There was a time, not so long ago, when I would spend the weeks leading up until Christmas bent over a table of cardmaking supplies. I would get a ton of joy from arranging the paper just so and thinking up witty sayings for the inside of the cards. It was a huge creative outlet for me that I really enjoyed. My husband asked me if I was going to make cards this year and I snorted a “yeah, right”. The thought of making a pile of homemade cards today makes my brain hurt. I was trying to figure out why something that was once a pleasurable hobby, now sounds like a bleak chore and it’s because I like my job.

I know that this is a weird leap but card making was my creative outlet when I felt like I wasn’t able to be very creative in my job. I was a small part in a large machine and there were responsibilities that I needed to manage in very specific ways. I hadn’t yet learned how to bring creativity and vision to my work, so I had to find a different place (card making) to use that creativity and vision that was inside of me, just waiting to come out.

Now I am able to use my creativity every day at Headwaters and I’ve found a great creative outlet writing “How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar” with Rosetta. In the past, I might have equated life balance to excellence in every area of my life at the same time. I’ve finally come to the place where I realize that balance, for me, is using my skills, talent, and energy in a way that makes me happy and makes the world a better place, even if that mean no homemade cards this year.

Last week I gave a presentation to the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network in the Twin Cities (with a strong showing from the Public Allies cohort) about how to build a professional network. It was estimated that we had 70 people crammed into the conference room at the Minnesota Council on Nonprofits, so it feels like young professionals are hungry to learn more about this topic. I promised them the top 9 ways to build your network, so here it is:

1) Prioritize networking

2) Take advantage of the network that you already have

3) Exploit your social networks

4) Get business cards

5) Join professional associations

6) Go to nonprofit conferences

7) Go talk to people

8 ) Build your own frankenmentor

9) Start your own network

If you would like for me to talk to your affinity group or professional association about this topic, send me an email at tristaharris (at) gmail (dot) com.

The winner of the How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar career coaching contest is…

Shosh!

Congratulations and thanks to everyone for entering and spreading the word about How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar. If you didn’t win this time, stay tuned for more prizes and resources for book readers.

Here is a round up of some of the wonderful things that I have recently found in my in-box and Twitterfeed.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has posted the transcript of a live discussion on overcoming career obstacles and preparing for a successful nonprofit career where Rosetta and I were guests.

In a recent BoardSource survey nonprofit CEO’s rated their boards poorly when it comes to promoting diversity.

The New York Times has a new interactive feature where you can try your hand at fixing the nation’s budget deficit. Try it here.

Moo cards are my new favorite for personalized business cards.MOO Business Cards are $21.99 for 50 customized Business Cards, each one with a different design.

Today is the last day that you can enter to win one hour of free career coaching. Buy How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar and post a comment here to be eligible.

To celebrate the great response we’ve been getting to How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar, Rosetta and I are each offering one hour of FREE career coaching (a $100 value) to someone who purchases the book by midnight EST on November 15. (Check out the great reviews the book has received from your colleagues!) All you have to do is buy the book (ebook or paperback) at the discounted rate of $19.99 (remember the price goes up to $24.99 after November 15!). If you’ve already bought the book, thank you! You’re already eligible to enter

How to Enter

First, buy the book if you haven’t already. Then, fill in the comment box below with your name, email and the general area of nonprofit career development you’d like to work on. You have to comment below to be eligible for this prize. Rosetta and I will be randomly picking one winner from each of our comment sections on Tuesday, November 16. Then, we will schedule our one-hour coaching call to help you implement some of the tools found in the book. Entries must be received by midnight EST on November 15. The winner will be announced as an update to this post on November 16!

Note: Entries posted on my blog will win a coaching session with me and entries posted on Rosetta’s blog will win a coaching session with Rosetta. You can post one entry on both of our sites if you like!

P.S. Even if you don’t win this time around, stay tuned for more contests and special offers just for Nonprofit Rockstar readers!

Do you feel stuck in your nonprofit career? Unsure how to take that next step? How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar is an accessible, do-it-yourself map of how to navigate the nonprofit sector and gives you the tools that you need to move from entry level to leadership.

This book is designed for professionals who want to build a meaningful and rewarding nonprofit career. How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar is based on the authors’ experiences as well as interviews with nonprofit rockstars who have supercharged their careers.

You’ll learn how to develop meaningful nonprofit experience, build a strong network, establish a strong personal brand, achieve the elusive work/life balance, and move on up in your career.

Rosetta Thurman and I wrote this book together and it is chock full of all of the things that we wish we knew when we first started our nonprofit journeys.

How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar is available with two versions for you to choose from: an ebook or a paperback.

You better act fast, though. The book will only be available at the introductory price of $19.99 through November 15, 2010. After November 15, the book will revert to the original retail price of $24.99. Save $5 by making your decision to buy now!

Buy the Ebook Version of How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar for an Investment of $19.99

This 189-page resource is ready for your download right now. Click here to get your copy.

Benefits to purchasing the ebook version:

189 pages of practical tips, strategies and real-life examples to help you ROCK your career
The ebook version contains LIVE hyperlinks throughout the book, so you can put the 50 tips into action right away
The ebook version saves paper, is searchable and can be saved to your computer to be read anytime, anywhere
Includes a resource section with links to books, fellowships and professional associations we recommend.
BONUS! Free 34-page ebook from Rosetta on developing your own blog
BONUS! Free 14-page ebook from Trista on becoming a presentation powerhouse

Buy the Paperback Version of How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar for an Investment of only $19.99

Wanna hold How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar in your hands? You can also order the book in paperback format. It’s 174 pages and ships within 3-5 business days. You can order it as a paperback here.

Benefits to purchasing the paperback version:

• 174 pages of practical tips, strategies and real-life examples to help you ROCK your career
• The paperback version is perfect for those who like the look, feel and smell of hard copy books, with margins for good old-fashioned note-taking
• Includes an extended resource section with lists of books, fellowships and professional associations we recommend