[TriLUG] New member re-location question

[Brandon L. Newport]

It is amazing to me and unfortunate how many really good sysadmins are
promoted management positions where they are not qualified, and have to hire
someone that is not qualified for the position... The old saying is true
"You get promoted to the highest level of your incompetence".  The first
one's let go are the management positions.  Our management model in the
country is for crap.  We teach in the universities how to manage people and
the Japanese are  using it we are not.  The Europeans are using it...we are
not.  While their economies are as stagnant as ours their workers are
happier and the number of unemployed is less.  I think this whole thing is
due to many factors, politics are only one.  I was laid off in October of
last year, right after my wife started a web design/hosting company which we
had planned to grow slowly, it quickly became the main source of income for
us.  We both just had to bust our butts to make it.  Starting in Jan, I
started a security practice (which I have done for the past 10 years).  I
have discovered that actually being out on your own, while it is very hard
work, if you partner with other folks in the same situation, you can be
successful.  One trick that has worked great for us, is to find a sales
person (insurance is a good place to start) who has a full time job, and is
a hard working and join with other companies so he can sell several
services, but is a 1099 to all the companies, it increases the money (s)he
can make and also gets you in the door.

What is very funny to me is this country was started with the will to
survive and we as Americans have lost that, we want someone to give us a
job.  Opportunities are out there, but you have to make them happen.  Trust
me it is hard work but, very rewarding.  We went from $0 - almost what I was
making in 9 months, that is 9 months that I could have received unemployment
and not been able to pay my bills.  Basically guys SHIT HAPPENS, clean
yourselves off and figure out a new way to make the same money you made
before, because you can!!!!!

Sorry I am now off my soapbox.  This was not meant to be offensive to
anyone, and I apologize if it seemed that way.  I too am not happy with the
direction of this country many times, or our state and local politicians.
What happened to the statesmen we used to have working for us rather than
the  politician who only cares about himself and friends.  Where are the
loyalties within a company and the workers of that company.  What happened
to the morals and ethics, I have to use a 10 page legal doc for engagements
because I can no longer shake someone's hand and that be good enough.

Work together guys the work is out there.  One great example is a friend of
mine who lived in Charlotte and was part of the Charlotte Linux Users Group,
moved to Indianapolis because of his wife's job.  He put an ad in the paper
for a couple months (classifieds) and did work for $60/hr anything
PC/network related, after only 1 year he make more than his wife and has
gone from home users to small businesses to medium sized business and is
looking to bring on a couple people full time.

I think one of the biggest benefits for the user groups in today's economy
is to figure out how we can help each others and how we can team up
together.

Just my worthless $0.02

-brandon


__________________________

Brandon L. Newport - CISSP
Senior Security Engineer
Certified:  CISSP, GCIA, CCSE, MCSE Windows NT 4.0, Sun Workgroup, CCNA
Affiliated:  HTCIA, CSI

Appalachian Web Solutions, LLC
http://www.appws.com
P.O. Box 4254
Mooresville, North Carolina 28117
Ph.  704.658.9990
Fx.  866.422.4006
Mo.  704.564.9246

bnewport at appws.com
MSN IM: Nkr1ptD
AOL IM: Nkr1ptD
ICQ:    108901040
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