BACK FROM THEATER MANAGEMENT AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL.

I'm just back from being a Theater Manager at the Sundance Film Festival. It was my 5^th year at this
storied event, and I worked in the Prospector Theater, one of eight main Festival theaters in Park City, Utah. The all encompassing job entailed overseeing theater operations including interfacing with filmmakers, cast, crew, publicists, press, entourage, programmers, patrons, projectionists, volunteers, and the occasional print runner who darted in and out like lightning to get the film reel to the next theater. Around 1600 volunteers make the festival tick, and Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford acknowledged this group at the opening press conference. “No one person runs this. This is a collaboration of a lot of forces – including people that are very unsung. The volunteers that come here; they provide the bulk of our labor force, and they do it for nothing.” This year’s festival was a return to the fresh ideas of Sundance gone by. Getting back to the indie spirit was in the forefront of the programmer’s and Redford’s minds. Signs all around the town simply said “RE”, indicating a REbirth, REfresh, and REthink aspect to the overall feeling of the festival. With 105 World Premieres, and 43 US Premieres, Sundance once again showcased the best in film.

With a full time schedule, I managed to see 12 films, from a documentary about female kickboxing in Iran (KICK IN IRAN), to a narrative directed by Philadelphian Tanya Hamilton and set at “home” in Germantown (NIGHT CATCHES US), to a documentary about education that was attended by Bill Gates, Michael Moore, Robert Redford, and George Soros (WAITING FOR SUPERMAN), to a hysterically funny musical that the filmmaker acknowledged could be described as  “Australia meets Bollywood” (BRAN NUE DAE), and more. Documentaries WASTELAND and FREEDOM RIDERS were notable as well. HOLY ROLLERS was an interesting trip into the secret lives of Hasidic Jews trafficking drugs from Europe to NYC in the late 90's. YES, it was inspired by true events. On the other end of the spectrum was 8 - THE MORMON PROPOSITION, about the Mormon's spiritual crusade for Proposition 8 and against Gay marriage. All I can say is why is someone's relationship anybody's business?

One of my favorite films was WINTER’S BONE, which went on to win two awards, including the coveted Grand Jury Dramatic Award and a screenwriting award, a double bonus for filmmaker/screenwriter DEBRA GRANIK. A dark tale set in the Ozark Mountains, Winter’s Bone tells the story of a teenage girl who must go against the grain when her no good father skips bail and their home hangs in the balance. Music was a big part of the film, and after an audience member inquired about singer Maredith Sisco, a jam session ensued later on that night. This is the true spirit of Sundance; one never knows what may happen, and for me, being invited to attend the jam session was a highlight of the festival. On the home front, The Philadelphia Industry Lounge at Sundance showcased the advantages to filming in the city of brotherly love, represented by the PHILADELPHIA FILM OFFICE/Sharon Pinkenson, the post production studios of THE DIVE/Bob Lowery, and SHOOTERS POST & TRANSFER/Andy Williams, along with J. Andrew Greenblatt, Executive Producer of the Sundance Film TWELVE, and head of the Philadelphia Film Festival and Film Society.

LisaBeth is available to share her experiences about the festival, and to consult in “the art of Sundancing”. For more information, please contact her at create@lisabethweber.com. 

Films, films, films

What a day. Three films and a full shift yesterday. Interviews, work, maybe a film, and potentially a jam session today! Opened the day yesterday watching KICK IN IRAN about an woman kick boxer from Iran preparing for the Olympics. What a window into the culture. Saw WINTER'S BONE after work, a riveting tale, and then closed the night... with SON OF BABYLON, a narrative about a boy and his grandmother traveling through Iraq 3 weeks after the fall of Sadaam in search of the boy's father. Shot on location in Iraq in 2008/2009. Another window into a land not often seen on tv.

Fantastic Mountain music in the film WINTER'S BONE. Someone asked the singer, Meredith Sisco, during the Q & A if she would be playing anywhere during Sundance. I told them I had my mandolin if they wanted to borrow it. Trying to set up a place for them to have an informal session.....as there are other musicians that traveled from Missouri to be here for the film.

BRAN NUE DAE y'all!

Well where oh where does the time go? It's nearly a week later, and I've been to-ing and fro-ing all over this Sundance land working, seeing films, meeting and greeting, and being with friends. Even with the full time schedule, have managed to see (I think) six films so far and I have to say, none of them have disappointed. From serious docs to a laugh out loud comedy, it's been a whirlwind. The Australian film BRAN NUE DAE might far away be the funniest and wackiest film I've ever seen. I hope it gets picked up so more people can see it. I asked the filmmaker if she was comfortable with the description of "Australia meets Bollywood" and she said yes. www.brannuedaemovie.com.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2010, from before it begins.

And it begins...
Well, sorta. It's a pre-festival state-o-mind right now at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2010. Travel day today. Thoughts from the air....as the world recognizes both the selfless sacrifice of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the continuing aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, I couldn't help but wonder. Amidst all the rubble in Haiti, if there isn't already an independent filmmaker there witnessing and documenting what has happened and what is happening. Therein lies the significance and importance. A documentary is a witness. Imagine how different the story being handed down the generations about Martin Luther King would be without the incredible footage that exists. Imagine how stories from hundreds of years ago might have been perceived differently if they had Facebook and Twitter then. Who knows what tales will be told and what amazing opportunities lie ahead at Sundance for films that don't even know it yet. Imagine....

WHAT'S THE PLAN?

It's a New Year and you would have to be sleeping under several rocks not to have been inundated with the look back on the first decade of the 21st century.

The question is, WHAT NOW?
What's YOUR plan?
On the brink of the edge of the cliff before you, do you go for it, and fly? Or do you stay on course, because you can see what's ahead, even if it's not so enticing.

Personally, I think this is a time to go for it. If not now, when? Many greats before us have paved the way with their successes and failures, and the concept that's often overlooked is that right before a huge success was probably a fairly substantial failure. Can you say Wilbur and Orville?

IF AT FIRST....
It's not as if we don't know what to do, it's keeping the momentum, the stamina, and the stick-to-it-ness to withstand the unknown. Whatever you're attempting, if it doesn't work out, take a look at it, re-evaluate, and try again.

YOU CAN DO IT.

TOP ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN IN PA, LESLIE STILES, SPEAKS TO THE WOMEN'S BUSINESS FORUM

On this post election day, Leslie Stiles, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women was clear to address the need for more women politicians in the state. 

As a Board member of the Women's Business Forum, it was my pleasure to have invited Leslie to speak to our group. I met Leslie when I became involved with and had a booth at, The Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women, an annual event that draws 5000 women (yes, you read that number right) and has Keynote Speakers like Suze Orman and Madeleine Albright.  www.pagovernorsconferenceforwomen.org

Today, Leslie spoke on issues affecting women across the spectrum, from business to health care, and from politics to doing business with the state; all in a non-partisan format. She emphasized that as far as we have come as women, we are not there yet. Men still statistically make more money for the same work, while women are often working two jobs essentially, as they still do most of the home care for families.

I was happily amazed to see how aligned the missions of the Women's Business Forum and the Pennsylvania Commission for Women are.

PA COMMISSION FOR WOMEN:

...to inform, educate and advocate for it's constituents; to provide opportunities to empower women and girls to reach their highest potential.

WOMEN'S BUSINESS FORUM:

...educates, mentors, and inspires women business leaders and entrepreneurs.

To learn how the commission can help your business and your life, please visit:

www.pcw.state.pa.us

ART ART & MORE ART

There was an art show this weekend. 25 artists, one cute little small town, the quintessential farm setting, hot cider, great volunteers, and even an emu named Noah. Carversville, PA. My second hometown. Plus it was a fundraiser for the Historic Carversville Society. I exhibited six framed photographs, a print rack of quotation prints, and pins. www.carversville.com.

Meanwhile, Chanin Walsh and Bill Milnazik were winning ribbons over at the annual Pumpkinfest. The annual "it isn't your father's pumpkin carving festival" festival was sidelined by weather this year. As two n'oreasters descended, the artists did their best, and the crowd was small, but appreciative as darkness fell and the orange globes became illuminated. 

All in all, it was quite the autumnal weekend.

Paula G. guest blogs from the BlogHer Conference '09.

I heard that Paula G. was attending the BlogHer conference, and asked if she'd like to write a guest blog. Happy to report, the subject matter she chose is near and dear. VALUE based fees. The further question is how do we get clients on board. I suppose it depends how much "supply and demand" balances with value. For instance, when I charge for calligraphy, which is labor intensive, even the high end of the rates don't really compensate enough compared to the work involved, but you can only charge so much and still be in the competitive market. Thanks Paula G, for bringing the value perspective to light.

DO YOU CHARGE WHAT YOU'RE WORTH? A PERSPECTIVE FROM BlogHer '09. 

by Paula G.

Perhaps the biggest take-home message from my time at BlogHer ‘09 is that you need to value who you are and what you offer. As a freelancer it is exponentially important because no one else is determining your income or your time schedule but YOU.  Valuing your services starts with valuing yourself. You are in charge of your destiny, so take the wheel.

At the start of my panel "Business of You: Bloggers as Pioneers in a Post-Employee World", one of my fellow panelists, Melissa Lion blurted out "Stop Writing for Free". While a short hush fell over the room and I could feel some people shifting in their seats thinking "but the places I write for won't pay", "but it is good visibility", or "but I'm afraid to ask for more", I thought her words created a strong anchor for the conversation that was to follow.

Writers are probably the least valued freelance creatures just behind web professionals (designers, coders, programmers) because people think it is “easy” or they don’t value it because “well, my teenager can program a website in Microsoft Word (shudder, shudder)” or “it’s just writing”.  I know that writing well is an amazing skill and most people cannot do it.  Yet, businesses online and off rely on it as a foundation to almost everything they do. That’s where I say – if it is so damn easy, do it yourself! But I digress…

While I understand there may be some instances where we choose to write or volunteer our time and services for free for any number of reasons, it shouldn't be the norm. According to Suze Orman's book Women and Money one of the main reasons women struggle with money is because we devalue our worth by putting ourselves on sale. We adopt a poverty mindset, we give away money we don't have to give, and we over-commit our time and energy. The net result is money challenges, exhaustion, and a pervasive sense that we don't deserve "it".

Our panel moderator Maggie Fox of Social Media Group recounted the first time she faced executives in the C-suite and realized she had something they wanted, needed, and were willing to pay for (social media expertise).  It was at that moment she immediately learned the value of pricing one's services based on value, not an hourly rate and this has led to great success for her and her company.

Valuing oneself happens on many levels - valuing who you are as a human being, as a professional, as a friend, partner, spouse, mother.  It requires first getting comfortable in your own skin so you can tap into the confidence and courage you need to stand up for yourself. This is one job you can never outsource.

Our audience was mixed with people who blog as part of their business, others who blog for personal reasons, and still others who currently work for a corporation but blog to establish credibility in their field for future business potential.  One of the bigger concerns of those that blog as part of their business was the “how much personal information do I share” conundrum.  Again, this comes down to a personal choice but the room was in agreement that business relationships and deals are built when people get to know you as a person.

Kaveri Subbarao brought her legal expertise to the panel. Not surprisingly she aired on the side of being conservative and protecting yourself.  She specializes in helping start-ups and entrepreneurs and would make a great resource. She really knows her stuff and is perhaps the most approachable lawyer I have ever met.

Valuing yourself not only applies to money but also your time.  Do you over-commit? Are you running yourself ragged trying to do-it-all and make things work?  This is a total pitfall for freelancers, especially if you have a home office.  Boundaries can get blurred and you can feel like you need to work all the time because there is always something to be done.  Another of our panelists, Karen Bodkin, shared a very personal story about how trying to do too much can backfire.  The stress of under-valuing and over-working took its toll on her health a few years ago and she offered that as an example of what doesn't work.  Lesson learned? The kinder and gentler approach with yourself and pricing your services appropriately are critical to make it over the long haul.

So wherever you are or whatever you do, for the benefit of the world at large value yourself! It's not selfish, it's not bitchy, and it’s not aggressive.  It’s called succeeding on your own terms. The world needs you.

---

 

Paula Gregorowicz, owner of The Paula G. Company, offers life and business coaching for women to help you gain the clarity, confidence, and courage you need to be comfortable in your own skin and succeed on your own terms. Get the free eCourse "5 Steps to Turn from fear to Freedom." at her website.

For web design and consulting, grab her free planner at www.paulagwebdesign.com.

 

FROM CORPORATE TO COMFORT

Being comfortable in your own skin. That’s what Paula G knew for sure. When she was ready to say so long to the corporate world of the pharmaceutical industry, she found a place that was a much better fit. Her own business. Her road there took her from being laid off from big pharma and not knowing what would happen next to finding a catalyst in the renowned OMEGA INSTITUTE, where she studied under Debbie Ford. The acclaimed “Shadow Process” intense personal transformative workshop, opened Paula’s mind to what was possible, and Paula ran with it from there.

Transforming “fear into freedom”, Paula now helps clients with their own life goals through business and life coaching. Her website, www.thepaulagcompany.com has a plethora of information about how her skills and experience can be shared with others who are ready to take the plunge. Talk to Paula about your needs. She can take you where you want to go on the road to a better life.

I asked Paula about the philosophy behind being comfortable in your own skin. “If you're listening only to your head or only to your heart, you're potentially missing both. My coaching style, whether it's life, or business, or both, is that you have to have the right relationship with yourself, so you can build your life plan, so you can build your business plan, in order to bring about what success means to you.”

Paula G is a business coach who also happens to do web design. PERFECT! She is able to tie the two together in a seamless manner. She has been doing web design since the mid 1990's, and can offer the full scope of these two symbiotic offerings and business strategies to her clients.

When Paula discusses how to thrive in the economy as it stands now, I sense that her philosophy is consistent no matter what. “Be willing to invest in yourself through personal growth, education, getting support, hiring a coach, getting outside your box, etc. Your success and financial freedom doesn't come from any client, industry, job, or circumstance, it comes from your ability to have confidence in yourself that you can be creative, and have a willingness to serve others. That's where your ability to achieve financial freedom comes from.” She feels it is paramount that people “give themselves permission” to do what they need or want to do. “If you make the commitment for the investment, you will find a way to make it happen.” It is this philosophy, as well as bringing humor and the personal connection into her work that makes Paula G an invaluable source to her clients.

Paula will be speaking at the “BLOGHER” conference in Chicago on July 24^th. Her seminar is called, “The Business of You: Bloggers are Pioneers in a Post-"Employee" World.

http://www.blogher.com/blogher_conference/conf/9/general/1

Look for a Paula G guest blog right here from the BlogHer conference, and check out Paula G’s monthly podcast on her website, as well as her own fantastic blog, with incredible resources, like her recent interview with the co-founder of BLOGHER, Elisa Camahort-Page.

www.thepaulagcompany.com

www.paulagwebdesign.com

Thinking UNDER the freelance BOX!

The one thing that is certain regarding this uncertain future we keep hearing about is that we keep hearing about it. Quantum physics, what little I know about it, says to me that maybe if we stop dwelling on how uncertain the future is, that it may certainly get better. That's why I'm proposing that instead of just thinking OUTSIDE the box, I say MOVE THE BOX OUT OF THE WAY AND SEE WHAT'S UNDERNEATH! This is a time for uber-creative thinking. If your boat is stagnant in the water, no need to give up, just try changing course. You never know what the new shift may bring.