alexis parris

Alexis Parris: Doing What’s Important but Not Expected – How to Find the Education You Really Need (AoL 074)

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The world crafts us to be a certain way, there’s no doubt about it.

To this day, most formal education teaches us to be employees.

However, there’s some formal education out there that teaches to our strengths.

But many times, those places are really hard to get into because of the highly custom work they do.

Today’s guest, Alexis Parris, worked hard enough in her craft of dancing to get into one of those schools.

However, she soon learned that while she was good, if not great, at dancing, she had work to do that she really wanted to help people with.

Finding their true gifts themselves.

In this session, Daniel Postma and I chat with Alexis to find out more about her path, including why she left her amazing dancing career to pursue her new dreams, how she’s been able to get great mentors in her life, and what she truly believes that personal development means and why it’s so important.

As always, thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What was the process like in Alexis getting started as an entrepreneur? 7:18
  • How did she get into dancing early on? 9:45
  • When did she realize she wanted to do something other than dance as a career? 11:41
  • What made her make that choice? 12:37
  • How did she learn her definition of sacrifice vs what most people think of it as? 14:25
  • What made her quit school altogether? 18:39
  • How would Alexis like to change the world? 21:22
  • What inspired the name of her company “Anomalies at Work”? 25:05
  • How does Alexis reach out to people who aren’t tuned into bettering their lives and those around them? 33:04
  • Why did she chose the title “Why I Quit College to Learn” for her book? 34:19
  • How she would recommend getting mentors into your life. 35:08
  • What made her write her book? 41:08
  • What kind of journal does she use to document and keep records? 44:07
  • What does personal development involve? 46:22
  • Influencers who have helped her to where she is today? 52:32
  • One gift she likes giving others. 52:54
  • A piece of advice that has changed her mindset the most? 53:25
  • One thing all high school students must know? 54:04
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 54:57
  • … 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:

Alexis’s takeaways from the Super Bowl:

Alexis on Embracing how You Stand Out:

Gary V on being real with yourself about who you are vs who you want to be.

Jim Rohn on Taking Charge of Your Life:

alexis parris
alexis parris
alexis parris
alexis parris

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, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

jack sparrow cosplay

“Long Jon Sparrow” Jon Boersma: Business to Arts, Arts to Business: How to Find Your New Horizon (AoL 073)

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For many of us creators, we do things because we have a passion for it.

The question often is, how do we monetize something we enjoy doing without taking the fun out of it? Or, if we’re doing it because we see it as a mission – how do we keep from tainting that mission?

Like today’s guest, I believe, if done right, you can take something you love to do and make a living doing it.

That’s why I believe in Fizzle so much. That’s exactly what they teach people to do.

In this session, Laila and I sit down with an entrepreneur who has taken his passion of geeking out as Jack Sparrow to another level.

He gets paid to actually impersonate Jack as Long Jon Sparrow.

In today’s chat with Jon Boersma, we find out what inspired him to impersonate Captain Jack Sparrow, how much of his work was learned from formal education vs being self taught, and we dive a bit into how knowing about the 4 basic personalities have helped him in his career and how others can apply the same info to their lives.

As always, thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What inspired Jon to do a Captain Jack Sparrow impersonation in the first place? 8:40
  • Where did he get the help to come up with his costume? 11:43
  • When was Jon first bitten by the entrepreneur bug? 14:45
  • Where did his company, Horizons, come from? 16:05
  • How much of his work is formal education vs self taught skills? 17:43
  • How did he get started with Super Gainz Fitness? 23:23
  • When did his business really take off? 26:22
  • What’s the deal with his project Business to Arts, Arts to Business? 31:08
  • Does Jon deal with any copyright issues with impersonation? 34:28
  • What’s some more info on the personalities and how can they help in someone’s career? 36:23
  • What are some of the things that Jon’s looking forward to in 2017? 43:11
  • Three books that he tells others about. 46:47
  • What social norm has taken a 180 degree turn in the past 10 years? 48:50
  • What’s the smallest decision Jon’s made that has had the largest impact on his life? 57:26
  • If he woke up tomorrow as his 10 year old self with all of his memories intact, what would he do? 59:42
  • What’s the secret to achieving personal freedom? 1:01:14
  • … 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:

Long Jon Sparrow giving a business presentation:

Prince EA: Everybody Dies, But Not Everybody Lives:

Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work

Alyson Tabbitha’s Jack Sparrow Transformation/Tutorial:

jack sparrow cosplay personality types jack sparrow cosplay jack sparrow cosplay

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, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

bungie.org

Claude Errera on Halo.Bungie.Org: Build The Games You Want to Play (AoL 072)

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For many creators, money isn’t the driving force for them in their craft.

They do it simply out of the joy that it brings them.

It’s been said that being successful is about being great at doing something, not necessarily pursuing to be great in itself.

Being great is a very vague goal.

In this chat with Claude Errera, we find that he built Halo.Bungie.Org (HBO) because he wanted there to be a place to discuss Halo (and to practice code for his day job as a website developer).

Not because he wanted to make a profit off of all the fans of Halo.

What did that plan and goal get him?

Well, at it’s peak, we find that HBO had over half a million visitors a day.

In today’s chat, JC speaks with Claude about how HBO got started, what he does as his day job, and some of the things he’s learned as father of HBO which will help others build their own communities.

Maybe you can apply some of his knowledge to your new business or passion project!

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What Claude is known as on HBO and why he chose that alias. 9:56
  • Why did he want to start HBO in the first place? 12:57
  • How did HBO become structured as it was and is? 15:57
  • What does Claude do as an actual online entrepreneur? 18:58
  • How did HBO get some successful in the first place? 24:03
  • Was there ever a time where he thought he’d pass it on or have it pay for itself? 26:17
  • What has been his relation with Rooster Teeth over the years since RvB first started? 30:23
  • Are there any other successes that he’s been able to watch grow in success? 34:51
  • What are some steps that Claude would take to duplicate the success he had with HBO? 38:19
  • What tactics does he employ to prevent himself from becoming a complete fan of something? 41:30
  • What’s he looking forward to (or not) in 2017? 44:24
  • Claude’s top 3 favorite books and/or movies he tells others about. 37:42
  • Smallest decision he’s made that has had the largest impact on his life? 47:30
    Three truths he’s found out over time that he’d want others to know. 48:27
  • Who does he think of when thinks of the word success and why? 50:01
  • What’s it mean to have a life of abundance? 50:42
  • … 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:

Louis Wu receives the First Claude Errera Award:

Claude is interviewed first time on video while talking to dboTV’s Duncan about PAX 2013:

Claude’s house party scene via the Making of Halo 2 DVD:

For Fans of Bungie: Claude is interviewed on Guardian Radio about Destiny and Bungie:

bungie.orgbungie.orgbungie.orgbungie.org

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, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

ascension mentorship

Albert Winks on Building Ascension Mentorship – A New Kind of Networking (AoL 071)

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Networking meetings, meetups, Facebook groups.

These are just a few places where entrepreneurs go to meet others in their quest to build their businesses.

But what does being a part of these groups do for the member?

What is it about that particular group that sets it different then all the other ones out there?

That differentiation will make or break the group in the long run.

Those that are put together well are often thought of as villages because the people are seen as a tribe.

Join us in this chat as we discover what makes a good village and how you might be able to get involved with one yourself.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What’s Al’s background? 6:48
  • When did Al know it was time to get out of the military? 15:22
  • What kind of creative influences did he have growing up? 20:19
  • Some of the Al’s thoughts on military influence in pop culture. 24:02
  • What’s Ascension Mentorship really all about? 19:56
  • What kind of businesses are involved with Ascension? 36:27
  • How can someone build their own functional offline community? 43:10
  • What the Veteran Leadership Coalition is about and who should be interested. 50:23
  • Al’s Top 3 Favorite Books 56:41
  • Something under $100 that has changed his life. 59:06
  • Something he believed as a 30 year old but doesn’t now. 1:01:12
  • … 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:

Dr. David Rock on the SCARF Model:

Patrick Lencioni on one of the Five Dysfunctions of a Team:

John Maxwell introduces his book Intentional Living:

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, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

ascension mentorship ascension mentorship ascension mentorship

jess catorc interview

Jess Catorc on Finding your Path to Success, Personal Branding, and DIY Website Design (AoL 070)

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Hey, let’s face it. There are so many big names out there, how can you possibly compete with them?

By acting like them and doing exactly what they do?

Actually… no.

By doing what you do best and being yourself.

Today’s guest, Jess Catorc gives us a rundown of what that means in this week’s show.

Which path are you going to take?

Trying mediocritally to be like someone else or being amazing version of yourself?

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Where Jess’ knowledge of originally making sites came from. 8:27
  • What prompted her to pursue helping people with their sites? 11:09
  • What Jess got from going to college in a major that she was already proficient in? 13:41
  • When did Jess determine that she wanted to reach out to people on a large scale as an “expert”? 16:24
  • How did Jess build a community around her services and knowledge? 18:22
  • What was the first large publication she was able to get into and how did she get started? 19:59
  • What can people expect to see in Jess’ DIY Website Academy video series? 22:53
  • What are some tips people can use in making their first online course? 25:56
  • What are key factors in creating a cohesive brand? 28:45
  • What are upcoming plans for the New Year? 35:27
  • Who are three of Jess’ favorite influencers? 44:39
  • One gift that Jess likes giving others. 36:20
  • What would she do if she woke up as her 10 year old self with her memories still intact? 37:00
  • Jess’ three truths that she’d share with others. 37:31
  • What’s it mean to live a life of abundance? 39:05
  • … 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:

Jess’ appreciation video to Pat Flynn:

Carrie Green interviews Jess:

Interview with Amy Porterfield:

Interview with Lisa Nichols:

Thank You For Sharing Some Time With Us!

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, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

find your niche

Emily Kelly on Finding Your Niche, Working Remotely, and Mastering Empathetic Writing (AoL 069)

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When first starting, many of us have problems with being an entrepreneur in one way or another. Our main issue, many times, is we simply don’t know where we fit. We’re told to “find your niche” and often times, we find it hard because we could do so many things. However, we need to learn what it is that we do well and hire out for things we’d rather not.

Over at Fizzle, for example, Chase and Corbett hired in Steph Crowder to help with customer support back in 2015.

Steph, having worked at a few startups by that point, knew how to interact with clients on a one to one basis. It was something that Chase, who’s the main creative at Fizzle, and Corbett, the business brain, didn’t have the resources to do themselves.

In our interview with Steph in 2016, we learned that she was expecting soon.

They had to get a fill-in for her while she was on maternity leave.

Today’s guest, Emily Kelly, was the hero for Fizzle during that time.

But, just because she was with them temporarily, doesn’t mean she was bad at the position.

In fact, it was part of her new role as as a virtual customer support specialist. She has taken the phrase “find your niche” seriously.

In this interview, we find out about her journey to become a virtual assistant, what she recommends to folks coming right out of college to keep them from getting burnt out at work, and some pointers in putting emotion into writing.

If you’re thinking about about starting your own business, perhaps being a virtual assistant first might just be in the future for you as well.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What kind of career did she envision as she was going to school? 8:02
  • Which creative influences did she have in her life growing up? 10:52
  • What it was like to have her dad working remotely growing up. 13:15
  • When was the first time Emily had experience with entrepreneurship herself? 14:47
  • What was it like to work at a startup vs where she previously worked? 18:13
  • What advice would she give someone who’s coming out of college so they don’t get burnt out? 21:37
  • Which mindset did Emily utilize while working for a startup? How did she use the advice “Find your niche”? 27:15
  • What is some advice that she’d give someone to get more emotion into their writing? 37:04
  • What are some things to look for when hiring remote help? 39:28
  • 3 Influencers or teachers that have helped Emily get to where she is today. 44:38
  • One gift that she likes giving others. 45:17
  • Something she believed as a 21 year old but doesn’t now and why? 45:46
  • If she could place an ad anywhere in the world cost free, what would it be and where? 46:19
  • Who does Emily think of as a success and why? 48:29
  • What are some ways that someone can improve their customer support? 49:53
  • … 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:

Broke with Billy Corben:

Intro to Deep Work by Cal Newport:

How to Become a Virtual Assistant:

Simon Sinek on the Millennial Question:

Bonus: Simon Sinek followup:

Thank You For Sharing Some Time With Us!

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, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

John Powell

John Powell: Leave All Excuses at the Door: How to Embrace the Truth About Who We Are (AoL 068)

/by

This is the time of year when people are either making New Year’s resolutions or planning out their next year – especially if they’re a creative.

However, you might find yourself in a situation where you’re not entirely comfortable with where you are in life so making plans might be the last on your mind.

Well, the truth is that if you’re not making plans to succeed, you’re automatically going to fail.

So how can you get started if you’re not sure where your inner self wants to go?

In our chat with today’s guest, John Powell, we discuss this and much more, including his book My Journey, My Truth.

At first glance, it might seem that the book is all about him – but it’s much more than that. It’s actually about the reader.

You see, John has gone through many struggles in his life and now finds himself helping many people with many of the same struggles.

The book shares quite a bit of what he’s learned through the years through the hardships that he’s had to go through.

In this interview we also discuss the creation of the Expert Community as well as why he loves coaching so much.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What’s the purpose of the Expert Community? 6:51
  • Where did the inspiration of his book, My Journey, My Truth came from? 9:29
  • Has transparency always been a strength for John? 13:33
  • What would people that have already overcome difficulties in their life be able to get from his book? 15:41
  • What was it like for John to write the book? 17:42
  • How he knew he was done with all the edits of the book. 21:36
  • What was the hardest part of the book to write about? 23:19
  • What made John get into coaching? 27:17
  • Who does John like to coach? 28:59
  • What would John say to those folks who are stuck after the age of 25 and want to build some momentum? 31:22
  • John’s thoughts of the broken schooling system. 34:40
  • Does he have a process of helping people get out depression since he’s been there a couple of times? 40:03
  • What is John looking forward to in 2017? 42:22
  • Three top favorite books or movies he tells others about. 45:13
  • One gift John likes giving others. 47:05
  • Something that he believed when he was 25 but doesn’t now. 47:56
  • Who’s the most awe inspiring person he’s ever met? 52:31
  • Who comes to mind when he thinks of the word success and why? 55:05
  • What are 4 steps to a better future? 56:30
  • … 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:

Vincent Van Gogh visits his work in the Gallery:

Les Brown on Learning to Trust Yourself and Pursue Your Dreams:

Lindsey Stirling interviewed by Larry King:

Tony Robbins on Building Lasting Change:

john powell

Thank You For Sharing Some Time With Us!

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, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!