Life Stoked

create a life you're excited to live!

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…On being laid off

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empty-deskIt’s probably the strangest meeting I’ve ever been a part of, and certainly one I’ll never forget.

Eleven of us from various groups sat nervously around a conference table at work while we waited for the meeting to start. Finally the executive walked in being tailed closely by an assistant.

He looked only down at a stack of colored folders he was carrying and took his place standing at the front of the room.

And as he spoke his voice was trembling with nervous energy.

“There’s no easy way to say this. Today is your last day of employment here…”

It was like being punched in the gut. The meeting went on for another 15 minutes, but I’m not really sure what was talked about after that.

My mind was on a loop over and over from “this seriously just happened?” to “what am I going to do now?” to “what is Cameron going to say?”

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On Facing my fear of launching

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preparing-to-launchI’m about to do something I’ve never done before, and I’m pretty freaked out.

In just two days I will sit quietly at my keyboard and in just a few keystrokes I’ll launch my first software app.

I’ll walk my first client (who I’ve actually been working with for months at this point) through the setup process for the very first time on my new app, and then I’ll sit back and watch to see what happens next.

That’s the part I’m most freaked out about…

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The Web App Challenge

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In 2010 I read Dan Miller’s book No More Mondays and it changed everything for me. At the time I was struggling to remain motivated working for a very small pre-money startup.

I was running the operations for this startup which meant I was on call 24 / 7. My phone would buzz at all hours of the night and I’d have to go kick some servers. It wasn’t sustainable.

I was conflicted though because I believed I wanted to be part of the startup world more than anything. I had left my previous job to pursue this dream of working on the ground floor building something I loved, and I was confused that it didn’t feel more awesome.

Dan’s book gave me a glimpse into another side of entrepreneurship I had not yet discovered. He showed me a world where people were starting and running their own businesses on their own terms.

I was hooked.

I started pursuing my own idea immediately. In the years that followed I tried a huge number of businesses and projects all striving for the prize of living and working on my own terms. I did everything from financial coaching to custom websites to consulting.

I tried almost anything I could think of that sounded fun (and some of them actually weren’t fun at all).

But one thing was always “out of bounds” for me.

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035 – What’s Next For Life Stoked (Season 1 Finale)

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They say that if you want to change your results, then start by changing your beliefs.

If you don’t like what you’re getting in life; If you want to achieve something, but you’re stuck. If you want different results, better results, new results…

Then the place to begin is with what you believe. It starts with a change in mindset.

I started the Life Stoked Podcast with a mission of finding out exactly what’s behind the mindsets of successful people. And I found it.

But not how I expected.

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034: Where a powerful mindset can take you (with Zach Even-Esh)

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Zach-Even-Esh

If you want to be a complete success, then you’ve got to be a complete individual.

If you climb the corporate ladder but sacrifice your marriage along the way, then I argue you are not a success. If you’re the fittest athlete at the gym but your kids never get to see you, then you are not a success.

That’s a lesson Zach Even-Esh learned the hard way on his journey to becoming the Underground Strength Coach. On his way to growing multiple successful businesses Zach sacrificed everything from family life to his health before he got it right.

Strong mind. Strong body. Strong life. That’s the mission Zach teaches coaches and athletes every day in his home grown businesses.

I’m stoked to have Zach as a guest on the Life Stoked show today to learn more about the missteps in his past, the wisdom he gained, and the driving force behind it all.

Zach talks about:
– The importance of designing his ideal day intentionally
– How fitness training leads to wins in every area of life
– How his faltering health led him to change his entire life for the better
– How a bad work environment can impact every area of your life
– The importance of getting your priorities right

Listen now: 034: Where a powerful mindset can take you (with Zach Even-Esh)

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033: Dealing with business failure and how to prevent it (with Barrett Brooks)

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BarrettBrooksIf you’ve chosen to pursue an entrepreneurial lifestyle then one thing is certain: failure. Not every project you pour yourself into is going to succeed.

Failure is an acquired taste though, and just knowing academically that failure is good doesn’t always help to dull the blow when it does finally come your way.

I’m stoked have Barrett Brooks on the show today to help us out. Barrett is at the perfect place right now to share some wisdom about moving on from a “failed” project after he recently shut down Living For Monday after two years in business.

Barrett’s experience, lessons learned, and mindset are incredibly refreshing and will give you the encouragement and tools you need to step out yourself and begin your adventure.

Barrett shares with us:

  • What it was like when he knew it was time to pull the plug on his business.
  • The mindset that helped him sail out of that experience.
  • What he’ll do differently on his next project.

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Review: Lone Survivor

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Lone Survivor Book ReviewThis is the story of Marcuss Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing in June of 2005. Marcus recounts the brutal training that goes into building a Navy SEAL team, and the details of the battle in the mountains that would become the most deadly Navy SEAL mission in history.

Marcus delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever written about modern warfare and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Why I read it

Two people I interviewed for the Life Stoked show recommended Lone Survivor so I had to check it out. I’m not typically one to enjoy war type stuff, but I was overwhelmed with the awesomeness of Marcus Luttrell’s story.

Takeaways

  • Don’t underestimate what we are capable of. We can do far far more than we think we ever could.
  • If you have a huge Why, then you’ll find the How. Marcus Luttrell had lost everything and everyone with him, but he knew he had to tell his friends story and carry on their last words.
  • Incredible sacrifices have been made so we can enjoy life in one of the greatest countries the world has ever known. Don’t take that for granted.

 

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032: Why it’s okay to suck at your calling

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Have you ever seen someone work at their craft and awesomeness just pours out of them? It’s fun to watch, right?

Now what if the craft they were amazing at was the exact thing you wish you could be doing?

That feels a little different doesn’t it.

Instead of being in awe of the artist, now it feels more like discouragement you’ll never be that good. And if you can’t be as good as ____, then what’s the use.

If you’ve ever felt like that, then I want to pass along some wisdom that will change everything for you. I know because that’s exactly what it did for me.

In today’s session you’ll learn:

  • Why you should expect, even hope, to be awful at your next endeavor.
  • The advice Jon Acuff gave me that changed everything.
  • How I’m living this out even as I record this session (an unexpected surprise).

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031: Finding your way to success in business and life (with Corbett Barr)

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When you stray off the path into the thick, wild jungle things get really tough really fast. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to move just a few feet at times, and there’s the constant question of whether you’re even heading in the right direction.

That’s what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.

Many of us turn back after just a little time in the jungle and never make the progress we dreamed of.

Whether your jungle is starting your own business, launching a new product, or trying anything new, Corbett Barr has some awesome wisdom to share with us to help you power through that transition.

Corbett shares with us:

  • The challenges of making the jump from corporate world to entrepreneur
  • What he did after his startup failed that led straight to what he’s doing now
  • The mindset that fueled it all

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