Alex Hanse is the owner of Foolies Clothing and the host of Dream Without Limits Radio. In this episode, Alex talks about why many people don’t pursue their dreams, why you need to have the right mindset to succeed, and why you shouldn’t give up.
Here are three things you can learn from Alex:
Often times, what separates those who make it from those who don’t is giving up. We focus too much on trying to figure out exactly how to get it right. We want to find the instant path to success.
Even when he hasn’t made a sale in a month, Alex never gives up. Every time he thinks about giving up, Alex reminds himself up Nick Vujicic. Nick has no arms or legs, but is still a motivational speaker. He has many disadvantages that most of us don’t, yet he still has the power to continue on.
Don’t go down without a fight. Fight those negative thoughts away and continue on.
The problem many people have is adopting the wrong mindsets. Our minds are the most powerful tool we have. It determines how we approach the world and everything around us.
If you want to improve your place in life, Alex suggests having a $2,000 mindset, not a $2 mindset.
People with $2 mindsets don’t think they can achieve anything. Instead of pursuing their goals, they do nothing because they think they will fail.
People with $2,000 mindsets ask themselves the necessary questions to achieve their goals. They are inquisitive and they take actions on their goals.
Your success is dependent on you. Stop getting in your own way. Do everything you can to change your mindset for the better.
The key to a successful business is giving people exactly what they want. Alex did not start off wanting to start his own clothing company. He was just wearing shirts he thought were cool. Eventually people started approaching him, asking where they could get his shirt. That’s when he knew he had a business.
Instead of trying to come up with ideas out of nothing, Alex asks people what they are having trouble with, then makes shirts out of it. He looks for common problems among the people that he talks to, and creates shirts with positive messages to encourage people who have those thoughts.
Successful businesses are always about fulfilling a need. Listen to what people are telling you, and give them exactly what they want.
Jim Hopkinson is an author, speaker, teacher, and, entrepreneur. Jim has worked at startups, big corporations, and for himself at SalaryTutor.com. In this episode, Jim talks about the lessons he learned while working at ESPN and WIRED, why side projects are important, and the best ways to negotiate your salary.
Jim has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to emerging technologies. He was a digital producer before that title even existed and he has always embraced new technology.
While at ESPN he worked on the team that was creating the ESPN phone before cell phones became a part of every day life. He helped manage the Twitter and Facebook accounts at WIRED, and helped WIRED get into podcasting.
All this isn't to tout his accomplishments. It just shows you that embracing change can put you ahead of the curve. Don't be stuck in your old ways. Be willing to pivot and try new things.
While Jim was working at WIRED he was also working on his own projects. He was podcasting on the side for five years and wrote his own eBook on salary negotiation.
These endeavors may not have paid off immediately, but when he was let got at WIRED, he had something to fall back on. Instead of scrambling to find a new job, Jim was prepared because he was doing things on the side.
Right around the time he was fired, he was also offered the chance to speak at SxSW. He has now spoken there six times. He was also able to leverage his eBook into SalaryTutor.com
All of this shows you that you can't rely on others to make your living. Jim has been let go multiple times, and each time he was able to get right back on his feet.
When most people accept a new job, they take what's given to them. They normally think "I should just be grateful to have a job." Jim doesn't think that way. If you don't negotiate your salary, you could be missing out on thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars.
The biggest problem with most people is, they do very little research when negotiating. Here are the five places to learn about how much your job could be paying you: salary research sites, job board sites, industry research guides, your internal network, and your external network. By doing a little research, you can find out exactly what you are worth. Instead of going in blind, be prepared to ask what you're worth.
Michael Zaytsev is a life coach and founder of High NY. Before taking on his current roles, he was a financial analyst for J.P. Morgan and a sales rep for Google. In this episode, Michael talks about lessons he learned at J.P. Morgan and Google, why coaching is important, and why he took up the mantle at High NY.
Here are three things you can learn from Michael:
Michael learned many lessons while working for J.P. Morgan and Google. One of the biggest lessons he learned was that of being of value.
While many people go in to startups expecting to make money from them, Michael created his knowing he would not make a lot of money in the beginning. Instead, he focused on creating value. When you create value, you will be rewarded in the long run.
Another thing he learned was analyzing risk and return. Many founders are only focused on the now. Instead of only looking at the present, Michael analyzes whether his actions are worth the risk. He also looks at the short and long term value of everything he does. By weighing risk and reward, he can make sound decisions that will help the long term future of his company.
Many people have a misconception about coaches and what their roles are. Before becoming a coach himself, Michael was only familiar with executive coaching. After meeting two life coaches in the short span before his accident, Michael became a life coach himself.
When people think of life coaches, they picture people bossing them around and telling them what to do. In fact, the opposite is true.
Coaches give you the space to go deep, explore, and push yourself. They provide you with accountability and structure. They give you an objective view of your problems and help reveal solutions to you.
Before you can start your own project, idea, or business, there are a few things to keep in mind. Michael’s first piece of advice is to make sure you are creating something of value. If your idea doesn’t provide people with value, it will fail.
Another important thing you must do is make sure you have a user base or audience. Without an audience, there is no business. An engaged audience is one of the keys to sustaining a successful business.
The last thing to remember is entrepreneurship is difficult and isolating. Don’t go into it expecting everything to work perfectly. Just know that there will be rough times and hard work ahead.