The Happy Entrepreneur

This episode is another intimate conversation and exploration with one of our Happy Startup members, Mart Gordon, a long time member of our community and veteran of our Happy Startup Summercamp. It’s a great bridge between the last two episodes with Charlie and Max where we talked about clarity, conflict and needs to the next four episodes where I’ll be focussing on telling the story of our Happy Startup Summercamp and talking to some of the great contributors who’ll be joining there this September.For those of you who don’t know our Happy Startup Summercamp is our in-person off-grid gathering in the Sussex countryside where 150 purpose-driven entrepreneurs and changemakers come together to share ideas, break bread and get inspired.Mart attended his first camp four years ago and during this episode he tells me how Summercamp helped set him on his path to creating Mundo Novus, a creative and innovation consultancy.We talk about his serendipitous journey, the power of play and how we can all be creative.While I didn’t stick to my intention of keeping the episode to 20 minutes long I did make it effortless to create. You can tell me if it’s effortless to consume.If you’re just starting on your own journey of finding work that feels meaningful or you’re stuck in a rut and trying to work your way out of it on your own then I do recommend having a listen. If any thoughts or questions come up for you while you’re listening then please hit me up on Twitter (@kungfucarlos) or ping me an email (carlos@happystartups.co).

If we're going to work together better we need to be able to manage conflict in a healthy way. There are some big, seemingly intractable problems that need to be solved in the world (as well as some smaller ones) that will need a collaborative and collective approach to deal with them.With any groups there will be friction and being able to work through our differences will be key to working effectively.In this episode I talk to Max St John, founder of Being Wild Things and author of the Fighting Well course. He's a trainer/coach/consultant/facilitator whose work focuses on helping people manage conflict.We talk about his small holding in Cornwall and working with nature as well as his work in helping people fight well.Some choice excerpts are:- Who am I, who are you and how can we work together better?- The high frequencies that we vibrate at that are not in tune with the slower frequencies of nature.- You can't do a Facebook campaign to accelerates your pea growth!- Unhealthy conflict = unconsciously reacting and creating distance.- Healthy conflict = awareness of my reactions and how I can choose to react in a way that best serves the situation.- Meaningful work is a creative expression of ourselves and so negative feedback can really hurt and trigger us to react unhealthily.Find out more about what he does by going to his website or just listen to the podcast on iTunes or online on Anchor.fm.

I'm not sure if I'll ever truly understand how blockchain works and I've got a PhD. However, on this episode talking to Evan Yap I got to understand how it could be used to create social good. It isn't just for creating alternative currencies but it can be applied in so many ways whether that's identity verification, tracking your medical history or switching universities. Listen to find out more.

In this podcast, the hosts talk about the importance of having a clear idea in finding fulfillment in work. They discuss prioritizing tasks, aligning creative work with personal motivations, and the evolution of ideas. They also explore the impact of having a clear idea on various aspects of life and how they help people get clear on their ideas and goals through online courses and coaching.

This episode starts off a bit chaotically as it was recorded just before our first Ideas Café event in London. We were at the 42 Acres event space in Shoreditch which was lovely but also a little challenging with people coming in and out of the space...We've been running retreats and business festivals for the past 6 years. A couple of weeks before the recording of this podcast Laurence, Sophie and I took some time to plot out what it took to put together an event like Alptitude.When we finished it looked like the world had run out of Post-it notes. If we'd been aware beforehand of what it would take to run a retreat we would have had second thoughts about making it happen. But we didn't, and the motivation to make it happen wasn't borne of taking advantage of an opportunity or creating a new revenue stream. Alptitude happens because it excites us and we need it ourselves.The question then was: if we need it who else needs it? Apparently at least 180 people (we've done 9 retreats so far), and we're finding many more.Listen on if you'd like to learn what it takes to put Alptitude together and what it's like to be there.Find out more about the retreat here - http://alptitu.de

One of my intentions with my podcast is to share the stories of real startups on real journeys - the ups, the downs and the sideways moments. I'm hoping by sharing the story of Toby Moore, founder of Content Club, you'll connect with his journey of building his business and identify with the struggles and opportunities that he came across. The business building thing isn't a linear path and the destination is not always clear but as we continue along the path the way forward eventually becomes more apparent. I hope you enjoy this intimate conversation with Toby and please reach out to him and if you're a member of the community please reach out to him and say hello.

In this episode I talk to Ines Gaston who recently joined the community. She’s a trained psychologist in the early stage of her building her coaching business. When I first talked to Ines she was struggling to understand how to reach new customers.She has a need to share her gifts and experience which she knows that can help many people. But given she’s not able to clearly define a target audience she’s finding it overwhelming trying to decide what her next step should be.There are so many ways to reach people and they all have their own different contexts. She feels pulled in so many different directions by different types of advice and she just wishes there was someone who could just show her the way.If you find yourself in a similar position then I recommend you have a listen.I also recommend listening to two earlier podcasts with Ben Johnson and Alan Wick on pricing and How much should people pay me for what I do? respectively.

If you've got something of immense value, not only monetarily but also in how it could positively change someones life, then it's your responsibility to get it to as many people as possible. Knowing how to price well is essential not only for the sustainability of your business but also in making sure the right people buy what you offer. Don't expect your customers to be able to intuitively know whether to work with you or not. If they don't understand your pricing then they're missing out on the value you provide and that would make their lives better. Please listen if you've created a product or service that you know will make people's lives better but have struggled to put a price on it that feels right and makes sense.

In this episode I talk to Gail Bainbridge about launching her first online course. And while we break down her approach by thinking of tactics and strategies it's clear that while all the theory is useful once the rubber hits the road it's a totally different experience.Learning about startup is one thing. Doing it is another. Our intention with the Happy Startup School is to share with you all the tools you need to get clear about how to approach this sometimes scary journey. But more importantly we exist to support you while you try things out and not only learn new skills but also learn about yourself along the way. This is a journey of adventure where the objective isn't just a sustainable and viable business but also a greater understanding of our place in the world and what we can contribute to it.During this episode we tackle some of the fundamentals with launching a new product. What is my real intention for finding "early adopters" to improve the product or to validate the price?

When you're launching a new product or business you're going to want to focus down on who you really want to help because if you talk to everyone you talk to no one. In this episode I discuss with Alan Wick the idea of the minimum viable audience. Rather than trying to go broad and sell to everyone you should pick the people who'll love what you do and find out what their dreams, wishes, hopes and fears are. All too often entrepreneurs start with an idea and then try to push it onto anyone in earshot.Instead be clear about who you want to help and what you want to help them with. You can then develop the right product and position it in the right way so your audience understands what you offer and the value it provides. This will make selling more effortless. You may only need 1,000 or even 100 customers to make a successful business. But unless you can define your MVA the you'll never know.