Changing Course Newsletter: Issue 130

Get Your FREE Copy ($29 Value) of
“How to Work When, Where, and How You Want”

Perhaps you've heard the jokes about the garbage collector who refers to him or herself as a "waste management engineer." But there's a lot going on behind this seemingly humorous self-titling.

For one, the sad fact is, the person actually doing the job rarely gets much, if any, say as to their job title. That's not to say that everyone should necessarily get to decide on their title. I mean, how many CEO's of XYZ company can there be? But then again, if asked, wouldn't it be interesting to see what the people doing the work would come up with?

Not only that but there's a lot of personal power in naming yourself as African Americans, long referred to as colored or Negroes, can attest. Some would dismiss this kind of renaming with the belittling and vastly overly used charge of "political correctness." Yet, when we consider the garbage collector/waste management engineer, we see that the renaming exercise is simply the very human need to reclaim one's dignity.

As kindred spirit Barbara Winter and I were talking on the phone one day, she happened to mention that she was having a wonderful time hand painting her business cards. Intrigued, I asked her to send me one. What I noticed first was the spring green and brown speckled firefly dancing across nearly translucent paper. How fun!

But what I loved most about Barbara's card was her title: Visionary-in-Chief. Since gradually transitioning from my corporate job to running ChangingCourse.com, I was never quite able to come up with a title I really liked. "Web site owner" felt dry and not terribly descriptive of what I do. Since I am, by choice, a solo entrepreneur supported by several wonderful freelancers, President of ChangingCourse.com sounded a little silly.

Barbara's self-titling inspired me to come up with a new title of my own. I wanted something that reflected my original dream which was to somehow work from the comfort of home helping others realize their own dreams. That's how I came up with the title of "Dreamer-in-Residence."

What if you could create your own job title? What would it be? Would it be working for your current employer but doing different job functions? Would it be in a whole new career or field? Would it involve working for yourself?

Say your dream was to work with children. If you aren't yet sure what form that work might take, you could create a more general title like: Enhancer of Children's Joy and Spirited Learning. If you love the idea of refurbishing and selling old cars, your title might be Clunk King (or Queen) Extraordinaire. Hey, that's what Linda Cobb, the self-described "Clean of Queen" did to distinguish herself from other cleaning tip experts and her books are now best-sellers!

I always liked General Dwight D. Eisenhower's title prior to his being voted into the truly unique title of President of the United States. During World War II, Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. Now THAT'S a title!

Imagine the garbage collector/waste management engineer, customer service rep, sales manager, or recently downsized person being the Supreme Commander of Waste Relocation, the Supreme Commander of Customer Joy, the Supreme Commander of Selling Great Stuff, or the Supreme Commander of Me, Myself and I? If someone handed me a business card with any of these titles on it, the first thing I'd do is smile; then I'd want to know more.

Ok, so your boss would never go for something as fun as that. But what if you had business cards made up with your ideal job title just for yourself. You could carry them around with you as a motivational reminder that, while you are working in one place now, you are very much in the process of moving toward another more fulfilling work/life.

What else can you buy for under $30 that will bring you so much pleasure? So why delay? Pick your own title and put it in print. When you choose your own job title, you'll find you may begin to feel entitled to be it!

Just for this week I am:

Valerie Young, Supreme Commander of Possibilities

P.S. I poked around the Internet a little and found a nifty site whose logo is, "Because the best business cards are the ones you create yourself." They make it really easy to design your own very own personal card on-line. Check them out at BusinessCards.com

P.P.S. I also found a site offers free business cards on selected templates or 25% off your first order. Learn about these offers at VistaPrint.com

Imagine being able to make a difference in the world by sharing your message with an enthusiastic audience. Not only are you earning tens of thousands of dollars a month in speaker fees but you also have an excellent platform to do what the top speakers do… generate six or even seven figures in additional income from the sale of your CD programs or books, consulting fees and other profit centers available to every speaker.

This course gives you insider secrets from one of THE top paid motivational speakers in the world, Mark Victor Hansen. Hansen and other leading experts in the speaking industry tell you everything you need to know to create a winning presentation, get bookings, sell from the podium, develop lucrative profit centers, and much more.

Save $50 While Supplies Last*

This offer is exclusive to Changing Course Subscribers
Click here to save ChangingCourse.com/cmd.php?ad=180493

*Supplies are limited. Discount will appear on final checkout screen.

Tele-Seminar for Travel Lovers:
How to Make a Six-Figure Income Traveling the World

Join this first ever Tele-Seminar and learn travel secrets designed to fund your vacations and make you $100,000 or more a year as you explore the world like a VIP.

After several friendly battles about "who had enjoyed the best and most vacations," five savvy travelers finally agreed to meet -- for the first time ever -- on December 13, 2005... to discuss the three tools they use to consistently fund and profit from their vacations.

In the past, people have paid $1,597 to hear these travelers speak, and learn their secrets for mastering just one of these travel tools.

But, today, you're invited to discover their secrets for mastering all three of these tools... for less than $20. You'll learn:

How to make a six-figure income as a traveler, living anywhere you want in the world... How to get pampered in paradise, then profit from it... How to make $12,600 on a four-day trip... Why your hometown is a $700/day goldmine if you know these secrets... and more...

For more information about The Fund Your Vacations Tele-seminar, click here for details: TheTravelWritersLife.com

I received this email from one your fellow traveler’s on the road to right livelihood:

"Today with serious doubts I drove 30 miles to downtown Chicago and enrolled in the Digital Photography Program at the Harrington Institute after wanting to study photography for many years. I am 52 years old.
I drove home wondering how the heck I was going to make this all work out and the doubts crept in. Reading last week’s newsletter pulled me back to the belief that I need to do this. It reminded me that sometimes everything feels a lot bigger than it needs to...especially fear of failure. I was inspired
to keep the fear either small and the keep the excitement manageable but growing at the same time."
~ Carolyn

Resources for A Change

Financial and Marketing Support for Socially Conscious Entrepreneurs

Civic Ventures, a San Francisco nonprofit, wanted to support older business people, professionals and entrepreneurs who want to use their knowledge and experience for the greater social good. So starting in June, the organization will award $100,000 each to five social entrepreneurs aged 60 or older who are making a positive contribution to their communities through their work. An inspiring case in point is the International Senior Lawyers Project which matches experienced U.S. attorneys with human rights, domestic violence, disability and other legal needs in developing countries. To learn more or to submit a nomination, go to LeadWithExperience.org.

In a bid to showcase its talent, mega ad agency Leo Burnett is seeking a worthy non-profit that needs a marketing campaign. The initiative, which the agency dubbed Packaged Goods, is aimed at giving a big marketing and visibility boost to an unknown entrepreneurial organization that has the potential to become as well-known as Habitat for Humanity. Deadline for applications is December 20^th. Learn more at PackagedGood.org.

Kiplinger’s Dream Job Contest

Want to pursue your passion? Check out the December issue of Kiplinger’s magazine (Kiplinger.com). In it you’ll read about some inspiring people who changed course to work at what they love. People like world-renowned sand sculptor John Gowdy, personal chef Susan McCabe, photographer and workshop leader Rich Wagner who helped design AWAI’s Turn Your Photos into Cash course, and others (including yours truly).

And be sure to enter Kiplinger’s Dream Job Contest where you can win $5,000 in cash, a state-of-the-art Sharp computer system, and extensive counseling from career change and business start-up consultants. Winners will be flown to Washington, DC in April to consult with experts and will also have the opportunity to meet with celebrity mentors. Total prizes are valued at between $16,500 and $21,500, depending on optional services selected. Application deadline is January 6^th, 2006. Learn all about it at Kiplinger.com/dreamjob.

Love to Cook?

Do you dream of meeting a celebrity chef? NBC’S “Today” show is looking for families who love to make breakfast in the morning before starting a busy day on the go. If you are a mom, dad, or teen who is the chef of the household and does the majority of cooking in the family -- we want to hear from you! And if your child absolutely loves cooking and has a favorite celebrity chef they would love to meet, we want to hear from them too! The deadline for all submissions is Monday, December 19th at 5:00 pm EST. Complete details at msnbc.msn.com/id/10242051/

Everything You Need to Launch Your Career as a Highly Paid Speaker

Everything You Need to Launch Your
Career as a Highly Paid Speaker