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Sometimes having more fun
and being happier comes from looking for each in crazy, new places; instead of
waiting for them to come from where you've found them before or where others
are now finding them.
~ Notes from the Universe
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FOUR SUCCESS HABITS OF JOYFULLY JOBLESS ACTIVISTS
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 There was an audible gasp in the Prosperous Author
workshop when speaker Jerry Gillies told the audience, "Buy one hardcover book
every week. Support the industry you
want to be part of."
Seems to me that the skeptics missed the point. What Gillies
suggested was quite elementary: go beyond lip service and actively support
something that matters. If you're an author, don't you want to see a lively
publishing industry? If you're a self-employed person of a different sort, it
makes sense to support others who have taken this alternative route.
When enough people get involved, it can turn into a
movement. Consider the growing number of folks who think of themselves as
locavores. This interest in building self-reliant food economies by consuming
things that are locally grown keeps spreading because individuals took up the
cause.
What are the success habits of entrepreneurial activists?
Here's my short list.
Instigate. The late singer John Denver once confessed, "I was always waiting around for somebody to do something about the world. Then I realized nobody is coming to save me. It starts with me, where I am."
Activists don't wait around for opportunity to show up on their doorstep. They look for what's missing and get busy filling the gap.
Adopt a protégé, organize a meet-up, share what you've learned about social media with a local group of businessowners. Keep asking yourself my favorite question, "How can I make it better?" and then follow the answers that you get.
Circulate. Your entrepreneurial success will expand
more rapidly and easily if you actively support other joyfully jobless folks.
Sometimes that means spending more to purchase a book from your independent
bookseller or a tool from the neighborhood hardware store.
I like the perspective on this from Veronique Vienne. She
writes, "The goods we get in exchange for what we pay are only a small portion
of the full value of a transaction. A chance to put money back into the economy
and give it to deserving people or causes is in fact an important part of the
equation....Can you remember how you felt the last time you bought overpriced
lemonade and cookies from a seven-year-old sidewalk vendor? Or how proud you
were when you got a painting directly from an unknown artist and paid fair
market value for it? Or how good it felt to buy a favorite niece a quaint
dollhouse made of wood by a local craftsman instead of a plastic one with a
clock tower and three-door garage?"
Collaborate. Business partnerships have a success
rate lower than marriage, which doesn't bode well for permanent relationships.
If Lennon and McCartney couldn't make it work, we need to rethink that model.
(And if you have a fabulous business partnership, bless you.)
Collaboration, on the other hand, can be a terrific
alternative that generates fresh thinking, new ideas and synergy. It reminds me
of the first trip my daughter took to Europe when she was in college. Although
the adventure was originally supposed to include several friends, the others
dropped out so Jennie set off by herself. However, she met solo travelers along the way and would
sometimes spend a few days on the road with her new companions. Then they'd go
their separate ways.
This works just as well in business.
Celebrate. Yesterday my granddaughter went off to kindergarten
dressed as a cheerleader. What was the
occasion? Happily, Zoe has a teacher who
loves to catch his students doing something right. When that happens, he adds
marbles to a big jar. Once the jar is full, the class gets a special treat. The
first time around it was Pajama Day and everyone arrived in their night
clothes. This time is was Costume Day.
When you're self-employed, sometimes the victories are known
only to you. That doesn't make them any less important. Find ways to celebrate
even small advancements. Fill up your own marble jar.
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ACTIVISTS WORTH KNOWING
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Scott Stratten is known to his fans and friends as
Unmarketing. He's built an enthusiastic following on Twitter and last week
shared his journey on his blog. Scott's article My ROI on Twitter is worth a look.
 Becky McCray is an Oklahoma entrepreneur who understands
multiple profit centers. She also understands how important it is to help and
support other small town business owners. One of her tools for doing that is Small Biz Survival where she posts articles and resources. She also is
a big instigator of events and gatherings.
It's been a while since I've been as excited about a book as I am about
Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. If you need
a nudge to get up off the couch and into action, Miller's story might be just
what the doctor ordered. As the book jacket explains, "This story chronicles
Miller's rare opportunity to edit his life into a great story, to reinvent
himself so nobody shrugs their shoulders when the credits roll." |
CALL TO PARTICIPATE
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 When I was growing up and thinking about my career choices, I have no recollection of
anyone suggesting that meaning and purpose be part of the criteria. When I saw
this editorial in the Ventura County Star, I got excited. It begin this way:
What if students went to college to
change the world?
Ideally, all do. But what if there was a
specific course of study whose purpose was to promote social responsibility?
Those what-ifs are becoming reality at
California State University Channel Islands near Camarillo, which is launching
a social business institute. The effort gains momentum this week as Nobel Peace
Prize winner Muhammad Yunus returns to the campus to help launch it.
As it turns out, that search for meaningful work that makes
a positive impact in the world is a huge motivator of the Joyfully Jobless. If
you are not ready to return to college to attend the social business institute,
consider a shorter course that can activate your inner activist.
Join Terri Belford, Alice Barry and me for our upcoming Inspired
Livelihood event in Sedona, Arizona on April 16 & 17. With this
exquisite community as our backdrop, we'll explore what it means to create a
business that is both profitable and meaningful.
Since this is a highly interactive and personalized event,
enrollment is limited (and we're halfway sold out). Our Early Bird
enrollment ends on March 15, but if you want to attend, I suggest you don't
wait until the last moment or there may not be space available. In other words,
Act Now!
Inspired Livelihood
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HELLO, SAN ANTONIO
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I can honestly say I've
never had a bad time in San Antonio so I am looking forward to another fine
visit. I'll be back on Saturday, March
13 for two seminars: Making a Living Without a Job and Establish
Yourself as an Expert.
You can find out more by visiting Northside Independent School District or call 210-397-8100.
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Buona fortuna,
Barbara Winter
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