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Latest
Creating content for The Freedom Philosophy blog used to be a crapshoot. But once I got a strategy in place it became easier to create AND more effective at helping me achieve my business goals. Content production is all about efficiency and effectiveness. Your workflow and systems must enhance both.
Last year the idea of recording a Facebook Live Show would have terrified the cr*p out of me. But after creating a 25+ video lessons for The Freedom Philosophy Classroom I realised it's a great way to develop a more personal relationship with my audience.
If I could go back to January 2014 and start over there is ONE thing I would do differently. I would produce LESS content. What I did produce I would have promoted BETTER. Most people - me included - invest disproportionate time & energy in creating content, but fall short when it comes to promotion.
Content Marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing. It can help you: Build a relationship between your audience and your brand. Transform your audience into customers. Leverage the most coveted forms of marketing since the dawn of time: word of mouth. (Or as we so eloquently in Marketing speak call it 'WOM'.)
At its best, it's the most powerful way to build a meaningful relationship with your customers. A relationship that helps you achieve the big picture goals like profit and impact. Content Marketing is the BEST way to turn an audience into customers and brand ambassadors. Click To Tweet And it's everywhere.
My Books
80% of startups fail within the first 18 months. Not because of a flawed business plan, strategy, or model. Not because of a lack of investment or startup capital. Not because they have no customers, or a terrible idea. They fail because the founders burn out.In the excitement of starting up, fle...
Blinded by a culture of 'bigger, better, faster' and seduced into wanting 'more, more, more', we've become distracted from what matters to us the most, and 'forgotten' how to tap into our own unique blueprint for brilliance. With a crumbling economy and disappea...
Understanding Y: #andYyoushould provides a refreshingly comprehensive and candid account of the current disconnect between reality and perception surrounding the Millennial cohort. I contributed a chapter about the Millennial desire to make the world a better place through for-profit business with a social DNA.
Startup Strategy & Culture
A business plan can be a gigantic hurdle until you realise that you don't really need a traditional one. But before we can answer the question: 'How do you write a business plan?' we have to ask: "What exactly is it?!" Traditionally it's a written document that outlines your business goals and your plan for achieving them.
There are two angles from which can approach your business. The first and most obvious is in terms of the products + services, processes, systems and structure that help it run like a well-oiled machine. You can set these up in a way that maximises the time you want to invest and / or in a way that generates passive income.
Articles like 5 lessons I wish I knew as a young entrepreneur are frustratingly unhelpful. I read them hoping for some rich or refreshing insight only to feel stunned by how out of touch they are.
Starting a business can to be very expensive when you spend money on the wrong things. An advertising budget is assumed to be an essential factor in your startup costs. But when you're bootstrapping your business from scratch with your own money, an advertising budget can be a waste of your startup funds.
I've come close to running out of money a few times so I've developed a few strategies for making it last longer and cashing up. But first remind yourself: it's never the end of anything, your life, your business or the world. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: All life is an experiment.
Blindsided by a culture of bigger, better, faster and seduced into wanting more, more, more, we’re distracted from what matters to us the most, and how to use that awareness to leave an imprint on the heart of humanity.
Articulating the passion, purpose and vision behind your business idea can take time. Months, years, or even a lifetime. So when someone else hits the nail on the head with perfect eloquence it can be frustrating. The article: Zebra companies offer an alternative to the unicorn fantasy inspired such a feeling.
Careers
Quitting your job without some kind of game-plan might sound exciting to some, but for others it brings on palpitations and hives. The perfect solution for you exists somewhere along a sliding scale where risk is directly proportionate to the degree of freedom you desire.
There's no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. Yes, some of us have an obvious 'raw' talent, but the rest of us have the same potential for unlimited creativity as soon as we discover what our innate talent is.
Did you know that the word 'career' can be used to describe both your vocation and a lack of control? When you google the definition of career it describes it first as 'an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress' and second as 'move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way.'
Climbing the ladder of success is a double-edged sword. We think we have our eye on the prize and spend all our time, energy, resources and focus on reaching it, but we're at the top, there is a chance we might find it was leaning against the wrong wall.
You have an idea and you're serious about starting a business. So what can you be doing while you're still in the corporate world (or your version of the 9-5)? How can you set the foundation for future success before quitting your job?
When you work on something that you are attracted to, your natural creativity to design, problem solve or manage can emerge regardless of whether it's what is traditionally regarded as a creative industry or not. - Jyoti Morningstar, founder of WE'AR Yoga Clothing You are talented beyond your wildest imagination.
Your unique gifts and talents are innate. Likely you are already using them. I'm talking about the ones that make you absolutely remarkable. Not the skills you list on your CV, but the ones that you did naturally as a kid; the ones your friends and family love you for; the ones that your colleagues admire you for; and the ones that we are waiting for you to share with the world.
Personal Development
In a switched-on world it's not about calming your mind. It's about tricking it into feeling like everything is under control. At least at first. Because overwhelm takes no prisoners, and new business owners are often dazzled by the excitement of getting started.
The desire for self-improvement is natural, even if we don't put it into action. We want to look healthier and more attractive, and be more fit. We might start eating more consciously, or working-out, or look into the latest skincare formulations.
Facebook, the network that everybody loves to hate, presents us with a stellar opportunity for personal growth.
Travel
It's easy to benchmark everything against what you consider normal in your hometown. You've spent years compiling a compendium of normal. You know what you like. You know what you love. You know how everything works. But, wait. This is called the comfort zone.
If Montreal, Amsterdam and East London had a love child who was raised in the US it would be Philadelphia. It might just be one of the best kept secrets in The United States.
A hedonistic exploration of Washington State's finest produce
Spotlight
Nicole Daedone is taking on the onerous task of liberating our orgasm, for within it lies a fuller experience of life, deeper connection with our partners, and the key to changing the world
Drinking your way to vibrant health, this guide covers everything you need to know to undertake a 10-Day Green Juice Cleanse.
Written as a summary collection of blog posts covering food for beautiful skin, this feature article rounds up the health aspect with a deep dive into the use of essential oils for maintaining beautiful skin.
Health
Packed with nutrients, green juices are a sugar-free alternative to fruit juice, says Stephanie Holland
Reishi Mushrooms have an ancient reputation as being an elixir of immortality and modern medicine is beginning to understand why.
Keen to get into yoga but confused about which type to try? Stephanie Holland looks at seven popular styles to help you find the right one for you
The practice of meditation improves our mental and physical health, reduces stress and is even said to heal certain diseases. But how do you get started? Stephanie Holland explains all.
Chanoyu is a Japanese art form with the focus of preparing and serving bowl of tea with a pure heart.
For Turkish people, and in the lives of Turkish expats all over the world, coffee is more than just a beverage — it’s a social and cultural connector and facilitator.
If you're waiting for the raw revolution to quietly pass you by, you might have to be patient. Eating food in their natural states is a great way to nurture your body and lift your spirits, say the enthusiasts.
"What? You eat meat? I thought you were vegetarian," stated my ex-boss, now friend, over lunch on Friday. It seems even though I have never claimed devout vegetarian status, news that I eat meat inspires the same reaction as if I've announced I'm a Catholic nun and - shock, horror!
Switching to a raw food diet is a major step, so why not give it a try over the space of a weekend?
Healthy feet are the foundation of a strong yoga practice. Keep them nourished, nurtured and happy with essential oils
Beauty
Use essential oils for impact beyond beautiful skin
Whether you create your own concoctions, or look for brands that incorporate them, using essential oils in skincare is a surefire way to create beautiful, nourished and youthful-looking skin.
Essential oils come tried and tested: for more than a thousand years observation and experience has proven their complex chemical nature provides active effects on the body. They are effective; they are safe; they make us feel great. Welcome to conscious beauty.