The Self-Employed Life

Being an entrepreneur - you always hear how important it is to know your "why". The truth is, you probably have several "whys". We all do, we all have more than one goal and a purpose behind it. What can be just as important, if not even more so, is your "why not". It can be pretty simple to know what your driving force is to want to do something - but we rarely analyze what is holding is back. Wh...

I could go all Matrix on you and put your brain in a knot. But the truth is, things are as you see them because of how you perceive them to be. Is it a good day or bad day? Depends how you see it. Was that a good thing that happened or a bad thing? Depends how you look at it. That's what makes this a compelling conversation with Dr. Shawn Andrews, author of The Power of Perception. Or at least tha...

One of the biggest problems creatives have is finding ways to get their products and services in front of an audience. A lot of people just aren't wired for marketing. Luckily, there's an option that will fit literally any industry you are in: podcasting. Obviously you listen to podcasts (you listen to mine) so why aren't you on them sharing your story? There's no quicker and easier way to get in...

I'm sure you've heard the old cliche' "Honesty is the best policy." In fact, you've probably heard it so it doesn't mean anything to you anymore. It should. When it comes to business, not being honest with your customers will harm you in the long run. Your customers can sense when something isn't quite right, and it'll drive them away. Even if they believe you, there will be a point when they find...

If you're in business and plan on being in business for the next several years or more, you better plan on understanding the often misunderstood millennials. They are a major buying force. From a marketing perspective, they are both predictable and unpredictable. To me, Shaun Gold embodies the millennial generation. A nightclub promoter, known as "the nightlife ninja", he's part partier and part i...

I'm sure you've heard a lot of people preach about how you need to find your niche. Although this is true, as an entrepreneur you want to make sure you find your niche. By that I mean your area of expertise. Although you want to be able to identify your audience, you don't want to close yourself off from other business opportunities. For example, if Amazon had been called Online Books for Cheap, t...

Story telling in business has become the "in" thing. It's a great way to tell the story of your business and why you do what you do. But let's flip this around. How about stories that create relevancy with your ideal customers? Told in the right way, stories can create a bond between you and your ideal customer. So it's not about you or your business. It's also not a story about them. It's a story...

One of the most important things you can do in this world is discover your purpose. It's really heartbreaking when an entrepreneur spends decades building a business that's something they don't care about. They start to feel burned out, and are too scared to try anything else because they've become dependant on the income that's been created. The good news is, you can start making sure your busine...

Many people have a hard time charging what they are worth. This is often because it's easy to not see value in what comes easy to you. Your gift. Most people have no problem charging a lot for what's hard or takes up a lot of time. It's actually the other way around. What comes easy to you is likely what you should charge the most for. Mellissa Seaman will help you find your gift and work with you...

Running a business is a lot like playing sports. Now, I'm not a big sports guy myself, but I certainly respect the passion and drive that athletes have. One of the most important things that sports does right, which a lot of businesses fall short on, is having the support from others. Entrepreneurs tend to try to do it all themselves, which in the beginning is a necessity. As your business starts...

One of the things that holds many people back is a fear of becoming "that person." As if getting recognition or having financial success is going to inherently change who you are. Sure, perhaps it does for some people. But if you are kind-hearted, person-driven in the first place, it's unlikely success is going to change you into someone you're not proud of. Often, quite the opposite. Financial su...

Do you ever feel ignored if you are out to eat with someone and they keep checking their phone? Does it make you feel insecure? Well, you're not alone. We all feel that way. Today it seems like everyone pays attention to their device and not the world around them. It's an addiction not many people are addressing, but lucky for you this can easily play in your favor as an entrepreneur. To build str...

Unleash your inner misfit! In this conversation with serial entrepreneur and host of Misfit Entrepreneur podcast, Dave Lukas, you'll learn how to leverage all that makes you unique. Being a misfit entrepreneur is about finding what makes you think differently and using it to your advantage. You'll also learn about the power of choice. I'm sure you'll find our conversation motivational! The Talking...

All of us entrepreneurs have heard about the importance of building a brand. What you're not hearing enough is the importance of building a personal brand. People don't follow a brand, they follow the founder. They don't think SpaceX, Virgin, or Apple. They tend to think Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Steve Jobs. That's where you want to be. You want people to think of, because that's when your b...

To succeed, even survive, as a Creative Warrior takes resilience. You will get knocked down at times. Discouraged. Impatient. What really matters is your ability to get back up again. Perhaps not just survive but THRIVE after a big set back. Sandra Younger has a survival story few of us could ever imagine. Sandra not only survived but is using the experience in great service to others. Many lesson...

Ever feel like you're not smart enough for business? That maybe you don't have the IQ you need? To be honest, it's not about your IQ. It's about your emotional intelligence. Let's face it, most business isn't conducted with logic: it's conducted with feelings. If you can unlock that emotional intelligence, you can tap into what really makes your customers tick. You'll be able to pull yourself out...

There are plenty of tips and suggestions out there about how to be more productive. But like a lot of business advice and how-tos, they don't necessarily work for right-brained, creative thinking and innovative people. Karen Fritz has a superpower to see patterns in the chaos. Since much of creativity comes from chaos, that's a great place to start when trying to learn to be more productive! The T...

As creatives we've all heard about the importance of creating good habits. After all, it's not people who decide their destiny: it's their habits that decide it for them. One problem I've noticed a lot of people I coach have is that they try to do too much all at once. They try to change their entire routine for the day, and it makes things complicated. Chances are a huge change, even an hour or m...

Many Creative Warriors tend to think it's impossible to harness the thing they are best at: creativity. They think it's just a fountain that you let explode, and try to sort it all out later. There is a way to help with this, and it's by creating a solid system. It seems like rules would restrict your creativity, and a system would burn you out: but that's actually not true. A good system will all...

I wrote an article years ago called, When Your Purpose Is Out To Kill You . In the case of our guest, Paula Brown, a near-death experience helped her find her purpose. And then, as is often the case, when we find our purpose it can feel like it's out to kill us. Metaphorically that is. Because of what we sacrifice. How hard it is to transition. That we can feel like we have no choice but to follow...

There's one thing I've always been intrigued to study, and I'm sure you have too: body language. The idea that people may be saying more than they realize; that you're uncovering their secrets. It's a really exciting thing. There are a lot of myths, though, in the study of body language. The first is that people can't lie with their bodies. Of course we can, and of course we all do. All it takes i...

Does it seem crazy to have a conversation with an addiction expert on a podcast about entrepreneurship? Let me ask you this. Have you ever felt like your reality was different than what people thought about you? Have you ever felt like an "imposter?" The truth of entrepreneurship is that the image of success and happiness we project isn't always what's going on behind the scenes. Not that differen...

If you're like me, chances are you don't like the idea of networking. It might feel a little sleazy, and conjure up images of a guy at an event passing out business cards to everyone he meets. In reality, that isn't networking - or at least it shouldn't be. You're already in a huge network. You're probably six degrees away from meeting everyone you already need and want to meet. The thing to work...

The inequality between men and women in the corporate world is well documented and often a topic of conversation. Rightfully so. But why is there a disparity between men and women in entrepreneurship? An area of life that both men and women should be in charge of their destiny. Did you know women often charge less than men for the same services? Cynthia and I tackle this very touchy subject, decid...

Most entrepreneurs I know enter a business looking to do what someone else does, only do it better. In the end, how much better can you do? 10%? 15%? You don't want to do what everyone else does, you'll just get lost in the crowd. Instead, do the exact opposite. The first trick is to look at what the competition is doing - then see what upsets you about it. Does it take too long to get the product...