willie jackson

Month: October 2011

  • Being Elmo

    Kevin Clash is a big kid.

    “When I was nine years old, it was just a dream that I had — wow, I wish that I could work with the Muppets.“

    He also happens to be the voice, soul, and heart of the Elmo. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey is a documentary about the international icon and his brilliant creator.

    The film, created by Constance Marks, follows Kevin’s improbable journey from his parents’ tiny house in Baltimore — where, at age 9 he knew that he wanted to make Muppets and work on Sesame Street — to New York City, where he was mentored by and worked with such luminaries as Frank Oz, Kermit Love, and the legendary Jim Henson.

    It’s a moving story of love, passion, and how a singular focus on your dreams can alter the course of your life (and the lives of countless others).

    “If everybody else your age is doing something very different than what you’re doing, there’s always gonna be someone saying that you might not succeed…you might not make any money with that…and all of those things will go away if you really focus on what makes you happy.”

    Me, Elmo, and Kevin

    See if the film is playing in your area.

  • Eliminating deliberation

    One of the most deceptive and seductive tactics that Resistance uses against us is the feeling that we’re making progress towards our goals when we’re not.

    We invent tasks and activities and never-ending checklists for ourselves to complete before we give ourself permission to do the hard work of actually getting started. And make no mistake, that is absolutely the hardest part.

    An example would be an aspiring programmer who—instead of sitting down and cranking out line after line of bad code (until it improves)—spends three months seeking out the best programming books available, reading every interview done by their favorite technologists, and emailing programmer friends (and anyone who will listen…) for advice on how to get started.

    Another example is the aspiring sound engineer who puts off honing their craft because they’re saving up for a prohibitively expensive piece of software used by pros (and completely overkill for amateurs), when there are comparable free and open-source programs that would be just fine to begin with.

    There will always be a reason why today is not the best day, why circumstances are not ideal, and why the timing isn’t right. Eliminating deliberation is how you win.

  • Shoe science

    …or, “not really.”

    It looks like Nike tried to emulate the magic of Apple product videos and fell short in a major way. It’s almost painful to hear the cliches being dropped, and it doesn’t help that there’s not much in the way of actual shoe science being discussed at all.

    I’m a bit disappointed with Nike’s efforts here. Not sure they tried very hard.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=D8YbNCPZxXQ

    [Email and RSS subscribers: here’s a link to the video embedded in the post]

  • Pushing through

    Canceling is easy.

    When you tell a friend you’ll be at their moderately interesting event two months from now, you’re not thinking about the day of the event.

    You’re not thinking about how tempting it will be to cancel, how little you’re actually interested in going, or how much trouble it will be to get there.

    But you’re also not thinking about how good it will be to see your friend.

    Or how proud of her you’ll be when you attend the event. Or the great people you’ll meet, the attractive server who pays you special attention, the laughs you will share with new friends, or how fun it is to get out of the house, turn off your phone, and have a good time.

    Have someone hold you accountable if needed but if you say you’re going to go, then go.

    You won’t regret it.

    (If you do, blame your friend.)

  • Big things shipping

    Shipping often is essential. It keeps the creative individual unblocked and healthy.

    Sometimes we ship little things. We send a newsletter blast, update the copy on a webpage, finish a flyer, or design a business card.

    Sometimes we ship big things. That’s what Pam just did.

    It’s the culmination of many months of hard work, many years of teaching, and a lifetime of learning. I’m happy to have contributed a small testimonial to the product page:

    “I first met Pam when I had no idea what I was going to do once I quit my job.

    I started by reading her book, then I moved on to purchasing some information products, and eventually attending the LiftOff retreat. In addition to a balance of heart-centered wisdom and keen business savvy, Pam has an uncanny knack for transferring knowledge in a way that leads to empowerment.

    My biggest concern initially in working with Pam is that she might not have the depth of knowledge in my field (technology), but I quickly learned that Pam is as much a student as she is a teacher’s teacher. I benefited not only from her years of successful Silicon Valley consulting, but from the insights gleaned from thousands of clients she’s coached over the years.

    The results speak for themselves: my income has tripled, I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and most importantly: I live life on my own terms.”

    The course contains a staggering amount of content, and Pam has been working on this product for many months. The coolest part (in my mind) is that there’s a live event in Arizona next year.

    I can only imagine how powerful it will be will people who have realized outsized results in their business over the course of the year come together to celebrate and network and learn from each other.

    Most importantly though, I’m glad Pam is sharing her gift with the world, shipping big things, and giving business owners the opportunity to take their business to the next level.

    Check it out.

  • Living in fear

    There is a horrible, debilitating fear that saps the life out of many of my colleagues on the job. Many work stressful, demanding jobs for billion-dollar companies.

    I remember it well.

    Every time the email chime went off or my manager wanted a meeting or someone from my project called my phone.

    Instant anxiety. Instant fear.

    What did I do wrong?

    What could they possibly want?

    That’s it, I’m fired. I know it.

    Despite these fears being imaginary and exaggerated, they feel so real.

    Termination, disapproval, embarrassment, failure, poverty, rejection, and the unknown.

    You deserve better.

    Oof.

  • Nest

    It’s so obvious when you think about it.

    Tony Fadell is the legendary (former) Senior Vice President of the iPod Division at Apple who oversaw 18 versions of the iPod and the first three versions of the iPhone.

    He is now looking to reinvent the thermostat.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCJ1PnVlzIE

    How’s that for thinking different?

  • Actual work

    With all the meetings and meetings about meetings and posturings and watering hole discussions and politics and bureaucracy and time wasting and distractions and CCs and BCCs and all-hands and mixers and off-campuses and eggshell walking…

    …it’s amazing that any actual work gets done inside of many companies.

    I remember staying until late in the evening just to to get work done.

    I remember getting warmed up around 6pm when the emails stopped coming in so I could focus.

    I remember pulling an all-nighter at work just to have a productive and distraction-free swath of time.

    Work culture is broken.

  • What success looks like

    My friends and I often discuss success and work and life in our down time.

    I’m known to work myself into a frothy lather about such topics, as the journey to where I am now has been full of lessons and mistakes and insights and trials.

    A common reaction I’m noticing these days is one that reflects an assumption of what my standards are for others. That is, it’s assumed that I think everyone should quit their jobs, start a business, and maximize capital at all costs.

    Not true.

    I don’t care what success looks like for my friends, so long as what they’re doing:

    1. Brings them joy
    2. Brings no harm to others
    3. Challenges them

    If you want to be a barista at Starbucks, go for it.

    If you want to paint pictures of flowers in Central Park, make haste to do so.

    If you want to travel the world walking on your hands, get to hand-standing.

    I don’t care what you do, just do your best at whatever it is.

    I’m your biggest fan.

  • A winning mindset

    Success (be it freelance work, entrepreneurship, or what have you) is not about skill.

    It’s not about talent, and it’s not about luck.

    I’ve noticed over the years that the most critical tool in the arsenal of effective humans is a winning mindset. It might manifest itself in the form of quiet confidence, and on the other extreme, it might be overconfident delusion.

    Regardless of what it looks like, it’s critical. I meet few people who are (truly) surprised that they saw success in a venture that they undertook.