All Things Considered…

Geez!  Has it been that long?!?!  What’s everyone been up to while I’ve been gone?  You look good!

So, here’s what’s been going on:  Freelance.  Lemme tell you… the Freelance thing, when it works, is a boon.  I LOVE it; and it’s ironic, because back about 11 years ago, I’d tried to initiate a similar work-at-home situation.  That – by the way – failed on every conceivable level, though mostly because my son was 2 and I was uber pregnant with child #2 at the time.  Focus is lost.  Like a recovering addict, one should avoid taking on too much during that tense of a phase in one’s life, lest he be eaten alive by the pressure.  So then, Access Office Assistance died.  It was quick, very little suffering.  No one attended its funeral.  It was, alas, far ahead of its time.

In October of 2008, I was folding laundry – as I’m oft’ left to do - and half listening to Philly morning show featuring “Mike and…” some airhead,  some “white noise” to feed my short attention span.  (This was before the purchase of the new Mac-Daddy fast computer with the super media player and surround speakers, and well before my infatuation with John Mayer cranked to 8+ began, thereafter reinventing my version of “white noise”.)  They are interviewing someone who is making a killing working at home.  Now, I’m at a point then where I don’t have to be available all the time to entertain a Pre-K kid; my kids still need lots of homework help, but they’re all in school full-time; my husband is working full-time, but the expenses are piling up and that last loan we took out is threatening to bite us in the ass.  I needed to contribute to the household coffers. 

You have to understand (WARNING!  Tangential content ahead), the last traditional job I held (speaking of biting me in the ass) was in 1996.  I was working for an attorney who was, truth be told, a great guy.  Lazy, but great.  Let’s say his name is… Back-stabbing-duplicitous-son-of-a…  no, let’s say “Rich” – seems apt.  So, Rich wooed me to work for him instead of his partner when that partnership split in ‘94.  I followed him; worked WITH him, not so much for him.  Good pay.  Holiday bonuses.  It was a perfect situation.

In 1996, my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child.  Long story short: though I did everything I could to ensure medical insurance was in place, and though I drafted a contract to that effect, and though I made him sign it and had his associate witness it, Rich never paid my premiums – not with good checks, anyway.  Rich had no problem signing the contract, citing – swear to God, he even said it out loud – “You’re covered.  Don’t worry about it, my parents are rich.”  Because that’s the kind of thing you can expect of duplicitous-sons-of…

When my eldest was born, I incurred $22K worth of medical bills.  And not a one covered by insurance.  Bankruptcy ensued.  Yes, I sued him.  Yes, I won.  On paper, it’s victory, but Hell if I can collect from him.

So, I see this story on the Mike and Airhead Show, and here they are touting the virtues of Elance.com.  And everything within me told me to check it out.  There’re projects there, they say, for every specialty: Administrative Support, Designers, Web Programmers, even something for those of us with a Legal background, formerly screwed-over by our ex-bosses who still practice with a clear icy conscience.

Since then, I’ve been working both through Elance.com and by way of projects that have stemmed from there.  I’ve created an entire brand for a company in San Fransisco; I’ve created a killer resume for a “Life Coach” (you’d be surprised how hard that is to feature in a resume)  ex-military guy, also in San Fransisco;  Proofreading/copyediting  for London; rewrote an e-book for a guy in Australia; I have repeat document creation clients in a Real Estate Brokerage in Honolulu, a Real Estate investor in South Carolina and a Real Estate Loan Modification specialist in Wyoming; I’ve got carte blanche to handle paralegal work for an Philadelphia attorney: he’ll just send me files and tell me, “Here.  Do this.  No worries.” whose lead-generating partner seems to find me on his speed dial.  Most recently, I’ve taken on an all-consuming project for a businessman in Miami, which integrates ALL of the most interesting aspects of any of my jobs.  I can choose my work now.  I’ve gotten to know many of my people, I know their needs.  Many are not familiar with the outsourcing game – these are the ones who aren’t familiar with the Timothy Ferriss 4-Hour Work Week way of life.  I’m all to happy to work through it with them.  Some require more deciphering than others.  One sends me an 8-word text message with an attached file; it’s understood I know what to do and will send it back as requested.  My people are fantastic.  Freelance: it’s a great gig.  I’m so busy now – and gratefully so – that I inevitably have to turn clients away.  My bills are getting paid.  This is tailored to me me me.  It means my book project takes a back seat.  That’s the only downfall – I can live with that for now.  I’m not certain I’m ready for the success/failure of that anyway.

I’m good at what I do, which claim is so much easier to make since I get to pick and choose what I do.  I was recently complimented on the quality of my work, which I also take liberty to include my ethic, based on the source of the compliment.  “How is it that you only work out of the house?” he asked me. 

It’s what I love.  I built this.  It all came from folding laundry and a short attention span. 

So, how ’bout you?  What’ve you been busy with???