Backstory
In early 2013, I left full-time employment to be a stay-at-home parent which was a really good decision. I also wrote some screenplays once both our kids were at school and kindergarten – optioning a script in the US in 2014 and renewing the option agreement in 2017 (these projects are ongoing).
About a year after I stepped off the corporate carousel, my wife did the same – a former lawyer, she decided to follow her love of dance and now runs Never Stop Dancing. We decided that we wanted to build our lives around our family, instead of squeezing our family life around work. And so now I’m able to choose the projects and clients I work with. It means that no two days or weeks are ever the same, I usually only have one or two assignments or clients at a time, occasionally three, rarely four.
This is good for me, and it’s great for you. It means when I’m working on your project or problem, I am focused. I don't spend all day in meetings, I'm not afraid to open my Inbox, I’m rarely interrupted, and I have time to think. If you call me, I'll answer the phone. And in a world of exponential complexity and uncertainty, it’s a great place to be. I feel very lucky to enjoy a working life and home environment that is quiet and uncomplicated.
I still use Trello, Skype, Google Hangouts, Slack, Telegram, InVision, Axure and various other cloud-based collaboration tools, but these are always based on a client need or preference. Basically, I can use whatever you’re using – and every client uses a slightly different set of tools.
And when I’m not working, I’m usually just doing fun things with my family and friends, or writing screenplays when time permits. Life is not particularly zany, glamorous, or exotic … but I sleep very well and walk a lot slower than I used to :)