Lover of trading, tacos, 3D/AR/VR, cryptos, and most things Japanese

For a guy who’s currently unemployed, I sure have a full schedule these days. I’m pursuing several different employment opportunities, all in various advanced stages (read: multiple interviews), including both full-time and contract work. I’m taking two classes – Foundations of Business Strategy from Darden School of Business at UVA and Game Theory from Stanford University – and I’m doing some volunteer work for the Kids International Foundation, a foundation I have sponsored for over a decade that provides help and aid to children living in orphanages.

These days my schedule hasn’t allowed much time to work out though. In order for me to train consistently, I need to do it at the same time every day – make it something I _have_ to do every day – and I’ve been lacking in that regard. This is why I prefer to train first thing in the day – get up, get it done, get on with the day. Unfortunately, my schedule just won’t allow that at this time.

My diet is still good, I’m not gaining or losing weight, but I’m falling behind in the competition with Greg about who can get sub-200 first. I’ve been stuck at 216 for weeks, while he’s at the fringe, trying to break through that 200 barrier. I’ve been forced to make other activities a priority these days, but I have not been a total slacker. I’m still getting a workout in about three times a week, which is just about the bare minimum for maintenance mode.

I’m also working on starting a new business. I already have the name, the web site, and the Twitter accounts set up. At this point, I’m going to start it as an LLC to channel my contractual work through and provide a layer of protection for me. Plus, I like being a business owner and, given my extensive startup experience, it seems like a good idea to have my own again. Sure, there are additional hurdles that come into play running a business vs. being a sole proprietor, but there are also tax advantages and it can look good on the ol’ resume too. Given that my expertise is best utilized by small- to medium-sized businesses, it can make things a lot simpler to do B2B transactions than B2Contractor. Stay tuned for updates, you can be sure to hear about it when it becomes official. 🙂

I spent a good chunk of the weekend with family and friends. I met up with D for the USC vs. CU game at the Colorado USC Alumni get-together for the game at Blake Street Tavern and we had a fun time. It was great to see D – we hadn’t gotten together in months – and, despite USC crushing CU 56-28 🙂 , he had a good time too. I also got to witness history as Peyton Manning threw his record-breaking touchdown pass with my son and my dad. Oh, and Tom’s team won their game too. A great football weekend.

I’m doing everything I can, everything that’s being asked of me, and I have no other choice than to wait. I’m pursuing employment opportunities, which are moving along at a slower pace than I’d like. I’m doing some volunteer work for the Kids International Foundation: redesigning their web site (that I host too) and updating it to get it more socially connected. I have lunch meetings Thursday and Monday, one of which should at least lead to a contract gig. I’ve sent out follow-up emails to the companies I’m currently interviewing with and am awaiting their replies. I am hitting the gym, keeping the workout training moving along. I am eating well, still sticking around the 217 range – the workouts haven’t been intense or frequent enough to have an impact yet. I’m adding muscle and losing fat, so my weight is relatively constant. I’m spending time with my son on the weekends, going to his football games and doing some hanging out too. I’m spending good, quality time with my family.

All of these are good things, and I’m learning to take solace in the fact that, even though it doesn’t feel like I’m doing much, I am doing quite a bit of stuff after all. So I wait. Wait for people to get back to me. Wait for December to come. Wait for my date.

My new bestie is coming to visit from Boston next week, which will be a blast. We haven’t seen each other in decades, but have grown close via our daily chats for geez, what’s going on 10 months now. We have a few things planned, mostly revolving around food places to go – tacos, sushi, and the oldest restaurant in Denver – plus some hiking or driving and general scenery viewing and probably a visit to the gallery district. Another thing to look forward to! 🙂

Good news – my hard work and determination are paying off – I’ve been invited to do a third interview! I’ve made it through the initial consultation, then the tech interview, and now have the opportunity to meet the partner(s) that I’ll be working with if I get the position. I’m guessing this is the meeting that will give me much better insight into the guts of the company: where it is now and more important, where it wants to be in three, five years down the road. Time to learn about the business plan, company roadmap, and how we’re going to achieve results in both the near- and long-term.

I still don’t know corporate structure, haven’t met all the principals, and have a bunch of questions I’d like answered before moving on, but I’m willing to give it my all and do whatever it takes to make this opportunity a reality. I’m in a fantastic position personally because I have all the time, the energy, and the resources available to me that I might not have had if my situation were different. The position doesn’t require that I go into an office every day, so there’s a lot of flexibility as well. And I’m digging into code and learning some new skills along the way.

I feel excited, a bit like when working for my first startup, and it’s great to have that feeling back. There’s the fantastic potential of the company, the thrill of building something great, and the opportunity to work with a team of like-minded individuals towards fulfillment of a common goal. This excitement is tempered with the knowledge that nothing is certain and I still have a way to go in the process before I could expect an offer. That said, I think there’s a lot of potential in this one, especially from what I know of the team behind it, and I’m looking forward to taking the next steps to see where it leads.

Thank you all for your support along this journey, by now you know how much this would mean to me. And a special thanks to the baristas at the Starbucks I’ve been spending most of my time at lately. Their service is great, friendly, sometimes free, and their well-wishes are very nice.

Time to prep for Monday’s meeting! 🙂