The Boss Giveth & The Boss Taketh Away

Reason #178 to NOT work for someone else:

“The Boss Giveth & The Boss Taketh Away”

When I first started working for this company about 4 years ago, everything that was assigned to me to work with was standard issue and novel to me as a newly-hired employee. I was assigned to a cubical with partitions that were about 5.5 feet high, a built-in desk with 3 surfaces that made a “c” shape, and a fairly standard office chair. None of it felt like an up or downgrade, as it was all new to me. At first, I remember feeling a little bit alienated during the workday because I had so much privacy. It was almost as if I had been placed in a carpeted box with half of one wall missing for an entry way, and no lid. I quickly grew to really like that cubical, though, as well as the solitude it afforded me. The back of my bulky computer monitor butted up against the same partition in which I entered my workspace, so when I sat facing it, I was also generally facing the cubical opening and could see who was walking past my little matchbox room. This came in handy for those times when I was working on the occasional personal project or checking my email. Don’t judge, everyone does it even if they don’t admit it – I know, because I catch them at it constantly. We all just hyper-minimize the window and pretend that we we’ve been working faithfully all along. Heck, I’m even typing THIS at work right now.

After working in this environment for over a year, news began to spread that a move was on the horizon. Eventually the rumors became substantiated when a floor plan was circulated for the express purpose of allowing each of us to envision the new workspace and to voice our preferences about where we would be sitting in relation to everyone else. It turned out that the company was preparing for some remodeling of the building we were in, and needed us all to move out to allow them full access in order to modify the area we were occupying.

When we were shown diagrams and dimensions of the new cubicals, most of us cringed conspicuously and incredulously. Not only were they smaller than our current workspaces, but they were also less private – MUCH less. The partitions would be about 5 feet high, and made mostly of clear glass - in order to allow more sunlight to saturate the entire office. Partitions shared between cubicals however, would only be about 4 feet high, making each work area feel VERY exposed on all sides. The term “fishbowl” immediately came to mind.

Once we’d moved into the 14th floor the new office building (which, of course, was actually the 13th floor, that had been customarily renamed the “14th” floor for stupid superstitious people – as though renaming it something else would somehow made it NOT truly the 13th floor), we all found our pre-determined places and did our best to settle in. It was really hard to get used to for a long time. No one could so much as fart without everyone else knowing about it immediately, let alone have a private personal phone call. Suddenly everything was visible. What you ate for lunch, what you were working (or NOT working) on, what you were scratching, as well as everything else became everyone’s business. Not cool. The bosses, however, all still had their closed-door offices with totally regal privacy, of course… you know, because they’re better than we “where-the-rubber-meets-the-road” folks are.

Fast forward a few years to the present. By now we’ve all grown quite used to our work spaces. We’ve adapted. We’ve learned the typical flow of traffic and know who comes in and out when, who walks behind us, who lurks to check to see what we’re working on, etc. Monitors have been situated for maximum privacy. Large bundles of rolled up paper, file folders and other things have been strategically placed to create perfect blind spots for would-be snooping bosses who have nothing better to do than to check to see who is and isn’t on task at every paid second of that work clock. Every surface of the carpeted, and in some cases - wherever they could get away with it - glass partitions are all covered in pictures of loved ones and drawings & other keepsakes created by their kids. Friendships and callused tolerances have been formed by wall-sharing cube mates. The variable-weathered view from the “14th” floor which overlooks the world-famous Las Vegas Strip is has become as much a part of our office scenery as the printers & filing cabinets. And now, the rumor is we’re moving….BACK.

Now this SHOULD be good news. It should be good that we’re going back to what we had – because we LIKED what we had. Well, here’s the catch… we’re not going back to what we had. We’ll be in cubicals with even LESS privacy, if you can believe it. Different cube mates, different foot traffic, and no windows. Hhhh….Prison. Once again, The Boss has given me more reasons to NOT want to work for him any longer than I must.

Been Busy...

It's been a long time. However, I'm back. I've been hard at work for the youth of my church on a big project called the Book of Mormon Experience. I created a video for them called "The Conversion of Alma the Younger" and I'm pretty proud of it. It took about 3 month total to create. I'll be spreading it around on YouTube and Facebook under the brand of LittleLDS. I'm hoping it'll generate some significant traffic for me that way.

So anyway... back to business. Next up... Learning about how to create an "APP." There's big money in apps, and I want in. I've got a few ideas, and it's just a matter of time. :) I'm also eager to get back to the project I started a long time ago with my good friend Mark Smith. He and I were (and now "are") working on a childrens "flip book" called "The Spider And The Fly" and it's flipside, "The Lion And The Lamb." Giddy up...

Update

I've just updated ListQuest too. :)

Facebook

What an awesome resource Facebook is!! I discovered it as a social site just a few months ago, but didn’t recognize it as a brilliant marketing tool until weeks later! As an individual, I’ve got a few hundred “friends.” These are people I love, like, know or just have known. They’re folks who I care about and visa versa. They are the people who, when shown something that I’ve done entrepreneurially, always respond cordially, positively, or constructively. Their opinions of what I do, always tend to be good. While appreciated, this type of feedback doesn’t necessarily help me. As Steven Pressfield of ‘The War of Art’ puts it, their reviews of my work are not “legal tender in the real world.” It’s nice, but not ultimately what I need. Their opinions (which, admittedly I still seek regularly) while comforting and ego-stroking, are just that. They are the comforting and ego-stroking opinions of the people who would never consider telling me if I had a totally bone-headed idea. They wouldn’t dream of crushing my dreams and aspirations with real, uncensored, and potentially devastatingly critical comments. Why would they? They’re my family & friends.

This is why I’ve taken next step. I’ve created an independent profile for both my Tyed Art Graphic Design business and my LittleLDS brand. This company and brand both have their own respective Facebook “fan-base” and they are invaluable to me! Neither of them have nearly as many “friends” (or “fans” in their case) as my personal Facebook profile does, but for the purposes they serve, they’ve got plenty. In fact, their meager numbers are what make them highly valuable and suggestive!

Although many of the fans are people that I know, the majority of them are people that I do NOT know. These are the fans that are most valuable to me. Why? Because these are the people that are truly interested in the content of my business and brand! They wouldn’t be fans otherwise. They don’t know ME, and they don’t care about ME! Hence, their REAL value! They are my legal tender, my real-world indicators and my compass. I can use these people (collectively and individually) to gauge how I’m doing as a business and brand. The more fans I get, the better I’m obviously doing. When people unsubscribe to my fan pages, I know that I’m not working hard enough. This motivates me to work harder! The bigger my Facebook fan-base grows the more exposure I get to my business & brand… and exposure means possible income!

I’ve been posting regularly themed posts on both pages since their inception. These posts are kind of like the “bits” that late night talk shows do to keep their shows entertaining and unpredictable. They’re meant to change it up and keep things fresh and from getting boring. My posts are carefully planned out and time-released. All of them are designed to stimulate interest in the business or brand respectively and/or to establish an intended reputation.

For example, on my Tyed Art Graphic Design page, I rotate the TYPE of posts. Some days I post a “Did you know?” post. In these, I provide a researched and little-known fact about a famous logo design. Aside from being interesting, providing this information actually portrays Tyed Art, Inc. as a purveyor of logo wisdom and information… a specialist and an expert, if you will. Other days I post about logos that I’ve done in the past to showcase my work (bringing the portfolio to them, one at a time). Some days I’ll just give a quick snippet about what I’m currently working on as a Designer. Some days I show off my other non-logo artwork. The fan base is slowly growing, and almost completely with people I don’t know.

For one of my rotating LittleLDS page post-types, I post comics from the Latter-Day Side that I’ve been developing over the years. These comic posts do several different things.

First, they’re humorous, so they get a quick chuckle. But this chuckle can be viral. Anytime someone reposts that comic (because they thought it was cute, can relate to it, or because they know someone else in their Facebook network who would appreciate it) I get instant and free exposure to their entire friend list. The comics all have the LittleLDS.com signature in the corner which leads them to either the fan page or the official website. Either way is good for me.

Second, the Latter-Day Side comic, which I know full well gets viewed by non-LDS Facebook users, can give some insight into our culture. It says that we can have a sense of humor about ourselves as a people. On other days, with LittleLDS, I post contests or giveaways. Sometimes I just post relevant LDS news topics or ask thought-provoking questions. On Mondays I post simple FHE activity suggestions having to do with the LittleLDS coloring pages themselves.

Marketing this way on Facebook has been extremely insightful. It’s given me a really great education on what does and doesn’t work out there. The idea here is to engage the audience, to get conversations going and to cast my net wide.

I’ve done a lot of research regarding Facebook marketing. I’ve discovered whole manuals on how to engage Facebookers and how to use the program to cross promote. There’s still a lot to learn, and Facebook is really just one tool of many that can be used to market.

Who are you... really?

It’s been said that J.O.B. stands for "Just Over Broke." It’s also been said that employees work just hard enough to not get fired, while their bosses pay just enough so they won’t quit. I can totally relate to these two observations.

Whenever I’m asked what I do, I usually say that I’m a CAD (Computer-Aid Drafting) Technician by day and an artistic entrepreneur by night. Am I really either of those things though? I mean, in the daytime, sure, I’m at work… but while I’m there I spend most of my time working just hard enough to look like I’m engaged and productive – I get by – while I’m really thinking about my entrepreneurial aspirations. Yes, my numbers look good. Yes, my employer can’t complain about my performance because I "make the grade." When I’m at home with time to spend on those aspirations I’ve dreamt of all day, I’m usually more interested in spending time with my family, catching up on missed TV shows, and eating or sleeping.

So, what am I really? In the brilliant, yet paraphrased words of Steven Pressfield’s 'The War of Art,' am I a writer that doesn’t write? A painter that doesn’t paint? An entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Well, no… I’m not quite that either. I do, after all, START projects. I start them all the time. No, what I am is a non-finisher. I’m a self-motivating starter. I can START all day long. I’ve got a million projects in the R&D and conceptual phases. If I’m really being honest with myself, I’m not truly a Sr. CAD Technician… I just play one at work. If I’m being honest, I’m not truly an entrepreneur at home; I’m just hoping to be one.

I’m not getting down on myself for this. I’m not expecting to be perfect or anything. I’m just stating the obvious here. I am who I am. That’s not to say I’m satisfied though. I’m not yet who I intend to be, nor will I stop trying to become that which I know I have in me to be. But in order to get where I want to go, it’s important that I own up to what or who I truly am first. I’m a writer who usually can’t get further than a blog entry. I’m a poet who has yet to publish his finished work. I’m an illustrator with too many other ideas to sit down and hammer out some good illustrations. I’m an employee only because my employment provides my family with affordable health insurance. I’m just enduring my "J.O.B." until I can develop the gonads to step out into the world…until I can get one of my great ideas to take flight. I’m an inventor with no money to fund a few really great ideas. In short, I’m pretty much just potentially great right now. Potential is good, but until it is realized it’s like equity that is never cashed out. It sounds impressive, but is really worth nothing.

Do you know who or what are you are… really?

Boulder Man (Client Project)

I just recently finished a project for a client down in Boulder City, Nevada. Although I'm not sure what the purpose was for this project (to the client), it was still a fun one to work on. This character is Boulder Man, no doubt named after the city where my client lives. After receiving my instructions on how the client wanted this character to look, it dawned on me that he had asked me to put the letters "BM" where the "S" would be on Superman. Now, "S" obviously refers to the word "Superman"... that's just a gimme. However, after obediently sketching the "BM" onto the character's chest, all I could think of was... well, poop. Did I really just draw "Bowel Movement" Man?? Concerned that perhaps this hadn't occurred - somehow - to my client, I gently proceeded to inform him of my concern; to make sure this hadn't accidentally gone unnoticed to him. To my great relief, but slight disconcertion, the man had not only already considered both implications, but had actually intended this to be some sort of paralleling inside joke to accompany the title of "Boulder Man." Ooooookie dokie. Whatever. It’s his money and his illustration. I love being an artist.

Secrets to My Organization (3 of 3)

And finally, the last (but not least) 5 of my 15 tips to organization...

Tip#11: Project into the future & plan ahead – Ask yourself where you’ll be this time tomorrow. What can you do NOW to be prepared for THEN? What about a week from now? A month from now? A year? 5 years? What about at retirement? Plan ahead and make preparations for your future and for the future of your family. (This could be a segment focus each weekly family council)

• Create your own family's Virtual Vault (Let me know if you want a copy of mine)
  Work on your food storage with your spouse
• Keep some extra cash on-hand at home
• Start with your distant goals, then break them down into small pieces by working your way back to the present

Tip#12: Define your purpose – Without a distinct purpose for being organized, it is easy to become frustrated by gradual disorder, interruption, or clutter. Give yourself a reason to be organized. It could be to emulate highly successful individuals, to de-stress your life, or just to appearance of being on top of things. The purpose is up to you, but just make sure you HAVE a purpose for being organized.

Tip#13: Don't procrastinate – The more time you have to do something, the more prepared and organized you can be for it. Resolve to do things early.

Tip#14: Learn skills of visual organization – Learn how to visually organize thoughts and ideas (similar to the way this list is outlined) and USE it often. A good example of this type of organization is the folder system that Microsoft Explorer uses. It's simple, easy to manage and to read. Making neat stacks, piles, groups and color coordination are important too. Note taking is simplified and more useful when using a system of organization using bullet points, numbers, capital & lower case letters, roman numerals, symbols, etc…

Tip#15: Make yourself more aware of time – Being organized isn't only about physical place-setting, stacking, and grouping. It also has a lot to do with time management. It's difficult to be organized if you're constantly rushing around or late. Here are some ideas to help you manage time better:

• Give yourself time limits for your own tasks and projects, and then be careful to OBSERVE those limits
• If you tell someone you'll be somewhere at a certain time, do ALL you can to BE there at that time, if not earlier.
• Strive to be EARLY at appointments, meetings, or other arranged functions.
• Set an alarm for yourself (use your cell phone… it's always with you anyway)
• Get up and go to bed at a reasonable hour (it's harder to be organized when you're exhausted)
• Make it a habit to look at a clock at regular intervals (or invest in a watch that beeps on the hour) to help time from getting away from you
• Play music that allows you to think (music helps time to be subconsciously measured)

Secrets to My Organization (2 of 3)

Here are the next 5 tips...

Tip#6: Create an environment of meditation and/or concentration – This might be a place of worship, a jogging route, or your drive to/from work… but you NEED a place to think that is quiet. Wherever and whenever it is, it shouldn't be filled with any music or outside distractions of any kind. Being organized can be greatly facilitated by quiet and uninterrupted thought.

Tip#7: Choose your company deliberately – Not to be confused with surrounding yourself with people like YOU are... instead, try to make friends with the type of people you want to be LIKE. The more you do, the more like them you'll become. If you want to be a punctual person, hang out with people who deem that important. If you want to be more spiritual, hang out with spiritual people. If you want to be more organized, hang out with organized people. You get the idea. The opposite is also true though. If you want to be highly productive, motivated and positive, it won't help you to hang out with people who are lazy or pessimistic. This REALLY works, and it's the reason many people are the way they are... for better or for worse.

Tip#8: Know & embrace your limitations – Try not to bite off more that you can chew. Learn to say NO.

Tip#9: Create & enforce a lunch time "Power-Hour" – Deliberately chose something to work on for ONE hour right in the middle of your workday - during your lunch. Use this hour to research something you would have time for otherwise. Use it to move closer towards a particular project, or subject of study. Just one hour every day for 5 days per week equates to 260 hours of intense and deliberate personal project time!! That's 10.83 days!! Use this time well, and you'll have MORE time at home with the family.

Tip#10: Set challenging but reachable goals –

• Write goals down (if they’re not written, they’re just wishes)
• Break down your goals into bite-size pieces
• Revisit your goals often (weekly is best)
• Revise your goals when necessary