Stephen Pirie is the director of many companies including Nurture Change, Unleash Travel, and Spirit of Sharing. Through these companies, Stephen is creating retreats for business leaders, building a safe travel experience for youths from New Zealand and Australia, and giving back to the youths of Fiji.
Author: Kevin Chung (Page 14 of 21)
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
Print available on Society6.
I’ll admit it. I don’t know all the answers. Anyone who tells you they know all the answers is lying.
As someone who is trying to help artists market themselves and their work, you might assume I know every aspect about marketing. I can tell you this right now, I don’t. If you are looking for a guru who can give you all the answers, you will be looking for a very long time.
We all look to the experts to figure things out for us. We want to do as little work as possible. This is your wake up call. If you want to find success, you must first acknowledge you don’t know everything. Next, you must admit that you will never know everything.
Some people may find this idea a burden. They want to take shortcuts. They want to know it all and they want to know it now.
I, on the other hand, think this idea is liberating. Sometimes the biggest burdens are the burdens of knowledge. When you know all the answers, you are less willing to take risks. You are less willing to break from convention. You believe your way is the right way, even if better alternatives exist.
Not knowing all the answers can lead to spectacular results. Here are some reasons you should admit to not knowing:
People will respect you more
When you are honest with others, they respect you more. It is better to tell people when you don’t know something than to make it up.
Don’t try to make yourself looks smarter by making it up. If people find out you were being dishonest, they will resent and lose respect for you.
When someone asks you a question, that you don’t know the answer to, simply tell them you don’t know, but you would like to find out. It will make you look better in the long run.
You can learn from others
We only have a finite amount of time on Earth, which means we can never know everything. Instead of trying to learn everything ourselves, we should lean on the knowledge of others.
No matter how much we think we know, there is always something we can learn from other people. Don’t close yourself off to the knowledge others can give you.
One of the best ways to do this is through Masterminds. Napoleon Hill found that the most successful people in his lifetime made use of a Mastermind. People from Andrew Carnegie to Henry Ford made use of this extraordinary tool.
Instead of trying to figure everything out on their own, these men relied on the wisdom of others. This allowed them to grow some of the largest, most successful businesses of their times.
By opening themselves up to the knowledge of others, they were able to solve problems they couldn’t figure out on their own.
It allows you to experiment
Every great discovery and invention started with a question. It was the result of someone not knowing something.
Just look at the scientific method as proof. Everything we know about science is based off of a question. Before we can claim something is true, we must first experiment and review the results.
If we were didn’t test our hypotheses, people would still believe the world is flat. We would still think the universe revolves around the Earth. We would still be experimenting with alchemy.
Through experimentation, we have made many new discoveries and debunked old theories. This is only possible by admitting we don’t know everything.
Dan Galperin is the man behind the Man Power Project, the Fight Club for the Soul. Through one on one coaching and group calls, he helps men discover what it means to live well. In this episode Dan talks about his travels around the world, why you need to love yourself, and how you can become more confident.
Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, speaker and contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Time, and Entrepreneur. She authored the books Reinventing You and Stand Out, and is also an adjunct professor of business at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. In this episode, Dorie talks about how she went from working on Howard Dean’s political campaign to being a business consultant, how you can reinvent yourself, and what you can do to stand out.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle Quote Art
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
Print available on Society6.
It was only after writing every single day did I become a more consistent and better communicator. Two years ago, I barely wrote at all and I was definitely not writing down ten ideas a day.
Since then, much has changed. I write at least 100 words every morning. Writing each day has helped clarify ideas I have in my mind. It has helped me grow an audience of dedicated artists who want to share their art with the world.
The blank slate is a terrifying thing. It is only when you begin to fill it that the world makes sense. Would I be able to get my ideas out there if I didn’t write daily? Probably, but, those thoughts would not be as refined. The habit of writing has helped bring incredible clarity into my life.
Before I found James Altucher’s ten ideas a day, I always had trouble coming up with ideas. Occasionally one would come into my head but it would die just as quickly.
Writing down ten ideas a day has made me an idea machine. It has shown me how to break projects down into manageable and actionable pieces. It has allowed me to write some of my most popular posts. It has given me direction when interviewing people for my podcast. If I didn’t practice this daily, I would not be where I am today.
[bctt tweet=”You can not achieve excellence without habit.”]
You can not achieve excellence without habit. Shakespeare did not write his plays in a single day. Mozart did not compose concertos in a night. Michelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel over a weekend.
Habits create the foundation of greatness. Don’t believe in the exaggeration of the overnight success. People do not achieve success instantaneously. They achieve it through consistent and focused repetition.
“The Earth without art is just eh.” Quote Art
“The Earth without art is just eh.”
Print available on Society6.
This is one of the most accurate descriptions of art I have ever seen.
Think of a society without art. This includes everything from drawing, to sculpting, to film making, and writing. What would life be like without these things?
When you finish a day’s worth of work, where do you turn? When you are free to enjoy an activity over the weekend, what do you do? Most likely to something that involves the arts.
[bctt tweet=”Art has the ability to transcend time and cultures.”]
Art has the ability to transcend time and cultures. It has the ability to bring to people together. It has the ability to leave you in awe.
If you ask people to name the most famous people throughout history, many will turn to the arts. How many artists can you recognize without saying their full names? There’s Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Picasso to name a few, and those are just the painters.
These artists have stood the test of time because they have left an immense impact on the world. People resonate with their messages.
Their work can be understood without knowing anything about the artist or the time period they lived in. How many other occupations can say the same?
Josh Barad is the founder and chief Uncomfortable Officer of In the Middle Seat, a coaching company that helps millennials embrace discomfort and create adventurous experiences. In this episode, Josh talks about why he embraces discomfort, how we should be authentic with each other, and why you should have a group of supportive people around you.
Jason Alster is an author and artist who has merged the worlds of science and art. He is a researcher who has studied the brain and how kids with ADHD can learn. In this episode Jason talks about using science in his art, solving multiple mysteries, and hosting a TV show for authors, among other things.
“One who makes no mistakes makes nothing.” – Giacomo Casanova Quote Art
“One who makes no mistakes makes nothing.” – Giacomo Casanova
Print available on Society6.
The blank slate is one of the scariest things an artist faces. Every time I create something new, I can’t help but feel a little worried.
I am worried that my work won’t be good enough. I am worried that people won’t like it. I worry that people will criticize it.
These are mostly irrational fears. I know that. But that doesn’t mean my mind is immune from having these thoughts.
One of the causes of these fears is the perfection curse. As artists, there is always something we can nitpick about our work. We are our own worst enemies.
We want to create art that meets our own lofty expectations. This means, we tweak a work to death. We want to get it just right before we let it out into the world. Although this may seem admirable, it often causes us to sit on certain pieces for far too long.
[bctt tweet=”You can try all you want, but you will never attain perfection. “]
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nothing is perfect. You can try all you want, but you will never attain perfection. Let go of the notion that your work should be free of mistakes. Embrace the mistakes instead.
You need to know when something is good enough. I love the idea of iteration. Release your work and get feedback from it. Learn from your mistakes, and improve upon them.
[bctt tweet=”If you are afraid to make work without mistakes, you will never make anything.”]
If you are afraid to make work without mistakes, you will never make anything.
Marketing: A Love Story by Bernadette Jiwa Book Review & Highlights
Marketing: A Love Story
Bernadette Jiwa | ISBN: 1500619213 & 978-1500619213 | Rating: 9/10
Marketing: A Love Story Summary
Bernadette Jiwa is brand story strategist, speaker and author of four #1 Amazon Bestsellers Difference, Marketing: A Love Story, The Fortune Cookie Principle, and Make Your Idea Matter. Her blog was voted Best Australian Business Blog in 2012 and was named one of Australia’s 20 Best Business Blogs in 2014. She also spoke about the secret to spreading ideas at TEDxPerth.
In this review I’ll talk about her wonderful book Marketing: A Love Story. In it Bernadette talks about how we make our ideas resonate. She redefines marketing and shows you how our ideas can translate into value. She shows you how to bridge the gap between your work and what your customers really want. And she does it all in just 110 pages!
The book is split into three sections: strategy, context, and story. Each section has easily digestable chapters that help build your understanding of marketing. It is a must read for anyone who is having trouble connecting with their audience or customers.
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