You Bright-Eyed-Bushy-Tailed Business Fledgling
I have this new client (a start-up) and they are so tired that I am tired for them. Just totally exhausted.
What do we do as self-employed types? Eat chocolates and curl up in bed? (No, but that's what my dog did today while I was out all day, sigh.)
Here are just a few of those many hats:
- budgeting
- paying bills
- entering expenses
- communicating with clients
- creating estimates and invoices
- buying office supplies
- maintaining mailing lists
- creating newsletters
- researching
- facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin
- maintaining equipment
- paying taxes
Oh, right, and then there is doing all the actual work people pay you for...
Are you scared yet?
Is it a lot of work? Yes. Yes, it is.
Are you bored yet? Does some of it suck?
Yes. Yes, it does.
That being said, I have so much respect for those people who are running businesses with no prior business experience.
Talk about BAD ASS PEOPLE BITING OFF MORE THAN THEY CAN CHEW.
The slope is steep. (I know!)
This is one of my most treasured parts of working with fledgling businesses.
I like to coax all of those threads of confusion into beautiful tapestry.
- Make things simpler.
- Follow a plan, yet be flexible.
- Create something EFFECTIVE.
- Work within your capacity.
I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT. TRUST ME. I BELIEVE IN YOU.
An Admission:: UNSURE.
When I set out on this most recent blogging endeavor I knew I was A) late to the game, B) jumping on a bandwagon and C) somewhat confused. But I did it anyway.
Because I wanted to.
I am a
I help people answer questions and pick apart problems and grow better from this work. I consult mostly with business people, but also with moms and other creative folks. A lot of them have blogs. I read a lot of blogs. I real a lot of material in general. For me, it is a part of my work. But that's just how I crafted it.
I crafted my work, my life, my world around the things I love to do.
Sit at my desk on a rainy morning while my son sleeps and my daughter plays. Think about drinking tea.
Leave the tea unmade and write.
But the admission I am haltingly bringing about is that I am unsure about this writing I am doing here. Unsure about how public it is. Unsure that the hundreds of people that read what I write really need to be spending their time reading it. Unsure that I should be contributing to the vast about of information out there in the world. Unsure that I should be sitting here instead of playing with my kids, or getting a "real" job. Unsure if this is going to lead to money, or if it is for my soul. Unsure if it is a business or a hobby. Just plain unsure. And guess what?
That is just fucking fine.
All that matters is that I note the uncertainty. That I rest with is and turn it over and then LET IT GO. Maybe tomorrow I'll be certain. And then at some point I'll be certain again. Work with your uncertainty , allow it. Trust that it is okay. And if you want to, leave me a comment below and remind me that you are reading, and that you are uncertain too.
We all want to feel a little less alone.
I Miss, I Miss, I Miss (Because Being Self Employed is not ALWAYS the Bomb)
I miss high heels (I work from home you see).
I miss the water cooler (cold, free-to-me crisp water, anytime).
I miss being the right temperature for a man in a suit jacket (and stashing sweaters under my desk).
I miss tech support (calling them, not being them).
I miss take out for lunch (because I'm lazy).
I miss high heels (I work from home you see).
I miss the water cooler (cold, free-to-me crisp water, anytime).
I miss being the right temperature for a man in a suit jacket (and stashing sweaters under my desk).
I miss tech support (calling them, not being them).
I miss take out for lunch (because I'm lazy).
I miss commuting (mmm, forced time and space).
I miss direct deposit (weekly, biweekly, whatever).
I miss thinking it's not my problem (these days, it always is).'
I miss coworkers (even the nasty ones, I swear).
I miss weekends (WTF are those?)
I miss paid time off, and sick days and subsidized heath insurance (seriously, they pay you to not work AND stay healthy).
I miss sexy underwear (seriously, what's the point?)
I miss corporate credit cards (someone else pays for something!)
I miss elevators (okay, maybe not so much).
I miss empty trash cans (every morning, yo! Trash be gone like magic! And that shit is vacuumed too!)
I guess what i am saying is this so over said, but under appreciated thought, thanks Joni.
“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”
And also, how can I make sexy underwear, ice water and vacations a bigger part of my life?
So for all of you "I-still-have-a-9-5-and-I-resent-it" this post is for you. Breathe in the goodness and get your creative off on the side.
Passive Income like a Mother*ucker
We all want to stop and smell the flowers. Or photograph them. Or, more likely, we just want to do shit that ISN'T making us money. That's why we meet up with our friend: Passive Income.
"What's this?" you ask. Essentially, money that you/your business generates that is NOT equal to time or money spent.
We all want to stop and smell the flowers. Or photograph them. Or, more likely, we just want to do shit that ISN'T making us money. That's why we meet up with our friend: Passive Income.
"What's this?" you ask. Essentially, money that you/your business generates that is NOT equal to time or money spent.
Below are two ways that I make money that are NOT PASSIVE REVENUE. Does that mean they are not good? Hells no. I love both. But, they are not money rolling in while I am sleeping (Passive Revenue: Dream of The Masses).
- If I sell a bracelet (you know, my baby, Wear Your Music), I have to a) make the bracelet or b) pay someone to make the bracelet. Once it is sold I can't sell it again. There is direct time and money associated with the product sold. This is NOT passive revenue.
- When I book consulting sessions, I have to spend the REAL time with my clients. My time = money. Again, NOT passive revenue.
Examples of things that ARE passive revenue:
- Stock photography. Take the picture once. Sell it thousands of times (you hope) and make passive income.
- Music. Or in my case, downloadable meditations. Record them, master them, etc, then keep selling them as you sleep. Make a less than a dollar each time someone purchases. Woot. Okay, so I do these because I love them, not for money. But that $25 I've made this year on them, TOTALLY passive revenue.
- Real estate. Yes, yes, always a good bet. Pay that off and then people PAY you. EVERY MONTH. Like, for realz. Epically awesome. I wn't tell you the last time I paid my own mortgage. (Umm, never).
So, for today I leave you with this question:
How can you INCREASE your passive revenue?
Or better yet. How can I increase mine?
Because I know it, and you know it if you are here reading this. I want to have a tea party with my kids and be banking it at the same time. Or, at the spa getting a pedicure while the money rolls in. Or, on vacation, at the beach while my wallet is getting fatter. Or maybe, really, just sleeping as the clicks equal number signs...Catch you on the flip. I'm off to a bonfire. Can you say cha-ching? See more on the topic here.
Liked this? See more here:
Cranes and Cervical Effacement
It went a little like this:
- Busted seal, cranes, replacement glass, doesn't fit, they try to make it fit, glass everywhere, 2nd replacement pane almost doesn't fit, I am praying I don't go into labor, it fits, it works, they leaves, no baby yet.
It went a little like this:
- Busted seal, cranes, replacement glass, doesn't fit, they try to make it fit, glass everywhere, 2nd replacement pane almost doesn't fit, I am praying I don't go into labor, it fits, it works, they leaves, no baby yet.
This is the building we own and currently live in. There are five units (of which we occupy two). I dream of the day when it is all rental income. But in the meantime, it is mostly outflow. Gotta love something built in 1878. (Think new roof, widows, lead paint, old pipes and everything is uneven.) Does this sound like work? Is this really my hobby? I think I need to re-define some things :)
Speaking of AMAZING house/building/project blogs. Have you read THIS ONE? Isn't she WONDERFUL? Her writing is hysterical and the project is fab.
The Hustle. (I'm a Hustler, Baby. I Just Want You to Know)
On occasion people give me shit about NOT HAVING A JOB.
In case you are new here:
On occasion people give me shit about NOT HAVING A JOB.
In case you are new here: I run my own consulting business (for self employed peeps), I am co-president of Wear Your Music (guitar string bracelets made from strings of famous people with profits to charity), I make and sell jewelry on the side, I run the backend of my husbands photography business , I manage a 5 unit rental property, I am building an eco-friendly kit house in the woods, I have a two and a half year old, I am 35 weeks pregnant and I have to deal with my crazy family and friends and make a living and pay bills and eat and sleep and shit and shower. . . just like everyone else.
My whole family hustles, its really the only life I know. Above are my "little" cousins who handcraft and sell cutting boards in the shape of fish and Block Island. One is a recent Brown graduate, watch out for what he does next. This weekend you can find me on Block Island, selling my jewelry alongside them at two art fairs.
So the next time it is Monday morning and I am taking a nap or picking flowers or sitting on the beach I dare you to tell me I don't have a job.
To The Depths
Not a lot of things push me to anxiety recently. I've been pretty slow & steady, breathing in, rushing along, skipping on the surface, diving to the depths and in general fine.
Today was such an amazing start to my time on Block Island. My daughter woke up at 5:30 and I didn't mind. We ate cereal with blueberries in the fog and walked the dogs on the beach.
Not a lot of things push me to anxiety recently. I've been pretty slow & steady, breathing in, rushing along, skipping on the surface, diving to the depths and in general fine.
Today was such an amazing start to my time on Block Island. My daughter woke up at 5:30 and I didn't mind. We ate cereal with blueberries in the fog and walked the dogs on the beach.
Then I took an amazing morning nap from 8:30 - 10AM which really recharged me and made me feel wonderful. We walked into town in the heat. Sunscreen, water, hats, all without a hitch.
The hitch came later. My daughter threw the kind of tantrum where strangers on the street think you are beating your child and you were never so thankful that they were strapped into a stroller. She was too hot, overtired, and crashing from her lollipop.
It's so hard for me when I feel powerless. When there is nothing I can do to soothe my kid. Nothing I can do to ease a trouble friend. Nothing I can do to solve a client's problem.
My take away from this:
Sometimes we just have to go through the shit. Sometimes not only is there no fixing it - there is also no making it feel better. There is just being there with the person and holding steady. So that's where I am today. Holding steady. Flexible. Riding the waves of emotion and just being there. It's no infinite wisdom. It's no trick. It's just showing up & being present. But I am not saying it is always easy.
I Love THIS About My Schedule
Some weekday mornings I get to do this.
And it is AWESOME. Awe inspiring. Awwww. Awwww Yeah.
(I am not mentioning, right now, the nights I spend cranking away or the holidays I've given up for work's demands.)
Because I make my own schedule I get to do a lot of things that I want to do. This includes going for beach walks with my family, mid-morning, on a weekday. Also, going to the bank during bank hours, yes! And shopping when no one else is in the store, alright!
Some weekday mornings I get to do this.
And it is AWESOME. Awe inspiring. Awwww. Awwww Yeah.
(I am not mentioning, right now, the nights I spend cranking away or the holidays I've given up for work's demands.)
Because I make my own schedule I get to do a lot of things that I want to do. This includes going for beach walks with my family, mid-morning, on a weekday. Also, going to the bank during bank hours, yes! And shopping when no one else is in the store, alright!
Sometimes in the grind, beneath the wheels that churn, I lose sight of this incredible scheduling ability. In a word, FREEDOM. It's one of the reason I love my consulting business. Because I adore helping people craft a life that supports them AND simultaneously allows them to shape their dreams, daily. I ask my clients when I first speak with them, "What do you want to do when you get up in the morning?"
So TODAY, here is what I want you to do. Be you self-employed, 9-5, overnighter, stay at home mom, student, ALL OF YOU. Take one minute and reflect on one point of FREEDOM that your schedule allows.
Now nudge some other stuff out of the way and create more space for it. Make wiggle room. Stretch the boundaries. This is it folks, today's the day.
