“Stay hungry, stay foolish.”                                           — Steve Jobs

If you’re wondering what your next job should be, or suspect/know you’ve settled for a job that’s  “good enough,” watch this video. It’s a short speech. Then tell us if you:

1. Agree and are already following this advice
2. Agree but have responsibilities that demand you put your calling on hold, so to speak
3. Are too worried/anxious/repressed/traumatized to let yourself even listen to the entire message
4. Disagree and wish to tell him where he’s wrong
5. Think he’s a fool

Laurie Phillips writes for and about businesses. She spends too much time ricocheting around the Internet.

chilly photo courtesy of flikr.com/fhisa

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

“Giving you a handout will help pay the bills, but it won’t give you dignity.”

My self-esteem was slaughtered when my company was shut down. My lifestyle flipped and my dignity – how I assessed my value to society – evaporated.

Fast forward to 2010. In the eBook, What Matters Now, Jacqueline Novogratz writes:

“Dignity is more important than wealth…It comes from creating your own destiny and from the respect you get from your family, your peers and society.”

By that definition, I was broke. I floundered, waiting for someone to restore my former career success. I expected my imaginary benefactor would offer me the best job I could imagine with an intriguing, prestigious company. But fantasy was a toothless substitute for dignity. It got me exactly nothing.

I eventually learned a very simple lesson:

Only you can create your own destiny.

If you’re sitting on your butt feeling sorry for yourself, you are creating your destiny. If you’re reading this while you take a break from writing a business plan, you are too. It’s your choice.

Do you look around and see others in the same situation? Is the problem of crushed dignity too widespread to overcome? Do you think the phrase “create your own destiny” is too cliche? If so, take heart. I was there too. Cynical, jaded, victimized. But no one could pick me up and point me in a direction to restore my career – except me. You can do it too.

Do you need to restore your dignity? What are you doing to create your own destiny?

If you want to catch up on the trends affecting the working world and society, read the eBook, What Matters Now.

Laurie Phillips writes for and about businesses. She likes to ride motorcycles because it’s life without a safety net. Follow her on Twitter at @ljp26.

photo courtesy of Darren Stone

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

How to Reclaim Your Future

“Will we know a fork in the road when we see it?”

I had to finish about 200 things on my to-do list before I sat down at my desk today.

Wait. That’s a lie.

I chose to spend my time slaving away at that list, which is hefty enough to make a pack donkey bray.

Someone once asked if I got any satisfaction from a day spent checking things off my list. If so, they continued, did that satisfaction last more than a day?

Sometimes rhetorical questions are the safest way to give advice.

In the eBook What Matters Now, Gina Trapani offers a productivity test. She writes:

Getting things done is not the same as making things happen.

You can…

…reply to email.
…pay the bills.
…cross off to-do’s.
…fulfill your obligation.
…repeat what you heard.
…go with the flow.
…anticipate roadblocks.
…aim for “good enough.”

Or you can…

…organize a community.
…take a risk.
…set ambitious goals.
…give more than you take.
…change perceptions.
…forge a new path.
…create possibility.
…demand excellence.

Don’t worry too much about getting things done.

Make things happen.

If you’re at a fork in the road, read the rest of the eBook, What Matters Now. It might be the smartest thing you can do to catch up on the trends affecting the working world and society.

Laurie Phillips writes for and about businesses. She specializes in technology and motorcycling.

cool and creative photo courtesy of flikr.com/drcornelius

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

Take This Productivity Test

“Globalization is forcing companies to think in new ways.”                                            — Bill Gates

“No duh, but how?”                    — Apprehensive Businessperson

What Matters Now: Global Business in the 21st Century

4^th in a series

Does the phrase “global business” bring to mind using off-shore contractors? Having an office in a shiny, new, nosebleed-high building in Singapore? Scheduling conference calls at odd hours to accommodate far-away time zones? If so, you are stuck in the last century.

Americans are way behind in understanding global dynamics. Why should you care? Because these trends are changing how businesses start up, staff and compete. The nature of work is changing. The workforce is changing. Barriers to entry are collapsing. Your next job will unquestionably be affected, even if your new employer isn′t willing to admit it yet.

Why are we still so naive? It′s not just because you had a job that didn′t give you the time – or the need – to learn about all this stuff. In the eBook, “What Matters Now,” Alisa Miller says:

“Too often American commercial news is myopic and inwardly focused.

This leads to a severe lack of global news. And increasingly, a shortage of “enterprise journalism” – journalistic depth built over time through original sources – that provides the context and enables thoughtful response.” (emphasis mine)

She continues:

“It’s difficult to understand the world if you haven’t heard much about it. But we also know many Americans want to know more.”

The solution

So what should you do? Get informed. Plug into world news and follow these topics:

1. Capitalism in developing countries: Margins are going to fall and keep falling as the balance of consumers shifts from high- to low-income markets. Ignore this and you′ll be working for another dead company.

2. Micro-factories and DIY design: Today you can place an order on the web for a prototype and an industry-agnostic micro-factory in China can build it in 24 hours. Barriers to entry in manufacturing are going “poof.” One person with an idea and a computer can now do what used to require a ton of capital and lots of industrial square footage.

3. Educating the poor. Efforts such as Room to Read are teaching the world’s poor to read. There are almost three quarters of a billion of them and when the newly educated start working, they won′t know anything about the “old way” of doing things. They′re going to question everything. Ignorance is going to foster innovation.

4. Cultural prejudices: Exclusion – by race, culture or gender – is breaking down. Work force demographics are changing and employers will become more accommodating.

As Hugh MacLeod wrote, “The world is changing.” Maybe this should be on the back of everyone′s business card.

Alisa Miller and Hugh MacLeod are contributors to the new eBook, What Matters Now. Alisa is the President and CEO of Public Radio International and blogs at Global Matters Post. Hugh blogs at Gaping Void and is the author of Ignore Everybody.

This is the fourth article in a series about global trends and how they are affecting business. The source of wisdom for these posts comes from the eBook, What Matters Now. Previous posts include “Important Trends You Missed While You Were Employed“, “What Matters Now: Advertise by giving it away” and “What Matters Now: Be fearless“.

Laurie Phillips is the editor of The Dead Company Club blog. She is also the passionate founder of the No Businessperson Left Behind campaign.

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

Are You Sure You Understand “Global”?

“What Matters Now” is what matters

Second of a series

I want to be fearless. Apparently I’m not the only one. In the new eBook, “What Matters Now,” there are plenty of mini-essays that talk about stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a new direction. And what better time to consider it than when you’ve been involuntarily canned?

In a short article appropriately titled, “Fear,” Anne Jackson writes:

“We’re often impressed by those who appear to be fearless. The people who fly to the moon. Chase tornadoes. Enter dangerous war zones. Skydive. Speak in front of thousands of people.”

I bet you’re also impressed by people who start a business that becomes successful, ferret out an unbelievable new job with a whopping promotion or ditch their former career in favor of something they’ve always wanted to do.

Do you ever think, “I could do it too,” but your Inner Censor wakes up and kicks your dreams down the sewer?

Maybe you’re short on savings or have no household income. Or you don’t have expert qualifications. Maybe you’re highly qualified but still feel the sting of your company’s collapse and are afraid to go for it. The Censor says, “Be mature! You can’t risk spending money to go to that conference/take that class/buy that company in this economy,” or “You have too much to learn, you’ll never catch up.” It may just echo, “Oh, grow up!” The Censor always ends with, “Take the safe road.”

Stop right here. Reread Anne’s quote. Those people who fly to the moon, skydive or capture a immense following are just like you. Except they didn’t take the safe road. They were afraid. They knew they were taking a substantial risk, maybe even putting their lives on the line. They chose to walk through their fear.

Could our heros have ignored their passion and done something safer? Absolutely. Would they have been satisfied? Perhaps. But here’s what I’ve found: If you have a dream and ignore it – even for good reasons – it will haunt you. It will be that little voice that nags, “Is this what I really want to do?” with every job opportunity. That dream will demand attention, and you will spend a lot of energy suppressing it.

Anne ends her essay with this:

“Until Fear is gone, (and realize he may never completely leave) make the decision to be courageous. The world needs your story in order to be complete.”

You can swallow hard and become fearless. You can also decide to be afraid. What’s your choice today?

Laurie Phillips is a freelance writer and motorcyclist. She has done the motorcycle stunt above by accident while pursuing one of her passions. It was worth it.

Photo courtesy of flicker.com/pdbreen

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

What Matters Now: Be fearless

I did a lot of soul searching when my company closed. Did I love my work, or just love what it enabled me to do?

Many of my colleagues grabbed offers from competitors, but I chose a new path. I became an entrepreneur and a consultant to other entrepreneurs. Ultimately I started four companies and worked with many more. And boy, did I learn how ignorant I was.

I was an expert in one subject in my former job. I didn’t need to know anything about emerging trends like Twitter, micro-manufacturing or green business. I learned – thanks to many strangers who offered valuable expertise for free – what I had missed. And there was a big gap.

If your corporate cocoon has cracked open recently, there is a new business world you should know about. A newly released eBook, “What Matters Now,” is a must-read. The book is a collaborative effort by dozens of authors, journalists and activists who preach the facts of leading edge business and corporate interaction. Each has written a “micro essay” of about 140 words. It’s easy reading but incredibly valuable in its simplicity.

Consider the opening essay by Seth Godin titled “Generosity.” It begins:

“When the economy tanks, it’s natural to think of yourself first. You have a family to feed, a mortgage to pay. Getting more appears to be the order of business.

It turns out that the connected economy doesn’t respect this natural instinct. Instead, we’re rewarded for being generous. Generous with our time and money but most important, generous with our art.

If you make a difference, people will gravitate to you. They want to engage, to interact and to get you more involved.”

The topics are delightfully diverse, and I’m glad I don’t agree with all the opinions because I really don’t know it all. If you’re pondering your future, take a few hours to absorb some important trends before you make your list of resolutions for the new year. And, as the authors suggest, if you like what you read, pass it on.

Laurie Phillips is a freelance writer and President of Sundance Research, a network for writers and editors.

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

Important Trends You Missed While You Were Employed

“‘Tis dogs’ delight to bark and bite,” thus does the adage run. But I delight to bite the dog when placed inside a bun.”                                                                                                                                                                                                           – the Yale Review, 1895

“Lets open a hotdog stand downtown,” said a friend one day as we surveyed the park from the unemployed bench. I frowned. Hotdogs were not part of my plan for corporate re-entry. I had haunted job boards, pestered my network of recruiters and former colleagues, and chased well-dressed business people cutting through the park on their way to somewhere important. I would rise again. I had no intention of heaving my accomplishments aside and starting over.

New possibilities

But my long-slumbering brain stirred. I wouldn’t really be selling hotdogs – I’d be in the consumer products business. I’d write a business plan, hire some operators and apply my marketing tricks. As soon as I had the formula down, I’d open more stands. Voila.

Suddenly the cloud darkening my future lifted. I didn’t have to work with very important people at very large companies to be a success. I never imagined that my business school classes about forming Newco would be useful, but I was glad to be wrong. All I needed was to lighten up – and open up – to new possibilities.

Two steps to rewriting your future

Alternate careers are not an admission of defeat. There are plenty of stories about people who made a change successfully, such as the investment banker turned baking instructor. Talk to your former colleagues. You might be surprised at how many are asking themselves whether they should consider a drastic change. Do some communal brainstorming and let your ideas get wild and crazy.

Next, take the list home and chew on it. Come up with a reason NOT to do each thing before you discard it. You’ll benefit even if you choose to continue in your former career because, very simply, creative thinking changes how you feel. It replaces those crappy, insecure, unemployed feelings with momentary freedom. And who knows: maybe you’ll become the next Wiener Wonder.

Laurie Phillips does not own or operate a hotdog stand but she does write business plans for those that want to do so.

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

New Careers for Old Dogs

“Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.”

-Sumner Redstone, majority owner of CBS, Viacom, MTV Network, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks studios

I was taught that there are winners and losers. You didn’t hear any of that sissy “Everybody’s a winner, Sweetie!” nonsense in my ‘hood. We kept score during our games.

Our job search winners are…

In that spirit I am announcing the winners of the Corporate Reemployment Awards Program (CRAP). They all came from organizations that failed or otherwise died of natural causes. They experienced the same fears and feelings as the rest of us who found ourselves treading water in a crowded sea of unemployment. Some accepted the challenge and vaulted to greater success, showing character that really shines. Others failed spectacularly. So without further ado, here’s the list.

Winner, Biggest Leap Up The Ladder: Chad Fulgham, formerly of Lehman Brothers, now the CIO of the FBI.

Winner, Most Challenging Career Change: Andy Neff, former Senior Managing Director at Bear Sterns, now full time student of the Torah. Says Andy, “Is this comfortable? No, it’s really not comfortable, it’s disorienting,” but I find it unfortunate that people tend to focus on how much they lost. Coming out of every situation, you need to focus on what you have, not on what you lost.” Amen, Brother.

Winner, Most Reformed: David Walker, former partner at Arthur Andersen who became the Comptroller General of the United States. He subsequently resigned over the “declining moral values” within the U.S. Government which, ironically, is who shut down Arthur Andersen for their accounting ethics.

Winner, Most Dramatic Career Change: Taria Reed, former Enron employee turned Playboy model. Taria’s acceptance speech: “It was personal for me, empowering (and) gave me a little bit of self-assuredness.” Taria gives new meaning to “getting back on your feet.”

Winner, Most Publicly Humiliating Rebound Job: Alberto Gonzales, former Bush Administration U.S. Attorney General, now the professor of a single political science course at Texas Tech University. Gonzales, the most powerful lawyer in the US, said he was “unable to interest law firms in adding his name to their roster.”

Winner, Biggest Loser: Rebecca Mark, former CEO of Enron International, now isolating on her Ranch in New Mexico. “Just say that I’m sitting out here watching the elk migrate across the mesa and raising my cattle.”

Winner of The Job We All Want: He’s only known as “John S.” and he says “I make a little less money, work less, have less work-related stress, great benefits and enjoy my work like never before.” Read more at Alison’s Job Searching Blog.

Do you know someone who should be nominated for our next round of awards?

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

New Job Award Winners

“When you are unhappy, is there anything more maddening than to be told that you should be contented with your lot?”                                                                                  Kathleen Norris

If your company is gone and you’re unemployed, a noted doctor has figured out why you may be unhappy. Dr. Norman M. Bradburn conducted a psychology study at the University of Chicago back in the 1960′s. He found that employment was a key discriminator between happy and unhappy people. Fear of unemployment weighed heavily in the unhappy camp too. No kidding.

But – very importantly – Dr. Bradburn found plenty of unemployed people were happy. He attacked this oddity like a pit bull and ultimately found that social interaction was the key to happiness, regardless of employment status.

Are you social?

Dr. Bradburn measured social interaction by seven factors, all reducible to a number:

1. Organizations belonged go
2. Phone calls per day
3. Distance traveled from home in the past week
4. Meetings attended
5. Friends visited
6. Auto rides taken
7. Restaurant meals eaten

The more of each, the merrier.

Test yourself.

If you’re unemployed and unhappy, ask yourself:

• Are you isolating?

• Getting away from your keyboard?

• Networking in person?

• Escaping the house?

• Calling friends, even those that are employed?

Extra credit

From experience I would add:

Are you getting outside to walk or do other exercise at least once a day? It’s proven to change the way you feel. Plus daylight and the wind in your face are healing.

Of course, you can hold as tightly to unhappiness as you wish. I wallowed in my dirty diaper for too long and it didn’t do any good. It’s your choice. I know which one I prefer.

What makes you feel better when your self-esteem has cracked and you’re feeling like a victim of circumstances beyond your control?

Laurie Phillips is very happy being her own boss as a freelance writer for Sundance Research.

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

The 7 Causes of Happiness

“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”       – Walt Disney

When I lived in Boulder, Colorado in the ’80s everyone else wanted to live there too. PhDs were washing dishes to make it possible. Flash forward. Today’s corporate failures are making PhDs compete to wash dishes. The best and brightest can’t find jobs and are running out of savings, can’t pay their debts, and don’t know what to do.

My experience in Boulder – I made omelets – and later after my company failed (I sold stuff on eBay and painted until I got a real job) taught me a few things that might help you feel, well, less tortured. Here are the five things to keep in mind while you’re getting over the shock of being laid off.

1. You are still brilliant. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to doubt yourself. Keep exercising your mind. Go to university forum discussions. Read everything you can. Short attention span? Hit the magazine rack at the library. Like your solitude? Read Thoreau. It’s not action-packed Hollywood, but his soaring intellect will give your brain a workout. Plus his example of thrift – he pondered sleeping in a coffin-like box as an alternative to a house because it gave him a roof over his head without frivolous extras – may help put your own lifestyle in perspective.

2. Talk your ego down out of that tree. You’re not a bad person if you lose your job, and having to take a lesser job doesn’t change who you are. Ego has a way of keeping you stuck in the self-pity swirly. Shake it off and remember that this will make a good story some day.

3. Being broke is fixable. Look for a temporary job. Consider it a “research opportunity.” Look on craigslist and Elance for short-term and permanent postings. Post your own skills for hire. Hint: set aside your pride and tailor your resume for the job. Summa Cum Laude may backfire when you’re applying to edit kids’ books.

4. This won’t last. This is life, and life will change. Shit happens. You will get over it and new opportunities will come along. It might not happen on your schedule, but it will happen. You can’t keep great talent down.

5. Don’t wait. The longer you brood, the worse your mood. Get out there and do something. Look for humor to get you feeling upbeat.

What has losing your job and company done to your self-esteem? What has helped you?

Laurie Phillips was a ski bum and worked as a lowly chef long before she found her true calling. She is a freelance business copywriter but her heart is still in the mountains.

Post from: The Dead Company Club The Dead Company Club is a hobby of the writers at Sundance Research. Sometimes they just need to write about their own stuff.

Brilliant and Broke