Interview with Pam Slim - Part 2
November 14th, 2008 by Cali & Jody
And now…the second part of our interview with Pam Slim. We hope her insights and stories are helpful to those of you that are wavering on the “Should I stay in my job or venture out on my own?” line. She is one of the few folks that shoots straight about the entrepreneurial experience, and we love that about her. Enjoy!
C&J: You’re writing a book, Escape from Cubicle Nation, due out in Spring 2009. The title says a lot. What are you hoping people will be thinking and doing after they read it?
Pam: Based on my own history, I hope two things: that it will give pause to the spontaneous job-quitters like me, and will give inspiration to the overly-pragmatic planners who stay stuck in an unhealthy situation for far too long. The book details the whole journey from corporate employee to entrepreneur in a pragmatic, humorous and realistic fashion. I hope to counter the nonsense that permeates the internet which says that it is fantastically easy to make six figures a year in your bathrobe by just purchasing someone’s 12-part business system. At the same time, I want to shine the light on a thriving, creative and interesting entrepreneurial world that many corporate employees don’t even know exists. We are at a time in history when it is really possible to create a healthy, profitable business for minimal investment using existing technology. The tools are not the hard part - discovering a great business idea that inspires you and solves real problems is the challenge for most people. If I had to label myself, it would be “pragmatic optimist.” I fluctuate between saying “Yes, you can do it!” with “Don’t fool yourself: it is going to take a heck of a lot of work.”
C&J: You’re very familiar with the concept of ROWE. Thinking about your philosophy on the work world and people who have what it takes to start their own businesses, how could you see that mindset helping the ROWE movement?
Pam: ROWE is basically an entrepreneurial mindset. One of the best things you can do before leaping out of your corporate job is to become much more proactive inside your job. This will help you a lot if you do decide to start your own business. Results are truly all that matter when you work for yourself; no one pays you to sleep through twelve planning meetings before doing something real.
The wonderful thing is that many people will find that by creating a ROWE where they work, their “job loathing factor” may decrease tenfold. Who knows, they may find they actually enjoy their job! Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, and all of us rely on some people continuing to work in large organizations for the world to function effectively.
My advice for many of my readers is “read Cali and Jody’s book - then if you can’t fix your own environment, come talk to me.” Our work dovetails so nicely, you would almost think we planned it that way. 
Big news: We’ll be posting some names of companies exploring ROWE on Monday. Are you READY???!!!!!
Cali & Jody - Bring on the ROWE companies. I’ve got my resume together!!!
Pam - You may discuss this in your book, but how did you get yourself to take the leap? I seem to be doing quite a bit of planning and learning, but haven’t attempted to land that first client.
Second, how did you come up with the business you wanted to start? I’m an accountant, so I’m considering something with accounting and finance, but I’m a little apprehensive about that field as there are so many CPA firms out there to compete with.
Thanks, and I look forward to reading your book.
I have been wanting to share your work with the Obama administration and especially with Michelle Obama given her interest in work/life balance for a while. Just this afternoon it dawned on me that I could post a comment about ROWE at http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision, Obama’s transition web site. I hope others who read this blog will do so as well. I suggested that the Obama administration model ROWE for the rest of the country.
I also imagine Cali and Jody that you are also making efforts to work with Michelle Obama. I hope you’ll keep us posted about anything that may emerge.
Excellent interview. Gives those of us that are caught in between the full-time job and the full-time business some hope!
I have been straddling the line of “cubicle nation” and “our successful business” for years. I am hoping at some point in time to not have to do this anymore. But with the way the economy is playing out staying the course is the best option for now…
Someday…
Heather,
An great idea. It will be interesting to see if they do anything about the idea.
One thing that should entice them to start enacting legislation is that it is a very “green” policy. You can eliminate a lot of carbon emissions by not having as many cars on the road filled by people who are commuting. That should be an argument President-elect Obama would listen to.
Hi DC guy!
I am so sorry for the delay responding to you! Your questions:
Pam - You may discuss this in your book, but how did you get yourself to take the leap? I seem to be doing quite a bit of planning and learning, but haven’t attempted to land that first client.
Answer:
I wouldn’t recommend my approach (as I described in Part One of the interview) - I just leaped with no plan! I was very lucky that my former manager had moved to a very reputable company (Hewlett Packard — at least it was reputable at the time in 1996!) and she had a great project for me to work on. Since we had worked together for years before, there was no awkward selling period - I just jumped in and did the work. All my work came as referrals after that — at that ripe time in Silicon Valley, many people were jumping from company to start-up, and were bringing favorite consultants along.
If you aren’t landing clients, I suggest reviewing your overall marketing plan. Robert Middleton of http://www.actionplan.com is one of my favorite marketing experts for independent service professionals. Download his free plan overview, and you may see some areas that you could improve to get the first clients rolling in.
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Second, how did you come up with the business you wanted to start? I’m an accountant, so I’m considering something with accounting and finance, but I’m a little apprehensive about that field as there are so many CPA firms out there to compete with.
Answer:
I never had a question that management development, training, coaching and communications were core passions of mine. I loved my work as an employee, and I really enjoyed learning about all kinds of new environments, teams and corporate cultures in my work as a consultant.
So if you really enjoy the work that you do as an employee and see a natural bridge to a consultant, that is great!
Yes, there may be many, many others in your same business. But none will be you, nor will they serve your specific market in the way you can. I have seen many people become successful in a crowded field by digging out a specific niche and taking a strong stand in the market. Seth Godin’s latest book Tribes is a great example of this — go look for your tribe and serve them well!
Good luck with your exploration! When my book comes out in May of next year, I hope it helps a lot.
All the best,
-Pam
@Heather Jensen - we do have some plans up our sleeves for the forthcoming Obama administration. We are targeting some of our plans specifically for Michelle, as we’re glad to see her making strong statements to the media about focusing on work/life balance. Your suggestion to comment on http://www.change.gov is an excellent one!