START OF A NEW ADVENTURE
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something. Well.
Here it is.
My first LinkedIn article in this new series, Leading With Impact.
You might be asking, who the heck is this guy, and why does he think anyone will be interested in what he has to say? I ask myself that too, but over the past month or so I’ve been out speaking with lots of folks—former colleagues, hiring managers, recruiters, senior executives, and top brass at a variety of companies—and one statement continues to come up: “That's a unique perspective.”
My name is Tim Norris, and I am a senior marketing and communications strategist, product marketing wonk, go-to-market leader, tech nerd, father, husband, and terrible golfer. I’ve been in the tech space across several industries like physical and cyber security, edtech, fintech, and media for over 20 years. I pride myself as being the guy that can put the market back into marketing which in many cases it seems to have vanished.
I now find myself with some extra time on my hands after leaving my last gig and thought, why not give this a go? I have been a content creator for products, executives, causes, and companies for the past two decades. Now it’s time to share some of the lessons I've learned, from the successes I’ve been a part of to the failures I’ve experienced.
Leading With Impact will be a series that picks at a variety of topics but is focused on making impacts in the companies we work and the people we lead. My experience in 20 years of #marketing, #messaging, #positioning, and #ProductLifecycleManagement in big and small companies has taught me that building strategies that start out with “what’s the impact we need to make” vs. hopes and wishes for growth will always win.
I don’t know how long this series will go. I don’t know if anyone will read it (but I hope they will). However, I do promise to share real experiences, insights, and my thoughts—even the controversial ones—and hope to engage in a dialogue with the community.
The one mission here is prove a key hypothesis that I have: showing up and making an impact provides the grit and glory that help you get through the grinding more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident, and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve, and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
