"Make a Business Related to a Subject You Love"
Name: Robert Gluckson
Title: Adjunct Professor, Developer of Educational Courses
Location: Vashon, WA
Years as an Independent Contractor: All his life. Started selling mail-order comics at the age of 12.
Monster.com: What kind of independent contractor are you?
Robert Gluckson: I'm an adjunct professor and a marketing consultant. I teach two types of classes: credit classes, for which I'm paid on a quarter-by-quarter basis. I create these courses using distance learning as a mode of delivery. I rarely teach in the classroom. I'm moving into creating a course that I can then license. That's my current goal. The prime class I teach now is "Making Thousands in Mail Order." I also teach art classes -- mostly for fun.
Mc: What pushed you to go solo?
RG: Why would anybody want to work for somebody else? When you're working for somebody else you're either sellng yoruself by the hour, or at the very least you're cutting them in on a huge percentage of your productivity.
Mc: At what point did you realize that you could actually make a living on your own?
RG: I just started making money immediately when I started in mail order when I was 12. I always had more money than my friends. I had a checking account by the time I was 13.
Mc: What was your most memorable contract?
RG: In this business, you're constantly creating new courses, and you never really know whether they're going to go or not. About five years ago, I created one that allowed you to study film without coming to school. You still got a basic college humanities credit that was transferable to a university. Eighty-five people signed up for the class. So you just never know.
Mc: What has going solo meant for you personally?
RG: I live on an island in the Puget Sound. I can see only trees from where I'm sitting. I can go into the kitchen and get a snack whenever I want to. I only see the people that I contract with once every week or two. When I want to go out and garden or take a walk out on the beach, I do. The sun's out now, so I'm going to go out and take a walk on the beach.
Mc: Any advice for your fellow soloists?
RG: If you do something in an area that you love, why shouldn't you do it as well as the next person? You only need to do as well as your competitor. You don't have to do better. You only need to do as well. If you're working from home you can cut out tremendous expenses, which are competitive advantages.
You should be able to make a business related to a subject you love.
