Information regarding the pursuit of your career.

Entrepreneur vs Employee

The Entrepreneur vs Employee Mindset: How We Must Think Different

/by

With the beginning of a New Year, comes new beginnings. One of my new beginnings that I’ll be starting is to write blog posts per month based on a particular theme. Not only will this help me curate material, but it will be a bit more organized for you guys.

I thought we’d start this month focusing on getting started and implementation of your new creation.

 

Using the Word Entrepreneur:

The first thing that we should focus on is that this: if you’re looking to create a lifestyle based on something you like to do and/or create, then you’re going to realize you are technically an entrepreneur.

The term entrepreneur simply means this:

a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

Many folks get hung up on that word business.

That word has several meanings.

When I use it, I think of definition 1:

an occupation, profession, or trade

Or more to the point – what we’re more concerned about here at New Inceptions – definition 3:

a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.

So just to set one thing finally straight. If you are creating something and building a lifestyle from the fruits of that creation, then you are an entrepreneur. It might not be a startup entrepreneur, or you might be doing it on your own (which makes you a solopreneur), but you are an entrepreneur. Personally, I’m a lifestyle entrepreneur and really, I always have wanted to be one.

 

Entrepreneurs Think Different

Do you remember the ad campaign of Apple’s back in the 90’s? It was called “Think Different”. Here’s one of their ads:

That campaign gave me shivers. It just made me smile everytime I saw it. It still does.

The majority of the folks in those commercials were entrepreneurs.

Sure, you had people like Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein in it – and while we don’t think of them as typical entrepreneurs, they were. They were what we call thought leaders. Which is one of the 10 archetypes of online business.

But how do they actually Think Different?

 

Differences in an Entrepreneur and Employee Mindset:

Most people in the world are employees if they’re not an entrepreneur. They have to make a living somehow, right?

And the truth is that you can be an employee at all levels – anywhere from a janitor to a scientist or government worker.

The same thing can be said about being an entrepreneur – from your neighborhood mechanic to your local startup business owner, all the way to your Steve Jobs and Elon Musk types of the world.

That said, each of the two groups thinks differently.

Here’s how:

 

Full Responsibility vs Limited Responsibility:

As a business owner, the buck stops with you. If anything goes wrong, it’s ultimately something you have to deal with. For example, if you have employees and your company doesn’t make as much as you would have liked, then you’ll pay them first and you get whatever is left.

On the other hand, if you have success, you’re going to be happier with it as the business is your baby. If you get a big client or land on a big show as a guest, you’re going to be happier about it than your employees might.

 

Emotion Scale:

Entrepreneur vs Employee

Taking responsibility into account, your emotions are going to be a bit more up and down as the business owner.

Keeping with the previous example, if you have employees and you won’t be able to pay them, you might feel really bad if you have to let some of them go. The more employees you have to let go, the worse you’re going to feel.

That said, if you’re suddenly interviewed by a big show host or get a big time client, you’re going to feel the high side of that emotion as well.

As an employee, your emotions don’t vary as much because your life isn’t going to change over time as much – even if you’re suddenly looking at having to get a new job. You’ll have unemployment income as you transfer – so it’s just a matter of getting that new job.

On the other hand, the greatest joy someone might have as an employee is the day they learn they got a new job.

 

Constant Uncertainty vs Constant Stability

As an entrepreneur, you’re constantly struggling to make sure you have money to cover your overhead and make profits to potentially build your company and pay yourself.

There’s ways to mitigate that struggle, but in the great scheme of things – your control of it is as likely as you controlling the weather.

Sure, you can plan for the market to act a certain way, but if there’s a sudden change in technology that makes your company obsolete or someone ends up doing something better than you do, then you’re going to have to figure out how to change course quickly.

Otherwise you’re going to go the way of Circuit City, Blockbuster, and other companies that are no longer around

On the employee side, your contract with your employer basically states that your wage stays the same no matter what. Well, I take that back. You might actually get a bonus. Point being is that you have a safety net.

Many people who have chosen to be an employee have done so because of this stability factor alone.

 

Value Economy vs Time Economy

The reason why Circuit City, Blockbuster, and other big companies have had to shrink is because they’re not valued by the market as much as they once were.

As an entrepreneur, this is the world you live in. You’re thinking about how you can bring more and more value to your audience and/or customers. You do this through selling better products and/or services. The more value you give, the more income you get.

As an employee, you’re not selling services or products – you’re selling yourself. You’re trading your actual time for money.

You only have so much time you can trade away so if you want more money as employee, the more of a specialist you want to be so there’s a need for your skills. That’s why it makes sense for those who want to be employees to go to college – especially if they want to focus in something that is in a STEM field.

 

Take Action

So now that you have this new perspective, think about it a bit before you jump into one or the other.

For me, I know I hate the idea of selling my time. I’d rather be paid by the job or by my value. Even when I had a job, I’d have a better work ethic than those around me and I often found myself being given more work to do. Not cool.

Also, I personally think that signing my income over to someone else is more risky than seeking my own income.

As I’ve mentioned before, working for one company for the rest of your life is a thing of the past. This is why I say people need to realize that it’s better for yourself to at least treat your career as a consultant would. That way when you’re forced to go to the next job, you’re not surprised.

For more information on this topic, you can listen to my conversation with Dr. Joe Albano here.

create strong culture

How to Create a Strong Culture in Your Organization

/by

Whether you’re part of a a business, a nonprofit, or somewhere in between, building a culture for an organization is critical to its overall success.

In fact, culture is more important than having a vision, a mission statement, and a strategy of how things are going to be done.

People want to know how the organization is run before they sign up to be a part of it, right? I mean, isn’t that part of what you were told to do when interviewing for a job? Find out about company culture and see if it fits you?

Doesn’t it make sense that you should offer your new team members or new employees the same benefit?

If you don’t have a well defined culture, people aren’t going to really know the rules of the group.

While you might be able to grab some early adopters to help you out, in the long run, not having a defined culture is going to cause problems.

So let’s avoid those problems and see if we can’t start to build a culture within your group.

Why Culture First?

You might have done a double take when I said that building a culture needs to come before your vision, mission, and strategy.

Why would I say that?

Well, the simple truth is that culture is all about people – who are really the most valuable asset in your or any other organization.

I mean, when you think of vision, sure, there’s the saying a “a man without vision shall perish”. A mission statement is kind of the same thing.

Then there’s the idea that to differentiate yourself from other companies, you have to have your own strategy.

These are all true – BUT – they’re more focused on products, services, and outcomes of your particular organization.

If your goal is to impact as many people as possible through your work, (or your company’s work,) then you’re going to have to get help. Having a defined culture will help you bring in the right people and retain them in your organization. Otherwise, you’ll bring people in, but they might not know what the lay of the land is and where they fit in it. That might just make them eventually go somewhere else that have those parts established.

What is Culture?

So, if you’re ok with the idea that the focus of your organization should be on people first and secondly on how things are done, then we should probably move on to defining culture.

Culture can simply be thought of as “the way of life” in a community, or in this case, an organization. It is cultivated over time through three aspects that are utilized and messaged throughout the group:

  • Behavior
  • Symbols
  • Systems

As human beings, we’re hardwired to adjust and fit in the communities of which we are members of. It’s essential if we want people to act a certain way when it comes to the group. If the “rules” are spelled out clearly, people will adjust their own rules accordingly. And, if they can’t, they’ll show themselves (or be shown) the door.

Let’s look at those three components a bit closer:

Behavior

work-hard-play-hard

Make sure to do team building activities beyond the office.

When it comes to culture, the first thing we need to focus on is what we ourselves are doing. Do we, as leaders, walk the walk as well as talk the talk?

Ask yourself if your actions or demeanor change when you’re in a 1 on 1 setting, compared to the setting of a small group of people, or when you’re in a large group?

The reason this is important is that once you bring people in, you want to make sure they stay. And if you say one thing and do another, it’s not going to help your case any.

For example, if you’re wanting to run a company or (be part of one) where you want to make millennials in it happy, make sure to do these three things:

  • Build Connection – Be transparent by sharing stories, valuing strengths, and recognizing individuals for their work. Don’t treat people as robots. Instead, give them activities outside of their normal work that will allow them to gel a bit more as a team.
  • Be a Coach – If you see a personal problem that needs to be addressed, don’t focus on the negative part of it – that they screwed up and they need to fix it. Instead, help them see how they can handle the situation better next time.
  • Give them Significance – Let them know how their job connects to the big picture. If they know how their role is significant, then they’re less likely to search for meaningful work elsewhere.

Symbols

ritzcarltonsymbol

The Ritz-Carlton service card is a symbol of their culture.

Next, we need to think about the meaning behind how things are done the way they’re done in our working group.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, for example, is actually pretty meta about this. They have their employees carry around a card that reminds them of their culture. Not only is the card a symbol of their culture and how important it is, but if they were to actually forget a part of it, it’s there for an easy reminder.

Other symbols of culture that you could consider for your organization might include:

  • How time is spent. Do you have short time sensitive meetings? Why?
  • Do titles actually mean anything? If so, how do people get promoted and why?
  • How communication works. Do people have to communicate in a hierarchical manner? Why or why not?

Systems

Finally, the third part of an organization’s culture are the systems that it uses to get things done.

In the online small business world, one of the topics that comes up all the time is systems.

You’ll hear many seasoned entrepreneurs say, “make sure the work you’re doing can be written up in a systematized way so that when it’s time to pass it off to someone else, it won’t be difficult to hand it over”.

As an example, this can mean something as complex as editing media and content and specifically what to do, all the way down to keeping track of what’s measured when that media is published.

It can also mean when you’re moving from one project to another that you know what gets reported to the client or other members of the group.

When you’re building systems, make sure you include the use of:

  • Structure – Is the work that people are doing being done in a effective way? Can it be better adjusted to fit the needs of the client or audience?
  • Measurables – What kind of payoff is the work having?
  • Reporting – Who needs to know about what measurables and why?

Intangibles of a Culture

Once these pieces of culture have all been considered and installed, it will definitely affect things that we can see. People might start dressing differently. They might be on time when they’re supposed to be. And perhaps you might not feel like you have to do everything.

But it will also start having an effect on things that are harder to grasp.

Knowing about these intangible parts of a culture can help you as the leader. You’ll actually be able to put your finger on the pulse of the organization to see how well it’s actually doing.

Trust

Remember me?

Remember doing this? Don’t forget the meaning behind this exercise!

Is there trust in the group? If there is an absence of trust, then it probably stems from the leader’s unwillingness to be vulnerable with the group. If you’re not open about your mistakes and weaknesses, then there’s not going to be a foundation of trust.

Unified and Distinct Culture

Can you articulate a unified and distinct organizational culture? If you can understand your organization’s culture, it will have multiple payoffs within your organization.

Members of a unified culture will more likely have:

  • Strong feelings of personal effectiveness.
  • Company loyalty
  • Consensus about the group’s goals
  • More ethical behavior.
  • Reduced levels of job stress and tension.
  • A higher willingness to work hard and care more.

Action Steps to a Strong Culture

So what culture are you trying to create or sustain? What actions are you and those around you carrying out to live out that culture?

Here are some questions that will help guide you through this evaluation process. If it’s more than you at the helm, I suggest you get those other members together and brainstorm through this discussion.

  • What type of culture do you desire? Write it down as you verbally describe it with your team.
  • Have someone else verbalize it back to you. Are you satisfied with how they translated it? If not, describe it better.
  • Creative five actions for each of the three elements of building a culture (behavior, symbols, and systems) that you and your leadership will create, display, and live out to support your desired culture.
  • Using those same three areas, list two or three things that you feel should be eliminated or changed because they creative negative tension and don’t support your desired culture.

Don’t keep this discussion in the dark. If there’s more people in the company than you and your immediate leadership, make sure they get in on this exercise too. They’ll get to know the desired culture AND learn how they can support it by their actions.

JoeWoo Career Path

Joe “JoeWoo” Rychalsky: Helping Others Find Their Right Career Path by Being the Example (AoL 061)

/by

When it comes to getting started making a living on something you love to do, it can be hard to determine where to be begin. For many of us, we will have many interests and we’ll try to involve all of that into what we’re doing.

Depending on how exactly you do that, you can have one of two results. It can either differentiate you from the pack, or, what tends to happen most of the time, is that you spread yourself too thin when it comes to others understanding how you can help them.

So, the trick, is to fixate on one segment of your life like today’s guest, Joe “Woo” Rychalsky has done.

Joe has many interests that he could have pursued as a business. But he didn’t. Instead, he decided to take it upon himself to help others do something he wasn’t able to – find and fit into the right job and career for them.

Trying to find that niche that you can help others with can be tough, and there’s a lot riding on the decision we finally make. So, in this chat we’re going to help you make that decision by walking you through his story of becoming a coach and what all he has considered while making the decision to help others figure out their dream career.

We’ll also talk about what you need to look for when choosing your own coach, and we briefly talk about his podcast entitled The JoeWoo Career and Life Show.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What gave Joe the mind of a creator. 6:41
  • Which parent did he strive to please growing up and how. 9:09
  • What went into Joe choosing his major in college? 11:52
  • How well did Joe survive as a square block in a circle hole? 14:13
  • Was realizing that he wanted to be a career coach a single moment or a series of moments? 15:18
  • What did it take for him to make the transition from working in the corporate world to becoming a career coach? 17:13
  • What kind of clients does Joe like working with? 24:04
  • What need is he solving with his courses? 27:11
  • What do people need to look for when searching for a coach that can help them with a particular issue? 29:31
  • What’s the difference between a therapist, a psychologist, and a coach? 31:14
  • How Joe knocks people out of patterns that he sees. 33:52
  • How does someone go about becoming a coach themselves if they’re interested? 35:38
  • What’s the purpose behind Joe’s podcast? 38:19
  • What’s Joe’s interview style? 45:05
  • What are some of the things that Joe’s looking forward to in 2016. 49:47
  • 3 of Joe’s Favorite Podcasts 51:53
  • What he would do as his 10 year old self if all his memories were intact? 52:27
  • What is something he believed as a 35 year old and doesn’t believe it anymore. 52:57
  • What is one thing that costs under $100 that changed his life? 53:43
  • What does it mean to live a life of abundance? 55:43
  • What are three steps that someone could take to change their career? 56:51
  • … 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:

Don’t Let Your Career Be Like Groundhog Day:

Why It’s Important to Prepare:

How to Store and Save Your Resume:

What Joe Got out of his Firewalk Instructor Training:

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!

online content marketing

Felipe Frietag: Business Pivoting, Focus, and Online Content Marketing Done Right (AoL 057)

/by

Of course you’re worried about your business idea. Of course you don’t want to put all the time and effort into building a business only to realize there was a mistake built into the idea that will forever stunt it’s growth.

But how do you know if something that comes along is better than what you were already doing?

How do you know it’s time to put something that you poured into onto a shelf, say “It’s not working as well as I’d like.” and start doing something else?

In today’s session, content artist, Felipe Frietag talks about how he essentially stumbled onto the business he has today.

Even though that’s not what he started off doing. In fact, he started off as a trainer and coach.

We talk about his artwork, when he knew it was time to pivot, why he’s focused on providing his particular type of service, and what counts as good content marketing.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

 

  • What’s a Brazilian education like and what was his experience with it? 7:22
  • What made him want to set out on his own? 10:16
  • What were some of his first attemps at creating his own business? 11:47
  • The first time he was inspired by hearing a story of a successful entrepreneur. 17:18
  • What gave him the idea that his drawings were something that was needed in market? 19:54
  • How long does it take for him to do one drawing and what’s the process like? 22:14
  • What kind of flexibility has he received by just focusing on one area of his business? 28:39
  • Why do people need content marketing in the first place? 30:27
  • What are some examples of bad content marketing? 33:38
  • What’s makes his drawings different than the “hand animations”? 41:26
  • How he believes he can leverage the success that he has with the drawings. 45:27
  • Who are his top 3 favorite influencers? 47:59
  • What are his top go to podcasts? 50:20
  • Something he believed as a 25 year old but now thinks is wrong and why? 54:00
  • What Felipe believes all high school students should start practicing. 55:44
  • What does “living a life of abundance” mean to him? 57:13
  • What are some steps that someone can take to find a business they should be working on if they’re struggling with one they currently have. 58:49
  • … 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:

Felipe’s Notes on SPI Podcast 224


Notes for GaryVee on scaling


GaryVee on long form content marketing


Brené Brown on Vulnerability

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

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

Cheers!

 

social innovation

Summer Edwards: Sustainable Fashion, Social Innovation, and Building a Portfolio Career (AoL 055)

/by

Real talk: are you working your butt off trying to figure out what your niche is? So many business advisors on the web today are about finding one avatar that you can serve. For me, that never really worked. Nor has it worked for today’s guest – Summer Edwards.

Summer is another member of Fizzle (why haven’t you joined yet?) that I had the opportunity to meet. In a blog post a month or so back, she really hit the nail on the head when she brought up that women and especially women entrepreneurs, don’t “brag” about their success.

Summer’s success is multi-faceted. She’s a blogger, consultant, and leader who works with people in several niches. Those include sustainable fashion and social innovation.

In today’s talk, we discuss her success with these aspects of her, what she calls, portfolio career and what she’s learned along the way. We also dive into what made her made the transition in the first place.

Note: I didn’t know much about sustainable fashion going into this chat, so I’m kinda like a kid asking random questions in this one. But Laila was definitely on it.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • What her post was about in Fizzle that inspired so many people. 5:43
  • Highlight of her successes she’s had and what kind of things she’s up to as a creative entrepreneur 7:06
  • Difference between working mom culture in the US and Australia 11:43
  • Did Summer always have the gene to start her own thing? 15:57
  • What is sustainable fashion? 20:51
  • Where the name for her blog came from and what are resources folks can use to educate themselves further? 31:44
  • How has leading with the mission in mind lead to her success as a social entrepreneur? 35:57
  • What are some examples of making a non-profit a social enterprise? 38:31
  • What a portfolio career is and how she’s been able to be successful with hers. 42:19
  • What are some of the things that’s she excited about coming down the line? 48:38
  • Name three influencers that have helped her launch her career. 53:13
  • Name favorite books she recommends to others. 54:32
  • One gift she likes giving others 58:02
  • Something believed as a 25 year old and doesn’t anymore. 55:48
  • When she’s thinks of success, who comes to mind? 59:53
  • … 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:

A solution of a sustainable fashion industry – Fredrik Wikholm

The power of social innovation – Jeff Snell

Multipotentialite – Emily Wapnick

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911

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

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

Cheers!

 

convertkit

Barrett Brooks: ConvertKit Transition, Empowerment of Others, and Meaningful Conversations (AoL 054)

/by

We’ve all felt that feeling where, at the end of the day, you wish you felt better about the work that you’re doing. Perhaps you feel like you’re stuck in a rut. Maybe you want to pursue something else with your time? Make more impact on people.

How do you do that?

There’s so much to the answer of that simple questions.

Like the team at New Inceptions, Barrett Brooks, today’s guest, is all about helping people make an impact. He did it with his first business called Living for Monday, then went on to join Fizzle, and now he works with ConvertKit as their Brand Strategist and Community Builder.

In this chat with Barrett, we find out more about that transition to ConvertKit and what he looks forward to doing with them. We also got the opportunity to find out more about his time with Seth Godin, why he likes empowering others, and why he believes meaningful conversations are the basis for great relationships.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How Barrett got involved with ConvertKit 8:00
  • What’s the people and culture at ConvertKit like? 11:28
  • Who is ConvertKit for? 13:48
  • What was Barrett’s time with Seth Godin like? 15:56
  • Knowing what he knows now about business, how would he have changed his business plan for his old business “Living for Mondays”. 23:13
  • How did Barrett get started with Fizzle.co? 26:17
  • What were things that made Barrett want to become an empowerer of others? 29:05
  • Where does he get his interest in politics and world events? 40:02
  • Why he believes that great relationships are built on deep conversations and connections. 45:16
  • Who does Barrett coach and how does he reach out to them? 47:26
  • His thoughts in how to get more people in deep and meaningful conversations. 52:01
  • Biggest 3 Influencers in Barrett’s Life 59:24
  • What he believed when he was 21 and now sees as bogus. 1:00:11
  • Who’s the most awe-inspiring person he’s met? 1:01:23
  • One thing under $100 that has changed his life. 1:02:37
  • Who comes to mind when he thinks of success? 1:03:10
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Barrett’s Choice Books:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Barrett’s TEDx Talk

Teaser for the Fizzle Jess Lively Interview

Jess Lively Interview:

barrett brooks jess lively

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His interview via Talking Davos:

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

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

Cheers!

 

just in time learning

Do Yourself a Favor: Practice Just In Time Learning

/by

In this post I want to talk about learning. Learning to learn is fine – especially if you’re getting a degree or a new job or just cruising around on the web. However, there are times when you need to learn Just In Time. Most people, including me at one point, learn whenever. That might not be a great use of time. Especially when you’re trying to build a business.

I’ve been a proponent of Fizzle ever since I started with them in March of 2015.

Why?

The main reason is that the internet is full of content that you might or might not need. More often than not, it’s stuff you DON’T need. I really appreciate Fizzle because their Roadmap is so to the point. It might not be every single detail that you need at every level of building a business. But, it does give you a general method of getting you where you want to be in a to-the-point manner. Plus the Roadmap is constructed in way that you’re learning Just-In-Time.

I mean, don’t get me wrong – I love knowing things just for the heck of it. One of my favorite ways of killing time is on reddit – and many of the subs that I subscribe to are full of facts, strategies, and FYIs. Heck, I love podcasts that discuss important things in life. My mind just loves learning and wondering about things.

But, notice I say “killing time” there.

I take that phrase very literal.

For me, there’s a time when I want to be productive and then there’s a time for just goofing off. And really, I think you need to be aware of when you’re doing each and why you’re doing each.

I wasn’t aware of all the time I was killing until I had my wake up call.

A Wake Up Call

When you lose someone that is as close to you as my mom was with me, you start realizing that we only have so much time in this world.

Her passing was my wake up call to live life.

There are other types of wake up calls.

Many people experience theirs when their first child is born. Others might even have theirs when they’re saying “I do.” on an alter. And yet, others have their wake up call when they’re being shot at during their first engagement during a battle.

But, the truth is, I really think it takes one of these life changing events to truly wake up.

To wake up and realize that you’re an adult. That you’re now responsible for your own life.

What is Being an Adult?

Being an adult, I think, is more than just being “responsible”. It’s all about knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s knowing that you’re capable of being the best you you can be. And I think it’s also about realizing that you can’t really change the people that are around you unless they want to be changed.

In the Stages of Manhood post, the last stage is being a Sage. If you’re not familiar with the term, a sage is usually known as someone who has the respect of other powerful people. Those people typically seek the sage for his knowledge and wisdom.

A sage has mastered what it means to be an adult. (If you’re a guy and want to learn more about becoming a warrior, lover, king, and eventually a sage, then check out this post.)

Wisdom is Important

The sage is sought for his wisdom.

But what is wisdom?

The dictionary says it as:

“The soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.”

Which means that the sage knows when to do something, not just how to do something.

You know, I went to college to become an engineer. And part of being an engineer is learning about a particular problem and then coming up with a solution that not only satisfies a problem, but it also does it efficiently.

In a way, engineers have to act wisely. We have to take in as much info as we can about a given situation and then have a solution to implement.

The same can be said about many jobs. The more we know about a certain problem, the better we feel when we start on solving it.

But here’s the thing, you can’t ever build true wisdom until you actively learn about a given situation and then apply what you’ve learned. Listening and watching podcasts or videos, gives us information, true. But it doesn’t give us wisdom.

While college and most jobs are all about taking tests without screwing up, life and business aren’t like this. The more we screw up, the more opportunity we have to learn.

It might take us a few times of repeating the same mistake for us to learn from it. In school and on the job, we’re taught to not fail. That’s why we’re taught so much information up front before we ever take a test or get hired for a job.

But as humans, failing is how we learn. You learn as you go.

Learning for Life and Business

So here’s the gist of this post.

When it comes to learning to build your business and solving other problems in life, there’s really no point to go searching for this information until you’re ready for it. Find the solution when you can actually execute it.

It might be nice to listen to some of these big time podcasts like SPI, Entrepreneur on Fire, or even the Fizzle Show so you know what to look out for. But don’t take any classes or seek advice until you’re ready to implement the advice that is given. If you do this enough, you might suffer from what I did for so many years – Knowledge Constipation. The more knowledge and info you have without starting, the less likely you are to start because you don’t know where to start.

Personally, I don’t even bother listening to “Ask Pat” and other Q&A formatted podcasts on a regular basis unless they’re answering a specific question I have.

The truth is that the world is changing too quickly for us to keep track of all of this information and really, if it’s important enough issue, it will be updated in the future when we are ready for it.

Start practicing Right-On-Time Learning – not only will your Evernote account appreciate it, but you won’t be spending a fortune on education that might become obsolete, AND you’ll keep your sanity in check as well.

Thanks again for reading. If you have any stories about learning just-in-time for your business or in life, please share them in the comments!

Cheers!