Privilege Blog

In Which Privilege Reports To The Board

Time for the Privilege Annual Report to the Board. Old corporate habits die hard. Although I seem to have retired from software, or at least to have taken a very long leave, I am still inclined to report status to my managers.

That would be you.

Remember, corporate speak is the best way ever invented to mask powerful emotions. In my case, gratitude. But let’s get to it. You will see in parentheses the Privileged[d] Core Values. Another way to create euphemisms for Things That Matter.

As of February 14th, 2011, Privilege completed Year 2. Here’s an executive summary of our plans for Year 3. We corporate types like to say things like Year 3, as though the wavelike passage of time can be reduced to a cell on a spreadsheet. But I digress. So.

Privileged[d] Product Lines [Go With What You Know]

  • Fashion, personal style, travel, manners, and other aspects of High WASP culture.
  • Continued focus on luxury goods, or “good-looking” items at more reasonable price points.
  • Saturday Mornings, in which I write whatever comes to my mind, starting early in the morning, and publishing before noon. Often involving my children. Or, you know, rapture.
  • Professor C. has agreed to a few more Edith Wharton posts. We must tend to our intellectual well-being, after all.
  • Discovering artists on an as-discovered basis.
  • India, 1982. Until I get my 25-year old self back home again.
  • Special requests from readers that are too meaty for the Ask LPC page.

Operational Effectiveness [Show Up On Time]

  • 3-5 posts/week
  • Saturdays, on Saturdays
  • One week blog break every quarter
  • Giveaways as appropriate (The shoe giveaway will be announced this afternoon)

Results FY 2010 [Appropriate Transparency, Otherwise Known As ‘This Is As True As I Can Make It, I Don’t Know If It Matters’]

  • Subscribers ~ 1,750 (For comparison, a year ago we had 900)
  • Daily visits – 750-1,200
  • Monthly visitors  ~13,000
  • Monthly page views  ~59,000
  • No net profit. Which is not say anything’s been lost. Quite the opposite.

I show you these numbers because a) I am proud of them and grateful for each and every visit and visitor  b) They aren’t so great as to be intimidating and I want everyone to know that we’re still quite small around here c) Some of you may be new to blogging and therefore curious about how this readership thing works. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. It’s dear to my heart.

Strategic Partners [Absent Trusted Friends It’s All For Naught]

  • Advertising: Beladora will continue to sponsor us. Thank you very much. We will also, finally, put together a media kit and see if 2-3 other advertisers would like to join in, and investigate ad networks.
  • Technical support: Techsperience built me a new site that’s both well-integrated and high-performing. High WASPs love high performance.
  • Design: The talented Jamie, of Cactus & Quail.
  • Strategic Counsel: The A-List Blogger Club. Run by Leo Babauta and Mary Jaksch. Everything I know about finding a wider audience for one’s writing I learned from them. Let it be said that I ignore a lot of their wisdom, because I’m doing this first and foremost to be able to write what calls to me,  and because my culture doesn’t allow for full-throated self-promotion, but they know what they are doing. Leo Babauta’s monthly webcasts alone are worth it all. It’s not Leo or Mary’s fault I’m stubborn nor that Privilege, as a result, remains a fairly small blog.
  • Conferences: Lavish! Thank you Shameeka Ayers. I believe it’s happening again this year.
  • You. My blogroll is more visited than almost any other part of Privilege. As it should be. Not to venture any further into the territory of sentiment, but blogging is about community as much as it is about self-expression.

New Initiatives [Keep Promises, Even To Yourself]

The only new initiative for this year is to finish the book proposal I started. As I have said before, I care less about publication than I do about proving to myself that I can do this, that I can bring the force of my will to bear against years and years of What If, and If Only, and I Always Wanted To. In order to free up as much of my capacity as possible, I have resigned as editor of the Lifestyle section for the Daily Brainstorm. Did you know that studies indicate we have only so much capacity to enforce our will, every day? I need to conserve mine. Thank you Daily Brainstorm, for this opportunity.

Request For Guidance [Mutual Satisfaction Is The Best Contract]

Last year I put together a mid-sized survey asking you what you thought about various subjects. Mostly about me, in fact. This year, I’d like to ask about you. Who are you all?

Please, if you would be so kind, go take this brief survey and tell me about yourself. Seven questions. Thank you in advance.

Survey here.

I am on blog break next week, including Saturdays. Even brain cells in charge of the random need rest sometimes. Upon returning, we’ll probably see some Cork-Soled Platforms. Maybe a Black And White Ad Campaign From Barney’s New York, or India 1982. Oh, and Professor C’s second web seminar is ready to go. Hint: Read House of Mirth. And watch the movie, if you can.

Thank you all more than I can say. See you April 11th.

36 Responses

  1. Impressive returns and it looks like you’re on track YTD to sustain that momentum.

    OK, enough. I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog – the depth and breadth of the posts and the reflective tone are appealing. Keep up the good work.

  3. “Go with what you know.” I wish I’d adopted that stance from Day One. I’ve been blogging for just over 3 years and I’m just now beginning to see the kind of stats you enjoy.

    Enjoy your break, Lisa. Now I’m off to take your survey.

  5. Fixed the link. DocP, thank you so much. Jen, to show you how long I spent in the corporate world, I didn’t figure out you were kidding for a minute:).

  7. I am a new reader and really enjoy your blog, thank you so much for all the work you put into it.

    Also, it was so nice to read one of these corporate thingamajigs that actually made sense to me!

  8. Congratulations, those numbers show growth that is *huge* IMHO, especially your subscriber base. I’m so glad to see the plans for the next year are similar to what you have been sharing with us, it is nice to read that Professor C will pop in now and again.

    You know how highly I regard your incredible talents, and am so excited you will finish the book proposal.

    With hugs, smiles and a congratulatory high-five (I think I am too old for a fist bump),
    tp

  9. I can’t help but feel giddy when I read of future literary posts with Professor C (and he’s going to speak of Edith Wharton to boot)!

  11. This board member is excited about the idea of your book!

    I also don’t think you need to be shy about asking readers’ income — it’s an anonymous survey, after all.

  13. Fabulous, and unlike almost every other annual report, not a snooze.

    BTW, I just finished “Age of Innocence” prompted by Mr C’s wonderful post a few weeks ago, and now am moving on to re-read some of the Edith Wharton I first devoured some thirty (ahem!) years ago. House of Mirth, check!

  17. Lisa, Great post! And very informative. As far as surveys go, this one was fun (I usually don’t participate in surveys, but hey, for you. Why not).
    Wishing you all the best and hoping to see a book with your name on it.
    Sincerely,
    Miranda
    SF Bay Area

  19. A shoe giveaway? {See how I breeze through all the corporatel-speak right to the heart of the matter? This is the honed skill of being the only creative in a business-oriented family}. Hoping that you will still be on twitter during blog break as you have now got me hooked on the #amwearing tweets. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

    xoxo Mary Jo

  20. Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary. Thanks for always sharing something interesting, wise, witty or just plain pretty.

  21. have read your blog for 3 years…love everything you have to say…funny but have never commented, except for the shoes…cannot wait for the web seminar on edith wharton…one of my favorites…house of mirth, ethan frome, summer, the children… keep writing..love your work too!!!

  22. Beautifully done. It’s always good to have a taut plot underlying the phrases that grab our elbows, and we can rest easy here with you. A vote of thanks from the floor, from me. Seconded by me. A quiet cocktail all around and murmurs of goodwill for the coming year. Taxi.

  26. I answered the survey, gladly. I’m excited about your book—and you have the right attitude about it.

  29. In Response to Privilege(d) Annual Board Report:

    I:
    Anticipate I will continue to support Privilege(d)by daily site visits anticipating updated enlightenment.

    Will participate in giveaways as inspired for personal enhancement or development on a giveaway to giveaway basis.

    Share in the wealth of personal commentary as deemed appropriate.

    And this matter will be revisited in or around April 2012.

  30. Hi there. It’s been too long since I’ve been by, but I’m please to see from the board report that all is well & high performing as ever.

  31. Pingback: The ‘Privilege’ Reader Survey Results | Privilege

  32. A very belated Happy 2 Year Anniversary to you and your wonderful blog! I’m so new to Privilege and feel very fortunate and ‘privileged’ to have found you! Sorry I missed the survey…with tax season upon us, my non-corporate brain struggles to keep up with all.
    Love what year 3 entails…I’m really looking forward to the Edith posts!
    Best,
    xo J~

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