How to Shatter the Template Lifestyle in 2010
Like most “news” these days, I first heard about Untemplater on Twitter. The tweet didn’t explain what the site was, but it came from a person I know and trust — plus the name intrigued me. So, I decided to check it out. What is Untemplater? I can’t possibly describe it as well as they do, so here’s a direct quote:
There are many blogs and books meant to teach and inspire you to leave your corporate existence in order to pursue a venture that you’re “passionate” about. Most of these sites mean well and are inspirational, but they’re written by gurus who’ve already “made it” and aren’t in touch with your reality, or they’re written by pure theorists—people who haven’t actually put their lessons to action—they talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.
Untemplater, on the other hand, is composed of real people who are in the trenches, working hard to live the life that we want to live. It’s not easy, nor is it glamorous. Untemplater was founded by six twentysomethings who’ve done it: Jun Loayza, Adam Baker, Cody McKibben, Monica O’Brien, Carlos Miceli, and Andrew Norcross. You’ll see our pain, struggles, successes, and failures as we create an existence that we are proud of and enjoy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Anyone who reads this blog or my Examiner.com column knows how I feel about entrepreneurship. But Untemplater’s approach to it is completely different than most. Just read their manifesto: Work where you want. Live how you want. Be what you want to be. Even if you didn’t want to be an entrepreneur like I do, these three simple statements can still apply to your life. For example, maybe you still want to work for a company, but you want to do it from the comfort of your own home. The possibilities are endless.
Everyone will have their own destination of the untemplated life. Some will say that it means to quit your job and take the entrepreneurial path. For others, it’s to build your career online. Some might say it’s to get a formal education in a field you enjoy.
At first glance, the manifesto is the stories of six people living “untemplated” lives and how they got there. But it’s really so much more than that. It’s a call to action to fulfill your dreams (whatever they may be) and a promise of help along the way.
As she can attest, reading the manifesto immediately prompted me to e-mail my Twitter pal Monica O’Brien, one of Untemplater’s co-founders. She’s a true inspiration in many respects, but my question was more geared toward the fact that I know she’s married: How does she untemplate her life with the full support of her husband?
The biggest challenge of entrepreneurship for me, as I’ve mentioned in the past, has been giving up time with my husband to grow my business. I didn’t see any other choice. After all, I work a full-time job, write for Examiner.com and numerous other outlets, plus I’m trying to get Come Recommended off the ground. How does she do it?
The way I’ve convinced my husband to support me is really just by having a solid plan for what I wanted to do and how we were going to stay financially stable. I spent at least six months cutting back and saving a good chunk of my paycheck while I was working, and then I had a plan for how much we needed and when I was going to make it up.
We also had to cut back on our expenses, big time. I used to have one of those cushy jobs in downtown Chicago’s financial district. There’s no way to make that same money for several years, so we had a plan for that too before I could even consider quitting my job.
A great answer, indeed. However, not one I can follow exactly. I didn’t expect her to solve the issue I’m facing (maybe it will be addressed in an upcoming Untemplater post!), but what she did do for me is bring my feet back to the ground for 2010 — something I sorely needed.
I spent $40,000 in 2009 building and growing Come Recommended. The majority of the costs? The Web site itself. Beyond the initial build, less than a quarter of my total expenses for the year, I didn’t realize there would be so much upkeep. Much of being an entrepreneur, particularly in the beginning, is trial and error. I should have been more educated about the platform on which we were building Come Recommended before taking the leap. I certainly won’t make that mistake again! We’re actually changing the platform (any day now…) to something more stable and easier to grow. But before I made the decision to switch, I did my homework this time!
I definitely didn’t live the untemplated lifestyle in 2009, and might not get there in 2010. (It’s hard to cut back costs when you’re still paying back your initial investment worth almost a year’s salary.) But the manifesto and Untemplater give me the inspiration I need to keep going in that direction. I highly recommend you head over there and start reading!
How will you shatter the template lifestyle this year?
