Every business has a story, and the last thing I want to share about mine is the name. Why Academic Smartcuts?
First of all, this isn’t the original name. I initially called my business Blue Eagle Academic Services. This name came about because I originally planned to offer proofreading and editing services, and you have to be eagle-eyed to be an editor. I also like the colour blue, so job done.
However, as the business developed, I began to offer training courses and other services. The name no longer felt right.
I love to travel, and if anything can be compared to a journey, then the progression through academia fits the bill perfectly. From undergrad to MA/MSc to PhD to post-doc to lecturer to senior lecturer to professor … the path is long, there are obstacles along the way to watch out for, and it can be helpful to have a guide.
But cutting corners just doesn’t cut it in academia. Learning how to communicate with others—experts, non-experts, and everyone in between—requires time and practice to get right. It’s the same idea whether writing a PhD thesis, a journal paper, or a competitive grant proposal. However, there ARE smartcuts that can be used to build a solid foundation: spending the time to master them now will lead to greater confidence throughout your career.
Which brings me to this great comic by Liz Fosslien. I absolutely love it because it perfectly encapsulates why the compass is part of my logo and in the imagery I use on the Academic Smartcuts website. It’s about helping people head in the right direction … or identifying when they need to course correct and make changes. It’s not about having everything planned from the start. Even the goal-setting and community-building Mastermind and Accountability Programme (a.k.a. MAP) is about recognising that there are many ways to get from A to B: what’s important is that we find the route that works for us.