selfemployed webmasters, what if your mom says go get a "real" job?

[archyboy]

selfemployed webmasters, what if your mom says go get a "real" job? , what would you say to her?

[Franck S]

Well, I am 32 years old, I barely had a job in my life (I am an offline entrepreneur converted to online...), BUT my mother STILL tell me too get a real job!

I say: Mom: I hire people, why do you want me to get a job? I don't know, she doesn't get the business thing. For her, to make a living, you must have a job.

She can't imagine that I never actually worked for someone in my life.

In my case, I just listen... There is nothing I can do!

[jcorkern]

I used to tell her that i do not like wearing handcuffs, Not even golden handcuffs(college educated prisioner of a job).

She used to tell me to get a job when i started my first business, and i asked her "how are you doing finiancialy" and as she started to comment, she stopped, she got it!


I have asked many people the same question. It does not have to be rude, but in an easy tone.

Most people who ask that question are struggeling with finiances.


It is a thought process, it was the way they were brought up.

[Julia]

Well I'm not self-employed, but I still have a tricky time talking to my family about what exactly it is I 'do' - I've tried explaining to them many, many times what 'affiliate marketing' is (including using diagrams, showing them websites, etc), and over a year later, I think they still have no clue!

[JerseyGirl]

I love this topic, forget explaining in the most simplest of terms, I still always get the "glazed over eye" response. The best is when you try to explain to a family member who doesn't use email or the internet at all. May as well be speaking a foreign language.

Also, taking this one step farther. I work for a company home based in NY. I work for them remote from another state. Can anyone see where I am going with this one??

Some of my favorite questions are:
"Do you work in your pj's"
"Do you watch tv all day"
"Do you eat all day long"

It never seems to cross anyone's mind that you actually work more.

[Linda Buquet]

Yep lose the commute + work in PJ's =s an extra 2 hours of productivity to my day. Then having my office next to my kitchen so I can still work while dinner is cooking, then eat dinner at the PC =s another 2 hours.

And watching TV at night in my office (on my new big screen monitor) while I keep working on the other half of the screen another 3 hours.

So by working at home I work an extra 7 hours a day.
And ebooks try to tell you working from home in your PJs is easy!
15 hours a day straight productivity - can't do that in an office J.O.B.

BTW I gave up trying to explain what I do. Not only do I have the same problems you all do with trying to explain what AM is. but my particular biz model is so unique, no one else on the planet does what I do.

I'm not an affiliate manager or an outsourced affiliate manager or an affiliate management consultant,
or a PR person or an ad agency or a recruiter or a match-maker or a sales trainer...
I'm kinda sorta all those rolled in one - a little bit, kinda, sorta, plus...

So I just say I have an Internet Marketing company and leave it at that.

[JerseyGirl]

Linda, I totally get what you do, and my hat off to you, I think it is brilliant.

[Linda Buquet]

You get it? Cool!

Even people that have known me professionally for a long time still don't
quite understand my model. I even confuse myself sometimes.

[bobang]

I guess I'm a lucky one to have a very supportive parents. They were always encouraging me on my pursuits. They must've had hard time looking at me failing all the time. But they stayed with me, and helped me when I was financially broke that I couldn't my bills for 3 months.

Well, now, they no longer have to work because I can support them. They are after their dream now in Mexico operating a private school for the poor families.

My post doesn't really answer your question, but want you to know that if you have the passion in what you are doing, what other people or your families think about you will not matter much after all. Go after your dream, and be bold. Show them the result and show them what you are capable of.

Bo

[Linda Buquet]

"Well, now, they no longer have to work because I can support them. They are after their dream now in Mexico operating a private school for the poor families."

That's awesome Bo! I LOVE it when "pay back time" is a positive thing!