And now for something completely different…no more statistics lesson from Mr Dodd.  It’s safe to keep reading. Honest.

Being in a philosophical frame o’ mind this month, I thought I’d refrain from my usual SmartMarketer topics,  and focus on the SmartMarketer issue which I know directly affects you – yourself - you there.  Think of it – you’re a “SmartMarketer” yourself, if I’m guessing correctly. You’re into marketing, and you’re smart enough to recognize that a few words of wisdom from the MessageMedia community every month might just help you in your business.  

But remember, you’re a brand yourself.  You have a name, an image, a history, brand equity, attributes, negatives, past and present users, customers, and hopefully that special someone to be your affiliate partner in life.  And chances are, you’re a brand with a truckload of great attributes and abilities – you can see the most treasured ones in any ‘personals’ column – sense of humour, warmth, fitness, a love of kids, movies and walks on the beach.  But if you’re like most of us, these “brand attributes” aren’t the key things clients, employers or job specs look for, and I’ve yet to see a personals ad wanting “the ability to close a deal” or “meet aggressive growth targets”.  Truth be told, it’s only the lucky few who get to truly indulge their passions within their worklife, and enjoying one’s job does not necessarily mean it’s 100% fulfilling to the “total person”

“Wait up, Jonathan!” I hear you say. “This is real life.  Sure I could indulge in my artistic side but that won’t pay off my Parnell mortgage!”.  That’s fine – I’m the classic wife-kids-mortgage-in-the-suburbs kinda guy myself.

The key is that our latent, or under-realised abilities need no longer be squashed by traditional, “real life” structures.  Sure we’ve ditched the collar and tie and gone for flexible, family-friendly workstyles, if we’re lucky, but this is just repackaging.   Thing is, most of us are still doing our 40-60 hours a week working in the field which we (a) can do well, and (b) which pays the best.  But what about (c) – something we LOVE doing but can’t do full-time because of that Parnell mortgage?

This is where the internet is opening up far more than crucial insights such as how did they get Mr Ed to talk?  The internet, as we know, vastly reduces classic business challenges such as distance and market size. This was one of the most commonly vaunted aspects of business in the 1990’s, but few people talk about the benefits to be gained from merging this trend with that of another biggie –the multi-stranded career, where people have become casualised, freelanced, or otherwise adapted to suit a rapidly changing world.  For an increasing number of people, their worklives are developing into a series of phases where their various abilities interchange to meet demand.  Got ten great skills? That’s ten paying roles you might fill over the course of a few years – not just one role which uses just six of those ten skills.

But back to that Parnell mortgage.  Job security is a core benefit of the daily grind which can’t be ignored – especially with kids and other dependents you have to provide and plan for.  What if you have no desire to leave your day-job, yet have strong ideas and talents you still want to develop and perhaps earn a little pocket-money from?  This is where the internet really can open some exciting doors, and by giving a few local examples I hope to get you thinking. 

First up, mild-mannered Michael Harvey. By day he’s Manager of Visitor and Market Research at Te Papa, a thorough professional and passionate about Te Papa and museums in general.  But Te Papa can’t really focus on that David Bowie alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, and with Ziggy a key interest of Michael’s, the internet has enabled him to indulge. His site, www.5years.com , is internationally renowned as the definitive Ziggy Stardust resource, and Michael’s even been offered a major book deal given his authority in this area.

Of a more Kiwi nature is Simon Morgan’s www.bookabach.co.nz. Simon’s a Strategic Planner at ad agency Publicis Rainger, and a year ago pondered buying a bach on Waiheke Island.  “But how to exploit the bach’s potential by renting it out to holidaymakers?” thought Simon.  The Bookabach website was the answer – an online facility whereby bach owners and would-be renters can get together for everyone’s benefit. As well as relieving his sense of curiosity – “could this work?”, he’s also applying the “real-life” lessons from operating an online business to his work at Publicis Rainger – so everyone’s a winner.

Even more Kiwi – try Dale Spencer’s www.buykiwi.co.nz.  Dale’s the GM of The Media Edge and set up this site a while back within the Xtra Marketplace, a DIY template solution for small e-businesses. Business is growing well and when Dale discusses the problems of rapid growth with his clients, they can be sure he’s talking from personal experience.

These are but three examples of people perfectly happy in their day jobs, and doing them well, but who have other interests which would have been difficult to explore to such an extent without the internet.  You don’t even have to run a site yourself, but merely use the web to locate work opportunities.

So think about it. If time and resources allow, what skills or interests of yours can the internet help you develop – how can you really fulfill all you have to offer?

Jonathan Dodd