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	<title>Freeman LaFleur</title>
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		<title>My 9 Biggest Personal Growth Experiences of 2014</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/9-biggest-personal-growth-experiences-2014/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/9-biggest-personal-growth-experiences-2014/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:08:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2014]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personal development]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/jump.gif"></p>
<p>My experiences this year pushed me far beyond my comfort zones and helped me understand myself more than any year before. </p>
<p>Going into 2014 I had many of the same goals that you probably had. Eat healthier, exercise more, make X amount of money. Unsurprisingly almost none of those things went the way I'd intended. Instead, the things I never could've planned for ended up making this the best year ever. </p>
<p>Here are my biggest personal growth experiences of 2014.</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/9-biggest-personal-growth-experiences-2014/">My 9 Biggest Personal Growth Experiences of 2014</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My experiences this year pushed me far beyond my comfort zones and helped me understand myself more than any year before. </p>
<p>Going into 2014 I had many of the same goals that you probably had. Eat healthier, exercise more, make X amount of money. Unsurprisingly almost none of those things went the way I&#8217;d intended. Instead, the things I never could&#8217;ve planned for ended up making this the best year ever. </p>
<p>Here are my biggest personal growth experiences of 2014.</p>
<p><strong>Moving to Orange County</strong><br />
Leaving the place I called home in search of new opportunities and experiences was challenging mentally and physically. Any time you move states you&#8217;re in for a lot of work. From finding a new home, to packing, moving, settling in, getting new license plates and drivers license, new utilities, etc. Like I said, a lot of work. Also, leaving behind your friends and family for a place where you know almost no one can lead to some lonely moments. While it was hard, moving to Orange County resulted in a year of growth. Almost every item on this list wouldn&#8217;t have been possible if I hadn&#8217;t moved.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/g2CoCMqTWY/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Freeman Zosimus LaFleur (@freemanlafleur)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2013-11-18T05:33:34+00:00">Nov 11, 2013 at 9:33pm PST</time></p>
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<p><strong>Working with Matthew</strong><br />
My girlfriend and I moved into a live/work loft in Santa Ana, CA. It was the most beautiful place I&#8217;ve ever lived. Architecturally inspiring and full of open space for working, playing, and entertaining. Because the space was so large I decided to invite my buddy, <a href="http://hxworks.com" target="_blank">Matthew Gallizzi</a>, to share the large workspace with me. For the following year we worked together almost every day. In the morning we&#8217;d go for a walk around the nearby park and talked about business and life. We&#8217;d help each other work through ideas, creative blocks, and tough decisions. Imagine working next to a business coach, accountability partner and best friend every day.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/irjIqSqTdE/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Freeman Zosimus LaFleur (@freemanlafleur)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-01-02T20:48:47+00:00">Jan 1, 2014 at 12:48pm PST</time></p>
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<p><strong>Recording the Startup Riff podcast</strong><br />
Soon after Matthew and I started working together we started a podcast called <a href="http://startupriff.com" target="_blank">Startup Riff</a>. The idea was that we&#8217;d freely talk about our thoughts around various topics like productivity, the entrepreneur mindset, idea validation, etc. The response was relatively good for starting with almost no pre-existing audience. We even had a few people that would regularly tune into a live broadcast. </p>
<p>Even though we stopped recording the show after our 43rd episode, the Startup Riff helped Matthew and I hone our public voices and it taught us a lot about how to produce a weekly audio show. We&#8217;d also been wanting to get all our thoughts on starting a business out in some easily digestible form and the podcast allowed us to do just that. Now when someone asks me for advice on a certain topic I can point them to an in-depth conversation about it. That alone made this experience priceless.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/jxirh3qTZx/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Freeman Zosimus LaFleur (@freemanlafleur)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-01-30T01:11:38+00:00">Jan 1, 2014 at 5:11pm PST</time></p>
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<p><strong>Speaking</strong><br />
I&#8217;ve got to thank Matthew for this one. His birthday gift to me was setting me up with an opportunity to speak at an event at Cal State Fullerton&#8217;s Center for Entrepreneurship. I&#8217;ve been deathly afraid of public speaking all my life so even though this was only a three minute &#8220;Ubernote&#8221;, the experience was a huge growth moment for me. Perhaps the biggest of the year.</p>
<p>A few months later, Matthew and I also got the opportunity to speak at Valley High School, in Santa Ana, about our experiences in entrepreneurship. It was a lot of fun and exposed me to the unique challenges that come with talking to a group full of rambunctious teenagers.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/kLUS_BqTQz/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Freeman Zosimus LaFleur (@freemanlafleur)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-02-09T01:26:13+00:00">Feb 2, 2014 at 5:26pm PST</time></p>
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<p><strong>Getting a bunch of dental procedures done</strong><br />
Shortly after my birthday I faced one of my biggest fears, going to the dentist. It was my first visit in years and I knew there was work to be done. I&#8217;d been told 6 years ago that I really needed to get my wisdom teeth out and over those few short years a cavity had also become infected. </p>
<p>This year I had cavities filled, a root canal operation, and two wisdom teeth extracted. It was a long and painful year for my mouth. Take my story as a warning. Don&#8217;t wait to go to the dentist or doctor, even if you&#8217;re a starving entrepreneur with no health insurance. <strong>Health > Business = Always</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Going to NYC for Unretreat 2014</strong><br />
For the past two years, Matthew and I have done something we&#8217;re formerly calling <a href="http://unretreats.com/" target="_blank">Unretreats</a>. It&#8217;s basically a week spent in an unknown city where we dig deep and work together through our struggles personally and professionally. This year my girlfriend, Josie, joined us and ended up creating some of the most profound moments for me. I helped her recognize things she needed to work on to be a stronger woman and she helped me recognize things I needed to work on to become a better man. We cried together for the first time in a while. It was freeing.</p>
<p>For the past two years I&#8217;ve left Unretreat inspired, with new friends, and changed in ways that only a week of deep, vulnerable conversations can do. Can&#8217;t freakin&#8217; wait to do it again!</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/sz8rLaKTRK/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Freeman Zosimus LaFleur (@freemanlafleur)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-09-11T16:19:49+00:00">Sep 9, 2014 at 9:19am PDT</time></p>
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<p><strong>Starting (and shutting down) Kangaroo.io</strong><br />
After attending a Lunch and Learn event in Orange County, Matthew and I had an idea for a company feedback tool. We wanted to test it as a minimum viable product so we set up a basic landing page at kangaroo.io and started testing the idea by throwing up a few ads. Before we knew it we were on <a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/kangaroo" target="_blank">Product Hunt</a> and some of techs biggest companies were signing up for our service as we were still mapping out processes and building the back end. It was nuts. We tuned and tweaked the project over the next few weeks and were able to <a href="https://medium.com/@YourCardApp/your-great-customer-service-just-got-taken-to-school-36876bca94d8" target="_blank">test out some very personal onboarding techniques</a>. </p>
<p>Eventually, we began to question if kangaroo.io fit either of our self-defined purposes. It was tough but we came to the conclusion that this wasn&#8217;t the path either of us were interested in going down. I think we both learned to stick with our focus in the future and don&#8217;t give into trying every interesting idea that comes along. It&#8217;s a sure fire way to waste precious time and feel off purpose.</p>
<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/jump.gif"></p>
<p><strong>Making art with Rogue Food Works</strong><br />
Rogue Food Works is an immersive dining club in Denver, Colorado. In August, I was invited to attend one of their events and I was blown away by the unique and high-quality experience they&#8217;d put together. Shortly after the event, they asked me to help them create a launch strategy and content series for their upcoming Indiegogo campaign. I said, &#8220;Hell yeah!&#8221; and we quickly got to work. It&#8217;s been a lot of fun working with the creative guys at Rogue Food Works and they&#8217;ve pushed me harder creatively than any other project I&#8217;ve worked on this year.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/rfwstore" target="_blank">Here is a piece</a> I put together for them using the <a href="https://www.storehouse.co/" target="_blank">Storehouse</a> app.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/vzOtahKTQL/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A video posted by Freeman Zosimus LaFleur (@freemanlafleur)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-11-24T23:12:21+00:00">Nov 11, 2014 at 3:12pm PST</time></p>
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<p><strong>Packing up all my belongings and living on the road</strong><br />
My girlfriend and I go on a lot of road trips. It&#8217;s one of our favorite ways to travel. So, when our lease was up at our loft in Orange County, we put our stuff in storage and hit the road for a few months. We drove up the coast of California to spend a few weeks traveling through Oregon and Washington before heading back down to New Mexico to spend the Holidays with my family. After this trip, I think I can say that I&#8217;ve fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest. The lush and mighty trees of the Pacific Rainforest, the serene Oregon coast, the amazing coffee, and the beyond friendly people. Everything about the Northwest spoke to my soul.</p>
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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/wM-r0xqTfq/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Freeman Zosimus LaFleur (@freemanlafleur)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-12-04T23:12:34+00:00">Dec 12, 2014 at 3:12pm PST</time></p>
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<p><strong>Uncertainty going into 2015</strong><br />
I&#8217;m done worrying about how all the seemingly fragmented pieces of my life will fall together. I spent much of the past year trying to come up with some cohesive business strategy that would encompass everything I enjoy but I made very little actual progress towards starting anything. My fear of uncertainty and &#8220;doing the wrong thing&#8221; paralyzed me. I know this mental discomfort is all part of my journey, part of untangling myself, overcoming my fears, and embracing what I subconsciously know I love to do. And while I may not have made much progress on my own personal projects this year, I do feel good about the number of people I advised and helped grow their projects. I think that&#8217;s the direction I&#8217;m going. I like using what I&#8217;ve learned over the past decade of carving my own path to help others do the same. </p>
<p>As to where I&#8217;ll be living next. I&#8217;m not really sure. We&#8217;re considering making the move to Portland or Seattle, but it&#8217;s too early to make that decision. For now I&#8217;m relaxing, enjoying my time with my family, and quietly plotting for 2015.</p>
<p>I&#8217;d love to know what experiences forced you to grow this year. I look forward to reading your stories in the comments below.</p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/9-biggest-personal-growth-experiences-2014/">My 9 Biggest Personal Growth Experiences of 2014</a></p>
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		<title>What Does It Take To Make Every Day The Best Day Ever?</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/best-day-ever/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/best-day-ever/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2014 20:35:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best day ever]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fulfillment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[happiness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=5405</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_5852.jpg"></p>
<p>Last week I had two of my wisdom teeth forcefully ripped from my jaw and I stubbornly refused to take pain medication. A few hours later I lay on my couch writhing in agony while talking to my Mom on the phone. </p>
<p>She asked how I was doing. </p>
<p>"I'm still having the best day ever." I replied.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/freemanlafleur/status/512742602072801281</p>
<p>For about six months I've been playing a mental game with myself by proclaiming every day "The best day ever."</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/best-day-ever/">What Does It Take To Make Every Day The Best Day Ever?</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_5852.jpg"></p>
<p>Last week I had two of my wisdom teeth forcefully ripped from my jaw and I stubbornly refused to take pain medication. A few hours later I lay on my couch writhing in agony while talking to my Mom on the phone. </p>
<p>She asked how I was doing. </p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m still having the best day ever.&#8221; I replied.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" width="550"><p>Wisdom teeth extracted. Feel like I got punched in the face. Still having the best day ever :)</p>
<p>&mdash; Freeman LaFleur (@freemanlafleur) <a href="https://twitter.com/freemanlafleur/status/512742602072801281">September 18, 2014</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>For about six months I&#8217;ve been playing a mental game with myself by proclaiming every day &#8220;The best day ever.&#8221;</p>
<p>I can&#8217;t remember exactly why I started repeating the phrase but it has changed my life. There&#8217;s no longer good days, bad days, productive days, or fun days. </p>
<p><strong>Every day has become the best day ever.</strong> </p>
<p>It&#8217;s the way I start every day and the way I remember every day that&#8217;s passed.</p>
<p>If I&#8217;m alive and my basic needs are met, what more do I need to make it my best day yet? </p>
<p>Our ancestors didn&#8217;t hinge their happiness on big screen TVs and pay raises. Why should I? It seems our definition of happiness is more complex and difficult to attain than ever before. Yet we live in arguably the most healthy, abundant, and technologically advanced time man has ever known.</p>
<p><strong>So what does it take to make every day the best day ever in a world where our basic needs are largely met but are no longer the barometer for being content?</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_0013-banner.jpg"></p>
<p>It seems pretty simple to me. We lower our bar, take responsibility for our happiness, and take inventory of our blessings. </p>
<p>Don&#8217;t get me wrong, I still love new gadgets and treating myself, but when you realize that waking up with your basic needs met is enough to be happy it makes you thankful for everything you&#8217;re fortunate enough to have beyond that.</p>
<p>Some will say I&#8217;m naive and that it&#8217;s easy for me to say that every day is the best day ever when I&#8217;m not going through chemo, losing my home, or mourning the death of a loved one.</p>
<p>Yes, I&#8217;m not, and some days it&#8217;s certainly easier to say than others but struggle is a defining part of the human condition. I&#8217;ve struggled in the past and I have no doubts that I&#8217;ll face even greater struggles in the future. Knowing that, it might not be easy but I&#8217;ll still go into each remaining day with the mindset that &#8220;Today is the best day ever.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p><em>P.S. Want to read more about &#8220;hacking&#8221; your mindset to fight depression or just kick ass at life? Check out Kamal Ravikant&#8217;s excellent short book &#8211; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Yourself-Like-Your-Depends-ebook/dp/B0086BX8UE" target="_blank">Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It</a>.</em></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/best-day-ever/">What Does It Take To Make Every Day The Best Day Ever?</a></p>
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		<title>This Is The Difference Between Dying With Regrets And Living At Your Best</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/difference-dying-regrets-living-best/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/difference-dying-regrets-living-best/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:18:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=5372</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_8280.jpg"></p>
<p><strong>I know what it's like to be paralyzed by fear. </strong></p>
<p>When every morning feels overwhelming.</p>
<p>When trying to make the right decision leads to no decision.</p>
<p>When time and money constantly feel like they're running out.</p>
<p>When losing comfort scares you more than taking the risks to get to the next level.</p>
<p>When your dreams feel more like dreams than ever before.</p>
<p><strong>You can change this.</strong></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/difference-dying-regrets-living-best/">This Is The Difference Between Dying With Regrets And Living At Your Best</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_8280.jpg"></p>
<p><strong>I know what it&#8217;s like to be paralyzed by fear. </strong></p>
<p>When every morning feels overwhelming.</p>
<p>When trying to make the right decision leads to no decision.</p>
<p>When time and money constantly feel like they&#8217;re running out.</p>
<p>When losing comfort scares you more than taking the risks to get to the next level.</p>
<p>When your dreams feel more like dreams than ever before.</p>
<p><strong>You can change this.</strong></p>
<p>You can choose to remain in a reactive state, letting fear guide you from decision to decision. Or you can take control and lead proactively, carrying out every action and decision you make with courage and confidence.</p>
<p>This is the difference between indecision and decisive action.</p>
<p>The difference between feeling like you need more to be complete and knowing you are enough as you are.</p>
<p>The difference between punching the clock to fuel a braver man&#8217;s dreams and cashing in on your passions.</p>
<p>The difference between short-term shallow relationships and long-lasting authentic relationships.</p>
<p>The difference between dying with regrets and living at your very best.</p>
<p><strong>So I ask you.</strong></p>
<p>When will you finally get tired of letting fear control your decision-making process?</p>
<p>When will you decide to put in the work to overcome your fears?</p>
<p>When will you start trusting your heart? Trusting your experiences? Trusting your skills? </p>
<p>You are enough. You are ready. This is the fight you&#8217;ve been training for all your life.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s time to show the world what you&#8217;re capable of when you&#8217;re fully engaged. <strong>Fully alive.</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/difference-dying-regrets-living-best/">This Is The Difference Between Dying With Regrets And Living At Your Best</a></p>
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		<title>8 profound life lessons I learned from a year of soul-searching</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/8-profound-life-lessons-learned-year-soul-searching/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/8-profound-life-lessons-learned-year-soul-searching/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2014 23:19:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=5026</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/8-lessons.png" width="100%"></p>
<p>After exhausting myself mentally and physically to build and grow a twelve person remote business, I was ready for a break. My business had become a self-created jail cell and I was growing weary of chasing down ideas purely for monetary reasons. The fact that my co-founder and I were at odds with how to grow our company gave me an excuse to leave and take pause to reflect on my life, my beliefs, and what I really wanted and needed do next with my life.</p>
<p>I decided to take at least six months off. During those six months I traveled to Portland to talk about life with my good friend, Matthew, and I went on a two month road trip across the west coast with my girlfriend. A year later I'm headed down a completely different path than I ever imagined. My work and beliefs are beginning to finally align thanks to the profound lessons I've learned about life and myself over the past year.</p>
<p>Here are a few of the universal lessons I came to realize over the past year...</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/8-profound-life-lessons-learned-year-soul-searching/">8 profound life lessons I learned from a year of soul-searching</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After exhausting myself mentally and physically to build and grow a twelve person remote business, I was ready for a break. My business had become a self-created jail cell and I was growing weary of chasing down ideas purely for monetary reasons. The fact that my co-founder and I were at odds with how to grow our company gave me an excuse to leave and take pause to reflect on my life, my beliefs, and what I really wanted and needed do next with my life.</p>
<p>I decided to take at least six months off. During those six months I traveled to Portland to talk about life with my good friend, Matthew, and I went on a two month road trip across the west coast with my girlfriend. A year later I&#8217;m headed down a completely different path than I ever imagined. My work and beliefs are beginning to finally align thanks to the profound lessons I&#8217;ve learned about life and myself over the past year.</p>
<p>Here are a few of the universal lessons I came to realize over the past year&#8230;</p>
<h3>1. Get out and experience the world, even if it&#8217;s uncomfortable.</h3>
<p>I believe that the best way to learn and love life every day is by following our natural curiosities. I view every opportunity for a novel experience as an opportunity for growth and a chance to inhale the creative inspiration that comes from new stimuli. I&#8217;ve found that travel and doing things that put me out of my comfort zone have been the biggest creative strength multipliers for me. The abundance of new stimuli when traveling is incredible and experiencing life in diverse cultures helps me understand the world and better accept the variety of different beliefs and realities that people live.</p>
<h3>2. It&#8217;s easier to do something you don&#8217;t care about because doing something you care about requires risk and vulnerability.</h3>
<p>The catch is that you can only do stuff you don&#8217;t care about for so long before you break. In fact, a study found in Simon Sinek&#8217;s book, Leaders Eat Last, showed that children of people who enjoyed their work but worked long hours were far more happier than children of parents that hated their jobs regardless of the hours worked. Easier said than done you say? While it may be overwhelming and frightening to do work that you&#8217;re emotionally invested in, doing work you genuinely care about is far more mentally and physically sustainable than doing work you don&#8217;t care about. Being brave and letting down your guard to do work you feel connected to is a habit that becomes easier the more you do it. Like entering the ocean, the first steps are the most uncomfortable but if you keep moving forward you&#8217;ll eventually get used to the water.</p>
<h3>3. You are who you, and you alone, decide you are.</h3>
<p>Every one is living in a reality of their own creation. Our unique realities are made up of many experiences, personal beliefs, cultural beliefs, and micro day-to-day decisions. For this reason you must trust your gut and do what you want to do. Not what your friends, employers, or family want you to do. Their reality is different than yours, don&#8217;t let their reality dictate your path. As <a href="http://jamesaltucher.com" target="_blank">James Altucher</a> would say, Choose yourself.</p>
<h3>4. Respect other people&#8217;s reality.</h3>
<p>Just as you must be the only one to decide your own reality, you must respect other&#8217;s reality. What&#8217;s worked for you (your truth) may not work for other&#8217;s. Be aware and respectful of people who are playing a different game than you are.</p>
<h3>5. Don&#8217;t mind the haters.</h3>
<p>There will always be outspoken people with radically different views. If someone&#8217;s not playing in the same arena as you then don&#8217;t give them the luxury of taking their feedback to heart. I love how author, Brene Brown, avoids the influence of haters. She&#8217;s made a list of eight people that she carries in her purse. Those eight names represent the only people whose opinion and critique matters to her. This is brilliant. I recently made my list and I suggest you make one too. Then stick to the list. Take all other opinions with a grain of salt&#8230; or don&#8217;t. This is the only way to do and create what you must without letting naysayers alter your course.</p>
<h3>6. Wellness before work.</h3>
<p>I&#8217;ll be the first to admit that this has always been one of my biggest struggles. I&#8217;ve been to the emergency room because I think I&#8217;m having a heart attack only to find out that I&#8217;m just having a full blown anxiety attack. Not only do ER bills add up but my anxiety about my health and work stop me from creating and making progress on any front. I&#8217;ve started meditating every morning and have pushed myself to do more physical activities in the first few months of 2014 then I have in the past three years combined. I&#8217;m also more aware about my dietary intake because I&#8217;ve learned over time that what I eat has a noticeable impact on the way I feel physically and mentally. The key is to make your wellness a priority over everything. Yes, even your work. To help people and make the world a better place we have to be living at our best.</p>
<p>Also, if you suspect your health is suffering from anxiety, don&#8217;t be afraid to see a doctor. I put off going to the dentist for years because of pride, ego, and &#8220;being too busy.&#8221; I paid for it physically and financially. Take care of yourself!</p>
<h3>7. Follow your curiosities.</h3>
<p>Recently I spoke at CSUF and concluded with the following:<br />
&#8220;If you follow curiosity&#8217;s lead the journey will take you where you need to go and teach you what you need to know.&#8221;<br />
This is a way of living and growing that I&#8217;ve come to trust undoubtably. Everything I know about entrepreneurship, design, writing, health, and wellness has all come from exploring my curiosities and experimenting every day to learn what works and what does not work.</p>
<h3>8. Choose happiness.</h3>
<p>In the past I used to be amazed that anyone could be content working a job or doing something I thought they couldn&#8217;t possibly enjoy. After talking with entrepreneurs, cab drivers, and farmers about life, I realized I was wrong. I&#8217;ve found that many times the happiest people aren&#8217;t entrepreneurs or go getters. No matter their personal or cultural beliefs, the happiest people are the ones who&#8217;ve found something they enjoy about what they do every day. The Costa Rican airport cab driver that absolutely loves American rock, hearing people&#8217;s stories, and showing visitors the beauty of his country. The farmer that spreads joy through selling healthy food and giving unsolicited sermons on optimism at the local farmer&#8217;s market. These are people that have found happiness in what they do and they&#8217;re making the world better by simply by being happy.</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/8-profound-life-lessons-learned-year-soul-searching/">8 profound life lessons I learned from a year of soul-searching</a></p>
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		<title>Thank you Mom</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/thank-you-mom/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/thank-you-mom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2014 17:52:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=5010</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>An ode to my mother.</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/thank-you-mom/">Thank you Mom</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/15142_1319944000012_2911740_n.jpg"></p>
<p>Thank you for letting me into your life, even if it wasn&#8217;t the most convenient timing.</p>
<p>Thank you for drinking salsa during your pregnancy. I love hot food!</p>
<p>Thank you for making me eat healthy food even though at the time I thought it was disgusting.</p>
<p>Thank you for teaching me to appreciate life&#8217;s beauty.</p>
<p>Thank you for teaching me to respect our home, the earth.</p>
<p>Thank you for teaching me to respect and love everyone regardless of their beliefs, gender, skin color, or nationality.</p>
<p>Thank you for letting me run wild in the woods behind our house.</p>
<p>Thank you for fueling my curiosities and encouraging me to experiment.</p>
<p>Thank you for taking me to swim with dolphins when I thought I wanted to be a marine biologist.</p>
<p>Thank you for loaning me $1,000 to start my first business venture even though you probably knew I wouldn&#8217;t be able to pay you back.</p>
<p>Thank you for supporting my decision to drop out of college.</p>
<p>Thank you for encouraging me to ask questions and poke at the world.</p>
<p>Thank you for teaching me to pursue my passions and dreams by pursuing yours.</p>
<p>Thank you for being the best role model I could&#8217;ve asked for.</p>
<p>Thank you for being you despite what the world, your family, and friends thought you should be.</p>
<p>Thank you for never telling me to be someone other than who I wanted to be on any given day.</p>
<p>Thank you for always believing in me. Your words of encouragement have kept me going on my worst days.</p>
<p>Thank you for helping me become the person I am today. The world needs more Moms like you.</p>
<p>Much love,<br />
<img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/thank-you-mom/">Thank you Mom</a></p>
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		<title>What paintball taught me about leadership</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/what-paintball-taught-me-about-leadership/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/what-paintball-taught-me-about-leadership/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2014 16:38:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paintball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relax]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=4974</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_4975.jpg"></p>
<p>This past weekend, my girlfriend and I attended the Surf City Paintball Open, a professional paintball competition where some of the best players in the world compete in Huntington Beach, California.</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/what-paintball-taught-me-about-leadership/">What paintball taught me about leadership</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_4975.jpg"></p>
<p>This past weekend, my girlfriend and I attended the Surf City Paintball Open, a professional paintball competition where some of the best players in the world compete in Huntington Beach, California.</p>
<p>Pro paintball games are pretty intense to watch and even more intense to play. There are a lot of variables to account for while playing but arguably the most important element of the game is communication.</p>
<p>During matches it&#8217;s essential that players communicate with their team by shouting out opponent&#8217;s places on the field to one another. </p>
<p>I often say that the best paintball teams are comprised of great players but the legendary teams are made up of great communicators.</p>
<p>After playing competitively myself and watching dozens of professional games I thought I&#8217;d heard every team communication style imaginable but one particular match this past weekend was different.</p>
<p>During the match, the captain, Alex Fraige, of the most winning team in pro paintball history, team Dynasty, started shouting something very different to his teammates than anything I&#8217;ve ever heard other teams telling each other during a game.</p>
<p>&#8220;Relax! Relax! Relax!&#8221;</p>
<p>This is a sign of a great leader. During intense, anxiety filled battles, he&#8217;s not shouting &#8220;Focus!&#8221; or &#8220;Play harder!&#8221; or &#8220;Move up!&#8221; or anything else you&#8217;d expect the captain to tell his team. He&#8217;s telling them to relax because he knows that his teammates can&#8217;t do their best work when they&#8217;re anxious and stressed.</p>
<p>Alex Fraige&#8217;s words made me think about my own leadership style and how at times I would push the team at my last business to work harder when I should&#8217;ve been doing the opposite.</p>
<p>Sometimes when deadlines are looming and you&#8217;re working hard within your business, it can feel counterintuitive to tell your team to relax and take a break. But the ability to look at the business from the outside and realize that what&#8217;s good for your people is also good for your business, is what makes a great leader.</p>
<p>Alex and his team won that match and I&#8217;m left wondering how much of that is because of his wise words. Relax, relax.</p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Audio Version:<br />
<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/143540230&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_artwork=true"></iframe></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re not familiar with competitive paintball here&#8217;s a compilation video from a recent pro tournament:<br />
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rTKScgPbBHE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/what-paintball-taught-me-about-leadership/">What paintball taught me about leadership</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How &#8220;success&#8221; changed my beliefs about success</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/how-success-changed-beliefs-success/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/how-success-changed-beliefs-success/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2014 22:03:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=4891</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><iframe src="//instagram.com/p/khh6SBqTQe/embed/" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p>
<p>In 2012, I thought I was successful. </p>
<p>I'd always wanted to start a design firm so my co-founder and I were building a "creative empire". We had a team of twelve creatives and we were doing work for some of the biggest agencies and brands in the world. By many people's definition of success we were well on our way to entrepreneurial nirvana. </p>
<p>Secretly, I was miserable.</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/how-success-changed-beliefs-success/">How &#8220;success&#8221; changed my beliefs about success</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe src="//instagram.com/p/khh6SBqTQe/embed/" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p>
<p>In 2012, I thought I was successful. </p>
<p>I&#8217;d always wanted to start a design firm so my co-founder and I were building a &#8220;creative empire&#8221;. We had a team of twelve creatives and we were doing work for some of the biggest agencies and brands in the world. By many people&#8217;s definition of success we were well on our way to entrepreneurial nirvana. </p>
<p>Secretly, I was miserable.</p>
<p>I was drinking more on a daily basis than I ever had in my college years. I was getting in huge fights with my girlfriend over petty things which I didn&#8217;t realize till later was my anxiety&#8217;s way of rearing its ugly head. I also ended up in the emergency room from anxiety related heart problems twice within a year. </p>
<p>Success was killing me and it wasn&#8217;t until I had left the company I&#8217;d built and started a journey of self-reflection that I realized how warped my view of success had been.</p>
<p>&#8220;What is success to you?&#8221;</p>
<p>Before my brush with success, I would&#8217;ve answered like many naive entrepreneurs do: Success is when you&#8217;ve built a company that allows you to make a living and provide jobs for others at the same time. If you can exit big that&#8217;s a bonus! That was success to me. It was simple in my mind.</p>
<p>Now that I&#8217;ve lived that version of success I know it&#8217;s incomplete. </p>
<p>The other day I was on the phone with my mom. I had told her about my new project and how it&#8217;s based on my true passions. Then I proceeded to tell her about some new physical hobbies I&#8217;d started and that we had been having some big Nerf wars in the office. </p>
<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/087bb852a64011e3bee31207ee02ddea_8.jpg"></p>
<p>She told me that she thinks I&#8217;ve &#8220;found the key to happiness.&#8221;</p>
<p>In that moment, I realized what&#8217;s changed in my life since leaving my last business. It was the same thing that my past vision of success was missing.</p>
<p>Happiness.</p>
<p>Happiness is the most important element in your long-term success. If you&#8217;re not happy doing what you do on a daily basis then you&#8217;re not working or living to your highest potential. </p>
<p>Here&#8217;s how to be happy, it&#8217;s simple:</p>
<p>#1) Play more often. Start some new physical hobbies, cook, or go camping with your friends. Whatever thing is fun to you, do that thing more.</p>
<p>#2) Do work with a process that makes you come alive. Work is hard whether you work for someone else or you start a business. There&#8217;s no way around the work. Choose something that you can do on a daily basis and love the process of doing it, not just the outcome of what you do. This ensures long-term enjoyment of your work.</p>
<p>BONUS! Follow your curiosities and create stuff that you want to see in the world, even if it doesn&#8217;t seem to hold as much value as what other&#8217;s are creating. You being happy with what you do matters more than what you do because your happiness is what will inspire those around you. That&#8217;s how you change the world.</p>
<p>Today I&#8217;m still striving for success but my vision of success has changed: Do work that makes you happy and allows you to have time for some fun.</p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/how-success-changed-beliefs-success/">How &#8220;success&#8221; changed my beliefs about success</a></p>
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		<title>Are you floating adrift or are you the captain of your ship?</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/are-you-floating-adrift-or-are-you-the-captain/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/are-you-floating-adrift-or-are-you-the-captain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Mar 2014 18:23:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conscious living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intentional living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unconscious living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unintentional living]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=4769</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>When explaining the difference between conscious (intentional) living and unconscious (unintentional) living I often use the following analogy.</p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/are-you-floating-adrift-or-are-you-the-captain/">Are you floating adrift or are you the captain of your ship?</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe src="//instagram.com/p/jO5UEFqTd8/embed/" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p>
<blockquote><p>Conscious:<br />
Aware of and responding to one&#8217;s surroundings; awake.<br />
Deliberate and intentional.</p></blockquote>
<p>When explaining the difference between conscious (intentional) living and unconscious (unintentional) living I often use the following analogy.</p>
<p>When living unconsciously you&#8217;re floating adrift at sea in your life raft, always looking for a sign of land or someone to rescue you. You&#8217;re afraid, helpless, and surrounded by danger. You&#8217;re a victim of circumstance and your destiny is seemingly out of your control. </p>
<p>Living consciously is an ocean of difference.</p>
<p>When living consciously you&#8217;re more like the captain of a mighty ship. As the captain you know the destination and you set the general course of your ship to get to your desired destination (your vision). There will be hardships and storms to battle on the way but a strong captain will fight through, unfazed by the dangers ahead because a great captain knows that the journey is what makes them skilled and knowledgable.</p>
<p>While the difference between drifting and captaining the ship is nothing more than a choice, the difference in the effect on your life between the two realities is vast.</p>
<p>The choice is yours. Will you choose to float adrift or will you take the helm and set the course of your ship?</p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/are-you-floating-adrift-or-are-you-the-captain/">Are you floating adrift or are you the captain of your ship?</a></p>
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		<title>The advice doesn&#8217;t change, we change</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/advice-doesnt-change-change/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/advice-doesnt-change-change/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:56:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Creativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=4771</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/f005aff89f2d11e3a46612dd81b731b4_8.jpg"></p>
<p>Last night Matthew and I were discussing why we can hear the same piece of advice multiple times but it doesn't stick until we hear it again at what seems to be the perfect moment. That's when <a href="http://mattg.is" target="_blank">Matthew</a> said, "The advice doesn't change, we change."</p>
<div style="font-size:30px;">This truth hit me like a ton of bricks.</div>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/advice-doesnt-change-change/">The advice doesn&#8217;t change, we change</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/f005aff89f2d11e3a46612dd81b731b4_8.jpg"></p>
<p>Last night Matthew and I were discussing why we can hear the same piece of advice multiple times but it doesn&#8217;t stick until we hear it again at what seems to be the perfect moment. That&#8217;s when <a href="http://mattg.is" target="_blank">Matthew</a> said, &#8220;The advice doesn&#8217;t change, we change.&#8221;</p>
<div style="font-size:30px;">This truth hit me like a ton of bricks.</div>
<p>&nbsp;<br />
I can&#8217;t recall how many times I&#8217;ve heard advice like, &#8220;Build an email list&#8221; or &#8220;Find your why and then focus all your effort on that&#8221; or &#8220;You&#8217;ve got to take care of yourself before you can take care of others&#8221; or hundreds of other pieces of advice about business and life that I&#8217;ve been told over my lifetime that didn&#8217;t stick initially but changed my life when I heard it again at the right moment.</p>
<div style="font-size:30px;">The relevancy of advice is contextual to where we&#8217;re at in our unique journey.</div>
<p>&nbsp;<br />
This is why it&#8217;s so important to tell your story and say what you feel compelled to say, even if it&#8217;s been said before by yourself or others.</p>
<p>Write, record, and speak about your journey, the lessons you&#8217;ve learned, and the beliefs that have helped you get to where you are because your story may be the one that someone needs to hear right now.</p>
<p>Thanks to Matthew for inspiring this post. To read more of his insights on life check out his blog at <a href="http://mattg.is">MattG.is</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/advice-doesnt-change-change/">The advice doesn&#8217;t change, we change</a></p>
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		<title>Why you need to tell your story</title>
		<link>http://freeman.is/why-you-need-tell-your-story/</link>
		<comments>http://freeman.is/why-you-need-tell-your-story/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2014 16:59:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Freeman LaFleur]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chipotle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmed and dangerous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instagram]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ira glass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lego movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medium]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[misto box]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nordstrom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[podcasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[storytelling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[this american life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youtube]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freeman.is/?p=4591</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>If you're anything like me you probably enjoy a great story. Most of us do. </p>
<p>Telling stories and listening to others tell stories is something humans have enjoyed doing since the invention of writing and language.</p>
<p>From cave paintings to Instagram and Vine, our love of storytelling drives us to constantly create new mediums and tools for telling and consuming stories more efficiently.</p>
<p><strong>But why go to such extreme measures of invention just to make it easier to tell stories?</strong></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/why-you-need-tell-your-story/">Why you need to tell your story</a></p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;re anything like me you probably enjoy a great story. Most of us do. </p>
<p>Telling stories and listening to others tell stories is something humans have enjoyed doing since the invention of writing and language.</p>
<p>From cave paintings to Instagram and Vine, our love of storytelling drives us to constantly create new mediums and tools for telling and consuming stories more efficiently.</p>
<p><img src="http://freeman.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Altamira1880.gif"></p>
<p><strong>But why go to such extreme measures of invention just to make it easier to tell stories?</strong></p>
<p>Great stories engage the emotional and physical control centers of our brains, often making us feel tangible emotions and throwing off our sense of time.</p>
<p>Great stories make us laugh hysterically.</p>
<p>Great stories make us cry uncontrollably.</p>
<p>Great stories teach and change the way we perceive our world. </p>
<p>Stories are a natural and enjoyable form of influential communication. This is why we&#8217;ve seen exponential growth in storytelling mediums and tools.</p>
<p>The democratization of storytelling is a movement just as important as the downfall of newspapers, record labels, and traditional jobs. Creative storytelling outlets like Youtube, Instagram, Vine, Soundcloud, Medium, and Podcasting, give everyone the opportunity to tell their story to the masses. It&#8217;s only a matter of reigniting your creativity and seizing the opportunity.</p>
<p><strong>Why should you be telling your story?</strong></p>
<p><em>&#8220;People don&#8217;t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.&#8221;<br />
&#8211; Simon Sinek</em></p>
<p>Now that the playing field has been leveled, everyone can setup a website and sell their art or provide a service. There is more competition than ever before. This is why you have to make a deeper connection with your audience, you have to tell the story of what makes you and your business unique. The story of why you do what you do (your beliefs and history), the story of how you do it (your process), and the story of who you do it for (your customers). People don&#8217;t want to be sold to in the traditional way, they want to feel drawn to your brand.</p>
<p>If you can tell a great brand story then people will buy because they share your beliefs and want to be a part of your story.</p>
<p><a href="http://mattg.is" target="_blank">Matthew</a> and I went into depth on the power of storytelling and how to tell your story in the digital age on our podcast, <a href="http://startupriff.com" target="_blank">Startup Riff</a>.</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/138243402&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_artwork=true"></iframe></p>
<p>Ira Glass, the host of <a href="http://thisamericanlife.org" target="_blank">This American Life</a>, also recorded a great series of videos on the basics of storytelling.<br />
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLBlHnvT0Ukz0FauYyZDt-Kx3tIJIqjld4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Lastly, here are some great examples of brands using content marketing to tell stories that entertain, educate, and draw in audiences:</p>
<p><strong>Misto Box:</strong> This video does a great job at telling the brand&#8217;s story, stating their beliefs, and identifying their audience. The video&#8217;s title is also a great benefit sell. &#8220;Our coffee makes your morning awesome!&#8221;<br />
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GhoW4hGaTuc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Chipotle:</strong> This quick food company has always been ahead of the marketing curve. Their latest content play, a comedy series on Hulu that pokes fun at modern agriculture, is an example of knowing how to reach people in an entertaining and non &#8220;salesy&#8221; way.<br />
<iframe width="512" height="288" src="http://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=vjo8kj96lyoupovppxcdaa" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Casey Neistat&#8217;s J.Crew video:</strong> Youtube film maker Casey Neistat has made big splashes over the past few years with his uniquely gritty but brilliant videos that feel more like vlogs than big budget productions. His latest video for J.Crew is a superb example of brand storytelling on Youtube.<br />
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/t9qxT8wI-0I?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Lego Movie:</strong> The Lego Movie was a genius content marketing play by Lego. They created a wildly entertaining story that communicates their beliefs. They tell us to believe in ourselves and they show that even adults can enjoy Legos.<br />
<iframe width="580" height="288" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fZ_JOBCLF-I?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Nordstrom:</strong> This video by Nordstrom on 16 different ways to style 4 types of scarves is a good example of using content to educate instead of sell.<br />
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/36736725" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/36736725">Nordstrom &#8211; &#8220;4 Scarves, 16 Ways&#8221;</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/worldfamous">World Famous</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p>How are you telling your brand&#8217;s story and through what medium are you telling it?</p>
<p><img src="http://freemanlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/freeman-sig-100.png" width="100px" alt="Freeman"></p>
<p>Share your thoughts and see what others are saying on the blog: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://freeman.is/why-you-need-tell-your-story/">Why you need to tell your story</a></p>
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