A place for artists and entrepreneurs to build the elite skills you need to live the life you want. It's not about what winners do, it's about who they become. Learn the secrets that successful people know, but nobody will teach you in school. Come here for weekly inspiration, motivation and coaching so you can start living your life without compromise.
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As an icebreaker, I frequently ask people - what would you do if you won the lottery? People give answers that reflect what they would do if there were no constraints or demands put on their time, location or finances This is where people describe their visionary work, OR the downtime things they would do to feel free, relaxed. My question is - ok …
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Despite your most disciplined attempts to show up every single day, inviting the muse, yet not leaving things to dumb luck, you sit down for your daily ritual, and nothing comes. This is made all the worse by a looming deadline, or being behind in production. So what do you do when you doing everything right, and nothing comes? Let it Happen. Reduc…
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So you’ve worked it all out - you have a master plan for launching your product….but what if you build it and nobody comes? This happens more than you think It’s important not to measure success against big league players that you’re trying to model. This takes a while, and there’s no such thing as overnight success The best thing you can do is cha…
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Although we’d like to believe that we have what it takes, sometimes we worry that we’re going to be seen as ‘arrogant’, over-confident or full of ourselves. This alone can keep us from starting. What’s the difference between confidence and arrogance and how can you build the former without seeming like the latter? Limiting Beliefs - concepts of wha…
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There are two kinds of habits: good ones and bad ones. So often, we focus on the bad ones that we need to break, but how often do we take the time to focus on the good habits that we have integrated or need to integrate to continuously move us forward? You have to have a habit of having habits :-) Create a prioritized list of of habits you want to …
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The Public Demands more content, more frequently. This seems foreign to many of us as we grew up with a new book, music or movie release from our favourite artists maybe once per year or less. You need to change your mindset to reflect the new virtues and values in the marketplace.Por Fuse Chamber
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People who achieve everything they set out to do in life are masters of protecting their time. How do they do it? Time is the only thing you can’t reclaim once its been spent Protecting your time is your right and your duty. You must actively and continuously monitor and protect it as you would any priceless resource The biggest challenge is changi…
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Could we flip the script on our thinking about experimentation? Rather than seeing experiments as risky, or as a synonym for failure, we should be embracing experimentation as the fastest way to learn about what works, and what doesn’t.Por Fuse Chamber
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If you’re making time for creativity, but you find yourself unfocused and unable to stay with it…there are some things that can help. I’m going to keep hammering this one - you have to set aside time To avoid intimidation, set a short timer Set an intention. What is the most important thing to finish in this time slice? Make sure it is in support o…
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We all know about the paralysis caused by waiting for the right moment in the right conditions. So why do we continue to do it, and how can we stop? It’s normal, from an evolutionary/survival perspective, to want safety and certainty The need for certainty and safety, however, prevents us taking risks and moving forward boldly - two essential behav…
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By now, we know that inspiration is as much about showing up every day, as part of a routine, and doing the work of writing - even if it is for the wastebasket. But there are times when inspiration just hits. Are there things you can do that create fertile ground for inspiration? There are….and they exist in the everyday. You have to make time and …
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Today's episode is an impromptu musing on the state of coaching, for those of you who feel like you might benefit from it, or are yourselves in the coaching business. in many ways, its a bit like being a therapist. People should find a good coach that is a balance of engaged and removed, that specializes in or can tailor an action plan to your part…
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As i work with many leaders in development, there is one thing that trips up more people than any other factor - and with each passing year, I see more and more of it. I call it FABJ - Fear, Anger, Bitterness, and Jealousy - but these things are all byproducts of one thing. Feeling not good enough. We all suffer from these feelings, but if you are …
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Most deeply creative people know that you simply have to show up ever day - inspiration will never just come and pay a visit. So how do you show up every day? You schedule. it. In this episode, I discuss my daily routine for capturing creative thoughts and then filtering them and refining them into finished product. Lots of tips and tricks in this …
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As someone with a creative offering, I’d like to wait until my product is perfect before I unleash it on the world. Is that really so bad? There are two big problems with waiting. One is that it fosters fear, and uncertainty, and the other is that it lets other people slip in the gap and beat you to market No matter what happens, you have to focus …
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One of the challenges of being a modern artist is that there’s a lot to do in a day. Your art might be your side hustle, so there’s a full time job, family, friends, and daily life all competing for attention with your core offering - your creativity. How can you get ultra productive and disciplined, and what do you do if you’re stuck…..unmotivated…
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Your reason for doing everything matters more than anything. How can you use Intention to improve your outcomes? Begin with intention - know your reason for doing things before you set out to do them. This helps with motivation and prioritization. Use visualization to envision a successful performance or delivery every time you have something valua…
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On this show we cover the fundamentals - be visionary, get focused, work hard, get gritty, always improve. That’s general advice, and those fundamentals are lifelong lighthouses - you should seek to study and perfect your ability to live those values every day. But how do you actually achieve stuff? You have to constantly set targets Some targets s…
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What’s the Difference between people who dream massive dreams, and those who are living those massive dreams? They simply believe that they are limitless Obstacles become problems to solve Limitations become competitive advantages Hard work seems like nothing. Failures seem like victoriesPor Fuse Chamber
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If you’ve been listening for a while, you know I’m big on service. To review, service is the thing that validates your vision. Without service, a vision can be nothing more than a wishlist….a catalog of benefits that only accrue to you. Service ensures that you know exactly who your vision serves, how, and most importantly, why. So how do I figure …
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I used to be one of those people who struggled with consistent creativity. You’ve heard me repeat that the secret to having good ideas is to have lots of them….so I prefer to take the disciplined work approach to getting a reliable creativity flow. You can either work on ‘inspiration’ at scheduled times and groom the pile for the useful bits later.…
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If you’re busy, especially if you are working on a day job to sponsor your passion, and you have family and social commitments the blend in there too…it can seem almost impossible to find time to create awesome core content, let alone marketing content. But I have really good news for you. That’s this week on the Fuse Chamber podcast. Life is busy …
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I want to do more. To be more. I get the feeling that maybe I could, or just that I should try to live a life more in line with my passions and principles. But I can literally feel myself getting in my own way. It’s like watching a movie of myself - I see it happening, I know its not good, but I do it anyway. What’s going on? Routines are the thing…
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An artist is committed, heart and soul, to the work. So I have to quit my day job now right? You have to starve to create right? You have to be committed full time - 8+ hours per day, right? Times are changing. There aren’t as many ‘full time salaries’ for artists anymore. You have to balance work that pays the bills with work that feeds the soul N…
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Does the Arts need Leaders? What are the qualities of a leader, and what does it take to become one? There is a huge demand for leadership in the arts and culture work It may seem like its difficult to be a leader, but a leader is just someone who goes first Leadership doesn’t require permission All you need is that picture in your head - a vision,…
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Innnovators and artists alike both want more of this. Here’s how you get it. Discipline You have to set up time and work Many people are creative first thing in the morning. Fine. Set an alarm, get up early, set a 20 minute timer and go BUT - as soon as that's done, you take a 5 minute break and then set another 20 minute timer, and then another, a…
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What makes most dreams nothing more than a dream? What derails most people in their efforts to live the life they dream about? And how can you conquer it? That’s this week on the Fuse Chamber podcast. Assuming you make it past the initial fear, and decide to start on something…most people get tripped up and quit pretty early When things go wrong, o…
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Being a team of one is extremely difficult. I never recommend shortcuts but there is something to be said for efficiency, and maximizing your time and investment. Here are five essential things that you need to do if you are producing your own marketing and content in support of your art and business. Learn how to take good photographs - compose sh…
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What is the importance of a brand, how is related to your vision, and how do you market it? A brand is your outward expression of your vision and purpose. It is your promise to the world You need to figure out your vision and how you serve your customers or community Marketing without a brand is just randomly trawling for customers Once you’ve figu…
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There's a specific reason why you have unfulfilled dreams. Why there is somewhere you want to be, and you're not there yet. Want to know what it is? Nothing has changed - crazy hard work trumps all But the hard work isn’t hard work if you are locked in to a service-based vision/purpose it’s possible you haven’t found the right vision yet, or that v…
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In this impromptu episode, we discuss why you have very little competition; and why that should inspire you to get your work out there - all it takes is just a little more work than the competition (which sadly isn't much). Take a good look around at what 95% of your peer group is doing and you'll realize...there's a place for your voice.…
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What does hustle mean? No distractions Head Down Fearless Can’t hear the haters Start Early, End Late Basically, ALL YOUR FREE TIME goes to this thing This determines your success more than any other factor If you don’t hustle, YOU KNOW If you don’t know, or don’t care, the world will not wait for you. It will not reach out to help you. It doesn’t …
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There’s one thing that we’re not teaching our young people any more - in school or beyond - and that’s how to persist when things get difficult. If there’s a trophy for every participant, if there are no consequences to missing the mark, no negative feedback or criticism…how can you prepare a career in the most competitive segments of human endeavo…
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If we expect there to be a future in the arts, we have to help guarantee it. Nothing about art has to be free. Like so many other ‘public’ professions that don’t have a pure profit focus, we have learned not to value it. When do don’t value it, the quality starts to decline. How can we as artists help ensure a thriving industry? We HAVE to treat it…
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To be a true artist, you must reject the mindset and habit of sameness. You can learn and borrow from those who have come before, but you must never duplicate. But how do you come to your own voice? Nothing is more powerful than your own authentic voice People who changed the world drew new lines in the sand. They did not absorb and rehash common t…
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Inspiration Can Be Hard To Come By. What’s the Secret The good news is….hard work is the answer. The bad news is…its hard work. Generating rich and novel ideas is the by product of living a rich and novel life, internally and externally I’m big on mindset and habit pairs, meaning right thinking coupled with right action Your mindset must be observa…
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I have all these great plans, but I don’t know where to start, and it all seems so overwhelming Focus on Go. You have to move. No one else will do that for you - it’s the one skill you have to master and get disciplined around all by yourself, or you will ultimately struggle with failure too often It’s pretty easy to condition the habit of getting …
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In the age of digital distribution, where everything is free - is it still possible to make a profit in the arts? New models require self-agency - you are own bookings manager, producer, director, publisher and promoter The bad news is - its a lot of hard work and a steep learning curve The great news is - all of the tools you need are out there, a…
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Choices are what got you everything you have and everything you are. Choices will also get you everywhere you want to go and make you everything you want to be. How to do you take control of you choices, and consistently make good ones. Too often we accept what is happening to us Many people view their current state as though life is something that…
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This world seems so have so many opportunities and good fortune for everyone but me. What do I need to do differently to have better luck and success? You have to stop seeing those things - resources and opportunities - as scarce. They are infinite. The best way to unlearn scarcity is to act as though everything is abundant It takes a leap of faith…
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What is it that makes successful people successful? Are there things I can model and repeat? There are six fundamental keys to being successful at anything They are the same across all cultures and forms of enterprise You may hear it 100 different ways, but they always boil down to the same things.Por Fuse Chamber
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What do you do when you hit obstacles. Really hard ones? Challenges of some kind are inevitable. Occasionally, they will seem really bad. Avoiding these challenges is not the goal. Accepting them head-on with dignity, grace and skill is a talent that is definitely worth having How you think about challenges determines how bad they really are. Some …
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Can I have Overnight Success? I personally don’t believe you should seek that. Hurrying success means you want it for the wrong reasons This will take time. But where that frustrates 90% of your peers, forcing them to compromise and quit..you will learn to enjoy the ride, enjoy the wait, taking small successes as they come, and studying the lessons…
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Are there any tools for people who write that can help boost productivity and fire up the the creative engine? Have fun experimenting with tools. Tools should be accessible (ready when you need them). They should be portable. Create your own workflow and creative schedule Combine creative work with other mindless tasks…
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True Originals Change the World. What do they do differently? They remain true to their vision, and their unique voice. They don’t compete against everyone riding a popular wave. They create their own trends. They are experimental and avoid the current flavours, yet are not trying to be different for its own sake.…
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Don't I have to ‘pay my dues’ before I can leap, before I can lead? Anyone with a Vision Can Lead You will need confidence, and confidence must be tempered with Humility A service based vision ensures you are seeking to make some impact in the world, and that is reason enough to lead.Por Fuse Chamber
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What single thing could I change to combat self-doubt and anxiety in my art, business and life? Attachment to specific Outcomes Deferring Happiness to sometime in the future or past Seeing the world as scarce rather than abundantPor Fuse Chamber
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How is your creative habit and leadership development doing this week? What inspiration and support do you need? In order to excel, you need to look back periodically and identify progress and problem areas Make note of successes - things that move you toward your goal, enhanced confidence, creativity, positive feedback. You may also have encounter…
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Why are Millennials so ‘messed up’? How are we going to develop them into future leaders? There’s nothing really wrong with them. They are a product of certain values. They are still the future, and they are uniquely qualified to succeed as leaders as we shift away from centralized, big-box models of business and art. We have to care. They need goo…
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What Causes Procrastination, Performance Anxiety, and Lack of Confidence. Fear. It’s hideously destructive….How can you understand it so you can master and eliminate it? It’s not all ‘in your head’. Fear is very real. Your fears serve a biological function that no longer makes sense. But your mind doesn’t know that - so nothing ever changes. You ha…
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