My Concept

Thee norm is to have a self-image of either being an employee or an entrepeneur - PortfolioLiving is my alternative - hope it can be of inspiration to you as well!

The vast majority of people in the workforce today are regular employees, (hopefully) dedicated to their work - working regular hours (37 hours in Denmark as per contract - some countries 40 or even 50 hours per week) - while a small group people are entrepreneurs with a life quest to start up companies and make things grow (and in most cases - then move on to the next start-up).

To paraphrase an old classic movie (feel free to guess - or if not - google the phrase...)

"Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a xxxxxx big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit....[the ranting goes on and on - and becomes even more graphic]....Choose your future. Choose life..."

I have chosen something else - I have chosen to work in a much more free setup - granted, also a much more risky setup with no fixed income per se, no nice comfortable company car, no company pension - but with the clear objective to carve out time for my family - and provide the best beginning possible to the lives of our children.

So how does it really work? Well, for me it is about not putting all my eggs into one basket (hence the "Portfolio" reference) - while living - hence the "Living" reference - or in short PortfolioLiving :-)

How is this different from being a lonely consulant in a one-man operation? On paper - not very different - but the difference lies in that I am not doing this in pursuit of some hot-shot consulting revenue stream - but in order to balance my income streams to allow for fluctations - while being able to provide the time and focus for my family and children.

I grew up in a very traditional (and now rather old-fashioned) family with a stay-home mom - and she was always there for me and my brother and sister when we were children, being attentive and engaged when we came home from school, never having to drag us through last-minute shopping after a full day of work with other screaming children - and being there for us when we needed her.

My PortfolioLiving provides the same framework for my family and children - while still providing mental challenges through interesting projects and engagements with clients.

Hope this can inspire others to pursue the same :-)