cft

[Creators Spotlight]: The best way to get past writer's block is to focus on why you started writing in the first place - Joe Van Os

In this series “Creators Spotlight”, we are asking our creators about their journey. Watch out for them sharing their journey and getting candid with us. Today we have with us Joe Van Os. Joe, Product Manager at Clariti Software, talks about growing up in Canada and shares his long-term career goals.


user

Tealfeed Spotlight

2 years ago | 3 min read

Creators are the heart and soul of Tealfeed. As they continuously work towards feeding us more information every day, it's only fitting to bring out their journey for the world to know.

In this series “Creators Spotlight”, we are asking our creators about their journey. Watch out for them sharing their journey and getting candid with us.

Today we have with us Joe Van Os. Joe Van Os, Product Manager at Clariti Software, talks about growing up in Canada and shares his long-term career goals.

Continue reading to find out more!

Tell us about your childhood, what was the best part? Is there any specific incident that has largely influenced the kind of person you are today?

When I was young, my family moved around a lot for my Dad’s job. I changed schools every 2-3 years. The first few moves were tough, but eventually, I came to enjoy them and view them as an opportunity for new experiences.

I learnt that anticipation of change is scarier than change itself, and there are many benefits of change - new friends, experiences, and memories. I’ve tried to carry this mindset into my adult life and career

Where is your hometown, and what was it like when you were young?

The city that I lived in the longest growing up was Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. I graduated from High School, went to University, and met my now wife there.

It was a great place to live and grow up, the only downside was the negative 50-degree celsius temperatures in the winter! Since then we’ve moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, which I’d now consider my hometown

How important a role does content play in your life? Are you a full-time content creator? Why did you start creating content?

I started writing as it is a way for me to clarify my thought on a subject. Typically I pick topics that were difficult for me to work through. I began posting articles as I assumed that others may be working through the same topics themselves.

So for me, writing is very important as it helps bring clarity to things I am unpacking in my professional life.

What’s that one aspect of being a content creator no one talks about?

The pressure for repeat success. When I first started writing, I had zero expectations and was writing solely for personal clarity on a subject. I was lucky to have a few articles pick up decent traction, and every time I did I felt pressure to make sure my next article was as good as the last one, as I didn’t want to let my readers down!

I’m a quality over quantity person, so I found myself being extra critical of my topics and writing, and for a while, it lead to writer’s block. I’ve found that the best way to get over the pressure is to focus on why I started writing in the first place - to help myself and others with Product Management articles, not to get clicks.

What are you up to currently and what are your long-term career goals?

Currently, I am a Product Manager at Clariti Software, where we focus on building software for local governments.

Long term I’d like to progress into a leadership position so that I can help other Product Managers in their careers - which also happens to be one of the main reasons I write!

What drives you to create content regularly?

To be honest, I have been facing some more writer’s block lately, and have not been regularly writing. However this time it is more due to being busy with life events - specifically the birth of my first daughter earlier this year!

I have a bunch of draft articles waiting to go - but I just need to make the time to finish them off. The polishing of an article is always the hardest part for me.

How do you make sure that you aren’t affected by nasty comments and negative things said about you?

I’ve learnt that it comes with the territory, and negative comments often come with something to learn. 

What's success for you and when you would consider yourself to be successful?

I remember being asked this question in my first job interview. I was fresh out of University, and I honestly had no idea! Luckily since then, I’ve experienced that life has more to offer, and have started to form an opinion on it.

For me, success is more of an intrinsic thing - a healthy family and the ability to support them in their own endeavours, having a career I enjoy while doing something that provides value, living in a place that allows me to enjoy the outdoors and live a healthy lifestyle. I’ve been fortunate to be able to check those boxes, and am enjoying where I am at. 

To every individual who’s planning to start out as a content creator, what would you like to advise them?

Just start. There are a million excuses and reasons not to publish your content, and yes it can be nerve-wracking, but it’s also extremely rewarding.

Upvote


user
Created by

Tealfeed Spotlight

Few maintain consistency, few remain unique, and fewer are the ones who do both of these right, and earn a spot in Tealfeed Spotlight.


people
Post

Upvote

Downvote

Comment

Bookmark

Share


Related Articles