Corporate or not Corporate?

In this newly rotten economy I have been asking myself, "What is the better way to go?". Is it better to be self-employed or to be employed in a large corporate environment?

Each has it's pros & cons and there is just a ton of variables to consider; thus leaving me just as confused as ever? But what else is new?

If you are a small business owner, you are at least making decisions for the good of your business and/or yourself and family. Nobody has your back in corporate America. As soon as you turn around, "They Getcha". I'm sure the 10.6% of unemployed people here in Michigan can attest to the “Getcha”; as they were cardboard boxed up, and walked out of their places of employment. Many of them didn’t even see it coming.


But what happens when your small business goes under?

Let’s say you are a dingle-berry provider, and the demand for dingleberries are just not there anymore. The dingleberry hut is in the red and there is no government bailout for you.

Now What?

Do you have any marketable skills to compete in today's supersaturated job market? That's a huge issue.

Here is a feasible plan:
Sell the dingleberry hut, and work at Home Depot while you go back to school for something that made you marketable. Damn! Imagine going from day to day as the big boss, calling the shots, to rockin' the Bright Orange Hope Depot Apron and punching a clock.

.................... Just put a bullet in my head.

The other plan would be to stack enough money during the dingleberry renaissance period; so that you can go back to school full time. You can get your “Happy Days” lunch box and your jansport knapsack and be a full time student again, until you can earn some dough.

Let’s take a look on the “Coporate America” side of things, you are virtually a bitch. Unless you are a CEO, CFO, Chairman or in executive management with a negotiated severance package, you are extremely expendable aka “A bitch”.

The key is to remember that shzit. That's a hard fact to remember when you are strutting around the office like a King, Hi-fiving (or the not so modern day fist bumping) co-workers, bringing in donuts, and throwing frisbees at the office picnic. You can be eliminated at any time. Granted the better you are, the harder you work, the lower your chances are of getting fired, but there is still that chance. If you let them, Corporate America will own you.

People always talk about how many hours I put in and how I wouldn't do that if I had a family etc. If little Johnny has to come home from college because Dad got laid off, I think that's a little worse then missing a little league tee-ball game. I'm not sure, you tell me. I am surrounded by the sad stories of kids having to leave college because dad’s who were making 6 figures for years, now can’t find a job.

REMEMBER LIFE IS A BITCH! YOU MUST BE PREPARED.

You know where your ambitions lie. You know if you want to be the CEO, or CFO. If you don't, then just start stackin your money. Prepare for the worse and hope for the best. I mean save...if there is something that this entire recession has taught us is the true value of stacking the money.

As I see it, if you stay and work in corporate America, and you are not willing to sell your soul to be CEO, CFO, Director etc....then constantly stay educated and save your money.


GOLDEN PARACHUTE PERKS – As profiled in Feb. 2009 edition of Conde Nast Portfolio Magazine.

For all you Executive types - You put in the work, here's what you ahve to look forward to:

Phillip Purcell
CEO of Morgan Stanley
Purcell will continue to collect an estimated $7.8 million in perks, which include a secretary and $250,000.00 in donations to his favorite charities, during his lifetime.

Joe Moglia
Chairman Ameritrade
Medical benefits to him and his dependents for the rest of his life. The coverage will continue for his wife if she outlives him.

Ed Whitacre
CEO of AT&T
received $158 million, plus benefits. He also received $26,000 a year automobile allowance and up to $20,000 a month in flight time on AT&T jets.


YOU TELL ME, IN BAD TIMES IS IT BETTER TO GO CORPORATE OF NOT CORPORATE?

-MJL

Corporate America
Lay Off
Millionaire
Rich
Small Business

TIGER WOODS AND MY MOJO

………Here’s how it happended……about 1.5 weeks ago..........

So I’m home on my hiatus from work. I got my official return to work date of Feb. 23rd and I've come to terms with it to some extent.

What does “to terms” mean? It means sitting at home in my bathrobe eating a bowl of ice cream (for breakfast) that is resting on my belly like Tony Soprano. Not the skinny Tony, but the Season 5 gluttonous Tony. Yeah, that one.

Dishes in the sink, dirty laundry everywhere, growing a beard like Grady from "Sanford and Son" and a fro like Lamont.

I get a call from the “other” phone. The Bat phone or as I call it – The Batbery.

The bat phone? Yep. Only a select few have the number:

• Labron,


• Puffy,


• Jay-Z,


• Gates,


• Tiger,


• Kobe,
  
• Jobs,


• Buffet and Rock (That’s what I call Barrack).

So out of the list of greats, who’s on hiatus? Tiger! I bet he’s watching Oprah like me.

I pick up the Blackbizzle,

ME: Tig my nig, what’s up?

TIGER: Are you watching Opera. Can you believe that b_tch is talkin’ about food again?
Talking about she fell off the wagon! Her a$$ looks like she’s draggin the wagon.

ME: I was just watchin’ it homey. She said she ate the WHOLE bag of chips. I was like DAMN! Oprah money, a personal chef and a weight room in your crib. There is no need for her to be at “triple chin” status.

TIGER: You sound like you just woke up? It’s 10:30 AM?
ME: I Know I just been kind of chillin.

TIGER: CHILLIN! Are you serious? You expect to be great and you are using this valuable time to chill? Do you think I’m chillin?

ME: Hell Yeah. With your loot and free time; I would have chicks on top of chicks. I’d be havin’ bus loads of women rockin it out on Privacy.

(Privacy is his yatch, Umm yeah).

TIGER: Well you’re wrong. I’m taking this time seriously. I’m killin the workouts with my trainer. Two-a-days Brotha! Killin them. I’ve been working on my short game and my putting. My short game will make Phil’s short game look like yours when I return to competition.

I’ve been doing all of my rehabilitation exercises to the fullest. I’m working harder now then I was before. My golf course design company is in full affect. Recession or no recession, I’m designing courses. Buick just dropped me so I’m getting more sponsors. A Tiger’s got to stay paid.

Do you know how many people are happy that I’m injured? Do you know how many people are rooting for me not to come back strong?
I wake up everyday with those people inspiring me. They don’t realize the hate will make me great.

Jay, I thought you were smarter then that. You need to make sure you use every last minute of every one of those days off to get your hustles in line. Get your body in shape. You are a “business” man. Be a business. Get your mind right. Think about everything that you wished you had time to do. Then f-ckin’ do it.

ME: That’s whats up Tiger. I’m on my hustle. Good lookin’ out. I need that.
I will holla at you and wifee this summer. When do you plan to make your comeback?

Tiger: I never left.


-MJL

Tiger Woods
Lay Off
Millionaire
Rich
Hustle

2009 -BENCHED!

Well, 2009 is off to a rocky start. I've been benched for 6 weeks! That's right, I was a sitting duck at work, and got benched! I must say, it is better then getting plucked. Companies in Michigan are just disappearing all together so I guess I'm still happy to have a job.



Even Lebron get’s benched right?

6 whole weeks, 3 will be paid, and 3 will be unpaid. This is indeed a unique situation. This is a direct effect of GM shutting their plants down for 6 weeks. That's what Congress doesn't see. GM shuts their plants down for 6 weeks and shzit affects the blue collar workers at the plant as well as all levels of the industry. Suppliers, surrounding businesses etc More then 1/2 of our company has either been terminated or temporarily laid off until the plants are back running.

This has been a very humbling experience to say the least.

These are unusual times, I should have paid attention to this list:

Top 14 Signs Your Company is Planning a Layoff
14. CEO frequently overheard mumbling, "Eeny-Meeny-Miney-Moe."
13. Dr. Kervorkian hired as "Transition Consultant."
12. Windows 95 shutdown screen reads, "It's Now Safe to Start Looking for Work."
11. Company softball team down-sized to chess team.
10. Sudden proliferation of teen-age geek interns.
9. Your boss keeps asking you when he can "show your cubicle."
8. Company president now driving a Hyundai.
7. Annual company holiday bash moved from Sheraton banquet room to abandoned Fotomat booth.
6. Old Milwaukee is beer of choice at company picnics.
5. Guard at front desk nervously fingers his revolver whenever you pass by.
4. Giant yard sale in front of corporate headquarters.
3. Babes in Marketing suddenly start flirting with dorky personnel manager.
2. Employee Discount Days discontinued at Ammo Outlet.
1. Company dental plan now consists of pliers and string.



One week into this 6 week ordeal and I have at least caught up on some sleep.

KEEPING MOTIVATED

The important part is to keep motivated during this time.


When I had something to do and somewhere to be every minute of everyday, it was easy to stay motivated. If I didn't get something done then someone was pissed or money was not made.

I still have a ton of stuff to do, but without timelines and deadlines the motivation is not the same. It actually takes more mental strength to keep things going.

“This is a blessing in Disguise”

If I had a dollar for everyone who told me that, I could end this blog because I would be rich.

Instead of poppin’ each person in the mouth who says that, I decided to make the statement true.

I still wake up everyday and work out before 6:00 AM. The last thing I want to do is have months of fitness go down the drain due to laziness and self pity. That alone helps me stay motivated.

Working out early also forces you to shower after your workout and eat, helping you somewhat keep your daily routine. Just for the hell of it, I shave to keep myself presentable.

I also keep a lot of good DVD's in rotation that help me stay focused. I have those in the background while I'm working in my office.

Now I have the time to crank work into my businesses and my blogs. I have time to spend with my friends and family, which I haven’t taken advantage of yet because I have been super cranky.

The good part about this layoff is it let's me know what I've done right and what I've done wrong.
1. Obviously my hard work at my job has paid off. 20% of my company has been terminated since August 2008 and they kept me and are paying me for 3 weeks to sit home.

2. Second it tells me that developing my own businesses is more important then ever. Diversity is the key.

3. Third, the sate of the local economy tells me that internet based businesses with low overhead is the key to the short term future. This way you are not dependant on the economy of one State. Michigan will be suffering for awhile. To have money being generated nationwide is a good thing.

As I make it through my remaining 5 weeks I will be finding great blogs to link to, interesting stuff, more money making opportunities and getting my silly day time TV on.

MAURY SAYS, "You are not the Father"



I WILL MAKE THIS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE…..and maybe relax a little.
-MJL

Lebron
Lay Off
Nuff Said Outfitters
Millionaire
Rich
Work Out