• I finally purchased a bike.  2 weeks and $2,000+ later, I purchased a Scott CR-1 Team from Get A Grip Cycles.  I took the bike out for a few rides and had to get used to the clip pedals.  It takes pride to fall flat on my ass on Chicago Avenue in the middle of a busy street.   While it scared me initially and I stayed off the streets for awhile, I’ve learned to not fall, even though my courage to ride Chicago’s city streets on a bike isn’t up there yet.  Maybe I’ll get a steel frame bike for that.
• I ran 57:08 at the Shamrock Shuffle 8k.  It was an unusually warm day compared to normal Chicago weather around March.  I had met up with my Chiropractor and received KTape on my left knee.  Also Pre-Race I got super stretched out by David Hardin and ran the race with no problems.  For a cold start and no training runs since last years Marathon, I felt fantastic and started looking forward to this years training season.
• I nailed down the majority of my race schedule, which eliminated a few races and added others.  I have a full training plan up till my Rev3Tri Half-Ironman in September.  This is all thanks to Kimberly Shah at njoy Racing, whom I look forward to getting to know better as time goes on
• I ran for redemption at the Race for Wrigley 5k.  Pulled out my best official 5k time to date at 31:26.   Even better? I capped my Heart Rate to 180 bpm and was able to sprint towards the finish.  Although my official time was about an hour because I started late, my runkeeper that day had me at about 41 minutes, which sounds about right.  I think I would have beat 27 minutes if I didn’t have to walk part of the race.   The race also seemed less staffed and very minimal camaraderie, but I digress.
• Pulled an unofficial 35:10 the next week at the Sherryl Gaptka 5k in Lisle.  This was a new race and I wasn’t going for time, but I was able to yet again sprint at the end.  I had adjusted my run walk strategy to correspond with my heart rate.
• My Triathlon Training Started (with nJoy) about three weeks ago, and while I’m trying to learn the ropes, I signed up with Chicago Endurance Sports half-ironman training.  This was so I have access to a coached swim, and I have options for workouts in case meetups with nJoy don’t work all that well.  That and Chicago Triathlon Club also has outings (I think mostly biking) as well.   The Triathlon Training has me working out 6 days a week.  Which is tougher than I thought.
• Strength Training with David Hardin is the best decision I had ever made.  Not only does my body look fantastic after years of feeling ashamed, but it has improved all three sports as well.  I’m closer to the endurance-building phase with David, as the workouts are closer to not leaving me begging for mercy.  I puked for the first and hopefully only time in the Gym.  I’ve heard of this happening before, but experiencing it is quite different.
• My first bike ride was fantastic. It was at Train Chicago Studios, found out that my Time Trial output is at 112 watts.  I was able to bike the entire time, only spinning for about a minute during the entire exercise, which shocked me.  I was also at 160 bpm as well after a stern warning from my coach.
• My first swim however, was not so well.  I think that I have lost all memory of how to swim, because I distinctly remember being a fish, and finding excuses to be in the pool during the summers of my youth.  Heck, I remember diving to the bottom of the deep end of the pool to pick up weights, no problem.  However, all that has gone away and I can’t even move forward with a freestyle stroke.  So, this is the challenge before any of the other triathlons post Bigfoot.  At the Bigfoot Triathlon I can walk along the bottom so it’s not so bad, but I know that 70.3 will probably be in deeper water.

*my spine, circa 2008.

What’s interesting to me is there is some semblance of a debate on health and nutrition when it comes to this sport.   In retrospect on my training, I really wish I had focused on this, because it would have saved my legs from the Chicago Marathon.  My thing is, there is a reason why science and medical advances exist.  There are experts out there who have done this before, so why not consult them?

There is also the notion of insurance, which is always tricky.  I’d prefer to have everything on record so that I don’t die prematurely.  But I digress, some have recommended to me to find a way to find out everything without involving an insurance company.  On top of this, I’m sure that most doctors far and wide will lean away from anyone participating in long distance sports, but I digress.

One of the main reasons why I keep up with my health is because I have a plethora of ailments to which I have to pay attention to.   Mind you however, the worst of all these symptoms (asthma, insomnia in particular) actually got better the more I trained.  I never felt better than I did in my life almost two weeks before the Chicago Marathon.

As part of my training this year, I recruited various members of the health and wellness community.    Their expressed purpose is for peak performance during my training and racing this year.  Thankfully, most of these people are my friends that I’ve developed relationships over the years, and I finally get to use their services.

To start, I met with Dr. Michael Rosen, who practices out of West Loop Chiropractic here in Chicago.   I attended the clinic before for a back issue, but I never got a chance to see him for any of my training.   I chalk it up to being extremely busy during the summer, but I should have made time.    After a short re-acquaintance, I mentioned that I did the marathon last year, and what ‘injuries’ I had sustained during so.

Thankfully, I made the right call.   For starters, I run with orthotics in my shoes, which I received last year from Dr. Rosen.  I attribute having them to keeping my gait neutral and my heels from not hurting like hell.   It always surprises me during informal gait analysis clinics how many runners have shoes to compensate for an imbalance someplace.    What I didn’t realize however was that while my gait is neutral, the rest of my body was compensating for an imbalance someplace else.

It was somewhat awkward discussing my eventual knee X-rays, but the bottom line is that I need to get an MRI.  Dr. Rosen stopped short of telling me that my endurance career is over before it started, but he did make some good remarks.  Along with one of my trainers, David Hardin, also mentioned the same hopeful good news.   I definitely have an ‘instability’ issue, and I have to focus on rehabbing (or pre-habbing in this case) my knees for the next 3 weeks or so.   I know that I’ve had tight hip flexors and quads, and regulary have IT band issues in the past.   From both Dr. Rosen and Dave, once I get in the swing of things, this will help all of that.

In the meantime, I have to put the brakes on my upcoming plans for the ING Miami Marathon and the Austin Half-Marathon.     Which sucks, but I’d prefer to come back stronger and ready to go.  In the meantime, I signed up for the Shamrock Shuffle, which I may later regret. . but I need to do something to jumpstart the sping.

So as I sit here, I have a major problem.   Well, it’s not a problem per se, but it’s definitely something I didn’t expect.

So, my life post Chicago Marathon has been a gradual slope down a very steep hill.  I didn’t realize how much I benefited from Training over the summer for the Marathon, until I sat down a few months ago.  I furiously tried to plan my Race Calendar next year, sticking with safe bets and smaller distances.

However, as I sit here, I haven’t been in a gym or trained since running the Marathon.  It’s one of those things ‘Yeah, I’ve been meaning to’ or at the very least, I could enjoy the diet I had been consuming (which is crap food for the most part) for a few months and get back on the horse.   After all, I should be at a fitness level to bust out half-marathons without thinking, right?

But as it stands right now, I’ve lost all of my energy, I’ve regained some of my insomnia symptoms, and the kicker? I can’t deal with stress as easily as I used to do.    It’s very weird, but my fitness regimen has to stick somehow, because the benefits outweigh almost everything.

And then, there is something else.  I talked myself out of a Triathlon last year.   While it was a good decision at the time, I’ve been sitting here literally DREAMING of doing one.  I didn’t expect this, but again, it comes from a lifetime of putting my dreams on hold and accepting perceived limits.

So, as a New Year’s Resolution, I don’t want to commit to something that’s going to fizzle and fade out by February.  I have to commit myself to something very large, plan it out and follow through.

Therefore, I’ve got this goal in mind for a Resolution.  My promise to myself, and my friends.

I WILL COMPLETE A HALF-IRONMAN IN 2012.

Right now, I’ve got my eyes set on Ironman Racine, which is in July.  However, I might not be ready by then and there are not many smaller Triathlon’s before the Racine Race happens.  Ironman Austin is in October, but if I do that race, then peaking for the Chicago Marathon is out of the picture.

This is going to require changing a lot of things up.  This is going to require a major investment in a Bike, and more time outdoors than I’m used to.  Some of my social obligations may have to take a backseat.

But I’m sure that I can do it.   I’ve got the support.

So, this actually worked out better than I expected.

I finally got a chance to sit down with David Hardin, of www.dhfit.com.   Until my race report gets posted about the Chicago Marathon, you’ll have to do with this short story.

I met Dave as part of Imerman Active last year, and at the time, we only discussed business, and not what he actually did.  And in usual fashion, I did not follow up with him.

However, sometime after the Chicago Half Marathon, and the Newton 20-Miler, I had messed up my hamstring behind my left knee.   I had to walk the last 4 to 5 miles or so with only an icepack and some pain killers.   From all accounts, both online and through a last minute physical therapist that I had seen, I had just a minor sprain, and was given a book and some exercises to do.

However, on the day before the Marathon, at the expo, I was still feeling some residual pain from that area, and was kind of bummed that I would be running pretty much injured.  I was also severely tight in my hip flexors, which I didn’t even know that I was tight in.  However, I got a very quick stretch from Dave, on the expo floor no less, and I felt FANTASTIC afterwards.  He also made some observations and last minute tips which also helped, and I felt fantastic during the first half of my Marathon.

So, I kept him in the back of my mind, and finally got a chance to meet with him for an assessment.  During of which, I tested for a few things

• Flexibility – Turns out that I’m fine in this regard.   My legs went 90 degrees, I can touch my hands behind my back, and I can reach my toes sitting down, no problem.   Mind you, I’ve experienced other people that can reach farther than I can, so I always thought I was a newbie in that regard.
• Balance – Same, which is again surprising.  I thought I would be off-balance due to the curvature in my spine that’s going to take forever in a day to fix.  I’ve also had orthotics in my shoes for the past year or so, might be a testament to that effect.
• Push-up Test – Only got to 16 before I had to give in.   I think I did 10 for a test last year, and CrossFit KILLED me on workouts that had that part in.  Dave wants me to get to 100 pushups (what??)
• Squat Test – I don’t know how many squats I did, but from what I retained from explanations, I just have to work on my form, which shouldn’t be much of an issue.  I got a bit of correction in my Crossfit training.  Dave wants me to get to 200 squats (what?? I could only get to so many without weight!)

So afterwards, I did some additional ‘warm-up’ exercises, one of which exposed my main issue, which seems to be hips and glutes.  This makes sense, considering that I sit at my computer most of the day.  Most of the other topics we discussed were music to my ears, because I had read about them in The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferris, and wanted to implement.

On top of this, I found out that he’s a sprint coach, and more than likely will be taking over for speed training with my other coach, Kimberly Shah, who I’m consulting for Distance.  I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

In the meantime, gotta whip myself into shape, somewhat fast.  I’ve got less than two months for the ING Miami Marathon, and somehow I got to get a 20 mile run in before the event starts.  Although, I’m thinking of just switching to the Half Marathon, and just focusing on PR’ing that race.

So I’ve been ruminating on my ‘plans’ next year, knowing around June I’ll have to train hardcore for the Chicago Marathon.  This is also quite nerve-wracking for me, because I have to plan ahead so far, and I normally don’t.  So, I’ve put together a list (and a wishlist) of events I plan on participating (and covering) for 2012.

Race to Wrigley 5k – April
The first race I ever did, would like to return and PR my original time (which is at 1:00, but I crossed the line very late)

Ravenswood 5k – April
I like Ravenswood, this was a fun race, plan on doing it again.

Soldier Field 10 Mile – May
I did this race last year, and while I’m not a Bears fan, finishing on the 50 yard line is a very good incentive to run over Memorial Day

North Shore Half Marathon – June
At the suggestion of my coach, I’m swapping this for 13.1 Chicago (which is the next day) in 2011.

Bigfoot Triathlon  – June
This will also be a first time for me.  I’m going to train for a Sprint Triathlon and based on my experience / performance, might go for longer distances.

L.A.T.E. Ride – July
This was AWESOME last year.  Riding on Chicago streets at night, watching the sunrise in the morning, and drafting bikers at 25+ mph?  Hell yeah!

Chicago Half Marathon – September
Was awesome running on 9/11 last year, willing to do it again this year.

Newton 20 Miler – September
Of course the last training run before the Chicago Marathon, will definitely be on next year.

AIDS 5k Walk / 10k Run – October
Did the 5k walk last year, but I plan on running the 10k and walking with my friends for the 5k portion.

Chicago Marathon – October
Fall Classic.  World Major.  ‘nuff said.  Going for a PR, which shouldn’t be too hard.

Malibu Half Marathon – November
This will be my second traveling trip, at the suggestion of my coach.

Rock and Roll Las Vegas – December
Missed this for 2011, definitely on deck for 2012, especially if they are on the strip at night.

—-

So far, 11 Races with 1 Marathon and 1 Triathlon in the mix.

Below are a list of races that are on my ‘wishlist’.  At the behest of over-commitment and physical exhaustion, I’m keeping these races off my schedule, for now.

Shamrock Shuffle – Been advised against this race because EVERYONE  does it.
Lakefront 10 Miler – Conflict with another event. . might do it anyway
Indy Mini-Marathon – Conflict with another event. . might do it anyway.  Would have to travel.
13.1 Chicago – A day after North Shore, and Windy City Challenge? Very tempting.
Half – Ironman Racine – Yeah, I know, insane, right? But I have friends doing said race, might be tempted to try just to crash and burn.
Rock and Roll Chicago – Didn’t care much for it last year.  If I have some compelling reason to go, yes, if not, will pass on it.
Hot Chocolate – Been advised against this race too for various reasons.
Disneyland 2013 – Mixed reviews on said race.

I’m interested in other stuff next year as well.   There are Century Rides, the ‘mud’ races (Spartan Race, Mudatlon, etc.), larger Triathlons, and other stuff that I will have my eyes out on.  I would also like to try races outside of the Chicago area.

I’ve been through a number of trends regarding Social Media.  However, the trend that annoys me the most is that someone out there is making a fortune telling people to essentially ‘cold-call’ prospects on Social Media, relying on consumer ignorance and apathy to get their message across.  AKA, it’s Spam, at it’s most boldest level, because it sounds sincere, but it really isn’t.  With enough complaints you can risk your profiles being blocked / deleted from SPAM complaints.

I’d like to run through some of the attempts that have been made that almost got through the filter.

LinkedIn

NOTE:  LinkedIn is notorious for ‘if you don’t know this person, don’t try to connect with them, because the consequences of such behavior can get your account suspended’.  So I don’t understand as of recent the increased number of invites with the Default invite line and really shady crap on their profile.

Without further ado. . .

A) Douchebag 1:  After asking “Why are you connecting with me on here?”  This guys response? “Found you through one of my connections and wanted to do some networking to see how we may be of help to one another.”

NOTE: Anytime the premise is vague, or they can’t be direct on what they are selling, or otherwise, it’s SPAM.  There is no benevolent purpose here.  Sure enough I was right, the very next email was something about his business, it said “To Bears Fans!” and had some non-personalized SPAM mail.  Was very sad.

B)  Douchebag 2: Again, after asking why. .reply? “Went to Loyola with S***** G***** and very good friends with D*** C*****”

Again, premise is vague, you didn’t say ‘recommended by xyz’ and I didn’t go to the same school you did either.  SPAM, next caller.

C) Douchebag 3:  Friended me, default invitation text (I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn) and viewed her profile, didn’t show me any information.  Did a quick Google search, her name was associated with a bunch of self-aggrandizing websites.  I mean, even if ‘befriended’ this person on LinkedIn, I already knew what the next email was going to be.

SPAM, reported to LinkedIN.

Facebook

NOTE:  Facebook is starting to take a Line from LinkedIn, now you can report to facebook for friendSPAM and people you don’t know.  They also guard against massive email imports and invites as well, which is awesome, and about time.

A) Someone friended me, with 0 mutual friends on Facebook, and with the message of “HI Will, I don’t know you that well, but I wanted to help you have a good year!!”

B) Someone friended me, had 42+ mutual friends, but listed Properties he was trying to sell in the invite information!  What a joke!

Both Spammed, Blocked and reported to Facebook.

3) Twitter

Is a lost cause.  I turned off Auto-Follow years ago, and there is no simple batching process for blocking / discouraging spammers.  There is currently a spammer who is doing random names, pictures of pretty girls, and some variation of ‘I help guys bang chicks’, and some yeast diet nonsense.  I don’t know how they can keep up, but if there was a way to batch report them all, I would do so.  Thankfully I don’t have to follow them back or indulge in their fuckery.

How to combat against this nonsense?  Very simple.

1) Ask the Spammers a Direct Question: Most spammers are obvious, but for the ones who pass the smell test, I always ask “How did you find me?”.   Not one person I’ve asked this to has given me a direct answer.  They don’t say ‘Oh, I’ve met you before’ etc. . it’s always vague or the reply doesn’t make sense in reality.  Instant Ban.

2) Do a little research:   Either Google searching by email, name or handle will usually reveal what the person has been up to on the web, especially if they have a picture on their profile.  For this very reason is why I’m so vigilant about my personal brand, because I don’t want someone looking me up and finding less than favorable information regarding my reputation.  The spammers are literally plastered in all corners of the web with really crappy information.

3) Tend and Hedge your networks:  I tend to batch invitations on my various networks, and I turn off notifications.  If you see spammers, or activity on your network, remove them immediately.  I have a zero tolerance for this kind of behavior.  The only exception I make is for Facebook games, because while it is SPAM in its most pure form, it provides entertainment value for those involved.

4) Can you meet them in Real Life?  If the spammer is a friend of a friend, it’s easier to find out what their story is.  Most of the ‘networkers’ I know who offer real value, I would have heard their name before somewhere.  This is also because I’m a very social person.

As a side note:  If you intend to add people on networks cold (or by ‘suggestion’), here is a suggestion.   Do a little bit of research on said person, and add context to the invitation.  For example, if you want to connect to an HR person at a specific company, mention in the invite that you were interested in a position at the company and were reaching out to them to make that happen.

Really quick post here:

Recently in the past few months, believe it or not, in this economy, I’ve had various people talk about jobs.  Either finding a job, or actual opportunities.

Believe it or not, jobs in the new media fields are very plentiful.  I’ve been asked on numerous occasions if I know people with experience who are looking.  And to answer their questions, I honestly don’t know.  I’d like to facillitate connections better.

I was also inspired by Chris Brogan’s Job Post on Twitter and his website, calling for a #findajobfriday instead of a #follow friday on Twitter.  I thought that was ingenious.

Also, my friend Brendan Tripp runs The Job Stalker blog on ChicagoNow and has been vigilant about his job search.

So I’m starting with if anyone wants to leave a link, or send me an email regarding the following.

• I’m looking for recruiters (i.e. people who get paid to place people on jobs) to send me information.  I’d like to have a list of you guys to just send potential prospects to if they are  looking and then follow up with the source.
• I’m looking for websites people should be involved with.  Despite the regulars (LinkedIn, Connect Work Chicago, Mashable) is there any place people should be looking / connecting to? Let me know.
• I’m looking for people looking to fill positions.  Send me the information and if I know someone in my network who is interested, I can forward the information to them.
• Lastly, if you’re looking for a job, let me know.  I’m going to put a list together for that, along with an ebook on the subject.  But if I’m aware, I can help.

Lastly, as a shameless plug, please connect with me on LinkedIn.  I need to get better about tending this network anyway.

Also, check out my previous (and most popular post on my blog): 7 things everyone ought to know. . . about finding a job

So apparently I struck a nerve not too long ago,  I responded to a friend’s message about needing an assistant.

I replied to her “Why don’t you get a virtual one?”

She responded positively to the message, so I sent her the information.  Not too long afterwards, I got several requests for Virtual Assistant information, so I figured I’d better explain what I’ve got going with it.

I was inspired to find a Virtual Assistant by one of my heroes, Tim Ferriss, author of the “4-Hour WorkWeek”.  If you can pickup that book, he outlines his resources on when and where he goes for outsourcing.  Having one is awesome, but it takes some getting used to, having someone who says ‘Yes Sir’ and is happy to take your calls.

I’m just going to summarize what I personally use here in this post and why.

1. Ask Sunday – http://www.asksunday.com/

This website is the most comprehensive as far as VA’s go.  They are based in New York.  You can sign up for a per task assignments, or get a dedicated VA.  I used to have a dedicated one, but I retain the per-task queue just in case.  These assistants can also even manage your Social Media and online presences if you want them to!  They also have a free trial on the site as well.  They can be reached  by phone and email.  15 Requests in 30 days is only $37 dollars!

2. Concierge Unlimited – http://www.conciergeunlimited.com

This company is local to Chicago, IL and it’s the reason why I don’t have a fulltime VA anymore.  The service is complimentary for my building, and if you work downtown, you may have an agreement with a similar company.  If not, check with your building manager to see if they have some kind of agreement with a similar company.

I usually have my virtual assistant there do research on events, restaurants, and hotels.   She also sets appointments for me, and do a little bit of management.  Right now she’s the only thing keeping me sane about my birthday party.

3. eLance – http://www.elance.com

If there are projects that are oddball (like for example, setting up websites, etc.) I use eLance.  Here you can post potential projects and have other people bid on them.   I went through a few VAs to find the right one.  Some people will bid your projects as low at $5/hr.

There are also some fulltime solutions, provided you have the cash.  My friend is at http://www.virtualhires.com and they can provide a full staff for $600 a month.  I also hear good thigns about http://www.mysavvyva.com/ as well, and she’s on twitter.

A few tips.

1.  Be careful with your information

Tim Ferriss mentions in his book that if you have to share passwords, make sure that you’ve changed it before you give it to them, or even better, give them a separate account to which you can block access.  Same with financials.   I like the AskSunday site because it’s based here, but once you go off the grid you have to be careful.  Using PayPal is awesome for this.

2.  Interview your VA

I made it a must that my VAs can speak and write English.  I don’t want to deal with a translator or a task master of any sort.

3. Try before you buy

Send them smaller tasks at first to see how they handle them first and how your communication goes.  It’s best not to be in crisis mode when having to reach out to someone for help.

so I have to you tell you about a little book I read. . (btw, I’m an avid reader. Of physical hardcopies of books. Never caught on with the Kindle thing, but I digress)

It’s called “The 4-hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss.

If you haven’t been under a rock in the past few years, you’ve heard of this book. Right behind when “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. (God Bless Inbox Zero)

What this post is about is something I should have heed a LONG time ago when I first read the book. Quoting Tim Ferriss directly,

THERE ARE A million and one ways to make a million dollars. From franchising to freelance consulting, the list is endless. Fortunately, most of them are unsuited to our purpose. This chapter is not for people who want to run businesses but for those who want to own businesses and spend no time on them.

What I’m referring to is my decision to start my own business last year, but to say ‘screw all of the evidence’ and do it service based. Thinking to myself I can leverage the power of WordPress to sell websites ($0 upfront cost and Time later)

1 year later, I learn two things. 1) I’m not a graphic designer by any means, so that’s where the majority of the cost of the ‘design’ phase of the website is and 2) People are very finicky about their respective designs.

So I have to change my plans, and go for sales, as Tim mentioned.  But that’s not all.

A second lesson leared, through my frustration, I learned something about myself. I actually enjoy Marketing.

If I had to do it all over again, I’d do Marketing and Sales. I hate the latter in the 100% commission range because it just makes the human condition ugly (i.e. Are you talking to me because I’m your friend or that you need to make a sale?)

The only caveat is that yet again I don’t get along with the majority of the creatives out there.  Too much ego and some with very shoddy personalities.

I am getting into what’s deemed Direct Response Marketing.  The basic premise is that we write ‘copy’ (advertisements for those who don’t know the lingo) which has a traceable result.  So instead of taking a picture with a slogan and a testimonial and placing an ad in a paper,  we niche it down to a smaller audience, put a call to action with a phone number or website, and then track the results of the campaign.  I’ve learned that I’m kind of with the Dark Side of the force. However, being the geek, I’m attracted to the numbers, conversion rates, etc. about it. It makes sense to me, as opposed to ‘making it look pretty’ and hope people show up.

Thirdly, I like telling people what to do.  I don’t want to be the boss or a manager, but I like telling someone what to do, they say ‘Yes, Sir’ and come back with the result.   That’s cool. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Tim’s book inspired me to hire an assistant. I had a Virtual Assistant that got me out of a jam earlier in the year, but I found out later on that the building I work in has a concierge service. Any research, event planning, or appointment scheduling goes through her now and it’s an awesome relief. I still intend on retaining the VA to speak on my behalf in a few manners, but regardless. To quote Tim again, “Get an assistant, even if you don’t need one.”

That’s it. So, I’ve decided to completely change my business model.  I’m getting out of the website design business.

Thank you, Tim Ferriss.

BTW, it’s also no surprise to me either that another new hero of mines, Jason Fried of 37signals is friends with Tim Ferriss.

Tim Ferriss: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/

Jason Fried: http://37signals.com/svn/

Being unemployed for a year, and 6 months in my life, there are things that I learned in both experiences that I vowed I’d never do again.  I got lucky last go round to find a position while I was still employed, however, now I even have a ‘better strategy’.   I feel blessed to be employed right now, however, if I were let go today, this is what I would do.

1. Remove any and all unnecessary expenses.

For example, you really don’t need a smart phone, cable, gym membership, and a latte-a-day Starbucks habit while unemployed.  So get rid of that crap.  Besides, most of what you wanted to watch on television can be seen online anyway, so why waste the money?

2. Recruit other people to do your job search for you.

Remember all of the time you DIDN’T have to see your friends? NOW you’ve got time.  Go through your list of connections, friends, co-workers, etc. and make appointments to see them and hang out.  While you’re there, gently remind them that you’ve just been laid off and you’re looking for a position.  Recruit your friends to help you search their ‘hidden market’ for available positions.

Contact every headhunter, temporary work agency, recruiter that you can find.  This includes ‘job centers’, church groups, etc.  The majority of all of these firms work on commission (i.e. you have to get hired in order for them to eat.).  While some can be shady and yes you’re going to lose %10-%15 of your potential salary, you could also be employed and deal with the details later.  After being unemployed for a year, I signed with a Temp Agency.  5 days later I had a full time job and 6 months in I was ‘bought out’ by said company.

3. Get ACTIVE.  Get out at least two nights a week.

You might not be social.  You might hate talking to people outside your comfort zone.  But the alternative is to sit at home, getting depressed and continuing to be broke.  By being active, you break that hold and open yourself up to potential.  Volunteer for your local charity / cause.  Go out to networking events (they are either free, or severely cheap.  http://www.connectworkchicago.com/ allows you to work the admission fee off for some events).  Start building your Linkedin ‘million dollar Rolodex’.

4. Re-evaluate your priorities

Right now is the best time to take inventory of your life. If you were laid off for amicable reasons, then you can make a list of people you enjoyed working and interacting with and touch base with them.  If you were fired, hated your job, or just didn’t like your environment, more than likely something in your world brought you to that place.  My suggestion is to weed out those people and situations out of your life.  Almost like breaking up with someone, give yourself the gift of a clean slate and a positive environment.  It will help in the long run.

Also, check your career priorities.  Whatever you come up with, add that you’re flexible enough to change careers or industries.  I’m currently in a position that I never thought I could apply myself to, but the employer found enough potential in me to bring me on board.  If I was narrow minded, I would have never taken the position.  While you’re at it, if you have an opportunity to sharpen your skills in technology (word, excel, website design, social media, repair), and/or sales (marketing, writing copy, headlines, offers, etc.) you can write your own ticket for your next position.

5.  Start a blog, and build your own web-presence.

I personally believe that people make blogs more simple, and more complicated than necessary.  Everyone has an opinion, and it doesn’t matter how many people don’t get it, but how many people do.

Besides, my reasoning for starting a blog / website is three-fold.  For starters, future employers are doing ‘Google searches’ for you before they hire you now.  You want to be in control of said search so that your site and information comes up first and not your embarrassing photos on Facebook (Speaking of Facebook, now is also a good time to check your privacy settings and make sure you do look professional if you decide to keep your profile open to the public). Secondly, You can demonstrate your subject matter expertise of your industry (or niche), and host your resume!.  Last and certainly not least, you could potentially monetize your traffic with affiliate offers.

And if you want someone to do the blog for you, check out my friends at Free Blog Factory! (Yes, it’s an affiliate link)

PS, if you can belt out at least 150 words a day, you can develop enough traffic to do some neat things with it.

6.  Make a list of companies you would love to work for.  Find out the CEO’s name and information and send them a personal letter.

This is something I think people overlook as a strategy.  The letter can be typed, double space, but it should be signed by you, licked stamped and sealed in a standard envelope.  What is going to be on this letter?  Do some market research about the company, tell the CEO or Founder that you admire his or her firm and mention you would love to work there one day.  Attach your resume.   Plan on sending 2 more followup letters a few weeks later.   Although you might run into gatekeepers, it helps to get to the ‘decision maker’ of the company to make sure that they are aware of your presence.  At the very least, you might get a contact inside the company that you can network with.  Ask your connections inside said companies for either informal interviews, introductions to managers or HR folks, something that gets you into the door and puts your face to the resume that casually goes across someone’s desk.  (For an even faster way for this method, find the charities that said companies sponsor and volunteer for them.  More than likely a representative from the company will be there AND they will be open to being your friend since you share a common interest in the charity.  Neat, huh?)

7. Find ways to make money in small increments.

You could give away free blogs for me.  You could sell tickets to networking events.  You could run errands for your friends (start a personal concierge service or virtual assistant service, really popular!).  Walk dogs.  Wash cars in the summer.  Write reviews for products on Amazon/Yelp.  Send traffic to your blog so you can sell affiliate offers to your friends (btw, Groupon has an affiliate program too.  You could make money just by referring an already awesome service to their friends!).  These are not all full time income type things, however, if done right can make you some extra income and at least keep you afloat till you get on your feet.  I’d stay away from direct sales (Avon, Amway and the like) and I’d definitely not SPAM your friends, because that can have an adverse effect.

BONUS! 8.  Develop an online Daily Action Plan

Take one hour out of the day to focus on your current job, which is finding a job.  So the goal is to list all of the job websites (career builder, monster, craigslist, etc.) and make it a point to apply to x amount of jobs on each one, regardless of if you’re qualified or not.  Get on LinkedIn, contact 3 people a day, participate in 3 group discussions.  Call 3 people a day with the intent of discussing finding a position. (you could outsource this to ya know. . )