The importance of making the ask
02 August 2010Most people are scared to ask for what they want in life. Some people are fearful they'll get it. Some fear that they'll be laughed at for even asking. I've had several conversations over the last few months where people who are well known and well respected in their industries have said to me something to the effect of "I wish I could help more but I don't even know where to start." These are people who get consulting fees for thousands of dollars a month. They want to help people because that's genuinely who they are and they had folks who helped them along the way so it was time to pay it forward. You could be one of those folks they choose to help free of charge simply because you asked. But you didn't. Making the ask is something that I wish I had learned to do earlier in my life. I used to avoid asking for anything as long as I possibly could. There are several occasions where things were downright awkward because I wouldn't make the ask. Be it the pretty girl in class next to me for a date, an employer for a raise or a friend ...
Find how to create your flow zone
01 August 2010A funny thing has happened over the last 8 months. I've starting walking more. A lot more. It started with the FitBit. It is now a constant companion and will be for the foreseeable future. I stopped driving to my job that was a 12 minute walk away. In May, when I was really at a loss for what to do about work, I would go for walks and successively longer and longer walks. Now I've had walks that have come in at almost 8 miles and most weeks I'm putting down more than 30 miles. Why am I telling you this and how will it help you? There's been a very funny result of my even minimal exercise: after about 2.5 miles I get an idea flow that is amazing. I don't know exactly why it takes 2.5 miles (typically about 45-50 minutes) to get there but it's consistently there. It's where some of my best ideas for clients and potential clients have come from. Also, it's begun to give me some clarity on my own personal situation. I've always believed that the so called "flow zone" is a very thin elliptical area on the chart that is where the level ...
Just do something interesting
31 July 2010This afternoon I wanted to sit down and write some more of the mystery ebook I've been working on in earnest for the last 3 weeks. I plopped down at my laptop turned on the music and proceeded to write exactly 8 words. One single sentence. Not one to force my writing (and probably the reason why I always sucked in timed writing assignments and tests in school) I looked for something to do. For some reason, the thought crossed my mind to watch "Lemonade" since I hadn't seen it since the week it premiered on Hulu. It's especially timely given the fact that the economy appears to be losing the minimal gains we've seen since the start of the year. More and more people are losing their jobs and I like to think that "Lemonade" is part of the rehabilitation process for not only those who get fired but for us as a nation and community. There was one clear scene in the movie that jumped out at me that I will end up referencing in the ebook -- one of the interview subjects talks about just doing something, anything, interesting with the time that they've been given by ...
Why today isn’t the best time ever to be an entrepreneur
22 July 2010[caption id="attachment_130" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="credit: flickr genbug"][/caption] This morning Milind and I got to talking over IM. Our conversation revolved around downloadable content and entrepreneurialism. Milind echoed a statement that has been said by many industry pundits. He said, "It's an exciting time to be alive." It's statements like that which always leave me a little miffed. I typed back "Do you think that people didn't think that it was a great time to be alive when TV was 5 years old?" People see the world the way that they want to. No one wants to think they lived at the worst time ever. Even those who lived through the Great Depression didn't believe it to be the worst time ever. Our conversation then made a stronger move toward entrepreneurship. Milind echoed a point that the barriers are now gone. Our mutual friend Gary Vaynerchuk has said may times. Once again, I wanted to challenge Milind's beliefs here because I think his statements show he's thinking about only his own experience. Given his own experience, he's perfectly right. There isn't a ...
Running the marathon daily
21 July 2010My good friend Sam Taggart posted something on the Vaynermedia blog today that has me thinking about things. Here's a quick quote from Sam's post: No matter your profession or your spot in life, it’s important to remember that we are all running our own marathons (so stop trying to get to the finish line in two hours). As with anything, success takes hard work, a good team, a little bit of luck, and time. It takes most of us eighteen years to even be in a position to leave the comfort and security of our parents’ homes. Life is not one big get rich quick scheme; it’s a process, and it’s important to remember that from time to time. As someone who very much agrees with Sam and his boss, friend and mentor Gary Vaynerchuk, I understand that being patient and willing to consistently work is something that is required to complete the "marathon." What always interests me is how people break down their super high level goals into steps that they can take daily. For instance, let's say you want to become a known brand in a given space. Following Sam's advice you can create compelling, ...
Loading Twitter
