Get Out. Get Moving. Start.

Action always beats intention.

A dream you don’t have to fight for isn’t a dream—it’s a nap. One changes your afternoon. The other changes your world. Keep fighting.

Dear musicians, authors, bloggers & me.

Creativity/ Leadership September 30, 2011 • Comments

If you create something new with the hope that you won’t lose any of the audience that liked the previous thing you created, you’ll lose something else in the process.

Your voice.

Don’t create something that is so safe you won’t lose any followers.

Don’t create something that is so similar to your last thing that you won’t lose any fans.

Don’t create something so photocopied that you won’t lose any readers.

Fear of protecting your platform can’t be what drives your creative process.

Only create things you can’t not create.

Even if that means losing some of your audience. (And sometimes even means using double negatives.)

Question:
What’s something you’re creating right now?

2 Children’s Books Every Adult Needs to Read

Creativity/ Resources September 28, 2011 • Comments

Let me be clear about one thing:

I’d watch the show “Penguins of Madagascar” even if I didn’t have kids.

Even if I wasn’t the father of a 5 year old and an 8 year old, that show would be on rotation at my house. It’s funny, well written, and full of penguins that will occasionally judo chop other animals.

I digress.

Sometimes as an adult you bump into things designed for children that you end up needing more than your kids. It’s a book or a movie that speaks to you in a way you didn’t anticipate but can’t forget. That’s how I feel about two books by a guy named Peter H. Reynolds.

Keep Reading —›

VIDEO: Guy on a buffalo.

Random September 27, 2011 • Comments

Two videos in one day! Unbelievable. I normally don’t post twice in the same day, but when my friend Chris told me about a video musician Dave Barnes tweeted, I had to share it.

This made my head hurt I was laughing so hard. Please enjoy 2 minutes and 16 seconds of comic brilliance.

The best breakdancing I’ve ever seen.

Creativity/ Random September 27, 2011 • Comments

A few weeks ago, I opened for a rapper at a an outdoor music festival. I joked on Twitter that people would finally get to see my breakdancing skills. The rapper, a guy named Lecrae, responded to me on Twitter and said, “Go for it. I’ll give you a 5 minute set!”

I panicked and quickly confessed that my greatest breakdancing skill was talking about breakdancing, not actually doing it. But that’s not the case in this breakdancing/pop n lock/dubstep video. This guys is unbelievable and I think my favorite moment happens at 1:30.

Take a look and enjoy a little Tuesday random video.

 

The real reason your inbox is out of control.

Social Media September 26, 2011 • Comments

Your inbox is a mess right now. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of emails are overflowing your gmail account. Outlook is a nightmare. The little envelope that announces new email keeps flashing over and over again.

You’ve missed whole chains of conversations. You have to go back to the first email and dig your way through the last seven from seven different people talking just to make sure you can delete the entire back and forth email ping pong match between coworkers.

So you Google “empty my inbox” and get a lot of different tips on getting to “inbox zero.” Some help. Some don’t. But most won’t ever touch on the real reason your inbox is out of control. Want to know why it is?

Keep Reading —›

2 ways to deal with change.

Leadership September 23, 2011 • Comments

My wife took this photo the other day at a gas station. And I think it’s pretty weird.

If you can’t tell what’s happening, basically a guy in a truck has driven up next to a payphone so that he can make a phone call from his car.

Why is this photo so weird?

Because things have changed.

Keep Reading —›

A new book I just bought.

Blogging/ Resources September 22, 2011 • Comments

I think blogging is hard.

I’ve been doing it almost every day for the last four years and this is the conclusion I have come to.

It’s hard to build an audience, hard to create fresh content day after day, hard to know when it’s time to change things up and hard to know when you’ve strayed a long way from the goals that originally got you into blogging.

When I bump into those challenges, there’s someone I consistently turn to for help – Bryan Allain.

We’ve been friends for about three years now and he has generously helped me with any and every blog question I threw at him. Finally, after years of doing that for a lot of people, he wrote a book for bloggers.

It’s called “31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo.”

I just bought a copy for myself. It’s only $4.99 and whether you’re a seasoned blogging pro or just starting to dip your toe in the water, this is an awesome book.

If you’re ready to overcome the blog challenges that wreck so many people before they really even get started on the fun experience a blog can really be, pick up a copy of this book.