This blog is for you, and for me.

It’s grounded in a concept I’ve had kicking around for years.

“Sovereign” means independent, having supreme power and taking responsibility for our own careers lives. For the growing freelance or gig economy, this is a clear reality, but it’s also a mind-set. A “permanent” employee can choose sovereignty and take responsibility for their future direction … or they can elect for wage-slavery and blind trust in fate and non-existent employer paternalism.

“Professional”, here, has two meanings. Firstly, it’s the “small-p” professional; the individual who always seeks to do the best job he or she can, with integrity and competence.

It’s also a reminder for the “big-p” professionals, the white-collar knowledge workers who imagine they’re inventing a brave new world. Painters and plumbers, bricklayers and beauticians have always worked this way: freelance, jobbing, independent. As have many in the creative industries; writers and musicians etc. If you’re an independent marketer or manager or anything you’d consider B2B, then let’s not forget that for many, life’s always been this way.

Back in 1937, the economist Ronald Coase explained why firms exist in the first place. His paper, The Nature of the Firm, also explains the opportunity we now have for professionals to be sovereign – ultimately, it’s simply down to transaction cost.

My plan is to talk about all things Sovereign Professional: from inspiration to equipment, from economics to independence.

I hope you’ll join me and enjoy the ride.