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As an entrepreneur, my decision making-process is usually based on self-questioning. So, anytime I take on a new project, trudge forward with a risky endeavor or discover a new way to diversify my company, I start grilling myself. What can I say? I’m obsessed with questions. (As if you didn’t already know that.) I collect them. I write about them. I have a huge crush on them! BUT MOST…

Tonight I’ll be hosting a teleseminar on SpeakerNet News. Here’s what it’s all about… How to Build Your OWN Online Video Platform. YouTube is for losers! Video isn’t the future — it’s the PRESENT! Unfortunately, because video is so ubiquitous and easy to do, the bar has been raised. And the concept of ‘some guy in a room holding a camera,’ isn’t going to cut it anymore. You need…

Imagine you’re a prehistoric hunter. Your mate is fast asleep in the cave. The sun is coming up. It’s time to kill breakfast! Out in the prairie, you wait. Silent. Motionless. Anticipating even the slightest movement. Because you’ve learned (in your experience as a prehistoric hunter) … ANYTHING that moves is a threat to your survival. It could be a lion. It could be a woolly mammoth. It could…

You’re an artist. You work at home. You’re self-employed. You have no coworkers. You attend very few meetings. You wear your pajamas all day. Your studio is your spare bedroom. Your work includes LOTS of solitude. You have clients, but you mainly interact with them via email or phone. Well then. A job description like THAT can only mean one thing: You need to get the HELL out of…

People are often stunned when I tell them I’ve actually forgotten to put on a nametag before. “No way! You!” they gasp. “Well, yeah. I’m human,” I explain. But it happens. Every once in a while I’ll walk out my front door, or get into the car or be halfway to Starbucks when I look down at my shirt and say, “Ah crap, I forgot my nametag.” Of course,…

In the first post of this series, we explored a list of things, forces, people and situations to “actively listen to” so you could grow your creative practice. Next, let’s work counter-intuitively. Here’s a list of six things (NOT) to listen to for maximizing creative output: 1. Don’t listen to that evil little devil of procrastination. Because resistance hath slain an endless list of would-be artists. And in the…

When you’re passionately telling people about your art, certain individuals will attempt to steal the wind from your creative sails. They will ask you questions like: “So, is art ALL you do?” “What’s your real job?” “And art pays the bills?” “What’s your other job?” “And you make a living doing that?” I know, I know. It’s frustrating, rude and assumptive AND blindly follows the starving artist script. But…

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!) AVOID Avoid agenda pushers. Because they don’t listen very well. Avoid comparison shoppers. Because they’re probably buying on price, not value. Avoid eye rollers. Because that’s when people stop listening to you. Avoid fitting in. Because you will get noticed, get remembered and get business. Avoid hideous headlines. Because it’s not good for your brain (or your heart). Avoid…

There are two kinds of publicity: 1. Being featured IN the news. This is publicity about who you ARE. And you need it regularly. 2. Being quoted as an expert BY the news. This is publicity about what you’ve LEARNED. And you (also) need it regularly. LET ME ASK YA THIS… Do you WATCH the news, or MAKE the news? LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “35…

You’re a creative professional. You make a living off your ideas. Your ideas are your major source of income. So, naturally, you want to have as many ideas as possible, right? Absolutely. The challenge, of course, is getting those ideas to come to you. Which sounds like a lot of work, but it’s really not. Because all you have to do is open your ears. AFTER ALL: Creativity the…