The Online Investing AI Blog

John Grogan was a hard-working writer.

He rose up through the ranks of journalists, winning lots of awards and recognition. The pay wasn’t bad either–by journalist standards. But it certainly wasn’t enough to fund his real dreams–those aspirations that bubbled under the surface. The ones that his friends and families probably rolled their eyes when he mentioned. The ones that “didn’t pay.”

John wasn’t deterred, though.

John worked hard and wrote a tale about his attention-deficit dog, Marley. The book–Marley and Me–and the movie based on the book became blockbusters and the financial freedom opened up new career paths for the writer, including his dream of becoming an editor of an organic gardening magazine.

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Dreams Come True, Money, Online Investing AI, Success aspiration, dream, employment, inspiration, job, John Grogan, marley and me, work

Pic by mamamusings @ Flickr

Most employees are bound by a strict code. To keep employed, they’re expected to be loyal, dependable, perform tricks on demand, and subvert their own will to the will of the organization.

If this description sounds vaguely familiar, it should. This is basically the description of both a good employee–and a good dog.

In most workplaces, employees are cogs in the inevitable means-to-an-end. And that’s the way they’re treated.

The problem is that most people want to be good employees. It’s tied in with the work ethic that makes these workers feel like they are both a bad employee and a bad person if they don’t offer anything but their best work. On the other hand, they don’t want to be treated like a faithful hound, either.

There are ways, though, that you can be a bad employee, but remain a good person. It starts with the novel idea that no matter who signs your checks, you are always working for yourself.

Here are a couple tips:

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Internet, Investing, Money, Online Investing AI, Success boss, career, freedom, labor, office, responsibility, salary, self-reliance, wealth, work

It’s been said that resourcefulness is the ultimate resource. I think that for companies, innovation is the ultimate resource. Especially after seeing this screencast from Gregg at Envy Labs on Dan Pink’s blog. It really got me thinking about how innovation creates success for companies.

How awesome is that! They created a cute and funny video that people see when they unsubscribe. I don’t know if it has really reduced the unsubscribe rate. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it has.

What else is awesome about the Punish Derrick video?

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Business Strategy, Internet, Success flow, fun, groupon, innovation, punish derrick, Success, unsubscribe, work

Flickr (Creative Commons)

You have to wonder sometimes: do you think the guy who tests rides at Disney World wakes up and says, “Crap… It’s Monday… I have to ride the friggin’ roller coaster.”?

Does the staff photographer at Playboy say, “Stupid 8 a.m. photo shoots,” when his alarm clock rings?

Wonder if the buyer for Macy’s gets up on Monday and thinks to herself, “I can’t believe I have to buy all those purses.”

It wouldn’t surprise me.

The bureaucracy and office politics of the workplace can suck the fun out of the most creative, most meaningful work, turning it into… a job. And jobs are full of micromanagers, non-existent managers, backstabbers, risk averters, and the ilk who seek to commoditize inspiration and who turn the thing you were born to do into the thing you are bored to do.

Fortunately, technology and new business models offer us radical options. The world can be your workplace. You can even keep your current job while you experiment with some of the following options, designed to refresh your inspiration and give you an opportunity to transform your job back into your passion.

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Business Strategy, Dreams Come True, Internet, Money, Online Investing AI, Success, US Economy boss, consult, freelance, fun, job, mission, nine to five, occupation, Success, work, writing

Mondays stink.

Unless, of course, you develop residual streams of income. Then, Monday is just another day to earn money.

Residual income is derived from products and services that you work on once and they continue to generate income–perpetually. The internet has opened up more residual income streams than ever. Before, rent and royalties were about the only types of residual income stream available to the common person.

New residual income products and services include:

• eBooks
• Affiliate sales
• Blogs
• Web advertising
• Contextual ads
• Invention royalties
• Video and podcasting seminars

And there are a lot more. To learn more, you can check out the following sites, all of which specialize–in one form or another–in the creation of residual income.

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Business Strategy, Internet, Money, Online Investing AI, Success blogs, ebooks, freedom, job, monday, Money, personal finance, personal financial freedom, residual income, royalties, wealth singularity, work

headsclouds @ Flickr

Do you think that little room in your house–the one where you set up your desk and computer–is especially scary?

Then why is your boss so freaked out by it?

Home offices are not a threat to productivity; they’re a threat to power. Certain people are turned on by an office full of fawning subordinates, even if they’re paying for the attention.

But don’t worry about working for these bosses much longer. They’ll be obsolete. Innovative companies with enlightened managers are out-performing and out-saving their dinosaur competition by creating more creative work options.

Here’s why:

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Accelerating Technology, Business Strategy, Internet, Money, Online Investing AI, Success, US Economy company, computer, entrepreneurship, future, home office, personal finance, power, productivity, small business, work

michelehrv @ Flickr

In perhaps the biggest no-kidding study of this young century, a recent study indicates that job satisfaction is at an all time low.

Can we just say, no kidding?

Job satisfaction is down. Scratch that. It’s not down. It’s plummeting, according to The Conference Board.

The Conference Board’s survey polled 5,000 households, and found that only 45% were satisfied in their jobs. That’s down from 61.1% in 1987, the first year the survey was conducted.

A total of 61 percent of the workforce is looking for a way out!

But it gets worse. Workers younger than 25 were the most unhappy in their jobs. These are our future. They’re saying they don’t have one.

And I say it’s all good news.

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Accelerating Technology, Automated Trading, Business Strategy, Dreams Come True, Internet, Money, Online Investing AI, Success, US Economy company, corporation, employment, job satisfaction, jobs, portable empire, work

hoyasmeg@Flickr

Each generation of workers bring their own cultural insights and values to the workforce. Eventually, the new generation–and its values and insights–replaces the former. During that succession process, there is tension between the younger and older generations.

“How things are done” vies for “how things can be done.”

In the past these executive torch passes have been relatively benign and the younger generation has borne the brunt of the battle. The younger workers had to learn hard lessons on how to adjust to the concrete jungle.

But things are changing. Because the exponential growth of technology our next generation of workers are more connected, more tech savvy, and more determined to approach employment on their own terms.

This revolution in technology and the drastic changes in attitude are quickly turning bosses into dinosaurs and threatening companies with extinction. Here are just a few ways to determine if your boss is a dinosaur.

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Accelerating Technology, Dreams Come True, Internet, Money, Online Investing AI, Success boss, dino, dinosaur, employee, employer, executive, work, workforce

Now is the time to make the time,
Hope is still in sight.
Let us not go gently,
To the endless winter night.

– Rush, Red Tide

I don’t know about you, but I love to plan. Plan the day, the month, and most importantly, the year. Most people are running around shopping like crazy, but I think now is the most important time to stop, think, and plan.

The end of the year is a great time to evaluate this year, and think about what we want to happen for next year. I like to ask myself the following questions:

Am I better off now than at the beginning of this year in the following categories:

• financially
• emotionally
• with respect to my relationships
• with my body and health
• in my career or business

If I have one most important goal in life, what would it be? How much progress did I make toward it this year?

Here are some more questions that are great to ask:

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Accelerating Technology, Dreams Come True, Success goals, happiness, health, holidays, job, planning, Success, work

Frozen Economy by lrargerich @ Flickr

The Fed’s Beige Book business survey, which reported that the economy is improving “modestly” the last few weeks. (You can read a report on the Beige Book at Forbes.)

The survey looks at economic condition in 12 markets. A total of eight of those markets are starting to show signs of increased economic activity.

That’s a little silver lining. The report also indicates that hiring remains weak and may not reach past levels in six to eight years.

That’s right: six to eight YEARS.

“But wait,” I hear you say, “I thought you said there was a silver lining. People losing their jobs and struggling to find work isn’t good news.”

You’re right. It’s not good news. At all. But, bear with me, because there is positive news in this trend.

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Business Strategy, Money, Online Investing AI, Success, US Economy beige book, economy, fed, job, jobs, reserve, unemployment, work