AoL 017: Helping Organizations Find Their True North through Projects with Frank Forte

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As movements and organizations grow, they sometimes lose the soul of what the organization was originally based on. Or, perhaps they’ve grown with the original intent for so long that they are too chaotic for their own good.

Take academia for example. When I was a graduate instructor, the head of my department didn’t get along too well with the head of the actual building. One was in charge of courses in her department, the other was in focused on building connections with those who were outside of Purdue. As far as I could tell, what happened was that as the building and all the activities outgrew the department, the old department head wasn’t made in charge of the building as a whole. The powers that were opted to pull someone in from the outside.

One would think that for the place to be effective, that they would have set their differences aside and worked together. But they never did. (Eventually the building head left for greener pastures. Good for him!)

I’m sure places that you’ve worked at or with have had similar communication or vision issues. Unfortunately (or fortunately), outside of academia, these differences eventually will have to end. Otherwise someone will lose their job, client, or even worse, the organization might fold.

Oftentimes, outside help is needed to fix these issues.

Amongst other things, this is what this session’s guest, Frank Forte, does. He helps companies find their true north as he “speaks, mentors, coaches, and consults for individuals and companies on how to effect change through projects.”

Frank has worked with organizations of all sizes on multiple projects and has come to the realization that people are ultimately what need to helped. I like to think he does it in a way that is under the radar.

In this particular session, we discuss how companies of all sizes need to understand leadership and what makes a successful consultant and entrepreneur.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How Frank got interested in leadership and how he’s applied what he’s learned in organizations he’s worked with during his career
  • Two big keys in being a good leader
  • Why consultants should see themselves as entrepreneurs
  • The difference between Freelancing and Consulting
  • Why he believes knowing how to wield leadership is vital in being a successful entrepreneur no matter the size of the business.
  • Why it’s important to stay out of the blame game
  • What are steps to becoming a successful consultant and/or coach
  • The most important traits that an entrepreneur should have.
  • What he means when he says “he affects change through projects”
  • What he believes that companies have focused on in the past 10 years and what that means for entrepreneurs in the future.
  • …and MUCH more.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

In this week’s show note extras, I have a couple of pieces that I think further illustrates Frank’s perspective on work.

The first is a video is a favorite of mine, featuring Simon Sinek. In it he talks about the important of starting with “Why” and talks in depth about how about how Apple does things the way they do. I’ll think you’ll quickly realize why it’s one of my favorite TED talks.

The second resource is one that is focused strictly on how important basing your life and your work from your passion truly is. I had a “wow” moment in this one as the person that Srinivas Rao is interviewing, Phillip McKernan, talks about how so many people in the world utterly refuse to follow their passion – even if they’re clear on what it is. He’s definitely a guy I’ll be paying attention to in the future.

Phillip McKernan on the Unmistakable Creative Podcast

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, and/or Podbean. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

Successes of 2015 and How We’re Going to Crush Next Year

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Learn what you can from 2015. Embrace the good ideas. Let go of the bad ones. Clean your mental hard drive for some new code to enter.

As a creator, we have minds that want to naturally do anything they come up with. Many times we stick with those ideas until we can see them through. However, that doesn’t translate so well to making what we do as hobbies into a livelihood.

That was exactly my problem as I started New Inceptions. I’d been tinkering with the idea of making New Inceptions a business since 2010… right after Pat Flynn started his podcast. In fact, I registered the domain before the end of the month – July 30th, 2010. Just when I got home from listening to that first podcast and reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk.

I knew I had to pursue my passion of helping others establish or start their new beginning. That particular definition gave me a place to start, but it wasn’t until later (this year) that I realized how vague it was.

After picking up my first teaching gig in October of 2010 and then losing my mom suddenly that December, life changed fairly quickly. I taught for another 2 years (in which time I met Maria) and then in 2013, started working at AMS. I wanted to get some marketing experience under my belt – and that’s how I did it.

Something I learned that I wasn’t planning on while I was at AMS, is that it doesn’t take special or lucky people to get a business of the ground. Just determination.

And when I realized it was already 2015, well… I knew it was time to go at this thing full force. I wanted to work with determined people who wanted to have a new beginning. I wanted to work with people like myself. So the first tagline that came to mind was Helping Millennials Go from Good to Great.

What did that mean? Well, too much, apparently. So after a few tries, I was able to come with the current focus of New Inceptions: Connecting Creators to their Full Potential.

So that’s where we’re at.

That said, it’s been an amazing year. Learned plenty of other things as well. Here’s a few of them.

Successes and Takeaways

Rebooting New Inceptions is something I’m super proud of being able to say I did. There were a couple of major things that have made this reboot successful.

  1. Getting involved with Fizzle. Not only by being a student of theirs for the entire duration of “the Reboot”, but also by actively promoting the brand. It’s opened up a couple doors for me.
  2. Getting the site to look similar to some of the big names out there. Was mainly going for Pat’s site (as of 2015) that Chase Reeves made for Pat in 2014. However, he says he’s going to be changing things up in 2016. So we’ll see where that leaves the New Inceptions site.
  3. Starting a podcast! Ever since Pat got brave and started doing regular podcasts in 2010, this was something I’ve wanted to do as well. Finally started mine in September. You can check out the full listing of the shows here. As life has been going on, Jon and Brian have had to step away from being on the show regularly, I plan on continuing with the co-host format. I especially like the idea of incorporating past guests as co-hosts. 🙂

Now, while these were successes as a whole, both the blog and the podcast have had their own successes in the little time they’ve been going on a consistent basis.

 

Top 3 Blog Posts:

During the Reboot, I have been pretty amazed in how doing consistent work has continued to make numbers of views of the blog  grow. From a handful of views to when I first started posting regularly to a couple of hundred views per week now, things are definitely going in the right direction!

As Pat said in his review in 2014, not every blog post has to be a home run. But I hope that I’ve been able to inspire you as we’ve been honing in how we can best serve you.

In 2015, the top 3 blog posts were blog posts that have been published for quite awhile… from before the Reboot. In fact, they’re all from 2011. They’re still pertinent to the site, so I’m going to go ahead and include them in the review. Plus, they’ve continued to pick up more traffic as I’ve been more consistent with my other work.

  1. The Baby Elephant Principle – Breaking the Chain: One of my all time favorite posts. While there are many principles that I learned in 2011-2012 from my business coach at the time, I would have to say that this one is the most relevant to New Inceptions. Many of us get stuck up on where we’ve been in the past and believe that our past somehow dictates our future. The older we are, the more many of us believe that we can’t start something new. If you think your past dictates who you are, then read this and possibly listen to this podcast session with Laila about how she has struggled to move on from her past identity as well.
  2. Stages of Manhood: Are You Unfinished?: This is one of many pieces of information that I pulled out of what I learned in my time in LTD. Again, if it wasn’t for LTD, I don’t know if I would have been the person I am today. I’m truly grateful for the relationships that I made during that time, and the way that it was able to transform my idea of what I wanted to do with my life. This particular piece talks to guys about how we can realize if we’ve made it from stage in life to the next. Frankly, I can say that I’ve moved from the Cowboy stage to the Lover and Warrior stage since I’ve written that. Sweet! 🙂
  3. The DISC Profile: Placing People on the Map: Understanding and mastering personalities was another huge thing that I got out of working with my business coach and LTD during that time. I had also studied it a bit when I was getting my masters in Organizational Leadership. I feel that everyone should understand that no two people are alike. However, one of the things I’ve learned since then is that even if they have the same personality, no two people are the same. What makes them different is not just who they are, but the environment they’ve been in. So while you might be dealing with a Driver Amiable, you need to know the context of their lives. Are they married? Do they have kids? Are their parents still help them make decisions? Do they have a well paying job? Those types of things are important to know as well.

Top 3 Podcast Episodes:

So, obviously, these are all going to be new pieces from 2015. While I’m still trying to find my voice when it comes to doing these, I feel that I have at least gotten used to it enough while I’m editing. Scripts are useful… but don’t use them too much. 🙂

Also, I feel that I’m getting more comfortable with each one I’m a part of. Truth of the matter, I just had to start. In fact, just between the first one I recorded vs the first one I published was a major difference. They were completely different!

Here are the top 3 podcast episodes (through session 16)

  1. Living a Life of Adventure with Marianne Jennings: This podcast session is a little different than most of the other ones. Besides it being my first solo session as a host, it was with someone that doesn’t fit the mold of those that we typically interview. It is true that Marianne is a fellow Foundation member of mine, but her creative side isn’t focused on building a business (at least at the time of the recording). Instead it’s focused on building a lifestyle that involves plenty of traveling and adventure. Traveling is always something I’ve wanted to do, but I always had excuses in why I didn’t go. In retrospect, I should have. I think many of us could be like Marianne if we chose to be.
  2. From Video Game Addict to Life Changer with Cam Adair: This interview with Cam was the first that I did with someone that I felt a huge connection with when we interviewed him. Just as there are alcohol, sex, and shopping addicts, there are gamer addicts. While I might still call myself a gamer, I know there are gamers who play tons more than I could ever imagine. Luckily for me I have ADHD which makes sure that I simply get bored after doing the same thing after awhile. But there are some that can keep playing and playing. In fact, they play so much that it interferes with other parts of their life. These are the true addicts.While I’m glad to say that gaming doesn’t have the affect on me that it once did, not everyone can decline they’re use like I have. Sometimes, you just have to go cold turkey. And that’s how Cam helps people change their lives for the better.
  3. Don’t Let Your Past Dictate Your Future With Trin A’Marti: If you’ve only been recently listening to the show, you know Trin. She’s stepped in as my cohost as Jon and Brian have had to do other things in their lives. (Jon with his last semester at Ball State – and Brian with his third kid.) As mentioned above, I think Trin has a great message in this piece. Just because your background labels you as something, doesn’t mean that that’s what you have to be known for the rest of your life. In books, there are things called chapters. In plays, there are acts. Your past life can simply be a past chapter or act in your life. It doesn’t have to dictate your future. Only if you let it. Check out this post if you need help getting psyched for this upcoming year. It doesn’t have to be the same as the one’s before it!

Crushing Next Year (2016)

As we gear up for this year, we need to start thinking about the things we want to do and the lives that we want to touch. To this effectively, we need to focus. How you focus is up to you. Some split up their plans for 30 day sprints, others shoot for 90 day marathons. Most often than not, calendars help with this focusing. So learn how to use one. It doesn’t have to be exactly like me. But you need to know how to plan your time.

Also, make sure that you’re focusing on building only one thing at a time. I really think the key to a day is focusing on one thing you have to do. Do that thing until you get it done. If you have time for another project, and then another after that. That’s great. But get at least one thing done a day. Know what your priorities are. For example, my priorities that I have are making sure that my blog posts are done for Tuesdays and podcasts are ready to publish for Thursdays. Then, on Thursdays and Fridays I focus on creating other things. However, as Pat says below, you want to focus on ONE thing.

That’s great information Pat gives us there. While I haven’t read the book as of yet, I think it’d be a good one to read if you struggle with focus. Hell, just like he says, it might even be useful to just have it on your desk to remind you that you should focus on one thing.

For me, the one thing I’m going to be developing in the next 90 days is another community page similar to the Facebook Masterminder group. However, instead of putting it on Facebook, I’m going to be focusing on developing it on LinkedIn. One of our upcoming guests on the podcast, Mirna Bacun, is a LinkedIn genius and will be helping us build this group. In return, I’m helping her build her online presence.

I’m absolutely thrilled with all the opportunities that 2016 has in store, and I hope that you chime in and say hi to us so we can help you finally start your New Inception. 🙂

Homework

What? You didn’t think there was going to be something for you to do after that long of a post?

Ha. In the comments below, let us know how one of the following:

  1. If it’s just starting the new year (even if it’s not 2016 anymore), let us know what you want to accomplish this year.
  2. If it’s the middle of year… say, in the summer when I Rebooted New Inceptions… let us know what you’ve learned from this year so far and how you want (and are going) to change it.
  3. If it’s the end of the year, let us know what you’ve learned about yourself this year and what you want to do to make a difference next year. Start off by saying “In <insert year>, I want to do <whatever it is that you want to start creating>. The reason I want to start doing this is <whatever that reason is>. 🙂

I look forward to hearing your future responses.

Allie McAdam

Allie McAdam: Secrets of Being a Young Successful Mompreneur (AoL 016)

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Creators are generally a different breed than most. Many times, we find ourselves trying to fit into a world that is so focused on consumerism, that we Creators are kinda looked at funny when we tell people what we do.

Even this past Christmas, I found myself having to explain to multiple family members what it was that I was doing. They still live in a world where they get up before the crack of dawn and are in bed early in the evening to do it all again the next day.

As a night owl, that was never going to work for me. Let alone the fact that, in the long run, I don’t take orders very well. It’s never been in my personality. (The longest I ever held a job was for 2 years!) In the end, I have no choice other to be an entrepreneur.

Our next guest, is no different. In fact, as a young Millennial, Allie McAdam found herself kicking authority as well. In fact, like many of us entrepreneurial creators, she calls herself happily unemployable. She knew this as she was going through high school and when she graduated in 2013, she knew that she wasn’t going to be going to college.

However, the story doesn’t end there. In 2014 she also had her first child. So that makes her a Mompreneur! So she had to grow things quickly to be able to support her kid.

How was she able to be a new mom and a new business owner? That’s what we talk with her in this session about.

So, if you’re a young business owner who’s thinking about having kids (like me!) or you’re a young parent and thinking about starting a business, then you won’t want to miss this discussion between Trin, myself, and Allie.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How she got into web development.
  • Why gaming can be a good thing
  • What has helped her succeed in life as a young mom.
  • What her definition of happiness is.
  • Does she resonate more with the “younger” or “older” Millennial
  • Her thoughts of being an independent thinker and how that’s gotten her into trouble in the past.
  • The importance of mentorship.
  • What she thinks is trending in the expert space and the importance of being genuine
  • How mompreneurs can foster a work-life balance
  • Why she loves Blab so much and her perception of Twitter and Instagram.
  • How to pick a tattoo you can live with
  • …and MUCH more.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

In this episode’s show note extras, here are some items that relate directly to the family and entrepreneurship.

First up is Jill Salzman’s Founding Moms. It’s a collective of offline meetups and online resources where mom entrepreneurs can exchange, connect and learn from one another. You can see Jill discussing how Mom’s make great Entrepreneurs here:

Next are two links for entrepreneurial dads.

First up is Startup Dad HQ with Joel Lewis.

It is a great resource for Dad’s who want to or have started a business. Started in 2014, Joel says that he wants to use Startup Dad HQ to “help Dads be fully engaged in every aspect of their child(ren) life and at the same time pursue their dreams of building a business that will not only afford them the lifestyle they want for their family but also leave a MARK on this world and a LEGACY behind.”

Next is ‘trep Life Dad with James Oliver, Jr.

On treplifedad, James shares the joys and pains of running a tech startup (wemontage.com) and raising a family.

And last, I have a great video of Cameron Herold who talks about how teaching kids to entrepreneurs can actually be a good thing.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, and/or Podbean. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

moral constitution

AoL 015: The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution with Jenna Ellis

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Today’s guest, Jenna Ellis. A new author who got her first book, The Legal Basis for A Moral Constitution (Amazon), into Barnes and Noble.

Have you ever been so passionate about something that it compelled you take action in a way that you’ve never done before? Perhaps it was something that you thought was unfair. Or perhaps you had a sudden interest in a particular subject and you just thought it was time to take that certain action.

That describes the reason started writing her book.

You might remember back in June of 2015 that gay couples were given the ability to legally marry. At face value, that might not seem like a bad thing. But the way that it was legalized, many, including Jenna (who’s a constitutional lawyer), believe was very questionable.

Furthermore, in recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in judgements that many would deem morally questionable.

Jenna’s book “offers insight into the legal reasons our nation must be compelled to return to universally objective moral judgments from a higher source than the collective government. Morality is not the subjective, changing whim of the majority, or more specifically, the majority of nine Supreme Court Justices.”

In other words, she explores our Founding Documents and their true initial intent and discusses why we can’t rely on simple interpretation of those laws.

As creators, this is important information to know. We need to know what the real law is and if our backs are being covered by those who are in power. Because, as it currently stands, we could find ourselves, one day, in a situation where discussing a certain topic or doing a certain act might be more than just taboo – it might be labeled illegal simply based on 5 Justice’s interpretation of a law. 

So, if you’re curious as to what got Jenna started on her path of creativity and how you might be able to get a publisher to get your first book to the masses, then this is a great discussion. While we don’t spend much time talking about the book itself, I think you’ll be able to see just how passionate she is about her work. In this regard, I believe that we all can learn something from her.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How Jenna knew she was always going to be a lawyer.
  • What she got out of her years in journalism school that helped her write her book.
  • When she knew it was time to write a book.
  • How she made her book accessible to people who don’t speak or read legalese.
  • What she believes is the future of Conservatism and the use of Natural Law.
  • How she was able to get her first book into Barnes and Noble.
  • Why she’s not afraid of traditional public speaking.
  • Why she believes it’s important to teach Millennials and future generations what really matters in life and why it’s important to care.
  • …and MUCH more.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

In this episode’s show note extras, I thought I’d add some items that I’ve found useful when it comes to some of the topics that Jenna and I discussed.

First, we have Mechanic to Millionaire. Dave MacArthur is the founder of this site and community. While he’s a Isagenix distributor, a lot of what he talks about transfers to other businesses quite well. Why? Because they teach about Natural Laws. I was really thrilled to hear his conversation with Solopreneur Hour’s Host, Michael O’Neal.

Next up, we have a video that explains why the American Dream has collapsed. Again, this has nothing directly related with what Jenna talks about in her book. However, I think it’s important to understand why so many of us are feeling a need to be creators at this time in history.

The real political fight isn’t about Democrats vs Republicans. They both work for lobbyists. Big government means big regulation and an unfair playing field for us, the people. If you’re a creator serious about making a difference, you should be interested in those in government who care about us as individuals. Not those who are pandering to the masses and never returning on their promises. Otherwise we can only make a difference that they’ll allow us to make.

I think this video does a great job explaining what has made America great and what Freedom is all about:

Overview of America

If you found that interesting, you might also like this:
Overview of America, Part 2:

And, finally, I ran across this video, not too long ago. I think it puts in perspective how much the price was and can be if we let extremist groups like the Nazis ever get in power again. This is why it’s important to be able to recognize when a person or a group of people is being manipulated to believe a certain way OR when a group of people are being alienated by the rest of society.

The Nazi’s got away with it until finally the rest of the world had enough.

The Fallen of World War II from Neil Halloran on Vimeo.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, and/or Soundcloud. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

AoL 014: From NASA to Fitness Coach – Knowing When It’s Time to Move On with Laila Rahmatian

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Many people who think about being a creator full time have to struggle with a particular decision. That decision is whether or not it’s viable. I mean, it’s a very big deal. Sometimes this struggle is amplified from financial instability or from a questioning of who they are. And yet, sometimes it’s a combination of both.

For me personally, I knew that I’ve always been a creator. As you might recall, back in high school I had the opportunity to go into art or science as my focus. I chose to go the science route because I believed it would have a larger payout in the end. Things changed and I soon found out that I didn’t want to be a traditional engineer. I then went to grad school for organizational leadership.

Today, I find myself using both my artistic side as well as my technical/engineering side to do the work I’m doing today.

In today’s session, I’m talking with Laila Rahmatian about her recent career change. Like myself, she identifies with the term multipotentialite and still doesn’t quite know if her current career choice is where she’ll always be. (That’s alright, by the way. Multipotentialites are often labeled as Jack and Jills of All Trades.)

While the talk focuses on various things around her career path from NASA to being a fitness coach, she also has other talents that we didn’t discuss. Including being a great photographer.

So, if you’re having issues choosing how to make an income doing something you love, maybe it isn’t so much about picking just one thing forever. Maybe it’s simply time to realize that it’s time to move on to the next chapter. Then you can worry about what you’re going to do during that chapter. It’s my hope that this discussion will help you determine if it’s that time. Enjoy!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How early in her life she had her sights set on NASA.
  • How she eventually got to NASA after being at Purdue as a Civil Engineering Student
  • How Having to go the extra mile for good grades in school actually paid off later in life.
  • When she knew that it was time to leave NASA and pursue her passions elsewhere.
  • What she learned from going to grad school.
  • How to realize when it’s the next chapter in your life.
  • How she believes engineering is still part of her future.
  • …and MUCH more.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

This session’s show note extras are pure personality. Below are a few links that I believe also illustrate Laila’s multiple interests. If you listened to session 8 and session 12, you heard about two travelers: Cam Adair and Marianne Jennings. Laila mentioned to me after the recording that she related pretty well with Marianne.

If you think you might want to become more of a traveler or even have a traveling lifestyle, then I believe that this site is for you:

Traveler’s Mindset

Also, Laila and I both went to Purdue as engineers. As engineers there, it’s kind of running jokes that

1. Engineers have a very hardcore studious life.

2. Engineers, in general, are a strange bunch. Especially guys from a female engineer’s perspective.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, and/or Podbean. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

How Do You Creatively Express Yourself?

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Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture. – Ken Robinson

What does it take to get to the pinnacle of your industry and be fulfilled? Does it take skill? Does it take engagement with others? Does it take working long hard hours?

Be it being a motivational speaker or an engineer, there is something that both of these people must learn how to do to be fulfilled while they work. And as you might realize, it’s about being creative in what you do day to day that will make you fulfilled. Those that are creative have fulfillment in their lives. While those that don’t have creativity in their lives, might be successful, their success is not their own. They’re possibly doing stuff they don’t care too much about.

So how do we get in the zone to be creative? How do we get to a point where we know that the work we’re doing is expressing ourselves? That’s

For me, I’ve always been creative when I interact with people. A lot of people consider me one of the most transparent people they know. And as a connector, I think it’s important that I have a certain level of authenticity. And whether I’m connecting with mechanics who love working on cars or high ranking business types, I try and stay the same person. However, as I’m as much as an introvert as I am a extrovert, I have to get ready to be engaging with those folk. Heck, even writing blogs posts, making podcasts, or working on future works takes creative energy.

Everyone gets their creative juices rolling differently.  I mean, not everyone is a connector and I wouldn’t expect that what works for me, work for you. However, I will say that there is a framework you can use when you’re trying to be more creative.

Habits of Highly Creative People

When you think of people who are successful, (and I mean in whatever view you think of success being defined as) do you believe that particular person is expressive of who they are?

More than likely, you do.

When you think of Steve Jobs from the quote above, do you believe that he had his own certain way to do stuff? That he had time that he sat aside to think about what was next? When he presented himself, did he have a certain way he did that?

Of course, the answer to all of these is yes.

Creative people (and not just business owners and visionaries) have certain routines that they go through that makes them who they are on a day to day basis. Whether or not it’s using a meditation app, or the actual way they work, there are certain habits that all creative people have.

They are Creative By Themselves. 

When it comes down to it, it’s hard to be a creative at the flick of a switch in front of people. If you’re lucky, you might have a gift and be able to convey a concise idea right on the spot for a presentation. Or you might be able to just strum up a tune on your guitar. For most of us, though, we have to go through a creative process that allows us to hone our skill before our big presentation.

Before executing, I find it useful to go through the following steps.

Habit 1: They Meditate (or Zone Out) – There are multiple ways that you can meditate, or what I call it, zone out. (And when I’m saying zone out, I mean purposely get to a point where your mind is clear.) For some, the actual exercise of what could be labeled as meditation is what works for them. For others, doing yard work, or exercise let’s them zone out. Yet others might not be able to fully go into a trance, but perhaps video gaming, drawing, or using Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) might get you close enough.

The reason that I believe that meditation (or zoning out) is important is because it helps you erase your mind’s chalk board. Without it, you’re just adding layer upon layer of thought. Focus becomes really hard… and you need to focus to create.

Habit 2: They Plan – This is a highly important aspect of being a creative. Otherwise I wouldn’t focus so much on it so much myself. My planning methods have been mentioned pretty recently. So hopefully you took some notes.

Habit 3: They Reflect – Another aspect that you can’t afford to not do. One thing you need to check regularly is whether or not what you’re doing is making you happy. If you’re not, figure out an escape plan. It might be difficult to deal with some of your demons, but in the end it’ll be worth it.

In business, we call this studying your metrics. You have to check your own metrics to make sure you’re getting things done that is worth your time to do. If you do repetitive stuff, perhaps you don’t need to reflect as much, but it’s still important to know if you’re going on the right course or not. If you’re an artist, asking yourself are “people happy with my work” is just as important as asking yourself “is my work selling at the right price?”.

Habit 4: Their Work Space Reflects Who They Are – This is something I haven’t touched on before, but I think it’s something that I know is vital to my ability to get things done. You need to be comfortable in the space that you spend the most creative time in. The best and easiest way to do that is to design it yourself. Do your own Feng Shui if need be, but make sure that you know where things are and that it’s to the level of chaos that you can operate in. (Tip: You know you’re done making it your own when others can tell what kind of person you are after seeing it.)

They are Creative with Others.

Once we have the planning and practice thought through, it’s time to execute. Or as others might say, play. You do this by using your voice. In this post, we talked about what it meant to find your voice and why finding your voice is important. Specifically, that it gives you confidence to be yourself. However, many times we can find our voice in something other than the verbal meaning. Many times our work reflects what we’re saying.

Habit 5: They Show Creativity through Engagement – When we’re engaged in our own work, we’re expressing ourselves.What does your work say about you? When you were a kid, were you concerned with what other people thought of your sand castle? Probably not. Were you concerned with what others thought about you exclaiming that you were Leonardo or that your dad was Hulk Hogan, or perhaps you wanted to be like Mike?? Probably not.

As adults, we think such things are so trivial. But are they? I believe that early on, people portray who they are and what they see themselves as by idolizing people and/or ideas that sync with that. It’s when other people and the adult world tells them to grow up that we start disconnecting with what makes us unique. I think the only difference that we need to realize as we grow older is that we make a living based on how we add value to others. Most of society says that’s through a J.O.B., but as creators, we know that’s not necessarily the case. We can still be our own creative selves and add value to others too!

When you express yourself through your work, simply ask yourself these questions: Am I sharing my true thoughts, feelings, frustrations, and dreams? Do I feel the best of me is coming out when I create? Do I see myself making a living off of this work? If your answer to any of these questions is no, it might be time to open up a little more or figure out how your work can add value to others.

Habit 6: They Show Creativity in How Their Work Defines Them – When you do work, do you have the end in mind when you’re doing that work? Does your work reflect how you want people to think of you? If you’re being rejected for who you truly are or for your contributions you believe are creative and valuable, then that might be a sign that you’re in the wrong place or community. Unless you want to give up on your dreams and end up as a cog as part of a machine that works for it’s designers, don’t silence yourself. When you work yourself into your work, there’s a much higher chance that ultimately your work will tell the world who you are and were.

Homework:

So how do you get in the zone? How do you make sure you’re expressing yourself in your work? If you’re having issues doing either one, I hope the above helps you to think about how you can improve your creative flow. I know for me, meditation is key to be creative. I need to clean the slate. Sometimes I do it through walking my dogs, sometimes I do it through doing a bit of yard work, other times it might just be listening to particular music.

Think about these 6 habits and how you might already be doing them. Once you’ve done that, chime in below and let’s see if we can help others get their creativity flowing!

AoL 013: Unseen Motivators That Keep Entrepreneurs Going With Dennis And Claudia Haddix

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For many of us, it’s hard to tell whether we’re a creative or just pretending to be. Whether we’ve had to become one out of necessity or rather we’re one naturally, many times it might be a struggle to carry on – especially if you’re just starting out. You might even sometimes wonder, “Why am I doing this?”.

For me, personally, I can’t see myself doing anything else. Ever since I was in LTD and later heard Pat Flynn, I realized that my calling was to be an entrepreneur. More specifically to help people with their online business – in what ever form that might be.

I think it could go earlier than that, however.

Being someone that has always excelled at technology, it occurred to me that I’ve always been useful to others when it came to teaching them how to use many forms of it. On top of that, I’ve had a knack for connecting with people online and, furthermore, those people with other people and ideas. (Who said gaming wasn’t useful?)

In today’s chat with Dennis and Claudia Haddix, Brian and I chat with them about business. Not the metrics and how-tos of what they do. (Even that’s what I was prepared to do!) Instead, we talk about what makes them tick as entrepreneurs. Why they do what they do.

Dennis and Claudia are experienced eCommerce entrepreneurs and have been running the Makarios Group since 2008. How I met them is through their meetup where they help others do what they do. Free of charge.

So it’s obvious, to me, they have a passion. And I think that those of us who have this natural calling to create and add value to others is something that if we neglect, we’ll always wonder what could have been.

If you currently own a business or (maybe thinking of starting one) and wonder what might keep you going over the long haul, I think it might be worth your time to see things from a veteran’s perspective. It’s an awesome conversation, and I can’t wait for you guys to hear it. Enjoy!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How they started doing eCommerce
  • What they did before starting the Makarios Group.
  • What all our various reasons are for being entrepreneurs.
  • Why the impossible isn’t actually impossible.
  • What a day in the life of Dennis and Claudia looks like.
  • What it’s like when a hobby becomes a business (and what they believe the hardest part is about that transformation).
  • What it’s important to understand what a couple’s roles are when starting a business.
  • Why Dennis and Claudia feel people “hire” them.
  • …and MUCH more.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Makarios Group
  • eCommerce Indy Meetup Group
  • 99Designs – Great option to get help with graphic work.
  • Fizzle – Our go to community for building online businesses. First month is free!

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

This session’s show note extras are all eCommerce related. We didn’t really get too much into this during the conversation like I hoped, so I thought I’d drop some other’s reviews on you here.

First off, here is what got me interested in eCommerce. Pat Flynn has interviewed several people about their experiences with Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA). Going from what is called Retail Arbitrage to Private Labeling. Both can bring in a good income. Just depends on how much you want to hustle vs planning ahead and executing.

Personally, I’d check out Retail Arbitrage first as it will show you what Amazon is like. You might even try something similar on eBay as well. See if you like that better. One big difference between the two is that with eBay, you actually get a chance of getting your customers emails for future marketing. Amazon, not so much. (This will be discussed further in the later videos after the SPI section.)

Smart Passive Income Podcasts on FBA:

SPI 099: Buying Stuff and Selling it on Amazon (For 6-Figures a Year!) with Jessica and Cliff Larrew (Retail Arbitrage)

SPI 127: Building a Successful E-Commerce Business and Private Labeling with Ryan and Daniel

SPI 144: Building a Million Dollar Business in 12 Months – with Ryan Moran 

Amazon is not perfect and in some cases might not be the right choice for you to pick for your business. So below you’ll find a review on Amazon to sell products as well as a review on Shopify (which is one of the largest “competitors” of Amazon).

Pros and Cons of Using Amazon 

Pros and Cons of Using Shopify

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!