Ryplewski not Rumpelstiltskin

A pet sitter and an attorney walk into a bar…

pryplewski — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:58:39 +0000

Although the pay scales, training and attire are considerably different, at the heart of it pet sitters and attorneys have a lot in common. The way that both professionals develop and maintain books of business are largely dependent upon referrals, responsiveness and communication. Of course, if I was in the market for someone to watch my commodo dragon, I imagine that I would have to depend upon a limited number of people with this expertise. As it stands, I was simply looking for some white bread service- someone to feed, water and love our cat and bird for a few days.

A strong referral network is key. I was pleasantly surprised to receive about 10 leads. Initially, I thought it would be tricky to whittle down the options but as it turned out responsive pet sitters got my attention and kept it, I did not bother to follow-up with a second call or email to any of the 5 that didn’t respond within 24 hours.

The billing structures also seem an easy way to stand apart from the pack. Pet sitters offer vastly different fee structures. Some charge by the number of animals, some by the time of visit, some by geography and still others charge by the number of duties you need fulfilled (i.e. surcharge of $ 1 for checking the mail, $ 3 for watering the plants, $ 3 for bringing out the garbage on garbage day, etc). Ultimately, I went with the billing strategy that spoke to me, this sitter returned a quote based on frequency of visits, number of animals, and energy needed to fulfill the duties. The quote included a range not a set fee. .

To all the attorneys looking to grow, or simply maintain, their practice, here are some easy reminders:

Cast a wide, deep network
Respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible(even to turn down and offer- see first bullet)
Communicate! Explain your fees, services and ask questions - make sure you are a good match for your client

What “Outside the box” looks like

pryplewski — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:51:47 +0000

CBS News Sunday Morning featured a piece on a town without road signs a few weeks back. Since then I’ve been thinking about other successful examples of outside the box thinking:

Erased de Kooning Drawing

The Un-Comfort Zone

pryplewski — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:52:27 +0000

I didn’t notice what day it was and can’t remember what time it was…all I noticed was a teacher instructing the classroom about comfort zones. As she spoke, I became increasingly uncomfortable. It had to have been middle school and the teacher spent most of the time lecturing about the journey outside of your comfortable area. I believe there was a chart with circles warmly encompassing comfort and stark white paper left to define everything beyond the circle.

Why not define comfort zones by the opportunity that lies in the land beyond the warm circle? Stepping outside your comfort zone doesn’t feel uncomfortable when it’s doing you good. How about,”doing something everyday that you’ve not done before” rather than “something everyday that scares you”?

Cigarette 25 cents! JELLO shots 2 dollars!!

pryplewski — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:29:27 +0000

Working in the Tenderloin, nary a day passes without a proposition. Spare a dime- buy this suitcase- donate to the homeless- buy a Street sheet- who am I kidding? I just wanna get high- do you have a lighter- I just need 35 cents for a ticket on Muni….you get a little jaded. Today I heard a new one. Two kids, walking toward Union Square – one holding a large package of cigarettes, the other a shoebox filled with those little plastic cups that Chinese restaurants use for chili sauce. Inside the cups orange and yellow wobbles. The guy quietly chanted to passersby, “Cigarette twenty-five cents! JELLO shot two dollars!”.

It is widely reported today that Conde Nast cancelled some popular magazines, Gourmet and Modern Bride. As I walked back to the office, after turning down the offer, I considered what it would have taken for me to say yes. A JELLO shot, afterall, is not enough to make a person noticeably drunk and I could have finished the late afternoon’s work, perhaps in better spirits- no worse than the guy in the far corner on his third 40 oz SUPER MEGA Energy RUSH. Trust was missing. Do I trust a stranger that it’s a JELLO shot.

Trust is the key to ad buys- now more than ever. It makes no difference whether you are an up-and-comer or an industry standard, those qualities don’t guarantee a result. The most important tool in your arsenal as magazine/newspaper professionals is trust- because it’s the buyer’s job on the line.

Give the people what they want (what do they want?)

pryplewski — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:03:16 +0000

It’s National Newspaper Week October 4-10. The Rocky Mountain Independent experiment ends on Monday, with only 200 subscribers signed up- not enough chose to pay. The London Evening Standard is set to go free. They believe that reaching a wider audience that might not care is better than reaching a small audience that cares enough to pay. And in Kansas, an upstart is winning some battles (sounds like the war is just underway) against the old kid in town.

The Sound of Whipper-snappers Snapping?

pryplewski — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:18:25 +0000

For the second time this month a twenty-something year old purchased a community newspaper…somebody put The Kansan down in the “ones to watch” category. 24-year-old former reporter purchased the paper and serves as its sole employee at the moment- luckily ad revenue is covering his expenses so far. Is it a trend? Is the next generation interested in preserving Herr Guttenberg’s hard work?

In other news, newspapers are rebounding. For months and months we’ve heard (read?)about the death of the industry while those of us working in the business saw a lot of reductions, did we really think it was all going to end?

Two days, two community papers announce closures

pryplewski — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:52:51 +0000

Lemoore, a city in central California loses it’s community newspaper, The Lemoore Advance, today. From the closing remarks:

Still, while missing the Pulitzers, small town newspapers win the hearts of their communities. Small town newspapers write stories that mean everything to their readers. And readers clip those stories to paste into scrapbooks filled with touchdowns and weddings, obituaries and births, yesterdays and tomorrows. There are no scrapbook stories about teamster strikes, golden parachutes or the polar bears’ plight.

Small town newspapers are the conscience of their towns. In spite of tight budgets, they buy ink by the barrel for letters to the editor – America’s last free freedom – so neighbors can know what neighbors think about council elections, school lunches and the fair’s winning pumpkin.

Another community paper The Moniter-Herald in Calhoun City Mississippi announced that it will stop the presses on December 31. The paper has been in publication since 1899.

“We don’t do titles here.”

pryplewski — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:35:49 +0000

And other statements you don’t typically hear law firms make abound in this article on Jones Day.

The Amish Paper goes online

pryplewski — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:39:15 +0000

It will be interesting to see how The Buget bridges the divide between the digital era and its’ core readers.

http://www.thebudgetnewspaper.com/

I’m not asking you to conquer the world…

pryplewski — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:58:00 +0000

Take a stroll as we move from the bathroom to a trade show – two events, one lesson.

Walking by the bathroom door as my partner and son engaged in a battle of wills I overheard the reminder, “I’m not asking you to conquer the world; I’m just asking you to wipe your butt.”

As he becomes accustomed to kindergarten and all the rules and responsibilities that come with it, small tasks can quickly overwhelm him. I give him (and my partner) a lot of credit for the adjustment; the school days are longer, with more homework and regulation than my elementary tenure. It’s a big leap from the co-operative preschool that nurtured his mind and body to a public elementary school that requires even the youngest pupils to carry full-sized backpacks. To him, it might seem as if he’s supposed to conquer the world. He is outside his home, outside of our reach 30 hours a week. My partner’s reminder is a common but difficult lesson – break the situation down and stay in each moment of this kindergarten journey so that you can conquer it piece by piece and not drown in the sea of new challenges.

Flash to a trade-show luncheon a few days later. The lunch’s moderator came back to the table regretting her performance and awash in public-speaking anxiety. She was not only worried about her recent performance but now anxious of the afternoon ahead. We reminded her that it gets easier, that she didn’t do as poorly as she thought and that practice will make it easier. I settled in to the afternoon session and it occurred to me that I had a similar conversation with one of the panelists many years earlier. He was about to take on a bigger role with the organization to overcome his fear of public speaking. Now, as I thought about it, I realized that he is a frequent panelist…had overcome the fear and frankly seemed to enjoy the time on stage…one speaking engagement at a time.