Avocationist

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 calling.

I knew a guy (call him 'Tom') who had a detailed "Top 10" list of requirements for any prospective girlfriend. She had to be blonde, athletic, intelligent, Ivy League-educated, successful, from a good family, and more.

Tom met a woman once who came close, but when every date was compared to that top 10 ideal, how could any real-life relationship survive? (By the way, he's pushing 40 now and is still single.)

I think that Tom had it all backwards.

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About four years ago, I was getting ready for my first-ever trip to Asia - to Hong Kong and China for business.

Because I was traveling so far, I had to stay over the weekend. So as a way to keep in touch with my daughters, I came up with a game.

They each gave me a list of 5 things that they wanted a photo of. This provided "focus" for my sightseeing time and was a fun way to spice up my emails.

So, I photographed a chicken, a lot of dogs and even an elephant (I had to cheat on this one - it was on a bag of Indian rice at a grocery store). The only one I couldn't get was a squirrel - apparently there aren't many of them in Hong Kong.

But because I was so aware of everything around me, I saw some other things, too. Like the flower vendors and the way they wrapped their products. And the way people talked to each other on the Star Ferry going to the main island.

And it reminded me of times when I had "a-ha" moments in my career. Times where something just clicked and I realized what I needed to do next - and then saw opportunities all over the place.

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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.

Nick began his working life selling computers in London. In the midst of this successful career, he found himself sitting on a beach in Antigua asking “is it worth it?”.

In this first of a two-part interview, Nick talks about his “A-ha!” moment and the steps he took to begin changing his career.

Read on to find Nick’s thoughts on:

1. How to start a change while working
2. How to face internal resistance to change
3. How to be an entrepreneur without being a jerk

Read the full interview:
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Patricia Ryan Madson was Head of Stanford University’s Undergraduate Acting Program and has taught a generation of students in all disciplines how they can bring the lessons of Improv Theatre into their lives. She has written a fantastic book that summarizes this philosophy: Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up.

In her 20s, when she missed out on tenure in her first University job – in spite of doing “all the right things” – she decided to focus instead on what she loved. Her explorations of Eastern Philosophy and spiritual practices informed her work in theatre and led to her success at Stanford, including being awarded the University’s highest teaching prize, the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for outstanding contribution to undergraduate education.

In this second of a two-part interview, Patricia talks about losing her first academic job, finding her path to an even better position and the life lessons that gave birth to her book Improv WISDOM.

“What I began doing at that point was trying to please ‘The Man’.”

Read on to find Patricia’s thoughts on:

1. What if you do everything by the book…and fail?

2. What would happen if I just acted like me?

3. Is the purpose of life just to be happy?

Read the full interview:
[Read more →]

Patricia Ryan Madson was Head of Stanford University’s Undergraduate Acting Program and has taught a generation of students in all disciplines how they can bring the lessons of Improv Theatre into their lives. She has written a fantastic book that summarizes this philosophy: Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up.

In her 20s, when she missed out on tenure in her first University job – in spite of doing “all the right things” – she decided to focus instead on what she loved. Her explorations of Eastern Philosophy and spiritual practices informed her work in theatre and led to her success at Stanford, including being awarded the University’s highest teaching prize, the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for outstanding contribution to undergraduate education.

In this first of a two-part interview, Patricia discusses her early career path and shares her belief that thinking “inside the box” can often lead to more creative solutions.

“Trust your weird instincts”

Read on to find Patricia’s thoughts on:

1. What can happen if you just do work you love

2. How a regular paycheck give you freedom

3. How a book can create a busy retirement

Read the full interview:
[Read more →]

While running a growing business as his day job, Ed Kushins began HomeExchange.com in the early ‘90s as a way to combine his love for travel and his enthusiasm for the home exchange concept. Now retired from his main business, Ed has made HomeExchange.com into the wildly successful business that has been featured the hit movie “The Holiday”.

In the third of a three-part interview, HomeExchange.com founder Ed Kushins discusses his most difficult and most rewarding careers, the professor who changed his perspective on life, and his advice for those seeking career success.

“What has actually happened is that this has become a hugely successful, profitable business.”

Read the interview and find out:

1. What it’s like to love your job
2. How economics impacts whether you help your Mom
3. What is the key to career success

Read the full interview:
[Read more →]

While running a growing business as his day job, Ed Kushins began HomeExchange.com in the early ‘90s as a way to combine his love for travel and his enthusiasm for the home exchange concept. Now retired from his main business, Ed has made HomeExchange.com into the wildly successful business that has been featured the hit movie “The Holiday”.

In the second of a three-part interview, Ed Kushins describes the steps he took to create Home Exchange, and how the tiny offline company morphed into a popular website featured in a Sony movie.

“They sent me a copy of the script and I could see this was like a dream come true.”

Read the interview to find out how Ed answered these questions in his life:

Read the full interview:
[Read more →]

While running a growing business as his day job, Ed Kushins began HomeExchange.com in the early ‘90s as a way to combine his love for travel and his enthusiasm for the home exchange concept. Now retired from his main business, Ed has made HomeExchange.com into the wildly successful business that has been featured the hit movie “The Holiday”.

“This is going to be a way I can do something I really like.”

In the first of a three-part interview, Ed discusses his career path leading up to Home Exchange and his first home-trading experience.

See how Ed addressed:

Read the full interview:
[Read more →]

The Avocationist had a great summer, including 3 weeks in Paris courtesy of a home exchange with a French family. My family and I arranged this trip using HomeExchange.com, a company founded by Ed Kushins. Ed started his service while running a separate business full-time. He had a long-term view towards having a fun job for his retirement. Later this week, I'll post the first of my interviews with Ed. In the interview, you will get insights into Ed's thoughts on:

1. How do you start work you are passionate about if you cannot leave your job?
2. How do you know when it is the right time to start a new company?
3. What's the best way to try out a "potential passion"?

Also, look for upcoming interviews with a software salesman-turned trainer and online entrepreneur, the man whose love of music inspired him to start the first online music channel and a music promoter turned ministry student turned music promoter turned minister/music promoter... (Photo courtesy of franz88).