Episodit
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Who is David Andrew Wiebe? Where did he grow up? What pivotal life events shaped his views on life? What does he believe about the Universe?
This episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion features a conversation between WeMaple’s Matt Keay and David.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Digital NO-Mad: Exposing the Lies of the Freedom Lifestyle and Grass is Greener Syndrome. David’s new book on designing the life you love through your passion is coming. Pre-order TODAY.
Highlights:
00:17 – David Andrew Wiebe on WeMaple
00:56 – What is The Indie YYC?
02:03 – Clean Slate
06:30 – What David’s guitar teacher told him
08:59 – How David bet on himself
12:55 – What role does formal education play in a creative’s life?
16:38 – How does more views or more subscribers affect our perceptions of a creator?
19:30 – Growing up in Japan and the moment that changed everything
23:23 – How David has applied personal development to his career
26:44 – David’s (controversial) thoughts on masculinity and men in culture
34:36 – Life expectancy – are we really living longer?
38:35 – Is David a flat earther?
41:05 – Reality is malleable
43:54 – How can you be positive while encountering negative circumstances?
46:56 – The hotbox incident
47:33 – When David got the cops called on him
48:18 – Three roommates and the sale of David’s home
49:08 – Three months of WTF
50:48 – David’s advice on writing and publishing books
52:18 – Closing thoughts
Summary:
Award-winning composer, best-selling author, and professional podcaster David Andrew Wiebe was recently a guest on WeMaple, hosted by Business On Camera’s Matt Keay. The conversation touches on everything from events and music to conspiracy theories and bizarre life events.
What is The Indie YYC?
Noticing David’s T-shirt, Matt asks what The Indie YYC is. David shares that The Indie YYC community was created by him and Frederick Tamagi.
Pre-pandemic, the community focused on three unique live events, including The New Beat (a fusion of poetry and live music), Storytellers (bringing together songwriters, poets, and authors), and Avant Guardians (featuring avant-garde and alternative musicians).
During the pandemic, as well as after, the community focused on growing mostly through user submitted content on Facebook.
Clean Slate
On February 16, 2024, David hosted a live music and multimedia event in Victoria, BC called Clean Slate. Matt asks how the event came about, and David shares that the idea came to him while reading Frederick Dodson’s Parallel Universes of Self.
David initially envisioned an event where he could bring people together to celebrate the launch of new music, a new book, new comedic video content, and more.
The initial phases of planning went swimmingly. Then, things started going awry in September 2023. David could not secure the featured artist he’d hoped to, and despite booking local artists for the event, it failed to gain local support. Most people in attendance were there because David had invited them.
Matt asks David whether he sees the experience as a stepping stone or opportunity to try his hand at another event.
David shares that while he sees the possibility of hosting low-cost, low-key events in the immediate future, he can’t see himself attempting something like Clean Slate again unless there’s a rabid demand for it.
What David’s Guitar Teacher Told Him
There is something David’s guitar teacher told him that has stuck with him until present day. Matt asks David what that was.
David shares that his guitar teacher told him that he’d surpassed him within one lesson.
I’ve been playing guitar for 13 years. Imagine what you’ll be able to accomplish in 13 years.
Matt asks David what kind of impact that statement had on him. David shares that it gave him the motivation he needed to keep practicing. From his teacher, he also learned not to dismiss people who offer him praise.
If people say good things about you, -
Now that we’ve had the opportunity to see just what AI is capable of, many of us are starting to wonder about our futures, our work, our financial lives, and more. So, how concerned should we be? What is the right attitude to have toward AI?
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David passes the mic with Karlo Keet, who shares his creative passions, business pursuits, spiritual practices, and why he’s embracing AI in creativity.
Sponsors:
Digital NO-Mad: Exposing the Lies of the Freedom Lifestyle and Grass is Greener Syndrome. David’s new book on designing the life you love through your passion is coming. Pre-order TODAY.
Highlights:
00:17 – Today’s guest, Karlo Keet
00:37 – How did Karlo get into photography?
03:15 – Karlo’s involvement with graphic and web design
04:45 – Aurora conspiracies?
07:22 – Digital marketing for artists, creatives, and creators
08:47 – How has Karlo’s work changed with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence?
11:31 – In the next 10 years, AI will overtake humanity in logical processing
19:46 – How Karlo got into tarot reading, Reiki, and all things spiritual
23:49 – Karlo and David’s comedic collaborations
26:37 – Karlo’s book and course recommendations
28:47 – What Karlo is looking to accomplish next
30:10 – Closing thoughts
Summary:
Coming soon. -
Puuttuva jakso?
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It’s not necessarily a fun thing to think about, but 2024 could be your final year. If your life were to end this year, would you be happy with everything you’ve accomplished? Or would you be leaving something on the table?
This episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion is a must for anyone looking to make a difference in the world. Join David and Amos Bracewell to learn about the Catapult opportunity, the challenges Amos overcame, and the difference this program can make for you.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Catapult: If you’re ready to build a community of rabid fans who will happily hire you and buy everything you offer, this program is for you! Use the code “David Andrew Wiebe” to let Amos know I sent you his way, and he’ll give you a 10% DISCOUNT! Offer expires April 30, 2024. Contact Amos to set up your discovery call before then.
Highlights:
00:17 – Some of the challenges Amos experienced while building his Facebook group
06:00 – Is building a Facebook group a “numbers game?”
09:02 – How to claim your 10% discount
09:53 – Closing thoughts
Summary:
What if you could achieve five years of business growth in just three to six months? Would you be willing to do anything it takes to get there? Or would you pan the opportunity if it didn’t fit into your idea of growth?
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, Amos recaps the Catapult opportunity, shares the trajectory of his journey, what he’s been able to help his students accomplish, the value of living a purposed-based life, and more.
What Challenges Did Amos Experience on the Way to Building His Facebook Group?
Amos recounts how one day he was sitting at Good Kid Coffee in Abbotsford, BC, calling up David to share his new business idea with him.
Amos didn’t have a coach. He didn’t have anyone guiding him. He had no idea what the results of his efforts were going to be. But he got started anyway, believing it was his purpose to create a movement with his Facebook group. 15 and a half months later, he hit over 10,000 members.
Amos was excited about getting started with this project, but he was also scared. At the time, he had no idea that he would end up teaching others how to build their Facebook groups.
There were times when he wanted to give up. He had no idea how he was going to monetize his group. On day 80 of building his group, the right idea finally showed up. In month four, Amos managed to earn $4,000 USD, and in month five, he exceeded $30,000 USD in revenue.
Despite the challenges and difficulties faced, Amos knew deep down that if he waited any longer, 2023 would end up being another disappointing year. So, he leaped and stuck with the process.
Today, his Catapult cohorts are the beneficiaries of the mistakes he’s made and the lessons he’s learned. Half of his students are doing well. The other half are doing amazingly.
While Amos provides the structure and framework for his students to succeed, his students also bring amazing ideas to the table that make it work even better. Some of his students are now doing in two months what took Amos nine months to accomplish.
Amos asks – is now the time to make a change in your life? Are you tired of the way you’ve been living? What do you want to accomplish in 2024, and if you have another year ahead of you, 2025?
If there is a vision or a purpose your heart can’t shake, now might be the time to jump in. It may not be easy, and it certainly won’t be free, but if you’re ready to go all-in on your dream, Catapult is right for you.
A Numbers Game?
David acknowledges that many numbers have been discussed to this point in considering Catapult. So, he asks for Amos’ opinion on whether growing a community is just a numbers game.
Amos answers by sharing that while some grow faster than others, the Catapult program is ultimately geared toward those who are looking to make an impact.
But the opportunity to earn an independent income is real. -
What are your goals for social media in 2024? Are you thinking about phasing it out of your life? Or would you like to experience explosive growth as never before? Isn’t it time you got the kind of growth you truly deserve?
If you’re ready for a change, listen carefully to this special message from David Andrew Wiebe.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Catapult: If you’re ready to build a community of rabid fans who will happily hire you and buy everything you have to offer, this program is for you! Use the code “Creativity Excitement Emotion” to let Amos know I sent you his way, and he’ll give you a 10% DISCOUNT!
Highlights:
00:17 – A special message from David Andrew Wiebe
Transcript:
Imagine this:
You’ve just set up a brand-new Facebook group.
You show up for a couple of hours per day to have conversations with your tribe. Your people.
You do it consistently for a month or two, and before you know it…
BOOM!
Your group is growing CRAZY.
Now, you might be rolling your eyes right about now, and I get it. 🙄
First, you’re thinking to yourself, “Well, that sounds like A LOT of work.”
Second, you’re thinking to yourself, “I have no idea how to grow a Facebook group, and I honestly don’t care that much about Facebook.”
Third, you’re probably thinking, “What’s that going to do for me and my career or business?”
You might even be thinking… “I don’t want to become a social media guru. I just want to focus on my art!”
I know EXACTLY how you feel, and I’ve been there.
So, let’s rephrase the question:
What if, with just a couple of hours of effort per day, you could grow your Facebook group by 150 to 200 engaged members per week?
And what if 1 to 3% of those people were eager to listen to your music, hire you for a gig, buy your merch, or collaborate with you?
(That’s anywhere from 1.5 to six high-quality customers or clients per week for those who don’t do math.)
And on top of that, what if you got a lot of other sweet perks on top – free swag, free books, free coaching sessions, homes to stay at in a variety of locations, opportunities to play across the world, and more?
Would THAT be worth your time?
And what if, on top of that, you didn’t have to do it all yourself?
What if you had the support, coaching, and guidance you needed to be able to do the right things to grow your Facebook group consistently?
This is exactly what my friend, Amos Bracewell is offering.
And he and his student groups aren’t just growing by 150 to 200 members per week…
Some are growing by as much as 400, 500, or even 600 members per week.
How does a whopping 18 high-quality clients per week sound to you?
Do you think you might be able to make it worthwhile?
Do you think your musical, artistic, or creative career could benefit from that type of growth?
Fast growth is not for everyone, and I get that…
But if you’re the kind of person that LOVES to serve and make other people shine…
You will LOVE this, and I haven’t seen anything else like it.
But time is of the essence, because:
Amos is only offering a 10% discount for those who sign up before April 30.
Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There will be NO extension.
So, yeah, there isn’t much time…
Even if you’re just thinking about it and you’re not quite sure whether it’s for you yet…
You can book a discovery call with Amos to talk it over.
So, when you’re ready…
>> Book your discovery call with Amos and let him know that I sent him your way for your 10% discount -
When it comes to social media growth, we’re all hoping for consistent, reliable growth. Yet, most if not all creators struggle to get new followers each week. It could be because of their content. It could be because they’re nobodies. There are reasons too numerous to mention.
But if you’re willing to approach things in a new way, you could experience unprecedented growth. The kind of growth that helps you build a sustainable income from your passion in a year or possibly even in a few months.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares a special message.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Catapult: If you’re ready to build a community of rabid fans who will happily hire you and buy everything you have to offer, this program is for you! Use the code “Creativity Excitement Emotion” to let Amos know I sent you his way, and he’ll give you a 10% DISCOUNT!
Highlights:
00:17 – A special message from David Andrew Wiebe
Transcript:
From 0 to 5,200 members… in a year?!
So, I’m not sure if you knew this but…
Most effective Facebook groups only grow at a pace of 50 to 100 members per week.
Again, that’s the most effective ones.
Now, that’s nothing to scoff at, but it’s not what you would call… MEGA growth either.
I know that if you don’t already have a Facebook group (or don’t even have Facebook in your crosshairs – because, after all, it’s so old man), you’re probably wondering whether it’s even worth your time.
Well, stick with me here, because I think you’ll be amazed at what my friend, Amos Bracewell, has been able to do.
His strategy has been helping him and his students grow their groups by 400, 500, and even 600 members per week!
Even better, Amos says that 1 to 3% of people joining your group consistently become your clients.
If your group is growing by 600 members per week, that means you’re converting anywhere from six to 18 clients per week!
Now don’t get caught up in the terminology here…
I know some of you aren’t looking for “clients.”
You want streams or customers. You want gigs and exposure. You want to have an impact on your fans. You want to sell your eBook. I get it.
I have very good news for you…
Amos’ method for building Facebook communities doesn’t rely on you monetizing your group through clients…
You don’t even need a product!
Honestly, you don’t even need to be thinking about monetization!
People will read, listen, watch, or buy WHATEVER you have because they will see you as a leader in your niche.
But that’s not all (sorry for the cliché here).
Amos and his clients have landed themselves all kinds of great opportunities, and I have witnessed it firsthand:
A couch or bed to crash on
Free products
Free coaching
Free plane tickets
High-profile collaborations
Joint ventures
Opportunities to speak across the world
And more... small stuff and BIG stuff!
If you did this…
Could you land yourself some great gigs?
Sync and licensing opportunities?
A record contract?
Look, I’m not giving you any guarantees here.
But the bottom line is, you won’t know unless you try.
And while it would be great if there was all the time in the world to make up your mind…
Amos is only giving us until the end of April to get a 10% discount on his Catapult program.
Maybe it’s right for you, maybe it’s not.
But if you’re the kind of person who loves to support and help others…
If you love the idea of leaving an impact and a legacy…
And you’re at least entertaining the idea of earning a good income from your passion…
I haven’t seen anything else like it.
So, don’t delay…
>> Get the Catapult program and mention “Creativity Excitement Emotion” to get your 10% discount -
How’s the social media game going for you? Are you winning?
Let’s face the facts. Most people working their butts off aren’t going to win any medals any time soon…
Are you done trying to figure it out all for yourself?
If so, tune into this special episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Catapult: If you’re ready to build a community of rabid fans who will happily hire you and buy everything you have to offer, this program is for you! Use the code “Creativity Excitement Emotion” to let Amos know I sent you his way, and he’ll give you a 10% DISCOUNT!
Highlights:
00:17 – A special message from David Andrew Wiebe
Transcript:
Have you been trying and failing to crack the code on social media?
So, does any part of this sound familiar to you?
Some expert online tells you “Hey man, all you’ve got to do is A, B, C and you’re going to be a social media rockstar.”
But you go out there and test their tactic in the real world for a month…
And it doesn’t do anything?
So, you start to feel frustrated, angry, and eventually, defeated.
Come on, we’ve all been there.
We’ve all been promised the world when it comes to social media.
But in practice, it feels as though getting any kind of attention, let alone sustaining it, is a Herculean uphill climb to oblivion.
And it is just so frustrating when you’re trying to put your best foot forward.
It takes SO MUCH effort to pump out the content required to get attention…
Yet most of it doesn’t do anything for you!
I know something about you…
I bet you didn’t get into social media hoping to become a digital marketer.
But you’ve effectively been forced into a position where you’ve got to try and figure everything out for yourself…
Scouring the web for disconnected information that’s only available in fragmented pieces.
As if you were moving slowly down a path one inch at a time, as opposed to one stride.
And hoping that somehow, tomorrow, you go viral.
I mean, the rent was due yesterday man, come on.
Well, some of my smartest mentors say you can’t deposit likes, shares, and comments at the bank, and they are right…
Engagement falls under what clever people call “vanity metrics,” and I’m sorry to be the one to burst your bubble, but they don’t mean a thing (if they ain’t got that swing).
But if you thought it was all for naught, think again.
Because there is a way to crack the code on social media.
My friend, Amos Bracewell, recently figured it out and has started teaching others how to do what he did.
He supports his students at every leg of the journey…
And when you hear what it is and how it works, you’ll be BLOWN AWAY.
It’s so simple and yet so authentic and genuine.
You’ll wish you thought of it first.
If you haven’t watched my recent interview with Amos, that’s your homework for now…
Come on, you know you’ve got 20 minutes to spare, especially if those 20 minutes change your life.
So, don’t delay any longer, because as with anything worthwhile, there is an expiration date on this unique offer…
>> Watch the video now -
It has gotten harder than ever to grow your career or business organically. Dropping your desperate messages onto social media is like a loud fart at a bad party, noticed but annoying.
Are you ready to cut through the stinky cloud of frustration and take a different approach to growth? Would you like to see how YOU can build an audience that will adore you and delight in your content?
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David engages in a conversation with longtime friend, collaborator, and entrepreneur Amos Bracewell, who shares his new, amazing program to help you grow your audience and business organically.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Catapult: If you’re ready to build a community of rabid fans who will happily hire you and buy everything you have to offer, this program is for you! Use the code “Creativity Excitement Emotion” to let Amos know I sent you his way, and he’ll give you a 10% DISCOUNT!
Highlights:
00:17 – A delicious meal in Pemberton
01:15 – Amos’ new program
04:23 – What have Amos’ students been able to accomplish?
09:36 – Amos’ next goal and the “secret sauce” to building a Facebook group
12:26 – Can the Catapult program work for any niche?
15:25 – Are there any other monetization opportunities?
17:33 – Are there different tiers to the Catapult program?
18:32 – Reach, Relationship, and Riches
21:41 – What makes Catapult the right opportunity?
23:26 – Closing thoughts
Summary:
Digital marketing is an ever-changing landscape, and it has gotten harder than ever to attract, engage, and retain an audience on content alone. This has forced many artists and entrepreneurs to turn to advertising as the solution. The only problem is… Advertising has risen in cost, it’s more competitive than ever, and without the help of an expert, creating effective ads can be a crapshoot.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David and Amos discuss the solution.
A Delicious Hamburger
David and Amos briefly bond over their love of food. Amos recently had an incredible burger and fries combo in Pemberton, BC, just north of Whistler, and he says he would recommend the place to anyone.
Amos’ New Program
David shares that for as long as he’s known him, Amos has been great at building communities – especially Facebook groups. Amos recently turned his knack for growing Facebook groups into a program called Catapult.
Amos began building his Facebook group, ENTV Today, in January 2023. In one year, he grew the group from 0 to 5,200 members. By month 11, he’d started to clue in that his group was growing faster than most others out there.
He suggests that growing your Facebook group by 50 to 100 members per week is a good pace. But he noticed that his group was growing by 400, 500, and even 600 members per week, completely organically!
That’s when he decided that he should begin showing others how it is that he was able to accomplish what he accomplished.
One of the keys to creating ongoing engagement, says Amos, is bringing people into your house. If all you’re doing is blasting your message into the void of social media, it’s going to be difficult to get noticed and create a connection with your audience. But if you bring them into your Facebook group, you’re better positioned to interact and connect with your audience continually. This also enhances income opportunities.
His first Catapult student started building their Facebook group on February 19. Most of his students are growing by 200 to 300 members per week.
Amos has found that roughly 1 to 3% of your group members will become your clients. That means if you have 100 members joining per week, you can expect to land one to three new clients per week.
Since his students are growing at 200 to 300 new members weekly, they are landing two to six clients per week. If you have four to 24 clients coming in per week, your sales and marketing challenges should be solved, would you agree? -
Would you like to spend more of your time doing what you love to do? Would you like to be able to pick and choose the projects you want to work on? Are you thinking about becoming a digital nomad?
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David interviews Evan Price, who shares the steps he took to create his freedom lifestyle.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: Get a free copy of the “Definitive Guide to Productivity for Artists and Entrepreneurs.”
Highlights:
00:17 – Returning guest, Evan Price
00:31 – How do you package your creative skills to create a viable business?
03:08 – Streamlining you and your customer’s focus
09:26 – The value of being unfocused for a time
10:19 – Improving your product vs. improving your marketing
13:48 – Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich
15:11 – How do you identify your ideal customer?
17:40 – Evan’s best tips for building a team
20:24 – Content creation and giving away the keys to the kingdom
24:04 – Building trust with people
26:15 – The importance of networking
29:12 – What’s the right time to scale your business?
33:23 – How did Evan decide to take the leap of faith?
38:59 – What is it like to live nomadically?
45:39 – How much money do you need to live a freedom lifestyle?
51:12 – Closing thoughts
Summary:
The very idea of trying to create a freedom lifestyle can sometimes appear an uphill battle. You’ve got to get your finances in order. You’ll probably need a passport. On top of that, you’ve got to plan the logistics of where you’ll be going and when, where to stay, whether to bring your car with you and more.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David and Evan break down and simplify the process of becoming a digital nomad.
Bundle Up Your Expertise and Sell it
Evan emphasizes the value of the DLB (Do Less Better) offer model. Nowadays, many businesses are a little bloated – they offer dozens if not hundreds of products and services, and this scatters the focus of the business owner as well as the prospects and customers who might otherwise be interested in buying.
Evan suggests that you should find something you can do that no one else can. The more specific, the better. This allows you to create what Evan calls a “luxury” offer, something that can be sold for thousands of dollars rather than pennies. Evan says this is how he streamlined his business.
David offers that minimizing and optimizing seems to be the direction things are going in now. As opposed to having dozens of websites and products, marketers are creating central portals and leading prospects on different journeys depending on their interests.
David also shares an example from his life, stating that when he had one or two books, his customers knew what to buy and were happy. But as his catalog increased, his customers became paralyzed and bought fewer books. Which explains why he’s only promoting his latest book on his website.
Spreading Yourself Thin
Evan shares that it’s easy to spread yourself thin. When you’re young, and you’re not sure what you want to focus on, you feel like you could take on the world and try your hand at dozens if not hundreds of different things.
At the time, Evan was learning how to use Facebook ads, managing acts, booking tours, and more. But he noticed that none of the things he was working on were reaching the tipping point of success.
If you keep on that path, says Evan, you will eventually reach a point of burnout. So, he stopped doing what he was doing, made an assessment of his strengths and weaknesses, and bundled up his expertise to streamline his business.
David admits to having too many things to fulfill in recent years, including Members Only Audios, which he quickly realized was akin to running two podcasts at the same time. He would often think to himself, “I’m a superhero, and I can do it!” But he would either end up disappointing himself or his pr... -
Do you struggle with confrontation? How does it make you feel? Does it hold you back from expressing yourself?
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares about the challenges he’s experienced in confronting others.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: Get a free copy of the “Definitive Guide to Productivity for Artists and Entrepreneurs.”
Highlights:
00:17 – Labels
01:17 – Sensitive-intuitive
02:16 – Avoiding confrontation
06:11 – You need to speak up
Transcript:
I'm not a very confrontational person and I have a feeling it's one of those things that has held me back in my life.
My friend Maveen Kaura always said, “Don't give yourself labels.” You might've heard a little bit of that kind of conversation on Using Your Power.
And I agree with him. I never labeled myself as something permanent. We’re not all fixed. We're all changing. The only reason a label would stick is if you’re telling the story over and over.
Even as I say that I think I'm kind of realizing the insanity a little bit in what I'm saying, which is helping. I'm trying to identify or distinguish something in the way that I've been so that I can be freer. And I think that's what today's conversation is about.
Why I’m sharing this with you, is because of what I understand about being a sensitive-intuitive… I'm not saying that description fits me to a T or exactly. All I'm saying is there was a period in my life where that was something that I needed to hear and it helped me heal in a very difficult situation where I was feeling very depressed and I don't use that word casually at all.
It was the summer of 2014, and my prayers were hitting the ceiling, and I didn't feel like living anymore. So, I was in that state and that's when I discovered “sensitive intuitive,” what that meant, and that made a difference for me. So that's where the identification originally comes from.
Like I said, it doesn't have to be set in stone and it doesn't even have to be permanent. It's just something that helped me through a period of my life.
But what I know about being sensitive-intuitive is we have trouble with confrontation. There is something physical that happens. When the need for confrontation arises, usually it's in our gut. We feel pain when there's something that needs to be said to another person.
Now, throughout my life and my personal development journey, I have gained a lot of ground in terms of self-expression. I'm more self-expressed than I've ever been.
But if there's a part of me or there's an aspect of myself that has held me back from being everything, I think I'm capable of being, and from being totally and completely free, it's probably this – confrontation.
Now, when you hear “confrontation” you might immediately think to yourself, “Okay, so like yelling and shouting matches and that types of scenarios.”
And yes, that can apply, but it can be something as insignificant as “There's something I need to tell someone,” but knowing that you have to go and tell them makes you feel nervous.
So, that's the physical reaction that I'm talking about. It’s not just some minor butterflies in your stomach. You feel pain. That's the kind of physical reaction that I'm talking about.
So, are there situations where I've stepped through pain, the butterflies, the fear to tell people things? Absolutely. That's a deviation from the norm. That's a deviation from how I've described myself. That’s why I say, “Labels are a moving target.”
So, at times, I have been able to be fully self-expressed in these scenarios, but there've been scenarios where I also wasn't able to express myself in the way that I needed to.
I have tended to get away from those scenarios as quickly as possible. And there are situations where maybe I wasn't fearing for my life, but a little bit. At least fearing for my possessions and my finances because of the people I met who are sociopaths, psychopaths, -
We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you an important update. There are several great announcements in this episode, and you won’t want to miss out!
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares essential updates concerning his business as well as the podcast.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: Get a free copy of the “Definitive Guide to Productivity for Artists and Entrepreneurs.”
Highlights:
00:17 – Podcast update
01:17 – David’s grandfather passed away
02:18 – How DavidAndrewWiebe.com is transforming
03:54 – The launch of MusicHackers.org
06:23 – The launch of Better Ways to Survive
07:28 – The future of the Creativity Excitement Emotion podcast
08:29 – Closing thoughts
Transcript:
Welcome to Creativity Excitement Emotion.
I know this is one of the few times I’ve even given an intro like that, and there is a reason for it.
I began recording episodes for Creativity Excitement Emotion in July 2024, so aside from the interview with Jody in episode 9, as well as episode 30, in which I talked about why I deleted Music Entrepreneur HQ, you’ve been hearing episodes I recorded months ago
The last few episodes, specifically, were captured around October of last year.
But today’s episode is more current, meaning I’m capturing it at the end of March 2024, to give you a timely update.
And I know it’s April 1, but I’m letting you know at the outset that what’s covered in this episode is not an April Fool’s joke – we truly are moving forward with the things talked about here.
Either way, there is much to talk about today, so let’s go item by item.
The Passing of David’s Grandfather
Last weekend, I got the news that my grandfather had passed away.
So, I decided to honor him with a week of silence – you may have noticed that I didn’t post any new podcast episodes last week.
I know that may sound kind of convenient, but they say everyone mourns differently, and the main way it’s been showing up for me is exhaustion, so I’ve been resting a lot and taking things slow.
There has been no reason to overexert myself, and in fact, I’ve kind of been enjoying more of a relaxed pace lately. I’m discovering more and more that I don’t need dozens of projects in my life to sustain or fulfill me.
Anyway, I plan to honor my grandfather in the written word, and I’m going to write something for the man who never taught me anything but showed me several things, like how to fish, how to drive a lawn tractor, or how to drive a truck.
And yes, I will be sharing that piece publicly, so keep an eye open for it on DavidAndrewWiebe.com.
DavidAndrewWiebe.com’s New Look and New Focus
Speaking of DavidAndrewWiebe.com, I needed to make some decisions concerning how I wanted to continue to build my brand.
There were a couple of big considerations, with the first being that I hadn’t brought the styling of the website fully up to date. I got some great photos done in February, and I hadn’t gotten around to using them across the entire website yet.
So, it was time to get on top of that.
We also chose the specific fonts and colors I’m to be using on the website.
If you go to the website now, while it’s still somewhat of a work in progress, you’ll find that we’ve largely implemented the new style.
The second consideration was deciding on a specific direction for my site.
It was far too general to appeal to anyone, and that put me in a position of having to work for attention and business instead of attracting and earning it.
So, I now have a very simple sentence explaining exactly the purpose the site serves:
Here I document my journey of music, starting businesses, and personal growth.
It took some time to land on that one, but that’s almost exactly what the site already is, so I’m very happy we were able to condense it into that.
Additionally, I’ve warned in the past, -
Thanks to the proliferation of social media and smartphones, attention- and approval-seeking behaviors are at an all-time high.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David explains the pros and cons of being an approval seeker.
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Highlights:
00:17 – Can you do life without constantly having to be validated?
00:55 – Getting the results you’re looking for
01:58 – Getting results for yourself first
02:12 – It’s not just about being independent
03:08 – What lengths are you willing to go to?
04:03 – Short-sightedness is a problem
04:36 – Approval seeking is beneficial to those who are willing and able to do it
05:04 – Not everyone is going to like you
06:19 – The upsides and downsides of being an approval seeker
07:27 – Know thyself
Transcript:
I don't think I'm much of an approval seeker. There's something that came up in my reflections and I think that's the ideal… if you can be independent… and don't get me wrong, it's always nice to get compliments. It's always nice to get praise. And I think we're all deserving of it to greater or lesser degrees, and we all need it as well.
But if you can be as independent as possible and not have to run on compliments or praise as fuel to do life, I think that's the ideal. You’ve got to take care of yourself first before you worry about taking care of anybody else.
If you're doing things in life, it doesn't matter what area, relationships, business, music, or anything else that you might be taking on. If you're not getting the results that you're looking for, it means that some aspect of what you're doing is not working, right?
I can tangibly see, since February [2023], when I started working out again, that I am getting results. I am looking trimmer, fitter, more in shape, gaining muscle, and losing fat. So, there's proof right there that it's working. If someone wanted to get the results that I'm getting right now, there would be good reason to listen to me.
If I wasn't getting those types of results, and I was merely advising people from my armchair, that's a whole other situation.
So, we want to be mindful of where results are showing up before we worry about trying to advise others on the direction that they should go in. First look at whether our method is working at all, in any capacity.
I'm not talking merely about being independent, though. I think culturally speaking, North America has a lot to learn from a country like Japan.
People often come back to me and say, “Everything has its pros and cons,” and yeah, that is true. Japan has some odd bits of culture that can be a little bit hard to understand or process. You could get thrown in jail for rather bizarre reasons, but I think every country has that. If you start looking into the law, like, there's almost no country that doesn't have some bizarre rules that could get you into trouble.
So, I think there's something to be learned about community culture. It's something that Japan does so well, and I'm sure it happens in other countries, too. I just haven't seen it.
So, I’m not just talking about being independent, although that is important. I think with approval seeking, it's almost your tolerance for what lengths are you willing to go to, to get people's attention. It's exactly what we're seeing with influencer culture. It's exactly what we're seeing with creator culture.
People are running around in tiny little bikinis, or if you're an OnlyFans model, then naked. There's ASMR, there's video games, there's all this stuff…
Look, some people genuinely love what they do and are good at it. I'm not going to take that away from them. But you will also find some people do this just because they think it will get them a lifestyle. In some cases, it does.
You can get advertising money. -
What are you putting up with? Health challenges? Financial problems? Relationship issues?
The fact that you’re putting up with anything goes to show how resilient you truly are. But are you wasting your precious resiliency on people and things that don’t matter?
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David why it’s important to be willing to change.
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Highlights:
00:17 – People are better at coping and dealing with things than they realize
01:30 – You are more resilient than you realize
01:52 – You can’t change anything you’re willing to put up with
02:34 – What are you putting up with?
03:09 – Make a new commitment
03:45 – What have you been tolerating?
Transcript:
The human ability to cope and put up with things is a marvel. It's incredible. I think almost everyone is better at coping and putting up with things than they even realize.
Like, “We have a noisy upstairs neighbor and they're always partying on Thursday and Friday. But now that we know, we can plan around that and it's no big deal.”
No big deal. Really? And it could even be an injury. It's like, “Yeah, I damaged my foot about a month ago and just letting it heal on its own, not going to see the doctor.”
Just think of all the situations, right? “Yeah, I gained 500 pounds and it’s fine. I'm just going to continue eating and enjoying myself and no big deal.”
And that's not a judgment on anyone. I think we all do this to greater or lesser degrees.
“My financial situation is out of control, and I've been going into debt for 24 months. I haven't been able to pay my credit card bills except for minimum payments.” People just don't understand how bad of a situation that is, because they haven't investigated it.
“I put up with it, it's a fact of life, no big deal.”
So, understand that your ability to cope with change and put up with things is far greater than you realize. You may fear change, and many people do, but at the same time, you are so strong, and you are so good at putting up with it. What is most likely to happen is the event will happen and you'll figure out a way to put up with it or work around it.
Your ability to cope with change and put up with things is far greater than you realize.Share on X
Here's the point. We can't change anything that we're willing to put up with. If it's like, “Yeah, it's okay. No big deal. I'll figure it out.” If it's like that, then we can't go and make a difference in that area in any significant way.
And usually, that's where we want the biggest breakthrough. And we're sitting there going, “Yeah, credit card bills, no big deal.” And they've got like three credit cards, each maxed to the hilt. And they're barely making minimum payments. You're in a much, much worse situation than you even realize right now.
And there are some actions to take. There are some things to do.
So, where are you putting up with things? If you're putting up with them, it means that you're not willing to do anything about them.
You must change that to something else. You must change the context. You’ve got to say, “I'm not willing to put up with this anymore. I'm going to get into action. I'm going to do something about this. I'm going to start working out tomorrow,” or “I'm going to start looking at my finances every single day and start cutting expenses that I no longer need.”
Or, “I'm going to start seeing a doctor or a naturopath or someone who can help me with my health.”
These areas where we're putting up with things are an invitation to make a new commitment, make a new decision, try something else, try something out of the ordinary.
People get easily stuck in their ways, not recognizing that they have. a near-limitless set of options in front of them. Maybe it's not infinite, -
Sometimes there is no logic to the way people treat you. You could pay less for better service. You could pay more for lesser service. And what you end up with isn’t always predictable going in.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David elaborates on the rental drama that recently unfolded in his life.
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Highlights:
00:17 – Being treated worse for more money
01:34 – Blood, sweat, and tears
02:17 – All feelings, no logic
03:10 – Paying back kindness with cruelty
Transcript:
Something that occurred to me about my ridiculous rental situation... I realized that I was staying in Abbotsford for about two years, paying, I think it was $800 or $900 a month. It certainly wasn't a whole lot more than that.
And I was treated way better there than paying $1,350 at a friend's house in Vancouver. Like, how does this even add up? Simple math says I should be treated just as well, if not better. And yet, on some level, I think there's miscommunication, or communication that needs to happen that's not happening.
“We need you to be out of here in two weeks.” Now, we have no formal written agreement. So, it's not a situation where I can go back to them and be like, “Yeah, two weeks is not enough.” I've pleaded my case already. I've already made my case.
I said, “Even if I happen to find a place tomorrow and send in my application, and I'm approved, it's very unlikely that I'll be able to move in after two weeks,” and I was met with a dead stare.
So, that kind of tells me everything. They're clueless. They have no idea what's going on. Maybe they think I'm lucky, for being able to move from place to place.
Yeah, lucky, sure. You try working your ass off for 10 years or longer to get to this point and build something from nothing. Something that you must put your blood, sweat, tears, and effort into every single day to build.
All I can say is “Good luck with that.” Because most people don't do it. Honestly, all I can think is they just want to be more buddy-buddy with me or something. They're expecting way more communication than I'm giving.
Even though they could just as easily, come down, knock on my door, and say “Hi.” See what's going on and ask about my life, which they don't do.
So, at the end of the day, it just seems to me it's all about feelings. It has nothing to do with logic.
Like, if someone was paying me $1,350 per month, and they were living in my basement, and they were quiet and clean, Sure, maybe I'd worry a little bit and check up on them every once in a while and see if they're okay. But aside from that, I would let them be. I would let them live their life.
I wouldn't worry too much about their habits as long as they're not completely out to lunch. And it's like, “Man, we all miss a meal now and again. We all miss a shower now and again.”
But just because I'm not always eating at home or not always showering at home, it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm not doing those things.
I want to ask, like, “Do I look dirty and unhealthy?” Because I don't. Not even a little bit.
So, this is what you get for being respectful of others. They pay back your kindness with, “Yeah, you can't be here. We don't like you.”
Like I said, I think something is missing in communication. I'm not getting something they're saying, and they're not getting something I'm saying. They're just basing everything off things I've done or not done, not based on any communication or conversation that's been had.
All I can say is “Good luck with that,” because I know we're human, but if you make all your decisions based on, “I don’t want to talk to them.” Sometimes, you’ve got to take the initiative and have those conversations, especially if something’s missing for you.
For someone who's supposed to be a leader, -
Life is unfortunately full of unequal exchanges. You give more than you get. Or you get more than you give. Over the long haul, these types of exchanges always tend to balance out. But the process the universe uses to balance things can occur as chaotic.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares his experience with unequal exchanges.
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Highlights:
00:17 – Treat others as you would like to be treated
01:36 – Enduring hell
02:46 – You can control what you say, not what others feel
Transcript:
The golden rule is “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” So, for as long as I can remember, I've always treated others with kindness and respect and understanding and given them plenty of space. Even if they get angry, even if they're weird people, they'd usually get a second and maybe even a third or fourth chance with me.
As things went on and I got taken advantage of and didn't want to be a doormat anymore, I decided that I couldn’t be that kind or that giving. I couldn’t be that respectful of everyone.
Because the reality is a lot of people just don't deserve it. But those seeds were planted.
And I'm still a kind person. I try to treat people with respect and treat them the way that I would like to be treated as much as possible. So, I'm not just thinking about me and my convenience.
If it's about me and my safety, that's a whole other fucking matter. I will get out of a situation as quickly as I possibly can if it's about my safety, and I've had to do that.
But if it's not a matter of safety, I'm the gentlest giant you're going to find. And I'm not that big. 6'1”, 6'2” is tall, but I'm not huge. I'm not Michael Jordan. I'm not an NBA star.
And so, when I think about the way that I've been treated – and I'm not referring to my friends – but when I think about the way I've been treated in the last year plus… In a situation where I can't find a fucking home or I'm having to go from place to place, at times paying for exorbitant Airbnb fees, trying to figure out what the fuck I'm going to do next, working my ass off every single week to make sure that an income comes in so I can sustain some kind of lifestyle.
Have I been treated all that well? I mean, it's human to look at the situation and evidence for all the reasons why people didn't treat you with respect. I could do that, and I'm sure I could find a bunch. But the reality is I haven't been treated badly by everyone.
But some of the most disappointing ones are the ones that should know better, in my opinion. But they do say that when crimes occur, it’s usually someone you know. It's more likely to be someone you know stealing from you, taking from you, or doing things to your property than someone you don't know.
And it's just like, “I may have made you feel a certain way, but you have to take responsibility for how you feel.” It doesn't work the other way. You can't put that on me. I can control what I say, but I can't control how you interpret it and how you feel about it as much as I might want to.
So, if something is going on, man, come to me first, and let's have a conversation. Seriously. Don't just go assuming things. Don't just go and make plans of your own. I'm a safe guy. I'm not going to do anything to you.
But if it's something concerning my living situation or my lifestyle, come and talk to me first. Jesus Christ. -
The entertainment industry isn’t interested in taking any chances. They only want to work with entertainers who have a proven track record. They only want to bank on ideas that have already enjoyed success.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David considers the future of the music business.
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Highlights:
00:17 – Disappointing meal at Barcelos
00:34 – Covers of Top 40 songs
01:02 – It’s not a crime to record covers
01:22 – Where things have been going in the film industry
01:40 – Gambling on the unproven
01:50 – How sad would it be?
02:04 – Adding insult to injury
Transcript:
So, I was at Barcello's having a mediocre dinner. It wasn't terrible, I guess, but it wasn't the best either. I've had very good meals there before, so by contrast, I was a little disappointed. I had a chicken sandwich. I guess it was okay.
Anyway, on their sound system, they have this music playing and it's covers of very popular tunes from the last 10, 20 years or so, and it's this female singer. It's just one cover after another of Maroon 5, Linkin Park, Katy Perry, and who knows what else? I couldn't even identify all of them, but I recognize the songs because they’re all Top 40.
I'm sitting there thinking to myself, “Is this the direction the music business is going in?”
Recording covers is not a crime. Many of us were inspired by different artists and when we pay tribute to them, I think most of us are very sincere.
But with the business side of things, it could move in that direction. Think of movies. In recent movies, they don't take chances. It’s like, “Let's make a sequel” or “Let's make something with the same storyline from so and so or a very similar plotline from this other movie.”
And very rarely do they take risks on anything else that's not proven. Of course, the music industry has kind of been that way for a long time, as far as the artists that they sign go. Unless it's a proven concept, they're not going to work with them.
But I mean, how sad would that be? Like, do you want to be listening to the hits of the 2020s, 2010s, 2000s, and the 90s for the rest of your life? Yeah. I don't know. It wouldn't be much fun.
To add insult to injury, these are pop songs being covered in a pop genre. Like there's no change. Maybe there's a little bit of an electronic or atmospheric, vocal trance-type quality to it. But aside from that, it's the same thing we've heard just with a female voice.
There was one song, I think it happened in recent history where a song took the hook of, “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” which was never a great song to begin with, but whatever. And they're covering that.
So, I'm sitting here going, “You're covering a derivative work, a hook from a song from the 90s that was taken and put into a modern song, which you're now covering.” I just thought like, “Wow, the level of meta here has reached a new level.”
And then the most hilarious thing was listening to her rendition of Linkin Park's “In the End.”
She's singing just Chester's parts. In other words, Mike Shinoda's rap is completely absent. And I'm like, “This may as well be a karaoke track.” This is so cheesy. You forgot to put the rap in, or you just decided it didn't need to go there. You could have vocalized it. You could have come up with some creative way. Instead, you just ignored it completely and only sang Chester's part. -
Things don’t always work out with significant others, landlords, partners, investors, bandmates, or otherwise. It can be devastating, and figuring out your next move can be tough.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David vulnerably shares about a rental situation gone wrong.
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Highlights:
00:17 – Raw emotions
01:00 – “You’ve got two weeks”
01:28 – Trying to find a place in Vancouver
02:38 – Taking responsibility for the role you played in dysfunction
03:40 – Somehow, it will all work out
Transcript:
All right, so I'm going to talk about this while my emotions are still raw. And this is not something I used to do, but I think nowadays I'm realizing it's okay to complain. It's okay to react to life. It's okay to vent and rant sometimes.
Assuming you come back to that place of understanding or realizing that everything's going to be okay, something's going to come up, it's all going to work out, and an opportunity will show up. If you believe that it must happen, right?
But in the meantime, I'm like, this is bullshit. That's why I'm going to share while I'm still raw because I know that's going to be more relatable than me waiting for later to collect my head and think about what I'm saying.
So, I've been staying with this lady now for about six weeks in her basement and it's been fine. I stayed with her last year too, so like, obviously that generosity has been super appreciated, and I've communicated that to her, and I'm paying rent. Pretty normal rates to stay there.
So, it's not like there's no benefit in it for her, but she came down and told me today that, I've got two weeks to stay there. It's not like I was going to stay there forever, and I knew I'd have to move on and find something else.
And at the same time, it's like, “Could you give me more than two weeks to figure out where I might be going?” It's September, we're almost in October here. I think October starts tomorrow or Monday, but Vancouver is nuts. The rental market, the housing market in general, is insane.
So, in September, people have just settled in, and there is nothing. I guess you can find the occasional apartment for a bazillion bucks or whatever, but what in the world? Why would you think that there's still something out there right now?
I probably need to wait until after December, the way that things have been filling up this year, to have any chance of finding anything that's within my price range. And I wouldn't even say price range. Moreso what I think is reasonable.
Some people might be okay renting a closet for $2,000 and a police check. And I'm not willing to do that, right? You’re going to have to do a little bit better than that for me.
I understand. It's maybe not a buyer's market as much as it is a renter's market, but give me something here, please.
Anyway, the message is delivered, and I’ve got to be out of there. Of course, I can take responsibility for the part that I played in this whole thing, which is that I agreed to stay there in the first place.
Could I have explored other options before staying at her place? Yes. Could I have maybe communicated some things about my life, what I'm up to, and the things that are going on in my life before staying there? Yes.
So, there hasn't been a lot of communication, and I can take responsibility for that part. But I don't know, I think she just wants to be buddy-buddy or something like that. She has a whole world going on that I don't know anything about and I have a whole world that she knows nothing about, and no part of that's been communicated.
Leaders take responsibility for the lack of communication.Share on X
So, it's one of those things where it's a two-way street, right? There's no power in thinking of it in terms of a two-way street, -
So, you’re looking to climb your social media mountain. But you’re not sure where to start. What should you do?
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares the exact steps you can take to get started, stay started, and find your footing on social networks.
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Highlights:
00:17 – Figuring out the social media landscape for the first time
00:50 – Determining the right course of action
01:39 – Pick a channel you like
02:52 – Make a daily video
03:37 – Share your stories
04:01 – Covering off the technical details
04:42 – The benefits of posting daily
07:03 – Social media strategy summary
Transcript:
I was talking with someone who was trying to figure out the social media landscape for the first time. She's in the skincare business, and she wanted to attract people from all over the world to her content because she was convinced, or rather she knew, that she could make a difference for people.
This is one of those questions where… What do you say to someone completely new to all this? Someone who wants to attract attention and knows that there's a way to do it but hasn't gotten started with the process?
And I thought about that for a moment, and my mind immediately turned to all these great tools and content distribution and taking advantage of Fiverr. And I'm like, “I don't think that's what a beginner needs to know.” That's just too much. It's overwhelming.
People make this mistake all the time. They try hard to create a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and on and on. And that's where people get scattered.
That's usually the first mistake. Down the line, yeah, try to post everywhere. But when you're first getting started, when you don't even have a team helping you, it just doesn't work. It’s a tremendous amount of effort. Plus you always tend to find more resonance on one or two channels versus all of them.
The first mistake in social media is trying to be everywhere at once.Share on X
The advice that I gave was “Pick a channel. The one that you like.”
And the reason I say that is because beginners aren't knowledgeable about secondary channels. They don't know about Rumble and Odysee. They've heard of YouTube and TikTok. Those are the ones they know. And those are the safe ones. They have a significant user base.
And people sometimes go “I need to grow my audiences” and I say, “Yeah, true, but if you pick one of those, you're safe. For example, you can't go wrong with YouTube or Facebook.
I get that Facebook is not the cool kid on the block anymore. And some kids are like, “Yeah, it's only for old people.”
Yeah. Sorry to tell you though, Facebook still has the largest user base of any social network out there. And as other countries come online that haven't already, sorry to say, I think that's the first place people are going to be crowding. So, Facebook is not out of the game in any way, shape, or form yet. I'm not a big fan of it or anything, but let's face facts.
Secondly, I said, “Commit to posting a video on one channel, just one, choose one, every single day.” And I think it took her a while to get this, but eventually, she was like, “Okay, so that's like brushing your teeth every day. I don't necessarily feel like it, but it's a good idea and it's a discipline and I do it every day anyway.”
Publishing daily is like brushing your teeth. It's a good habit to get into.Share on X
And I said, “Yeah, it's kind of like that.” Not that you want to make it hard on yourself. Like, you don't want to hate posting to social media every day.
But there are days when you might hate yourself, right? Especially when you're like, “I’ve got to make a video again, and I'm going to talk about something again.” By and large, -
Spending can easily get out of control, even if it is spending on seemingly helpful, worthwhile tools and resources. Sometimes it’s necessary to cut back.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David shares how cutting your subscription bloat can free up energy.
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Sponsors:
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Highlights:
00:17 – Cutting costs is often a necessary aspect of business
00:38 – When pride gets in the way
01:12 – Successful entrepreneurs are willing to cut expenses if necessary
01:38 – A time to reevaluate
02:07 – Giving up pride
02:47 – Cutting costs will free up energy
03:34 – A helpful app
04:02 – Get good at managing your finances
Transcript:
Entrepreneurs sometimes must cut costs. If this weren't true… Just look at the big businesses out there that sometimes lay off employees in droves. Sometimes for a business to survive, it's got to cut away at the fat to be able to survive.
But sometimes it is so easy to fall into a sense of pride, like, “I know what I'm doing, things are okay. I don't need to cut costs. I just need to be more consistent and make more money.”
And, I mean, how many times have I or someone else or people in general thought that way that they could just go and make more money and solve all their problems?
It's partly right. But many have had that experience where they weren't able to generate that amount and found themselves treading water because their income stayed about the same. Their expenses also stayed about the same or just went up.
But if you think about the fact that successful people are those who are willing to do what others are not willing to do, that means successful entrepreneurs are willing to cut expenses, even if temporarily, if need be.
Now I've heard people do insane things just to be able to meet payroll at times. I think in those cases it pretty much paid off, but I don't know how much I could recommend being reckless in that sense.
But I do think there's a time and place to evaluate your finances. Look at all the subscriptions that have stacked up. Do you need those right now? Are those contributing to you? Are they helping you make more money or are they just eating away at cash reserves?
As someone who's had to file for a consumer proposal, I can tell you that it is possible for those to keep eating away at your cash reserves to put you into debt.
Subscriptions may seem harmless, but they can add up and even put you into debt.Share on X
So, we must give up pride. And I say that as if it's always an easy thing to do and it can be hard at times. It’s like, “Oh, I know what to do. I've got the Midas touch, man. I've got the golden finger. Everything's going to work out.”
Well, sometimes it doesn't. And we can have a bias towards our success and that's a good thing, but sometimes we can go from success to success to success and suddenly encounter failure and go, “Well, that was the anomaly.”
But the reality is that it's usually a mix of failures and successes on the way to your eventual success.
And I think this is what I recognized about cutting expenses. What it does is it frees up energy. And this is something I noticed this last time I went and cut a few costs that were idle and not doing anything for me. When you trim away the fat, you don't have to think about it anymore.
Cutting expenses frees up energy.Share on X
Then you can free up yourself and free up your mind to concentrate on ways that you can improve your financial outlook and improve your income. And what matters is your takeaway or your profit, right?
So, if you haven't done some purging recently and things don't appear to be going well, it might be time to explore purging to look at what you can do to cut away some expenses that aren't serving you.
And while I'm not sponsored by them or anything, maybe I should be. -
You may begin your journey thinking to yourself, “This the band that’s going to make it!” But as with so many other things in life, the vehicle you started with may not be the one that gets you to where you want to go (and of course, this can be LITERALLY and FIGURATIVELY true!).
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David expands on the importance of persistence and iteration.
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Sponsors:
Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: Get a free copy of the “Definitive Guide to Productivity for Artists and Entrepreneurs.”
Highlights:
00:17 – The vehicle you started with may not be the vehicle that gets you there
01:18 – There’s nothing wrong with the dream
01:53 – Be flexible
02:27 – David’s experience
03:18 – The power of iteration
Transcript:
I think I've written and even spoken on this before, but it hit me today in a new way. And that is that the vehicle that you started with may not be the vehicle that gets you there. And the reason that's the case is because your dream has nothing to do with the vehicle.
Your dream and the vehicle that gets you there aren't mutually inclusive.Share on X
You may want certain things such as the ability or the opportunity to play in front of thousands or tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people. You may want financial independence. You may want the ability to travel anywhere, anytime, and work from anywhere. You may want to write songs. For other artists, maybe it’s being known as a great songwriter.
So, that's the dream. That's the grand vision, but whatever vehicle you might be using to get there right now, it might be a band. It might be a specific project. It might be your solo performances or your solo project. That may not be the vehicle to get you there.
And this is the thing that I think we struggle with. It's like, “Okay, our dreams are not reality because our chosen vehicle, our band, our project, our solo project, whatever it is that we're working hard on, isn't getting us to where we want to go.”
So, when our project fails or doesn't capture people in the way that we think it should, we give up. Then we make the dream wrong, but there's nothing wrong with the dream. Your dream is attainable, and you don't want to let anyone, including yourself, steal your dream, right? The dream is attainable, but we must be flexible in what vehicle we choose to get there with.
There could be a different avenue. There might be a different project. There might be a different band. You might have to start releasing music on your website. There might be things that you're not doing right now that are going to lead to the results you want. So, I think where most people give up is they give up because the vehicle they've chosen didn't work, wasn't working, or they can't find a way to make it work.
I've launched a few vehicles for teaching and sharing my experiences about the music industry, and the music business. Some things I've been able to accomplish as an author, as an artist, as a composer, and so forth.
And look, the reality is some of those just didn't work out. Maybe some of them generated traffic, but no money. Some of them generated money, but no traffic. Not that all that is problematic. It's just a matter of, “This vehicle that I've chosen, for whatever reason, is not quite resonating in the way that I'd hoped.”
And that's because of the things we create, we must focus on our audience as well. We can't just be thinking about ourselves. And what would audiences want? What would they want to hear? What would they want to see? What would they want to learn? What would they like to check out? And we’ve got to be thinking about that too.
Therein lies the power of iteration. So, if something kind of works, but not quite, make some subtle changes and try again, right? And keep trying and keep iterating and keep trying.
This is what comedians do. -
There is nothing wrong with personal achievement. But you can’t necessarily equate your accomplishments with serving the world. And unless you’re serving the world, your successes could end up feeling very empty.
In this episode of Creativity Excitement Emotion, David breaks down the three types of motives and the results one can expect from each, as well as what he learned from blink-182’s Tom DeLonge.
Download the PDF Transcript
Sponsors:
Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook: Get a free copy of the “Definitive Guide to Productivity for Artists and Entrepreneurs.”
Highlights:
00:17 – Deeper realizations
01:12 – Doing things for personal gain
02:20 – Selfish gains quickly crumble
03:10 – Three types of motives
06:04 – Serving the masses (what you can learn from blink-182)
07:40 – See your projects through this lens
Transcript:
There is something I recently found that kind of gave me pause around the whole constant “Go, go, go, push more, publish more, always be productive, get more done” side of things.
And surprisingly it had nothing to do with health. Although, of course, health is important. And I came back from Calgary with eye floaters. I’m doing what I can to reduce them by cleansing and cleaning up my diet and it seems to be helping.
But this insight didn't come from some kind of health scare or anything else. It came from some personal development work that I've been doing, and as you know I'm constantly reading and listening to things at this point.
It's like there's only deeper realizations in a way. You're not going to discover something completely new for the first time by the time you've read several hundred books and read thousands of articles and listened to thousands of podcasts and been through various personal development programs.
But the essence of what I heard was this… and again, it's not something revolutionary or completely new. I've probably read or heard or seen stuff like this dozens of times, and yet this time it hit me square between the eyes and that was this.
When you do things for personal gain and selfish reasons, even the successes you do get, and you can get successes being selfish… even the successes you do get tend to crumble or be taken away or is stolen from you.
True success is not based on personal gains alone.Share on X
I've had some successes that were like that. I just couldn't quite figure it out. It's like I accomplished all this, but suddenly something appears to distract from that success or detract from that success.
Or the success itself just doesn't seem meaningful to anyone but me. Like, it makes no difference whatsoever in the eyes of the people that I'm supposed to be serving and care about most, and I couldn't quite make sense of that.
But I've started to have some growing awareness around this more recently as I've been diving into some, personal development material.
So, first and foremost, success earned through selfish means or for done for personal profit or selfish gain tends to crumble. These successes don't last. They're not meaningful.
And the things we do to benefit those around us, like our team members or collaborators or partners or employees, and the things we do to benefit customers…
You might remember me talking about win-win-win before and that's in line with us. We want to create a win-win-win situation where there's something in it for everyone. Like there's something everyone cares about.
And that made me go like, “Yeah, I love creating things. And on the other hand, I feel like it's okay to kind of slow down and look at what it is I'm doing.”
And I think there's sort of three broader categories as I think about it. The first one is something that's done completely out of selfishness. You know that there's a gain in it, you know that there's a credibility or authority boost, or you might be awarded or credited in some way, and you do it because of that. And of course, - Näytä enemmän
