Category: Business

  • Blog #66 – Creating Content. Quantity vs Quality?

    All business and artists are media companies. Listen to GaryVee and he will tell you that this is the best time to be alive because marketing and advertising is so cheap. The gate keepers have been knocked down and everyone is on a level playing field. Social media has become the great equalizer giving even the smallest of people a voice in a crowded world. To take advantage of this opportunity you must create content. And lots of it!

    The debate between quantity and quality is easy on the surface but not on the inside. Everyone can agree that the more you do something the better you will be at it. So why not do as much as you can? Why not release as many posts, songs, videos and blogs as you can? The answer is because you’re selfish. You’re thinking about how people are going to judge YOU because YOUR work is not good enough. You’re thinking about how YOU can do better and YOU will wait. Whatever it is you’re thinking about it’s all about yourself.

    Be more selfless. Think about others and what they need. Think about how the content will help what they are going through. Think about others more because you are willing to do more things for other people than you are yourself.

  • Blog #65 – The Fear of Professional

    Definition of PROFESSION:

    – the act of taking the vows of a religious community

    Merriam Webster

    Going from amateur to professional can be very intimidating . Even the definition of Profession sounds like you are signing up for a cult. There are tons of amateurs and very few professionals. To cross this threshold you must prove yourself worthy. You must get a professional to vouch for you and let you in the circle. You will never get there unless you put your work on the line and take chances. You will never get there unless you fail over and over. It is intimidated because you are doing something you’ve never done. You are escaping the comfort of your own circle and going into uncharted territory. Be confident. Be Comfortable with Discomfort. Keep going.

  • Blog #45 – Are you in the know?

    How do you know?

    If you do not know then uncertainty and chaos will take over. The world is in a state of entropy where disorder is the norm. There is always dishes to do, clothes to wash, things to clean because clean is not the norm. The universe is in complete disarray where nothing is perfect.

    So why make your bed if you are just going to get it messy again?

    Why clean your house if it’s going to get dirty again?

    Why create a symphony out of noises?

    We do these things because we know what we want. We know we want a clean house so we will do what it takes to keep our house clean. We know we want a made bed so we will take the time after we wake up to make our beds. We know we want to create a beautiful masterpiece so we will do what it takes to make it happen. We know we want money so we will goto a job or collect assets that will give us money. We know we want to be healthy so we will exercise and eat right to be healthy.

    How do you know what you want?

  • Blog #44 – Take the Pain Out

    Often times the most painful thing is to start.

    To start playing an instrument. To start speaking a different language. To start writing a blog. To start working out. To start cooking at home more. To start being more vulnerable. To start saving money. To start your creative process.

    There is an unbelievable amount of motivation that one must have to start anything. If you are like me and most people then this motivation comes and goes. I’ll be good for a day or a week or a month and then I’ve fallen off the motivation wagon. Usually I fall off because progress is too slow or I get bored. Then I do not get back on until I am motivated again. This could take weeks, months, or even years. There is a better way to start than to rely on this invisible motivation meter.

    Think of what you want to start and how you can make it a habit. Once something is a habit it becomes natural and does not require any motivation.

    To create a habit you need a trigger, the action and then a reward.

    For example if you want to start working out then the trigger could be once you get off work or set an alarm on your phone or right after you wake up. Once the trigger happens you know its time to do the work but once you do it then reward yourself. And make the reward big enough to get you excited to take the action.

    What is your trigger? What is your action? What is your reward?

    To learn more about habits I suggest reading.

  • Blog #43 – We are Awesome!

    “It is your decisions, and not your conditions, that determine your destiny.”

    Tony Robbins

    There is so much that goes on in our lives that we often become reactive to the conditions that life gives us.

    Unless something drastic happens most people are content to live just as they are. Even if they don’t like how they are living. There is a sense of helplessness that things cannot change. If you believe that things cannot change then you are not going to put in any effort to change them.

    It is understandable that with no belief and no action you will get no results. Without results there is no progress. There is nothing to build from. There is no where to go.

    This is why the first step is the hardest because you have to have the belief even when you have seen no results. You must have blind faith and take that first leap into action. Once you’ve taken the first action you will get the first results. You will see yourself doing what you want and your belief will build. Your actions will become greater and soon your results will be great.

  • Blog #42 – The Gift of Freedom

    Often in life we feel restricted or tied down. In our jobs, houses, relationships, contracts and finances. There is an obligation that we must meet. Because we are putting resources to that obligation the thing that we want to do is not available to us.

    “If it wasn’t for _______ I would be doing _________!”

    This is what we tell ourselves. We think that something has got us trapped or holding us back. The only thing holding you back is this attitude!

    Embrace the language of freedom. Know that you are as free as the bird. You are the pilot of your life and you can go wherever you want to. You do not have to go into a job you hate. You chose to go into a job you hate. You do not have to stay in a bad relationship. You chose to stay in a bad relationship. If you don’t do something because you can’t afford it then how can you afford it?

    If you are lucky enough to be born in the USA then we can make all these choices ourselves. We are not told our career path. We are not told who we are going to marry. We do not have to give away all our money. We are not forced to live somewhere. We are free to make our own choices on our pursuit of happiness.

  • Blog #41 – Trust the Process

    Trust the process

    Trust the process

    Stop not trusting the process.

    If you have a creative process then you know what it is like to not trust the process. You know what it is like to over think and over analyze every little detail because things have to be perfect. The work is a reflection of you and people will judge you for it. They will say things about you that hurt and worst of all they are true.

    Your work does suck! It’s true nobody likes your work! It’s true no one knows who you are! It’s true there tons of people that have more likes and followers. It’s true that your never going to be a star! All of these things sting because they are true. Whatever someone says is true to the person that said it. In that person’s mind I am worthless. They are their own judge and jury for my work. Their opinion is as valid as the next person’s.

    The next person is a fan and loves everything you do! You can do no wrong! They worship the ground you walk on and support your work. They have your work in their house and it brings them joy everyday. Your work has changed their life for the better!

    Each of these people are going to happen to you as long as you keep putting out work. No matter what you will get better over time if you are trust the process. The ride is going to be a roller coaster so buckle up and be tough enough to handle anything.

  • Blog #40 – Let’s be Honest Here

    Honesty and dishonest are a fork in the road. Each one goes to some place else. Once you chose one you are on that road. You will keep making that decision to stay on that road because if you want to chose the other road you will have to go all the way back to the original fork.

    If you are dishonest with yourself or anyone it leads to mistrust.

    Trust is a castle that must be protected. The castle can be as strong as stone or as weak as sand. The more honest you are the stronger the castle will be. Each time you say something true and follow through with your promises you are building this trust castle. The castle only gets stronger or it collapses. If something is done to lose that trust then the castle melts away like sand and cannot be rebuilt.

    This is true for trusting other people, them trusting you, and you trusting yourself.

  • Blog #39 – The Gut, The Heart, The Mind

    There are many organs that people make decisions with. Each one has a unique feeling in your body telling you what the right decision is. Sometimes they fight with each other and you do not know which one to side with. We tend to side with one over and over again casting the others to the side.

    Which one do you use the most?

    Whichever one you chose is exactly why you are in your current situation.

    For me I tend to side with the Mind. I need to think about things before I make a decision. I need to think of a response before I say anything. I plan things out and like numbers. I am an engineer and create systems in my life. Systems to eat better. Systems to work out. Systems to track finances. Systems to make money. Systems to build relationships. Systems to be happy.

    Siding with the Mind will give you drastically different results than siding with the Heart.

    The Gut is strong and if not done can lead to regret. The heart is fiery and vulnerable. The mind is logical and realistic. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses that will help you succeed or trip you up.

  • Blog #37 – How to have ENDLESS ENERGY!

    If your like most people then after the lunch hour and after we get home from work there is this drain of energy. We need a break. We don’t want to do anything. We want to relax, take it easy or just watch tv.

    What if you didn’t get tired?

    What if you were just as refreshed and energized as you are on your way to work?

    What would you do with all this extra energy?

    People do not have this extra energy because they do not need it. We need to exert the minimum amount of energy required to get the job done. Even when we are tired something can happen and we tap into this extra energy. A friend or family member needs us and we do whatever it takes to help. There is problem that needs to be fixed.

    We must have something outside of ourselves that pulls us to step up and do something. When this happens we stop thinking about ourselves and how we feel and go into action mode.

    This is how we must set our goals. Set them so big and outside of ourselves that we need an endless supply of energy to accomplish them.