Lessons learned from 08 for 2009
Remember when everyone was looking forward to 2008 because of they myth behind the lucky number 8?All the resolutions, hopes, promises and expectations?
I started off the year living in a new west side culture of Santa Monica ready to start a new sem consulting business. We had a plan to build our client list and give ourselves a solid foundation for us to work on our own projects such as PinkDeals.net. A combination of active and passive income was the plan that would make us rich! We’d live the entrepreneurial life of late mornings and and even later nights chatting away with other bloggers we’ve met over the years. Working when we want and how we want with no one to tell us what to do. 08 was gonna be great!
Next thing I know, I’m back in corporate america working for a company that I just couldn’t pass up. Being young and single, I had a real problem leaving “money on the table.” If there was a project that could be done, a job that I could take and a new client that could be signed, then I was all over it. One of the best pieces of advice that was given to me when I was in my early 20’s was not to waste my time lounging on a couch, watch tv and becoming a zombie. So, along with my 40 hour a week job, I was doing consulting on the side along with building and running my own businesses. I thought I could do it, but I was wrong.
As the year went on, the economy was just getting worse. Rising gas prices and then the market crash just sent signals that major decisions needed to be made in my life if I was going to survive this turbulent future. Bearing down and understanding what gave me the best return on my time invested was what I needed to concentrate on.
The 9-5 job was going great, so that’s checked. I learned that I do like a 9-5 job with the hustle and bustle of fire drills and working with a team. One thing aspiring entrepreneurials don’t really talk about is the lack of social interaction during the day. Some people need it and some people don’t. I think you should really look at yourself in the mirror and think about what work environment you work best in.
Consulting - The biggest lesson I learned was to do a better job interviewing the client and seeing if they’re going to be the type to demand more than what they’re paying for. No matter how much you get paid, once one of the parties feels that they’re getting taken advantage of, it’s the beginning of the end. At the end of the day, I realized that I needed to optimize my client list so that everyone at the table was happy.
Projects - Forget about bartering services. Just pay for what you want. It gets done faster and you don’t have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings. I promise you that you’re going to save yourself a lot of heartache at the end of the day.
Blogging - well, I’m writing, aren’t I? 2008 saw a big time decline in the amount of posts that I came out with. One of my 2009 resolutions is to make up for that lost time and to try and pump out focuses content, which can clearly be seen by the significant reduction in categories. I’ve also spent the last couple of days redesigning my blog with a large of the inspiration coming from one of my favorite blogs out there - DoshDosh.com
Working with Others - Everyone has a role and you need to build a team where you fill each role. The great teams are the ones where people not only know their roles, but when there is something missing, they’re able to adapt and help fill in that hole. If it’s not working on for you and someone else, then it’s best that you end amicably and wish each other the best of luck.
Education - I can honestly say that I didn’t learn as much in 2008 as I did in the previous years. With everything that was going on, I was using my existing knowledge to get by. Talking with my peers from around the world, I know in my gut that I was missing out on what was going on in the industry. I’m going to do my best to catch up and get back out there on the cutting edge of internet marketing. Also, one thing that this economic situation has taught me is to not put all my eggs in this internet marketing basket. With that being said, I’m going to explore other facets of marketing, both online and offline so if things were to get worse, I am better armed to face the challenges.
Words to live by - “Reach for the stars, but keep your feet on the ground!” - Theodore Roosevelt
What were your expectations for 2008?
What lessons did you learn in 2008?
How are you preparing for the upcoming economic conditions?
How do you like the new design and look of the site?
Bookmark at:StumbleUpon | Digg | Del.icio.us | Dzone | Newsvine | Spurl | Reddit | Yahoo! MyWeb
Thought I’d share my comment from one of my favorite blogs - Dime Magazine
