it’s always worth working alone and feeling the sense of fulfillment. When you work for yourself, you get to enjoy the results your hard work!

- Jack Leak

I could not agree more, Steve that working for yourself is the higher path of life. Working for a corporation is allowing others to leverage your contributions and steal your wealth. True wealth comes from creativity in the human mind not the almighty dollar. I have some more tips on my blog about working for yourself.

[...] writing about the benefits of working for The Man even when you are self-employed, Brian Lee at Genuis Types puts into words an opinion I have held dear: Working for The Man and not [...]

Brian,
I work for the man and I get all the benefits you describe. I also have worked for myself. I had one business I hated to work on just like I’ve had jobs I hate. I keep this job becuase I like it and I’m learning while my wife is building a business. I get the best of both worlds.

“Working for The Man and not needing his money is a whole different story.”

I really can’t agree with you more. Right now I am working for a company, in a 9-5 job. I see all these miserable employees unhappy about their salaries and wanting more.

For me, I am not really bothered about salary, as I have alternative passive income coming in elsewhere. It makes me feel i am an observer looking at the bigger picture.

Hey Brain,

I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. This is a great post and worth more than a $1 tip.

I’d encourage you to change your tip jar amount so that you can accelerate your movement towards your dreams of making a movie.

All the best and keep up the good work!

Stephen Martile
http://www.stephenmartile.com

Wow, that’s a really great compliment! Thank you.

brian,

i use your blog as a model for my own blog – yours is a truly impressive one that has earned every right to a significant readership. i enjoy all yours posts, especially “what i would have told myself if i were 18″ because i am still young and it’s great to hear the advice such as taking your time and not rushing the idea of “finding” oneself. and i think it’s simply novel that you mixed working for yourself AND “the man” to optimize one’s life financially. amazing, practical, and highly readable content. keep it up and stay in touch on the blogosphere!

Wow…your observations about what it takes to make entrepreneurship work are keen.

One strategy every entrepreneur can learn from this is learning how to take those organizational relationships and transform them into a signficantly performing business.

Too often new entrepreneurs try to go it alone.

But there is tremendous value in building relationships with an organizational team of people who intimately know you and can vouch for the magic you bring to the table.

Thanks for such an eye-opening post!

Great comments, guys. This post has attracted some very intelligent discussion.

I may have found the best of both worlds! Well, at the best of “working for the man” world…

In July of this year, I accepted a new job with one of the BIG computer makers. I’m a field consultant in a very specialized area of IT, and I work from home. My job is such that I work about 1-2, maybe 3, jobs per week, and most jobs only last 1 day. If I have to travel, that might add an extra 1/2 or full day once in a while.

I never thought I would LOVE working from home so much. I also thought I would hate the travel. Truth is, I actually enjoy it. It’s mostly local, so I can drive, and it gives me time to think, listen to audio books, etc.

My wife likes it because we see each other WAY more now than we ever did when I worked a 9-5. It’s like being my own boss. With the exception of my scheduled jobs (at customer sites), I set my own schedule and work when I want. My wife is on 3rd shift, so I do all my admin stuff at night and spend more time with her during the day when she’s not sleeping.

I’m still searching for the passive income that can replace my full-time job, but so far it hasn’t come. For now, my website and investments are the only two places I’m focusing attention. Maybe that’s really all I need to do….

Great article. It’s a great refresher for those who may be going through a lull and need a pick-me-up!

I like that you shared your personal goal of making movies – I too am working towards that.

I however, wanted to turn my attention to the meat of the article – that working for the man isn’t a bad thing. Especially if you the know the man has something great to teach.

I think a hangup is that I know too few good men. I’d love to work a company filled with vibrant minds and proven processes, if only I could find one that suited me well enough.

Often I entertain the fantasy of dropping out of school and working a simple job involving simple physical labor, just so I can leave work mentally and think about my own projects.

Anyway, nice post.

You say that it’s not as easy today to do what Robert Rodriguez did. It seems to me, that it’s a lot easier (cheap digital cameras, cheap editing software).

What parts of making a movie on the cheap are harder now than then?

More competition. Everyone is making their own movies now, but fewer seem to be getting picked up like back in the indie glory days.