As Q2 wraps up and the year is half over (!!), I wanted to check in on my 2014 goals.
Make more money than last year—and make money every month. Still making it…
Work for at least 5 existing clients. Done! I have had 5 2013 return for more work—and 2 of them gave me further referrals, which is great for my self-esteem.
Get 5 new clients: at least 1 non-profit and 1 in New Orleans. Overdone! I’ve had 6 new clients so far this year, including a NOLA-based financial planner and the Red Cross—which is certainly a non-profit, though I would still like to work for a small community-based organization.
Do at least one international project. I did a survey for a Caribbean lottery organization, working with a client based in Trinidad. I did it all from New Orleans, though. I still want a project where I get to go somewhere cool.
Do at least 5 qualitative projects. None yet, but I did just get sign-off for some cognitive interviews that should start in July…
Do 3 pro bono projects. I consulted on survey design and data interpretation for a community barter network in NYC last quarter, and this quarter helped a friend who is a teacher trainer with a survey design.
Work in one sector I’ve never worked in. Yes! I did projects in fashion and gaming.
Teach in at least 2 forums. I gave a talk to students in a design class at the New School in the winter, and right now I’m teaching Questionnaire Design at the University of Michigan’s Summer Institute in Survey Research Techniques. I also took a course all about designing and marketing online courses—so I’m hoping to launch Questionnaire Design for the Real World late this year or early next…
Visit 2 countries for a month each. I have been stateside since last Halloween! Buenos Aires and/or Bali are in my future, but maybe not until January.
Attend at least one training. I’ve put a deposit down for moderator training at Riva in September!
Blog every week. Oh no… I was doing so well until my recent domain transfer inspired me to get kind of lazy on this front.
Publish at least 1 academic paper. Yes—my paper on interviewers’ responsiveness in Field Methods is available!
Attend at least one conference. I had a great time in March at Pioneer Nation, a cool gathering of freelancers and entrepreneurs.
Find a professional mentor. Still searching. Maybe if I stop looking, someone will appear.
