A portion of all profit from Changing Course goes to support Trickle Up,
a micro-grant organization supporting the entrepreneurial aspirations of impoverished people around the world

What Would Your Life Be Like 
If You Didn't Have A J-O-B?

I'm not talking about waiting for your retirement or winning the lottery. 

What I'm talking about is moving to a far different place than the thank God it's Friday, the boss is driving me crazy, there's got to be more to life than this life you're living right now. 

Hi. My name is Valerie Young. Up until 1995, I spent seven long years commuting 90 miles a day to my corporate marketing job. (To learn more about how I quit my job and found my life, click here.) 

I was miserable. Tacked on my bulletin board were the sadly profound words of Benjamin Disraeli who said, "Most people die with the music still locked up inside them."  My music grew more faint with each passing day. 

I desperately wanted out. But with a mortgage, a car payment, and all the rest, I felt trapped. For the longest time I told myself that the biggest thing standing between me and my freedom was money. I was wrong. 

By far, THE biggest thing holding me back was my own limited view of what it means to “make a living.” 

Every so often I'd come up with some great idea for a new career direction. These occasions would always send me soaring with excitement. But as soon as I got out my calculator, I'd make a crash landing into reality. None of my grand ideas would pay enough to replace my salary.

Money is, of course, a necessity of life. But, like a lot of people, I'd been operating under the mistaken belief that before I could get off the fast track and onto the right path, I had to first find that one thing, that single venture that would generate the same amount of money I was already earning.

Then I made a discovery that changed my life forever.

You Don't Need a Job to Make a Living

It's true! And I'll tell you exactly how to do it. 

The formula is pretty simple really. Find something you love to do. Then figure out how you can make money doing it.

My first introduction to the idea that you could actually "profit from your passion," came from "self-bosser” Barbara Winter. Barbara wrote a wonderful book called Making a Living Without a Job. This book had everything to do with my launching Changing Course to help people who want more than a job change, more than a career, but a meaningful life change.  If you haven't read Barbara Winters book yet, run – don't walk – to your closest on-line or local bookstore! 

Barbara is an enthusiastic advocate of the idea of setting up "multiple income streams." Here's the general idea. Instead of thinking in terms of a single income source, i.e. a “job,” the idea is to come up with several profit centers. 

Say you want to make $50,000 a year. Instead of trying to come up with one venture to generate all $50,000, Barbara says it's actually a lot easier to come up with say, four profit centers each bringing in a little over $250 a week. Kind of takes the pressure off, right?

That's what Beth Ann Amico, from Choctaw, Oklahoma found out.  Beth spent 20 years in the banking industry. Yet, she says, "I never felt like I was truly living." You see, "living" to Beth meant getting to combine her two passions: Animals and being outdoors. 

So as the new millennium (and her 40th birthday) approached, Beth made the decision to "trade pantyhose for jeans and barn boots." Before she could quit her job though, Beth had to make a plan. Part of this plan was to diligently to pay off all her credit cards. The other thing Beth knew she needed to do was outline a strategy for incorporating both of her passions so that she could have what she described as "a meaningful, yet profitable life." 

Her planning paid off. A year later, Deep Fork Farms was born! Today Beth's livelihood comes from four sources:

• She set up a sideline business giving obedience lessons through her husband's kennel.

• Six months before leaving her job, Beth began "laying" the ground work for selling organic eggs by purchasing over 50 baby hens.

• Beth is using the chicken and horse manure to raise earthworms for composting and to sell.

• And she's also using the composted soil to raise herbs and vegetables which she also sells.

What's Beth's life like now?  Beth says she has everything she ever wanted: "My husband and I value the outdoors, conservation, and best of all, doing what we love to do together."

You can even have different income streams at different times of the year. That's what former high school teacher Bob Sadowski, Jr., aka New England Bob, does. Bob is an avid snow mobiler with a passion for vintage cars. So in the winter he runs snow mobiling tours in Quebec. In the summer Bob operates an antique car parts business out of a giant barn on his scenic farm in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts.

And not all profit centers involve "work." A few years back I stayed in a first-floor apartment in a lovely three-story hilltop home in San Francisco. For $50 a night less than the cost of a hotel, I got my own bedroom, living room, kitchen, and deck with a view.

The home owner had created several income sources. In addition to teaching reading to second graders (a job she loves) she rents her in-law apartment to tourists and business travelers alike on a per-night basis.  A Bay area native, she also parlayed her knowledge and love of the city into a successful personal tour guide service. And, she'd even set up a small profit center renting in-room movies to guests.

I've heard of people renting out storage space in their garage, basement, or attic, boat owners timesharing their boat, people renting their home for movie shoots – even a farming couple, who, for $195 a year lease their apple trees to city dwellers looking for a country retreat.  

The point is, there are an endless number of creative ways to make a living. And having several income streams offers the same advantages as diversifying your investments. When one slows down you always have the others!

Living your life in your own way is about choices. It also can mean having the freedom not to choose! 

Lots of people tell me they're torn between one calling and another one. They just can't decide which to pursue. So what do they do? Nine out of then times the answer is, nothing!

The beauty of not having a job-job is that you don't have to choose. You make a living creatively combining two, three, or even more passions.

And in the process you will get something you also crave. A life.

It's Been Said That the Only True Success is to
Have Lived Life in Your Own Way 

What would it be like to live your life in your own way?

I think Joseph Campbell described it best when he said, "If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living."

Maybe you've been toying with a few ideas but don't really know where to begin. 

Or then again, maybe you are lucky enough to know exactly what you'd love to be doing.  In fact, your dream is crystal clear. You want to open a bed and breakfast or a motorcycle repair shop, or become a freelance writer, or sell your famous cheesecake on-line, or run fly fishing expeditions to Costa Rica in the winter and a work in your cozy shop on the coast of Maine in the summer... 

Whether your dream is still in the inkling stage or you know exactly what you yearn to be doing, something is holding you back.

Maybe you haven't quite figured out exactly how to turn your idea into income.  Or, maybe you've been told that your idea is silly or unrealistic. Or then again, maybe your dream is just so big and fabulous that you just don't know where to begin!

Let's talk.

You see, I KNOW what I love to do: I love helping people discover creative ways to make a living doing what they love – and in a place they love!

Forget for a moment the kind of work you'd be doing and instead imagine a place you'd love to be.

Is it getting to work right there in your own home? Or maybe it means working in a place that just feels like home. Like on a sail boat, in a stable, on a movie shoot, near the ocean, in your own fabulous studio, cafe, or workshop...

Not only do I love helping people figure out how to escape the job world, from what everybody tells me, I'm pretty good at it. Maybe that's because I know that when it comes to this whole creative alternatives to having a job thing, there are only two secrets.

And I'm going to tell you exactly what these secrets are...

Secret #1 To Finding Creative 
Alternatives to Having a J-o-b

The first thing is this. You have to, and I mean absolutely have to, be ready, willing, and able to make the tremendously liberating shift in thinking from "having a job" to "creating a livelihood." 

As obvious as that may sound, not everyone can do it. At least not right away. Let me tell you a quick story about the challenges – and the rewards – of thinking outside the "job box." This particular story is also a good illustration of the difference between what a career counselor does and what I do.

A while back I audited a course on career counseling. The instructor was a very competent and knowledgeable woman named Kate who worked full-time as a career counselor at a nearby college.  As a career counselor, Kate's job involved administering interest and skills assessment instruments, leading workshops on resume writing and interviewing skills, and counseling graduating seniors in their quest to land a job.

I learned a lot about the history of career counseling, the major theories and theorists, and the standard interests and skills assessment instruments. In the end though, I have a feeling that it was the teacher who got the real education.

You see, while the other students would come up with traditional occupational options like accountant, HR manager, or biologist I was forever tossing out creative, non-job alternatives, like spiritual advisor, personal chef, personal shopper, or  professional pumpkin carver. 

Kate would always listen politely, thank me, and then quickly move on. One time in particular stands out. Kate was telling the class how to use the Department of Labor's Occupational Handbook job descriptions to help a job seeker. As she leafed through the huge volume, Kate warned the class that there were also a lot of "wacky" job examples that we could just ignore.

"Like this one," Kate said with a laugh, "Scuba Diving Suit Repairer. Give me a break." Everyone laughed. Everyone, that is, except for me.

In fact, I was so excited I practically leapt out of my chair. "You mean, there's such a job as Scuba Diving Suit Repairer? Wow, what a fantastic business for someone who loves to fix things and has always dreamed of living on a tropical island!"  Once again, Kate looked bewildered.

Then one day toward the end of the semester, Kate arrived late to class explaining apologetically that she'd been up half the night with her newborn daughter. Maybe it was the fatigue that suddenly made the "unjobbing" light come on, but that day something clicked.

It happened during a break. I was telling another student about my plan to work out of my home office offering career advice over the telephone. Kate's head suddenly jerked to attention. "Wait a minute! Are you saying there's a way I can do career counseling from home and be with my daughter?" 

Bingo.

Kate had lots of questions about launching her dream. And I was all too happy to answer them. Unlike the career counseling world of skills assessments, resumes, and interviews, we were in my territory now.

Secret #2 To Finding Creative 
Alternatives to Having a Job

If you really want to make a living without a job, the next thing you need to do is stop scanning the employment postings and start scanning the world around you. Why? Because that's where the real opportunities are!  

In other words, if you really want to find creative alternatives to having a job, you have to learn to become what I call an "Opportunity Analyst." All it takes to be an opportunity analyst is an open mind and the ability to look beyond what you have done (your resume) or what you can do (your current skills) and think instead of what you might really LIKE to do.

For example, I was sitting in a workshop on customer service when the presenter cited a study that found that physicians who send patient newsletters have half the number of malpractice suits.  While the rest of the group talked about the financial benefits of being customer focused, my mind was racing with ideas about how some enterprising soul should launch a patient newsletter service for doctors too busy to produce their own.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll find being an Opportunity Analyst is easy and fun. A great place to start is by tuning into trends. 

Hear a news report that the divorce rate is going up?  Great opportunity to turn that counseling background into a newspaper column on how to make commitments work.

More people setting up home offices than ever?  Why not start an on-call IT help desk that makes house calls to help computer challenged home business owners in your local area?

Sometimes opportunities come disguised as problems. Middle-school English, drama and speech teacher and self-described complainer, Ellen Phillips built a lucrative sideline exacting justice for others people’s complaints. For a fee, Ellen’s Poison Pen will write a reasoned letter of complaint and follow up with persistent action.

Others are just plain fascinating. Alan Eames, turned his love of beer into his vocation. Called the "Indiana Jones of Beer," Alan spent years tracing the roots of beer by trekking the Amazon rain forest, which he believes, is the birthplace of brew.  The author of Secret Life of Beer, Alan has built a small writing and speaking business around his love of beer.

Once you get the hang of it, seeing opportunities is positively habit forming.  Fortunately for me, it's also my passion.  Quite simply, I help regular people just like you to find creative ways to make a living without a job.  Guaranteed. 

You read right. Guaranteed. 

I am so confident that I can help you launch your dream of living the joyfully jobless life that I offer clients something unheard of in the consulting, coaching, counseling world.

Your Job-to-Livelihood Consultation 
Comes With A 100% Money Back Guarantee 

The guarantee is not that I will change your life since that, in the end, is up to you. But what I do guarantee is this:  When our work is done, you will feel you have received enough ideas, information, and inspiration from me to be able to take your dream to the next phase. If not, you will receive a full refund. No questions asked.

Before you decide to work with me, though, there are a few things you need to know. 

1) You must be prepared for the possibility that whatever dream you bring to me will get "upgraded" to what I call a Big Dream. (To learn more about the difference between a dream and a Big Dream, click here.)

Let's say you come to me with your dream of making a living taking photographs. Don't be surprised if by the end of our conversation, you walk away with a plan to make twice what you'd imaged, live by the ocean in the summer and on a tropical island in the winter, and pursue your passion for antiquing to boot!

2) Next, if you decide to work with me, don't call unless you have a pad and pen ready. That's because after eight years of studying creative alternatives to having a job, my brain is absolutely chock full of resources that I can hardly wait to share.  If I don't already know of a specific resource, I'll find it for you! 

In fact, don't be surprised if during our session I hop onto the internet to do a bit of on the spot research. It could be a book or magazine, an industry or professional association, training opportunities, or some other information directly related to helping you achieve your specific dream. That way you can use these resources to start digging for your own personal gold mine of happiness.

3) Yes, you will walk away with great ideas for making money working at what you love.  But that's not all.  You'll also be getting concrete ideas about how to go from dreaming to doing.  

Maybe it's my seven years in marketing, or maybe it's just the idea person in me, but my other "specialty" (and another real passion of mine) is coming up with creative and low-cost ways to turn your ideas into your livelihood. 

Thinking of opening a restaurant, bakery, personal chef, or catering business? Want a  low-cost way to get some "buzz" going? Why not drop by some hair salons in your area with some free gift certificates for the hair stylists. Or, show up on their busiest day with a couple of plates of free appetizers or muffins for their customers. (Don't forget to bring discount coupons to hand out as well.) This last idea works well with radio hosts as well.

Starting a speaking, coaching, consulting or other service industry? Talk to your local bank about their co-sponsoring a noon time or early evening presentation to their customers and guests. You can hold the program right there at the bank. When you send out your press release to the local media be sure to let them know that the bank is the sponsor. That way you'll have a better shot at getting into print.

I once counseled with a guy who lives in the Village in New York City who is a personal shopper. Anyone who loves to shop would give their eye teeth to get paid to do what they love. But he feels ready to move on to other things. While he is transitioning though, he still needs to earn a living. 

Given how many people would absolutely love his job, I suggested he package what he knows into a workshop called How to Make a Living as a Personal Shopper which he could then offer through the Learning Annex or another adult education program. He won't make a ton of money actually teaching the course. But he could do very nicely selling booklets from the back of the room and consulting with clients interested in the personal shopper business one-to-one.

4) The last thing you should know before calling me is that by both training and inclination, I am a teacher and a consultant and not a coach. (If you would like to learn more about my professional background, click here.)

So, what's the difference between a consultant and a coach? 

For one, when you work with a coach you are typically asked to sign up to meet over a period of several weeks or months.  I work with people on a one-time basis. That's because I have a laser-like focus on one goal: Generating creative alternatives to working 9-to-5.  And, 99% of my clients tell me they got exactly what they needed in just one session.

The other difference between being a consultant and being a coach is that coaches get paid to listen. In fact, according to the coach training program at Coachville, a good coach should spend 80% of their time listening to the client.  Listening is not only a real skill, it's also a lot of work, which is why so few people do it well.

Naturally, I ask a lot of questions and do a lot of listening in an effort to dig under the surface to help you to tap into all the things you really love to do. But unlike a coach or therapist whose job it is to help you reach your own conclusions, people hire a consultant because they want answers. 

From everything I've heard, trainers have the hardest time transitioning to the coaching model because they're so used to sharing information. Boy can I relate. I simply have too many great ideas and too many resources that frankly, I wouldn't feel right if I didn't share them! 

Actually, if you ask my clients they will tell you that they pay me for three things, and in this order:  Ideas, information, and inspiration. 

I realize that what I do is not for everyone. If you are looking for more traditional career counseling that includes skills or interests assessments, I can point you to some great career counselors. You will also find some very good career assessment tests you can take yourself in the Find Your Passion section. 

If you want a coach you can work with on a regular basis to keep your goals on track, I know some outstanding coaches as well.

As for my work, I decided a long time ago that whatever I did livelihood-wise 1) had to be something I thoroughly enjoy, and 2) would allow me to use my own special gifts. That's why I decided to offer a very specific service. Namely... 

Affordable, Immediately Useable and
Practical Career Advice on How to
Make a Living Doing What You Love –
Without a Job

I know how tough it can be to make a daytime appointment when you're working 9-to-5 (or is it more like 8-to-late?).  For your convenience I do have a limited number of evening and weekend spots available. 

The cost for a full 90 minute consultation focused entirely on helping you zero in on uncovering ways to make money doing the things that you love is $195.  And, your consultation also comes with a Special Bonus!

For a limited time only, your consultation comes with a free copy of the new eBook: 

Finding Your True Calling:
The Handbook for People Who Still
Don't Know What They Want to Be
When They Grow Up

That's a $19.95 value! To learn more about this life-changing resource click here.

So you get your personal 90-minute brainstorming and action planning session plus over 100 pages of inspirational and informational stories, tips, and exercises to help you discover your true calling!

For your convenience, credit card payments can be spread over a period of two months. You just need to let me know if you'd like to take advantage of this payment schedule.

The important thing is to get moving! After all, this is your life we're talking about here.

And as you take this – or any – first step on the exciting journey to a new more meaningful, flexible life,  here is some food for thought:

Unless you are willing to walk out into the unknown, the chances of making a profound difference in your life are pretty slim.
~ Tom Peters

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
~ Beverly Sills

If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it. 
~ Jonathan Winters 

When I care to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
~ Audré Lorde

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.
~ Wayne Dyer 

Read What Others Are Saying

Having many ideas racing through my head, lack of direction and self doubt creeping in, I decided to talk with Valerie. While I had doubt that anyone could help me organize my thoughts, define clear idea patterns that fit my passion, and give me action oriented suggestions, I was amazed! Within 90 minutes, we had cut through the fluff, targeted potential career opportunities that fit my passion, identified my resources and established some time sensitive goals. What a value for ninety short minutes! Thank you Valerie.
Robert Pulley
Lawrenceburg, TN

Thanks again for the Saturday morning consultation. It was truly an affirmation to me that I am on the right track. You provided some valuable ideas that will help me get to my goal quicker than I anticipated. Your wise counsel provided me a plan that is manageable and focused on the task to move my business idea to the next level. I think I was just bogged down in so many details it is hard to know where to start. It is hard to bounce ideas off other people that haven't done what I am attempting to do in a service industry. The benefit of your experience is well worth the investment. 
C.K. Walker
Texas

Arranging a consultation with Valerie was a great investment in myself – money well spent.  She not only gave me ideas, but asked questions which helped me clarify what I realistically should do next.  The best part was she came up with an angle on an idea I had, that I had never thought of and now I'm most excited about. 
Mary D'Andrea
New York, NY

Valerie, thank you for passing on the link to that wonderful website on African American women entrepreneurs. Also, the time we spent together was invaluable. Since we talked I've become so much clearer about the direction I want to go and the action steps I need to take to get there. Your session was informative, empowering, and also pretty fun! Thanks again for the "A-HA" moments. I'll definitely keep you updated about my progress.
R. Gray
St. Louis, MO

Talking to Valerie helped me a great deal. She was able to provide me with some very good ideas about how to turn some of my interests into potential business ventures. She provided tremendous insight and pointed out things that I had never even thought of! I felt very inspired after talking to her and felt like I could accomplish whatever I wanted to do if I put my mind to it. I would recommend her to anyone who needs some assistance sorting out their ideas, interests, etc. Thanks again! 
Andrea 
Savannah GA

I thoroughly enjoyed our appointment this week!  It is incredible how much we hold ourselves back from our full potential in life and really being happy.  You have helped my wife and I see what potential exists to create our own happiness!  It worked just fine over the phone.  And I look forward to reading your monthly newsletters!  Thanks again!
Garett & Imelda Gebhart
Spring Hill, FL

Your great gift, I think, is the ability to help a person focus. Thanks so much for devoting yourself to this calling.
Linda Weaver
Tennessee

Thank you for taking the time to speak to me this morning, I am still trying to catch my breath after our call!  I am very satisfied with the way things went. I found that your services and ideas are just as advertised: “Affordable, Immediately Usable and Practical Career Advice…”

I came to the call this morning with many ideas swirling around in my head and little direction. I had wondered aloud to myself when I was going to get started on all my ideas. In seeking you out, I was looking for even more ideas, but more so, clarity on my ideas and tips for getting off the ground. I am happy to report that I got them all in abundance. You were giving me ideas, tips and resources until the second our call ended.

Further, I have found your website, much like yourself, to be an immense resource. I am setting it as my homepage. If I may be of reference or assistance to Changing Course, please do not hesitate to call on me!
Highest Regards,
Bob Nelson
Chicago, IL

The time passed so quickly while we were on the phone.  It's exciting for me to have a real idea of where I am going now.  When I started the session I only wanted to figure out some multiple sources of income based on my "loves.'"

By identifying what I love to do in my life and simply stating how I wanted my life to be, you were able to help me flesh out my vision for the real "Comfort of Home," or "New Life," or "Comfort Zone."  I know where my passion lies!  Even when I think I'm focused elsewhere, my true purpose comes out!
 
Thanks so much for your help.  I will keep you posted on the developments of my vision for The Comfort of Home and will invite you to the ribbon cutting ceremony in November of 2004!
Warmest regards,
Maryann Udel

I can now make a plan and set forth to accomplish my dreams with the great ideas that you gave me.

You are very good at what you do, and I thank you for all of the guidance and warm friendly input. I didn't know what to expect when I made that appointment. I am very glad that I did, and I was pleasantly surprised by your enthusiastic charm.  I will be letting others know about your knowledge as a resource for making a big change in their lives. Again thank you,
DiAnna Cummings
Pipe Creek, Texas

It was wonderful finally having my desire to use my creative side validated. Valerie was very helpful in introducing me to all the possibilities there are to making a living using my creativity and my love for bargain hunting. The books and resources she pointing me to will be most helpful as I pursue my new dream. Thanks.
Dorcas Weir
Dallas, TX

I've taken a lot of career assessment tools and they always end up telling me I'm creative – which I already knew – but they still leave me stumped as to what to DO with my creativity to actually make a living. Valerie gave me a lot of good ideas that really made me think. She helped me see how many different possibilities there are in the world for us creative types.
Lynette Turner
Los Angeles, California

I just had the pleasure of working with Valerie's excellent book and a private telephone session with her and all I can say is WOW! I've been grappling for years it seems on how take all of my varied interests and turn them into a viable business/job.

The work I did with Valerie helped me to clarify what I want to do and offered me FRESH perspective on how transform a boring job into one that I may actually enjoy. I'm still working all the details out but I feel her valuable assistance got me on the road to living a life full of travel and creative opportunities. Don't hesitate if you're tired of trying to figure it all out on your own, buy her excellent book and hire her for a private session it will help more than I can say..... P.S. Do yourself a favor and read the 'Job Idea Generator' chapter of the book, it will certainly help you gain fresh perspective and come up tons of new work ideas. Good Luck
Rodney Washington
Soon to be Famous Photographer
Los Angeles, California
Amazon Review of Finding Your True Calling

Valerie's insight and knowledge was a valuable asset that allowed me to reevaluate what I truly wanted out of life both personally and professionally. She has the ability to look at a situation from many angles that created endless opportunities for me to pursue my passion in life.
Brian Racis

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