Welcome to the July edition of Peer-to-Peer Mentoring. Recently I decided to create better ways to interact with you all by introducing new content. Tara’s advice comes at the perfect time to help me through this process.

My question for Tara

Along my career path, I travel wearing many hats. From a writer and designer’s perspective, what tools do you use to portray career evolution to your audience? More specifically, how do you keep your bio updated to portray the ever-evolving you so it represents your business as extension of yourself rather than a mere list of accomplishments?

Tara says!!!

I think a website as an ideal place for a business and/or a person to authentically express their evolution to their audience. In my mind, that IS the purpose of a website, and perhaps even the true purpose of the Internet.

Part of my business strategy was to document/show my evolution online. I write about and help people with their business growth. So existing online, and expressing my growth publicly, it was a business strategy, but now that I’m public, I improvise with my expressions online. My tools are always the same: words, images, my computer and my imagination. But how they all unfold together and come to expression depends on the lesson I have learned. I think I show my evolution in subtle ways that don’t necessarily need my acknowledgement for others to see.

Here’s a a short answer to your first question: I share words and images with my audience improvisation-ally online as a way to express my growth (including career evolution) as it unfolds.

In regards to my bio specifically, I’ve never really had one. I actually just wrote my first “official” one yesterday, so this question is very timely. Before the “official” one, I would just write a new tailored-for-the-crowd bio each time one was needed of me. But I’m at a point where I want to write one that is more consistent and focused.

In the new “official” bio I’ve focused on a bunch things I find meaningful both professionally and personally and delivered them in a storytelling-like way.

Here’s an example:

Writer, Designer and Principal at Elastic Mind, Tara Joyce believes in unifying work and love. She passionately employs digital media to support values-driven leaders in designing and developing the businesses they are dreaming of. HER STORY 10 years ago she was skipping classes at business school. 5 years ago she was discontentedly thriving in corporate marketing and digital media. 2 years ago she was proudly nurturing her infant business, Elastic Mind. Last year she was in awe driving Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. 6 months ago she was celebrating her 3rd wedding anniversary. YOU CAN TUNE IN FOR MORE @ElasticMind on Twitter or visit elasticmind.ca

I plan to update it and tailor-it-to-the-crowd a bit each time I use it. For me, my bio’s purpose is to give the right strangers a reason to want to engage with me. I think the best way to encourage this is to speak to who I am, what I do and what I love. But remember, I’m no bio expert.

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You can read Tara’s question for me about building confidence and finding value in your work here.

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