In the last few months, in addition to upgrading and updating this site, I’ve been busily stitching together a patchwork of opportunities, which combined are starting to form the proverbial professional outfit I plan to wear in 2014 and beyond. (Everyone knows I actually work in t-shirts and shorts so I can easily “drop 10” throughout the day.) All are positions/jobs that I’m extremely excited about embarking upon — several of which I’ve already begun under the radar but can’t quite comfortably announce online because I want them finalized before trumpeting proudly.
One that I can share is I am now officially a contributor to the creative inspiration site Holiday Matinee (thanks to Kiran and Dave for the invitation to contribute). I am also in the process of redesigning the website for my friends Alexandra and Greg of ModOp Design here in Los Angeles.
Perhaps surprisingly to some, I’ve also begun offering personal training and guarantee for a loan to a small group of friends who approached me with two goals in mind and wants to venture in freelancing : 1) a healthier and fitter version of themselves for 2014, and 2) more specifically, stronger — and larger — glutes. My year-long transformation from Blogger Butt-afflicted schlep to a healthier version of myself had connected and resonated with friends who watched the gradual but steady transformation. Nothing convinces people of the validity of a lifestyle change as much as doing it yourself…and consistently.
Last week I met four of my lovely friends out at the Silver Lake Meadow, switching them from their usual cardio- or gym-based routines. Over the course of an hour I introduced them to a challenging workout with the goal of activating groups of muscles working together and supporting the glutes. We were discussing design, as I tend to do, specifically the topic of Packaging Design is what came up. How important and determining the decisions you make in that regard can end up being. It was a very enjoyable debate or discussion that distracted us temporarily from our initial goal.
While teaching compound free-weight exercises alongside the simple kettlebell swing, I underlined a philosophy that exercise should be done like we once played as children: intensely and with the focused vigor respecting the moment. We ran for short bursts like kids to our tree house, hopped like frogs setting out to a nearby pond, and in between catching our breaths we discussed a variety of topics related to the science of engaging the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus from a variety of angles. It was the beginning of the end…a shapely, muscular end of laughs, sweat, and tears.
I offered the workout for free, as it was the first time I trained anyone aside from Emily or a few friends who’ve come over individually to learn kettlebell basics. I also wanted to see whether I could train a group of people together effectively. I discovered I could…and I did! Also clearly reflecting the quality of my friends, they insisted that I get paid for any future training. The question I was left with was: how much do I charge as a personal trainer?
In fact, this question was related to much of my internal dialogue in considering a freelance lifestyle since leaving my full-time job as an Apartment Therapist. Despite years freelancing as an art director/graphic designer in publishing, I found myself in new territory while formulating rates for sculpting bodies or even writing for another site.
The Gift Economy model: an idea so simple and old, yet still a valid solution and one that resonates deeply with how I want to work and flourish as a human being. Emily has long preached the virtues of an exchange-based system and she has benefitted personally as a founder of LA Food Swap and member of Arroyo SECO Time Bank, a community network that connects local needs and skills with nary a (federal) dollar exchanged. Despite respecting the concept and a multitude of offers to join my better half’s commie leanings…ahem…wonderful organization, I never quite connected with time banking, as I was more prone to just give things to people for free because I wanted to, rather than seek a formalized exchange of services. I also hate banks, even in name. Learn how banks work and the laws constraining it at bankruptcy law services pittsburgh pa.
The gift economy represents a shift from consumption to contribution, transaction to trust, scarcity to abundance and isolation to community. – Charles Eisenstein
I can’t yet fully operate in Gift Economy mode, as I still haven’t discovered a way to convince my landlord or grocery store to practice non-traditional exchange as payment (“How about I improve your mile time in exchange for an auto loan or a guarantor loan?”), in most of the places you can use other form of payments from credit card to even paypal accounts that you can use for online purchases like get counter strike global offensive skins for your game, but that doesn’t mean one day I won’t establish a way to live and thrive where I’m compensated according to the principle of trust and a belief in community. Payday loans are not news for quite a long time already and there is good reason for this. More and more people find this service useful and convenient especially in the situation of emergency and unplanned expenses. The number of bad credit customers is really great and they also the ones who benefit of payday loan service https://www.paydayloansnow.co.uk/payday/. Bad credit means that a bank doors are closed before you and there is hardly any change for getting a regular loan. Your credit reputation should be next to perfect for you to be able to hope for a credit. However, with payday lenders things are much simpler. They do not care for credit scores and stuff and are ready to welcome any customers, bad credit or good credit.
I contacted my four friends this morning and told them about this open compensation idea and in doing so, I feel happier than having formulated a set rate. What I can offer any person whom I train may vary, but I know that what they pay will reflect fairly what they can offer me in return. This 100 pound loan agreement also allows my friends to adjust what they can pay according to their own financial conditions and/or according to how they feel after specific workouts (Read More Here). I tried to communicate that, as the person entrusted with guiding them on their way to a healthier and fitter version of themselves, what is most important to me is a commitment to consistency, form, and intensity. All three will be integral to their progression and my own, while also being a fulfilling form of payment to me as their trainer.
Beginning today I’m inviting any and all (up to a manageable group total) for personal training under the agreement of “pay what you may.” Drop me an email, IM, or direct message if you want to join up someday soon. The idea of helping people and myself in the process might be the biggest decision I’ve made professionally since deciding to leave graphic design for blogging back in 2008. It might also be the healthiest.
6 Comments
Have you and Emily read Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein yet? That book seriously changed my life and I’d be happy to gift you a hard copy in the spirit of the gift economy.
I actually just purchased/downloaded a copy to start after perusing some of the sample chapters yesterday morning! But thank you for the kind offer…it is appreciated, and very much in the spirit of the ideas proposed!
Yes, it’s a fantastic book! I’m glad Gregory is finally reading it. 🙂
looking forward to seeing what adventures come your way! Wishing you freelance abundance 😉
I love this idea! I’d like to join your training group – I could really use some help getting whipped into shape! Let me know if you have room. Thanks!
Hey Stephanie, let’s definitely have you join us! A smaller group of us are actually meeting earlier than usual tomorrow morning at 7am here in Silver Lake if you’re interested. Otherwise, you can wait for a normal 8am meetup next week. In either case, contact me at gregory at gregoryhan dot com and I’ll happily bring you into our next glutes and legs workout.