Is It Too Late to Launch the Creative Business of Your Dreams? (Nope!)

If you were to jump off a cliff and launch the creative venture of your dreams, what would it be? Would you make films? Exhibit and sell your art or photography? Write a book? Motivate, teach and educate from the stage?



The possibilities are endless. So are the excuses not to make it happen. 



How do I know? I've been there.




Two years ago I made the decision to close my successful creative management agency and pursue my passion for coaching creative professionals, full time. And it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. 



For months and months, I wrestled with doubt and fear. After all, the choice to follow my intuition flew in the face of all logic. My agency was my primary source of income and I had dedicated 10 years to building a roster of top talent, as well as great relationships with high quality clients. Was I really about to let all of that go to pursue what I knew I was meant to do?




For months, I listened to the logical voice. I tried to maintain and grow both businesses (crazy town). I even tried to merge both businesses into one (not one of my better ideas). But I knew, deep down, if I was going to fulfill my potential and have the impact I knew I could in the world, I had to make the leap.




Does any of this sound familiar?




If you're teetering on the edge of sticking with what you know and jumping off the cliff (or perhaps you've been unceremoniously pushed off), I'd like to share some tips on how to take back your power and make the transition as smoothly as possible.




1) Embrace uncertainty



EVERYONE feels like this at times, sometimes during the course of one day! I'd even go so far as to say it's what gives entrepreneurs our edge. Being OK with being uncomfortable is the key to taking action on your big ideas, even in the midst of that roller coaster ride.




2) Test it out





When I made the decision to close my agency and focus solely on my current business I had been running both businesses for 4 years. While it was far from big enough to sustain me entirely, I'd proven it was a viable business, there was a need for what I had to offer and I could build it, if I had the time to devote myself fully to it. If you have an existing business or job, it's great to build your dream business on the side, so you can maintain that security while you build. If you've found yourself out of a job, there's no shame in taking a part time gig to bring in income while you build. There are no extra points for stressing about making your mortgage payment or putting food on the table. 




3) Lean into your future




I recently learned this "Paint a Picture" exercise from executive coach, Cameron Herald. He recommends grabbing a pen and pencil (I know, you creative love this one already!) and simply visualizing what your new business would look like in 3 years. Let's use the example of the photographer. Who buys your art? Where do you exhibit? What are the press saying about your work? How much do your pieces sell for? Who else is involves in producing your art? Do you have a studio or staff? What does your studio look like? What is a typical day for you? Who works for you, and what does their day look like? And so on. Go to town on visualizing your dream, you can figure out "the how" later. 




4) Do your homework




One of the most valuable exercises I did during my career change was research my new industry and figure out where I fit in. How did other coaches, speakers, writers and business consultants differentiate themselves? Who were their ideal clients? How did they package and present their services? How did they market themselves? What did they charge and how? What was their brand image and voice like? What did their website look like? Getting really clear on the landscape will (a) help you figure out where you fit in and (b) inspire you with lots of new ideas. I LOVE seeing others do what I do really, really well. It means it can be done and it inspires me to come up with new ideas and test them out. Don't be afraid to model (not copy) what others are successfully doing. There are no prizes for re-inventing the wheel! 




5) Tell your story in a new way




Transition can be a rocky time. It's also the perfect time to challenge all the assumptions you have about yourself. Can you really be defined by the label you've worked under for the last however many years? Does your resume really do justice to the unique blend of expertise, experiences, influences, successes (and yes, failures) that make you, uniquely you? This is your story, so why not tell it the way you want people to hear it? It means being transparent, sharing your vision freely and inviting others to join you (I know, scary!), but your audience will respect you for putting yourself out there and engage with you on an entirely new level. 




6) Hang out where your ideal clients are




Chances are, if you're launching a new venture, or entering into a new industry, your ideal client profile will change too. Find out where your ideal clients hang out and go fish where the fish are. Show up regularly. Start building relationships. Reach out to organizations that serve your community and offer your services (which gives your greater exposure). Before long, you'll have a dynamic network of prospects, collaborators, clients and referral partners to support you as you grow.




7) Get support




Venturing into uncharted territory isn't for the faint hearted and the more support you have the better. You WILL have bumpy days/weeks/months, as well as the GREAT times when you start to really fly. A good accountability buddy, mastermind group, or coach will be there for all of it. 




8) Get inspired by the AMAZING creators who found their calling (and success) later in life.




Here are a few to get you started: 
- Louise Bourgeois reached her greatest artistic success in her seventies and eighties. 
- Vincent Van Gogh had his first exhibition at age 32. 
- Vera Wang was a figure skater and journalist before entering the fashion industry at age 40. 
- Julia Child wrote her first cookbook when she was 50, launching her career as a celebrity chef. 
- Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, began her painting career at 78.

If you're ready to jump off the cliff, but would like some help building that plane, take action on these 8 tips! Your new life is waiting!

Guest Author: Justine Clay

Personal Development Tips That Will Improve Your Life

Growing to become the best person that you can be is really what personal development is all about. The best way to be successful is with your persona; growth is to learn as much information as you can and to apply that information whenever possible. 

Place your personal central principles into practice. Each person has his or her center of beliefs. Use your faith in these principles to drive your faith in yourself. If you do this you will encourage you to be consistent, it is an great trait to have.

When considering your own personal development, focus on leadership. Leadership has many different definitions, but the common theme is influence. 

Evaluate your leadership skills honestly. 

What experiences have had the greatest impact on your life? 
What kind of skills have you acquired? 
What skills would you contribute to a group? 


Analyzing these questions can help you generate a team perspective and allow you to lead by example.

If you hope to advance your state of knowledge regarding personal development, it can help to show a little humility. When you realize how insignificant you really are, you will begin to understand you have more to learn.

Once this concept is ingrained in your brain, you will be eager to learn new skills and expand your knowledge in order to improve yourself.

You should stay in great physical condition in order to get the best out of personal development.

Simple things such as getting plenty of quality sleep, eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly will keep your energy levels up and give you a better chance of reaching the personal development goals you have set for yourself. While it appears easy and simple, getting in shape can also be very challenging. 

Create a written pep talk for yourself. On a postcard, write down all of your best qualities. Keep it handy, and when you need a little motivation, read it. For even more powerful results, record a video of yourself reading your list and watch it frequently. Sounds intriguing, right?

Instead of bragging about achievements, you should ask others about theirs.  

Respectfully listening to the successes of others can help you to gain insight into your own inner life as well as allowing you to connect with others in a meaningful way.

Whereas trying to fix your problems yourself is always a great idea, sometimes you might have to seek out professional help.

Self help books are useful to an extent, but they lack the substance or personal touch that a therapist can provide to a patient. There are many times when talking with another person about a stressful situation is the most effective route to relaxation. Reading a book won't let you have a dialog the way therapists do.

You may find it helpful to discuss your issues with a counselor or other trusted professional, such as your pastor. They have a great deal of experience in dealing with personal thoughts and are even licensed to do so. These impartial listeners can provide a sympathetic ear or help you deal with troublesome areas of your life. 

Getting your problems out in the open with a professional should give you a much healthier outlook on your own life.

If you use these tips in this article, you can begin your journey to personal development. Keep current with new information to keep adding to your strategies towards personal development.

Take the Money Saving Challenges

New Challenge for Larger Savings! How to save $5000 for Disney Trip or Business Venture whatever you may want to use it for. This challenge is to save 3x the amount then the other challenge below!

Are you making New Year Resolutions? Well make a resolution to save more than you spend, here are three saving challenges that you can implement.

Here are the three Challenges for you in 2017! Try one, both or combine the according to the money you have available that week! (I am doing them all!)

Discipline: The first challenge we can undertake together is to hold on to our $1.00, $5.00 bills and change. Here is how it works (note you must use CASH, not debit on a daily basis in order for it to be successful): save all your $1, $5 dollar bills and your change, get a jar and place every $1, $5 dollar bill that goes through your hands in it.

DO NOT USE THEM! Don't count them, just put them away for
the rest of the year. Let's start this, December 30th 2016-December 30th 2017


Organize our $'s for our own gain and no one else!

Please share this challenge with your friends and family start a group of at least 10 people and keep me posted on your results.

Or try the savings challenge on the chart!

 

or make monthly installments like shown on the chart below:

 

 SAVE $1.00, $5.00 BILLS and Coins CHALLENGE

Continue to put away your$ 1, $5 bills, get a group of ten people who are willing to take the challenge, make sure the 10 people in your group are doing the same challenge. POOL together and start a business, a program or school in your community. This is how you build community, add trust and 10 people willing to cooperate to help improve your collective situations.

Please share this challenge with your friends and family and keep me posted on your results.

TAKE THE CHALLENGES!!!! WHOSE WITH ME!!!!

Be Yourself - Free Yourself To Dance With Life!

"You were born an original. Don't die a copy." - John Mason.



That's what John Mason says, and of course he is right.



I mean, do you know anybody, any parent, any friend, any colleague, who would advise you otherwise? Of course you don't! Of course you have to be yourself, how could you be anybody else?



But hang on there! It's not that easy. There are pressures on you, me and everyone to not be ourselves...



* How about "getting on" in life?



* How about keeping your head down and out of the firing line at work?



* Or how about joining in with all the other kids at school - even though you hate what they do - just so you don't lose any 'popularity'?



Yep, being yourself is not easy! It has consequences that are far reaching and even a little uncomfortable at times.



So John Mason's right, but we need a bit of help here, if we are to succeed in being who we truly are.



"The challenge is to be yourself in a world that's trying to get you to be like everyone else."



Hmm, I'm not sure who said this - think it's anonymous - but I have it framed in a picture in my bedroom.



Y'know, I love these words! But they do sound a bit defensive, don't you think? As if everyone is out there trying to change us. And that isn't true. No, the real challenge is to understand that people are frightened of being themselves, and thus are frightened of others when they try to be themselves. It reminds them of their fear, y'see. And nobody likes being reminded of their fears. And we always, always (instinctively!) "shoot the messenger", don't we!



So our friends and family like it if we like the same things as they do. And if we think the same thoughts as they do, too. Life is just 'easier' that way, isn't it?



Another truth about life - and you're not gonna like this, I'm sure - is that, deep down, we all pretty much believe that life would be so much easier if people were just a bit more 'reasonable', a bit more like us!



So, being yourself - it's obviously the thing to aim for, but it's certainly not easy.



Still...



"It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not." -- Andre Gide



Hmm, yes I do think Andre is onto something here.



So what are the rewards for truly being yourself?



Well, simply put, it's like walking in the direction you're facing.



It's like riding a bike downhill with your feet off the pedals ("wheeeh!"), rather than having to pedal uphill.



It's like, well it's like going with the flow, really...



"Learn to... be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not." -- Henri Frederic Amiel



Hmm, if that isn't a definition of flow then I don't know what is. And in case you're not familiar with the word 'flow', it also means 'dance' and 'laugh', and it definitely means 'life'.



For life is all about flow. Flow up. Flow down. But keep moving, keep flowing.



Learn to be who you are. And accept who you are not. And love both.



Okay, we're nearly done on this light-hearted journey of discovering the importance of being yourself. So let me finish my article with my all all-time favourite inspirational quote. It's a quotation from Galileo Galilei, and Galileo said this:



"You can't teach anybody anything, only make them realize the answers are already inside them."



I really do believe what Galileo is saying here.



He's saying that we have all the power we need, we just need to recognise that fact. He's saying that our life is for our taking. He's saying that we need to trust ourselves more.



And I think if we do this, if I do this, then our lives (my life) WILL be the original it was always intended to be.



Yes, we will fill our lives with mistakes that many others won't make.



And, yes, we can learn from others - we can always learn from others.



But, as Galileo advises, we really must teach ourselves.



And then, armed with this true self-belief, we truly will be able to free ourselves and dance with life.



That's what I say, anyway.



Thanks for reading.



Enjoy being yourself.



Enjoy the dance...

---

And if you like these inspirational quotes (and my explanations of what they can mean to us all) then you'll love my Weekly Wonder newsletter. Subscribe here, and get a free inspirational quotes ebook - http://www.selfhelpcollective.com/newsletter.html




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