Hate Your Job? Time For Something New? Try Solo-preneuring™!

Rafiki’s post last Saturday. “Overworking and Underthinking” did get me thinking. It reminded me of a quote from the Pulitzer Prize winning book, “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do” by Studs Terkel. In the book, a woman called Nora Watson says in an interview with Terkel,



“Most of us have jobs that are too small for our spirits. We are on a quest for more fulfilling work, work that is equal to the size of our spirit, our energies, our passions”.



That was 1974 but it doesn’t mean that much has changed. Many people today, despite their advanced educations, more sophisticated jobs, more options for work, still feel the same way. Their jobs are unfulfilling and do not demand much from them. But they need the jobs; they need the money or the health care benefits that the jobs bring.



Like Rafiki said, we spend too much time working and not thinking about what changes we can make. The little time we spend thinking we do it at a surface level and the options seem near impossible to attain . . . a new career requires possibly going back to school; entrepreneurship requires a good-to-great idea or massive capital. Of course, nothing good comes easy but most of the time it seems easier to stay where we are than to try something new.



Rafiki’s article reminded me that a few years ago I had attended a talk on Solo-preneuring™ by Cathy Stucker that was very eye-opening, mainly for its simplicity. At the time I decided I would attempt it immediately but I let life and that soul-draining job get in the way i.e. I did nothing.



I dug through several cartons of books to find the manual I bought when I attended her talk. The manual is called “Solo-preneuring™ - The Art of Earning a Living Without a Job; The Self-Help Guide For Those Who Want To Escape Corporate Bondage And Find Success Doing What They Love!” by Cathy Stucker. It is available on her website at http://www.idealady.com/.



In a nut shell Stucker says, “The Solo-preneur™ is someone who has found a way to make money from her interests. One can earn money from a part-time job, contract or temp work, direct sales, a business, investments or any combination of these sources”. She exhorted us to ask ourselves:

What do I know that others don’t?
What can I do that others can’t?
What can I do that others won’t?
What can I do for others faster, cheaper, better than they can do it for themselves?

What I learnt from the talk was that I can quit my job if I can combine several interests that can generate the combined income that I want while doing work that I enjoy.



When I look at my options from this angle, suddenly it seems a lot easier to start doing the things I want to do. I don’t need some grand plan or great idea or massive amounts of capital to start. You too can start small and depending on your drive and ambitions you could scale up as much as you want, if you want.



Solo-preneuring™ is an unfamiliar term but it is one that we are actually very familiar with. Think about it—I will explain in Part 2. Stay tuned.

Annual Evaluations - Do You Know What Your Boss Is Thinking?

It’s that time of the year again, for the dreaded annual evaluations that no one likes and hardly anyone finds worthwhile. Our evaluations were due last week and of course everyone missed the deadline, prompting all kinds of threats from HR if evaluations are not submitted by the end of this week. Consequently, we are all scrambling to get them done in the next couple of days and my evaluation meeting with my boss is tomorrow. Sigh.

And yet here I am at 11:30pm, surfing the net (my preferred method of procrastination) instead of working on my appraisal and mentally preparing myself for tomorrow. But sometimes procrastination does pay - I found this article “10 Things Your Boss Won’t Tell You”. Looks like tomorrow, I need to pay special attention to Boss Rule No. 8, “We appreciate positive feedback, too”.

What was the single most important decision you have made to help your career?

Red Jade: I can’t say that there is any one thing that has really helped. Actually, as far as careers go, mine is a case of things I did not do that I should have done.

Rafiki: I used to feel the same way until a few years ago. I also used to think it was too late for me to do the things I should have done. I realized that though I cannot take back time, I can do something to accelerate my progress towards where I want to be.

Red Jade: It sounds like a cliché but truly it's never too late to make changes. If I knew then what I know now, I would have taken charge of my career instead of just settling in the job that I found myself in - Marketing. Now I realize that I don't even like it that much and I sure don't want to do it for the rest of my working life.

Rafiki: It is funny how we always think it is too late. A friend gave me great advice about changing careers. I always thought I would have to study something different and start anew until I realized I had transferable skills and that a formal degree is not the only entry to most careers.

Red Jade: Right. Get a resume expert to polish your resume to highlight those transferable skills. But even when you have a degree, it’s not enough. Having the knowledge or the skills is just the beginning. Most of us invest very little time in developing a strong resume, practicing interview skills, researching industries, networking etc. From experience, I now know that it is very important to invest time and money in these areas so as to increase the chances of getting the job I really want. I look at it as an investment that will pay for itself once I get hired or promoted.

Rafiki: You made an important point. Your resume is the greatest marketing collateral for an individual. The interview is also very important. To get anyone to notice the resume and give you an interview requires a lot of networking. I used to dislike networking because it felt like I was building relationships only for what I could get. At some point I realized that I have to network. I learnt to approach it by offering my assistance in accomplishing the other person's goal. When you engage people in conversation, you will find that you know something that may be helpful to them and vice versa.

Red Jade: True. The challenge is getting to that point in the conversation. I can't stand the small talk that is part of networking; it is actually very painful for me. Every time, I have to attend a networking event (work event that I can't get skip) I have to psyche myself up for days and be emotionally and mentally ready. I find I really struggle to find something to say . . . and please, oh please, let's not talk about the weather! I really need to take a class/seminar in this area if only for my sanity.

Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative.
-Oscar Wilde

Rafiki: A seminar or class really helps. I once attended a seminar where the speaker suggested asking any of these questions to start a conversation. What did you want to be when you grew up? What did you become? Why did you change? Do you have any pets or children? They have actually helped me get through the awkward moments but it can be challenging.

Red Jade: I am really introverted so asking a total stranger such personal questions does not come easy. I am only able to do it because I know that it's good manners to try and initiate conversations with others. But it does not feel good while doing it. Some people certainly make it look really easy. Anyway, if your goal is to climb the corporate ladder you have to learn to network both on the job and outside the job. That's how you get others to know you and you also get to hear of openings before they are posted. Don't turn down those company invitations to hobnob with others.

Rafiki: Not turning the invitation down is easier said than done but it is important. It helps to have a friend at work that you can partner with especially if you are introverted.

Red Jade: You go to a lot of networking activities, what's your one sure line that you rely on?

Rafiki: I like hearing about where people are from so I usually ask if they are native Houstonians. Most people are not so we talk about how they ended up here. If they are a native then I ask what part of Houston they grew up in. What lines do you rely on?

Red Jade: That's a good one and easy to segue to other questions. My shtick is to make sure I know at least 3 top stories in the news that day or week.

Rafiki: That is a really good one; people like to talk about current affairs.

Red Jade: Yeah, and it helps me get away from the small talk. But obviously I keep away from the taboo topics - religion and politics.

Rafiki: Though they can make for the best discussions but most people are too sensitive about it.

Red Jade: You may start a war and everyone will question your judgment. Not a good career move! Now, if only I could roll like the Governator . . .

I just use my muscles as a conversation piece, like someone walking a cheetah down 42nd Street.
-Arnold Schwarzenegger

Want to join the conversation? What is your take on networking?

Post a comment to join the conversation.

Own Your Space

The word for the day is Ownership thinking.  While I appreciate my cultural upbringing that puts an emphasis on being polite and being careful about the impression you give others, I think there is another side to that coin.

As immigrants we wait to be welcomed and told what we should become. Sometimes we need learn to be our own welcome party and work hard at discovering who we are.  We all know that we have value as human beings and therefore have a contribution to make to our world. As immigrants we have to approach our new life with the mindset that there is something of value we have to offer and do our due diligence to find out where we fit. When we do that, we own our space, we walk confidently in who we are and continually look for ways to add value to the world around us.


Everyone is enriched by exposure to a different cultural experience. When we move to a new culture we need to see the beauty that we bring that will greatly enrich our new environment.  This simply translates to asking yourself how you can give your best? I hear that immigrants are hard workers all the time. I admire that and applaud it. To add to that I say we become the smart worker, the innovative worker, problem-solving worker and the person that expands to provide opportunities for others.

To begin to explore how to own your space, ask yourself the following questions

• What do I do more creatively than everyone around me? If you are a RN do you have a knack of connecting with even the most difficult patients, if you are a doctor, are you able to help the patient figure their problem by asking the right questions?
• What do I need to do more confidently? What are the things you have hesitated taking on yet they turn out to be huge successes?
• What ideas or suggestions do you have that could enhance your current environment?

By doing the introspection, you will start to discover the value you bring and help you stand confidently in your own space. You have so much to offer the world, do not wait to be summoned in, open the door (politely if you must:-) and walk right in.