Reaction to Average Jyo's People Assessment

Today I want to link to a blog I've recently become a fan of; Average Jyo.

http://www.averagejyo.com/2009/04/27/people-cool-or-uncool/

This particular blog post hit such a chord with me. I have a tough time dealing with people who are genuinely disinterested in anything I have to say. I am a people person, much like Jyo describes himself and I feel utterly disapointed when I cannot connect with people no matter how hard I try.

I know this is a fact of life, but it's also something that I dwell on. If I have a blah encounter with a person, I think, did I talk about myself too much? Did I not listen? Maybe both?

Either way, I know that I am a thoughtful conversationalist. I get excited when I talk with people and have something in common with them and I become really eager to share. I've also learned to reign in that eagerness a bit and be sure to have them talk about themselves a bit. It's a huge step towards developing a connection with someone rather than having a one-way interaction.

I hope you get to take the time to enjoy his vlog. Let me know what you think. I found him through Gary Vaynerchuk's recommendation and I'm glad I subscribed to his RSS feed.

I'm Anti-Office Ass

Do you know someone who is over-worked and suffering from office ass? Well I suggest that you ignore work emails over the weekend and get outside. Here's what I did to begin my battle against the evil... dun dun duhhh... OFFICE ASS!

Last Friday a friend mentioned he was going to do some yard-work over the weekend and that he had some raspberry and blueberry trees that needed to get put in the ground. Without deliberating I asked him if he could use some help and he quickly accepted my offer.

The urge to offer my help was something I didn't even think about and it came right out. I'm glad it did. I haven't done yard-work in god-knows how long and the feeling of dirt under my fingernails and blisters on my hand from a pitch-fork felt great. The chance to have honest talk over a bit of labor is also something that I feel like I've missed out on. I love to chat at a coffee shop as much as the next person, but there's something to be said for getting your sweat on while working and talking shop with someone who has a lot of experience and knowledge to offer.

Needless to say, I slept like a baby and got a decent amount of exercise outdoors this weekend rather than toiling away at a gym that I despise. I hope the heat stays and the daylight lasts longer. I'm looking forward to getting outside and conquering the office ass syndrome that so many of my contemporaries face.

The Sustainability Revolution Will Have A Silent "R"

I am continually amazed at the number of technological and business innovations happening in Massachusetts. We're just a creative bunch of people who seem to value the environment for the most part. Lots of great colleges around here too, which leaves no shortage for highly trained engineers, scientists, and other types of professionals.

California is getting it poppin' too with renewables as well and share a similar, liberal social and environmental consciousness as Massachusetts (similar high cost of living too!).

Throughout the United States and into Canada, it seems that renewable energy and sustainable industries are popping up even in the most unlikely of places. My best-friend transitions from a side-job in construction into manufacturing and installing thermal solar systems in Nova Scotia. I have to say that I am envious of him as well as I've applied to dozens of entry level solar installation jobs as a way to get out of the office culture I've put myself in. I've been told I'm over-qualified in my educational background and under-experience in my labor skills, yet my friend is in a Ph.D. program for anthropology.

Anyways, I'm thinking that there needs to be more programs highlighting a sharp direction into the sustainability fields of work for people who are interested in the concept and in becoming specialized. You won't get any richer installing solar panels than you would doing plumbing if you're simply looking for a trade, but staying on top of innovative trends and being willing to take risk with your own business or start-ups could be very lucrative it seems.

Now, the question is, do you start-over in a market where sustainable industries haven't taken a hold yet, or do you jump into a busy market such as Massachusetts and California?

I think there is room for improvement and expansion all over.

I'm Working, I Promise

Stretched thin and strung out. This is the life of JR Moreau. I pick my poison every single day.

Side business is on and poppin'. So happy about it.

I've got a post in the making that is actually pretty good. It's got substance and structure, unlike some other things I've been producing lately. But, hey, we need that money...

Where do I go from here? Well, I won't look back for a while for nostalgic purposes. No, I'll just keep moving forward. I'll bring this blog along with. Haven't quite decided how I want to integrate this into my "brand" but I know I've definitely put too much work and time into this blog to not utilize it.

Anyways, it is gorgeous outside and I busted ass all week. I have a considerable amount of side work to do, but I think I'm going to get in the car and take off somewhere for a little while and enjoy the sun.

Picking a cafe like eenie, meenie, miinie, mo.

Book List Update

A slight update on my reading list:

I finished 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris today. It was a pretty good overall book. The beginning and end were the most useful for what I'm trying to do at this point in my life, which is gain autonomy from the workplace and direct my career more effectively. The middle part went into a long and detailed account of how you can outsource your life to foreign personal assistants for next to no money, which I have some issues with. I'm not going to take a stand and say whether I like that part or not, I'll just say it doesn't apply to me.

Overall, 4-Hour Work Week is worth a read. However, I preferred Career Renegade.

Now I'm reading Immortality by Milan Kundera. I've read Kundera and loved his stuff before. When I studied in Prague I heard all about him. He's a French citizen now but was born in Czechoslovakia, so he's got that mixture of distinct Czech transcendentalism and Parisian swagger. The first ten pages of Immortality are gripping, so I'm really excited to sit down with this book for a few hours and sink my teeth in.

Honorable Mention:
Just got Kick Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps and Celebrating the Third Place. Looking forward to both of those very much!

You got anything for me? What's new? Read any good books lately?

Young, Successful and Literate

I come across a lot of successful young entrepreneurs, but a local favorite of mine is Dan Schawbel. The guy is absolutely on fire. His following is huge and seems to be constantly growing and his book Me 2.0 is becoming a quick seller. He's really tapping into the atmosphere of this recession and helping people turn their negativity and fear in on itself by giving pro-active tips on how to develop a personal brand online and get hired.

The concept of the personal brand can be an elusive one for people looking for quick returns and tangible results. I have a lot of older friends ask me why I'm involved with so many social network platforms and some even ask me how they can get involved and start benefiting from the amazing pool of resources that exist online.

My response to people who are looking to get involved is always to be as genuine and focused as possible. Another social media genius in Gary Vaynerchuk comes with a great point that people are the keys to social media, so you need to be interested and passionate about people. If you're passionate about what you do, passionate about what others do and passionate about connecting, then suddenly you'll be immersed in an interactive community that has unlimited benefits, most of which haven't even been discovered yet.

Dan Schawbel's book Me 2.0 is out now and I'm going to have to pick a copy up. He spoke nearby at Emerson College in Boston and I didn't get to go listen to him, but he's from nearby to so I'm guessing he'll come around once more. I suggest you find him on Twitter, he's a real asset for social networking and personal branding!

http://twitter.com/danschawbel

Remote Control Workers

Remote control workers; I'm not talking about couch potatoes, I'm talking about people who have made a conscious decision to shun the out-dated values that force people to abide by an 8 hour work day, tied to a desk. The choice to work remotely is a statement of self-control over one's workload and career path. If you can get the job done well without having obligatory face time on a day to day basis, then why would anyone in their right mind go back to the patriarchal styling of corporate America?

Work from home, work from the cafe, work from your roof top! Just establish your independence. If you like your co-workers, then head to the office a few days a week, but don't coop yourself up into a rat cage repository of the larger rat race.

Sorry if I'm sounding a bit-badass-ish, but I read "Career Renegade" and "4 Hour Work Week" back to back and they totally injected a fresh sense of ambition and determination (a.k.a. Generation Y entitlement) into me. I HIGHLY recommend both books, can't say it enough!

Hope you all have a great weekend :-)