Escape from Cubicle Nation – by Pamela Slim

The fancy titles and steady pay checks of a ‘safe’ corporate job aren’t so safe anymore… And perhaps it doesn’t make us that happy either. Pamela Slim’s book  ‘Escape from Cubicle Nation’ presents ideas for becoming self-employed and how you can go about it but also highlights a lot of the risks involved.

‘From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur’

Escape from Cubicle Nation (dot point) Summary

Section 1: Opening up opportunities

Ch 1 I have a steady paycheck why am I miserable

Ch2 if it is so bad why am I afraid to leave

• Your biggest fear is living in a van  down by the river
• The entire purpose of your reptile brain is to continuously broadcast fears to keep animals safe
• Animals live longer by avoiding danger
• Your corporate time is a wonderful time to meet smart creative people and get funding for top-notch education experiences

1. Examine truth of the fear
2. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
3. Develop a strong safety net (  surround by positive people)

• Take ownership of mistakes without wallowing in shame
• Who is happier, those who put all their effort into their job? Or those who took time to develop a social network and invest into self-development

Ch3 detox from corporate live

Find your inner tiger

Your strong creative spirit is somewhere inside you. Take actions, art classes, do whatever to find it

Step 1 Clear your plate

Quit volunteer time

Quit meetings

Stop watching TV

Stop kids activities

Step 2 Reset to beginner mind

An expert mind can be very dangerous to a new entrepreneur. Since you are in a phase of discovery you need to soak up as much as possible

Step 3 Thaw out your soul

Some employees slip outside of a comer

Step 4 Prepare to walk through no man’s land

Step 5 open the creative flood gates

Mindfulness, take an improve class, sex

Step 6 observe and track ideas

Ch4 Whats really involved when moving from employee to entrepreneur

Three circles

1. What people will pay you to do
2. What you have the passion for
3. What you are genetically encoded to do

The middle of the Venn diagram is your sweet spot

Defining the spirit of your brand

A great brand”

• Makes a stand
• Makes you feel
• Invokes trust
• Solves a problem

Test and prototype – find out you have a business that is actually worth quitting your job

Prepare to leap or not – either way, be fully behind your decision

• Stop doing what you hate
• Work your ass off
• Stop watching FUCKING episodes of LOST
• Legacy is more important than currency

Stage 1 unconscious incompetence

Stage 2 conscious incompetence

Stage 3 conscious competence

Stage 4 unconscious competence

Section 2 Reality of entrepreneurship

• Passion is the force when you do things you love you have natural energy
• Define your ideal customer

Passive aggressive revenue streams

• Ebooks, DVD’s books, online courses seem like they are passive but takes time to update etc

Ch6 how do I choose a good business idea?

• Choosing something you’re passionate about only is a bad idea
• Passion + skill + business model + Planning = likely good business idea
• Lukewarm projects. For centuries woman has been getting into lukewarm relationships and making excuses like ‘ he just wasn’t ready’ ‘ he’s just not that into you’. Behavior speaks for itself, the more time you spend waiting around in a lukewarm romantic prospect, the less time you have for a real one
• How many lukewarm projects and endeavors have you been pursuing as if they were ideal marriage candidates when emotional signs said temporary fling
• If you are passionate about it, it won’t feel like work

CH7 recruit your tribe

CH8 rethink your life options for scaling back, downshifting and relocating

• Your need for expensive holiday correlated with the level of loathing for your job

Ch9 do I really have a business plan?

• Dating before marriage
• Most of your time should be defining your market, an inch wide and a mile deep
• The more specific the niche, the easier to reach them with marketing efforts

Ch10 define the spirit of your brand

• Get away from corporate writing styles

Ch11 – test often fail fast

The Dip – spot dead ends quickly and stay motivated when it counts

Hang out in right barbershop and sooner or later you will get a haircut

Section 3 – make the money work

Ch13 – how to shop for benefits

Section 4 making the leap

Ch 14 dealing with friends and family

• Trust that new people will show up in the new phase of life

Ch 15 line your ducks

Pamela Slim

• Author of Escape from cubicle nation and Body of Work
• Speaker