Are you *already* employed to solve problems?

[Andy Black]

Are you *already* employed to solve problems?
(Originally posted here.)


Back when I was a self-employed IT contractor, I sat opposite another database administrator.

I asked him why he wasn't contracting. He could double his revenue overnight, be more tax efficient, and start building other revenue streams on the side.

He said he wasn't ready. He would need to be a much better database administrator before he'd be able to command the higher contractor rates.

"Really?" I asked.

"What if we swapped desks and you did all my project work and I did all yours? I hit Google or the manuals when I don't know something - same as you do. Do you think you couldn't do my work?"

.
.
.

"Oh. I never thought of it like that."

He was contracting within 6 months and never looked back.

You're paid to solve problems and add value to a business. If you're employed to do it, then that proves you can already solve problems and add value.

Now go get some.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Thiago Machado]

Andy,

It always strikes me that a single switch in mindset can literally change your income overnight (employee to contractor).

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Azure]

More so than a lack of talent or intelligence, the plague of sidewalkers is the lack of initiative and the overbearing sense of complacency in the "unfortunate situation" life seems to have handed them. In your case, the man sitting opposite you did not have the drive or initiative to research and compare the opportunity of contracting. He was co.placent I'm his position and refused to explore alternative solutioms

I see it every day. The same employee who refuses to do a certain task because it's "outside his listed job description" is the same employee who will also ask for a 10%+ raise at the end of year to perform the exact same tasks he is already paid very well to perform. The same guy who also wastes 50+ a week on lottery tickets, 100+ a week on liquor, buys a car he doesn't really need, eats expensive take out lunches etc then complains of his lot in life even when he may have significant leverages he may not be fully exploiting.

These are the type of people who, if handed 20 million dollars, would still find themselves over leveraged, stressed and on a slippery slope towards abject poverty despite granted such opportunities. The mindset in these people is pure insanity.

The pure gold found within TMF is lost upon people like that. The type of people who read the book, seem to "get it", then come here looking for step by step instructionals spoon feeding every step of the way.

 

[JokerCrazyBeatz]

Honestly Andy I don't know how you're not a multi millionaire by now (atleast I don't think you are haha) you give the business mindset such a simplified view , you even helped me see how easy it is

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Rincewind]

I switched from employee to contractor five years ago. I thought I still had to learn a lot back then, but I saw several contractors with my or even lesser skills.

I know several people who want to stay employed because of the "safety"... If I could live with the slowlane this could be ok, but I don't think that any company could give me that safety in todays world. Perhaps my parents worked for "safe" companies. Since I started working, I didn't meet any of these companies that would be loyal to their employees a lifetime. Most of them aren't even loyal for one year..

 

[TonyStark]

Great thread.

 

[Andy Black]

A related thread that I'll add more to when I get the time:

• 10+ Years IT Contracting at €300-900/day (Learnings)

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[LiveHappy]

A related thread that I'll add more to when I get the time:

• 10+ Years IT Contracting at €300-900/day (Learnings)

Honestly Andy I don't know how you're not a multi millionaire by now (atleast I don't think you are haha) you give the business mindset such a simplified view , you even helped me see how easy it is

+1

 

[LiveHappy]

I switched from employee to contractor five years ago. I thought I still had to learn a lot back then, but I saw several contractors with my or even lesser skills.

I know several people who want to stay employed because of the "safety"... If I could live with the slowlane this could be ok, but I don't think that any company could give me that safety in todays world. Perhaps my parents worked for "safe" companies. Since I started working, I didn't meet any of these companies that would be loyal to their employees a lifetime. Most of them aren't even loyal for one year..

Wow - I know someone who was really successful (but actually screwed it up due to drugs), I always thought what the heck? I know I am way better than that, even before his business went under, but I always had some story in my head as to if I could only get the opportunity that he got. Now I am ready to CREATE my opportunity!!! So excited!! Thank You for helping me make this connection

-LiveHappy

 

[Andy Black]

For those of you in jobs who are worried about being laid off in this current crisis ...

Have a think about what you're currently getting paid to do. Maybe you're closer to working for yourself than you thought.

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Walter Hay]

@Andy Black, What an excellent idea to put in the minds of people who just need that little nudge.

I was paid to solve problems using specialized industrial chemicals known as Release Agent Chemicals. My employer refused to contemplate my suggested improvements to formulas based on what I had learned about problem solving, but I carried on selling and expanding his business dramatically while being paid a pittance.

The little nudge for me was the foolish demands by a new director who had been a senior marketing executive at Colgate Palmolive. He insisted on me selling complex chemical products by his soap selling methods! I refused, resigned 3 times, and departed.

I was grateful for that nudge because I used my experience to start my own specialty Release Agent Chemicals business which I rapidly built into a multi million dollar enterprise.

Walter

 

[Andy Black]

@Andy Black, What an excellent idea to put in the minds of people who just need that little nudge.

I was paid to solve problems using specialized industrial chemicals known as Release Agent Chemicals. My employer refused to contemplate my suggested improvements to formulas based on what I had learned about problem solving, but I carried on selling and expanding his business dramatically while being paid a pittance.

The little nudge for me was the foolish demands by a new director who had been a senior marketing executive at Colgate Palmolive. He insisted on me selling complex chemical products by his soap selling methods! I refused, resigned 3 times, and departed.

I was grateful for that nudge because I used my experience to start my own specialty Release Agent Chemicals business which I rapidly built into a multi million dollar enterprise.

Walter

Great story.

Resigned 3 times?? Pray tell what that means!

 

[Walter Hay]

Great story.

Resigned 3 times?? Pray tell what that means!

I resigned because I couldn't tolerate his pompous and overbearing attitude. At Colgate Palmolive he had taught order takers how to take orders, but thought he was teaching salesmen to sell.

The MD refused to accept my resignation, no doubt not wanting to kill the goose that laid the golden egg. After all, year after year I was doubling sales. Compounded, that meant that after 3 years I had sales up to 800% of what they were when I started. Staff numbers increased from 5 to 23 to cope with the orders I was bringing in.

He made promises, so I stayed on at a slave labour salary, but the annoyance continued so I resigned again. Again he declined to accept, making even rosier promises, but I left anyway.

With the third resignation there was no turning back. That's when I started my own business, which grew to export all over the Asia/Pacific area. He had done me a great favour.

Walter

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Silverfox148]

Great Thread , Andy thanks for it!

Walter Hay, great story man!

The key is the switch in mindset, my mind really switched over within the past year or so. I've always been a key player in all the teams I have worked with and others have asked me over the years why I didn't just start my own business in that area I was working in, all girls who wanted to go along for the ride both physical and business, they saw something in me I didn't. I'm getting very close to the point of just starting my own entrepreneurial journey and I have zero doubt I will kill it.

Don't let the big salaries fool you, if you don't have ownership at the end of the end of the day you don't decide your own fate.

 

[fastlanedoll]

TONS of gold in this thread.

Andy Black, really appreciate you going out of your way to give your colleague another perspective & changing his life for the better!! I try to do this by getting people close to me to read the TMF .

People on the sidewalk & slowlane are complacent in different ways. Sidewalkers see no way out of their situation, and choose to take it one day at a time, trading time & manual labour for today's security, not giving any thought for tomorrow. Slowlaners are complacent to trading time for money. Slowly, albiet, not-so-surely.

It's been said that 75% of lottery winners go bankrupt again. I'd be willing to bet it's due to the sidewalker mentality seeing that it's most likely sidewalkers who engage in the lottery in the first place.

Even though I'm still technically a slowlaner, I now see working a job as a sham.
That's not to say there are no benefits to working a job- there definitely are, but the constant that remains is:
You do the work, but the owner makes the money (or you wouldn't even have a job in the first place)
On top of that, you can be fired (without cause) ANYTIME!! How's that for 'security'?
The whole system takes advantage of people who don't know any better and see slowlane as all there is. Or more accurately, they know there is a fastlane, but see it as something that is 'risky' or out of reach.

I was one of those people who fell for the high salary without seeing the big picture.
Even though I like what I do, I can't decide my own fate as I'm still working for someone else as of now.
TMF opened my eyes.

p.s. I don't understand how an employer can refuse a resignation. Isn't it in the contract, that either party can unilaterally end it? How did you manage to resign, finally?

 

[Walter Hay]

p.s. I don't understand how an employer can refuse a resignation. Isn't it in the contract, that either party can unilaterally end it? How did you manage to resign, finally?

There was no contract. I was just a humble salesman. I finally ended it by walking into the MD's office saying "I can't work with ....." and I just walked out.

Walter

 

Don't like ads? Remove them while supporting the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.