I Hate My 9 to 5

Tips for independent artist-managers and manager-artists
by sim1ontharun

6. Stay organized. I've got a Three-a-Day Theory, which encourages independent consultants to schedule no more than three major meetings (or tasks to accomplish) per day. Of course, you can try to squeeze in multiple tasks, but holding yourself to just three things a day is refreshing. You'll want to continue your successes when you see that you can do what you set out to do. I recommend The Inspired Office for mid to large businesses, but there are many other individuals and businesses that can help you stay on task.

7. Know your city and the people in it. Join groups, find mentors and peers. Get involved. Form a collective, volunteer, or mentor youth. You never know what circles overlap, especially if you live in a small city like Washington, DC. Don't underestimate the power of a diverse network of people and professions. I have had the pleasure of organizing monthly Smart Chicks Brunches with Holly Bass and Carolyn Malachi for the last year or so in DC. In this short time, we've built a network of over 70 women of all ages and professions who want to support and inspire one another and the list keeps growing. This has been an invaluable space for my growth as an artist-manager and human being.

8. Make yourself heard. Write for a blog or community newspaper, join a board of directors, or learn how to use social networking to communicate with a larger group. Above all, don't be afraid to hype YOURSELF. On the Internets, readers respect a clear voice. Also, this might seem obvious, but try to keep business cards on you at all times, even if you're just running around doing errands. Independent artist-managers have to be "on" at all times, as our social networks are constantly overlapping on and offline.

9. Get uncomfortable: set goals, set benchmarks. Harness your fears into courage. Set seemingly unattainable goals, then meet them. It helps to share your goals with others. That way, people can ask you if you ever completed your novel about tribes in Burma or finally gotten rid of all but 20 of your possessions? I am stuck on the idea of threes--it just feels right in my experience. Evaluate the three most important things to you every six months. This has proven a useful strategy to me and the six-way artist-manager collective I co-founded called clutch. But, of course you can experiment with your own benchmarks. Just make sure to have some type of benchmarks, whatever they are for you.

10. Value personal and professional time equally. Don't overbook (remember: three-a-day). Gather strength from those who know and love you. Harness that energy and think of it all as part of one process leading you to accomplishments at your own pace. Don't segregate your personal and professional Selves. In the words of Tyler Durden in the film Fight Club, "You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world."

*Bonus Tip: Take a day off! Studies all say that time off leads to increased productivity. It's difficult to press pause when you're your own boss, but do make it a priority to give yourself some down-time. Apart from yoga classes, I had a total of three full days off my first 60 days as an independent consultant. I can now share with you, three out of 60 is not enough! If I can't enjoy my life because I'm busy trying to enjoy my life, there's something wrong with that. I might as well work for someone who will give me paid time off!

Tips for independent artist-managers and manager-artists
by sim1ontharun

I've decided that the unofficial tagline for IHM9TO5 is: "I hate my job. I love my life." If that doesn't say it all, let's add to that, "Every day I think about quitting my job and starting my life." One of my favorite poets, Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai, once challenged her fans, "What would you do if you could take back your 40 hours a week?"

I made a list for myself, and ever since I've been an independent consultant, I keep looking back at it, asking myself, "Am I living up to my own desires for those 40 hours?" I definitely recommend doing this if you're planning on becoming your own boss.

If you're reading this article, I'm guessing you've got an entrepreneurial spirit that will no longer ignored. Don't ignore it. But, if you're ready to live the 'fun-employed life,' use these 10 tips to proceed with enthusiasm.

1. Know your capacity and clearly define roles and responsibilities with clients. When you are your own PR/Marketing Department, you've got to have the right words to describe what you do, state how much it costs, and weigh desirable work scenarios against how many clients you can reasonably serve. Don't overdo it! This will hurt your ability to take on new clients and burn you out faster than any other employer ever could.

2. Learn to say 'no,' but also state when a 'yes' is in the future. I learned this awesome and important tip from performing artist and manager extraordinaire, Holly Bass. For instance, you might tell a prospective client, "Thank you for thinking of me for this project/service. I apologize, but due to my current workload I am unable to take on your project at this time. Please keep me in mind for any projects after X date." Then, keep them on your radar (via your mailing list, social media outreach, etc.), and make sure to stay on theirs.

This is also applicable to philanthropic causes. Poets get asked to host and perform at events for little to no pay, visual artists get asked to do pro bono work for things like logos and design, and DJs get asked to play for free, just to name a few artist-manager dilemmas. Tell potential charities what your limits are (e.g., "I usually work with five charities annually, and my quota is filled for this year," or "I have limited resources and my annual philanthropy is reserved to X charity.") and train them to contact you earlier in the year. Also, be sure to explain in a polite way that you are a professional artist/manager and that this is what you do for a living.

3. Have an agenda and a purpose for all meetings. Don't just meet to meet. People value their time and will value yours more this way, too. You'll quickly learn that when you are your own boss, you will work harder than you ever worked for anyone else. To maximize your limited time and energy, try to meet less in person, but always with an explicit purpose. Having an agenda, no matter how simple and straightforward, is a huge help to keeping everyone on the same page and for following up later.

4. Follow-up. Always. Nuff said. You'd be surprised how many people don't follow-up and follow-through. If you're guilty of this, it's as though your meeting never happened. If you need help, ask for it. I have worked with two interns this year alone, and am eternally grateful for the fresh perspective and energy they bring to my emerging consulting business. Otherwise, take good notes and hold yourself accountable to following up after meetings and important agreements you want to clarify or emphasize.

5. Don't undervalue yourself and your services. Figure out what the market rate for what you do is, then begin your negotiations at a rate slightly higher than what you'd like to be paid. A wise man once told me, "If you aren't in a position to say no and walk away, then you aren't in a position to negotiate." We've all got to master the art of saying 'no,' especially we women, but be humble and say 'yes,' too. Especially in the beginning, when you're just starting to build your client roster. Know where you are in the negotiation--dominant or passive--and what you want out of it. Is it money, experience, or fun you're after?

This is part 1 of 10 Ways to Survive Fun-Employment -- Check out the site on Work Lessons Wednesdays for part 2. Written by:

sim1 writes poems. She is the founding co-director of Sulu DC, home to Asian and Pacific Islander American performing artists in Washington, DC. Her writing has appeared in Beltway Poetry Quarterly, and on multiple DMV blogs, including her current gig as a writer for The Couch Sessions. Her professional life includes performing and small projects management in the arts, spanning from nurturing independent artists to advising major arts institutions. She is a proud Burmese-American gypsy. Follow her @sim1ontharun

You and your boss are NOT friends. Completing the powerpoint presentation is not a "favor".  Stop buying her lunch too.

We all love Jim & Pam on “The Office”.  I cried during their season finale wedding. Together they’re like peas and carrots. I love their “love”.  Now, at my job I have a real life “Jim & Pam” and it’s not so cute to watch. Actually, it’s disgusting.  I want their love to die immediately.

There are unspoken rules to the office romance that people fail to adhere to. For instance, making out in copy rooms and obvious winking at staff meetings is inappropriate. If you decide to move forward with shacking up with upper management or falling in love with your cubicle mate there is a proper way to conduct an office romance.  Consider these 5 practical “sleeping with the boss” etiquette tips:

1.)    Avoid flaunting your love in public space. Mail rooms, company kitchens, copy rooms, anywhere a co-worker may walk over to take a stapler or reach for a muffin is off limits.

2.)    Behave professionally. This means no grabbing ass while getting your morning coffee. This also includes calling your secret lover “pussyfoot” on conference calls.

3.)    Leave the naughty emails to a minimum. Messages will return to haunt you or end up in the company newsletter.

4.)    Consider the backlash if doesn’t work out…signs that read “lousy lay ” in your cubicle or threats of sexual harassment suits are imminent .

5.)    Consider if does work out…you’ll always talk about work. Always.

In conclusion, unsuccessful office romances can lead to awkward moments and bad publicity. Just think, this could be you:

Monica Lewinsky & Bill Clinton

Marion Barry and ____________ (fill in the blank)

Sen. John Edward & Rielle Hunter

Now get back to work...

Globot

The secret of success: Get a job. Get a better job. Get an even better job. Repeat if necessary.

Coming to work late and leaving early is a bad habit. Not showing up at all  is a even bigger issue.

The five-second rule does not apply in the company kitchen. Drinking from the carton doesn’t fly either…

Stealing toilet paper from the office is desperate…stealing social security numbers is a felony.

Cubicles are inhumane. Let your workers free on Friday.

Calling your co-worker a “boozed up gypsy” is not the proper way to address her alcoholism.  Neither is inviting her to happy hour.

I was battling demons is not an appropriate response to “How was your day at work?”

Reading the newspaper at work is stealing company time. Stop. It. Now.

A 401(k) is not a race…and an IRA is not a gang in Portland. Stop watching Gangland.

Check your lottery numbers closely before quitting your job and calling your boss a fucking moron. If you’ve won $5.00 instead of 5 million a rehire is unlikely.

Hugs are appropriate at the office. Fondling not so much.