What I'm up to

So it's been another 3 years since I blogged anything worth sharing. Since then, my son was born and has grown into a brilliant little toddler, we built and moved into another home (and I became a landlord to the old one), I took some calculated risks that should've paid off sooner based upon excellent market data but for our corrupt politicians and lobbyists interfering, and some less calculated but logically sound investment strategies, I left my previous employer of 6.5 years, I revived my personal life, and most recently I have co-founded a Bakersfield Software Company, Mershon Enterprises.

Being a parent is difficult just about any day of the week. For instance, right now my son has a cold and he's feverish. Any parent will tell you that by itself, that's nerve-racking beyond compare. BUT, pair it up with the added responsibility of keeping a minimum number of billable hours per week (and oh-by-the-way I don't have a boss to remind me how hard I need to be working), and life can get pretty stressful. Luckily, I'd planned for this. Before quitting my old job I saved about 6 months worth of living costs on top of my brokerage account, so money hasn't exactly been tight but it's still of daily consideration. So I cheerfully advise that if you want to start a business, set money aside and diversify the hell out of it.

A solace I've found with my new routine of 7-noonish weekdays at the Starbucks down the street is I have a lot more time to get a little lost in my head and think about what it is that I've done and am doing with my life. My old job was ostensibly safe and stable, but I wouldn't have quit unless there were more things I disliked than I liked. Paychecks are great, but if you have to face having your ideas continuously rejected by your managers, being forced to keep all time third-party billable but not having a marketing team to back you up, being locked into a vertical market where you can't compete and not being allowed to spread horizontally, and being forced to adopt anti-competitive business strategies in the attempt to lock-in repeat business, and you can maybe see what I left. Things with my company currently are (and I hope will remain) substantially different and better for me. I work when and where I want, I can freely approach potential clients and employees I want to work with, and if I want to enjoy the better part of my day sporting a mohawk and pink spandex, nobody's going to send me home.

Fact is, I'm already a lot happier and things are only just beginning to go my way.