Chris Hutchins

Note: This was intended to be released a few weeks ago, but do to some unforseen circumstances it is a few weeks late.

So it’s finally 2009… As you may or may not know, 2008 was definitely a year of many changes for me. This time last year I was just getting settled with my girlfriend, Amy Fox in New York City. Now we’ve both moved across the country together and are living in San Francisco.

Here are a few updates:

• In September (right before the economy started to crumble), and after a year and a half in NYC, Amy and I decided that we wanted to be in a place that we could see ourselves living in for more than a couple years. We looked at a few different cities (Boston, Chicago, Denver/Boulder), but ended up going with San Francisco, primarily because my company had an office there and would pay for our moving expenses. So Amy left her job (which she wasn’t very happy with in the first place) and in mid-October we headed West.



• In December, less than two months after arriving in SF, I was laid off (read more here). I am now working as a “self-employed consultant” seeking clients in need of business, marketing or Internet strategy advice. However, on a more positive note, Amy just recently accepted a job offer with Evolve Discovery and is looking forward to starting an exciting new career as a litigation consultant.


• I’ve finally done something with my personal website (where you are at right now). Going forward, it will be a place for me to share my thoughts, ideas and experiences. Check it out and let me know what you think.


• The Big News: I just recently announced that I am planning an event in the Bay Area for unemployed and self-employed people called “LaidOffCamp” (read more here). It’s become so popular since receiving news coverage from TechCrunch (article is here) that it is quickly expanding. As of today, I am in the process of helping organize ~5 more LaidOffCamp’s around the country.


• Three months in, Amy and I are extremely satisfied with our decision to move to SF. Every day we’re finding new reasons to love living in the Bay Area. We both hope that you’ll let us know the next time you’re in town.


• Finally, I’ve migrated my entire photo collection to Flickr and have created a 2007/2008 highlight reel, enjoy!

On December 3rd, at 8:45pm, I received an email requesting that I come to an “urgent, important meeting” the following afternoon with a partner I’d never met before. Given that almost every day I read about another company laying off some of its workforce, I immediately began “preparing for the worst”.

The next morning I heard that someone in our New York office (where it was already afternoon) had been laid off… I was almost certain of what was to come. Despite that I had enjoyed my time working as a consultant for the Monitor Group, I always had an internal itch to go out and do something more entrepreneurial with my life. Sure enough, the afternoon went just as expected and my preparation made the situation far less awkward.

While many people are quite torn up after losing their job, I chose not to dwell on everything negative associated with the situation and immediately began to brainstorm ways that I could sustain my lifestyle doing what I love. For now, I’m spending my time consulting to a former employer (Fusion Telecommunications), rock climbing and getting to know San Francisco and all it has to offer with Amy Lynn Fox.

If you know any interesting projects that I can get involved in, please let me know!

Final parting advice to anyone losing there job in this economy: take your transition period to figure out what you’re passionate about and find a way to make your next job/career/project reflect that passion.