Anti 9-to-5 profile: Angie Mattson
The anti 9-to-5er: Angie Mattson, Charlotte, NC
My job: I’m a project assistant who works with consultants and other self-employed folks here in Charlotte. I do everything: simple data entry, major re-organizing of home offices, day to day administrative tasks, editing/copywriting, and a good bit of freelance adventure/travel writing just for fun to fill the weekends up. I started doing this in 2003 and have been busy as a bee ever since.
What makes my gig anti 9-to-5: I work from home for myself. My office is painted a beautiful orange color (similar to the background on this website) and I have a huge window that overlooks my big backyard. For nonprofit work, I observe the birds. I switched because I can’t live without the variety, freedom, and flexibility this setup allows me.
What I did in my former 9-to-5 life: I was an admin assistant for a homebuilder, a university, and an environmental nonprofit. I was also dabbling in fundraising, which I quickly learned was not my forte.
How I made the anti 9-to-5 leap: I started my “freedom” job part time and continued to work for an environmental nonprofit part time. There was an incident where I was laid off and received a month’s severance. The next week I was hired back as a contractor. When I got enough other clients, I cut loose and flew solo.
My biggest obstacles: [It took time, patience, and a bit of a learning curve.] Because I started the biz slowly and had that extra month’s severance, I was able to manage a steady cash flow. A local businesswoman who had worked with me sent an introductory email to her contact list to get my name out. After that it was networking and getting new clients through word of mouth. I ended up getting a great tax guy and started working for a lawyer. Another strategic planner hired me and all of these folks gave me great advice when I needed it most.
My tips for other cubicle expats: Be BRAVE. Be very, very brave. Be good at what you do, have incredible integrity and a high work ethic. Be trustworthy, reliable, on time, and always in a good mood. Work from home, don’t buy expensive furniture or supplies for your home office. Cold call, ask for informational interviews with experts in the field you want to be in. People are happy to talk to you if you promise to only take 20-30 minutes of their time. Be prepared with questions and write a thank-you note after your meeting.
What’s that link again? MattsonBusiness.com
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4 comments April 16th, 2007
