Self-Employment as Personal Transformation

On Sat, Sep 17, 2011 at 5:48 PM, Robert wrote:

John,

Quick question, if the topic interests you - I agree with you that self-employment is self-improvement, and perhaps becoming self-employed requires self-improvement. It may take more or less time to achieve it depending on what knowledge and skills you start with. Assuming one wants to go into importing based on design, what career paths should one consider to accelerate that process?

Thanks, Robert

Hey Robert,

Thanks for your question...

I think you mean what stepping stones or backfill-experience kinds of jobs will help you get going?  To which I'd say the path would be whatever puts you directly in front of a customer asking a question, whether you are plan A trying to test out a new idea, or plan B get feedback on off-the-shelf items.

The idea is the customer is going to casually state requirements that will be quite a challenge for you, and adapting to the challenges is one of the  the self-improvement aspects.

There is a problem/solution fundamental to the progress, in which one assesses the challenge and the work necessary, and then assesses the personal challenges, mostly in terms of resources: time money energy experience intelligence spirit physical...  a whole bunch of things.  It is an ongoing progress of can do/no can do...  there is while this is going on a carving up of the challenge itself, and saying, "well, if we don't try all that, just this, then it gets within my scope."  Plus there, of course, the "if I can just be more patient..."  or "if I can learn project management..." or whatever which is thrown into the mix.

So this roiling pot comes with an idea to the customer, and the customer says what they want...  and then as they say, back to the drawing board, at all levels.  Yes, the customers is the most important thing in business, but getting the product or service right is the hardest thing.  And that product or service is you.  So it gets personal.

So the career path is directly to the customer, front and center.

Does this make sense?

John

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