Christopher S. Penn – Marketing AI Keynote Speaker

Declaring Social Media Independence Not Always A Great Idea

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Christopher S Penn
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Declaring Social Media Independence Not Always A Great Idea

We make a great deal out of saying how independent media is terrific. Independent media is the future. The usual stuff – and I don’t disagree, independence is a wonderful thing, the right and privilege to do pretty much whatever you want. No gatekeepers or superiors to answer to, no corporate bosses to kowtow to. As an independent media producer, you’re free, and that siren call lures lots of people to social media. Quit Your Day Job! and its ilk.

Look back at our history. There were a number of occasions when the United States of America very nearly didn’t make it. The Whiskey Rebellion. The War of 1812. The Civil War.

Independence is freedom, true. But independence also means the loss of a safety net. When you free yourself and leap off the cliff to freedom, you’d better be damn sure you’re strong enough to fly. You can have mentors and friends to help to some extent, but at the end of the day, you have to be strong enough to fly on your own.

The same skills that eventually helped America become more than just a rebellious British colony are the skills that any independent media producer absolutely must have. Fiscal discipline, strategy, planning, and a boatload of luck all head up the list, as well as having something worth fighting for. Independence for independence’s sake is not enough.

This is why I continue to happily work for a corporation, for the Student Loan Network. I know that there are people who value what I can do and believe I’d make a fine independent contractor, and if I had to play to only my strengths, I’d of course do that. But independence is a double edged sword, and I also know my limitations. I know what things I’m not good at, what things are weaknesses.

I am happy to exchange absolute freedom for the comfort of not having to deal with bookkeeping, personnel, accounting, sales, contract negotiation, object oriented development, high quality customer service, utility management, janitorial services, vendor selection, and the billion other things that I don’t do when I go to work every day, that you don’t see in my YouTube videos and other social media efforts, but are just as important to the well-being and functioning of a company.

Perhaps someday, I’ll consider making that jump, but if I do, I know for damn sure I’ll be ready to fly.

If you’re thinking about taking that leap, about declaring your independence, recognize that independence carries with it tremendous responsibility. If you don’t know your weaknesses and have a strategy to address them, it’s going to be a short, short flight.

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Comments

9 responses to “Declaring Social Media Independence Not Always A Great Idea”

  1. PodcastSteve Avatar
    PodcastSteve

    Having just read Jake McKee's post on this, (http://communityguy.disqus.com/my_own_personal_…) and yours, both Tweeted by Chris Brogan, all I can say is being independent is NOT for everyone. All of the headaches you describe are ones I deal with every day, and the pile of receipts I still have to scan and log grows every day. Paying my own taxes, paying my own health premiums (:-0 all chores that you don't think about inside.

    But as even the world's most admired companies, like Google, start acting like, well, companies (see the NY Times Joe Nocero column about Google's daycare fiasco), and act as if their employees (or associates, or whatever euphemism they use) don't really matter, are interchangeable, or will put up with all kinds of nonsense, the idea of the “safety net” of a corporate job gets less and less attractive or compelling.

    Reply
  2. larrylawfer Avatar
    larrylawfer

    Chris, This is a thoughtful post, as are most of your posts. Having been independent for 27 years now I agree with you from the other side. There is a great deal of responsibility to being independent. There is no safety net, you are only as good as your last time out, you may truly “work in this town again” if you don't delivery, there will always be someone out there who says they are better, smarter, cheaper, whatever, and yet, for those who are built like that, there is no alternative to independence.

    Both types work hard and can grow to be happy and productive, this isn't a value judgment of one path versus another, it is just an observation about people. Some can handle the risk and volitility to focus on a dream and make it happen, and other choice to be part of a dream and make that dream happen better with their efforts. It's all good.

    Reply
  3. Amrita Chandra Avatar
    Amrita Chandra

    Good points – I have been on both sides – independent and salaried staff. I am just getting ready to make the jump to independent again, and am prepared (or at least aware) of the downsides. You are right a lot of folks think being independent is total freedom but it is more a different kind of freedom — trading flexibility and life/work balance for less financial freedom.

    Thanks for giving me more food for thought, although I have already decided to make the leap!

    Reply
  4. PodcastSteve Avatar
    PodcastSteve

    Having just read Jake McKee's post on this, (http://communityguy.disqus.com/my_own_personal_…) and yours, both Tweeted by Chris Brogan, all I can say is being independent is NOT for everyone. All of the headaches you describe are ones I deal with every day, and the pile of receipts I still have to scan and log grows every day. Paying my own taxes, paying my own health premiums (:-0 all chores that you don't think about inside.

    But as even the world's most admired companies, like Google, start acting like, well, companies (see the NY Times Joe Nocero column about Google's daycare fiasco), and act as if their employees (or associates, or whatever euphemism they use) don't really matter, are interchangeable, or will put up with all kinds of nonsense, the idea of the “safety net” of a corporate job gets less and less attractive or compelling.

    Reply
  5. PodcastSteve Avatar
    PodcastSteve

    Having just read Jake McKee's post on this, (http://communityguy.disqus.com/my_own_personal_…) and yours, both Tweeted by Chris Brogan, all I can say is being independent is NOT for everyone. All of the headaches you describe are ones I deal with every day, and the pile of receipts I still have to scan and log grows every day. Paying my own taxes, paying my own health premiums (:-0 all chores that you don't think about inside.

    But as even the world's most admired companies, like Google, start acting like, well, companies (see the NY Times Joe Nocero column about Google's daycare fiasco), and act as if their employees (or associates, or whatever euphemism they use) don't really matter, are interchangeable, or will put up with all kinds of nonsense, the idea of the “safety net” of a corporate job gets less and less attractive or compelling.

    Reply
  6. larrylawfer Avatar
    larrylawfer

    Chris, This is a thoughtful post, as are most of your posts. Having been independent for 27 years now I agree with you from the other side. There is a great deal of responsibility to being independent. There is no safety net, you are only as good as your last time out, you may truly “work in this town again” if you don't delivery, there will always be someone out there who says they are better, smarter, cheaper, whatever, and yet, for those who are built like that, there is no alternative to independence.

    Both types work hard and can grow to be happy and productive, this isn't a value judgment of one path versus another, it is just an observation about people. Some can handle the risk and volitility to focus on a dream and make it happen, and other choice to be part of a dream and make that dream happen better with their efforts. It's all good.

    Reply
  7. larrylawfer Avatar
    larrylawfer

    Chris, This is a thoughtful post, as are most of your posts. Having been independent for 27 years now I agree with you from the other side. There is a great deal of responsibility to being independent. There is no safety net, you are only as good as your last time out, you may truly “work in this town again” if you don't delivery, there will always be someone out there who says they are better, smarter, cheaper, whatever, and yet, for those who are built like that, there is no alternative to independence.

    Both types work hard and can grow to be happy and productive, this isn't a value judgment of one path versus another, it is just an observation about people. Some can handle the risk and volitility to focus on a dream and make it happen, and other choice to be part of a dream and make that dream happen better with their efforts. It's all good.

    Reply
  8. Amrita Chandra Avatar
    Amrita Chandra

    Good points – I have been on both sides – independent and salaried staff. I am just getting ready to make the jump to independent again, and am prepared (or at least aware) of the downsides. You are right a lot of folks think being independent is total freedom but it is more a different kind of freedom — trading flexibility and life/work balance for less financial freedom.

    Thanks for giving me more food for thought, although I have already decided to make the leap!

    Reply
  9. Amrita Chandra Avatar
    Amrita Chandra

    Good points – I have been on both sides – independent and salaried staff. I am just getting ready to make the jump to independent again, and am prepared (or at least aware) of the downsides. You are right a lot of folks think being independent is total freedom but it is more a different kind of freedom — trading flexibility and life/work balance for less financial freedom.

    Thanks for giving me more food for thought, although I have already decided to make the leap!

    Reply

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