thanks, y'all for the prayers and inspiration, and well wishes, and encouragement and alladat.

backstory: after 23 years w/ ibm, i finally got hit w/ the axe. it was most shitty, how they did it, but this been going on for the last 8-10 years, at least, so it was kinda inevitable.

they told me the end of aug, and that my last day is the end of nov. and that i only get one month's severance. (they made that change this year -- last year i'd have gotten over 6 mos severance based upon my length of service).

bulk of my experience is in a highly specialized niche, but i'm one of the best in the world at that. helping multibillion dollar businesses run their businesses. last couple of years i'd gone off into another direction, but still in demand, w/ multiple customer engagements plus working on new shit / revenue opportunities up until i got the notice.

there was a company hired to help us 'transition' -- got the resume tight, did the linkedin, indeed, dice (good looking out), etc.. heart ain't in it. i'ma do for self.

so i'm going to start a consultancy, specializing in small, very small and medium sized business. i'm putting together an array of services i can provide. learning some new ish, and getting ready to try and make it do what it do.

i get paid through the end of nov, then severance will cover december. so i got basically 2.5 months to make shit happen and see whether i can replace my income. if not, i'ma cash out the 401k (not a lot in there), come january, and, worst case, can float a couple more months on this grind, or getting back to finding a traditional job, or a hybrid.

so, i'm stepping out on faith.

this is wild premature announcing it here, but i feel like it's just part of committing myself to it and making it official. all my friends and ex-coworkers, colleagues, etc., i've told to chill on trying to hook me up w/ any positions or anything. i wanna see if this pop, first.

i realize that if i took another position, i'd have a dumb learning curve, and be, unofficially, spending 80+ hrs a week before i felt i was up to speed. and that would preclude making this other thing happen, which has a substantially greater upside for me, my fam, and my community.

*deep breath*.






peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

Get it in man.

Might I suggest documenting this journey in real time somehow?

Win, lose or draw on this journey that's something you can conceivably monetize after the fact.

you'd appreciate and excel at, based upon previous convos.

love the idea of documenting it.

i think that would satisfy my writing itch, also.

matter of fact, i think that's a complementary hustle. great idea. hardest part would be not having every other word be *$*&# ibm!

although its real. i can skirt the line, though, so i can be real, but not do anything damaging to my 'brand', should i need to work another corporate joint.

but i really think these motherfuckers threw me into the briar patch, and that's how i'm treating it.



peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

Either way I can't wait to see where it goes.

Very excited for you.

discussed.

and i'ma look over some of our old convos re: wordpress just to get a head start . if you still making moves, you got first dibs as far as where i host my blog.

but i think the other aspects might be something you can rock with, also.

>Either way I can't wait to see where it goes.
>
>Very excited for you.

thanks a lot. i'm genuinely hyped about this. more i look, the more confirmations i get.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

There's no shortage of businesses working to become more efficient.
Small entities within large institutions are are also good places to find clients. I had no idea about the volume of competitive bid seekers, until a few years ago when working on a semi-similar project. https://www.fbo.gov/ might be where most go, but even specific departments within large Universities are great resources. The U.N.'s RFP site, for example, has a surprising amount of bids open--for all of their various branches.

Good luck Homeboy!

really, he's an inventor, and he makes stuff to help plumbing or in the domain of plumbing, and then creates services around that.

he has a lot of dealings with local governments (inspectors and such), and he's the one that put me on to a potentially lucrative niche on doing process automation and optimization.

and EXACTLY as you stated, there are pockets inside of large organizations which go untouched, but they have technology needs, also.

at my company, we were the largest IT shop in the world, but there were many departments using 20 and 30 year old systems. my first big break came in identifying such a situation and creating and developing and deploying a technical solution on my own to my dept and throughout the country, with a 3 yr savings of over $1m, at least.

even organizations with existing IT departments, they won't necessarily be doing productivity stuff for individual, small departments. so there's a big opportunity. i'm excited for it.



peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

so my son's business (really all of our business) s yllabeye (the app for college students) is still going. we trying to gain traction. just had a meeting w/ the instructional technology director of a small school in NC last week which went very well.

the app works well, although there are some changes we need to get made before we can really hit it hard w/ the marketing and rollout. but another pilot will be beneficial and keep us moving. and it was great to hear their enthusiasm as my son demo'd the product to two groups of professors and students.

they also went to a entrepreneurial forum in greensboro last weekend, and got a lot of good feedback and contacts. might come up on a couple more investors to help get us over the hump. i've done the specs and detailed design on the other changes needed to the app. now that i have more time, i can get more into the technical details there.

our candle business (w/ my wife) is going well. started this up back in may as a supplement to my income because i wasn't getting enough from the job. that has gone really well, but we're only selling at the local farmer's market one day a week. got to get the internet sales on and popping. but we get great response from customers on the variety and quality of the product. and we have a nice niche w/ all natural soy candles and phthalate free fragrances, so that should continue to grow.

it's cool, b/c when we go out on the weekends, my younger girls are typically there w/ us, helping us sell. and we've discovered that my middle daughter (the hooper) has a serious knack for sales. our numbers go up when she's there. which is very cool, b/c we have been praying that she'd identify some skill or interest outside of basketball.



peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

You never know that your situation may be the best thing to happen to you. You will be your own boss where the sky is the limit!

Stand tall, grind hard and hopefully you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor ten fold.

>You never know that your situation may be the best thing to
>happen to you. You will be your own boss where the sky is the
>limit!
>
>Stand tall, grind hard and hopefully you will be able to enjoy
>the fruits of your labor ten fold.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

______________________________
http://i.imgur.com/Gj5Wy56.jpg

how things going for you? still in the honeymoon period?

loving that IT life, yet?

there is ALL KINDSA work out here for devs in health industry. you definitely primed to be riding a wave, upward.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

Doing fine here, thanks. Thankfully, the only "IT" thing I've had to do so far is change printer toner, haha. I'm still on the struggle trying to figure out knucklehead's super custom esoteric code. But it's a good time and great experience :)

I am also encouraged by the fact that I speak decent english and don't have aspergers. Although that sounds jokey, I am pretty serious about that. Haha.


______________________________
http://i.imgur.com/Gj5Wy56.jpg

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

really doe...

my son is about to quit his job to start a business. the uncertainty of it bothers me and we may have to give up our comfortable lifestyle until things jump off. we've discussed it a few times. he said, "mom, if I don't do it now, when?"

yeah, i be forgetting he's grown. I have a few coins stored if it all falls down. So, I told him..."I don't care what you as long as you have your half of the rent"

May God bless you in your future endeavors. King!

there's definitely opportunity down the line to spread and have side hustles and main hustle opptys for other people.

first things, first, tho. that's great to hear about your son. encourage him. hear his ideas out. poke holes in his plans (lovingly), to make him come back with better plans.

the patience is the hardest part. my son's biz is on a slow burn. hopefully we turn the corner on that, soon. the potential of that dwarfs what i'm about to do, but still need lots of things to break our way first.

but i'm just trying to find something to put food on the table and get myself out of this perpetual check to check cycle.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

we are all rooting for you

i'm outchere like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh5KwqooL1A


(really wanted the one where he was saying 'i won't let sandy down, i won't let sandy do-ownnn').


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

I'll be back with more. But please don't do that.

█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃
Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

do that is if i can ramp quickly over these next two months to get to replacement level income, so that's the target.

i have a pension, also, tho (not huge, but more than what's in teh 401k), and i have no plans on touching that. so worst case i'll have to cash out the 401k, and take the penalty hit if the business looks promising but will require a few more months of hustle before it's fully supporting me.

i'm also going to structure myself, based upon what info i've gotten from friends who've gone the self employment route, as a company, so even if i take the occasional side job in my field, i'd pay myself salary and the parent company has the option of throwing money into a roth ira. the plan is that between rolling over my pension and the overage of what i'm able to do from the business, i'll be able to have a net improvement over any of the 401k i need to dip into in the interim + 10% penalty.

again, best possible case is that i come out the gate strong while i'm still on company payroll and earn replacement income, or at least close enough that i don't have to cash out come january.


>I'll be back with more. But please don't do that.
>
>█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃
>Big PEMFin H & z's
>"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1
>thing, a musician." � Miles
>
>"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

one month's severence after how long you been there is some bullshit. nut any financial adviser will tell you the only reason to take out your 401k is to put it into something better, and the cash on and in this case isn't something better even if it feels like the need. even with the pension you're not touching.

did you ever get my inbox?

i'm still not sure what your expertise is so i can't speak specifics. you know i'm cheering you on but i also want to be a reality check for you. the competition in everything tech is thick. positioning yourself in the mix is the most important step, but the relationships may come before that.

as someone who's done both sides of the employment thing one thing to remember is that ain't nothing long term these days. pick your clients well for their short term strategy and how it will build your brand. if it's not going to help our brand by the time the check cashes you could be shooting yourself in the foot.

plan to meet face to face. for all the high tech innanets and shit the face to face connects are the most important. and if you aren't the one to do that find that partner right awau.

I know you got patent level genius in you as well and not sure where those align. business structuring doesn't sound that close to innovation. both innovation and structuring at the billion dollar level sounds challenging for a consulant, unless your consulting for consultancies.

not trying to go against what you're thinking now, but one place you could really be an asset is with a VC firm. your background is perfect for i, not even knowing the details of what you've done. Consider it man, because there's stability in it in this shifting tech economy.

more than willing to be a sounding board.

>do that is if i can ramp quickly over these next two months
>to get to replacement level income, so that's the target.
>
>i have a pension, also, tho (not huge, but more than what's in
>teh 401k), and i have no plans on touching that. so worst case
>i'll have to cash out the 401k, and take the penalty hit if
>the business looks promising but will require a few more
>months of hustle before it's fully supporting me.
>
>i'm also going to structure myself, based upon what info i've
>gotten from friends who've gone the self employment route, as
>a company, so even if i take the occasional side job in my
>field, i'd pay myself salary and the parent company has the
>option of throwing money into a roth ira. the plan is that
>between rolling over my pension and the overage of what i'm
>able to do from the business, i'll be able to have a net
>improvement over any of the 401k i need to dip into in the
>interim + 10% penalty.
>
>again, best possible case is that i come out the gate strong
>while i'm still on company payroll and earn replacement
>income, or at least close enough that i don't have to cash out
>come january.
>


█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃
Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

....you seem like a very talented guy and I'm just gonna be praying for your prosperity and grind, cause I'm in sorta new territory myself these days, and kinda have to step out on faith too... anyway, sounds like a smart move...

>....you seem like a very talented guy and I'm just gonna be
>praying for your prosperity and grind, cause I'm in sorta new
>territory myself these days, and kinda have to step out on
>faith too... anyway, sounds like a smart move...

i really appreciate that. and i'm praying for you and whatever you got going on. so many different things in the works. let's get it.



peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

i was lowkey worried about you b/c a post title said 'pete burns' died. then i saw they were talking about the musician, not the poster.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

you never know until you make that jump
and from what you have been posting- we already know you are driven
so im also 95% sure you will be successful

good luck!

:-)


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

I'm really interested in this. I'm praying for you with this. I'll be monitoring this for afar though. Please keep us updated.

(or to get out of the way and allow it to happen).



peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

sounds like you're in a good place. glad to hear it.

this will be the first holiday season in forever that i ain't stressed about work, and checking in to do ibm or client business. that is an incredible blessing in and of itself.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

Nothing like being in business for yourself ... you will be in my prayers.

it's a big step, but i know a lot of folks who've made moves, so i'm going to try to learn as much as i can.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

Step out on faith....

I've been such a chicken shit and self sabotage(er) that I've been so scared to do anything.

But those four words right there...they said it all. If I don't believe in me, who the freak will? They say patience is a virtue, I don't have it right now.

Just knowing the things you share with us that you have been going through make me realize that my stuff ain't nothing and I just need to get my head out of my but and DO IT!

>Step out on faith....
>
>I've been such a chicken shit and self sabotage(er) that I've
>been so scared to do anything.

i mentioned in my other post that the perception of stability and safety is really limiting. but it's easy for me to say that now that I AIN'T GOT NO JOB (c) martin, as opposed to 3 mos ago.

>
>But those four words right there...they said it all. If I
>don't believe in me, who the freak will? They say patience is
>a virtue, I don't have it right now.

lol. in my fam we always talking about being scared to pray for patience, b/c God tends to answer that by sending a situation that will truly test your patience. but still, if that's what's needed, that's what's needed. my youngest son in the same place b/c he lowkey freaking out about not having any bball scholarship offers going into his final season in high school. thing is, tho, if it's For You, it's For You.

>Just knowing the things you share with us that you have been
>going through make me realize that my stuff ain't nothing and
>I just need to get my head out of my but and DO IT!

:-)

i wouldn't downplay your situations. but being able to watch other people going through things is a very helpful way to learn and grow w/o having to take the lumps, yourself.

i posted w/ my dear ibm letter, and i tried to be as gracious as possible, even though there was a very real part in me that wanted to go out in a blaze like, "fuck you, fuck YOU, fuck you... not you, you cool, fuck you..." but i had to disassociate my anger and hurt and realize that the vast majority of folks i've worked with have been great. also, a good number of the folks who hit me back in reply let me know that they got the tap on the shoulder also.

so if my words can be an encouragement and point out some hope, i'm blessed for having shared them.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

Rooting for you.

i (and really all of us) need all the encouragement i can get.


peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad

I'll be praying, yes

your prayers are coveted.

peace & blessings,

x.

www.twitter.com/poetx

=========================================
I'm an advocate for working smarter, not harder. If you just
focus on working hard you end up making someone else rich and
not having much to show for it. (c) mad