You Talk to Your Grandmother with that Mouth?
[by Colleen Wainwright]
Some people steadfastly refuse to mix the personal and the professional.
I admire their internal fortitude (not to mention their talent for establishing firm boundaries) but I think they’re missing out. First, because the inclusion of personal work in a professional portfolio can fill in the gaps when you’re starting out or transitioning from one market to another. Second, because it’s a terrific way to add dimension and spark to even the most polished of portfolios. And finally, because you never know how you’re going to connect with someone—a shared love of butterflies, a discussion about how fast they grow up, bonding over bondage.
Kidding. Obviously, the inclusion of something too far afield can be jarring, or even offensive. But by paying some respect to context and flow, you can make wise discussions about lending spice versus going overboard.
If you flip it around, it may be easier to make decisions about what to include: how would you introduce work in a personal situation? You might talk to grandma or the dog walker about an interesting recent shoot or even changes in the industry, but you’re not going to get into insane, nerdy detail or start cursing like a sailor about copyright infringement.
With a portfolio, it’s the same concept in reverse: what from your personal work might be of interest to a potential client? How much forward edge will be useful—i.e., nudging them toward exciting possibilities for their business—and when does it cross over to confusing, scary or irrelevant? What percentage of personal-to-professional works best?
The answer to how you approach blending personal with professional will depend on you, your work, and your market. But if you keep the idea of being a gentle guide in mind—and the specter of Grandma, if it helps—you’ll have your best shot at a portfolio that has the potential to make your business bigger, stronger and far more interesting.
Colleen Wainwright teaches creative businesses how to strut their stuff in a way that makes customers fall madly in love with them.
6 Responses to 'You Talk to Your Grandmother with that Mouth?'
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Colleen,
Love it.
Thanks, Gail! Have to say, I’m enjoying writing for the SB blog so far.
Refreshing post and I personally agree. I would much rather read a blog post or view a website with personal information mixed in as it seems an easy way to connect over shared interests. At the very least it’s a way to quickly identify the nutters
Tracy
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Couldn’t agree more Colleen! The grandma scenario is a terrific guideline. I think we’re all scared to death of being “unprofessional” when the real boogey man of professional services marketing is at the other end of the spectrum: not making enough of a personal connection for prospects to know, like and trust us.