Posts filed under 'Anti 9-to-5 profiles'
Whitney Smith — who’s featured in The Anti 9-to-5 Guide — is founder and co-CEO of Girls For A Change, a California-based nonprofit organization that teaches middle and high school girls to work for social change. Since 2002, Girls For A Change has served more than 4,000 girls, grown its volunteer staff to 500+, and increased its paid staff and annual budget tenfold.
How I transitioned to doing this full time: Although Girls For A Change hired its first paid (part-time) staff member in 2002 to help launch the program, I kept my 9-to-5 job as director of the Santa Clara County Office of Women’s Advocacy while working on my nonprofit baby 20 hours a week. Looking back, I wish I had taken the plunge and started working for Girls For A Change as my primary job earlier. I was scared at the time of leaving the 9-to-5 and the steady check. I love what I do now, and it is so satisfying to do this work. I only deferred my fear by waiting until 2004 to work full time for Girls For A Change. Looking back, I see that I could have done it earlier.
How I got my baby off the ground:
- Passion. First, and most important, you must have passion for what you are doing.
- Determination. It’s important to stay true to what you believe when others tell you that you are crazy… and they definitely will do this.
- Strong sense of self. This is something I discovered along the way. You must remember you are talented and that you do know what you are talking about. And you have to remember that very few people know truly what they are doing and have all the skills they need. What is truly important is that they are doing it.
- Balance. When you are trying to escape the 9-to-5, it is easy, ironically, to completely lose balance with your own venture. Remember not to do this!
My top tips for hopeful nonprofit founders:
- Get a coach. Seek out a paid life coach or executive coach who will be your voice and cheerleader and help you develop these skills. It is hard for people to invest the money in this, but there is truly nothing like having someone on the “payroll” who is a super-skilled coach who can unravel it all with you.
- Learn from others. It’s as easy as offering to take someone you admire out to coffee.
- Surround yourself with supportive people. Spend time with the ones who love you and won’t throw doubts in your path.
- Fake it until you make it. Not a lot of people will tell you this, but it is true that we all figure it out as we go along. I am definitely not telling you to misrepresent yourself or pretend you are someone you aren’t, but know that it is OK to assess yourself when presented with a challenge and to take that challenge on even when you aren’t sure you know how to do it.
What’s that link again? Girls For A Change, where donations and volunteers are always welcome.
[posted by Traci Macnamara]
February 20th, 2007
After living in Mongolia for a year, attorney Lisa Herb went part time so she could found the Alliance for International Women’s Rights, a nonprofit organization that assists women’s rights groups in Central Asia. Since 2005, the Alliance has grown to 50+ volunteers serving women in Mongolia, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan. Lisa — who’s featured in The Anti 9-to-5 Guide — lives in New York, telecommutes to her Seattle law firm job, and often travels to the far corners of Central Asia for her nonprofit gig.
Why I started a nonprofit from scratch: I saw that there was a true need for volunteer support in Mongolia, and I knew based on my telecommuting experiences that much work could be done over the internet and email from halfway around the world. When I started seeking employment in the nonprofit sector after coming back to the U.S., I quickly realized that if I wanted to do meaningful nonprofit work in a field that interested me, I would have to create my own nonprofit. So I did.
How I did it: I began the Alliance by using my savings and my current earnings from being a part-time attorney. I took a significant pay cut (by more than half) when I walked away from being a law partner, but luckily my life was intentionally streamlined before making the transition — no debt and no mortgage payments. The Alliance started with only four volunteers working short-term positions in one country (Mongolia), on one type of project, and at just one women’s rights organization.
Why I willingly sliced my paycheck in half: I never felt like I was being true to myself by working entirely in a for-profit environment. I wanted to do something that had the possibility of making the world a slightly better place, and that was more important to me than the potential to gain personal wealth. Founding and running the Alliance has given me the ability to feel like I am being truer to myself — although the longer I run the Alliance, the more I realize just how modest its impact is in light of the work that must be done.
My top money-saving tips: I designed the Alliance so that it required very little money in the first few years. Because I donate my time as well as the office space and equipment by working from a home office, there have been very few startup costs. Our in-country volunteers fund their own travel costs, and our remote volunteers use their own computers and internet service. We use Skype (a free computer-to-computer phone and instant messaging service) for our international phone calls and communications with our partner organizations in Central Asia. Therefore, our initial funding needs have been minimal and I’ve been able to operate the Alliance during this first year and a half on less than $5,000 a year.
My next move: There is a tremendous interest among Americans in long-distance volunteering, so we hope to really focus on growing our Armchair Volunteer Program and to make it run more effectively by helping our partner organizations take more advantage of our volunteers. To make sure that the Alliance is sustainable and has enough capacity to grow, we also hope to raise enough funds to hire several people and to support others with insurance, travel, and office supplies.
What’s that link again? Alliance for International Women’s Rights, where volunteers are always welcome.
[posted by Traci Macnamara]
February 6th, 2007
In 2001, Searah opened Early to Bed, Chicago’s first woman-owned, woman-friendly sex toy store. Since then, she’s launched an online store and has worked with many regional and national organizations to promote and support women’s health and sexual well-being. Searah is one of the dozens of cubicle expats featured in The Anti 9-to-5 Guide. Here’s what she has to say about fleeing the cube.
My story: In 2000, I decided that I never wanted to get up before 9 a.m. again, and I was sick of working in an office without a window or fresh air. The people were lovely, but the life drove me nuts. I tended to be the office go-to girl for advice about sex and sex toys, so — lacking any better ideas — I decided to start my own feminist sex shop and leave the safety of the office world behind.
Now, five (long) years later, I have learned to love (and sometimes loath) life off the beaten path, even though I pretty much did it all wrong. In the process, I’ve come up with a few ideas about how to do it right.
Turning my passion into a business: To become a “real businesswoman” I took a class at my local women’s business development center, thinking I was starting off on the right foot. And it didn’t hurt me, but it didn’t really help much, either. The class was full of others who wanted to be their own bosses but had no idea what business they wanted to pursue, and I realized early on that I had a passion for what I wanted to do. That was what started me out ahead of the game.
The learning curve: When I started researching my industry, I found almost no helpful information out there. I thought that I was independent and that I could hack it. But I don’t think that it ever hurts to take a business class or to talk to as many business owners as possible, even if they don’t do the same kind of work. I spent time (and money) in shops that were similar to the one that I wanted to start, and I used the web extensively to see what was going on in the industry. If you can find someone else who is willing to help you, use them! Lots of people love to talk about their businesses, and it never hurts to ask.
The dreaded money dilemma: Everything I read indicated that you really can’t start a retail business with less than $100,000. I had $0. But I did have good credit, which I now realize is so important, and I am super-fastidious about paying bills on time. Even though I was able to start my business on credit and loans from family and friends, I would not suggest that this is the best way. The best financial advice I could offer is that if you are unable to secure a big loan from a bank, it never hurts to mention to your friends and family that you need funding…and then see what happens. That said, I would never ask for or take money from any one person that can’t stand to lose it or to wait years for a payback. Once you get a business started, it eventually all comes down to money. You don’t have to be an accountant (although you should hire one), but you do have to keep on top of your finances every day.
How I ultimately made the leap: It wasn’t easy to find a place that would rent to a sex shop, especially since I hate talking to strangers and feared that they would say no. If I didn’t at least try, though, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life wondering “what if?” I had the support of my family and friends and partner, so even though I was doing this alone, I wasn’t without a support network, which I found essential. If those in my life who knew me the best weren’t there to support me, I don’t know if I would have taken the risk.
So I did it. I took the plunge and opened the doors to Early to Bed five years ago. Since then I have somehow made it work even though I started out with no experience and no money. Sure, I have cried at times and also made some stupid and expensive mistakes, but I loved what did before I even started, and my passion for helping people have happier sex lives has only grown. And…in the past five years, I haven’t once set my alarm before 9 a.m.
What’s that link again? Early to Bed, and yes, you can buy the store’s goodies online.
[posted by Traci Macnamara]
February 5th, 2007
While all of you have been scurrying around buying holiday presents, the elves over here in anti 9-to-5 land have been hard at work on a new feature for this site. Starting, well, now, this site will begin running profiles of the many fabulous cubicle expats who were nice enough to share their experiences and ideas for The Anti 9-to-5 Guide.
Since my pal Traci Macnamara kindly offered to round up the first batch of anti 9-to-5 profiles, it only seems fitting that she should take the first turn. Besides, she just launched her travel blog Monday, so the timing couldn’t be more right. So without further adieu, meet Traci, globetrotter extraordinaire, who’s currently working in Antarctica, radioing scientists in remote field camps on a daily basis to make sure they’re alive and fully stocked with supplies.
My story: A year after I graduated from college and began working in the real world, I knew that office life wasn’t for me. I am currently working for the third time as a contract employee in communications at McMurdo Station, Antarctica’s largest station for scientific research and exploration.
The perks: The sun never sets during the summer, and the climate resembles a mild Colorado winter, so it is enjoyable here and stunningly beautiful — allowing things like skate skiing on the McMurdo Ice Shelf with a view of the impressive Royal Society Range in the distance.
The downside: Sure, doing contract work in Antarctica is an amazing experience, but there are drawbacks to the contract-job life, too: geographic instability, financial insecurity, and spotty benefits, to name a few. For instance, I know that I will have work during the five-month contract, but when my contract ends, I have to find my own health insurance and make darned sure my money lasts.
Dealing with health insurance: After a third season of contract work, I’ve learned to prepare for its challenges by saving money while working to pay for post-contract health insurance. It’s not as hard as most people believe, and sites like this make staying covered between contract jobs a cinch. Options include catastrophic coverage, premium coverage, overseas coverage, insurance cards sent by PDF, and so on. When I broke my ankle in France, I had insurance I’d purchased online and was able to submit receipts to the provider in both Euros and U.S. dollars. Plus, the customer service rocked.
More on managing money: While on contract, I also try to focus on saving money that I will need for travel and short-term residence hunting. The idea is to enter a contract job with zero debt and then to save while you work (often easier said than done). Before starting contract work in a remote area, I would also suggest setting up all your bank and credit accounts online. Many creditors will allow you to set up online bill paying as well, which can help you stay on top of your finances whenever you have access to the Internet. And it is also a good idea to designate a trusted family member or friend as your power of attorney (I use my mom). That way, they can help you with financial transactions and other tasks you specify. See this site for state-specific details.
The ultimate flex gig: Besides allowing me to live and work in Antarctica, contract work has given me the flexibility to do the other things that I love: reading, writing, and running around outdoors between jobs. In the past three years, I’ve lived eighteen months in Antarctica, nine in England, five in France, and the other months in various U.S. locations. Not too shabby.
You, too, can work at McMurdo: Think you might like to give Antarctica a try? Denver-based Raytheon Polar Services Company hires contract workers — from dishwashers to equipment operators — for the U.S. Antarctic Program and has an annual job fair in April. If you go, try to make personal contact with those doing the hiring, and follow up with a phone call or e-mail. Who knows? I just might see you out here next year.
What’s that link again? Down and Out, Traci’s Antarctica blog.
December 13th, 2006
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