I always tell my children to do what they love and they will never work a day in their life, but it took me a while to learn this myself. I was a late bloomer. My first career was as an actress, so I studied acting and worked to learn. I did very well, but ended my stage career for my first husband (way too young!). By the time I realized how important a college degree was, I had been working as a professional temporary secretary for a number of years. It was good money, but I hated the work and the fact that I never had a work “home” for more than a few months before I moved to another assignment. So, I returned to college at 26, went through some stuff, and ended up graduating at 33-years-old. ‘Definitely not a moldable young graduate, but I tried my best. Each interview brought me a new opportunity to prove that I could take direction and that I was eager to use my new skills.
My last outside job before I took it all home was working with an organization for freelance writers. After a few months, I realized I was nothing more than a highly-skilled secretary when I really wanted to be doing THAT - what the members were doing. I wanted to write from home. After a few weeks of picking everyone’s brain, without the knowledge of my boss, I quit and became my own boss.
I cannot say this has all been a piece of cake, though. It is a matter of constantly looking for new assignments and new opportunities. When you find them, you have to present yourself as the solution to their problem. After that, it is a matter of doing everything to the best of your ability, making sure you are always producing a product that is better than the next guy. In this case it is the article or book or coaching sessions, or making sure my deadline is days earlier than my editor’s or client’s deadline. I am also very fond of outsourcing what I cannot do well or simply do not enjoy doing.
Lucinda Cross, author of "Corporate Mom Dropouts," says outsourcing is valuable when you think of how much your time is worth. Say you hate creating spreadsheets and resent the time it would take you to learn how to do it well. If you pay someone to create it, you will be able to use your time elsewhere. Besides, you will probably get someone who actually enjoys doing it. While they are doing that, you can do something else, all of which adds value to your business. Besides, your day becomes much more enjoyable if you are doing what you love to do.
When magazines started assigning articles to their in-house staff writers, my business took a hit. So I regrouped and researched what other writers were doing to pay the bills. Since I had always wanted to teach others what I know, I looked into adult education classes and ended up teaching at The Learning Connection in Providence, RI, near where I lived. I eventually extended that to Newport, RI, and in to Connecticut when I moved here. I still write articles, but I also copywrite for websites now, still teach because I love it, and have recently begun some private coaching for clients who want to write their novels or other books.
I want to be more than a one-hit wonder when it comes to publishing my novels, but I still have to pay the bills and make sure my children are taken care of. How I do that is up to me. With a little creativity and a lot of work, it can be done.
My advice is to figure out what you really love and then get good at it if you aren’t already. After that, look for those who need you even if they don’t know it yet. The Learning Connection did not have any writing courses that dealt with the business of being a writer, so I created the class. Many of my students here in Connecticut and online had the skills to write their books, but did not know how to sustain such a long project. In comes me and my assignments and out comes their book, the one that has been churning in their head sometimes for years. All they needed was someone with experience to prod them along toward the finish line.
The main thing to remember is to get good at what you enjoy doing and then go out and find those who need your
services. If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life.
I suggest the following books to help you take your work home:
I have a friend who gets decked out in beautiful vintage
clothing for every event we attend. If the event is long enough, we even get a
fashion show of different outfits! I mention this because I know many people
who love wearing vintage clothing and there is even a pinup-type sub-culture
that loves this kind of stuff. Regardless of where you fit in the fashion
spectrum, there is always something on VintageClothin.com for everyone, from dresses
to purses to shoes. There is a beautiful Vintage Evans Square Powder Compact with Mother ofPearl cover and a number of beautiful blouses, sweaters and coats. This 1940s Designer Originals Frances Shop Skirt and Jacket Suit caught my eye as did this 1960s Hot Pink Mod Capelet.
The pink color in the dead of winter would make any outfit pop. I’m thinking a
black shirt and pants with this over the top would be a simple way to dress for
an office.
