Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Author: Jules Schroeder

Ep92: How To Hustle Your Way To Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur

If you’re working in corporate America, chances are you don’t love your job.

Gallup reports that only 29% of millennials are engaged at work, while the vast majority of workers are disconnected emotionally and behaviorally from their jobs. While 43% of millennials who leave their corporate jobs say it’s because they weren’t following their passion, 42% say the corporate lifestyle wasn’t for them, and 33% say they felt too restricted.

As one former corporate employee puts it, “I was compromising my life and compromising my purpose to achieve success. I was making all this money, but I had no time to spend it, no time to take care of myself, and no time to spend with my friends and family.”

Meet Kelly Roach, a mom and now-entrepreneur who left her behind her life as a Fortune 500 executive with a dream of building a business that would afford her time, purpose, and freedom. Today, she’s the CEO of Kelly Roach Coaching, which helps entrepreneurs build a life they love, the host of the top-rated podcast, Unstoppable Success Radio, and an international bestselling author.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Roach shares how she built a 7-figure business straight out of corporate America that started as a side-hustle.

Follow Kelly’s tips for hustling your way to a job and lifestyle you love below.

1. Listen To Your Gut Instinct. When you’re in a high-paying corporate job, logic can override your emotions and convince you to stay when you aren’t truly happy. Roach says, “If you’re getting a pull deep down that something’s not right, that there has to be more, I can’t be working this hard and getting this little reward for it, you’re absolutely right. I would say listen to this gut instinct and do something about it.”

2. Be Smart And Strategic. The reality is, most of us can’t leave our jobs with nothing else lined up. Half of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, and paying bills takes precedence over feeling fulfilled. If you want to shift into entrepreneurship, starting your business as a side-hustle may be the most viable option.

“Test yourself first,” says Roach. “Don’t jump all the way into business if you’re having trouble. Be smart. There’s a reason 95% of businesses fail, and that’s because 95% of what’s required to build a successful business is not what you want to do when you want to do it, it’s what’s necessary to do. Most people don’t realize that it’s more responsibility to be a full-time entrepreneur than it is to be an employee with a side-hustle.”

Use your side-hustle as a way to become accustomed to the lifestyle of managing your own time, taking your own initiatives, and being fully responsible for the successes and failures of your business. If you can handle your side hustle, it’s a good sign that you’re ready to take it full-time. But if you’re having trouble, heed the warning and consider that entrepreneurship may not be for you.

3. Shortcut Your Success. If you’re ready to become an entrepreneur, there are things you can do to accelerate your success and avoid mistakes that most inexperienced entrepreneurs make. Roach’s top recommendation is to seek the counsel of those who are already successfully doing what you want to do. Consider listening to entrepreneurial podcasts that feature entrepreneurs in your industry, or investing in a coach who will guide you through the ropes of building a business.

When you become confident in your abilities, it’s a good idea to consider building a team. “When you can start getting results through others, there’s a multiplier effect that keeps expanding what you can do without putting more hours in. Get a team of 15 people together and you’ll be able to accomplish 15 times what you could do on your own,” says Roach.

July 17, 2017
Ep91: 5 Millennial Money Mistakes That Are Keeping Us From Our Dreams

If you ask the average millennial a basic question about their finances, they’ll go blank.

That’s what happened in one college senior’s finance class at Purdue University when the professor asked who knew what the Dow Jones was—only twenty-five of the one hundred students raised their hand.

It’s no secret that the majority of millennials miss the mark when it comes to financial literacy. Terms like “401K” and “ETF” sound like gibberish, at best ringing a vaguely familiar bell.

With millennials now at the age of financial independence, this is a big problem. The average 18-24 year old has less than $1,000 in their savings account, and over $30,000 in student loans.

Quite recently, Lend EDU published a survey of 1,000 people from the U.S between the ages of 23 and 38 to observe the types of debts they carry. The results of the survery were shocking, specifically because no matter how much money someone made they still carried a significant amount of debt!

It’s no wonder that so many millennials experience anxiety about their finances, more so than baby boomers did at the same age. They’re more cautious about spending, and less able to make their dreams like owning a home and saving for retirement a reality.

Meet Rohan Thakkur, the senior in the finance class at Purdue University. Looking around at his classmates, he couldn’t believe that so few knew such a basic financial term. He realized there was a huge need to bring financial awareness to kids his age, and decided to do something about it.

That story was the inspiration for Thakkur’s company Orca Financial, a hub for straightforward, easy-to-digest financial education intended to bridge the disconnect between young people and finance. With article topics like “Emoji Finance Friday,” “How The Dow Jones Is Like Your Favorite Instagram Influencer,” and “Mutual Funds: As Explained Through Dating,” Thakkur is on a mission to break down financial concepts into a language millennials can understand. He’s also a writer for Thrive Global and AOL.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, I picked Thakkur’s brain for financial “hacks” that anyone, no matter their financial literacy, can put into play immediately to save money and begin to make their financial goals a reality.

Make five of Thakkur’s financial fixes below to start seeing improvements in your financial life today.

1. You’re Not Using The 50-20-30 Rule. According to Thakkur, the “50-20-30 Rule” stands for 50% spending, 20% saving, and 30% investing. It’s a guide to keep you on track to compounding your money over time.

With each paycheck you earn, commit to spending just half of it on living expenses like food, rent, bills, Netflix subscriptions, Uber rides, and nights out with friends. Set aside 30% of each paycheck to saving, until you have enough of a cushion to last you 2-3 months worth of pay “for a rainy day.” With the final 20%, consult a financial advisor about making entry-level investments that will help you raise money towards long-term goals like buying a house, starting a business, or attending grad school much quicker.

2. You’re Not Maxing Out Your 401K. Here’s the breakdown: a 401k is a retirement savings plan sponsored by your employer. According to a recent survey, 4 in 10 millennials don’t have a retirement income strategy in place.

Each year, you have the option to put a percentage of your income into your 401k savings account, and the money you put into that account is deducted from your taxable income. So if you make $50,000 a year and put aside $10,000 into your 401k account, your taxable income is only $40,000. Thakkur recommends maxing out your 401k by contributing the upper limit of $18,000 each year. “Why not pay less money in taxes? It’s more money you get to keep,” he says.

3. You’re Not Tracking Your Spending. Do you ever feel like money seems to drain out of your bank account? Chances are you aren’t tracking your spending. 38% of Americans don’t track their spending, and more than half of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

When you track your spending, you can bring awareness to nasty habits that are draining your money, and replace them with wiser spending decisions. “Track your expenses,” Thakkur says. “It’s ok if you spend your money. I’m a firm believer about having fun. But we don’t have to be stupid about it. Think about it, if you want to go to Coachella next year, why not invest that money and have that money pay for your Coachella ticket?”

July 10, 2017
Ep90: 7 Surprising Things Ultra Successful People Do Differently

If there were a way for you to multiply your odds of being successful, would you do it?

Experts tell us that if we want to be in the best position to succeed, we need to come at it from all angles: mentally, physically, and emotionally. One will not work without the others, and with all three in conjunction, there is a high probability of success.

I used to believe that in order to become a successful entrepreneur, I needed to work exhaustingly long hours to “out-work” the rest.

The problem with this approach was that it wore down my physical and emotional state. While I managed to build a 7-figure company by age 22, I had grinded my health to the ground and completely neglected my relationships. In the end, my business ended up crumbling and I had to backtrack everything so that I could rebuild my foundation.

Today, my approach to entrepreneurship might seem counterintuitive. I regularly take salt baths, take two hours of “me time” to read, sip chai, and move my body every morning and work a maximum of six hours each day. Ironically, it hasn’t slowed me down—it’s helped me get to the peak of my career.

I talked to one man who’s studied some of the top performers in the world, and he says the same thing. Those at the top practice surprising daily rituals, some of which are the opposite of what we think we should do to be successful.

Meet Dana Cavalea, the former Director of Strength and Conditioning for the New York Yankees. Cavalea worked worked with the Yankees for 12 seasons, and was an integral player in helping them win many World Series. He’s a recipient of the prestigious Nolan Ryan Top Strength Coach Award, and now runs his own practice as a high performance consultant for professional athletes and C-level executives.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Cavalea shares the daily habits he observed from some of those who are performing at the top tier, and busts the myths about success that don’t actually work. Adopt some of these practices into your own life to enhance your performance.

1. They Work Smarter, Not Harder. Many of us believe that the hustle is the optimal pathway to success. We are willing to put in long hours of sweat and toil each day to achieve what we want. But Cavalea says this isn’t the way the pros work. “When I was a kid, I was told ‘while you’re being lazy, someone else in the Dominican Republic is practicing,’ so I thought I had to practice all the time. But that’s not true. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are the last guys to the field, and the first to leave. And they’re the best of the best.”

Working long hours is actually less effective because it puts a strain on your body and causes you to burn out. Rest and recovery are essential to success, so go ahead and reduce your workload each day to increase your long-term output. Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

2. They Work At Their Peak. “What are your prime work hours?” says Cavalea. “I function at my best between 5am and 2pm, so I work during those hours. But after that, there’s no high-level thinking or work for me.” Become self-aware of when you feel the most focused, energized, and creative, and structure your work schedule within that time window. “It’s requires a little bit of boundaries and knowing your own tendencies. Too many times we run a reactive schedule and always say yes,” Cavalea says.

3. They’re Consistent. “Jeter was an introvert from the midwest who lived a very simple life. The best players, they keep it so simple. They’re very consistent people. They’re not looking for the new flavor of the week. They know their talent and they become consistent in their training and habits. That’s it,” Cavalea says. If you want to be successful, focus on one discipline and be consistent in developing your proficiency. Show up every single day, for a few hours a day, and you will invariably progress over time.

June 26, 2017
Ep88: Pitching To The Press: 9 Key Mistakes To Avoid When Pitching Yourself

With so many Millennials jumping aboard the entrepreneurship bandwagon these days, competition is stiff. Just visit any Millennial’s personal or business website, and one of the first things you’ll see is a list of all of the press outlets they’ve been featured on.

Pitching yourself to press can be intimidating. What do you say, and what do you leave out? Or if you’ve already tried it, how come you aren’t getting any yeses?

As the host of the #1 Ranked Podcast for Entrepreneurs in 2017 and as a Forbes columnist, I’m in the unique position of being on the receiving end of press pitches. Each month, I get hundreds of emails from people asking me to feature them.

The truth is, however, I only respond to a very small percentage of these emails. The ones I delete all have a few deal-breaking characteristics in common.

This week on my podcast, Unconventional Life, I interviewed Jeremy Slate, the host of the Create Your Own Life Podcast and founder of Get Featured, an agency that helps entrepreneurs get press coverage and exposure with pitching strategies that work.

Below, Jeremy and I share the top nine mistakes we find most entrepreneurs make to help put you on the right track to crafting a no-fail pitch strategy.

1. You’re Too Focused On Yourself. Don’t be that person who’s only focused on themselves. Nothing turns me off faster than somebody who doesn’t know me and is just trying to use my position to advance their career. “Most people are so ‘me, me, me,’ they have to get out of that mindset or it’s not going to work,” Slate agrees. If you want to stand out in a crowded inbox, don’t start with what you want. Instead, make it about the other person. Find the “win-win”.

June 12, 2017
Ep87: Millennials, Here’s How To Stay One Step Ahead Of Your Competition

If I had tried to launch my company a decade ago, I wouldn’t be in business.

That’s because my company, Unconventional Life, is a response to a demand that didn’t exist back then. For the most part, people weren’t looking for careers outside of the 9-to-5, and creating an income centered around your passion was a foreign concept.

“Millennials are the first generation to be exposed to a very fluid labor market, making their careers a transformation journey, where they need to reinvent themselves, try out new skills, and need continuous learning,” says the Khaleej Times.

Iconic brands like McDonald’s and Apple know reinvention is key. When the burger joint started offering a health-conscious menu last year, sales soared 5% worldwide. Likewise, Apple’s rapid innovation and “Think Different” attitude has helped it become the #1 Most Valuable Brand in the World, rolling out new products an average two years ahead of competitors.

Staying ahead of the curve can be challenging, especially as consumers’ demands fluctuate. But in an evolving market, adapting is essential to your business’ survival—you need to know when to pivot, or you will be left behind.

So how do you stay one step ahead? I asked one founder who is setting a powerful example in a competitive industry.

Meet Brady Hedlund, the founder of Life Before Work, an all-in-one travel and experience company for millennials with hundreds of tours in 15 different countries worldwide, including Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, Panama, and Brazil. Just recently, Hedlund decided to expand Life Before Work’s core mission—in addition to having a good time, they’re now offering consumers a life-changing travel experience that empowers them to discover new interests and build a career and lifestyle they love through personal development and education-based workshops.

This week on the Unconventional Life Podcast, Hedlund shares how he’s steering Life Before Work in a new direction to outperform the competition.

At age 18, the Edmonton, Canada native says he was sick of living inside of the hometown “bubble” that he had known his entire life. Instead of going to college, Hedlund went on a trip to Thailand that inspired him to launch Life Before Work as a way to make travel accessible to more millennials.

“Everyone thought I was crazy that I was this 19-year-old kid asking them to give him thousands of dollars to take them across the world. All my friends made fun of me, they called it ‘dreams before reality.’ I spent a year putting up posters and handing out fliers and didn’t get a single phone call or email so it took a really long time,” Hedlund says.

Ten years down the line, Hedlund has expanded Life Before Work to a 40-person team that has led hundreds of successful tours. But he’s not the same person he was when he was twenty—he’s changed, and now his company’s changing, too.

“One of our mantras is to inspire people to find their calling. If you can help people do that they’ll remember you forever. And it’s so much more rewarding for us to have someone go home and have a completely new life than to just have had a good time,” Hedlund says.

Below, Hedlund shares how you can reinvent your company to keep pace with an evolving market.

It Starts With Your Team.

“Today anyone with a website and a couple thousand dollars can create a tour company,” Hedlund says. “What’s different about us is our team. With other tour companies the tour guides think, ‘I’m only gonna be here for a year or two and then get a real job.’ With our company we focus on making sure everybody wants to stay long term and sees a future.”

When you invest in your team, your team will invest in you. A team that is motivated and committed performs better and creates a standout customer experience. Hedlund says he meets with each team member every six months to ensure their role in the company is aligned with their goals. “I ask them, what do you want to do with your life? Where do you want to be in five years, and how do we play a part in that? We want to support our employees in living their dreams.”

Give Back.

The demand for sustainability and products that give back to the planet is steadily rising, and it’s a surefire way to upgrade your company. Hedlund says he’s given his tours a makeover—instead of leaving behind bottles and trash, he’s committed to leaving no trace. In addition, he’s encouraging everyone who attends his feature event, Island Life, to launch a community-benefiting crowdfunding campaign, and is offering prizes to the top five people who raise the most money.

Companies that give back recruit top talent and attract more customers. You can stand out by donating a percentage of sales to a cause you care about, or by educating and empowering your consumers to make meaningful contributions to the world.

Embrace Change.

With market demands ever-evolving, companies that can follow trends and stay ahead of the curve will always end up on top. Reinvent the wheel, challenge that status quo, and be willing to take risks. Apple’s Steve Jobs said, “innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

With Life Before Work, Hedlund realized that people were seeking more from travel than just a holiday, they were seeking to discover themselves and figure out what they truly wanted in life. In adapting to the fluidity, Life Before Work is now emerging as a distinguished leader with a unique offering in its industry.

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

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com.

June 5, 2017