student figure out their core messages and refine them through successive drafts. At work, I’ve bounced ideas back and forth, wordsmithing with others, but nothing like what I hope to learn by working with editors.

I want to know:

• What’s the key message people will find valuable, and how can I communicate that message more clearly?
• Where am I skipping too quickly over things I should explain further? Where am I spending too many words on a concept?
• Do the words and paragraphs or slides flow well? What could improve the structure?
• Where can I be more vivid or more precise? Where do my words distract from my message?
• How can I express these thoughts more clearly and more memorably?

I don’t just want feedback on typos or suggestions for individual word changes (unless those make spectacular differences), just as I don’t want my speaking evaluations to focus just on “ums”, “ahs” and vocal variety. ;) I want to get to that deeper level of value.

Considering the benefits of great communication skills, I think this is well worth using my opportunity fund—particularly if I can figure out how to create even more value with the results. (E-books? Articles? Awesome presentations?)

So, three weeks ago, I posted a quick job ad on oDesk:

I’m looking for an editor with an excellent command of English, a familiarity with blogging style (short, conversational, personal), a knack for presentation flow, and the ruthlessness to cut and rearrange words until a piece flows well and is no longer than it needs to be. I want someone to help me trim the occasional blog article and presentation until it’s clear.

You will not need to write content (or fake reviews, or astroturf comments, or do other icky things). Just edit to make sure that every word counts.

Turnaround doesn’t need to be immediate – you can fit this work around your other work.

When applying for this job, please submit before and after samples of your editing. The best applicants will have examples of both edited blog posts and edited presentations, and an innate hatred of business jargon such as “utilize”,  “incentivize,” and “leverage” (when used as a verb).

If you would like to see my writing style to see if we’re compatible, check out http://sachachua.com for my blog posts and http://slideshare.net/sachac for my presentations. I write a lot of raw material which I occasionally refine into more useful articles, and I would like to take that writing to the next level. I also tend to obsess a bit about the logical flow and organization of presentations, and I would love to be able to bounce ideas off an editor who knows his or her work and who can provide fresh perspectives.

Looking at the list of candidates, I can’t help but want to hire them all. =)

It always amazes me that there are so many people in the world who can do things so much better than I can, and that with a little investment of time and money, I can tap their skills. Someday, I want to learn how to create even more opportunities to create value. I want to be able to bring people together to build even more complex things. Wouldn’t it be amazing to find and solve problems or make new things possible, working together with people who are doing what they love? The world is a candy-store of opportunities and talent, and I can’t wait to explore it further.

But first things first, of course. How can I work with editors so that I can learn what I want to learn, and how can I use this opportunity to practice creating value?

I’ve written a lot on my blog, and it would be interesting to review that archive, figure out what might have some kernel of value for others, and learn more about my thoughts and my voice. As I do that, I can pick the most promising posts, send them to this team of editors, and ask their feedback using the questions above. If their suggestions are enough to prod and inspire me, I might go and try to implement them. If I think there’s some more potential that I haven’t been able to reach, I can ask them to apply their editing magic to it, and I can learn from their example.

So that’s my plan. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from it! Have you thought of or done any similar experiments before? I’d love to read your thoughts!

1. Log on to calendar.sachachua.com and to mail.sachachua.com in two windows. Arrange them so that you can see both windows.
2. Click on the IBM Upcoming Events label in the mail window, and open the e-mail for today.
3. Click on the down arrow next to the IBM meetings calendar in the calendar window, and choose Display only this calendar. Switch to the Agenda view for convenience.
4. For each item in the list, verify that it is on the IBM meetings calendar. Create it if necessary. Review the next three days of events and remove events that are no longer listed in the e-mail, including the removed events in an e-mail to me.
5. Restore my Google Calendar view by clicking on all the other calendars so that all the calendars are displayed.
6. If you notice conflicts for meetings over the next three days, include those conflicts in an e-mail to me. Do not e-mail me if no conflicts or removed events have been found.

I usually spend the evening before a flight putting together a travel dossier. It includes:

• a map of the route from the airport to the hotel
• a map of the route from the hotel to the meeting center
• public transit routes for the airport to the hotel
• some events and background information

This is something a virtual assistant can easily prepare, and he or she can add more information too. I’d love to have:

• restaurants near the hotel, cross-referenced with reviews from Yelp or other sites
• pictures, names, bios and mobile numbers of people in the area who are interested in meeting up
• names and addresses of people in the area so that I can send postcards
• taxi companies and phone numbers

In addition, the VA could update my TripIt and Dopplr accounts, so I can start tracking these trips better.

So I’d give the VAs:

- my flight information
- my hotel information
- the location of the meeting

and they would prepare a document that contains:

1. The weather forecast, if available, including temperature in Celsius and whether to expect rain
2. The flight information (date and time, flight number, booking reference, terminal number if possible)
3. The hotel information (name, address, contact number, whether there’s a courtesy shuttle from the airport, and what amenities are available)
4. A map of the route from the airport to the hotel, including a large map and small maps with driving directions for each step
5. A public transit version of that map (large map + text)
6. A map of the route from the hotel to the meeting place, including a large map and small maps with driving directions
7. A public transit version of that map (large map + text)
8. A list of taxi companies and phone numbers that serve the area. If the meeting place is in a different city, get me taxi companies for that city too
9. A list of restaurants near the hotel, ranked by their Yelp rating
10. A list of restaurants near the meeting venue, ranked by their Yelp rating
11. A list of my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Dopplr, and Google contacts in that city, as a table with names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and addresses (if from Google contacts), so that we can reach out to them and ask who’s interested in meeting up (maybe a Facebook event + e-mail for those not on FB)

I can then print this document out easily, and keep a copy on my computer for backup.

When people have confirmed that they’ll meet up, the VA can prepare a list of pictures, names, contact information, bios/interests, and blog URLs.

Sounds like an interesting idea!

I read a lot. Inspired by Mel Chua’s process for books: turning stocks into flows, here’s how I can ask a virtual assistant to keep my library account well-stocked:

1. Log on to http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca with my account. (Note: Make sure you use the account labeled “torontopubliclibrary.ca – *Sacha* (me)”, as there are two library cards associated with my Timesvr profile. My library card ends with 3536.)
2. Log on to http://www.goodreads.com and go to my to-read bookshelf (My books – to-read)
3. Search the library for the first book on my list. If it’s available, place a hold, then click on [edit] under the shelves column and choose requested. If it’s not available or you can’t place a hold, click on [edit] under the shelves column and choose bookstore.
4. Repeat #3 until you have placed the requested number of books on my shelf, until you have reached the time limit set, or the library system reports an error because I have too many holds already.

This is so cool! I have 2 books waiting for me at the library, with another 10 on the way… =D Combining this with my process for renewing my library books leads to library awesomeness. Looking forward to tweaking this even more!

I really enjoy bringing people together for great conversation and sending them home with new connections, new ideas, and perhaps a reading assignment or two. What I don’t enjoy is actually organizing these get-togethers. I’m terrible at it. I mix up dates all the time, as soon as I hit a calendar, I get mildly dyslexic. Even using the great calendaring systems we have at work, I occasionally mess up dates of meetings. Not good. Embarrassing!

When it’s my job to organize an event, it drops in priority, I lose sight of it, and a monthly tea party becomes a quarterly tea party or worse. I would like to get better at this, and the fastest way that can get much better at this is to have someone else plan the event. Things I don’t like about organizing events:

• making sure everyone (including me!) has the right location and time
• coordinating RSVPs and following up with people
• making sure it’s on my calendar and that Io don’t have any conflicts
• keeping track of potluck contributions and dietary restrictions
• making sure there’s enough food
• reminding me a few days before the event and telling me how many people there are so I can go shopping for groceries,
• and maybe even suggesting some recipes to try.

There’s so much here I can delegate so that I can focus on the things I love:

• welcoming people into my home
• providing a space for great conversation
• providing lots of simple, yummy food
• shaping the conversation through questions, interest, introductions, stories, etc.
• connecting the dots between people, ideas, and tools

And I learn so much whenever I have one of these get-togethers that it’s worth learning more about how to scale up. =D

I shouldn’t let my idiosyncrasies get in the way of having great conversations. So I’m going to have an experiment — I’m going to see what it’s like to have a social secretary. =) It’ll be a learning experience for everyone, but I think it’ll be awesome!