We were lucky to catch up with Steven Biller recently and have shared our conversation below.
Steven, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
As a child, I was always the shortest person in the room and felt that I had to measure up to the bigger kids. I eventually found confidence through acquiring and sharing knowledge (art, culture, history, economics and other areas of interest) vis my core talents (writing, editing, publishing, consulting, teaching). Today, at 55 years old and with more than 30 years of professional experience, people sometimes tell me I intimidate them. Me, intimidating, seriously? No, just confident.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m the longtime editorial director at Palm Springs Life and its parent company, Desert Publications Inc. For most of my tenure — almost 23 years — I also served as editor-in-chief of the flagship magazine. Today, I focus on custom publishing and business development, helping a range of clients, including a Native American tribe and a pair of luxury country clubs, tell their stories to targeted audiences.
I also have a consultancy, working with arts organizations on programming, communications, and development. In this capacity, I helped launch the California Desert Arts Council and continue to help the organization create and deliver its programs and initiatives to unify, empower, and promote the arts in the Coachella Valley. Other clients have included art galleries, museums, and festivals; individual artists and authors; and tourism and economic development agencies.
For me, the common denominator is place — helping organizations I believe in achieve their missions and improve the quality of life in the Coachella Valley.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Active listening might be the most underrated skill. Listen to learn, listen to contextualize, listen to imagine, listen to coach. Good communication begins with listening and understanding.
Writing and speaking — asserting knowledge — also rank high.
When you speak and write with clarity and authority, your peers and community will listen and understand. That positions you as a go-to resource in your area(s) of expertise — leading to new business and opportunities to serve the community on boards and committees that align with your interests and objectives.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
While I was a sophomore at Florida Atlantic University and sports editor of the school’s weekly newspaper in the late 1980s, one of the three big local newspapers in the Miami-Dade/Broward/Palm Beach market invited me to become a “stringer” (freelance reporter). For the first couple years, I covered high school and college sports. Then I interned on the city desk, covering crime and general assignments and contributing to the Business and Lifestyle sections. The coaching I received from the editors was invaluable. Thirty years on, I still hear their voices as I’m editing and writing and coaching at Palm Springs Life. That early experience gave me confidence and a strong foundation — skills that I’d sharpen, polish, and share over the decades.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.palmspringslife.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbiller/
Image Credits
Portrait courtesy Pamela Gemora/The Studio PS
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
