Why I’m Writing a Book About Boring Stuff Like “Consulting”

As a web designer and developer who works as a freelance consultant for clients, some might say I’m in the “boring” category of small business owner. Since I’m ultimately just a guy in a chair getting paid money for a service, big deal, right? I’m not in a garage building the next Apple or launching a Kickstarter for a new type of shaving cream or inventing a better DNA test which detects cancer. People just hand me money and I do some work in return. Who cares?

I think that philosophy is mistaken. Since when has getting paid to produce something excellent in a field in which you have real skill and talent “boring?” What’s wrong with making an honest living providing a valuable service that customers appreciate? If I’m not growing some hip startup by 10X every quarter, is that bad?

We need to get past the stereotypes of the frenzied entrepreneur moving to Silicon Valley and inventing the Next Big Thing or the digital nomad hipster working on a laptop on the beach sipping Mai-Tai’s. These sort of pop culture images of what it means to be an independent creative / solopreneur / free agent are not doing us any good, and in fact are holding us back from our true potential.

And that’s why I’m writing this book. Free Agent Blast Off! is a how-to guide for taking your “boring” freelance career and propelling it to new galactic heights. Meaningful success is often right around the corner, and sometimes all you need is a bit of thrust in the right direction.

Whether your business is a mix of various “side-projects” or you principally work for a couple of major clients, or whether you work in design, software, engineering, writing, or some other creative field, Free Agent Blast Off! will help you leap over common hurdles and take important steps forward towards your core objectives.

Wanna read a couple of chapters before the rest of the book is finished? All you have to do is sign up for the Pygmy Nuthatch newsletter and you’ll be golden. I’ll send those out to you as soon as I have them in hand!

What are your outsized frustrations or hangups in your career as an independent creative? Let me know on Twitter!