Hint of Jam is almost a year old! We talk about what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what Jamae’s going to do to keep getting better. | Hint of Jam

Hint of Jam’s Bumpy Road through the 2nd Quarter

Hint of Jam is seven months old! Can you believe it? Our little website is growing up so quickly. *Brushes tear & sniffles*

Besides the turning of the season, September marks going back to school. Woohoo! Where my fellow nerds at? *High fives all around* And since I’m reflecting on HoJ’s progress each quarter, it’s only fitting our report card comes out today.

For those new to the blog (Hello there, lovely!), we focus on 3 “subject areas” – Explore, Embrace, and Engage – and 5 criteria which can incur up to 2 points per item for a total of 10 points for each area (the “grade”).

The criteria:

  • Quality: Authenticity, complexity, and thoughtfulness
  • Uniqueness: Sense of individuality that touches on multiple industries
  • Audience-focused: Content that directly addresses the audience
  • Clarity: Focus with purpose
  • Consistency: Production on a regular basis

(If you’d like to grab a bonus copy of the report card I used so you can apply it to your own passion project, click here to gain access to it in the Hint of Jam Resource Library!)

HoJ’s 2nd Quarter Report Card

June 2016 ~ August 2016

Explore | Learning & Researching

Explore: Learning and researching through books, blogs, courses, workshops, and podcasts. | Hint of Jam

In my last report card, I mentioned how I became a webinar fanatic. Like MAJOR. The good news is I joined less webinars in this second quarter, but the bad news is “joined” means I signed up but never attended. And if I’m being completely honest, sometimes I didn’t even listen to the replay. Whoops.

In terms of other exploration, I’ve come across valuable resources from other industries and am enjoying seeing the similarities while learning lessons from these niches. Multipassionates for the win, y’all!

  • Quality: 2 pt
  • Uniqueness: 2 pt > Strength
  • Audience-focused: 1 pt
  • Clarity: 1 pt
  • Consistency: 1 pts > Needs improvement
    • TOTAL: 7 pts —> 1 point more than last time. Yes!

Next Quarter Intention: Research by personally reaching out to individuals. No more webinars!

Embrace | Creating + Administrative Tasks

Embrace: Creating content through posts and media while handling administrative tasks like accounting, auditing, and record keeping. | Hint of Jam

Like last time, I still love this part of my business. And during a convention I attended over the summer, I discovered one of my gifts is administration. Who knew, right?

Although this quarter was during the summer,  I was able to keep up with posting once a week. But I didn’t do so well with my newsletters. (Sorry, lovelies!)

But even though I’m starting to find my groove, I’m still figuring out how my content resonates with readers. Similar to Haley ‘s experience with her blog at Whatever Bright Things, I feel like Hint of Jam is also navigating through its awkward years.

I know we’ll eventually find our path.

  • Quality: 2 pts > Strength
  • Uniqueness: 2 pts
  • Audience-focused: 1 pt
  • Clarity: 1 pt
  • Consistency: 1 pts > Needs Improvement
    • TOTAL: 7 pts —> Dropped a point from last time. That’s all right, we’ll get better!

Next Quarter Intention: Revive my momentum in efficiently running the backend and sending out newsletters.

Engage | Interacting

Engage: Interacting through comments, emails, social media, and conferences. | Hint of Jam

Oh, gosh. If I relied heavily on online engagement last time, I totally disappeared in this 2nd quarter. Double whoops.

The reason, however, is ‘cause I reunited with my other love — traveling. Ohmygoodness. It was such a breath of fresh air. You can find pictures of my travels on Instagram.

So maybe I fell out of balance with my fellow creatives, but I fell back in love with my life. So this was more of a lose-win situation. In the next quarter, I’ll find a way to engage with both.

  • Quality: 1 pt
  • Uniqueness: 2 pts > Strength
  • Audience-focused: 1 pt
  • Clarity: 1 pt
  • Consistency: 1 pt > Needs improvement
    • TOTAL: 6 pts —> Dropped a point from last time. Room to grow!

Next Quarter Intention: Redefine limits between engaging online, interacting with others in person, and recharging my introvert batteries.

> Hint of Jam’s overall score for its 2nd Quarter is 19/30 (or 67%). <

Fell off the horse, but I’m dusting myself off to try again. Here’s to improving, lovely!

Hint of Jam is almost a year old! We talk about what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what Jamae’s going to do to keep getting better. | Hint of Jam

Write Time

What other suggestions do you have for Hint of Jam? How are you faring with your passion projects? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Want access to the Creative’s Report Card with Rubric worksheet and others like it? Sign up to access the Hint of Jam Resource Library by clicking here or on the image below.

Creative's Report Card with Rubric | Hint of Jam

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