Posts

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.

Allie McAdam

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

/by

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!

3 Step Process to Being a Successful Beginner Solopreneur

/by

“Do or Do Not. There is No Try.” – Yoda

Often times, as creators who are stepping out to make an income doing our own thing, we wonder if what we’re doing is right. Just like Luke, in the Empire Strikes Back, we have all of these different emotions running through us, we want to make sure that we’re not spinning our wheels. Also like Luke, we must listen to our inner Yoda and not let those emotions keep us from being successful.

For me, personally, having the background in engineering that I do, I just don’t have the personality to simply experiment. I can’t afford to just play. I have to know the actions I’m taking are going to yield some sort of results. I need to know what my constraints are so I can be creative.

Like me, you’ve probably scoured the web looking for any tutorial or eBook you can get your hands on. How many newsletters do you have coming into your inbox because it promised that one extra piece that you thought you needed? Five? Ten?

Me? I’ve strategically signed up for at least 20 newsletters. Each one goes to it’s separate mailbox so that I can keep track of their author’s marketing efforts. That’s on top of the ones which I’ve signed up for just a freebie info piece.

Which leads to the next question: When you entered your email, why did you? Was it truly to get something you thought would make you better at your craft? Was it something that you guessed you would need in the future? Or was it something that you wanted because it was free and you didn’t know the answer to the clickbait copy that was before the form?

For me, it’s been all of the above.

With all of this information out there, how can we put it to use and make ourselves better at our business?

Here’s the 3 top things I’ve realized that have helped me be a better solopreneur.

Find Where You’re Stuck

In a recent survey by Pat Flynn back in July of 2015, he asked what his audience’s biggest struggles were. Yesterday he shared the results with what he was looking to do about it in 2016. Below is one of the graphics he used in this awesome write up. (I look forward to him accomplishing some of the things he said he’d do.)

SPI-website-survey-1024x483

Pat Flynn’s Beginner Audience Struggles

And here were the top responses from his audience members who already had a business:

SPI-survey-2-1024x236

Top Response’s of Pat Flynn’s audience who already had a business.

I can so relate to all of these issues. I’ve had every single one of these struggles myself. I still have sleepless nights because I question whether or not what I’m doing is real. (I think even Pat has that question from time to time.)

As a true beginner back in March, I had no idea where to start. I had too many ideas going through my head in what I wanted to do. And, as I mentioned above, I wanted to make sure that what I was going to do would leave me feeling successful.

The first part in making yourself a better solopreneur, I believe, is to figure out what is holding you in the position that you find yourself in.

Essentially I want you to just simply realize the issue that you’re having the most. Out of Pat’s responses above, which one (or two or even three) resonates with you the most?

Get Help

Once you realize where you’re stuck (whether you already have a business or not), you need to get help.

Just like with being sick, yes you can possibly get better if you tough it out, but there are ways to expedite the agony you’re going through. Either make the symptoms go away or to cure the illness itself.

So going down the list of Pat’s real quick, here are places where I’d look for answers. (FYI – each one of these problems could warrant a blog post, but I want to help you get going as soon as possible for 2016.)

  1. I don’t know where to start / I can’t pick a business idea / Feel like my ideas aren’t good enough – Honestly, there’s a reason why the pack over at Fizzle have Finding Clarity as a step all by itself in their roadmap. It’s the foundation of your future success. If you don’t start on the right foot, then you’re going to have to come back to fix fundamental issues. Just simply by going through their process of finding a niche to work in will help immensely in finding your starting point. I believe Corbett has come up with a great test to do just that.If you go through Fizzle’s Finding a Topic and Defining Your Audience courses and still don’t know where to start, then perhaps you need to start Asking via what Ryan Levesque teaches or going to Dane Maxwell and his group at The Foundation.Truth be told, the secret to both is simply asking a group of people what they’d be interested in buying to fix a particular problem (that you’ve drilled for through questions) and then coming up with a solution for said problem. If the solution fixes a very big pain for that group of people or businesses (I’d suggest B2B solutions myself – you can make them members of a site), then they might even prepay you for it.
  2. Information Overload (Information Constipation) /  Confused about the next step – Once you have an idea for your topic, it’s time to actually start. So looking at this grouping, I’d think that the best place to get help with this is to find a Mastermind (online or offline), find some supportive social media groups (LinkedIn or Facebook have a ton), and/or start going to nearby Meetups to network.The idea behind all of these is that you want to get feedback from as many people as possible. You want to have a group to bounce ideas off of. Once you have that in place, you can ask them what they believe is the most important part of your business AND how you might be able to improve on those parts. Remember, you can make your strengths better and better, but you can only make your weaknesses so good.If you’re interested in finding a group but you don’t know where to find one, come on over to the New Inceptions Masterminder Group on Facebook (and soon to be LinkedIn… I’ll let you guys know) and we’ll gladly help you bounce ideas. In fact, I run two masterminds a week with members of this group.

    Fizzle might be a good solution here as well, as they have a thriving forum to bounce ideas off of. In fact, the initial members for my masterminds I found through Fizzle. And let’s not forget that roadmap that I mentioned earlier. So that’s a choice as well.

  3. Trying to do too many things at once / I don’t have enough time – Ok, so this was the problem that Pat saw himself having in 2013 and 2014 before he hired people to help him step up his game for 2015. In fact, he had a talk where he and his guest talked about Superman Syndrome and how it can kill your business. I really think that chat made him think quite a bit.If you don’t have the capabilities to hire people (staff members or part timers) outright to do tasks (repeating or not) then perhaps you can get some help from those in your mastermind groups or other groups that you’re a part of. One of the things that I learned in getting America Multi-Sport off the ground yearly was that sometimes our sponsors didn’t give us money. Instead, they offered services and their time to support our events.Likewise, see if you can partner with those that are in your immediate circle of influence once you have a few decent connections. If they don’t stick, don’t be afraid to replace them.
  4. I fear failure / Struggle with Perfectionism – I’ve talked about both of these before. But just in case you haven’t heard it, here’s what you need to know: Failure can really only happen if you quit. Unless it’s in school or in Corporate America, life would tell us that just because something turned out a way that you didn’t expect, doesn’t mean it was a failure. Life is all about learning, and nature has made it so that the best way for us to learn is through things not going as planned. All you can do is pick yourself up, adjust, and try again. No big deal. It’s how we learn how to ride bikes and do anything else in life, right?As far as perfectionism goes, on one hand it’s an extension of the Superman Syndrome mentioned above. On the other hand, it’s an excuse. One that can debilitate you from getting anything done. If you feel that you struggle with being perfect, check out this post to help yourself get over it.

Take Productive Action

Just get started and keep it simple.

One of the things that has held me up for so long in getting New Inceptions started was that as I searched the web, I kept coming up with more and more things that I needed to be doing. The question is not whether or not I needed to do them. The question was in which order? The more I heard or listened to, the more I had on that list and the more confused I got.

While learning is a great thing, Just in time Learning is even better. Just in time learning is when we do a little bit of work, get stuck, find an answer, and then move on with a little bit more work.

When you’re taking action, make sure you’re doing so by utilizing your strengths first. If you don’t see yourself as a great writer, for example, don’t write. If you’re creativity relies on something that you must perform or do, then use another means to get it to others… such as video. And while you might be able to share it on YouTube, you might actually make a little income on using a platform like Udemy.com. Monetize on your actions any way you can from the get go – but be smart about it.

Homework:

Ok gang, that’s the last post of 2015. I hope it gives you some motivation to make some strides in 2016. If you haven’t gotten started on making your hobbies or passions into a business, I’d recommend heading on over to Fizzle right now and get started on the Roadmap. When you go through any of the links on this page, you’ll be using my affiliate link. This is a win-win as you get your first month free (saving you $35 your first month). I don’t care if that’s as long as you stay. I just want you to set off 2016 on the right foot.

Let me know below if you’ve made it over there. I’d love to connect with you over there and possibly even get to know you more so we can do some awesome things together in 2016.

Cheers!

moral constitution

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

/by

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

/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!

Fostering a Real Culture By Expressing Real Expectations

/by

“People look to time in expectation that it will eventually make them happy, but you cannot find true happiness by looking toward the future.” – Eckhart Tolle

Success rarely just falls into our laps. Expecting things to happen without planning or working for them is about as asinine as expecting to win the lottery.

As we’ve discussed, success comes from setting goals, making plans, and executing. Those plans usually come from some sort of expectations. Until our reality meets our expectations, we’re not going to be too happy with where we are in life.

So, to escape disappointment all together, many people suggest that you shouldn’t have expectations. While there is some truth to that (you shouldn’t expect to be an NFL player, for example) you should have expectations in life. They just need to be realistic. If you don’t have expectations in life, you won’t really get anywhere in life. An example might be graduating from high school or college. If you don’t expect to graduate, you’re not going to put the work towards it. Likewise, if we want our followers to act a certain way, we need to have expectations for them.

So how do you make expectations that are sound, but not so high that you’re always disappointed?

Types of Expectations

The first thing that we need to familiarize ourselves with are three types of expectations that we can have in our work and lives.

  • Expectations with ourselves.
  • Expectations of others.
  • Expectations of our own success.

Expectations of ourselves. When we’re talking about expectations of ourselves, we’re talking about what we believe about ourselves to be the standard. What are things you know about yourself? Do you know your values? Do you know your strengths? How about your weaknesses? When it comes to being clutch, what do you know for certain that you can do? Once we can answer these questions, those are our expectations for ourselves.

Expectations of others. When we think about other people, we have to ask ourselves if we think they’re capable of doing great things. Do you give them the benefit of the doubt? Or do you believe that they’re incompetent? Personally, I believe that all people have a particular skill set. While it might not be the same as mine, I know that the strengths that others possess can compliment mine. This is why I love finding out what people’s strengths are. It allows me to connect them with appropriate opportunities that I would have no chance of being able to take advantage of myself.

Even with all the negativity in the world, it’s important that we stay positive about others. However, it’s also important to realize that you might find yourself surrounded with those who have low expectations for themselves and others. If you’re finding that your expectations of others are low due to these other people, then it’s time to surround yourself with those that have higher expectations. The more positive people you have in your life, the more opportunities that will come to you.

Expectations of our own success. This one is the one that many people struggle with a lot – including myself at times. However, even if you’re going through a lot of crap at a certain time, it’s important that we know that being persistent with our action will yield positive results. Many times results we won’t expect. Some call this Faith, others call it simply statistics. If you flip the coin enough times, you’ll eventually land a head.

Communicating Expectations Effectively

Once we’re aware of the expectations that we want for ourselves and those that we want to influence, we must express those expectations. Otherwise we might confuse the people we lead with double standards. If you have a goal to be a leader or an influential creator then it’s highly important that we can properly communicate our expectations and create the culture we want for our followers.

Here are six rules of thumb to follow as you set these expectations.

Make yourself the realistic example. The first and foremost thing to being a leader, is be the type of person you want to attract. When you’re able to lead by example, you’re not expecting your followers to do more than you. You’re setting the standard. This shows that you’re committed to the vision and that it’s ok to follow you as you won’t be disappearing anytime soon.

Also, make sure that you’re realistic in telling them what exactly to do. Again, don’t expect them to do more than you. If you were following someone that said “if you do what I do, then you’re going to be as successful as I am”. One, you’re more likely going to follow them and two you’re going to try and do as much as you can that they do, right? Same holds true for others.

Set them early on. The sooner you can set your standards, the sooner your followers or fans can start to expect what they’re going to get from you. You wouldn’t knowingly drive a car with no breaks. You might be considered nuts if you did. Same thing here. Set your standards early so people know what they’re getting on the ride.

Be clear with what you expect.  Define your vision early. If you want people to take action, let them know. If you want a certain type of follower, make it known what they should be doing as a follower of yours.

Be optimistic. As I stated before, it’s important to be optimistic about those that you influence. Give people the benefit of the doubt that they’re capable. How would you feel if someone was trying to lead you to the “promised land” but said you couldn’t do it because of various reasons? Would you still follow them? Perhaps, but you might feel you’re being let off the hook to living to their standard. Maybe this might challenge you to do something about it. Maybe it might have the opposite effect. If you want to be certain, be optimistic.

Under promise and over deliver. The more you say your services are going to do for someone, the more you have to deliver. Do yourself a favor and make sure you do something that you know you can provide and have room to spare when it comes to your services.

Be sensible about your commitments, and diligently follow through on them. You don’t get credit for intentions, only for accomplishment. Set your followers up for success by setting aggressive but attainable goals for them.

Exceed them consistently. Again, expectations are your standards. When you exceed your expectations, it means you’re shooting for excellence. People expect you to be fair, but be generous as well. People expect you to respect them, but show you care for them, too. People expect you to be judicious when you exercise authority, but be willing to serve also. Over time, as you exceed expectations, talented people will flock to your tribe. Everyone wants to work with a leader who has their best interests in mind and leads with excellence on a consistent basis.

Homework:

As you’re starting your next project, think about what kind of standards and expectations you have for your followers. Let them know what actions they can take to help your efforts and be a part of the larger vision.

If you’ve already developed a culture, what are some things that are characteristic of that culture?