On Wednesday, we talked about Solo-preneuring™. A big, unfamiliar word that sounds very foreign, very American. However, not only is it a very simple concept but it is actually one that many of us are familiar with. Most of us grew up with parents who had a side gig….it was (and still is) the only way for most people to make ends meet in Kenya and I am sure that is the same in other developing countries. Even some parents who were professionals had a side gig, some did it for extra money and others as a hobby e.g. the vegetable garden that not only fed the family but also brought in some extra shillings.
However, the lesson that was instilled in us was that there were certain careers (law, medicine, engineering, accounting) that we should aspire in part because that eliminates the financial need for a side gig. Those who had “made it” did not have side gigs. Consequently, most of us have been trying to establish and cling to these kinds of careers even though we dread the work. This approach takes the view that the only reason anyone would work is for financial reasons therefore find the best paying job even if you don’t like the work. It explains why Rafiki said that expressing a desire for a career in fashion, writing, hair styling would not have been met with the support and encouragement that such talent deserves.
Further, I think it is difficult for us to embrace Solo-preneuring™ because it does not have the same cachet that some jobs give us. Even here in “the promised land”, society has determined a hierarchy of professions and the jobs at the top of the food chain command respect though not always high salaries. As a result people identify who they are with what they do. If you ask someone, “What do you do?” most people answer “I am a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, a manager,” rather than answering, “I work as a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, a manager”. However, this is for jobs that are “higher up the food chain”. I have never heard anyone say “I am a fast-food worker” rather they say “I work at McDonalds or I flip burgers”.
I believe that current employees who want to transition to Solo-preneuring™ will have to let go of deeply ingrained beliefs that tie the type of work one does with self-worth. If you have spent a lot of time and money, getting a degree (or two, or three, or more) and spent even more blood, sweat and tears working long hours and navigating office politics to climb the corporate ladder, you may feel that you are throwing it all away, that you are giving up before you achieve the goals you had set for yourself when you embarked on your chosen career.
But don’t look back on what you have invested so far. Look forward and ask yourself is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? At this point, where you are going is all that matters. That said, your investments in yourself, in your education, the skills and knowledge you have garnered from your work experiences have not been in vain. If you want to use those skills, you can maintain a part-time position or do consulting work, only this time you are working on your own terms.
All this requires doing an honest assessment of your goals in life vis-à-vis where you are today. For some people, losing their job may be their greatest regret . . . there are certainly some jobs out there worth keeping. However, for others keeping their current job may be their greatest regret.
If you are reading this today, and are not happy with your current job, consider your options and have the courage to try something else. Life is too long to spend it working in “jobs that are too small for our spirits”.
Any Solo-preneurs™ out there? We would love to hear from you . . . tell us what you do, how you do it and why you do it.
In future posts we will feature resources we have found that will help you transition to a life of Solo-preneuring™.
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