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Leaving 9-5 An Action Plan to Earning on Your

Terms !

By: Susie Romans

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Following your new path

!When I graduated high school, my mom told me that I needed to go to college. With a thick Polish accent, she would look at me with these tired, over-worked eyes and say, “Susie, I want you to have a brighter and easier life than I had.”

It makes sense, a loving parent who wants their kid to do better and have a better life. My mom had one of the worst childhoods. Her dad died when she was 15. Her mother became schizophrenic and she had to take care of her siblings. She left Poland and came to America for a better life, to earn money, and send care packages back home. At the time, Poland was still in shambles and trying to rebuild after WWII. Can you imagine being born into that? It sure makes me feel blessed.

We all have different journeys, and I did take my mother’s advice and I went to college. I popped out with $32K of student loans and corporate job earning $13/hour.

I’m noticing a deep change in how things are working . I am noticing a drive within my generation. People don't just want safe jobs where they feel like cubicle jockey’s or drones who do pointless work in exchange for a paycheck.

Nope, it’s not enough.

If there is no drive, fulfillment or purpose you will get burnt out. You will wonder, “Is this all there is in life?”

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“We are all geniuses but if you judge a fish by it’s

ability to climb a tree, it will spend it’s whole life

believing that it is stupid.”

-Einstein

!Honestly, if your job is soul-sucking and you don’t enjoy it, don’t enjoy the paycheck or the overall mission...you are on a sad train to crap county.

!How can we live fully and be of service to others if we are drones with the creative and purposeful juices sucked out of us?

!What do we contribute to society when we let our lives become so complacent?

!I think we are made for more! In fact, I know this to be true. Every person has a zone of genius.

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Worksheet Action Time:

When do you feel as though you are in a zone of genius? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!_________________________________________________!

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What do you work on when you seem to lose track of time? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!!!!

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How can you offer value to others? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!_________________________________________________!!What problems can you solve for people? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!

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Where does your zone of genius meet the needs of people? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!

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Shall we talk about safety?

!Is any job ever really that safe? I mean, really. Anything can happen. A layoff, a shutdown, bankruptcy, a buy out. Your job is never safe, people! I was in an internship while in college for a media company. Low and behold, one day I met with my manager and found out the company was not profitable. They were being bought out and no longer needed my position.

I never really connected the dots until writing this book, but it must have been a big turning point for me. Why? Well here I am writing about how not safe a job truly is!

Fast forward a couple years, and I was engaged to be married. I was living at home planning my wedding, everything seemed grand. I got home one day from another entry level 9-5 job and my dad was sitting there at the kitchen table. “Why are you home dad?” I asked.

I knew.

All I had to do was look at his face. He had been laid off from a factory job he had committed 20 years of his life to. Just like that, done.

With nothing...

I mean they gave him nothing.

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You have to invest in alternative education. This

means, online courses, conferences, events,

workshops. What you learn from one event could pay

you for life. No joke.

This, my friends, is why the best route to safety is investing in yourself and the path of

building your own income.

!When you build a brilliant mind, a positive attitude, connections with successful people, an ability to exchange a product/service for a paycheck, you win.

Calling a full time job where you make someone else’s dream come true a “safety net” is simply untrue and foolish.

Taking the first steps !

Go to your current employer and ask for a flex schedule. That is, if you want to stick around with that current employer.

Create a back up plan if the flex schedule gets denied. Sign up for FlexJobs.com.

Find a bridge job that will allow you to cut out the commute and have the flexibility to start building your own business.

Take stock of all your work experience and begin to create offerings or services.

Take screenshots of work you’ve done. Pull together a portfolio showcasing your skills and value.

Update LinkedIn.com and social profiles so people know what work you do and can easily hire you for side jobs or freelance work.

Make note of everything you learned in the past few years.

Make note of everything you need to learn in order to reach a new bracket of income.

Quit doing anything that you don’t enjoy or doesn't serve your ideal lifestyle.

Take one step every single day. Keep moving and ignore people who put you down.

Build a network of successful people.

Go to networking events and meet new people if you have negative influences at home.

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Exploring other income… !

There are two basic ways to earn an income outside the traditional “get a job” route.

~ You can sell services.~ You can sell products.

In order to shift from the 9-5 it is key to move your thinking away from onsite performance. Instead of being in an office, you have to figure out how to provide value from your computer, laptop or wherever you plan to work.

Unless you were born yesterday, it is likely you know how to do something. Now let’s shift into thinking: How can I package my gifts, attach a price tag and earn income?

It can feel intuitive to run after any ‘ole opportunity when funds are low, but I challenge you to stay focused on the big picture mission.

Exactly what is the most fulfilling route to a paycheck for you? Find someone who is doing that right now and learn from them.

You must always be up-leveling by spending time with people who are more “successful” than you. No matter how you define success....freedom, money, health, etc.

Do this now!

List 5 people who you want to learn from and spend time with right now. These people must be at a higher “success” level. You need to learn from someone who

has the knowledge you need.

!How to work around

your 9-5?

!Repeat after me. “The upfront work will payoff.”

At first, you may need to keep your 9-5 and begin building your dream business. Although I highly recommend getting a transitional flex job, some people will remain in the 9-5.

We need to clear your plate of unnecessary activities.

To make room for your new business you may need to quit:

•TV

•Going out

•Shopping

•Games

•Kids activities

•Vacations

When something means a lot to you, you will find a way to get it done. To make it happen!

If not, you will find an excuse.

You are truly the driving force of your dream life, so don’t act like your environment is stopping you.

I know people who started out homeless and are now multi-millionaires.

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The secret of delegating !Here is another secret of the uber successful, start delegating. If you are working 9-5, you have a steady income flow. This means you can afford to hire out help and delegate from day one.

I remember paying a Virtual Assistant (VA) in the Philippines to help me with customer support while I was working another part-time flex job.

My time was spent earning more at the job, so I trained a VA to do the customer service for about $5.00/hour.

Transitioning from your day job is gradual!

Slowly, you need to increase your business income while making the day job less important. Reduce your work at your day job, or get a part-time, high-paying freelance gig so that your focus can be on building your business.

Be smart about the way you work.

There is no time to waste. Always be moving forward and taking action that produces income.

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Communication that pays. !As you begin to tread into the waters of self-employment, you will need to be highly organized. Here is a list of tools I use on a daily basis:

For my project management - Asana.com

For client emails - ZoHo CRM

For collaboration - Google Docs

For calendar syncing - Google Calendar

For client/coaching scheduling - Satori.com

If you want your family and friends to treat your business with respect, you need to begin by doing that yourself. Schedule everything. Stick to your schedule. Plan out in advance 3-6-9 months. Set goals.

Set up calendars with plans that span outward! This is not a hobby people, we are building a business. Take it seriously.

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Getting support from your spouse.

Many people experience something sad when they leave the traditional workplace: family or friends might be less than supportive. They could be jealous, they could be unclear, worried...whatever it is, it’s okay. You need to reconnect with your deeper “why” and understand that some people will not understand you. That’s okay.

The quicker you can become strong and unaffected by other peoples’ opinions of you, the more successful you will be.

If your spouse is truly giving you a hard time, try to bring them closer to your business. Show them your success. Send them emails from your happiest customers or clients. Prove to them that the work you are doing is impacting people!

If they still don’t respond well and don’t care about your successes, then it may be best to find a supportive group, mastermind or entrepreneurial meetup. This will get you around like-minded people. It will also help you to detach from the longing for other people to approve of you.

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How much should I save?

I’m going to slap you with an “it depends” answer. Personally, I’d say $5K-10K can get you running. Also, get rid of your debt if you can!

With that said, I know some people who started businesses out of their car when homeless. I know people who lived in trailer parks with nothing but a crappy computer and an idea.

Then there are people who have $100K saved up. They blow it on unprofitable, unplanned, unproductive activity and they end up going back to the corporate world.

You see, it’s not about the savings account, it’s about the sheer grit of a person.

How hard are you willing to try? How long are you willing to live on Cheerios and Ramen Noodles? You are the deciding factor here.

We are all capable. Are you going to quit when the funds get low? Or are are you going to crush it?

Watch this TED talk on grit.

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Productivity means produce. People ask me how to make sure your day is the most productive it can be.

The truth is you must produce sales, produce goods and/or produce really powerful connections. In case you don’t see the trend, the key is to produce something useful and profitable.

I like to take out a sheet of paper and jot down my top three projects or things that need to be done.

Then under those top three, add the steps you need to take to get them done.

On the back of the paper, write down all the people you need to connect with today. This must happen before you open your inbox.!As my “soul brother” Brendan Burchard puts it, “Email is a way for other people to push their agenda onto you.”

Get in the driver seat and plan your day before other people do it for you! The reason we place importance on the list of people we need to connect with, is because we are in business with people.

If we fail to remember that our paychecks come from people, we will have some huge stumbles.

Choose partnerships wisely, create meaningful connections and make sure your customers become lovers of your business and brand.

Part time party. When you find a part-time gig or job, you have more time to focus on building your “passion business”.

The catch is here! Make sure you are earning more per hour. This is one huge lesson I implemented when I left my full-time job.

I was earning $16/hour at a full-time job. I quit and found a part-time job paying $35/ hour. The new part-time job was only 10 hours a week...but it allowed me to grow my freelance business and my blog.

You see? Getting creative with an escape route from a full-time job is the way to make things happen. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep getting the same results.

Yes, this takes guts.

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Here are top secret tools for finding flex work: •Flexjobs.com

•HireMyMom.com

•ODesk.com

•VirtualVocations.com

•Sologig.com

•maybrooks.com

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Connections that pay. !Building connections is a key part of self-employment. This action plan is very lonely if you choose to travel it alone. On the other hand, if you make a genuine effort to follow up with key people and keep your connections organized your path will be more fun and more abundant.

Imagine you meet an awesome person at a local networking event you exchange business cards and promise to keep in touch. But... you forget. This is a lost opportunity.

If you meet people that you would enjoy working with be the one who sends the casual monthly email. Stay on the radar aka follow up!

Once upon a time ago, I had a career in sales. I was the most persistent, little, blonde haired sales girl you ever saw!

I wasn’t annoying or salesy. I was just really good at sending randomemails and following up!

“Hey, hope you guys are recovering from that crazy, cold winter. Let me know when you want to chat.”

“Hi there, any fun plans for the super bowl? Looking forward to staying in touch!”

You know, I was friendly, I was casual.

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!!The best way to make people run from you is to be robotic and salesy.

Be yourself, be real and follow up!

Stay on the radar of key people, and always make sure others know what you are up to. If you are doing freelance web design, post it on Facebook. If you are looking for writing gigs, add it to your LinkedIn.com profile.

When you design your lifestyle and income, you must work smarter, not harder.

Be free with freelancing !

When I left the corporate world for good, I spent time scoping the Internet for freelance work or side projects. I was able to do social media projects, web design and even teach some local fitness classes.

I was doing any side jobs that would help me fund my life while growing my blog. These freelance jobs were also fun and fulfilling. I was able to set my schedule and set my price.

I loved this!

It was proof that I didn't need to be chained to a desk to earn money. I urge you to get a taste of this freedom. You will love it! And you might not ever go back to the old traditional route.

The truth is, people are motivated by the ability to choose their own path. People love freedom. People want to think on their own and create solutions.

I have studied the science of human motivation. There is a mismatch in the full-time job setting.

As Dan Pink says, “Most of us believe that the best way to motivate ourselves and others is with external rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That’s a mistake. The secret to high performance and satisfaction—at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.”

So how do you want to direct your life?

Would the choice to choose projects that you want to do via freelancing help you to move toward that ideal life?

My guess would be a resounding “yes!”

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It’s a mental game. Successful people know something that you don’t. There, I said it. You are not yet living your ideal life because you have more to learn and more to do.

Period.

I grew up with tough love, so I’ll be real with you. Hopefully my approach will kick your buns into gear. The good news is that you can model and mimic the things that successful people do each day.

Here is just a small list of what you must embody to really make it:

!Be tough. Stop letting other people's thoughts of who you are control your actions.

Be resilient. Yes, life gets hard. Stay in line, follow your inner song even when you get let down.

Be persistent. The reason some succeed and some don’t, is purely consistent action and not giving up.

Be trustworthy. When you create meaningful and helpful relationships with others, you build trust.

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Be credible. Become an avid learner and doer. Spend time with people who know what you want to know. Sitting on the sidelines doesn’t make you rich or credible.

Be abundant. There is more than enough money for everyone, do not be jealous. Be abundant, give openly.

Be transparent. Wearing a fake mask will get you nowhere fast. Be true, be real, be raw. People like honesty.

Be productive. Stop wasting time on emails and social media. Produce valuable products or services and you will get paid.

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What is your deeper why?

!Why are you following your passion? Why do you want to leave the 9-5? Beyond your own personal income goals and gain...is there a deeper reason why?

What guides your decisions? !Set a timer for 20 minutes of quiet time to simply write about what you believe in...

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________!__________________________________________________________________________________________________!!Here is mine: !A flexible online business allows me to spend time with my kids and family. I’m not trapped in an office, I can be creative and I can raise my kids! Society needs happy people, not drones. I want to inspire others! !!!!!!

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The action sequence. !Figure out how you want to structure your days. Something must first be a thought before it becomes reality. Are you ready to place your new ideal life into your mind, into your path and therefore into reality?

Here is a “not so secret” sequence:

First, you have a thought. Next, you take an action based on that thought. The action you took will create a result.

Rinse and repeat until you reach your goal.

Let’s try this sequence in real life: I want to become a speaker! (Thought) I will sign up for a speaking class and find mentors online who speak regularly. (Action) I now have a “signature speech” written. (Result)

Rinse and repeat.... I want to speak at school assemblies. (Thought)

I contact 6 school principals today about setting up an event/assembly. (Action)

I now have 2 events confirmed on the calendar! (Result and Goal Reached!)

A case for digital products. !We can’t deny that more and more business is done online each day. The first time I heard about passive income was only a few years ago. Which means making money with digital products is still in a toddler-like stage.

The idea is that when you have a product that has no manufacturing or fulfillment, you can sell it endlessly. There is no limit. Why? Because a digital product never runs out.

When I heard someone say you can make money while sleeping or changing diapers, I thought “Heck yes! Sign me up”. Well, the truth is you just need to start planning and producing. There is no “sign-up”. You have permission to begin now.

Almost anyone can do this. We can turn your expertise into a book, planner, recipes cookbook, audio files, video training, mp3s etc. The list is endless. The ability to create numerous money-making systems, and turn on the “auto-pilot” button is pure awesomeness. There are many entrepreneurs making six, seven, even eight figure incomes with digital products.

One of my first digital products was an eBook that earned $10,000. Sure, I had to do marketing to get the word out. But once you set up a system, you have the ability to grow and monetize.

Unless you try, you will never know how awesome it is to wake up with money in your bank account due to transactions that happened while you slept.

I go into much greater detail inside Sweet Freedom Academy.

In fact, you can walk away from that training with a cash flow system built. Ca-ching!

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Quit your job roadmap. !

Making it last !Now that you are excited and maybe your heart is evening pitter pattering at a new beat, you must begin to plan for lasting income.

Lasting income means sustainable income. It means commitment. How do we get there? How do we know for sure if our business idea will work?

Sadly, there are no guarantees in life. This is why I teach all my readers and clients to operate on a new level.

•Your mindset will need to become more positive and abundant.

•You will need to ditch thoughts and beliefs that drag you down.

•You will need to be rediscovering yourself on a daily basis.

•You will need to tune into your intuition and inner song.

•You will need to trust yourself.

•You need to be willing to work hard now so your life will be better in the long run.

•You will need to find clarity on your offerings, services and products.

•You will need to know what income streams are serving you best.

•You must work on branding yourself and building credibility.

•You need to learn everyday.

•You must push yourself out of your comfort zone.

This is just a start!

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Print and Sign Today

!I commit to believing in myself.

I commit to making my ideal life real. I commit to my goal of earning _________ per year.

!I commit to changing my life for the better starting on

today’s date ________.

!I know this will take some time, but with commitment,

any goal is within reach!

Signed ______________________________ !!

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Now, go and fly! !I don’t know everything, but I know that we are all born with gifts, talents and an inner knowing. We all have a voice inside that tells us to do the work that lifts our spirits and builds the soul.

!We are not made to be chained, we are not born to live with limitations. We are meant to shine, to help one another and impact one another.

!I am here for you. You are here for someone else. They are waiting for you to give them your products, services and offerings. Maybe your kids, your future customers, and your friends need you to change their lives.

!None of us are created the same. And thus, our impact on the world, our communitiesand our families will all be different.

!I know if you are being called to a new lifestyle, it is in your hands.

!Give yourself the permission to fly.

!With love, blessings and green lights, Susie Romans