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It’s official a new year is upon us, 2015! Because it’s a new year you know what that means? Goal setting and new years resolutions! It’s inevitable that at the start of any year we feel compelled to start a new this is the time where we dust off our dreams and try to get into action on long held goals. The problem is usually within weeks if not days into the new year somewhere along the way we fall off the wagon and our dreams go back into the box not to be seen or thought of again until the next year. Unfortunately once we develop a pattern of creating resolutions but never committing to taking consistent action towards their achievement we eventually stop dreaming, if this sounds like you don’t feel bad or beat yourself up. In my experience we aren’t taught how to create actionable goals that support our path to achieving what we want in life. This is key, so much so it bears repeating. “If you don’t create actionable goals that support you on your path to achieving them you will fail.” This is very important because in order for you to get what you want in life you must take action. And the action that you take must support you on your path. I’ll quickly illustrate an example for artists: Let’s say you made a resolution to support yourself with your art full time. In order to do this you decide you need to earn $5000 a month. So you have a goal to sell $5000 a month worth of your art. Currently your sales are very inconsistent as a matter of fact, most months you earn only a few hundred dollars. If this is your current experience and you launch into a new year with a goal to sell $5000 a month but in the past the most you’ve ever sold is a few hundred dollars a goal at that level is going to feel very challenging to achieve because you don’t have practical experience with a number that size. On the other hand if you decide to start with a goal of selling perhaps $500 a month consistently and learn what’s required to achieve that goal. Then all you have to do is scale the goal up to the level you originally wanted. That’s what I mean creating goals that support you on your path. I want you to create goals that are not only achievable, but support you on your journey. If you dream of traveling around the world but you’ve never left home start by creating a goal to travel to a single destination you’ve always wanted to visit, research and find out what’s required and make a plan that will help you get there. If you want to earn a specific amount of money create a goal that feels doable, research what’s required and get into action until you achieve that goal. Remember, you can always scale up. Click Here to Download How To Create Smart Goals Summary Guide Finally here is the secret sauce to master goal setting. Get super sonic clear about WHY you want your goal. Getting clear on your why will help you stay the course when run into inevitable roadblocks and start to feel like giving up. There is so much more to creating actionable goals that will support you that I reached into my archive and pulled and interview from my 2013 Monetize Your Gifts Live Masterclass with Millionaire by 25 entrepreneur, actor and filmmaker Corey Wadden. During our discussion Corey goes into great detail about how to create SMART goals deeply rooted in your why but more importantly why you’ve struggled achieving your goals in the past. He offers some great suggestions and tools specifically designed to support you including How to get focused, stay on target and create quality work fast! At the end of the interview I will tell you how to get your hands a very special action guide I created that will support you on your journey so stay tuned for that. So without further ado enjoy todays’ podcast on How to Create SMART Goals and Get Sh@! Done! with my guest Corey Wadden. Download Corey’s Resources and Episode Show Notes: Click Here to Download How To Create Smart Goals Summary Guide Show Highlights: – Why having a visual, physical demonstration of your vision is key to manifesting your realty – Selecting SMART goals that will truly inspire you and propel you forward – How to get focused, stay on target and create quality work fast! Tweetables: A goal is a dream with a deadline, so the question becomes ~ do you know what your dreams are? Click To Tweet A good accountability partner is someone who’s NOT going to be okay with you failing. Click To Tweet Create long term goals and work your way backyards. What’s your one year, monthly, weekly, and daily goals? Click To Tweet Creating a dream book or Pinterest board is a great way to get clear and add physicality to your goals Click To Tweet If you don’t create actionable goals that support you on your path to achieving them you will fail. Click To Tweet Click Here to Download How To Create Smart Goals Summary Guide The post GPFYC Podcast 027: How to Create SMART Goals and Get Sh@! Done! appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Seasons Greetings on this episode of the Get Paid For Your Creativity podcast I’m over the moon thrilled to welcome back Transformational Voice and Business Coach Ariana Newcomer! In case you’re new to the show Ariana was a guest on Episode 20 as well as featured contributor on the Monetize Your Gifts Masterclass I hosted last year. The last time Ariana chatted with us we talked about how to sell your art without feeling like a sell out! It was a very powerful discussion and one you should definitely check out after this episode. I’ve provided a link below in the additional resources section below. Her message is very simple ~ “Our voice is our greatest tool of engagement” and now more than ever as our reliance on social media increases it’s important not to lose sight of the power direct communication with our ideal clients or just the people we do business with. In our technologically advanced world we often forget that it’s the sound of our voice that creates connection with another human being in a real tangible way. This is very important rather you plan to shoot videos for Youtube, do your own podcast, delivering in person presentations, teach a class, talk with art buyers, even in our dealings with vendors over the telephone. Your voice is it! I love chatting with Ariana because she’s extremely passionate about her work with healers, entrepreneurs, change agents and artists. What you may not know about her is she’s a trained professional modern dancer and former opera singer so she knows a little something about the creative process and what it takes to be successful. In this interview she shares in depth her personal journey and how she came to become a Transformational Voice Coach it’s quite inspiring. During our time together Ariana revealed a very powerful parallel between our vocal expression and visual expression it was actually a revelation that surprised both of us and you won’t want to miss our a-ha moment! Regardless if you’re a visual or performance artist or any type of entrepreneur you’ll definitely want to hear she has to say on the subject of creative expression and how we can better use our voices to improve the quality of our lives.  Ariana’s just published a brand new ebook titled Voice Your Value and it’s a phenomenal resource, we’ll be talking about the book and how to get your hands on a copy on the show. So settled in and be prepared to have your mind expanded and welcome my guest for the final episode of the Get Paid For Your Creativity Podcast for 2014, Transformational Voice and Business Coach, Ariana Newcomer! Show Highlights: Why it’s so important for artists of any discipline to stand up and speak out and claim the value our work provides if you want to be properly compensated for it. 10:57 Light bulb moment that happened unexpected for both Ariana and myself and how you can benefit. 12:15 Marketing is an art and why it’s so important for artists to embrace their value. 15:48 Why it’s absolutely crucial that creatives to think outside of their creative process and shift our thinking towards the value we provide their client. 17:42 The #1 reason why artists stay broke. 21:45 Why using the full expressive capability of your voice will actually assist you in your visual expression and in running your art business. 26:37 Making marketing a part of your art. 28:21 Discover how to get Ariana’s new ebook as a gift. 36:06 Ways to play with your voice through the use Dr. Seuss books and how it will help you add more creative expression to your voice. 47:21 Tweetables: “Our voice is our greatest tool of engagement” Click here to Retweet! “Holding yourself back vocally can appear in your creative expression” Click here to Retweet! “Art is an essential form of expression for humans”  Click here to Retweet! “As artists we have to claim our place in our culture and embrace the value of art” Click here to Retweet! “Learning to do marketing well is an art” Click here to Retweet! Artists must release the idea that we can’t charge a premium for our talents” Click here to Retweet! Additional Resources: Get Ariana’s new ebook that includes immediate access to two special upgrade bonuses including her new Voice Your Value eCourse and private one-on-one time with her – http://www.ariananewcomer.com/voiceyourvalueebook/  (From personal experience totally worth the nominal investment on any level) If you’d like to explore Dr. Seuss books that Ariana suggested to quickly help you add more expression to your voice I’ve included a link to several on Amazon.com   Don’t miss GPFYC Podcast Episode 020 with Ariana titled – Voice Your Value – How To Use The Power of Your Authentic Voice To Communicate Effectively & Sell Your Art Without Feeling Like A Sell Out! – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/020/ The post GPFYC 026: Voice Your Value: How Creatives Can Employ Their Full Expressive Capability with Ariana Newcomer appeared first on Rodney Washington.

At the ripe old age of “17!” high school student Houston Gunn has accomplished more in seventeen years of life than most of us could possibly fathom in two, three, maybe even four times his age. Raised by two loving entrepreneurial parents and an equally feisty entrepreneurial grandmother his family continually encouraged he and his older brother to be responsible for their own financial destiny. From a very early age Houston was taught to ask for whatever he wanted in life and to never, ever, allow the word “no” to become a deterrent in going for his dreams. Having a strong family support system that encouraged greatness Houston was destined for the success he now enjoys. Not one to rest on his laurels, Houston’s solid work ethic coupled with his tireless energy and a healthy attitude for money laid the foundation for his ever expanding platform. With two published books under his belt this young man is on a mission to spread the word about his journey, not to brag or boast but to encourage his peers to think for themselves, to challenge the status quo, to actively seek opportunity, ask questions, listen and respect others more knowledgable than themselves and most importantly to act on the wisdom they acquire. Has his efforts paid off? Let’s explore just a few of Houston’s accomplishments: He fell into modeling and later acting at the age of 4! Was awarded an international television commercial that provided the seed money to invest in his first real estate venture at the age of 13! Rolled his earnings from the original real estate deal into future investment opportunities at the age of 14. That same year he turned a school assignment – job shadowing an early real estate mentor – into a publishing opportunity for which this interview is based. As a matter of fact, his first publishing endeavor was endorsed by non other than celebrity real estate mogul Donald Trump! On the podcast he shares how he created the opportunity to interview “The Donald”, in addition to gaining access to other notable celebrities like country superstar singer Trace Adkins and entrepreneur mentor, rest estate mogul Barbara Corcoran of ABC’s Shark Tank just to name a few. With the release of his second book Houston has more opportunities coming his way than he can count including the development of a web television series with a major Hollywood studio. More book and real estate investment deals on the horizon, oh, and did I mention he’s in pre-production for the launch of his music career? Yes, a passionate musician he and his family recently relocated to Nashville Tennessee where his musical aspirations can flourish. Based on what you’ll hear today on the podcast I predict Houston he’ll launching his own record label in the not distant future. I’m honored to introduce you to this inspirational young man, enjoy the show and please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Retweetables: Click the blue link to quickly Retweet! http://ctt.ec/Z93fO @HoustonGunn “Be unafraid to ask for what you want. Or if afraid, do it anyway” http://ctt.ec/y06b6 @HoustonGunn “Do not give up! Failure is sometimes necessary and encouraged. And get started young!”  http://ctt.ec/Ife9h @HoustonGunn “When you work for others, you make them rich; when you work for yourself, you make yourself rich” http://ctt.ec/pRfab @HoustonGunn I hope my generation can expand the current mind-set to once again welcome, encourage, and educate entrepreneurship. To learn more about Houston: His first book Schooled for Success: How I Plan to Graduate High School a Millionaire is currently available on Amazon.com as his second book Shooting for Success: YOUR LAUNCHPAD FOR SKYROCKETING TO THE TOP also available on Amazon.com. I highly recommend visiting his website: http://houstongunn.com/ for more information about all of his current and future projects. In addition you must check out his Youtube channel for all of his latest videos as well as his other social media platforms. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS0-FY0YJK_31sQKEObG-zA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Houston.Gunn.SchooledforSuccess Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoustonGunn Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houstongunn What was you biggest takeaway from today’s interview Houston Gunn? Please share your thoughts with me in the comments section below I’d love to get your feedback. Also what topics would you like me to explore for future episodes of the podcast? Reach out to me in the comments section below or connect with on my Facebook page I’d love to engage with you there. ==================================================================================== Finally I have a free gift for you, it’s my Monetize Your Gifts Guides. If you’re looking for inspiration to take your passions and turn them into a variety of income stream these free guides are a great way to jump start your entrepreneurial process. Click here to subscribe to my mailing list The post GPFYC 025: Schooled For Success with Entrepreneur/Author Houston Gunn appeared first on Rodney Washington.

On this episode I talk about: Social Media Etiquette and Facebook Rants Train People How To Treat You Email Revelations: What You Don’t Know Could Probably Get You Into Trouble Ask Rodney – Send in your questions, comments and ideas Recently I ran across a Facebook post of a prominent author and lifestyle business coach who published a post that personally I found a little off putting. In essence it was a heated post related to how people approach them via email to ask for favors, support, what have you. I’m not begrudging this persons frustration but I was a little taken aback by their choice to take it to Facebook for support, validation or commiseration of their point. My immediate thought was, “why not take advantage of this opportunity to teach us (your fan base) how to approach you instead of creating a heated debate? The reality is this, it’s not easy to run a business, especially one that places us in the spotlight. But as you grow and experience more success – the public will respond in kind. Often with requests that you have the option to either accommodate or not. It’s your choice! Will there be times when you receive requests that are out of line, or asked in a less than respectful manner? Without question. But for the author of this particular Facebook post it wasn’t the asking that bothered them so much as the manner in which the originator made the request. Clearly the requestor made a failed attempt to be mindful of the recipients availability to accommodate their request. In fairness to the writer of the request there would be no way of them knowing this before hand and this is where the opportunity for the recipient of the request to educate their audience appears. Here are my three tips for not only having a great experience on social media but how to interact with people in your everyday life. 1. Get clear about your purpose for being on social media (for example are you there to connect with potential clients and grow your business? Or is it outlet to connect with family and friends. Get clear about your intentions and a create a plan for how you’ll communicate with your audience. 2. If you use you page primarily for business be mindful of what you post and if something upsets or irritates you especially as it relates to the way others reach out and communicate with you be sensitive to what you post and how you respond. Remember ~ your audience is always watching. 3. Train us how to treat you. If something upsets you instead of going on a rant on Facebook, turn the frustration into a teaching moment. For example, if you have a preference for how you’d like people to reach out to you consider creating a short video, or maybe write an article or record a podcast like what I’m doing here. Recommendations: To take it a step further and expand on the teaching experience perhaps by providing a template or script on ways you recommend people to reach out. Next, take the thing that frustrates you and use it as a learning experience for yourself and the audience that you’ve worked so hard to create – especially the one that’s watching you. And remember, we’ve all have had to ask for help on our entrepreneurial journey so be sensitive to the fact that people sometimes just aren’t aware of your particular protocols. Especially in this day and age with the internet and the globalization of our economy we’re creating connections with individuals whose language and communication style will assuredly be very different from our own. So again the more specific and clear you can be about your needs and freely share them the easier it will be for others to honor them. Social Media Etiquette: This ties into my second topic for this episode Social Media Etiquette ~ should you share everything that’s going on in your life or how you’re feeling on Facebook? Listen, I know that Facebook is a communication tool on mass, yes we use it create or foster relationships but in my opinion we don’t need a moment by moment accounting of how you spend your day. For example, telling us you just checked into a 7-11 or what you had for breakfast this morning. I get that for some of us it’s cool and sort of fun to share everything that’s going in our daily lives, but I also feel that these tools and the constant need to connect in my opinion actually becomes the vice that fosters separation from real live interactions. If we can’t look at the person sitting in front of us and say hello but we can blow up our Facebook page with moment by moment accountings of our daily activities somethings off. What I’m suggesting here is practice being present in the moment, tune into your existing environment and untether from technology a bit more. Personally I go to the beach a lot, I’m fortunate to live in a beautiful coastal community here in Central California and love getting out outside for some fresh air or going for a walk, often I bring my lunch, and a book or my iPad loaded with Podcasts I like to listen to and learn from. I refer to these precious times as my retreat afternoons. And lately I’ve tried practicing putting my phone in my backpack or turning it off completely. Fortunately I don’t have wifi at the ocean so it forces me to stay present to my surroundings. The gift: ideas come, revelations occur and often I return with renewed focus, ideas for future podcasts or Facebook posts. Many times I take photos with my iPad and if you’ve visited my Facebook page you’ve probably seen some of my photography. So I suggest carving out some personal time for yourself to have these creative inspirational downloads. Then when you share something with us on Facebook make something epic, something fun and light hearted, that gives us hope, and let’s us experience your world the way you see it. And this brings me to another topic which is marketing on Facebook. If you listened to episode 22 I dedicated that entire show to Facebook Marketing 101. I call it my foundational course on how to market your business on Facebook. If this interests you at all I recommend you check that out. Email Marketing Tips: If you find that your inbox has become unmanageable I found a resource you may wish to explore (with one caveat) I have not used Sanebox so explore at your own discretion. Email Marketing Strategies That Actually Work Special Report – click here to get my 3 Email Marketing Strategies You Can Deploy Immediately! Sanebox – https://www.sanebox.com/ What did you think about today’s show? I’d love to get your thoughts, comments and feedback. Leave them in the comments section below. Thank you for listening! To get more GPFYC content sent directly to your device as they become available, you can subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Also, reviews on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! I read each and every one of them, and feel free to share your URL there so I can contact you later and say thanks! If you have any questions head on over to AskRodney and leave your question there or if you prefer you can leave a voice message via Speakpipe. A wonderful online tool that allows you to leave a voice message up to three minutes in length, so get clear and be specific before you calling in. Finally, you can leave me a voice message via Google Voice at 858 413 7526.  Either way is fine it’s totally up to you, I’ll gather those messages and answer them via a future episode of the podcast. So ask away – I’m waiting for ya! The post GPFYC 024: The Art Of The Ask – Get What You Want Without Offending People or Getting Pissed Off! appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to make it as a financially successful artist? If you’re a visual artist, performing artist or someone with a creative passion and looking for ways to turn your creative passions into a sustainable business you’ll enjoy this weeks podcast. I’m pleased to bring you another interview from the Monetize Your Gifts Masterclass Series. Digital Artist and former gallery owner Carolyn Quan reveals the realities of being a successful artist today and simple shifts you can make that will make you stand out from the pack. I have no doubt you’ll find a lot value in my interview with Carolyn Quan: It Takes More Than Talent: What It Really Takes To Monetize Your Passion Please leave any comments or thoughts you have about this episode in the comments sections below: Carolyn’s Key Highlights: Keep your “art” products out there, no one can buy it if they can’t see it Carolyn uses press releases to keep her work “out there” in front of the media, but she’s clear that you must know who your market is and target your press releases very thoughtfully and strategically. Target your campaigns towards the right audience. For example, if you paint portraits of dogs you’ll want to pitch your stories to publications that cater to dog lovers. Know your market and ideal target customer and where they congregate and put yourself and your work in front of them. For example, if your work has a new age focus, then you may want to explore trade shows or art fairs that attract that type of audience. Don’t limit your in-person exposure to generic “art fairs”, you may have a better experience offering your new age inspired art work at holistic health/lifestyle expos than at a generic art fair where you’re competing with 600 other artists. You want to have diversity not only in your portfolio, but in your marketing mix. You have to be willing to experiment and try different things, for example offer a variety of product lines, and of course places where you showcase your work. Think outside of the box. The more variety you have the more likely you are to find something that hits. Once you uncover this just rinse and repeat. Just remember, you’re always testing. Testing different products, testing different markets, price points and marketing tools. Test, Test, Test. This principal is not just for selling art, but anything. If you try something and it doesn’t work all it means is that you haven’t found your thing ~ yet, there are multiple ways to get your work out there into the world and attract sales. When exploring places to show or display your work i.e trade shows, expos, art fairs etc, do your due diligence. First start your research process online to find organizations where you’d like to consider showing. Contact the event organizers and ask them about their demographics. Many have a media kit, ask them to send it you. Many have this information available online. If they’re an established organization they should have this data on hand and be eager to share it with you. When possible try to experience the event as a visitor first hand. Get a sense of the environment, how much foot traffic is the event attracting? Is it an indoor show or an outdoor show? How do the other vendors display their work? Are people actually buying art? Do you see business being transacted? Be mindful of your budget, kind in mind that corner spots, and spaces near a main stage or highly traffic areas cost more, so be prepared for that. Make sure your space aesthetically pleasing, consider adding things like flowers, perhaps have some quality chocolate at your booth. Key: interact and engage with your audience when they step into your space. Don’t pounce on your guests, but don’t be too laid back either. Make eye contact, smile and say hello, greet them. Avoid falling asleep at your booth. Bring an assistant or family member to support you, someone that can give you a break to walk the event, allow you to grab something to eat or go to the bathroom. Diversify your product line and offer a variety of price points especially something in the $20 range. Develop a database of media publications where you can send your press releases. The most part of your press release is the headline. It must capture the readers attention. It’s the deciding factor as whether we will continue reading the rest of the release. Leverage the power of small, if you live in a city outside major markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York for example, use your geographical location to your advantage. Smaller markets are impressed with “glamour” professions like artists. If you’ve received any national or international awards or any national media coverage don’t overlook local media outlets that are available in your own backyard. Have a media page on your website complete with your bio, a current headshot, images of your work, shows you’ve participated in, and links to any media mentions you’ve already received. Press coverage is press coverage and it all counts. Diversify your income streams. Look at your core product offerings and/or services and ask yourself “how many different ways can I make money from this?” Consider raising your prices on your one of kind items, an easy way to do this is to continue adding entry level price point items to your product mix, as you do the prices of your original pieces should an increase You must have a database of people (both by email or snail mail) you can reach out to whenever want and one that you can grow over time. Create and maintain a relationship with your list regardless of it’s size. It’s the single most important piece of marketing you’ll ever have. Retweetables: Keep your “art” products out there, no one can buy it if they can’t see it Click Here To Tweet This Quote Test, Test, Test. This principal is not just for selling art, but anything. Click Here To Tweet This Quote Publish a media page on your website w/ your bio, headshot, portfolio, past shows & links to any media mentions. Click Here To Tweet This Quote “Diversify your product line & offer a variety of price points especially something in the $20 range” Click Here To Tweet This Quote Download A PDF Copy Of Today’s Show Notes: Click here to subscribe to my mailing list and receive your copy of today’s show notes Additional Resources Mentioned On Today’s Podcast: Trust Me, I’m Lying (Confessions of a Media Manipulator) by Ryan Holiday Carolyn and I spoke at length about the importance of building a mailing list. To assist you on your path I’d like to gift a copy of my special report: Email Marketing Strategies That Actually Work Special Report Gift! Click here to subscribe to my mailing list and get copy of this free report! Carolyn Quan Contact Info: Website: http://carolynquan.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.quan Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/carolynquan The post GPFYC 023: It Takes More Than Talent: What It Really Takes To Monetize Your Passion appeared first on Rodney Washington.

On this special edition of the Get Paid For Your Creativity podcast you will learn how to use Facebook to market your art work and sell your creative products and services to a ever growing list of people eager for what you have to offer. This podcast episode is available as a video training, audio podcast and my slide deck from the video presentation. You have several options to engage with the content. You can watch the video tutorial, download the audio MP3 (above) and/or download my slide deck from the video training. I suggest you do that first before you listen to the audio so you can see my illustrated examples. Video Training: Slide Deck: Click here to download the PDF of the video presentation Bonus Gift: “Free Report Reveals… The 5 (Dirt Cheap) Tools I Use To Create All My Graphics (Including Facebook Album Covers)”  Additional Resources: PicMonkey.com – http://picmonkey.com Rodney Washington Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rodney-Washington/324180351077 Bessette Studios – https://www.facebook.com/BessetteStudios?ref=br_tf Retweetables: “Content is King, But Engagement is Queen” Click Here to Tweet This Quote  “Craft your posts using a narrative formula style. Actionable tips are the easiest to write” Click Here to Tweet This Quote “Rotate your album cover image so that you rank higher in the Facebook news feed” Click Here to Tweet This Quote   “Offer a blend between 10% marketing messages and 80-90% personal messages” Click Here to Tweet This Quote Did You Find This Training Valuable? If so please leave comments below, tell me what you liked about it, how could I improve feature trainings and what you’d like to see in the future. I do listen!  The post GPFYC 022: Facebook Marketing 101- How Do I Market My Business On Facebook? appeared first on Rodney Washington.

On this episode I’ve decided to change things up a little, recently on Episode 19 I devoted that show to listener questions and the response was amazing, the episode was downloaded and listened to over 107 times! Which I know probably doesn’t sound like a lot but it represented a major accomplish for me and for the show. More than anything I want my work to get out there and be consumed by the people that desire it and will use it to create businesses and lives that fulfill them. Hopefully that’s you if you’re listening. With that said I want to take a moment and say thank you Topics Covered On The Podcast: 3 Ways to Personalize The Client Experience #1 Focus On Relationship Building, Not One Shot Experiences. No matter what your skill level, your technical skills won’t matter much if you don’t know how to build and nurture relationships with current and potential clients as well as vendors. I’ll give you a tip! Don’t wait until you ‘need’ clients before you start working on building key relationships. Invite key contacts for coffee or lunch, find out what they need and see if you are good fit.  Focus on providing key contacts with something they need even if your efforts offer no immediate payoff. #2 Pick Up The Phone. I know it’s rare for businesses today to make cold calls. But sometimes it’s good practice to pick up the telephone just to say hello to your clients. Of course you don’t want to disturb or be a pest, but if you’re brief and to the point a phone call will generally be a well-received gesture. Alert your best clients to new offerings, or how they’re getting along with existing products or services they’ve purchased from you. We’ve become a society that continues to diminish the power of personal contact often in favor of non-personal electronic communication like text and email. But I’ll give you a tip: Picking up the telephone to say hello has suddenly become a novelty again. Try it – it works. #3 Invest In Good Quality Personalized Stationery.  Again in the age of electronic communication where we email this – and text message that, it seems that our society has forgotten the power of the handwritten note. Believe it or not people are beginning to re-appreciate the power of snail mail especially when it comes to personal correspondence. Taking the time to send a handwritten thank you note will go a long way towards cementing your reputation with current as well as potential clients and vendors. In addition, personalized stationary perhaps with your logo or branded color scheme will help to establish your identity with your client base. 3 Ways To Keep Clients Coming Back #1 Conduct A Pre Session Questionnaire. This can be something as simple as a printed card with check boxes asking questions regarding their favorite brand of bottled water, what type of music do they like to listen to, what colors do they feel and look best in, to their favorite snacks or type of flowers. Another option to the printed card is an online survey if you primarily conduct your business online. I recommend Survey Monkey to conduct surveys or questionnaires online – http://surveymonkey #2 Under Promise And Over Deliver. Often we feel that have to give away the farm in order to get clients. But I want to challenge you to change your thinking about this. Now I’m not suggesting that you become stingy with your services, quite the contrary. What I’m suggesting is that you focus on offering incredible value for the money your clients are paying. #3 Design A Premium Package. This is vital if you want to ratchet up your income quickly. We tend to only sell our services for one set price that we offer to everyone. I want you to move away from that paradigm as soon as possible. Consider offering at least three levels of packages – think of it as small, medium and large. Of course you want to make your premium package provide the greatest “wow” factor. By offering at least three packages, each with their own benefits and price points, you allow more of your prospects to find a level that works best for them and their budget. Bonus Tips: Think in terms of a ‘total’ experience. From the moment the client says “yes” all the way to delivery of the product or service, leave no stone unturned.  This includes print materials to the packaging, offer a private members viewing area on your website, add a custom blog and registration area, send birthday note cards, cater a private lunch etc. Setup an account with Sendoutcards.com to handle the fulfillment and delivery of custom note cards and small gift items. Consider partnering with other businesses that can provide complimentary service. For example restaurants or private chefs that can offer catered meals, spas that provide facials, massages, makeup artists, hair stylists, etc. Anything that can enhance your client’s experience. Read Purple Cow by Seth Godin, recommended in the next section. Additional Resources: Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk – http://amzn.to/1hUe5Gp Purple Cow by Seth Godin – http://amzn.to/1iT6daA Read “Emulate Drug Dealers” chapter excerpt from the book Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson – http://amzn.to/1fTrz2v Tweetables: Click To Tweet: “Make your client experience so memorable that they become evangelists for your brand” – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/021 Click To Tweet: “It’s far easier to get more money from a client that’s already paying you than to find a new one.” – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/021 Click To Tweet: “Your customers don’t care so much about you know, until you show them how much you care.” – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/021 Click To Tweet: “Your customers want to walk away feeling like they made a wise decision to work with you.” – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/021 My Gift To You: I’d like to gift you copy of one my best selling e-book from my Get Paid sries currently for sale on Amazon.com titled – “57 Ways To Monetize Your Gifts (And Create True Security For Yourself!)” I filled this book with tons of tips and inspirational ideals to help you stay on your entrepreneurial journey. As a matter of fact, I recently received this note on my Facebook page from Jackie: “Rodney, I finished your gifted 57 tips book today! So much good content!!! Thank you! It’s helping me get reconnected to my previous but now more improved path.” To pick your copy you can go here ==> http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/57gift Facebook Love: I’d love it if you’d “LIKE” my Facebook Page! I’ve provided an embedded post here in the show notes so you can see the e-book and like my page at the time. // Post by Rodney Washington. Don’t worry if you don’t know what an embedded post is, I’ll be talking more about this topic and a great deal more on a special edition podcast series I’m working on the subject of social media in particular Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. So stay tuned for that in the next episode of the podcast. The post GPFYC 021: Creating Experiences That Keep Clients Coming Back appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Are you shy or sheepish when it comes to speaking about your art work, especially asking potential customers to work with you or buy your work? If so you’re in luck because today’s episode is focused on Voicing Your Value: How To Use The Power of Your Authentic Voice To Communicate Effectively And Sell Your More of Your Art Without Feeling Like A Sell Out! Join me and my guest Transformational Voice and Money Coach Ariana Lise Newcomer as she shares some very powerful tips for creatives, especially artists who are tired of struggling month after month with money and are ready to create more freedom, financially and creatively in their lives. Ariana teaches artists, coaches, consultants, healers and creative entrepreneurs that the way we speak is the way we do money. On today’s episode you will receive several valuable tools and eye opening revelations that will forever change the way you view your money story, why you hold yourself back, and how to use your voice to create authentic relationship with potential clients and customers and sell more of your art without being a sell out or compromising your values. Episode Highlights: 4:02 – Why artists, creatives, healers, entrepreneurs hold themselves back vocally how to heal it 4:35 – How our money stories drive our communication and is a direct reflection of our income and sometimes why we feel if we make more money we’re no longer an artist or a sell out 8:26 – Ways your voice either attracts buyers and repels potential buyers 9:22 – Why women tend to have a harder time voicing their value 10:32 – Why it’s crucial to success to expand your view of public speaking 13:20 – The most common misconception creatives have when it comes to selling and how it’s killing their opportunities 16:11 – How to use authentic expression and animation to give our voices richness and color inviting our customers to engage with us deeper 19:49 – How to move beyond misplaced feelings of being a “sell out” and shift your view about money 25:24 – Ariana asks the audience a very thought provoking question that will expand your thinking about the true responsibility of money 28:02 – Why it’s so important to the sustainability of our planet to use our voices and our creativity in more compelling ways 32:22 – How we speak is a direct reflection of how we do money and the reveal our Archetype holds in improving our communication skills 35:15 – I asked Ariana to reveal the lessons she taught me regarding my Archetypes and how I was using them to hold myself back 36:52 – She reveals how you could be doing the same 38:15 – Ariana talks about the Authentic Voice and Sacred Money Archetypes® assessment and how listeners can get a copy and how to join her for a monthly Google Hangout she offers Inspirational Quote: Show Notes Resources: Money, A Love Story: Untangle Your Financial Woes and Create the Life You Really Want Paperback by Kate Northrup – http://amzn.to/1cTkOmo Revolutionize your Finances for More Fun, Freedom & Fulfillment – Monetize Your Gifts Masterclass teacher – Joetta Johnson Download a copy of Ariana’s gift Authentic Voice and Sacred Money Archetype Assessment when you visit her website – http://reclaimyourauthenticvoice.com Ariana offers a monthly Google Hangout titled: Dramatically Successful Public Speaking! When you register to download the assessment you will be kept abreast on the dates and times for the most current hangout. Visit the website at: http://reclaimyourauthenticvoice.com to get that. Connect with Ariana on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ReclaimYourAuthenticVoice Click to Tweet: One of the best ways to create money is through the work you love to do – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/020 – Click to Retweet –http://ctt.ec/Lf2WD Your work that you pour your heart & soul into deserves to be paid well – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/020 – Click to Retweet – http://ctt.ec/eE4fM Do you really want to leave the economy to the people who have been running it so far? http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/020 – Click to Retweet –http://ctt.ec/92co1 How we speak is a direct reflection of how we do money – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/020 – Click to Retweet – http://ctt.ec/q95oy Visit me on Facebook I’d love to connect with you there, you can see what I’m up to between episodes, I share a lot content that I don’t always post on the blog and as a matter of fact depending upon when you’re listening to this episode I’m about to embark on a major project that will center around social media in particular Facebook. I’ll be talking more about that project in the coming episodes but just know that April is going to be a major month for Get Paid and I want to connect with listeners there. My Gift To You! Click For Immediate Access To make sure that you do that I want to give you an incentive. It’s a copy of one of my Kindle books in the Get Paid series: 57 Ways To Monetize Your Gifts (And Create True Security For Yourself! In this book I share all kinds of inspirational nuggets and tips that you can use to get the most important asset in your business and your life running smooth. Your mind. I currently sell this book Amazon but I’d like you to have it for free no strings attached just listening to the show. To grab that go to http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/57gift and there you’ll find details to claim your copy. I’ll also leave that link in the show notes as well in case you’re driving or at the gym while listening to today’s show. Be sure to come back for next week’s episode of the podcast, it’s going to be a really special event and you won’t want to miss a moment of it. Until then, become what inspires you!. The post GPFYC 020: Voice Your Value – How To Use The Power of Your Authentic Voice To Communicate Effectively & Sell Your Art Without Feeling Like A Sell Out! appeared first on Rodney Washington.

This week I decided to bring back something I used to do when I originally launched the Get Paid For Your Creativity podcast, Q & A days. Originally I thought I’d offer them on Wednesday’s (that was when I was planning to do a five day a week show) but now with a once a week show I’ve decided to offer them when I have either enough questions being sent it by listeners like yourselves or once a month, whichever comes first. So if you want me anything about your business, even one you’re thinking about starting, marketing tips, life challenges you’re facing personally, professionally, send them in and I’ll do my best to answer them on future episodes. Of course if you don’t want your name used just tell me that I respect everyone’s anonymity, usually I’ll just reference your first name as a way to introduce the question. Now, if you’d like to send me question that you’d like me to address on a future episode of the show I’m going to give you three ways to do here: 1. Visiting my website at getpaidforyourcreativity.com and click on the red “Send Voicemail” tab on the right side of the blog. You can leave a short, message I believe up to two minutes so be brief, be clear and get to the point. In other words if it’s a short question use the “Send Voicemail” tab hosted by Speakpipe. 2. Another way is to call my business voice for a longer message and that number is 1-858-413-7526. Even though you can talk longer I still appreciate it if you get to the point quickly and be clear, so give your question some thought before you call that way I can serve you better with my answer. 3. The final way is good old fashion email. You can email your question to: askrodney@getpaidforyourcreativity.com This has been a very interesting week in the fact that I’ve had three separate interactions with three different individuals with one thing in common. They are experiencing some struggling in the areas of finance and business so I’d thought “why not address them via a podcast?” Now before I go any further I’m not using real names, I’m not about outing anyone, but I know in my heart that the things I’m about on today’s may resonate with some of you, perhaps these are things that’ either you’ve either struggled with at some point in your life, or you know someone who’s going through similar. Since these questions slash comments are very similar I’ve decided to answer them together because I really feel this is an opportunity for growth and healing for everybody listening especially in the areas of personal responsibility. Throughout the interactions the common theme I’m keep seeing is taking responsibility for ones results. Responsibility comes from making choices about what actions we should or should not take. In either case the results of those decisions are ours. What I have found in the coaching world ~ in the particular the business coaching world is what I find the “feel good” mentality which I’m personally find unsettling. In other words people making business/financial decisions based on how someone or event or music or lighting, clapping or shaking our booties or enticement of horderves makes us feel. In a typical business coaching event setting there’s a lot of emphasis on emotions, getting to the heart of what’s really going on, often tears are shed, bottom line, emotions are running high and in my opinion sound judgement is not the curriculum vitae. In other words if you’re making a decision to hire someone to help you with your business and you can barely see the check because of the tears in your eyes (be it either from joy, fear or relief that you’ve found your “tribe” that understands you) you might want to take a step back and let some of that energy run through you before you start making financial decisions that affect your future based on a intensified emotion. Now I want to be clear I’m not putting down business coaching or the coaching industry, I offer business coaching, but before you hire a coach in my opinion you should try to get as clear as you can about where you’re at currently and what you’re needing to move forward. Take the intensified emotion out of the equation and give yourself the gift of time in order to achieve clarity about your true needs. Here is my recipe for getting clear about your needs before hiring anyone to help you with your business. Is the business you’re considering viable? In order for a business to be viable it needs to address three things. Will this business you’re considering serve you in all three of these areas: Emotionally/mentally? Physically? Financially? Let me me explain, if you’re trying to get a business going but you’re having a hard time getting clients or customers, most likely you’re not talking to either a.) the right target audience, b.) you’re addressing the wrong problem, c.) you’re offering the wrong solution. In either instance you’re going to struggle needlessly. I say needlessly because if you keep going after the wrong people, or the right people with the wrong thing, eventually your confidence is going to get tired of getting kicked in the teeth. Now you have an emotional/mental problem as well as financial one. And if you’re worried about money all the time you’re probably not getting enough rest and so your physical well being is put in jeopardy. It just creates this vicious cycle and it’s at this point that many want-to-be-entrepreneurs grab for the nearest information product that promises to turn things around but rarely if ever does because ~ go back over that list of three reasons why your stuff probably isn’t selling enough. The option is to hire a business coach. Like I said nothing wrong with it, I recommend it, but ~ before you consider hiring a coach do your homework. What’s your homework? Get clear about the current state of your business. Ask yourself: Am I start up, usually making under $100,000.00? Typically much less than that. Do I have a business that’s viable meaning is it serving me financially, emotionally/mentally and physically? If it isn’t that fine, but use this level of awareness to help you explore and investigate which coach or programs might be right for you. Finally don’t allow financial pressure to entice you to make an unsound business decision. If you can’t afford to pay your mortgage or rent a business coach probably can’t tell you anything that’s going to make any significant difference in your current circumstances. This brings me to the coaches responsibility. While I know there are some wonderful, caring people out there dedicated to helping others. I’d be doing you a huge disservice by suggesting there aren’t charlatans out there looking to make a quick buck offering nothing more than empty promises of overnight wealth. Hopefully your BS radar is tuned in high enough that you can detect this type of foolishness when it presents itself and make the conscious decision to move on quickly. But again, this goes back to making business decisions based on facts, not emotions. So back to the coaches responsibility to you. Simply your coach can only work with what you bring to them. In other words if you’re financially, mentally and physically broken don’t expect a business coach or any coach for that matter to fix you. It’s not their responsibility. Part of your responsibility to be honest with them about where you’re at. And for you to listen to them to see if they have the expertise to meet you where you’re at. So if you’re a start up and the coach you’re considering specializes in 7-figure businesses, they probably aren’t the coach for you. At least not now. But if you’re just getting started and you need some support to place legs under your business there are coaches that specialize in that, but ~ it’s up to you to be honest with yourself. Nothing with exploring the options available to you but leave your wallet at home until you know what you need. Now this brings me to a question about confidence. I read a comment recently written by someone who I know to be an extremely capable and very talented entrepreneur that read ~ I don’t have self doubts around my business value and contribution, just about me as a person ~ end quote. I found this statement very intriguing because quite frankly I don’t get the separation. When you’re a one man/women show or solo operation the results you get in your business fall solely on you. Who else would they fall on? For example, you can’t blame the sales staff for low numbers. You are the sales staff!! So if you doubt yourself as a person wouldn’t it stand to reason that that thinking would affect your business results? If you doubt yourself then doubt is in charge and guess what? Doubt is running the show. It’s deciding what opportunities to look at and which ones to ignore. It’s deciding who to call that could help you and who to shy away from. Doubt is fear. I don’t want to sound harsh, but you’re kidding yourself if you think that you don’t also doubt your abilities (at least to some degree) in your business. You are the business and the business is you ~ ALL OF YOU! And where fear lives nothing else can. My suggestion is you decide who’s running the show, what do you want? What are you going to do to get it! Doubt, fear and all. Finally this brings me to confidence. Many of us falsely believe that confidence is something we go out and get, then we act on our dreams. WRONG! Confidence come because we take action ~ especially when we “don’t know what we are doing” Books: Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind (The 99U Book Series) – http://amzn.to/1lQK9Ae Maximize Your Potential: Grow Your Expertise, Take Bold Risks & Build an Incredible Career (The 99U Book Series) – http://amzn.to/1nf5R2D Think and Grow Rich Prosperit

Hello and welcome, this week I have something very special to bring to you, I decided to go into my archives and pull a very special interview I did this past spring with a dear friend and colleague Rita Deo Barber. Rita was a part of a three event I held last spring called The Monetize Your Gifts Masterclass, she was the final presenter on the last day of the event and she shared some really valuable content that I know is just as fresh and relevant as when she first presented. On this interview we talk about the power of visualization, asking for what you want, using social media responsibly and dealing with those pesky naysayers ~ the people that you may have in your life, although I really hope you don’t that tell you are crazy for going for your dreams. This is interview is packed with so much content that I had to create a downloadable summary guide along with the regular show notes I provide with every podcast. You can get that summary guide along with today’s show notes on this page. I’ll provide a link to get that guide which I suggest you download and use while you’re listening. Although if you’re driving or on a walk or a working at the gym you won’t be able to download it, but as soon as get back to your desk I suggest you do that. I also one additional caveat to share with regarding the summary sheet Rita made an offer for a six week course at the end of the original presentation. It would be safe to assume that offer is no longer available as this recording was taken several months ago. But, if you found value with the things Rita had to share, as I no doubt feel you will feel, free to reach out to her and see what current programs she might be offering, possibly something similar to her original offer ~ a six week tele-course. And tell her how you heard of her via the podcast. It is my firm belief that each and everyone one of us is gifted at something. Unfortunately, many of us walk through life never fully knowing what our true gift actually is or worst, knowing it, and totally ignoring it because of self doubt, fear, and myriad of other afflictions that stop us dead in our tracks ~ usually before we’re about to have a breakthrough. This is a topic that if very near and dear to my heart. Show Highlights: Converting Your Inspiration Into Your Professional Message – Finding Your Voice Defining and Refining Your Message – Sharing Your Voice Overcoming the Naysayers – Allowing Your Voice to Rise Above 12:02 – Not certain about your next step? Rita shares a very powerful technique to get into action quickly 15:57 – Rita gives a powerful inspirational exercise on how we can create our reality and favorable circumstances for ourselves. 18:07 – She tells the story of how she met her dream mentor and got him to take her on as a client just because she had the courage to invite him for coffee. Why asking for what you want is vital to getting what you want 23:35 – Rita talks about how she manifested a new car for herself just by setting focused intention on the goal 29:15 – How to turn your ask into a powerful message that makes people want to help you 31:02 – Use the power of “no” to find out how to get what you want from anybody you ask for help. Including the person that turned you down. 35:54 – Why your expectations is the key to getting what you want 39:19 – Why now is the perfect time to turn your inspiration into your vocation 42:33 – Use social media to communicate your message, and create powerful connections 43:42 – Rita shares a powerful way she uses LinkedIn to accomplish her goals and what breakfast cereal has to do with raising your platform 48:17 – Rita talks about why image is so important especially ~ on social media 52:27 – How to deal with naysayers and dream killers 56:02 – 3 things you can do to move past someone shooting down your dreams Tweetables: Tweet this with one click: @ritabarber “Our problem that we don’t have big enough dreams, our problem is we don’t dream big enough” Tweet this with one click: @ritabarber “Most people who are successful want to help other people become successful” Tweet this with one click: @ritabarber “It’s great to have gifts, but you must understand that people want to give to us” Tweet this with one click: @ritabarber “When someone says no, thank them as if they said yes” Tweet this with one click: @ritabarber “Your life is a work of art, no one has a dream without the ability to make it a reality” Tweet this with one click: “Something miraculous always happens when you put intention backed up with action towards your dream” Tweet this with one click: “You never know where your blessing is going to come from so always be ready to receive” Additional Show Notes & Resources: The Millionaire Course: A Visionary Plan for Creating the Life of Your Dreams – http://amzn.to/MMb7JS Visionary Business: An Entrepreneurs Guide To Success – http://amzn.to/NT9Ul9 Listen to GPFYC Episode 015: Visualizing Your Story, Create The Script And Turn It Into A Mind Movie You’ll Love for additional tips on visualizing your ideal life – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/015/ Listen to my sample Masterclass Interview with Millionaire by 25 Creator, Corey Wadden where he talks about creating a vision book – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/corey/ Build A Loyal & Profitable YouTube Following with Erin Huggins – Quote: “ If you’re not using video now you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to reach your target market.” – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/erin/ Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want by Barbara Sher – http://amzn.to/1kx4evg Making a Living Without a Job, revised edition: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love – by Barbara Winter – http://amzn.to/1cB7QEu Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future – by Dorie Clark – http://amzn.to/1c7Ywgk Google Keyword Research Tool – (renamed the Google Planner) – https://adwords.google.com/o/KeywordTool Click here to download that FREE summary sheet to accompany today’s episode. (Please note doing so will subscribe to my mailing list!) I promise not spam you or share your information The post GPFYC 018: Turn Your Inspiration Into Your Vocation: Do’s and Don’ts for Giving Legs and Voice to Your Gift appeared first on Rodney Washington.

On todays episode I’m pleased to introduce you to Life Coach, Martial Artist, writer, speaker, husband and friend to many Oscar Perez. Oscar is originally from El Paso Texas, but now calls the seaside community of Santa Cruz California home.  He holds a PhD from Brown University, where he focused his research on identity development and  cross-cultural storytelling. A life-long martial artist, Oscar incorporates his knowledge of martial arts practice and philosophy into helping his clients overcome personal limitations and fears.  His interdisciplinary approach is the foundation for a proven method of creating personal transformation and achieving massive success. He envisions a world with strong leaders that believe in change.  Who embody change by living their passion and using their natural talents to empower others.  Finds the fire that resides inside themselves to overcome obstacles and make a difference. Living lives full of fulfillment while creating opportunities for others to also be fulfilled, that’s what we’re going to talk about today on the podcast! How to be true to ones self, find your passion and purpose especially in situations where you may be dealing with old family programming or current situations where you’re still heavily engaged in the day to day family dynamic affects your dreams. Episode Highlights: Oscar Perez quote: “In our society, we have been taught that work equals purpose.  Even worse, we have been taught that accumulating money and material possessions is the purpose of a successful life.  The more we buy into this belief, the more bottomless the pit for money and things becomes.” Show Notes & Resources: Oscar’s Articles WTF Am I Doing With My Life: http://www.inlakechcoaching.com/in-lakech-blog/2014/1/1/wtf-am-i-doing-with-my-life The Ties That B(L)ind: http://www.inlakechcoaching.com/in-lakech-blog/2014/1/27/the-ties-that-blind Contact Info: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/El.Nomada.Carin Tumbler: http://inlakechcoaching.tumblr.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/OscarPerez023 Blog: INLAK’ECH Coaching: http://www.inlakechcoaching.com/ Recommended Reading: David Richo, Shadow Dance: Liberating the Power and Creativity of Your Dark Side –  http://amzn.to/1fpTXyv Carl G. Jung, The Undiscovered Self – http://amzn.to/1mGljVc  Connie Zwieg and Jeremiah Abrams (Eds.), Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature – http://amzn.to/1euCQpb Danielle LaPorte’s book the Desire Map – http://www.daniellelaporte.com/thedesiremap/#&slider1=3 Previous GPFYC episodes referenced on today’s show: Believing In Yourself – Episode 6 – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/6/ Don’t Quit, Taking Care of The CEO Inside! – Episode 014 – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/14/  Visualizing Your Story, Create The Script And Turn It Into A Mind Movie You’ll Love  Episode 015 – http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/015/ Tweetables: Click here to tweet this: “If you tell your friends you’re going for a dream and you get push back, could be an indication you’re on the right path” Click here to tweet this: “Whether or not the people closet to you accept the vision you have for your life isn’t any of your business” Click here to tweet this: @OscarPerez023 “If nobody is hating on what you’re doing, then you’re doing something wrong” http://bit.ly/1o4rxcH Click here to tweet this: @OscarPerez023 “Learn to use criticism as fuel to pursue your passions” http://bit.ly/1o4rxcH #successtips Click here to tweet this: @OscarPerez023 “They’re are no better followers than the ones that initially doubted us” Click here to tweet this: @OscarPerez023 “Success is the result of a life well lived, not just the accumulation of digits on a bank statement” Click here to tweet this: @OscarPerez023 “Often we approach happiness like it’s a perpetual state of being, focus instead on fulfillment” Steve Jobs Quote: Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. ~ Steve Jobs Did you find what you learned today valuable? Would you like more FREE tips, resources, and trainings including podcasts like the one you listened to today? If so why not join the Monetize Your Gifts Community? It’s sooo simple, just Click Here to open an instant opt-in box then enter your contact info and I’ll rush you a FREE Gift! I look forward to seeing you on the other side! The post GPFYC 017: How To Be True To Yourself and Find Your Purpose appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Debbie Horovitch is a social media consultant, speaker, trainer and author of the upcoming book Celebrity Hangouts on Air, which shows people how to use Google’s newest video chat tool, to create a series of themed video chat shows that attract celebrity guests, build unlimited audience, and generate sponsor revenue, all while meeting specific business objectives. On episode 016 of the podcast Debbie talks about the power of Google+ Hangouts and how they can be used to rapidly grow your audience, create authentic engagement, and dramatically expand your media reach. And the best part it’s a totally free platform and as you will learn on the podcast one you shouldn’t ignore. She has just opened up a limited number of memberships within the Celebrity Hangouts on Air community, where you can take the training that I’ve taken!, participate or volunteer to work on other Hangouts on Air shows and even post your own shows upcoming to share in the Celebrity Hangouts on Air awareness & exposure. Debbie’s Get Started Tips: When planning your Google+ Hangouts On Air think, “How can I angle my story to fit in with a conversation that already exists?” You can prepare for your first hangout by watching other people’s hangouts To find those hangout go the google search and type in your keywords plus the word hangouts and see what comes up. Example: “your subject + hangouts” Also go to: https://plus.google.com/s/Events/events and enter your keywords in the search field and explore the results Visit the links you locate and note on how they produce their hangouts for example, do they have guests or is it a single host show? What topics did they talk about? Was the topic interesting? What kind of interaction or engagement did they have? Was the video hangout embedded on the hosts blog or website or did you watch on Youtube for example? How could you expand on the topic further? How would you do yours differently? What new value could you bring to viewers? How could you fill a hole that exists in the marketplace? Ask yourself how can I create show that I wished existed but cannot yet find? Search for experts (book authors are perfect for this by the way) that have a book that aligns with the subject of your hangout and invite them to be a guest on your hangout. Create a calendar for future shows you plan to produce so when potential guests inquire about being a guest you have an offering of multiple dates to propose to them. Show Highlights: 32:56 – Debbie gives listeners a fantastic idea for creating authentic customer engagement for a Los Angeles based cupcake shop owner that you could model in your business. 37:49 – Get an amazing tip on how to distribute your Google+ Hangouts to other bloggers and content producers even while your show is being broadcast live! 43:46 – Learn how to pre-schedule your Google Hangouts On Air and why you want to do this for your pre-marketing efforts. Producers note: (Please accept my apology for the paper rustling at this point in the podcast) 47:45 – Why using Youtube Annotations is a great way to generate leads, create a list and grow your audience for future hangouts. To learn how to do this watch the training video by Youtube Marketing Expert James Wedmore. 49:33 – Why capturing leads is crucial if you want to grow your audience and the tool Debbie and I both use Leadpages 51:12 – The big ah-ha moment Debbie had that’s totally changed her business, and why you must attention if you’re entrepreneur doing business online in 2014! 56:35 – How to multi-purpose your past hangouts to attract new audiences and capture new leads 1:00:40 – Why it’s important to book future guests well in advance of recording your hangout so you have more time to market your show 1:03:44 – Debbie’s walks listeners through how they can get more with her newly launched membership community for upcoming Hangout On Air producers! How to Add External Links to your Google Hangouts+ Youtube videos with Video Marketing Expert – James Wedmore. Direct Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj76jOxO2ts Tweetables: Click here to tweet this: “Your audience is looking for insights, your expertise, and your ability to help them” – http://bit.ly/1j6HqPw Click here to tweet this: “People aren’t looking for perfection, but authentic connection” – http://bit.ly/1j6HqPw Experts featured on the show: Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch co-authors  APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur: How To Publish A Book and one of Debbie’s first celebrity guest on her Authors and Publishers Google+ OnAir Hangout – http://amzn.to/1c073wq Sandi Krakowski – Digital Marketing Expert – How To Build Culture Online Using Online Video: http://www.arealchange.com/blog/build-culture-video-online How to Get The Most Out Your Video Experience Episode #90: The Psychology Of Video & Video Marketing Success http://arealchange.tv/2014/02/a-real-change-tv-episode-90-the-psychology-of-video-video-marketing-success/ Debbie’s Gift: Quick Start Guide Get Your Google+ Hangouts On Air In An Instant! http://celebrityhangoutsonair.com/quickstarthoa Debbie’s Training: To learn more about Debbie’s training program and Google+ Hangout Community http://celebrityhangoutsonair.com/join2014 Contact info for Debbie Horovitch: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sparkle_Agency Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CelebrityHangoutsOnAir Website: http://www.thesparkleagency.com/ Did you find what you learned today valuable? Would you like more FREE tips, resources, and trainings including podcasts like the one you listened to today? If so why not join the Monetize Your Gifts Community? It’s sooo simple, just Click Here to open an instant opt-in box then enter your contact info and I’ll rush you a FREE Gift! I look forward to seeing you on the other side! The post GPFYC 016: Get Started With Google+ Hangouts With Debbie Horovitch appeared first on Rodney Washington.

If you had to create a visual representation of your journey as a creative entrepreneur what it be? Would it be a comedy? Maybe a drama or a horror movie? Or would it be an action adventure or perhaps even a sci-fi flick? Whatever it is YOU and you alone are the writer, director and camera person of your life movie! Unfortunately the problem many of us as entrepreneurs face is not always feeling in control of our experiences, or least our responses to them and as a result many of us fall into the “less than desirable” movie genres. On today’s podcast it’s my intention to inspire you to take control back by providing you with some fun – and I think pretty cool tools designed to shift your focus and reignite your passion not only towards creating not only a business, but a lifestyle that you truly love. In the show notes featured below you’ll find links to three free to low cost tools to turn your visual story into a magnificent mind movie! But before I do that first let me tell you what inspired the episode. Recently Facebook added a really cool feature called “A Look Back” an automated video slide show presentation set to melodic music sharing visual highlights of your journey as a user on the platform. Side note: If you’re a Facebook user and would like to create your own visit the link below provided in the show notes. After I created my video and viewed it several times it got me thinking about my own entrepreneurial journey. I was reminded of the milestones I’ve reached over the past six years like getting my book to #1 on Amazon.  The amazing clients I’ve had the joy to work with, the photos I’ve taken, and of course all of the wonderful comments, likes and shares on my posts. It was very reflective to see my life (or at least my life on Facebook) flashed across the screen in 60 seconds reminding me of my accomplishments. So I thought it be fun to encourage you to do something similar, again if you’re a Facebook user click on the “A Look Back” link and press play to see what comes up for you both on the movie and the images the program selects. Another side note: you can change the images if you don’t like what Facebook selects. Afterward – and this was super important for me, notice how you feel after you view the completed video and ask yourself: Am I happy with what I’ve accomplished so far? What images would reflect the experiences I would like to add to my next video? What “next steps”can I take to make this my reality? As always I love to conclude each podcast episode with next step action steps to help you get focused quickly by placing physical energy on your dreams. Here are some additional resources I discovered that will support you in creating visual mind movies of your goals and lifes ambitions. Show Note Resources: Facebook Look Back: https://www.facebook.com/lookback/ Again, if you just want to play with this idea and you’re currently a Facebook user check out this cool resource. You’ll literally create a movie and have the ability to share it on your FB timeline using the content you’ve already uploaded to the platform in less than 10 seconds. Animoto: https://animoto.com If you want to go a little deeper and play even further I recommend Animoto. It’s essentially the exact same service as “Facebook Lookback” but Animoto allows you many more options of music and longer video run times if you upgrade to the paid service. Additional Notes: If you decide to upgrade your free account to the pay plan it’s only $5 a month or $30 a year, once you do you’ll have access to their library of over 600 plus songs or you can upload your own, you also have the option to upload your own photos or video clips if you desire. Otherwise with the free service you’re limited to a 30 second clip allowing you to upload about nine to ten images, add a few text captions and select a 30 second audio clip from their library. In my opinion the videos look great! I created a sample mind movie to illustrate my passion for luxury travel. Have a look and let me know what you think in the comments, I really do care World Travel Mind Movie 2 Speaking of sharing, after you create your video the site offers social share feature in case you want to share your creation with the world on all of the social media platforms or you can embed it on your blog like what I’ve done. Mindmovies: http://www.mindmovies.com/ If you’re ready to go even further and make something really custom you might want to check out these guys out. Side note: I’ve not used their product so I can’t vouch for their quality or service, but I’ve known of them for about four years and they seem to have some really cool features like a podcast, how to training videos designed to help you create your exciting Mind Movies, as well as several endorsements from teachers of “The Secret”. Please note: This is a paid service $97 dollars (please note I’m not affiliated with the company in anyway so if you decide to purchase anything I’m not receiving a commission) If this topic has peaked your curiosity and you’d like to explore further on your own, perhaps do some additional self study on the power of your mind you might want to explore the following books: – Instructions For Happiness and Success by Susie Pearl – http://amzn.to/1g0VdXh – Creative Visualization Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain – http://amzn.to/1ePe5Iu Click to Tweet: Tweet: “The more light you allow within you, the brighter the world you live in will be.” @ShaktiGawainOne Did you find what you learned today valuable? Would you like more FREE tips, resources, and trainings including podcasts like the one you listened to today? If so why not join the Monetize Your Gifts Community? It’s sooo simple, just Click Here to open an instant opt-in box then enter your contact info and I’ll rush you a FREE Gift! I look forward to seeing you on the other side! The post GPFYC 015: Visualizing Your Story, Create The Script And Turn It Into A Mind Movie You’ll Love appeared first on Rodney Washington.

This episode of the Get Paid For Creativity Podcast is all about taking care of the Inner CEO! Here’s some of what I covered on this week’s episode: – If it’s your dream – don’t quit! – What’s been going on with me these past six months – How successful entrepreneur takes care of themselves mentality, physically, emotionally and financially Creating your success plan that includes the following seven points: 1. Get clear about you want using the Work/Lifestyle Template {download yours in the show notes below} 2. Select a business model that works with your ideal life 3. Maintain your faith, if you do – you’ll be guided to the way to achieve your dream – take care of yourself 4. Ask for help 5. Be careful what and WHO you let into your life 6. Be open to a dream being bigger than what you currently believe is possible 7. If you believe in the dream and the path you’re currently on keep going regardless of how “things appear” Show Notes Mentions & Resources Guide: Joel Osteen’s – You Have Hidden Treasures! Please Note: On the podcast I said I would offer a link to Joel Osteen’s Podcast on iTunes but I think it was removed from his podcast library so I located his sermon on Youtube. It’s the exact same message just in video instead of audio. Joel talks about the power of faith and awakening dormant dreams that we often won’t allow to come the surface because fear. I found it very inspirational especially the story of Susan Boyle. The Daily Dose: 365 Inspirational Quotes To Achieve Your Ultimate Dreams in One Year or Less by Asher Williams – [Kindle Ebook] Monetize Your Gifts Starter Guides includes four templates including the Work/Lifestyle Template I suggested on the podcast. Bonus Plus: if you’d like the complete set of templates including my Income Generation Worksheets and Income Idea Generator Starter Guide I’ve made them available by subscription Click here to subscribe to my mailing list for instant access! You’ll receive updates by email on future episodes of the Get Paid For Your Creativity Podcast and complimentary subscriber only classes I offer. See you on the other side! Louise Hay – Heal Your Life talks about the metaphysical causes of physical symptoms that manifest in the body. Barbara Winter – Author of Making A Living Without A Job is quoted as saying, “The business you start will not be the one you end up with” If you’re looking for physical support in your business I recommend exploring elance.com to locate freelancers offering everything from web site programming, book editing and formatting, to graphics design and host of other services. Finally I’ll close this episodes show notes with this inspirational quote by Visionary Entrepreneur, Author and Speaker Jim Rohn “After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because what’s important is not the million dollars; what’s important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire.” — Jim Rohn Feel free to leave comments below about todays show and leave suggestions for future episodes of the Podcasts. I really want this to be a resource that helps you fulfill your dreams. The post GPFYC 014: Don’t Quit, Taking Care of The CEO Inside! appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Today I am beyond honored and thrilled to introduce you to a very special guest for Expert Interview Thursday, Chris Ford. He and his partner Andrew Nicora launched StitchesnDishes.com the very influential and sought after food blog focused on the mobile food movement in the summer of 2011. In just two short years Chris and Andrew turned their passion for food, photography, video production and media into a blogging and social media empire that averages over 5000 unique visitors daily, and over 12k fans on Facebook. Among their achievements SND has garnered the attention of The Food Networks hit television program Eat Street as well as Celebrity Chef’s Gordon Ramsay and most recently Paula Dean. On today’s podcast Chris shares the hard earned insider tips and strategies he used to turn an ambitious idea into a highly recognized blog and rapidly growing brand. Enjoy! Blogging Based On Your Passion: 1. Why are you launching a blog? Decide if your purpose for creating a blog is about a desire to share a passion for a particular hobby or interest? Or is your motivation more of a strategic move, like growing your companies brand for example? 2. Create goals with specific targets you want to reach in mind. In Chris’s case he wanted to attract the attention of the major media outlets like the Food Network. So he set out to create a highly professional looking blog, with superior content that would attract their attention. Besides the actual production of the blog, what’s your first target goal? Who’s radar are you trying to get on? 3. Know your reader? Describe them in detail, what do they want? What are they looking for? Create content for them, it’s the cornerstone of your blog. 4. Establish a strategic marketing and public relations plan to reach them, using your blog as the vehicle. 5. Who are the centers of influence that reach your ideal reader currently? How can you get on their radar? 6. Try to create a small team to help you build your brand, especially in the areas that you’re not strong like graphic design, blog development, copy editing, etc. 7. When you’re first starting out try to post at least once a day. Make sure it’s high quality content that the search engines will pick up in order to help you reach your audience. Once you begin building momentum you can adjust your schedule accordingly. Tip: For the first six months it’s really critical that you post a lot of content. Chris suggested focusing your early efforts on creating a bank of articles or other forms of content like videos, podcasts, images, etc and have them hand to pre-schedule out over a few weeks. 8. Using proper keywords and search engine optimization is still very important. Two tools I recommend are Google Keyword Tool and Keyword Spy to find relevant keyword terms on which to base your content. WordPress, Blog Design & Hacking Issues: It’s important that you keep up with all WordPress updates to keep your blog current, and reduce the chances of hacking. If you purchase a themed template make sure that the developer has accountable service support system to help you with any changes or challenges that come up. Chris chose Magazine 3 as the blogging platform  – http://magazine3.com/ Key Point: Make sure what ever platform you select it’s a responsive theme. Response themes are key today because your visitors are not viewing your blog exclusively on their desktop computer. Readers today are mobile, many preferring to interact with your content via their smart phones and tablets. Your blog needs to respond to whatever device they have and provide a seamless viewing experience. The Marketing Plan: Getting Eyeballs Persistency and Consistency is key if you want to have a successful blog. Know where your core is based and create your presence on the platform they use. Be it any of the social media platforms. Interaction and engagement is critical, even if you aren’t receiving much in return in the early days of your blog don’t be afraid to put in the time. It seems pointless at times when no one seems to engaging but keep at it. Key point: Don’t give up! Announce all of your blog posts on your chosen social media platform. This must be the one your audience frequents.  Constantly encourage engagement. For example, ask questions of your readers, in the form of following feedback, comments, shares, likes etc. Establishing relationships with brand ambassadors is also extremely key, in Chris’s case he had two: The popular show Eat Street hosted on the Food Network and the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Additional Branding Tips: Let your personality show, readers want to know that there is a real life human person behind the blog and not a corporate persona. Watch and be mindful of your blog analytics. But more important, pay extra close attention to what your readers are responding to. What blog posts are they engaging with and which ones they aren’t? Increase the frequency of the blog posts that attract higher engagement. Having a tight focus is very important. Think niche audience, niche topic, niche focus, especially in the beginning. It will save you time and marketing dollars. Resist the urge to take on too many projects in the beginning, focus on content, and audience engagement before you add products, services, etc. Your Top Priorities: Define your niche Set up a solid platform Build your audience Content, content, content Engagement, engagement, engagement Keep an eye on your stats, install Google Analytics when you first publish your blog Continue developing content based on engagement Find and establish relationships with your brand ambassadors Have a goal before you start, with a targeted set points on want you to accomplish Don’t become discouraged and quit too soon because you aren’t getting immediate results. It takes time to build a solid audience and longer to monetize, your audience wants to know you’re going to stick around GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE! It’s the fastest way to create reader engagement and establish relationships with people that can help you get the word out. Creating Brand Ambassadors If you want someone influential in your niche to become your brand ambassador, you need to start by becoming theirs. Chris shares specific examples: Retweet their Tweets Share and comment on their Facebook pages and blog posts Send notes of congratulations when they accomplish something big Once they notice that you are featuring them, by sharing their content they will typically want to return the favor. Ask for what you want without being disrespectful or pushy. If someone says no, or you don’t get a response, it may not be the final answer. Remember persistency and consistency! Click here if you’d like to learn more about Chris’s fundraising campaign to support Paula Dean and her Bag Lady Foundation. RESOURCES NOTES: StitchesnDishes – http://stitchesndishes.com StitchesnDishes Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/stitchesndishes Google Keyword Tool – http://www.googlekeywordtool.com/ Google Analytics for WordPress – http://wordpress.org/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/ Keyword Spy – http://www.keywordspy.com/ Magazine 3 – http://magazine3.com Studio Press – (is another very popular WordPress Platform Tool) – http://www.studiopress.com/ WordPress – http://wordpress.org/ Additional Tutorials & Training Materials for WordPress  Darren Rowse is the godfather of professional blogging, he’s the founder of Problogger.net and had written numerous books on the subject. I’ve a provided a link to his extensive library of training e-books if you’re new to blogging. Online WordPress Training Check out the online tutorials WordPress Library by Lynda.com – http://www.lynda.com/WordPress-training-tutorials/330-0.html Are You intimidated At The Idea of Creating Content? I’ve created a special PDF report featuring three simple content creation tips that you create often with nothing more than your current smart phone. 3 Content Creation Options That You Can Create Quickly For Your Blog HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT TODAY’S EPISODE? 1. Send me an email at: askrodney@getpaidforyourcreativity.com 2. Send me a voice message at 858-413-7526 or 3. Online via – http://speakpipe.com/rodneywashington ENJOYED TODAY’S EPISODE?  If so it would mean a great deal if you’d share the love and I’ve made super duper simple to do just that. Below you’ll find a special link please click on that link to be directed to a pre-written tweet. All you have to do is click tweet to send out the tweet to all of your followers. http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/shareit Also if you have any tips, thoughts, or suggestions on how I can make the show better or just share your thoughts on today’s episode leave a comment to this blog post. HELP THE SHOW! I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for Rodney’s podcast! Thank you so much for your support, and remember, express yourself with passion, live on purpose everyday! The post GPFYC 009: Blogging Based On Passion appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Welcome to Over The Hump Q & A Wednesday, on today’s episode I will share part two on how creative entrepreneurs can create a simple business plan that supports their passions. During part one of this podcast series I challenged the role of the traditional model of a business plan and shared how creative entrepreneurs must think differently if they want to create a plan that’s allows them to not only fully express, but thrive.   There are five components to this plan and in part one I shared for the first three: 1.) A true roll up your sleeves kind of passion, 2.) The development of a product or service that you truly love creating, something based on sweat equity and passion and, 3.) A way to share your passion with others that will entice them to want to work with you now and in the future. On today’s show I elaborate further on the third point from episode one of the podcast series – Share your passion with others and entice them to want to work with you. The best way to accomplish this is by getting clear on how you’re different from your competition and highlighting your point of differentiation so potential customers see you as an added asset – not a “me too” type of business. Notes for defining your point of differentiation: 1. For example if you’re baker, designer or artist do you use unusual flavor or material combinations? 2. Unique preparation styles? 3. What niche markets do you specialize in? Women entrepreneurs, stay-at-home-moms, artists, golfers, specific ethnic groups, adventurers, lifestyle entrepreneurs? Speakers, authors, coaches?, Chocolate?, Bacon? Even your personality or personal style. All of these examples are a part of what makes you different. Never has there been a better time in history where differences are celebrated, celebrate yours because your audience is not only waiting for you, they’re looking for you! Branding Exercise: Ask people close to you (preferably customers) to name your top three qualities. Make special note of similar comments. The top three comments are the foundation of your branding message. Bottom line: there’s nothing new under the sun, so defining your point of differentiation is the secret sauce to your competitive advantage. Defining how you’re different will help you design your free taste offer and future products/services. Moving on to point four of the five part passion based business plan. Once you decide what you’re going to sell and define your point of differentiation, create your free taste. Make it something you can proudly put your name on. It must be high quality, your best stuff, but it must not overwhelm. Think like a drug dealer. (To learn more listen to today’s episode) What are you going to give me to get me hooked? Reach out to pre-qualified people you feel will appreciate your free taste. Make it valuable, put as much time and attention to your free offer as you would a paid offer. Treat your customers with as much care and attention as if they paid for your product or service. In other words, provide excellent customer service. Explore MeetUp groups to find your targeted audience. Don’t try to sell anything straightaway, in the beginning focus your time on meeting and connecting with people. Make sure they are your target audience. To find groups in your area visit: http://meetup.com Another option is create personal connections with brick and mortar businesses and explore one time or recurring event options. The goal: Get connected to face-to-face with targeted customers by letting them try your samples. For example, a cake decorator specializing in wedding cakes could arrange a tasting at a bridal shop. What are you going to give me to get me hooked? Reach out to pre-qualified people you feel will appreciate your free taste. Make it valuable, put as much time and attention to your free offer as you would a paid offer. A life coach could consider offering a talk on life balance at a spa, or a wardrobe consultant may want to offer a talk at a local health club, maybe even hand out free chapters of a book in progress. Finally step five. Survey Strategically. Meaning asking the right questions to the right audience. Once you get your product or service in front of the right audience ask them to engage with it and you. Don’t try sell, just listen, take notes. Use the data you collect to create the beta (first) version of your product or service. Revise as necessary and re-introduce your offering. If you present the right offering to the right audience you will have no trouble selling your products and services. So let’s review The Passion Based Business Plan: Get clear about your passions Decide what you’re going to sell Define how you’re different Create your enticing free or low entry point offer to a hungry audience Release your beta version to your pre-qualified audience, survey strategically, revise then sell Additional Resources From Today’s Episode: Listen to part one: GPFYC 007: Turning Your Passion Into A Business Plan – Part 1 Listen to GPFYC 005: Rework Book Review by the Founders of 37 Signals.com Read Tribes by Seth Godin To find local MeetUps in your area go to MeetUp.com To connect with local business owners consider joining your local Chamber of Commerce and attending a mixer, look for opportunities to create potentially profitable joint ventures. HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT TODAY’S EPISODE? 1. Send me an email at: askrodney@getpaidforyourcreativity.com 2. Send me a voice message at 858-413-7526 or 3. Online via – http://speakpipe.com/rodneywashington ENJOYED TODAY’S EPISODE?  If so it would mean a great deal if you’d share the love and I’ve made super duper simple to do just that. Below you’ll find a special link please click on that link to be directed to a pre-written tweet. All you have to do is click tweet to send out the tweet to all of your followers. http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/shareit Also if you have any tips, thoughts, or suggestions on how I can make the show better or just share your thoughts on today’s episode leave a comment to this blog post. HELP THE SHOW! I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for Rodney’s podcast! Thank you so much for your support, and remember, express yourself with passion, live on purpose everyday! The post GPFYC 008: Turning Your Passion Into A Business Plan – Part 2 appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Welcome to Biz Tip Tuesday, on today’s episode I will share how creative entrepreneurs can create a simple business plan that supports their passions. On the podcast I challenge the traditional model of a business plan and move you towards creating a plan that’s based on three things: 1.) A true roll up your sleeves kind of passion, 2.) The development of a product or service that you truly love creating, something based on sweat equity and passion and, 3.) A way to share your passion with others that will entice them to want to work with you now and in the future. “Find something that you love doing so much that you’re willing to pay to do it! Choose now because in the beginning, you will.” The Creative Entrepreneurs Business Plan has 5 parts and today I discuss the first two. On this podcast I focus on the first two areas. Get clear about your passions, what do you really love to do? You’re going to be working your ass off so you better love what you’re doing. If not, find something that you do love and can get excited about. If you’re having trouble remembering what you’re passionate about recall your favorite day. What were you doing? Decide what you’re going to sell, even if it’s free for now. If you’re looking for ideas and inspiration locate people doing something very close to what you want to do. Go to Google and do a search for your chosen business idea, read magazines, forums, find books, sign up for classes (free and paid) bottom line, if someone has created a successful business based on anything you’re passionate about then there is room for you. Do your homework and if you need help figuring it out use my Income Idea Generator Worksheet provided below. Show Note Resources: Personal Income Idea Generator in Less Than 30 Minutes – on this worksheet write down your top 1 to 5 passions. It must be something that you love so much that you’re willing to forego being paid to do it for the moment. As a matter of fact, you’re willing to put in your own money. It’s important that you pick just one passion! Income Idea Cheat Sheet – on this bonus worksheet I share 21 ways you could produce income from that one core passion. Ready for Part 2? Once you’ve completed part one, don’t miss part 2 of the Passion Based Business Plan where I continue the conversation. Enjoyed Today’s Episode? If so it would mean a great deal if you’d share the love and I’ve made super duper simple to do just that. Below you’ll find a special link please click on that link to be directed to a pre-written tweet. All you have to do is click tweet to send out the tweet to all of your followers. http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/shareit Also if you have any tips, thoughts, or suggestions on how I can make the show better or just share your thoughts on today’s episode leave a comment to this blog post. Questions About Today’s Episode? 1. Send me an email at: askrodney@getpaidforyourcreativity.com 2. Send me a voice message at 858-413-7526 or 3. Online via – http://speakpipe.com/rodneywashington HELP THE SHOW! I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for Rodney’s podcast! Thank you so much for your support, and remember, express yourself with passion, live on purpose everyday!     The post GPFYC 007: Turning Your Passion Into A Business Plan – Part 1 appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Today is Money Motivation Monday. On today’s episode I talk about a topic that is the cornerstone of the accomplishment for any dream, and that’s believing in yourself. You can’t achieve anything in life regardless of whether it’s starting a business, changing jobs, or losing weight, if you don’t believe in yourself and your dream, in addition you will allow others opinions to derail you.  On today’s podcast episode I speak candidly about the responsibility you have not only to yourself, but to those closest to you to go for your dream.  Here’s a quote that I feel wholeheartedly will motivate you to go for your dream especially if you experienced so called “failure” by the legendary Marilyn Monroe: “Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re going to fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will?” – Marilyn Monroe Show Notes: Below is my recommended list of resources to further you on your path to achieving your dreams. Creating Money: Keys to Abundance by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer – Read Chapter 15: Believing In Yourself If you would like to access the full interview including summary sheets with my guest on today’s episode Rita Barber visit the page here. In addition you may want to consider adding the Monetize Your Gifts Masterclass to your success library. The groundbreaking programs includes interviews with 15 extraordinary entrepreneurs all of who have gone for their dreams and living life’s designed to make yours better. Download my free worksheet – Believing In Yourself: The Key to Achieving All of Your Dreams Enjoyed today’s episode? If so it would mean a great deal if you’d share the love and I’ve made super duper simple to do just that. Below you’ll find a special link please click on that link to be directed to a pre-written tweet. All you have to do is click tweet to send out the tweet to all of your followers. http://getpaidforyourcreativity.com/shareit Also if you have any tips, thoughts, or suggestions on how I can make the show better or just share your thoughts on today’s episode leave a comment to this blog post. HELP THE SHOW! I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for Rodney’s podcast! Thank you so much for your support, and remember, express yourself with passion, live on purpose everyday!   The post GPFYC 006: Believing In Yourself appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Today is one of my favorite days for GPFYC Podcast, it’s Over The Hump Day Q & A Wednesday! On these days I will address any questions about creativity, entrepreneurship including marketing, or publishing for example, or just ideas or concerns on your mind. Below in the show notes you will find all of my contact info, feel free to use any of the resources I’ve provided to reach out to me with your questions and I will address on future Wednesday episodes of the podcast, so fire away! This weeks question is one I truly love because it’s centered on the topic of fear and how it effects creativity. Here is the question I received: What drives you to move past the fear and take action? Show Notes: “You don’t become fearless then take action, you take action despite your fear and grow confident” 3 Tips To Handle Fear: Get clear about what you want to accomplish and FEEL IT! If you don’t feel it, look for another dream or find a way to attach “I must have this feeling to it”. Once you do this it will become infinitely easier to go for what you want, despite any obstacles. Expect obstacles. It’s amazing how fear diminishes when you anticipate obstacles and road blocks. Why? Because when you anticipate problems you can plan for them and ready the tools you’ll need to solve them. I’ll share a secret with you. When you prepare for the worse, it rarely happens   Prepare an exit strategy. Some might call it a plan B. There’s a school of thought that believe you shouldn’t have a plan B, I don’t agree. You could be working towards something for years and not achieve the original results you sought. If you’re going through this at the moment it could mean one of two things, either your original plan needs to be reviewed and revised and that revision is your plan B. Another possibility could be that you’re not fully committed to the original dream. Perhaps it’s time to reexamine where you’re headed, then check in with yourself to get clear about what you really want. Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins. ~ Charles Stanley Additional Tips: Your goal is to shepherd the dream that’s trying to come through you, not control the ultimate outcome If you’re struggling at the moment ask yourself, “what is the struggle trying to reveal to me?” Get clear on your bigger vision, not just a single outcome Practice Detachment – Don’t attach to very specific outcome, be open to something bigger than your original dream Reframe fear and transfrom it into curiosity Expect obstacles and plan for them Three ways to ask me questions: 1. Send me an email at: askrodney@getpaidforyourcreativity.com 2. Send me a voice message at 858-413-7526 or 3. Online via – http://speakpipe.com/rodneywashington QUESTION OR FEEDBACK…LEAVE ME A VOICEMAIL! If you have a question you’d potentially like answered on the show, or just feedback in general (constructive criticism and ways I can make the show better are welcome!), feel free to visit my voicemail page to quickly and easily leave me a message or shoot me an email I check them everyday. HELP THE SHOW! I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show! Leave a review for Rodney’s podcast! Thank you so much for your support, and remember, express yourself with passion, live on purpose everyday! The post GPFYC 003: Over The Hump Day Q&A Wednesday appeared first on Rodney Washington.

Shine On Screen (Without Fear) – Jules Watkins Recently I had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with 15 extraordinary entrepreneurs who have one thing in common. They have stepped into their purpose and started businesses that not only allow them to express their passions, but monetize their gifts. For 3 days they peeled back the curtain and shared their secrets and insider tips! If you were not able to attend the Monetize Your Gifts Live Masterclass I have provided you with an opportunity to check out our powerful, game changing discussions. Today I’d like to give you a sneak peek of my interview with video entrepreneur and iPhone video expert Jules Watkins. Jules shared why video marketing is so important, why we must pay attention to it, and how to overcome our fear of appearing on screen. Shine On Screen (Without Fear) – Jules Watkins  Jules Top 3 Tips: 1.You don’t need expensive equipment, and how you create highly professional videos with an iPhone.  2.Watching TV Pros can turn you into the leading ‘on camera’ talent in your niche. 3. Deliver your words in way to make your viewers take action.  The post Monetize Your Gifts Masterclass Series – Interview with Jules Watkins appeared first on Rodney Washington.