How One Man Built a Job In a Year --- followup to sad story

[grasswire]

A year ago I wrote in the Poverty Forum about a family member who was out of work in New England, out of a place to stay, and nearly out of food. He finally decided to go west to get work -- a decision that meant leaving his two young daughters 3,000 miles behind with his ex wife. In the west, he could stay with family and rebuild his chances.

Here's the URL to the original thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

It was a very sad situation as he walked 28 miles the night before catching the train just to say goodbye to his girls. His knees gave out; he had to drink from a lake, but he had to see them to say goodbye.

It's a year later. I want to tell you what he did to make a way forward. Perhaps someone else who just can't find work will find inspiration.

Let's call him Joe. Joe had twenty years of experience in a trade. He turned that upside down with potential to make more money than he did as a tradesman. He positioned himself as a consultant and trade rep to people in the same trade by using social media.

He joined facebook and twitter and all the social media applications. He posted content that would be of interest to people in his field. He crafted a survey of stats that would draw interest. He followed a lot of influential people in the field, and he attracted thousands of followers. He schmoozed and chatted and posted 24/7.

The very fact that he had thousands of followers reading his content and receiving his messages became a marketable commodity. He made himself influential.

Then the first client hired him to go to trade conventions and use social media to publicize and cover the event. He signed on with that client at a reduced rate just to pay the travel expenses.

Being at that trade show gave him exposure to a whole huge bunch of potential clients, and many more followers.

And he networked in his community. Joined organizations. Self-promoted. Etc.

There are now six solid clients, and more considering signing on. He works about 12 hours a day at his own schedule and is excited at the potential.

The business was set up as an LLC with two other family members. There was no capital for startup. None.

His personal traits were an asset, granted. He's an optimist, an ideator, and an extrovert.

I hope this story will help someone who just can't think how to find or make work.

Peace to all.

[shireen]

1. a fantastic story

and i'm really happy it worked out so well. He clearly had the aptitude for it.

In all frankness, I don't think i could pull something like that off. I don't have the smarts for social networking and recognizing business opportunities. I've met people who can do it, and have tremendous admiration for that talent. I wish i had it too.

[grasswire]

2. I understand what you are saying, Shireen

But the moral of this story is also that it may be possible to make a job where none exists. If not this path, then perhaps another. See a need, start a service. Sometimes that works.

[notesdev]

3. I did that

got sick of slaving away in an office cubicle, so I made my own job. Still here at it, maybe it could be better, could definitely be worse.

It starts by asking yourself what you can do for other people that they would willingly give you money to do. If you can answer that question, then you can make your own job.

If you can't answer that question, you got some serious soul searching to do (and you're in deep f-ing trouble in this economy).

[Scuba]

4. Heartwarming story, but the reality is...

...9 out of 10 unemployed in this country don't have the wherewithal to create their own job out of the vapor.

[Berry Cool]

5. I am so glad it worked out for him. And I'm sure it can work for some others, too.

The problem? Not everyone is meant to go into business for themselves. Not everyone has the gift of being able to schmooze.

There are so many people in this world who want nothing more in life than to use the ability they already have to work for someone else and make a decent living in return, and get their other needs like health care paid for. Those people deserve to be able to make it in this country. They shouldn't all have to start their own small businesses with zero capital and make them thrive in order to have a decent life.

So many times we have heard that the solution to people's economic problems is this or that or the other thing: "more training," "more education," "start your own business," etc. But the solution is not going to be the same for everyone. And there are people who HAVE acquired more training or more education or started their own businesses who got smacked in the face.

It's true that it does no good to sit around waiting for this corrupt, corporate-run country to change things so you can survive; if you do you're going to perish. You need to take some kind of action as an individual that you think will make a difference in your fate. But in the long run, the solutions to our economic misery are not going to be found in our individual actions, but our collective ones, to throw the yoke of Corporation As King off our necks.

[cutlassmama]

6. I remember reading the original story. Thanks for keeping us updated

to his progress.

[PM Martin]

7. k/r

Still, there needs to be more done.

[snot]

8. Why not give his name?