This is a case of a book emerging from a successful blog, and a topic that has interested me intensely for a number of years - ever since Dan Pink published Free Agent Nation.
I bought Escape from Cubicle Nation after meeting Pam Slim virtually on Twitter and getting to know her through her blog, as well as through a personal introduction from a friend.
While many entrepreneurs I met seem to be born that way, Slim helps make the case for the rest of us who can evolve to that point. The book addresses how to get started head on. It's filled with ideas and resources and well researched.
In his book, Pink explained how people get connected - with work opportunities and with each other - and why free agency has become such a large phenomenon. Slim continues the conversation by drilling down into more ways to transition to having a business, as well as expanding the definition of being self-employed: "You are always self-employed, no matter your tax designation."
Along the lines of that premise, I see opportunity to run a business even inside organizations, if one is willing to operate their function as if they had P&L accountability. What activities are tied to growth, expansion, developing assets and the positive side of the balance sheet? Are your success metrics quantifiable and do they respond to the business? Can you partner with a business mentor from another unit by volunteering to support their efforts in exchange for learning?
Very often, one of the most common responses I receive in a corporate setting is - this is not in my goals. While I get the limited time and resources available to do what is on the regular plate, learning to be entrepreneurial begins with being enterprising. Finding a better job can begin with reshaping the job you're in right now by helping solve bigger problems, for example.
This would take care of finding a mentor, which as Dr. Cathy Goodwin writes in her Amazon review may be hard without some form of compensation, and learning about P&L first hand, gaining experience and credibility in a new line of business while at the same helping the company where you work.
Pink's book was a few years back, and we still haven't figured out the insurance, benefits (especially health costs), and the issues that arise from laws and taxes, and support networks are still gestating in many fields. Nevertheless, Slim provides solid and practical advice on finances - both on the physical side of things as in savings and logistics, and the mental side or how you need to prepare to think about finances.
Whether you're planning to make the leap to owning a business, or owning your job wherever that is, this book will help you frame some fundamental questions you need to find answers for. You answers will depend on the amount of work you'll be willing to put into your own career path.
The most helpful parts of the book to me were:
- the money game - loved the examples of how to plan goals by calculating services/costs ratios
- financial matters overall - this cannot be underestimated, preparation will go a long way
- organization and planning - both the practical and the philosophical parts
The book is a great reminder that it's a good idea not to delegate our careers to others. If you read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it has helped you, or questions you have that you'd like to see developed further.
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I occasionally write book reviews - more often than not, I incorporate what I learn in a post.
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Writing a book is hard work, and quite the accomplishment. John is waiting for fresh copies of his new book - Awesomely Simple: Essential Business Strategies for Turning Ideas into Action - to arrive. He agreed to let the most passionate about the topic among you have my copy. This further demonstrates he's a true member of the community. Who wants to go first?