Tips from an Unexpected Entrepreneur

Late last year a friend proposed a question to me as I was ending my relationship with a former employer. She asked, "Why don't you try working for yourself?" She asked.

Always a company man, I was taken back by the suggestion. Working for myself seemed like a distant dream, not something I could realistically achieve in my mid-twenties.  After all, what tools and resources did I have to be successful?

Following the meeting I reflected on the question further and came to the conclusion that thanks to a perfect mixture of life circumstances and professional experience, persuing a solo endeavor was actually quite possible for me.

The initial conversation I had at the start of the year led to a shift in the New Year which made me realign my focus and priorities. Now in my seventh month, I've had the opportunity to work with a few clients including Citizen University, Marx Foods, and most recently Seattle Goodwill and Tripcierge. 

The transition from a component of a PR agency to a solo life hasn't been seamless; I've had my fair share of learning moments and reconfigured take offs.

Here are a few lessons I've learned so far on this unexpected journey.

Clients are people

Common sense but easy to forget when conducting business. Connecting with people on a 1:1 level and sharing personal information helps you connect with clients and enhances your relationship with them. As I was once told, no one wants to do business with jerks or robots.

Update your network

New business can sprout from just about anywhere. Your friend or former client could help you discover your next lead. Thanks to social media it's easy to quickly update your network. LinkedIn is often the best tool for this task.

Keep in touch 

Contracts by nature are designed with an end date in mind but it's important to keep communication open with former clients. A friendly email or call usually will suffice.

Weekends are Imaginary

Weekends are a product of the industrial 9-5 work culture. While they won't completely disappear, prepare for the lines to blur; work isn't confined strictly to Monday - Friday. 

Meet new people

Entrepreneurship requires creating new connections frequently. Networking is a vital comment to success.

Recharge

Batteries run down much quicker when you're on your own; Ways to prevent it include spending time with family and friends, consuming inspirational media, and indulging in guilty pleasures or hobbies.

Photos Courtesy of smig44_uk

Five Years of Shiba Love

Judo as a puppy in Orting, Washington

Similar to many pet parents I wasn't prepared to be a dog dad at 20. Thankfully my dog Judo has been patient as I learned the location of the best dog parks and tasty snacks. Originally I was worried about raising a dog in my early twenties fearing lack of time and resources. While it has certainly been a challenge at times, adopting Judo is one of the best decisions I've made to date.

Judo is an anchor in my life. He keeps me grounded even when other parts fluctuate between crazy and calm. Judo also helped teach me the importance of selflessness and responsibility. Having someone who looks to you for care and love changes your perspective on the world.

It feels like we just met yesterday but Judo turned five this week! Join me in wishing him a happy birthday on Facebook! In honor of my pup I’ve dedicated this post to him which explains some of the most commonly asked questions about his origins.

Why Judo?
Originally named Waung, Fuzz and I renamed Judo shortly after we adopted him in the summer of 2008. According to Fuzzy mythology, Judo’s name is a combination of Joshua and Fadzrul. It also means the gentle way in Japanese which is a perfect fit for his temperament.

What’s a Shiba Inu?
Judo is a Shiba Inu – a spitz type of dog from Japan. The breed was originally bred to hunt in the mountains. It’s extremely agile and loyal to its master. Rearing has a strong effect on Shibas' personality. Early socialization and training helps prevent disobedience and improves interactions with other dogs later on in life.

Where Did Judo Come From?
Despite being a Japanese dog, Judo hails from Huntsville, Arkansas. Fuzz found him online after having difficulty finding an affordable Shiba Inu in the Northwest. Judo came to Seattle via a Boeing jet and fell in love with the region's mild summers but strongly dislikes the wet winters.

Judo Quirks
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to spend time with Judo you quickly discover he has his fair share of quirks and is full of personality. I’ve outlined a few I’ve noticed living with him for the past few years.

Dislikes
Grates
Guitars
Skateboards
Basketballs
Puddles
Camping
Long Walks
Getting Wet

Likes
Car Rides
Jelly Beans
French Fries
Belly Rubs
Sun Bathing
Dog Parks
Napping
People Watching
Toe Licking

Josh and Judo in Seattle, Washington

Smooth Sailing

Life is full of varying degrees of chaos. From simple day-to-day problems like commuting, to more complex challenges such as paying down a massive amount of debt or figuring out how to say goodbye to a loved one. Problems arise from the shadows often to steal the spotlight and collect all of our available attention. While these moment are important and can be life changing, they are brief.

Reflecting back on my own life over the past year, I can recall a few storms or two that arose out of nowhere. Now being in a moment of relative calm, I can easily recall the events surrounding the storm but recognize it as only a fleeting memory. After all, things turned out for the best in the long run. When Fuzz left, I bunkered down and became more independent, meetings new friends and acquiring new skills. When I was laid off, I used my available resources to visit Kuala Lumpur for a vacation and networked to find a new job when I returned.

Storms as I’ve learned come as quickly as they leave. While it doesn’t feel this way during, hindsight reveals it was more of a fire drill than a catastrophe. Life is full of unexpected events. Embracing the chaos when it comes to your door and cherishing the calm before and after is the best way to live. After all, life is too short to constantly be hunkering down for the next big one.

The Pace of Change

Change as we all know it is ultimately unavoidable, but as I’ve come to learn during my recent job hunt, it doesn’t always come quickly.

After graduating from the University of Washington in June 2009, I expected big changes to occur in my life rapidly. I imagined the perfect post-college dream. I had it all planned out. I’d graduate. I’d get a fantastic job. I’d be important. I’d be successful. And most importantly of all, I’d have money. Life unfortunately had other plans for me.

I graduated but I didn’t find a job and I found myself occasionally strapped for cash do to the sporadic paid internship work that I did shortly after I finished school. The change that I sought didn’t come at the rapid pace that I was expecting. It came at a crawl.

At first this snail’s pace of change frustrated me but as it carried on for over a year, I began to quickly appreciate the smaller aspects of life that I would have missed if I had went speeding by. In my “spare time”, I volunteered with my national fraternity, dabbled in various industries, created a network of passionate working professionals, explored my city more frequently, and reconnected with friends that I had fallen out of touch with. All of these experiences and more helped me stop and enjoy the good things in life; it let me see that work isn’t life. No, it’s just a mere component among many others that make a happy existence.

Now as I approach the close of my unemployment, I can honestly say that if I could go back and change everything, I would leave it all the same. Change as I’ve learned is sometimes unexpected and develops on micro level that can’t be appreciated without time and the right perspective. After all, very few great things are put together in a mere day. Like a great story, life requires the right amount of build-up and suspense to make it interesting.

So yet another chapter of my life comes to a close. My prolonged post-graduate job search has concluded. I now eagerly look forward to the beginning of the next chapter of my life at Nyhus Communications and the start of my “adult life.” I’ve waited a long time to say this, “It’s time for work!”