Operation Self Reset Episode 38: A New Way to Work with Charlie Hoehn

In this episode of the Operation Self Reset podcast, Jake is talking with Charlie Hoehn author of the book Play It Away.

When Charlie finished school, he tried to get a nice job and applied to over a hundred companies. But the recession had hit and Charlie wasn’t having any luck getting that job he’d expected to find. One night, he decided that since he wasn’t getting paid anyway, he was only going to work on projects that he really loved. So he took it upon himself to reach out to successful business people online to help them with their work for free, by doing things such as editing videos. The people took him up on the offer and soon Charlie was working hard and really pushing himself. But why would anyone work for free?

Instead of thinking “What’s in it for me?” Charlie recommends that we approach the idea with the mindset of “What can I offer to people I admire?” Along the way, as a bonus, you get to make connections with these successful businesspeople and build your skills and portfolio.

Don’t think that following this path and working for free means that you have to quit your job and abandon your commitments. You can do this even if you’re working in another job that you love. Do the work on the side and build your skills. Or maybe you’re stuck in a job you hate and dream of doing something else. Use this idea as an opportunity to learn new things and to get your foot into the door of possible new career path.

Here’s what Jake and Charlie talked about in this episode:

Why would anyone want to work for free?
Getting your foot in the door
Networking by working for freee

Mentioned in This Episode

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Working for free doesn’t have to be seen as a last resort, the only option left when you can’t get the job you really want. Look at it as an opportunity to better yourself by networking with people you can gain wisdom from and by creating works you can use to earn more opportunities in the future. Working for free isn’t something that most people think of when they go out to get a job, but it can open doors into opportunities you’ve dreamed of.