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How can I turn my passion into a job?

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Alissa Everett photo

 How many of us dream of getting paid for something we love to do?

Lets take a look at Alissa Everett’s adventure. Ever since she was a kid, she wanted to be a National Geographic, photographer. Like many, she grew numb in her ‘cubicle’ job working 100 hours a week, and applied to business school “because that’s what everyone else was doing,” she said.  After looking at what it would cost to study something she wasn’t even passionate about, she decided to toss her acceptance letters and save her money. Instead, she took time off to think, and do what she loved:  snapping photos while backpacking in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a turning point for Everrett.  She decided “to go where the news was happening,” hoping that this would help her get her photos published.  She happened to be in the right place at the right time and showed her photos to an NBC producer who ran them on Dateline. Everrett has continued her photography career with her own twist: a desire to capture the more mundane human dramas such as a rape victim refugee starting a sewing business in the Congo. “I’m drawn to under-the-radar stories that have passion, hope, and optimism,” she says, and her goal is to tell the stories of people who can’t. (You can read her full story on page 36, of the August 2011 issue of The Oprah Magazine, by Bill Fink.)

Although I haven’t met Alissa Everett in person, I’ve met several people who succeeded in turning their passion into a career like  Pamela Slim, EscapeFromCubicleNation.com , a seasoned business coach, author and professional speaker who helps frustrated employees in corporate jobs break out of their business. Karen Walrond, a former engineer who is now an author and a photographer and wrote, The Beauty of Different, “a book that will convince you that the thing that makes you different might just be your superpower.”

So how do you know  if you have enough passion to turn it into a business? Is there a business you’ve been dying to start for years?  One way to find out is to ask yourself this question: Can I do this for 15 hours a day, seven days a week? If your answer is “Yes,” you know that you have found a passion that you could possibly turn into a business. According to personal finance expert, Suze Orman, it takes this level of commitment, energy and perseverance to get a business up and running.

Jen Lemen and Andrea Scher developed the concept of Mondo Beyondo dreams. I heard them speak at the World Domination Summit in Portland, Oregon in June 2011.  They asked people, “What are you dreaming for yourself?” and started this series of Mondo Beyondo classes which you can sign up for on their website.

Here’s what I learned from their presentation.

  • Trust: Whatever you dare say out loud.
  • Courage: Take tiny brave steps.
  • Vulnerability: Is that wobbly space, you’re not sure it will act out.
  • Intuition: Listen to your heart
  • Flexibility/Openness: Look at life in a new way

So as I continue forging ahead on my path of writing, blogging, learning and becoming a motivational speaker, hopefully with the necessary ingredients stated by Suze Orman’s of 15 hours a day/7 days a week, well almost, I ask you to please share what you or someone you know is doing to become the person you’ve always wanted to be. If you’ve already turned your passion into a career, we’d love to hear what you do.

 

 

Is Work/Life Balance a Myth?

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 Work/Life Balance

 How often do you hear about the importance of finding balance in your life? And what exactly does that mean?

We hear “experts” talk about the secret to achieving the perfect work/life balance as though there’s a “magic formula” hidden in some secret cave that some people have access to but most of us are struggling to grasp.

What if I told you that secret doesn’t exist.

Take Barbara Walters for example, a highly successful career woman.  In Dr. Lafair’s article, “Does Being Gutsy Activate Being Guilty,” Walters admits there is a tricky balance between work and family. As a Gutsy woman, Walters put it succinctly when she said “Just do not expect balance.”

Obviously if you place too much emphasis on family, your work suffers, and if your work takes priority your family suffers.

It’s almost as if the work/life balance can only be achieved once you take work out of the equation, or raising a family out of the equation. Am I oversimplifying? Perhaps, but why are we so focused on defining everything and questioning whether our work/life balance conforms to the magic formula?

I think the problem stems from guilt, especially the guilt women express when they have a full-time job and are raising a family. A friend of mine has three children and a very successful career. I envied the fact that she always seemed in control of her work and her kids’ activities until one day she confessed, “I feel like a failure as a wife, a mother and at my job. I can never give 100% of myself to any of my roles.”

Women are experts at feeling guilt, why is that?

Dr. Lafair, the author of Don’t Bring It to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns That Limit Success brings up the issue of women and guilt and suggests that women have an  intimate relationship with guilt.

“It is harder for us to compartmentalize emotions and thus we worry about how our behavior impacts family, friends, community and with the worry comes self-doubt.”

So I asked my husband, “Do men feel the same guilt as women when it comes to balancing work and family?”  His response:

“Men feel it too, but the expectation is different.”

Some of you may disagree with his statement, but even today, where women are often the major bread-winners, most men still feel a sense of wanting to provide for their family. What do you think?

Some men manage to step out of their “crazy” corporate life when they realize their whole life revolves around work, and they rarely see their kids.  Take Nigel Marsh for example.  In a previous post I wrote about his views on How to Achieve the Perfect Work/Life Balance. He quit his high pressured corporate job in an advertising agency to stay home with four young children.

I think when we feel overwhelmed we realize that we’ve lost that sense of balance which is a personal thing, not a one-size fits all magical formula. I also believe that Barbara Walters suggestion to “Just do not expect balance,” is quite liberating especially for us women who  have a tendency to feel guilty.

I’d love to hear your thoughts from both women and men on this topic.

 

 

How I made my blog welcome video

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Most of us are nosy and like to know more about the person behind the blog or website we’re reading.

There are several ways we can do this: check out their About Page, look for photos of the person so we feel a little more connected, and then there’s a welcome video.

My husband's Sony F3 CameraMy Husband’s Sony F3

When I visit a new blog, I’ll always click on their welcome video first if I see one.  It makes me feel more connected to the person when I know who’s writing the blog, plus I get to hear their voice.

We all like videos and Gideon Shalwick , an expert on online video marketing, offers these tips on how to make a video at home.

Let me share what I went through to help you avoid the mistakes I made.

Unless you’re an experienced actor (which I’m not) it takes tons of practice to:

  • Be yourself
  • Know what you want to say
  • Make it look easy

Then there’s the question of equipment and lighting. My husband, Duke, has a professional Sony F3 camera (see photo above) and lighting.  In his spare time he shoots movies and is editing one right now. I’m promoting his website Green Sign Media to thank him for putting up with the number of times I forgot my lines and messed up.

The more you practice, the better you sound. Unfortunately in my case it took forever.  I practiced 4 hours for video # 1 and another 5 hours to make my own video #2 with my Flip camera.

It’s difficult to feel natural when your spouse is watching you, so I decided to try my own version in our 95F degree sauna (garage) without ventilation. After several takes, I noticed how drenched I looked and had to cover up my face with more powder. A fan was out of the question: too noisy.
Video #1

My Tiny Flip Camera used for Video # 2

Video #2

Now for some reason, uploading video # 2 to YouTube, shows a mug shot distorted picture  and despite the 3 options YouTube offers, I have no idea why I can’t get the video to start with a different photo.

Please let me know if you prefer Video #1, Video #2, or should I try again?

Have you made a welcome video for your blog? Are you interested in making one?

On July 8th, Bob Lowry from Satisfying Retirement is posting my guest interview called: “Into the Unknown: A Gutsy Lady tells her Story.”  I hope you join Bob and me on his blog so we can interact.

Bob has a wonderful free e-book called, “Countdown to Retirement.” Whether you are several years from retirement, or the big day is just around the corner, the 23 pages of useful and insightful information will help you make the smoothest transition.

It takes guts to be the first follower

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Derek Sivers

I may be one of the few who had not heard of Derek Sivers’ video about the importance of the first follower. What caught my attention was the simplicity and honesty of his 3-minute TED talk.

1). A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous.

2). It takes guts to be a first follower! The first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader.

3). The 2nd follower is a turning point: three is a crowd and a crowd is news.

4). Once you get 2 more, then 3 more, you’ve got momentum, and the start of a movement.

“Leadership is over-glorified,” according to Derek. It’s the first follower that transforms a lone nut into a leader.

Derek points out that we are told we all need to be leaders but that would be highly ineffectual.

His conclusion is, “You find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first person to stand up and join in.”

Since I started blogging three years ago, I’ve discovered many leaders I admire, however, as far as becoming the first follower, I don’t think I ever have. Now if I was lucky enough to discover ” a lone nut doing something great,” I wouldn’t hesitate to become his/her first follower.

Have you had the guts to stand up and join in something great?

Please share.

 

 

How am I going to support myself?

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A friend called me the other day and said, “I’m scared. My dad gave me an ultimatum to be out of his house by December 2011, and I don’t know where to go, and how I’m going to support myself.”

My friend is not in her twenties, but in her late fifties, and her husband passed away a few years ago. She does receive some rental income but it’s often sporadic and not enough to live off.

Her voice quivered and she started crying. She needed help, and instead of the, “Poor you” speech,  I decided to think about her options. I put myself in her shoes and we brainstormed about what she could do. This made her focus on some of her own desires for her future.

“I wish I could take a year off and travel,” she said.

“How would you pay for it?” I asked, thinking about the article I had just read by Chris Guillebeau’s on How to use frequent flyer miles to go anywhere.

She didn’t answer. I know she’s frugal, and doesn’t expect to stay in luxury hotels so I suggested she could teach abroad.

“You know there’s a group called CELTA, which offers a teaching English abroad certificate.  I believe it takes 3 months to train and then you work for a minimum of three months in a school.  Apparently it’s cheaper to get certified abroad rather than in the U.S.  You’ll get paid and that way you get to learn about the country, the food and the culture.”

Other options we discussed were to apply for the Peace Corps. This is a 27- month commitment, but they are seeking men and women over the age of fifty, and they do cover health care and living expenses. For more information about the Peace Corps: Life is Calling How Far Will You Go?

I’m a firm believer that there are always options in life. At first, we may not want to try them because they make us get out of our “comfort” zone, but every experience offers at least one positive nugget, if not more.

There are many women who fear being alone and stuck in middle-age with no money, no job and no companion. Especially after a divorce or a loss, they cannot see their future.

Here’s a list of options I came up with for my friend. Many of them can also be applied to couples who no longer have a job or a steady income. Some of them are temporary, or can turn into a career if you so choose.

Accommodation Options:

  • Sell your house, if you’re a home owner, and move to a cheaper part of the country.
  • Downsize to a smaller house.
  • Rent out rooms to (foreign) students to supplement your income.
  • If you’re single you can rent a room in someone’s house. I know one woman who divorced and is now renting out several rooms in her house to help pay the mortgage.

Job Options (including accommodation)

  • Apply for jobs as caretakers. The Caretaker Gazette, offers list of short and long-term stays in homes around the world where you either get paid to take care of properties when owners (often rich) are traveling around the world, or else live for free in someone’s home and watch their pets, water their plants, etc. while they’re gone. Some positions are long-term.
  • Work for a storage company, and sleep in one of the units. I knew a married couple in their fifties who did this short term. (Takes guts!)
  • Volunteer abroad. (Some pay for room and board.)
  • Peace Corps with added benefits during and after. There are jobs offered on their website.
  • Teach abroad. (CELTA certificate)
  • Work on a cruise ship/lecture/teacher/personal trainer/gift shop.
  • Take care of an elderly person full-time.

More Traditional Options

  • Look for a full-time job. (Not easy to find in this economy.)
  • Sell your house and move to a cheaper part of the country where cost of living is less
  • Rent your house out and collect income while working a job that offers room and board.
  • Have a part-time job and do some pet-sitting at people’s homes when they’re on vacation.

These were the options I discussed with my friend. Are there other options you can think of? Are you, or do you know anyone in this situation?

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