So… What is this blog about anyway?
They Call it Gumption is, at its core, a blog about the common Gen Y adventure of trying to create a fulfilling balance between one’s personal life and career. I think it’s safe to say that most Gen Y-ers want to be successful by their own terms, which generally sets the course for some enlightening shenanigans.

I’ll give it to you straight – I didn’t want to grow up. Then I did. Now I blog about it.

Why ‘They Call it Gumption’?
Gumption is my favourite word. In fact, it’s my “one word”.

The title was inspired by Jason Mraz’s “Song for a Friend”. Between the definition of the word and the fact that Mraz is my all-time favourite musical artist, I called it destiny and ran with it.

Who do you think you are, anyway?
Unless my birth certificate and 28 years of existence deceive me, I am fairly confident that I am Sara Hamil. I’m Canadian and live in a small city called Belleville. I also might be a super hero but that remains to be seen.

Belleville? Where’s that?
About an hour an a half east of Toronto along Highway 401. We have a Starbucks.

Didn’t you used to work for Free The Children?
Sure did! Good times, great organization. It was my first PR gig after graduation and I was a Media and Publicity Coordinator and Social Media Strategist.

Why did you leave Toronto?
Mostly because of money. Also, my dog.

Dog?
Yes, dog. My noble beast, Jasper, who makes regular appearances on They Call it Gumption and is the closest thing I have to a dependant.

Wait, you’re not a mom?
Nope. My work connects me with a lot of moms but as for me, I’m just a dog-mom.

So, what exactly do you do?
As it turns out, I do a lot of things. I once ranted about it here.

But chances are, you’re just asking about my career.

I’m a public relations professional with a focus on social media strategy, which can and does mean a lot of things. I’m a Director of Social Media and Communications here and a professor of Social Media here. Please note that, as per my disclaimer, all views expressed on this site are my own and do not reflect those of my employers or clients, past or present. Gracias.

Aren’t you a little young for *insert age-based assumption here*?
Nope.

Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I completed my Honours B.A. at the University of Toronto (I was a Vicky) where I focused on Social and Cultural Anthropolgy with a side order of Writing, Rhetoric and Critical Analysis. After graduation I was still quite passionate about anthropology (still am) but less enthusiastic about grad work. I wanted to get out into the non-academic “real world”, so I enrolled in the Post Graduated Public Relations program at Loyalist College and good times were had by all.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was younger I would reply to this question with an assortment of impressive sounding goals: paleontologist, doctor, artist… To this day I believe that, had a been more science-minded I most likely would have gone into some kind of natural science-type field.

As mentioned above, I just didn’t want to grow up in the first place.

But I did and so now, I blog.

Do you still do PR/social media freelance work?
This was something I did a lot of when I first moved back to Belleville and I enjoyed it. I have less time for client work than I used to but, when my schedule permits, I will take on an extra project or two. More deets coming soon.

Why don’t you offer consultation work for free anymore? You used to.
Fact. When I first started freelancing I would occasionally take on pro-bono projects, although I only ever did this for non-profit clients.

These days I not only don’t have the time that I used to but it also isn’t fair to my students, employers or myself to work for free. Sorry.

Will you write an article/do a presentation for my blog/website/session/company/etc?
Ah, this is a terribly slippery slope.

I love writing and public speaking and, if it’s the right fit, I don’t mind writing the occasional guest post or speaking to your group. That being said, I unfortunately don’t have much time for these pursuits, especially when I’m not getting paid.

Still, if you think you’ve got a really neat project on your hands that could benefit both parties, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch. Drop me a line and we’ll talk.

I have details on a cool event/product your readers will love! Will you write about it?
Hello, PR people. I see you there.

Here’s the deal: I only write about events, products or services that I have personally tried or experienced and genuinely love. I believe in blogging with integrity and that my readers deserve honesty from me.

If what you’re pitching makes sense for They Call it Gumption (and if your pitch is targeted and appropriate), send it. Please note, however that I don’t write without some degree of compensation (journalists don’t work for free so why should I?). Also, if we do choose to move forward, sponsored posts will be always be fully disclosed and reviews will be my honest and truthful opinion. Less than stellar experience? Expect a less than stellar review.

Can I send you stuff to review?
Probably not but also maybe. See above.

Can I write a guest post for They Call it Gumption?
Maybe! I love guest blogging but if we’ve never connected before and/or if your content doesn’t make sense in this space, don’t get your hopes up. Let’s get to know each other first, okay?

Who took your profile photos?
With the exception of my Twitter avatar, my profile photos were taken by Winding Violets; photographers based out of Kingston, Ontario. They are wonderful. Go, give them your love.

Can I use a photo from They Call it Gumption?
If you’re interested in using a photo or image you’ve seen on this blog, I ask that you please contact me first. There’s a fair assortment of stock images up here but there are also a lot of photos and images that where taken or created either by myself or someone that I myself received permission from first.

Can we connect on Facebook?
Are we friends in real life/have we built a solid online relationship with each other? If not then I probably won’t accept a friend request from you. Please don’t take it personally – I just consider Facebook to be my last bastion of “quiet” personal space online and therefore only share it with people I know well.

You can follow me on Twitter though! Or connect with me on LinkedIn! Yeah! Woo!

This FAQ sounds rather vain. You’re pretty full of yourself, aren’t you?
Nah, I just like to be up front about things. Besides, believe it or not, these are all actually questions I’ve been asked. Being a blogger is fun times!