A mostly monthly but certainly occasional round-up of what I've been up to and what's in the hopper. For full credits and details, see this entry.

Colleen of the future (stuff I'll be doing)

For the first time in the three years that I've been doing these updates, I have zero plans. (Well, that I can talk about publicly.)

Zero public talks. Zero hosted meetups. Zero conferences I'm planning on attending, save World Domination Summit next year. And most definitely, zero birthday plans for this year.

At some point, hopefully soon—and I only say "hopefully" because I'm a hopeless Virgo hard-case when it comes to work—I'll have some things to share. Until then, sign up for the newsletter. Stay tuned here. Friend me on Facebook. (Unless you only want to be "friends" so I'll like your whatever or come to your whaddyacallit, because that is "friendly," not friendly. Obviously.)*

Light a candle, say a novena, butter a piece of toast, but only if it makes you happy. I'm fine, I swear! Plenty of cool stuff going on.

In fact...

Well...

Okay, now that I think about it, there are two places where I know I'll be in the near future:

"Photographers Helping Photographers" :: One of my very favorite people, Jenna Close, is giving what I'm 100% sure will be a kickass workshop for ASMP Los Angeles this Thursday evening, July 26, at Vaney Poyey's studio in Downtown L.A.
"Sustainable Business Models" :: This all-day symposium in New York City is free to the public with advance registration. It will also serve as the launch for...
The ASMP Guide to New Markets in Photography, the organization's new and important book on surviving as an imagemaker in an attention economy. And yes, yours truly wrote the chapters on branding and marketing, so I will be on hand, Sharpie at the ready, eager to inscribe something personal and awesome (of course!) on your freshly-purchased copy.

But really, this was all put in place eons ago. So much so that it almost cancels out any future-ness about them.

Colleen of the Past (what I have done for you lately)

The Inside Actor Podcast, Part One and Part Two :: This two-parter is audio-only, but the audio is exceptionally good, both from a technical and content standpoint. Full credit goes to my interviewer, Trevor Algatt, who is a model of grace and Doing It Right for actors and pretty much anyone else out there trying to work in a creative business. (His partner, A.J. Meijer, whom you'll hear in the rest of the episodes, is equally talented, but was sadly unavailable for most of the interview.) Part One covers my background, as well as touching on lessons from 50-for-50; Part Two covers more general marketing, networking, and communications-type stuff.
IdeaMensch :: I really tore the roof off my interview for this site that probes the minds of various internet nerds on how they bring ideas to fruition, and I'm glad—not only did the content turn out nicely, but they were a joy to collaborate with and did a stellar job on production. (Neatness counts! Ditto, politeness!)
Mashable :: A fantastic piece on viral philanthropy in the wake of the runaway hit campaign for bus driver Karen Klein is heavy on the 50-for-50 mentions, and features a significant amount of my newest thinking on what makes (or kills) crowdfunding campaigns. Kudos to writer Matt Petronzio for doing such a great feature. And for being a really supernice fella.
The Strictly Business Blog :: A brief argument for attraction-based methods of building a mailing list; a quickie on writing better thank-you notes; how to get the most out of your consultant; some examples of highly-effective low-cost marketing; and whether social photo-sharing sites like Pinterest make sense for photographers (or maybe YOU).

Colleen of the Present (stuff I do, rain or shine)

communicatrix | focuses :: My (usually) monthly newsletter devoted to the ways and means of becoming a better clearer communicator (plus a few special treats I post nowhere else). Free!
Act Smart! is my monthly column about marketing for LA Casting. Nominally for actors, there's a ton of good info in there for any creative business person. Browse the archives, here.
Internet flotsam :: I am currently rather disenchanted with the Internet and have been busy doing stuff in my Actual, Real Life. (You should see my under-sink cabinet!) But I continue to waste far too much time over on Facebook, Instagram, and, ever so often, Twitter and Pinterest.

P.S. Newsletter coming soon. I think....

xxx c

*If, however, you would like to invite me to an actual party or an actual opening or maybe even an actual launch with actual, real, live people, and actual refreshments, by all means, do. And may the gods rain money and ice-cream cakes on your lawn.