Passion Design Project

Anyone else overwhelmed with how many tech products there are out there to run your business? Today I'm breaking down everything I currently use to run my biz and giving you insight on how it all helps me work! I'll start with the highest priced products down to the free stuff. I've included a few links so feel free to check them out further! Tech Monthly Fees: Teachable: $99 Adobe Suite: $52.99 Shopify: $29 ConvertKit CRM: $29 Website Hosting + domains: $150/yr Quickbooks: $10.71 Dropbox: $9.99 Hostgator Email: $5 PayPal Fees :$depends on sales Etsy: $5 Calendly: $0 Canva: $0 Google Analytics: $0 Google Cal: $0 Social Media: $0 Venmo: $0 Society6: $0 Asana: $0 VSCO: $0 Things I"m looking into: Podcast VA: $5-10/hr Pinterest Automater: Tailwind: $9.99/mo Others: Office rent Utilities Health insurance Internet Phone Roth IRA Savings And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

I came across Eric's work while on an Instagram scroll. Oddly enough, I'd just gotten a message from a girl wondering how to get into the surf/skate industry of design (something I'd worked on doing about 10 years back), and on this Instagram post, it was announced that Eric would be giving a graphic design on skateboards class. After sending her the link, I thought - I bet she and I aren't the only ones who are mesmerized by this industry and knew I had to chat with Eric more in-depth. Eric has tons of knowledge from working on different continents and doing everything from drawing on skateboards to completing huge murals, by himself and with a team. Find EfDot here and find out more about his skateboard art workshop in NYC on July 14, 2018 here! Here's what we talk about today: Collaboration within the art industry Freelance vs working with a company Favorite tools when creating His Mural process from A-Z Dream Project - ya gotta think BIG! How to stay optimistic as an artist How to get out of a funk/phase of not feeling creative Discussing living and working in BA and how it differs from NYC Long-distance relationship! What's on his horizon His favorite project And a lot more art banter! And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Back in the day, selling your art meant getting into galleries and doing all the same things as everyone else. Luckily today, you can get wayyy more creative - which is good, since that's probably your specialty as an artist! What might not be your specialty? The business part. Totally understandable and I definitely get it! I would much rather be painting than trying to market myself and send invoices, but let's be honest - no biz runs if you aren't taking care of the business-y stuff, too! Maria jumps in exactly with the information we need to know to creatively and simply sell more art - using FUN methods! A few favorite quotes from the episode: "When you are making a living as an artist, face it, you work your BUTT off. It's hard work, I'm not gonna sugar-coat it! You don't do it because it's easy, you do it because you love it. But you do have to take breaks! You have to enjoy time away from work." "If you wanna do something, you can figure out how to do it. You just have to get creative" And that's where the amazing Maria Brophy comes in! And it's time you get to know her and her years of knowledge about alternative ways to sell art. Does every artist have to be a business person? What are the top business skills that creatives should have? Raising your prices & mindset around it How to raise prices and not lose clients What artists need to be doing each month in order to accomplish their goals The importance of figuring out WHO your buyer is People who are doing alternate methods right & making big money A favorite story from an event How to get freedom and money from art Where is the art world headed and what should we be doing to set up for success? What's one thing artists can do TODAY to get a sale or get close to a sale How to get paid to travel by creating art See what else Maria has to offer on her website: MariaBrophy.com or check out her husband's art at: DrewBrophy.com And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

In 2013, I had found the podcast, The Lifestyle Entrepreneur by Kris Gilbertson, and became obsessed with listening every chance I had. I was kind of early for podcasting and hearing about lifestyle entrepreneurs and it was basically the only place I could get my fill! (I had to look that up to remember the name!) On my list of 2014 Goals, #8 was start a Podcast, and by Summer 2014, my furthered goal was "Podcast Equipment." In 2015 I had written down my Podcast plan and potential website names. In 2016 the goal evolved to recording 50 episodes. So, I started recording in June of 2016 and launched in August of 2016 with a once a week podcast. Now we're here, exactly two years from when I recorded my first episode with some local business people in Jackson Hole, recording my own 100th episode. Before now, looking back I always thought I should have done the process a lot faster, but with a little more grace towards myself, I'm revising that thinking. To be fair, I was alone in a new state, with a fresh degree in fashion design, working in Fashion, creating art shows, and wanting to develop a podcast on the side. In recent years, online stuff has gotten way more intense and in your face (although this may be because I'm in the space a lot more). Today people basically say if you aren't creating a podcast within a week, you're falling behind. That mentality held me captive a lot during the last few years. Thoughts that if I wasn't doing enough as soon as possible, I was losing out on money, losing out on furthering a potential career, and just plain losing in general. I don't know about you, but to me, it always seems that people are doing things before me every time and I have to race to catch up, or else buy their program to get fast results. In short, what I learned from 100 podcasts is not some amazing one-liners from guests, or how to build the perfect business, but more little things. Things like becoming a better listener, accepting that there's a lot more than one way to reach a goal, and being proud to show what I'm doing. As much work as the podcast takes, I actually stayed away from promoting it for a long time. Instead of thinking about who could benefit from it, I thought about what I might be saying wrong, or things I say that people might find annoying. I didn't want to advertise something they might not like. By doing this, I actually was hurting everyone, not giving them a chance to hear episodes that I put my heart and soul into. I was so focused on consistently putting out an episode every week (to stay with my goal) that I lost the big picture of what I was actually doing! If you're working on a project right now, share the in-between moments. The times when things don't go right, or when you're frustrated, as it makes the end goal a lot more special. Through the years, I've evolved in the podcasts I like to listen to. A few favorites have been: Smart Passive Income Podcast, Tim Ferriss Show, GaryVee Audio Experience, Goal Digger podcast, School of Greatness. Each show is good for different reasons, although I must say I've learned the most about Podcasting from Tim Ferriss - who likes to break things down to a molecular level and explore why and how to achieve optimal results. He's studied podcasting techniques which is a lot about asking the right questions, getting the show to flow, getting people to open up, and being a good listener. If any of you are avid podcast listeners, I'm guessing you notice the people who use phrases like "I love it!" or "That's amazing" or "Interesting..." Basically fillers in times where you haven't thought quick enough of anything else to say. Now I notice things like this a lot more often (which is sort of annoying ha!) but also helps me notice it in myself. Becoming a better conversationalist is usually just about being interested and asking better, deeper questions. It requires that you open up maybe more than you usually do,

I met today's guest last year at ConvertKit Conference, which could be the nerdiest beginnings ever - a conference for people that use the same e-mail service HA! Becca is super fun and outgoing so it was cool to hear her talk about how she'd quickly built her, at that time, new calligraphy business. One of the biggest mental hurdles to get over as an entrepreneur is often feeling like a fraud or not practiced enough to call yourself a professional and start selling your creative work. Becca is a perfect example that you can make money fairly quickly in the arts if you aren't afraid to put your work out there (even if it's still a work in progress) and put programs out there too! Today I talk to Becca about how to monetize something as niche as calligraphy (even if lots more people are out there doing it). We talk about: Travel and her round-the-world trip How she made her first buck as a calligrapher What type of systems do you use within your business - have they expanded as she's grown? What's your biggest struggle as an entrepreneur and how does she compensate? What's the best entrepreneurial tip or trick she's learned in the past year? Did she develop any new, positive habits that she brought home after traveling? When she wakes up in the morning what gets her most excited? What calligraphy supplies won't she travel without? What's next in her calligraphy world - dream project? What is she excited about during this upcoming summer? Find Becca on Instagram: @thehappyevercrafter or join the 20K others on Facebook here! All of her workbooks can be purchased on her site: www.thehappyevercrafter.com And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Today's guest is truly incredible. It's one thing to travel, but another to travel and be so touched that you take your whole life in a new direction. Amber did just that after she visited Ethiopia and saw how much change was needed. On this episode, I'm talking with Amber about her company, Eleventh Candle. Eleventh Candle Co. is a social enterprise in Columbus, Ohio partnering with Legacy to redeem, restore, empower and equip those vulnerable to human trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and addiction. A once trafficked woman in Columbus, Ohio is employed while a village in Ethiopia is supported and orphaned children there are welcomed into homes when products are purchased. Some questions I ask Amber & other things we talk about: Have you always had a trajectory of working in the mission field & why? Tell us about your first trip abroad and how or why it inspired you to do more. Tackling a daunting task: What were the first few steps to getting started creating a company that helps overseas. Trafficking. What exactly does it entail and what is the first step to stopping it? I'm sure this work has caused you to change a bit in life, what's the most positive change you've noticed in yourself? And, what are you better at saying no to? How to deal with emotions when you also have to run a successful business What is the most challenging part of running her company How do you prioritize what needs to be done FIRST? Ways we can help others if you have a heart for a cause. We can't help people 24/7 if we don't take care of ourselves too. How do you turn off? Ethiopian Food! What's the best? Travel: what 1 or 2 things can't you leave home without? How YOU can get involved this week and help Amber's company (and get some amazing candles!) And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

My 31st birthday was over the weekend (yippee!) and I thought that called for a solo show of one of the topics I talk about that gets the most response: Shiny Object Syndrome. If you don't know what it is, consider yourself lucky! Or maybe you didn't know it was referred to as this! Well, if you're an entrepreneur and ever find yourself jumping from one idea to the next, never really accomplishing the thing you want to accomplish, you just may be a prime culprit. Not to fear though, there are a few things we can do to fight this and develop better habits!! Use a notebook to write down new ideas Schedule time for working on the new ideas that you decide are worthy of working on Then, work on these 3 things are all things that we need to work on as we begin to move away from shiny object syndrome. No's, Yes's, & Martyr Syndrome Say no to: crappy emails, hanging out with people who aren't a positive influence, social media distractions, being a martyr Say yes to: spending time on things that matter, self-care, And then do this: Dive into the fear of the big thing that matters And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

You all are in for a treat today! I've got Gemma O'Brien on the podcast today, an artist who's wowed me for a while on Instagram and in a fun turn of events, I flew across the country last week to help her paint her latest mural at Google Headquarters in Silicon Valley. It's a funny thing meeting people you've only seen on your Instagram feed - maybe this is what it feels like to online date someone. You never truly know who they are behind the 'gram! Because personally, I think I was funniest back in my Yahoo! Messenger days...the instant messenger response delay really helped me be extremely witty. But my Yahoo glory days are beside the point and Gemma was super fun. So back to her. If you've never seen her art, you NEED to. It truly is just plain awesome. Stuff you look at and can't really wrap your mind around how it got from A (blank wall) to B (wowza). Funny enough, in my excitement of all the free food Google offers, I didn't press record correctly and thus missed half of the interview (lesson learned), but I think we ended up covering most of it in the end! This is a really fun one and we chat about: Her favorite destination from art travels Pushing yourself to do more and go further despite looking to many like you are at the top Appreciating the process, not just the final piece What are art agents and how to do they help How to stand out among all the Instagrammers online How to stay unique and not copy in the art world Do you have to have a morning routine to be successful Remembering to appreciate what you've done in the past Where you can find her next Join Gemma's 200K following on Instagram @mrseaves101 and buy prints on her website at: www.gemmaobrien.com/ Take her Skillshare class HERE! And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Okay Passion Designers, I see you out there, shrinking back & becoming clammy every time someone asks you what the price of something is. It seems that we all feel like we are each the worst at selling our stuff. Can't we just do it for free and have a magical life where everything works out? Yep, I hear you! Pricing, negotiating, getting rejected, getting ghosted after giving prices...it's all pretty yuck. I'm super empathetic for every artist trying to price; through the years, I've become defensive about prices and irritated when people don't see something's worth/the work that was put into it as I notice how often creatives are taken advantage of. Sure, there is a time and place for doing cheap work at the beginning, but if you constantly get bombarded with family and friends who want a favor or "quick sketch" it's time to show the world your actual worth. There are so many variables involved when selling creative items, yet there's definitely a strong foundation that's most important and that's where we'll start. Your mindset around money is where soooo much of being an entrepreneur starts. Do you have money blocks? After I learned this one, I started loving listening to people talk about buying things because I would inevitably hear money blocks come up. What are money blocks? Saying things like: "Money doesn't grow on trees," "I could never afford that," "I don't need nice things," "People with lots of money are the worst." Think about it, what are some money blocks you, or the people you are constantly around, say every day? Can you see why these might be holding you back? Once I stopped myself from using those "easy" cop-out phrases, I realized how much negativity they were carrying. All this time I'd been holding myself back by telling myself all of these money lies, which are most likely things you and I have grown up hearing - we just choose to believe it. So now, with all the extra time we have after eliminating money blocks, we can fill that time with positive wealth affirmations. Oddly enough, these might be harder to say out loud than your old money blocks. Because It might just be easier for you to say "I can't make a million dollars" than "I can easily make 1 million dollars." I'm not sure what it is about telling ourselves really great things, but it's tough. Fight through it, believe in yourself, and say some wealth affirmations boldly (they don't make you a greedy, bad person!). "I will make $______ this year." "I am worthy of receiving payment for my creative work." "People are happy to pay me large sums of money." " The more money I make, the more good I can do." Amazing! Now that we have our mindset on track...onto the nitty-gritty. What the heck do you charge?! I'll be honest, my pricing has changed a lot, and I try to be as consistent as possible. I found it really hard at the beginning when most of my clients were in Ohio, but the resort town I was living in Wyoming, things were priced way higher and the cost of living was also higher. So to begin with, you have to know your clients. Who are the people that are currently asking for or buying your work. You'll have to keep in mind the range they're willing to pay - maybe you can be a bit higher but you must provide excellent service or something that makes it really worth it for them! Once you know the type of clients who are buying your work, work out a consistent plan for prices. Begin with your material costs. I often find this hard to do because I work from bulk but you can have a rough idea. Say your material costs are $50 for a 10'x12' canvas, paints, & brushes. Now calculate the hours it will take. Say your sketch takes 3 hours and your painting will take 5, packaging 1 = 10 hrs. You already know you're charging $50 for supplies so now you're left with your hourly rate to tack on top. What is your time worth? If you've had a job in the past, you'll want to make at least that much an hour (I'm guessing).

A few people have messaged me lately asking how to get started in the art world and what my trajectory has been like. Although I think it's an ever-evolving world as an entrepreneur, with the world moving SO FAST, on this episode I'm talking about things I've done that have worked and haven't worked. As a spoiler, here are the top 2 things I learned most recently: A. Patience is key. I know, we all want things to happen like...yesterday...but the reality is success takes a lot of consistent work and a positive mindset that you can do it. The artist I worked with and admire has been painting murals for 5 years and working on her artistic style for 10...that's almost 5 times as long as me and was a good eye opener for when I'm feeling impatient! B. On the other end, while being patient, you can't just wait for the perfect project to show up at your doorstep before taking action. If you aren't consistently doing the thing you want to be doing (even if it's in your 10 minutes of free time a day), no one is going to magically find you and give you that perfect opportunity you want. Take consistent action and always be working towards what you want and showing up! I also touch on: Going into debt Collaborations Taking Initiative Staying Motivated Travel Professionalism And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

I've been thinking a lot about Niche-ing down lately. For the longest time, I worked hard to stay as open as possible so that I could get as many potential clients as possible. The weird thing about my method is that it almost ALWAYS backfires. Logical thinking would say that if you open up a pool to anyone, you will give yourself tons more options for people to find you. But the thing is, most of those people won't be right for you and you end up using tons of your time trying to please everyone, when really all you have to do is please the select group that really, really, really wants what you have to give and offer to them. I'm trying to make it sound simple, but let me tell you, I haven't found it simple at all. To be honest, most days I wish I was interested in less things and only passionate about one thing because then I wouldn't care about leaving my mini-passions behind and it would make the whole niching-down thing easier. But if you are a creative like me, most likely you are multi-passionate too and hate the idea of letting go of one of the things you're good at - even if it's not THE THING. If this is you and you know that working within a niche is smart, but you still are having a hard time doing it or even just choosing what niche you should be going for, I'm here to make it simple for you, with a little help from one of my favorite art coaches, Maria Brophy, author of Art, Money, Success. Listen in to hear Maria's fantastic method of niching down, and how you can improve your business or business idea today. And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

Anyone have a case of the "I'm not doing enoughs?" Thought so! Here are 10 things to remember when you find yourself anxious about being behind or that you'll never get to where you want to be. Listen in as I talk in detail about each one and how I'm working on them in my own work and life. You'll never totally "arrive," most likely you'll always want more and thus, more time Taking breaks actually can enhance creativity When we take off the pressure, we are able to be inspired instead of forcing things Never work so hard that you forget why you're working Think about what people say about you - do they say you are a workaholic? Think about eulogies You can do ANYTHING but not EVERYTHING The process is often more exciting than the result, so remember to enjoy that part Stop comparing yourself to others: social media doesn't stop, someone will always be working every second of the day and it's impossible to do that as one person Enjoy right now, because your life is happening right NOW. Not after you accomplish your goal. If you can learn to enjoy the journey, instead of being irritated and frustrated that everything isn't finished TODAY, you will: have more people that are behind you (because overnight success isn't inspiring), be a better version of yourself (it's no fun when you have no time for anyone), you'll be more creative (leads to better work) Pro Tips: Set boundaries, celebrate successes, let yourself have fun in the moment, remember you are lucky to be doing what you want with your time - if you're anxious you don't have enough turn that into gratefulness that you at least have some! And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

I met Molly in Fashion school back at the University of Cincinnati. She was always creating extremely innovative designs, pushing design limits way past simply "next season's style." So I was super amped to see that she is in the midst of creating her own line of clothing for teens with Autism. After working at the Mayo Clinic after getting her Fashion Design degree, she noticed a need for the growing number of people with Autism and decided to address it herself, by creating fashion-forward clothing for teens on the Autism spectrum. She recently released an Indigogo Campaign (live in April 2018) and is looking for funding to further the line she's already started, in order to reach more people who could seriously benefit from this type of clothing. Molly and I talk about: When is the right time to start your own business How to mesh different passions into one career Why there is a need for this type of clothing What it takes to launch a crowdfunding campaign Details on the creation of a fashion line I would love for you to be a part of where Molly is taking her company and you can be by visiting her campaign here: Molly Fuller Design Campaign You can also choose to donate a shirt to 2 different Autism Organizations even if you don't need a shirt yourself!! Oh! And one of my designs from HaleyBadenhop.com is on the shirt, so definitely check that out! And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

On the Passion Design Project website, I not only have the podcast but also keep a Travel Blog on there. I love writing about exploring different places and hope that others can find the blogs handy if they find themselves in the same spots! Pertaining to business, I think there are a lot of different ways to grow, and they don't always have to do with biz productivity like setting up the right systems. Sometimes, life experiences can help you grow in business, and often does. Where I grew up (and I know many other places like this too), a lot of people take the same vacation every year. re-visiting their "favorite" spot. I get that some places are awesome and people don't like to quit a good thing once they're found it, and so I understand why people choose to do this. About 5 years ago, I took a job taking international passengers on road trips across the USA. There were 2 main crazy things that I learned from this. 1. There were way more foreign travelers visiting our National Parks than Natives. 2. There are so many awesome things in the USA that I didn't know existed! About 5 years prior to all that, I went on my first international experience. A trip to Panama. I remember coming back wanting to figure out a way to have my friends join in what I had just experienced. I couldn't believe how good we had it in the US and how much else was going on in the world. With these experiences and continued travel through the years, I've come to adore different cultures, crazy foods, and the art of flyin' around the world. I believe that putting yourself in situations that are unfamiliar is what can help you grow the most. Life can be really simple these days, staring at your phone, seeing other people's travels, staying comfortable. But there's something special that comes alive when you decide to partake in a new adventure, and I think it's a sad thing to stay comfortable all life long. I regularly push people to get out of their travel comfort zone. Many people seem to take it as me thinking my way is better, but that's not the case at all. I simply think that there is way more to experience than we realize, and letting ourselves get lost in unfamiliar territory is not scary and unsafe, it's exciting and helps you grow. It allows you to realize that the world doesn't revolve around American and English speakers (something I learned during my first trip to India). It helps you realize that maybe life doesn't have to be the way everyone around us told us it was (something I learned on my most recent trip to Morocco.) It makes you more interesting (I've been able to relate to tons more people since visiting more places). I regularly get excuses from people who want to go somewhere but can't find the time or money or whatever. I was chatting with a guy the other night who lit up when he started talking about a 2-month trip he wanted to take to Nepal but then overloaded me with excuses on why it probably wouldn't happen. To which I asked him why he was giving me so many excuses and what was he doing currently to make it happen? He didn't have an answer for that. It's usually easier to make up excuses than take action towards something you want, oddly enough. I'm not sure who told us international travel is hard, but that guy probably wasn't a traveler. To be honest, a trip like this would be fairly easy. You save up money, just like you would for a new TV, you buy a ticket a few months in advance, and then you save a bit more extra money that you will use while you're there (cheap places make this so easy!) Oh, and if you have kids you find a babysitter. A co-worker of mine is taking a trip to Bali with his wife in a few weeks, and they are pit-stopping in Spain to drop their 1 & 3-year-old off with parents. So don't tell me you can't figure it out too:) I'm focusing on trips abroad because I really think that different cultures (languages and food) make for a much more intense and unforgettable,

About 5 years back I started a "company," more like a blog called "Thee Bold." Spoiler alert: it stopped almost as quickly as it started, but the funny part about it is that I took forever to launch it. And by launch it, I mean, simply make the website public. It's like I thought the world would come sprinting towards the site once I made it go live. Nope. And instead of working at it, I decided it had failed. I had spent all this time getting little pieces together of the brand I was trying to create only to lose interest after I launched when no one came running. (I don't blame them.) With projects since then, you'd think I'd totally learn, but I still struggle with planning for too long before releasing things. For example, with this podcast, I thought about creating a podcast for a year and a half and THEN I planned it for another entire year before launching. Though I learned a lot, I 100% could have consolidated that into a month with better planning strategies and in turn, could have had 52 more episodes by now! So why is it that we have such a hard time starting things if all the good stuff happens after the launch? It's like we almost self-sabotage before even giving others the chance to potentially not like our stuff. I know, releasing your hard work into the world for people to judge is tough stuff. So that's why I'm gonna run through a quick list of How You Can and Should get Started on that Project TODAY! Make sure you are really passionate about it. Some things look fun and exciting because someone else is doing it well, but it may not be your gift. Make sure what you choose to do actually gets you excited to work when you wake up in the morning! Ask yourself why you haven't started, and then explore why you've come up with that excuse, even if it's totally legit. I've talked to so many people who have told me what they want to do and then without taking a breath have told me why they aren't doing it yet. Stop talking about what you aren't doing yet because no one cares. Talk about what you are doing and if you need help, ask for it. If people hear what you're actively doing, they are more apt to offer their help too. Start before you feel ready. O man, this is totally the one I need to work on, but also what I hear over and over again from successful people. You will never know everything and you will learn SO much as you go along, so start now and then perfect it as you go. It will get easier once you get those first few clients/buyers/fans. Keep yourself emotionally high. This is a game-changer. Recently I've begun to explore why some days I feel really motivated and others I don't. It's not arbitrary, you can help yourself. My #1 is to listen to something inspirational. Feel free to use this podcast or someone else who motivates you, it could even be a chat in person. That way, no matter what experiences or people you are around, you can get on that motivated high, of course, course add in energizing food and lots of water because doing your own thing requires high energy. Stay Consistent. One of the best pieces of advice I got was from Lewis Howes from the School of Greatness Podcast after I sent him an email. "Go for the podcast if you will do it for the next few years consistently otherwise it may not be the best move." Will you stick with your project for the next few years, or will setbacks make you quit? Consistently take action every day! Simple right? It's true, these 5 steps are not hard at all, they just take consistent action and confidence in yourself. Though they may take some sacrifices or changes in habits, if you really want to start something, there's no better time than now. A year later will be just that, a year later. I believe in you and know you can do these. Give yourself a deadline and get going! And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Starting and running your own business can and usually is a daunting task. People on Instagram love to show the beautiful, exotic, freeing part of working for yourself, but what's usually lost in that are the grueling hours of nothing happening or the numerous rejections that occur when starting out. It's super easy to feel like you're taking one step forward and then getting pushed 10 back from all directions. If you've started your own biz, I'm sure you are well aware that it's not all fun and games. Since going off on my own, I've had the best times and also the lowest lows I've ever felt too. Times when it feels like nothing (at all!) is working out or ever will. It can be a little bit soul-crushing and cause weeks of lost motivation. For me, it became an endless cycle of 'how will I make money this month?' A revolving conversation in my head wondering if I could even make it on the path I was on and what I would do in worst case scenario. It may seem pretty simple that I first off had a big attitude problem, but more than that, I want to talk about the bigger picture, because that's what this mentality stems from. When we do work, we have to think about WHY we are doing the work. What does it mean to you? This is why a lot of people want to get out of their jobs because the job means nothing to them. It doesn't hit any of their personal passion points and therefore, it doesn't fill them up like work should. In the same way, even if you are working at something you love (like I was), if things aren't working out, or you're in the building phase, simply loving what you're trying to build isn't always going to cut it. And that's when you have to remember why you're doing it. I'm assuming that if you are starting your own thing, or if you work for yourself, you're doing it because you want to and not because of the big paycheck (even though that could be a goal). So for me, once I began putting all of my focus on how I would make money, paying bills, money this, money that...that's when I hit my lowest points. I lost all focus on the big picture because I couldn't see past the next paycheck. My worth turned from something I was trying to build to defining myself by how much money I was bringing it. So I did a little mental exercise with myself. I envisioned having all the money I wanted...and then what? I realized I didn't even know where I wanted my business to be at that point. Was were my major goals? By using all my energy striving for money, my business had somewhat lost a lot of it's meaning. I was working for nothing more than money. So today, I'm asking you, what are you actually working for? The world tells us that money and fame are what matter. And I think those 2 things are great, but the bigger picture: what are you trying to build? What do you want people saying about you? Pretty sure I don't want people saying, Oh yeah, she paid her bills on time. Gross! I know it's easy to lose focus on what you're working towards when the world throws so many things at you. So remember these 3 things: Focus on what you WANT not what you don't want. Stop saying the word "But.' If you want something, say it to the world and don't give excuses or feel the need to justify it. Write down what you want. If you aren't sure and worry that it might change, write down the most meaningful thing you want right now (that seems semi-far-fetched). We aren't here just to put in hours, work our lives away, and retire. I want you to make the absolute most of every day AND do something every single day that gets you a tiny step further to what you really are working towards in life - your bigger picture. And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3.

Recently I met Christian at a Silicon Couliour meeting in Jackson Hole. As someone who left a secure (yet intense) life in the tech start-up world in San Francisco, I was anxious to hear how this change to a totally different lifestyle (snowboarding, travel, love, entrepreneurship, coaching) came about! On this Episode, Christian describes in depth how he left a life of burnout and stress in the tech world to leading a life he loves and looks forward to every day. Expect to hear: How to begin to totally make a 180 shift in life Why it's important to figure out the one meaningful question you ask yourself, and how to How you can begin to use meditation during good times so you're ready for bad times. The power of gratefulness How it's sometimes more important to get rid of things in life than add things A method to prioritizing what's most important Lots of Tony Robbins references Enjoy!! And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!

If you're an entrepreneur or have a business or want to have a biz, what do you think about the most? I'm guessing you probably think about money quite a bit and how you're going to make it. I'm real guilty of putting my sole focus on how I can make a buck. I like to shuffle around the online space to see what's making money and then see how I can work those same methods. My biggest mistake came last year when I thought that a coaching course could bring me straight to financial freedom. I figured that I would follow a method that worked for one person and then boom, all would be good. It seems to be a pattern in entrepreneurship of looking for whatever is working at the moment. We see someone having success and think we can replicate it immediately, except usually, anything that appears to happen fast hasn't actually happened fast. So when we see someone succeeding, we think we should be there too, but most likely they've taken quite a path to get there as well. So if we know there's no cheat strategy, what do we do to succeed? Think about the people you follow the most and what they do currently. For me, it's Tim Ferriss, GaryVee, Lewis Howes, and a couple others I catch here and there are NasDaily and Marie Forleo. Every single of these people I mentioned is putting out daily content that listeners want to hear. They aren't taking days off thinking about if their viewers want to see them that day, they each have the particular niche they work within and what they stay aligned with that. What are they doing best? Adding value to their listener's lives. And what's funny is that they don't have to do this every day! They could take days off and people would still like their stuff and they would probably stay at the top, but the point is, they ARE doing so well because, despite their success, they are still working just as hard and consistently. Tim adds value by writing books and interviewing people who most people don't get to chat with on an everyday basis, he breaks down confusing principals to things you and I can do in business. GaryVee gives constant motivation and is on you if you aren't creating daily. Lewis's podcast is super consistent in talking to world-class people and showing how we can be great too. NasDaily gives us quick insight to the world and how to be a better person. Marie gives entrepreneurs a lighthearted push to go further in their business. And I help people discover how they can create a life around their passions. Value can be added by posting in Facebook groups, Facebook Business Pages, Instagram, Twitter, Website Blogs, an email newsletter, workshops, face to face conversations, a podcast, articles, and so many other places! And once you add value, people can share your value! So now that we know adding value is what people want. How does this convert to money and success? Quite easily actually. If you can consistently put out information that people in your area of interest want to hear and take in all the time, you are on your way already! Think about the things you buy. I'm willing to bet that a lot of them, or maybe close to everything!, comes from reviews or testimonials, or someone telling you what's the best. By giving out consistent value to people, you are creating a tribe that will talk about you even if you don't ask them to. Often when people come to me with a problem, I will point them to one of the people I mentioned's podcast or book or link. Yes, some of this content is free value, but some is for sale. And most likely, if someone is getting good recommendations about you and devouring your content, they will be more than willing to buy! I've bought and given books by Tim, Gary, and Lewis, and freely post and send articles about all of them. So to wrap up, take your mind off the money for a while and think about 1-3 ways you can add value to the people who see your stuff, starting today. Mine are going live on FB daily,

When was the last time you were rejected? Maybe it was today or yesterday, or maybe a year ago and you're still upset and mad about it. Whenever it was, I surely can relate and am guessing most listeners can. I hate rejection. I really do. It's annoying, hurtful, makes me feel like I wasted time, is depressing, can crush a good day, must I go on.... Sometimes I look at people online and think, "Wow, must be nice to get everything so easily!" But is that really the truth? I've experienced an extra lot of rejection lately. Mainly because I'm reaching out to a lot of people from scratch about creating murals, not knowing if they need or want one or not. At first, I thought this process was really fun. The possibility of hitting a client who wanted my services was an exciting thought and I decided people would easily say yes. Much to my dismay, getting a yes from people isn't as simple as I thought and as the no's began coming in, it really sucked. To think logically about this, which is what I usually do, it makes sense. If people are approached about something they don't really need, they might show a touch of interest if it's cool enough, but ultimately don't have a good enough reason to say yes. (Which would be where good marketing could possibly be useful which is a topic for another time). But in addition to logical thinking, emotions are bound to come up, too. I'm pretty sure no one likes to get rejected, and mainly because it kind of makes you feel like a loser, or that you aren't good enough. I remember hearing in a coaching course, about a year ago, that the rate you can expect people to buy from you from your mailing list is about 3%. THREE! That means you are getting a 97% rejection rate. Ouch. Of course, the bad thing to do would be to look at it that way and think about 97 people rejecting you vs. 3 people saying yes, and unfortunately, that's what we usually do, isn't it? So how do we turn this around? How do we get past or overlook rejections (that are bound to happen) and move on to better fits? There are a couple key moments in a rejection to look at. First, are you separating work from self? If your rejection is work related and you have decided that it is against you as a person, you're already starting off in a bad place. These types of rejections are totally different and cannot be grouped together. So separate your feelings of self with your work and start from there. To get you kickstarted doing this, pretend someone else made the mistake and you are learning from their mistake. That should help take some initial self-imposed emotions out. Then, you absolutely must remember no one is perfect and no successful person is perfect either. Remind yourself that you are bound to make mistakes, go about things wrong, do things others don't like, and then, if rejected, come through on the other side with something better. Second, think about what the rejection is teaching you. Maybe you actually aren't perfect! No....that couldn't be right. But maybe you can learn from this rejection to see what you can do better next time and actually improve and take a better approach. With each rejection email I receive, I like to find a theme of what people are saying and take measures to figure out a better way to approach that for next time. Third, find a trusted friend that you can talk with who will instill confidence in you. In a talk in town the other night, mentors were talking about what they found most valuable back when they were mentees. A common theme was that the mentor fostered confidence in them at the times when they didn't believe in themselves or weren't thinking big enough. I know from experience that having people around you that will speak life into you when you're feeling defeated can be a real game changer and give you the strength to move forward! And Fourth, try again. In "Think and Grow Rich," the author talks about how persistence is often the most telling sign to a successfu...

Today I go over all of the details on how I started a Podcast. Kara wrote in with the following questions and I answer every single one in great detail. Enjoy and let me know if you start a Podcast!! What equipment did you start with? Where did you buy it? How did you prepare? How did you set up interviews and prepare for those interviews Editing, do you outsource a company that helps with editing? Did you have them all recorded before you started posting? How did you promote it? How to come up with refreshing content? Did you take suggestions from listeners How do you get people interested in being interviewed? Do you feel it has helped with your mission? Roughly what did it cost to get started? do you have sponsored ads or anyone wanting to sponsor you? do you make money at it? And as always, have the best day ever!!! Thanks so much for listening!! I would love if you'd leave a review & subscribe on iTunes...HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW FROM YOUR IPHONE: 1. Open podcast app 2. Search for "Passion Design Project" 3. Click on my Podcast 4. Tap Reviews & tap "Write review" Find out more on my website at www.PassionDesignProject.com Join me on Facebook at Passion Design Project & Subscribe to the Newsletter to get podcast updates!