I'll be Working on Vacation – What's Your Idea of Work/Life Balance?

My father turned 60 last month. The plan was always to bring him to Ireland for his 60th birthday. Unfortunately, the recession hit and I'm a little short on cash, so we're scrapping the plan until his 61st, and going on a short family vacation to West Palm Beach.

It's been a long time since I went on a real vacation. Since starting Brazen Careerist, I haven't really taken any time off. Work is always on my mind, and I've found some way to work every single day for the past 18 months. In a lot of ways it doesn't seem right to drop everything and take a real vacation. We just took in some funding, we're gaining new users and readers faster than ever, and I'm full of ideas for where the site should go in the next six to twelve months. The truth is, shutting off for four days doesn't even sound like fun.

So, Ive decided that I will be working on vacation. I won't be sitting in front of a computer all day, but I will be running new ideas past my brother and Rebecca. I'll be discussing our latest financing round and other issues with my parents. And I'll probably put together a PowerPoint presentation for our March board meeting on the plane and at the airports.

I have allowed work to completely, totally, consume my life, and I couldn't be happier. After years of discussing what work life balance really means I've realized that to me, at this point in time, working on vacation is my perfect work/life balance.

What's yours?

For more thoughts on working on vacation, check out the post I wrote from Napa Valley, California (my last real vacation)

When Working on Vacation Isn't Really Work

A Bad Economy Is the Perfect Time to Start Over

My first six months in Wisconsin were interesting to say the least. Ryan Paugh and I lived on $1,000 a month in a beat up old house on the East Side of Madison. We worked from home, we rarely went out, we fought with each other, we fought with Penelope, and we watched the snow pile up on the cold Wisconsin ground month after month.

By all accounts, it was pretty terrible. I was used to having lots of friends, going out all the time, and counting on a good paycheck to come in every other week.

But then we raised some money. We took bonuses, we got regular paychecks, we hired people, we rented an office, and I moved in to a nice place with my brother and bought a flat screen TV. It was great. It was comfortable.

It was boring.

Any true entrepreneur will tell you that the best time in the life of a start up is the beginning. You work tons of hours and you can't wait until you're funded because that's when you'll be able to do the things you really want to do.

But once you get funded, the headaches just begin, and it starts to feel like a "real job." It's easy to get comfortable, to forget about all the hard work you put in before there was cash in the bank. And strangely enough, you end up wishing you could go back to the beginning or sell your company and start a new one.

Rather than being completely focused on the company, I found myself walking down the street, sometimes nostalgic about the little apartment Ryan and I lived in and sometimes dreaming about our big exit and all the money that would come with it.

Then, before we even realized what was happening, the market crashed, investors pulled back, and we didn't have salaries anymore. The whole company had gotten too comfortable; we weren't prepared to handle the downturn.

But oddly enough, three months later, things are going really well. We made a decision to switch up our business model and bring in revenue any way possible. Every dollar we make is treated like gold, we've managed to cut our burn rate by nearly 50% without losing any productivity, and we've realized just how many ways there are to make money, without begging someone for a multimillion dollar investment

I'm confident that we're going to make it through, and I'm convinced that when Brazen Careerist does end up a success, we will have George Bush to thank (Did I really say that?). The recession allowed us, or some might say forced us, to reevaluate and start over.

In a way, I did get my wish, Brazen is like a brand new start up, except we have a site that's already built, we have founders who have all done this part before, and we have a whole army of people that want us to succeed.

I've learned a lot from this whole experience, both personally and professionally. Difficult situations are the best learning opportunities; when things are good it's very difficult to see how you can improve. But when times are tough you have the opportunity to make difficult, life-altering decisions. Great businesses and great leaders embrace difficult situations and thrive when times are tough.

The question is, when adversity is staring you in the face, will you get comfortable, or will you embrace the adversity and emerge stronger than ever?

Generation Y: Here Are the Real Dues We Need to Pay

When I hear older generations talk about Generation Y having to pay their dues, I get a little sick to my stomach. Not because I'm trying so hard to avoid the whole thing (I am), but because I have more important things to develop before worrying about a fat paycheck and a corner office with a view.

Due paying gets a bad rap because it's consistently associated with cubicles, meaningless work and low-paying jobs with little benefit. But I believe that there are other inevitable obstacles—more important ones—that we need to conquer before deciding where we stand within the working world.

Here are three due-paying opportunities that we all need to think about before fussing over the traditional connotation of "paying your dues."

Discover who your true friends are.

If you're more than a year out of college you've likely figured it out—everyone you considered friends at school is not going to be there forever. In fact, it's quite possible that you'll encounter some mild betrayal before long. It comes with the territory.

I consider myself pretty lucky. But there are times when I'm utterly let down. And because everyone has their own goals, though sometimes fairly hazy goals, you shouldn't dwell on the people in your life that didn't end up being as loyal as you thought they would be.

What I've learned to do is this: whenever somebody lets you down, put your energy into someone who consistently picks you up. Those are the people you want to center your life around. And it's those people who will continue to add meaning in your life as you pay your dues as a twentysomething.

Discover what it's like to be alone.

While I continue to realize that I still have some true friends, there are still days when I can't help but feel lost and alone. And I think that most people feel this way at some point.

Whether you're single, dating or married, we all have to figure out for ourselves where we fit in the world. Sure, you can count on your loved ones for support, but it's you alone who makes the decision about where you fit and what makes you happy.

One thing I've learned since moving to Madison and starting Brazen Careerist is that life can't be measured by your social life alone, and it's certainly not measured by a paycheck or by where you stand in the hierarchy of the working world. The most important measure in life is how you feel about yourself. And some of the biggest revelations will hit you not when you're out partying with friends or working towards a higher salary, but when you're by yourself, alone and kind of unsettled by the things that are still missing in your life.

Sound depressing? Sure. It's seldom a fairy tale experience for any of us. But what you learn through these experiences is what you need to move forward and be more of the person you want to be someday.

Feeling alone is a big part of paying your dues. Don't fear it; try to embrace it and get comfortable.

Discover your fear, and conquer it.

Lately I've been reading Christine Hassler's 20 Something Manifesto. I learn best from listening to other people's experiences and this book is jammed-pack with twenty-something life.

Today I read about fear and I can't stop thinking about what Christine says:

If you have a skill, dream, or desire that you are passionate about pursuing, perhaps the biggest obstacle you will face is your own fear…Fear can keep us in bad situations, and also from pursuing our passions. Fear can often be a stronger motivator than the desire for success, stopping us in our tracks before we even find out what we want.

Lately I've been talking to a few people who seem to have something in mind that they want to do, but aren't sure how to really do it. But I'm starting to believe it's less about the actual drawing out a plan and more about drawing up the courage to make it happen.

Whether it's leaving a new job, starting a new one, moving away from family and friends, or any other daunting scenario I've ever faced, the most difficult part of the transition was mustering up the courage to do it. But once I sucked things up and overcame the fear of failure, everything else was gravy in comparison.

And sure, I still encounter little failures along the way. But they only make me better. A few scars are worth the irritation because you'll look at them later and remember what you did wrong that put them there in the first place.

So before you fret about office politics or the way the working world views Generation Y, think about developing yourself. People are always going to whine about how lazy and self-absorbed young people are, so let's just spend these years paying real dues first–ones that will actually pay off for the rest of our lives.

What to Do When You Hit a Juncture: Don't Put Life on Hold

One of the most important things I've learned over the past year is that you should aim to live in a place that mirrors your own personality. Unfortunately, most of us won't find ourselves in that perfect place from the get-go. So it's important to not let it get you down, or keep you from achieving your goals.

I have no intention of staying in Madison for more than a couple years. Just enough time to get our business going and hopefully move somewhere that suits my personality. But a couple years is a long time. If I just put things off because I'm waiting for the perfect place to take action, I'll miss out on a lot I've looked forward to for years. Timing isn't always everything. The other half is putting your dreams into action.

What I realized through my lack of action over the past year is that great things can happen in a juncture. We're really just procrastinating when we deceive ourselves into thinking we should wait.

Have you ever told yourself these things in a juncture?

If I'm just patient, good things will happen to me.

Image Credit: jenvanw
The first time I probably told myself this was in high school. And it was probably over a girl. Because I was probably awkward and goofy.

But with confidence and a few more years under the belt, we should all learn that patience is only half a virtue. The second half is a willingness to put yourself out there, even if it might crush your ego.

If you're in a new city and you're social life sucks, it's probably because you're not taking enough risks. Being quiet and reserved can seem like the right move because it's safe, but in fact, it's killing your chances of meeting the right people.

Weekend homework assignment: Go to the bar and put yourself in a situation that runs the risk of making an ass out of you in front of the opposite of sex. Sound like an all-time backfire? Maybe.

But maybe not. Great relationships usually begin during awkward moments. Test the theory out for yourself. If you fail, miserably, I'll owe you a drink.

I should just put in more hours working. I'll enjoy myself later.

When we first came to Madison we lived via late-night meetings, skipping out on happy hours – it was a first-class ticket to depression.

And I really hate that I used to live like that. There's a risk of having only weak relationships when you choose to live this way. Fall into this trap now, and who's to say you'll escape from it later?

My new approach: go out whenever you can reasonably afford to. As long as it doesn't seriously affect your work, it's as an important element on your path to success as climbing that ladder every day.

Everything I create here won't matter once I leave. Why waste my time?

I once met a girl from Mexico who convinced me to study Spanish. I went home and bought Rosetta Stone. Granted, I'm susceptible to foreign girls, but it's proof enough to me that short-term friendships can affect our lives.

Now that I'm finally settled in Madison, I'm embracing every new friendship I possibly can because I've learned to be okay with "temporary." Change is going to happen and nothing is permanent.

People who can adapt quickly to change can find happiness almost anywhere. So learn to embrace where you are all the time, even if deep down you wonder if you will ever think anything but "this sucks."

It's doubtful that anyone in their twenties is completely in tune with their environment. And even if you are, that will probably change as you grow older. What's important to realize is, as long as you're willing to embrace where you are today, you're probably going to end up in the right place tomorrow.

10 Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workplace

There's no doubt that Generation Y will fundamentally change corporate America. It's already started. Managing Gen Y is the hot topic among consultants, Human Resource executives and talent management professionals. For a Gen Yer like me, this is great news.

We have a voice, and we have the ear of the decision makers. Not bad for a group of lazy, entitled, twentysomethings. We've learned the importance of balancing work and life from our overworked parents, and we've watched our older siblings and cousins struggle with their baby boomer bosses who refuse to retire. Now we're primed to change the workplace for the better. Here's how we'll do it.

1. We'll Hold Only Productive Meetings
Meetings are important, sometimes. A good meeting will pull everyone to the same page while motivating them to get the work done. It's rare when that should take more than 30 minutes. Efficiency is the name of the game with Gen Y. We know that a drawn out meeting really means, "we have no idea what we're doing," and these time suckers actually halt productivity and stifle creativity, the qualities that they were supposed to encourage. As soon as Gen Y is running the show, watch wasted meeting time drop dramatically.

2. We'll Shorten the Work Day
The work day is eight hours. Or so they say. A real work day for most of us, if you include the commute, lunch, breaks and maybe dinner, is at least 10 hours. But how many hours of the day are actually spent doing real work? I would guess about half. To truly balance work and life, you cannot mess around and waste time at the office. Gen Y knows this. We're productivity machines; we will figure out how to get as much done in six to seven hours as the average boomer does with his eight.

3. We'll Bring Back the Administrative Assistants
Back in the day, nearly everyone had a secretary. These days, you have to be a CEO or high level executive for a Fortune 500 company to have an assistant. Sure, this saves the company a ton, but Generation Y won't stand for it much longer. We recognize the value of time. Two extra hours per day not filing papers and mailing checks adds up to over 500 extra hours per year that we can spend with family and friends. Even if it comes out of our own pocket, Gen Y will cough up the extra dough to get a part time or virtual assistant.

4. We'll Redefine Retirement
Retirement is dead. It's dead for a number of reasons, including the issues with social security and middle class America's inability to save any money. But Gen Y will figure out how to save money to retire–we're already demanding 401K's and excellent benefits. However, we will re-invent retirement by taking multiple mini retirements instead of calling it quits a few years before its time to croak. Maybe in our late twenties we'll take a few months just to travel the world. Then, as we approach parenthood and our kids grow up, we'll take a year off to enjoy time with our family. Then we'll return to work, refreshed and ready to go. When we hit 65, it will be the new 45 and we'll have a solid 15 to 20 years left before we take our final, very brief, mini retirement.

5. We'll Find Real Mentors
Gen Y is obsessed with career development. We understand the importance of great mentors and we seek them out. The problem is that many older workers weren't effectively mentored and they don't always know how to mentor Gen Y. When it's Gen Y's turn to be senior mentors, we'll know how. As we seek mentors now we'll learn what works and what doesn't. And from the time we enter the workforce until the time we're senior employees, the smartest Gen Yers will figure out how to mentor up. We will teach our older co-workers about new technologies and the power of online communities, and they will respond kindly by guiding us through the insane office politics that exist everywhere.

6. We'll Restore Respect to the HR Department
Ten years ago, human resources got no respect. Today, companies are just beginning to see the importance. Gen Y recognizes that people make the company successful. Maybe it's not tangible and maybe it's not easy to see the direct ROI on keeping people happy, but happy people create successful organizations. All you need to do is take a look at Google, the company that's quickly taking over the world, to see that happy people are successful people and successful people make a lot of money for themselves, and for the company. HR is not a cost center, its vital to the bottom line.

7. We'll Promote Based on Emotional Intelligence
For some reason, companies assume that when you pay your dues and you know the business, you can be a manager. They're wrong. The truth is that seniority does not make a good manager. People skills make a good manager. By the time Gen Y is running the world, we will be smart enough to promote people to managers because they can manage, not because they've worked for ten years. For managers, personal work must come a distant second to developing employees both personally and professionally. If you can't help others, you don't deserve a promotion to manager and you will be left behind.

8. We'll Continue to Value What Our Parents Have to Offer
Sure, Gen Xers can laugh about it now, but Gen Yers respect our parents, and our parents are interested in every part of our lives, even when we're 30. Don't be surprised to see Gen Y employees giving their parents a tour of the office and calling up mom and dad for a little advice on their lunch break. It's not about being babied or refusing to grow up, it's about a level of mutual respect that Gen Y has for our parents and our parents have for us. My mother is coming to visit in a couple weeks, and guess what our plan for the day is? A tour of the office and a couple hours of work for each of us before we go out and do the tourist thing.

9. We'll Enjoy Higher Starting Salaries
Sure, Gen Y is interested in volunteering, putting a halt to global warming and all that other good stuff, but we're not our idealist parents. We watched our parents get laid off and we know that companies look out for themselves, so we do the same. Gen Yers will gladly accept a higher starting salary than promises of raises and promotions that we may never see. Additionally, all we have to do is go to Payscale.com or some other site to find out what the average starting salary is. Then we will ask for more, and we'll probably get it, because we know we can get it elsewhere if your company won't give it to us.

10. We'll Re-invent the Performance Review
Semi-annual or annual performance reviews do not work. Gen Y wants constant feedback. If we're only at a company for two years, we cannot wait for our one year review to find out how we're doing. Gen Y will invent the on-the-spot performance review. The smartest companies will train their managers in giving frequent feedback, and the companies that don't will get a quick reality check when their Gen Y employees demand them. Spot reviews lead to consistent improvement, and consistent improvement is what truly matters to Generation Y.

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