Thompson - Being Boss

Hey, there. Emily and Kathleen here. Before we dive in we want to make a few things clear: we are successful working creatives who have bootstrapped our own businesses from the ground up (with zero debt!), but were not writing a textbook on entrepreneurship. Were not going to tell you how to build a business model that works or guarantee a six-figure launch. And while we wholeheartedly believe that being boss begins with a confident mindset, this book isnt about manifesting your way to millions.

You crave the freedom to work the way you want, when you want, and where you want (and if youre anything like us, you want to work all over the worldfrom a coffee shop in New Orleans to the beach in Tulum). You want financial independence that will afford you the opportunity to make your own choices. And on the flip side of freedom, you also crave just a little bit of structurea way to organize your day so you feel productive and efficient, but on your terms. And we know youve got some big ass goals; we want this book to be a guide in how to make those a reality.

Finally, the economy is changing. The landscape of how we work and who we work for is shifting. Self-employment is not just for the risk-taking bold and brave, anymore. More and more people are working for themselves out of necessity, practicality, or opportunity, but that doesnt necessarily mean they have it all figured out. No matter how youve come to entrepreneurship, you may find yourself needing some direction. Youre just trying to figure it out as you go, and guess whatso is everyone else! This book is here to give you the guidance you crave and to let you know were in it together.

Kathleen here! Growing up, I never imagined working for myself. The word entrepreneur was never a part of my vocabulary and I didnt come from a lineage of family business. In fact, my parents valued their day jobs working for the government, complete with fantastic benefits and retirement plansa steady paycheck with a pension was the definition of security. Growing up, I assumed the order of things was simple: you go to school, make good grades, go to an affordable in-state college, get a job with health insurance, contribute to a 401k, and save as much as you can. Once you have job security, you buy a modest car, get married, start a family, go on vacation once a year, work nine to five, come home, and watch your shows (our familys show of choice was the soap opera All My Childrenwe watched it on our VCR every day after everyone came home). Rinse and repeat.

Im truly grateful for my pleasant suburban upbringing and what my parents provided for us, but I always felt a little bit like an outsider. My suspicions that I was different were confirmed when I was named most nonconformist every single year through middle and high school. While all my classmates were sporting Lucky Brand jeans and No Fear T-shirts, I was fearlessly rocking argyle socks, combat boots, and thrift store flannels. My style icons were Kurt Cobain and Gwen Stefani (and still are to this day, really).

I have always liked to think of myself as the rebellious youngest sister, but the truth is Ive got a lot of Type A, rule-following, people-pleasing genetics at play. Sure, I let my freak flag fly a little when it came to personal style and creative expression, but I was still following the very safe path my parents had forged for me. I vied for gold stars from my teachers and hated getting anything less than an A on my report card (even an A- was anxiety-inducing). I graduated from college with a degree in fine arts and graphic design and got a job right away, working my way up to senior art director at a small advertising agency. Those gold stars turned into gold medals won at annual industry banquets, followed up by bonuses and high fives from my boss. In my twenties I had a mortgage and a 401k, and felt like I had made it. I was motivated to climb the ladder ahead of me until one day I decided to build my own damn ladder.

I had been working as an art director for five years when I developed a bit of an obsession with Mount Everest. It started when I watched a reality-style TV show on the Discovery Channel about a group of adventurers attempting to summit the highest mountain in the world. Then I started reading books about Everest and watching serious documentaries about what it takes to climb the worlds highest peak and the risks involved.

At the same time I had been keeping an online blog where I shared stuff like getting married, remodeling a historical home with my husband, learning how to cook good food, and all things adulting. Capturing, shaping, and sharing my life had become my hobbyand unknowingly, I was creating a personal brand for myself. Writing about the details of life helped elevate the mundane into something interesting, andon the flip sideI was living more life so Id have something to write about. I was surprised when someone besides my mom began to read my blog. I managed to attract an audience that not only liked reading about my life but would one day support my entrepreneurial endeavors.

Writing about my life intersected with my crush on the worlds tallest mountain when I thought trekking to Mount Everest Basecamp would make a great story. And you have to understand, at that point in my life I had hardly been out of the country, much less to the other side of the world. Oh, and I didnt even own hiking boots. So along with all the things I needed to figure out to make this trek happen, I wasnt entirely clear on how I was going to take three and a half weeks off work when I got only two weeks of paid vacation time per year. But I started my plans to traipse through the foothills of the Himalayas by buying a plane ticket to Kathmandu, Nepal. I trusted that I would figure it out as I went.