A day in the life of Ingrid King, author, blogger, cat expert and Reiki Master Practitioner

Ingrid King, self employed author, blogger, cat expert and Reiki Master Practitioner, wakes up happy to go to work.  She does what she loves and she is good at what she does.    

Ingrid wrote the award winning book, Buckley’s Story:  Lessons From a Feline Master Teacher, about her beloved tortoiseshell cat, Buckley. 

Ingrid’s award winning professional blog, http://consciouscat.net/, provides daily insight into the lives of cats – it is a go to blog for anyone seeking reliable, useful, and entertaining cat info.  Ingrid’s tortoiseshell cat, Amber, was the inspiration for The Concious Cat, which currently features Ingrid’s current torties, Allegra and Ruby. 

HBG comment:  I think many of us out there in blog world aspire to have a blog like The Conscious Cat! 

As of today, April 18, 2012, Ingrid’s blogpost about “tortitude” is closing in on 10,000 comments (9717 to be exact).  The tortitude post has led to some amazing friendships (and even romance) between people with the common bond of tortoiseshell cats.  If you don't know what tortitude is, then you probably haven't had a tortoiseshell cat in your life.  You can check out the tortitude blogpost and find out all about tortitude and the unique attitude of tortoiseshell cats.  Here’s the link: http://consciouscat.net/2009/08/17/tortitude-the-unique-personality-of-tortoiseshell-cats/.

HBG:  Can you give me a brief description of your typical day?

Ingrid King:  One of the beauties of being self-employed is that there is no typical day. I’m my own boss, so my schedule varies. My ideal day looks like this:

Get up at 6am, feed the cats, get my first cup of coffee, check e-mail, Facebook, read some of my favorite blogs. Play with the cats (this could be considered research for a future article!), have breakfast, then back to the computer for a full morning of writing blog posts for The Conscious Cat, articles for other publications, and working on my book.

On days when I have Reiki sessions scheduled, I either go visit the client’s home (I see pet clients in a very small geographical area in Northern Virginia), or, if it’s a human client, they’ll come to see me in my home office. I also do remote sessions.

Living in an area of the states known for horrible traffic, you can’t beat Ingrid’s commute, which she describes as going from her bedroom to her office across the hall.    And, some days, Ingrid gets to wear pajamas to work (sorry Ingrid, I couldn’t resist putting that into the blog).

HBG:  What is the best part of your workday/job?

Ingrid King:  Everything! I really love working from home. Writing is my true love, but I also enjoy my Reiki work with both pets and people.

Like most of the self employed workers I’ve featured, the downside of Ingrid’s job is book keeping and the other administrative tasks that come with being self-employed and running her  own business.  HBG comment:  I’m seeing a trend.

For the freelance writing portion of Ingrid’s work, she gets paid usually on a per-article basis. Some publications pay on a per-word basis. Her blog generates income from advertisements. Ingrid charges a set fee for Reiki sessions for both humans and animals.  For more information about Reiki, check out the Reiki tab on The Conscious Cat.

Ingrid doesn’t think of herself as a typical American worker.  HGB finds it really hard to sum up Ingrid’s work in a short day in the life vignette.  She’s a modern day renaissance woman, finding a way to fit all her passions into a small business. 

I love being self-employed and working from home. After working in corporate America for more than fifteen years, and working in a small business (a veterinary clinic) owned by someone else for another eight years, it was quite a change to work for myself. Not having a guaranteed regular income takes a leap of faith, but for me, the freedom I gained by being my own boss has far outweighed any downsides.

And, from what I can discern from Ingrid’s responses to my questions, her biggest job hazard:  cats on her desk!

Work: the 24 hour day.

As part of my day in the life of a modern American worker/small business series, I’ve been describing the typical day at various jobs in the modern American work force.

HBG:  If you saw an ad for this job, would you take it?

Hours:  6 a.m.  (may be called to work earlier) to 11 p.m. (may be required to work later); on call 24/7, no sick days, no vacation days, no holidays, no salary or wages.   Job requires lots of driving, negotiating, planning, balancing, juggling; may involve coaching a sports team; lunch break not guaranteed.

HBG:  Don’t think so.

We all know what job I’m describing – the job of a parent, a mom, dad or both.  A job that doesn’t have defined hours, defined time off, a job that never really has a typical day and a job that’s work description varies with the years; a job that never really ends.

So now that we’re in the 2000s, can’t we just get over the who works harder debate of working moms versus stay at home moms.  We all know that life isn’t fair, isn’t equal, not everybody gets to make choices.  Some of us are rich, some of us are poor, some of us are in-between, some of us have to work at a paying job, some can work at a paying job part time and some can choose to not work outside of the house at a paying job.  

Did you note that I had to put in the words – “paying job.”  If I didn’t, then I might offend someone.  Can we just get over it and call it work with the knowledge that not all work is paid for in money?  

A day in the life of Shawn Warner, owner of the restaurant, Choices By Shawn

The next time you are looking for a great place to eat, stop by Choices By Shawn, located in the historic Moore house in Fairfax City.  The restaurant’s name reflects Shawn’s belief that “people should have a choice of what they want to eat, some people like to eat healthy and some don’t, some have to eat gluten free, some dairy free and I just thought that Choices fit what I wanted to say.”

When asked if owning Choices is the best job she’s had, the owner, Shawn Warner, answers, “definitely.” 

Shawn’s work on any given day could encompass any part of restaurant work.  She’s done every job in the restaurant.  Here’s how Shawn describes a typical day in her life as the owner of Choices:

I arrive at work at 10:30 Monday through Friday, 8:30 on Saturday and 10:00 on Sunday. I get the restaurant ready for service for the day with the help of one of my servers and one kitchen staff, I do my daily financial report, generally make sure that the restaurant is running smoothly that the customers are happy, help the cook with lunch order if necessary. Order items for the restaurant whether it be food, paper supplies, equipment. Make sure all the equipment is running properly, etc.

Most days, Shawn wakes up happy to go to work.  Like most small business owners, she feels stressed when business is slow. 

Meeting new customers, seeing her regular customers, and hearing positive feedback about Choices comprise the best part of her job.  Paying bills and dealing with staffing issues are the downside of her work.

Just like many modern American workers, Shawn’s job isn’t always a piece of cake.  Shawn doesn’t take a salary because she puts all the money goes back into the business. 

 

HBG:  Do you feel that you are a typical American worker?

Shawn:   I think that anyone who owns a restaurant works a lot of hours, and has a lot of headaches.

But being the owner, gives Shawn a chance to contribute to making the world a better place when she uses the restaurant for charity work.  I know for certain that Shawn makes the lives of those with Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, dairy allergies or those preferring vegetarian fare, better, by offering foods to suit those needs. 

I can say from personal experience that you can’t help but feel good when you bite into a piece of Shawn’s fluffy white coconut cake or sip the butternut squash and apple soup or enjoy a delicious burger or salad – oh, the choices!


For more information about Choices By Shawn, here's the website:
http://choicesbyshawn.com/home/

A day in the life of Mindi -- adjunct professor at a large community college

Mindi teaches English as a Second Language (ESOL), as part of the adjunct faculty at a community college.  Mindi receives a salary, wears nice casual clothes, and wakes up happy to  teach her four classes.

Mindi enjoys talking to her students and colleagues.  She doesn’t like when her students don’t do well in class.

HBG:  Do you feel that you contribute to making our world a better place to live?

Mindi:   I feel like I am an ambassador to new immigrants.  I make them feel welcome and comfortable.

Mindi doesn’t feel that she is a typical American worker because she works part time, has a large break between her semesters, and has a lot of freedom.

HBG:  What is the best job you’ve had in your work career?   I hope it is your current job!

Mindi:  I think this job is a great job.  I think I am making a difference in many people's lives.

HBG:  How great is that!