The Anti 9 to 5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube

Do your best to take at least three steps a week, even if you only spend fifteen minutes on all three.

who spent three years writing her first book between 5 and 7 AM before heading to work as a third grade schoolteacher. “You have to balance and compromise for art, and there’s dignity in that.”

loads of recognition for the organic produce she donates to neighboring schools and agricultural events.

Anytime your business does something newsworthy—hosts a public bash, offers a unique class, makes a fat donation, gets a visit from Margaret Cho—it’s a good opportunity to get some local press.

Get on board. Joining a nonprofit board of directors is a giant responsibility.

Cynthia Shapiro, author of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You to Know—And What to Do About Them.

Keep a folder, scrapbook, or cigar box of any praise you receive for a job well done.

Look for unlikely places to work on your side project, like in your doctor’s waiting room or on the post office line.

Before you commit, be sure to Google past and current board members (usually listed on the organization’s website) to look for any red flags.