Remembering 9/11: Refocusing on the More Important Things

September 12/by JC

It’s September 12th again. The day after 9/11. How are you feeling? What’s on the top of your mind? Business plans? Getting out of your day job on time? Lots of things going on, I’m sure.

Let’s slow down a little bit. Let me ask you a question.

Did you have the chance to watch any of the memorial services for 9/11 yesterday? Why or why not?

I did – and here’s what I got to share with you.

Remembering 9/11

Since the World One Trade Center has been finished, I’ve noticed that every year they read the names of the victims of 9/11. They might have been doing it longer than that, but I didn’t realize it because I was too busy. With college and then with work after I graduated.

Why did I watch? I didn’t lose anyone in the tower. Heck, I don’t know if I knew anyone that was affected by it at the time it happened.

So why did I watch? I guess the simple answer is that I wanted to remember. Remember where I was and what was going through our minds at the time.

When I was growing up, before that point, I didn’t know what it was like to be witness of a life changing event.

My mom had always been able to tell me very vividly about her whereabouts for the assassination of JFK. Similarly, she could remember where she was for other “world shattering” events including the Challenger explosion, when she heard of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, and others.

While I’m sure everyone here in the United States can remember where they were at in their lives at that point (if they were alive), I know that not everyone gets the chance to reflect on that day. As mentioned, I didn’t for several years.

Remembering 9/12

For most folks, 9/11 isn’t a holiday. Nor is it a celebration. However, I believe that it needs to be remembered and reflected on annually. Not because of the event itself. But what happened the day after.

Just as Texans and the rest of America drove to aid the victims of recent hurricane Harley and the upcoming storm Irma this past week, so did people on 9/12. Local fire and police departments as well as everyday people from all corners of the country went to go help as much as they could.

The acts of 9/11 made us come together and act as one.

In 2009, Glenn Beck created the 9/12 Project to reflect upon those selfless actions and who we were at that point in history. Because it seemed that we had too easily forgotten those times.

It being Glenn and the polarizing person he was at the time (he has since apologized for his actions during that time), I don’t think he was able to reach those that needed to hear the message.

And, as you can tell from this video, it’s hard to tell if he won any new friends with those that did hear about it.

While I feel that his heart was in the right place, I think the 9/12 Project missed the mark for most people.

The Grocery Store Method of Reasoning

However, he did manage to get my attention. My mom followed him quite a bit – however, I tended to focus more on business type stuff at the time.

Upon hearing this message, though, I did start thinking it was necessary to become more involved in my community. I think it was due to this that I eventually became a member of the Freemasons.

However, not everything he said applied to me, and I think this is where a lot of people have hang-ups in today’s world.

Just because someone says something which doesn’t agree with you, it doesn’t mean that other things that they’re talking about are false or that they’re completely unagreeable.

In fact, most people have more things in common than we don’t have – regardless of where they are in life.

Just as if you were getting groceries, it’s your job to NOT take everything you see at face value. Just because something sounds good, doesn’t mean you should include it in your thought process.

On that same note, simply because something might not agree with you, it doesn’t mean it’s not true or good for you (just like broccoli!).

It’s up to us to see the context of where the message is coming from. And what’s great is that the more Truth we know, the easier it is for us to make a decision based on the context AND message.

Finding Truth in the 9/12 Project – Refocusing on the Important Things

So let’s look real quick on what Glenn said about the 9/12 Project. First, he has 9 key principles that we should follow if we were to be a part of the project. Knowing that he’s a pretty spiritual (and religious) dude, I wasn’t surprised to find references to God.

If we take that into context and actually see what he’s saying AND not take it personal (One of the Four Agreements), what can we pull from his message? What the heck is he really saying?

Let’s take a look.

America is good.

Yeah, I’d say so. I mean, again, after seeing us come together for the victims of recent hurricanes – I think we’re good. Now, the government, on the other hand… that’s another story, but I think Americans are good as a people.

I believe in God and He is the center of my life.

So here’s my take on religion – it’s not for everybody. Most people that it’s not for – they say that religious types don’t practice what they preach. I don’t personally know BAD Christians. Do they exist? Sure. But there’s bad versions of every group out there.

I think this is where most stereotypes come from. But, because they exist doesn’t necessarily make them “normal”.

So let’s talk straight normal person to normal person here.

Perhaps Glenn could have said “I have a core set of principles and I act on those principles on a consistent basis. My life is based on those principles.” to make it a little more all inclusive.

In that frame, I think many of us would agree that we have core principles which we use to define our lives.

I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

Yes, of course. Lying to yourself and others ultimately only screws things up. Truth is pure. While some people might get upset at it, that doesn’t mean it’s any less-true.

Big word of advice – start seeking the Truth. Listen to all sides of the story and make up your own mind – not what one particular media source tells you to think.

The Family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

This is another of those points that could have worded a bit better. Instead, it could have read “My spouse and I care for and are responsible for the actions, values, and beliefs of our family. Not the government.”

This I agree with because I don’t think it’s the government’s job to make things “fair”. I’ve never seen the government build up any one group. I’ve only seen them tear down others when one group is crying the loudest. That’s the opposite of being fair in my book.

If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

Yes. Totally with that.

I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

Totally true. There’s also no guarantee that starting points are the same. And what’s ironic, is that I’ve seen more people go from broke to being wealthy, than I’ve seen middle class becoming wealthy. Gary V is a great example – so are a ton of online business folks – AND people I’ve had on the podcast.

I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

Yes – totally agree with this. See above. But I think it’s also our own responsibility to know when to be charitable. That’s not something that society teaches. In fact, I’d say that it teaches the opposite most of the time. Every day people are inundated with the idea that it’s them vs the World. It indirectly promotes the scarcity mindset – not an abundant one.

It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

Agree. That’s the whole point of protection of free speech and ability to bear arms. While that allows for some very hate filled rhetoric, it also allows for well intentioned speech at the same time. The reason that we can bear arms is that if Washington ever becomes so removed from the people that it’s us against them (or some other apocalyptic situation), then we have the permission of the founders to have our own militias. If you don’t support Americans keeping firearms, then it comes across that you 100% believe the government is never going to turn on you. Which moves onto…

The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

Yes, 100%. Even when it comes to taxes and other “governmental” stuff. We technically should have the power to determine what we’re being taxed. However, Washington thinks they’re better than us, so therefore, they vote things into place that shouldn’t have happened if they were doing their job in the first place.

12 Values of the 9/12 Project

Honestly, all the values that he put in the list are those that Lewis Howes, Tony Robbins, or someone similar (I can get you a long list if you really want one!) would have said helped them get to where they are today – especially if they’re God fearing folks.

So, I’ve made it a point to make sure that I have these values as much as possible. However, there might have been a little bit of tweak on some for better wording.

The 12 Values

After looking at these values, do you believe that anyone who has achieved greatness in their life doesn’t practice them regularly? I mean, when I think of Lewis Howe’s show and the people he’s talked to – all of these words come to mind.

Action Steps

After seeing these principles and values of the 9/12 project, I hope you can understand why I feel I need to respect those that we lost on 9/11. We should also appreciate how we came together to deal with it all. Personally, I feel if I can reconnect to those feelings, it helps keep me anchored to who I see myself as.

Also, it’s especially touching to see some of the kids of these folks read off the victim’s names. Lots of these folks (some near my age) have made their lives better as a contribution to their lost parent, family member, or friend.

I can only think that our true friends and family would want the best for us. And because of that, I think it’s on our shoulders to live up to some certain standards in life. If not those of the 9/12 Project, then something else.

I just think the 9/12 Project is a good place to start. A lot of people can relate to it – even if they don’t care too much for its creator.

What are some key principles and values that you have? Let me know below.

Circling Back to the Beginning: How a Sweat Lodge Realization Opened a Door to True Self and New Opportunities with Eric Finnigan (AoL 103)

September 1/by JC

Who are you really?

This is the question that so many of struggle with when we’re trying to start our first business. Many of us start businesses to make income to replace our day job, not necessarily worrying if the business we’ve created matches our personality or interests.

When you have yourself figured out, however, you have access to the full potential of what your business can become. Because not only is your mind in it, but your heart is as well.

In this session, Daniel and I have the opportunity to chat with Eric Finnigan.

Having lived what most would call a successful life, he felt as if something was missing. It wasn’t until a visit to a sweat lodge that he realized what that something was. He was living to provide himself a safety net – and that was about it.

It wasn’t going to make him truly happy in the end because he wasn’t living as who he really wanted to be.

Join us as we find out more about more about this past life of his, what made him actually choose to pursue life more fully, where the idea for his 3 companies came from, and why his favorite type of personal development is that which is done through emotional and relational intelligence.

Thanks for spending some time with us and enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

Who was the old Eric Finnigan in the corporate world? 14:40
Why did Eric move from Syracuse, NY to pursue a career in finance in San Francisco? 17:48
Was he trying to impress someone in his old career or was he strictly trying to build his bank account? 19:52
When did Eric realize that he wasn’t living his life on his own terms? 22:14
How did he eliminate the need for a safety net in his life? 27:22
What did his time in Breckenridge, Colorado for him? 27:52
How did he become an expressive in his writing and connecting with others? 30:05
What gave Eric the idea of starting his first business in copywriting? 34:19
What’s the value of practicing copywriting? 37:13
What are some skills that new entrepreneurs need to develop or have? 39:39
How did he strategically grow this business? 43:45
Where did Business Hacking Retreats come from? 47:35
What is circling? 54:05
Who’s the ideal “customer” for a business hacking retreat? 59:18
What’s the intern excellerator? 1:00:04
What does Eric mean when he talks about personal development through emotional and relational intelligence? 1:11:19
What’s he looking forward to? 1:16:09
3 Top Favorite Influencers? 1:19:18
Least Favorite Social Custom? 1:21:07
What would he do if he woke up as his 10 year old self with all his memories? 1:23:52
Something all high school students must know? 1:25:16
What’s it mean to live a life of abundance? 1:26:24
… and MUCH more!

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

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Eric Online: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram
The Foundation
Circling – Relational Meditation
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu translated by Stephen Mitchell (Amazon Link)
Tim Ferriss Podcast
Dane Maxwell AoL Interview
Caleb Maddix
Cohost: Daniel Postma
Click Funnels – Start Your Own Sales Funnel Business by Helping Others Grow Theirs! (14 days free!)

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Eric’s Webinar on Copywriting:

Bright Insight’s review on Tao Te Ching:

Bright Insight’s review on Tao Te Ching (Part 2):

Tim Ferriss on TED – Define Your Fears and Not Your Goals:

Dane Maxwell – Instant Software Business:

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!

Learning How to be an Entrepreneur: A Review of 2 Years of Business, Podcasting, and Life with Laila Rahmatian (AoL 100)

August 10/by JC

It’s been nearly 2 years since I started this podcast. In those two years, I’ve been able to meet a ton of awesome people. Many who have been great connections that have opened me up to various ideas and new concepts. Even new ways of thinking.

The same could be said for Laila Rahmatian, who joined the show as frequent co-host after her first interview on session 14.

Since then, we’ve both had our growing pains and learning curves as we’ve climbed the entrepreneurial ladder.

In this session, we go over everything we’ve learned in the last couple of years. From taking a stand and using your past to be part of your future to not having to re-create the wheel, we’ve learned a ton!

Join us as we recap some of that information and discuss some of the common themes that we’ve learned along the way.

Thanks for spending some time with us and enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

What’s Laila been up to recently since she was last on the show? 8:53
How has a goal of traveling more been able to give her the power to get more accomplished? 16:15
Where’s JC at in business after 100 sessions of the AoL podcast? 19:14
Things that Laila has learned while being involved with the AoL Podcast? 34:34
What has JC learned through doing the podcast thus far? 44:27
What are common themes that we’ve heard about throughout the different interviews of the show? 52:56
What’s a short roadmap that new entrepreneurs should follow as they’re getting started based on what we’ve learned through 100
podcasts? 1:11:50
What are we looking forward to working on from here? 1:20:56
Who are three influencers that have helped Laila get to where she is today? 1:23:54
JC’s Top 3 favorite books to tell others about? 1:25:22
Something Laila still wishes was a thing? 1:26:57
What was the smallest decision that JC made that had the largest impact on his life? 1:29:28
What is something Laila thinks all high school students must know? 1:31:02
Most awe-inspiring person JC has ever met in person? 1:32:54
… and MUCH more!

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

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Laila Online: Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram
Get your FREE consultation with Laila!
Laila’s first AoL SessionAoL Interviews mentioned in this show: Cole Johnson, Mirna Bacun, Sara Divello, Brian Drury, Veronica Kirin, Sharlotte Bouniol (silver),
Ascension and Amplify Indy
America Multi-Sport Viking Dash Series
The Brendon Show
Wedding Fit Forever FB Group
Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
Will It Fly by Pat Flynn
Wired That Way by Marita Littauer (Amazon Link)
John Maxwell’s Daily Routine
ClickFunnels – Your One Stop Solution for Building Great Sales Funnels! (Get 14 days free!)

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Why Laila Quit Her Job:

Why Laila Chose NOT to take the Professional Engineer Exam:

Reflection: 2 Years After Wedding:

Why You Need the Perfect Wedding Photographer:

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.

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!

How to Get a Microphone Logo: My Mic Flag Design Writeup

July 4/by JC

In observance of the 4th of July, I wanted to keep today’s post relatively short. I know a lot of you are busy and doing fun things today. Hanging out with friends and loved ones.

You might call this an ironic post as well, because on a day where it’s the “in” day to be patriotic here in the states, I’m talking about a flag.

But – it’s not that kind of flag. It’s a mic flag.

What is a mic flag?

Keep reading.

The Story of the Mic Flag

As you guys know, I wrote up a full writeup of all the software and hardware that I use to make my podcast back in three separate posts. My goal with those posts was to give you an “inexpensive” way of starting your own show.

I only spent money where I knew it was important to do so. The biggest purchases I made was the software (Logic Pro X) and my mic – an Audio Technica at875r. For the most part, everything else was done with price in mind.

I also tried to use Pat’s tutorial as supplemental info in my tutorial so that I didn’t have to create the wheel. I figure his is such a great tutorial – and it’s what I started with – why change it?

Here are those posts:

There was one thing that I was missing, however.

And that was a mic flag.

What is a Mic Flag?

If the term mic flag is unfamiliar to you, you’re not the only one. I didn’t know what it was called either.

It’s the little thing that sits either on a mic itself. By itself, it looks like this:

However, you might be more used to it the way that Pat and John Lee Dumas use it:

Smart Passive Income Podcast Mic Flag

Entrepreneur on Fire Podcast Mic Flag

Well, considering I don’t have a handheld mic, I figured I’d opt for the “above the mic” location.

But where to get it?

Getting a Mic Flag

So, 80+ episodes into the AoL Podcast, I finally decided to get one. Why? Because I’m tired of not doing Facebook LIVE events because I don’t feel ready. This was just one more thing on that list to do before I felt ready.

So where was I going to secure one similar to what Pat and JLD used?

Well, let’s Ask Pat!.

So on one of his recent Ask Pat! LIVE shows, I asked him who the maker of his mic flag was.

His answer: Impact PBS.

Choosing the Right Size:

Getting a mic flag through Impact PBS is pretty amazing. Their customer service “liaison” (at least that’s what I’d call her), Ellen, is probably one of the main reasons why people recommend them. She was very careful and precise in making sure I got exactly what I wanted.

We emailed a few times back and forth about the sizes of flag I might need. In fact, she even dug into their archive to find out what size Pat had – who he’s had his flag since 2012 – if not earlier!

We ended up opting for the 2.5” x 2.5” after I emailed Pat about how much clearance he has on his “mic mount bolt” and the bottom. Which he ended up sending me this image to actually show me:

The great thing about asking Pat something is that you don’t have to ask him through his podcast. You can simply just email him. He seems to almost always respond. Maybe because I’ve emailed him off and on throughout the years. Maybe I have my own inbox?? Haha – one can believe, right?

Designing the Flag:

Anyway, once I chose the size of the mic flag, I had to create the design for it. If you’ve ever designed business cards, this is a very similar process. You get a template, work on it in your preferred image editor (mine’s Photoshop) and upload it to the site.

In this case, Ellen emailed me the template which I used to make three different sides. 1 of which would be used twice.

2.5″ x 2.5″ Mic Flag Template

Once I was done, I resubmitted the Photoshop file back to Ellen through Dropbox. She removed the black lines and sent me a proof of what it was going to look like.

Impact PBS Mic Flag Proof

After a few consent forms and paying just under $70 (with shipping), my flag was being made!

Receiving the Mic Flag:

It wasn’t even a week later by the time they were made and I got my package in the mail. I think I ordered on Monday the 26th and got them on the 29th? Pretty amazing turnaround, I have to say!

Anyhow – here’s the final result:

Oh, and I also received a thank you letter and some chocolates! How awesome!

Considering it was the last of June, they turned out pretty good! 😉

It all tastes the same, right?

Action Step – Getting a Mic Flag?:

If you want a great product to add brand recognition to your videos (live or otherwise) without you having to mention who you are, mic flags are the way to do it. They just give a more professional effect!

I can’t be any happier than I am with the final product.

Check out Impact PBS if you want a great mic flag (high quality plastic!) that you’ll have for years to come!

P.S. In case you noticed, I have opted to get a Heil PL-2T mic boom since my original podcast posts. I was able to score it for essentially half the price from eBay. If you can find it – go for it. I love mine.

Consumer Research: The Most Important Part of Understanding Your Market

June 20/by JC

Once you set out on your own entrepreneurial personal mission, it’s important to know how you can actually be of value to those that you’re looking to add value to.

The best way that you do this is through market research.

However, what that actually means can differ depending on who you ask. In this post, we’ll look at some mistakes people make in their research, and how to make sure you’re asking the right questions.

Anti-Disruption: One Secret to Not Going Broke

When I was in grad school, I had the opportunity to judge business plan competitions a couple of times. As part of those business plans, students were to do some “market research”. This basically meant they got to use essentially academic research methods to learn about the industry in which they were going to bring “disruption”. Many of these methods are discussed in this article in a Entrepreneur Magazine post.

Haha. Talk about fun. 😛

Until I got into The Foundation, 3 years after I got out, this was the way that I thought ALL entrepreneurial endeavours started.

However, what I learned, and what many people make mistakes in is that your business doesn’t have to be disruptive at all.

In fact, if all you’re wanting to do is make an income via your personal mission, then trying to go for the home run your first go-around might not make the best financial sense.

Instead of going to go dig for gold yourself and potentially going broke in the process, why not build a strong foundation by first supplying the tools to those gold diggers? Some might be striking it rich, but there are many MANY more of them who are failing.

Don’t run those odds on yourself – play it safe and be a tool maker. Just like jean and shovel makers were needed in the actual gold rush for those going after the gold (and the most consistently profitable), people who are providing simple services are still needed today too.

Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Primary Research

In the above linked Entrepreneur magazine, primary research is briefly mentioned. Most of the article discusses SECONDARY Research.

What’s sad is that most aspiring and existing entrepreneurs do the exact same thing. They don’t do any consumer research!!

It’s like surveys and talking with one’s customers (or potential clients) directly is the last thing most business owners want to do – even though those same customers are the ones that are directly impacting their bottom line.

Another thing about secondary research is that many times it’s old data. You hear more talk about trends and being “where the market is going, not where it’s at” then you should. Some people really don’t know what that last statement is really saying! Sure it’s a great place to start, but it’s not going to ever you the full picture of what’s actually going on.

Getting it from the Horse’s Mouth

There’s an idiom that goes “straight from the horse’s mouth”. If you haven’t heard this before, well, chances are you aren’t near a farm. But basically, it’s referring to the fact that farmers want to check the mouth of a horse before they buy them from someone.

In our case, it means “to get information from the person most directly involved or best informed” or the customer.

Now I know what you’re going to say, “But JC, people hate doing surveys! How am I to get them to answer my questions?”

Good question.

As you know, there’s a few methods which can be done online or in person:

Interviews
Focus groups
Surveys
Questionnaires

I’ve listed them in the order that you’ll get the best results. If you actually get the chance to interview someone, you’re going to have great data. If you send someone a survey or questionnaire, there’s going to a much lower chance of getting results back.

Questions to Ask

Now, based on whether you’re developing something new or something you’ve already made, you’ll have different questions on what you’ll be asking those individuals.

If you’re planning on releasing a new product or service to a customer, there are 6 base questions you need to know the answer to.

If you were going to put these in a questionnaire, they might go like this:

What is the biggest challenge that they currently have in their work?
What are their long term goals?
How will achieving those long term goal feel?
Have they already tried in achieving that long term goal? Any failures or frustrations did they experience in getting there?
What are their goals right now?
What are they willing to change to achieve those goals this next year?

These matter for various reasons – but the main reason is that you’re looking to ask questions that they often don’t think about as often as they’d like. Also, if you’re going to be helping them, you need an emotional anchor in what they’re trying to achieve. This anchor is their Why for doing whatever they’re doing.

People don’t buy facts – they buy feelings.

However, I will add that the more personable you can make the experience, the more information you can collect and the more emotion you can tie to their responses.

That’s why it’s best to learn how to properly conduct an interview. Not only will these base questions be answered, but you’ll be able to get more clarification. If you get the chance, ask these questions as followups:

Can you describe your typical working day?
In your typical working day, where do you feel like you’re wasting the most time?
What factors do you consider when purchasing a certain product (or service)?
What do you like or dislike about current products (or services) currently on the market?
Any areas would you suggest for improvement?
What would be the smallest version of this product (or service) that’d you pay for?
What is the appropriate price for a product or service like this?

These are good questions because most often than not the answers don’t lie on the surface. (That’s why idea extraction has the name it does!)

Action Steps: Get Some Answers!

Depending on the type of work you’re looking to do, these questions will change. For example, if you’re looking to build a certain kind of software like The Foundation initially focused on, you’ll want to ask more software oriented questions. If it’s a service, lean that direction.

Sure, the more responses you have, the better. However, I would attempt to get 12 to 15 responses at first so you can start recognizing some patterns. The most used response – that needs to be included in your (minimum viable product). Anything after that validates what you’re already doing.

Let me know below how it works out for you or if you have any questions!

4 Steps to Discovering Your Own Personal Mission

June 13/by JC

This past week, I had the opportunity to be a guest on Gregory Diehl’s podcast Uncomfortable Conversations with Gregory.

We talked about a number of things, but one of the key points we discussed was how so many people would be better off if they could simply put a mission in their lives.

This is a phrase I learned from speaker and author David Anderson and it’s been resonating with me ever since I watched his TEDx presentation as part of my prep for his AoL interview.

Sure I had heard of businesses having missions, but I never thought about how it could apply to individuals. Not only that, but it encapsulates basically everything we know about passion and purpose.

If a person has a mission – I feel they have these two things figured out. So it’s not necessarily about helping people find their purpose OR their passion. It’s about helping folks find the combination of the two.

Since I’ll be releasing this chat with David this week as session 92, I thought I’d touch on a bit more about the topic – and look at how someone can develop their own mission.

Be Aware that there is a Choice

For the longest time in my life, I had this feeling that my purpose in life was designated by forces outside of my control. I felt like I was at the mercy of the world around me.

It’s easy to believe this because the world around us is setup to make us feel like that. It’s learned helplessness. In the podcast with Gregory, we discussed how a lot of this problem is started with our current form of academia.

It makes sense as your typical 9 to 5 needs you to be compliant to the organization at large.

(It was this mentality which let me spend so much time in a major that while it made use of my skills, wasn’t really meant for me.)

Here’s the situation – many of these traditional jobs are on the verge of disappearing due to mega automation changes in the not too distant future.

Followers are going to have problems in this next economy, if they don’t figure out their own mission.

Religion doesn’t Necessarily Help

Over this past weekend, I thought about this mission dilemma more and more. During my travels around the state, I listened to a few more podcasts of Lewis Howes. One where he interviewed Rob Bell and another with John Gray. From these conversations, I realized that some organized religions might make their believers feel this way as well.

People go to church when they need support. I think it’s a great place to start. What Lakewood Church has done, whether you agree with the doctrine, has made going to church actually kind of cool.

However, as Rob Bell talks about in his chat, Jesus was all about reaching out to those with needs – not waiting for them to come to “the temple”. Not only did he go out and try to help the people where they were, he was very interested in the viewpoints of the people he was with.

This is very interesting to me. It seems very much like how a good coach works with their clients. They go out of their way to find people to help and not tell them exactly what to do.

On the other hand, Rob also goes on to discuss how many churches seem to focus mostly on teaching those that are there – not actively seeking new membership or engaging with folks who might actually need the support.

Again, this is backing that follower mentality.

This mentality is all around us. I just want you to know that you do have a choice to break free and do what you feel is important.

(If you’re into the study of Christianity at all, you should check out both of these interviews – especially Rob’s. Several revelations were discussed that I don’t think most people know.)

Start Action on Your New Journey

If you do opt to start on your new journey, you actually have to take action to get moving. Just because you choose to go this different route, doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen. You have to take action to do it.

For many people, including myself, this is the hardest step. Taking action.

Indirect Inspiration

For about 4 years I had an opportunity to pursue a new path – but tried to stay in the status quo for as long as I could. I had spent so much time getting my degrees, I didn’t want that time to go to waste. But slowly and surely, my new path made itself ever more present. I was just too chicken to pursue it; to step out and be different.

As I mentioned on the podcast with Gregory, it usually takes a deep pain or significant loss in one’s life to move people from the “comfortable / follow the rules” path to one where they’re setting the standard.

For me, it was the sudden loss of my mom which affected me this way. Besides myself, she was the only one at that point that I felt I had to prove that my life up to that point wasn’t a waste of time. She, herself, had put a lot of time and energy into my career – I couldn’t disappoint her.

Even if I personally felt I wasn’t a good fit for what I had been pursuing. Then when she passed, I realized that following that path didn’t really pan out for her – so I wasn’t going to make the same mistake.

Direct Inspiration

That said, it might need to take a more direct action to nudge us out of our current path.

Lewis had another interview with Andy Frisella. Who found, in about 30 seconds, his life’s path had completely changed. He went from being a normal guy to having a violent brush with death.

After being disfigured from a knife attack, he had to figure out how to spin his new look in a way that people would remember him positively. This completely changed who he was.

In both cases – things were suddenly and radically different. And as Andy said, you can either spend your time trying to get things back to “normal” or you can go an entirely different route.

He and I chose to go entirely new journeys on new routes.

Shift Your Locus of Control

Those routes were both dependent of our new circumstances. And they both came to us in a matter we didn’t have any control over. But does that mean that a bad situation has to happen to anyone who wants to control their own path?

Not necessarily.

What it does mean is that you need to shift your locus of control. Instead of letting the world guide the direction you’re going and what you’re doing, you need to decide that YOU are the one in charge of your own success.

You have to move from being a thermometer to the thermostat of your world.

Choose What’s Best For You

Now, as you know, I’m a huge proponent of entrepreneurship. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best course for everyone. Sure, I think anyone can do it (or be a part of it), but they need to believe they can perform in the arena themselves.

I feel, along with the other members of the New Inceptions team, that being an entrepreneur is a greatest example of someone expressing their own personal freedom when it comes to the work they do.

In a traditional 9 to 5, you’ll always have to report to a higher-up. But, at the same time, the success of the organization doesn’t solely ride on your ability to perform.

Whereas an entrepreneur, if they fail to perform and haven’t made the business passive income based, then the company is going to struggle.

So it’s really your decision on how much responsibility you want. For me, personally, I come from a family of movers and shakers, so it was fairly simple for me to make the leap once I had to make the decision.

If neither sound terribly great, you might prefer to be an intrapreneur (or something else in the middle). If you can find a company or institution which will allow to work at that capacity, it might be the best option for you. (That’s where several huge entrepreneurs started – so it’s not necessarily a one way ticket.)

Action Steps: Develop a Personal Mission Statement

Once you figure out where you want to be at and how you want to carry out your purpose, it might be helpful to develop a mission statement. That way if you need to be reminded daily or simply when times get tough what you’re working towards, you’ll have it available to remind you.

Again, be sure to check out David’s TEDx talk if you haven’t to seen it yet. And this week when session 92 is published, you’ll find out that he actually has another one on top of the one he mentioned in his talk.

Also, if you have figured out what your mission is (without or without an actual written statement), I’d love to hear it below!

Work Smarter, Not Harder – How to be More Productive In Your Day Without More Discipline with Lisa Crilley Mallis (AoL 090)

June 1/by JC

We’ve all heard the phrase Work Smarter, Not Harder. But for many of us that’s much more easier to say than actually do.

The prevailing advice that’s out there is that there’s only certain ways to get stuff done. To be successful, you must:

Race the sun
Crush it
Find the schedule that best suits you
Exercise first thing in the morning
Answer email first thing in the morning
Tackle your least desirable tasks first
Knock out simple tasks as they come in.
Disconnect from technology
Automate and systematize

These are just some of the solutions that are out there when you google “entrepreneur productivity hacks“.

It might be me, but some of them seem to conflict with each other. For example, if you’re racing the sun, that means that you’re a morning person and you work until sundown. Well, what if night is your best working time? Can night owls make the transition to morning birds so easily?

I know for me, it takes me a bit of time for my mind to fully boot up in the morning. Usually I spend an hour just seeing what’s new on the web, having breakfast, and working out (yay for home gym equipment you actually use!).

This is completely different than how many people approach their days – and frankly when I approached my days like that back in high school, I was always a zombie until 3rd period.

Apparently, there’s nothing wrong with that, according to this session’s guest, Lisa Crilley Mallis.

People do have their own schedules and processes when it comes to being creative and getting things done.

She also acknowledges that many people’s day to day work life doesn’t allow them to actually be efficient in their own zone. While it might be expected of them, it’s by no means healthy or really productive for that matter.

In our conversation, we talk more about her mission, some of the things that she helps people with in her practice, and how you can keep focused in what’s important in your daily routine.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

What was Lisa doing before she started Impactive Strategies? 7:32
Was owning her own business something she always saw herself doing and how did she end up starting it? 11:21
What kind of material did she study as she was starting the foundation of her business? 16:46
What’s the secret to getting more done in a person’s day? 20:15
How can someone battle the busy work in their day? 24:11
What’s Lisa’s definition of true busy work? 30:04
How does she know when to say no about a opportunity? 34:40
What’s a simple way to keep people focused on what’s important? 40:23
What’s going on the rest of this year for Lisa? 43:24
Who are Lisa’s favorite teachers? 45:45
Something she wishes was still a thing? 46:25
What is the smallest decision that has had the greatest impact on her life? 48:08
Something she believed in her 20’s but now knows is completely inaccurate? 49:21
How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 51:16
… and MUCH more!