Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Category: Business

  • Ep289: Managing Relentless Creativity with Musician Entrepreneur A/J Jackson

    Ep289: Managing Relentless Creativity with Musician Entrepreneur A/J Jackson

    They say creativity doesn’t run out; the more you use, the more you have. This is especially true for musician and entrepreneur AJ Jackson.

    AJ started his career as the vocalist for Saint Motel, bringing new sounds and their own reinvention of music to the world. This led to their band gaining traction in the indie-pop scene. But AJ’s creativity didn’t stop there. He found himself in the movie-making industry and, somehow, even starting-up his own eyewear company, AVIEW. Like a comet through the sky, AJ doesn’t seem to have a stop button when it comes to bringing his ideas to life.

    “I always kind of have a restlessness,” AJ describes, “And the best way to scratch that itch, is to create.”

    AJ explains that his drive for reinvention is “like this constant feeling that we’re not there yet—I’m not there yet.” Further explaining that it is a blessing and a curse to be full of creativity, but emphasizing that the success of his pursuits all started from a crazy idea.

    “I would love to just turn that off, and just be content, but there is definitely a part of me that’s like, ‘they will not allow that’.”

    He also talks about his band and how their long-term bond has helped keep him grounded. Serving as both anchor and wheel when he comes up with something new.

    “Part of the benefit of having a band and being with like-minded guys who you’ve grown up with is that every step of the way, we can share it together.”

    When asked how he manages to keep his thoughts under control and navigate his passion towards achieving his goals, he points out that a fresh perspective and a few deep breathes make all the difference when things get too overwhelming.

    “Sometimes it definitely feels overwhelming and it’s like you just wanna give up. But you just have to be outside of yourself for a second,” he explains, “and realizes what you’re trying to accomplish is actually very small, very manageable, and very doable.”

    Finally, AJ leaves us with a little reminder to focus on what we can control and the things that are out of are hands shouldn’t distract us from our original goal.

    More From AJ and Saint Motel:

  • Ep288: Taking the Turn with Hollywood Producer Gary Goldstein

    Ep288: Taking the Turn with Hollywood Producer Gary Goldstein

    There’s a certain joy that comes with telling your life’s stories, and in today’s episode, Hollywood producer Gary Goldstein shares the glam and gloom on the journey he took before becoming a film legend.

    Raised in San Francisco, Gary had a deep connection with music, people, and the stories they had to tell. Though he’d done events from time to time, he never really saw himself playing a huge part in the music industry, and instead found himself in law school with a goal to help where it really mattered.

    “I liked the artistry, the storytelling and working with musicians,” Gary narrated, “but I wasn’t crazy about the business. So I took a real left turn and decided that I wanted to champion the underdog, I wanted to help save the world with everybody.”

    For a long time, Gary devoted his life to helping the misfortunate and underprivileged community of San Francisco’s ghettos. But after years of service, Gary made the bold decision to step away from his career as a lawyer.

    “It was some of the most emotionally challenging—and one of the best—chapters in my life. The people I met and the lessons I’ve learned were extraordinary, but I didn’t want to make that my life.”

    It wasn’t an easy decision to make, and when he was confronted about the choice he made, Gary explained that “I felt like I was withering from the inside. Where I was, was extremely unhealthy for my soul and my being”.

    And at the age of 30, Gary went on to pursue all sorts of passions. From literature to music, and eventually stumbled across the film industry where he finally found his calling – Storytelling.

     “Some of us are fire starters, we’re not great operators, that’s what I am,” Gary said, “I look for amazing people and a North Star that’s gonna somehow inform my life and end up being a really positive contribution.

    “I just have this insatiable curiosity, wondering and needing to hear people’s stories, because I find every human fascinating. Even if they don’t know it.”

    For a film boss, there’s no better time to make a life-changing decision than the present. Whether you’ve invested time into a growing career or are just figuring out where you belong. Gary encourages us to be brave and when in doubt, ask ourselves:

    “I have precious little time here and I need to make the biggest possible dent that I can, where am I going to accomplish that?”

     

     

    More from Gary:

     

  • Ep284: Publish Your Passion with Author Entrepreneur Jesse Kreiger

    Ep284: Publish Your Passion with Author Entrepreneur Jesse Kreiger

    Sharing your talent with the world is a great way to put it to good use; whether it’s in music and arts, lifestyle, or finance, there is an audience who would love to hear about it. But if you’re having trouble finding the right words, Business author and Entrepreneur, Jesse Kreiger tells us how he learned how to publish his passion and help others write their own success story.

    Starting a music label was the first step Jesse took into the world of Business. Today, his simple dreams of making music have grown into a mission. Now he helps aspiring entrepreneurs make the most out of their passion by putting it into words.

    “I can connect the dots or I can see how music, entrepreneurship, travel and languages all blend together to create—and allow me to support authors, in a way that many say is very impactful, in some cases [even] profound.”

    He explains that the trick to writing starts with retelling the process of your growth. He says that simplifying it into steps makes it easier to follow through.

    “Think of the mechanism you currently use to get results with your clients, what is your process and chunk that down to a number of steps.”

    He stresses how entrepreneurs and people with business experience should explore the benefits of becoming a published author.

    “This should be helpful for anybody that has business experience that doesn’t consider themselves a writer or an author per se.” He points out, “that it shouldn’t be a limiting factor to becoming a publisher, and having a great book.”

    Jesse also discusses his process for writing by saying “Think of it like when you first onboard a new client,” he says,“what do they need to know to get started? Then how do you help them shift? What’s the benefit of the product or the experience that you provide?”

    He advises business owners to treat writing like another day in the shop, “You are mirroring your own customer journey, and telling them something valuable in the process.”

     

    More from Jesse:

  • Ep282: Putting a Price on Your Passion with Marketing Expert Sarah Dann

    Ep282: Putting a Price on Your Passion with Marketing Expert Sarah Dann

    We dream of a career built on passion and profession – making it big while doing something we love. While it’s much easier said than done, Marketing Expert, Sarah Dann, believes that the payoff is worth the effort.

    Sara Dann is an entrepreneur and business consultant who has built a multi-million dollar business dedicated to helping women monetize their brilliance over the past nine years.

    Through her group programs, digital courses, 1:1 coaching, as well as her podcast, You’re Fucking Welcome she has helped thousands of women learn how to combine strategy with soul to create successful businesses.

    Looking back at what she’s been through, she tells us, “I believe in what I do and I’m not sorry and in fact, you’re lucky to be paying me.”

    Honing her expertise for the past nine years, Sarah dedicates herself to helping women realize their business potential by combining strategy and soul to monetize their brilliance.

    “I started my business to help women make money doing what they love, to live that unconventional life and actually enjoy their careers, enjoy their businesses.”

    Supporting a business’ growth almost came as second nature for Sarah, but starting her career, she had learned that being prim-and-proper wasn’t always the right way to go. And with so many people wanting to get into the coaching scene, she makes it a point that growth should come while staying authentic.

    “I think in life and in business, it’s a situation where the more we experience things, and the older we get, the freer we feel to just simply be ourselves and we’re okay with who likes it and who doesn’t.”

    “Transparency and authenticity and people actually caring about what they do feel like the biggest and most important trend there is.”

    From her humble beginnings, deciding to ask for more money for her expertise was a turning point for Sarah as it assured her that she was on the right path to making a conventional living out of her passion.

    “As I got more confident to say no, as I got more confident to own my worth, and you know to ask for more money, it’s just kind of evolved and grown into what I feel is who I was always supposed to be essential in the first place.”

    Overall, Sarah emphasizes how living life while staying true to yourself—and sticking to your original plans—often brings in the best results.

    “It means not settling for the norm, allowing yourself to really honour what you want and go after it.”

    More From Sarah:

  • Ep279: The Strength of Being You with Travel Influencer Christina Galbato

    Ep279: The Strength of Being You with Travel Influencer Christina Galbato

    With social media being a massive platform for interaction, it wouldn’t be surprising for someone to want to be an influencer. But with so many established people in the industry, where do you even start? Online Educator and travel influencer Christina Galbato says that it’s about knowing your niche.

    Christina Galbato is a social media influencer, online educator, and digital marketing expert. After building a successful career as a travel influencer and working with brands like Ritz-Carlton, Mazda, and lululemon, Christina pivoted into online education. She built a 7-figure business helping thousands of women build careers influencers & bloggers. She has been featured in CNN and Forbes and was a speaker at AdWord 2020. She is also the host of the top-rated entrepreneurship podcast Her Life By Design.

    Many would argue that boxing yourself into a single area would limit the things you want to do, but as Christina proposed “it just makes your content easier to reach.” Finding a niche to base your content on helps you establish the influencer you want to be.

    “I always recommend that people get as specific as possible at the beginning of growing your page.”

    She pointed out that planning your niche “overlaps between what you’re passionate and excited about, and what you’re knowledgeable about.” Doing research on what other people post on your targeted niche, being tactical about your content, establishing a connection with your audience, and building your brand from your line of expertise is the first step towards success as an online influencer.

    “As an influencer, they (people) are looking for value; they’re looking for an industry expert to follow.”

    But what if after establishing a brand for yourself, you want to expand your content, and dive into topics outside your niche.

    Christina suggests that moving into new territory really depends on what you feel is best for yourself. She explains that, from experience, transitioning also means a change in your audience, but taking chances is part of the fun of influencing.

    “You know that cheesy quote that’s like ‘people are in your in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.’” She continues, “It’s the same thing with Instagram followers. Your growth is going to come from putting yourself in those uncomfortable situations.”

     

    More from Christina:

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