Broke? Nope!

It’s a big deal because people are forced to figure out how they are going to survive. If you just got laid off, then you are now forced to figure out how you are going to pay bills off of unemployment. Paying bills off unemployment? Are you kidding me? Last I checked unemployment is a portion and when I was checking that, I remember people just barely getting by on their paychecks. So where does that leave many people? Broke? Nope!

I don’t believe in accepting broke. Everyone has some kind of hidden talent; it’s a matter of looking deep within. If after searching, you still can’t find anything, go back to school. I am not an advocate of putting yourself into debt but a lot of these colleges offer certificates, workshops and seminars to help people get a feel of what they could be good at.

Take the time to try. Figuring out what you could do on your own doesn’t mean you have to quit your job. It’s just having security. We all need some kind of part-time somewhere for various reasons. Some are for savings accounts, vacation or just having a little extra to pay for the little extra. I know people who have part-time jobs to save in case they have a baby. Baby accounts? Others just need to keep the lights on, pay the babysitter or day care. Do not get me started on day care!

Another way to figure out your hidden skill is by thinking of what you like. I would have never agreed with anyone who told me I would some day build anyone’s website. If it wasn’t for my poor bum knee and unemployment status, I wouldn’t have been interested. But I always had an interest. I found out there were community classes at the Art Institute of Atlanta where I could take a weekend class to teach me a lot of intro stuff. I spend about six long weekends learning graphic design. The entire time in the back of my head I’m saying, “I hate this complicated nonsense!” But I did it and had friends that let me practice by working on their website, making their newsletters real fancy or designing a logo. After buying some of the books and borrowing some from the library, I made it through. I learned and am still learning. Of course it’s harder because I learned a lot in 6 weeks and everything is trial and error. But it wasn’t impossible. It’s been helping me quite a bit… financially speaking.

You owe it to yourself to try. When you finally get it be a professional. Do not slack off because your friends are your first clients; treat it like a legit business because it is. When you get your first sale, I want to know how you feel. I am almost positive that the feeling is a lot more thrilling then seeing a paycheck that you know is already gone. Best of luck!

Till Next Time
-MACKLEEN