Employeepreneur

By Kasha Gordon

Employeepreneurs are a unique part of the working population who have a solid and impactful grasp on contributing to conventional employment while also pursuing entrepreneurial dreams and ventures. This book has critical insight for employeepreneurs who are considering transitioning to full-time self-employment as a way of thinking, a way of thriving, and a way of living. For conventional employees who may be in need of a career or work environment change, there are also resources in this book to help you to determine how to know when to go, and how to successfully transition. It's time to act on your creative business ideas and move from wondering if you can to winning because you did!

• Language: English
• Publisher: True Vine Publishing Inspire, Empower, Produce
• Release date: May 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463151914

Book preview

Employeepreneur

A person employed by a company while simultaneously pursuing entrepreneurial ventures

Copyright 2020 Kasha L. Gordon Ed.D.

Published by Kasha L. Gordon Ed.D. at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright © 2020 Dr. Kasha L. Gordon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any

information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Cover Design & Layout: OA.Blueprints, LLC

True Vine Publishing Company

P.O. Box 22448

Nashville, TN 37202

615-44Books

www.TrueVinePublishing.org

DEDICATION

To my husband Clemor - thank you for supporting me in both worlds of employment, and for fueling my dreams.

To Caelex and Kaelen - be the best at whatever you are called to do. Dream, create, be intentional and inspire others!

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

I. The Crossroads: Know When to Go

A. Doubting Yourself

B. Holding You Back

C. Being Undervalued and Underpaid

D. Missing the Vision

E. Despising the Vision

F. Losing the Silver Lining

G. Motivating Benefits

H. Decreasing Compensation

I. Misaligning Qualifications and Experiences

J. Unwilling to Put Forth Effort

K. Compromising Work/Life Balance

L. Dreaming ‘Round the Clock

M. Devaluing Expertise

N. Majoring in Minors

O. Diminishing Intentions

P. Diminishing Importance

II. The Game Plan: Making the Leap

A. Develop Key Habits

B. Practice Disruptive Thinking

C. Avoid Procrastination

D. Avoid Adding Fillers

E. Develop Your Mission

F. Have an Exit Strategy

G. Be Amazing and Impactful

III. The Take Off: A New Direction

A. Entrepreneurial Business Basics

B. Target Your Audience

IV. Business Resources

A. Blank Business Brainstorming Worksheet

B. Resources List for Entrepreneurs

D. Case Studies

F. References

INTRODUCTION

There are three types of employees in the modern workforce. Conventional employees are often employed by small, medium, or large employers in brick and mortar or online companies. Entrepreneurs make their mark on the world through self-employment and employing other conventional employees. Finally, employeepreneurs are a portion of the population who have a solid and impactful grasp on both worlds and work conventionally while pursuing entrepreneurial dreams and ventures. This book has useful information for each type of employee, with special emphasis on employeepreneurs who are considering transitioning to full-time self-employment as a way of thinking, a way of thriving, and a way of living. For conventional employees who may be in need of a career or work environment change, there are also resources in this book to help you to determine how to know when to go, and how to successfully transition. It’s time to act on your creative business idea and move from wondering if you can to winning because you did!

Each type of employee is responsible for the successful delivery of the products and services that we use every day. Each gas station, grocery store, retail chain, local mom and pop shop, franchise, and corporation harnesses the talents of employees, entrepreneurs and employeepreneurs. Your success in any of the categories largely depends on understanding your personal and professional interests and desired contributions to the world and your sphere of influence—the people and places that you impact each day.

During my university career, I studied English education and communications. Working on campus as a student worker in my department, as well as a part-time government contractor for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and a babysitter on the weekends, college life was hectic, but I was focused, and I loved the journey as well as working. Each of my student jobs made me more desirous of graduating so that I could work in the real world. I spent many days trying to envision how I would spend the rest of my work life — I was sure it would be in the C-suite office of a major corporation in a big city. To some degree I was right, but there were so many stops on the adventure leading up to that.

Right out of college, I began working in the field of media production, and I loved it. Eventually, I gravitated towards it more as a hobby verses my forever career. After a short while, I decided to use more of the education degree instead, and transitioned to a job as a teacher. Education took me to work in classrooms of middle, high school and eventually college students. Again, coaching and teaching seemed to be moving more in the direction that I could envision long term, but somehow, I could not envision teaching conventionally until retirement, which was 45 years away. I began graduate school, and took some meanwhile jobs along the way to pay the bills, gain experience, and provide a less stressful alternative to teaching, grading papers, and creating homework for students, all while trying to complete my own masters then eventually doctoral assignments. After completing my doctorate in organizational leadership, as well as resigning from what I vowed would be my last filler job until I found something else, I set out on a journey to find my niche career/job.

Once graduated, I unknowingly entered into the school of hard knocks quickly discovering what awaited me in the conventional workforce. Each job had its own lingo, politics, workplace culture and personality types. Learning to adapt and thrive without compromising was not a simple task. Almost 10 jobs and 10 years later, I applied to one particular job that I was interested in. While waiting to hear back from the employer, my mother asked to speak to me one day, and let me know that she was almost positive I would not get the job. When I asked her why (because