Working from home has its perks

I like working from home.

I don't have to put makeup on in the morning or figure out which top goes with which bottom and which shoes won't hurt today.

Elliott the Office Manager

I can take a "lunch" break and go for a power walk or bike ride and not worry about sweating up my silks.

And best of all, my Office Manager keeps a keen eye on the world for me.

"I write ... sort of ... business stuff... zzzzzzz"

I rent a room in a house for an artists-in-residence foundation. It gives me a place to crash when I have to be here to work. And it gives the foundation a little bit of steady income.

Since I started staying here five months ago, I've met a poet, an architecture professor, and a painter from Korea. The poet is now a friend of mine on Facebook. The professor is off presenting his research in Finland. And the Korean painter -- well, I think she went home, after spending much of her time making sure I didn't eat any of her food in the fridge.

But suddenly, all at once, there are 3 other people here .....

... a painter, who's transformed the garage into his private studio;












.... a performance artist;










and a sculptor I haven't crossed paths with yet.

Being a bit of an oddball myself, I thought I'd actually fit in pretty well with funky people like this. So what's the reaction of the artists when they meet me? "You're not an ARTIST? So why are you HERE? You do WHAT? WHY?"

Good questions.

Is it time for a change? or a change for the times?

This is a born-again blog: born again, several times, in fact.

It began in the darkest days of the Great Downturn of 2009, with stories told through the eyes of a confused, sad, mysteriously-spared survivor: me.

It morphed into happier stories of transformation: how laid-off people were changing their lives and going after new dreams or long-forgotten aspirations.

Now it is about my own transformation; how I intend to pursue my own dreams, my own long-shelved career aspirations, my own pursuit of freedom and independence.

For nearly 20 years, my peace symbol necklace has been more than a small token of unspoken rebellion; it's been a symbol of hope that someday I might find the courage, tenacity, and opportunity to create a new path for myself.

The time has come.

This is my journey.

Torn

Suddenly I’m not so sure my “life after cubicles / life after layoff” series was such a good idea.

Encouraging stories started popping up, and I was compelled to tell them. It seemed, for the first time in many dark months, that a few people were starting to move on with their lives and find new hope. I’ve written two, and I have several more in the hopper. But now I’m second-guessing myself. For as many seed pearls of hope I find strewn amongst the rubble, I find even more who are still wedged between the rocks.

Perhaps I’m naïve, even at this advanced age. Personally, I love stories of people who reach beyond pre-conceived limitations, spread their wings, soar to new heights of possibility they had never considered before -- and by their example, encourage those who were yet struggling. Altruistic and idealistic, I was motivated by a grandiose vision of perhaps helping my laid-off friends and colleagues find a new flight path of their own, if only by being a voice to tell the stories.

But I think it may be doing more harm than good. Not everyone is encouraged by others' success.

Too many people are still struggling. Too many people meet disappointment every day. As one person told me yesterday, “I’ve lost my ‘happy.’ I’ve lost my smile."

Or: "Is there something wrong with me because I don't have a story like that to tell? I just want my old cubicle back...."

It’s easy enough for me to sit here and write my silly little blog and hope for world peace, because I still have a job to go to. It’s definitely not fair, and therefore perhaps it’s not right for me to continue.

Most of the time I don’t even want to say anything when things go well, because others respond with: “must be nice; my life sucks.” When I complain about work, they say, “at least you have a job to complain about.” So when I say nothing at all, I’m accused of not caring or communicating.

I don’t have much to offer, just the power of the pen, and I thought perhaps I would wield it for something other than my paycheck for a change.

I’m torn.

Cruise ships and concealed weapons

Sue was a graphic designer and exhibits manager at The Big Company and was very good at it. She designed exhibits for trade shows, and oversaw the creation of everything her clients needed to pull off a big event: booth design, messages, graphics, in-booth talent, promotions, tents, and more. Folks sought her out. She was very creative and easy to work with.

Best of all, she really loved what she did. After 12 years with the company, she found her niche and was building a huge following with her internal clients. She was making great money and incredibly proud of herself.

Despite her talents and stellar reputation, Sue’s name popped up on the layoff spreadsheet. Marketing budgets simply vaporized.

When management broke the news to her, they told her she might be called back as the economy improved in a year or so. But they also told her there were no guarantees and she should move on with her life.

And with that, she packed her cardboard box and left. The entire floor seemed deserted that day; even the survivors left because there was simply too much bad news seeping into every corner.

Grief set in. What made matters worse was no one from her work group got in touch with her – it’s as if everyone disappeared. Was it out of guilt or lack of compassion or just plain fear? It didn’t matter – their silence only exacerbated the hurt. “It was horrible,” Sue remembers.

For a month she allowed herself time to get over the shock. But then she pulled herself together and starting the great job search. Taking the traditional route, Sue began applying to hundreds of jobs online, nationwide. She was willing to go wherever the work was. But to no avail. Each posted opening would receive thousands and thousands of applicants. She grew depressed as she watched people from the window of her downtown condo heading off to work each morning.

She knew she needed a plan B, and she needed it quickly. She drove from the Midwest down to Sarasota, Florida to investigate the traditional job market there. That’s when serendipity intervened.

Several people Sue met in Sarasota remarked she should go into business for herself and quit giving away her talents and selling herself short. But she didn’t know how to make that happen. One day, she was cleaning out her email spam folder and found an ad for franchising opportunities in the travel and cruising industry. Wow -- she loved to travel, but she'd never thought about travel as a career. Sue decided to investigate the company and see if this was something for her.

After a great deal of research and satisfied with what she learned, she took a leap of faith and made a gutsy move. She cleaned out her emergency savings and bought into the cruise franchise.

Sue attended training sessions, inspected some of the ships, and developed a real respect for the industry. “The ships are magnificent … the attention to detail, the workmanship, the choices, the adventure, the destinations … the people.” But, she says, the best part of her new business will be the ability to travel with the special groups and be their host for the receptions, shore excursions and activities.

Ultimately, Sue wants to set up permanent shop for her new business in Sarasota. She joined the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and will begin issuing press releases next month. In the meantime, she is learning by leaps and bounds and is thoroughly enjoying a liberating lifestyle.

Sue planned that it would take a full year to begin making money – but she says, “Just watch me!” Without spending a dime in advertising, she already has a website, customers flooding in, and an ever-expanding lead list of affluent retirees in Florida. Sue’s family and friends are getting into the game, helping her network and drum up potential clients. She even has an associate in California working with her now, putting together a class reunion cruise.

“What will make my new company successful in the end is not my pricing. It will be the relationships I develop with my customers and the personal service I can provide (just like I did back at The Big Company). Travel agents are coming back! There are many people who don’t want to surf the internet for the cheapest way to travel. They want one person to call to get the job done right, and then be there to help them through the experience.” Sue says with a wide grin, “And that’s gonna be me!”

There’s one more big change Sue’s gone through the past 6 months…
“Because I am traveling alone so much I bought a gun, learned to shoot, and took courses to carry a concealed weapon legally. Another unexpected learning experience!”

We’ll see what happens if The Big Company calls her back. But by then, Sue will probably be off at sea, raking in big bucks, and having the time of her life.

Check out her website: http://www.cruisingencounters.com/

From Corporate Powerhouse to Free-Wheeling First Mate

I don't think there's a single person out there who hasn't dreamed of chucking it all and sailing off into the sunset, in one way or another.

Well, Annie's doing exactly that. Literally. Sailing off into the sunset. For real.

She traded in her high-powered, high-pressure, high-paying job for the high seas. She's sailing the world with her Tom and her EMMA. (Tom's her gorgeous man; EMMA's her gorgeous sailboat.)

Annie fell in love with sailing a few years back and planned her vacations around charters and lessons. She met Tom at a sailing class in Florida and fell in love with him, too. Both had dreamed of sailing around the world as a lifestyle, not just as an extended vacation. Tom had already decided he was going to do it: he'd begun plans to leave his construction job in Ohio and go hunt for the right sailboat. Now, with a partner and a shared dream, Tom and Annie set off together.

Annie and Tom tell the story much better than I can. They have their own blog, in which they've been chronicling their story, right back to the day they found EMMA in a boatyard in Newport, Rhode Island, and throughout the months of preparation until EMMA was seaworthy: sailblogs.com/member/emma.

Now they're at anchor in Annapolis, Maryland, where they've spent the last few months bonding with local sailors and preparing themselves for an autumn journey south to greet warmer seas before winter sets in. Tom's been earning some money by refurbishing a schooner (One World) in a local yachtyard. They are going to be part of the crew who helps deliver One World to the British Virgin Islands.

My joy was meeting up with them this summer and witnessing firsthand the remarkable transformation Annie has made, from Corporate Powerhouse to Free-Wheeling First Mate. She's relaxed, she's happy, she's learned to live simply. She makes bags from old sails and sews canvas dodgers for paying clients. She rows a dinghy ashore with her foldable bike to shop local farmers' markets. She bakes cookies and apple pan dowdy in her tiny galley.

I hope you'll follow Annie and Tom's blog as they set out for far shores. It's not very often you a real tale of two courageous people who risked everything and did what the rest of us only dream about: chucking it all and sailing off into the sunset.

Life after cubicles

Blink your eye and 6 months fly by.

We're all plodding away, riding the waves of "rolling" layoff. Nobody's feeling sorry for themselves, though: we still can't forget those folks who walked out the door for good with those cardboard boxes.

The past year has given everyone a chance to think about life after cubicles. No longer complacent, no longer arrogant, no longer feeling safe or entitled to a job with a company for life, many of us have used our "laycations" wisely. We've spent extra time with our families. We've reconnected with what's important. We've thought about life beyond this place: "what would I do if I couldn't come back here? What's my Plan B? C? D? I didn't have a back-up plan when all this hit. I sure as hell better have one now."

Some people can't -- or don't want to -- see beyond the walls of their cubicles. And that's fine, if that suits them. But for others, being laid off (permanently or just now and then), separated, retired, or otherwise, has opened their eyes to a world of possibility.

Here are just a few I know about, but I plan to scout around and tell you more stories. Former cube-dwellers are now:

• Buying a furniture refinishing business.


• Establishing a franchise as a travel agent for the major cruise lines.


• Writing a book.


• Designing golf clubs.


• Finishing a master's degree.


• Building a billiard's bar.


• Sailing the world (literally).

Whadya know? There's a world out there. Lots more coming on this subject.