Member Spotlight: Ann Jordan-Mills: It’s Never Too Late to Do What You Love

Dear Web Writer,

Ann is a web writer worth knowing.

She’s gracious, supportive, and is definitely making inroads toward mastering her chosen niche in social media.

Today, Ann shares her hard-won lessons in doing what you love — no matter how long that journey takes.

Read about her journey toward life as a successful web writer. Her experiences prove colorful, from learning the ins-and-outs of getting the right snowboarding fit to overcoming an unwelcome halt in cash flow.

Ann’s current success proves that participating in contests has a payoff, as does realizing you have something to offer potential clients already, even when you’re relatively new to the web-writing world.

Introducing: Ann Jordan Mills, Founding Member

Life Before Web Writing:

“I spent close to 15 years at home with my four children before I went back into the workforce as a teacher of early childhood education.

“For the latter years of my career (j.o.b.), I moved over to the provincial government where I helped develop early childhood policy and wrote reports and letters for the signature of the minister of the day.

“Though I liked and respected at least one of the ministers I wrote for, I found it soul-destroying to write letters about policies I couldn’t support. I simply didn’t believe in what I was writing. And, as we all know, when you don’t believe in your writing, it’s hard going. My superiors also found me to be a bit of a rebel, I think, because I tended to speak up about my early childhood values and philosophy, which didn’t always match theirs.

“I think the day I retired was a joyful day for both me and the department!”

Web-writing Specialty:

“It’s been quite a journey. I have been a web writing generalist, a website auditor, and also a report writer — including writing a technical website manual. I have also ghost-written such eBooks as Snowboard Boot Fitting and Weird Hotels of the World, created press releases on such diverse topics as AWAI Bootcamp, heavy machinery, and ‘Creep Drive’ systems, among others.

“It’s been great fun and huge learning — in fact, my teenage grandson was quite impressed when he heard that I could help him to fit his new snowboard boots correctly.

“I cycled through a number of niches that I researched and discarded, then I followed Pam Foster’s program Niche Yourself and Thrive, which really focused me. With the growth of social media, I followed Nick’s program: How to Make Money as a Social Media Expert, and recognized that was where I wanted to be. However, I also wanted to remain involved in technical aspects of the Internet and computers, and not forget my travel writing.

“How was I going to combine it all? Thinking about it early on, I realized that I would either need to completely reinvent myself and do a major overhaul of my existing website, or create a new one.

“But fate (destiny … the Universe) helped me out. In February 2011, I contracted an illness that knocked me out of any kind of work for almost two months.

“I had lots of time to think, and I acknowledged to myself that the momentum with which I began the year had disappeared, and if I was going to reinvent myself, now was the time.

“So I decided on Social Media Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism. I totally recreated my website and social media sites. This change tightened up my focus, and yet gives me a little more breadth in terms of potential clients.”

Proud “Writer Moment”:

“I have had several proud moments as a copywriter. The first was right at the beginning, when I was chosen as a finalist in the Great AWAI Blog-off. It was a total surprise, and it encouraged me to believe that I have the skills and ability to keep following my copywriting journey.

“The second was when I created my Money-Making Website after Nick Usborne’s program How to Write Your Own Money Making Websites. For years, my children and grandchildren have called me Technogranny, so I decided that my MMW, www.ComputerSavvyGranny.com would be one to show other folks who were coming to computers later in life how to get the best out of their technology.

“My third proud moment was when I was again chosen as a finalist in an AWAI contest. This time it was for my new professional website, which I built during Rebecca Matter’s Build Your Professional Website in Four Days Express Webinar, and was the culmination of my business reinvention during my illness.”

[Editor's Note: That's Computer Savvy Granny herself, in the picture to the left!]

Challenges Faced:

“The first challenge was the mental paralysis that took a long time to overcome — I kept feeling I hadn’t yet reached that place where I was good enough to write for clients. I kept on learning and learning and, though that was a good thing, it stopped me from moving forward.

“Professionally, towards the end of 2011, I had accepted an assignment to completely rewrite a client’s website. Unfortunately my client didn’t really know quite what she wanted because of the technical and highly-scientific content, and she had some ongoing family issues that kept her from spending the time with me during my writing to discuss her needs. It was very frustrating. In the end we stopped before the project was completed and I lost part of my fee. I definitely learned from that experience that I need to be completely sure that my clients and I have the same understanding about what and how I will write their content.”

Personal Goals:

“My word for the year is FOCUS and this will be reflected in my goals and my work style.

Goals include:

• Social Media Marketing: make my social media for hospitality and tourism niche a success by landing a healthy mix of clients and projects.
• Add more how-to videos to Computer Savvy Granny and reorganize the site to be more search-intuitive.
• Personal health: Continue to work towards being completely healthy again, and organize my time to have balance in my work and family life. I make it a point to not miss special family events and my evening relaxation time with my husband.
• Add more exercise into my day by using my treadmill desk more often. Daily!
• Decide on a workable daily routine and follow it, thereby incorporating FOCUS into my life.”

Glicken Enjoyed So Far:

“Not a whole lot yet, but:

1. I managed to get an early upgrade on my Blackberry through a persuasive conversation with my provider.
2. My Dutch son-in-law competed in the L.A. Triathlon last summer and was given some penalty points which sent him from second to sixth place in his group. He was not able to find out any details at the time and was very disappointed. There was a simple explanation, that I found out by first asking the question on social media — to which I got a fast reply! I ended up emailing with the head judge and receiving a gracious response, which I forwarded to my Amsterdam family.
3. I was offered replacement symphony tickets when I posted a concern on social media about the way an outdoor concert in the mountains was handled.”

What You’d do Differently if You could Start your Freelancing Career All Over Again:

“I’d start looking for clients earlier, realizing that whatever stage of knowledge I have reached, it is almost always ahead of a potential client.

I’d be more aggressive in finding clients.”

Advice to New Web Writers:

“I’d say to follow the advice of Joseph Campbell (writer, orator and mythologist) and “Follow your Bliss” — in other words, allow your passions and intense interests to guide your writing journey.

“After a foundation of AWAI’s Accelerated Course for Six-Figure Copywriting, look through the rest of AWAI’s programs to get an overall sense of the writing areas that you would like to follow. Find your niche, make a decision, and be logical about the programs you choose. Join Circle of Success if you can, because then you have access to all the programs, as you need them, to serve your clients.

“Do whatever it takes to attend live events — you meet your ‘virtual’ friends in person, and you meet those ethereal AWAI staff ‘voices’ from the other end of the phone. You take home great energy and momentum.”

Best Thing about Being a Web Writer:

“I just love to sit at my computer all day working, discovering, and learning.

“Plus, I love:

• Having the flexibility to participate in family events.
• The ability to take my work all over the world as long as I have an Internet connection.
• The virtual and in-person friends I have met through AWAI and WWW and my online social media activities.”

Have comments or questions for Ann? Please post below!