BlueTie is there any way I can get in touch with you? Agreed, Fanatical Prospecting is essential reading. And live prospecting for those types of offices is a good way to go initially and a reason why pharmaceutical sales reps do the same. They stop by, chat up gatekeepers and give them gifts. Gatekeepers love the ones with good gifts (fancy pens, desk sets, tickets, etc.), which those companies with their huge margins have the budgets for (I don’t suggest spending on costly gifts).
Looking for the same. I’ve heard of DeleteMe, based in Boston, which looks reputable but says it can’t remove from certain sites, such as Radaris, and says you have to handle those. Also found a company called Onerep.com listed as a DeleteMe competitor, which claims to remove from more sites at a lower cost, but it looks sketchy (company appears to have an all-Russian or Eastern European team yet listed in McLean, VA with telephone number in upstate, NY and reviews by supposedly American customers are all in stilted English). Keep in mind that it’s important to remove info from all or as many data brokers as possible, as they scrape each other so data left on one will repopulate others.
As far as measures to keep info from data brokers, I use a separate email for all ecommerce and any forum postings; never give your phone number to companies unless you absolutely have to, and when you do use a fake number or only share a Google number when you need a callback; avoid putting any personal info on any public forums and give out as little personal data as possible.
Some other general privacy measures: Firefox for browsing with all privacy protections (same for Chrome and Safari); use ad blockers; all privacy settings on mobile and services turned on and highly limited location sharing only when needed to use an app; use Google and Facebook (very sparingly) on Firefox using Containers and with VPN.
I like Zenkit. In addition to the Kanban view it's easy to switch to other views to help you visualize projects and tasks. It's also easy to tie into Zapier and other services.
Standing desks work best when used with a treadmill specifically designed for and optimized for walking. Standing for long periods, especially on hard flat floors, will also cause problems (an anti-fatigue pad beneath your feet will help with that). Being able to stand and move with a steady slow pace imparts the greatest benefit and avoids the problems of standing. And even with a treadmill, there are tasks you'll do better sitting. Alternating sitting and standing, and often walking while standing, feels great. Our ancestors evolved to walk and run long distances with varied movements to gather food and hunt, not to stand in one place for hours looking straight ahead or straight down.
Studies have shown that beyond a point money in and of itself doesn't boost happiness. In addition, the social aspects of work are highly beneficial - and the lack of social interaction leads to depression for many retirees. I know people who are very successful in their jobs and very well off who are absolutely miserable. I know others that don't earn a lot - they earn enough to be secure and live well - but derive tremendous happiness from their job.
In addition, the answer depends on your company, work environment, the impact of your work on others and the type of person you are. Does success at work mean elevating your team, helping customers solve their problems and improving the lives of others, or does it mean stabbing colleagues in the back, getting customers to buy products that either aren't helpful or even hurtful to them and making the lives of others worse by harming them or the environment? Are you the type of person that feels better improving the lives of others or enjoys the feeling of deriving benefit from tricking others?
Thank you to the author for sharing your experience and insights. Some tips for being a better angel investor and reducing risk:
1) I can't stress this enough - learn the ABC's of private investments. I have seen a ridiculous number of angel investors as well as founders who don't understand the fundamentals of private equity investments and returns - even people who have been working at a startup for several years.
2) Limiting yourself to meeting with and investing in startups an industry in which you've worked, so that you understand their industry, better evaluate them and add value
3) Limiting yourself to meeting with and investing in startups in industries in which you or close colleagues and friends have worked so that you can consult with them regarding the potential investments
4) Joining an angel group, such as Band of Angels, so that you have a group of fellow angels to learn from and discuss investments with
5) Meeting with successful serial entrepreneurs who make angel investments to ask what they look for
6) If you have not founded a company or worked at an early stage startup, learn Lean Startup methodologies
7) Make sure you understand how a startup achieves product-market fit
8) Put together a list of good people and companies who can help startups you invest in, with everything from operations to tech to growth
There's much more, but this is a start.