If you don’t know Danielle, than you seriously should. She’s one of my favorite people online. Quirky, fun, and man does she know how to kick entrepreneurs in the arse. My kinda lady.

Are you doing what you love? Why aren’t you? Danielle has helped countless people figure out how to make money doing what they truly love.

Seriously, I can’t say enough about the lady. She recently launched the Fire Starter Sessions to the tune of massive success, then for her birthday generously let people pay whatever they could for the kit. Another massive success.

The FSS is something I would recommend to anyone who wants to a) figure out what it is they love and b) how to make money doing it.

Anyway, here’s her awesome interview. Take notes, kids. This is pure gold.

Glen: So Danielle, how does one truly figure out what their IDEAL occupation should be? Can you give us a little bit on your “metrics of ease”?

Danielle: Your most valuable currency is what comes most naturally to you. This is a radical concept for so many of us. We’re trained to fit in, to be well-rounded, to multi-task. We tend to push our way through. Fuhget it! When I stopped trying to be great at the things I was merely good at, I freed up my creativity and my intellectual power. And then I got it, I really got it: when I was doing what came so naturally to me, I was more productive, more innovative, more…at ease. Conclusion: easy is right. The “flow” is where the power is.

So when do you feel amazing? What activities cause you to feel useful, vital, better-than-before? When do you have that “there’s more where that came from” feeling? What feels so good and so easy to give that you give it generously? Do more of that — and get paid to do it — until that’s all you’re doing with your life.

Glen: In the FSS you make a huge emphasis on making money NOW. How can putting an emphasis on bringing cash through the door help with the creative process?

Danielle: No money. No business. Simple. I’ve seen so many solo-preneurs get tripped up on getting their branding just right before they can go after clients, or having business cards printed so they can start networking, or putting staff policies in place so they can give great customer service. Once you know what you have to offer, just go get the business. Start. Pick up the phone. Work it. Move the energy. Take the risk. THAT’s creativity.

And there’s nothing like prosperity to fuel your creative fire. Pressure is useful, you know, “necessity and invention” n’ all that. But a zero PayPal account or an empty store will chip away at your innovative spirit. You’ve got to see it working. You’ve got to be eating. Even the most maverick artists need proof of love from their audience.

So my formula is this:

In terms of business growth, FIRST, focus on doing what makes you the most money, the fastest.

Get the money in the door. The whole point of the first three years of business is to SURVIVE.

Simultaneous to doing what makes you the most money the fastest, your SECOND line of action is to focus on doing what makes you the *most* money. The fast money may not be the Big Money. But you need to make time to work on the Big Money-making projects, though they tend to take longer to manifest. And they require the greatest creativity and innovation juice.

Glen: Money and Art seem to always be at odds. This is a massive deal for MANY wanting to stay true to themselves, but still make money. Good money, even.

So here’s the Million Dollar Question: How do you create a personal brand, without selling out?

Danielle: If you’re making art, you are not separate from your brand. I make my livelihood as an artist (of words, philosophy and strategy), and I always cringe a bit when people asked me how I developed my “brand.” I didn’t. I developed my self, my art, and then I put it on display and trusted that the “right” people would dig it, and pay for it.

If you create a personal brand that isn’t deeply personal, you’ve already sold out.

The vast majority of artists I know (from writers and craftspeople, to software developers and designers) don’t have any quams with making money – and lot’s of it if possible. What makes them all weird is the *marketing* of their stuff, they don’t want to sell out and become an infomercial. It understandable, because we live in a culture of false advertising and the slick, hard sell. It’s dangerous turf for sure. But this is where you need to diligently carry your personality forward. It’s not enough to have an authentic, integrity-driven offering, you need to sell it in a way that is true for you. If you’re slick, be slick. If you’re subtle, be subtle. Just be consistent. And above all, be passionately proud of what you’re bringing to the world.

Glen: What’s your number one tip for creatives who want to make a career out of their dreams?

Danielle: 1) Know what lights your fire and go out of your way to fuel that fire.
There’s a reason why every mystic and rocking CEO says, in one way or another, that passion is The Key to success. Because it is. Passion gets your endorphins pumping, it feeds your brain, it supports your soul and gives your life meaning. And passion persuades – and persuasion generates financial freedom.

2) Know how much money you want to make a year.
This makes things very, very real. Dreams and purpose are only one part of the equation. When you anchor the creative to the practical, you’re wielding some serious manifestation mojo. Would $50k or $150k a year float your boat? Great. What do you need to do to bring that in? How many units do you need to ship? How many workshops do you need to fill? What can you do by the end of the day to get where you want to go? Do it.

###

Thanks Danielle for a wonderful interview. So whatcha think? Is she spot on? Have any questions? Post ‘em below.

If you’d like to learn more about the passion + art = money process, check out the Fire Starter Sessions.

It made the hallowed list of my favorite creative tools, so you know it’s something awesome ;)

You might also like...

1. Fire Starter Sessions
2. Letting Your Passion Lead You
3. Creative Tools That Kicked My Unproductive Arse

Photo by Matt McGee

I was fortunate to catch a U2 show last weekend in Oklahoma. The tickets were a present from a groomsmen for my wedding. Aside from my love for the amazing band, it still never ceases to amaze me how timeless they’ve made themselves.

Over the past 30+ years, U2 has created a monster brand. And they’ve been incredibly successful; one of the most successful bands of all time. They’ve

• created over 12 studio albums
• sold over 145 million records
• been named one of the greatest 100 greatest acts of all time by Rolling Stone
• been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• tied Stevie Wonder for the most Grammys from a contemporary group (23)

But the most incredible thing I think U2 has done over the past 30 years is stay relevant to the time.

They’ve made themselves “timeless”.

Being Timeless

The modern web is a relatively new place. I mean, most popular sites only go back a few years in their history, and at most 10 or so. The Internet is still a very new and wild place.

For those of us who are in it to make a living from it over “the long haul”, it’s kind of hard to predict where the Web is heading. Who would have guessed five years ago that microblogging would be so insanely popular? Not me.

So, how do we ensure that our content or products that we’re creating are timeless? How do we keep our work relevant? After all, we don’t want the content that we’ve so painstakingly created to become irrelevant in the next 3 or more years.

Let’s take a few lessons from one of the greatest rock bands of all time to creating a brand that is immortal.

Be timely, but not tied to time

Photo by Tiger Pixel

It’s not that U2 hasn’t changed their sound over the years. They’ve done that aplenty. The band’s sound has been influenced by the changing musical styles over the years, and their current sound is a mixture of everything. They’ve managed to do something special: stay relevant to the time period, while retaining their own, unique characteristics.

The same should be true with what you create. You may change your scope slightly, but you’ll still be under a certain heading###.

For example, I’m trying to focus less on productivity and more on helping people create. That doesn’t mean that I won’t ever be writing about productivity, etc., I’ll just be doing more bigger picture writing. While productivity, GTD, and all that are popular right now, they probably won’t be in a few years.

That doesn’t mean that you should be oblivious to current trends and pop culture. In fact, one of my most popular posts of all time had to do with a current popular movie.

Whatever it is you do, capitalize on current trends and what’s hot now. Just make sure your overall focus is timeless.

Show that you can outlast

U2 was far from an instant success. They formed in high school, but didn’t have an international single until 4 years later. They didn’t have a commercially-successful album until 3 years after that, and still another 2 years were needed before U2 started building a following and selling out arenas. Nine years is hardly what anyone would call an “instant success”.

Many failures come from just not having the fortitude to stick it out, to play all nine innings. Many bloggers give up too quickly, many book writers give up after their first book, and many bands throw in the towel after a couple years together.

Sometimes it just takes time to refine and become successful. In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell estimates that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice or experience before expertise is achieved.

Oftentimes success is just a matter of outlasting.

Stay away from cliche

U2′s songs tend to be about timeless things (love, historical events), and while their sound has evolved slightly over the years, they still stick to the same components. The Edge’s guitar sound is one of the most recognizable features of the band. The drum sound has remained somewhat constant over the years. You won’t hear Bono using auto-tune to create R&B-like vocal effects. They haven’t let pop musical fads overcome their core, distinctive aspects.

For us bloggers, that might mean doing simple things like using the word “write” instead of “blog”. Who knows how long the “blogging” platform will be around? You certainly want your writing to outlive it.

Evolve

It’s amazing what time can do for a band like U2. Recordings from Boy sound drastically different than their latest album No Line on the Horizon.

Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. I think a portion of their fans would go back to their earlier sounds. Others might like the “newer” U2 better. One thing is for sure though: U2′s success has been impacted greatly by their ability to evolve.

All successful systems evolve over time. I would imagine the reason that the band has been able to put out amazing records for the past 30 years is because they’ve been creative and evolved slightly. Can you imagine playing the same sounding things for 30 years? I’d go crazy.

Don’t forget the fans (and be thankful)

Photo by r_w_h

Part of U2′s success stems from the fact that they’re very thankful to the fans that have supported them over the years. At our concert Bono made a specific point to thank the fans for the life they’ve given the members of U2.

It could be easy for a band like U2 to think that their success is directly because of their talent. But they know better. Their rabid fans are a critical reason for their success. There are gobs of bands with talent oozing out of their ears who have yet to even be signed to a label.

Fans are the difference between one hit wonders and a successful career that spans thirty years.

Give back

U2 donates tons of their time and talent to help support causes like the ONE campaign, Project Red, and many others. Activism is a critical part of U2 and their songwriting.

If you’re doing everything for money, power or fame, you’re not going to last. People can quickly see through that. But they’re more willing to support everything you do if you’re willing to give back. If you can use your platform for improving the world, you’ll win followers.

Too often we don’t think enough about the future, and get sucked into the tunnel of the current trends and fads. What’s here today might will probably be gone tomorrow.

You might also like...

1. What Jay-Z Can Teach You about Massive Success and Work Ethic
2. What Google Can Teach Us About Self-Image
3. Study Shows Teachers Teach Wrong

Photo by pedrosimoes7

Guest post by Mr. Self Development.

Everything that exists has a purpose. My computer has a purpose, my shoes have a purpose, my watch has a purpose, if I had a dog, he or she would have a purpose, and most importantly, you have a purpose.

You showed up on this planet for a reason. Maybe you showed up to sing, or to dance, or to teach, or to write, or to entertain, or to act, or to talk, or to cook, or to paint, or any other thing, but you showed up for a reason. There’s a purpose that you came here to fulfill. Don’t “sell out!”

In other words, don’t settle for a life of doing a mundane job that you’re not passionate about. You only live once, you must live your life to the fullest; you must die empty.

Don’t buy into the thinking that it’s too hard to become a singer or whatever else you’re passionate about. It’s exactly that thinking that will make it appear like an impossible task, and your perception will become your reality.

Yes, it will take work; you and I both know that anything worth achieving is going to take a ton of work, but we also know that it will be worth it in the end.

Everyone is born a diamond in the rough; we just need to be uncovered. The truth is, if anyone else can succeed in this world, so can you. No one is any better than you.

So don’t sell out! No matter how long it takes, I don’t care if it takes the next 45 years; you owe it to your creator and to yourself to live out your intended purpose.

You will never be truly happy until you’re doing what you were created to do. Yes, you may be able to settle and push your feelings of dissatisfaction to the side, but there’s nothing like the exhilaration of doing what you love and watching others benefit from it. Even if you never make a dime from it…the joy of doing what you love is priceless.

Don’t “sell out” because you’re afraid of how much work it will take

Even natural-born hunters like lions must spend years practicing before they’re any good. It’s definitely going to take a lot of work to live your passion. Probably many hours for many years, but when you’re doing what you love, you’ll enjoy it, and you’ll work hard to ensure that it doesn’t take you forever to succeed.

Don’t “sell out” because you’re afraid of how much time it will take

You’ve probably heard the story of the guy who wanted to be a doctor, but was unwilling to go back to school for eight years. When asked by his friend why he wasn’t going to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor he said, “I would love to become a doctor, but I would have to go back to school for eight years, and in eight years I’m going to be 40 years old! His wise friend responded, “Well, how old will you be in eight years if you don’t go back to school?”

The point is the years will go by, the time will pass, you will eventually get into your future; make sure you arrive there having accomplished what you were created to accomplish. So what if it takes you a little longer than normal, so what if you succeed at 60 instead of 16, will it matter at 60? No. The only thing that will matter is if you sold yourself short, if you settled for mediocrity when you were born for greatness.

Don’t “sell out” because you’re afraid you’ll fail!

You will eventually succeed. If you work in an area you’re passionate about and give your best, you will eventually experience success.

In conclusion, do what you were created to do, even if you must do it while you’re working your “9-5” job, with seven kids, a dog, and a hamster. Make the time; nothing is more important. The world needs what you have, and the world is waiting for you to be manifested. Success will be yours when you do!

This guest post was written by Mr. Self Development. Please support Mr. Self Development by subscribing to his blog. Mr. Self Development is a motivational author who offers a practical guide to success and wealth.

You might also like...

1. Lessons I’ve Learned Failing to Sell a Premium Digital Product
2. Listen to Your Career Vibrations

Photo by Mr T. in DC

Post by Jason D Barr.

“It wasn’t that I was able to persevere. I was unable to stop! I just couldn’t give it up. It was just too important. It never entered the realm of possibility. But, I never was sure, really sure, that it was going to work and I would ever really be an astronomer.” – Vera Rubin, Astronomer (emphasis mine)

Is that an awesome quote, or what? Talk about putting yourself out there. Vera Rubin wanted to be an astronomer during a time when it just wasn’t acceptable for women to have those kinds of ambitions. She tried to enroll in Princeton’s graduate astronomy program, but wasn’t allowed. She found another school that would take her (Cornell) and studied under some of the greatest minds in physics. She’s currently 81 years of age and still teaching, having authored 114 peer-reviewed research papers (and counting).

Why is it that some people, like Dr. Rubin, are willing to do just about anything to accomplish their goals, and others are willing to let adversity (or worse, apathy) push them off their course?

“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” is a question that counselors and motivational speaker-types often ask. I like what my Twitter friend, life coach Tim Brownson, asks his clients, though: “What would you do, if you knew you would definitely succeed?”. Turns things on it’s head, doesn’t it? It assumes certain success, rather than just avoiding failure (because, as we all know, you can avoid failing without really succeeding).

So, what’s preventing you from doing what you want to do? Is it fear? Uncertainty of how to begin? Plain old laziness? I’ve experienced all of these, and trust me, they’re no excuse for a truly motivated individual. When you get to the point where, as Dr. Rubin said, “[giving up] never entered the realm of possibility”, you’ve moved past any chance of failing. It’s only a matter of time.

1. “I’m scared.”

This is nothing to be sneezed at, folks. For all the admonitions floating around about affirmation statements, there is evidence that for those who are the most in need of it, positive self-talk can be hurtful. While this is just one study, and doesn’t conclusively prove anything, it demonstrates that the situation isn’t black and white. The fear of “what will other people think when I fall on my face?” is very real and paralyzing. That fear can’t always be overcome with a couple “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!” statements in the mirror.

So, how do you get over your fear? By moving through it. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” is what Ambrose Redmoon said. There’s no magic statement or shortcut to get past the fear. It’s going to be with you forever. All these silly platitudes like “the first step is the hardest” may be overused, but they’re actually true. And, while you may not believe it, you can do whatever it is you want to do. It might not happen fast, it most certainly won’t be easy, and you might reinforce your fears more than you struggle past them, especially at first. You just have to be willing to find that courage somewhere inside of you.

2. “I don’t know where to start!”

This is another tough one. Until you’ve done something, you’ve never done it (obvious, right?). So, while people spout off platitudes about “Just Do It!” and “Begin With The End In Mind”, those of us who can tend toward the overly-analytical end of the spectrum think, “Yeah, but how?”

So what can be done? How do you overcome it? My guess (and this comes from a lot of personal experience, a little talking to other people, and no actual scientific research) is that many people aren’t willing to get started because their goal is just too big. A massive goal like building a business (for instance) involves so many interconnected but different steps that many people just throw up their hands in frustration and go back to the couch. This is not the way to overcome the problem!

Don’t think of it as one huge goal; think of the incremental steps. Rather than saying to yourself, “Today is the day I begin building my business!”, say “Today is the day that I’m going to sit down for an hour and mind map my interests and skills. I’m going to find out what I’m really good at and interested in!”. So much less intimidating, yet still a crucial step.

I think of it like following a path through a lava field. Most people, I think, wouldn’t stare at the end of the field as they’re walking; they’d stare at their feet and make sure the next step is placed somewhere they won’t get burned. Look at the next step, not the finish line, and the task won’t seem so daunting.

3. “Eh, whatever. It’s not so bad right now.”

I don’t really know what to tell you about this one. Sure, I could contradict what I just wrote and say “Just Do It!”, but that seems a little trite and disingenuous, doesn’t it?

I’m sure we’ve all heard the statement, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”, right? It’s the same with laziness. It all boils down to comfort zones. A person will refuse to get moving until their fear of failing where they’re at becomes so acute that they’re no longer scared to move on to something else.

The thing is, you’re in charge of how you respond to your emotions. You can’t help feeling lazy (at least, I’ve never figured out how to), but you can help acting lazy. I still feel lazy all the time when I’m supposed to write, or mow the lawn, or do something “grown up”. I’d rather go watch TV with my wife or play video games. The only difference between now and a year ago is that now I don’t let my feelings tell me what to do.

So, that’s it. The three best statements you can make to ensure your failure. Recognize any of them? I don’t know about you, but I recognize all three of them in my life multiple times per day. What they all have in common is that they’re products of circumstance. If you allow your circumstances to control your responses, then you’ll never overcome. However, if you refuse to be a victim of circumstance, and get to the point where failure is no longer an option, then circumstances will just be a passing issue. So, give your circumstances a beat-down. Master your emotions, don’t let them master you.

Jason D Barr writes Start Being Your Best. You can follow him on Twitter.

You might also like...

1. Mastering Daily Dreamwork to Fulfill Your Dreams
2. 10 Misconceptions the Self-Employed Deal With Daily
3. Fear Drives Us To Work

Photo by celeste

The public library is a phenomena that to this day I still can’t get over. Free knowledge, for anyone. Literally, anyone. I can’t think of an equivalent other than going to a clothing store, “checking out” an outfit, wearing the outfit and returning it in four weeks, free of charge.

Except books are so much better than clothes.

Recently I’ve been on a huge reading kick, checking out anything I can get my hands on in the library. (I’m writing a guest post on ZenHabits to detail some of the best stuff I’ve found, so more on that later.)

I’ve found that no matter what I read, the act of reading every day has helped me in nearly every aspect of my life. Here are a few of my favorite ways that reading has improved my quality of life, and will definitely improve yours.

1. Enhanced Smarts

Wow, this may be the most obvious statement of the post, right? Well, it turns out that reading helps in almost every area of smarts. Those that read have higher GPA’s, higher intelligence, and general knowledge than those that don’t. In Anne E. Cunningham’s paper What Reading Does for the Mind (pdf version), she found that reading, in general, makes you smarter, and it keeps you sharp as you age.

No matter what you’re wanting to do or become, you can’t do it without more knowledge. Reading is an excellent way to get where you’re wanting to go.

2. Reading reduces stress

When I’m reading a book, my mind shifts gears. Where I might have a had a stressful day, a book can easily distract me. Fiction is fantastic for this. Reading an awesome fiction book is perfect right before bed time. Though sometimes it’s hard to put the book down if it’s really good. Still, you’ll be relaxed ;)

Photo by MorBCN

3. Greater tranquility

Reading can soothe like no other. Given that I’m a pretty high-energy person, reading forces me to sit and be still. This daily act of making myself be quiet and still has been nothing short of miraculous for my anxiety and my “fidgety factor”.

4. Improved analytical thinking

That’s right, ladies and germs. Cunningham’s studies have found that analytical thinking is boosted by reading. Readers improve their general knowledge, and more importantly are able to spot patterns quicker. If you can spot patterns quicker, your analytical skills receive a boost.

5. Increased vocabulary

Photo by thejbird

It’s no secret that reading increases your vocabulary and improves your spelling, but did you know that reading increases your vocabulary more than talking or direct teaching? Reading forces us to look at words that we might not have seen or heard recently at the pub. In fact, language in children’s books are likely to be more sophisticated than your average conversation.

Increased vocabulary is especially crucial for bloggers or writers. All successful writers will tell you that in order to write well, you need to read. Every day. You’ll be surprised at the words you start incorporating into your writing.

A beefier vocabulary isn’t just for writers though. Knowing what other people are saying and using the perfect words to convey your feelings is a critical part of being a better human. Better listeners are more successful in life.

(Side note: If you’re concerned with your well-being at previously mentioned pub, you might lay off the more obnoxious terms you’ve picked up.)

6. Improved memory

I have an awful memory. Just ask my fiancee. I usually can’t remember what I’ve eaten for breakfast, let alone things like names and addresss. Yet I’ve been finding that I can remember stuff much easier when I’ve been reading consistently. Do I have any scientific data to match this up? Not really. But I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that reading has somehow given me memory mojo.

7. Improved writing skills

This isn’t much of a stretch, considering that reading improves vocabulary and critical thinking. I feel like a better writer, as I’m constantly surrounding myself with works from people who are better than me. That’s why English classes in High School make you read “the classics”. That’s why art students learn to copy masterpieces, so they know what creating something incredible should feel like.

The more you read, the better of a writer you’ll become.

Photo by prosperina*

8. Helps prioritize goals

Many times we’re certain we know what we “really want” in life. Yet I’ve found that activities like reading show me things I didn’t know about myself. My mind will drift to things that I’d really like to do, and it isn’t long that these little lapses in reading start to cycle. The same sort of goals keep popping into my head, allowing me to see what I really want to do.

For example, I’ve been playing music on a consistent basis, but I’ve always wanted to produce and distribute my own music. As I’ve been reading, I’ve found that song ideas and other general thoughts on music keep popping into my head. It’s my times reading that have really pushed me into giving music a serious go.

When you remove yourself from your work environment, you’ll start to see things that you might really want to do, that you’re not doing yet. Reading gives you a chance for your to wander.

No time? No money?

If you think that you don’t have enough time to start reading, you’re wrong. How do I know? Because we make time for the things that are important to us. How much TV do you watch? How much time do you spend trawling the web? You could easily replace reading with those activities.

If you’re worried about the cost of books, check ‘em out at the local library. Most libraries take advantage of the interlibrary loan system, so you can check out nearly any book on the planet. I also use Worldcat to find libraries in the area that might have my book.

There’s really no excuse to start reading on a regular basis. The benefits far outweigh the costs, and more knowledge never hurt anybody.

You might also like...

1. Small Changes In Your Bathroom, Big Benefits For the Environment
2. Skimming News Makes Us Dumber (I Have Proof!)
3. Increase Your Reading Speed

This post was written by Ramsay of The Daily Mind.

“Be fluid. Treat each project differently. Be water, man. The best style is no style. Because styles can be figured out. And when you have no style they can’t figure you out.” – Jay-Z

Jay-Z is one of the most successful rappers in history. He has had more number one hits than I can count on my two hands. He has been CEO of two powerful music labels. And, most importantly, he is married to the hottest girl in the business! So what can Jay teach us about success and work ethic?

The answer: a lot.

Who is Jay-Z?

In case you have been living under a rock for the last 20 years I will quickly tell you who Jay-Z is and why he is worth studying. However, you don’t need to know who this man is to appreciate what he has done.

The Early Years
Jay-Z grew up in the projects in Booklyn, New York. He was abandoned by his father at a young age and got into selling drugs and skipping school. A renowned intellectual; his gifts were being used to create a massive drug business. However, he soon turned all that around when he established his own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records, and released his first album. It was a huge success – the first of many.

The Name
The name “Jay-Z” is a stage name; his real name being Shawn Corey Carter. There is a lot of speculation as to where this stage name comes from. Some people think it is because his mentor’s name was Jaz-O, others say it was because his childhood nick name was Jazzy and others say it is because the Brooklyn Subway runs from station J to station Z. Whatever the reason the name Jay-Z now stands for so much more than just a few good hip hop albums.

What Jay-Z can teach you about success and work ethic

Now that you know who he is we can look at some of his amazing life events, poetic rap quotes and pioneering innovation and extract some useful lessons on success and work ethic. Pay attention because this man is exceptional.

1. Give people what they want

“I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars, they criticize me for it yet they all yell holla.” – Jay-Z

The rap game is, truthfully, a very snobby industry. If an underground rapper gets famous people call him a sellout. But, if he stays underground people say he hasn’t got skills because he hasn’t got a record deal.

This didn’t bother Jay.

He knew he had skills and he was confident in that. He didn’t create rap albums to prove anything to anyone else and as such was able to make moves that put in him in a very good financial position. His first album was poetic and deep but after realizing that he was alienating a large portion of listeners he “dumbed it down” to increase his fan base. He knew what people wanted and he gave it to them. The rap industry might have called him a sellout but the listeners bought his records. Soon he was a best seller and a powerful player in game – others were now going to the “sellout” for loans and advice.

If you want to be successful you need to know what the people want. Know your market. Know your niche. There is no point trying to sell music to deaf people or movies to the blind.

2. Take risks

“The Martha Stewart that’s far from Jewish, far from a Harvard student, just had the balls to do it.” – Jay-Z

Jay-Z started out as a drug dealer from the ghetto. He didn’t graduate secondary school. But, he knew he had something special inside and so he took big risks to better his position. The drug dealer soon set up his own record label (unheard of in those days) and turned himself into one of the most successful musicians in history. After 10 years of pumping out hit after hit he accepted a high powered role as the CEO of Def Jam Records. This is yet again an amazing feat – an uneducated man taking control of an international firm.

However, these are not the only risks that Jay has taken. He has an extremely wide variety of investments ranging from clothing lines to basketball teams. On the surface it looks like Jay has made a lot of risky investment decisions. But, is it more risky to diversify or more risky to put all your eggs in one basket? If Jay’s records stop selling he will still extract millions from his clothes, clubs, merchandise, signed musicians, sporting teams, etc.

If you want to be successful you need to take some risks. However, do like Jay did and invest wisely. If you risks that are not calculated and measured you will lose out badly.

3. Don’t give up

“Put me anywhere on God’s green earth, I’ll triple my worth.” – Jay-Z

Jay-Z didn’t have his first big hit until he was in his 30′s. Most musicians are done and dusted by that age but Jay backed himself and his team and he didn’t give up. It would have been easy for Jay to stay in the drug trade and make big money living a life of crime. However, he wanted something better for himself and he knew that with hard work and dedication he could get it.

Take a look at what Jay says about persistence:

“Sure I do, I tell you the difference between me and them
They tryin to get they ones, I’m tryin to get them M’s
One million, two million, three million, four
In just five years, forty million more
You are now lookin at the forty million boy
I’m rappin Def Jam ’til I’m the hundred million man.”

Jay-Z’s “never say die” attitude has taken him to places that other people will never reach because they give up too quickly. Successful people never give up, even when everything looks pretty gloomy. It doesn’t matter which successful person you look at, they have all faced adversities and they have all pushed through them.

4. Take care of the people around you

“I got mouths to feed til they put flowers on me.” – Jay-Z

It is important to take care of the people around you. If by some chance you do strike it rich you need to realize that you got there because of the kindness and efforts of a lot of people. No body got anywhere by themselves. To think so would be a mistake. Jay is well aware that he is who he is today because he had the moral and financial support from the friends, family and business partners in his life. To forget them would be a serious error.

If you take care of your business partners other people will perceive you as trustworthy and be more likely to engage your services. Furthermore, the people with whom you have already done business will be more likely to take care of your in return.

With this in mind I should take a second to thank my home-boy Alex for digging up all the quotes for this post!

Success is not about what you know, it is about who you know. But it’s no use if they know you for the wrong reasons.

5. Watch your mouth

“A wise man once told me don’t argue with fools, because people from a distance cant tell who is who.” – Jay-Z

Leading on from number four it is important to watch what you say. One of the first things my father ever taught me about business is that you should never say anything bad about anyone in the industry because sooner or later you will be known to be untrustworthy.

Jay-Z is very careful about who he disses in his rap songs. He has never bitten the hand that feeds him. His disses always go out to competitor rap artists and are used as a marketing method to make himself known in the media and music industry.

I myself would never say some of the things he has. However, you have to take note of how he has done it as every word was deliberate and intentional. None of it came as en emotional response – it was a business move. Let me illustrate:

For over five years Jay-Z had continuous beef with a fellow New York rapper called Nas. They were both fighting to become the best rapper in the city. Each artist took turns saying things about the other until the conflict became so popularized people thought there was going to be bloodshed.

Finally Jay-Z called a massive concert at Madison Square Gardens called “I Declare War”. People feared that it would trigger a new gangster war in New York City. The concert sold out and to the shock and awe of the people attending Jay walked out with rival rapper Nas and the two did a concert side-by-side. He declared peace instead.

Be careful what you say about people. It will have an effect.

6. Make your own destiny

“Gotta keep it peace like a buddhist…
Nobody gonna Wesley snipe me
It’s less than likely,
Move back,
Let I breathe Jedi knight,
The more space I get the better I write,
(Oh) Never I write, but, if, ever I write,
I need the space to say whatever I like.” – Jay-Z

This quote is my favorite of all of Jay’s quotes and it might need a little explaining. Like many of his lyrics it is multi-layered and allows for many different interpretations.

Firstly, Jay says that he needs space and that no body or no circumstance will get in the way of that. He creates his own space and doesn’t let other people bring him down.

Secondly, Jay-Z is somewhat of a prodigy whose lyrics are composed on the spot and usually in the recording booth. It is well known that he never writes any lyrics down but instead commits it all to memory. In the quote Jay is playing on this fact saying that he never writes but if he did it would say exactly what he intended.

He is the author of his own destiny. Are you?

Some other inspiring Jay-Z facts

Jay-Z has said and done so many amazing things so I thought I would share a few as a conclusion to this post. I have selected some of the most inspiring for you to browse through. Hopefully something will stand out to you.

If you have any other I have missed be sure to leave a comment!

Facts about Jay

• Jay is worth a reported $182 million.
• Jay is married to singer Beyonce Knowles
• Jay had six consecutive albums reach number one
• Jay’s album the Blueprint 2 has sold over three million copies
• Jay is part owner of the basketball team the New Jersey Nets
• Jay takes equity in his business deals instead of endorsements and as such has built up massive wealth.
• It was Jay who signed Rihana, NE-YO and Mariah Carey all in one year to make Def Jam a fortune.
• Jay and Kanye West donated $1.3 million to Hurricane Katrina victims
• Jay sold his clothing company for $204 million in cash

This guest post has been written by The Daily Minder from the blog that makes the daily grind meaningful – The Daily Mind.

You might also like...

1. What U2 Can Teach You About Being Timeless
2. What Google Can Teach Us About Self-Image
3. A Simple Truth: Being Genuine Brings Success

I recently had the privilege of previewing Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek, the soon-to-be monster on the best-selling lists. This book has tons of solid information on how to completely transform the way you think about work. From the top down.

The 4-Hour Workweek‘s main premise is this: You can do more, by doing less. Much less. It is this core thesis that Ferriss walks us through many different ways to simplify our lives, in order to do more.

A champion of the low-information lifestyle, Ferriss is the poster boy of productivity. But he would argue that even being more efficient still isn’t as good as being more effective. What a great point, especially for this audience.

The entire premise of this blog is built upon the fact that people desire finding better methods for running their lives, and a big part of it is through tools.

Possibly the best thing I ever learned playing the trumpet in my sch

ool band was how to create killer dynamics. My instructor Mr. Cooper made it very clear that if a section or individual instrument had the most important part and it needed to be louder, everyone else was supposed to play softer.

This could easily be a parallel to how we work. Tim points out that no matter how many hours are in our days, we’ll still feel compelled to fill them with unimportant work. It isn’t until you start to take away what you don’t need that you’ll be more productive in less time. We need to constantly evaluate and remove the things that get in the way of the important stuff.

But if there’s one thing that I appreciate most about the book is that Tim has walked the walk. Anyone can give advice and tips (including yours truly), without having any real experience. Not so with Mr. Ferriss. In a very narrow perspective, the book is a case study of his short life of 29 years. In that short of time the man has accomplished things unheard of. His feats include:

• a world-record holder in tango
• a national champion in kickboxing
• an actor
• a lecturer at Princeton

and for the icing on the cake: Tim has done this all while running a multinational firm from a wireless location at many points throughout the world.

Uhhhh…. yeah.

I don’t know about you, but when someone as accomplished as this man puts something down on paper, I’m going to read it. Intently. And I recommend you do the same.

Oh, and Tim’s got a great Experiments in LifeStyle Design.

You might also like...

1. The 4 Hour Work Week an Amazon Best Seller
2. Interview With Tim Ferriss of The 4 Hour Work Week
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Change the Dream

Zen Habits has an incredible and insightful post that outlines a new beefed-up GTD system. It just plain rocks, I tell you.

First off, I should note that Zen Habits is one of my favorite blogs as of late. Plenty of nuggets creating life habits in the archives over there. The writing is simple, yet the concepts are fresh and unique. Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. Let’s get to the goods ;)

The GTD system is a very flexible processing tool that gives structure to wrangling your life’s inputs. However, there are a few shortcomings to the system. First and foremost, it doesn’t really pay attention to your life’s goals. GTD is more what needs to be done right now, with not much love given on how to process your life’s goals. Thanks to Leo, we now have a way to process those as well, wrapped around the GTD system.

If you’ve been having trouble with GTD, as great as it is, ZTD might be just for you. It focuses on the habit changes necessary for GTD, in a more practical way, and it focuses on doing, on simplifying, and on adding a simple structure.

Admittedly, GTD is not the easiest thing in the world to learn. It takes a few times of falling off the wagon before really getting the hang of it. The ZTD system tries to make it an easier system by simplifying more. Almost too simple.

In fact, Leo believes that not trying new task and project tools is key to keeping it simple. A straight pen and paper works best for the ZTD system. While this is mostly true, it’s a little over-simplified. In some cases it just doesn’t make sense to use a paper-based system (like web development). However, he’s spot on: the tool isn’t going to make you any more organized.

It’s all about the system, baby.

You might also like...

1. Time Management, Simplified: How to Be Productive With No Worries
2. GTD Cheatsheet: Processing Your Stuff
3. Productivity News: Creating Todo lists with Gmail and Jott, Consequences of Internet at 30,000 feet, and 30 Boxes creator on email GTD

Steve Pavlina has an interesting post on Self-Help Junkies.  Basically, they’re people who spend all of their resources learning how to get better, and not actually doing anything to improve their life.

Much like drug addicts, self-help junkies feed their addiction by digesting more and more feel-good material. They get sucked into the emotional high that comes from reading enthusiastic drivel, but those unresolved feelings of emptiness and self-doubt always return in the end. For a brief time these devotees may maintain the illusion of action, such as by doing introspective exercises, taking quizzes, making journal entries, and reciting daily affirmations. But when they’re just about to begin the real action phase — the kind that produces measurable results — somehow they always get sidetracked, and the end result is nothing but a rah-rah fizzle.

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s easy to start wandering down this dark and lonely road.  Too many times people get caught up in finding the latest “thing” to help lose weight/write better/save money/whatever, as opposed to actually using it and sticking with it.

Steve points us to some actual, measurable goals that we can actually use all of those new technologies and ideas we write about on LifeDev. His growth goals are measured into 7 different categories:

1. Physical
2. Mental
3. Financial
4. Social
5. Career and Business
6. Spiritual
7. Personal Effectiveness

These are great ideas for anyone wanting to improve an aspect of their life.  I’m personally trying to become a better manager of money. Anybody else working in one of these aspects of their lives?  What goals are you working on?

You might also like...

1. Zen To Done: Addressing the Shortcomings of GTD
2. Behance: Productive Creativity Tools
3. Persistence Needs a Metric

There’s a great new website out there for us creative types who struggle with actually completing our lofty goals. The Behance team creates tools to help creative types with capturing ideas and completing them, which is so often the problem.

Many times people focus too much on the collecting part. It’s really really easy to capture your ideas. It’s much harder to capture those ideas in a fashion that allows you to break them down and plan for them. Enter Behance. From their Philosophy page:

Great achievement demands more than a great idea. “Creativity” is only one of the many components of “Productive Creativity.” Our research has revealed the invaluable role of other components such as leadership capability, staying organized, community, accountability, and cross-pollination in making ideas happen.

Currently, the Behance team has developed an elegant-looking line of Action Method products, aimed at storing next actions while brainstorming. Personally, the Action Pad looks like a piece of planning nirvana. If you want to see it in action, they’ve provided a printable tester.

They’ve also got one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen in a while: Action Stickers. We all use sticky notes (heck, even online), so why not have
some durable ones? Brilliant.

You might also like...

1. Behance Action Series: Structured Creativity
2. 10% Off Behance Products for LifeDev Readers!
3. Productivity Tools Won’t Make You More Productive