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How Creatives Can Survive in the 21st Century

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Van Gogh. Everybody has heard his name and seen at least one photo of his paintings online. They probably even know about the yellow paint and the ear thing. But all of that aside, the genius of Van Gogh was that he was a true artist. He painted the world as he saw it and let the viewer experience it too.

Sadly, he wasn’t very good at business. In fact, from what I can tell he was bad at it. It’s reported that he only sold one painting in his entire life. That sucks, but the truth is we probably all know someone like that, or we are someone like that. Talented but lacking the confidence to sell our work and not have to eat ramen every night (or Kraft Dinner if you’re Canadian). 

If it makes you feel any better, I found myself in that exact situation. I like writing and I want to make a living from it. I should be out there tapping the keys until someone showers me with cash, right? Instead, I was working every other job you could think of. I was running away from my true calling. 

That’s how I found myself spending a Tuesday afternoon in a Zoom meeting watching Chris Do teach a group of people how to scale from zero. I was surprised to see over 700 people, all of whom ran their own business or wanted to start. The advice shared during the hour was practical and immediately applicable. 

The takeaway? Most creatives don’t think like business owners, and they need to start. 

How To Take Your Creative Business to the Next Level 

Obviously, there are artists, creatives, writers, and designers who have all found a way to get paid the big bucks for their work. Just look at Jeff Koons or Yayoi Kusama who have both sold millions of dollars worth of art and worked with huge brands like Louis Vuitton. They weren’t afraid to put their art on display and they also weren’t afraid of making some straight up suit and tie deals either. 

When I first met Chris Do, I was nervous and not sure what to expect. On the screen he has an air of mystery. There are moments that he comes across as cold or tough, he certainly isn’t afraid to tell you how it is. Other times he’s telling jokes and making people laugh. The biggest question I had was, why spend all this time teaching others? There are easier ways of making money. 

The truth, as I see it, is that Chris is a teacher through and through. Nobody spends hours a day giving people halfway around the world individual time and attention unless it fuels their sense of purpose. Whether we want to admit it or not, we need people like Chriss. Hell, Van Gogh needed someone like Chris, because he knows how to turn an artist into a business owner without killing the creative. 

Here’s 11 things I learned from Chris about scaling from zero: 

  • Make a list of possible services that you can offer someone regardless of how realistic it is
  • Rate each service on a scale from 1-10 based on three things: personal fulfillment, value to market, and profitability 
  • Add each column up with a maximum score of 30. What is the highest rated service? 
  • Think of your ideal customer. What do they do? What do they need? What do they want? 
  • Craft a no brainer offer, something so good they can’t refuse. (Godfather style) 
  • Complete a market audit. Who else is doing the same thing? What is their price? How are you different? 
  • Get some experience. Gain some social proof. Offer to do a job for free in exchange for a case study. 
  • Start to pitch your services to others for money. 
  • Collect client quotes as you go. 
  • Continue to work your way up in price. 
  • Under promise and overdeliver.  

That’s a pretty quick rundown of how to get started making money from your skills but it works. Most people want to feel like they’re making the right decision when giving someone their dough. It’s your job to ease their anxieties and deliver one hell of a product.

Chances are you’ll probably be a lot happier slinging your talents for cash instead of working a soul sucking call centre job… unless that’s your passion. If it is you might not have a soul to suck. 

All jokes aside, I began to see business as art form. “Pricing is a little bit science and a little bit art,” Chris said, before picking up a Batman figurine and giving everyone his best Batman impression. In this modern digital world, it might seem like everyone is living their dreams, making money online, and living on the beach. You might see other creatives and wonder how they’re able to support themselves. Why are you, the starving artist, living in a van down by the river? And why is Chris Farley there with you? 

All I know is that the man behind The Futur knows a thing or two about turning art into business and business into art. He helps the dreamers, and he certainly helps the doers. Let this be the mindset shift you need to get started, take action, and become addicted to success. 

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Success Advice

How Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success

Your life is dictated by beliefs and biases that drive your thinking, behaviors, and decisions

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Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success (1)
Image Credit: Midjourney

Pause for a moment and ponder two pandemic-era beliefs: First, closing schools will control the spread of a serious virus. Second, the consequences of such school closures—particularly social interruption and the prevention of immunity—are worse than becoming sick with the virus. (more…)

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How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

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Image Credit: Midjourney

In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be. 

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time. 

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.

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Success Advice

Here’s a Young Man’s Antidote for the Uncertainty of the Modern World

Why do a lot of young guys lack confidence in today’s world? 

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How to boost your confidence
Image Credit: Midjourney

We all have been told that confidence is a key factor in achieving success and happiness in life. But what is it exactly? (more…)

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Toxic Leadership: 5 Ways to Identify a Bad Leader

if you have a leader who displays any of the toxic traits, it’s time to move on to greener pastures.

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Toxic leadership
Image Credit: Midjourney

Let’s be honest, we’ve all crossed paths with a toxic leader in our careers at some point. Unfortunately, while some toxic leaders don’t even bother to hide their behaviour, some know very well how to conceal their true selves behind a strong-built facade. The latter is the most dangerous of the two. (more…)

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