What do you have cooking on your stove?

By Jim Calder
I was feeling burned out a bit today.
I had a chat conversation with a friend who laid it flat out for me. I am a workaholic or on a clear path to becoming one. A huge amount of what I do, he considers work. I work my 9-5 and them come home and work some more almost every night. I write/blog, I build brands, I build websites, I help others get their message out to the public, I create video projects, and I even fall asleep reading the best business and marketing books that I can find. His view was not critical, and was not taken that way at all but it did cause me to think.

Work vs. Hobby

Call me a dreamer but I never really looked at my passion in the hours after 9-5 as “work”. Still, maybe I need a break from all this “work”. I went up to the roof for a cigar and some deep thinking, armed with a notebook and a pen. As a writer I find it is best to sort out my words on paper. A few puffs later and the rain began to drizzle. Not enough to stop smoking the cigar but just enough to smear the words on the page. A sign from the sky? … Perhaps.

So I sat in the drizzle, smoked and pondered the meaning of life. Of course the entire time I was wishing that the rain would stop so that I could get these thoughts out of my head and onto paper. I have been writing since I can remember realizing that I was left handed and that if I didn’t hold my hand with a certain crook, the ink above would smear.
Earlier in the day my friend explained that his hobbies have nothing at all to do with work, hobbies are supposed to relax you and not cause any stress. He explained that I am turning my hobbies into work. Have I really turned my hobbies into work, and convinced myself that they are not? Could this be true? Even as I write this I refuse to believe it, but my point is quickly stifled as I am turning this into a blog entry for ProLong Magazine. However, I believe that I have my reasons.

My Mission

This discussion boils down to how or what defines us and our purpose in life. I have a mission in life, not some sort of weird religious crusade or even a higher purpose. It is more a personal mission to ensure that my life and work have meaning for myself. I refuse to believe that working towards creative goals is a bad thing. I refuse to settle in my career and want and need more. I am a simple builder; it is what I know and what I do..

I have realized that this will not always make sense to friends, family, coworkers and bosses … but I realize it just has to make sense to me. Everything that I do in my creative life has meaning and is calculated with purpose.

Too Vulnerable?

Loved ones have told me that I am too open at times and that this can make me vulnerable to be made fun of and to possibly be criticized for my thoughts, feelings and actions. But I have found that once you step beyond caring a little less about what others think or say negatively, you will find a clearer path.

I wish my work, my life’s work to have meaning and I refuse to become a cog that can easily be replaced. My value is irreplaceable, because my worth lies in my thoughts, my dedication, and my passion. No one can take this away. Once this realization occurs a calm persistence takes over on a sort of auto pilot. It is not always the easiest road, but the structure and foundation are in place.
When did wearing our hearts on our sleeves become such a bad thing? Maybe it is because we live in a PC world where every thought and action is over analyzed and scrutinized.

Finding Balance

During the conversation with my friend today he made some really great and lasting points that I am internalizing and hoping to focus on. Basically, I need to find some balance or I will stroke out before 40 (which luckily is still a bit off, but not that far … so yes change is good). I should never let any type of work come in the way of family or friendships. I know I have been guilty of this because there are only so many hours in a day. I need to find my own balance between relationships and my creative work. As life and time start to feel shorter I know that this will become a greater challenge.

At the end of this deep thought process, it is crucial to remember that we can also have both. Some sacrifices have to be made but it can be done. Facebook is something that is growing in my concern column. While I am all for social networking and technology, I believe it can be a danger in our lives in the area of wasted time. Don’t get me wrong, it is awesome for keeping up with friends and family around the globe. It is also a great tool to get the word out about your message and your brand. The double edged sword is that it is healthy to take a break from it once in a while and remember that it is just a website.

The Stove Top

I like to refer to my creative work as a stove top. In this day and age, if you can’t multitask something is broken creatively. My stove top is more like an industrial kitchen range with several burners firing at once. I have my 9-5. I have writing and blogging. I have building brands. I have video production. I have creating websites. I have helping others get their message out there. But the most interesting component to my kitchen is a giant pot in the back with many ideas brewing. Many of these ideas have yet to boil to the sub conscious level, but I know they are cooking.

Finding our calling is one of the most important things that one can do in life, but it can also cause a lot of hardship, frustration and angst. We are constantly evolving beings. While I do not want to become a workaholic or continue to be one, ideas are everywhere I look. I refuse to shut them off. It is also important to stop and do a system check from time to time.

My meaning of work life is creating and evolving and teaching and learning with and from others. Have you found yours?

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. Jim strongly believes that the current 9-5 Monday-Friday format of “Work” is dying. Those that refuse to recognize this will be left behind in the decaying office complexes across America. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

By Robert J. Ottaviani

Beatlemania 1964
I’ve just seen THE BEATLES. I’ve just seen THE BEATLES. I watched them stride on stage one-by-one sporting their trademark dark pegged pants tucked neatly inside their Beatle boots while a neatly tailored buttoned suit coat with a nehru collar framed their slender shoulders while wagging their mopped haired heads. They walked out with a dash of confidence and armed with their quirky sense of British humor. They tapped their Beatle boots on the floor to count down the rhythm to start the song … one, two, three, four. Two and one half minute little jewels of musical virtuosities ensued, each one brimming with beautiful melodies that you sang along to and a beat you could tap your feet to. Beatlemania was alive and well and performing for a United States audience at the Ed Sullivan theatre.
It was 1964 and I was an overly anxious fan waiting for this very moment My affection for them was such that I truly felt they were singing only to me and obliviously since 73 MILLION people witnessed this historic musical event, I may have been wrong.
Maybe that was part of their charm and magic. Even to this day I am hard pressed to explain this huge fascination I have with the group, an almost zen like connection from the very first moment I heard them. They spoke to me in a way no other group had and still hasn’t today.

Giving In
I was basically a traditionalist, a purist who would only see them as a foursome intact. Since THE BEATLES came over to the states in 1964 and until they disbanded in 1970, I was still too young to see them live. The following years to come would test my resolve as John would be assassinated and George would eventually succumb to cancer. With each passing year I realized my opportunity to experience any part of my musical idols was lessening. I could go to a Ringo Starr concert but his was more of a self promotional venue and he had very little song writing background when compared to the other three. Not that Ringo wasn’t a sweetheart of a guy, because I’ve heard other musicians testify to that very fact. So Paul became my focus, one half of the greatest song writing team that ever lived. I knew his show would pay a huge tribute to his roots … THE BEATLES. In addition, I knew his interpretation of the songs would be true to their roots, why alter with original brilliance of the compositions, right? I heard the news that Paul was interested in opening the Console Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA and decided that my stubbornness be put aside. Paul was 68 years young and quite possibly playing Pittsburgh for the last time. Tickets went on sale and the 18,000 seat facility was sold out in two minutes. A second show was added and also sold out in less than three minutes. Beatlemania indeed! Paul’s allure was as strong as ever and apparently his 40-year hiatus from the mega group did nothing to wane his popularity.

All photographs courtesy and copyright of Shawn Plassmeyer.

Wednesday August 18th … SHOW ONE
We arrive at the Center at 6p.m., the scheduled time the gates are to open for the 7:30 start. I notice the crowd is represented by every age group in anticipation of seeing the rock icon. An announcement is made that Paul’s plane has been delayed and the show will be late in starting. This little two-hour glitch pales in comparison to my 40-year wait to see Macca as I hear others fuss around me. The fact that I can hear his sound check as I wait in line actually heightens my zeal for his show to begin. The line is suddenly moving and we shortly are in our seats, which are in the first section above the floor and across the arena from the stage. Two large screens flank the stage and are showing the boys in their early years both individually and collectively as Beatle music is played and all things that relate to the fab four are highlighted throughout. There is an incredible buzz in the air that’s seems to be building to a frenzy and then … out walks Sir James Paul McCartney. He is nattily attired in a long dark suit coat looking young beyond his years and svelte in stature. One, two, three, four, they launch into a Wings number to kick off the show, which would last three hours and feature 35 songs, 22 from the Beatles library of music. He has obviously found the fountain of youth as he delivers a high energy act that leaves you dumbfounded as to how he can maintain this vibe after so many shows, so many years. It occurs to me that the answer is … love. He loves what he does for a living. You can see the passion he has for his craft and how he is totally comfortable in the spotlight. The night swells into moments when you are sure that you have reached a musical zenith, when it can’t possibly get any better … and then it does, again and again. I leave totally satisfied convinced I have witnessed one of the greatest moments in my life, and then …

Thursday August 19th SHOW NUMBER TWO
I flash my ticket to the first attendant on the floor who tells me to keep walking toward the stage. Eventually, I am seated SIX rows back from stage almost directly dead center. I immediately sense the enormity of this circumstance as I am practically about to share a stage with “the greatest composer of the millennium” according to online readers. Although I have paid dearly for my seat, I never use it for I, as well as everyone around me stand to pay homage to the “cute Beatle”.
The house lights go down and Sir Paul leads his band on stage wasting no time picking up his trademark hofner violin bass and launching into ALL MY LOVING and THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD, soon to be followed with I’M LOOKING THROUGH YOU and BLACKBIRD. After mixing in some Wings classics like JET and BAND ON THE RUN he returned to his BEATLES roots with ELEANOR RIGBY and OB-LA-DI,OB-LA-DA. He moved adroitly from bass guitar to acoustic guitar to electric guitar to piano and mandolin with equal dexterity. He made it a point to pay tribute to his ex wife Linda (MY LOVE), to John (GIVE PEACE A CHANCE) and To George (Something). He made sure the crowd acknowledged their contributions. He had constant interplay with the crowd, regaling us with jokes and anecdotes of Hendrix and Clapton. He had the crowd totally eating out of his hands, enough to make Jim Jones jealous. We were all drinking the cool aid and thirsting for more. The crowd stood throughout the evening singing the words and cheering wildly after every song.

In one of the quieter moments between songs he stood back and read all the signs that were made. Ours mentioned the fact that our grandson McCARTNEY ROBERT was his namesake. He slowly read the words, made eye contact with us and tapped his fist over his heart in appreciation. What a moment!

A short time later he had the entire crowd singing the chorus from HEY JUDE and then LET IT BE and A DAY IN THE LIFE were played. Wave after wave of emotion flooded my body with each song selection. I’ve just seen THE BEATLES … I’ve just seen THE BEATLES. No, in the purest sense of truth I hadn’t. But you didn’t need much of an imagination after listening to Paul carrying on that wonderful legacy from yesteryear and taking people on the musical journey of their lives. It’s been days since the concerts have ended but I’m having trouble getting the songs out of my head. I find myself singing them throughout the day, like they’ve been burned into my psyche. I suspect many others are experiencing similar symptoms. From these nights I carry home pictures, t-shirts and my ticket stub but more importantly a treasure chest full of memories in my head and in my heart.

Robert J. Ottaviani (Bert) is a cusp born Aries the ram who has lived through summer of love in the late sixties and the hippie culture that bled into the seventies. He has a passion for music, gardening and all things nature … and laffy taffy. He is freakishly aware of music trivia to absurd levels. Most days you can find him playing his guitar or jotting down lyrics. He was so impacted from the moment he first heard the Beatles that he has Beatle manianized his life, been to Liverpool, England and remains convinced he is the fifth Beatle. He is married to a gentle and lovely vibe of a woman with three wonderful children. He currently lives and resides in strawberry fields forever.

Distinguishing Your Work from Your Life

By Jack Clifford

We are naturally grounded.
We are taught that dreaming can be bad, dangerous and if you dream too much it will hold you back in life.
Our parents, family and friends have bought into the system, and thus if we don’t follow along something is wrong.
Go to college, get a job, it doesn’t matter if it is in your field or not, you need to work, you need to pay the bills.
It is a formula that can sometimes creates unhappy and unfulfilled people.
It leaves many with the feeling that their job is OK, but they want more.
We want our work to have value. We want to know that we are working towards something, anything, not just making others get richer quicker.
The American people are burned out on the current structure of work.
Our companies are run by soulless robots, which have no vision or value for their employees. We need meaning in our careers and most of our 9-5 cubical lives are not cutting it. When did dreaming become so bad?

Making the Choice
Dave Mathews of the Dave Matthew’s Band had a clear choice and a clear path. Go to college or spend that time getting a jump start on following his dream. He spent the four years that many were away at college driving around the country in a van with fellow musicians taking whatever gigs they could honing his voice, his act and his art.
Is this an option and the answer for everyone? Of course not.
But does following one’s dream sometimes work? Absolutely.
Note: College works for many but not if you are just going because you are supposed to be there and it is the thing to do.

Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way
For years I used to say that the most important thing that I learned in college was how to deal and work with people. You get thrown into this bag with a bunch of strangers. There are conflicts, relationships, hardships, and drama. And in the end you leave with some friends and some enemies.
But did I really need to pay thousands of dollars a year for that experience?
Dave Matthews had a similar experience and turned it into a career.

Grounded From Quitting Our Jobs
So what is keeping the average person from quitting their job tomorrow and following their true passions in life? Mostly fear I would guess: The fear of the economy, the fear of unemployment, the fear of the unknown and the fear of failing and falling. That fear will keep you unhappy and unfulfilled for a long time.

Smart Visionaries
Be smart about it kids. Don’t march into your boss’s office and quit. This only screws you. Plan and plan well. Find a job that inspires you. An economy like this can actually be full of new opportunities. Companies are building for the “Upswing” now, seek those places out. Take a pay cut if you have to, but do something that changes your life forever, instead of continuing in the broken pattern of yesterday. When you are 80 years old, will you look back and say “that job that broke my spirit paid the bills” or “I can’t imagine what my life would have become if I hadn’t broken the pattern.”

Final Thoughts On Viewing The Truth
If you were to somehow see a list of what everyone in your company makes, would you be able to live with the fact that your boss makes 5 times more than you do? Would you vomit at how top heavy your company is with unjust salaries while you struggle to pay your bills? Would you quit tomorrow? Sometimes we need that extra push. I hope to be able to push you back into reality as I know it.

Jack Clifford quit his job years ago after discovering that his salary was unjust. A former executive showed him what everyone in the company was making and he could no longer cope with the vast unjust landscape that was his former reality. He is now fully self-sufficient and making a living on a variety of startup companies and ventures and has never looked back once. Clifford motivates by encouraging others to take control of their lives. Jack Clifford’s sobriety is reality.

THIS IS NOT THE DREAM
The Working From Home Lifestyle Revolution
By Jim Calder
Continued:

Are You Ready?

Ask yourself the following:
1) Are you dedicated enough to stay productive and motivated in the home office?
2) Are you prepared to always be available during the 9-5 hours for emergency emails, calls, meetings and problems coming in from coworkers?
3) Are you technologically prepared. Do you have Internet access that does not go out? Are you ready to use your personal phone to call into meetings?
4) Are you prepared for the natural jealousy that comes with working from home when your coworkers do not?
5) Are you confident enough in your work ethic to ignore coworkers bashing the fact that you are “working from home”?
6) Can you handle extra criticism when there is a mistake in your work, and your boss may think that it is because you WFH.
7) Are you dedicated to work past 5 pm on most days that you work from home, especially if you are multitasking during the day and need to put in some extra time.

Hey Kids … Look At Dad

My father is an outstanding example of the dedication needed to work from home. On days when he works from home he follows the same routine that he does on days when he goes into the office. He gets up at the same time, showers, eats and goes into his home office. He comes down for an hour at lunch and then returns to work. My dad usually stays up there longer because he is not dealing with his hour and a half commute home. Many would see this as being more productive while cutting out three hours of driving in one day.

How To Start the Conversation

You have arrived at the point where you realize that your career would be greatly improved by working at home at least one day a week. You are ready to take on the responsibility that comes with working from home, what comes next? Formulate your case and have an open and honest discussion with your boss. Explain your reasoning about why you want to become a more efficient and happy employee.

Disclaimer: If your employer is a hard ass or blow hard, stuck in the past and seeking failure in the future and happens to fire you for requesting to work from home, ProLong Magazine and Jim Calder are legally not at fault.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. Jim strongly believes that the current 9-5 Monday-Friday format of “Work” is dying. Those that refuse to recognize this will be left behind in the decaying office complexes across America. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

The Working From Home Lifestyle Revolution

By Jim Calder

My wife woke up recently and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we just had to wake up and walk downstairs to work? Think of all the time we would save, we could shower at lunch and wouldn’t have to spend an hour getting ready in the morning,” she said. “We wouldn’t each have to drive two hours every weekday.”
Just a few days later I was facing an hour and a half ride into work (my usual commute is only an hour each way) because of heavy rains. The horrible commute got me thinking, why don’t more people and more companies embrace the Work from Home (WFH) lifestyle?

My Manifesto

Most of the people that I know who seem to love their jobs also seem to be working from home. Some own their own business, others work from home full time, and others work from home only once a week. I currently work for an employer that gives me clearance to work from home once a week.
The common thread is the ability to balance our busy lives while merging our careers with our personal lives. This can only be found via the knowledge, understanding and foresight that the amount of hours spent in the decaying office parks of America do not equal doing great work. I know plenty of people who think they are fooling us. They show up first at the office and make sure that everyone knows that they were there the latest. These people are only fooling themselves. They are doing nothing original.

Not A Utopian Idea

A few decades ago this may have been a Utopian or even radical thought. But today it is just common sense. As we evolve as people we are beginning to realize the amount of stress that we take on through our careers. A major portion of this is from commuting to and from an office complex when we have all the tools that we need at home. As a proud member of the ROWE movement (Results Oriented Work Environment) ROWE , I am shocked that more people don’t work towards the goals of ROWE.
ROWE boils down to that fact that you are paid for the work that you do – your performance – not for the hours that you clock into an office.
One of my personal goals is to start to convince my current and/or future employers why coming into the office even four days a week is excessive for individuals who have proven their loyalty and dedication to their work.

Why People Don’t Get It

I think that there are common misconceptions that people have with the term; working from home:
Working From Home Doesn’t = Hate: Working from home does not mean that you hate your job, your office, your coworkers, or responsibilities. It just means that you would prefer more flexibility balancing your work and your personal life.
Abuse By Others: Putting “Air Quotes” around it when you say you are “working from home” is just about the dumbest thing a person can do. It makes you look like a total slacker and people pretty much assume that you don’t have a work ethic and just watch TV all day when you are working from home. But even worse, you ruin the experience and reputation of working from home for all of us who actually are more productive in the home office.
Jealously: Working from home is not for everyone. Doctors and nurses for instance would have trouble working from home all the time. Others are not dedicated enough and shouldn’t be working from home until they have learned to manage their workloads on their own without being told what to do. It is also difficult to work from home when you are in industries like retail and hospitality. However, for people in many office based industries it is not only a great option it is also an effective and smart move for companies.
It is Not A Day Off!: A common misconception about working from home is that it is a “day off”. There is nothing further from the truth than this statement. If anything you have to work harder on days that you work from home, because people are watching and waiting for you to screw up.

Why WFH Works For The Employee

1) Working From Home is a statement from your employer, that they believe that you are doing a great job and want to see you become even more productive.
2) Eliminates stress. Not having to commute and sit in traffic to get to an office will most likely add years to your life and make you enjoying your work even more.
3) WFH allows you to multitask and do house chores like laundry, running the dishwasher, and more while working, which gives you more time for living life.
4) Many who work from home claim to have less distractions. Think of all the times people pop into your office, just to chat about the weekend or what’s new. This is eliminated when we are working from home and it makes you more productive.
5) More time to take care of yourself and your families. Our schedules are more flexible to take care of ourselves and our families (parents, children, partners, grandparents) and to go see the doctors when needed.
6) Salaried employees don’t punch a clock. Yet, so many employers are still judging their work based on the time that they spend in the office. This must change and we know it.
7) Technology allows us to communicate with team members and perform our work just as effective as when we are in the office.

Why WFH Is Smart For Employers

1) Happy and healthy. Employees feel true and earned respect for their employers for allowing them to have a chance at a happier and healthier life.
2) Increases loyalty. Employees who have been waiting for better times to make moves with their careers are starting to do so. WFH increases loyalty for employees that the company wishes to retain.
3) Office space and equipment are expensive. Most employees would be willing to use their own phones and own computers for the opportunity to work from home full time or the majority of the time. This cuts down on the costs for the company.
4) The technology has arrived. There are no longer excuses to not be able to WFH. Employees can call or Skype into meetings. We are in constant communication with coworkers with instant message tools like Skype, gchat, AOL or others. Email allows us to work from any location on the planet. Most IT directors can set employees up with remote access to the company’s servers.
5) Be progressive. Companies that have employees who work remotely are viewed as progressive and living in the current times, instead of set in the stone ages. You will attract better, stronger employees with a WFH policy.
6) Healthier employees that have the time to take care of their health are more valuable to companies than sick employees.

Are you Ready for Working From Home? Find out by continuing to read the rest of this article RIGHT NOW at Continue Reading Article .

Another Way To Look At Things

By Jim Calder

Do you have trouble focusing? Find that you are staying up later and later on the computer? Feel like you can never just focus your attention on one thing or project? The solution is simple, turn all your shit off permanently and go see a doctor. However, if this is too extreme for you, you could just read this blog and see a new way of looking at things.

I am technologically overstimulated.

Thanks to modern technology I have the attention span that is the size of a gnat. I had a half-day at work today and planned on working on a freelance project but as usual I got sucked into many, many things. My work email, Facebook, Facebook Chat, a Youtube video or 10, Gmail, Gchat, organizing my Google docs, Blackberry Messenger, Texts, and so on.

I find some evenings I am online for hours and have lost focus. I yearn for the days before my day when people sat in half lit rooms smoking and drinking whiskey while slowly typing ideas on a typewriter. Think of all the “boxes of failed ideas” that existed on hard paper somewhere in the rooms of the past. Ideas must have been more valuable back then, more rare. They weren’t just tweeted, posted on Facebook or emailed out without thinking them through.

Just as my attention span was about to rip me from this google doc that I am typing this blog in, a brave new thought hit me.

What if our “modern Technology” – especially the virtual chats – equals today’s version of “boxes of failed ideas”? Today, we hash and flush out our ideas with others instead of forming the ideas in quiet rooms on our own. We run our ideas past small focus groups consisting of family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers with similar interests.

Ideas kept to yourself will never thrive. Share them and grow them with others.

PS: Don’t fear the boxes of failed ideas, they are your biggest asset.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. Jim strongly believes that the current 9-5 Monday-Friday format of “Work” is dying. Those that refuse to recognize this will be left behind in the decaying office complexes across America. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

By Jim Calder

I am in the construction business, and have been for several years now. I don’t physically build houses, buildings, roads, etc. What I have been trying to build—or better yet to help build—are people. On our team, the “construction people” we believe that the more people that do well increases our chances for growing and doing well ourselves. This is not rocket science, it just makes sense.In fact it isn’t a new idea either, but it is good to be reminded of it often.

Qualities of the Construction People

-We take the time to lend advice.
-We take the time to give feedback.
-We take the time to lend our knowledge.
-We offer resources when we can.
-We encourage and give positive support.
-We realize that we can learn from watching others do well.
-We realize that everything in life does not have to be a big competition.
-We are teachers and learners.
-We embrace failure, but more importantly learn from it.
-We care.

The Demo Business

On the other side of the spectrum are the people in the demoing business.They rip people down whenever they see an opportunity. In this quick life we all will come across far too many in the demoing business. Sometimes it can take form of people who are scared individuals snickering and casting doubt about your new business venture. They may say how it will fail, they may say that you won’t find revenue, and they may say you don’t know what you are doing. I don’t know why, when, or how these people choose to go into the demoing business, but somewhere they make a clear choice.
It is sad and it is just plain lazy to be in the demo business, and perhaps that is what makes it so easy for some.

The Mind Set of a Loser

If you constantly go around bashing other people’s ideas, hopes, and dreams you are really kind of a scum bag. These people are tricking their own minds, by justifying the fact that they are lazy and don’t want to try and do something extraordinary with their lives themselves. They think to themselves … these people are all failing, so I won’t even try … because I am afraid of failure. These people route for failure by others to confirm their own doubts.
I say that failure should be worn as a badge of honor. If you are not failing you are not taking risks. If you are not failing, you are not doing anything worth talking about. If you are paralyzed by the fear of failure you are most likely only doing enough to get by, enough to please the boss, and enough to stay unoriginal forever.

The Rewards of a Builder

Yes, it takes a lot more energy to be a builder. But the rewards are also much greater. The next time you hear someone is starting something, building something from scratch, really think about it before you judge. Before the instinctual negative words of doubt come flowing from your mouth, do us all a favor and take a step back. Take a moment of reflection and and inner look at your soul and guts and think about why you are about to spew negativity into someone’s world. It just may change your life.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. Jim strongly believes that the current 9-5 Monday-Friday format of “Work” is dying. Those that refuse to recognize this will be left behind in the decaying office complexes across America. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

The Age of the Worker

By Jim Calder

We live in a new age. An age where the worker is valued above all else. For years companies have devalued you as the employee by cutting your pay, increasing your hours, freezing your salary all in the name of the economy and more. That day is over friends. An individual today has extreme power. We have access to tools that previously were only available to a company with resources. We can create and build on our own, and that by nature is a threat to “the old way of thinking about work”.

We are motivated to succeed, for ourselves and for our families. We don’t respond well to fear tactics, and if exposed to them for too long, we move on. All because we realize that life is too short and we are too valuable. We learn new skills for the benefit of ourselves and our careers, before someone has to tell or ask us to do so. We value other things besides our salaries, such as working from home. The Internet has made us versatile. We teach ourselves to do almost anything with the help of our friends Google and YouTube.

Managers may still treat you like a cog that can be replaced. However, you are the one allowing them to do so. You are an individual with unique skills that you have learned and own, so be proud of it. Companies that refuse to change will be left in the past with the rest of the dinosaurs. Companies that only offer you the fear of losing your job as motivation have no place in today’s marketplace. Fear is not a motivation tool, it is a weak sign of a weaker foundation of a company, corporation or business. Advanced companies are well aware of this and making changes.

At your next review instead of joining the ongoing cycle and defending why you deserve your job, ask yourself this:
-Why does your company deserve to have YOU as an employee?
-What has your company done for YOU?
-Why is this company worth YOUR time, YOUR hours, a large portion of YOUR life?
-How has this company showed ME that they value the work that I am doing?

The message is spreading and quickly. ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment) is a human resource management strategy. This progressive movement was co-created by Jody Thompson and Cali Ressler (pictured above) and thrives on the theory that employees are paid for results (output) rather than the amount of hours one works.Their idea has been adapted by large American retails such as Best Buy, Gap, and other companies. This duo has created their own consulting group called CultureRx and their message is selling.

Not enough evidence that this way of working will work? Let me leave you with this inspiring video from the TED conference.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

Robert J. Ottaviani

We should all be serving a sentence for committing a heinous crime on the English language. We have blatantly over used, over exaggerated and over indulged ourselves with a misappropriation of words, phrases, and slang. We are guilty as charged. All of us! Let’s take a look at some misguided verbiage we have come to accept as normal repartee.

ROFL … Rollin on the floor laughing … I don’t know about the rest of you but maybe once in my lifetime I have seen people Rollin on the floor laughing and the combination of alcohol and a wicked sense of humor were directly involved. The fact that it is written and nausea points out the fact that it is entirely out of text. There’s no one on the floor and quite frankly there’s a good chance of a lack of laughter also. I’m thinking the person authoring that text is probably just smiling. So maybe next time try something more appropriate like … SAL (smiling a lot).

LMAO … laughing my ass off … Again with the laughter. ROFL ‘s little cousin but not as severe or intense. First of all nobody is laughing their ass off and if they did they can only do it once. It doesn’t grow back or regenerate so once it’s off it’s off for good. A word of caution for all you LMAO ers . If I were you I would take precaution with what you give away so freely. You may eventually find yourself ROFL and you’ll wish you hadn’t laughed it off.

TALK TO THE HAND … I don’t why, where or when this little catch phrase started but I knew immediately I didn’t like it. Thankfully it’s popularity has waned greatly but in it’s heyday it was a force to be reckoned with. The most alarming aspect of it all was the fact that a vast majority of adults were using it as well. It was dismissive and abrupt. IT was really FU wrapped in a cuddly blanket. I know this much,if I had used it on my dad the only person I’d be talking to would be Jesus asking him to take the pain away.

TOO BUSY … I know your thinking this isn’t slang and you would be entirely right but it is used often in the wrong context. There are seven days a week,twenty four hours a day and three hundred and sixty five days in a year. Let’s be honest with ourselves, what we are really saying is I don’t want to take the time to call or see or do what it is were avoiding. We always seem to make time for what we truly want. Hopefully were not TOO BUSY when that special person really needs us.

BABY MOMMY/BABY DADDY … When did we become blithering idiots that allowed this vernacular to be part of our social fabric. Apparently perpetuating booty calls,DNA tests and absent parenting is good business. Just because Jerry Springer and Maury Povich are sell-in doesn’t mean we have to be buy-in. Hearing these words makes me grind my teeth and they sound as silly as the person saying them. I got a word for you,even two … Mom/Dad … it never gets old.

“DO I LOOK FAT IN THIS *****?” … Proceed with extreme caution. This is strictly a rhetorical question and does not,repeat does not require an answer. Quickly and gently steer the conversation to a safer subject like politics or religion. Do not smile, do not offer an opinion even in a positive manner as all things could be misconstrued at this particular time. An answer or response is not what is being sought here. Treat as a crime scene, see the police tape and give a lot of room.

WHATEVER … Quite possibly the phrase that rankles me the most and challenges my blood pressure levels as well. This one word interjection brings your conversation to a screeching halt. It is usually said with a bit of a lilt and a dash of attitude. Indifference be thy name. Kick my dog, track mud through my house, downsize my job just refrain from using that eight letter word with me.

Robert J. Ottaviani (Bert) is a cusp born Aries the ram who has lived through summer of love in the late sixties and the hippie culture that bled into the seventies. He has a passion for music, gardening and all things nature … and laffy taffy. He is freakishly aware of music trivia to absurd levels. Most days you can find him playing his guitar or jotting down lyrics. He was so impacted from the moment he first heard the Beatles that he has Beatle manianized his life, been to Liverpool, England and remains convinced he is the fifth Beatle . He is married to a gentle and lovely vibe of a woman with three wonderful children. He currently lives and resides in strawberry fields forever.

By Jim Calder

Have you ever had a bad boss? No, I mean a really bad boss. A boss that would micromanage you because she didn’t know how to run the department. A boss who whispers, whines and talks in circles. A boss who only cares about how many hours you spend in the office and not how much work you produce and how many innovative ideas you bring to the table.
My former boss at my last job was hands down the worst boss that I have ever witnessed in 10 years of publishing. The ironic part is that she was in charge of running two magazines about the publishing industry. There were many negatives while working under her leadership but over the years I have found that it is extremely unhealthy to focus on the negatives. It may be our most valuable gift as human beings, the ability to learn from past experiences, take it in and make internal changes to better oneself.

Here are some lessons that I discovered and learned during that negative phase of my career.

1) The details matter. Sometimes we are so focused on the big picture, the exciting “what comes next” part, that we gloss over the details of producing the best current project.

2) Content is not just articles. It is anything that deals with your brand. Discussion boards, comments on article pages, social networking, video, podcasts, and more. A true brand leader will take ownership of all content that the brand produces.

3) If I don’t stay up to date on technology I will be irrelevant in 5 years.

4) You can’t take on others’ anxiety. It is not yours and should be non transferable. I am an individual and I deal with stress in different ways. If someone on my team is freaking out, running up and down the hallways and asking why everyone else is not as freaked out as she is, I can not solve her problem for her.

5) Just because someone is in a leadership position, it does not mean that they know how to deal with people.

6) Bad time management is a cancer. Stay away from it because it will inevitably spread down to you.

7) Being a Manager is not the same as a leader. People can manage a team but it takes true innovator to become a leader.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com