A post that literally no one asked for… But one I still feel inspired to write.
This post is part of a larger – sometimes internal, sometimes external – conversation I’ve been having. And a discussion I wish I’d had with myself a bit earlier in the game. As much as I say ‘yes’ to events, I also turn down almost everything I’m invited to (at least initially). This practice isn’t a matter of me trying to be rude, or that I’m not grateful to be invited to many events, it’s more a balance of time/energy/content/money for transportation/not wanting to gain 5 kilos in a week.
In general, when considering my calendar on a weekly or monthly basis, I think about the following questions:
- How is this venue/event a good fit for my brand?
- What is the opportunity cost (or actual cost) of going?
- What else am I doing in the week, and what are my commitments outside of this blog?
- How original will the content be? (i.e., How many other people will be attending?)
- Have I visited the venue previously?
- Is there any sort of special engagement/collaboration/celebrity chef/unique ingredient involved?
- How much do I want to work with this chef/PR/Marketing/F&B group going forward?
- What are/are there specific deliverables?
- Is there likely to be a gift/goody bag? (I know you want to think this is a joke, but it’s really not).
And, for the most part, you have to know that I REALLY hate leaving my villa.
So, let’s look at my schedule for this week, shall we? (And don’t worry, we’re going to take a peek at next week as well).
Sunday
For the most part, I rarely (if ever) accept invites for Sunday night. Why? I volunteer every Sunday with K9 Friends (leaving the house around 8 AM and returning around 1:30 PM). Catching up from a hectic morning usually takes me through the end of the day. Also, whenever possible, I prefer to hit the FlyWheel class on Monday mornings at 7 AM, which means late nights the night before don’t work out. However…certain events can tempt me. In this instance, Sunday was my birthday. I had already prebooked a night with my book club, and we had been invited to Miss Tess. Sounds fun, right? It was. Did I get usable content? Not really (which is rare for me). Did I have a great time with some of my favorite ladies? I did.
Well, how about when I received an invitation late the previous week for the launch of Caesars Bluewaters (with special guest Chef Gordon Ramsay) on the exact same day? So, I knew moving the schedules of six other people was not only rude, but also nearly impossible, as they are just as busy (if not busier!) than I am. As not all of us received the invite (and really, a hotel launch is a terrible place to do a book club), I knew I had to turn down the event, but came up with a solution — how about sending someone in my place? I responded to the PR and asked if a friend could go on my behalf for coverage. Everyone was fine with the plan, and it worked out a treat! Had I not already had something booked, I’m not entirely sure I would’ve gone to the launch, mostly because it’s difficult to get unique content at such an event. For the most part, I am past the point of going out just to go somewhere. The reality is that Careem costs money, as does the toll on my sleep and lack of exercise, so as cool as the launch looked, I think it would have been a case of JOMO and not FOMO.
Also not included in this day, was how I ended up fostering a derpy dog and split a cheeky bottle of champagne with Hubs before going out.
Spoiler alert: looks like I missed out on some interesting conversations!
Monday
My plan for the day was to catch up on my writing, editing, pitching, and finalizing a review for the blog, as well as getting used to the foster dog (who didn’t have such a good first night). I was also delighted to pitch to a major conference I want to be a part of (who knows?), as well as trying and help build a conference I’ll be working on in October. I also applied to be part of a paid campaign for a restaurant that is now on my radar for next week. If I get accepted, it will (hopefully) be my one dinner out next week. If not, well, I’m sure something will pop up on the calendar, or I can follow up on some of the invites I have. In general, I do everything in my power to keep Mondays free of any commitment. It’s my one day a week where I just want to be at home, and also where I try my best to keep to a ‘no spend’ day (the goal is two days a week, but usually it’s just one day).
Monday was also my first day of intermittent fasting in a few days, and as usual – it felt great. As I am mostly successful at, I am usually ‘dry’ on days when I’m not reviewing.
Tuesday
On the calendar for Tuesday, I had my regular radio spot booked (Dubai Eye, 103.8) from 2-3PM, and a meeting to discuss some upcoming international collaborations directly following (both located in the same part of town). In the evening, I had a dinner which had been on the books for nearly a month — a pop up that I was very much looking forward to, with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. On top of that, I was invited to two other events — a duck masterclass at an upscale Asian restaurant, and a dine-around with a major meat provider. One of my (usual) hard and fast rules is that I rarely cancel on someone once I’ve accepted. Thus, I tried my request from earlier in the week, could a friend go in my place for coverage for one of the events I had to miss? They could, and did, and again, it was a win for everyone (well, except my friend’s dog, who wasn’t a fan of his parents being out two nights so close together).
Of course, it would have been a fun night for me, but the Cough that would not Die™ came at me early on Tuesday, forcing me to cancel the dinner I had long been looking forward to. Again, it’s super rare for me to cancel, but I have a good relationship with the PR agency who was behind the event, and felt that for my well being, as well as the well being of others, it was in everyone’s best interest for me to stay home. I was in bed by 9.
Tuesday had further developments in the form of two interesting potential freelance assignments. One for a contact I’d been chasing for a while, for a press release we both agreed I would write pro bono. Why give away my work for free? I’m still making my in copywriting and having had some stressful situations, I wanted this potential relationship to develop from good faith and acceptance of my work. Thus, I went ahead and drafted up a few paragraphs (that I knew I would take apart the following day). The other ‘maybe’ came from someone contacting me regarding an ongoing assignment which sounds like an excellent fit for my skills. I drafted a response and asked for a call the following day. Thus far, there has been no response. Bummer. However, things like this often happen. It’s best just to move forward.
Finally, my post-3PM meeting canceled (only after I sent a text around noon to confirm), which was supposed to be a call, but nothing has transpired yet. Such is the way of the world.
On top of all of this, I struggled to decide what to do over the weekend. I have no less than five brunch offers I could follow up on, as well as heaps of restaurants I should be reviewing, and a personal invite to a collab at one of my top venues (where I love the team and chef). Personally, I try and have my weekend sorted by Tuesday, as it seems unprofessional to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to chase PR contacts (even though that’s what I end up doing).
Intermittent fasting – FTW!
Wednesday
Wednesday was meant to be for recording my upcoming Google Local Guides application, but as I woke up (again) with a less than ideal voice, and the foster dog had another bad night, I mentally cancel on myself (and have already prebooked for next Tuesday). I texted a friend to see if she would like to try the foster pup, which she agreed to (thus taking some of the pressure off of Hubs and myself). The rest of the day I tried my best to get into editing my book, but failed epically. Instead, I procrastinated by writing this post instead. I’m also curious about next week, as nothing official has hit the books.
Outside of my book, I also have started to get in the habit of following through with contacts from clips from the radio show, which everyone seems to like. In sending through one, I make the last minute decision to give a restaurant I’ve been to before (but who has a new menu) a chance for Friday. If they say yes, great. If they say no, I’ll probably hit up the GM for the collab on Friday. Brunch is definitely out, and I’m more concerned with getting a spin class in. Success comes late in the day, and I’ve got a review booked for Friday night. I also send through the pro bono copywriting sample. Thus far, no feedback.
Intermittent fasting, and Day 3 no booze.
Thursday
I was already excited as a spa approached me two weeks ago to review one of their treatments. Generally, I make Thursday a long lunch day, and try to find an outlet and friend to meet up with to take advantage of natural light (also because I hate Dubai traffic on a Thursday night). In this instance, I was all set to enjoy the spa and then come home to work. On Sunday, I was invited to Abu Dhabi to experience not only a top restaurant but also given a free room at a hotel I’ve long wanted to stay in. Even though we thought we’d have the foster pup, I got the all clear from Hubs, and then worked through my friend’s list in the capital to see who would be my +1. A few friends were busy, but I ended up with someone I haven’t seen in a while (and March is both of our birthdays). As Abu Dhabi is such a small market, I also realized a few other friends would be present at the dinner — score! The dinner was a bit average, but drinks afterward at a “secret” bar gave me more ammo for an article I’ve been thinking about pitching for a while (and will hopefully get to shortly). I also had some great conversations with two inspiring women in the industry. Nothing like having a great time, and then going upstairs to sleep.
The spa was nothing special to speak of (so, no sense in writing about an average experience), but the meal is an interesting experience, and one I can definitely write about.
I received a rejection from one of my pitches early in the morning, which is never a good way to start the day, mainly because I’ve tried two or three times to get into this publication. Oh well – I’ll keep working on getting accepted. The person who contacted me on Tuesday about writing for them followed up late in the day, and we’ve scheduled a call for Sunday.
I’m also semi-irritated to see other people invited to a new restaurant that I have not been. Sure, it’s wildly immature, but I can’t help but being annoyed to see people at a venue that feels like ‘my’ territory. Comparison is the thief of joy, y’all.
Friday
As you can probably tell, I genuinely went back and forth about whether or not to go out on Friday. The part of me who wants to weigh less and exercise more tells me I should do nothing, but the part of me who knows I’ll need new coverage insists on getting out. In the end, I decided it would be nice to go out for an exciting meal (and that maybe I’ll balance this by sticking to my guns next week and NOT going out). Also, Hubs and I haven’t been out on our own this week, so this will be a fun date night. In the end, I’m very happy we went out – the team is always doing exciting things, and now I’ve got excellent coverage for the upcoming week. In chatting with the group, I realized I wanted to put a recently opened restaurant of theirs to the top of my list of venues to review (I’m already thinking of dinner next Wednesday).
Saturday
It’s a struggle, and I decide to opt out of spin class this morning, and walk instead. I’m still not 100% rid of this cold, and I don’t want to overdo anything and sometimes my best self care is a day at home. This is also the day where Hubs and I meal prep, and for the most part, order dinner. Today we’re taking things to the next level, as after enough messing around, it’s time to get back on the keto diet. We’re going to the Seychelles (media review!), leaving on April 3rd, and I want to lose a bit of weight before we fly out. I try my best to catch up, clear my inbox, and get ready for the next week!
Intermittent fasting starts again. No sugar, no grains. Wish me luck!
Overall, this felt like a typical week to me, albeit with less exercising than I prefer. Unlike the last couple of weeks, I felt good about getting ahead and balancing as much as possible. I didn’t make progress on my book like I wanted to, but that’s basically every week.
Between this week and next week, I’ve already turned down a high tea, an alcohol-branded event, a cookbook launch, and can’t decide if I want to go to a wine tasting (with one of my favorite suppliers). I was invited (again) to another high tea, called to see if I was attending an anniversary party (nope!), and an ice cream place (sorry, guys). I also committed to meeting up with a friend (lunch, hopefully), and should probably get back to that restaurant who begged me to give them a second chance… Never mind that IFTAR PREVIEW that showed up in my inbox.
Did you notice any money made this week? Probably not. Sadly, that is the usual state of affairs for me. Good thing I’m crushing it an author. /s
So, what do you think? If you occupy the same space I do (writing/blogging/”influencing”), how do you approach your week? What jumps to the top of the list for you? Would you have made any different decisions as to what I chose? Why?
