A letter to the newly self-employed: 3 things to do when you want to quit

A letter to the newly self-employed: 3 things to do when you want to quit

by | Dec 13, 2016 | Getting Started with your Business

Letter to the self-employed

Today I stumbled upon a letter I wrote, but never sent, to a friend of mine who recently made the plunge into self-employment

We had just had a conversation over a glass of wine celebrating her last day at her job.

She was so full of hope and excitement, but also fear for this new challenge in front of her. She wanted know what she would expect….

I can’t remember if I managed to answer that question in any kind of eloquent way, but it’s definitely one that stuck with me over the next week.

And I wrote this.

My friend,

There are so many romantic ideas about going off on your own, taking the ‘path less traveled’, ‘following your passion’, or even my own minor version… ‘following your curiosities.’

In a vacuum … those things sounds amazing.

They sound brave.

They sound like the person I want to be.

But that’s not really the whole story…

It’s part to if. There are definitely wonderful things to learn and see in the world of working for yourself. There are days that are so gratifying.

And there are other days.

There are days you’ll miss the office. There are days you would do anything for a paycheque that comes every Friday with your name on it.

Because ‘the challenge’ of being self-employed/freelancing/a working artist is sometimes exhausting.

That same ‘challenge’ that energizes you some days, can wipe you out.

The lack of stability will own you. The constant hustling will drain your creativity. And you will find yourself panicked, wondering how you ever came to chose this life.

Sounds fun right?

It will happen, in some form or another. And so here are three things you should do when that inevitable soul sucking moment comes:

1. Don’t quit (at least not yet)

I have no problem with quitting, but don’t do it when you’re in this place. Take that decision off the table right now and leave if for a day when things are a little more balanced.

2. Remember who you are and why you did this

I think you should always have a little note written down somewhere that says:

  • who you are
  • what you offer the world
  • why you’re doing what you’re doing

Write it when you feel great. Read it when you’re not.

3. Go to bed

Some days are hard. The weight of balancing a million things without a safety net can feel like too much.

You don’t have to fix it today.

Go to sleep. Watch a movie. Take a walk.

Try again tomorrow.

Self-employment is one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve ever worked on. It humbles me daily. It defeats me every week.

I love it and I hate it.

Welcome to the challenge. I hope you have a blast.

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE or by checking out my SERVICES page.

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Budgeting doesn’t mean fewer cupcakes

Budgeting doesn’t mean fewer cupcakes

by | Dec 8, 2016 | Budgets, Infographic

One fateful Sunday, in a fit of boredom I baked 2 dozen cupcakes.

I really didn't need those cupcakes, and after the copious amount of batter and icing I ate while making them... I didn't really want them.

But from that experience was born this tasty little budgeting infographic.

I hope you enjoy it, eat a bunch of cupcakes, and remember that budgeting doesn't mean you get less stuff... it just means that you don't have to feel bad about the stuff you do get.

Budgeting Infographic

If you're interested in reading a bit more about the combined subject of budgets and cupcakes... might I suggest:

HOW TO BUILD A BUDGET THAT DOESN'T SUCK

and also (although it's light on the cupcakes):

PLANNING TO BE SPONTANEOUS: HOW BUDGETING FREED ME UP TO BE IN THE MOMENT

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE or by checking out my SERVICES page.

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Do financial ratios actually matter?

Do financial ratios actually matter?

by | Dec 7, 2016 | Because Money

Financial Ratios

Financial ratios aren't something that people care about .... until they're talking to a financial institution that chooses to rate them as a human being by those very ratios.

In this episode of BECAUSE MONEY, we talk about three of the most common ones: networth, the Total Debt Service Ratio, and your credit score.

We discuss what they cover, what they don't, and whether they matter at all.

We also play a game of Dungeons and Ratios... which at first seemed like just be a silly bit of fun... but ended up being a really awesome look into what a mortgage broker and an ex banker learn from seeing your credit score and TDSR. I found it super interesting.

You can catch the whole episode below or see other episodes HERE.

Jackson talks about chickens (and the potential of a goat) 0:28

Do financial ratios actually matter? 4:54

We play a game of Dungeons and Ratios! 5:27

Sandi gives up and quits the game... 20:55

Networth. What is it good for? 22.53

Jackson rants about the Total Debt Service Ratio: 25:30

The best mortgage advice: 31:44

I do an artsy rant about community: 33:10

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE or by checking out my SERVICES page.

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Why ‘mezza voce’ and budgets really don’t matter

Why ‘mezza voce’ and budgets really don’t matter

by | Dec 6, 2016 | Budgets

Budgets don't matter

I was doing a podcast a little while ago, talking to two fellow opera singers about what I love about personal finance and financial planning and one of the hosts stopped me and said something like:

“Look, I hear what you’re saying, and it sounds great… like it’s this game changing thing… but it can’t be that easy.

(… that’s a horrible misquote of a much more eloquently expressed thought, but it’s been rolling around in my mind for a while now…)

It’s such a trap to write about something you believe is a transformative tool that everyone needs.

Because… everyone doesn’t need it.

That’s right. I said it. Not everyone needs this personal finance/financial planning stuff.

Some people are fine. And if everything is honestly working fine… why micro manage it. It’s working.

And for those of us that aren’t doing fine… it’s not easy. It’s really difficult… but not for the reasons you might think.

Consider this massive oversimplification of my job as an opera singer….

 

When I’m singing my main goal is to communicate an awesome idea or emotion to another person.

Budgets don't matter

There’s a lot of tools to help this happen: staging, lighting, vocal colour, and of course … the baritone claw. But the whole point it to get that idea from my brain to that other person’s brain.

But I forget that all the time.

I’ll be sitting in a masterclass, or a performance and hear some insane piece of technique. A mezza voce that stops my soul, or a bone shaking resonance and immediately I’m thinking…

“How cool would it be if I could do that?”

So I run to the practise room and obsess about mezza voce for the next 6 months or on one unfortunate period of my life it was trying to master the goat trill.

The problem is that the tool doesn’t matter on it’s own. If it’s not helping my overall purpose of communicating an awesome idea… it’s kind of useless.

Budgets don't matter

And let’s be honest. I’m oversimplifying the purpose of opera by saying it’s ‘just communicating an awesome idea’. It makes it sound like something simple…

… but you know it’s not.

It’s freaking hard.

It takes years of mastery. It’s not a matter of ‘just’ doing anything. It’s a combination of a thousand ever changing factors and tools that match with your deepest, darkest identity.

It’s the same with money.

What if the oversimplified purpose of your life is to take the values that you find really important (family, beautify, justice) and put them into the world.

Money is one of the tools that helps you do that.

The challenge is to connect your money with your values to create a life that you’re happy with.

Budgets don't matter

Now, you might need some tools to help you with that….

But that basic goal is what matters.

Not financial planning.

Not budgets

Not any tool or ideology at all.

There’s a million ways to communicate an awesome idea.

I sing opera. Maybe you paint on canvas, or channel your soul through the words of Shakespeare.

There are also a million ways to make peace with money.

I use financial planning and teach it to others.

But that doesn’t mean it’s the right tool for you.

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE or by checking out my SERVICES page.

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What’s a robo-advisor (and should you be using one)??

What’s a robo-advisor (and should you be using one)??

by | Nov 30, 2016 | Investing

What is a robo-advisor?

I get lots of questions about investing. It's something I don't write about a lot, partly because there are so many resources out there, and partly because it doesn't interest me as much as some of the other areas of finance.

But I had a blast recording this episode of Because Money and talking about robo-advisors.

Robo-advisors are an awesome new tool that are great for people who want to invest, but have no idea how or where to start.

And John and Sandi (my podcast compatriates) have invented... YES INVENTED... a tool to help people choose which robo-advisor is the right fit for you.

This episode is great for newbie investors AND people that know a thing or two about stocks and bonds. Newbie's might want to check out John's 'Starter guide to investing' at the top of the episode... it's everything the rest of the internet is trying to tell you... but explained way better.

So, give this episode a listen, play around with THE CALCULATOR, and if you have any questions feel free to send them my way (I will forward the tough ones on to Sandi and John).

Starter guide to investing (in under 5 minutes): 2:18

Is a robo-advisor a robot? 7:27

Why are robo-advisor fees so low? 9:06

Is my money safe with a robo-advisor? 10:33

What are the differences between the many robo-advisors in Canada? 13:10

Why build a robo-advisor calculator? 15:38

The 'best' robo-advisor vs the best robo-advisor FOR YOU: 18:43

How we compared all the Robo fees: 19:58

Do robo-advisors offer financial planning? 27:24

Should you consider investing with a robo advisor? 31:05

You can find the calculator HERE.

You can find John's book on investing (it's great) HERE.

And you can find the incomparible Sandi Martin right over.... HERE.

For another article on robo-advisors... check out THIS PIECE by Young and Thrifty (you might recognize the graphics).

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE or by checking out my SERVICES page.

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