The Escape Hatch

Photo courtesy of Tony the Misfit under the creative commons license flickr

In honor of Why Wednesdays, let’s look at a few of the reasons some of you want to jump the day job ship and enter the world of the solopreneur.  Oh, and forgive me, I don’t mean to tell YOU why YOU want to do this, I just want to share with you the reasons I hear over and over from clients.

A desire to spend our lives doing something that has meaning.  The #1 reason I hear from clients is the desire to be part of something that you believe in.  What fun is it to spend 1/3 of your daily, wage earning life doing something you don’t align with or being a cog in the proverbial machine.

Freedom & Flexibility.  Kids get sick, the dog needs to go to the vet.  You need a mental health day.  Life is messy and it doesn’t go by a schedule.  Having your life wired too harshly to someone else’s schedule is never fun.  Being a solopreneur means dedication and persistence, but those two things can be accomplished at midnight if that works better for you or even at noon.  Being service based means you will have to take your client’s needs into account, but it will also mean you decide when/where you are available and you don’t have to fit into someone else’s box.

We’re not built that way.  The human race appears to be wired to be unique.  Though we are intensely similar, we are ALL different.  We need to create our own things and forge our own path.

Wasting your time.  In the solopreneur world you spend time where time is needed and you have to get really good at prioritizing and shuffling.  You won’t spend a day doing menial work just to fill in your hours or punch a time clock.

Icky bosses.  OK, let’s face it, we’re not all cut out to be followers.  Some of us are, but we still only want to follow people we believe in, not narcissistic, clueless yes men (and women).  OK, some bosses aren’t icky – true.  But gauging from the stories I hear over and over, the icky part is becoming more and more the norm.

Even ickier co-workers.  Some clients recount the sadness at leaving behind lifelong friends and that is what you want to hear, but I also hear many stories about backstabbing, gossipy, or pushy co-workers.  They exist!

So, this list obviously doesn’t even scratch the surface – please share your reasons here with us?

(photo via mfhiatt under creative commons license flickr)

In the spirit of Try it Out Tuesday, I wanted to give you some ideas for going on your own proof prowl.

Sometimes, when we are having trouble leaping it helps to remind ourselves how fabulous we actually are.  :-), In all seriousness, we all find ourselves short on chutzpah from time to time and that’s when we need proof that we know how to do things, that we’ve shown courage before and that we can do anything we set our minds to if we really apply ourselves.

A Proof Prowl is just that, going on the prowl for proof of our abilities.

Here are five ideas to get you going:

#1 Make a list of at least 3 of your friends who you can always count on to tell you the truth. Call them up and make a date for coffee, tea or drinks and explain to them what you are doing.  Tell them you need to be reminded of the most positive qualities you possess and ask them to be specific.  You’re more likely to believe it if its a memory you share or you can laugh over the guts it took to ask the school jock to the Homecoming dance.  Its not that you are looking to toot your own horn or for adoration, but rather that you’ve found yourself in a region of life where you need a little outside help.  And offer to do the same in return.  Any friend who loves you and roots for you will understand.  In fact this exercise might also serve to remind you just who your cheerleaders are.

#2 Set aside some time on your calendar to sift through your memorabilia.  Doing this alone is bound to bring up plentiful good memories of times when things went your way.  Maybe you have old trophies or ribbons commemorating victories, or an A+ on that beyond difficult high school term paper.  Whatever the successes are, just spending some time walking down memory lane is bound to deliver some reminders of what you’re capable of.

#3 Call an old school teacher.  Now this exercise will do more than remind you of what you can do, it will also make someone’s day.  Teachers LOVE to hear from their previous students.  Its a solid reminder that something they did matters.  In this era, all too often, teachers aren’t lauded the way they should be and there is no better proof of a job well done, than an old student calling you up and reminding you that you made an indelible mark on their life’s journey.  This can be an elementary teacher, a high school teacher or even an old college professor, but reach out, I bet you will be surprised by the results.

#4 This one’s a bit more obvious, but yes old colleagues (or even current ones if you are still holding down that day job) can be ardent reminders of our capabilities.  Depending on your relationship, you may need to keep this one more professional, but just explain that you are trying to keep a solid record of your achievements both for posterity and preparedness in uncertain times.

#5 And last, but certainly not least, sit down with the family.  Pick one member if you are more comfortable or the whole family if it makes sense.  Explain to them that you are seeking to create your own path and that you need to be reminded of why its a good idea.  Be very careful in this arena.  If  relationships are dicey, make sure you pick someone you can trust and who will support you.

There you have it – 5 quick and easy steps to build your confidence by connecting with the past.  If nothing else, this exercise will serve to remind you of a full life complete with ups and downs.  If you’ve made it this far, you’re bound to have done something right.  :-)  I daresay you might even possess a lifetime full of something rights.

Share with us here if you care to

Following up on Tuesday’s post regarding money and how to find some right under your nose, the next natural excuse I talk about in my special report The 7 Excuses You Might Be Making For NOT Living Your Dream & How to Eradicate Them, becomes time.

Time & money are by far the biggest and most often used excuses people make for not taking control of their lives and start living the life of their dreams.

We could spend a lot of time talking about strategies for saving it, but today in honor of One Thing Thursdays I would like to focus on just one.

When starting any solopreneurial endeavor there will be a pretty steep learning curve at first.  (Don’t worry though!  That’s what myself and other awesome coaches, consultants and advisors are here to help you with.)  Ideas will naturally be flowing at a swift pace just like they do any time you do something creative.  Just like the theory that energy begets energy – so it goes with ideas…they tend to flow like white water rapids. Along with ideas will come to-do lists and finding out about ways you can help grow your business, things to try, etc.  Feeling tired yet?  :-)

In order to manage this deluge of information, you’ll need a rock solid idea capturing system.

And it should be something that you are comfortable with and will actually employ.  There are a few other rules:

It needs to be simple – if you create an idea funnel that is too complex, chances are you won’t use it and you’ll become lost and disheveled.
It needs to fit your style – if you use something just because so and so uses it, but it isn’t a natural fit for you, you’ll get frustrated.
It needs to be handy – creating a system you can only use from home when you are on the go most of the time won’t work.
It needs to be functional – this is obvious.  :-)
It needs to save time – because after all the reason you’re setting it up in the first place is to save just that.

There are all kinds of cool tools to use and there are a few different ways to approach this including how bootstrapping friendly they are:

Not so bootstrappy:

LiveScribe – this tool is a computerized pen that allows you take notes, which can then be translated onto your computer and it also records audio.  I first saw this in one of those air catalogues, but got to see it in live action when the fabulous Melanie Harari brought it to one of our Nohopreneurs meetings. – Its a bit on the pricey side, so not bootstrapper friendly, but it is multi-functional and well, just plain cool.  If you like to take notes, but also like to have those on your computer and have audio as an added bonus – this might be the tool for you.

Semi-bootstrappy:

I use a two part system.  I use Things for to-do lists and Bento for databases and tracking projects.  These are average priced softwards around $50.  If you want to stay completely bootstrapped it might not make sense, but if they get you organized in a way that a free way can’t – its worth it.

Note*** if you use more than a one part system or funnel – make sure you spend some time working out the kinks and figuring out a flawless way for it to flow otherwise it will cause you headaches and be too complicated to use.

More bootstrappy :

using Evernote – Now, I have evernote on my laptop and iphone, but I will be honest…I don’t use it that much.  Not that I don’t like it – I think its cool, but I already had my system in place when I heard about it a couple of years ago and we all know that if it ain’t broke – we don’t fix it!  :-)  But, this is the ultimate bootstrapper’s tool and everyone I know that uses it LOVES it so it might be worth a try.

or keep it ultra simple and bootstrappy:

a plain old notebook – Ryan Lee talks a lot about using this method — its bootstrapper friendly plus it makes it super easy to keep a library of your past notes without having to worry about backing them up.

Anyway, whatever method you choose, just be sure its something that you will like and use and if you care to, share your insights with us here.

In my special report, The 7 Excuses You Might Be Making For NOT Living Your Dream & How to Eradicate Them, one of the most important excuses I cover is $$$.

Call it what you will, greenbacks, dough, moolah…we all need it.  The truth is we can’t survive without it so naturally the protection of it is key.  When I look into this excuse with clients it can come about in all sorts of forms:

• sometimes people come from a place of scarcity – believing there is not enough…maybe something has happened to them in their lives which creates deeper walls of fear around this issue
• sometimes people actually do have money, but would rather spend it on frivolous things for all sorts of reasons
• sometimes the client actually DOESN’T HAVE any money, but it stems from a long line of bad decision making

Whatever the reason usually there is money to be had if not in the present, then going forward.   Most of the time it lies right underneath your nose.  Whether you’re holding down a day job and bringing in a regular paycheck or living off of your savings you just need to get more strategic about how each and every dollar is spent.

A MUST FUND is something I help my clients create and we start it by finding money in the budget they already have.  Even if  you are not a budgeter its OK, you will have just that many more areas for opportunity.

A MUST FUND is comprised of monies you save from the precipice of wasteful spending.  You take those monies and you place them all snuggly in a high yield savings account.  There they sit, ready to fund your dream biz.

In short, a MUST FUND does just that, it funds the things you MUST do in your life!

i.e. build your dream biz, kick the day job to the curb and start living the life you were meant to live.

Now being the bootstrappers we are, we already know that we aren’t going to spend money frivolously on things we don’t really NEED to build our businesses.  Every dime you spend building your business will be essential.  And because of this you won’t need nearly as much money as you imagine so your Must Fund will be ample in no time.  These days you can build your biz for NEXT TO NOTHING.

On this Try It Out Tuesday, start small by looking at how your money is being spent over the next few days.  Each time you are about to spend, ask yourself if you really need to spend this money or if it would be better used by depositing it into your MUST FUND.  All savings including money you were about to spend, but didn’t AND any savings you are able to find by say getting rid of premium channels on your cable or upping your premium on your auto insurance…those savings must be deposited too.

Make it like a game and see how much you can get into that MUST FUND this week.

And if you like, share all of your down and dirty strategies with us here.

photo via Courtney Dirks under creative commons license flickr

Its One Thing Thursday and I’m going to challenge you to go against the tide and instead of making resolutions…

make a TO DON’T list.

In all my years as a development executive in entertainment, I worked with LOTS of writers…and I used to advise them that you can learn scads more by reading bad scripts than good…why?  Because the alchemy of a good script is often difficult to pinpoint, its an unrepeatable blend of many areas of the craft all coming together to form one amazing story.  However, reading a bad script will often unleash new insights.  If the pacing or cadence is off, you’ll notice it.  If the dialogue is expositional or doesn’t read true, you’ll hear it.  In essence, it shows you clearly the things you want to avoid.

Resolutions are great, but how many times have you stated umpteen only to maybe make some progress on 1 or 2 and then not even those a couple of months down the road?

I’m all about turning things on their ear and trying for something new – it opens your mind up to possibility…

So, this year, make a to don’t list and add all of the things that you’ve done in years past that you don’t want to repeat and how about some things that you want to stop doing by the end of the year…like maybe the day job that is plaguing you?

Have fun and let me know some of your don’ts.

photo via Maria Reyes-McDavis under creative commons license flickr

In the spirit of Try it Out Tuesday, I’m going to ask you to do something bold:

Accept that “success” is just a word.

Its the meaning you attach to it that makes it so scary.

Now, it has a definition or many definitions rather depending on which source you rely on…webster’s has it defined this way:

“favorable or desired outcome”

Now, that’s pretty simple isn’t it?  It doesn’t sound so big or so scary…it sounds doable.  Especially when you incrementalize…(there I go again making up works – its something I LOVE to do – if the right word doesn’t really exist, make one up I always say! )

If you take a big dream and you break it down into small bite sized pieces of doable action, you already stack the odds in your favor for succeeding.

For example, if your dream is to self publish a book this year, some of your get going action steps might be:

• take a lazy afternoon to sit by the fire and ponder my subject
• Create a series of chapter headings based on that topic that I want to discuss and write down as many notes as come to me
• Write for 10 minutes each day on one of those topics, while I have my morning tea

etc.

All manageable, all doable, all simple.

And I strongly believe that the more specific you make them and the more attached they are to things you like to do – the more likely you will be to do them.  Its much more fun to ponder by a warm, cozy fire, then at a desk.

Do this and by definition, you will have succeeded.  Each time you complete one of those tasks, or I would even go so far as to say make just good progress on one of them, you have reached a “favorable outcome”.

I know we all get caught up in the idea of success.

We latch onto other people’s definitions of success or what they tell us success ought to be, but maybe we make 2012 a year about NOT doing that, but about staying true to ourselves and going after our own idea of success.

The smaller you make your goals, the more achievable they will be.  You’ll get to feel successful each and every day.

One Thing Thursday is here…

look at the wheel above and pick just 1 thing!

1 thing you can start doing today.

Now, of course when it comes to social media, I obviously will always rec that EVERYONE is on the big 4 (Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Youtube), but maybe you are not – so now is your chance – pick one and go!

If you already are, then pick 1 more from this wheel – pick a fun one – one that calls out to you and beckons you on.

If you are in the midst of launching your dream biz, this will help expand your social media, branding and marketing reach.

If you haven’t started yet and you are just in the dreaming stage (the best and most fun stage in my opinion)…start building your credibility now.  These days everyone lives their brand.  Even if you don’t have a biz, never will and have no desire, you still have a personal brand.  A collection of traits and things you do that define you, help people know who you are.

If you love animals, post animal facts, stories, pics, training tips, food finds, luxury experiences, non-profits, etc.

If you’re a foodie, post recipes, pics of your beautiful creations, thoughts from friends/family who have been lucky enough to sample the goods.

If you’re a stylist, post cool ensembles you find in catalogues, style tidbits, cool pieces you find in boutiques, your friends wearing something you have picked out for them, etc.

These are just a few ideas to get you started.

Spin the wheel and have fun!

Photo via Astrid Photography under a creative commons license flickr

Take a look at it…its beautiful, a bit eery maybe, but beautiful none-the-less.

But if you passed it by one day, would you see it?  Really see it?

Or are you too busy, too stressed, too depleted?

Are you running through life just trying to stay on track or get by?

We all know it – that’s no way to live.

And unfortunately, its the norm in this over-worked, under-paid world.  When did we start to think it was normal to work so much we can’t see straight?   and worse yet, work endless hours doing something we HATE?  with people we’d rather never have known.?

I’m here to tell you…there IS another way…

If you possess the only 3 tools you really need to get your dream biz going – namely a mobile phone, a computer and access to the internet – why aren’t you doing it?

If you have fears about starting the journey…I can help you.  And there are many, many other people in the world that can help you too.

I want you to be able to take a good long look at this tree, preferably while sipping a hot cup of cocoa or tea or coffee in the MIDDLE of the day…without taking time off to do it.

Yeah.  I dream big.  :-)

The Career Camp board of topics and speakers

For this Try it out Tuesday, I want to interject the idea of attending an unconference or bar camp regarding the area your dream biz resides in.  Or even if you are a little bit scared about becoming that solopreneur and you want to attend an unconference on starting your business.

They fit the bootstrapping model..they are usually free.

But the best part, is they assemble great hearts and minds.  Imagine a room full of people who all love the thing you love…or want to start their own thing too, but are afraid to dream big.  It might be just the thing you need.

If you look at the picture up top, you’ll see a scheduling board from a recent unconference/bar camp that I attended (and have been very involved with over the past several years), Career Camp.

While most people show up to talk about traditional career track at these events, I bring the alternative – solopreneurship – to the table.  You’ll see my session there in the 1pm slot “From Corporate Slave to Solopreneur“.

The way it works is that all kinds of people show up – some want to talk, some don’t.  The ones that want to talk, throw their proposed session up on the board, if people are interested, you go to that room at that time and you listen, all the while employing the rule of two feet – if it does’t work for you, you just simple get up and go out – maybe move on to attend another session or just drop into a breakout session which are less formal and more like discussions.

In any event – unconferences and bar camps are A LOT of fun.

So, if you can’t find any in your area that fit what you need, CREATE YOUR OWN…

(You can find out more about what an unconference is and how to create one on this blog post by my good friend Doug Welch

Photo via Maggie-Me under Creative Commons License Flickr

Remember the book What Color is your Parachute?  It was a great book.  I read it along with every other high schooler back in the day…my day that is.  :-)  This book was designed to help us figure out what we are good at, what we excel at, where we belong.

All good things.

But its a new era, the era of the entrepreneur.

And its about more than just access…which has never been better.  The advent of the internet did AMAZING things for business and for the would be solopreneur.  And social media took it a step further.  It leveled the playing field.  It allowed anyone with a magnetic message to draw in an audience, a following, a fan base.

Its also about the fact that over 95% of the revenue generated in the US is generated by entrepreneurs and small business owners.

This is real.

People doing their own thing, it turns out, is REALLY GOOD for our economy.

We’re heading back to basics.

It didn’t used to be like this.  People were not cogs in the proverbial machine.  They did interesting things.  Things of their own design.

It used to be that the butcher would go to the baker who would go to the candle stick maker.  People did things they were good at, that they lived for or that were handed down through the family.

So what do you want to be doing?

Let’s change it up a bit and ask the new question for a new era…what color is your splotch?  (is that even a word?)  hope so…but I do so love making up new ones.  :-)

It is Free-For-All Friday after all, so let’s fun it up!

Chime in?