Also by Erin Albert
The Medical Science Liaison: An A to Z Guide
(with Cathleen Sass)
1st and 2nd Editions
Single. Women. Entrepreneurs.
1st and 2nd Editions
The Life Science Lawyer
Indianapolis: A Young Professional’s Guide
1st and 2nd Editions
Prescription to my Younger Self: What I Learned After Pharmacy School
(multiple authors)
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ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0587-2
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Plan A:
Go to a great college, since your parents probably didn’t get the chance. Then go to a professional school–medical, dental, law, you pick it. Then graduate, and get the very best ‘professional’ job you can. Work your dupa off. Work 60 hours a week. Give 150%, even though you don’t own anything. You’re an employee!
However, you’re expendable. And…you’re laid off.
Plan B:
Go through twelve stages of losing job. Declare that you’ll chuck it all to start your own business to live the dream. Work your dupa off. Work 120 hours a week. Give 250%, and you own everything. You’re an entrepreneur!
However, you’re dealing with uncertainty, administration, and lack of cash flow. You’re dealing with your beautiful dream and the sometimes-ugly reality. And, you’re exhausted, frustrated, and…closed.
Plan C:
Don’t chuck the day job, keep it.
Don’t chuck the entrepreneurial dream, keep that too.
DO BOTH!
Work the full-time day job, and create the entrepreneurial dream on the side. You’ll be working ALL THE TIME in your head and pretty much in your life. I won’t lie. It won’t be easy. But what in life is that IS worth doing???
This book is about how to live a Plan C life.
Join the Plan C Movement! Here’s how:
Acknowledgements
My friends are awesomely consistent; they always come through for me, and without them, as with all my previous projects, this book would not have been possible. Thus, I must take a moment and thank them for their help, guidance, suggestions, and connections that made this project possible.
Of course, I must acknowledge all the people who were willing to be interviewed for this project, who are all clearly some of the busiest people I’ve ever encountered on the planet. Thank you. And, equally important, all my friends who referred me to each of them: Tiffany Benedict Berkson (Historic Indianapolis), Kenan Farrell (KLF Legal), Rebecca Berfanger (Indianapolis Monthly), Elizabeth Allington (IU School of Law – Indianapolis), Peggy Paul (SheTaxi), Ed Ballard, Niquelle Allen (Butterfly Consignment), and Kacia Palmer. Thank you for looking out for me–it is appreciated!
I also in particular want to thank my accountant, editor, and mom, Dorothy Albert. While I wasn’t raised in Nepal, my mom has always been my Sherpa to the wonderful worlds of practicality and realism. She’s also one of the five avid readers of my blog. (Thanks, Mom, but when do I get to edit your book?) To my other Sherpa of writing, Dr. Voci—I am grateful for your continued spirit in my life. Mr. Russell: your favorite client thanks you!
Next, to thank all those who take a chance on me by allowing me the opportunity to work each and every day at the best university in the world, Butler University: Deans Koehler and Andritz, thank you for your continued support. (Dean Koehler: Keep. Moving. Forward!)
Thank you to all who have changed my world by making it better. I hope together, we can change the world and make it at least a little better than we found it.
Introduction
Once upon a time, in a land called America, an individual could work really, really hard to envision and realize the American Dream. By studying hard, doing the best possible job in school, going to college and then graduating could almost guarantee a solid career path for 30+ years. He could typically stay with one company, and could one day retire with a gold watch. He knew he was a loyal employee to the company, and in turn, the company would take care of him for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, in 2011, the story above has joined the cadre of Cinderella, Snow White, and Pinocchio: it is merely a fairy tale. The U.S. economy is currently resetting, after one of the most devastating economic recessions in the history of the country. Employment is hovering around 9% as I write this. There is a growing movement of people fed up with our government currently (Occupy Wall Street, even Occupy Indianapolis here in Indiana) who are taking to the streets and protesting for change. The top 1% of wealthy Americans controls over 40% of the nation’s wealth. Professionals who used to have 6-figure jobs are either still out of work in some cases, or accepting jobs and pay at a third or half of what they used to make prior