career — Career Life Coaching

Identify Your Skills and Talents and Find Your Ideal Career

June 11, 2013 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

Are you thinking it is time to get a different job or shift careers? The first step is to identify your package of skills, talents, and natural abilities. We all have abilities, life experience, knowledge, talents, passions, creativity, yearnings, interests, and skills within. I imagine them as being different shapes, sizes, and colors–kind of like this picture I took of David Chihuly glass.

I find clients often assume that they are “stuck” in the same type job because that is all they have done in the past. If we look beyond the job description and instead look within ourselves, we can discover a wellspring of transferable skills and hidden talents that can help qualify us for a variety of potentially satisfying jobs. Let me give you an example:

Scott had been a master electrician for 15 years. He climbed up ladders and crawled through ducts while wiring commercial buildings. At 35, he was finding the physical demands becoming challenging and decided to explore a career change. When I asked him what he liked best about being an electrician, he responded; “it is really satisfying to wire an entire system and then bring a building to life with the flip of a switch.” We began exploring how this could relate to other kinds of careers. You see, if you start with what you really most enjoy about your work and look at where you can do something similar in a different environment, some times the ideal career reveals itself.

After identifying his transferable skills and natural gifts, Scott decided to become a chiropractor. He compared the work of being a chiropractor to his career as an electrician. In both cases he said; “you are working with the electrical system. In the human body it is the nervous system but my role is the same. Determine where the electricity is failing to connect and fix it.” He went on further to say; “instead of working in a building with ducts and blowers to move the air and maintain the temperature and electrical wiring to circulate the juice, I work on the human body — it too has respiratory, circulatory and electrical systems.”

Today Scott has a thriving practice in Landrum, SC and says he just loves his work! (He’s good at it too. I often see him when I am visiting there.)

You never know what new wonderful career may be just around the corner. Identifying your own skills and talents is the first step in exploring other kinds of work. Need a nudge to start looking at your own? Here is a list of Transferable Skills for you to select from. After you identify the skills you possess, review the list and note those that you really enjoy doing. Then mention those in correspondence with potential employers, emphasize them on your resume, describe them in interviews or launch a business built on them!

YOU have a unique package of skills, talents and abilities. Why not use them and live the work you love!

Filed Under: Career Transition, Featured Tagged With: career, change, creativity, job, Passions, skills, talents, work

How to Have More Mindful Moments

May 14, 2013 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

Last week I facilitated two workshops on mindfulness for employees of John Deere Financial. I was struck by how earnestly engaged the participants were in the process. It was like they were hungry to explore mindfulness. What a gift it is to give ourselves “time out”, to allow our busy brains to re-focus on the present moment as we did during those workshops.

For the most part, we move through our days on autopilot. Scientists tell us that the average human brain thinks 70,000 thoughts a day. Now if those were all empowering positive thoughts, imagine how different our lives might be.

Unfortunately, we humans tend to ruminate on the past and imagine and plan for the future. We also tend to get in loops of repeating memories or patterns of thinking. Consider the times you have re-played a situation in your head and thought about what you could have, should have, or would have done differently if given a chance to “do it over.” The nice thing about using mindfulness techniques, is that every time you awake to the present moment, you have the opportunity to consciously choose how to move forward to the next one.

When you consider career paths, choosing wisely can make all the difference in whether you experience a job that is boring or stressful vs having work that is interesting and enjoyable. The more consciously aware we are, the more control we have over the course of our lives. Instead of being at the mercy of our mental default programs, we can start to wake-up to each moment, each choice point. So how do we become more “mindful”? Here are some exercises you might try:

1. Watch the mind move in time. Take a piece of paper and draw a horizontal line. At one end is the future at the other, the past. In the center of the line make a circle and write in the word NOW. Start with your finger on the circle and simply observe your thoughts for 5 minutes. Every time you realize you are thinking about the future, move your finger on the scale. Do the same thing when you realize you are thinking about the past. Don’t try to stop the thoughts, just observe how your mind wanders in time.

2. Focus your senses. Pick up an object you find interesting and study it for 5 minutes. Really look at it, touch it, observe every detail of color, weight, shape, even whether or not it has an odor. This is one method to bring you into the present moment. It offers the additional benefit of increasing your power of sensory perception.

3. Set wake up calls. When I was in grad school, I was also a student in The Fourth Way work which was based on the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff. One of the most interesting homework assignments we were given was called the doorway exercise. Every time you pass through a doorway say to yourself “I am here now”. When you realize you have sailed through a doorway without remembering your statement (in essence being on autopilot or asleep at the switch), go back through the doorway and say it. While it may not be practical to actually go back through every doorway, for instance exiting an airplane, it is remarkable to see how often we are unaware.

All these moments of mindfulness add up. You start to realize how much of life you’ve missed because you have been riding around on your own thought train. Increase your mindful moments and your life begins to change in some interesting ways. Who knows? That dream career, that ideal life, may be just around the corner…

Filed Under: Featured, Self Development Tagged With: awareness, career, change, enlightenment, job, joy, mind

Passion at Work

April 7, 2013 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

Pattiy Torno

What would it be like to be excited to “go to work” on a regular basis, to be brimming with creativity and inspiration, to be energized by your own efforts? I have often asked that question in an effort to find answers to share. Do you know someone who says they absolutely love their work? Have you ever heard someone say; “I enjoy this so much I can hardly believe I get paid to do it”? Who are these people and what do they do? I found some shining examples during a recent visit to the Carolinas.

I spent an afternoon wandering the River Arts District in Asheville, NC a couple of months ago. “This unique neighborhood along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings”. I loved that people are welcome to wander in and talk with the artists, and if you’re lucky, observe them at their craft. What really struck me was the unbridled enthusiasm of the artists I spoke with. Their passion for their work was a tangible living thing exuding from each studio I visited. No one tried to sell me anything either. I loved that!

Take Jonas Gerard for example. Born in Casablanca, Morocco in 1941, he migrated to NYC and began showing his art on the streets at the age of 16. Although he spent years working in the engineering field, his passion for his art eventually lead him to pursue it full time. Largely self taught, he is best known for his abstract art. He describes the essence of it as:

To unfold the spirit of self-exploration by painting (or creating) freely without restraint or self criticism
To develop a deeper trust in one’s intuition and instinct as they happen
To realize that letting go of set goals opens up a whole world of infinite possibilities

I think these are terrific goals for anyone seeking fulfillment in their work, don’t you agree?

William B.Leonard of Bold Life said; “it would be hard, maybe even impossible to find anyone who is more passionate and energetic about his work than Jonas Gerard. He is an artist with the heart of a showman and he happily welcomes visitors into his studio to watch him work. As he paints, he dances in front of the canvas to music that blares raucously from his cd player” and talks while painting saying that he has no idea where the music and paint will take him.”

Another studio I visited was Pattiy Torno’s. When she was in high school she decided to head towards fashion design as a career. She says on her webpage, “It was the only career I could think of that would allow me to earn a living doing what I love most—sewing.” She apprenticed in the fashion industry in New York and then started her own business in the 1980’s as she wanted to get back to “the simple joy of playing with fabric.” She began making quilts. (See her picture above with a thimble on her finger and quilt behind her.)

As I sat in her studio drinking herbal tea that chilly afternoon, I was struck by how much she truly loves what she does. Pattiy shared her work and encouraged me to touch and try on her creations. I walked out with one of her lovely fleece hats on my head. Whenever I wear it, I think of the joy of the artist who made it and it makes me feel good (it’s nice and warm too!).

Do you have passion at work? If you are shaking your head, NO, you might re-consider if you feel or express any of the following:

Empowered, energized, excited, unstoppable, joy, entertaining, creative, evocative, motivated, a sense of flow, giving to others, or sharing your talents.

And, if none of those words apply, you might rethink your career path…. Life is too short to spend more than half your waking hours in passionless work.

Filed Under: Featured, Finding Your Passion Tagged With: art, career, creativity, empowerment, energy, joy, love, talents, work

Ages and Stages in Your Career Life

December 11, 2012 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

I had the good fortune to be interviewed recently by Teresa Bryan Peneguy, an editor with the Wisconsin State Journal. The subsequent article “Ages, stages are factors in education, career” was published in the newspaper on 12.10.12. It was at the back of the Sports section under the heading “Education for Life” and I thought it might be helpful to share it with you. Here it is in full:

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.” –William Shakespeare

The average American now works close to 50 years. That’s a heck of a long time to do something you detest. Luckily, you don’t have to. Even in today’s economy and job market, you don’t have to feel trapped at a job that makes you want to run screaming for the exit. Nor do you have to feel hopeless if your career is threatened by changes in technology and society.

Whatever stage of life you’re in – whether you’re new to the workforce or a seasoned worker – you have options in education and occupation. ”You just have to find out what you really want to do, know what your talents and gifts are, and figure out who needs what you have to offer,” says Madison-based career life coach Dee Relyea.

Your 20s

Although some people are questioning whether or not college still offers a good ROI, labor force data still reveals that the college educated do earn more than their peers without degrees, and the higher the education attained, the higher one’s earnings over a lifetime. The times of spending seven years in college for a degree in Medieval Literature may be gone, but college is still a smart choice as long as one’s chosen career path requires a college degree.

An awesome thing about being in your 20′s is that you may have great flexibility at this stage of life. Relyea talks about Sally, who attended college in Minnesota and earned a liberal arts degree. After she returned to her home state of WI, she went to work in an off, “which didn’t suit her,” said Relyea.

Because she had a roommate, which lowered her living expenses, she had some wiggle-room in terms of her salary needs. So she worked part time in retail and part time providing marketing for a martial arts school. ”She began trying on different workplaces,” says Relyea. ”She discovered she really liked social media, and since she had no need for a steady paycheck, she decided to do that (and be a freelance writer) full-time.” Since all of her work was done via computer, she was able to live anywhere – so she moved to Denver. It was the perfect scenario for Sally.

Your 30s

Another client of Relyea’s; Bob, got a computer science degree, went to work at Epic, where he had “no trouble getting his foot through the door.” He loved his job, until his position changed and he was required to travel frequently. This was a problem because he had dogs, “and he was miserable with the travel aspect of his job.” Bob realized that his favorite thing was teaching computer skills to other people, so he stared a home business doing that. He needed to earn a little more, so he picked up a part time job at the Apple store. (Addendum to this story from Dee: ”which evolved into a full time career and where, incidentally, he met the love of his life and is not only fully engaged in his work, he is engaged to be married!” The universe works in wondrous ways…)

Your 40s

Betsy had a high-end marketing job at a Fortune 500 company. As technology advanced and Betsy was required to carry a smart phone, “she found she had no respite from the office whatsoever,” says Relyea. Betsy was a single mom with two adolescents, and she was working 70 hours a week. Then she heard the company was going to be bought out. ”She came to me to create an exit strategy,” says Relyea.

Betsy completed a career assessment (the MBTI) which revealed her natural personality preferences and transferable skills. She discovered she wanted to teach. She had a master’s degree in marketing, but she needed to go back to school for a teaching degree. When she was laid off, she got a severance package – which gave her the time (and the money) to get the education she needed. ”She was prepared and thrilled when she got that pink slip,” says Relyea. Today, Betsy is a high school teacher and loves what she does.

Your 50s and 60s

In middle age, many people find themselves discontented with unfulfilling jobs. ”They want to do something they are passionate about,” says Relyea. ”Sometimes they have been downsized, and (sometimes) they want to respond to an inner calling.”

You have a right to enjoy what you do for a living, says Relyea. “It’s really not a luxury,” she says. ”We don’t have much time on this earth. You shouldn’t have to do something you don’t like.” Often, people in this age range have “golden handcuffs” – they’re held hostage by a big house or a fancy car or expensive recreation. ”But you can choose to downsize your standard of living,” she says. ”People have successfully done that to find more fulfilling work. A lot of people in their 50s freelance or consult, and work part-time in retail (or whatever) to make ends meet. Multiple streams of income are the way to go.”

Relyea has answers for any questions you may ask. For example, what if you want to start a home business but you need health insurance? ”You do have options,” she says. ”If you have a spouse, you may get it through them. Umbrella group policies are available: the Chamber of Commerce may offer insurance as do almost all professional associations. You might be able to get COBRA to tide you over until insurance is easier to purchase through the Affordable Care Act. You can find a way to do what you have to do.”

The bottom line is that you do have choices. There are many paths available: just decide which one you want to take. ”I’ve seen some people achieve some amazing things,” says Relyea.

I’d love to hear stories of your career experiences. Please comment below. –Dee

Filed Under: Career Transition, Featured Tagged With: career, consulting, freelance, fulfillment, job, social media, work

Let Your Passion Fuel Your Work

March 1, 2012 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

When you enjoy the nature of your work, your potential for true career fulfillment skyrockets., positioning you for greater success. In reality, many people are not in “work they love” but in jobs that they need simply to pay the bills. They diligently move through their work week doing what needs to be done to meet the required performance standard. You know the scenario: hanging onto a job even when you are burned out or yearn to be spending your precious hours focused in another direction. You slog through your days and gaze eagerly at your weekends so that you can do the stuff you are passionate about.

The question is, do you even have enough energy at the end of your day, your week, your long stint without a vacation to really enjoy your time off when you have it? Can you keep working the “day job” week after week, month after month, year after year without something else in your life to energize you? Probably not.

One of the recommendations I make to my clients is to identify what they are passionate about and then find a way to spend time on that passion. To clarify what you are passionate about, try to remember the last time you were really engaged in an activity that brought you joy, made you feel exhilarated, excited, or energized. The things that bring us to that place of feeling more alive or more in tune with our joy are our passions. They feed us, and give us energy, rather than sapping it away. We all have things we have to do in life that sap energy, so we must balance them with things that create more energy for us.

One of my clients shared that she just didn’t have enough juice at the end of the day to do anything but go home, eat something and either zone into the TV or go to bed. Susan is only 24 years old, way too young to be feeling that way at the end of the day. I asked her to think about the last time she felt really energized in her life. She told me it was when she was acting in community theater three years ago. Had she tried out for any parts since? No, she was too exhausted from working which is why she came to see me in the first place. She figured she needed a new job.

Sometimes it is not the job, it is the lack of balance in our life. Susan needed to get in touch with her passion again. She needed to “feed the muse” inside, to get that fire going in her belly again, to be excited and enthused about something in her life. It was quite evident that just talking about her experience in the theater raised her energy level. I swear her eyes sparkled and she became more animated as she talked.

She left our session with a spring in her step and a promise to start looking for play auditions. Within a few weeks, not only had she identified a play she was interested in, she tried out and was cast in the lead role! Even though the rehearsals required a two hour commute four days a week after work for months, Susan persevered. The very act of engaging in her passion fueled her through her work week. I had the great joy of attending her play a few weeks ago and seeing her alight with joy as she masterfully applied her craft.

The play is now over but Susan is fired up to find more opportunities to act. It doesn’t need to be how she earns her living, but it needs to be in her life. She does administrative work and thought it was at odds with her passion. Now she is looking at administrative positions within the arts, media, and entertainment communities. Who knows, she may find an admin position with a theater company and have an opportunity to expand her role.

What energizes you? Identify it and do it! Who knows, a new career direction may evolve from your participation in YOUR passion!

If you want some help with this see “4 Ways to Discover Your Passions”.

Filed Under: Featured, Finding Your Passion Tagged With: balance, career, energy, job, Passions, work

Expand Your Career Horizons

October 4, 2011 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

Are you tired of your work routine, burned out on your occupation, or struggling to please your boss or coworkers? Maybe it is time to seriously consider a career change. Here are 5 Action Steps to help you get moving:

Evaluate your current life situation and how your work fits into it. Do you live to work or work to live? Are you staying in a job that you don’t like just to pay your bills? If so, how is that impacting your family, your health, and your precious time? How do you want to spend your days? Where you do want to live? What lifestyle is desirable and what are your most important values? Optimally, you want to have meaningful, purposeful, satisfying work that energizes and enlivens you as well as pays your bills.
Look beyond your occupation. Just because you’ve always worked in an office as an administrator doesn’t mean you have to stay in this field. What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies and interests? What are you doing when you feel most exhilarated, alive and engaged? Do you love to cook and fantasize about being a personal chef or having your own restaurant? Well maybe you can! Just don’t go after “hot jobs” because they might be lucrative unless they are truly a fit for your skills, talents and personality.
Do the research. One of my favorite sites to share with clients is http://www.onetonline.org/ You can browse occupations by industry, by employment outlook, by how much education or training it requires, by industry or career cluster. This Department of Labor website links with others to provide wage and data info, hiring trends, and growth patterns. You can even find out the prevailing salaries of workers in an occupation in your geographic area. (Handy to know when you receive a job offer and want to negotiate your paycheck). Another consideration is the physical demands a new line of work may require. For instance, it may not be practical to become a massage therapist if you have joint problems. Find out before you enroll in a program.
Identify your transferable skills. What skills and abilities do you already possess that are valuable in a different line of work? We all have them but often overlook them. I’m talking about non-occupation specific skills such as public speaking, writing concisely, gathering resources, implementing new systems, mentoring others, translating complex information, and building consensus. Here’s a checklist for you.
Examine the market. The bottom line here is who needs what you have? Where is there a problem you can solve? Does your community need another coffee shop or chiropractor or whatever it is you plan to do next? Consider the timing. If you need to go to a 4 year degree program to enter a new field, better be sure it is in a growth mode. New occupations are arising all the time. Five years ago “Social Media Consultant” wasn’t an occupation. Today, it is a promising field along with distance learning coordinators, GPS systems developers, nanotechnology engineers, and about anything in the green industry. Again, check out Onet for info on emerging careers, as well as the outlook for careers you are considering.

“You don’t have to do any kind of work, there is choice. Get the information you need to chose well.”

—Dee

Filed Under: Career Transition, Featured Tagged With: career, employment, getting hired, values, work

Work: Labor or Love?

September 5, 2011 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

Work, is it a labor of love?

Today is Labor Day in America. It became a national holiday in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland reconciled with the labor movement following the deaths of workers during the Pullman Strike. Fearing further conflict, the bill was rushed through Congress a mere 6 days after the strike. Much has changed in the workplace since then. Now we largely look at Labor Day as the last weekend of summer and the kickoff of the football season, a day off for fun and relaxation.

If we view this occasion as it was originally conceived, it is a day to appreciate those in the workforce and celebrate employment. I ask you; do you feel celebratory at work? Are you fully engaged and joyfully expressing your talents and skills? Do you really like your job? Are you appreciated and rewarded for your contributions? Do you feel energized by the work you do? Sadly, I don’t think the majority of workers would answer yes to these questions.

When my daughter graduated college, she had a hard time being motivated to get that first job. I asked her what came to mind when I said the word: work. She thought a minute and then said; “I get a picture of a sweaty bald guy in a warehouse pulling a huge chain.” My internal response was “yikes, she views work as drudgery!” Sadly, I think many people view work from this perspective. (Happily, my daughter now loves her work as a blogger, freelance writer and social media consultant in Denver).

For many people, a job is tied to the idea of being in servitude to get a paycheck. I’ve had coaching clients tell me they are miserable in their jobs but are locked into the “golden handcuffs”. They feel they cannot leave their jobs for fear of losing health insurance and other benefits. I ask them, “If you really can’t leave your work, can you find a way to be more satisfied with it?”

What would happen if you shifted your perception and viewed work as a creative expression of yourself? How might you bring your natural talents and skills into your work life? Can you see how your work could then become a “labor of love”? I believe that each and every one of us can find or create work that is inherently fulfilling. If you are currently in a job, consider how you can experience it with more joy. Ask yourself:

What is one thing I can do this week to find more pleasure and satisfaction at work?
How can I make the best contribution to my workplace, my co-workers, or my employer?
What can I change in my daily routine to make my job more interesting?

If you are looking at career options, consider these questions:

What am I passionate about? How might I express my passion through my work?
Is my work an expression of me? Is the work I do in alignment with my value system?
What kind of work would energize me?
Who could utilize my natural talents, skills, education, etc.? Where is there a need I can fill?

If you can’t find a way to “love the work you’re with” it’s time to look elsewhere. You might consider creative self employment, starting a small business or a combination in income producing endeavors. Remember you don’t have to do a particular kind or work, you have choice!

“Follow the path of your potential and live the work you love” –Dee

Filed Under: Career Transition, Featured, Finding Your Passion Tagged With: appreciation, attitude, career, employment, Passions, values, work

Making Enlightened Career Choices

July 29, 2011 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

Are you making enlightened decisions about your career?

Are you doing work that is fulfilling and rewarding? Does your current work give you an outlet to make a difference, to feel alive with purpose? If not, you might want to consider making some changes. You don’t have to do a particular job, work in soul deadening surroundings, or be “chained” to a desk in a cubicle. YOU have CHOICE! If you want to create a different career path you need to make choices that will propel you to new actions.

How do you typically make decisions? Are they based on:
• Shoulds – doing what you believe you should do
• Pleasing others – doing what others want or expect you to do
• Fear – choosing the safe route, or being afraid to make changes
• Habit and reaction – you don’t even think about what you’re doing–you’ve always done it this way

Or, are you consciously considering each decision and maintaining an awareness of these factors:
• Feeling empowered – to choose truly for yourself, not to please others
• Authenticity – you know who you are and choose in alignment with your core values
• Creative expression – you have talents and skills to share, and seek to express these through your work

To make more enlightened, conscious choices:

1. Clearly define your wants and needs. Get in touch with your sense of purpose. Listen to your intuition. Ask yourself; “Does this choice feel empowering or disempowering?” “Is this decision in my highest good?”

2. Consider your current situation and ask yourself; “Why am I doing this? What do I want to achieve?” It may be helpful for you to write down your answers and ponder them. Be more conscious of how you are spending your precious time, because this is your life passing by.

3. Stay out of the victim mindset. You alone are responsible for your life. When you accept this, you will claim your inner power and make better choices. Change often comes from nothing more than a shift in perspective.

4. Be open to new possibilities for yourself. Select one area of your life where you are unsatisfied, and choose something new, something more for yourself.

5. Simply notice opportunities as they show up. We miss so many options because we just don’t see them! Wake up and look around. You have an opportunity right in this moment to choose something new or different.

If you find you spend a lot of time in a job that leaves you tired, frustrated and discouraged at the end of the day, it may be time for “Plan B”. You have gifts, talents, work and life experiences, skills and expertise to create your next career! Identify them and search out how who needs them. Then you can make a plan to move in a new direction.

Filed Under: Career Transition, Featured, Self Development Tagged With: career, creativity, enlightenment, self-actualization, values, work

Career Independence

July 4, 2011 by Dee Relyea 2 Comments

Career Independence

As we celebrate the birth of our country on the 4^th of July in the U.S., I got to thinking about what independence means from a career point of view. For many people, the word career equals “full time job” and implies that we will be dependent on employers to derive an income for most of our adult lives. Unfortunately with shifting economies and markets, long term employment is not always an option even if we chose that route. Being someone’s employee is not always attractive either. If you’ve ever considered starting a business or being creatively self employed, declaring career independence here are some things to consider:

What do you love to do that you do really well? For instance, are you a terrific organizer who excels at keeping everything running efficiently and timely? Do you enjoy re-doing closets and cabinets to make the contents more orderly and easy to find? Do you get energized by this kind of activity? If you answered yes to these questions, one of your skills may be in organizing. What can you do with this talent? Here’s an example: Nancy McKinney launched her business; Successful Organizing Solutions in 1999 and loves being a “solo entrepreneur”. She added some coach training and received certification through BCPO, a professional organization in her field and has turned her talent into a successful business. Whatever you really enjoy doing and have competency in is worth exploring whether or not you could turn it into a business.

Who needs what you have to offer? Once you’ve identified your skills, talents, and passions it is time to determine where they may best be useful. Is there a need for whatever product or service you want to share with others? You may be the greatest cookie baker in three states but if there isn’t a need for a cookie store in your area it may not a good idea to start a bakery. Then again, there are many avenues to market products beyond having a bricks and mortar business. Gail Ambrious took her passion for chocolate and launched her business in 2004. Laid off from her “steady job” with the state, she decided to pursue her dreams and has since become known for “the best little box of chocolates” by the Food Network.

Besides what you are passionate about, think of all the life experience you’ve had, how might that be useful to others? How can you be of service in the world? Bottom line: who needs what you have to offer? Answer this question and you’ve identified your customer base.

Is there someone else doing the kind of business you are considering? Identify those people and organizations. For instance, if you are thinking of doing a doggy daycare, see who else has one and check it out. Note what you like and don’t like about their advertising, facility, customer service, etc. How do they get customers? How might you approach your target customers differently? What might you improve on?

Is being self employed or starting a business a right fit for your personality and lifestyle? If you’ve been an employee for years, you may find it challenging to switch your perspective to being the boss. It can be tremendously fulfilling to create your own business, work when, where and how you choose to, and not have to get someone else’s permission. It also entails self motivation and requires you to be willing to accept failure, learn from it and keep moving your business forward.

Filed Under: Finding Your Passion, Starting a Business Tagged With: career, Starting a Business, talents

Location Independent Careers

June 14, 2011 by Dee Relyea Leave a Comment

View from my "office" in Myrtle Beach, SC

With summer in full swing, many of us have trips and vacations planned, or are dreaming about long days on the beach. If you’re tied to an office job or have limited time off, this can be a challenging season, and one that gets a lot of people thinking about working for themselves.

It sounds great, doesn’t it? You could be working from home, or – better yet – poolside somewhere. Maybe you could design your schedule so you have the best parts of the day free to be outside and enjoy the sunshine. Or maybe your ambitions are bigger – a lot of people who want to work for themselves picture life away from the office as one full of adventure, traveling to exotic places, having the freedom and flexibility to just pick up and go. If you’re one of those people, then this series of posts is for you.

Whether you want to live abroad or just travel from time to time, there are ways to make a living on the go. Over the next few weeks we’ll explore the pros and cons of location independence and go through some of the how-to’s.

Thanks to things like laptops and wifi, being location independent is far more feasible now than it ever has been before. But that flexibility only exists if you’re not still tethered to one place, which means being very deliberate about the type of business you start for yourself.

If you want location independence, you probably aren’t looking to open a restaurant or a storefront. There are dozens of ways to have a virtual business by selling a product online, or offering a service that doesn’t require you to physically be present to do the work.

Thinking up a business that can be done from anywhere that you have a laptop and wifi can be a challenge, but with a little creative thinking you can find a way to take your skills and passions and make a living from wherever you are. Often times it is simply a matter of looking at the business you want to start or the work you want to do from a slightly different angle, or finding the niche within it that allows you to be on the move. You can also create a business that is partially location independent, allowing you to travel frequently but still having a home base.

Many savvy entrepreneurs are successfully doing this:

Chris Guillebeau is traveling to every country in the world and writing about it and making money doing it.
Barbara Winter ventures across the country and around the world speaking, writing, and teaching.
Lea and Jonathan Woodward have been making a living from Mexico.
Corbett Barr has built an online business that supports him regardless of where he happens to be from one day to the next.

My daughter, Nicole, enjoys a lifestyle where she’s got a home base and an office in Denver, but she travels at will – last weekend she was working from a resort in the mountains, and this week is sending me emails from funky coffee shops in Minneapolis. I took the picture above a few weeks ago while enjoying time with my mother at a Myrtle Beach resort (and still serving my clients’ needs) and will be traveling to Denver and Rochester, MN in coming months and conducting workshops.

Some of these people are writers, some are teachers, some are techies. There are many more examples out there, of people who sell crafts or products, do design or consultations – I’ve even heard of a woman who teaches remote voice lessons using a program like Skype! The thing they all have in common: they are inspired, innovative, and determined to find creative ways to earn a living while jet-setting, living abroad, or spending more of their time away from their offices than in them.

What do you want to do for work? How can you begin to reconfigure it to support your wanderlust?