The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have created businesses they love around their purpose. They’ve found ways to combine enjoyment, money and meaning in their work!
If you think all the productivity & life direction advice sounds the same out there (except for mine, of course), meet Jonathan Mead, founder of Illuminated Mind & Body (or just “Illuminated Mind”).
Jon’s a really interesting guy who has fun turning “success/life advice” on its head with attention-grabbing blog posts such as “If It’s A Good Idea, Don’t Do It“, “The Best Way To Solve A Problem: Give Up“, and “The Lie Of The Four Hour Workweek“.
Jon’s a precocious 24-year old entrepreneur, author, blogger, martial artist, general seeker adventure and husband who bailed on his 9-5 job in 2009 once he could support himself on his Illuminated Mind business. It’s not yet making him rich – it’s under six figures (for now) – but he supports himself on it and he’s living and working his purpose. And the money will keep coming & growing as he keeps this up. He’s “got it”.
Jonathan started simply – as a part-time blogger – and his unique take on topics and no-nonsense writing style…if you’re turned off by the terms ‘ass-kicking’ & ‘kicking ass’, stay away 🙂
Here are some of the topics we covered…
- How Jon juggled creating Illuminated Mind while working full time and being married
- What Jon sacrificed to start and grow Illuminated Mind
- How he got to making about $4k per month working part time (before he quit his job)
- Two methods Jon uses to be hyper-productive
- The REAL value of blogging (it’s not all about building an audience)
- How to make success or a goal “inevitable”
- An unforeseen challenges of being his own boss
And more, of course!
Listen To Or Download The Interview
Want to download the interview?
Click here to download…
More About Jonathan Mead
Here is the Steve Pavlina post that he refers to in the interview: 10 Reasons To Not Get A Job
More About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into a business you love. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!
I’m Feeling Confused & Overwhelmed (Video)
May 18th, 2010
Do you hold other people up on pedestals? Do you think you should always be clear and happy, and feel guilty when you aren’t? Everyone is human, and perfect in their imperfections.
I can feel confused. I can be overwhelmed. I get anxious. I feel all the same stuff you do. The fear comes up…but I don’t let it stop me from moving forward, even if ‘forward’ is a babystep.
Babysteps, no matter how small, are one of my main “get unstuck” practices. I LOVE babysteps!
Here’s a two minute video of me sharing about what I did when I was feeling totally overwhelmed last week:
What I Created
In the video I share the next step that gave me a real sense of relief. Below is the landing page I drafted in Powerpoint.
If you haven’t done one before, or anything like it, it might look like a lot of work. It wasn’t – I’d already written much of this content up in different places, or in my Unique Genius webinars and invitations. For me, the challenge was removing content to leave behind the least, best stuff (click on it to enlarge it):
Related Posts
Do you worry about being transparent with clients and friends? It’s much easier to be this way and BE YOURSELF…rather than putting on a mask of perfection.
What Do You Do When You Feel Like This?
Please leave a comment, I and others would love to hear from you and get your advice!
Unique Genius Superhero Interview: Michael Bungay Stanier, Author “Do More Great Work” & Founder, Box of Crayons
May 9th, 2010
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have created businesses they love around their purpose. They’ve found ways to combine enjoyment, money and meaning in their work.
Interested in learning more about someone who wants to “infect 1 billion people with the possibility virus”? Meet Michael Bungay Stanier.
Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a company that works with organ
izations around the world to help them “do less Good Work and more Great Work”. Michael was the 2006 Canadian Coach of the Year & is the author of Do More Great Work.
I found him last year, after he released the viral video “The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun” and loved his work and the style he brings to it! Michael’s “Do More Great Work” has a lot in common with my own Unique Genius work.
Here are some of the topics we covered…
- The 3 things you need to do more great work (and less good work)
- How Michael secured a part-time contract to support himself for a whole year while he got started
- How long it took him to “stumble along” to get clarity on his own Great Work (Unique Genius)
- Michael’s “portfolio approach” of having a mix of paying projects + visionary projects
- How his “8 principles of fun” movie helped him skyrocket him (after nobody cared for it)
- How Michael organizes his environment & days to maximize his Great Work
- Michael’s support systems he’s established to help him succeed & get through rough spots
And more, of course 🙂
Listen To Or Download The Interview
Want to download the interview?
Click here to download…
More About Michael Bungay Stanier
* You can buy “Do More Great Work” Book On Amazon
* www.DoMoreGreatWork.com
* Box Of Crayons (His consulting company)
About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into a business you love. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!
Unique Genius Superhero Interview: Chip Conley, CEO Joie de Vivre Hospitality & Bestselling Author of “PEAK”
May 4th, 2010
The Unique Genius Superheroes Interview Series is about ordinary people who have created businesses they love around their purpose.
Everyone has a purpose (or “calling”), and there are always ways to turn your purpose, any purpose, into a business you love. It’s easier to live your purpose daily when you do it for work!
Chip Conley is the founder & CEO of Joie de Vivre, the largest boutique hotel group in California. He’s also the bestselling author of “Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow”.
Chip’s found his calling twice in his life, and I was fascinated to find out if there were patterns between the two.
At 26, Chip left a highly successful career in commercial real estate to become a rebellious boutique hotel entrepreneur, and create a successful business through inspired employees. In the past few years, Chip’s recent calling to teach companies & people how to become more successful is manifesting through his books and a PeakOrganizations.com seminars business.
One of the many things that I admire about Chip Conley is how he created a corporate culture of success at Joie de Vivre by focusing on his employees, and helping them find their own meaning at work. Chip believes that the success of a company depends highly on the emotional well being of the employees. Enjoyment at work creates happier employees, who create happier customers which leads to higher revenue growth & lower service costs!
Here’s some of what we covered in the interview:
- The differences between a job, career & calling
- How he’s found TWO callings in his life
- How, before Chip was famous, he convinced Richard Branson to write a foreword to one of his books
- How to create a corporate culture of recognition that juices employee morale & motivation
- And more!
Chip also gives us a couple of examples of the “Emotional Equations” that are the basis of an upcoming book.
Listen To Or Download The Interview
Want to download the interview?
Click here to download…
More About Chip Conley
- ChipConley.com
- PeakOrganizations.com “Transforming the Way Business Is Done”
- On Amazon: Chip’s “PEAK” book
About Unique Genius
There’s a process to discovering your purpose and turning it into a business. Find out the latest at www.UniqueGenius.com.
What Was Your Favorite Part Of The Interview?
Please leave a comment!