Brash Jobs: Skills And Confidence (Part 3)

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

Last week, I delved into my ongoing series of confidence and skills to help you climb the ladder. Confidence comes from two different places: skills, and experience. Remember, each affects the other:

  • Building skills provides experience to help you practice (Preparation for Problem A)
  • Experiences help show you what other skills you need or should improve on (Learning from Problem A’s mistakes so you’re ready for Problem B)

Don’t forget confidence is a two-way street!

The goal in learning or improving skills is to help you gain confidence and succeed. Whether you’re starting out and looking for a job or you have a job and just want to keep climbing, skills will help pave the confidence road to success.

Every skill you have is worth something. No matter how strange or silly it might seem.

Even if it doesn’t seem useful now or doesn’t even feel like a skill yet, work on it and will be useful one day – I believe in your skill. Take me and acting, for example.

Before I was in libraries, most of you who have been reading Brash Librarian for a while know my background is in theater, attempting the starving actor thing. While it may seem like acting isn’t entirely useful on a day-to-day basis, it’s one of the greatest skills I’ve ever honed because it helps in nearly every situation I face. When a patron is screaming at you or a boss is telling you that you screwed up, keeping your emotions in check is vital. You can’t get upset, hurt, or angry when dealing with that patron or boss – as the saying goes, “don’t let them see you sweat”. You remain calm, level-headed, and courteous until the situation is dealt with and you can remove yourself.

internal screaming

You don’t get to scream or vent when you’re on stage if something bad happens; you say your lines, do your assigned actions, and get off the stage when the scene is over…THAT’S when you scream or vent, and the same goes for work. You play your part of the calm and reasonable staff member, go into the back office, staff lounge or parking lot and give yourself a few minutes to decompress. Lose your marbles in front of an audience? A boss? A patron? You can’t do that. If you value your career, IT’S NOT EVEN AN OPTION.

Remember, this is just one skill. Did you know I was also:

  • A magician?
  • Customer Service Rep?
  • Financial seminar assistant?
  • Poker tournament director?
  • A mascot?
  • A hair model?
hair model

That last one is really true.

It took a very long time to learn many of these skills, but it was worth it. I never thought I’d find a job that let me use all of my skills, but I was willing to be patient for the right job.

Patience is a skill.

When I first started as the new guy on campus in the theatre department, I met some resistance. I auditioned for every play and musical happening that semester, and got nothing. Of course I wouldn’t get a part! Why cast the potentially-unreliable new guy when you can cast the 2nd or 3rd year guy who’s already proven themselves talented and reliable?

I swallowed my pride and turned my attention towards stage building and prop making. As it turns out, I’m really good with power tools and building props. FYI, learning how to build/fix things with tools is life-changing. I fix things around my library ALL THE TIME. One day, the director announces that he needs people – turns out the show is a collection of 5 short plays, and a miscalculation meant that they needed some more people…one of which was a ghost. No lines, nothing special, just stand in the back and look spooky. But it was a foot in the door!

Looking for my way in, I said, “I’ll do it.”

I started showing up on time, taking my silent role more seriously than some of the main actors did with theirs, and it started to attract attention. It wasn’t long before the next role came along in another short play: Death. Only about 4 lines and 45 seconds of stage time…

“I’ll do it.”

moon2

BOOM.

This play was about a down-and-out poet needing inspiration and money. His inspiration? The library. The library was only open two hours a week, and it meant everything to him; to help break his spirit, Death comes and takes his library card. Then he comes back a second time to offer a bag of cash for his soul.

Looking back on it all, this is SO apropos. What a strange life we all have!

With two roles in my pocket, I started building a reputation (and while working on the stage and props, no less). As some kids dropped out and other roles popped up, it turns out another role was needed: a bartender in a play taking place in the wild west.

Once again, “I’ll do it.”

moon3_n

BOOM. TWICE.

I was now playing a supporting character with lots of lines and plenty of stage time. More responsibility, more costumes, and a totally sweet mustache. Seriously, look at this dapper curl I’ve got going on in the back:

moon4

Still my all-time favorite facial prop.

So now I’m a ghost with no lines, Death with a few lines, and a bartender with plenty of lines; the only place I could really go from there would be to star in one of those plays with most of the lines. If you’ve known me or read about me for any period of time, you know I’m both tenacious and just downright lucky, so that’s pretty much what happened next. A short play about two lawyers, one deeply in love with a mermaid and the other a drunk who thinks his mermaid-loving friend is crazy. One drunken lawyer, coming right up.

Moon 1

Our promo photo shoot. My character was drunk and saying, “look at that duck”.

I wouldn’t call it my finest acting of all time, but it was my first real role in college and I was determined to make an impression. Apparently I did, since our show made front page of the entertainment section.

Moon5

Full color and everything. BOOM, THE THIRD.

I did it all because I patiently waited for the opportunity and took it, which led to bigger and better things. I learned waaay more than I expected about schedules, teamwork, quick change costumes, facial appliances, lighting, acting, and other tiny nitpicky stuff.

Let go of the things that hold your skills back. 

At some point, we are all blocked or distracted by our own fears or experiences that haunt us. I know I’m definitely guilty of holding onto past things that mess with my head.

Like many other kids, I was a super nerd growing up. I’ve been wearing glasses since 3rd grade, along with the bad acne, braces and social awkwardness. You wanna talk socially awkward? I was home schooled for middle school and spent my first two years of high school at an all-boys Catholic high school. Four years of little to no social interactions with girls = the king of awkward. There were so many social situations where I felt like I should know what to do, but really had no idea.

al gore patron-5

The social equivalent.

However, I learned in my early 20’s the best way to overcome problems like these are to face them head-on. The best way to handle the past is to gain confidence and learn from those mistakes, and that confidence comes from building those skills and helps you exorcise some of those past ghosts. When you charge into situations before others, you learn more. That’s why when possible, I like to…

Be the first.

I was always taught, “learn from other people’s mistakes so you don’t have to make them yourself”, but I learned there’s also something special about being the first to make that mistake. When you’re the first to make a mistake, there’s a bit more discovery to it. I’d rather be the first guy to make a mistake than the 10th guy who makes the same mistake. There’s usually a bit more leniency given to the first person than the 10th person.

There’s also something that builds confidence by being the first. Be bold! Be daring! Be the first person on the dance floor. Be the first on stage for karaoke. Be the first to volunteer for a particular assignment. Be the first to learn a new skill.

Make new friends who have higher skill levels.

If you want to be better at something in particular, having more skilled people around you will upgrade your current skills. All of my best friends are incredibly skilled people. Whether it’s science, math, fencing, Chinese checkers, Poker, history, trivia, it doesn’t matter; you don’t get better at any sport or game by playing with newcomers – you get better by playing more skilled opponents. However, don’t let their  higher skill get to your head. Remember…

Your skills are yours alone. Don’t compare yourself to others!

I love the diversity of skills found in the world. My friend Cindy Leigh has aquarium cleaning skills, my friend Justin is the best fisherman I’ve ever seen, and my friend Brad can distinguish 80 different models of helicopters by hearing them fly.

Being the youngest in my family with my bigger and stronger football-star brother, I shied away physical things in favor of things like chess team instead. (At least chess kids didn’t have to be up at 5am to run.) I didn’t really give thought to sports until I heard that the varsity weight lifting team was holding tryouts. When I started pushing myself and getting stronger, I learned that I really didn’t care how much better my brother was at something, but how much better I was getting compared to old me.

There’s a Muppets movie that came out a few years ago featuring a new muppet named Walter, a young boy who feels like he has no talents at all and just can’t find anything that he’s skilled at. To save the Muppets during their live TV benefit show, Walter finally realizes that even his favorite silly things to do can be a skill.

Speaking of whistling and music, that brings me to my next point…

Get yourself some fighting and montage music.

Rocky has Survivor, Darth Vader has the Imperial March, Batman has his na-na-na-na…What is yours? Me, I’m a big fan of Treat Her Like a Lady by the Cornelius Brothers. Something about the beat just puts a pep in my step, what can I say?

 

Get a skill that’s easy to learn.

Some new skills are easy to learn. Some take a few seconds, some a few days. Some can take a lifetime to master, but only a few minutes to learn. Some that I like?

  • Learn how to change a tire
  • Whistling
  • An easy magic trick
  • Learn to make a drink you really like (and then perfect it)
  • Learn how to sew
  • How to tie a tie
  • How to solve a Rubik’s cube (it’s really just finding the right patterns)

I’ll bet you can learn something new by the time you finish this post.

Find a skill or hobby you can measure.

It’s very satisfying to have a hobby or skill you can improve and actually measure. There’s plenty of ways to measure improvement:

  • Weights? You lifted more!
  • Running? You got faster!
  • Cooking? It tastes better! (A palette can measure improvement)
  • Beer and wine? More hobby than skill, but trying new drinks widens your palette
  • Typing? You can type more accurately and/or faster!
  • Time management? You did those things you needed to do more quickly!
  • Working out? Yeah, you look better! (I personally measure this by how my pants fit.)
  • Some complicated thing? It’s easier to do now!
  • Drawing? Yay, my stick figure has a shadow now!
  • Holding your breath? You can hold it for longer! Hey, it might save your life one day.

There’s a great TED talk about a guy who practiced his memory skills 15 minutes a day for a year. He entered the world memory tournament and took 1st place. Yes, that’s a thing!

 

Pick a dangerous or mysterious skill.

At some point in our lives, we all want to have a super secret identity. You know, some super cool skills that make you look and feel dangerous and mysterious.

gus shawn untold

Psych has some pretty good lessons, too.

Best case scenario, these will make you feel and look like a secret agent. Worse case scenario, they might save your life (metaphorically and/or literally.) What kind of skills would I call dangerous?

  • Learning how to pick a lock
  • How to break into a car (just in case you lock your keys in your car, of course)
  • Learn the basics of knife throwing
  • How to rock climb and rappel
  • How to start an emergency fire
  • How to shoot a gun
  • How to pick pockets
  • How to fence
  • How to ballroom dance
  • How to disappear in a crowd
  • Learning a martial art. (Super Kung-Fu ninja skills!)
  • How to become a master of disguise
  • How to spot fake watches, purses, sunglasses, etc.

That last one is actually really handy – I can spot a fake Louis Vuitton bag or Rolex from 100 yards.

Youtube, eHow, Lifehacker and other resources are your friends.

Thanks to the internet, there’s a how-to guide or video for almost every single skill ever conceived. Magic tricks, drink making, knife throwing, sewing, it’s all out there somewhere!

What skills do you have? What skills do you hope to learn? What skills do you want to improve? I want to know! You can comment here or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share your skills. I want to learn ALL the skills, just like Batman. (Because Batman knows everything.)

Have a happy and safe rest of the weekend,

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brash Jobs, Skills, Experience, Confidence (Part 2)

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

Last week, I talked a little about the importance of skills and building confidence to get ahead. Today, I’m delving a little deeper into what really is confidence? Believe it or not, but the Brash Librarian was once scared, insecure, and not-so-brash. With some guidance, trial and error, and just dumb luck, I picked up a few good lessons that I hope to impart and make your journey a little easier.

Let’s jump into a few notes about confidence. Sure, you’ve probably heard a few similar things before, but isn’t nice to know you’re on the right track?

Learn to discern those who are cocky and those who are confident.

swagger

See that guy? Cocky.

The sooner you can learn to sniff this out of people, the better. When I was younger, I was often called cocky by some, and confident by others. Like a stubborn young adult, I often argued about them about which one I really was. One day, a friend (now an old mentor) taught me the easiest way to tell the difference in others – and ourselves.

“A cocky attitudes comes from outside factors. The clothes you wear, the kind of car you drive, your looks, how much money you have – all things that can affect you, but are NOT you…the things that make you cocky can be taken away.

Confidence comes from obtaining skills, experiences, and learning from life lessons. Life lessons and skills can never be taken from you, they dwell inside you always and give you strength, no matter what has been taken from you.

Cockiness comes from the outside – confidence comes from within.”

things-that-blew-your-mind-when-you-were-a-kid-1-30991-1346448555-3_big

Competence builds confidence.

Once you find those confident and competent around you, stick with them. Learn from them and start obtaining their skills. Do you get better at chess by playing with novices, or by playing with experts?

“Eh, I don’t know. I don’t really want them knowing what I can’t do or don’t know”.

I too have felt this way before! Firstly, that’s a cocky response so pitch that out the window. Secondly, you’re not expected know everything when you first arrive. As I’ve said in a previous post, you don’t know even where the bathroom is on day one – they’re not expecting perfection. Since they’re not expecting perfection, it’s time to start learning from them!

Learn their style of Kung Fu.

I don’t actually mean real Kung Fu, but learning how they do things. Even if you know how to do something, make sure you know how they want it done. When I take a new job and they ask:

“Are you familiar with [program/equipment/procedure]?”

Regardless of whether I know it or not, I’ll always answer the same way:

“Let’s pretend I have no idea, I want to start with a clean slate and make sure I do it the way your library does it.” 

If I knew it, then I just have to worry about the details. If it’s something I don’t know, then it’s a slightly longer learning curve. In other words, you can learn from them without ever having to confirm what you do or don’t know. It’s good to have a little air of mystery, eh?

fdae1-what-sorcery-is-this

(If you find an actual Kung Fu library position, please let me know because that sounds amazing.)

There is great confidence in saying, “I don’t know”.

Yes, I know I just gave you great verbal sorcery to tap dance through most things, but there are some you get a free pass on…some skills you either really really really know, or the opposite. If you’ve never used their library software or some specialty gadget before, it’s okay to say “I don’t know, I’ve never used that before”. Think of the two options you have in this scenario:

  1. Say, “I don’t know”, and let them help you learn how to operate said software/gadget.
  2. Say yes, screw up the task at hand, admit you don’t know, start over with their help, and make them wonder what else you’ll claim to know.

Confidence isn’t just about self-confidence.

Confidence is a two-way street. You need to be able to inspire confidence others, along with putting confidence in those same people. Just like anything worthwhile, building confidence in yourself (or others) ain’t done over a cup of tea. This is why you learn from those competent mentors or coworkers early on!

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were you.

Building that confidence in others takes time. People need to see you in action so they can say, “man, that person’s good” and ask you for help with their next project. This is where having multiple skills comes in handy. If you come across something that you know you’re going to struggle with, it’s okay to call for back-up on a project.

The truly confident know when to ask for help.

Bobby-Rufus

I think we’ve all been on both sides of this conversation.

I’m fairly confident in most of my abilities. However, I know I have limits. Whether it’s a question of my skill set, how much time I have to do it, or who has access to more resources, I have a pretty good idea of who can do a better job than me. Why go reinvent the wheel if you have somebody on staff who can crank out 20 wheels in an hour?

 

Doing good? Feeling more confident?

“Nope, I didn’t learn anything.”

Well then, fine. I’ll buy you drinks when I get to the American Library Association this June in Orlando.

Oh, did I mention I’m going to ALA, the biggest library conference of the year?scream1

ALA is a big deal in the library world, but don’t worry! I’ll be covering that a few posts from now. In the meantime, start lining up those drinks, those of you learned nothing from this post.

smell regret-5

Next time in Part 3:

Hopefully, I’ve gotten the gloves on you – next comes the actual training. I’m going to dive into some of my more secret skills and techniques that can help you climb the ladder, nail that job, or increase your overall confidence! In the meantime, you can comment here or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share your stories. What makes you confident? How do you gain confidence?

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brash Jobs: Skills, Experience, Confidence (Part 1)

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

This week or two have been craaaaazy, but the good part is all that crazy gave me inspiration for this week’s post. Today I want to talk about the importance in having different skill sets in different areas. The more diverse, the better.

set of skills

Skills that make you want to hire me.

Anyone who has been job hunting in the last few years (let alone the last decade) will tell you that finding jobs is getting harder and harder. It doesn’t matter if you have an ironclad resume and a cover letter written by a Harvard business professor – it really means zero if all they read are the parts they make you fill out.

retype resume

EVERY. TIME.

Once (or if) you make it past the first review of your application, they’ll look to see if you have any experience. Yes, that “I need experience to get experience” Catch-22 every millennial is getting to know and despise. If you’re a twenty-something coming out of college and looking for entry level jobs, there’s a good chance you’ve seen this:

raptor

I KNOW. I’ve been there, too.

How do you get around it?

Going back to school and getting another degree helps, but chances are you don’t want to get an MLIS or MLS, only to go back to school for another degree. Even with another degree, they’ll still want to see some modicum of experience. Sure, a degree can compensate for some experience but it may not get you to the finish line.

Internships are a great opportunity to get experience under your belt, expand your skills and make some connections! However, maybe you skipped on internships and feel like a dummy (just like me). So what then?

If those options aren’t available to you (or you already have a job but just want to climb higher), the number one thing I can recommend is to start building outside experience and skills. What do I mean by this? I mean by learning any and every skill you can and getting experience, no matter how crazy it sounds or how unlikely you’ll be using it.

Why? Because skills and experience build CONFIDENCE.

That resume may get your foot in the door to that interview, but you have to sell that confidence in the interview to get the job.

Before I was in libraries, did you know I was also:

  • An actor?
  • Magician?
  • Customer Service Rep?
  • Financial seminar assistant?
  • Poker tournament director?
  • Mascot?
  • Hair model?

When I first started getting into libraries, I didn’t think I’d get to apply my skills in a library setting. For example, my skills as a magician. “A magician? How would I do that in a library?” As it turns out, magic is a perfectly acceptable skill set. Especially in our children’s department, during our spring carnival where I performed another magic show!

magic show

Apparently, I’m really good at drawing a crowd.

What about mascot skills? Surely, my days of being Clifford the big red dog or Spider-man couldn’t possibly be used in a library.

Oh wait, they can if your library decides to get a mascot.

rover reads

Meet Rover Reads, the Reading Dog.

If you’ve never worn a mascot suit, they can be a nightmare. They’re usually heavy, sweltering on the inside and usually limit your field of vision. If you’re not used to it, then it’s a bit of a shock. And this is indoors, people – think about doing this outside in the sun at Disney World. Thankfully, quality suits like this come with some features to help; not only was I wearing a vest full of cooling packs, but the head has a built-in fan as well!

But Justin, how does somebody get into all of these things? Where do I start? HOW do I start?

This post is meant to get you thinking and getting those wheels turning. What skills do you have? What skills do you want to have? What makes you feel confident? What steps do you take to increase your confidence?  Next week in Part 2, I’m going to go into the skills, techniques and thoughts that I’ve come across that might help you as well. In the meantime, you can comment here or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tell me your thoughts of any of these!

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

 

 

 

 

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Brash Librarian Turns 4!

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

I’ve been working on some new material and getting ready for the Texas Library Association (TLA) conference and completely forgot that last week was Brash Librarian‘s 4th birthday!

michelle-tanner-happy-birthday-gif-1

I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for being part of this wonderful experience. Keeping up with it has been tough at times, but I know I’ve help a whole lot of people these last four years. People have thanked me for inspiring them to go back to school with my grad school adventures, change careers with my job posts, live healthy with my marathon posts, and it’s those kind of things that keep me going. I’ve made many friends and the occasional enemy, but it’s all been worth it. If you’re new to BL or you’re just feeling nostalgic, you can view my very post here.

This is certainly more fun than my real birthday that’s coming up. I turn 30 this year and it’s exciting yet terrifying. Excifying? Terriciting?

Bottom line, I’m going to be freaked out and trying to avoid it until I have plenty of friends, cake and wine nearby.

shoot

No, it won’t be THAT bad.

That’s all the for the moment, just popping in. Don’t worry, I should have something new later this week. Stay tuned in!

 

Justin Brasher, Brash (and soon to be 30) Librarian

 

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Brash Jobs: Libraries As a Business Tool

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

This week, I want to discuss the importance libraries have when it comes to business and the impact they have on small business owners.

Many small businesses rely on libraries to conduct research of all types. Every day, somebody is using your local library to further their dreams as a business owner. There’s almost no industry that can’t use free books, magazines, computers and internet. Think of all the mom-n-pop shops you have in your area:

Restaurants: they’re looking for the best deals on cooking equipment, new recipes, maybe printing out copies of their new menu.

Candle shop: they’re trying to find out what scents are trending, how to make them, and the best supplier for candle jars. This kind of thing applies to almost any boutique, really.

Auto shops: Ongoing training for new cars is important, plus almost every library either has Chilton auto manuals on their shelves or online for free. (Quite often both!)

I could go on for another 3 pages at minimum, but I have a particular shop I want to talk about. This week’s post isn’t just about a store that brings in money; it’s about a venture that gave somebody their confidence back.

Meet Ashley, her husband Nigel and their son, Alistair.

ash nigel mini

Ashley has worked full time and part time in the past to help with the household. However, she suffers from a number of health issues, especially back problems. Even after several surgeries, her back has gotten worse in the past few years. The spinal flareups and back pain make it difficult to stand or walk for very long. By difficult, I mean difficult enough to go on disability because she can’t work a normal job. Meanwhile, her husband works extra shifts when possible.

When Ashley went on disability, she became forlorn. She couldn’t contribute to the household finances like before, and that made her feel powerless. She could still walk around enough to chase Alistair and take him out to play, so she focused on being a mom. Being the cool and frugal mom that she is, she took Alistair where he could play, socialize with other kids, and engage in learning activities, all for free: AT THE LIBRARY. Ashley gets to sit and rest her back, Alistair gets to have Story Time, and everybody wins.

While browsing through arts and crafts books with Alistair, Ashley chanced upon a book on sewing. Already skilled in sewing, Ashley picked it up and found some patterns for things she wanted to make. Since we need fabric for this kind of stuff, she went to the fabric shop looking for something to jump out at her. It didn’t take long for her to find every nerdy fabric in stock: Doctor Who, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Star Trek…FYI, nerdy stuff is awesome.

“Get back on track, Justin.”

Sorry, voice in my head.

After Ashley made some stuff, friends and family commented on how cool her items were. If people like them and she’s good at making them, maybe she can…sell them?  To someone who has the skills and can stay home all day to do it, something like this could be a veritable gold mine. Like any savvy business person, she knew she couldn’t rely on just making one or two items – she needed to diversify.

If I’m going to do this, I’m gonna need more patterns to make different items. TO THE LIBRARY!

(That’s probably not exactly how it happened, but it’s close enough for me.)

Using books she got from the library while taking Alistair and using her library card online at home to help her look up other patterns, Ashley put on some montage music and got to work. Time to go full Eye of the Tiger.

Infinity Scarves? She started with sports teams, nerdy stuff, and just regular chic. Florida library peeps, that is indeed an FSU scarf.

scarves

Again, it’s about diversifying your inventory.

The next big item that kept turning her friends’ heads? Her marvelous tote and sling bags – I say marvelous because I have one. YES, that bottom right bag is a Super Mario print.

bags

I have a Batman one.

What else do people like? Ashley knew this couldn’t thrive on just bags and scarves. What’s popular right now? Feedback from friends, looking for trends Pinterest and Etsy, and craft magazines helped answer that. Where did Ashley find these craft magazines? AT HER LIBRARY. Her results showed other popular items were pencil and dice bags, light switch plates, aprons, oven mitts, pads and pot holders. (Or trivets, if thou art fancy.)

Then bags, switches, aprons, mitts, pads, and pot holders/trivets it is. Give the people what they want!

variety

I like the Harry Potter switch.

With products made and ready to go, it’s time to get serious and make this a legit shop. The name of this endeavor? Phoenix Fire by Ash.

“I’ve always loved the mythology surrounding the phoenix. At the time I started my business, I was going through a rough time. Like everything else, I make it through stronger just like a phoenix does. Everyone calls me Ash, so I thought Phoenix Fire by Ash seemed fitting; a phoenix rises from the fire and pile of ashes stronger and better than when it entered the fire.”

The Phoenix is the comeback kid of the animal kingdom, right? I wonder if Survivor is available to make a song called Phoenix Fire. Have they done anything since that Starbucks commercial? You know the one I’m talking about.

This was like 2006, people.

Next step: finding ways to sell this stuff once it’s made. Thanks the internet, making and selling things is easier than ever on places like Etsy. If you’re not familiar with Etsy, it’s pretty much a website where you can buy and sell things you make.

Like anyone starting a business, Ashley wasn’t sure about how to go about it. How much should she charge for her items? How should she market this shop on Etsy? How does she get the most out of this venture? It’s not like they make a “how to sell stuff on Etsy” book.

etsy.png

OH. My bad.

I guess it’s time to head back to the library.

As long as we’re doing an Etsy page, we’d better expand our reach and market on our Facebook Page. What about in person though? Many marketing experts will tell you that word of mouth is often considered the most trustworthy and powerful way to reach people. How many of you have tried a product or read a book because a friend, recommended it? This is the kind of groundswell we need to get going.

Marketers will also tell you the old adage, “location, location, location” – being out where your customers can see you. Lucky for Ashley, she’s got the perfect location. Tampa is a very large city and is home to numerous comic book conventions…you know, the kind that have vendor booths selling you all the nerdy and geeky things you want.

booth

Just like this one!

This photo was taken before the convention started. I’d show you an after photo, but you all know what a bare table looks like. Spoilers: her stuff was popular and flew off the shelves.

sold

It’s a ton of work to handle all this, but Ashley isn’t alone. With the help of her parents, Nigel, friends – and even Alistair – she’s been able to keep up with demand. A special shout-out goes to her mom, Cindy! She sews, she irons, shes helps set up and take down booths when Ashley has flareups, she keeps Alistair busy so she can concentrate, she does anything that’s needed. Seriously, I mean anything. When there was a problem with the cake at Ashley and Nigel’s wedding, she fixed it…the “mama grizzly, you don’t want to know” kind of fixed it.

ash cin

Those are some tough cookies, right there.

Most people would be satisfied, but not Ashley. Like any shrewd but cunning entrepreneur, she knows it’s not about making money – it’s about making connections. Ashley made many new friends, but also gave some promotional items away. One such item included a set of Wonder Woman pot holders trivets to legendary comic artist Jose Delbo. He’s most famous for drawing Wonder Woman, but he’s done Batman, Spiderman, and the Beatles.

YellowSub 69 poster

Yeah, this guy.

She simply gave them to him because she’s a big fan of his work, but it turned out to be a great investment. Delbo appreciated the gift so much, he gave Ashley a signed print and signed a pair of…trivets for her!

ww oven mitts

So where to from here? Another advantage of face-to-face business at conventions is getting to hear what people want. Neck pillows, bedding, baby wear, walker pouches? You got it.

useful items

Fellow vendors or people who wear lanyards and wristlets? She’s got you covered.

lanyards

No spare fabric is wasted.

Whether it’s one of her usual items or a custom order, her attention to detail is impeccable.

That’s right, custom orders. Don’t like what you see? She’ll make it.

Check out all of her items on Phoenix Fire by Ash and Facebook. Remember, Easter is right around the corner if you need gifts – act now and get your items just in time!

But wait, there’s more.

Ashley is a proud supporter of libraries, librarians and learning, so she’s made a special offer: if you use the coupon code “brash16” in the next 90 days when ordering, you’ll get 5% off your entire order.

It’s been over a year since Ashley started, and it’s only growing. With help from her local library, Ashley was able to turn her time at home into a money-making opportunity. She’s contributing to her family, making use of her talents, and showing the world what is possible when you say “I’m not gonna take it, I’m going to the library”.

ash mini

And best of all, she gets to spend more time with Alistair.

I know Ashley isn’t the only success story out there! Know anyone in your life that’s used their library as a business incubator? Comment here or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and they could have an article about them as well!

That’s all for this week. I’ll be busy with our upcoming library carnival this coming Saturday, but I should be a little more free after that. Have a safe weekend, everyone!

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

 

 

 

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Brash Jobs: The Power of the Hashtag

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

This week, I’ll be touching a little more on social media and the effects it can have.

And this is just a drop in the bucket of stuff out there.

Yeah, all that stuff.

 

Last week, I took Thursday and Friday off for a four-day vacation. My first month as manager was quite a barrel run. Between finding a dead man in our parking lot and everything else in between, I’ve needed a breather.

Just about anyone who knows me can tell you that I don’t like live music. As much as I love live events like musicals and plays, I usually bow out of live music events. Why?

  • Noise: I’ve progressed beyond super loud concerts that make your ears ring for a day.
  • People: By this, I mean the kind of people who go to concerts. On a scale of “hipster/YOLO kids” to “22 and doing cocaine in the bathroom”, I’m a “have a single drink because I have work in the morning” type. You’d be surprised how few of those types you’ll find!
  • Time/Distance: If I magically had 3 days off with nothing to do, “go to a music festival 130 miles away that lasts all weekend” would not be on the list of ways to spend those days. (Or my money.)

Okay, getting off topic. My point is that very few music venues call out to me. Classical concertos, opera, musicals and the like are more my thing. However, there’s one kind of music that speaks to me more than any other. You know what I’m talking about…

I’m talking about Irish step dancing.

I saw both Riverdance and Lord of the Dance when I was younger, and I’ve loved Irish dancing since the first moment I saw it. The dancers, the music, everything about it struck my Irish core. In case the pale skin, freckles and red hair didn’t give it away, I’m Irish. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s an idea of the look and sound.

 

So about a year ago, I realized I haven’t seen Irish dancing in forever. Much to my dismay, there were no shows available. At the time, everyone was touring internationally and I wasn’t about to skip over to Germany for a weekend. “Meh, I’ll sign up for their email list anyway.” Fast forward six months later to the email announcing The Riverdance 20th Anniversary Tour – the first USA tour they’ve had in four years.

sold

Thank you, Ticketmaster.

It was a two-hour drive to the Lutcher Theater in Orange, TX where Riverdance was showing, but totally worth it.

“Justin, I still don’t get what this has to do with social media.”

Look, I know you’re really excited now that you’ve watched that video, but keep calm and stay with me. Like any theater, there’s a “No filming/photography during the show” policy, so I snapped a quick pre-show pic before the show started and posted it to my Twitter and Instagram with some hashtags.

“Hashtags? You mean a pound symbol? Talk to me like I’m five years old and have no idea what you mean.”

Sorry, I sometimes forget I write for more than just millennials. Hashtags are a great way to help the world find your stuff. In this case, hashtags like #Riverdance, #Irish and #dance would be appropriate. Yes, hashtags may seem like it’s for kids who wish they were a Kardashian, but I’ve come to realize A) it’s a great way to get your things noticed by people who share your interests and B) it really depends on what you’re tagging and the context. #Batman, #Superman, or #comics might be a post that interests you, or maybe you’re the #GirlsNightOut, #DuckFace, or #OMG typ. Maybe you’re even the trendsetter who #CompletelyMakesUpRandomTags for no reason. Whatever floats your boat, though I’m not really a duck face person.

Having now made all my friend jealous, I settled in for a night of music, song, and that sweet, sweet dancing. Not long after we got out of the show (which was amazing), my phone started buzzing with all kinds of notifications. First, my Instagram started lighting up…

12736169_10101084611982705_1378660303_n

Look at all those people who like my post! Kim, Amy, Ellen, Greg…

Hey, wait a minute. Does that last one say “riverdance_official”?

12443222_10101085409634205_1811359506_n

Yup, the actual Riverdance dance company appreciates my photo. Whaaaat! This is like the time I learned Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has its own Facebook page.

12789782_10101084612017635_105494812_o

I regret nothing.

So, Riverdance knows who I am – pretty awesome, I can go to bed happy. I’ll just check one last thing on Twitter before I go to bed.

12782081_10101084611927815_2085091100_n

Oh cool, some people liked my tweet. Who’s this John Lonergan guy? He kinda looks familiar, though I can’t think of where I would know him from. Eh, I’ll just click to his profile and see.

12736162_10101085230777635_1905160349_n

…Oh. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure he looks familiar because I may have just watched him dance for 2 or 3 hours.

“Wait, he’s using @ instead of #…what’s the difference? I’m still five years old.”

Okay, hashtags are a passive way to identify information and make it easier to find, whereas @ symbols are used to directly send it to somebody. (Like you’re speaking @ them, how clever!). To me, this kind of interaction on social media is vital. People like being noticed and appreciated, especially by world-class organizations and performers; I think a large part of it is just knowing that there’s somebody on the other end and not just a robot. With that, I thank John and the whole Riverdance group for totally making my day.

There’s a good chance they would have never seen this photo if I hadn’t thrown a few #’s in there. If you have a hobby, interest, or skill that you want to show the world, be sure to include your hashtags and you could be the next thing that goes viral. If nothing else, it helps you connect to people who share your passions.

I remember when I used @’s and #’s while writing Part Two of my  interview how-to series with Boise Public Library – that went viral for a day or two and garnered hundreds of likes, follows, reposts and the like. The internet is an amazing place, filled with world dancing champions and Reese’s. Next goal: eat a Reese’s and watch Riverdance at the same time? Nah, I’ll eat them before.

That’s all for this week, everyone! If you’re ever posting anything library-related or just want to say hi, I’ll be right here @BrashLibrarian. Now go have a great Friday!

 

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Brash Jobs: What Library School DOESN’T Teach You, Part 5: Management

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

Holy smokes, what a week or two it’s been.

Ever since I took this new job as Circulation Manager, it’s been a roller coaster of crazy. Yes, I’ve been a manager before, but that was Technical Services with a staff of three; I’m now running a staff quadruple that in a department that deals with angry patrons – let alone dealing with the public. I’ve been too busy to write, but it’s been getting better.

So here I am, sitting in the lobby at Firestone getting my car worked on while I write on my laptop and watch the History Channel. It’s REALLY difficult to write, because today’s History Channel is actually good. That’s right, no Storage Wars or Ice Road Truckers, but a special on Sun Tzu’s Art of War and how his principles would have applied to famous battles and wars. (Watching WWII and the Civil War broken down with Sun Tzu’s perspective is super fascinating.

Oh, and THE MECHANICS ARE SINGING. How I find myself in these situations even surprises me sometimes.

…Oh wait, Sun Tzu is over. Aw man, not Pawn Stars.

8e783-misc-jackie-chan

Why, History Channel, WHY?

Oh thank goodness, the car’s ready.

Fast forward several hours and getting back on topic, I thought I’d bring up some of the fun things that have happened since I started the job. Things that happened so far:

  • I got my first angry patrons. Nothing too outrageous, but it’s amazing to see how hard people will fight for $1.25. Your account isn’t blocked until you hit $10, ma’am, you could go your whole life never paying that $1.25 and be just fine. However, I know how important $1.25 can be.
  • I got invited to our new crochet class and learned to crochet. I’ve started on making a scarf!Crochet
  • A patron died in our parking lot. There I was, just sitting there knitting my scarf when a staff member comes in to tell me that there may be a dead man in his car out in the parking lot. Police get called, we take a gander and peek in through the tinted windows, try to wake the man up by knocking on the windows, and wave the cops down when they arrive. Cops open the door, confirm our worst fears with the simple words, “…yeah, this guy’s dead.”, and then proceed to crime scene the area off. Then come the questions, the rubberneckers, and all that lovely crime scene jazz. From what I’ve heard, the man had a heart attack but don’t quote me on that.
  • I wrote the schedule for my staff. During my last stint as a manager, scheduling was very cut-and-dry. 8:30 – 5:00 Monday through Friday, with occasional Saturdays, end of story. With circulation, everybody has a different schedule every week and many people are very picky. Carol is out of town this weekend, Maggie only works Tuesday and Thursday nights, Glenn usually works ABC hours, but can only work XYZ hours because he’s in school now, Darryl works exactly 31 hours per week, and so on. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Yes, I chose characters from The Walking Dead.)
  • I cleaned out my office. Normally, I wouldn’t put this on the list, but I feel like I’ve been exorcising the ghosts of managers past as I get settled in my new office. Calendars from 2011, ILS reports from an ILS we haven’t had in years, patron reports from 2002, and more.
  • I learned that who you trust changes when you become a manager. My first week on the job, I was walking by an old reference co-worker and said, “Hey, how’s it going?”…to which she responded, “How’s it going, TRAITOR?”.
    jimmy

    Right to the gut.

    I know she was joking, but the sentiment about department warfare is certainly real. Circulation, reference, technical services, children’s department, we’re all little fiefdoms with certain loyalties. I know my new staff is still getting to trust me, and I know that my old reference crew looks at me differently – as one of those “circ guys”. Add in the manager part, and people change the way they speak. No guys, I’m not a narc. No, I’m not wearing a mic under my shirt to bust you.

…And this was all by my 8th day on the job. I’m dying to know what’s going to happen by day 16.

Managers! Got any fun stories you’d like to share? Comment here or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and they can be included in the next library jobs post!

Brash Librarian, Justin Brasher

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Goodbye, David

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

It’s been quite a ride this new year so far! Last time on Brash Librarian, I announced that I was promoted to Circulation Manager! WOOO! However, I also said that might mean less posts until I get my bearings.

As most of the world knows by now, famed singer/actor David Bowie passed away from cancer last week on January 10th. Along with actor Alan Rickman (most famous for Severus Snape from Harry Potter) dying a few days later, I’d say 2016 is the year famous British people die at age 69. Thankfully, Gary Oldman has another decade and Paul McCartney is already 73.

So why do I care about David Bowie? What you probably didn’t know is that Bowie was a big library supporter and avid reader. How big a supporter? Big enough to do reading posters for libraries.

david bowieb

Reading! And leaping…?

How avid of a reader? Avid enough to have his own top 100 books list. While I won’t list all of them here, I’ll list off a dozen that I found interesting:

  • A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1890-1924, Orlando Figes (1997)
  • Beyond the Brillo Box: The Visual Arts in Post-Historical Perspective, Arthur C Danto (1992)
  • Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, Peter Guralnick (1986)
  • The Life and Times of Little Richard, Charles White (1984)
  • Interviews with Francis Bacon, David Sylvester (1980)
  • Selected Poems, Frank O’Hara (1974)
  • A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess (1962)
  • On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious, Douglas Harding (1961)
  • The Divided Self, RD Laing (1960)
  • On the Road, Jack Kerouac (1957)
  • Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
  • Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell (1949)

During an interview with Vanity Fair in 1998, he discussed his love of books and literature. The best question of the interview in my opinion?

david bowie 2_n

Other great answers included:

What is your greatest fear?
Converting kilometers to miles.

Which living person do you most admire?
Elvis. (Because Elvis didn’t die, he just went home.)

Who are your heroes in real life?
The consumer.

Which word or phrases do you most overuse?
“Chthonic,” “miasma.”

What is your greatest regret?
That I never wore bellbottoms.

What is your most treasured possession?
A photograph held together by cellophane tape of Little Richard that I bought in 1958, and a pressed and dried chrysanthemum picked on my honeymoon in Kyoto.

And my other favorite…

What is the quality you most like in a man?
The ability to return books.

If that still holds true, Bowie either loves or hates me – depending on how long I’ve kept my current book. (I’m still holding on the Elon Musk biography, I’m so sorry everyone.)

That’s all I have for this week, kids. Don’t forget it’s Thursday, which means some great Throwback Thursday pics will be on my  Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for all to enjoy!

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

 

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BIG NEWS THIS WEEK!

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

If you watch Futurama, you just heard this in Professor Farnsworth's voice.

If you watch Futurama, you just heard this in Professor Farnsworth’s voice.

Some exciting news this week that I’m happy to share. There has been some new things and people coming into our library, changes have been happening, and that includes changes for me…

This week, I’m pleased to announce that I have been promoted from Librarian II to Circulation Manager! While I officially start February 1st, I started training on Monday with the current manager to learn the ways of the Force. Only 5 days in, and my brain is becoming deep-fried in reports, stats, scheduling, staff, policies, procedures…I know I’ll be okay, though.

When I was a manager in Florida, I was replacing a woman who had passed away and taken all of her logins, passwords, and secrets to the grave; her assistant had also left when she learned she wasn’t getting the job, and other remaining staff had been moved somewhere else. Long story short, I walked into a department with no people, no logins, and no contacts on my first day. Seriously, my first day. I didn’t even know where the bathroom was yet.

When I told my mom about how much I’m learning on this job and how much information overload I’m getting, she reminded me, “Hey, at least you know where the bathroom is this time.”

Valid point, Mom. However…

Futurama

I feel like these two cartoons really balances this post.

As I embark on this new adventure and the training entailed, it will probably mean less posting for awhile. Not to worry! While I may not have time for my weekly articles, I will certainly still post fun things on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for all to enjoy. As always, any comments, questions, observations, etc are always welcome.

That’s all for this week folks, I hope to be writing again soon!

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

 

 

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Happy New Year From Brash Librarian!

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

Hey Friends!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year’s weekend.

Anyone got resolutions? I’ve had a few the past couple of years that I’ve really enjoyed. Some of mine have been more of of the “I love me” variety: light more candles, take more bubble baths, do more things that are good to me. To quote my mom, “Are you taking care of Justin?”

What good things happened to you in 2015? Let’s look back at some of our 2015 highlights:

  • Oil prices fell to their lowest in almost a decade. The price of a gallon of gas went under $2 this year. According to NPR, the average American saved $700 on gas in 2015.
It's a start!

$700 in your pocket!

  • Tesla announced its plan to change how the world uses energy with the “powerwall home battery” which could eventually help end the energy crisis! I actually wrote a post about this when it first happened, which you can read here.
jimmy

BAM! Solar power!

  • The Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is now legal across the United States. As a theater guy and fine arts major in college, I’ve made many gay/lesbian friends; I was proud to see their marriage photos all over Facebook. As President Obama said, “We can say, in no uncertain terms, that we have made our union a little more perfect.”
How some of my friends look in their engagement photos.

How some of my friends look in their engagement photos.

  • Myanmar held its first free election since 1990! CNBC said it was their “biggest stride yet in a journey to democracy from dictatorship.”
freedom

Imagine if America hadn’t had free elections in 25 years.

  • I announced my partnership with clothing retailer Combatant Gentleman! This is more of a personal achievement, but still pretty awesome to think there’s a clothier that gives librarian discounts. That’s right, entering BRASH15 at checkout will give you 15% off your entire order! You can read more about the partnership here.

CG

  • The 2015 Climate Change Summit saw 195 countries endorse the Paris agreement to limit climate change, including new climate commitments and greener goals worldwide. I’m all for efforts to save the planet and keep the world from looking like Fallout 4 in the distant future.
It's a post-apocalyptic game, in case you weren't familiar.

It’s a post-apocalyptic game, in case you weren’t familiar.

  • The new Star Wars came out! Not exactly a monument of achievement, but still culturally important. To my library, it was important enough to build a display for it.
Oh yeah, and a Christmas tree or something.

Oh yeah, and a Christmas tree or something.

Got any moments or resolutions you want to share? Let me know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and get them featured! That’s all for this week, make it a good first Monday of 2016!

Justin Brasher, Brash Librarian

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