The power of Following Your Dream

I have been following the conversation by @cpappas 10 Advantages to Becoming an eLearning Freelancer:

http://elearningindustry.com/10-advantages-becoming-elearning-freelancer

and the follow up rebuttal post by Jason Fletcher on the ELNet Site:

http://elnet.com.au/index.php/news/blog/entry/10-disadvantages-of-being-an-e-learning-consultant

And I realised one thing:

How great and liberating it feels to be free.

Yes Mr. Fletcher I do my own cleaning, my own accounts and I even make my own coffee but you know what I am FREE !

I have gone from 15 phone hook up meetings a week to maybe three (and that is my choosing).

I have gone from 30 min lunch break to watching FOX SPORTS lunch time wrap for one hour.

I have gone from travelling to Canberra in the middle of June to sleeping in and hearing the airport fog report and freeway chaos on the radio.

I have gone from having numerous staff reporting to me to my wife asking me if I got to do the washing today.

I have gone from sleepless nights to staying up all night  watching the FIFA World Cup

I have gone from 8 Aspirin a week to one a month.

Yes Mr. Fletcher the pay is not as good, yes you do miss the social interaction but do I miss it overall – NO WAY.

For now I will relax, review , explore my horizon, explore the opportunities that may present themselves, develop my skills, network with my peers, do the laundry  and enjoy a break.

One thing is for sure – I don’t miss those Tuesdays where I went from a 9:00 a.m. phone meeting right thru to 3:30 p.m. phone meeting with a 30 min break for lunch and toilet – no Mr Fletcher that I don’t miss.

Follow your dream!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The power of Twitter

If anyone ever questions the power of Twitter, well listen to this story.

Travelling from Canberra to Melbourne last night – plane lands and taxing to gate.  Plane is at gate and we are told we are able to use our phones.

I do as all others do and get my bag down from the lockers and then pull out my iPhone  and start to read my twitter feed.

The guy behind me just happened to also be doing the same thing. As he pulled his bag down he glanced over my shoulder at my phone and then to my surprise said:

“Hey you are Con Sotidis – is that right?”

I turned around and looked in amazement – I had never met this guy before in my life, never spoke to him, did not know him at all.

So I replied with a little hesitation – “yes how do you know my name”

His response: “Mate I can recognise that Twitter Pic from a mile away – everyone knows @Learnkotch and his Pic”

So we got talking – ended up discovering that he is a mate of @activatelearn and he works in L&D at the NAB with Helen.

Am amazing experience that I had to share.

What did I learn:

1. Never underestimate the power of Twitter

2. My Twitter pic and my caricature are strong key elements of my brand and my business

3. Social Media has a role to play in our professional lives.

 

Welcome to my Blog

Well after years of talking about it and promising to do it I have finally taken the plunge. Thanks to all my PLN for their support and encouragement in getting me to here. Over the next few blogs I will be referring to them personally.

What can you expect on LearnKotch blog – well if you follow me on twitter (@learnkotch) you will get more of the same just in a few more words.

I am passionate about L&D and I am also a believer of constructive and active discussion on a broad range of L&D issues. L&D folk are great to work with and we all love to share and interact – after all we are in the people profession  – but what we don’t do as well as other professions is challenge and question each other.

My aim is to provide my perspective on various L&D issues, challenge some of the concepts been floated but most importantly strengthen the L&D profession and challenge us to continue to innovate L&D offerings and processes.

So welcome to my humble Blog, bear with me as I get to grips with blogging, but most of all please leave me feedback as to how I can improve and any thoughts you may have on my “musings”.

Watch out world here comes LearnKotch…..