How to invest without losing

I find it easy to navigate the corporate world. I understand the importance of collaboration and compromise. And the need for patience. I've not worked often for companies in the 'move fast and break things' mode. Whether they were a company on a high-growth path or one more diligent, decision making was rarely a competitive sport where the fastest decision maker won. Some find the modern corporation a stifling place they can't imagine themselves. Others really know how to play the game. My reality is somewhere in the middle.

This perspective comes from two major experiences:

1. Growing up in retail. My parents owned a couple of variety department stores and I learned how to wait on customers. In college, I worked in the electronics department at the UO Bookstore. Customer service with a smile was standard practice in both cases.
2. Early self-employment. I had the opportunity to go the route of independent designer on my way to becoming a commercial photographer. This was a dream for me and a couple of anchor clients made it possible. My retail upbringing prepared me well for the world of client service. And I did well out of the gate. So well I didn't have much time for sales. One night I realized that if I lost these two clients I'd be in a pickle.

It wasn't long after I woke up to this fact that both clients left due to management changes. In a pickle I was. This was the time I learned the art of the struggle. Debt. The downward spiral. Safety nets falling away. Like a plane that stalls in violent turbulence and starts plunging while the pilot struggles to restart the engines.

Fortunately, the engines restarted when I once again returned to the corporate world. Ahh, I thought. I've solved the problem. And for the next 12 years, I had.

Sure, during this time I started a couple or three blogs. I kept making images. I kept thinking about what's possible. But I was very grateful for my job. All three I had during this time. Yes, there's much I could gripe about around decision making and politics. But the tradeoff was worth it. Entrepreneurs will tell you you're just trading time for money. That you're capped and at the mercy of your boss. That you don't have control. Which is true.

But equally true is the fact that every two weeks a paycheck would arrive in your bank account and you wouldn't go bankrupt going to the doctor. It's a really good thing. I believe that your job is often what you make of it. And if the culture is really stinky, as I've also experienced at one time, having a job is a good springboard to the next one (financial crises and pandemics notwithstanding).

You could say that for most of my career I've been lucky. I have only changed jobs when I sought out the growth or the opportunity sought me out. Not that I didn't envy others. Not that I didn't regret my stint at self-employment for stunting both the growth of my 401k and climb up the corporate ladder. But even with that, in the rear view it taught me many lessons about managing budgets and business. It also taught me more patience in managing corporate life.

And then 2018 came

My company was bought by a private equity firm and assumed I would be on the bubble. Because that's what often happens in such situations. 10 months later, I was given the opportunity to reinvent myself. That was a scary moment. A panic attack here and there. And instant motivation to solve this situation. For the next four months I lived and breathed the job search. I read more books. I wrote. I networked. I was going to solve this situation. And I did. I joined a respected firm in a different industry - professional services - and embarked on this new journey. Even if I didn't find it the most exciting or the best fit for me, I appreciated the opportunity to try something new. After the experience of being kicked to the curb, I also relished the stability this firm promised. I also thought it was up to me to create my success.

2020: Rinse and repeat

You all know that story. Covid gave millions the opportunity to reinvent themselves. At the start, I once again was grateful that I was part of a growing, stable firm. Until I was unexpectedly furloughed and ultimately terminated.

"I know this drill," I told myself.

Into action once again I went. Calmer than the first time. Somehow there was comfort in knowing how to navigate this turbulence. Oddly, I think the common plight of society also softened the blow. But complacent I was not. I went full guerrilla into reinvention. Daily podcast listening, books, writing, creating. Never before in such a short period of time had I absorbed as much new information as I did last year. It wasn't random either. I had a strategy. I thought about WHAT to take in each day. This WAS my job. I started a podcast. I paused the podcast. I started a consulting business. I rebuilt the website three times. I launched a new online fine-art photography gallery. And I launched this newsletter. Then a few months later landed a consulting client and a new job I enjoy at the same time.

Why am I sharing this backstory you ask?

To highlight that the only certainty you have is in yourself. A safe corporate job is not safe. But neither is entrepreneurship or self-employment. Safety is an illusion.

With each career decision you make a bet on your future. It’s up to you to create your own success. Which is why investing in yourself is an investment in which you can’t lose. It’s the one investment you have near total control over. And it pays dividends. Few career paths are fairy tales. Few career paths are linear.

When you have a job, it’s like having one client. When that client leaves you, unless you have others to take their place - or your job’s place - pain ensues. Not to mention your ego takes a hit. When you’re looking for a job, you’re at the mercy of the gatekeepers. Unless you find a way through them. How? By investing in yourself and your network. It’s on you.

Finding a job that fuels you can be nearly as challenging as building a business from scratch. Neither option offers certainty. Market and political forces can bring both to their knees. Or build them up. Depends on which side you’re on. But consistently investing in yourself like you do a 401k, compounds. If you don’t have one already, design an investment strategy for you. What are you curious about? Where do you want to go next? What problems need solving that you can solve? These are questions I’ve touched on here before. But not in this context. Start with you. No one can steal your investment. No one can tax it. You can grow it every single day no matter what the market does. And only you can squander it. Or capitalize on it. How cool is that?

Next week: how we earn today.

Dose of inspiration:

If you’ve not experienced Martin Lindstrom, he’s a solid thinker on brand building, marketing and creativity. Here’s a video on how to be more creative: