http://freefromcorporateamerica.com This web site tracks Jon Reed\'s latest book as he writes it. Visit this site and find out why Jon thinks you should \"free yourself from corporate America.\" Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:09:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 en ©Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/?feed=rss2&cat=14 info@freefromcorporateamerica.com (Jon Reed) info@freefromcorporateamerica.com(Jon Reed) 1440 career, success, business, investing, technology, writing, money, finance The complete audiobook recording from Free From Corporate America, read by the author Jon Reed one chapter at a time. This is the complete, unabridged audiobook recording from Free From Corporate America, read by the author Jon Reed one chapter at a time, available free to download on iTunes and FreeFromCorporateAmerica.com. Chapters are added each week as Jon records them, sometimes with brief commentary, always with some attitude. Jon Reed Jon Reed info@freefromcorporateamerica.com No no http://www.freefromcorporateamerica.com/wp-content/themes/modern/images/podcast-ffca-rss.png http://freefromcorporateamerica.com 144 144 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/94 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/94#comments Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:07:50 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/94 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/94/feed 5:47 In the 15th installment of the complete audio book recording of Free From Corporate America, I head into the most biting section of the book ... In the 15th installment of the complete audio book recording of Free From Corporate America, I head into the most biting section of the book on "False Assets." "False" assets like home ownership are not hardly worthless, but they are not all what they are cracked up to be either.nbsp; I launch into nbsp;an explanation of why homes are not the assets we think they are, and how to approach real estate as a business. As I recorded this one, I thought about my many friends who truly enjoy sprucing up their homes as a lifestyle. I'm not criticizing that way of life as long as it is not cloaked in easy rationalizations about improving the value of the underlying asset. And as long as there is a well thought plan for income stability beyond "I hope my job holds out even though my company is going to be acquired" or what have you. I also think that real estate can be overrated as an entrepreneurial path - if you don't have a passion for mastering a particular aspect of real estate, then your chances are limited to the hopes of riding a bubble. I once enjoyed real estate but time has sharpened my focus. Hear the chapter for more. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/93 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/93#comments Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:49:48 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/93 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/93/feed 8:32 As I wrote this book, I heard from readers who dismissed the ideas because they didn't want to start their own business. In chapter 14 ... As I wrote this book, I heard from readers who dismissed the ideas because they didn't want to start their own business. In chapter 14 of my complete audiobook recording of Free From Corporate America, I dig into why the shifting economy requires a response from all of us, whether or not we end up starting our own firms. I also lay the groundwork for later chapters where I will talk about how to put these concepts to work at your current employer. During the recording of this chapter, I was reminded just how much I have seen people separate themselves and increase their relative job security by taking a different mindset into the workplace, thinking more like owners and less like employees. Of course, you can't delude yourself into thinking you own things you don't, but you can certainly find more strategic ways to further your interests on and off the job. This book gets into that in more detail. I also take stock of the book so far in the first of several "gut checks," this one coming at the end of this recording. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/92 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/92#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 09:36:46 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/92 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/92/feed 5:29 I've been thinking about the "Law of Accumulation," the 13th Free From Corporate America complete audio book installment, a lot lately. As I say in ... I've been thinking about the "Law of Accumulation," the 13th Free From Corporate America complete audio book installment, a lot lately. As I say in the book, it is terrifying to get to know this law, because unlike some of the other principles in this book, it is in effect whether we want it to be or not.nbsp; One thing I have thought about since this book came out is that distinction between hobbies and pursuits that could have market value. It's true that sometimes our passions can line up with the marketplace. The more financially stable we are, the more margin for error we have developing assets with little obvious market value. Of course, the catch is that the real home runs in terms of wealth often come from these devil-may-care projects that appear to have no market value now or in the future. So by all means, if you find it freeing, pursue it - but it's good to respect the balance between our passions and what is marketable. The feedback loop with our audience will help us a lot with that, and I get into that concept later in the book. So when I classify techo jams and knitting as hobbies, take it with a grain of salt. In my own town, there is a successful knitting store. But I doubt there could be four of them. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/91 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/91#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 09:27:34 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/91 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/91/feed 8:05 It was fun to read this chapter again as I recorded it, amidst a slew of new struggles around time, and remind myself that the ... It was fun to read this chapter again as I recorded it, amidst a slew of new struggles around time, and remind myself that the way I got this book written is revealed in this chapter. I like this chapter because the ideas around stealing time seem kind of evil and secretive. At the same time, we're being ruthlessly practical here: how can we build a better life in the midst of our current one, when time and money are probably at a premium? There's a "no excuses" mentality that comes in here, as we realize that this approach to creating assets not only works, but it works when all our friends would surely pat us on the back and say, "Don't give yourself a hard time, you're way too busy to do something like that right now." That kind of reassurance can be comforting but in the end, we are not heading in the right direction when we allow those comforts to excuse us for fighting for our asset creations - and in many cases, fighting for our solitude. Not to mention our belief in ourselves. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/90 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/90#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:45:48 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/90 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/90/feed 7:15 Taping Free From Corporate America audio book installment ten, "Time is the Ultimate Commodity," I was reminded of how true it is that the new ... Taping Free From Corporate America audio book installment ten, "Time is the Ultimate Commodity," I was reminded of how true it is that the new success is about how much control we have over our time and how we choose to allocate our life energy. The less control over that we have, the harder we work for employers who will gladly consume all our investment, the less success we have in our lives - even if the money is good. The only exceptions are those who are saving way more than they can spend, and those folks are a minority, and even then, if they hate their work, they are taking a heck of a gamble. I get into why that is in this chapter, and also cover a bit of the "Jon Reed keys to time management," which are nitty gritty things that make a difference for me, and set the table for more powerful and advanced concepts about time that are to follow later in the book. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/89 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/89#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:36:28 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/89 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/89/feed 5:22 For the Free From Corporate America complete audio book recording number 10, I taped "First Step: Create a Space for Your Book." This chapter sprung ... For the Free From Corporate America complete audio book recording number 10, I taped "First Step: Create a Space for Your Book." This chapter sprung out of my commitment to making this book ruthlessly practical, hopefully to make it more useful to folks who want to break the cycle of corporate dependence but are limited by time and money - the exact people who tend to be underserved by manipulative get rich quick schemes. As I recorded this chapter, I realized there was a slight contradiction in my own story - advising readers that any space will do, but using an example where I wanted to use my dining table to start my own business and then got more ambitious by renting my own space - going against some of my advice on taking excessive "speculative" risks. In this case, I had no other lower risk options, so in that sense, I too the lowest risk that allowed me to move forward. Sometimes that's how it goes. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/88 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/88#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:51:04 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/88 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/88/feed 10:46 For this installment in the complete audiobook reading of Free From Corporate America, I read "On Risk Tolerance and Asset Creation." This is perhaps the ... For this installment in the complete audiobook reading of Free From Corporate America, I read "On Risk Tolerance and Asset Creation." This is perhaps the most important chapter in the book in terms of the ideas that are presented. Essentially, I argue for the importance of creating income-generating assets for those who want to get the foot of corporate America off of their necks, but I also expand the definition of assets. Most books of this kind push one kind of asset, such as real estate. The problem is that if you have no passion for the real estate business, it should not become your life's work. So the decision on asset creation should strike a balance between passion and marketability, invoking the "feedback loop" whenever possible. I put my own book through these hoops in the chapter also. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/87 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/87#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:45:07 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/87 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/87/feed 4:05 Installment eight in Free From Corporate America, the complete audiobook reading, has me reading from a chapter that never had a perfect home in my ... Installment eight in Free From Corporate America, the complete audiobook reading, has me reading from a chapter that never had a perfect home in my book.nbsp; It introduces a couple of financial concepts, but most of the financial chapters come later. I ended up keeping it here because it has a bit of autobiography that helps to lay the foundation for the chapters to follow. The key contrast in this chapter is the clash between the "cash is king" and "live within your means" mentalities, and why that clash is problematic. Essentially, individualsnbsp; tend to land on one side or the other when in fact, both are necessary. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/86 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/86#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:07:38 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/86 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/86/feed 4:07 Recording the unabridged version of Free From Corporate America: A Tactical Guide to Success on Your Own Terms has given me a fresh look at ... Recording the unabridged version of Free From Corporate America: A Tactical Guide to Success on Your Own Terms has given me a fresh look at my own material. This chapter, which hones in on my own mistakes and existential absurdity, is one of the most personal in the book. While therenbsp;are autobiographical anecdotes sprinkled through the book, this chapter really hits home. The point of sharing it early in the book is to give readers a more personal feel for what I have tried to overcome, and perhaps impart a lesson or two in a more memorable way. This chapter is just about the end of what I think of as the "foundational" chapters in the book. While I like these chapters, there's no doubt that the book takes it up a notch once these chapters are complete. I wasn't able to solve that during the editorial process, but what I can tell you is that once you have these foundational chapters in place, I think you'll enjoy where the book heads next. The meatiest ideas and most scathing critiques are coming up. For now, enjoy this piercing view into my own hard lessons on feeling a sense of ownership over that which I did not own. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/85 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/85#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:58:04 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/85 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/85/feed 3:50 For the Free From Corporate America complete audiobook post 6, I read my chapter "You Don't Have to Live in the City to be World ... For the Free From Corporate America complete audiobook post 6, I read my chapter "You Don't Have to Live in the City to be World Class." This chapter was inspired by the study I have made of my friends in big cities whose careers have not gone as planned. They got swept up in the big city drama but didn't necessarily advance in a creative or financial sense. More importantly, this chapter lays the foundation for two key concepts in the book: that technology, properly utilized, allows us to do business in a way that is more conducive tonbsp;our lifestyles (translation: less community gridlock, and that as virtual entrepreneurs, we need a commitment to excellence. We need a business focus that stokes our imagination enough to motivate us to become "world class" in our chosen field. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/84 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/84#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:52:02 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/84 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/84/feed 4:04 In part five of my Free From Corporate America recording of the complete book in audio format, I get into a chapter at the heart ... In part five of my Free From Corporate America recording of the complete book in audio format, I get into a chapter at the heart of the book's argument:nbsp; that the real risk is now not the entrepreneurial path, but working 9 to 5. When I originally wrote this chapter, the economy had not gone into its swan dive. I have had readers ask me if my views on the risky nature of working 9 to 5 have changed. In a word, no - but I understand why people would cling to their jobs at a time when new opportunities might be scarce. To some degree, this book has been misunderstood as advocating freedom from corporate America by starting our own businesses. The reality of the book's message is more nuanced, as you will find when you explore these chapters. Here's one segment from this chapter that really stood out to me upon recording it:nbsp;nbsp;"I know many consultants and managers who are thriving within large companies by changing their mindset from 'How can I help this company meet its insatiable need for increasing profit?' to 'How can I make a contribution while enhancing my own skills, reputation, and visibility?'" Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/83 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/83#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:41:49 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/83 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/83/feed 4:37 In the fourth installment in my Free From Corporate America audiobook series, I get into the nitty gritty of business ethics: are small businesses more ... In the fourth installment in my Free From Corporate America audiobook series, I get into the nitty gritty of business ethics: are small businesses more ethical than large ones? And do you have to agree with my values to get something out of this book? Some of the answers may surprise you. I also address the question of whether business karma is real, and I won't spoil my answer to that here. As I recorded the fourth chapter, I was reminded that the tactics in this book really aren't dependent on the size of the company you are working for.nbsp;The bottom line? Younbsp;don't need to share my values to take something useful from the methodology of this book - but I do think that ensuring our business practices line up with our convictions is a gut check we need to do now, rather than after we start new ventures and form new affiliations. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/82 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/82#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:49:59 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/82 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/82/feed 4:18 Here's Free From Corporate America audio post 3, for the chapter "Whomnbsp;is this Book For and What are Virtual Companies?" This chapter is from the ... Here's Free From Corporate America audio post 3, for the chapter "Whomnbsp;is this Book For and What are Virtual Companies?" This chapter is from the "End of the Corporate Contract" section, and in this chapter, I talk about technology is making it possible, not just to succeed in business from any location, but to create businesses that are more in tune with our lifestyles than the classic "Bill Gates entrepreneur." One highlight from this audio chapter that is not in the draft version posted on this site: I talknbsp;about a business partner of mine who took a vacation to Argentina for nine days, unbeknownst to their employer, thanks to virtual communication technologies. The pull quote for this chapter highlights one of the central themes of the entire book: "For the lifestyle entrepreneur, buying time is more important than accumulating cash. Beyond a certain point, money has a diminishing return." Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/81 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/81#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:42:13 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/81 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/81/feed 6:36 Continuing with my Free From Corporate America audio book postings, here is audio post #2, "Why I Wrote This Book." This is the first chapter ... Continuing with my Free From Corporate America audio book postings, here is audio post #2, "Why I Wrote This Book." This is the first chapter in the "End of the Corporate Contract" section of this book.nbsp; While I recorded this chapter, I was struck by a few phrases. One: "Doing business according to your own values takes serious fortitude." No question - and no question that it's worth sticking to those principles through good times and lean times. The emphasis of this chapter is that I have written a book focused on the ruthlessly practical - tactics I've seen people take to improve their lives for the better. I alsonbsp;step away from the happy talk of typical books on "success" by freely admittingnbsp;that this is not going to be easy - we need an anatomy of what we are up against in order to have a chance to triumph over it.nbsp;Hear why I think approach has moved from the riskier approach to the safer one, with the more dangerous approach being to cling to a false notion of 9 to 5 security like a life raft. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/80 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/80#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:38:37 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/80 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/80/feed 11:00 As we head toward the end of the year since the book was released, I've decided to commemorate this by releasing an audiobook version of ... As we head toward the end of the year since the book was released, I've decided to commemorate this by releasing an audiobook version of the book in its entirety, read by yours truly. Eventually, I'll make it possible to access all the book chapters within iTunes, but for now, you can listen to them here as they come out. I'm recording these chapters mistakes and all, but the first one came out pretty good, with a decent sound quality, so I hope you enjoy! This one also includes a brief intro by me where I talk about why I'm doing an audiobook version and how I plan to approach it. I think Rachel Meyers did a great job on the foreword; it was fun to try to bring her words to life. Download and subscription options: you can download (and subscribe to) all the chapters in the audio book (free) eithernbsp;in ournbsp;iTunes store nbsp;or with our audio book RSS feed. Audiobook,,FFCA,Podcasts Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/79 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/79#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:04 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/79 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/79/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/78 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/78#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:48:46 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/78 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/78/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/76 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/76#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:10:48 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/76 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/76/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/75 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/75#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:19:32 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/75 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/75/feed 39:22 In his return to the Free From Corporate America podcast series, Morris Rosenthal of FonerBooks.com talks with Jon Reed about the business of eBooks and ... In his return to the Free From Corporate America podcast series, Morris Rosenthal of FonerBooks.com talks with Jon Reed about the business of eBooks and how self-publishers can add an eBooks revenue stream by selling eBooks from their own marketing platform. Morris, the author of Print on Demand Book Publishing, also has a YouTube video channel for self-publishers that is referenced in this podcast. During this forty minute, unscripted conversation, Jon asks Morris about how he found success with eBook sales, whether eBook sales impacts his traditional book sales, and why he decided to publish eBooks without DRM. Morris also talks about the limitations of trendy digital reading gadgets like Kindle for self-publishers from a revenue standpoint. Other topics covered in this podcast include: - Why Morris embeds live URL links in his eBooks. '- Which eBook topics are "sellable" for self-publishers and which topics (e.g. fiction) should be avoided. - How eBooks extend Morris' books sales internationally. - Different eBook business models, from the unethical to the naive to the most effective. - How much content within the eBook Morris gives away and how to make judgements about "free content for traffic" versus giving your books away. - The distinction between hard-selling tactics and building "virtual trust" with potential readers. ------ Want to buy Free From Corporate America or see reviews of the final published version from readers like yourself? The printed book is now available on Amazon.com with product reviews. You can also get a discounted version of the final book in eBook (PDF) format, or you can pick up a copy on the Kindle. Thenbsp;published version of the book is significantly enhanced from the web version available on this site. ------ FFCA,Podcasts,,Publishing,,Web,Business Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/74 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/74#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:28:17 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/74 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/74/feed 46:02 In the series reboot of the FFCA Podcast Series, Jon Reed welcomes Morris Rosenthal of FonerBooks.com and the author of Print On Demand Book Publishing ... In the series reboot of the FFCA Podcast Series, Jon Reed welcomes Morris Rosenthal of FonerBooks.com and the author of Print On Demand Book Publishing for a totallynbsp;unscripted conversation on web business and self-publishing.nbsp; Listen in as Jon and Morris debunk popular myths about blog traffic, Google Page Rank, and how to succeed as an Internet-based self-publisher (Morris) rather than an overworked blogging and consulting diva (Jon). After we taped this podcast, both of us felt that we can improve upon this one, so we look forward to your comments. But, there's enough on here worth sharing, including: - Why blog "traffic" is deceptive and why web sites structured like books tend to get much better Google "love." - Morris explains why his blog traffic is significantly lower than his "static" pages, and why "blogging is a curse." - The dangers of publishers skipping the text-based content lessons ofnbsp; "Web 1.0" and heading directly to the sexy social media era of Web 2.0. - The continued victory of content over aesthetics when it comes to web business, especially for content producers. - A juxtaposition of lifestyles between the high traffic self-publisher and the overworked blogger/consultant, as well as unfair dismissalsnbsp;and mockery of nbsp;"cool bloggers." - How Free From Corporate America's concepts on building income-generating assets mix well with Morris' views on lifestyle profitability and the value of having anbsp;income profit margin versus overworking yourself for top line revenue. - Morris's 100,000 plus YouTube visitors and why they have had no positive bottom line impact on his business due to their lack of text-based traffic generation.nbsp; (as well as the inherent difficulties of making multi-media searchable). - The value of "contextual links" and why Morris would much rather have a high quality contextual link from an obscure site in his industry than a non-contextual link from a hot blogger. - The limitations of getting home page links from blogs versus more desirable "deep links" to reference pages on your site from well-regarded sites in your industry. - A brief review of hot social media sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook) and an insufficient discussion of their pros and cons (a topic to be returned to in future postings and podcasts) - Victory for Jon's Zoom H-2 Recorder over Morris' weak Walmart recorder that crapped out 10 minutes into the podcast. - Traffic stats are cited, as well as how Morris tracks the traffic of his site compares to others using free tools (Alexa, Google Trends, and Quantcast). FACT CHECK: As stated in the podcast, Morris' web site traffic does currently exceed (or equal, depending on the tool) the traffic on Amazon's Mobi site. SHOUTOUT: To the Enterprise Geeks and Bill Simmons of ESPN for providing further validationnbsp;of thenbsp;longer, unscripted podcast format. ------ Want to buy Free From Corporate America or see reviews of the final published version from readers like yourself? The printed book is now available on Amazon.com with product reviews. You can also get a discounted version of the final book in eBook (PDF) format, or you can pick up a copy on the Kindle. Thenbsp;published version of the book is significantly enhanced from the web version available on this site. ------ FFCA,Podcasts,,Publishing,,Web,Business Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/73 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/73#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:01:12 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/73 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/73/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/72 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/72#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:04:32 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/72 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/72/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/71 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/71#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:37:54 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/71 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/71/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/70 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/70#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:21:17 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/70 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/70/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/69 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/69#comments Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:29:09 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/69 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/69/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/68 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/68#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:30:10 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/68 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/68/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/64 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/64#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:30:28 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/64 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/64/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/61 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/61#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:49:37 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/61 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/61/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/47 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/47#comments Sun, 02 Dec 2007 05:00:00 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/47 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/47/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/44 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/44#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:41:06 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/44 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/44/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/43 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/43#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 06:00:00 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/43 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/43/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/42 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/42#comments Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:47:01 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/42 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/42/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/41 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/41#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:30:34 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/41 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/41/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/40 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/40#comments Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:24:51 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/40 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/40/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/39 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/39#comments Wed, 22 Nov 2006 16:23:28 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/39 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/39/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/38 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/38#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:21:56 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/38 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/38/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/37 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/37#comments Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:12:15 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/37 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/37/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/36 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/36#comments Fri, 13 Oct 2006 22:54:31 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/36 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/36/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/35 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/35#comments Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:52:42 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/35 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/35/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/34 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/34#comments Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:50:17 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/34 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/34/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/33 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/33#comments Tue, 05 Sep 2006 22:47:29 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/33 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/33/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/32 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/32#comments Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:45:43 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/32 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/32/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/31 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/31#comments Mon, 31 Jul 2006 22:40:30 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/31 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/31/feed 16:49 December 16, 2007: check out Jon's podcast update to this chapter, where he explains his approach to finance in the context of "freeing yourself from ... December 16, 2007: check out Jon's podcast update to this chapter, where he explains his approach to finance in the context of "freeing yourself from corporate America." A balance sheet can be a terrible thing to behold. So we save ourselves the trouble by either not creating one or doing it inaccurately. Unfortunately, listing our home as an asset and patting ourselves on the back is not going to get it done. A properly constructed balance sheet tallies up the resources we have to throw at our problems. This could be the difference between leaving a crummy job tomorrow versus having to dig in with a long term exit plan. You can't walk away if you don't know what you're working with. The easiest way to generate a balance sheet is through an accounting program, but that won't get you the kind of balance sheet we're after. The best way to make ours is with a spreadsheet like Excel. It doesn't take much know-how to put together a simple two-column spreadsheet with liabilities on one side and assets on the other. A piece of paper might serve you better than fancy software. A full-featured accounting program is going to classify some things as assets that are not. And it won't take into account other personal goods that are in fact assets. Financial advisors promise that your home and retirement account are assets. In this book, they may not be. When you do your "Free from Corporate America" balance sheet, you only list assets that can be converted into cash in a short-term timeframe (three to six months max). Retirement accounts can only be included if you are willing to liquidate them. Most people are not, and for good reason (If you are thinking of using your retirement account to launch a business, always look into borrowing against it first). For our balance sheet, you can only include your retirement account if you really are willing to liquidate it. Of course, you must subtract the penalties and early withdrawal fees and list only the remainder of your IRA as an asset. When it comes to getting out of corporate America, cash is our key asset. The extra cash can be applied in several ways: we could step back from our "careers" and pursue a more promising field; we could launch a new side venture, or we could shift to part-time work and pursue our own projects aggressively. You can't make those choices without an accurate balance sheet. We approach the balance sheet differently because of our premise that 9-to-5 living is not going to get us there. The new plan is to stop putting all our cash into inaccessible IRAs and instead to use it to fund the creation of our own income-generating assets. These assets will give us a "home run potential" we didn't have before, and they will ultimately increase our job satisfaction as we get closer to working on our own terms. With that in mind, what do you do with your home? If you own your home, you may have been advised to list the entire worth of the home as an asset on your balance sheet and then list what you haven't paid as a liability. Since we are only interested in cash we can put to work in the short-term, we don't do that. On this balance sheet, there are two ways you can account for the value of your home: if you have enough equity that you could refinance your primary mortgage and take money out, then list the amount of money you could pull out as an asset. (strictly speaking, refinance money is a loan, not an asset, but since it's protected by the underlying value of the house, we are bending the rules). Alternately, if you could sell your home and make a profit, and *if* you have no problem selling your home and cashing out, then you can list your home as an asset. If you go this route, you need to determine the price of the new home you would buy when you sold your old one, and then determine the cost of the down payment on the new home. Take the profit you would make from the sale of your old home, deduct the cost of the new down payment, and FFCA,Podcasts,,The,Book Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/30 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/30#comments Mon, 17 Jul 2006 22:37:05 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/30 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/30/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/29 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/29#comments Tue, 04 Jul 2006 22:35:10 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/29 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/29/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/28 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/28#comments Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:28:32 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/28 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/28/feed 13:08 February 4, 2008:nbsp; Returning to the FFCA podcast show after some travels, Jon added this podcast update to one of his favorite chapters, in which ... February 4, 2008:nbsp; Returning to the FFCA podcast show after some travels, Jon added this podcast update to one of his favorite chapters, in which he talks about how you can dramatically change your career path by focusing on skills and less on your total salary. Drawing on his own experiences after graduating, Jon explains how he used this tactic to get out of the service industry for good. He also hits on the more controversial part of this chapter, "management is for suckers." It's hard to master life without mastering business, and it's hard to master business when you're slogging it out in the service industry. People have a nasty habit of taking dead-end jobs because "the money is too good to pass up." Later, they hit a bitter ceiling. I didn't know diddly-squat after I graduated from college. Of all the ill-advised decisions I made, I did have one redeeming impulse: I craved new skills, and I was willing to suffer financially to get them. At one point, I took a "job" for forty dollars a week editing a new publication. That's one way to break into a new field. When you're willing to work for pennies, doors open. Friends waiting tables were banking more than I was. But I had this fanciful notion that my real compensation was the business education I was receiving. It might have been the only thing from that entire era I was right about. Often times, jobs that have the most cash incentives - bartending, waiting tables, and entry-level sales positions - don't have a skills upside. (Though true sales jobs, where you prospect and close leads, are *vastly superior* to retail "sales" environments where you learn how to scan batteries instead of closing deals). "Management" positions can be even more dangerous. In most business settings, "manager" is a special role set aside for the biggest sucker, the one who is willing to do the owner's dirty work in exchange for a chance to boss people around. "Management" experience is valuable to a point, but as a general rule, it's better to have a life than to get stuck acting like an owner but being paid like an employee. Full disclosure: I currently manage people for my biggest client. It all depends on what you're getting out of it. In this case, my situation doesn't feel stagnant, and I have a profit sharing agreement in place. But I've been in crummy management situations before, the kind where you work way too hard for an extra quarter an hour and a bigger set of keys. You can get lost in so-called "management careers." The real secret is to learn just enough about management to know how to push your own ventures forward. The preferred approach is simple: "chase the skills, and the money will follow." There's no absolute rules - all you need is a knack for knowing when a job is drying up. If you head towards the biggest challenge, and switch jobs ruthlessly to find those challenges, you're on the right track. Notice that this approach clashes with how our corporate friends want us to play. Drop this line during an interview: "I'm here to learn as much as I can from your company, but as soon as I've outgrown this situation, I will move on." You've broken a cardinal rule by stating your self-interest; no offer will be forthcoming. Nevermind that your future employer would do the same to you in a heartbeat. Think of your business know-how as a container, and your cash flow as the water. Most people have pretty leaky containers. It doesn't matter how much cash you throw into a leaky container; it will all flow out the bottom. So what makes for a strong container? Some people think it's about tracking every expense and clipping coupons. At best, that's just the beginning. It's not as simple as treating expenses like Whack-A-Mole, popping each in the head when it pokes up. Expenses are not created equal; sometimes you have to spend money to make more of it. So we have to understand the power of investing, and that means grasping financial documents ... FFCA,Podcasts,,The,Book Jon Reed no No http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/27 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/27#comments Mon, 19 Jun 2006 22:25:33 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/27 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/27/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/26 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/26#comments Sun, 04 Jun 2006 22:21:34 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/26 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/26/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/25 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/25#comments Fri, 26 May 2006 22:18:22 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/25 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/25/feed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/24 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/24#comments Fri, 12 May 2006 22:15:41 +0000 Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/24 http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/archives/24/feed