Read as Sean Armenta talks about his career as a Commercial Photographer.  Find him at www.seanarmenta.com and on his Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.

What do you do for a living?

I am a professional freelance photographer, so I basically get paid to take photographs.

How would you describe what you do?

I am a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle photographer that specializes in advertising, commercial and editorial photography.

What does your work entail?

My work entails shooting various photography assignments such as clothing catalogs, advertising campaigns, editorial features in magazines, and anything else that comes my way. One day I could be shooting an environmental portrait for a local magazine, the next day I could be shooting a cosmetics campaign, and then I could be shooting a celebrity you would see on TV or listen to on the radio.

What’s a typical work week like?

There is no such thing as a typical week. One week could be spent just shooting, another week could be just retouching, another week could be focused on marketing my work, and any combination of those things.

How did you get started?

I learned photography from my mom when I was around 6 or 7. She taught me how to operate a manual 35mm camera and photography has been a part of my life ever since. The ironic part of it was my mom didn’t want me to pursue a career in the arts, so I was actually steered towards a career in medicine. I eventually switched gears and began assisting other photographers to learn more about what it was like to be a professional in the industry. After a few years of assisting, I ventured out on my own by building a portfolio of work that I could market to clients.

What do you like about what you do?

I am fortunate enough to make a living doing something I absolutely love. No two days are ever the same, and I get to work with some of the most talented and beautiful people around. It is a constant learning experience and it never ever feels like work.

What do you dislike?

It’s definitely a challenge not being able to count on a steady paycheck. There are some months where I’m swamped with work while other months are slower.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

It actually varies quite a bit. There are a few different models I follow depending on the client. Ideally, I charge a creative fee plus expenses for the shoot itself, and then I license the use of the images to the client. The expenses consist of standard costs incurred from things like studio and equipment rentals, hiring crew, talent and assistants, any expendables used for the shoot, location permits, mileage, etc… My creative fee is based on my cost of doing business plus the value of my creative work, in other words, what makes my photography unique from anyone else. Usage licensing fees are determined by how the client is using the photographs. This is typically based on how long they will be using the images as well as how broad their audience is. For example, a photograph used for a worldwide campaign would have a higher licensing fee than a photograph used for a campaign within the West Coast of the US.

For smaller clients, I sometimes charge them a flat rate based on their specific needs or I charge them based on half and full day rates.

For editorial clients such as magazines, they will have a set editorial budget that they work with every month.

For all clients, it is normal to expect payment within 30 to 60 days of shooting the job, with 90 days being the norm for larger advertising jobs.

How much money do commercial photographers make?

I don’t think there is a more varied salary range than a freelance artist because we are basing our rates on the value of our creativity, which is a very personal thing. In addition, there are several levels of success you can try to attain, from shooting smaller companies all the way to the top echelon of photographers who shoot multi-million dollar campaigns which you see in the pages of Vogue and on billboards around town. It really depends on the clients you work with and how much work you do. It can literally be anywhere from minimum wage to making $40k a day.

How much money did/do you make starting out as a commercial photographer?

I honestly did not make any money during the first two years of my photography career. During that period, I spent a lot of time building my portfolio and gaining credibility within the industry. A lot of the work I did was done in exchange for exposure and networking possibilities. Once I got a foothold in the industry, my income doubled each year. I now make between $80-100K a year.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

I am completely self-taught, meaning I had no formal training or education in photography. If you are intent on making this your career, I do suggest you look into attending a photography school such as Brooks Institute, Academy of Art, or Art Institute. It takes talent, hard work, perseverance, and the ability to take the technical aspects of photography and make art.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Any number of unexpected things can occur during a shoot that you will need to deal with. As the photographer, you are the director; the person in charge that day. Everyone, including the client is looking to you to deliver exactly what they need within a very limited time frame. You have to deal with many different personalities on set and be able to manage anywhere from 5 to 20 people, sometimes even more. What people don’t realize is 90% of commercial photography is troubleshooting. You need to come up with solutions for so many things throughout the course of the day and constantly be on your toes.

What is most rewarding?

I think validation of your work from clients and the people you work with is most rewarding because the work you produce is very personal. Knowing that I was able to provide an enjoyable working environment to those people for the day is a great feeling.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Keep your overhead as low as possible; get used to saving as much money as possible because you have to prepare for slow months.

How much time off do you get/take?

Again, it really depends. You pretty much hold your own schedule so it’s up to you how much you want to work or take time off.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

I think the most common misconception is that we indulge in a very glamorous life. Yes, there are some pretty glamorous moments, but most of our time is spent doing a lot of legwork, reaching out to potential clients, spending whole days in front of the computer, and other tedious and mundane tasks.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

I just hope to be able to keep doing what I’m doing and to continue to book as much work as possible. Eventually I would love to shoot huge ad campaigns for clothing and cosmetic companies. This is something I have no desire of retiring from.

What else would you like people to know about your job/career?

This is definitely not a career you want to jump into if you are looking to make a lot of money, or if becoming rich is your end goal. If you love photography for the sake of photography, and this is something you would do for free anyhow, then the money will follow. It all depends on how you measure success. I found something that I would love to do for the rest of my life and I wanted to make a living doing it. That’s where I am today and I couldn’t be happier.

Read as Elizabeth Schlatter talks about her career as a Museum Curator.  Find her at www.elizabethschlatter.com and on her Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.

What do you do for a living?

I’m an art curator at a museum that is part of a small university.

How would you describe what you do? 

I do a lot of different things, but the main thing that I do, that I love most, is organizing exhibitions of contemporary art.

What does your work entail?

I think of ideas for exhibitions, usually influenced by art and artists that I see or meet or learn about. Then I work on selecting artworks that will be shown as part of the exhibition, research them, interview artists when I can, write about the art in a catalog or article, and design the layout for the exhibition.

I do other things, like research our collection of art, write applications for grants, help write press releases, and assist the director in the management of our department. And because I work at a university, I also teach once a year and mentor college students, which I also really enjoy!

What’s a typical work week like?

I’m in the office typically from 8:30 to 5pm, but I often have one or two evening or weekend events during busy times (like exhibition opening receptions, lectures, or family day events). I usually have anywhere from one to three meetings a day to go over with other staff members how certain projects are progressing, like when we’ll be installing an exhibition or if we need to focus more time for an online catalog. I might be in one of our galleries figuring out how to layout an exhibition, or, if I’m lucky, I’ll spend part of a day meeting with an artist or collector. Otherwise a lot of my time is spent writing in all different capacities, from exhibition labels to grant applications to emails.

But like a lot of people who have the joy of working in the field of their passion, I also spend a good portion of my free time doing things related to my job, like visiting other museums and galleries, reading about art online or in publications, and writing or curating projects as freelance.

How did you get started?

I’ve always loved going to museums. One of my earliest memories is of my mom taking me to an exhibition of a Surrealist artist’s sculptures. My grade school was near the big city art museum, so we took lots of field trips there. I mean, I even remember what it smelled like to walk in that building! (kind of a mixture of dust and metal, that I’ve never smelled anywhere since.) So I started volunteering in museums and galleries when I was in high school.

My first job out of college was as a receptionist at a small contemporary art museum. Then I got promoted to an entry-level fundraising position, which, even though I learned that type of work wasn’t where I was headed, the experience was incredibly helpful in terms of learning how museums raise money.

Then I took a few turns and twists, but my first full-blown curatorial opportunity was organizing a contemporary art show as a freelancer for a local arts organization. I had been volunteering for them already, and they requested proposals for exhibition ideas. I submitted one that they accepted, and I quickly fell in love with the process.

What do you like about what you do?

So many things! I love that it’s my job to look at, learn about, and spend time with art. That’s a true blessing that is continuously rewarding. I also really enjoy working with creative people, from artists to other curators, to other museum staff members, such as educators and art handlers. And my peers within the curatorial field are just as, if not more, passionate than I am about art, so spending time with them can be incredibly rewarding. Finally, while I talk a lot about people, I’m actually not a full-time extrovert, so I truly appreciate the responsibilities I have to do reading and writing. That quiet time is very important to my sanity!

What do you dislike?

Probably like a lot of people, I don’t like all the many responsibilities that take me away from my self-generated projects or away from doing work that is related to art or artists. An example would be reviewing contracts and logistics for an exhibition that’s outside of my area of interest, or researching and writing proposals for things that are more administrative than art-focused. But that’s just part of the job of keeping a department running.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

Because I work for a university museum, the university pays for my salary, which I receive in monthly allotments. A typical museum includes the curator’s salary as part of the overall payroll. Freelance curators get paid by the host institutions where their exhibitions are shown, and typically their pay is determined in advance and put into a contract or agreement. However, a lot of places (small non-profit arts organizations) can’t even afford to pay freelancers so unfortunately a lot of people end up doing this kind of work on a volunteer basis.

How much money do curators make?

A full-time curator employed at a very small museum might make as little as $25,000/year. But the average ranges more from $30,000 to $60,000. At very large, prestigious museums, curators in charge of a whole curatorial department can make more than $100,000, but these jobs are few in number.

How much money did you make starting out as a curator?

I started out in my first curating job (which was not my first museum job), at $35,000.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

To be a curator you have to have knowledge of a specific subject, it could be contemporary art, or Renaissance art, or WWII airplanes, or political campaign posters, etc. In most cases, you need at least a Master’s degree if not a PhD. In the field of contemporary art there’s a bit more leeway, because experience and contacts are valued highly. But even so, the profession is trending towards more museum curatorial positions requiring doctorates. I think in part this is related to the competitive nature of the field. That is, there are more people who want these jobs than there are jobs. So the doctorate is a way to distinguish yourself, and it adds to the academic standing of the museum.

What is most challenging about what you do?

It’s hard to juggle a lot of projects, little and big, and make sure that my own stay on track. It’s also difficult to find time to see as much art as I’d like and stay on top of developments in the field. And frankly, I wish I had less meetings!

What is most rewarding?

Looking at art, talking with artists, and seeing an exhibition finally come together. Then, of course, I love being in one of our exhibitions and seeing how people respond and interact. Also, I feel really lucky to work at a university because I’m surrounded by people dedicated to education. That means not only am I involved in teaching, but I get to work with intelligent, talented, and creative staff, faculty, and students. And it’s highly rewarding to stay in touch with former students who either worked or studied with me and are still involved in the arts.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Go see as many exhibitions at museums, galleries, and nonprofit spaces as you can. You’ll find it won’t take too long (unless you live in New York or L.A., which are huge!) to get a handle on who presents what kind of work, how they present it (i.e. what is their style in creating exhibitions), who are some of the more popular artists, and who are the institutions targeting in terms of visitor demographics. That will quickly get you familiar with what’s going on in your community and what is possible in terms of job and freelance opportunities. Oh, and be sure to check out college and university museums and galleries!

How much time off do you get/take?

For most folks it’s a standard job, starting with two weeks paid vacation and earning more as you stay at an organization over the years.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

More than anything I’d just like to expand my own opportunities to curate contemporary art exhibitions and in general engage more with art and artists. I can’t get enough!

Read as Scott Ascher talks about his career as a Restaurant Architect.

What do you do for a living?

I design, build, and operate restaurants and brew pubs.

How would you describe what you do?

I serve as the owner’s agent. I take my 35 years of experience: designing, building and operating restaurants/brew pubs and “educate” the owners in reference to their facility.

I am brought into projects at various phases. Sometimes I assist in selecting the site… other times I am brought in just to organize the facility in the final stages of construction. I prefer the earliest phase… that way I can control the evolution of the project.

What does your work entail?

Depending on what the client’s needs are…

Typically, I begin with a preliminary study which gives the customer an overview of the project:

My first meeting is to determine what the customer needs from me and the customers expectations of the project.

1. A preliminary drawing of how I see the space laying out.

2. A construction estimate based on the preliminary layout.

3. I then take a scenario which balances investment dollars to equity and debt. This gives us a starting point to see if the client has a realistic view of what he/she is financially committing to.

4. I prepare a proforma which indicates what the dollar figure needs to be to reach a “breakeven” scenario. You need to do $24,000 a week to break even.

5. I then show the client, based on the previous information just what percentage of seats they need to fill on a daily basis in order to hit a “break even scenario.”   You need to fill 50% of your lunch time seats Sun – Thu and 45% of the dinner seats, while on Fri & Sat you need to fill 60% of your lunch and 110% of your dinner.

From there, the client has a real feeling as to what needs to be accomplished.

What’s a typical work week like?

My work weeks are as varied as the projects I handle.

Time needs to be spent designing projects, creating construction estimates and proformas as well as visiting potential clients all the while focusing on jobs in progress which all have different needs from supervising construction to ordering fixtures, furnishing and equipment.

How did you get started?

My father designed commercial kitchens for restaurants and Industrial facilities. One summer, he needed some help. I was teaching school and had the summer off. I came up from St. Louis to Chicago to help him out. I realized that all the years I had spent in his office and visiting job sites with him, I had picked up a great deal of knowledge. So, I was able to fit right in and go right to work designing kitchens, selling equipment and supervising installations.

After a a year I decided to begin laying out the front of the house during the design phase. I had seen the flow in the kitchen was excellent but once the food got to the dining room it was a disaster. Clients began hiring me for both kitchen and interior design.

Next I began supervising more that just kitchen installation. I would supervise the entire installation including the bar and dining room. Soon, I realized the construction needed my input and I began contracting that portion of the project.

In 1980, I had a customer ask me if I would design, build, own, and operate. I had no experience operating but knew many excellent GMs so I took on the challenge. I opened a California/Italian (Cal – Italian Restaurant) and began.

In 1985 I was approached by someone to became a partner in a brew pub. I did a lot of research and went through a great deal of trial and error but we created an extremely successful project.

What do you like about what you do?

I have accumulated a great deal of knowledge over the years and I enjoy executing these projects and utilizing that knowledge.

What do you dislike?

I always say “Your strengths are your weaknesses…” What makes you good, is what makes you bad…” so I guess having the knowledge about certain things and having a client not recognize the importance of that knowledge. Having them not realizing what IS important and what isn’t.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

My fees are based on the amount of work I am expected to do.

A $1,000,000 project that I handle everything for the client on, usually 20-25% of the cost is my fee. However, the client saves at least that amount by utilizing my services. I was brought into the end of a project and in four weeks I saved the client $7,000 on the fire alarm system, just by reviewing it and making some changes, $10,000 on the HVAC exhaust hood changes and $30,000 on the walk in coolers.

How much money do you make?

My annual income has been as high as $250,000 and as low as $85,000 (not counting expenses). Depends on the projects .

How much money do you make starting out?

$105 a week take home.

What education or skills are needed to do this?

Background in architecture, some engineering, finance, operations and management of restaurants/bars and some brewing experience. Psychology, would help a lot also…

What is most challenging about what you do?

Convincing the client the things don’t “just happen…” they need to be not only planned, but EXECUTED.

What is most rewarding?

Seeing the finished product:

National Historic Trust commented on one of my projects “…took a pile of  urban rubble and created an architectural jewel.”

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Take the time to get experience in each of the areas you intend to oversee… do the drawings, saw cut the floor, lay the pipe, wash the dishes, do the financial paperwork, create the systems, oversee the project. Watch and learn from everyone… how to do it as well as how not to do it.

How much time off do you get/take?

There is downtime between projects, so you don’t “take time” you “take the time you get.”

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

Everyone thinks things get done just because you expect them to or wish that they will get done. Nothing could be further from the truth. Plan, design, specify and then the real work begins… seeing that all of the plans are coordinated and things are executed.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

In the past I designed and built for others, 10 years. Then I only would do my own projects that I owned 20 years… I guess I am “in my future.” Once again, I am designing, building and operating (for short periods of time… as long as my client needs me) for others.

What else would you like people to know about what you do?

It ain’t easy… but it is fun.

Jason Richardson talks about his career as a Physical Therapist.  Find him at www.resultsphysiotherapy.com and on his Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.

What do you do for a living?

I am a physical therapist and senior executive for a private out-patient orthopedic physical therapy company based in Franklin, TN. We operate 38 clinics in 3 states.

How would you describe what you do?

We use a hands-on manual therapy approach to assessing orthopedic patients who are in pain due to a variety of movement disorders. Our most common ailments include: Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, and Shoulder Pain. Quality physical therapy services are a key to keeping people active and independent. Physical Therapists are key in preventing the cumulative effects of movement dysfunction that can ultimately lead to surgery if they go untreated. When we get the right patients early enough, we can prevent a large percentage of surgeries. With that, part of being a good therapist is recognizing what you can’t fix. This can be teased out in the PT examination so that the appropriate referral can be made. Ultimately, our interest is to keep our patients active and functioning pain free throughout the life stages.

What does your work entail?

The majority of our therapists earned a clinical doctorate in physical therapy and are also board certified in orthopedics through ABPTS and concurrently hold their manual therapy certification.  We see patients with acute, sub-acute and chronic neuromusculoskeletal problems from various causes—ie. Trauma, Overuse, injury, etc.

What’s a typical work week like?

All of our therapists are full time and manage their patient loads in approximately 40 hours per week. Some therapists choose to participate in community out-reach and assist athletes at the high school level or through club teams. This is an excellent way to showcase our skillset and assist the athletes in getting back to play more quickly and safely.

How did you get started?

I was first exposed to physical therapy from a sporting injury I sustained in high school. My interest grew from there after I shadowed my PT for a summer. I later earned my bachelor of science in biology where I acquired the pre-requisites to enroll in PT school. After being accepted, I attended Shenandoah University where I earned my Masters of Physical Therapy.  I later returned to earn my clinical doctorate with an emphasis in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and completed my clinical research on the manual treatment of headaches stemming from the neck. My initial work experience was in a physician owned clinic where I gained great experience in effectively treating post-operative cases.  I later took on a role with a corporate physical therapy practice and finally joined my current employer shortly after in 2002.

What do you like about what you do?

I am passionate about helping my patients find relief from their pain while getting them to confidently return to their appropriate life-stage activities or sporting goals.  We change lives and improve our patients’ quality of life.

Additionally, in today’s health delivery model, too many patients are searching for an alternative to medications and surgery.  I am also passionate about working with patient advocates, medical groups, policy makers, and legislators to remove unwarranted patient obstacles to seeing a physical therapist.  All patients deserve the right to see a licensed physical therapist without arbitrary referral or payment regulations!

What do you dislike?

Documentation/paperwork–though it is very necessary.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

All of our therapists are paid on salary plus bonuses.

How much money do Physical Therapists make?

Globally across all PT settings and across the country the median PT salary is $80,000 pa.  Here is a link with more specifics by geographic location and setting–http://www.apta.org/WorkforceData/.

How much money did/do you make starting out as a Physical Therapist?

Starting salaries differ based on setting and geography.  Our starting salaries for new grads range from $55,000 pa to $62,000 in more rural settings.  We reward our therapist on merit and their earnings can grow based on performance and contributions to executing our mission.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

All licensed Physical Therapists must graduate from an accredited physical therapy program.  Nearly all accredited programs train therapists at the post graduate Doctoral degrees level.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Balancing a clinical environment that fosters a patient-centered focus with reasonable reimbursement from 3rd parties.

What is most rewarding?

Helping alleviate our patients’ pain and confidently return them back to activities they enjoy. It is also very rewarding to prevent a looming surgery.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Shadow a therapist/volunteer.

How much time off do you get/take?

Paid leave varies from employer to employer and setting to setting.   The majority of our therapists are earning 17-18 days vacation plus 9 holidays.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

That Physical Therapy is a hot pack and bike.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

I envision that physical therapists will play a vital role in primary care for patients suffering musculoskeletal problems.  Physical Therapists will play this key role as part of an interdisciplinary team within the traditional medical model.   Physicians, specialists, and other health care providers will all collaborate with a focus on improving community health and not focus on turf.  The focus will be on achieving improvements in community health and not focus on fragmented turf battles.  All providers will concentrate on abundance and not scarcity. The general public needs viable cost-effective alternatives to encourage safe modulated activity.

What else would you like people to know about your job/career?

The key to managing most chronic disease is exercise. The leading cause of reduced activity within the population is pain.  PTs offer a viable cost-effective solution to get people moving again without pain.

Read as Linda Merrill talks about her career as an Interior Designer.  You can find her at www.lindamerrill.com and on her Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.

What do you do for a living?

I’m a residential interior designer.

How would you describe what you do?

I work with discerning clients to create a home that is not only beautiful, but also comfortable.

What does your work entail?

As a one-woman shop, I pretty much have to do it all. I market my business via traditional networking as well as social media marketing. I meet with the clients and based on their wishes and needs, I create a design plan, shop for furnishings, fabric, lighting, art, and other finishes. Depending on the project and the client’s wishes, I bring in contractors to do the work, or I work with the client’s team if one is already in place.

What’s a typical work week like?

I’m sure everyone says this, but there is no typical week. It very much depends on where in the pipeline my clients projects are. At the beginning of a project, there may be meetings and a lot of shopping and drawing of the plans. As it progresses, there is lots of paperwork related to ordering, shipping and troubleshooting. And  if we’re in installation mode, I may be spending a lot of time at the clients. During all of that, I am always marketing my business, writing my blog and doing whatever else I need to be doing.

How did you get started?

I moved into interior design after a career in public television financial and business management. I was always creative and loved decorating and sewing. I’d even done theatrical set decorating in high school and college. So, I eventually decided that I wanted to lead a more creative and fulfilling life and went back to school to study design and hung out my shingle.

What do you like about what you do?

I love the creative process of figuring out a design plan, solving problems and working with beautiful materials and products. I love the reactions of clients when they love the spaces I’ve created for them and the process of getting inside their heads to give them what they want.

What do you dislike?

There are a lot of things out of my hands from shipping errors to damaged goods. But, the designer is the “middle-man” between client and vendors and it’s my job to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible from the client’s perspective. I particularly dislike dealing with vendors or service providers who don’t live up to their word or deal honestly with a situation. Communication is very important to me and when I’m not hearing back, it drives me nuts. This includes the clients as well. So often, busy clients stop communicating and that drives me crazy too.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

I charge my clients for my time working with them to create a design plan and implement it. I also take an oversight fee percentage on any goods or services that I purchase or contract in the name of my clients.

How much money do Interior Designers make?

Truly, it’s impossible to say. It depends on geographic location, design experience and the ability to keep expenses and time spent low in relation to billings. You can set an hourly rate of $200, but if it takes two hours to do what might be done in one hour, then you’re not earning as much as you might be. Additionally, it depends on whether you’re a salaried employee with a larger firm or you’re self-employed. Designers might make as little as $20,000 a year or they might easily make $200,000 a year.

How much money did/do you make starting out as an Interior Designer?

When I finished design school I was still working full time in television. I then went to a part time position in my job and spent part time establishing my business. It took a year to make my first dollar and slowly, work started coming in.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

I am a big believer in education, although I will admit that I’ve never once been asked what education I had. Most people go by what they see in your portfolio and what types of references they’ve gotten. That said, I do not know how anyone does this job without great computer skills, CAD skills on some level and financial management skills. Beyond that, design education opportunities can come from travel, visiting museums, reading history and literature, knowing music. A broad knowledge of art and the history of the decorative arts is vitally important to creating beautiful interiors.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Finding new business.

What is most rewarding?

Satisfying clients and myself.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Interior design is 90% hard work, 10% glamour. Don’t assume it’s all about taking lunches with clients and shopping till you drop. Yes, there are wonderful moments and lots of opportunities to get dressed up and schmooze, but most of the time, you’re schlepping heavy bags (stone samples are heavy!) and covered in fabric threads and sawdust.

How much time off do you get/take?

What’s “time off”? Seriously. I try to squeeze in fun times during the crowded work weeks, but I’m not very good at carving out true time off.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

That it’s all fun and glamour. And that interior designers are only looking to part clients with their money.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

To be doing exactly what I’m doing now, but with more money in the bank.

What else would you like people to know about your job/career?

Be open minded to all the possibilities. When I quit my very good job in television to go out on my own, I had no idea where I would land. I wasn’t sure if I’d eventually open a shop, or just work in one. Or work as a glamorous interior designer, or work for one. Or possibly end up doing something very different.  I still really don’t know where I’m headed, but this life has opened up great opportunities to travel, meet new people and learn new things about my own talents and what’s out there in the big world.

David Ehlert talks about his career as a Medical Illustrator.  Find him at www.cognitionstudio.com and on his Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.

What do you do for a living?

I’m a certified medical illustrator and Co-Owner / Director of Illustration at Cognition Studio, Inc. in Seattle, WA.

How would you describe what you do?

As a certified medical illustrator, I’m bringing visual meaning and understanding to complex concepts for the biomedical community. I enjoy the process of discovering and unraveling each project’s story and then accurately illustrating and visually communicating those findings.

What does your work entail?

At present, the work I do relies on 15+ years of industry experience in academic and commercial practice not including graduate training from an accredited program. This background serves as the critical foundation needed to efficiently ascertain the message, meaning and purpose of any project before doing final visualizations. With this info in hand, work usually proceeds with an arsenal of the following ever growing skill sets: curiosity, an open mind, listening, asking questions (especially Why?), project management, time management, research, conceptualization, color theory, composition, communication, humility, perseverance, patience, dedication and gratitude.

What’s a typical work week like?

Any given week can take me on a magnificent journey from the surface of the brain to the microenvironment of a lymph node. There are days steeped in researching disease, studying surgical procedures, and comprehending biomedical innovation in the making. These scenarios afford me an opportunity to converse freely with C-suite, surgeons, researchers, scientists and attorneys, to name a few. Generating and reviewing numerous concept sketches before finalizing illustrations is typical, as well as attending client and team meetings, staying on top of the business side of Cognition Studio with my partner, looking to the future, and remembering to enjoy the day, exercise, and eat right.

How did you get started?

While I could tell you about where I went to school, where my first job was, and so forth, I think this question begs for the catalyst to go into this line of work. We all have that story and mine began circa 1990, where I was steeped in 3DTV: drawing, daydreaming, dating, and watching TV, especially Jacques Cousteau on PBS. The latter gave a glimpse to a career that served as a spark that lead to a parallel career that began my lifelong pursuit. I initially had a desire to be a marine biologist like Jacques Cousteau, but while watching his show on PBS one day, there was an artist aboard his ship drawing their undersea discoveries. This turned out to be a scientific illustrator, and while I had never heard of this before, I knew it was unique. Sadly, the precision and vastness of biology was daunting enough to have me second guess my interest in pursuing this career. I recall mentioning this cool finding to my mother, an epidemiologist, during dinner. Coincidence or not, shortly thereafter she saw a mural in the cardiac wing of a hospital she worked at and told me about it in great detail. Based on my bewildered expression and exhausting line of questioning she couldn’t answer, she felt it would be worth her sanity to find out who did the work and speak directly with that artist. Shortly thereafter, I found myself chatting in the home studio of Scott Barrows, world renowned medical illustrator, that lived in the same area as I did. Scott showed me samples of his work and his artistic process (e.g., pencil, pen and ink, air brushing, etc). I asked Scott what were likely some of the oddest and incredibly ill-formed teenager questions, and he probably caught me daydreaming there on the spot. Regardless, this was the catalyst because Scott was patient with me, laughed a lot (at me, I’m sure), and served as the ultimate (pre-Google-guide) for what I needed to do to become a medical illustrator — the perfect blend of medicine and art.

What do you like about what you do?

The process that leads to creating a finished illustration (read What does your work entail? listed above).

What do you dislike?

This career does mean that there are times I am away from drawing for days on end while doing research, meeting, or non-illustration-based projects. This can be quite frustrating.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

As the Director of Illustration at Cognition Studio, I ensure the biomedical community wants to work with us time and time again as well as recommend us to others. This is done by providing consistent, reliable, and accurately illustrated solutions with the utmost courtesy to the client in the process.

To directly answer the question, creating a contractual agreement between us and the client is the critical first step to ensure both parties know what is requested of the other. Agreed upon invoicing before, during, and immediately after a project ensures compensation is timely. Lastly, gratitude goes a long way to show the client we sincerely appreciate the opportunity to be a part of their team.

To speak about billing hourly, it’s important to know what that means. In fact, I don’t like to call it an hourly rate, but a value rate (and I’m not alone in this line of thinking). Knowing what to charge—your value rate—or what you/the project is worth, is essential to survival. Being comfortable talking money is critical which means you have to do some homework and put your business hat on, especially if you run your own business. This includes an awareness of what it costs to stay in business (aka overhead), type of work to be done, complexity, licensing of the work, and of course your reputation as an artist. This becomes a formula, for better use of a word, that is unique to each individual/company with value as the common denominator.

Okay, on to the question at hand. I’m sure medical illustrators bill hourly, but I wouldn’t say all. There are instances where this format will occur for rush projects, ongoing/multiple projects, or projects that were billed as a fixed fee that slide out of scope. Speaking of fixed fee, medical illustrators may see their value as an industry expert/team asset and bill by the project rather than hourly. Benefits of this format include value-based pricing and perceived value in the client’s mind, to name a few. Lastly, there may be medical illustrators that are on retainer which has an agreed upon weekly/monthly number of billable hours that is guaranteed income and is usually founded on a trusted relationship. The key point comes back to your value rate as I mentioned above. Regardless, at the root level, each scenario generally takes a value rate into account.

How much money do you make as a Medical Illustrator?

While this isn’t a direct answer, I earn enough to help take care of our business and life needs.

Income can vary based on experience level, type of work (e.g., illustration, animation, modeling, creative or art director, faculty, etc.), sector of work/type of employer (e.g., academic, institutional, corporate, government, etc.), demographics (location, location, location), business savviness, and the state of the economy. That said, this is a difficult question to answer. On average, someone in this industry that falls under the general blanket term “medical illustration” can earn anywhere from $50k to well over $100k, but I would put the median around $60k – $65k to be safe.

How much money did you make starting out as an Medical Illustrator?

My first job was at the Biomedical Communication unit at St. Louis University. I made $28,800 plus benefits. Mind you, I was working in academia, cost of living was low in St. Louis, and it was 3Q 1997. That said, in reference to the previous question, location (demographics), job field (academia vs commercial), and the economy all factor into this financial equation. If this starting salary was for an academic facility in San Francisco, I would have expected this starting salary to be much higher to balance the cost of living. Hope that makes sense.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

I can only speak specifically to my career path, but there are other ways to arrive here.  I have a Master of Associated Medical Sciences from the University of Illinois (UIC) at Chicago’s Biomedical Visualization (BVis) program. This is an intensive, two year graduate program that helped provide the core skills I needed to go out and become a medical illustrator. Beyond this, a drive to constantly learn and create serve me well. Regardless of how you get here, you have to be able to draw well because this is how you communicate, and be efficient at working in various software applications (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator) pertinent to your specific needs is a must.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Embarking on a new project that I have never done before, but really want to do.

What is most rewarding?

Succeeding on that new project and landing additional project opportunities as a result of it.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Talk with medical illustrators, medical animators, etc. in your area. Meet them in person. Tour their studio. If you’re near a graduate school like UIC, then call and ask to tour their program. You can find out more about this career and programs at http://www.ami.org .

How much time off do you get/take?

When you run your own business, time off is what you make of it. We don’t accumulate vacation, personal holidays, or sick leave, but our employees do. When opportunity for continuing education presents itself, we take it. For instance, just this past year, I have attended a Creative Leadership Academy (CLA) in Arizona and my business partner and I just returned from TedMed in Washington, D.C.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

That’s probably the random individual that perceives what I do is just drawing. Medical Illustration is so much more than that. However there are days where I wish it was more drawing as I mentioned in What I dislike? listed above.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

To continue honing my abilities to communicate better is a daily goal.  An additional goal is spending quality time improving my hand-eye coordination by attending an atelier program.  Lastly, a dream is to continue waking up each day enjoying what I do.

What else would you like people to know about your job/career?

If you find yourself looking at the world through a magnifying lens, like to see things with those blue/red 3D specs on, and have an active imagination that aligns with Max from Where the Wild Things Are, then this is a perfectly good career to set your sights on. At least, that’s what I think.

Read as Lori Ann Robinson talks about her career as an Image and Fashion Consultant.  You can find Lori at www.larconsultants.com and on her Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.

What do you do for a living?

I am an Image and Fashion Consultant, and Speaker.

How would you describe what you do?

I work with men and women to enhance their personal and professional image. I assist them with their wardrobe, teaching them how to dress for success and guide them with business etiquette and communication so they can develop their ‘visual business card’. I work with my clients from the inside out.

What does your work entail?

When I work with an individual I start with a consultation finding out their needs and concerns. From that fact-finding phase, I will be able to determine what services they will need and a plan is made. The service may start with a color analysis determining what colors look best on them. We may then work with their current wardrobe and do a closet edit. A list is then made for a day of personal shopping. We may also schedule coaching sessions for their personal development.  When a corporate client contacts me I start with a questionnaire about the company needs and what type of presentation is best. I usually then will draw up a proposal and meet with the decision maker to discuss if they are in my area. Otherwise we discuss over the phone or SKYPE.

What’s a typical work week like?

Every week varies. That is why I love having my own business. Some weeks are juggling clients to complete their image makeover, other weeks may be preparing for a corporate presentation. There are various weeks throughout the year when I teach my image and fashion course to budding image consultants. A day does not go by that I do not do a marketing activity, which is the lifeblood of every small business.

How did you get started?

After art school where I studied fashion illustration and advertising design, I realized how much I wanted to be in the fashion field. My big dream was to become a designer. I was not ready to move to New York where the best schools were. I landed a costume design apprentice position at a theatre. It was there I was able to meet and interact with celebrities and highly sought after theatre professionals. I remained at the theatre for over 4 years eventually working my way to becoming the resident designer. I met such interesting artists from Los Angeles that I felt that was going to be my next chapter. I wanted to try my hand at working in television and film. I worked on various productions and in different media. I landed an assistant costume designer job at a very well known daytime drama. Again I worked my way up to head designer in the genre where I received 4 Emmy nominations for my work. It was a wonderful learning and rewarding experience filled with exciting opportunities. It gave me the foundation to become an image consultant. I worked with some of Hollywood’s top talented people. I always had the desire to have my own business so I left entertainment and opened my own business in 2004. I have never looked back. I get to do what I love- that is helping people achieve their personal and professional best.

What do you like about what you do?

I love to help people and teach them that with the right tools they can look and feel terrific.

What do you dislike?

Time logistics of getting around Los Angeles with my clients. You need to have plan A, B, C and D!

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

It varies depending on how many clients and corporate speaking engagements I have during the year. Compensation is calculated by what services the individual client needs. Speaking engagements are based on a fee determined after a discovery session of client needs.

How much money do Fashion Consultants make?

This greatly depends on your experience and geographical area that you live.  In the larger fashion cities rates are higher. A fashion consultant in a non-metro city may make anywhere from $50-$75 per hour versus $100-$300 in a fashion capital. Most consultants work on an hourly fee but there are those who work on flat day rates.

How much money did/do you make starting out as a Fashion Consultant?

First year was my leanest year around 25K. You are networking, marketing and building your infrastructure and doing all the things one needs to do in the beginning of any type of business. I was lucky and was able to take costuming jobs on the side to keep afloat. As my business grew, every year got better.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

The more experience you have the better. Having a sense of style and a keen eye for color is paramount. Having a good head for business and how to deal with people is key too. Working in some type of fashion field will be of service to you. Taking a course in image and fashion consulting is a must.

What is most challenging about what you do?

I work with a great deal of women and men with figure challenges. One of my biggest challenges is to find the right wardrobe for them off the rack. I often will have a look and style in my head and I will have difficulty finding my vision. It can sometimes be about compromises.

What is most rewarding?

Having clients tell me of their successes.  I love to hear about the compliments they are receiving about their new enhanced image. And I get excited if they get a promotion or new job. I know I make a difference for my clients and a smiling, happy client is worth his/her weight in gold.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

You must be well trained in the image service/services you are going to be providing. Clients come to image consultants in distress and having excellent training will help you guide them to their full image potential. Also figure out who is your ideal client and try to niche yourself.

How much time off do you get/take?

Can you hear me laugh? I am a bit of a workaholic. I am always doing something business oriented even on so called ‘off days”. I love to work, so I do not take much more than 5 days off at a time. I work many of the major Monday holidays since stores are open and my clients have the day off.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

That image and fashion consultants are too judgmental and show up with a garbage bag ready to throw out all your clothes, shoes and accessories. That is not how it is when I meet with clients. This is a personal journey for many and you need to be compassionate and kind in your approach.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

I would love to have my own TV show one day, and maybe my own line of clothing and accessories. I have great ideas and would love to see them come to fruition working with the right people.

What else would you like people to know about your job/career?

I know this sounds cliché, but you must love what you do, or what’s the point! I am constantly learning and evolving. I sacrificed a lot over the years and most of the time it was well worth it. Always keep up on technology no matter what you are doing. It is how business is going to survive.

Read as James H. Nichols, Ph.D talks about his career as a Clinical Chemist.  Find him at www.baystatehealth.com.  He is also a member of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, www.aacc.org.

What do you do for a living?

Clinical Chemist.  A Professor of Pathology and Medical Director of the Chemistry Section of a Hospital Laboratory.

How would you describe what you do?

Supervising the quality of laboratory testing.

What does your work entail?

Consultation with physicians, managing laboratory operations, research and development, administration.

What’s a typical work week like?

Every day is different, there are always questions about patient’s lab tests from physicians, but also instrumentation to repair and troubleshoot, inspections, implementation of new tests, and managing quality concerns.

How did you get started?

I learned about the career during my doctoral work in graduate school.

What do you like about what you do?

Seeing patients benefit from their lab tests.

What do you dislike?

Doctors and nurses can sometimes be abrupt and grumpy.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

Based on a fixed salary and bonuses plus side consultations.

 How much money do Clinical Chemists make?

A hospital-based clinical chemist can make between $100,000 and $300,000 depending on size of the institution, profit-sharing plans and bonuses/benefits.

How much money did/do you make starting out as a Clinical Chemist?

As a postdoctoral student in clinical chemistry, a trainee can make between $40,000 and $65,000.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

Minimum of a Ph.D or M.D. with a focus in a chemistry related field, postdoctoral training, board certification and at least 5 years of experience directing a laboratory under the federal regulations (CLIA).

What is most challenging about what you do?

No day is the same, and many unexpected events can require attention that disrupt scheduling and advance planning.

What is most rewarding?

Ability to travel the world, promote quality standards and educate others on good laboratory practice.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Just show motivation and get as much laboratory experience in a hospital or reference laboratory business as possible.

How much time off do you get/take?

Generally 4 weeks a year plus paid holidays.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

Many people don’t know what the laboratory does in the hospital or the people who manage the testing.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

More public attention to the role of the laboratory in health care and physician decision-making.

What else would you like people to know about your job/career?

It is rewarding and exciting, and I enjoy coming to work each and every day.

Read as Ann M. Gronowski, Ph.D. talks about her career as a Clinical Chemist.  Find her at www.wustl.edu.  She is also a member of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, www.aacc.org.

What do you do for a living?

I am a board certified Clinical Chemist.

How would you describe what you do?

A clinical chemist is someone who understands laboratory testing used to diagnose and monitor disease. Clinical Chemists: develop new laboratory tests, help doctors order and interpret laboratory tests, they do research, they teach and they help to figure out why some patients have unusual laboratory results.

What does your work entail?

Part of  my job is doing research on biomarkers of disease. Part of my work is teaching residents (MDs) and PhDs who are getting training in laboratory medicine. The rest of my job involves overseeing a large hospital laboratory. This means monitoring quality, trouble shooting problems and errors, evaluating new tests and helping doctors interpret laboratory tests.

What’s a typical work week like?

Mostly I have an office job. I work 9-5 and I spend a fair amount of time talking to doctors about laboratory tests. Sometimes my research brings me into the laboratory to do experiments.

How did you get started?

I obtained my PhD degree and learned about postdoctoral training in clinical chemistry. I applied and was fortunate enough to be accepted.

What do you like about what you do?

I love solving puzzles and mysteries. I get to work with physicians and laboratorians to figure out why patients have certain laboratory results. Ultimately this helps the patients and that is very rewarding!

What do you dislike?

Sometimes jobs like mine involve regulatory and administrative duties. I don’t really enjoy those. Also, I don’t enjoy teaching students that don’t care and don’t want to learn. That is no fun!

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

I get a salary, with health insurance and benefits

How much money do Clinical Chemists make?

Board certified clinical chemists make between $90,000 and $190,000, depending on if they work in academia, hospital or industry.

How much money did/do you make starting out as a Clinical Chemist?

Board certified clinical chemists have starting salaries of around $100,000

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

To do what I do you have to have an MD or PhD degree and you have to undergo several years of additional specialized post-doctoral training and then take a board examination.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Dealing with physicians who won’t admit that they don’t know everything about laboratory testing.

What is most rewarding?

The feeling when you know you have helped a patient. Also watching the students that you teach become successful.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

It is very competitive. Keep trying.

How much time off do you get/take?

I get 4 weeks of vacation.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

They think I actually perform the laboratory tests. I do not. I understand how they work and I can troubleshoot when there are problems. I know what they are used for and how to interpret results.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

Moving forward I’d like to do more philanthropic work in order to give back to the profession that has given me a lot.

What else would you like people to know about your job/career?

It is very rewarding and has allowed me to travel all over the world.

Pat Flynn talks about his successful career as an online entrepreneur.  You can find Pat at www.smartpassivincome.com and on his Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.  [editor's note: this interview was done over the phone and transcribed to text].

What do you do for a living?

I do a lot of things for a living I guess you can say, but to can sum it all up I am an online entrepreneur.

 How would you describe what you do?

I have a number of businesses that I run online.  A lot of them are built in a way that allows me to fulfill transactions or provide information to people without me having to be there in real time.  It’s very much inspired by The 4-Hour Workweek, a book by Tim Ferriss.

He gives many examples of how he has automated his businesses and I kind of took that and I’ve run with that.  One example is www.greenexamacademy.com which is a business I run where I sell study guides and process exams in the architecture industry.  People can come to my site and buy a study guide or buy a practice exam and then it gets automatically delivered to them via email and I get money in my bank account as a result.

Now, it wasn’t a business that happened overnight.  It took a very long time for it to get to this point, but I’m very happy with what I do for a living because all I have to do is just provide information to people and then ‘set it and forget it’ if you will.  It’s not 100% automated.  I have to keep coming back to those businesses every once in a while to optimize them, to test, or to make sure things are running smoothly or answer people’s questions.  But I’m not trading my hours.  I’m investing my time now so I can earn more dollars later.  And that’s just one example.

I have several other examples. I have a website at www.securityguardtraininghq.com which is the number one security guard training site in the world, at least on Google, and it provides information for people as far as how to start a career in the security guard industry. I make money off of advertisements on that site as opposed to selling products.  I also have an iPhone application business.

We have 27 applications live in iTunes in the app store right now.  I spent time to build those or hired someone to build those for me, put them in the app store and now every month I get a check from Apple between $5,000 and $10,000 for those applications.  Then most people know me from www.smartpassiveincome.com because that is where I talk about all these other businesses that I do, the strategies that work, strategies that don’t work, and just try to help other people do the same thing.  And now that site has taken off and has become a great asset in my overall business portfolio.

What would you say your work entails?

It includes a lot of aspects of online work.  For example building websites, writing content, publishing content, and I’m also a host of a podcast.  I’m also doing a lot of video.  Basically what it all comes down to is writing and delivering value through all different types of mediums, blogs, video, or podcasts to try and help people achieve something in their lives, whether it’s becoming a security guard or to help them pass an exam or learn how to do business online.  Really what it comes down to, the more people I can help, the more rewards come back to me in one way or another.

It might not be a direct monetary payback from the specific person that I helped, but that person might tell their friends about me who may purchase a product or they might share something on Twitter which will tell their followers about me and my site which will get them to share with their friends.  The universe somehow likes paying you back the more you can help people.

 What’s a typical workweek like?

Well, I guess I can start with a typical workday and that is waking up at 7:30 in the morning to the alarm of my two-year old son.  And then we basically just play all day. We play from 7:30 to around lunchtime.  My wife wakes up maybe around 10:00 and then we all hang out together, we watch some Nick Junior and really it’s about family.  That’s the most important thing for me and that’s what I really love about the business I do.  It allows me to stay at home with my wife and my son.  We have another baby on the way too.  So I’m really fortunate to have this opportunity to be at home with them.

We basically play till lunch and then he goes down for a nap, then I do maybe one or two hours of work.  For example, right now this current time is my work time when I get to do interviews and other things.  I do most of my work at night after everyone goes to sleep.  I get maybe one or two hours of work done until he wakes up.  I don’t try to do major projects during that time, just little things. Then when he wakes up, we go somewhere.

We might go to Sea World or we might go to the grocery store.  We play as a family together and when my son goes down I spend maybe an hour or two alone with my wife watching TV or just talking.  Then I go and do my work in the evening which is usually around 10:00 pm.

I’ll do most of my work between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am in the morning and that, at least for me – I know that sounds way too late for some people but that’s when I’m the most focused.  I have the most energy at that time.  It’s kind of random but that’s when I work best.  So that happens every day. Thursday is date night with my wife.  We bring our son to grandma’s house.  Grandma and grandpa take care of him while my wife and I go out.  And I think that’s important as well because when you have a kid you have less one on one time and it’s really important to both of us to have that alone time together.

That’s basically it.  The working is not very much work at all, but when I am working I’m working really hard.  I’m really focused.  I take away all the distractions and I know what I’m going to do before I get into it so that I can maximize the amount of things that I get done during that time.

How did you get started in this career?

This is a story that I love to tell because every time I tell it I’m pretty amazed at how it happened and it’s still unbelievable to me sometimes.  Basically when I was working in the architecture field in 2008 after I graduated college I ended up getting laid off because the economy was really bad.  Nobody was building anything so nobody needed any design or architects.  Luckily, I was studying for this exam that I eventually created a site for.  I was studying for this exam and what I did was I set all my notes online to help me study.

I did this while I was still working to help me study and to also share those notes with my coworkers.  I never had any intention of sharing this with anybody else in the world.  I passed the test, didn’t do anything with the site for about a year.  I didn’t do anything with it until I got laid off and I started to learn about online business and started to educate myself about it.  I looked at the site, and after some quick analysis on it I learned that already thousands of people around the world were viewing the site every single day to help them pass exams too.  I didn’t know how it happened or why, but now I do.

Basically Google found me because I was writing all this relative content for terms that people were searching for and the content was good enough to help people pass the exam and they would share it with their friends and it spread virally through word of mouth.  I eventually turned that site which was just notes into a business.  I published an e-book study guide and then came out with an audio guide to go along with it.  I then became an affiliate for people who have practice exams in this niche as well and it just took off from there.  At one point I was making up to $30,000 a month with just this one site which is far more than I ever made in my architecture career.  When I look back at it, my layoff was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.

What do you like about what you do?

I love that I can spend time with my family.  That’s the most important thing for me and I also like that being online I can reach many, many people all at one time.  It’s not like a brick and mortar business where my clientele and customers are just in that one area.  The entire world can access my site if they wanted to.  My businesses are open 24/7, 365 days a year, even on holidays.  So people can come and purchase something at any time.   And what I really, really love about it is that I can change people’s lives, help people achieve things, and make people’s lives better by what I publish online.  That’s really what it’s all about for me.  That’s what I love about it the most.

What do you dislike about what you do?

There are a few things I actually do dislike about what I do.  The number one thing I think is comparing this to my work in the architecture industry, I have no coworkers.  I’m in my home office and I’m all alone.  And as much as I enjoy spending time with my family I can’t talk about business with them like I would talk about it with a coworker.  I can’t have water cooler talk with them talking about the Monday night football game or a work issue and I just miss that camaraderie and the people who I can look over the cubicle next to me and just chat with.

Another part I dislike, or it’s very tough to deal with at least, is the fact that it’s hard to differentiate when work is over and when work starts because I run my own business.  I can at any time just walk into my office and continue working.  I can always do more.  So I have to really be disciplined and walk away from the office, walk away from the computer when it is family time, and not blur those lines.

That’s probably the toughest part and talking to other people who do business online as well that’s one of the toughest things.  You  have to just stop working when it’s time to have fun or enjoy life because more work can always be done.

How do you make money or how are you compensated in this?

I’ll talk about the bits and pieces of my business.  First I have www.Greenexamacademy.com, which is that LEED exam architecture test study guide website.  People come to my site, they purchase a product, whether it’s my e-book or an audio guide or the entire package, the money goes into my PayPal account and then they get that product in an email that they can download that product from. I’m using a service call E-Junkie to basically house my books and my audio files and they take care of all the automation.

You just have to set it up once and the transaction is fulfilled automatically through them.  I really enjoy working with them.  Also on the site I make money through affiliate marketing.  Basically I’m selling other people’s products and I get a commission every time I sell through my site as well.  Affiliate marketing is very powerful because you don’t have to spend time creating the product.  If a product is good you can just send people through a special link or a special phone number and then you get compensated for it.  You don’t have to deal with customer service because that’s all on their end.

That’s really the neat part of that and that’s primarily how I make money through smartpassiveincome.com.  I recommend different products or services.  For example if I say “hey, it’s great to start an LLC.  Here is an affiliate link for legalzoom.com” and if someone goes to that special link which has a cookie connected to my name on it and makes a purchase then I get a little commission from Legal Zoom.  There’s a number of products I recommend on smartpassiveincome.com that work in just the same way.

I also have an iPhone app business.  Anytime anyone makes a purchase on any of our paid applications I get 70% of the cost.  So if an app is $10 I get $7 and Apple takes 30%, so $3.  Now, I don’t sell any apps for $10.  The highest priced app I sell is $2.99 and really to be honest it’s the 80-20 rule.  20% of our apps are making 80% of our income.  It’s a tough market but it was more of an experiment to see how possible it was to make a passive income with apps.  We got in early so that helps too.  But we found it is possible.  Now more than ever though you have to have a great idea and great design in order to stand out and even then you kind of have to get lucky.

I also have securityyguardtraininghq.com which, like I said earlier, makes money through advertisements.  I have Google Adsense up on the site which is some code you can put on any site that you have and it will automatically generate ads relevant for the content you post on that page.  So if you go to securityguardtraininghq.com you see ads for security guard training companies or other related things in that industry and any time someone clicks on those ads I get a few cents up to a couple of dollars depending on the ad.

How much money do you make as an online entrepreneur?

I’m currently generating, and it’s been growing quite nicely every single month, in total through all my businesses about $50,000 a month.  And that’s not typical.  I will tell you that it took me a very long time and a lot of hard work to get there.  I’m very fortunate to be in a position where I am making this kind of money and I’m always trying to give back because like I said earlier, the more I give back the more I get back in return.  And that’s always been my business model.

Now, I will break it down for you a little bit.  When Greenexamacademy.com was first monetized back in 2008 I was making $10,000 to $30,000 a month.  Since then the industry has kind of gone down a little bit.  There’s been more competitors and I kind of focus a little bit less on that site.  That site is now currently making between $4,000 and $8,000/month which is still a good income actually considering I only spend about a couple of hours a month on it.  With iPhone apps, I make maybe $5,000 to $10,000 a month as well.  Again, most of it comes from just about 20% of our applications.  There are a lot of misses there.

Our best paid application was the $2.99 application called Baby Maker, and again these apps don’t really add value to people’s lives, just add entertainment value.  But with this one you take pictures of two people and it kind of splices them together to create a really ugly, funny looking baby.

Then we have a free application that came out in 2009 which was another kind of gag type of application called Traffic Light Changer.  This is a free app and the idea behind it is there’s a button on it that you press and it changes the light in the app from red to green.  The idea is you point this at a stoplight when you’re sitting there and it will turn the light from red to green.

Now, it doesn’t work.  It’s impossible for iPhones to do that.  But half the time it actually does work just based off coincidence and that’s the joke.  You can kind of trick your friends by telling them that you have an app that does that.  This app at one point was getting about 20,000 downloads a day and it was making money through advertisements up to about $300 a day at one point.  So, the free app model is good as well but the entire market in general is becoming much more competitive.

How much money did you make starting out in this career?

When I think back to when I actually started this site and I started putting notes on greenexamacademy.com just to share with my coworkers I was making nothing.  And most people when they start an online business they’re going to make nothing.  That’s tough for a lot of people.  They expect it to happen right away and when it doesn’t they give up.

That’s why a lot of people who try online businesses don’t succeed.  I wouldn’t be afraid to say that 90% of people who really try to make a career out of online business will fail and again that’s because people want to see results fast.

It took me a really long time.  Relatively speaking I’m not waiting until I’m 65 to see this kind of income, which is great.  So I guess in that sense it came fast, but it still took a couple of years to get to the point where I could begin to monetize.

It takes a lot of hard work and a really long time.  There’s no such thing as getting rich quick or overnight.

What education schooling or skills are needed to do this?

The most important thing is you need to know how to write.  You don’t need a degree of any kind.  All you really need to do is to be able to get a message out there through written text.  Google doesn’t listen to podcasts and they don’t watch videos.  They understand what content is about based on the text.

So it’s really important to know how to write not only so Google can find you but also to write for people.   Everybody is online now and learning things and searching for things in Google.  So it’s really important to understand how to write and how to get people to take action.  Whether that’s getting them to learn about whatever it is you have to teach or getting them to purchase a product that you want to sell.

You can go even further and talk about relationship building.  I think that’s a really important skill that you need to have.  You can’t do online business alone.  There’s nothing more important than the relationships you build with other people in your niche who can then help you or the relationships you build with your audience who will be happy to share your stuff, consume your content, or buy a product from you.  You absolutely need to know how to build relationships and foster those relationships online in order to really make things happen.

There are courses available to learn specific parts of online business.  For example, courses about how to start a blog or how to get more traffic to your site and those are helpful.  They will streamline the process.  But to be honest most of that information can be found for free online.  That being said, if you find someone who you really connect with who offers a course that you believe would help you stay motivated and help you throughout that process as you’re trying to build the website or start your online business then I think it’s a good investment.

What would you say is the most challenging about what you do?

 The most challenging thing is trying to push the boundaries because that is really what is going to help you find success faster and help you grow faster.  It’s really easy to just blend in with the crowd and do what everyone else is doing.  But if you want to find rapid growth you really have to push the boundaries and produce unique content.

So trying to come up with new ideas and trying to step out of my comfort zone to achieve new goals is probably the most challenging

What would you say is most rewarding about what you do?

The most rewarding thing is seeing how much of an impact I’m having on other people.   The idea that the classes I produce, the blog posts that I write, the podcasts that I put out, and the videos that I shoot are actually helping people is very rewarding.   Getting an email from someone that just says ‘Pat, thank you so much for doing the tutorial.  You’ve helped me in this way’ and a lot of times people will email me and say ‘Pat, thank you so much, I made my first dollar online and it’s all because of you.’  That means a lot to me.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

My advice to you if you want to start an online business is to try and understand what you have to offer people.  And that can be very difficult.  The first thing I would suggest is to kind of step back and see and notice if people are coming to you for advice for anything.  Do they always come to you for advice on how to fix your car or how to deal with kids or something?

That’s how you can kind of generate ideas as far as what kind of business you can possibly start online.   Because what it’s all about is offering value to people, changing people’s lives, and what you have to offer that can help them achieve that.

Now, if that becomes difficult I would really just keep an eye open for opportunities in markets and see what other people are doing and maybe even just search the web and see what interests you and where you might be able to fit in.  If there are competitors for things that interest you that’s actually a good sign.  I wouldn’t let that hold you back because that means there’s a market for that particular niche and all you have to do is get in that market and bring something new to the table.

You just have to put in the hard work and be prepared to spend some time.  I wouldn’t expect anything to happen fast.  I know that’s tough in this day and age when we do a Google search and it tells us that our search results come in 0.0012 seconds then when you look up a video on our phone and it takes longer than 30 seconds we get angry.

Everybody wants things to happen fast, but if you’re going to do a successful long term online business you have to take things one day at a time and expect it to be a long road.  But also, and this is really critical here, expect to fail because failing is good.

As long as you learn from your failures and you fall forward, you get up, try again, and use what you learned from your previous experiences to help make this time better then failing is a good thing.

How much time off do you get or take?

I don’t really necessarily have time off, but I have a very, very flexible schedule.  So I can take a two week vacation and not even worry about any of my online businesses, since they would still be working for me.

So I don’t have paid time off or vacation hours, but I have the ability to walk away from the business at any time and know that business is still running and can come back to it when it’s convenient.

What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?

This is funny.  When I tell people that I do online business they think I’m doing something illegal.  They think I’m in the porn industry or they think that I’m scamming people.   And that’s hard for me, especially when you consider my sites are helping people and providing real value.

So, yeah it’s just funny that some people, and it’s mostly the older or people who aren’t really online too much, they are the ones that suspect that I’m doing something fishy.

What are your goals and dreams for the future in this career?

My goal is to be a top example of someone who is making money online by doing something good.  A lot of times people associate internet business with people who are scamming people and that’s not what I want to be.  I want to be a good example for this industry.  The internet marketing industry has kind of had a bad name because of people like that, but I’m trying to change that one day at a time.

Another one of my goals is to get to the point where I have enough income to start a non-profit organization with my wife to help kids in one way or another. We haven’t really talked about the details, but we want to get to the point where businesses are up and running and are generating an income and we both can do exactly what we want to do and help as many people as possible.

 What else would you like people to know about your career and what you do for a living?

I guess I would say it’s been a bumpy road.  There’s been a lot of times that I have wanted to give up, a lot of times.  But it was because I’m doing something that I enjoy doing that I was able to surpass those, to jump over those hurdles, to get through those tough times.  It’s really the passion that you have for your projects and the business that you’re doing that’s going to get you through all those tough times.  That’s what people who will become your customers or your loyal fans will see.  They’re going to see that passion.  They’re going to hang onto it and they’re going to become passionate followers and customers who can then help the business take off.