Sarah Mitchell’s Post

There's no better evening in the WA Business community than the Business News' 40under40 Awards. Last night was no exception. The diversity of talent was unrivalled this year making it an even more inspiring event than usual. That's saying a lot because it's ALWAYS an inspiring evening. I'm delighted to be involved through sponsorship at Typeset Pty Ltd. Helping people develop the best possible award submission is one of the most interesting projects we do all year. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners! #wabusinessnew #businessnews #40under40wa #leadership

In the latest edition of The Write Fit, I reflect on how getting back to fitness is a lot like what it takes to keep your writing skills in peak condition. Interestingly, a return to the pool also has me considering picking up an old project that's been languishing since life got busy. In other news: ✳️ Find out what I've learned from giving writing training to hundreds of people ✳️ Check out an AI tool that's saved hours every week in internet searches ✳️ Word puzzles aren't just for fun, Mark Schaefer implores us not to rely solely on LinkedIn, and Bob Hoffman shares a free ebook critical of marketing and advertising. They're all great reads. Read it all here: https://lnkd.in/g9HNK5KH

It's been a little over a year since ChatGPT was released for public use, quickly followed by a slew of Gen AI tools. Writers and other creatives have been worried. Daniel Hatch writes about his current view on AI and why writers shouldn't fear it. It's a change of opinion worth reading because Dan and I were firmly in the "no AI" camp at this time last year. In addition, Wendy Wood shares a great example of where AI should always be used in the writing process. Read it all here: https://lnkd.in/gKj_EXvb (And, no, I do not want to rewrite this post with AI. Where's the fun in that?)

Have you ever thought about writing a book? Have you ever tried and failed? It's one of those big goals a lot of writers have – and most business people, for that matter. When my friend and business partner Daniel Hatch said he was writing a book, I was happy. He's a fantastic writer, a great storyteller, and a funny guy. I knew it would be good but I also know how busy he is at work. It's the chief dream killer of many wannabe novelists. I was in awe when Dan handed me a signed copy of his debut novel The Paper Boys. (It was made all the more wonderful because it happened in one of our rare in-person meetings.) At 349-pages, he's published the real thing and it's a proper good read. Dan shares writing tips he learned while writing The Paper Boys in the latest edition of The Write Fit. If you want to write any kind of long-form content, it's an especially useful guide. You can read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/gjYszRZg

Looking for a good book recommendation? Look no further than The Write Fit's December edition. Daniel Hatch, Wendy Wood, and I share our top picks of the books we couldn't put down this year. Check out the link below then let us know: what was your favourite book this year? Find out 27 best books of the year: https://lnkd.in/gfFTdTvj #bookrecommendations #readingcommunity #bookclub

I learned to code in grade 11, starting with Fortran. It wasn't part of the high school curriculum then but part of a vocational program I attended part-time in grades 11 and 12. I got my first paid coding job in 1983. When I joined Compuware professional services in 1984 (yep, a long time ago) about half the staff were women. That was also true for leadership. The division was run by a remarkable woman named Yvonne Mahaney. I had excellent female role models throughout my technical career. I had a generous compensation package and was provided amazing opportunities to live and work all over the world. But Compuware wasn't unusual for that time. I worked alongside women in coding and systems analysts jobs at every client gig including banks, insurance companies, retail, and hospitals. A tech career was the best thing that ever happened to me and I'm still benefitting from it today. It pains me to see how that's changed and how women are now the minority in nearly every tech organisation in the world. What's worse, the change can be attributed to how parents perceived computers as a good gift for boys, but not for their girls. But you can't only blame parents, Sue Ellery MLC told a discouraging story at the Women in Technology WA Inc. (WiTWA) awards night about a time when her girls school won a mainframe computer in a quiz bowl contest. The school gave the computer to the boys school instead. The clear message is give your girls computers from an early age. Don't enforce ridiculous stereotypes that women have less technical ability than men. Give your girls amazing career opportunities by ensuring they can compete with boys when they get to university. #rantout #ifyoucanseeheryoucanbeher #techcommunity #techcareers #techtrails

Jay says it better than I do so I won't try to improve on his appeal. (Watch his video!) I don't know Devin but love the support coming from our community and want to contribute to this kind of project. It's a complete bonus to get insight and training from people at the top of their game – people who I rely on every week to do my job better. If you have any professional development budget left, I can't think of a better way to spend it. #contentmarketing #entrepreneur #soletraders #writingcommunity

One of my favourite events in the WA business community is the RISE Business Awards Gala Dinner hosted by Business News. The event last Thursday evening was as inspirational as ever and a chance to hear about truly wonderful things happening not just in Perth, but all over Western Australia. It's too hard to pick a favourite but I was chuffed to see so many familiar names and faces in the finalist and winning categories. The submission process is not for the fainthearted and the judging is meticulous. If your business is called out on the night, it's because you're doing something truly exceptional. Congratulations to all the finalists, winners, and nominees who put their hand up because they are working incredibly hard to create a Resilient, Imaginative, Sustainable and Excellent business. It's those four qualities that make RISE an outstanding business awards program. #BNevents #businessawards2023 #RISEAwards #WAisOK

Writing is one of those skills you never master. It's one reason I enjoy giving writing training because no matter how good you are, there's always more to learn and ways to improve. Readers have changed which puts pressure on all writers to adapt. I was reviewing notes from writing training sessions of the past year and was surprised at how things have changed for people who write for work. In the latest edition of The Write Fit, I share some of those observations. Also in this edition: ✅ New B2B content marketing research from the Content Marketing Institute ✅ Wendy Wood shares the The Copyeditor’s Typographic Oath ✅ Proof that bad grammar is a health hazard ✅ A terrific video from Tim Minchin for the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House. #writingadvice #grammar #copyediting #writingtips

The monthly issue of The Write Fit is out. Daniel Hatch has whipped up a great collection of editing tips, AI observations and lots of valuable links for writers, bloggers, or anyone interested in communicating more effectively. Wendy Wood also weighs in with a good lesson on acronyms. Check it out!