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, 07 Mar 2010 11:52:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 en ©Jon Reed http://freefromcorporateamerica.com/?feed=rss2&cat=1 info@freefromcorporateamerica.com (Jon Reed) info@freefromcorporateamerica.com(Jon Reed) 1440 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.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" 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/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?'" 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. 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." 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. 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. 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