Posts

Creative Loneliness: What It Is and What You Can Do About It

/by

Creative Loneliness is a stage that I think most, if not all of us Creatives, go through as we’re starting our journey to do what we have a passion for as a living. In this post, I’m going to touch on where it comes from and what you can do about it.

What is Creative Loneliness?

Many of us creatives want to talk about important things. Whether it’s about life in general, politics, being fit, money, relationships, etc., these are the topics that most of us Creatives build careers on.

But, funnily enough, many of our friends and family don’t engage in that typical discussion. And, if they do, they typically keep it very tight and don’t share it with the general population.

At first, they probably won’t understand why we have a sudden urge (at least to them) to make our “passion” a major part of our lives.

This difference in view points can cause, what I call, creative loneliness.

I was first hit with creative loneliness back in my early days in LTD. As I was getting more interested in sharing the opportunity, I found more and more people that were very weary of what I had to offer. I just couldn’t grasp why people thought I was the crazy one.

I had always been interested in topics that formal education tries to get away from as far as possible. The reason I had this interest was because some of the best discussions I’ve had have been with close friends or family on these topics. They made an impact on those of us in the conversation.

A lot of those conversations were ones that “shouldn’t be had at the dinner table”.  I saw this new opportunity as a similar discussion.

Why wouldn’t they want the opportunity to have a better future?

When I started engaging people with the opportunity to join LTD, for whatever reason, it just didn’t make sense to them. Were they wondering why I wanted to do my own thing? Were they thinking that they weren’t capable of doing something that didn’t have a guaranteed outcome? I’m sure there’s plenty of reasons. And, at the time, I wasn’t very good at addressing them.

Later, as I became a graduate student, I came to find out that a lot of people weren’t having the deep conversations that I was used to in the first place. And when I engaged them about LTD, they literally freaked. They had been brainwashed to think that certain topics were taboo and not to be discussed.

This was another issue all together. One that I would later find out wasn’t really something I could do much about.

However, in the meantime, it sure did make me feel alienated and alone.

In an effort to fit in still, I tried to cover this loneliness up with spending lots of time entertaining myself. Trying to not deal with the confusion I had about being accepted but at the same time, wanting to help others.

Maybe you might feel that as well?

In retrospect, I can see how I was addicted to social media, video games, TV, and other time killers. (And even those things made the situation worse… as they’re designed to.)

I became in love with “stuff.” Things that took my mind off of things that truly mattered. Eventually, becoming a shell of myself and finding excuses not to be like the person I know I could be.

Unfortunately, that’s how our creativity dies. We believe that no one cares – so why even bother expressing ourselves?

This internal conflict can lead to eventual chronic depression or realizing that we are the ones that have to wake the others up about our particular message through our Gift.

In reality, we don’t have much of an option. Like all the Creator’s before us, it’s our responsibility to do what we’re here to do. I just simply say this: Let’s just do it in a way that truly adds value to people instead of playing off of their weaknesses.

How to be a less lonely Creator.

So, we’ve identified the problem of being a lonely creator, let’s a look at what you can do about it.

But first, let’s make sure that you are one. I don’t want you to mistake being lonely with something that’s not necessarily a bad thing or something that’s a much worse thing.

Solitude

First off, we don’t want to confuse being lonely with solitude. Loneliness doesn’t come from having no one around. It comes from being unable to communicate with othersthe simple things that are important to you.

In it’s simplest form, we can say that loneliness is when you are unhappy to be alone. Solitude is when you are happy to be alone. There is nothing wrong with wanting to, or enjoying being alone. Perhaps you’re an introvert and actually get energy from alone time. I mean, it can be useful and enjoyable! The key in enjoying solitude, I think, is staying actively engaged. Don’t be passive.

Engaging activities to do when you want to be by yourself include:

  • Working out and being active.
  • Learning a new skill (cooking, marketing practices, copywriting, etc. – something that a future version of yourself would know how to do)
  • Being your Creative Self by writing your first book, working on your site, recording that podcast, or making a tutorial video!
  • Meditation (totally possible to do through yard work I’ve found out.)

Depression

Secondly, if you feel sad, overwhelmingly “empty” feelings and/or just generally have a feeling of “What’s the point? No one will care.” attitude, then you might just be chronically depressed. This is nothing to take lightly.

Other symptoms might include:

  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
  • Decreased energy
  • Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
  • Irritability, restlessness
  • Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable
  • Overeating or appetite loss
  • Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
  • Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

If any of these ring a bell, then you might be depressed. Please consult this WebMD guide to get help asap. You might want to also contact your doctor or family physician as well.

Creative Loneliness

If the solitude and depression don’t describe you, then you might just be creatively lonely.

The main difference between creative loneliness and regular loneliness is that you’ve essentially chosen to not hang out with those who don’t understand what you’re trying to create. In fact, they might perceive you as weirdo or a threat to their ego.

Let them be themselves. You can’t change them… they can only change themselves.

However, you can change your actions and your environment. Here are a few ideas in how to do that:

  • Join an Online Skill Development Community that can help you further your skills in what you’re trying to do. If you’re having issues in making a decision in what group might be right for you, you can always choose a couple – but I would suggest not being active in more than 5. You don’t want to stretch yourself too thin. I would include Fizzle as one of these communities. There’s also free ones all over the web, but, I feel they aren’t as organized or focused.
  • Join a Online Support Community that can help you get over any problems you might currently have. While Fizzle and other groups might help you with your future, you might have a vice that’s keeping you back. Game Quitters, founded by Cam Adair, is an example for those who have a gaming addiction. You, personally, might have other addictions you need to get over so that you can truly chase your true passions. Cam informed me that there’s also a porn addiction help community on reddit, if that’s something you might be struggling with too.
  • Join any offline meet ups in your local area that seem like a match to your message. If there isn’t any notable ones, start one! (Just make sure to do it in a populated area. I mean, you have to give yourself a chance for people to show up.) Make sure you advertise your group online. You gotta let them know it exists.
  • Get a pet (or 2!). If you’re anything like me, you’re going to be alone quite awhile getting your thoughts down and doing work. However, there’s nothing like a pet in your workspace that will help you get your mind off of being alone. Whenever you’re having a brain fart, they’ll know it and expect you to either play with them or let them out. Personally, I have two so that they can keep each other busy at times. Unfortunately, one seems to always be sleeping in my office when I’m trying to record the podcast. If Michael O’Neal doesn’t mind his dog Dexter making noise in the background of his chats… that’s his call. I really don’t need snoring in the background of mine! 🙂
  • Make it a point to get around those that challenge you! As you’ve probably heard, you’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. The more time you can spend with people who have achieved what you want to, the higher chance you’ll have in reaching that goal.

This Week’s Challenge (Is that a better term than Homework?):

So this week, let’s work on any loneliness issues that you might have. For one, just realize you’re not the first one that this has happened to. Just because you’re trying to improve your life, doesn’t mean that others around you will. In fact, they might simply get jealous. Expect it. It’s normal. You’re making them feel uneasy about themselves.

Next, join a group that’s relative to what you’re message is. Start getting your voice out there. Remember that the expert space is collaborative. Just because you might have the same topic as someone else, doesn’t mean you’re a competitor with them.

Remember, we’re not trying to kill all your alone time. We’re just trying to give you outlets to go to when you don’t want to be alone.

If you’ve already done this challenge, let us know below how you were able to overcome it.

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

/by

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.

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

/by


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?

/by

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

/by

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!

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!

AoL 011: Embracing Your True Self with Kate Chaplin

/by

Kate Chaplin, this week’s guest, is a great definition of someone that has not only found what their natural creative state is in (aka their passion) but she has actually made great strides in making it her career. Being not only a podcaster, but an author, and film maker, she has had a lot of experience creating. I thought it would be great for her to come on the show and share how she’s gotten to where she is in life, and possibly drop a couple of nuggets of wisdom.

There many types of creators. Some build software and some make videos. Others make art while others help share other’s messages. In one way or another, we’re all creators. However, many of us create in a way that might not be our natural creative state. How do you find that state? I think it differs from person to person.

If you’re on the hunt for a new beginning in your work, maybe Kate’s story will help you get started in the right direction. She explains how she determines what kind of work she does, what lessons she would share with her 10 year old self, and what the inspiration is behind her business.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • Where the name Karmic Courage came from.
  • How she determines the types of work she does.
  • Where her love of movies came from.
  • Where she came from and how that inspired her in what she does today.
  • What she would tell her 10 year old self today.
  • Why it’s important to not stifle other’s creativity.
  • What’s behind the branding of Karmic Courage.
  • What her next movies, Wig’d Out and Shoki’s Bag, are all about.
  • …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:

Here are the INDYpendent Show Awards that she won. Find more about the INDYpendent Show here.

If you’re into podcasting, check to see if there’s anything like it in your area!

Kate’s Personal Site – Find all of her past movies, books, and how to get ahold of her for your upcoming idea!

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!

AoL009: Ideas to Improve all the Tomorrows of your Life with Jim Vaughan

/by

Gary Vaynerchuk, Pat Flynn, Tim Ferriss, even Tony Robbins. These are names that we can picture when we think about being successful in climbing their respective career mountains. We all know these names because they share, on a regular basis, how they got to where they’re at and what they’re currently doing. One thing that they all have in common is that they’re releasing new content all the time. That’s what makes them popular, I’m sure.

They all are people we’d consider to be extraordinary and able to give lots of information in how we can be great like them. However, the idea of being great and teaching others to be the same isn’t new. Would you believe that Tony Robbins wasn’t the first big self-help star out there? He had to learn from others… but who did he learn from? Who was popular in that time?

These were questions I continually searched when I first learned about the self-help field. I know Tony mentions a few in his books, but I always wondered if there were others that were popular at the time. If you know Tony’s story, you know that he started out pretty normal like most of us. So it wasn’t like he had special access to any insider information.

When I met Jim Vaughan in 2012, he helped shed some light on this mystery. With the site that he had at the time, I was able to go into this vast library and learn from some of these past rock stars of success. Some of those names included Earl Nightingale, Paul J. Meyer, Andrew Carnegie and others. These are people who he considers part of his Personal Board of Directors. These were people that I was sure that could have impacted Tony’s education!

And when I say education, don’t believe that what I’m talking about has anything to do with what you find in formal education. You know, K-12 and college. So much of that knowledge is a complete waste of time when it comes to actually being successful in life. I mean, outside of those who graduated with a STEM related major, it’s insane how many college graduates don’t have a job in the field they went to school for. However, I’m sure you know this. (Hell, you might even be one of those people. I feel your pain. I went to school for a STEM related major… and used it for a whole two years before I realized that it didn’t fit what I wanted to do.)

So, if you feel that you’ve been lead astray in your career (and life in general) and want to really learn from proven old-school life advice, I’d check out what Jim has to say. He’s been listening and implementing a lot of it for a good part of his life and is now dedicated to passing that knowledge along. It might just help you be the next Tony Robbins in your field.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • Why Jim started listening to success masters and how they amplified his career.
  • How Jim got hired to do DJ work at the White House (yes, that White House).
  • How you can change your thought process to get to where you want in life.
  • What kind of impact Jim wants to make with his businesses.
  • How Jim came up with the idea for the IQ Morning Report and what it consists of.
  • Why he believes it’s so important to keep learning.
  • Some of the great tips he’s learned through the years including the easiest way to become a people magnet.
  • Proof that you don’t need a formal education to do well for yourself in life.
  • …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:

Here’s some popular YouTube videos and other media related to Jim’s Personal Board of Directors:

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!