Want To Tell Your Boss Goodbye? — Here’s How!

Do you work for a boss with conflicting values or unreasonable expectations? Do you find yourself in a no-win situation? Are you working a dead-end job?

Do you feel unhappy? Unfulfilled? Disgruntled? Unappreciated? Underutilized?

Do you have books such as The No Asshole Rule in your backpack and songs like Take This Job and Shove It? in your playlist?

Then you may be a candidate for what I call “creative entrepreneurship.”

An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

A creative entrepreneur utilizes creativity combined with initiative to minimize the risk of an enterprise.

Here are five creative steps I have applied to entrepreneurial endeavors which have enabled me to become my own boss…and live to enjoy (and yes, perhaps even gloat about) it!

1.) Explore the disgruntled “why?” Whenever you find yourself repeatedly asking, “Why doesn’t somebody do something about ______ ?”  Take a hard look at possible answers to the “Why?” question. A disgruntled feeling usually means passion, and the “Why?” question usually indicates a need.


2.) Examine where your passion intersects a need.
This intersection indicates a possible business opportunity. The key is to examine the size of the need and whether a percentage of the potential market can sustain your financial needs.

3.) Evaluate the competition. We have millions of dollars of market research technology at our fingertips. It’s called “Google.” Research the companies that are currently supplying your potential market.

4.) Engage a social networking strategy. If it’s free, it’s for me. The tools of social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc) can be combined to form a powerful marketing platform that will help in building and informing a niche market (a tribe, if you will) for your product. And they are FREE!

5.) Enact the “3 C’s.”  (Converge. Center. Create.) I talk much more about this all-important strategy during my 48 Hours of Solitude mentorship opportunity at the mentees request. Suffice it to say, there must be a concentrated look at the overall potential of the market, a centered focus of the need, and a creative execution of a good strategy.

What say you? Can you add to this?

Questions? Thoughts?

36 responses to “Want To Tell Your Boss Goodbye? — Here’s How!”

  1. Beth Owens Avatar

    Randy, I was thinking this for a while, but how long can we trust google, already google is doing a lot of favors for advertisers with their instant search, who knows what will come next…? I am a bit concerned about this now.

    Beth

  2. Jeff Goins Avatar

    Very apt, Randy. Thanks for this post – very helpful tips here. What I love about this is that you’re living what you’re teaching.

  3. Ethan Bolvi Avatar
    Ethan Bolvi

    Thanks for this post, Randy. I currently work for a church and am passionate about what I do. But I feel God has put within me an ambition, coupled with a few creative ideas, that have the chance to allow me to be my own boss and pour into those around me in a whole new way. This posts continues to affirm those ambitions for me. Your post on “Undoing The Doing” was also an encouragement toward this route. Thanks for your insight and willingness to share with us!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Ethan Bolvi, Thanks, Ethan. Wow, you sound much like me! Blessings!

  4. GL Hoffman Avatar

    Just email me at GL@LinkUp.com and I will email it to you.

  5. Spence Smith Avatar

    posts like this always make me evaluate where i am in life! thanks randy!

    1. Randy Avatar

      @Spence Smith, Thanks, Spence!!! You are the ultimate creative entrepreneur. Love it!!

  6. Gordon Marcy Avatar

    Check marks, on five and two-thirds of your points. As we speak, I’m in the “creative execution” phase of a plan that’s been 25 years in the making. The moment is now. Good feeling after reading your post. Thanks Randy.

    1. Randy Avatar

      @Gordon Marcy, Wow!!! Gordon, yes my plan was twenty-nine years in the making. I am pumped for you!!

  7. Mark Bovee Avatar
    Mark Bovee

    It does. I remember the first 2 from our discussion.

  8. Chris Jeub Avatar

    Great stuff, Randy. I’d add this: Turn your good idea (i.e. your passion) into a product that can sell. This can create supplemental income, or even be done as a hobby.

    I’d also throw this in: entrepreneurship is worth it even if you love your job. The freedom is something I wouldn’t trade for twice the pay.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Chris Jeub, Thanks, Chris. Your comment is great stuff as well. Very true!!

  9. GL Hoffman Avatar

    Good stuff, Mr.Elrod–

    I have been doing startups for 30 years and always believe that there is gold in re arranging old things in new ways.
    BTW, if any of your readers want my pdf book FREE StartUp, 100 Tips To Get Your Business Going, I am happy to email it to them.
    Free, no catches, no hidden agenda

    1. Andrew Avatar

      @GL Hoffman, I’d love a copy of that eBook please!

  10. Benjamin Lichtenwalner Avatar

    Excellent post. If you can find a case for #2, then you have a great opportunity. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @Benjamin Lichtenwalner, Thanks, Benjamin. yes, it is an amazing thing. just watched the movie “Up In The Air” and this point about doing a job you are passionate about seems even more vital!

  11. tam Avatar

    I am going to apply tip #1 to my boss now.

    laundry.

    “Why doesn’t somebody do something about ______ ?”

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @tam, Hmmmmm. not sure I can help you with that boss!! ha.

  12. Kyle Reed Avatar

    I think everyone should be a creative entrepreneur.
    It seems that jobs are changing and the whole idea of just getting a 9-5 is out the window, and I am thankful for that.

    The first one is big for me. Seeing something and wondering why someone doesn’t do something about it drives the curiosity in me find some sort of solution.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @Kyle Reed, Thanks, Kyle. Yes, at times I envy your age and thirst for knowledge and courage to write comments like this. the old days, they are a’dyin!

      1. Kyle Reed Avatar

        @Randy Elrod,
        Funny thing is I often envy your age and wisdom

  13. Mark Bovee Avatar
    Mark Bovee

    Great…. 5 more thing to add to my “To Do List”. (Said in a “Eeyore” voice) HA!

    This is awesome. Thanks for distilling it all down, Randy.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @Mark Bovee, Thanks, Mark. Hope this adds to our mentoring discussion.

  14. Chad Jarnagin Avatar

    I REALLY like this Randy. I believe that this might even help someone that might feel hopelessly stuck in a dysfunctional situation.

    The weight in your suggestions is where it’s at. Your words have been moved and prompted from your experience. That’s why we all can listen and learn from this; on both sides, as we lead people as well as follow others. Thanks.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @Chad Jarnagin, Thanks, Chad. Yep, the good and bad of experience usually proves the best teacher!

  15. Gail Hyatt Avatar

    Wow, Randy. This is some great stuff!

    It’s really getting me thinking. Even in an economy when people are wanting to hang on to their jobs at all costs, this is really worth exploring. Even for someone who doesn’t have an awful boss, or any boss for that matter, it’s really worth exploring. Humm …

    And you, my friend, can really speak to this. Especially #2 “where your passions intersect a need.” You have discovered many passions which intersect needs and we’re richer for it. Your love for connecting, social networking, great food, wine, art, music, expression, travel, authenticity, justice, etc. have intersected with lots of needs, mine included, and encouraged others to learn more, grow more, experience more and live more. You’ve been mentoring others like me, from afar, and may not have even know it. Thank you.

    I’ll be reading this again with much more pondering. Not sure I’m a candidate for creative entrepreneurship, but I’m definitely willing to consider. Humm …

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @Gail Hyatt, thanks, Gail, however I will Need to disagree with you as well. I think you would be a GREAT candidate for creative entrepreneurship.

  16. Henway Avatar

    Social networking is not free per se, it requires time to build that community and invest in it and sometimes the ROI is not worth it. There are better ways of getting customers such as actually going out and making real connections.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @Henway, I understand your point, especially considering our time spent is not free. I’ll have to disagree with you about a better way to get customers, at least in my experience. thanks for joining the conversation.

  17. Fred McKinnon Avatar

    Randy,
    Great post … I’ll be sure and block this post from my e-biz employees!

    When is the next 48-Hours of Solitude?

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar
      Randy Elrod

      @Fred McKinnon, ha!!! You say when on the 48 Hrs of Solitude?