Archive for July, 2009
I have two events coming up that may be of interest. The Seattle media party this Tuesday could use a volunteer to greet people/hand out name tags at the door in case anyone’s interested (great way for shy people and new writers to meet the writers, editors, and other seasoned media peeps in attendance). If so, leave me a comment or send me an email; thanks! Also note that the rate for the Creative Freelance Conference goes up by $50 after July 15.
- SEATTLE -
Mediabistro cocktail party – Tuesday, July 14, 2009
When: 7 to 9 pm
What: Cocktail party for freelance, staff, and laid-off media professionals. Admission free; cash bar. I’m cohosting (i.e., greeting folks at the door) with freelancer Crai Bower.
Where: Grey Gallery & Lounge, 1512 11th Avenue, Seattle
Sponsor: mediabistro
RSVP: Via mediabistro’s event page
- SAN DIEGO -
Creative Freelancer Conference – August 26-28, 2009
What: “Dealing with Nightmare Clients” (90-minute session at three-day conference)
Where: Omni San Diego Hotel
Sponsor: HOW and Markting Mentor
Registration: CreativeFreelancerConference.com ($445 by July 15; $495 after July 15)
July 10th, 2009
With everyone talking about career change these days, I thought it would fun to examine the work/life balance of those who’ve transitioned to some of the most coveted careers out there. First up, Erika Teschke, who in 2005 left her 10-year career as a legal professional to start her own dog walking and pet sitting business. I recently interviewed Erika by e-mail. Highlights follow.
[Photo courtesy of Erika's Pet Service]
Q. What’s your typical work schedule?
A. Mondays through Fridays I do dog park runs 5 hours a day, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. I also do about 30 minutes of stopovers during the week, where I feed and visit a pet that’s home alone, either before 2 p.m. or after 6 p.m. On weekends, I’ll do about three hours of paperwork and stopovers. I try not to work before 9 a.m. and past 6 p.m., but I have to be flexible on this if I have a pet that needs medicine or a walk at a particular time.
Q. How has your work/life balance changed since starting your business?
A. I definitely have more personal time now. However, the anxieties are different. Whereas being in an office made me a slave to the man, now I am responsible for everything: income, business success, client development, dog safety, responsibility as a walker, giving back to the parks I use, to name a few. I also have to be available for clients. At first I made myself available at all times when I was trying to grow the business. But now, since my clients and I have well-established relationships and they trust I will get back to them in a timely manner, I feel more comfortable making the evenings my own. I still work many weekends doing vacation stopovers. It is just the nature of the business.
Q. Still, a 30-hour workweek sounds pretty great. What’s the catch?
A. I make about $25,000 less than when I worked at the law firm. [Read the rest at NWjobs.]
July 10th, 2009
When fitness buff Amanda Furgiuele began teaching pole-dancing classes after work two years ago, she didn’t broadcast it to colleagues at her day job as a television producer.
“Although I know that pole dancing is a legitimate fitness pursuit, most people still refer to it as ’stripping class,’” said the Maui, HI resident, who has never worked as a exotic dancer and does not allow nudity in her classes. “I was kind of worried about the social stigma. I didn’t want to appear unprofessional.”
Despite her discretion, it didn’t take long before Furgiuele’s coworkers found out.
“One of my student’s cousins was my office manager,” she said. From there, it was only a matter of minutes before her evening occupation was laid bare before the entire office.
“After a thorough round of teasing and a few moderately inappropriate comments, it’s mostly smoothed out at my day job,” Furgiuele said. “I’m glad everyone knew me as a person before they knew my ‘other profession.’ I’m not sure they would have been so understanding had they thought of me as a pole dancer first.”
According to a January survey conducted by The Daily Beast, 23 percent of those polled have more than one paying job. Some said their second job was a hobby that had morphed into a money-making operation. Others said they needed the extra income.
So does the fact that we’ve become a nation of cash-strapped moonlighters mean that your employer will support your after-hours vocation? Or could fessing up that you’ve been serving cocktails, driving a limo or designing canine outerwear on the side jeopardize your reputation, or worse, your day job?
The short answer is, it depends. [Read the rest at ABCNews.com.]
July 5th, 2009
