Daniel Wesley is the founder and CEO of CreditLoan.com, a website that educates consumers about various personal finance issues. Among some of the topics discussed are bad credit loans, credit cards, auto financing, and many other credit and financial help issues.

What are you working on right now?

I’m transitioning from a sole proprietorship to a team of nine. That basically means I’m engaged in ongoing auditing/reconciling/touching/training/mentoring everything the team has touched, along with redistributing and regurgitating SEO expertise.

Where did the idea for CreditLoan.com come from?

It came about from a “make money while you sleep” commercial and inspiration from an eBay auction in early 2003.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Collaboration is the key — having nine people counting on my vision and daily face time leads to lots of daily inspiration and revelations. It’s a level of commitment that is somewhat optional, a lifestyle driven as a sole proprietor, but it’s very worthwhile to develop these interpersonal relationships. That being said, I love this book: “Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative“ by Austin Kleon.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

I love the impact new startups are having in helping new webmasters, as they reduce the barrier of entry to find qualified expertise in a situational/per diem approach. Crowdsourcing is another. Leveraging the masses — it’s just amazing how many tedious projects can be knocked out within minutes.

What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

I was changing tires in Florida summer heat. You don’t want to be doing this for a career (if you can help it). Work smarter, not harder!

If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

I’d probably change nothing if I could…it’s the classic NASCAR analogy of starting with a race car at the back of the pack without a sponsor. Now, with all our success, we can buy or build a race car that will occupy the pole position, with DuPont as a sponsor. It’s like comparing apples and oranges regarding how success can be replicated, and it’s 1000 times more likely to be bigger now.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Have heart. Don’t give up. Never be denied.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Gosh, I honestly can’t think of anything. It totally comes down to picking an idea you love and can/will be passionate about. That’s self-conceptualized and such an individual decision.

Tell us a secret.

Choose a job you love, and as the old saying goes, “You will never have to work a day in your life.”

What are your three favorite online tools and what do you love about them?

SEOmoz.org: It’s simply SEO management made easy.

Linkresearchtools.com: It’s the most advanced SEO link-building toolkit on the market.

Google Analytics: Google provides insights that matter. Measuring sales, conversions, and engagement are three of the many features offered by Google for free.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I’d recommend “Steve Jobs” an autobiography by Walter Isaacson. It speaks to me like George Bernard Shaw’s quote: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him. The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself. All progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

What’s on your playlist?

I listen to Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.

If you weren’t working on CreditLoan.com what would you be doing?

I’d be running a startup digital marketing company in the Tampa, Fla., area.

Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?

To be honest, I avoid Twitter, mostly because it’s noise. It’s a distraction, and it can cause paralysis by analysis if you live and breathe what you hear. But if I had to pick three, I would say influencers like Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, and Jack Welch.

When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?

I laughed out loud last week when I caught our online marketing manager humming Justin Timberlake’s new song.

Who is your hero?

My hero is my grandfather, who came to the Land of Opportunity with nothing in 1969 at 45 years old, with seven kids, in the pursuit of a better life.

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give a new entrepreneur who is just starting out?

Stay optimistic. Keep your chin up. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, right?

Since your run CreditLoan.com, what is your favorite personal finance tip?

Akin to having a yearly physical, be mindful of your financial health at least once a year. Ensure you have a “pulse” on your present-day conditions to ensure you are on a path to a comfortable retirement.

Connect:

http://www.creditloan.com
Daniel Wesley on Twitter: @creditloan
Daniel Wesley on Google+: https://plus.google.com/118213437035637688207/posts
Daniel Wesley on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/daniel-wesley/27/215/19b

 

   

Matt Wilson, Co-Founder of Under30Media, began building brands online including venture-backed startups like Zaarly after using social media to land Under30CEO on MSNBC and BusinessWeek.

Wilson’s passion for entrepreneurship began after leading Bryant University to becoming the world’s #1 entrepreneurs’ organization. After seven months abroad, Matt’s official title became Adventurer in Residence, heading up Under30Media’s travel company Under30Experiences.

What are you working on right now?

As the co-founder of Under30CEO, we’ve officially spun off a travel company for ambitious young professionals called Under30Experiences.

Where did the idea for Under30Experiences come from?

A year ago, I was standing on a volcano in Iceland literally having the experience of a lifetime and said to myself, “damn, I wish I could give this experience to other ambitious young people.” I pitched it to my business partner Jared O’Toole and we took the leap. We spent a year testing different models until we finally nailed the perfect format for the trip in Nicaragua. Under30Experiences is officially a reality.

How do you make money?

In the travel business, there are two main variables– margins, and volume. We charge for the trips, rent the resort, hire guides, organize meals, coordinate transportation, and pay our staff to curate a really hands on experience. Because we try to keep prices low, and cap the trips at just 30 people, we need to make up for it by running lots of trips.

What does your typical day look like?

Lucky for me, I’ve had the opportunity to spend the last seven months abroad scouting locations, working from my laptop. Talk about dream job…

I spent the winter in Costa Rica. I’m not an early riser but somehow I’d be sitting on my balcony by 6:15AM with a cup of Costa Rican coffee, laptop in hand. A huge part of my job is telling the story of our travels, and the life changing experiences our attendees have, so I do a lot of writing. The trips are designed to be a launching pad for young professionals to see the world, so we’re constantly surrounded by inspiration.

I have a logistics call with Shawna our Events Manager every morning at 9:30AM. She’s busy booking the locations, coordinating flights, and keeping me on my best behavior.

Jared, my business partner who handles operations at Under30CEO Skypes me about new content, marketing ideas, and how to keep the site growing.

Depending on the tide, I take off to go surf, and then get back on the grind later in the day…

How do you bring ideas to life?

Test them. We had an idea for a travel company, so we gave it a shot. Not everything went perfectly, but we had tremendous feedback from our attendees. We realized people were incredibly passionate about traveling with like minded people so we knew it was time to put more time and money into the idea.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

Honesty and transparency. The days of putting up a big PR front are over. We love writing exactly how we feel on Under30CEO, and our attendees at Under30Experiences speak openly and honestly about their goals an ambitions. I love that the business world is becoming less about egos and smoke in mirrors.

What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

In the early days of Under30CEO my mom came to me and said we were losing our home. I immediately had to find the first job I could find and it happened to be a $15/hr wage as a driver.

Little did I know I’d be asked to wake up at 5AM everyday to drive a dumptruck and an 18 foot trailer. After that, I had to dig ditches for 12 hours, alongside migrant workers, who kicked my a**. When I got home, I’d have dinner and start working on Under30CEO until 2AM.

The learning? That’s easy. Success is way sweeter when you have to work for it.

If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

Focus on email marketing. We ignored this specific tactic because everyone used to talk about how “email is dead”. Well, push marketing is a live and well, so start capturing those email addresses, and delivering the people who opt-in as much value as possible.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Workout. Seriously– I don’t work on anything for more than 90 minutes. The law of diminishing returns says, you get less and less accomplished after that. I’m always taking breaks to surf, workout or catch a yoga class, because I know when I return, I’ll accomplish tasks in half the time.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

The failure: Taking too much advice from others. Here’s a little honest and transparent tidbit… unless someone is willing to pay your bills, be wary of their advice. Everyone told us this “Under30CEO” name would never work. We hate to admit it, but we even changed the name to “Factor77″ once to open ourselves up to a broader audience. This was a huge source of embarrassment for us, spending money rebranding and then switching back. We chalked that lesson up for experience…

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Someone please invent an app that tells me everything about my body. Our health and fitness needs to be metric driven. I want to know my blood pressure, my heart rate, how many calories I ingested, my weight, bodyfat, my sleep cycles, and everything about my body all on my iPhone.

Let me know if you do, I’d love to be part of this project. Start solving big problems.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?

Our generation would be more concerned with changing the world. All of the smartest kids in the world are starting “just another” music sharing app, or a Facebook game, or something else that adds little value to making the world a better place. I want our generation to go down as the one that changed everything. We have a lot of work to do.

Bringing these people together online/offline to have these discussions is a big step in the right direction.

Tell us something about you that very few people know?

I haven’t been to a movie theater in four years. I guess starting a business and traveling has kept me busy doing other things…

What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?

Keeping it mobile and travel themed: 1) WhatsApp–you can text with anyone when you are overseas, 2) Univision–yes, the Spanish channel has a great app, and if you are trying to learn a different language, you might as well watch television in the language, and 3) SMART Traveler app lets you register with the State Department anytime you go abroad, to keep you safe.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“The Dip” by Seth Godin. It’s all about when to quit and why you should or should not quit. It’ll get you through a rut, any day.

Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?

My awesome lifestyle blogger friends: @Marcinator @SkoolofLife @AndreaRodRojo

When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?

Last night we taught my buddies french bulldog puppy how to skateboard in my apartment. You can imagine how that went.

Who is your hero?

Family aside, I have three sports heroes, all for the same reason: they put every ounce of passion they have into what they do.

Magic Johnson, Brett Favre, and Tom Izzo.

If you could grow your travel business to three places where would they be? 

Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Still close flights, in similar timezones to the United States, I’d dispel the reputation of Colombia and their drug cartels, see the Amazon and Galapagos in Ecuador, and climb Machu Picchu in Peru. Giving young professionals experiences in those places? It doesn’t get a whole lot better than that for Under30Experiences.

How do you focus on work when you are in paradise?

Easy. If I want to pay my bills, I have to. Plus, as much as I love my work, I’m trying to get done so I can go explore wherever in the world I am. You learn to be way more focused when you have other stuff to look forward to during the day.

Connect:

Under30Media – Inspiring, Leading, and Educating the Next Generation
Matt Wilson on Google+: https://plus.google.com/103938097201398990173
Matt Wilson on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwilson
Matt Wilson on Twitter: @MattWilsontv

 

   

By now, the story of Eric Ries’ journey to the creation of the book, The Lean Startup is well-known:

Entrepreneur starts anonymous blog to document his lean startup philosophy. Blog becomes so popular, entrepreneur begins to devote all of his time to the Lean Startup project through speaking engagements, holding conferences, and writing blog posts. The blog eventually turns into the book The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. Ries is credited with being the pioneering the Lean Startup movement.

This got me wondering what kind of impact Ries’ words have had on interviewees at IdeaMensch, a site “where entrepreneurs share their stories.”

I pulled some data to start and found 25 unique interviews that mention “Eric Ries.”  Some of the mentions are brief, i.e. the book title is referenced, while some interviewees provide some narrative on how exactly this philosophy has affected their entrepreneurial efforts. Here’s a few of our favorites…

Ben Mappen – How do you bring ideas to life?

“Before I had ever heard of Steve Blank or The Lean Startup I would get new ideas and lock myself in a closet for 6 months building them, blinded by the excitement of just launching.  Believe me when I tell you that this didn’t work out so well.  I know a little better now.  These days, before we build anything, we try to validate it as much as possible by testing core assumptions in the market with experiments or by simply talking to customers.  Only after an idea is validated do we invest in the most expensive activity, which is development.”

Alex Glassey – What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur and how did you overcome it?

“I started up a software company. I had a great idea, wrote the business plan, raised some money, developed the product and was reasonably happy with it. But when we took it to the market, we didn’t have the success we had hoped for. That wasn’t the failure; the failure was that I didn’t pause. I kept the product development team going, I pushed on with marketing initiatives. I knew deep down that it wasn’t working, but the company had a life of its own and I found it very difficult to press the pause button. What I should have done was stopped everything and dug down into the product. I should have gotten in front of our customers, asked them what they liked and they didn’t like, and tried to understand why we weren’t getting traction.

I was schooled in the old way of thinking where you tell funders what you want money for, you raise the money, and then you spend it like you said you would. You get the momentum going and keep it going. But when it’s not going well, it’s important to press pause, conserve the capital and figure out what to do differently, even if it means spending the money differently than you said you would. To use Eric Ries’ nomenclature of The Lean Startup, you take a three-month or six-month “burst”, work hard, pause and see what you’ve got. If it’s working as it is, keep going; if it’s not, it’s time to “pivot.””

Matt Connolly – How do you bring ideas to life?

“A while back, I enjoyed getting into the Eric Ries “Lean Startup” thinking. There’s some good stuff in it. I guess I mix some of that with my own experience of building businesses.

I’m obsessive about validating a business idea early. Failing fast, learning quickly and iterating until you’re confident you have a model you can scale.”

Raphael Paulin-Daigle – What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?

“Clarity.fm:  I find that Clarity.fm is an awesome tool for entrepreneurs because it gives you the chance to speak directly with successful entrepreneurs like Eric Ries, Sean Rad and Dan Martell, just to name a few. I used it several times and found it very useful when I needed some clarity when building Idealinput. It’s great!”

Elizabeth Yin – If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

“Before LaunchBit, I had a company called Parrotview that failed. It was a social shopping application and it failed because we spent too long (1.5 years, mostly nights and weekends) building and building something that ultimately no one wanted. This was before Eric Ries started hitting the pavement with his Lean Startup philosophy. If I could do it over again, I would take the poker approach we used with LaunchBit.”

And what about you?

Has The Lean Startup book and/or its philosophy affected your entrepreneurial endeavors? How has it done so? At IdeaMensch, we’d love to hear from you regarding what you do, what you’ve learned as an entrepreneur, and how you’re bringing ideas to life. Learn how to get featured on IdeaMensch. We’re waiting for you.

 

   

Kyle Sanders is an eCommerce and small business SEO consultant on a mission to help online businesses improve their web presence, business strategy, and topline revenue. Presently, Kyle is the CEO of Complete Web Resources, a full-service digital marketing refinery and SEO agency with offices in Denver, CO and Austin, TX. Additionally, he’s also the co-founder of ClinicVitamins.com, a national, online vitamin dispensary dealing exclusively in professional-grade health supplements. After getting tired of the arduous employee grind, he set out to develop his own network of online businesses and ended falling into the (never ending) rabbit hole of SEO along the way.

A writer by interest and academic training, Kyle has been published on hundreds of industry-leading small business, marketing, and search engine optimization blogs. When he’s not hustlin’, writing for the web, or brainstorming new product ideas over a cold brew, he enjoys submission wrestling, swinging kettlebells, and whitewater kayaking.

What are you working on right now?

Everything. If I’m not finding ways to improve existing systems, I’m incredibly bored. I’m also working on developing a line of physical products, and expanding our agency’s service offerings

Where did the idea for Complete Web Resources come from?

I’ve been in eCommerce for a long time. As an employee and entrepreneur in the space, I’ve seen and experienced the lack of results from SEO firms and had to figure it out myself. I realized I could deliver more value than most firms and maintain a substantially lower attribution rate. Eventually, my partner and I decided we needed to be running a firm.

How do You Make Money?

Our main stream of revenue comes from agency billings—which is primarily SEO—that said, we do well in the physical business too. I also run an online vitamin dispensary at the national level.

What does your typical day look like?

Wake up, eat, review my to-do list, swing kettlebells, work for most of the day, go to Catch Wrestling or kickboxing, eat, work a tad more, stretch, read, watch a documentary, sleep. Repeat.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Workflowy (great tool) and my whiteboard. I use both daily. Sometimes I put it in my car. My neighbors probably think it’s weird, but they only get two weeks of vacation per year.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

The ability to learn virtually any skill you want, from any location you want, for free. We live in incredible times.

What’s the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

There’s a company called Clear Water Transportation, Ltd. They’re the Dollar/Thrifty car rental franchise in the Austin airport. Never rent from them. Ever. As an employee, I was required to tack on at least $5/day to the rental quote. Since they’re a franchise, unless the quote comes from Dollar or Thrifty, it doesn’t have to match. I lost a bit of my soul working at that place.

The takeaway? Upon quitting, I knew I needed to live by my own rules, no matter what. Initially, it was just based upon the lack of ethics, until I saw the light. I also learned that customer/client service is a major key in differentiating yourself, especially when you’re dealing with people online.

If you were to start again, what would you differently?

Nothing. You are the product of your aggregate experiences and that directly contributes to your success in business. Every terrible job I ever had impacted me in a unique way.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

My first business “failure” was a website that sold tactical gear/military supplies via dropshipping. The time and money I invested into it was obscene and the margins were embarrassing, to say the least. I worked hard, beat some odds, but in the end it was a terrible market if you weren’t stocking inventory. What I thought was a total failure ended up being a priceless lesson in business, humility, and market evaluation.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to readers?

If I’m willing to give it away, it’s probably not good. The fraternity and sorority markets are huge. Good luck with the licensing requirements.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?

Every kid on Earth should have a laptop. Closing a few military bases will cover that, easily.

Tell us something about you that very few people know?

I used to be obsessed with professional wrestling. By the transitive property, I am naturally a UFC and K1 Kickboxing fanatic.

What are your three favorite online tools/resources and what do you love about them?

1. Workflowy – Incredibly simple, free, cloud-based way to throw down ideas. You can share what you need to and keep the rest private.
2. Google docs – If you need an explanation, you’re lagging.
3. Songza – I love music. Letting someone else select the playlist based on day/time is priceless. Maybe not a tool, but it’s helpful for shredding the to-do list.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“The Book of Five Rings”, written by Miyamoto Musashi in 1645. It applies to every aspect of being human and lends itself well to business.

Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?

1. Neil deGrasse Tyson
2. Joe Rogan
3. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Why? If you’re not already following them, you’re probably missing out. Also, Twitter is great for the right now, but there are substantially better social platforms for anyone following an industry leader.

When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?

Right now. This question.

Before that? I was recently in Seattle and caught up with friends I hadn’t seen in twelve years. We reminisced about the night we stole a Penthouse from a friend’s dad and looked at it in a tent (age 11).

Who is your hero?

My parents and grandparents, easily. They came from humble beginnings and are incredibly successful in business and life in general.

A professional quotation of your choice?

“Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.” – Mark Twain

You said you were doing that last month. Why haven’t you started that?

Connect:

Complete Web Resources – SEO for Small Biz
Kyle Sanders on Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108629021382837771966/about

 

   

I have a friend who often says, “We live in interesting times,” He’s right. But things have been a little too interesting lately. You know things are bad when a gal comes into YOGA and starts talking about the European money markets.  On that note, our leader took us right into relaxation poses rather than our usual stretches.

Another powerful way to calm a stressed brain is with upbeat, steady music. Beats, rhythms, and swaying your body changes your brain. Changing brain waves changes your mood. The “Escape” album by Enrique Iglesias does wonders for my mood. Put it on in your car, with volume up loud, and start swaying.  I promise, you will feel your emotions blast off, in a good way!

*I love this song “Don’t Turn Off The Lights”

Find more videos like this on Enrique Iglesias

I spent the last eight years researching and writing about finding your inner happy. As a counselor, professor, and author I am constantly immersed in positive psychology literature. I’ve compiled this research under the topic of self-care. My passion as a counselor and writer is to help people like you learn positive responses to coping with stress and to give yourself permission to care for yourself in order to minimize the negative effects on you and on others. My book Renewed: Finding Your Inner Happy in an Overwhelmed World released six weeks ago.

I gave a copy of my book to a friend who recently admitted she thought self care was for wimps. She was tough and didn’t think she needed my book. This is the text she sent me after reading it:

“While on spring break last week I sat down to start your book. I finished it before I went to bed. It has changed my life. You have no idea the timing for this, the work I have been doing to get healthy and how this has become my manual to keep me accountable. I have never read anything near as good and I am a bit upset it took them so long to publish it. God has changed me forever through you!”

Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is about taking control of your own health and happiness. By being in control you stay healthy and put yourself in charge of making sure you have a good quality of life. Taking good care of yourself means the people in your life receive the best of you rather than what is left of you.

My book is jam packed with emotional, spiritual, and physical self-care tips. Here are just a few:

Do What You Love

Happiness expert Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi did an interesting study where subjects who were randomly beeped had to write down what they were doing and how happy they were. He found that people were not happiest during leisure time, as would be expected. Instead they were happiest when they were doing an activity where they felt challenged yet in which they excelled; oftentimes it was work. Researchers call this state “flow,” and I talk more about it in the book.

It makes sense that if you want to feel good about yourself, you will spend the vast majority of your time doing what you love. What activities do you really enjoy? When do you lose track of time because you are doing something so enjoyable that you are caught up in a sense of timelessness? When do you feel you are doing what you were born to do? My friend Danica experiences much pleasure in the simple art of knitting. For Michele, it’s running a quiet trail; and for Antje, it’s reading comics. Recently I was at a speaker training and heard comedian Bob Stromberg say he often sits in his sauna with music and gets so caught up in thinking of creative ideas that he won’t realize an hour has gone by. If you want to be happy, do what you’re good at and do what you love. Not sure what your strengths or interests are? There are lots of strengths finder books and online tests. One is StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath.

Develop a Strong Sense of Self

Problems and stress are a regular part of life. But have you noticed that some people seem better equipped to deal with difficult relationships and the stressors of life?  For example, I used to wake up and wonder where the day’s problems and my mood were going to take me. I felt trapped by unhealthy relationships, poor interpersonal boundaries, and unpredictable emotions. Life overwhelmed me. On the other hand, I had a friend who could be in the midst of all sorts of drama and tension in his work place. He would smile, giggle, and say lightheartedly, “I love my job.”

People who have a strong sense of self have a zest for living; they are able to handle stress and bounce back from adversity. They have a sense of meaning in their lives. They are flexible and able to adapt to change. They have a healthy balance between work and play, and they have self-confidence and high self-esteem.

Having a healthy sense of self also means having an accurate, realistic, and authentic awareness of who you are and being able to see your inherent worthiness. I’m not talking about the kind of ego that causes one to think she is better than others. Instead, someone with a strong sense of self recognizes her strengths, weaknesses, values, likes, and dislikes. A healthy sense of self is required for effective communication, interpersonal relations, and being able to have empathy for others. (In the book I give lots of information about how we fail to get a strong sense of self and what to do if we lack it.)

Learn How to Set Boundaries

A person with healthy boundaries is able to identify what she thinks and feels about something, but those with unhealthy boundaries often allow others to tell them what they think or feel. A person with healthy boundaries is able to control how she reacts, and she is able to distinguish between her own emotions, opinions, and behaviors and those of others, and take responsibility for them. She does not blame others for how she thinks, feels, or behaves. She is very clear where she ends and another person begins and maintains that line. She is able to stand up for herself calmly and intelligently without desperation, intimidation, or manipulation.

I used to think people who had clear boundaries were mean and nasty, and people who accommodated everybody else’s whim were “Christian.” But I’ve come to admire people with clear-cut boundaries because there are no mixed messages, no mind games, and no guessing involved.

When my kids were small, I telephoned Gina to see if she could watch them while I went to an appointment. She sighed deeply and mumbled, “Well…I guess…” I took my children to her house but worried about them the entire time I was gone. I could tell she hadn’t really wanted extra children that day; but like me, Gina was a pleaser who couldn’t say no. Her inability to set strong, clear boundaries had the effect of making me feel oddly unsafe and uncomfortable.

Juxtapose that incident with another: Whenever I asked a favorite teacher if I could stop by for a visit, he clearly stated a yes or a no, with little explanation. I always felt safe asking, because I knew he wouldn’t see me just because I wanted to visit. He knew how to protect his time. His ability to set concise, clear boundaries made me feel safe to ask things of him. Of course, it helps to state boundaries with a kind tone of voice; there’s rarely a need to be harsh or rude.

Make Space for Solitude

Professor William Deresiewicz tells the incoming students at the United States Military Class at West Point, “If you want others to follow, learn to be alone with your thoughts.” Though it sounds like a contradiction because we imagine leaders surrounding themselves with people, Deresiewicz tells the future leaders that solitude will be the thing they have the least of, but it is the most necessary ingredient for true leadership. Solitude is the time when we disengage from the immediate demands of other people, experience a reduction of social inhibition, and select our own activities, including creative thinking. For most people, solitude is sparse–so sparse that silence is a powerful means of capturing our attention. We see this in a whole series of Corona Beer commercials where the only sound is the quiet waves, a seagull caw, and the quiet spritz of a bottle being opened http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDJSueRRUzs ; or the Chevy Volt car as it meanders quietly through the landscape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-m0J-SFavM

Our world is radically changing into noisy interruptions and sound bites that are rewiring our brains. Many of us spend hours on computers, interacting with others all day long. Some estimate that 30 to 40 percent of people’s time in the workplace is spent tending to unplanned interruptions, and then trying to refocus. Because technology is taking away our ability to be alone, we have less and less time to think and feel. Instead of marinating in our own thoughts long enough to have an idea, we bombard our brains with the thoughts of others; and those around us powerfully influence our decisions.

How can people be creative when they can’t find space and time to think? Thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop your own idea about it. Only by concentrating, focusing, and being patient do we arrive at an original idea. Concentration can’t happen between the TV, magazine, satellite radio, iPod, email, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Right now, I am trying to write a simple sentence about the decline of creativity in the United States. In trying to convey a point about solitude and its importance to creativity, I can’t think because I’m staring at my to-do list and emails that pop onto on my computer screen. And my phone just started ringing.

Recently one of my son’s friends—a freshman at the University of Colorado—invited me to sit in on his Psychology course. It had been two and half decades since I had been a student in the very same auditorium, and a lot had changed. As the chairs filled up, almost every student flipped open a laptop and there was a steady barrage of talking. I anticipated the room would quiet down and the students would begin taking notes on their computers. Wrong! Instead I saw Facebook pages, videogames, and sports cars racing across screens. About halfway through the class, laptops were folded shut and students took notes in old-fashioned notebooks. The computers had simply been a means for them to connect with their peers at the same time they were attending class.

I couldn’t believe how much the world had changed, and I was impressed at their ability to multitask. Yet, shortly after that experience, I read about a study led by a team of researchers at Stanford University who wanted to understand how today’s college students multitask so much more efficiently than adults. What did the research conclude? The study found the more young people multitask, the worse they performed on mental tasks. The “high multitaskers” were unable to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information, and they were also more easily distracted.

Make Sure You Play

In 1966, psychiatrist Stuart Brown, was one of several experts asked to determine what caused Charles Whitman, the Texas Tower Sniper to kill his mother and wife, along with 14 others in a 90-minute shooting spree. (In addition to those, he wounded 32 others at the University of Texas in Austin.) What did Brown and his colleagues discover about Whitman? An abusive father had beaten Whitman’s natural tendency for play out of him. When he was a child, young Whitman was forced to practice piano and perform for his father’s friends. He grew up in a rigid, joyless atmosphere, deprived of opportunities for play.

Brown became convinced that play is not trivial. The great paradox of play is that it is purposeless, yet there are immense psychological, social, and physical benefits. Brown spent many more years studying male murderers within the prison system of Texas. Time after time he found this specific population had been deprived or had abnormal play situations. His 45-plus years of research convinced him that play teaches us how to be more flexible and adaptable. It teaches us how to role-play, react to stress, become resilient, blow off steam, problem-solve, and imagine. It is key to helping us learn to regulate our emotions. Imaginary games prepare us for stressful scenarios in life—we learn to develop humor in a world we can’t control. Play seems to be necessary for the developing the trust, cooperation, and common goal-setting that are essential for community.

During times of stress we need more play. Dr. Mark Epstein, in his book Open to Desire shares a story of living in New York City in the aftermath of 9/11. The worst wreckage was right outside his family’s window, and for months they had to pass through police and army checkpoints. Worry and agitation were a normal part of their day. On a prior trip to Tucson, Dr. Epstein’s young son acquired a stuffed animal named Hoss. The animal became a transitional object—a bridge to conversation—between father and son. Father would speak in a western accent, as if he were the stuffed animal talking.

A couple of nights after the terrorist attack, with sirens blaring below their home, the boy said to his toy, “Hey Hoss, did you hear what happened to the World Trade Center?” Dr. Epstein suddenly became alert and responded in a western accent as if he were the speaking: “Can’t say I have, Little Pardner. What happened to the World Trade Center?” After his son relayed the horrible events, Hoss (Dr. Epstein) answered, “What are you talking about, Little Pardner? Terrorists, hijackings, buildings collapsing! Listen to you. What kind of imagination do you have? People don’t fly airplanes into skyscrapers, you know that!” The playful interaction was a way for father and son to process the unimaginable events. In an emotional release they experienced the first laughter since the Twin Towers came down. Epstein said, “While trauma and threat tend to take away the desire for playfulness, they intensify the need for it.” He goes on to say that, “Play is one of those things, like dreaming, that seems superfluous but that we cannot seem to live without.”

At some deep level you must know that it is time to consider your own health and you are ready to enjoy your life and your family and find your way to that beautiful word: balance. I applaud you for recognizing that, and I look forward to sharing life-changing strategies to help you better care for yourself in the pages and days to come. Maybe you’ll even put Enrique on your stereo and sing “You. Can. Take. My. Breath-ay-way.”

 

   

Brittany Dowell is a vice president at Influence & Co., a thought leadership and content marketing firm that assists experts and brands in growing their influence by getting bylined articles published in the world’s leading online publications. She works with experts in dozens of different industries to develop content and connect them with editors at the most reputable and noteworthy publications in their areas. Brittany has worked in the marketing departments of several large brands, including the YMCA and Hilton, where she discovered her interest in the growing field of content marketing. Brittany was on the initial team starting Influence & Co. in 2011.

What are you working on right now?

I’m the Vice President of Publications at Influence & Co., previously known as Digital Talent Agents. This means I’m lucky enough to work alongside hundreds of awesome editors at some of the best online publications out there. Basically, we help experts grow their influence by aiding them in producing high-quality content for reputable publications. What’s so exciting about our company is that we are working on the cutting edge of PR, which is evolving into a medley of content marketing, thought leadership and branding.

Where did the idea for Influence & Co. come from?

Like most great ideas, the concept of Influence & Co. came from the combination of a few people’s experiences. Kelsey Meyer and John Hall were running a co-working space for startups and noticed how many really fantastic entrepreneurs were struggling to gain exposure for their ideas. Traditional PR firms only provided these experts with a quote here or there or a press release that no one actually read. We recognized this problem and developed a solution utilizing our thorough knowledge of the online publication world. We’ve grown into one of the leading providers of high-quality expert content to the world’s best publications.

What does your typical day look like?

To sum it up in one word: reading. I’m answering emails and communicating with editors all day to ensure that we provide the highest level of unique content for their specific readership. I’m constantly reading articles from publications and taking notes to help our editorial team hit the right tone and style of each site. This allows me to learn what type of content does best on each site and helps guarantee that the editors will appreciate the exclusive content we send their way from our expert clients. I am also guilty of laughing way too much with our abnormally close-knit team.

How do you bring ideas to life?

As our CEO, John Hall, puts it, “There are people who are big-picture thinkers, and then there are people who get stuff done.” I think I’m definitely a “get stuff done” type of person. I love efficiency and organization, and I live to cross things off a to-do list. You’ll find me with a pad and pen, marking down action steps for every brainstorming session.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

I think the changing nature of publications is really amazing and exciting to watch. With online publications on the rise, publishers are looking for cost-effective ways to provide the best content possible to a rapidly-growing readership. As a result, editors are becoming more receptive to utilizing guest content from various industry experts, rather than simply relying on content from reporters or journalists. Readers are able to receive expert insights and knowledge straight from the influencers in their industries.

What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

While in college, I was a bartender at one of the slowest bars in town. I barely made enough money from the occasional customers to cover my Ramen meals. I realized I was wasting time sitting on a barstool, waiting for customers to wander inside. I decided I wasn’t comfortable when I wasn’t applying myself completely to something that I loved so I made a change. The bar has since changed ownership and is now a favorite lunch spot for our company!

If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

Influence & Co. recently went through a rebrand. We were never in love with our original name and knew it didn’t best portray our specialty. Our company has always helped grow the influence of industry thought leaders, and we’ve always connected publications with influential authors. We should have taken the rebrand plunge right away.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I think trying to help others in a community is the best thing for an entrepreneur to do. Whether it’s offering job shadow programs, speaking at local universities, or simply volunteering around the area, entrepreneurs can provide great support to those in need. Influence & Co. recently partnered with the largest literacy foundation in the nation, Reading is Fundamental, on a campaign to promote literacy. For every article our company helps publish, we donate one book to a child through the foundation. We’re so thrilled to be able to add a philanthropic effort to our business model.

Tell us a secret.

I can always keep a secret.

What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?

I use various online traffic estimation services (Alexa, Quantcast, Google Ad Planner, etc.) on a daily basis. I love the transparency that comes with knowing where a publication ranks in terms of unique visitors or page views per month. Plus, I’m a huge analytical nerd, so this research is a favorite part of my job.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Since I live and breathe the world of online publishing, I would recommend downloading a reading app, like Zite, instead of a traditional book or magazine. Zite aggregates some of the best content from dozens of leading industry publications to allow you to learn a lot in a small amount of time.

Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?

If you love a certain online publication, I recommend following the editors and individual authors behind the content, rather than simply following the publication’s Twitter account. You get to hear the editors’ inside opinions on each piece and gain the opportunity to ask the author questions on article points. For example, you might follow JD Harrison of The Washington Post’s On Small Business section or Dylan Tweney, the executive editor at Venture Beat.

When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?

It seems to happen every 10 minutes when I’m around my co-workers. The last big laugh came a week ago, during our building’s ‘80s prom. There were fake mustaches, puffy dresses, and a dance-off between the prom king and queen, which may have involved “Gangnam Style” and The Worm.

Who is your hero?

My parents are my heroes, no contest. They’ve survived three outspoken kids, two full-time jobs, 30 years of marriage, and countless ups and downs. They’ve stayed positive and supportive throughout it all, and I’m one lucky daughter.

Connect:

http://www.influenceandco.com/
Brittany Dowell on Twitter: @Brittany_Dowell
Brittany Dowell on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanydowell

 

   

Shane Hurley is the CEO of Sphyra and has ventures in several other industries including entertainment, real estate and transportation. He serves on several boards as well as participates in multiple community events and charities. His company has been recognized as the 16th fastest growing privately held company in WA state. Shane was also recognized in 2012 in his region as one of the 20 top business professionals and entrepreneurs under 40. Most recently Shane received an award for being one of the “Top 50 Most Influential and Powerful People” in the inland northwest.

What are you working on right now?

Growing my company Sphyra LLC.

Where did the idea for Sphyra LLC come from?

What started out to be a small venture in the payments space has grown into a large and rapidly growing company that provides a suite of various products and services to businesses.

How do you make money?

Just like any company we charge fees for our various products and services. The benefit of Sphyra is that because we offer a range of business products we don’t have to make our money on one product or service. Rather we look to offer our customers several products and services so that we can earn their business on multiple levels providing them value and the most competitive pricing.

What does your typical day look like?

There is no typical day for me. I travel a lot. Spends lots of time working with key members of our organization staying in tune with what’s going on in the trenches and constantly looking for ways to improve the business from both an operational perspective as well as a business development and sales perspective.

How do you bring ideas to life?

It’s all about execution. If I don’t have the resources within our organization to bring my ideas to life I will seek them out until we do and work diligently to make them a reality.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

The worlds rapid change in technology and the various opportunities that technology brings to the table.

What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

My first job! It was landscaping and it was tough hard manual labor. Sometimes I get headaches from staring at spreadsheets but I prefer that over backaches from shoveling gravel.

If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

Everything! When I started I was very young and made every mistake. I’m proof that if you are driven and have work ethic you can make it. The last thing I started with was know how.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Network with great people!

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

When I started I had very little capital and we almost went bankrupt. It was very stressful and it got to a point where I had to look at my team and say okay “We are either going to shut the doors or get to work and make it through so let’s go!” It’s challenging to be positive when nothing is going right but you have to always keep your head up and move forward.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?

Negative attitudes that people carry with them like a plague. So much out there if you just have aspiration to go get it.

Tell us something about you that very few people know?

I grew up on a dirt road 45 minutes to the closest town. When I was a kid we heated both the house and the bath water with a wood stove!

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“Sell or be sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and Life“ by Grant Cardone . The book relates everything to selling even personal relationships. It’s a great read about persuasion and dealing with people.

Who is your hero, and why?

Henry Ford. He not only revolutionized the auto industry but he was also one of the first big business guys to really take care of his employees and he built an amazing company that’s still around today.

Connect:

https://www.sphyra.com/
Shane Hurley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shane.hurley.526
Shane Hurley on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/shane-hurley/2a/689/16
Shane Hurley on Twitter: @shanephurley