Bloc Thinking

In this episode, Werner and Jonathan start by talking about their never-ending quest to find balance in their separate lives. In addition to an update of the status of their respective work situation, they discuss the importance of taking breaks, especially in a context where travel is not encouraged.

Do you feel constantly having too many things that you absolutely have to do? We feel you... So many of us could fill their entire time awake only with tasks, whether they are professional, personal, or from hobbies. The paradox of that condition is that it gets in the way of actually achieving any of those tasks. Not only because of analysis-paralysis but also because it leads us to spend a considerable amount of time balancing our focus between them all. And unfortunately, we end up disappointing ourselves by comparing what we did versus what we wanted to do. It is to talk about this subject that Werner and Jonathan joined forces this week.

What is not to like about reading? What other media can engulf you in the wilderness of Alaska or the mind of a world leader at a critical moment of history, all from any place you would find fit for it. However, at a time when it's never been easier to have access to written content, it's also particularly difficult to commit to long-form reading due to distractions and the lack of habits. The Internet has predisposed to fast-food reading, making long-form more difficult to digest or even ingest.

The world has been upside-down for some months now as COVID-19 is transfigurating whole communities and creating a dreadful sense of fear in our collective psyche. So, in that context, what could happen in the mind of two solo-entrepreneurs at the dawn of the most important sanitary crisis of the past century? Hey there, how are you doing? It's the question that Werner and Jonathan ask each other after a few were both were amending their own lives and businesses. This is what this episode is about, an episode about love and goals, about work and friends.

As an independent, either solo-entrepreneur, freelance or consultant, you constantly have to negotiate and prove your value to your (potential) clients. It is a painful exercise that very few are prepared to face at the start of their adventure. Unfortunately, this quickly can become the main culprit for the anxiety and stress that characterize too often the solo experience.

This week, we all discovered that the simple detail that was missing for companies around the world to suddenly discover the wonderful advantages of remote working was... a global pandemic. Now, millions of workers are supposed to become immediately productive in an environment that they, often, never associated with work.

Every single January, most of us go through the same ritual: full of hope, we set up ambitious goals for ourselves for the new year. Then comes the installation of new productivity apps encouraged by pervasive App stores, persuading us that this is the solution. We all know what happens too often next. A few months later, we wither in disappointment and self-doubt.

Ah, the freedom of freelancing, of being your own boss! The concept of running your own business is enthralling, however, very few take the steps towards self-employment. And of those, a good amount drops out of the adventure after just a few months. Are you wondering if you had what it takes to become a successful solo-entrepreneur? Then, this episode is for you. Werner and Jonathan discuss the lessons they learned during their entrepreneurship journey, reflecting on both their successes and failures. And let's be real, especially the failures, so you folks don't make the same. From understanding the crude realities of being a solo-entrepreneur to learning how to sell your skills, you will learn at least one or two useful pieces of information in this episode.

Werner and Jonathan sat down earlier last week to catch-up and discuss the current state of the world and how it is impacting them. They didn't realize at that point the flood gate they were opening.