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Whew!

A month ago, my blog got wiped out due to a really stupid error that crashed my server. It’s tough being credible as a marketer these days without a blog. And I can’t tell you how many “what happened to your blog?” e-mails I’ve received in the last 5 weeks. Honestly, I didn’t know that many people were waiting for an update.

So thanks to everyone who noticed the blog was gone. We’re back, I’ve got stuff ready to post and, barring any unforeseen disasters, new posts will begin appearing on Monday.

Hi everyone. Sorry for the lack of content. The server crashed, wiping out my blog. I’m in the process of getting the content back up.
Thanks for your patience!

William

It’s no secret that, a year ago, I lost my job due to the recession and that’s when I returned to my roots as a consultant. Since I’ve had the opportunity to talk publicly about what it means to lose your job and how to find a new one (on Fox News and on behalf of TheLadders.com, respectively), I’ve thought a lot about how to keep your head above water when you find unemployment has robbed you of your routine, your community of colleagues and your self-confidence.

Here are four suggestions on how to make the best of a bad situation:

Connect with family and friends.
Build your community at home and make time for the people and things you didn’t have enough time for before. Personally, I spent a lot of time with my (now) two year-old son. Nothing takes the edge off your worries like playing with a baby.

Network with every business contact you’ve ever made.
Smart networking is in everyone’s best business interest. You’ve probably gone to great lengths to build up your social media contacts (if you haven’t, do so), but most deals are sealed face to face. Find your Twitter followers, LinkedIn contacts and Facebook friends who live in your area and arrange to meet. Are you a member of an online business group? Arrange for the whole group to get together to meet and put faces to those names. You’ll keep in touch online, but you’ll find the relationships are deeper and more useful once you’ve met in person.

For me, one of the best occasions I’ve had for this has been monthly meetings of Brandhackers. Nothing reminds you of your talents like being in a room full of colleagues, whether you’re a new-found freelancer or just looking to connect.

Create a sense of accomplishment for yourself.
Do all those things you always said you’re going to do but never had time for, be it cleaning out your basement, getting more involved in local politics or unpacking that last box from your most recent move.

I never thought I’d be inclined to fix a roof, but when I realized mine needed fixing, I taught myself how. And since no rain is pouring in at the moment (and it’s raining hard right now), I’m guessing I didn’t do too bad a job.

Learn. They say a wise man knows just how little he knows, so invite someone you consider accomplished to breakfast or lunch and have them tell their story and learn from their successes and failures. You’ll be amazed by how generous people are with their knowledge.

I do this every chance I get. Those conversations have led me to returning to my roots as a consultant as well as to finding new clients. And I’ve learned a lot about people I truly admire at the same time.