Tag Archive for Work from Anywhere

Why I’m Celebrating 10 Years of Unemployment

2012/09/27 Entrepreneurship, Growing Your Business, Location-Independent Lifestyle, Reinvention, Running Your Business, Start-ups 4 comments
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I’m going to get a little personal here today, I hope you don’t mind. But I’m celebrating a rather unusual milestone, and I’d like to share it with you, in the hopes that it will inspire you during these still uncertain times.

Ten years ago today, I fled corporate life for the last time.

Oh, I had been an entrepreneur off-and-on since before I was old enough to order an adult beverage, but somehow every so often I’d get lured back in to other people’s companies with promises of “opportunity,” titles and, yes, a steady (and healthy) paycheck. I can assure you that none of the three was worth the price of my soul, which is pretty much what I had to give up each time I allowed myself to be persuaded to leave my happy little cocoon of entrepreneurship.

But on September 27, 2002, I left and never looked back.

I began to build a business that combined my passion (marketing) with my strengths (creativity, an embracing of new technologies, and a seriousness of purpose tempered by a sense of humor), and I networked for all I was worth. It was refreshing and energizing to share my vision with former employers, co-workers and colleagues, many of whom hired me or referred my services to others in their networks. This, combined with innovative online and email marketing, and I was at six figures in almost no time and loving the challenges that came my way.

Over the last 10 years, I have had my ups and downs – like every business owner – and some of them were pretty serious, as you can imagine, considering the financial events of the last few years. By now, everyone’s familiar with the term “real estate bubble,” but when the bottom fell out of the real estate market, literally 100 percent of my clients were home builders. I felt the pain almost immediately.

As someone who had done more than her fair share of market studies over the years, I recognized the first subtle, tell-tale signs of a market sliding. And while I can’t claim to have known immediately how severe the downturn would be, I did find myself warning clients, colleagues and even some of my competitors of my growing sense of foreboding as the months of bad news wore on. I kept seeing interviews with so-called icons of the industry, in which they assured reporters and business analysts that “all was well,” that it was “just the cyclical nature of the business.” One of the most prominent men in the home building industry actually went on national television and said specifically, “There is no ‘housing bubble.’”

Having been on the inside of that industry for so long, I knew it just wasn’t true. I knew what had really happened. And while it was shocking how quickly things were going seriously bad, in some ways I wasn’t as surprised as some of my peers who seemed to have bought into the myth of ever-increasing real estate values and the Utopian vision of full home ownership for all. I am sad to say that some of the home builders I knew well lost their businesses; virtually all of the rest downsized severely and are not yet fully recovered. Many of my former colleagues still are not working.

So why am I still here? Because I did more than worry and warn.

I took action.

I took positive steps to diversify my clientele. No longer would I have all my invoices in one basket!

More importantly, however, I began to re-imagine my business – my brand –  as something that could transport me to places I hadn’t been before – and one which I could take with me, wherever and whenever I chose to go.

I started taking steps to transform my business for portability, because the concept of location-independence really appealed to me and there seemed to be no better time than the present to make some wholesale changes. Thus, my brand (providing marketing strategies for home builders) was re-imagined as one focused on helping entrepreneurial businesses of all types harness the power of social media, online and email marketing to create more leads, sales and profits.

So, here I am, 5 years after the first signs of the financial crisis, with a business that is literally contained within my technology – laptop (soon to be tablet), smart phone, the cloud. Thanks to Skype, teleseminars, webcasts, podcasts and online conference services, my clients and I save appreciable amounts of money on travel, since face-to-face meetings and training sessions are necessary only occasionally.

Having created a location-independent lifestyle through my business, I am now able to live in my version of paradise, in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, home to Acadia National Park, which is quite literally in my backyard. My husband and I are in the process of launching a second business – a unique blend of travel, photography, and education – the progress of which I’ll keep you apprised here as it develops (no pun intended).

I like to say that, after 10 consecutive years, I am now officially unemployable. :)

I can’t imagine going back to a job where my activities and my earnings are dictated by someone else. No longer am I willing to be tied to one location because “that’s where my clients are.” This is the life I had imagined – and created for myself - and I’m loving it!

What’s next?

So, as I look back on the last 10 years and assess what I want the next 10 years to look like, I have been asking myself:

What do your clients and prospective clients want from you next?

I actually started keeping a record of the kinds of questions I got that had nothing to do with my primary offerings of social media and email marketing. What I found was that not a week goes by that a fellow entrepreneur (or entrepreneur-in-waiting) doesn’t reach out to me and ask, “How did you do it?” Some want to know how to start a business; others are currently “stuck” in their existing business and don’t know how (or in which direction) to push forward. There are a few who would love to start the next chapters of their lives in a new location, but fear the unknown.

Some of the questions I receive rather routinely include:

  • Is this the best time to step out on my own?
  • How do I turn my knowledge into an actual business?
  • I’m not that tech-savvy; what do I have to know and what can I delegate to others?
  • Where do I look for clients – and what’s the most effective way to reach them?
  • How do I set a value on my products and services? What terms should I insist upon, and how do I broach that topic with a prospective client?
  • How do I go about selling my home in the current market?
  • What is it really like to…? [pull up stakes, downsize, relocate, start over somewhere new]
  • How do you handle the naysayers (who are often those closest to you!) when you decide to act boldly and live life on your own terms?

Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions?

What dreams are you holding inside? Do you need help unleashing them? As I move forward into the “second decade” of this chapter of my life, I really want to help as many people as possible achieve their dreams of business ownership on their terms.

I’ve been where you are, undecided, feeling “stuck,” not sure if maybe I’m not just a little crazy for wanting something different.

As I announced here earlier this year, I’m in the midst of re-imagining my brand. What’s come out of that process is a desire to address these and other questions with those who want to blaze their own trail and take control of their future.

This is why I’m celebrating! Knowing precisely what you have to offer the world and how you will deliver it to those who need you the most is powerful stuff! ;)

You probably noticed a slightly different look to the masthead of this website and my free eNewsletter. These are interim changes that are just beginning to reflect my new sense of purpose and the fresh new approach I’m taking to my calling. Watch for more changes in the coming weeks and months.

I’ll still be providing marketing expertise, of course – but I want to integrate that into my larger purpose of helping entrepreneurs conceptualize, develop and grow their businesses, whether in a more traditional model or as the catalyst for a location-independent lifestyle.

I need your input.

So would you join me in celebrating my first decade of true freedom by helping me create the content for a really kick-a$$ teleseminar focused on taking the first steps toward becoming unemployable? ;)

If you have questions you’d like to ask of someone who’s been there, take this survey and let me know exactly what content would be most meaningful and helpful to you.

And please feel free to pass this on to your family, friends or colleagues who might be contemplating stepping up to the future in a bold way. As I said, I want to help as many people as possible achieve their dreams!

I’ll be announcing the date of the teleseminar soon.

Thanks so much!

An Update on the Jersey Girl Turned Maine-iac

2011/12/11 Dream, Location-Independent Lifestyle, Reinvention, Relocating No comments
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Maybe it’s grown into a tradition for this date, but here’s the update to last year’s December 11 post, “What a Difference a Year Makes” …

This Spring found us moving again, which is a story unto itself. But the Reader’s Digest version is that our landlord “surprised” us with the news that she had a buyer interested in the townhome we were renting – even though we had been assured the unit wouldn’t be on the market during the term of our one-year lease. As sometimes happens when your back is to the wall (“Oh my gosh, where are we going to go?”), we made a knee-jerk decision to make an offer on the property and buy it ourselves. Although we started the purchase process, when the transaction didn’t come together, it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since our new place suits us much better in almost every way.

Moral of the story: Trust in the Universe and let it do its magic. When one door closes, another will open for you. Our trust was rewarded and we are reminded of it in so many ways every day – as Tim works on his photo post-processing in our home office (bonus!) or I work in my huge kitchen with so many cabinets I literally cannot fill all of them, even with nearly 30 years of accumulated “kitchen stuff”! We marvel every time we sit out on our deck in our wooded backyard, with its sweet little stream and a beautiful view of Cadillac Mountain – the outdoor living space we missed so much in our last place. We are grateful for having been able to find the first place when we were really, really up against the wall, trying to find a place to live on extremely short notice, but we are infinitely happier now. It’s all good. :)

Creating Your Own Economy

2011/06/06 Growing Your Business, Home Office, Location-Independent Lifestyle No comments
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Let’s hear it for those creating their own economy through online work!

Recent online articles from Inc Magazine, Kiplingers, and Entrepreneur validate what I’ve been saying for the last several years: location-independence is the way to go!

It’s not just the shape of things to come – it’s the shape of the way things ARE! I may have been the pioneer of this lifestyle among my own colleagues and peers, but this is clearly emerging as a worldwide trend and I believe it’s here to stay. Over the last couple of years, I consciously transformed my own business for location-independence, and now 90-95% of my business activities take place in the virtual world.

The intelligent use of available technology saves time, travel, and money – for both me and my clients. Here’s how:

TIME: No one needs to travel to a meeting. When a simple conversation will suffice, I utilize phone calls, email and conference calls. Does everyone at the meeting need to reference certain documents? In those instances, I prefer GoToMeeting, which lets us share documents on each participant’s computer screen. And I find Skype video calls to be a great way to conduct face-to-face (F2F) meetings.

Another benefit of the location-independent lifestyle is that, even with clients in different time zones, time itself becomes less of a factor. I can (and do) easily adjust my workday to accommodate my clients’ time zones and deadlines. My “office” is wherever my laptop and smart phone and I happen to be, and it doesn’t necessarily open at 9 AM and close at 5 PM Eastern. I can be on a conference call at 7 AM or working on a client project at 2 AM (typically not in the same day, of course!) – all the better to take advantage of a gloriously sunny afternoon by the sea, which I often do!

And working from home means never having to say you’re sorry you came to the meeting in your pajamas – although, if Skyping, I do recommend dressing at least the top half of your body ;)

TRAVEL: Like many service businesses, the services I offer cross geographical boundaries. I can as easily serve businesses and individuals here in the northeast as those in southern California; I can serve folks in the U.K. as easily as those in the States.

What does that mean to my clients? I no longer have to jump on a plane, train, or into an automobile to meet with them. No airfaire or train fare, no ground transportation, no hotels or meals. No gasoline, tolls or parking fees. And, of course, no time lost getting to the meeting (all of which is always figured into a professional’s fee, whether it’s itemized or not).

MONEY: In addition to the travel expenses mentioned above, let’s not forget the even bigger expense of hiring an in-house professional to do what I do. When you hire an employee, you take on the added expense of office space, furniture and supplies; office equipment such as a computer, printer, cell phone, etc – perhaps even a company car. And “salary” does not even come close to defining the true cost of hiring; there’s also the cost of health benefits, paid time off, payroll taxes, bonuses and a retirement plan to consider.

Am I a believer in the online economy? You bet I am!

So … what is your business doing to make it easier for prospects and customers to choose working with YOU?

What a Difference a Year Makes

2010/12/11 Attitude, Dream, Entrepreneurship, Location-Independent Lifestyle, Reinvention, Relocating, Start-ups 6 comments
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Last December 11, I posted an entry in this blog in which I announced Tim’s and my plans to pick up stakes and live a life of freedom and travel and writing and photography – and work from wherever life happened to take us. The reality – as is almost always the case – turned out to be just a bit different than what I originally had in mind. But 2010 has been a year of self-discovery and dream fulfillment, nonetheless.

In retrospect, despite the planning and logistics involved, it all seems to have happened while in a walking dream. Would it be a cliche to use the word “surreal”??

We did, of course, sell our home in New Jersey – in 32 days! – almost record time, based on the economic realities of the day. And with just 5 weeks between signed contract and scheduled closing, we did manage to find a place to live – 600 miles away – in just 5 days flat, and sell / donate / give away a lot of our excess “stuff” before packing up the moving truck and heading Downeast.

I know … it all sounds so easy, right?

But here’s the previously “untold story” of the big move …

I don’t mind admitting that I had a near meltdown on the actual day of moving. I was so exhausted, and although it LOOKED and FELT like we had been making outstanding progress during those 5 weeks, the reality of June 2nd was that “WE ARE NEVER GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE!” (<<< That’s me wailing at 12 Noon)

Our “leaving the driveway” time had been set for 8 AM and somehow we found ourselves still emptying our Master Bedroom closets and packing up my jewelry in mid-afternoon (how could we have forgotten our clothes and my jewelry???) …

Felix, my traveling companionThe cat had been sedated since 10 AM (we still had hopes of leaving before noon, at that point), and I was casting sidewise glances at his pill bottle myself by 2 o’clock.

Throughout the afternoon, I was still running back-and-forth to our next door neighbor’s house to beg and borrow more boxes (the thousand I bought at Lowe’s not having been sufficient … don’t ask), and I was finally reduced to stuffing the remainder of our things into big green Glad trash bags. If stress were measured on a thermometer, my temperature would have been 212 degrees.

At one point, I begged Tim to just throw the mattress down on the living room floor and “Let’s just leave tomorrow morning!” Cooler heads (OK, Tim’s) prevailed, and we pushed on. I don’t think I’ve ever been more physically and mentally fatigued, although Tim had to be suffering more than I was, having done the lion’s share of the physical labor in 90+ degree heat and humidity.

Finally pulling away at 4 PM – Felix and me in the Eos and Tim piloting the can’t-fit-so-much-as-another-paperclip-in-here U-Haul – off we went to meet our future. I didn’t cry … OK, well, maybe just a little … but it was all over before we hit the New Jersey Turnpike. And no one knew (until now) except Felix, and he’s the most loyal cat in the world. (You never heard any of this from him, right?)

Owing to the late start, the original plan of a straight drive through was now out of the question. On the third check-in attempt (since the original plan did not include a stopover, I never looked up “pet-friendly hotels”), I decided it would be easiest to just sneak the cat into the motel, which we did. The next morning, he refused to eat the drugged food (loyal AND smart!), so we proceeded undrugged and uneventfully on to Bar Harbor. Well, except for the rain. Thankfully, I had gone ahead and hired people to unload the truck at our new place, after watching Tim struggle through loading a 17-foot moving truck virtually by himself for two full days. Those people were a Godsend, because by the time we arrived, we were just spent – the wind had gone completely out of our sails.

So, after dreaming about it for almost 21 years and putting every last waking moment of 5 weeks’ time into moving, we were home, and the main thought in my head was, “Oh my gosh … this is REAL!”

SeinfeldDespite the stutter-step of a 12-days-delayed closing and the very real threat that it would never happen at all (yes, AFTER we were already all settled in Bar Harbor! – but all’s well that ends well, I suppose), the hubs enjoyed (to paraphrase George Costanza), “The Summer of Tim” (c’mon, Seinfeld fans, you know what I’m talking about). This I happily participated in, since it entailed a lot of soaking in the bright sunshine and basking in seaspray along the rocky coast, living mostly like tourists in our new hometown, pursuing our shared interest in photography, and me with my laptop, hard(?) at work in the Adirondack chair on the front porch – every so often glancing up at the peak of Cadillac Mountain and pinching myself to see if it was all real. Yes, it was an idyllic existence that, quite literally, combined business and pleasure – with a decided emphasis on pleasure.

Fall brought on the inevitable realization that I needed to bring “break time” to an end and return to business in a serious way. Luckily, my part-time siesta did no long-term damage to my business or my professional reputation – on the contrary, this entire odyssey seems to have rekindled interest among some of my earliest clients while garnering new supporters, followers and fans. This whole “following my dreams” and “living life on my own terms” seems to be resonating with a lot of people! In my heart of hearts, I think I knew it would.

Lately, however, the uncertainties of renting vs. owning have been weighing on us. Having been homeowners for our entire marriage, we’re finding it a bit disconcerting to have the end of a lease hanging over our heads. And a year goes by a lot faster when you’re counting down the months to potential homelessness. So, now we’re trying to decide: longer term lease or purchase a property here as a home base?

We still plan to travel some, hopefully beginning next year. The transformation of my business to being totally portable is complete, and I couldn’t be happier about that. I’ve taken on several new clients and secured a couple of contracts with previous clients since moving here, and the new business model is working really well for all concerned. So, in that sense, I am “living a life untethered,” as I originally planned. But what a long strange trip it’s been!

Horseback on BeachAs I look back on this year, my wish is that those who may be inspired by my crazy, ongoing story decide to grab the reins of their own life and ride on!

Yes, it’s a leap of faith, but if you don’t have faith in your ability to make your dreams come true, who can do it for you?

 
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