About

ESTHER

Photo of Esther
Drooling over a sushi menu.

jobs had

  • Cocktail waitress at a tiki-themed bar
  • Video game writer
  • Framing gallery stooge
  • Art camp instructor
  • Backup singer
  • Hostess at an all-you-can-eat buffet
  • Airport food kiosk employee
  • Film office hotline rep

 

I’m a published writer and former assistant professor in creative writing with over 20 years of experience in education. I’ve worked for respected companies in tech, such as Basecamp, most notably known for their remote work culture, and recently contributed towards curriculum design and content creation for Designlab, rated as the #1 design intensive, where career changers find meaningful work they love.

MICHAEL

 

Michael at a cafe in the Azores
Looking mischievous, as always.

jobs had

  • Bartender at an Irish bar
  • Delivery truck driver
  • Bakery manager
  • Snowboard maker
  • Guitar builder
  • Professional painting crew
  • Concert stagehand
  • Plant nursery employee
  • Hot dog stand cook and dishwasher

 

 

I’m a photographer and software engineer with over 20 years of experience in the arts, including co-founding a printmaking collective. Right now, I’m creating ziatypes on the boat and my last few artistic projects have involved tin types, bromoils, and 4 x 5″ photographs.

WHY WE STARTED WAYFINDERS NOW

 

Both of us have worked a slew of jobs over the years to support our artistic lives and, in spite of reaching certain traditional benchmarks of “success,” we definitely understand what it’s like to feel stressed about the daily grind, struggling to cover your bills, and feeling like you’re “living to work.”

As of about three years ago, we began to actively seek an alternative approach to the survival mode, a way of living and working that aligned more with our values and offered more financial and creative flexibility.

Since then, we’ve shifted careers and now work remotely. In that process, we sold our home, majorly downsized our belongings, and moved onto a 35′ sailboat, significantly reducing our living expenses and paying off significant school loan debt.

We’d love to share with you about the joys and benefits (especially financial!) of what we’re learning along the way.

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We’ll send our best tips, free resources, and stories (with dark humor thrown into the mix), delivered straight to your inbox every month to help us all find more creativity, well-being, & financial flexibility.