When will this economy right itself?  Sometimes I sit thinking, “there must be more that I could do…”  My thoughts range from starting a new business to thinking deeper about the skill set I would need to get a job in the workforce of the future.  Unfortunately, I fail to see the value in traditional post-graduate studies, unless you are going into medicine, energy, or planning to pursuing careers in some emerging market.  On the job front, we currently face very distinct realities: 1) we cannot acquire enough education to outmatch the legions of unemployed who have 10 to 15 years of actual work experience in the exact same field you have just chosen to pursue; 2) we cannot prevent the constant desire for corporations to automate (… or outsource) as many non-core operating functions as possible; 3) the close personal friend, or family member, who said they will pass your resume internally at their firm or company will likely have told 10-20 others people the same; and 4) the only people successfully applying for jobs in this economy are those who are currently working (….irony).  In short, no new jobs are being created.

To the point of resource optimization, if we, as Americans, have accomplished nothing else, we have definitely maximized the benefits of supply chain management.  We have learned that it is so much cheaper to manufacture and produce durable goods overseas, particularly when markets like China and India contain such highly skilled labor.  Our manufacturing and industrial production has become largely marginalized, as many of these assets are now foreign owned – steel production to auto manufacturing.  The United States has become primarily a service based economy, which lends itself to businesses that can be effectively operated with decent logistics and/or information management systems (with fewer workers and less operating capital).  Considering the frequency that call centers have been outsourced overseas, many service sector careers may soon become obsolete as well.

With that being said, our best option, given the economic prospects for finding a job, is to become an entrepreneur.  In fact, consider becoming a serial entrepreneur, as your first endeavor may not yield the “end-game” results you may hope, if it does not fail entirely.  But there should be a tremendous amount of practical knowledge that you should take from each experience.  This knowledge will ultimately enhance your prospects for success in the next project.

Still, what remains is this…. it is incredibly difficult and time consuming to start a company, business or whatever you would call your entrepreneurial pursuit (if this was not the case, everyone would be there own boss).  The most challenging part, beyond just getting started is, even when you are on the right path to success, is the difficulty in seeing progress in your efforts as an entrepreneur.  Only through unyielding drive, persistence and perseverance will that success ever be realized.  Pardon the cliche, but it truly takes “intestinal fortitude” and self-belief to continue when no one else believes.  What is important now will be important then – you must believe in yourself.

*If I might digress for a moment, admittedly that intestinal fortitude reference is as yawn inspiring as when people refer to the rubber meeting the proverbial road.  But truth is truth whether you like it or not, and these things become cliche for a reason.

So as I was suggesting, the length of time it takes to start a business may require you taking jobs that are much less desirable to keep your “ends” meeting.  And this is how dreams deferred may ultimately become denied.  Please if you are on this path, working in a job you hate just to pay bills while you develop your business plan or self-fund your start-up costs, do not give up.  Do not become complacent with the prospect of earning just enough to simply pay bills.  There will be a time in the not too distant future when you will face a critical point.  You will have to choose – either continue in your current capacity, as an hourly wage worker or a check to check salaried employee, or take the plunge by scraping together whatever savings you have amassed and go “both feet in”.  You know where I stand on this issue.

I guess I starting thinking about this specific topic after speaking to Eric earlier today.  He was telling me about his discussion with one of his mentors, who happens to be extremely successful and sits on several Fortune 500 corporate boards.  Eric came away with a new perspective on his approach to the job search and/or considerations for entrepreneurship.  I thought some of the takeaways were at least interesting enough to share.

• If you have kids (married or not), providing for your family should always come first – even if it means deferring your dreams
• Give yourself time to build some financial resources before jumping into entrepreneurial uncertainty
• The odds are generally against you that your first entrepreneurial effort will succeed – be sure to learn the lessons to apply next time
• Do not focus on variables or things outside of your control
• Know when to fight for survival of your endeavor and when to cut your losses

Be persistent, the tide will eventually turn in your direction.

Sadly, our persistently troubled economy has altered lifestyle expectations for all of us; but more so for those leaving school that have not yet earned a living.  These individuals and future professionals of tomorrow have only a conceptual reference to the average salaries and wages earned by people in this country during the boom years, so employers (rightly so) have scaled administrative salaries and wages accordingly, in order to match expectations.  The philosophy must be “why pay more than you have to for anything”, even if it is for people?  That is just basic business economics, if you ask me.

So to the question of what are our options?  The only option with any real viability in the economy ahead, unless you don’t mind continuing to work in jobs you hate, is to start your own business.  However, if you know nothing else, you know starting a business always takes more than you initially think or plan – more effort, more capital, more time… more everything.  But what does this mean for the Boomeranger? Considering our circumstances, we have less of everything.  In order to succeed on the entrepreneurial path, we must be more creative and more resourceful while juggling the family, responsibilities and the pursuit of opportunities that will once again allow us to move forward…

When you approach the crossroads to either become an entrepreneur or wait for the economy to recover for career prospects, think carefully about whether or not you have the stomach for entrepreneurship.  The most significant challenges you will face as a Boomeranger newly encouraged by the promise of economic independence and autonomy will have little to do with executing tasks associated with starting a business.  That will be relatively clear.  Most challenges will concern finding enough time in the day to get everything done.

For instance, on days our kids are not in school, we spend them primarily entertaining the kids in shifts.  I generally take the morning and Eric watches them in the afternoon.  Although not at the same time (unless they are napping), we are both able to be productive at some point during the day.  Still, the most frustrating distractions come at night, after bedtime.  Recently, we were preparing some “Slipped” t-shirts for orders to be shipped the next day, but ten minutes into what hoped to be a productive evening, our daughter gets up for water.  Five minutes later it was “I have to use the potty.”   Twenty minutes after that it was “I’m scared.  Please check my closet.”  But what can you do other than move forward, and continue to commit yourself to the pursuit.

Back in April of this year, The Apprentice held an open casting call here in Atlanta.  The casting call was framed as an opportunity for the unemployed.  In fact, much of the local press expressed an explicit focus on those without jobs.  In short, Eric and I went to the casting hoping to speak with some of the “unemployed” to hear their stories – post-Apprentice interview, of course.  But to our surprise, we could not find one unemployed person, and only three people from Atlanta – one of which was the event photographer.  There was even a guy who took a Greyhound bus from DC.  Still, most of the applicants we met were either entrepreneurs or actors waiting for their fifteen minutes.

Believe it or not, we even saw Tailor-Made from I Love New York 2.  We met aspiring models, a guy with a white-pinstriped suit (the suit was white and pinstripes were purple…. nice), and a host of others that thought we were somehow part of the producer staff because we had a clip board and set of interview questions.  All of these I am sure Mr. Trump would have loved to hire.

However, what was truly unfortunate was the reality for the handful of people we met with actual desires to compete and showcase their business acumen on The Apprentice, because the show is no longer about that.  Anyone with a genuine interest in what the initial intent of the show was should have attended casting calls three years ago.  Then, the cast probably was 80% business talent and 20% personality-draw.  Now the show appears to be almost entirely personality driven.  Get interesting people on the show, whether business savvy or not, because ratings matter most.  It’s not like anyone will really get a job with Trump, even if they win.  If the show title was more transparent, it would be The Apprentice for Reality TV… and nothing more.

I cannot tell you how much email we receive weekly from fellow Boomerangers and the unemployed alike.  Even though we all acknowledge there is nothing to be ashamed of, particularly when so many are experiencing similar economic hardships during this period, it does not seem to matter – we are still too concerned with the opinions of others, even to our own detriment.  My epiphany came 5-6 months ago, when it became explicitly clear that no one will realize you need help if you never paint an accurate picture of your circumstances.  So I will say this very clearly for those of you who need to hear/read it.  Share your stories.  Allow the stories of how you have, or plan to, overcome your situation to inspire others.  You will likely be surprised with the response.

When the kids aren’t in school, Eric and I occasionally feel a bit guilty about the amount of time we spend with them.  As Eric searches for jobs somewhere in cyberspace and I blog or listen to webinars, the kids are watching The Princess and the Frog…..again.  Like most kids, my movie-loving children will watch a movie they enjoy three or four times back to back, given the chance.  Usually, if we look up and the credits are rolling for a second time, we will turn the tv off and either take them outside to run around for 30 minutes or tell them it is quiet reading time.  Fortunately, they both love books.

Other times, when I sit still for five minutes and consider everything I have accomplished over the last four or five months, with respect to starting theboomeranger.com and having responsibilities for taking care of my family, it is hard to believe that anything at all has gotten done.  It is truly a juggling act.  In fact, I believe if I took time to think about what an undertaking it would be to start company while living with my parents and our family of four at the time (now our party of five), I may not have.  Without a doubt, I am sure I could have convinced myself of more reasons not to…  Trust me.  There is nothing like ignoring your deficiencies to avoid procrastination and apprehension when you have things to do.

Reducing food costs tends to be one of the first places people generally look when it comes to stretching limited dollars, whether those dollars are from unemployment or several part-time jobs.  Buying less expensive and often less healthy food is simply the easiest way to accomplish this in the short-term.  But the long-term issues should definitely be considered.  When we purchase these foods, we potentially expose ourselves and families to food that can potentially lead to heart disease, high blood pressure or other diseases.  Then there are foods you absolutely should not eat.  While developing our budget, we chose to use a portion of our funds to make sure we eat well.  Indeed, we have learned that just reducing the fat content in our diet does not necessarily equate to eating well.  Take a look at “Why Fat-Free Isn’t Trouble Free”.

So does buying organic and natural food products mean we have less disposable income for entertainment, kid toys and stuff like that? Yes and no.  Yes, eating healthy is generally more expensive, but we have found that coupons for many organic products can be found online.  Coupons…. the great equalizer!

Yesterday, when I opened the front door, there was the same beautiful butterfly that appeared Sunday morning – in the same spot on the welcome mat.  As excited as I was the first time I saw it, it was so much more awe inspiring to see it return the very next day.  It was as if it waited there to bring me a message that did not require words.  And although the possibility of words from a butterfly is a complete impossibility, the message was clear to me.  What beauty in this most simple of encounters.  How awesome life could be if we were like the butterfly who returned with a message.

The beauty in being a butterfly is in birth the caterpillar doesn’t even have wings.  Yet one day the caterpillar becomes the butterfly, sprouting wings and soaring to heights well beyond its own caterpillar aspirations.  So the question is “does the caterpillar know that it will become a butterfly or does it believe it is relegated to a life restricted?”  In the same vain, how many of us (the collectively unemployed) believe we will never again have the opportunity to pursue a career about which we are passionate?

If we don’t question our potential or possibilities, we can all achieve far more than we may believe our current circumstances will allow. Become the Boomeranger butterfly and exceed your own expectations, as well as those placed upon you by others ….

About a week and a half after receiving this check did we realize it would be the last unemployment check we would receive.  To the best of my knowledge, the maximum period for unemployment benefits, including extended benefits, is somewhere between 59 and 72 weeks, and if you were really lucky 99 weeks.  We (Eric) have been receiving benefits for approximately 72 weeks.  To be sure, our challenge has not been unlike that of everyone else.  We have been steadfast in our efforts to find a job, or jobs.  There are simply no “real” jobs.  In fact, the notion of whether or not a job would pay more than Eric’s unemployment benefit never entered the equation.  What’s sad is unemployment pays very little, so the idea that these benefits would somehow be a deterrent to actually wanting to work is ridiculous at best and has no basis in reality.

Oh yeah.. there are plenty of job postings, but I am left to believe that most of the employers posting these jobs online through Monster, the Ladders or their corporate job sites have no true intention to hire.  It would appear that most postings serve only to fulfill some legal obligation to do so, rather than actually creating a job for someone in need.  We are all well aware that these jobs are ultimately reserved for someone internally.  The disregard for the unemployed has become so assumed now that some employers have gone as far as posting jobs stating that the unemployed will not be considered.  Can you imagine???

But the question we all wanted answered was “what happens when unemployment benefits end?”  Now we know… Nothing.  For the longest we maintained hope, as unemployment benefits continued to be extended.  And why not, considering national and state unemployment rates remain at record levels.  Who would have guessed there would be politicians bold enough to use unemployment benefits for those in need as a bargaining chip to pass largely irrelevant legislation.

So I am sitting here thinking I really have to make the most of this time at the parents’ house.  Unless the jobs outlook changes soon, our entire family, not just me, will be thrust into entrepreneurship.  We take some comfort in the amount of money we have saved by reducing living costs, but we realize we cannot “save” our way to financial independence.  At some point, you have to act on your talents and carve your own path.

Accordingly, we used some of the funds that would have otherwise been spent on rent and utilities to invest in developing TheBoomeranger.com community, which will hopefully help and encourage millions of others who can relate to our experiences and are increasingly frustrated with the lack of career and job prospects.  To be sure, where ever we find ourselves in this economic implosion, the market for acceptable jobs and careers will never be the same for those of us who have been unemployed for 6 months or more – the “long-term unemployed”.  Employers will find cheaper and equally qualified and capable resources to replace all of us, even as the market recovers (… like that will be anytime soon… doubtful).

As Boomerangers, we have to find encouragement and motivation from within, and amongst, ourselves and invest in our futures to realize any opportunities ahead of us.

• Identify services and/or products from which you would benefit – good chance others would benefit as well
• Determine how to use your talents to develop such a service or product
• Set aside a portion of any saved funds to invest in your ideas
• Develop your entrepreneurial aspirations, using as many as free small business resources as possible
• Exploit your circumstances as quickly and as long as you can
• Be fearless!!!

Even though the unemployment insurance bill will be up for a vote in the Senate for the fourth time later today, do not hold your breath.  Start planning for the worst, so you expect it and are pleasantly surprised by anything else.

Staying with in-laws, who have graciously allowed our family to stay in their home free of charge, has been a blessing.  We are so grateful!  However, I am bothered by the fact that when others visit, cook, use dishes, and then leave them in every place except back where they got them, the expectation seems to be “let April do it”.   Is it so hard to clean your dishes when you are finished with them?!?!  Just rinse them and put them in the sink or the dishwasher… something.

The problem lies in perception.  When you don’t have a 9to5, people assume you have time to do everything they believe is important.  Believe it or not, Eric and I do work all day….looking for work, meeting with people about opportunities, all while balancing 3 little kids under 5, cleaning the house, washing clothes, etc., etc., etc.  It is RIDICULOUS to think because I have spent my day in the house that my day was solely comprised of eating dark chocolates and watching all of my favorite TV shows.  KILL THAT NOISE PEOPLE!!!  We are not in this position by choice.  Due to our financial position, we truly can’t afford to move and keep our kids in school, weekend activities, etc.    During this period, visitors should just be more aware and considerate of the Boomeranger situation, especially mine… LMAO.  So, if you visit (me), don’t make my job any harder, pick up after yourselves.  The cleaning lady’s name is not April.

Although we are indeed grateful, the last year or so living with our parents (the in-laws) has at times been challenging to say the least.  But not for the reasons you may think.  There is the obvious lack of privacy, of course.  But that kind of comes with the territory.  It’s their house.

Anyhow, once or twice a week around 2am either the Princess or Spider Man will wake up yelling for me or Eric.  Unfortunately, their room is directly across the hall from the parents.  The little Princess is not an issue, since she still sleeps with us.  Normally, in your own house, apartment or condo, this is not a big deal.  You get out of bed, with underwear only in most cases, put them back to sleep and back to bed yourself.

So not the case now.  When you are living at home with your parents in your thirties (with kids), there’s a degree of etiquette to which you must adhere.  Instead of simply putting the kids back to sleep and going back to bed without completely waking up, you have to practically get dressed.

Heaven forbid Eric’s parents come out of their room when the kids wake, and I am barely dressed or Eric is walking around in just his boxers.  And if the in-laws are actually sleeping, you have to get dressed quick enough to get the kids quiet before the parents are awakened.  Especially, since they are the only ones in the house with jobs.  Sometimes it is just too much.  But that’s not the worst.

The worst is when Eric and I have our occasional arguments.  Sometimes I just want to let him —-ing have it (verbally, of course), but his parents are around.  How do you have a “real” married couples’ argument in front of your husband’s parents?  Highly unlikely…   Sometimes when we are having our extremely loud “whisper” arguments, I believe he raises his volume a bit intentionally – just enough for his mother to hear.  And he knows that I won’t argue if I think his mom can hear us, so I usually have to finish “unloading” where he is most vulnerable – in the car.  Specifically in the car when the kids are sleep.  Pretty safe bet that he won’t raise his voice there, as neither of us wants to wake the kids when they are quiet in the car.  More importantly, when I make my move in the car, we are usually far enough from home to give me time to discuss everything on my mind.  And there it doesn’t matter if he wants to hear it or not.

When you think about though, it’s all pretty silly.  His parents know that we are going to argue, but it is still a bit unnerving.  Not arguing is part of the facade married couples generally like to maintain when visiting “the parents”.  But all norms completely fly the coop, when you live with the parents.

Here are a few tips to ensure a smoother coexistence while living with your parents (or in-laws):

• Expect some loss of privacy – privacy is first to go when you have more people living in the same space.
• Become a household contributor (i.e., purchase groceries, pick up after yourself and your kids, etc.)
• Help with routine chores/duties (i.e., trash and recycling collection, yard work, etc.)
• Don’t assume the parents want to babysit their grandkids every time you want a break – ask first.
• If relevant, encourage the parents to adopt better eating habits, which is a big one for us.
• Find a reason to get out of the house everyday – the benefits may surprise you.