The Self-Employed Life

Sometimes even when we're working on our 'calling' we don't even realize we're working like machines. Many of us have lost our sense of wonder. We no longer look at the world in awe. We begin to believe that desiring something other than what we have is somehow a negative feeling. We Creative Warriors talk a lot about finding our 'why.' But what about getting to the why of your 'why?' Part of what I write about in my upcoming book delves into what it is like to become self-employed in mid-life. I love coaching clients who are making big life and/or work changes later in life because it is a very different experience than doing it in youth. And the experience, in my opinion, is richer. It's interesting, then, to pose the question, "why bother?" Why now? What is it about this particular life that isn't working? Once you begin to own your experience- both the good and the bad - you can step into whatever the next phase might be. To dive deeper into "getting our bother on" I've brought on personal growth pioneer, Jennifer Louden. Jennifer helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman's Comfort Book. Since then, she's written six additional books on well-being and whole living, including The Woman's Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. Her newest is Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What's Next. Jennifer has spoken around the world, and has written a national magazine column for a Martha Stewart magazine, been quoted in two of Brené Brown's books, and has appeared on hundreds of TV programs, radio shows, and podcasts—even on Oprah. Find out why it is essential to answer the question of "why bother" by downloading this episode now. THE WARRIOR OF COMPASSION "It is an essential act to be at peace with ourselves." - Jennifer Louden Highlights - Asking 'why bother?' is not about resignation. Sometimes your signature theme is not what you expect or want it to be. Getting to know your 'why bother' is not a selfish act. What cost are you willing to pay for a life that you're willing to bother about? Asking 'why bother' is not about beating yourself up. It's an opportunity for discernment. 'Shadow comforts' are the things we do that make us think we're taking care of ourselves but are actually taking us away from ourselves. Wonder opens the door for desire. Desire is evolutionary. The ultimate source of desire is the soul's impulse to express itself in the world. Guest Contact - Jennifer's Website Jennifer's Twitter Jennifer's Facebook Jennifer's Book- Why Bother? Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

There's no doubt our businesses are experiencing a huge disruption with the pandemic and resulting economic slowdown. But if you look at the long history of disruptions you'll see a few patterns emerge. One is to hang on. With patience, it will come around. Second is that you often end up with a hybrid model. Have a listen. There is likely more hope than you might be feeling right now. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - Patricia's Ohhs Underwear Crystal's Blank Page Coaching Ryan's Dream Trips Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

I often describe the Creative Warriors community as people who find meaning through their work. Some people are ok with doing less meaningful work because they find meaning in other areas of their life. And others, like many of my coaching clients, are transitioning out of corporate work into that of self-employed to find more meaning in what they do. There is a common concept in the business coaching world of The Magic Wand. If you could wave a magic wand and do anything in the world and do it well, what would it be? Additionally, I implore my listeners to think about not just what they would do, but why they haven't tried to pick up that wand yet? With understanding oneself comes the burden of responsibility to actually do the thing. Which, I admit, can be terrifying. And so it is important to peel back the layers that are holding us back. Perhaps society has told you that only certain jobs are meaningful or that you have to be a certain way to do the work that you deeply want to do? To unpack this further I've brought on speaker and author, Tom Morin. After his military career, Tom became a project manager and people leader in multinational corporations. Toward the end of his corporate career, he co-founded Work Innovation Partners before providing consulting and coaching services through Work Feels Good. Tom is an associate faculty member at Royal Roads University and his book Your Best Work shares his own story and those of others who have discovered how to find meaning at work—and, using his powerful three-step process, shows how you can find the courage to shake off stereotypes and expectations, and create a working life that's uniquely right for you. To learn how to find work that you won't want to stop, download this episode now. THE MEANINGFUL WARRIOR "A vision is a future state, stated in the present tense." - Tom Morin Highlights - Purpose drives us; meaning defines us. Goals come last, vision comes first. Our unique stories are important. Society doesn't always give us permission to be who we are to fit in our work. We are told that some jobs are more meaningful than others. Society often denies permission for us to find certain work meaningful. Sometimes starting with "what" is more powerful than starting with "why." A vision is a future state, stated in the present tense. Humans are wired to be good to each other. If we can connect what we do with contributing to the well-being of others we will find our greatest motivation to succeed. Guest Contact - Tom's Website Tom's Twitter Tom's Facebook Tom's Book- Your Best Work Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - The Art of Possibility Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

As we move deeper into the new normal of our current pandemic-driven lives, we're starting to see precisely how people are pivoting their careers and choices to provide as best as they can for themselves and their families. With that, we're seeing a surge in the entrepreneurial spirit, and many are investing their time into realizing their self-employment dreams. Although it might seem like these are uncertain times, entrepreneurship is alive and well. RIght now entrepreneurship is bright and lively and increasingly inspired. So, it's important to be clear about what it means to be an entrepreneur, how that is different from being self-employed, and to bust the myths that might cloud the entrepreneurial image. What "freedom" do entrepreneurs truly have? What are the rising groups and how can they best be supported? What age is the most successful? To lay out these entrepreneurship myths I've brought on journalist, writer, and speaker, David Sax. David Sax is the author of The Soul of an Entrepreneur: Work and Life Beyond the Startup Myth. David focuses on the intersection of business and culture, topics that he has covered in his previous books The Revenge of Analog, The Tastemakers, and Save the Deli as well as in articles for publications like Businessweek, The New Yorker, and the New York Times. To understand how the soul of an entrepreneur runs deeper than what you've seen on Silicon Valley, download this episode now. THE GRANDFATHER WARRIOR "From humble beginnings can begin the seeds of a good solid life in a new land." - David Sax Highlights - The biggest myth about entrepreneurship is that it is a game you play and if you do it right, you win. The reality is that It is a life choice of "freedom" over security that never has an end. Entrepreneurship is self-help on steroids. African-American, Latina, Asian-American, and Native American women are the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs in the US. The reason these groups don't have as much growth as their male counterparts is because they don't have the support they need. Most entrepreneurs are lifestyle entrepreneurs. Failure is not always necessary for success. It can be very personally devastating. Entrepreneurship is a spirit. Guest Contact - David's Website Bullhorn's Twitter Bullhorn's Facebook David's Book- The Soul of an Entrepreneur Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - Books & Books Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

Pivoting seems to be all the rage these days. Businesses talking about pivoting in order to thrive or survive during the pandemic and subsequent impact on the economy. I propose that most small businesses and self-employed business owners do not need to make a pivot. They need to evolve instead. Listen in to understand the important difference for you and your business. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - Patricia's Ohhs Underwear Crystal's Blank Page Coaching Ryan's Dream Trips Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

Everyone knows I love a good system. So when I came across a system for naming things, you know I had to do a deeper dive. There is so much more to finding a name than simply finding something you like. Getting the right name that matches your vision and that actually sells can be much trickier than one might think. There are a lot of components to naming things. Whether it's thinking about the URL, the meaning, pronounceability, connotations, or social media, finding the right name can set the tone for many things surrounding your business. Does your name indicate the level of investment customers are about to make? How can your name make your product the most desirable? To lay out a system for successfully naming your business, I've brought on author of The Naming Book, Brad Flowers. Brad Flowers co-founded Bullhorn, an agency that builds confident brands with language and design. He leads naming and language generation at Bullhorn. He has a degree in English literature, which he finds more useful than he expected. Learn how to find a name that truly sells, by downloading this episode now. To learn about the power of trust and how it can revolutionize your business, download this episode now. THE STRATEGIC BUSINESS MOVE WARRIOR "We're not only looking for a name we like, we're looking for a name that works." - Brad Flowers Highlights - Set your intention by setting a criteria for your name. Names should be memorable. You want something that's easy to pronounce unless there is a strategy around it being difficult. Jumpstart brainstorming by starting with a cliche, metaphor, or simile for what you do. Obscure words can bring more meaning to messaging as well as a shorter URL. Asking for feedback will ensure you're not surprised by negative connotations to certain words. Put the name into some kind of context when you're getting feedback. Building out the language around the name is important to see if it fits with the rest of the lingo of your ideal customer. Guest Contact - Brad's Website Bullhorn's Instagram Bullhorn's Facebook Brad's Book- The Naming Book: 5 Steps to Creating Brand and Product Names that Sell Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

Let's be realistic. When you're self-employed, there are times you work for less than your full value. In this episode, I lay out an actual, realistic process to determine how much less than your full value you should accept and when to say no. The intention is to make you feel empowered, not ashamed. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - Patricia's Ohhs Underwear Crystal's Blank Page Coaching Ryan's Dream Trips Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

One of my favorite quotes that I live by is by Jim Rohn who said, "Your level of success rarely exceeds your level of personal development." In many ways what Jim is referring to capacity. Expanding our capacity is one thing. But taking care of our capacity is just as important. Capacity isn't just about doing more. Capacity is also about making space. I often tell my coaching clients, "strive to be bored." Because when you have achieved "boredom" you have gotten to a place where you can do more by expending less energy. But in many ways building and nurturing your capacity is about doing the inner work, and I'm always looking for new ways of doing the inner work that will produce actionable results. To show us how we can elevate ourselves by building our capacity in a variety of ways, I've brought on the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, Robert Glazer. Robert is a global partner marketing agency and the recipient of numerous industry and company culture awards, including Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards two years in a row. He is the author of the inspirational newsletter Friday Forward, author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, Elevate, and of the international bestselling book, Performance Partnerships. He is a sought-after speaker by companies and organizations around the world and is the host of The Elevate Podcast. Learn how to clearly define your core values and understand your personal capacities, by downloading this episode now. THE UNDERSTANDING WARRIOR "When you know what you want, you need to make space to do what you need to do." - Robert Glazer Highlights - Capacity is not just about doing more. It's also about making space. The more giving of a profession, the more the need to refill capacity. Resilience is your willingness to see things through but there has to be a 'why' to it. Otherwise it can be self-defeating. Spiritual capacity is the North Star of your alignment. Intellectual capacity is how you go about getting yourself aligned with your core values. One-word core values aren't helpful. They need more context to be impactful. Emotional capacity is how you manage challenging situations. Guest Contact - Robert's Website Robert's Twitter Robert's Facebook Robert's Book: Elevate Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

In times of crisis it's very easy to get caught up in the stress of the unknown. When emotions are running the show, it's important to take a step back and look at data that can help clarify what your next steps should be. So, what is the research telling us about consumers right now? And how can we use that information as Self-Employed business owners? Consumers are feeling more stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed than ever before. So if we can break down the data of how people are currently consuming, we can better understand how emotions are driving purchasing, how people's values have shifted, and, thus, how we can present what we do to realign with our customer's new values and needs. It is possible to achieve a level of clarity through all of this, and self-employed business owners are the ones most likely to come out on top during this difficult time. To dive deeper into connecting with consumer emotions I've brought on researcher and author, Anne Bealle. Anne E. Beall is the CEO and founder of Beall Research, a strategic market research firm in Chicago, Illinois. Previously she was at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) conducting large-scale, complex strategic studies for Fortune 500 companies. She has written and published seven books including: Strategic Market Research: A Guide to Conducting Research that Drives Businesses, (now in its 3rd edition), Reading the Hidden Communications Around You: A Guide to Reading Body Language in the Workplace and Cinderella Didn't Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales. Anne received her M.S., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in Social Psychology from Yale University. Learn how to capture and act on what consumers are currently feeling, by downloading this episode now.

It's my belief that humanity has evolved in the best way possible over all the years I've been in business. These days people make decisions based more on energy than logic. And so I've begun to wonder: have we fundamentally changed or are we the same and what has changed is simply how we talk about business? Regardless of your industry, if you can get to the core of what motivates you, you can perform more authentically. Additionally, as you begin to examine your own life's themes, you may begin to understand the themes of those around you or those you serve and can better strategize ways of connecting with them. To dive deeper into the concept of Life Themes and what drives your personality, I've brought on philosopher, writer and psychological researcher, John Voris. John educates about the very things that make us tick, the roots that make for success or failure in our work, relationships and personal well-being. He earned his degree from the University of California with a degree in Philosophy. His book, "Discover the Power That Drives Your Personality" is the result of over 20 years of application and another 16 years of research. By applying European discoveries into field application involving hundreds of sales prospects, John invented a ground- breaking approach to personal inquiry that revealed a person's life motivation and authentic design far beyond sales. He discovered that our drive for personal Happiness, Meaning, Purpose and Harmony manifest the hidden power beneath our observed personality. To find out how you can improve your business by understanding your humanity, download this episode now. THE WARRIOR OF KNOWLEDGE "Your power is in your uniqueness." - John Voris Highlights - Personality tests explain the way you express yourself, but they don't explain the 'why'. Are you best described by what you do or who you are? We are the language we use, but also what is unspoken. Your life theme drives your authenticity. The four life themes based on universal virtues are: love, justice, wisdom, and power. The way you rejuvenate yourself in addition to your life theme can give you deep insight on how you engage with others. It's easy to project your theme onto everything around you. Guest Contact - John's Website John's Twitter John's Facebook John's Book - Discover the Power That Drives Your Personality Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn