BEHIND THE BIZ

This past weekend, Andie & I had her baby shower and it really hit me that I could be a dad literally any day now.

Soon I’ll be in charge of not just one, but two tiny humans and it’s terrifying.

I’ve always wanted to be a dad, much like I’ve always had the entrepreneurial itch, but it doesn't take away how scary it can be (even if you’ve had prior experience).

I know I’ll be a good dad, but this is different.

When a business goes bad, you can just close up shop - maybe file bankruptcy, liquidate your assets, sell all your products, or hand off your clients.

But you can’t just walk away from being a dad, and you have to go into it knowing that it’s impossible to be perfect.

I’m going to mess up, it’s inevitable, and my problem-solving, solution-oriented brain can’t even wrap my head around that.

I already at times fall into the trap of self-criticism and succumb to the demands of my inner critic when it comes to being a business owner, so I can’t imagine the type of standard I’ll be unfairly placing on myself as a father.

Though I haven’t fully mastered it, I've come to understand that the key to overcoming these challenges is to be kind and gracious with myself, to take things one step at a time, and to approach everything with mindfulness and intention.

All this being said, I know there will be moments when both Andie and I are sleep-deprived to the point of being loopy and we’ll question why we signed up to do this in the first place.

All this while juggling a business that’s in a wonderfully painful period of growth.

But then I remember I felt the same way when I started my business, and I continue to feel this as my business evolves with me, so it’s okay.

This is what life’s about in the first place - experience, overcoming challenges, and mastering yet another aspect of what we call living.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is that it’s okay.

It’s okay to be scared when you’re growing.

It’s okay to question yourself constantly.

It’s okay to at times get into a panic because you don’t have prior experience to pull from when doing something new.

And it’s okay to fall on your face, get rejected, or completely rip out your existing life by the roots for something more aligned.

You’re human, and this is the human experience.

So be human.

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SUCCESS SHORTCUTS

For the past few years, the gig economy has been deemed “the future of business” but I’m here to tell you it’s not.

The gig economy isn't the future because it’s already here, and it’s called “fractional work.”

WHAT’S FRACTIONAL WORK?

Fractional work is like freelancing on steroids, allowing you to work with multiple clients rather than on one project, or at one company, at a time.

WHY FRACTIONAL WORK?

On the business side, it enables employers to slice and dice jobs into tiny bits and then hire experts on a fractional basis to get a job done.

So instead of hiring 1 person full-time for a job, they could hire 4 people for 3 months to complete a project.

This helps companies tap into on-demand skills and allows them to only pay for what they need.

This is not only a more efficient way to complete task (think of how often we as employees twiddle our thumbs in between projects), but also allows the gig workers to have the stability of salaried jobs while maintaining autonomy in their schedules.

As a gig worker, you’ll also have way more flexibility to create variety in your every day so you don’t have to be confined to one title or industry.

PLUS, it makes breaking up with a company easier if you two don’t get along without jeopardizing your entire livelihood (been there, done that).

This is why I launched freetheceo.com! I believe that fractional work is the future.

What do you think? Is fractional work the future of employment? Would you consider being a fractional worker?

PODCAST POWER-UP

On a recent episode of the UNSTUCKKD Podcast, I talked with Tiff Knighten about our experience in shifting from full-time work to being a solopreneur, and now how the rise of fractional work can help us as business owners maintain autonomy in our schedules with a consistent paycheck.

This episode also highlights the potential for work-life flexibility, career diversity, and fulfillment while helping you better navigate the evolving job market and hiring process through the lens of fractional work.

EP 70 - WTF is Fractional Work: The Journey into Fractional Work with Tiffany Knighten

SOCIAL SCOOP

How many of you have seen stories of average people sharing their “passions” online and now they’re making boatloads of money - like $10k, $20k, or even $100k months - and you think to yourself, I WANT THAT TO BE ME… but I don’t want to become an influencer.

For many, the idea of being an influencer or creator is the dream (41% of adults consider it their dream job)… but not everyone wants to go down that route, especially considering that 48% of creators make under $15,000/year and only 4% of creators make over $100k.

Additionally, the influencer industry seems to be dying.

People aren’t so quick to believe what massive influencers are selling or showcasing, and considering the economic constraints, consumers aren’t spending nearly as much either.

Not to mention, content itself is becoming a problem.

Let’s be honest - our attention spans SUCK. We’re becoming worse than freakin’ goldfish, and because of that, even the most amazing art, film, or comedic sketches on social aren’t really keeping us engaged.

They keep us scrolling, but we’re not really in it, are we?

So what now?

You could always become a freelancer, consultant, or gig worker, but it could take a while to build up a client base and create recurring revenue (and for those looking for stability, this may be rocky).

As our current systems continue to fail us, leaving many with ‘good jobs’ but little freedom, flexibility, or literal funds, everyone is looking for a way to get out of survival mode and finally there’s a new player in the town: Fractional Work.

Influencers vs. Gig Work vs. Fractional Work

In the evolving landscape of work, the traditional 9-to-5 job is becoming less of a norm, and in its place is this new idea of a fractional worker (as mentioned above in the newsletter).

A study by Deloitte found that 50% of Gen Zs and over one-third of Millennials are doubling up with second jobs, and according to ADP, in 40% of companies, gig workers make up a quarter of the workforce, with 16% of Americans earning through gig platforms alone.

The idea is that you could, in theory, get paid like a salaried employee while getting the flexibility + other benefits of being a freelancer/gig worker AND have the full creative freedom to be an influencer if you wanted to (because you won’t be forced to be a corporate drone when you’re 100% ‘owned’ by your employer).

With the idea of ‘influencers dying’ and gig work lacking a bit on the stability side, do you think fractional work will be the next BIG thing to shake up all these industries?