JIM BOOTH • Blog

Vacationing in Colorado...

Since moving to Colorado two years ago the Booth family has really enjoyed vacationing around the state.  We recently returned from our end of summer trip which included stays in a very comfortable Yurt in Woodland Park (near Colorado Springs) and a nice cushy hotel in the Mountain Village area ofTelluride. 

Our Yurt stay was spectacular and I highly recommend renting a Yurt for anyone who wants to be close to nature yet still have creature comforts.  Melinda Sorber is the owner of the place we rented and she did much of the work to build two incredible Yurts for guests to rent.  We rented the Yurts so we could “ease” into camping with our kids who are 3 and 6 years old.  Our family loved the entire experience – S’mores and fire at night, plenty of outdoor fun during the day, full kitchen, and comfy beds/showers.  If you’re interested, the Yurts we stayed in can be rented here. 

After  the Yurt we experienced Telluride for the first time.  An incredible town - in fact our favorite ski town in Colorado.  Although it’s not close to Denver (7 hours away) we decided that Tellurdie beats Aspen by a smidge and Vail by a mile in terms of overall experience.  If you go in the summer take a jeep tour.  It’s a great way see all of the incredible scenery that surrounds Telluride.  We took a jeep tour to the top of Imogene Pass (13K+ ft) in a old Swiss Pintzguaer jeep that is designed for manuvering in the mountains.  Driving up to Imogene pass is breathtaking, but the narrow roads with switchback turns are not for the faint of heart. 

Working for free…

Seth Godin has a great post about working for free that applies to both students and experienced professionals who are looking for work in tough times. Most college students I talk to are frustrated with how hard it is to land a quality job in a down economy. My advice to them is to be different and stand out from the crowd. Charlie Hoehn's e-book is a good "how to" on free work for any student or recent grad.

Performing free work is one meaningful way to get noticed from a company you care about when looking for your next gig. Entrepreneurs and fast moving companies love free work from smart people who care about their businesses. Big bureaucratic businesses typically frown on pro bono work, but often times forward thinking managers at those companies will be willing to work with you informally on a project.

Free work is a win/win. Companies get cheap and high quality work along with the ability to evaluate new talent in action. Workers get valuable experience and relationships that often lead to rewarding permanent work. So use free work as an opportunity to target that company or non-profit you love and wow them with your best work. One word of caution –just be careful to set the right expectations up front. Set a deadline for when the free work ends. Be appreciative of the opportunity, but make it clear that your goal is to either land a paid permanent or long-term consulting position.