New Job, Big Dreams, Sketchy Boss

Writing this post has taken me FOREVER, mostly because I do not have a complete vision for what is next, but with Labor Day weekend behind me, I figure this is as good a time as any to make the now anticlimactic announcement that I have officially begun a new vocational season of life.

• New Job: I am now writing, speaking, and coachsulting full-time.
• Big Dreams: I have an audacious but achievable five-year dream plan for my writing, speaking, and health.
• Sketchy Boss: I need to get my administrative and organizational $h!t together, which means assembling a team to help me.

I will write more about no longer being a compensated pastor, but suffice it to say that the days of meaningful congregational ministry, full or part-time, are over for me. After nearly 30 years of ordained ministry serving seven congregations in various roles, it is clear that I am no longer called to that form and function of service. Again, I’ll write more about this, but for those who have had conversations with me as of late, this is no surprise.

One goal of this transition is to eventually travel less and write more. This means building up my paid subscriber list. With this post, you have your first weekly paid post, where I will share more personal reflections about life, vocation, sorrows, celebrations, and ongoing shenanigans in my world.

You have been warned. Thank you for your support.

Free Subscribers should be able to use a one-time paid pass to circumvent the paywall, so if you want more details about this new phase of life, read on.

Despite knowing that most writers do not make enough money from their writing to sustain life and that Being a Full-Time Writer is the Worst Job, I’m making the leap anyway. It is important to note here that because of the generosity of my community, slight generational wealth, and my spouse’s job, we have healthcare, a low mortgage, and soon, no more college tuition to pay. So when I say full-time, I am not talking about completely replacing a full-time congregational pastoral call (more on that later) level of money but being able to sustain many things that expand our worldview and experiences beyond my community college instructor spouse’s salary.

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area isn’t cheap, but if I can eventually generate the income of a first-year teacher (60k-ish), we will be okay.

Okay, so on to the fun stuff; what the heck am I doing in this new stage of life? I will share more about this journey as it reveals itself, but in a nutshell, my vocational time will be spent on the following:

• writing words // books and substack
• speaking about the words I write // speaking and podcasting
• coachsulting // leadership, vocational discernment, writing cohorts

More specifically, here are the short-term, long-term, and big dreams of each:

writing words // books and substack

• Now // I will be writing more consistently on Substack, with 3-4 posts per week (one paid-only) and a weekly prayer sent via The Weekly Word newsletter list. I have also signed a three-book contract with Chalice Press to write a book about Jesus and accompanying Advent and Lenten Devotions. These are timed for Fall 2025. On a smaller note, I’ll be writing for The Upper Room, which is not a huge money maker, but it might generate some connection.

• Future // I have had good conversations with a Literary Agent and am thinking about 3-4 books in the next five years. I am toying with the following ideas (all working titles).

  • Raised to Disrupt: How Activists Have Been Formed by the Individuals and Communities Who Raised Them. I want to interview 100 activists across demographics to see if any commonalities in their upbringing led them to be known or understood as activists.

  • No Time for Rest: How Changing the World Requires Us to Reframe Self-Care, Healthy Living, and Getting Things Done. I want to move conversations about productivity into the activist and serving profession world without falling into traps about time, success, sacrifice, and deliverables.

  • A book about Leadership/Bossing by those trying to make the world a better place that is not based on traditional measurements of success, numbers, and profit but on how good leaders create spaces where those who are supervised thrive and grow.

  • A Memoir about my Grandfather, Esteban de los Reyes, though this may have to be written by me, for me, until I become Oprah famous :-)

  • A book of compelling, meaningful, and funny Short Stories.

  • Who knows what else . . .

• The Dream // One of my books is sold at an airport bookstore.

speaking about the words I write // speaking and podcasting

• Now // I do love to travel and speak and will be doing so quite a bit through 2025. I also hope to ramp up a new podcast, The Amalgamation, as soon as I find a producer who wants to help wrangle this thing into being.
• Future // While I do loves me some traveling, at some point I will need to slow down. Hopefully, over the next five years, I can travel less and write more, but for now the speaking gigs pay the bills.
• The Dream // I will be on The Moth.

coachsulting // leadership, vocational discernment, writing

• Now // I am currently coaching four people around leadership and vocational discerment. I have found that I am better with 1-6 month engagements with folks and do not plan on building up a coaching practice. That said, when the relationship is good, I do enjoy the interaction, so if you are interested, LMK.
• Future // I have not been using my CliftonStrengths certification quite as much as I should have, so I hope to add more coaching using this tool. I will also pick up 1-2 church consulting gigs a year to help with long-term planning, organizational and systems audits, and whatever else I may be useful for.
• The Dream // Convene and coach a cohort of folks looking stepping into the writing/gig life.

Okay, so lest you think my entire life will be about things that generate the moola, I also intend to keep up with my health and creativity disciplines.

The Other Things

• OTF // I am in the best shape of my life and hope to continue this trend by hitting Organgetheory Fitness 4-6 times a week. It really is the best kind of cult. You can follow along here.
• Health // After a few blood tests and health scares, I am down nearly 20 pounds with 15 more to go. While we are still monitoring some of my long-covid issues, my overall health is good; I am eating more wisely, my muscle mass is way up, and I hope to see actual abs before my 60th birthday. I have also signed up for two 10K runs this year to challenge myself and connect with one of my runner kids. Of all the things, this is where I have surprised myself.
• Activism // I will continue to be part of movements and actions that align with my values about the world and on behalf of so many who cannot because of the risk of physical harm or loss of employment. This will include ongoing activism around immigration, poverty, and Palestine and will include civil disobedience as demanded of me.
• Joy // Not that I do not experience meaning in my work, but other things that bring me joy that I am committed to continuing include: traveling with family and my spouse, cooking often, tending to my houseplant jungle, feeding the birds, taking watching local sportsball, organizing stuff, binging k-dramas, etc.
• One New Thing // I'm not sure what the new thing will be: restarting pottery, learning a new language, or maybe training for a marathon before I turn 60 in 2029. I am taking suggestions.

On the To Do list

• Set up my weekly writing schedule for Substack and Books.
• Focus on the Chalice book project.
• Put together a couple of book proposals to pitch to my agent.
• Hire a producer for the podcast.
• Keep planning for the unplanned.
• Stay true to my health discipline.
• Remain grateful.

Okay, that’s it for now. Again, as questions and events arise, I will share more about life and this vocational season. Until then, I am so grateful that so many of you have chosen to support me in this ad/venture with your financial and spiritual support.

Have a great week.