Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Margo Temkin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Margo, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I’ve been with my husband for over 20 years, having met him in 2003 as a senior in high school. Since then, his career in sports radio has taken us from our college town to four different cities in a span of 14 years. Every move felt like a catastrophe in many ways, yet we have a 100% track record of finding success, happiness and growth in each city we’ve lived.
All that to say – at no point in my life have things turned out worse than before.
The unknown is stressful. When I was younger, I craved predictability and control and compulsively asked questions ahead of time. As I’ve grown my family and my career, I prove to myself time and time again that everything happens for a reason.
I am not a woman who thrives in the cliche, yet the truth is that every calamity in our lives turned out to be a path to a new victory. My flexibility and “chill” vibe is actually just practiced – year after year, I have experienced the proof that if I water my own grass, it’ll be greener than I could have ever imagined.
My optimism is cultivated. I intentionally want to model positivity to my two boys, as I understand that happiness is truly a choice that we have to make every single day.
I have yet to be proven otherwise 🙂
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I was always a bit jealous of the people who always knew what they wanted to do with their lives. I, as so many, fell into my first marketing job when I moved to a new city with my now husband. I worked for over six years in a tiny direct mail firm that specialized in the real estate and mortgage sector. I learned by aggressively saying yes to every opportunity – this role culminating in an impressive list of skills I’d picked up. I was teaching marketing bootcamps to small business owners, consulting on marketing campaigns, producing a never-ending stream of copy for campaigns, and running out internal brand marketing initiatives.
Through this job, I leveraged my skills to land a management position in a top ten mortgage firm, drinking out of a firehose on the daily about digital marketing, optimizing, graphic design, creative direction, and most importantly – how to navigate the C-suite world. I went on to drive the marketing campaigns for a few banks, only to come to the realization that I was tired of growing everyone else’s net worth while ignoring my own.
Finally taking the leap to freelancing has been life changing, without a drip of hyperbole. My network is large, my enthusiasm is contagious, and I’m finally able to utilize those things to grow my own brand. I’m working with business owners to write their content – ghostwriting on LinkedIn has been particularly thrilling (and lucrative!) since I excel at storytelling. I love to create content for sales professionals who struggle to articulate their stories in a compelling way, and I feel such incredible joy and pride when I get to hear their satisfaction with my writing.
I’m helping so many, not just the ones who hire me for their work, but through modeling. With every mom that reaches out, asking how I am managing to do it all on my own while caring for my two boys, I answer – because I decided that I can. So I did. I feel powerful as a mother AND as writer, charting a path that makes sense for my family.
My business does two things. First, I help professionals in the “unsexy” businesses create their content and grown their brand organically. Second, I hear from many women who share their stories of doubts about themselves — and I get the honor of reminding them of their strength and power. I coach them on LinkedIn and their brand, optimize their profiles and lend a helping hand.
My love of writing has exploded again, my confidence is at an all time high, and my revenue is growing. All of this at a time when I am at my most authentic, and the most stressed out with family, young kids, aging parents, and a society that expects me to be everything to everyone at once.
And it’s just the start!
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?
For me, there is no doubt that a positive outlook & outward enthusiasm has driven my career. People enjoy being around me, I am great at reading the room and making people laugh, and its easy to work with me. Nobody wants to work with negative complainers – we thrive around people who lift us up.
My writing skills may seem like an obvious one, but the written word is more than just a marketing skill. My expertise in conversational writing and storytelling has given me the tools to turn a negative interaction positive with a client. I am able to turn the situation around, carefully choosing words that lead someone down the path. My humor also goes a long way to lighten a potentially negative situation. Writing is key in every piece of my job – and most peoples jobs – it’s just not as obvious.
The most important skill I have is being able to listen. I always say, “we have two ears and one mouth for a reason.” Don’t get me wrong, I am a chatterbox like no other, but I also know when to shut my mouth. You build rapport by listening, connecting, and absorbing. I pick up on things others might not notice, I ask questions, and I surround myself with people I can learn from.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My daily challenge is that shared with so many — balancing my roles as a business owner, a mother, a wife and all the friends & family in my life. Am I incredible in every facet of my life. Absolutely not. Some days I’m killing it as a wife and business owner, and my kids watch more tv than I’d like. Some days I’m the ultimate mom, filling them with fresh made food and art activities and outdoor fun and my husband could be fuming. Then of course, I can be amazing in all things home and drop the ball in my business.
I aim for mediocrity across the board (status quo) then intentionally spend time, even for two minutes, giving attention to the things that matter. We’re all juggling, but the choice between attending to the bouncy balls or the glass balls are what makes a difference day to day.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
