It might just be...
In a few weeks, maybe sooner, TD will launch. And it’ll be busy for a few months after that. But after that we’ll be entering into a sort of “maintenance mode” when it comes to social media - where I’m not needed 40 hours a week.
Which puts me in a bit of a crisis/opportunity.
The crisis bit: In maintenance mode, it frees me up to take on other projects and I can cut back my hours to about 20 a week - maybe less - for Template Digital. In this mode, I can work as an consultant and freelancer. The problem is that I cannot stay in New Zealand on my current visa - I would have to change it to a visitor’s visa and then leave the country when that expires, 60 days from the changeover.
Here’s the upside. Maintenance mode is 100% telecommuting mode. Meaning that I can do it from Austin… or from Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Amsterdam, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Montreal, Santiago, Seoul… and come back to Austin or Wellington or Williamsburg whenever I want or need a breather.
It means giving up the idea of living in New Zealand for the rest of my life. The tradeoff is that I could live wherever the hell I want at any time for the rest of my life.
It means I will be working for myself; with all the advantages that implies - something I’ve wanted to do since that big unemployment stretch in 2006. I’m out of debt so this is a *really* good time to take on that risk. I’d have some sort of guaranteed income coming from TD, I might have some income coming from NetQoS, and my friend Josh is starting his own PR consultancy and might throw me some stuff for companies that need social media stuff written.
My entire possessions, with the exception of my car, fit into a single flight’s airport luggage. I have an accomplished resume and starting my own consultancy would make that resume even more impressive, even if it fails, I’m pretty certain I could find another job somewhere.
The more I think about this, the more I think it could work out. It is unbelievably risky, so much so than simply relocating to New Zealand. But I think it might be worth the risk.
What do you guys think?