DISQUS

Jim Long · 2 years ago

like you say, it's good that you laid it all out like this. i'm faced with similar choices and none of them are easy!

Good luck in whatever choice you make. Whatever it is you'll be GREAT at it!

whitney · 2 years ago

Try taking a strengths assessment (ie strengthsfinder 2.0), figure out what you;re best at, and do the thing that maximizes your natural talents the most!

Whit

Chris Brogan... · 2 years ago

There are lots of ways now to build online/home businesses that might appeal. You could do virtual personal assistant work like @chelpixie, and/or bundle that in as one of the services you offer.

You could do pay-for-blogging writing for sites that appeal to you, or find sites that pay their bloggers a stipend for their efforts.

You could build in affiliate marketing into your model, such that you build sales to certain niche products that appeal to you (@cspenn would tell you that any affiliate program dealing with money like loans or credit is lucrative).

Keep your head open and you'll see something that appeals, and that you can push hard against to get momentum.

You have fans!

Doug Hudiburg · 2 years ago

Boy Annie,

PixelCurrents sure looks promising. It plays to your strengths, you clearly have a passion for it, and there is a lot of demand.

Why not start a blog on using WP but aim it at a specific niche. It seems like you are targeting small business -- boy do they need WP!

If you really focus on that one project and also clearly define a niche, I think you could have all the work you could handle.

Who want's a "real" job anyway?

Good luck!

Doug

Phillip · 2 years ago

You do have some great options! Looking at what you've done with the wordpress blogs, and the CSS skills you'd have to have for that, I'm guessing you can probably find contract work doing front end/GUI development. A lot of that type of work is virtual, as long as you can show a portfolio of what you've done there's work out there that may be junior level, but it will pay WAY better than any retail might! That, and if you do that for a year you can probably get into some pretty decent wages. IMHO. I'm sure you'll rock whatever you do!

Rob Usdin · 2 years ago

I think you are on to something with the Apple Store thing. Just because it's retail doesn't mean it's low pay, plus you have the added perks of being an Apple employee and all that brings with it - including discounts on hardware/software.

Moreover - you might make contacts with other creative professionals through working there, because that is a big portion of who comes into Apple stores to begin with. Maybe you could do it part time and see how it goes.

--*Rob

Annie Boccio · 2 years ago

Wow! Thanks everyone for the insights and suggestions. And the kind words. As I said, confronted with many options I tend to freeze up (this is nothing new, been this way my entire life!) My next step is to choose a direction and move forward. By 5pm today!

I'm excited to have some new visitors as well (h/t to Chris Brogan's tweet last night!) Thanks for reading!

Lisa · 2 years ago

Skip the real job. Go with your heart and promote yourself!

Bluegrass Mama · 2 years ago

Golly, those other people really sound as if they know what they're talking about! Personally, I'm still happy with my very part-time "real" job. I enjoy blogging, but lack the motivation to pursue it for pay. If someone actually knocked on my inbox and offered me a paying gig, I'd probably jump at it, though.