Morning Cup of Joe

Hey there! Are you feeling frustrated... stuck... overwhelmed with your photography? Well you've come to the right place. Thats what we're talking about today. I have a mini breakdown of this episode down below if you're interested as well: Why don't I EVER improve? 1. The truth behind creative block/ writers block is not that you don't have the ability to take photos. You're just overthinking it and are striving for that perfection or award winning shot every time you snap a shutter. You feel stuck taking photos that you feel are bad. You're just used to your work or you aren't shooting enough out side of your comfort zone 2. Improving your photography comes from different things. The technical aspect knowing your settings, being intentional with those settings and your compositions, finding what you enjoy taking photos of, knowing the difference between taking/ making photos, the story/ theme you are conveying, the feeling you want to deliver, the way you are and are not limiting yourself, the overall goal, thinking outside the box. 3. Put yourself in uncomfortable shooting situations that make you feel like you don't know what you're doing and make you problem solve 4. Trying different lenses, styles, types of photography, etc. 5. Photography is all about perspective. Put yourself in your audiences shoes. What do you want them to see? Or feel? Do you want something to seem big? Shoot low. Small? Shoot high. Want it to feel cluttered and chaotic add different foreground/ background elements, simple? Make it minimalistic and focused. Start to look at the world around you in frames.

I'm excited to talk about some things that have happened lately that have completely changed the way I create (ESPECIALLY on YouTube). After working with Some big name YouTubers and talking with a few of my friends that make a fulltime income as professional youtubers I am excited to share what I have learned and talk about the biggest mistakes that have held me (and probably you) back up until now. This episode is also exciting because not only are we bringing back the Morning Cup of Joe Podcast for season 3... we're also kicking it off with the firs live video from the channel EVER! We are definitley trying some new things im excited about and just taking that leap of faith. Let's enjoy the journey together! I hope this episode gives you some insight and answers.

The key to a better life is having better problems... with that being said today we are punching fear in the face and uploading the very first episode of season 3 after a year away from the Morning cup of Joe podcast. What a way to kick off season 3! Today we are talking about the struggles of being a creator working for yourself, we put some problems into perspective, and I go over some goals for myself, the show, AND my creative works as a whole.  If you take anything from this podcast I hope that it's this message: "If you can fail at what you don't want in life, why don't you try succeeding at what you do want? Enjoy the process on your way to the destination you're trying to reach. "We are officially kicking off season 3 of the podcast, the very first season that is both audio AND video! Live everywhere podcasts are listened too AND YouTube. Grab a cup of something you fancy and let's continue to have some conversations.

We are wrapping up season 2 of this podcast the best way possible... with a discussion with Mitchell Mullins (FPV pilot/ Film Director based out of Los Angeles California) about how to make money using YOUR own creative work. What are the best ways and best practices?

Today we sit down with Manoa Rain: a content creator, an educator, and overall amazing guy. Today we are talking about the differences between filmmaking and photography, things most people don't consider when it comes to gear, and the pros and cons of being an artist. Today we also answer the age old question... are you being ambitious enough? As road trip nation says "Are you really a good traveler if you're not lost?" and while as an artist it can be important to be known for that one thing (building a niche) it's also important for your fulfillment, creativity, and self exploration in general to try different aspects of creating. Learning the pros and cons of Photo and Video... trying your hand at music or painting/ drawing or etc.. What is the difference between being a filmmaker or a videographer? In a rising creative world where everything is possible you don't know how good or bad you are at something until you get started.

In todays episode I talk to Seth AKA Sinematic Seth about the importance of building a niche and the benefits that come with niching down. We also talk about his start as a creator and the support system he had coming up as a creator. Starting out can be and often is one of the most intimidating aspects of creation. We also cover how to connect with fellow creators on collaborations or how to surround yourself with like minded individuals. Finally we talked about how important finding a niche is, what paid work we do the most to fund our YouTube channels, and the biggest mistake we've made while on a shoot. Overall this ended up being a super impactful and insightful conversation for me and I hope you get the same value out of it as we have.

We all go through the same struggle starting out.... You're brand new as a creator, you have a couple thousand dollars of gear that you have no idea how to use and an empty bank account (Or even a maxed out credit card), and you have no idea what to do next to get ahead and start working on paying that off and actually making use of your skills and gear. In this episode we are going to talk about Zach Anaya's journey starting out and what he's been doing to make connections in this industry and continue to improve as a creator step by step.

Today we talk about a subject that is a little under talked about in the creative world (or anyone's path for success for that matter) and that is... the importance of building an inner circle. When I say inner circle I mean a group of people doing what you either already do (better than you) or someone who is doing something that you want to do. As the saying goes "you are the sum total of who you spend the most time around" so if you want to be great, you surround yourself with greatness. Do you think Navy seals spend a good amount of their time hanging out with mediocre people? HELL NO. Why do you think athletes spend time with other athletes or influential people? There's a reason athletes don't hang around their fans. They spent their whole life dedicated to being the OPPOSITE of the people who watch and support them. Not to say that anybody in particular is either a bad or a good person per se, some people are good people... just not good for you... or better yet not embarking on the same journey or at the same level of that journey yet.

You don't need 100k followers to make money off of YouTube, instagram, or facebook Today I talk with Cody buffington AKA exploring with Cody about building your personal brand and using your influence to start making money for yourself. It's overwhelming. It is scary. It is frustrating. BUT if you keep at it, but is 1,000,000% worth it. I, just like you are early in the process so I personally benefited just as you will from this conversation I had with Cody. I also ask him about viable ways to make money for personal projects that I have going for myself too. If you really want to read about what it takes to do this while you listen I gave an example of making money and a full-time living EVEN IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 1,000 followers. If you have 10-100 true fans you can start making money off of your work. If you have 1,000 true fans you can potentially make a full-time living off of your work. My goal is and will continue to be to build 1,000 true fans so that I can use that support to help me build my business when free lance work is slow or sometimes (During covid) nonexistent some weeks. I'll give you some simple math (For those of you starting off) if you build 100 true fans (People willing to buy from you or support you in a monetizable manor you can start really making a difference for yourself using your work. Say you start selling t-shirts for 20$ each and you buy each shirt for 10$. If 1,00 people buy your shirt (or presets, or online class, or... etc) that is 1,000$ right off of the bat. That means that for 100 shirts you spend 1,000$ but you make 2,000$ and profit just as much as you spend. Now if you take a quarter of that money you just made (250$) and start running IG or Facebook ads you can start growing that 100 true fans into 1,000 at which point you'll make 10,000$. Crazy right? That's for one project. Now throw in some presets 100$ x say 20$= 2,000. Again, that's just for 100 true fans and you make almost entirely profit off of that (minus website fees and whatever taxes you pay). Now say you sell a 100$ online course to 100 people. Thats 10,000! Again almost ENTIRELY profit (minus website and/ or taxes). Yes starting out can be tough. Websites are tough and complicated. Ads on social media are overwhelming. Growing your following is tough BUT if you stick with it and really put the work in... it is worth it. For example: If you put the money for those t-shirts, presets, AND online course together (Something you can work on your first year in business). That is a grand total of 13,000$! Doing something that you love to do and would do for free anyways. Now if you reach 1,000 people (Not even increasing prices) that turns into a WHOPPING 130,000$ A YEAR. 1,000 x 10 for t-shirts (Profit only)=10,000, 1,000 x 20 for presets= 20,000, and 1,000 x 100= 100,000. I know that I kind of ranted and raved here but if you're just starting out and trying to make money this is 100% a viable way to do so. There is no better time to get started than now. Work your job and hustle on the side to launch this... and like I said as things start to launch for yourself you quit your job or side hustle or whatever you're doing to pursue things for yourself FULL-TIME.

When should you upgrade your gear? It can be a struggle these days to know when to upgrade your gear. With all these new cameras and camera accessories it can be so tempting to buy everything that pops up with an ad on your instagram. With that being said in my personal experience there has always been 2 main reasons for me to upgrade gear. The gear doesn't work how it's supposed to i.e. your tripod leg slips when your camera is on it or your lights flicker. The biggest reason to upgrade your gear is if it hinders your ability to create content. That tripod and those lights in this example become more of a liability than an asset. This is the biggest reason to upgrade again. The second reason that I upgrade my gear is when I outgrow it. When I say this I mean when you've had a camera so long that it limits what you can do with it. If you're running a professional photo/ video business and you're using a crop sensor canon t6i and a kit lens... you should upgrade. When you feel as if there isn't anything new to learn about your gear OR you feel that new piece of equipment would better suite your needs and skillset... you should upgrade. Basically what it comes down to is this: When you need to upgrade your gear you'll know it. Or you'll have an idea. Just don't get stuck on the idea that a new camera is going to make you a better creator... it isn't. Your skillset with that camera and the gear you have will make you a better creator. You don't have to get the most expensive gear out there. If the price of gear correlated to your success as a creator everyone out there would have RED cameras and anamorphic lenses. Most of the time the more expensive gear either doesn't make sense or isn't necessary. As a beginner/ amateur creator you don't need pro series lenses and every prime lens a company makes. As you make more money and as it makes more sense for your business that's when people start to do so, my simple rule of thumb is this: If a piece of gear doesn't make or help make you money why do you need the most expensive or high end items? The difference between a 24-70mm kit lens and pro series 24-70mm lens isn't significant enough to justify the extra money (unless your skill set or business could directly benefit from it). Those pro series lenses aren't going to do anything for you if you aren't doing everything else right. If you shoot auto instead of manual mode, if your lighting is off, if you don't know the basics of composing an image, or you don't know how to edit images correctly those lenses aren't going to make you a better creator. The gear you use doesn't define you as a creator.

Today I have a conversation with Andrew Murphy about gear and the role it plays in your ability as a creator. If you don't already know Andrew Murphy is a full-time filmmaker and, as of recently, now a FULL-TIME YouTuber. He creates stunning content and has been creating and running his business for over a DECADE. We decided to talk about this topic today because, as creators, we all get to the point where we start getting really comfortable with the gear that we have and want to upgrade OR as we are starting off just assume that we have to invest into the best gear possible on the market currently. It's almost like we get this idea in our head that our creative ability matches the quality of the gear that we have but ultimately it's not true. regardless if you have a super 8 camera or a Sony A7III neither camera adds or takes away from the experience you have as a creator or the story you have to tell. You may not have the best quality camera as far as pixels per inch or dynamic range goes BUT if you have a cellphone in your pocket or a GoPro... or anything with a record button you have a way to tell a story. At the end of the day story and value added are KING. You can have a bad video with 10 views on a RED camera and you can have an amazing low budget video with a million views on an entry level cam corder. Look at Casey Neistat, his videos starting out have hundreds of thousands of views if not millions yet they were shot on whatever camera he could get ahold of. Even his vlogs were shot on entry to mid level DSLR cameras. His go-to camera was a crop sensor Canon 70D with kit lenses that only shoots 1080 at 30 fps. The story you can tell with the gear that you have is ALWAYS better than the story that's left untold. Do what you can with what you have.

Imagine this: You have been scrolling past UNBELIEVABLE social media content for the last 6 months. One day you feel inspired and you decide to finally pull the trigger and buy a camera and give this whole creating thing a shot. You get exited and realize that there is a WHOLE lot more to this videography/ photography thing than you realized. It isn't as easy as just putting it in auto mode, pointing & taking a shot, and hoping absolute bangers appear. Honestly these days I would argue that it is really tough to start out as a creator because when you open Instagram that bar is set SO HIGH that it can honestly make you play that comparison game and want to quit. What you don't realize is that these creators have been using a camera and leveling up in the craft for YEARS while you've just begun. You have to give yourself some credit sometimes and realize that you are new (Or are just out of practice) and the only way that someone else is going to look at the shots you create like that is if you actually go out and CREATE... as often as possible. All these creators you see on social media eat, breathe, and live Photography/ Videography. They make a fulltime living, they travel and document these unbelievable places, they get paid and sponsored to do this for a living. You can't compare a 2020 Ford ranger to a 1970s ford ranger. It just isn't the same. You haven't grown, you haven't matured, you haven't had the time behind the camera yet. On the flip side if you are reading this and realize that you in fact do everything I just listed out here... then give the creators around you a break. You don't know which of these creators just wants to take better pictures of their family. You don't know which of these people are looking to take better photos for upcoming vacations. You don't know the stories behind these creators. This isn't a race. We should be in a position to uplift each other. We should help those around us become better and more confident around a camera. It is our responsibility to do what we know is right and that counts just as much with making the creative space around us positive for everyone that enjoys this amazing craft.

On today's episode we talk about everything MONOTIZATION for creators. Are you starting out as a creator and/ or trying to figure out how to make a full-time living? Then this is the podcast for you. I sit down with a creator names Jusup Sandoval and we had an amazing discussion about what it takes to make money regardless of the level that you're at. This is a value filled episode for sure. Also, for those of you that don't know Jusup Sandoval (@jusup11 on Instagram) is an AMAZING creator, primarily video and photo, BUT he also paints and makes music.... He honestly does whatever it takes to create as much as possible. He is just... a creator who makes most of his income from photo and video. He has worked with TONS of clients and he's done work with/ for Bryce Vine, Bobby Crane, etc. Just an overall amazing person and a damn good creator. Best episode to date as far as knowledge and value dropped. I AM SO EXITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT SEASON 2 OF THE PODCAST IS NOW LIVE! (Honestly I have learned so much in such a little amount of time) I am exited to announce that this is now the ULTIMATE PODCAST FOR CREATORS. For those of you that don't know, I am your host NotYourAverageJoe and I am a veteran turned full-time creator. I empower you to find the creator within and help you turn passion into purpose.

Getting started as a creator is intimidating BUT just like getting into cold water the best way to get in is to just jump right in. It's going to be overwhelming, it's going to be frustrating, and you're going to have NUMEROUS questions BUT the sooner that you get started the sooner you can reach the goals you set for your creator journey. The best time to start creating is NOW. The longer you wait the longer you're delaying the success you have as a creator. STOP GETTING IN YOUR OWN WAY, there's already enough obstacles and enough people that want to see you fail. Don't be one of them, instead do what you can with what you have and level up along the way. Work toward being an example for others, Set some goals, and dive headfirst into it. It doesn't matter whether you only have a cellphone, a cheap camera, a DSLR, or a RED camera. Whatever it is that you already have or are able to get... is enough to get started with. The excuses end now. I am exited to see what you end up creating.

This podcast is abundant in three things: The struggles of being a creator, Acapella, and improv. Today I had the pleasure of sitting down with an old friend who I haven't connected with in WAYYY too long... Spencer Debenham who is an actor, a postmates driver, and an overall music enthusiast. When I think of someone willing to grind or go the extra mile I think of Spencer. He's one of the most upbeat and positive people I know and wears his heart on his sleeve. What I respect most about this guy is that he does what he loves regardless of what people might think. The thoughts and opinions of other people don't stop him from singing or playing in public or posting those videos to social media. He doesn't let the fear of ridicule or failure stop him from acting. All in all he is a resilient, reliable guy and just an overall positive presence to be around. I hope more creators, actors, and musicians can learn more about that from him as we talk about the struggles that goes into any Art form.

Do you struggle with finding your purpose and what makes you happy? In todays episode we talk about simple steps geared towards finding what makes you unique and how to start working towards fulfilling a purpose and chasing your own personal gratification.

This is the real and irrefutable reason that you don't have the things that you say you "want." I understand that is a bold statement BUT being a full-time creator from a small town I realize that living life on your terms takes everything that you have. It was only after I traveled around and learned where and how to put my efforts into my craft was I able to do it efficiently and confidently. Everywhere that I go is a lesson or a "tool" if you will that I put into my tool belt of life and experiences. Most people leave life up to chance though and end up not liking where it takes them and learn how to cope with that "unfairness" if there is something that you enjoy chase it. Anything is monetizable, if you are the best at something money will come. It just takes that leap of faith, self belief, and the journey of mastering whatever that is to get there. Instead, most of the people that I see (talking from experience of my home town) grow up avoiding everything in their lives or they grow up with a victim mentality after high school ends and they turn to things that help them forgo those feeling in the moment I.e. alcohol, drugs, women, etc. In an effort to numb whatever problem that they have instead of facing it. These problems could be not knowing what they want out of life, or a bad relationship with friends or family or even significant others, or they get caught up in a job they hate, etc. People get so caught up in feeling like they need to have fun or that they are entitled to this or that. So many of those people get caught up in impressing other people because of insecurities that they personally have. If your'e the type of person I'm describing its okay, just become self aware and change it. Easier said then done I know but worth it regardless. Get over all your pitfalls and I promise you'll learn prosperity and humility along the way. Yeah having fun is nice but when you get to a certain point into your success you can actually benefit from it rather than having to make time for it. You get to a point where you actually benefit from having fun, that it becomes a tool in your tool belt. So again, having fun is nice but have you ever cared about something in your life so much that just the sheer thought of not putting every single piece of your effort into it makes you want to work that much harder? Have you ever went to bed exited to wake up the next day? Have you ever heard your alarm go off and you pop out of bed because the adventure you're facing that day is such an excitement for you? Most people haven't. I would say 99% of people haven't. So what I would say is instead of going to the bar or playing those video games you go out and find something that makes you happy, something that you look forward to doing and wouldn't mind mastering, and find something that helps make the world a better place (benefit someone other than just yourself). That's where you start. It does take time but it's worth it. The reason most people don't know what they want to do with their life is because they haven't done enough things... so go out and enjoy your life, step out of your comfort zone, try new things. That is unless you're okay with mediocrity.

THIS IS MY BIRTHDAY PODCAST! It is SO CRAZY how time is flying by. Another year, another chance to grow and learn, and another year to see just how far I can push myself in the pursuit of my goals and betterment. I'm gonna be honest this year started out kind of slow but is looking to be a really transitional year for me and.... I could just say much but you should just listen and find out. P.S. (PSA) Honestly everything I talked about in this podcast has changed. Every plan that I had. Every concern that I had. At this point im exited to listen back myself and look at that process all over again. I hope you gain some value from this and I am exited for you to hear all about my updated plans, goals, etc. As I get my vision board going.

Todays episode is all about the inner battle we all face. Out of everything that gets in our way and despite every obstacle we face... I'd go as far as to say what's in your way most of all is you... or your mind. Maybe it's lack of knowledge or information. Your mind telling you that you aren't good enough. It could be self sabotaging or countless other things. Point is, until you conquer the mental beast that is your brain and make it work for you instead of against you... your'e going to be hard pressed to reach your potential. We all start somewhere and even if you just become more self aware... you can then start to learn how to create favorable outcomes in your life. Progress is progress. Also, thank YOU for listening to this podcast and supporting me AND for taking the time to read this. Have an amazing day and get to work on your dreams. Do it. Right now. Seriously. Start working towards it and then tell me about it, id love to hear what your trying to accomplish.

WE ARE BACK!! On today's episode I explain why I was gone AND I give a little bit of a life update. I have some exiting things going on to include a new initiative I have for myself called "a path to a better life" where I started doing all the things I know that I should be doing in order to have more purpose in my life, become more productive, and just live.... well a happier life. It all started because I was unhappy and started making those changes (Starting on the outside) by shaving my beard. I am about 30 days into it now and I couldn't be happier.

I'm exited to announce the podcasts first guest! (Drumroll please)....... my little sister Hazel! Today we both talk about the importance of school and whether or not it's as important or relevant as people make it out to be. Food for thought, how much money do schools/ universities/ etc. make?? Are you telling me that they are utilizing that money to improve their facilities the best way they can?? What could they be doing to make the public education system better than it is?   

This episode is all about why I took such a hiatus after only recording one podcast episode, all about my inner demons and how I'm conquering them (and how you can too), and about taking responsibility for the things that happen in your life (good and bad). Everything in your life happens as a result of the things you do and continue to do and the sooner we all realize that... the sooner we can make the changes in our lives that we want. Being self aware is the most important part of change. 

Hello and welcome to my FIRST PODCAST! My name is Joseph but you can call me NotYourAverageJoe! In this podcast I talk about myself and set some vague goals for the future of this podcast as well as my content creation. I also go over some big things that are going on in my life. Remember that no matter what WE ALL START SOMEWHERE. We are all running different races so focus on YOU and what YOU can control and keep pushing forward.