Avocationist

real.life.career.change.

Avocationist header image 4

Entries Tagged as 'Personal Growth'

How to Go Pro without Quitting Your Day Job: Part 2

December 18th, 2010 · 4 Comments

Note: In the last post, I introduced the idea of Going Pro without Quitting Your Day Job. In this second part, I cover the benefits. Part 3 will show how you can Go Pro. -- My palms were sweaty and my voice was about two octaves higher than normal as I dialed the phone. I […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Career Change · Mid-Life Career Change · Personal Growth

Follow your spark, not that hollow feeling in your chest

February 4th, 2010 · 11 Comments

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 […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Career Advice · Creative Jobs · Meaningful Work · Personal Growth

Guilt-free networking: How Allan dropped his elevator pitch and started meeting cool people

December 14th, 2009 · 10 Comments

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 […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Personal Growth

The Lunch Break Dream Launch: How to pursue any passion in 25 minutes or less

October 14th, 2009 · 5 Comments

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 […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Career Change · Meaningful Work · Personal Growth

The Suprising Secrets of Business Travel
(Hint: It Can Be Fun)

May 28th, 2009 · 3 Comments

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 […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Meaningful Work · Mid-Life Career Change · Personal Growth

How Nick became an Inspired Entrepreneur

February 4th, 2009 · 1 Comment

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 computers […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Entrepreneur · Mid-Life Career Change · Personal Growth · Sales

The surprising life secret he learned from track

July 24th, 2008 · No Comments

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 […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Career Advice · Entrepreneur · Mid-Life Career Change · Personal Growth

Interview: How to do a start-up the ‘wrong’ way

June 29th, 2008 · No Comments

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 […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Entrepreneur · Mid-Life Career Change · Personal Growth

An offer he couldn’t refuse: having it all

June 12th, 2008 · No Comments

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 […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Career Advice · Corporate Jobs · Mid-Life Career Change · November Newsletter · Personal Growth

Career advice: Make mistakes and ‘Cheer Up’

May 28th, 2008 · 1 Comment

[Read more →]

Tags: Career Advice · Entrepreneur · Personal Growth