The next adventure

Since my first job working in the web and tech worlds back in 1995, I spent most of the time working as a freelancer and consultant. In February I left that world to return to an office job. To be honest, I was thrilled to be working in an office where I had my very own cubicle. There is something about spending 8+ hours every day working out of the same spot — a space you can decorate (hello “Boston rocks” sticker wall!) and call your own.

Fast forward five months later and I’ve returned to working on my own. And now I’m determined to make the most of the flexibility and freedom that consulting work provides while still having some of the consistency that an office job provides.

I’ve spent a lot of time working out of (air conditioned!) cafes since I was laid off in early July: Sherman Cafe, Bloc 11, Starbucks and Diesel Cafe. Thanks to the wifi hotspot on my phone, it doesn’t matter if a cafe has free wifi, I can still get online. But sometimes, I like to work somewhere where I intentionally do not want to be online. It’s not necessary to be online while I do the initial editing of event photos — and if I’m online while I’m working on photos, it’s often just a distraction.

To help inspire some of the office cubicle consistency I miss, I signed up for a membership at one of my favorite shared office space spots: WorkBar Boston.

There are also many unconventional places to get work done. One of my favorites is a hotel lobby. You obviously can’t spend a full day there — but it’s a good change of scenery after working out of a cafe for a morning or afternoon.

I’ve been thinking a lot about freelance vs. consulting. When I’ve worked on my own in the past, I’ve regarded myself as a freelancer. But this time around as I amplify my Sooz-for-hire work, I’m definitely leaning more towards the word consultant. Semantics?

Here’s to another adventure!