Savage Words: Inspired by the three who make my life go

I rely on three people each month to get me paid for the work I do.

When I entered the freelance writing world about a decade ago, I had a mentor give me some advice that I’ve never forgotten.

“You eat what you kill,” he said.

In other words, you’re only going to get work if you go out there and dig. You gotta pitch your story ideas, you gotta pitch your abilities, you gotta grind hard to land the work.

I’m incredibly grateful to the three people out there who continue to send me that work. I realize, as a freelancer, that it can all go away at any time, so I continue to pitch, continue to grind, continue to dig.

All three of these people who pay me each month are similar in so many ways. They’re entrepreneurs, they’re fearless, and they’re courageous to take chances that most of us wouldn’t even consider. Those are all traits where I know they outpace me.

I can’t imagine starting a business from scratch. 

From scratch, with very little in terms of resources.

But that’s exactly what these three have done. I respect it, and I’m not just saying that because I’m on their payroll each month.

Another thing they all have in common is something that I find even more admirable. They’re all women, and they’re all as sharp as can be at their profession. I’ve literally taken a little from all three of them.

When I started in the journalism profession in 1992, there were indeed women in the industry. But not like it is now, at least from what I can remember from 34 years ago.

I recall being in the Argus Leader newsroom 30-plus years ago, just trying to find my voice in the industry. As I recall, there were a lot of dudes running around, screaming, stressing, acting wildly, trying to meet a deadline as the clock anxiously ticked away on the wall at 10th and Minnesota in downtown Sioux Falls.

There were nine of us in sports alone. None were women. Even at age 23 that many years ago, I knew that wasn’t right. 

Maybe there were more women overall in journalism back then, and maybe I just didn’t pay attention to it. But from my current view, the three that pay me every month are laser sharp, and I’m just the beneficiary of visionaries whose view on how to run a business escapes me.

Thinking back on my career, I’ve had nine different jobs in sports communications. I’m not sure if that’s a testament to my versatility, or that I couldn’t hold down a job. Looking back, I guess it could be a combination of both.

But in those nine jobs, four of my bosses were women. I’ve often told people that the most fun I’ve had working for a team in professional sports was with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. My boss was Kelly Krauskopf, who remains as the team’s President of Basketball Operations to this day.

We were a start-up franchise in 2000, and the three years I spent with Kelly and the Fever were lean. We were 35-61 in those first three years, including a 9-23 record in our inaugural season, but Kelly and I had a blast. Never has a .281 winning percentage in a single season been so gratifying professionally.

I learned a lot from Kelly, mostly just watching her lead a team as the General Manager. Things were tough at the start of the Fever, but Kelly approached it methodically, and with humor. I always appreciated that.

So now I get to see that methodical approach, humor, and focus in the three that pay me each month.

I’ll keep writing, digging, grinding and working, if you’ll continue to have me.