The Three Month Vacation Podcast
Sean D'Souza
Sean D'Souza made two vows when he started up Psychotactics back in 2002. The first was that he'd always get paid in advance and the second was that work wouldn't control his life. He decided to take three months off every year. But how do you take three months off, without affecting your business and profits? Do you buy into the myth of "outsourcing everything and working just a few hours a week?" Not really. Instead, you structure your business in a way that enables you to work hard and then take three months off every single year. And Sean walks his talk. Since 2004, he's taken three months off every year (except in 2005, when there was a medical emergency). This podcast isn't about the easy life. It's not some magic trick about working less. Instead with this podcast you learn how to really enjoy your work, enjoy your vacation time and yes, get paid in advance.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 4, 2022 • 14min
Rerun 1- How The Doorway Principle Lets You Get Started (Even When You’re Not Known In Your Industry)
May 30, 2022 • 24min
The Simple Logic of Email Frequency (And How it Helps Sustain a Business)
If you're a big company like Amazon, YouTube and Apple, should you bother to send out e-mail newsletters? Can't you just spend loads of money on publicity and advertising? Why do these billion-dollar companies still work with e-mail? The answer is remarkably simple. If you don't keep in touch, someone else takes your place. However, that's not the only reason why you should start and sustain an e-mail newsletter—even in a world where we get too much e-mail. Find out in this podcast just why you should send out an email and what you should avoid as well. Next Step: Listen or read: Dread Writing Your Newsletters? How To Overcome That Frustration In Four Easy Steps
May 21, 2022 • 26min
Storytelling: Why Fairy Tale Endings Are Unnecessary for Article Writing
How do most of our stories end? Usually, it's a fairy tale ending. Or maybe it ends in chaos, sadness or even disaster. We believe that an ending is crucial for any story. And there is no doubt that endings are needed for stories, but they're almost always irrelevant when you're using a story for an article. The story is there to make a point, not end with "happily ever after". Learn why a fairy tale ending is something you want to avoid almost all the time. Once you finish listening to this episode: Listen or read:How to Stop Clients In Their Tracks With Riveting Business Storytelling
May 13, 2022 • 23min
Storytelling: Why "relevance" is the key to editing a story
It's not unusual to approach an edit with a machete. We see a mass of words and want to hack through them to make the story more interesting. The problem is, that we don't know what to throw away and what to keep. That's why "relevance" is more important to a story than just adding or removing words and sentences. Let's use the power of "relevance" to make a quick, precise edit. Next Step: Once you finish listening to this episode, don't miss: How To Craft Interesting Stories and Analogies (For Articles and Sales Letters)
May 7, 2022 • 29min
Storytelling: Why starting with the "stuck point" creates intense stories
We often believe that stories have a sequence. First, this happens, then that happens and then something else shows up. And while that belief is generally true, the heart of the story is the "stuck point". You know it's powerful because the audience sits up upright. If you were to stop or even pause long enough, they'd be asking, "What happened next?" Do you get the "What happened next" with your stories? To get a consistent "what happened next" we need the power of the "stuck point". Let's find out more in this podcast. Next Step: Read or listen to: Three Unknown Secrets of Riveting Story Telling
Apr 30, 2022 • 29min
Why Storytelling Needs Thumpity-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump
When you hear someone tell you about their vacation, you try to be interested. All that exotic food, that astounding accommodation—it's all boring. Yet there's a reason why it's boring. We aren't really hearing stories, but instead, we're just getting a sequence of events. The magic to making it not boring is when you hear the sound of Thumpity-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump. Yes, like falling downstairs. That's what storytelling is all about. Next Step: Have a listen to— The Storytelling Test: How To Quickly Test How Your Audience Will React To Your Story
Apr 23, 2022 • 28min
How to create a small 2-minute sales pitch
When people ask what we do, we are often unsure what to reply. Sometimes we may have a script that we've practiced over and over again. Yet we don't often have success with scripts, because somehow we haven't gotten the attention of the prospect. How can we bypass the tedious answer and create a small 2-minute sales pitch that gets the prospect involved? Learn how to use the twin powers of contradiction and demonstration to instantly get and keep attention. Next Step: Once you finish listening to this podcast, listen to: How To Turn An Average Elevator Pitch Into One That Gets Consistent Attention
Apr 8, 2022 • 21min
The Charlie Brown Moment: Why We Choke Under Pressure
Ever wonder what Writer's Block happens to be? It's a form of choking under pressure. When we're called upon to speak, to write, or to do something under pressure, we almost always seem to struggle. This choking happens even with professionals who normally breeze through their work. The big reason for this choking under pressure is partly because of the lack of the right preparation. Instead of training under Lucy Moments, we train under Charlie Brown moments. Let's find out how to avoid the choke and to avoid the sticky moments completely. Next Step: Read or listen to—Writer’s Block Series: How A Lack of Energy, Not Time, Causes Writers to Stall and Crash
Apr 1, 2022 • 23min
Sandwiching: How to create a perfect crescendo for your story using a "sandwich"
The hardest part of writing is usually the first few lines. However, the ending can also be quite a vexing problem. Unless of course, you use a simple method called "sandwiching". When you use a "sandwich", it closes the loop, leading to a very satisfying sort of finish. How do you learn how to sandwich? Well, listen to this story taken from The Moth Podcast and you'll see how it can be done. Next Step: How do you keep your reader locked into your article? Find out here.
Mar 25, 2022 • 19min
Storytelling: How to decide which facts to keep and which ones to drop
Why do you have a bloated story? It's often because there are way too many facts in the information you've put down on paper. Even if we know we have too many facts and figures, how do we separate the information so that we don't lose the power of the story? Let's find out in this episode. Once you finish listening to this episode head over to listen or read the series on—How To Keep Your Reader Locked Into Your Article.
