Found Inspiration

Welcome back

2011-09-19T20:28:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been forever since I've written on Found Inspiration. I really enjoyed writing out my thoughts. I really shouldn't go that long again :)

Dreaming Again

2010-12-29T08:37:00.001-08:00

I know that everyone dreams when they go to sleep, but months and months have passed since I have remembered any dreams. They say that the brain re-energizes itself during the dream process. Could it be possible that I was not doing this to my full potential? Could I have been so stressed that I was not giving my mind much time to think on its own?

The reason why this is interesting to me is that I have recently taken some time off of work to travel, take care of personal projects, and to relax. I have felt much less stressed, and I have been enjoying myself. So far I have been out of work for about a week and I have four more weeks to go. I have not been on vacation that long and I am already remembering my dreams from the past 4 nights. I wonder if it has to do with my relaxed state and I'm allowing my brain to re-energize. I could be way off, but it does seem pretty interesting. Either way, I'm enjoying myself and keeping very busy, but relaxed. Take a break and start dreaming :) Who knows what may come out of it!

Reflections

2010-12-08T03:50:00.000-08:00

Time moves so fast as he looks around,
He finds his footing on the moving ground.
All grown up and completely free,
Creative chained boy to Mr. Responsibility.
is growing up what it's cracked out to be?
He looks in the mirror and he sees me.

Lil' Miss Thang has an old free spirit,
Some plan a destination, she would simply feel it.
Her feet would touch all grounds on the Earth,
And that smile would crush all monetary worth.
A boundless soul always completely free,
She looks in the mirror and she sees me.

His mind wants to write, but he's running out of space
Without any ink, those thoughts won't have a trace.
Living the moment he learns to embrace,
Arms wide open goofy grin on his face.
His reflection shows on the seas below.
I look back and jump as friends cheer below.

"My Dream Begins Now"

2010-11-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

It's funny how things work out... I was reading Inc magazine late last night when I came across an article about Winton Porter, the owner of Mountain Crossings, a store on the Appalachian Trail. The article can be found on Inc's website - http://www.inc.com/magazine/20101101/the-smartest-businessman-on-the-appalachian-trail.html

So I read the first paragraph of the magazine article then lost interest and skipped it. Then something made me want to go back and read it. Thankfully I did because it really meant more to me than most of the other articles in that November 2010 issue of Inc Magazine.

I think what really got me was the whole idea of the Appalachian Trail (AT) which runs all the way from Georgia to Maine and the reasons why many decided to go on that path. The article mentions that so many people hike this Appalachian Trail in order to "reclaim their lives". Many decide to hike the massive trail during times of personal turmoil or personal change. This path takes most people right to the doorsteps of the Mountain Crossings store. This adds additional meaning to the business and it becomes understandable how Porter's path led him to this store.

Winton Porter was working at another meaningless and stressful corporate America job before he purchased Mountain Crossings. The day that Porter closed the deal on the store, he gave his boss a note which stated "My dream begins now, and my life is returned to me. My resignation is tendered, effective immediately.".

I think it's beautiful. Life is beautiful :)

"Yes, and..."

2010-11-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

This blog correlates directly with the message Jon delivered in his blog a few days ago - you just never know where one small action is going to take you.

A few weeks back I boarded a 6:20am flight to Maryland for a business trip. To say I was exhausted would be beyond an understatement. My body was telling me to take advantage of the flying time and rest my head, but my mind was telling me to take advantage of the time to be productive.

When I travel, I am determined to make the most out of all the down-time (sitting in airports, flying or driving hours to see clients). In some ways, it excites me to have the opportunity to spend so much time concentrating on taking in information that I normally would not be able to.

In this instance I chose to let my mind overcome my body and grabbed the brand new Southwest Spirit magazine sitting in the seat pocket in front of me. That choice lead to some great finds (help with my computer - a website to help my buddy with his music - and a great system that should help me drink more water). It is also the reason I am writing this blog.

Inside the pages of Spirit Magazine was an extremely inspiring story about the men at Four Day Weekend, Inc., a company started by 3 broke actors who decided to put together an improv show. They found a way to rent a theatre and went to the streets to sell tickets - barely reaching double digit (I am talking under 10) ticket sales at the beginning. This did not discourage them however and a little over a year after they began performing their shows a local newspaper ran an article on them - the rest is history. The company absolutely took off.

Today Four Day Weekend not only has a great improv show, but they have expanded the company in almost every way imaginable; signing a deal for their own theatre, creating an awards show for companies, booking corporate events, emcee gigs, acting roles, etc. All this from a show that was drawing 8 people to watch it upon opening curtain.

Many valuable lessons can be learned from these guys. No company is formed over-night, but more times than not it seems that way. This is a perfect example of a company that started with absolutely nothing and has grown to become wildly successful. They stuck with it in the beginning and innovated as time went on.

If you have a dream you have to go for it and accept nothing short of achieving that dream. It won't be easy, that is a given, but it will be worth it. Most people will never have anything more than a dream, because the majority of the population is simply not diligent enough to see their dream through to make it a reality.

Do you have a dream? Are you going after it? If so - how are you staying motivated to move forward every day? If no, what is keeping your from going for it?

DILIGENCE

~E

New experiences yield new ideas

2010-11-18T16:58:00.000-08:00

I'm still attempting to discover that magical idea that will allow me to "make it". I was talking with my buddy Eric the other day about how we should keep trying to experiences because new ideas will come of it. Even in areas which seem as if all ideas are exhausted, can still yield profitable products.

Right around the time that we were talking about this, I read an article on Inc. Magazine about a guy who created a new tool for learning how to perfect the golf swing (http://www.inc.com/magazine/20101101/perfect-your-golf-swing.html). I would have thought that most ideas were exhausted in the golf market, but he discovered otherwise. Turns out he was a caddy and he always noticed how effortless the professional golfers swung their clubs. He said that it almost looked as if they had a ball on the end of their club. Well whadda ya know, he created one and now his company has over $1.2 million in sales.

Back to when Eric and I were hanging out - we came up with ideas for funny videos to post on YouTube.com which lead to ideas of cool iPhone utilities (more to follow on that), and much more. All it took was for us to do something a little different that we normally would and we started to get fresh ideas.

So try to do something different today and see where it takes you :) Who knows, you may end up creating something crazy cool.

Peace.

Not so random thoughts

2010-11-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

It's an endless cycle so break me free,
The only solution may be extreme.
Time moves forward while I stand still,
All are slaves to paying these bills.
Standing still but drifting along,
Time is constant find where you belong.
Straining, thinking, there must be a way,
To find a solution on this groundhog day.
The end of the tunnel still shows some light,
Running towards I prepare for flight.
Grand ideas begin with a dream,
Where anything is possible or so it seems.
I take it to heart and know it is true,
Believe in me because I believe in you.

The Good Ole Fashion Lemonade Stand

2010-11-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

This post has been living inside my head for over a year now, maybe longer.

Early last spring, as I played around on my computer, I kept hearing a a kid outside hollering out. I figured he was just playing around with his friends, and passed it off as nothing more than that.

After about an hour, I walked to the kitchen to get a drink and could still hear the same voice calling out. At this point, I had to find out exactly what was going on. The voice was coming from across the street. A young boy had a lemonade stand setup at the end of his driveway and was strumming up business by calling out to...well to nobody.

When I looked out, there was a nobody around him; nobody walking, no cars passing by, the street was literally void of people. This kid has been yelling at the top of his lungs for hours at this point trying to sell lemonade and cookies - I was impressed. Of course, I could not let his efforts go unnoticed and headed across the street with a few dollars to make my purchase. After all, he had grabbed my attention as he intended to - through an entire house and a couple doors to boot!

I struck up a little conversation with the boy and he informed me that after his sale to me he only had 3 cups of lemonade and 2 cookies left to sell and that he has made everything himself earlier in the day. He followed-up telling me that he wasn't going in until they were all sold.

The loud sales calls ended about an hour and a half after I left him, he had accomplished his goal.

This was by far an extremely simple interaction - one any of us could find ourselves a part of on any given day, however it stuck with me. I though back to when I was a kid - I was always coming up with different ways to make money and I was always determined to make it work (not much has changed I guess). Well, the fact that I am always coming up with ideas to make money hasn't changed, but the innocence of my youth sure does not seem to be around any longer, which is an honest shame.

As entrepreneurs it is important for us to step back and assess our situation and our ventures time and again to remember why we are in this. It's about the adventure, about creation and accomplishment, about achieving a goal - not always the all mighty dollar.

Next time you find yourself lacking motivation or struggling to take the next step - think of the lemonade stand; whether it be the lemonade stand you ran yourself as a kid or the one I referenced above and just push on through.

The good ole lemonade stand - entrepreneurship in its most raw form.

Is There Inspiration in Death?'

2010-11-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

I struggled for days with the title of this post and whether or not to even post it, as this blog is intended to be upbeat and inspirational. While death is not the most uplifting subject, it is a central driving force behind the strength of my feelings on a daily basis.

Death is the one and only thing that unifies every single being on this earth - someday we will all be gone. Does this inspire you to do more with your life and do you think about death?

In the past month a friend from high school and a childhood friend's mom both passed away - both much too young. Naturally these passings have me thinking more and more about the fact that nobody knows when their time will come. This is what I think about nearly every day of my life as I simply waste time at work; the fact that today has been more or less wasted doing something I have absolutely no passion for and that does not make a real difference in anyone's life.

So why do I continue to show up at work each day and not just strike out on my own? It's a great question - one that I hope to answer through this process of finding my ultimate inspiration. What is really stopping me? Money? Fear of Failure? Expectations from Others? The Unknown? To be honest it is all of those things, but the truth is that I fear not ever breaking free from the norm and going out on my own path more than I do all of those things combined. Yet, I have not been able to do anything about it.

What is holding you back from what you want out of life? How can we change that? At the end of the day - what is the worst that could happen if we finally decided to stop letting our fears get in the way and instead just lived based on our soul's true desire?

What holds you back? What is your plan to overcome it? Let's help each other out...

Let Your Life Speak

2010-11-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

"Let Your Life Speak" - a Quaker Proverb that hangs on my office wall as a constant reminder to do more with my life. Currently, my life is better than most, I have a good life, a great wife and a phenomenal new job that seems promising. Yet, my life doesn't speak to me. Not yet.

When I took my new position, I warned the President of the company that I am an entrepreneur at heart and am constantly brainstorming companies and looking to invest in new opportunities because its what makes me tick. Some people want to run a marathon in their life. I want to start a company. Why?

A few reasons, one, I find it fun, talking about starting a new company is as entertaining to me as watching football is for most guys. And opposed to what you are thinking, I too had my athletic glory days, but I always knew it wasn't my thing. Two, I want freedom. When my wife Christy and I have kids, I want to be there whenever they need me without feeling that I am letting my company down if I am putting my family first. Maybe, this can happen at my current job? Lastly, financial independence. As a strict employee this is unobtainable. I am in good financial shape, better than most, but I want to be independent, not necessarily wealthy, but not scared of the "what if".

Maybe we'll start the next Zappos.com or a small side business that supplements our income and gives back to the community. I don't know, but I do know that I want my life to speak and I want to be proud of what it is saying. What about you?

Stormy Mondays

2010-10-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

Just as the old blues song by T-Bone Walker says "They call it stormy Mondays, but Tuesday is just as bad". Albert King and B.B King both play great versions of the song. This beautiful song gets stuck in my head on my way to work on Monday. I believe it is about a person singing about their lost love, but the chorus always makes me think about work haha. It's too bad although it was not always like this. I was actually challenged for a little while and during that time I was very engaged with my work. Eventually the challenges ceased to exist and all that remained was...something else :)

I think deep inside I have always been an entrepreneur at heart so maybe I will always reach this point until I'm working for myself. Steve Jobs actually had a very inspirational commencement speech at Stanford in 2005. The part that had the most impact on me was the following paragraph from his speech:

"When I was 17 I read a quote that went something like "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "no" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important thing I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life, because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

I think about that a lot. I'll repeat this part because ever since watching his speech, I think about this every day: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "no" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.". Wow, right there says it all for me. Follow your heart and do what feels right. I know it will bring the brightest ideas to the table. Otherwise if you are not following your heart then it will be truly difficult to be successful. I know this to be true because that's what my heart tells me.

Have a great week everyone.

Level Setting - Me Today

2010-10-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

In order to know where I am trying to go, it is important for you to understand where I am today. After all - you want to be able to relate to what you are reading don't you? Isn't that what makes so many books, magazine articles, etc. so tough to draw inspiration from? More times than not you're reading something written by an individual who is established and they always make things seem easy. Often times you never hear about how they got to where they are and when they were in the same position we are right now.

If your an entrepreneur or an aspiring entrepreneur you know that getting a business off the ground is everything BUT easy.

I think I am a pretty average guy.

Instead of writing paragraph after paragraph about myself (not the point of this blog), let me break it down into bullets:

30 Years Old
Wife (currently un-employed) and Dog (no kids)
College Graduate (2004)
On my 4th job since college and I have not enjoyed a single one of them

They have all actually been pretty much despised at the end of the day

Owner of Avid Entertainment for extra money on the weekends (www.avidDJne.com)
Employed by one of the largest and most profitable financial institutions in world (they suck)
Dread going to work every single day and hit the snooze button as many times as possible
Come home from work drained, not by the efforts I have put in, but the by the onset of boredom, the lack of challenges, the general frustrations for working for a company that generally doesn't care about the well being of their employees and the fact that there is absolutely no passion behind what I do nor am I part of any sort of team (we all hate our jobs and openly speak about it on a daily basis - which is draining in and of itself).
Know there is something missing and there is more out there for me, just need to find a way to get there.
Have been thinking of business ideas and no longer being in corporate America since 6 months after leaving college
Started a couple ventures, but have not completely seen them through (www.tiptopadvice.com)

If you have any ideas on how we can make that site relevant - we are all ears!

So that sums up the relevant information about me pertaining to where I am today. Now let's see if we can change that around one inspiring blog at a time on our journey to Find Inspiration.

Where are you on your path to becoming a successful entrepreneur? For that matter - what is success to you?

Attitude

2010-10-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Your attitude determines your altitude. Or as Kanye West puts it - "They say your attitude determines your latitude, I'm high as a @#$!@ fly as a !@#!$" :)

Lost Inspiration

2010-10-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take looking at this blog very long to realize that its been on a hiatus for almost a year. As ironic as it may be - the reason this blog has been neglected was an honest lack of inspiration.

We have Tony Hsieh and his book "Delivering Happiness" to thank for this blog being back up and inspiration being found once again (more on this book to come very soon).

Moving forward - we intend on putting a lot of efforts into this blog. It will be used as an open book or "documentary" if you will. A documentary on what you ask? This blog is going to follow the trials and tribulations of 3 friends trying to break free from the norm and forge their way out of Corporate America and into entrepreneurship as a full time source of income instead of something dreamed about after work or on the weekends.

We encourage anyone and everyone to look to this blog as a source of inspiration - we will cater to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners, but there is not a soul out there that will not benefit from the stories that will be shared here on a consistent basis.

This blog is a tool - the more follows we get, the bigger the community will become and the better off we will all be as we move one step closer to our ultimate dream on living an inspired life on our own terms.

As my friend Monroe Mann says - "See You At The Top"

Eric

Finding Inspiration

2010-10-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, my first post on Found Inspiration :) Eric and I have been brainstorming for a while now about the way to end up working for ourselves, taking control of our careers, and reaching freedom. I think this all stems from feelings deep inside that something is missing...I know there is something more out there and I'm meant to do something so much larger that what I'm currently doing. I know this every day that I set foot in the door at my job in corporate America. I know this every day that I walk out that door as well. In fact, I think about this all the time.

I keep seeing signs along the way as I pursue different avenues to this destination. There is always a source of inspiration every time I start running slow on this road to freedom. Someone will tell me some words of encouragement, or I'll read an inspiring book, watch an exciting movie, or hear about someone else that has gone through a similar experience to become successful.

Our initial plans began with a website called TipTopAdvice.com. It is a wonderful idea, but we strayed from our path as we jumped into the project. We know now what we need to do to get in on the right track. Funny though how every project seems to lead to new avenues. These new avenues may not have anything to do with the initial project, but they would not have been discovered without attempting the original idea..... more to follow on this :)

Travis Roy - 11 Seconds...

2009-05-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Travis Roy is a young man who was paralyzed just 11 seconds into the first shift of his first hockey game for Boston University. I read his book "Eleven Seconds" in college and was completely blown away by his story of courage and faith.

Everything he worked for all of his life was taken away in 11 short seconds, an absolutely devastating set of circumstances. However, Travis did not lay down and take it. He picked himself up and kept moving on. His book is an amazing story that will leave you wanting to live every second of your life to the absolute fullest and help you to realize that things may be tough at times, but there is a great chance that no matter how bad your situation may be, someone else has gone through and even more importantly, overcome, worse.

The clip below provides a great glimpse into Travis's life. Just listening to the narrators words gives you one of those "pits" in your stomach. Listen to Travis's words and pick up his book...truly moving.

"I found in life there are times when we choose our challenges and there's other times when challenges choose us"
-Travis Roy

Adventures Of An Incurable Optimist: Michael J Fox

2009-05-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you caught the Michael J. Fox special on ABC last week, but it was very moving. Here is a guy who literally had it all and one day woke up with what he terms a "hang-over and a twitch in his pinky finger" to find out he had Parksinson's disease. The way he lives his life today as the disease takes over his body, is awe inspiring.

The special takes a very interesting look at optimism and what it consists of. There are many moments during the special that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and cause you to literally stop for a moment and thank God for the fortunes that surround you in your life day in and day out.

There is a highlight clip that I found on youtube, which I posted below, but I highly recommend visiting ABC Website and following the instructions below to watch the 1 hour special. It is important that we take the time to re-ignite the fire within us as often as possible.

1. Go to www.abc.go.com. (Click the link above!)
2. Click on “Free episodes” on the top menu bar.
3. Click on “Michael J. Fox” in the list of free programs.

Stand By Me...

2009-04-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

As you know, this site is designed to bring about inspiration in whatever way, shape of form it may come in. Thus far we have concentrated on individuals, however I was recently sent a link to "Playing for Change". The site features the video below, showcasing various artists from around the world who perform their amazing talent in the streets. Take 4 minutes and watch this video and listen closely to the words. I challenge you to not feel completely inspired as well as united with people world-wide.

The Last Lecture - A story that will ignite the fire to live within all of us...

2009-04-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

Randy Pausch is the author of New York Times best-selling book "The Last Lecture". This awe inspiring real-life tale takes you inside Randy's life after he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.

The shear zest this man has for life, even as he approaches death, is enough to spark something inside every man, woman, and child who reads this amazing book. "The Last Lecture" is the by product of an actual lecture Randy gave at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was a professor of computer science and human-computer interaction.

Randy's lecture was written for his 3 young children, but instantly began making it's way around the world on the internet. Knowing that he would not be there to watch the children grow nor have the ability to provide them with guidance, Pausch's idea was to leave something they could turn to at different points in their lives for support.

Sadly, Randy Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.

The lecture is available to watch below, but I strongly suggest sitting down and reading the book, which can be bought anywhere books are sold.

A Dose of Inspiration for All - Monroe Mann

2009-03-23T17:43:00.001-07:00

I was really struggling at the beginning of this week - the weekend had left me with a lack of motivation. Just going into work was a chore, which is not that atypical, but this week was worse. I felt as though I was moving through a lake full of sludge.

Determined to push through these lows, I turned to the internet and www.thebigidea.com in particular. Here is where I found Monroe Mann's blog: The Lost Art of Creating Your Own Opportunities. It was just what I needed. His words, especially his Break Divers Creed: No Rules. No Excuses. No Regrets. really hit home for me.

I am reading a lot and what I am coming to learn and hear is that it is about all the little steps you take, in the end they create a path and usually the path leads you to exactly where you wanted to be when you started. You just never knew all those little steps would take you where you wanted to go. Read the blog - check out his book: Guerilla Networking , I have not read it yet, but it is on my list. When I do, you can be sure to see my review here.

Check out Monroe on The Big Idea (click)

As always, be sure to share your advice with those who need it at TipTopAdvice

Steve Jobs Commencement Speech - the Pinnacle of Inspiration

2009-03-14T12:58:00.001-07:00

Steve Jobs, the CEO and technology guru behind the ever popular Apple brand, delivered the commencement speech at Stanford in 2005.

I have read thousands of inspirational quotes and listened to hundreds of motivational speakers, but nothing has touched me the way this speech has. Look at who Steve Jobs is, what he has accomplished, and the impact he has had on the world and listen to his words describing where he came from and how he got there. Steve Jobs dropped out of college and started a business in his parents garage. That business is now one of the biggest, most influential and successful companies in the world!

It's funny, people do not seem to realize that every person out there (for the most part) started out as a nobody with nothing. Steve Jobs is no different; his life started with his mother giving him up at birth and look how far he made it.

If you have hit a wall and are finding it hard to push through it or jump over it, just take 20 minutes and listen to Steve Job's words - they will give you the courage and will to push on and keep going. This is true inspiration.

If you have some advice for people on how to get inspired or stay inspired, please share it here or even better, head over to TipTopAdvice and help others who are looking for advice