Avocationist

Photos: (c) Allan Bacon (left) and by fazen (right)
For most of my career, I was busy with work and the little remaining time was dedicated to my family. While this arrangement made me feel like I was taking care of everything, over time it left me feeling hollow.
Somehow I knew that the empty [...]

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Photo by TheGiantVermin
7:06 pm at the Hilton. Running late from work. Pay my $15. Put on nametag. Gulp. Walk into a ballroom of strangers standing around chatting. Everyone knows someone but me. Crap. Maybe I’ll just stand in the corner…
Have you ever experienced the "yuck" factor of networking? Do you feel like you have to [...]

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Photo by renedepaula

Do you have too many interests and not enough time?
Here's a quick way to try out your secret dreams, create some new ideas and sow the seeds of your next adventure - all without leaving your desk.
Today I used it to feed my "travel jones" during lunch: I went to Brazil.

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Business trips suck - we all know that. But did you know that business trips and lunch breaks can be 2 of the best times to find fun?
On my first trip to Hong Kong, I learned that they can be great times to try out new interests - the first step towards developing your [...]

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Nick Williams’ career as an author began in 1999 with the release of his first book The Work We Were Born To Do and he has recently started a new online community called the Inspired Entrepreneur.
“This guy is living on the streets telling me to cheer up”
Nick began his working life selling [...]

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A military officer. A minister. A politician. A track coach. While these may sound like four different people, Jim Watkins has worn all these hats in his 65 years. Each path has been vastly different, but the common thread through them all his Jim’s ability to lead and organize, notably as District Director for Congressman [...]

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Robin Wolaner is CEO and founder of Tee Bee Dee, an online community for people over 40. She’s had a very successful career in publishing starting with a part-time job at Penthouse magazine and later as founder of Parenting magazine which she sold to Time-Warner. There she launched Vibe and Martha Stewart Living.
In the second [...]

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John Cleghorn served as speechwriter for Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl during the trememdous growth that built the second-largest bank in the US. John's speechwriter role was the first of a successful 18-year career at the bank that also included a job as head of Issues Management.
At the age of 46, with a [...]

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In this interview, Edna Bacon shares her latest career transition - she has come full-circle and is again creating ceramic art. And she is taking the opportunities to exhibit in galleries that she passed up early in her career. Edna talks about how her friendships with other artists have brought these new experiences.
Avocationist spoke to [...]

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