Freelancing has a lot of ups and downs. But for the most part, the highs are higher than a typical day job, and the lows aren’t quite as low. What do I love most about freelancing? The freedom. It’s a totally different way of life. It’s a totally different approach to each day. Instead of getting up too early to go somewhere you don’t want to go and do things you don’t want to do, you can structure each day as you see fit. You can take a break when you want. You can go to a long lunch with a friend or your child’s doctor appointment without asking permission. You...

This was fun – I was profiled in the Aug. 25 issue of Des Moines Juice, a newsweekly for “young professionals.” Photo by Eric Rowley, Des Moines Juice 2010 Thanks to Brianne Sanchez for a great article, and Eric Rowley for a great photo! It’s so nice to be able to work at a coffee shop in a sunny spot by the window – I’m still not totally used to...

Today was my last day at my day job. From now on, I’m a full-time freelancer, working from home, working on projects with clients all over the world. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the happiest days of my life. Other than meeting my wife and getting married, other than becoming a father, this is the most excited I’ve ever been. This has been a long and winding journey, to say the least. I’ve been thinking about making this move for quite some time. I had to wait for our new baby to be born (which happened in May), then I went on FMLA leave for 10 weeks to take a...

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated my site. I apologize to my regular readers who might have been wondering, “whatever happened to Ben Gran?” In my defense, it’s been a pretty crazy month. First I got really busy with freelance work. Then one of my friends committed suicide. Then my wife and I welcomed the arrival of our second child. So I’ve been busy, and thinking about other things. I’m reconsidering what I want to do with this blog. I’m hoping to make it a little more freewheeling, a little more fun, a little more funny and irreverent. One immediate...

I read a great article awhile back about procrastination, and how we need to think differently about procrastination. Some people who think they’re procrastinators are actually “incubators.” They still get the work done, and with a high level of quality – it’s just that they need some time along the way to let the ideas percolate. So are you a procrastinator, or an incubator? Maybe you should stop worrying about being a procrastinator. Embrace it. Maybe you’re not really “procrastinating” after all… “Procrastinators may have a habit of putting...

Does it have to be? Too often, people in positions of power tend to become remote. They lose touch with the people who are affected by their decisions. They start keeping their guard up all the time – everyone starts to be seen as a supplicant, rival or potential threat. Power can be isolating. It can undermine the best part of people – it can make people lose touch with what they wanted to accomplish by gaining power in the first place. I have a mentor who is a high ranking executive. But he’s incredibly generous with his time, he’s connected, he’s engaged, and he’s...