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Two jobs are better than one

10/03/2011 By Adam Rogers From The Smartly 1 Comment

Yup, I said it. Two jobs are better than one. Well, hold on, let me qualify that statement. Having two jobs that you love is better than having one job that you hate. I have recently discovered the joy of doing something you really enjoy doing, and doing it for a living. So much so, that I am working upwards of 70 hours a week doing it for two different places of employment. And you know what? I love it.  That old adage, “find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” totally true. In my prior realm of employment, 40 hours a week was, well, pretty much killing me. Now, I would happily work more than I already am.

Here’s the added hitch; because I also believe in what I am doing,  even the tasks that might come off as drudgery? Not so much anymore. Staying up until 1am doing research for a competitive analysis? Interesting and enlightening. Transcribing 15,000 words of interviews? A learning experience. It’s amazing what a change of job title will do for you. There is more happy in my life, my wife even says that I “skip” (not literally of course, because that would be weird) through the door at night.

So, speaking from experience, I say, find what you love. If you don’t know what that is, do some soul searching, find it. Then do it. Trust me, you’ll be a lot happier, you might even do some skipping of your own.

Filed Under: Motivate, SoCal

You are not an expert

09/21/2011 By Adam Rogers From The Smartly 3 Comments

I am no expert on experts, but you sir, are no expert. How do I know this? Because you said you are one. Well, maybe you didn’t use the word expert, but you probably used something like ‘guru’ or ‘ninja’ or some equally self-aggrandizing statement. Because you said it though; you’ve negated any authority you have on the subject.

You see, there is a very easy way to spot a real expert. They are the person in the room that never says a word about how they are an expert, and yet somehow everyone seems to know that’s exactly what they are. I’m reminded of the old saying, “speak softly and carry a big stick.” That is what I believe is the true mark of someone who is the top of their field.

They don’t brag, they don’t shout at the top of their lungs “listen to me! I know what I’m talking about!” They speak softly, with authority, and what they say commands our attention, not because of the volume of their voice, but by the depth of knowledge, and the conviction they pass the knowledge in with. Quite simply, they speak, and we listen.

Filed Under: Opinion, SoCal

Quitting to get ahead

09/09/2011 By Adam Rogers From The Smartly 4 Comments

I quit my job, what have you done to get ahead lately? It sounds a little counter intuitive doesn’t it? I mean, who quits their job in this economy? Well, turns out, that person is me, and to be quite honest, I’ve never been quite so happy to be shot of a place.

After many years of struggling through in a world of commissioned based pay, I’ve finally found my way out of a world where I have had little control over my day to day. Sure I had a schedule to follow, but beyond that, my life and paycheck was at the mercy of others. Stricken by a poor economy the last several years have been a rough ride. Finally though, finally I’ve broken the shackles of that world.

How though, how did I do it? Well, it started with finally figuring out what I actually enjoy, and then figuring out how to do that every day. For me, what I loved was the interaction with others that comes with the wonderful world of social media. I started there and let it grow, slowly at first, doing side jobs here and there, until one of those side jobs, turned into something more, something that could actually pay the bills. At last came the day, the day I spent doing the thing that I really loved to do, doing only that, and it was over, I was done. All of a sudden, work was no longer work, it was joy, and my hope is that each and everyone if you might find the same joy in what you do.

Filed Under: Motivate, SoCal

This will go on your permanent record

10/20/2010 By Adam Rogers From The Smartly 4 Comments

Anyone remember when this phrase only applied to a bunch of papers in a metal file cabinet in some school principal’s office? Well, the days of papers in files are practically gone but that doesn’t mean the school-age threat has ceased to be a reality. It’s just morphed into something else – that applies to almost everyone. That time you got drunk and fell into the cake at your second cousin’s wedding? That’s now on your “permanent record”, with a whole lot more.

Everything said on Twitter (by over 100 million users) is now archived by the library of congress. The number of people using Facebook is larger than the populations of almost every country on the planet (500 million). 275,000 people “checked in” with Foursquare in one day in March of 2010. All of the text being “tweeted”, all the photos being posted and “tagged”, all of the locations being “checked in” to are data that is being collected and some of it is being looked by people who want to find more information about you.

Paranoid? Not exactly. More like, realistic. Early this year I happened upon a news story about thieves using online networks such as Twitter and Foursquare to determine when people were not at their homes. Sites have been sprouting up like wild mushrooms where anyone can find information (gathered from web sources) about you. I’ve also read dozens of stories this year about employers checking out potential employees information, posts and activities from social media sites and using that as a way to determine whether to hire or not.

When all the news came out about  Facebook and privacy (or lack there of) I thought, okay, maybe people might be a little more cautious as a whole about spreading their personal information and escapades all over the web but it doesn’t seem to be changing at all. I guess it’s more important to be the Mayor of your local bus stop.

Meet the new Principal folks. His name is, Mr. Internet and he’s got a virtual cabinet stuffed full of information about you and it will go on your permanent record.

Filed Under: MISC, Tech

Costco

09/14/2010 By Adam Rogers From The Smartly 3 Comments

Costco is one of those places that does require general fortitude to even get close to. You have to be able to survive it in order to shop there. It starts at the parking lot. Our ,”park way out there” trick is useless because the whole damn lot is completely full. It helps to have a spotter with an eagle eye in the passenger seat to go, “OOOO there’s one two rows over!” It also helps to have over 10 years of driving in Los Angeles under your belt in order to be the offensive driver that gets to that spot ahead of the 2 other cars who were also booking for it. With the car parked, we head towards the behemoth of consumerism, member card at the ready.

For the remainder of the time inside, I play the part of defensive-cart-driver. I try to avoid getting hit by other carts but have been known to use my own as a protective barrier to avoid getting physically run down by someone else’s cart with a 60” plasma tv and a 5 pound tub of mayonnaise. There is no stopping for free samples (although that is a perfect vantage point to watch human gluttony in action) or perusing that center aisle where supposed deals are dumped – like the “impulse buy” of a 100 jet jacuzzi.

About a year ago when I decided to get a Costco membership after not having set foot in any place like it since about the age of 15 (when my parents used to shop at Price Club which pre-dated Costco in Southern CA). I kind of knew what I was in for but my initial observations were more sociological. Since then I have been to Costco a whopping 3 times, but every time I see the same things over and over again.

Top 10 Observations Made at Costco:

1. Everyday at Costco is the day right before the giant storm wipes out your whole town … or at least it seems that way by the way people have carts overflowing with pallets of water, toilet paper and hostess products and they will run you down obtaining those items.

2. People will gorge themselves on as many free samples as they can cram down their throats without vomiting them back up, Roman style, while they’re still in the store.

3. If you really need the 300 count bottle of Advil, you’ve got more problems than just shopping at Costco.

4. Costco still seems to be the fastest way to spend over a $100 on stuff you probably don’t even need that many of.

5. Fact: Costco sells caskets at a claimed “75% off retail”. I have not decided if this is creepy or if they have permanently taken the “general store” descriptor to a whole other level.

6. Observed shoppers at Costco appear to be mesmerized by jumbo-everything. This truly is the land of “bigger is better” … or so they all think.

7. Contrary to popular belief, not everything in Costco is a good buy or a bargain. I would actually wager to say that 98% of it is the same crap you pay the same price for elsewhere but hey, it’s BIGGER!

8. I am slowly becoming convinced that the majority of people buying the 50 pack of corn dogs are actually eating them all themselves.

9. Aisle-blocking … yes, it does happen, even with 10 foot wide aisles. Are people aware enough to realize (or care)? No. Are they courteous enough to move? No.

10. No matter how good your game is, there is no way to speed up the checkout at Costco or avoid the fake security of having to queue up in another line at the exit to have some mindless drone swipe a highlighter over your receipt while making only the slightest effort to see if your cart contents match what you paid for.

So at the end of the trip, was it worth it? Well, to buy things in gargantuan quantities (and therefore lessening the times you actually need to shop at Costco), yes.

Filed Under: Humor

I remember when …

08/25/2010 By Adam Rogers From The Smartly Leave a Comment

When I was younger I never thought I’d ever be remotely like my parents, spouting off with statements that started with the words, “I remember when …” But here I sit, writing an essay that I’ve titled with those very words. So what is it I’m reminiscing about this evening? My very first cell phone.

Long before the magical iPhone came into my life, before 8 year olds had cell phones and back when Blackberries were only something you ate, there was what I affectionately dubbed, The Brick. Granted, Motorola had technically been around since the late 70′s with their new fangled portable telephones, but since I got mine in (I think) 1990, they had slimed down considerably from the toaster size case to the convenient Brick. It was, what they called, a flip phone. The only function I remember it having was dialing out or receiving a call. I think there might have been some tricky way to store a number but I never figured that out.

When my dad gave it to me I hadn’t even graduated high school yet, but since my dad had owned the toaster size variety for a number of years he was well aware of the benefits of cell phones to use in a situation where you really needed to call and were no where near a pay phone. So I was given the phone with the strict instructions that I was to only use it in emergencies or in some other dire situation (probably because it cost about a buck a minute for the cheapest plan my dad was willing to spring for). Having also been the recipient of one clunky 1983 Honda Accord, I actually found myself in dire situations more frequently than I cared to. The first call I made on the thing was to AAA.

I went off to college with The Brick. Did I mention it had cool accessories like a charger that was about the same size as the phone and this nifty faux leather case that curiously resembled the “bra” on a 1983 Trans Am? Well, it did. And I was stuck with the thing for I kid you not, about 5 years. Meanwhile all my friends had purchased what they referred to as candy bars (Motorola’s new super slim version) that had all these crazy functions like being able to send a short text message. They were using them liberally. I was still stuck in the, “only use it for emergencies” mode that was drilled into my head years earlier.

I finally cut the cord on The Brick, succumbed to peer pressure and walked myself into an AT&T store to get a candy bar later that year.

So where is the brick today? Oddly enough, sitting on a dusty shelf in my parents spare room. Funny how much has changed with cell phones since then. Most people live vicariously though them, carry on lengthy conversations on their unlimited-minute plans, use apps, or surf the web. Yeah I do surf the web on mine and I do have a dozen or so apps, but oddly enough I still use the actual phone feature only if I’m out and I really, really need to make a call. How do I survive and talk with other people you ask? I have this thing called a land line. I’m sure it will be the next thing I’ll be reminiscing about.

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Filed Under: Nostalgia