Portfolio Career

  • All about WEAK ties

    Many of us spend years navigating office politics. Your network is your extended circle (aka weak ties): your alumni, (ex) colleagues and clients, who you meet at conferences, the reputation you carry. It is still here.

    Network joyfully

    If you’re stressed and desperate, prospects and companies will be equally stressed. See networking as a healthy, joyful exercise in human decency, not a chore that goes against your style or character.

    It’s a conversation

    We see it all the time, people who ghost us only to touch base when they have something to sell. Make it conversational, with a focus on social exchange - not coming across as transactional.

    Hustle (don’t spam)

    By now, if you did our previous exercises, you’ll have a pretty good idea of who you want to get in touch with. Build your outreach strategy, people by people, company by company, using your contact matrix.

    Get referred through alumni, friends and peers

    It comes with a dose of privilege, but nothing beats a warm intro from a mutual friend or connection. Use your LinkedIn smartly to research leads, and target first or secondary connections as your priority.

    Always be personable

    Here’s a secret: most founders and companies will respond to a friendly message - and will always be happy to point you in the right direction if the call to action is reasonable, mutually rewarding and kind.

    Pick affiliates carefully

    With the possible exception of well-oiled products, there is not one affiliate out there that will build your business for you in a material ways. Quite the contrary if you pick the wrong ones!

    Schedule casual coffee/Zoom chats

    Be mindful of people’s time but you’ll find that many founders and solopreneurs will always find time for a quick 15 minute chat. Make it about them: how can you help solve their most pressing issues?

    Build a brand that mirrors your values and style

    This is the easiest hack. Retrofitting an aggressive sales culture at odds with your character is a recipe for disaster. Use your journey to build a business that is aligned with your style and values.

    Be agile, most conversations are fuzzy

    Operating with uncertainty is a challenge when used to corporate environments where each interaction has a SMART objective. Learn to let go, enjoy nice conversations and see where you can add (not extract) value.

  • Restrict your CV to your corporate activities (for now)

    Keep a ‘safe’ CV for traditional work opportunities and contracting gigs. No Reiki Mastering or side hustles unless they had up to relevant professional experience (alternative: relegate them to your extracurricular activities).

    Check our Dream Job course on Circle for CV tips.


    Own your new persona

    Keep various ‘elevator’ pitches ready depending on who you speak to but fully own your new solopreneur status. You are not ‘in between jobs’. It is hard at the start, especially in social setups that are used to old you, but own your transition and your new career.


    Make LinkedIn your friend

    LinkedIn is amazingly helpful, allowing you to superimpose layers of yourself. Keep it to what will resonate (many side hustles hold limited clout on LinkedIn), and make the most of features:

    • your headline can be whatever you want and hyphenated (‘HR Executive, Future of Careers, Investor’)

    • you can hold multiple roles at the same time in your work experience section (beware of optics if too many)

    • set up a separate page for your company, brand it, and be the Founder

    • make use of the Custom Button (available on premium): visit my store, visit my website, book an appointment

    • operate 2 distinct brands and voices: a personal one; your new business


    Your Extended Brand

    Don’t let LinkedInfluencers intimidate you. How you build your personal brand is up to you, but do it:

    • Don’t wait until it’s perfect, ship your minimum viable product

    • LinkedIn as a platform should be your first port of call if you spent the past 10 years building it

    • Everyone seems to thrive on Instagram and TikTok but these channels take time (and money) to build

    • Build authority slowly, over time: Medium, communities, professional networks, opinion pieces, conferences, meetups, podcast interviews - on your own terms (don’t overdo it)

  • Consulting Work

    Follow the Rule of 100. Establish what the role would pay full time on payroll and divide by 100. €100,000 = €1,000 a day, £250,000 = £2,500 a day. $500,000 = $5,000 a day. Or price per hour, aggressively.

    You work out a monthly retainer that is time bound (x days per week) or based on clear deliverables. By experience, part time retainers are the worst if you’re escaping the rat race: there’s no such thing as a 3/day a week exec unless you know how to build strong boundaries. Price them high.

    Rates are subject to your market fit (and the economy) but this rule is essential to any negotiation. Flex it for a contractor day rate (eg. paid 3-5 days a week for the next 6 months). There’s always wiggle room on rates. Add our urgency gambit helps. For startups, you can combine cash and equity.


    New Career

    Accept that whatever you made in the past is irrelevant, your pay will have to fit within the ranges of this new role and industry. Embrace it, don’t be resentful about it, no one in a pilates studio or NGO will want to hear you complain that you made 10 times as much at Google. Whatever you do, charge the market rate - don’t compromise because you’re paid elsewhere (unless they really can’t afford you, see below).


    Building a New Brand

    We’re not pricing experts but by experience, your pricing strategy will fall under 2 broad categories:

    B2C/B2B services: there’s a lot of literature on the best way to price those services, for instance online courses or coaching. We’re always our own bottleneck, which limits our earning potential. Wherever you can, evergreen your knowledge digitally and charge an extra premium for your personal time.

    Real products: don’t fall into the trap of catering to wealthy friends, unless you have many of them. Do your homework about the market, price comparables, and what your real margins will look like after costs and affiliates. Tie it to your brand systems (premium? affordable?), and factor in your own time. Price high and discount for loyalty/early birds/high volume.

    Ask the Sunny Future network, we have incredible entrepreneurs in our group.


    They can’t afford you/won’t pay a salary

    Building new skills will sometimes involve new ways of working, including no pay - an advisory role with a startup, or taking on a non exec/board role with a non profit. Here, flex your experience, and use our portfolio of economic activity method to maybe max out on highly paid consulting work elsewhere, while building new valuable skills with this opportunity. Choose to work for equity for instance (startups).

    Use our Equity 101 and triangulation method to establish where you stand. ASK US about specifics for advisory, it’s often complicated, and use our three gambits to your advantage: time (I can start earlier if…), cash/equity trade offs (use our calculator), ‘skin in the game’ (instant job readiness).

    Complete the full ‘Go Portfolio’ course on our Circle platform.

New Business

  • Running a business on your own is no joke. Some days feel amazing, and others make you question everything. That’s normal. Here are some ways to stay strong and steady through the journey:

    Embrace the power of not knowing. No one has it all figured out. Part of being resilient is accepting the unknown and making decisions without certainty.

    Slow down. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time, pace yourself, and celebrate small wins.

    Be kind to yourself: Don’t beat yourself up and tune in to your emotions.

    Find your tribe. Surround yourself with people who get it—friends, peers, or other entrepreneurs who can lift you up when things feel heavy.

    Set goals you can reach. Don’t overwhelm yourself with crazy expectations, break complex things into smaller pieces you can solve.

    Remove noise. For the procrastinators out there, remove what’s irrelevant to your new goals. Don’t check the stock market daily, kill daytime Instagram. Use OPAL to block distracting apps.

    Travel near or far. Nothing like a creative workcation to a place you love to get you out of your rut!

  • Total Rewards

    If you’re building multiple streams of income (a Sunny Future holy grail), use our portfolio of economic activity method to establish targets for each one. Make your own trade offs: if I make € from X, I will pursue this passion project or new opportunity  for a lower amount (or seed a side hustle)

    Maintain an emergency fund

    Aim for 3 to 6 months of living expenses set aside for unexpected situations. Having this safety net will allow you to handle tough times with less pressure.

    Draw a line

    Separate your personal finances from your professional ones, even mentally. This includes separate accounts and drawing down a monthly salary (big thumb up to Revolut for segregated accounts): it will force you to look at your budget, even if the boundaries between work and life are blurry

    Simplify your admin

    Managing personal AND professional admin is draining. Bring personal stuff to the minimum - from direct debits to better use of technology, including AI - and don’t take more than you can chew with your setup: incorporation, VAT, accounting are time consuming if they can be avoided at the start

    Hire professionals

    Your time is better spent on your business, and compliance is complex and ever changing. Find the best way to optimize your situation without creating a mountain of added work

    Watch your travel!!

    Spending a lot of time outside of your official country of residence - or moving to a new location - can have positive or adverse implications for your taxes, some consequential. Speak to a tax expert before packing your bags!

    Complete the full ‘Go Portfolio’ course on our Circle platform.

Life Reset

  • Physical Health: The Foundation of Longevity

    Maintaining or restoring physical health should be the primary pillar of your break. Stay fit of course, and create a foundation of strength and energy that will keep you going in the next iteration of your career. 

    • Exercise: Regular physical activity, eg. daily cardio, or starting surf, hiking or a new fun sport.

    • Nutrition: Rebuild a balanced diet (bye Pret sandwiches) to fuel your body and prevents illness.

    • Sleep: Restore sleeping habits and use your sabbatical to cultivate a restful routine.


    Mental Clarity: Nurturing the Mind

    Mental clarity is where most sabbaticals can have an immediate and lasting impact, after years of brain fog. A sharp, clear mind enhances creativity, resilience, and adaptability.

    • Mindfulness and Meditation: Regular meditation reduces stress and promotes emotional balance.

    • Learning: Learn new things (whether it’s a skill, new language, hobby, or diving into books) to keep sharp and engaged. Some of us use a career break to go back to study.


    Social Connections: Building Strong Relationships

    Healthy relationships provide emotional support, reduce stress, and increase overall happiness.

    • Community: Reconnect with old friends, make new ones, join communities that align with your values and interests. Surrounding yourself with positive, like-minded individuals.

    • Family and Support Networks: During your time off, take the opportunity to nurture and build relationships that deepen your emotional connection and provide lasting support.


    Emotional Wellbeing: Cultivating Resilience and Joy

    Your emotional health is just as important as your physical and mental health. A balanced emotional life will help you remain resilient and joyful, even during times of uncertainty.

    • Resilience: Learn to cope with life’s ups and downs. Use this sabbatical time to reflect, reset, and develop strategies to bounce back stronger from setbacks.

    • Joy and Gratitude: Engage in activities that bring joy and cultivate gratitude. Appreciate small moments, enjoy the present, and acknowledge the good things in your life, no matter how small.

  • Maintain an emergency fund: aim for 6 months of living expenses ahead of you. Don’t look for your next job once you run out of money

    Draw a line: separate your everyday finances from big ticket items, like education or redoing your house. Always invest in new skills

    Simplify your life: personal admin is draining. Learn to bring it to the minimum - from direct debits to ETFs and better use of technology

    Keep educating yourself about finance: don’t spend your days on Nasdaq tickers but improve your financial literacy, learn about new asset classes, passive income, and how to reframe your investments

    Hire professionals: your time is better spent on your well deserved break. Find ways to optimize your finances without creating a mountain of added work

    Travel, it’s almost free! Flat exchanges, housesitting, fancy friends in sunny places. Traveling can be cheaper (and more rewarding) than hanging out with your Wall St colleagues!!!

    Complete the full ‘Art of Sabbatical’ course on our Circle platform.

Job Search

  • It’s a conversation

    Just stop stressing about the job interview. You’re invited because they love your CV. Treat the interview like a conversation with future colleagues, it is not Shark Tank (sometimes it is, run for the hills).


    Our reverse interview hack

    Take the lead on the interview process, obviously with humility. Companies are eager to impress you and will value your leadership. They will learn a lot from the questions you ask.


    Be yourself

    This is the biggest one. Allow yourself to be open and vulnerable. Share about your personal life and don’t hide behind a facade. You’re building relationships with people who will want to work with you.


    Be prepared

    Not knowing the company (or recent breaking news) can be a deal breaker. Always check Google News before the interview. Know who’s interviewing you (don’t stalk them on social media though).


    Day Zero

    This is the most critical one: try to project yourself in the role as you progress through the interview stages, and treat each new step like a work meeting, demonstrating hands on skills and team spirit.


    Etiquette

    Just so you know, the recruiting coordinator and the front of house will remember your good manners (or lack of), and they’re interviewing you too.


    Be humble

    While your career trajectory is remarkable, learn to admit to strengths and weaknesses, past mistakes and lessons learned. It’s the soft side that makes you human and self aware.


    No perfect answers

    Don’t rehearse job interviews ad nauseam. It’s the thought process that matters: how you approach and solve problems, not having the perfect answer to everything (it’s not school).


    Not a consultant

    No company is perfect but dispensing “if I were you” advice (or “the problem with your company”) is often a red flag. Be amenable to teamwork and constructive feedback.


    Set expectations

    Ask about salary terms, disclose your current conditions and/or set clear expectations. No need to lie about your salary (recruiters see through it), skip “you can’t afford me” 🙂 


    Thank you notes

    Always send a quick note after each interview to all the interviewers. Don’t overdo it, an email or Whatsapp will do, be genuine (don’t send cupcakes or gifts).


    Momentum

    Stick to same day responses to all emails and Whatsapps. Don’t ghost interviewers and attempt to make yourself available quickly for follow up interviews.


    Thought leadership

    Nothing beats a thought piece during the interview process. “Hey, I just read that article in the FT, it reminded me of our conversation. Here’s what I think…”


    Skin in the game

    If there’s a case study involved, play the game, ask for real data, spend time on it, and move fast to show how great you are (all levels). Draw your own OKRs for the role - or your first 100 days - in a presentation.


    Keep it fun

    It’s a game in your favour. Interview processes can be disjointed, dragging along with no end in sight. Put your foot down if the process stalls but stay gracious and keep smiling.

  • 1. All about WEAK ties

    Many of us spend years navigating office politics. Your network is your extended circle (aka weak ties): your alumni, (ex) colleagues and clients, who you meet at conferences, the reputation you carry.


    2. Explore joyfully

    If you’re stressed and desperate, recruiters and companies are stressed. See networking as a healthy, joyful exercise in human decency, not a chore that goes against your style or character.


    3. It’s a conversation

    We see it all the time, people who ghost us only to touch base when they need a job. Reboot your style. Make it conversational, with a focus on social exchange - not coming across as one directional.


    4. Hustle (don’t spam)

    By now, if you did our previous exercises, you’ll have a pretty good idea of who you want to get in touch with. Build your outreach strategy, company by company, using your contact matrix.


    5. Get referred through alumni & friends

    It comes with privilege, but nothing beats a warm intro from a mutual friend or connection. Use LinkedIn smartly to research leads, and target 1st or 2nd degree connections as your priority. Build your network by adding connectors.


    6. Always be personable

    Here’s a secret: most founders, execs or HR folks will respond to a friendly message - and will always be happy to point you in the right direction if the call to action is reasonable, mutually rewarding and kind.


    7. Pick recruiters and search firms VERY carefully

    With the possible exception of top exec search firms - or for contract work - there is not one agency out there that will build your brand for you. Quite the contrary if you pick the wrong ones!


    8. Schedule casual coffee/Zoom chats

    Be mindful of people’s time but you’ll be surprised that many recruiters or founders will always find time for a quick 15 minute chat. Make it about them: how can you help solve their most pressing issues?


    9. Mirror the company values in your language

    This is the easiest hack. Coming across as aggressive with a ‘warm and fuzzy’ company, or the other way around. Research companies and their values, and project those in your interactions.


    10. Be agile, most roles are fuzzy and many are not published

    Don’t ask for a job, this is not how it works (unless you’re getting in touch about a role posted on the job board). Explore what role could fit and/or where you can add value.

    Complete the full ‘Dream Job’ course on our Circle platform.