The Economy of You

Introduction: Do the Hustle

I REALIZED SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE AS I WAS DRIVING HOME from work on the way to pick up my daughter from preschool. I had spent much of the day missing her—her giggles, her made-up words, her new attempts at running—and even though I enjoyed my work projects, my mind had frequently wandered. If only I had more control, I thought, I could rearrange my schedule so I worked intensely in the mornings, when I was most creative and productive, and spend afternoons playing dress-up and pretending to be a monkey. Then, I could complete the day's work after her 7 p.m. bedtime.

To make this happen, I needed two things: more power and more money. As flexible as my boss was, she couldn't grant me a half-day schedule without ...