Get Digital
Looking Back at a Season in Hell
March 04, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Today marks a milestone for me. One year ago today, I entered the digital universe by creating my own web site and blog. What I once considered a season in hell because of an apocalyptic economy seems profitable in retrospect. Not financially -- two freelance consulting jobs throughout the year. And I’m still looking for a job or projects. But it was profitable in a Rocky Balboa way. In Rocky Balboa, the title character tells his son:
But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody!
Keep moving forward, indeed.
The questions most often asked of me concerning my web site and blog -- How did I do it? Why did I do it?
Simple. I got laid off from my job as a legal conference producer in November 2008. Rebranding myself seemed to be necessary, if not vital. So, I went through my resume to strongly consider the value that I bring to an employer.
At first, the jobs on my resume seemed disparate -- attorney, gubernatorial campaign’s deputy press secretary, television news writer and producer, freelance magazine article writer, media commentator, legal conference producer. I soon realized the common thread is my passion -- writing.
Ok, I identified my passion. I have the skills and experience to adapt my writing to an employer’s or client’s format. But the worst economy since the Great Depression of the 1930’s gave no hint of loosening up during the holiday season.
I faced factual and anecdotal data concerning an apocalyptic economy. Phone calls to friends, contacts, and former colleagues remained unanswered. Watching CNBC gave no hint of daylight in the gloom and doom. Layoffs, fear, and cutbacks were the watchwords of 2009.
I found inspiration in the movie Any Given Sunday when Miami Sharks Head Coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino) gives the big speech before the big football game.
We’re in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And we can stay here and get the shit kicked out of us or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One inch at a time.
I climbed my first inch out of hell by attending the pilot program for Shelly Palmer’s Get Digital seminar at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. I learned the importance of becoming digital savvy, owning a Blackberry, and rebranding myself in a fiercely competitive economy steeped largely in digital technology.
Get Digital inspired me to go further on a digital journey. I took a 2-hour web site design course for novices at Tekserve, an authorized Macintosh/Apple computer retailer and repairer located on 23rd Street in Manhattan. After the course, I bought the RapidWeaver web site design program. Being technologically challenged, I forced myself to read the manual again...and again...and again. Within two weeks, I learned how to design my own web sites and blogs.
I attended the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting in Seattle where I met a law firm marketer. A couple of weeks after the conference, he hired me to write the copy for one of his clients, a prominent law firm based in Mexico City.
I also met an editor from the Latin American intellectual property magazine Marcasur. She requested that I write an article about my passion -- writing. My article Your Writing Is Your Trademark appeared in the July - September 2009 issue. I’m also moderating a writing workshop at the INTA Annual Meeting in May 2010.
I lobbied the New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Journal for a regular column focusing on important deals, people, and events from historical and legal perspectives. Result: Krell’s Korner was born. The first column was published in the Fall-Winter 2009 issue. It concerned the deal between ABC and Walt Disney that allowed the animator to build Disneyland.
In November, a former colleague hired me to conduct legal and historical research concerning one of his company’s well-known entertainment characters. The research culminated in a massive report that left no stone unturned concerning the character’s business and legal history.
I attended the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Conference where a panel discussion concerning the new economy persuaded me to further my rebranding as a communications expert. Result: The Writing Guy™ communications was born.
I reconnected with a friend who hired me to consult on a trademark issue for one of her clients, a designer of games and applications for the iPhone.
I lobbied my alma mater, Villanova Law School, to host my CLE legal writing workshop for alumni. Stop Writing Like A Lawyer!™ will take place on April 7th.
Throughout, I wrote more than 70 blog entries about writing and communications. I created a second web site called Our Television Heritage™that houses my blog and articles regarding television history.
Last night, the last night of my first year as a digital savvy attorney/writer/blogger, I attended a panel discussion hosted by the City Bar Association of New York -- Using Your Law Degree for Something Other Than Practicing Law: Exploring Non-Legal Roles Within Law Firms. The panelists believe that the economy is showing signs of loosening regarding hiring law firm marketers with legal backgrounds and outside writing consultants.
I certainly hope so.
david@davidkrell.com
Today marks a milestone for me. One year ago today, I entered the digital universe by creating my own web site and blog. What I once considered a season in hell because of an apocalyptic economy seems profitable in retrospect. Not financially -- two freelance consulting jobs throughout the year. And I’m still looking for a job or projects. But it was profitable in a Rocky Balboa way. In Rocky Balboa, the title character tells his son:
But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody!
Keep moving forward, indeed.
The questions most often asked of me concerning my web site and blog -- How did I do it? Why did I do it?
Simple. I got laid off from my job as a legal conference producer in November 2008. Rebranding myself seemed to be necessary, if not vital. So, I went through my resume to strongly consider the value that I bring to an employer.
At first, the jobs on my resume seemed disparate -- attorney, gubernatorial campaign’s deputy press secretary, television news writer and producer, freelance magazine article writer, media commentator, legal conference producer. I soon realized the common thread is my passion -- writing.
Ok, I identified my passion. I have the skills and experience to adapt my writing to an employer’s or client’s format. But the worst economy since the Great Depression of the 1930’s gave no hint of loosening up during the holiday season.
I faced factual and anecdotal data concerning an apocalyptic economy. Phone calls to friends, contacts, and former colleagues remained unanswered. Watching CNBC gave no hint of daylight in the gloom and doom. Layoffs, fear, and cutbacks were the watchwords of 2009.
I found inspiration in the movie Any Given Sunday when Miami Sharks Head Coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino) gives the big speech before the big football game.
We’re in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And we can stay here and get the shit kicked out of us or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One inch at a time.
I climbed my first inch out of hell by attending the pilot program for Shelly Palmer’s Get Digital seminar at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. I learned the importance of becoming digital savvy, owning a Blackberry, and rebranding myself in a fiercely competitive economy steeped largely in digital technology.
Get Digital inspired me to go further on a digital journey. I took a 2-hour web site design course for novices at Tekserve, an authorized Macintosh/Apple computer retailer and repairer located on 23rd Street in Manhattan. After the course, I bought the RapidWeaver web site design program. Being technologically challenged, I forced myself to read the manual again...and again...and again. Within two weeks, I learned how to design my own web sites and blogs.
I attended the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting in Seattle where I met a law firm marketer. A couple of weeks after the conference, he hired me to write the copy for one of his clients, a prominent law firm based in Mexico City.
I also met an editor from the Latin American intellectual property magazine Marcasur. She requested that I write an article about my passion -- writing. My article Your Writing Is Your Trademark appeared in the July - September 2009 issue. I’m also moderating a writing workshop at the INTA Annual Meeting in May 2010.
I lobbied the New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Journal for a regular column focusing on important deals, people, and events from historical and legal perspectives. Result: Krell’s Korner was born. The first column was published in the Fall-Winter 2009 issue. It concerned the deal between ABC and Walt Disney that allowed the animator to build Disneyland.
In November, a former colleague hired me to conduct legal and historical research concerning one of his company’s well-known entertainment characters. The research culminated in a massive report that left no stone unturned concerning the character’s business and legal history.
I attended the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Conference where a panel discussion concerning the new economy persuaded me to further my rebranding as a communications expert. Result: The Writing Guy™ communications was born.
I reconnected with a friend who hired me to consult on a trademark issue for one of her clients, a designer of games and applications for the iPhone.
I lobbied my alma mater, Villanova Law School, to host my CLE legal writing workshop for alumni. Stop Writing Like A Lawyer!™ will take place on April 7th.
Throughout, I wrote more than 70 blog entries about writing and communications. I created a second web site called Our Television Heritage™that houses my blog and articles regarding television history.
Last night, the last night of my first year as a digital savvy attorney/writer/blogger, I attended a panel discussion hosted by the City Bar Association of New York -- Using Your Law Degree for Something Other Than Practicing Law: Exploring Non-Legal Roles Within Law Firms. The panelists believe that the economy is showing signs of loosening regarding hiring law firm marketers with legal backgrounds and outside writing consultants.
I certainly hope so.
Don't Tell Me, Show Me
May 20, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Last night at The Triple Door, I experienced the real-life power of technology. Having ditched my flip-up cell phone for a Blackberry Curve 8330 less than a week ago, I am still familiarizing myself with this powerful device and enjoying every minute of it.
The power of technology emerged when a fellow INTA Annual Meeting attendee asked me about my writing workshops.
Rather than launch into my 30-second elevator speech, I took out the Blackberry, used the Browser function to get to my web site, and showed her my blog and web site along with my Twitter posts at davidkrell.
You're a good writer! she said.
It's a real-life example of the adage Don't tell me, show me.
In the old days, back in the beginning of the month, I would have E-Mailed her a link to my web site later in the evening or this morning. Now, instant communications.
The power of technology goes beyond texting, uploading photos, or taking pictures of yourself at Safeco Field and uploading it to your Facebook page.
At the beginning of the year, I sought to learn more about how to harness that power. My new year's resolution was to get over my quasi-phobia of technology and become immersed in the digital culture. I accomplished my goal in three steps.
First, I learned from an expert.
In February, I had the opportunity to take digital guru Shelly Palmer's Get Digital class. During the span of four hours over two nights, I learned through Shelly's real-life anecdotes how to keep pace with technology or be left behind professionally, socially, and personally.
Second, I learned from an expert.
I took a web site building class for novices at Tekserve, an authorized Macintosh sales and repair store in Manhattan. The instructor patiently listened to our concerns, answered our questions, and calmed our fears.
He suggested that I buy the RapidWeaver program when I explained my goal -- build two web sites. The first web site would have a blog with a bio page about me and an About Us type of page explaining my business. That's this web site.
The second web site would have a blog, a bio page, and 50-100 long-form articles. That's Television Archives -- Our Television Heritage.
I can honestly say that the two-hour class did not make me an adept digital guru who can immediately create web sites with ease. But it gave me enough to get started -- How to create a link within your site to another site. How to create a blog. How to download extras from Google Gadgets. For example, the Churchill Quote of the Day is a gadget provided by Google for web site owners.
Third, I learned from an expert. Initially, I encountered frustration by my lack of knowledge, familiarity, and ease with technology. But I figuratively glued myself to my seat, read the manual several times, and found that continuous trial and error eventually leads to trial and success. However, there comes a point where you have to call in the pros from Dover. When I did hit the proverbial wall, I found a Rapid Weaver expert at digitaLife Productions who revealed solutions during the course of a two-hour session.
Within two weeks, this web site was born. Because I had already been through the process once, the second web site took significantly less time to build the framework but more time to install the massive amount of content. Several of the articles only existed on hard copies, so the transfer was time-intensive. Six weeks later, Television Archives -- Our Television Heritage was born.
My embrace of technology continues at the INTA 2009 Annual Meeting. Not an extremely difficult task given the many sessions dedicated to the subject.
Attending Trademarks in Virtual Worlds inspired a conversation with a friend from The Trademark Reporter. The conversation led to my agreeing to write an article about the subject.
Industry Breakout: On the Internet -- Trademarks and the Web 2.0 gave a real-life example of the challenges in selecting domain names, purchasing keywords, and protecting intellectual property on the web.
And today, I am looking forward to the 11:45 am session Latest Developments in Internet Law and the Impact of Blogging on Trademarks.
david@davidkrell.com
Last night at The Triple Door, I experienced the real-life power of technology. Having ditched my flip-up cell phone for a Blackberry Curve 8330 less than a week ago, I am still familiarizing myself with this powerful device and enjoying every minute of it.
The power of technology emerged when a fellow INTA Annual Meeting attendee asked me about my writing workshops.
Rather than launch into my 30-second elevator speech, I took out the Blackberry, used the Browser function to get to my web site, and showed her my blog and web site along with my Twitter posts at davidkrell.
You're a good writer! she said.
It's a real-life example of the adage Don't tell me, show me.
In the old days, back in the beginning of the month, I would have E-Mailed her a link to my web site later in the evening or this morning. Now, instant communications.
The power of technology goes beyond texting, uploading photos, or taking pictures of yourself at Safeco Field and uploading it to your Facebook page.
At the beginning of the year, I sought to learn more about how to harness that power. My new year's resolution was to get over my quasi-phobia of technology and become immersed in the digital culture. I accomplished my goal in three steps.
First, I learned from an expert.
In February, I had the opportunity to take digital guru Shelly Palmer's Get Digital class. During the span of four hours over two nights, I learned through Shelly's real-life anecdotes how to keep pace with technology or be left behind professionally, socially, and personally.
Second, I learned from an expert.
I took a web site building class for novices at Tekserve, an authorized Macintosh sales and repair store in Manhattan. The instructor patiently listened to our concerns, answered our questions, and calmed our fears.
He suggested that I buy the RapidWeaver program when I explained my goal -- build two web sites. The first web site would have a blog with a bio page about me and an About Us type of page explaining my business. That's this web site.
The second web site would have a blog, a bio page, and 50-100 long-form articles. That's Television Archives -- Our Television Heritage.
I can honestly say that the two-hour class did not make me an adept digital guru who can immediately create web sites with ease. But it gave me enough to get started -- How to create a link within your site to another site. How to create a blog. How to download extras from Google Gadgets. For example, the Churchill Quote of the Day is a gadget provided by Google for web site owners.
Third, I learned from an expert. Initially, I encountered frustration by my lack of knowledge, familiarity, and ease with technology. But I figuratively glued myself to my seat, read the manual several times, and found that continuous trial and error eventually leads to trial and success. However, there comes a point where you have to call in the pros from Dover. When I did hit the proverbial wall, I found a Rapid Weaver expert at digitaLife Productions who revealed solutions during the course of a two-hour session.
Within two weeks, this web site was born. Because I had already been through the process once, the second web site took significantly less time to build the framework but more time to install the massive amount of content. Several of the articles only existed on hard copies, so the transfer was time-intensive. Six weeks later, Television Archives -- Our Television Heritage was born.
My embrace of technology continues at the INTA 2009 Annual Meeting. Not an extremely difficult task given the many sessions dedicated to the subject.
Attending Trademarks in Virtual Worlds inspired a conversation with a friend from The Trademark Reporter. The conversation led to my agreeing to write an article about the subject.
Industry Breakout: On the Internet -- Trademarks and the Web 2.0 gave a real-life example of the challenges in selecting domain names, purchasing keywords, and protecting intellectual property on the web.
And today, I am looking forward to the 11:45 am session Latest Developments in Internet Law and the Impact of Blogging on Trademarks.