Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Author: Jules Schroeder

  • Millennials, Here’s How Cryptocurrency Could Transform Your Future

    Millennials, Here’s How Cryptocurrency Could Transform Your Future

    Resources:

    -3-Day Crypto and Blockchain Online Summit Hosted by Jules: http://www.cryptosummitonline.com/

    3 Key Points:

    1. Blockchain technology has exciting potential for our future with a host of applications beyond digital currency.
    2. “Alt” coins, or Alternative cryptocurrency coins like TRON, Ripple, and Xarum are gaining traction in the crypto market and deserve your consideration in your investment portfolio.
    3. Big businesses like McDonalds, Microsoft, eBay, and Expedia, plus governments like Dubai and Switzerland are backing Bitcoin and beginning to accept cryptocurrency as legitimate forms of payment.

    To be completely honest, conversations about finances and investments usually tend to put me to sleep. But for some reason, all of this buzz about cryptocurrency really has my attention.

    Some call cryptocurrency the “digital gold rush,” magnetizing thousands around the world to invest in digital currencies like Bitcoin and other alternative coins and tokens. Although skeptics have their concerns, there’s no denying cryptocurrency has an exponential growth trend that appears to be steadily rising.

    For millennials, cryptocurrency could be the investment opportunity of a lifetime. Not to mention, it’s ushering in a tidal wave of technological innovation.

    The biggest barrier to entry for most? Decoding all of that tech jargon.

    It’s about time someone explained cryptocurrency to you in a language you can actually understand.

    That’s why I’ve just launched  one of the world’s first online crypto and blockchain summits, where 21 industry-leading experts will be sharing everything you need to know about cryptocurrency over the course of three days.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I spoke with a cryptocurrency geek who’s done all of the heavy lifting for you. Meet Michael Graziano, the founder of Global Degree, one of the largest online communities for millennial travelers worldwide. He’s racing to become the youngest North American male to visit all 193 countries in the world, documenting all of his adventures online. Across his social channels, and including collaborations with Discovery Channel and MTV, Graziano has a combined reach of 50M+.

    “I’ve been to over 100 different countries and seen all different types of economies, people, and ways of life. Some of these countries’ databases are incredibly inefficient and outdated. Can you imagine what the world will look like when everyone’s on one database?” Graziano says.

    Enter the blockchain.

    If you don’t yet know what that is, don’t sweat it—below, I’ve transcribed my Q&A with Graziano where he breaks down the fundamentals of cryptocurrency, blockchain, and more, so you can finally get up to speed on everything crypto.

    Q: What is blockchain?

    A: “A blockchain is a global online database that anyone, anywhere, with an internet connection, can use. The cool thing is traditional databases are owned by a central authority like banks, companies, or governments, but blockchain isn’t owned by anyone. It has a peer-to-peer network looking after it, so cheating the system is nearly impossible.

    Blockchain stores information permanently across a network of personal computers, which decentralizes, distributes, and records it onto a public ledger that anyone can see. The transactions are verified by miners, who maintain the ledger. These bundles of records on personal computers are called blocks. Each block has a timestamp, and a form to a previous block, forming a chronological chain.”

    Q: What is Bitcoin?

    A: “Bitcoin is blockchain’s first and most widely known application.. People send Bitcoin freely to each other, and blockchain comes in to verify that only one person claims to own each coin at one time.”

    Q: How are businesses and governments reacting to cryptocurrency?

    A: “Big players like eBay, Microsoft, Expedia, McDonald’s and Subway are all starting to accept Bitcoin and other digital currencies. The Swiss government is accepting Bitcoin for tax payments. Dubai has announced that they want to become the world’s first ‘blockchain city.’ These are major statements from major economies… all of this is happening so fast and I expect these changes to really amplify in 2018.”

    Q: What will change in the future with everyone using these blockchain technologies?

    A: “When it all boils down, blockchain allows us all to share a single source of truth. Take the sharing economy, for example, which has given rise to Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, etc. These companies have profited on the idea of a sharing economy, but instead of sharing, they’ve acquired or eliminated competitors and collected all the profits. Where blockchain could step in is to create a public marketplace where people can share cars, homes, or whatever, with no intermediary.

    Another application is the recapturing of our identities. The most powerful asset of the digital age is data. Perhaps more valuable than money, land, or anything else you own. Everywhere you go and everything you do online is recorded. It creates a virtual you. But the biggest problem is that you don’t own the virtual you. It’s owned and exchanged by big companies like Google. Blockchain is one new technology that will allow you to have privacy and to monetize and control where your information goes.”

    Q: So what are some of the top cryptocurrencies to look out for in 2018?

    A: “I encourage people interested to do your research, but here are 5 projects that I think have a lot of potential: Skycoin, which has the ability to give each company or application their own blockchain, helping to combat high traffic and loading times with no transaction fees. Xaurum, the only cryptocurrency backed by gold, which provides intrinsic value and makes growth much more secure with less volatility. Stratis, a blockchain development platform that allows people to create custom uses for blockchains that haven’t even been thought of yet. Shift, another alternative blockchain that includes peer-to-peer storage, an uncensorable internet, and seamless monetization removing the need for third parties like Facebook or Youtube for content creators. Then there’s DOVU, which is embracing the emerging smart car industry where cars are predicted to generate up to 25GB of data per hour. With DOVU you can manage and sell your car’s data at your discretion in exchange for tokens.”

    Disclaimer: the opinions expressed in this article are not intended to replace the advice of an investment advisor. Invest at your own risk.

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools for creating a life by your own design.

    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

  • Meeting Elon Musk And Finding Happiness Beyond The Penthouse w/ Lifestyle Perfected’s Founder Nadav Wilf

    Meeting Elon Musk And Finding Happiness Beyond The Penthouse w/ Lifestyle Perfected’s Founder Nadav Wilf

    With 2018 just around the corner many of us are beginning to ponder our resolutions for the upcoming year.

    Maybe you’ve already begun thinking about purchasing a new gym membership or enrolling in a personal development program—or maybe you’re jaded about the whole thing and don’t really care to watch the ball drop in Times Square.

    It’s no secret that 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail. Just the other night the topic of my family dinner was about how flimsy these resolutions can be. My sister summed it up when she said “you can’t just flip a switch and expect your life to change overnight.”

    One of the main reasons why New Year’s resolutions don’t tend to last is because they bait us with the “quick fix” without integrating change into our existing habits.

    That being said, the New Year represents a ripe opportunity to set new intentions and ambitions. It can provide a powerful burst of momentum to initiate new goals in the context of community.

    But how do you create a resolution that actually sticks? That’s exactly what I asked my good friend Nadav Wilf on the Unconventional Life Podcast this week.

    Wilf is the founder of Lifestyle Perfected, a coaching and consulting company for successful founders and CEOs in partnership with top-notch personal development resources like Tony Robbins, Landmark, Abraham Hicks, and Headspace. He’s also the founder of enlightened.org, a marketplace that integrates philanthropy into everyday life through social shopping.

    This week on my podcast, Wilf and I chatted about how you can capitalize on the New Year to create lasting change with a methodology that actually works.

    Instead of the “resolution” you may have been planning on jotting down in a journal, Wilf calls his change agent the “passion pivot.” At its essence, the passion pivot helps enact change at the level of the subconscious mind, which scientists say is the underpinning of our “nasty” little habits.

    Below, read up on Wilf’s methodology behind the “passion pivot” to initiate a strategy for realizing your goals in 2018.

    Step #1: Identify What Isn’t Working. The first step is to identify what isn’t working in your current situation. This is the key step where you meet yourself exactly where you are at. It’s critical in this step to try to witness yourself from the perspective of an objective observer to release any judgments you might have about your current situation. After all, psychologists say shame is not an effective motivator for change.

    While considering your current situation, ask yourself the following questions: What undesired, recurring feelings do I have? What are the major sources of stress in my life? What are my limiting beliefs? Wilf suggests, “Maybe you’re anxious about not having enough money. Maybe your limiting beliefs are, ‘I have to work and grind to have what I want’ or ‘my family would disown me if I decided to do what I’m really passionate about.’”

    Step #2: Identify Your Desired Future State. In this step, Wilf capitalizes on the operation of the subconscious mind. Experts speculate our beliefs and values tend to be at the root of our behavior. When we “reprogram” our beliefs, we can often shift our behavior.

    Wilf says, “Get clear about how you want to feel—for example, ‘I want to trust,’ or ‘I want to feel in alignment’—and what you want to believe—for example, ‘I am aligned and everything I want flows easily and smoothly.’”

    Make a habit of reaffirming these beliefs to yourself on a daily basis. Jake Ducey, bestselling author of Into The Wind, recommends starting each day writing down your desired beliefs 30-50 times. “The goal is to imprint them onto your mind. Most people start the day and they’re getting programmed with a bunch of negative things. They’re getting their thoughts and beliefs suggested to them by the outer world, living out of reaction instead of creation.”

    Step #3: Take Action. While the subconscious mind is one component to behavior, we cannot rely on it alone; we must take deliberate, conscious action. Wilf says, “Create a practical action plan. For example, If you love social impact, reach out to social impact events and find successful people to model.” Taking action in alignment with your new beliefs can help you feel a sense of accomplishment and actualize your goals.

    Step #4: Give. Wilf says the act of giving can be a potent source of life satisfaction, and it’s even been proven to reduce stress and aging and promote health and longevity. Consider donating to a cause you care about this holiday season. Or, rally your friends and community together by “donating your birthday.” Wilf is currently donating his birthday to the SAN-DAL project, which empowers an ancient African tribe to sustain itself by selling its signature sandals around the world.

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools for creating a life by your own design.

    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

  • How Millennials Are Reshaping What’s Important In Corporate America

    How Millennials Are Reshaping What’s Important In Corporate America

    I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my friends say they’d rather work anywhere over a corporate job. For many millennials, corporate companies have long had a bad rap. We remember well our parents’ groans and gripes about their dictatorial bosses and distant coworkers.

    Seventy five percent of millennials believe corporate businesses are focused on their own agendas instead of improving society.

    What millennials really want out of work is to make an impact. Nine in ten seek to benefit society with their skills, and one in two would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant working for a company that matched their values.

    As millennials shoulder the workforce, we’re setting a new standard for ethical, transparent, and sustainable business practices. Take Uber, for example, whose peer-to-peer rideshare app is bringing communities closer and empowering workers to pilot their own schedules.

    For companies that want to thrive in the 21st century, adapting to this new way is a necessity.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I spoke with one millennial founder whose value-centered company is becoming a favorite among millennials.

    Meet Rafael Museri, the founder of Selina, a hospitality group that hosts co-working and co-playing spaces in destination locations around the world. Selina is on a mission to become a major hotel chain, displacing industry giants like Hilton. Currently, they have 20 operating Selinas and 15 additional under development and they expect to end 2018 with 50-60 operating (globally) and 15-20 under development.

    What makes Selina so attractive to millennials? Museri says it’s Selina’s values. The Jerusalem-born founder has cultivated an atmosphere of equality that makes travelers of all backgrounds feel at home.

    Below, Museri shares five practices he’s convinced set Selina apart. If you’re looking to uplevel your company, consider integrating some of these tips in order to resonate more with millennials.

    Treat All Of Your Clients Equally. While most services tend to treat higher-paying customers better than lower-paying ones, Selina treats all of its customers equally. Guests cohabit the same common areas independently of how much they paid for a room, and there’s nothing that distinguishes smaller rooms from larger rooms; each of the doors are marked exactly the same. For Museri, shared humanity is the great equalizer. No matter if guests pay $5 a night or $300 a night, they are all treated equally.

    “Traditionally they break up 2, 3, 4, and 5 stars based on how much you can afford and that’s how they treat you,” says Museri. “At Selina, it’s not about who you are and how much money you have.”

    Cater Your Products To Individuals. Part of what’s made Selina such a hit is its due diligence in conducting market research. Museri says, “We traveled to 140 different hostels around the world and asked travelers to share their experiences with us. We collected data about travelers, their interests, and the changes they wanted to see. It’s all about data, all about market research, all about trends. We always prefer to spend more on the market research side and feel confident in our vision.”

    In order to strike a chord with millennials, you’ve got to talk to them. Narrow your target market down to a very specific niche and develop services that are uniquely tailored to their needs.

    Create A Community. Millennials value relationships and experiences. They wanted to feel bonded with others who share similar values as them. Your company is more than just your product or service, it’s why you do what you do. What are your core values? What do your customers have in common?

    Consider creating a mission statement that reflects your values. Express these values in your community, either in your digital content or at in-person gatherings. Your values will act as cohesive glue for your community and generate loyalty.

    Museri says, “I think one of the main reasons communities are exist are they make people feel more comfortable; they let people know there are others who share the same values as them. I traveled the world via bicycle across India, Europe, and South America seeing and experiencing different types of communities. It made me very interested in understanding how the world was connected.”

     Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools for creating a life by your own design.

    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

  • Here’s What Two Millennial Blockchain Founders Have To Say About Cryptocurrency

    Here’s What Two Millennial Blockchain Founders Have To Say About Cryptocurrency

    Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve no doubt heard about the trend that everyone’s talking about right now—cryptocurrency.

    Bitcoin jumped to a record $20k last week, which means if you’d have bought $100 of Bitcoin seven years ago, you’d be sitting on $75M right now.

    While some are saying cryptocurrencies are bound to collapse, others believe it’s the beginning of a blockchain revolution. With so many different reports, it can be hard to make sense of the cryptocurrency landscape.

    One thing’s for certain—Bitcoin is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many promising blockchain projects sprouting up with millennials leading the way. From 24-year-old Vitalik Buterin who founded Ethereum, now the world’s second largest cryptocurrency to 26-year-old Justin Sun, who seeks to reinvent how digital creators get paid for their online content with TRON.

    Our generation is shaping the biggest wave of innovation since the creation of the internet. And it’s just the beginning.

    I wanted to get to the insider’s scoop on the blockchain world so I invited Mel Gelderman and David Hogardd, the founders of TokenCard to join me on the Unconventional Life Podcast this week.

    These two twenty-somethings raised 16.7M in just 6 minutes during an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) crowdsale. TokenCard is a mobile app that works worldwide allowing token holders to use their digital assets in real-time, in the real world, as real money.

    On the fence about cryptocurrency? Check out what these insiders had to say about getting involved.

    1. Crypto Is The New Paradigm. Hogardd and Gelderman stress that there is an incredible amount of opportunity in the Blockchain space right now. “The barriers to entry are quite low. For people looking to do something interesting with their life, blockchain is such a staggeringly opportunity.” Hogardd says.

    If you want to begin learning the skills check out blockgeeks.com for technical tutorials and instruction on understanding cryptocurrency and the blockchain.

    2. Here’s How To Get Started. While Hogardd and Gelderman believe that TokenCard will be the easiest point of entry for someone looking to get started with cryptocurrencies, their project won’t be released for another 6 months.

    Alternatively, the best option right now is to sign up on Coinbase. They have an incredibly user-friendly interface that even beginners can learn to use quickly. One downside is your options are limited compared to the more complex cryptocurrency exchanges. Right now on Coinbase you can buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and most recently Bitcoin Cash

    3. Crypto Is Just The Beginning. Hogardd and Geldermann are betting big on the trend of tokenization. They see a future where anything that has value will be “tokenized.”

    This could mean that one day with TokenCard you’ll be able to hold any number of assets including cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, something physical like gold, shares of company like Apple stock, or even a fraction of the Mona Lisa.

    “We don’t think you even need to hold dollars or pounds in the future we think people will literally be spending with their Mona Lisa tokens or with their gold or with their Apple stock, only what they want to hold not what they think they need to hold simply because it’s the only thing that’s accepted. People will literally be able to walk into McDonalds and pay with their Mona Lisa tokens and that’s why we created this company,” Gelderman says

    4. Don’t Be Afraid To Fail. Gelderman and Hogardd say they’ve always sought out the cutting edge because it makes them feel alive. The prospect of doing something new and exciting can fill you with a deep sense of purpose.

    The problem with doing something new is that there isn’t a playbook. If you’re considering getting involved in this space, you’re going to make mistakes. The crypto market can seem unpredictable but there’s no denying that in the long-term it’s been steadily rising to exponential proportions.

    If you do decide to invest in cryptocurrency, you have to notice the opportunities in front of you and be willing to take a chance. Sitting on the sidelines might protect you from failure but it robs you from the chance to capitalize on this opportunity.

    5. Beware The FOMO-FUD Cycle. There is a ton of news and information being published 24/7 about cryptocurrency. How do you make sense of it all?

    It’s important to know that the newscycle switches between spreading FOMO and FUD. FOMO is the fear of missing out that causes people to jump in and invest. FUD is the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that gets spread around prompting people to jump ship and sell.

    People who have been paying attention to cryptos know that this FOMO-FUD cycle is common so they aren’t as easily swayed.

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools to create a life by your own design.

  • Millennials, Here’s Why Job Titles Don’t Matter Anymore

    Millennials, Here’s Why Job Titles Don’t Matter Anymore

    I can’t tell you how many times my Dad used to ask me about what exactly it was again that I was doing for a living.

    Coming from the “black and white” world of accounting on Wall Street, he wasn’t satisfied with my answer that didn’t fit neatly into a box like lawyer, doctor, or teacher. As the founder of an online community, I was proud of my work and wanted badly to convey to my Dad what I was up to—but he always seemed to respond with a blank stare followed by defeated resignation.

    What I’m finding is that I’m not the only one having this problem. In fact, the majority of the millennials I talk to today are opting for work that’s not clearly defined.

    The millennial worker today wears many hats—whether that’s copywriter, marketer, sales strategist, or bookkeeper. We’re adaptive to the shifting demands of a fast-paced work environment and the skills we need to learn are often just a Google search away.

    This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I interviewed one millennial woman who’s on the leading edge of nontraditional work and thriving.

    Meet Tash Price, the business developer and manager of Engine House VFX, an award-winning UK-based 2-D, 3-D, CGI and VFX animation studio who has served clientele like BBC and Sony. Engine House VFX covers a wide range of projects within advertising, gaming, architectural visualization and film. Their work has been featured online, on TV, at events, and in films and games.

    “You’ll get into the conversation of what you do for a living and you’ll say animation and people can’t quite seem to grasp it. They’ll quickly move on and they seem confused by it because it’s not the standard job role,” Price says.

    But according to Price, the conversation doesn’t have to stop there. Rather than moving on, you can educate others about what you do in a way that promotes connection and redefines what it means to work in the 21st century.

    I spoke with a number of other millennials who are finding fulfillment in nontraditional job roles, and here’s what they had to say:

    1. Job Titles Don’t Reflect Lifestyle. In the past, jobs were much less integrated than they are today. Going to work meant punching in a time card at on office for a designated number of hours. Today, technology enables millennials to work seamlessly from their devices so that being “on” and “off” the clock is less rigid and more fused with lifestyle. Eric Termuende, an entrepreneur, speaker, and the author of Rethink Work, says, “With the capabilities of technology increasing so quickly, the ability to work form more places, using more devices, longer hours every day makes the job less about the seemingly limited title, and more about the holistic experience. In many cases, the title doesn’t encompass the life Millennials are living as a result of the job (or jobs) they are doing.”

    Price’s animation studio is embodying this new “integrated” work model. ”Instead of having hundreds of people sitting behind a cubicle we have a small core team and we work with lots of freelancers who are based all over the world. It means everyone gets the lifestyle they want and we can hand-pick the artists we want for the job. We’ve got people working in Turkey, Sweden, Iran, the US, the Netherlands, Japan,” she says.

    2. Job Titles Act As Constraints. Today’s millennial workers may have bigger ambitions than previous generations. Just a few decades ago, only a marginal percent of American workers held a college degree, and the majority of women preferred to stay at home.

    As millennials tackle a host of global issues, both men and women are rising to the occasion with a shift towards businesses that do social justice. 92% of millennials believe businesses should be measured by more than profit. Undra Robinson, a millennial entrepreneur, says “Millennials believe our potential in life is limitless and want to change the world, and job titles only add constraints. They are polar opposites.”

    3. Millennials Aren’t Motivated By Job Titles. On average, millennials would be willing to give up $7,600 in salary every year to work at a job that provided a better environment for them. While prestige was a key motivation for workers in the past, millennials are more interested in finding work that aligns with their values.

    Jamie Molnar, the founder of Your Blissed Out Life, says, “What I find most interesting about the millennial generation is their demand for two core values in the workplace: authenticity and freedom. If these core values are not present, millennials will leave. For them, work is an extension of the self and therefore must fit within their approach to life.”

    4. Job Titles Inhibit Expression. For millennials, finding meaningful work is about applying one’s innate gifts to the marketplace. Many millennials like myself identify as being multi-passionate, and we don’t want to just “pick one” thing at the expense of our other skillsets. I’m not “just” a speaker; I’m also a musician, singer, poet, and businesswoman.

    Ana Wood, the founder of Try Love On, says, “Freedom is the name of the game for Millennials. We require the freedom to be expressed in all of our gifts, to innovate by weaving them together, to act spontaneously on our inspiration, to collaborate with others doing the same.”

    5. Job Titles Are An Incomplete Measure Of ‘Success.’ Whitney Cox, the owner of a dance studio in Colombia says, “You can have it all in the material realm but it makes no difference if your spiritual realm and purpose are not engaged as well. I think millennials define success this way, which is hugely different than generations before. The definition of success is broader now, and it involves mind, body, soul and purpose.”

    Enjoyed this post? Check out more of my tools to create a life by your own design.

    This article originally appeared on Forbes.com