Times are changing
I feel I owe this post to all the people who have been asking where I am , and if you weren’t wondering about me don’t worry I am not hurt but I will share it with you anyway. For anyone that doesn’t know I am originally from the UK and moved to the states in December 2004 to marry the lovely and long suffering Kathy. Since I moved here I have worked online, doing my funky thing and generally it has been great.
Once thing I have noticed while working for myself is that it is quite a lonely life, I don’t have friends, I don’t mix with anyone and that is actually starting to get to me. I did try a couple of networking meetings but all the geek guys just get scared you are after their clients or they spend the time telling you how good they are at asp/php/biteme or whatever the latest thing is.
I also found that I am not really a person, well the banks don’t seem to think I am anyway. I have a green card (citizenship in 2012 and we shall be having a party when it is done, look out for your invite in the post) but as a non citizen and an internet marketer it is like I have 3 heads!
This personal stuff has been building up and it is all becoming a tad annoying, I am sure it will all improve next year when I get my citizenship, have to do an exam and be able to prove I can speak English, my daughter tells me..Daddy you need to speak American not English now you are in America…., But in the meantime it is causing me problems.
So that is the background to the big thing.. I got a job…
Forcey Family Photo
Yes after 7 years of working at home in my shorts I now get to work in an office in jeans.. I am working for a local internet company that has a few businesses on the go, they have programmers and designers but no one knows (or cares) anything about content or seo and that is where I come in. I share an office with one design guy who is very cool and most importantly doesn’t seem to mind my music and my talking to the computer.
It is strange working for someone else, very strange getting a pay check every 2 weeks, (and even with more money coming in I seem to never have any) it is nice to see that my knowledge and experience is useful and I really do like the people I work with. The first couple of months were hectic which is why this blog has been so quiet but I am used to it now and am
SEO
It is funny how differently you look on link building when it is your job and a whole company is relying on you to grow their online exposure and not to get them deindexed or slapped. It is great to be paid to watch white board Friday and to read SEO Blogs and posts by people who do not recommend that you throw a few thousand profile links at a site and see how it goes. I spend my time looking at the larger picture as I only have 3 sites to worry about, I also have access to people to make videos (live action and aniomoto), do infographics and any other graphics stuff I need done.
My online life
I am still here and am still working on my own stuff, I have new products coming up, I am still updating products and have some thoughts to share about Facebook/twitter/links and quality vs quantity and why passion may be the winner in the future. I see so much when i spend time going through data that it would be a shame not to be able to share it all.
So I am going to be posting here and on Facebook again, I am going to finish up the manual for some software I have been using for a while and I also have an info product or 3 kicking around in my brain so i shall try and get all that out to you by the end of this year.
Paul, it is so good to hear from you. Welcome to America. Sounds like you have had some tough times, but that things are now and will continue to look up in the future. Glad you are okay. I’m looking forward to learning more from you.
Take care!
Good to hear from you, Paul. You have helped me in the past, and I hope you will be around a long time online. You’re one of the good guys!
Thanks Edwin
I am still around and I hope that i am still one of the good guys!
My time online is just more focused now than it was which may well be a good thing
Paul
I totally get your situation. Hope this ‘new activity stream’ gives you the pieces that were missing. Congratulations on taking action on your realisations.
Craig
Thanks Craig
I think the move is actually helping the whole family in some ways. My work environment is different to most so that is also a positive move. Fridays my wife bakes goodies and brings them in for the office, so that is one thing everyone I work with is happy about.
Paul
Good to hear from you Paul, was wondering why you were so quiet. Good luck with the new job and I hope you don’t lose that nice English accent.
Wendy
Australia
Cheers Wendy
I was just talking about all the people I know in Australia a few days ago. My step son wants to spend some time over there. He thought a couple of weeks would be enough to see it..lol
I may be asking for advice on places for him to go, if he saves up enough money.
Paul
Glad that you only had to report that you had to take a “day job” instead of something more serious!
lol, some people would say that a day job is as serious as it gets. I do appreciate how lucky I am in the job I have.
HI Paul
Awesome to hear from you. Cant say i have been missing your emails because i am hardly online either these days but i that doesn’t mean to say that i don’t wonder what you up too. Your story sounds a lot like mine and its so comforting to read it. I found IM VERY lonely because i am such a people person and living in a foreign, non English speak country away from Family and best friends means life can get even more lonely. At least i got my residency permit last year. So I know what you mean about wanting to go back to work. It has its pros and cons. But I’m encouraged that you haven’t chucked up IM altogether and are now able to take a look at the bigger picture. Passion I believe is what will succeed in IM in the future and quality for sure. It certainly works better on ones conscience anyway! Well it was great to hear from you and I will do my best to check email more regularly to see what thoughts you have now that you are a 9-5 worker! All the best with studying “America English”. I still haven’t quite grasped that myself yet!!!!
Hi Kirsten
Arent you busy with your babies day and night? People here do at least speak English, although we do still have strange conversations at work some days.
One other thing I have found since going to work is that I have been offered more private work since going to work than i ever got when I was here looking for it. I suppose that is because I am actually meeting more people.
Maybe you could find some networking groups aimed for English language members?
Paul
Great to hear everything is going well. You have been missed, however, I know you are correct about the lonely side of this business. I have worked on my own for over 20 years, so it would be difficult, if not impossible, to go back into the work force. But, I totally agree with you, there should be some middle ground were we can be around like minded individuals that share our views on working conditions. BTW, over the past year or two, a number of my corporate friends have begin working from their homes.
I do wish you well and know that you will come out fine with the test, and speaking “American.” I will be looking for the invite next year.
Best Regards,
Mike
Cheers Mike
I am liking it , the boss pretty much leaves us to our stuff and is pleased because he is seeing results and he is perfectly happy with buying me all the whiteboards and large drawing pads I want so I am a happy bunny.
Paul
Hi Paul,
You know, for a guy as skilled and fluent as you are I’m a little taken aback by your decision to get a j.o.b. The one thing everyone else seems to be running from as fast as they can (with good reason).
By the way, Paul, your English is great. Don’t downgrade to American. American English or American anything else and that includes U.S. Government citizenship. Good luck to you.
Stay well,
Bill
Hi Bill
I think that a lot of peoples attitude towards their job is dependent on the work they do and who they work with. I have had some awful ones in my time and I have had some great ones. And at the moment the job I took is a great one, when it changes I will move on or stop altogether. It is wonderful working in an office with a image geek who is excited about using infographics to promote sites, as well as being willing to work on some video ideas with me. Having a work colleague who is as excited by white board Fridays as I am is a nice thing.
I don’t think I will lose the accent, in fact I think my work mate may pick up some of mine. I think having dual citizenship will be an honour (spelled the correct way) and it will make life a lot easier for me.
Paul
Paul
Congratulations on finding a job in the area of your expertise and I think your passion, sounds perfect. When one has a family, one does what it takes. I think that company is fortunate to have you.
Dale
Thanks for the kind words Dale
I like the people I work with and they are good at working with each other rather than against each other which I think is a big thing in any company.
Of course that may all change but for now i really do enjoy it and I know I am lucky to have that
Paul
Good to hear from you Paul. I was wondering if you were still around. There is no shame shame in having a “Job”. Particularly if the right benefits come with the job. Those are expensive to pay for yourself. I’ll look forward to hearing more from you….
James Wayt
Paul:
Congrats. I must say I’m surprised to see you take a J.O.B. as well. I actually took one myself a few months back and I quickly realized, I could never work for anyone again – no matter how much freedom or money they gave me (and I was getting plenty of both from them). I just couldn’t get motivated to work hard to improve someone else’s business. Every time I did something I kept thinking, “Why am I doing this to improve their business when I could be doing it to improve my own???”
In the end, I lasted about 90 days. It was the most stressful 90 days I’ve had in a while. Now I’m back doing my own thing and loving life.
I hope it works well for you, though. Take care!
Travis
Hi Travis
I am not really feeling to stressed at work at all, which I think would make a big difference. I am enjoying learning and testing some different ideas out and it is good to be able to use my other skills. Stuff I learned all through my work life, not just IM, is being used again and that is great.
I have also learned a new ecommerce system, now I am just looking for a physical product to market!
Paul
Paul,
If you like it, then it is not work. It helps that you feel appreciated. The J>O>B which is not IM related has kept me from going anywhere on the business, but you keep on plugging away.
Dear Paul,
It has been a while since….you offer me a good price for that article helper of yours and congrats on your new job. As long you are happy at your work place, it will definitely not affect your health.
You won’t stressed or If you can create FUN while doing your 9-5 job. That’s what I think.
Cheers,
Shahril
Hi Paul
Its great to hear from you and a very interesting post. I hope you continue to share.
When I met you in person at the WPG seminar in Vegas last year the first think I noticed about you was that your online personality is the same as your off line personality by which I mean very authentic, open and honest.
I alway learn something from your posts and when I get the occasional call for help from a newbie the first place I always sent them is to the newbie helper, that is you.
all the best to you and your family
Tom
P.S. Glad to hear you will be getting citizenship in 2012, we can use all the skilled help we can get.
Hi Tom
Thanks for the kind words, Vegas was great, not just for the presentation but for the chance to meet all you guys.
Thanks for sending people here, I will be trying to keep up with posting here, my next post is already in my head , which of course is a lot easier than getting it on paper.
Paul
Paul
I thought I had not heard anything for a while. Must be different doing an office job after years at home. It will not do you any harm to have a laugh and a joke and meet other like minded people.
I have just started working from home after 30 years of being with others in a envoronment that was full of banter. For me it will be nice to have my own time for once.
Enjoy the new found life, and good luck with your English !
Keep building the Apps.
Kev
Thanks Kevin
If you have been in an office for 30 years you will miss people, my advice would be to try and find a networking group of some kind or some other type of group to still see people.
Paul
Since moving away from the uk, it must be nice waking up to those sunny days all year round and it not getting dark at 3pm this time of year
Yes getting sunburn on October was a bit strange but you get used to it. We do get cold mornings but nothing like I experienced when I was in the UK.
On the other hand you drive 45 mins from here and they will have had 2 or 3 inches of snow overnight
Paul,
Wondering where you were. Left ya a post at WPGM but didn’t hear back from ya.
Yeah sometimes you have to make changes, just glad to hear that you can do what you enjoy doing.
My wife and I have had to take a job as with the down turn economy our retirement investments have taken a hit. We became Level ll Texas security guard. We are currently working a gate for an oil fracking, carefully with that word, East of San Antonio.
Thursday we open and closed the gate 105 times.
Looking forward to seeing what you got new for us.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I will look for that Dick. I did see your email about the job. I was laughing at the vision of you having to take the drug tests and stuff.
Hey Paul,
Very interesting. Not often that people are that honest about what they are upto and what they are feeling and thinking. The internet is an amazing thing and I, for one, am so grateful for the opportunities and freedoms it has given me. But it does have its downsides for sure – and the difficulty with socialising with people is certainly one of them, especially if you are a people person.
So, good luck with the job and your new future!
Noel
Cheers Noel
I don’t feel like I really have anything to hide, I have never been a “look at my Ferrari” kind of marketer. More a kind of “new fence for the yard” marketer..lol
For now the job is a great thing, it has made me a bit more sane, which is not a bad thing.
I also think the few hours away from my mumbling about links and seo is helping my wife and you know what they say about Happy Wife = Happy Life
Sounds like you are having a good time doing your sailing thing, I believe you had lunch with Mark Thompson a week or two ago.
Paul
Good Luck, Paul. You really are the best, and always stay that way. I for one will keep looking for your emails, your calm, sage advice, and your constant reminders about the basics. Don’t throw away your email list, okay?
Hi Judy
Thanks, no I won’t be throwing anything away as my head is still full of new ideas and stuff that I think people would like to hear (ego at work there maybe). I am just working on some new posts for this blog among other things
Paul