The Rundown - August 2022
This summer has flown by in a way that I’ve never encountered before in my life.
I designed my summer early on so that I could spend as much time with my daughter as possible and make some bucket-list memories. And while we did so many amazing things, I also feel like cramming everything in made it go by even faster.
“It's easy to let the days rush by. The "flow" that imaginative people love so much has a darker cousin that prevents you from pausing to savor life amid the daily slurry of errands and alarms… It is possible to slow time somewhat. I've gotten better at it. Kids help. When you have small children, there are a lot of moments so perfect that you can't help noticing.”
- Paul Graham (linked below)
There were so many perfect moments this summer and even though it went by too fast, I know it was full of memories that I’ll cherish forever. With that said, my attempt to do #allthethings this summer also didn’t leave much time for the lingering, lazy moments that make summers what they are. Often times the best moments can’t be planned or scheduled - a lesson that I learn over and over in my life.
I hope you’ve also had an amazing summer and found some time to linger as well as make bucket-list memories of your own.
Here’s your round up for August.
What I’m Reading
Book-wise I’m still working my way through the fictional works of Ursula K. Le Guin and James Joyce, but here are some other non-book things I’m also reading this month.
“Life is Short” by Paul Graham
The quote above is from this wonderful essay by Graham. He is a tech start-up dude who also happens to be a great writer. “Life is Short” is one of my favorite essays of his, and I cite it regularly when I think about the passage of time.
The Summer Double Issue of the Economist
You’ll see me reference the Economist a lot. It is a paid publication, and it is not cheap as far as those things go, but they deliver high-quality, intelligent commentary on current events in a weekly magazine. In a world of media overload, I find the print version particularly lovely to read each week to keep up on what’s going on internationally. The summer double issue has a few additional long-form articles on interesting topics from social media video influencers to MBD, the “despot in the desert.”
The Freelancer Pay Gap report by ZenBusiness
The recent report has some shocking stats on the gender pay gap for freelancers, including areas where men are making 60% more than women. See my blog linked below for an overview of these trends and what we should be doing about it.
Reactions to Malcom Gladwell slamming working from home
Gladwell made some comments during a July episode of “The Diary of a CEO” podcast that set off a huge backlash against his stance on working from home.
“It’s not in your best interest to work from home… If you’re just sitting in your pajamas in your bedroom, is that the work life you want to live? ... What have you reduced your life to?”
- Malcom Gladwell
I find this backlash so interesting in a world where almost no one was working from home three years ago, and now people have come to see flexible work environments as a right and fundamental condition for their happiness.
Reclaiming Our History of Mutualism: A Conversation with Steve Dubb, Rithika Ramamurthy, and Sara Horowitz
Sara Horowitz is the founder of the Freelancers Union and author of Mutualism: Building the Next Economy from the Ground Up. In this conversation, she delves into the history of mutualism in the United States and how we can bring practices of mutualism back into our economic system.
Resources
[Free workshop] Branding on a Shoe-String Budget
[Podcast] Rest with Leila Kalmbach
[Free workshop] Finance Fundamentals for Entrepreneurs
[Blog] Male Freelancers Make More (Shocker). Here's What to do About It.
Hustlers in the News
More Than 75% of US Businesses Prefer to Hire Freelancers in Uncertain Economy
Gen Z would rather work for giant companies, thank you very much
15 Finance Experts Share Smart Strategies For Aspiring Full-Time Freelancers
Not yet a hustler?
Check out my book Instant Freelancer: How to Start a Business of One for the shortest path to independent work and money in the bank. No venture capital, fancy website, or MBA needed.
Already got a hustle, but want to do it smarter?
Apply to join my Solopreneur Collaborative mastermind or consider individual coaching.
© Sarah Duran 2022
Find out more about me and my company, Fruition Initiatives, here.
Image by Jordan Wozniak from Unsplash
The Obvious Disclaimers…
This information is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as, professional advice. What you decide to do with this information is up to you and all repercussions are on you.