You are here: Home / Guest Posts / Chasing Your Dream While Keeping Your Day Job

Chasing Your Dream While Keeping Your Day Job

June 2, 2009 18 Comments
84 Shares 84 Shares ×

This is a guest post from Andrew Weaver, a photographer, blogger, and self described social media geek. He has an interest in helping others improve their lives both personally and professionally. He authors the blog Leave It To Weaver and you can connect with Andrew on Twitter.

I’m no social media expert. I’m not a PR maven. I’m not a marketing guru. I won’t show you how to get thousands of followers on Twitter.

I don’t have any New York Times’ best sellers. I don’t have a Fortune 500 company to tell you about. I can’t show you how to make millions sitting at home.

I’m just a guy with a dream. I’m going to wager many of you are in the same boat.

I have a love for writing and a dream of growing my photography business. The goal is to one day leave the daily 9 to 5 grind behind and to be doing what I love for a living. If you have the same goals, I understand that it can be difficult to know where to begin.

We live in extraordinary times. The Internet changed the game and social media brought the game to a whole new level. There has never been so many tools available at our fingertips. Geography is no longer a restriction. The list could go on and on. The point is, it has never been easier to start your own business.

If you have a day job that takes up most of your time, it can be a little tricky starting your own business. So how to begin?

If I were to give you just one basic tip, it would be to utilize social media. In today’s world it is imperative to have some form of online presence, especially when starting a business in your spare time.

Social media provides you with exposure and a cheap way to market your business. You don’t have to be on every site out there. Just a couple you can devote some time and effort to. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Pick your poison and start building.

Build relationships. Build conversations. Build communities. Build fans. Build your network. Build, build, and build some more. By the way, building is much different from non-stop self promoting. No one likes a border line spammer.

Think about this. Without social media how many of you would be reading Danny Brown’s blog? How many of you would know much about Chris Brogan without Twitter? How many of you would care that Guy Kawasaki uses ghosts of anything without social media? If you are building your business from scratch and very few people know much of anything about you, there’s no good reason not to utilize social media. Start building.

Finally, I’m going to throw in one last bit of advice for free. Get rid of the excuses. Whether it’s fear of the unknown or any other reason, quit
using lousy excuses for why you refuse to utilize the tools the Internet has to offer your business.

3 Favorite Excuses YOU Can Not Use

  • No money. How many successful Internet startups do you know that opened with a huge budget? Quit using this excuse.
  • No time. This will be the most tempting excuse if you have a day job. Quit asking about social media if you’re going to instantly turn around and say, “I don’t have time for that.” You can and will make time for anything you really want.
  • No knowledge. It’s good to be knowledgeable in your field. It’s good to do your homework before you dive into a business in any field. At some point though, you have to dive in. You must get to work. Quit hiding behind your fear of starting your own business by saying you don’t know enough yet. Get to work and learn as you go.

You may just be a girl or guy with a dream, but there is no reason you can’t be working to achieve that dream. Social media is one of the best ways available today in helping you get there. I like how Seth Simonds’ bio on his Twitter breaks it down: “Drink some tea, ignore some experts, pursue your dreams…”

Join over 11,000 smart subscribers

Get my latest updates delivered straight to your Inbox as soon as they're published (I respect your privacy and will never spam you)

84 Shares Twitter 0 Facebook 0 Google+ 0 Buffer 0 Buffer LinkedIn 0 Email -- Email to a friend 84 Shares ×
Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: , , ,
About Danny

Danny Brown is Chief Technologist at ArCompany and an award-winning marketer and blogger. His blog is recognized as the #1 marketing blog in the world by HubSpot. Danny is also co-author of Influence Marketing: How to Create, Manage and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing.

61 comments
  Livefyre
Newest | Oldest
find nanny jobs
find nanny jobs

Nanny To You is a free nanny jobs search service
via uberVU

Elli St.George-Godfrey
Elli St.George-Godfrey

As someone who coaches entrepreneurs, I found myself reading this post and saying yes, yes, yes! Andrew illustrates so beautifully why launching a business now is really do-able. And I even found myself chuckling about my start. I didn't know you needed a decent amount of money to start a business. A lack of money doesn't have to be an obstacle. It just makes things a little more interesting at times than you may want! The important thing I'd encourage everyone to remember is that you do what you can, when you can, how you can. Entrepreneurs make their own rules. Take your time, connect with knowledgeable, generous people like Danny and Andrew (and many others in social media), use whatever social media tools make sense to you, and be kind to yourself.

Danny
Danny

I think that's one of the common misconceptions, Elli - that it takes too much money to start a business. There are a ton of inexpensive ways to start. Get a cheap website; set up a few accounts on social networks that will work for you; network (virtually and offline) and use affiliate sales to start with so someone else does the "hard work" and you simply promote. Then, as you and Andrew say, continue to build at a realistic pace, keep growing your connections, utilize affiliates less, and before you realize it, you're running a business. Of course, then the real fun begins... ;-)

Elli St.George-Godfrey
Elli St.George-Godfrey

As someone who coaches entrepreneurs, I found myself reading this post and saying yes, yes, yes! Andrew illustrates so beautifully why launching a business now is really do-able.

And I even found myself chuckling about my start. I didn't know you needed a decent amount of money to start a business. A lack of money doesn't have to be an obstacle. It just makes things a little more interesting at times than you may want!

The important thing I'd encourage everyone to remember is that you do what you can, when you can, how you can. Entrepreneurs make their own rules. Take your time, connect with knowledgeable, generous people like Danny and Andrew (and many others in social media), use whatever social media tools make sense to you, and be kind to yourself.

Danny
Danny

I think that's one of the common misconceptions, Elli - that it takes too much money to start a business.

There are a ton of inexpensive ways to start. Get a cheap website; set up a few accounts on social networks that will work for you; network (virtually and offline) and use affiliate sales to start with so someone else does the "hard work" and you simply promote.

Then, as you and Andrew say, continue to build at a realistic pace, keep growing your connections, utilize affiliates less, and before you realize it, you're running a business.

Of course, then the real fun begins... ;-)

Elli St.George-Godfrey
Elli St.George-Godfrey

As someone who coaches entrepreneurs, I found myself reading this post and saying yes, yes, yes! Andrew illustrates so beautifully why launching a business now is really do-able.

And I even found myself chuckling about my start. I didn't know you needed a decent amount of money to start a business. A lack of money doesn't have to be an obstacle. It just makes things a little more interesting at times than you may want!

The important thing I'd encourage everyone to remember is that you do what you can, when you can, how you can. Entrepreneurs make their own rules. Take your time, connect with knowledgeable, generous people like Danny and Andrew (and many others in social media), use whatever social media tools make sense to you, and be kind to yourself.

Rena
Rena

I agree that it's very important to follow your dreams and that social media is an amazing tool. My question is, when do you take the leap? When do you move from pulling yourself in two directions and actually focus on what you wanted to do in the first place? It's scary to take the leap, but to go to the next level, don't you have to? Thanks for the inspiration.

Danny
Danny

It can be a tricky one to balance, Rena, but one way is recognizing that you may be starting to repeat what both you and everyone else is currently saying. Then you know that it's time to differentiate - some do it earlier than others. You need to be comfortable with the leap but you also have to take the risk, or else the comfort factor just remains the over-riding one. Good luck! :)

Rena
Rena

Thanks so much. I think that I'm ready to take the leap!

Rena
Rena

I agree that it's very important to follow your dreams and that social media is an amazing tool. My question is, when do you take the leap? When do you move from pulling yourself in two directions and actually focus on what you wanted to do in the first place? It's scary to take the leap, but to go to the next level, don't you have to?

Thanks for the inspiration.

Rena
Rena

Thanks so much. I think that I'm ready to take the leap!

Danny
Danny

It can be a tricky one to balance, Rena, but one way is recognizing that you may be starting to repeat what both you and everyone else is currently saying. Then you know that it's time to differentiate - some do it earlier than others.

You need to be comfortable with the leap but you also have to take the risk, or else the comfort factor just remains the over-riding one.

Good luck! :)

Rena
Rena

I agree that it's very important to follow your dreams and that social media is an amazing tool. My question is, when do you take the leap? When do you move from pulling yourself in two directions and actually focus on what you wanted to do in the first place? It's scary to take the leap, but to go to the next level, don't you have to?

Thanks for the inspiration.

Henie
Henie

Drew and Danny! It really is all about "building," isn't it? Building relationships using Social Media is the best tool/gift to come along in a great while. Unfortunately there are those who choose to abuse it to their own detriment, but it's all a matter of choice afterall. Perhaps soon, we will all realize that the hardest sell we'll ever have to make is to ourselves! One can either choose to *build* on the excuses or as Drew suggests, we can all choose to *build* upon our deams! Drew, I am so pleased to meet a doer and a giver...I thank you for this post! And Danny, thanks again for sharing yet another incredible connection! :~) “Dreams need hard work too not just sleep!” ~Henie~

Danny
Danny

Hi there Henie, Glad you enjoyed Drew's post - his blog is one of my essentials when it comes to daily reading. I guess it's like anything - teething pains followed by awareness followed by comfort zone and where you need to be to spread what message. Here's to us learning together.

Henie
Henie

Drew and Danny!

It really is all about "building," isn't it? Building relationships using Social Media is the best tool/gift to come along in a great while. Unfortunately there are those who choose to abuse it to their own detriment, but it's all a matter of choice afterall. Perhaps soon, we will all realize that the hardest sell we'll ever have to make is to ourselves!

One can either choose to *build* on the excuses or as Drew suggests, we can all choose to *build* upon our deams!

Drew, I am so pleased to meet a doer and a giver...I thank you for this post! And Danny, thanks again for sharing yet another incredible connection! :~)

“Dreams need hard work too not just sleep!” ~Henie~

Danny
Danny

Hi there Henie,

Glad you enjoyed Drew's post - his blog is one of my essentials when it comes to daily reading.

I guess it's like anything - teething pains followed by awareness followed by comfort zone and where you need to be to spread what message. Here's to us learning together.

Henie
Henie

Drew and Danny!

It really is all about "building," isn't it? Building relationships using Social Media is the best tool/gift to come along in a great while. Unfortunately there are those who choose to abuse it to their own detriment, but it's all a matter of choice afterall. Perhaps soon, we will all realize that the hardest sell we'll ever have to make is to ourselves!

One can either choose to *build* on the excuses or as Drew suggests, we can all choose to *build* upon our deams!

Drew, I am so pleased to meet a doer and a giver...I thank you for this post! And Danny, thanks again for sharing yet another incredible connection! :~)

“Dreams need hard work too not just sleep!” ~Henie~

Kyle Judkins
Kyle Judkins

One of the greatest things about social media is that it may get you your dream, but it may also lead you to a completely new one. In my short time in social media, I have made lots of friends and connections that I'm sure will lead to great things in the future even if my blogs never take off.

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

I agree, Kyle. Looking back over the past few years in my own life, I can see the same changes and connections. These are some remarkable tools we have at our fingertips, but in the end we must remember we have to connect on the outside world too. Otherwise all of this can be very trivial in the grand scheme of things.

Kyle Judkins
Kyle Judkins

One of the greatest things about social media is that it may get you your dream, but it may also lead you to a completely new one. In my short time in social media, I have made lots of friends and connections that I'm sure will lead to great things in the future even if my blogs never take off.

Kyle Judkins
Kyle Judkins

One of the greatest things about social media is that it may get you your dream, but it may also lead you to a completely new one. In my short time in social media, I have made lots of friends and connections that I'm sure will lead to great things in the future even if my blogs never take off.

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

I agree, Kyle. Looking back over the past few years in my own life, I can see the same changes and connections. These are some remarkable tools we have at our fingertips, but in the end we must remember we have to connect on the outside world too. Otherwise all of this can be very trivial in the grand scheme of things.

Danny
Danny

Drew,

Just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing your time and thoughts with my readers and as expected, fantastic post.

Cheers bud, much appreciated.

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

Thank you for asking. It was an honor. I always enjoy your blog and the conversation that takes place here in the comments.

Danny
Danny

Drew,

Just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing your time and thoughts with my readers and as expected, fantastic post.

Cheers bud, much appreciated.

Danny
Danny

Drew, Just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing your time and thoughts with my readers and as expected, fantastic post. Cheers bud, much appreciated.

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

Thank you for asking. It was an honor. I always enjoy your blog and the conversation that takes place here in the comments.

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

I agree, Kyle. Looking back over the past few years in my own life, I can see the same changes and connections. These are some remarkable tools we have at our fingertips, but in the end we must remember we have to connect on the outside world too. Otherwise all of this can be very trivial in the grand scheme of things.
via uberVU

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

Thank you for asking. It was an honor. I always enjoy your blog and the conversation that takes place here in the comments.
via uberVU

Danny
Danny

Drew,

Just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing your time and thoughts with my readers and as expected, fantastic post.

Cheers bud, much appreciated.
via uberVU

Stuart Foster
Stuart Foster

Great stuff Drew. There are no excuses anymore. You can either work hard, do what you love and succeed...or drown in mediocrity. The choice is yours.

Stuart Foster
Stuart Foster

Great stuff Drew. There are no excuses anymore. You can either work hard, do what you love and succeed...or drown in mediocrity. The choice is yours.

Jon Kane
Jon Kane

"If you have a day job that takes up most of your time, it can be a little tricky starting your own business. So how to begin?

If I were to give you just one basic tip, it would be to utilize social media."

I'm a big proponent of social media and how useful it can be to businesses, but I'd argue that the best way to begin isn't by marketing yourself and growing a potential customer base, but by doing great things and wowing people with how awesome your 'thing' is. Starting a business is easy nowadays, but social media is something that should come into play parallel to the launch of a business, rather than as a first step in itself. In my humble opinion. ;)

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

Hi, Jon. Good to see you out and about here in these series of tubes. ;-)

I'm not even going to attempt to expound too much on Danny's response, because he hit the nail on the head. Your product may be great and wow lots of people, but you gotta have some other reason for people to keep coming back. They will get distracted unless they have some form of relationship, invested interest, etc. in returning. I think that's where the building (with social media, etc.) comes in to play. The "wow factor" only lasts so long.

Danny
Danny

Hi Jon,

I agree 100%, though I do think that's what Drew was mentioning in his post (by building relationships, conversations, communities, etc), which then allow you to market yourself organically.

While there's no doubt that wowing people help foster the relationship, at some stage the wowing has to be joined by the serious business and marketing side. It's knowing when to mix it up that can make the difference.

Jon Kane
Jon Kane

"If you have a day job that takes up most of your time, it can be a little tricky starting your own business. So how to begin?

If I were to give you just one basic tip, it would be to utilize social media."

I'm a big proponent of social media and how useful it can be to businesses, but I'd argue that the best way to begin isn't by marketing yourself and growing a potential customer base, but by doing great things and wowing people with how awesome your 'thing' is. Starting a business is easy nowadays, but social media is something that should come into play parallel to the launch of a business, rather than as a first step in itself. In my humble opinion. ;)

Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver

Hi, Jon. Good to see you out and about here in these series of tubes. ;-)

I'm not even going to attempt to expound too much on Danny's response, because he hit the nail on the head. Your product may be great and wow lots of people, but you gotta have some other reason for people to keep coming back. They will get distracted unless they have some form of relationship, invested interest, etc. in returning. I think that's where the building (with social media, etc.) comes in to play. The "wow factor" only lasts so long.


84 Shares Twitter 0 Facebook 0 Google+ 0 Buffer 0 Buffer LinkedIn 0 Email -- Email to a friend 84 Shares ×