Category — Thoughts

The other day a survey showed that about half of all people employed by various companies put up and act, when they go to work in order to fit in with the people, the culture, the tasks etc.

I was a bit surprised, and it got me thinking about how little surprising it is that there are so many bad managers around, when they are in effect dealing with people who are not portraying themselves in a true way.

Then I started thinking about that if on top of this you add all the people who would go to great lenghts to further their own career opportunities at the expense of others by being dishonest, backstapping, illoyal etc., the corporate environment can be a really toxic one.

I am not saying that all corporate environments are like this. Not at all. I’m just happy to be self-employed and thus not having to deal with this.

Late yesterday I got an email from somebody I have never met in real life but who I’m indirectly working on a project with. I had never really heard from him before, and we have never been formally introduced. Yet he seized the opportunity to completely criticize some work I had done in a tone that just struck me like a lightning.

I was amazed because I knew my work to be good enough, so it had to be him having a bad day or just being that kind of person. I was totally put off.

This highlights one of the most important and critical aspects of being self-employed: Dealing with customers, clients and partners - even when you don’t want to.

I am going to finish this product on as reasonable terms as can be imagined. But after that I will do, what good people like Stowe Boyd have always advised: Skip that person and never work with him again. It’s just not worth it, and there are plenty of other and better fish in the sea anyway.

Two things today made me think about whether its time to be getting an iPhone.

First of all I saw the news about Apple releasing the 3G version of the iPhone on June 9. That’s practically the only thing I have been waiting for (oh, and a decent built-in camera). Then I spotted a lady across from me in the train going home. She could be around my mothers age, and not only did she carry an iPod Nano Product(RED) like the one, I have - she was also very ably using an iPhone…

I’m going to the States in mid-June. Perhaps I should pay the local Apple store a visit, while I’m there.

There is one particular recurring time, when I find myself searching for the right words. That’s when people ask me, what I do? I admit that as self-employed this is unfortunate timing. Because if you can’t explain in short, clear terms what you’re doing and how you’re contributing with value, how are you ever going to get any clients, right?

Well, it’s not such a black’n'white issue, because of course I can explain what I do. But people do sometimes get a distant look in their eyes when I start telling them about being on the edge looking for new answers to existing and future challenges for my clients.

So why not stay closer to the core? Why not do newsletters, blog consultancy and SEO like everybody else? Because I’m in love with the edge. I get drawn by forward thinking people and the thoughts they kick off inside my head. And I see the fun challenge in trying to get that to bear with clients, who more often than not are not even remotely at the edge yet.

After all having fun is a fundamental part of my drive. And that is the whole difference.

When you start out as self-employed there can be a lot of cost associated with it. You need hardware, software, business cards, phone, internet access etc. etc. Hence the opportunity to set some money aside for hard times is not very great.

So far I haven’t been able to set anything aside. This hasn’t surprised me since I’m not even 12 months into my career as self-employed. But now I have reached a point where I can start to reallocate money.

Starting today I’m setting 15 % of my gross income aside on a separate account which can hopefully take me through rough times, should they fall upon me. Because nothing is as bad as having little to do AND to have no money for paying the bills.

I was reading Jeremiah Owyang’s six career tips, when once sentence really struck a chord with me:

…you are your own CEO, CMO, CFO, COO, CTO, you’re in control of your destiny. As you can tell, I don’t believe in fate, you are driving your ship of one.

There is essentially no difference between this fundamental truth and being self-employed. The only two differences are:

1. You’re very conscious of the fact that you are your own boss.
2. You need to constantly communicate value in order to get clients and ultimately get paid.

Selling, which is usually the big bad beast in this equation, is actually less hard as you are already doing it day in and day out to justify your paycheck. Add to this that it’s utterly rewarding to free yourself from the corporate stress, and I should think the road should be open wide for you to quit and embark on your own personal adventure. To board your own ship. Wouldn’t you?

Then what’s holding you back.

When you are busy doing your thing and getting involved in a lot of exciting projects, its very easy to forget everything else around you - including your significant other.

I have certainly been guilty of that, and as such it was great to read Web Worker Daily’s post on the same subject. First of all because I’m not alone, second of all because there are actually things you can do about it.

What I try to do is to involve Louise in the stuff, I’m doing. Telling her about it and trying to explain how she and our greater goals in life fit in with what I’m trying to accomplish. It’s not always easy as the rewards may be way down the line, and it’s now that she’s feeling taking for granted. So I adjust and really try to stay conscious of the balance in things. However I do think I can get better, and I’m quite sure she would agree.

This is a fundamentally important issue, since very often it’s the people we love and cherish who are both the fuel and the base of what we’re doing as self-employed individuals. It’s a treasure to guard well.

This may sound incredibly stupid to you, but for me, there’s a lot of emotion, ambition and inspiration in the bag.

When I bring my Crumpler bag, I’m laid back, casual, creative - but not too overly focused on stuff. When I bring my high-quality leather bag that Louise bought me for Christmas three years ago, I may not be casual. But I’m focused on getting things done and being in a business mood.

I brought my leather bag today, because I needed it for me to reinforce the drive and commitment towards actually crossing the finish line on several exciting projects, I’m currently working on.

It may be a lot to put in a bag, and you may think it’s stupid. But it works for me.

When you read about start up’s and people trying out something new, you always hear prospective investors say that one of the most important things - if not the most important thing - is the people involved.

I have often wondered why this were? Surely a great idea, a solid business plan and a detailed roadmap is of equal importance. But now I’m wiser.

Because when all things comes to a head, its the people who matter. It’s people who inspire you. It’s people who make you strive towards being the best, you can be. It’s people that spur you on towards great achievement. It’s people you celebrate your successes with. It’s people you have fun with. It’s people you love.

And it’s people, you hate. It’s people who let you down. It’s people who fail to deliver. It’s people who change agendas and suddenly leave you hanging. It’s people who tries to shift responsibility everywhere else but towards themselves. It’s people who are a hazzle to deal with. It’s people you would wish would just disappear to some deserted island.

It’s all about the people. Not the business plans, road maps or what have you. That’s just process and paper. And nothing at all without the people attached to it.

If the people put you off, don’t go there - no matter what the opportunity. It’s just not worth it.

Today TV 2 Denmark - my former employer - announced the details of a financial recovery plan that will see more than 200 positions go away along with cutbacks on the budgets of approx 200 million Danish kroner (approx. 50 million USD) this year. Its a really, really tough plan.

Naturally I’m thinking about good colleagues loosing their jobs while being completely without any fault in how things turned out. But while being sad on their behalf, I feel happy as well. Happy that I’m not a part of this. Happy that I made the decision to quit and embark on my own venture almost 9 months ago.

Of course there are a lot of challenges running and supporting your own business. Some of them are tougher than others. And sometimes you do want to quit. But on a sad day like this you cherish the decision you made. And you allow yourself to be happy.