In the past, every time I’ve taken on a new project or started something new I get lots of advice from people about what I should be doing, what they think about it or what I should be doing instead. Most of the time that advice is well meaning but completely worthless. Why? Because people talk out of their asses about things they don’t know about. That advice can come from family or...
As I continue to work on “what’s next?” for me, one of the things I keep coming back to is how I can help others. If you’re reading this, you’re here possibly out of curiosity about me from my DJ past, but also you might be here because of what I’ve been writing about my entrepreneur journey. I use this blog to share things that have worked for me, with the...
It’s generally accepted that we need to eat healthy foods to keep our bodies in good working order. Are we putting the same effort into what we consume with our minds? It seems we are in an information overload, and I have to ask, to what end? I’m not speaking of educating yourself with specific knowledge you are seeking, but the overwhelming bombardment of breaking news, and the...
Counter to all the messaging online about easy success in whatever it is you are looking at, the reality is it doesn’t exist. Starting a business takes time, years, without exception. Every one I’ve created has taken years. Years of struggle. Years of learning. Years of figuring out what it is you don’t know, filling in those gaps, and building the business brick by brick. One...
Lately, I’ve been taking advantage of creative new thinking I get when first waking up. Upon waking, instead of grabbing my phone to start checking on things, I lie in bed. Usually just staring at the ceiling, and usually thinking about things I’m working on lately. Then it happens… a new idea. From out of the ether, my mind offers up something, a solution to a problem, a new...
I had come across a life and productivity hack multiple times that suggested to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. The thinking behind it is you’ve just gone through several hours without drinking anything, so your body could use it. I decided to try it, having a cold glass of tap water, instead of the thing I did usually in the morning – a cup of coffee. I found the...
I came across the term “Deceleration” recently. This resonated with me, because I think it’s a conversation worth having. It’s a movement to “slow down” and resist the ongoing march we’ve been experiencing the last decade with technology. I live a pretty decelerated life as it stands. I work from home and I’m here in the mornings to see my kids off...
As I work on my own personal journey of success and life satisfaction, more and more I have clarity it really is all about me, and what gives me that feeling of success and satisfaction. That I can’t compare myself with others, and shouldn’t. That I should be in a place of gratitude for what I have, and not keep chasing “more”. I’ve applied this thinking to how I...
I like this proverb quite a bit. I don’t think people realize the situation they are in when they owe money. You have this thing hanging over you and everything you do. A pet elephant that needs to be fed. I have made a decision to live debt free. Not only do I not carry credit card debt (paid off every month), I aggressively paid off my house. All large purchases are saved for in advance...
Everyone takes stock this time of year. I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what is next for me. The biggest change for me is the New Year used to have promise and potential, things I hoped would happen. Now I’m in a place of feeling complete, and actually embracing that and resisting anything else, so I struggle with some of these old exercises. This year I’ve...
A lot of people who read this blog work as as “Solopreneurs”. Outside of a regimented work space, and perhaps starting a whole new life as an entrepreneur, it is easy to let things slip. Especially in this modern world of never ending information blasts and notifications. I’ve been learning more to use time as a tool, instead of being an enemy. Instead of seeing it as a deadline to stress...
I came across an interesting article, Boasting how many hours you work is a sign of failure, and a light bulb went off for me. Of course it is. The opposite should be true! I live the opposite and I realized I have for almost all my adult life. I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting, and realized I value my schedule above everything. Now I plan for what I want to do around the schedule...
I’ve been watching the ongoing discussion of social media with great interest. It’s been an interesting decade since Facebook took over. I was an online pioneer, but the one place I never transitioned to were the big social media platforms. I resisted at first because I could see how much time people spent on them. This was apparent right away. I made a conscious decision that my time...
This is a strategy I’ve created and put to use most years as the holidays approach. For a lot of small/home based businesses there is a point around the end of the year (usually starting with American Thanksgiving and ending well into January) when normal business stops operating. People want to take breaks, client prospecting slows down, marketing efforts stop, and the distractions increase like...
I’m an ideas guy. I get inspiration all over the place. I’ve learned the hard way I need a way to capture ideas when I get them, even if they’re partial and semi formed. Those are the ones you’re most likely to not recall later. This is what I do: -I have an open Word document that I write ideas down. Thoughts. Blog ideas. Business ideas. Anything I come up with. This...
I was speaking to one of my “Incubees” this week, about a win that involved putting themselves out there and attending an event and talking with people. They accomplished the goal (go to the event and talk to 2 people), but were commenting on how much energy it took to psych themselves up to go. I couldn’t help but relate my own experiences. It’s hard to put yourself out...
This is a recurring thought of mine because it is so significant. What do I have control over? If I can’t make someone do something, like hire me, or book me, what can I control? I can control the number of new people I prospect. I set goals of talking to people and having conversations. When I used to do direct mail I could control how many postcards I sent out. I would learn how many...
A good hour of any work day of mine is spent quiet, away from everything. Usually this is a walk. I do not take my phone. This time away is super productive to me. That’s why I include it as part of my “work” day. I usually don’t go out with any sort of agenda. It’s just time for myself. But inevitably as I walk and enjoy being outside, the sky, the trees, the...
A lot of people dream of taking a hobby of theirs into a full-time business. But should they? I would consider this long and hard. One of my hobbies is collecting pinball machines. I’ve built an arcade in the basement of my home. I get a lot of pleasure from it, both from the experience today with it, and also how it goes back to when I was young and the memories I have of being in arcades...
I’m not sure how many times I’ve come across new entrepreneurs who get caught up in busy work, instead of doing what it is they are here to do. That is generally one of my first bits of advice – stop the busy work. Start generating money, the quicker the better. What is busy work? Websites, social media, promo pieces, writing a book for promotion, head shots, business cards and...
I remember years ago coming across some “diploma mill” that would give you a degree or something for little effort (and a lot of money), and one of the things they’d give you a lot of credit for was “life experience”. At the time I thought that was the biggest joke in the world. Now, in that specific case, it was a joke because they were just using it as a way to...
There’s a simple trait I’ve seen amongst successful entrepreneurs, and it seems to separate those that achieve from those that just dream: Taking Action. From first hand experience and observation, those simple 2 words seems to make the difference. Taking Action means just do it, just go for it, just start it. Whatever your business is, do it. It does not mean “find more busy...
When working alone as a solopreneur, one of the key components you will have to figure out is how to automate as much as possible. Otherwise it turns into a real grind, and you are spending way too long doing manual things. Automation can take many forms and you’ll build them specific to your business needs. Here are some that I’ve personally done, to give you some ideas. 1) An email...
There’s a great business metaphor featured in the book Blue Oceans Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. The gist is: Find “Blue Oceans” to operate a business in, free from competition. Avoid the bloody “Red Oceans” where everyone is fighting it out. As you develop business ideas and markets, keep this in mind. The best and easiest thing to do is: don’t...
When speaking to people today starting out their businesses, one of the pieces of advice I will generally give is that this is going to take longer than you thought or hoped for. My rule of thumb, based on my own experiences, is that you better be committed to seeing it through for 3 years. Three years to figure out your market, grow the business to something that can support your goal of success...