Eric, Thank you for the words of wisdom. Recently I embarked on a new life journey leaving a salary paying position behind. I learned something new today called coworking. Along in my discovery I found you.
Apparently the google gmail dictionary does not recognize "coworking". Wonder why? Peter On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 11:01 AM, eric marden <[email protected]> wrote: > Not that I'll add too much more to the discussion, but I felt compelled to > chime in. See below. > > On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Alex Hillman < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Interesting! I think you're preaching to the choir here, but I wanted to >> come back with a few thoughts nonetheless. >> >> >> Pro: Independence. You do what you want, when you want. >>> >>> Con: No Security. >>> >> >> Working from home and calling your own shots aren't necessarily the same >> thing. The most effective freelancers I've met are the ones that >> collaborate...and hard. They may be their own boss, but they still support a >> team. >> > > I want to collaborate so hard! :) > > >> I also don't believe that having a full time job means security, nor does >> being independent mean a lack of security. My approach over the last year >> has been to break my cost of living down into smaller chunks, and find more >> sustainable ways to support those individual living needs. Client work isn't >> the only path to income, and when you can get out of that headspace, your >> world opens up. >> > > Indeed it does. Going through that transition now myself. > > > >> Pro: Flexible Working. >>> >>> Con: Work Never Ends. >> >> I think this is something that coworking combats, and one of my primary >> reasons to start coworking. More often than not, my laptop stays at the >> office now. I choose when I leave the office and when I come in, if at all. >> But I've finally broken the habit of "finding work to do" when I should be >> balancing my life. >> >> Also, learning to delegate to other collaborators...who aren't necessarily >> your boss...can save your sanity. >> > > Work/Life blending is a skill most independents have to learn, generally > the hard way. Those that are willing to go out on a limb and generate their > own income are generally go-getters and work harder then their corporate > counter parts (sweeping generalization, I know). This means that > Work-aholism is more prevalent in these types of people and is an issue to > combat. Then again, when I worked for someone else - I also put in the crazy > hours to get the job done. This doesn't *always* work for me and generally > is unsustainable and should be avoided. > > > >> >> >>> Pro: Keeping All the Money. >>> >>> Con: Doing Everything. >>> >> >> You're presupposition is that you're working in solitude, with no team or >> collaborators. I firmly believe that if you're independent and not >> collaborating, you're likely to fail. >> > > I started making more money when I brought on a collaborator. We split > revenues in half, after cost. We both bring on clients and do biz dev, but > our skills complement each other and we do higher quality work together than > we do apart. Its fantastic and I wouldn't change it for the world. > > > > >> Pro: No More Commuting. >>> >>> Con: One Less Room. >>> >> >> Not much to argue with here...except that maybe you should check out a >> coworking space near you ;) >> > > I had a home office before I was an independent. I mean, its were the > computers live! :) > > I've almost always lived near my jobs, so commuting has only been an issue > a couple of times in my life. Now I just look forward to getting out of the > house, so traveling to a cafe, or coworking space is kind of an adventure > and a nice change of scenery. I live in Chicago now, so my commutes are by > public transit and I get to brainstorm and catch up on my audio books while > traveling so I feel productive while traveling. > > > >> >> >>> Pro: A Healthier Lifestyle. >>> >>> Con: The Loneliness. >>> >> >> This one's up for debate. I know I've gained a lot of weight and am much >> less healthy...but that's my fault, not my "jobs'" >> >> And that loneliness...well...I don't want to repeat myself :) >> > > I'd have to agree here. Health depends on a lot more than the work you're > doing, and collaboration and coworking is the antithesis to being lonely. > > I think the point here is that like retail and food service, working >> independently is something that everyone should try once, even if its just >> to see if it works for you. - Alex >> > > Life's too short to stay at a job you hate, even if that job is working > for yourself. I've known the joy of being independent for 6+ years, and > while you have to learn a whole new set skills and its not always been fun, > but personally I can't imagine living any other way. Freedom is choosing > your own obligations. > > > ~ Eric Marden > @xentek > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<coworking%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
