Step 3: Lessons learned in business, professionalism, and life.

Can't we all just get along? Unfortunately not :(  But you have to keep trying right? Also no. But it's a good thing to try to get along with everyone right?  Yes, but sometimes getting along means not engaging with everyone who crosses your path.  Even if they want to!  You have to trust your gut about what's a good fit or not, and stop trying to make EVERYTHING work, just for its own sake. Trust me, I take every opportunity to blame myself for relationships that go south, but the truth is, the red flags were there all along, but I was hunting for the exception, trying to prove that I could make it work through sheer power of will.  Nope. Listen now! P.S. I was wrong, it's Wanda who has one of my favorite quotes from Bojack Horseman:

The final, belated, episode of season 1! Well, it's taken a while to get this episode out, but it was time.  While the first couple of episodes of this series are about limiting or reducing certain distracting elements from your life, this time around I wanted to talk about the ways we shut ourselves off from new experiences and how we can open ourselves up to new things to enjoy.

Finally watched it, and yes, I have thoughts. In my latest blu-ray binge I caught up on La La Land, brought to us by the same folks behind Whiplash, and just like Whiplash, I have thoughts.  They share similar themes about ambition and life choices, which I didn't expect, but was happy to find.  Since then I've also seen a lot of reviewers that really worked their asses off to make sure they miss the actual point of the film— incredible!  So forget them, listen to my ramblings and unearth the true wisdom behind Ryan Gosling dancing.  Ryan Gosling dancing. Listening to this episode is not as good as Ryan Gosling dancing, but you should still listen.

People love to hate on social media, but really we just need to be more mindful. It's nigh impossible to go within 5 clicks of any online publication without hitting an article trying to capitalize on being either pro or anti social media.  Critics are eager to heap on the blame for just about everything on social media.  While I'm not going to deny that social media has brought out a wonderfully dark and horrible side of humanity, it isn't new, it's just now becoming common public knowledge. As always my stance is one of moderation and meditation.  It's not about trying to blame or praise, but rather looking within to judge whether this is a tool to help you move forward, or a stumbling block holding you back :) Listen to episode 19 now!

Are you a mix of the 5 people you spend the most time with?  Maybe, maybe not, but they have an undeniable affect on you... Regardless of how you feel about the pop-psych idiom that you are a combination of the five people you spend the most time with, you can't deny that there are certain aspects of your personality that come out around certain people— especially if they have a dominant personality!  In this series of episodes I'm going to be talking about the different aspects of the environment you create for yourself throughout your life, and encourage you to think about how that has molded you into the person you are. Listen now!

You worked yourself to the bone to become a successful agency owner— but how do you stay true to yourself when that means leaving what you've built behind you? This week I happened to catch Kyle Maurer, former owner of RealBigMarketing and brand new disciple of Pippin (easydigitaldownloads.com), while he was in town and we were able to sit down and talk about how he got into running his own agency– and how he recently got out of it. Kyle offers up a ton of wisdom in this episode, and every digital agency owner I know will relate on a deeply personal level to his struggles with the agency life and his ultimate departure.  He was able to stay true to his own desire for autonomy while also respecting his limitations, and focusing on doing what he is best at, and offers him the most satisfaction.  I'd call that a resounding success! And as a special treat, ie on a whim, we laid down a folksy rendition of Strangers by The Kinks.  It's a beautiful trainwreck, just like everything else about this podcast, so buckle up! Listen to episode 17 now!

And sometimes it's your own damn fault. Two weeks ago I broke one of my cardinal rules, and while the price I paid wasn't as costly as it could have been, it wasn't pretty either.  Sometimes you work too much, you let things get to you, and eventually all of the stress you're trying to keep under wraps decides to come out and play. Sometimes you trip, sometimes you fall, sometimes you lay there a minute and feel sorry for yourself.  But if you're here today, you've pulled yourself up every time and gotten right back to it, so good on ya! Listen to Episode 15 now!

Imposter syndrome strikes again But this time we did it LIVE at WordCamp Jackson!  Mike Hale joins me to talk about Imposter Syndrome and we get some fresh perspectives on all of the ways this insidious little bug in our collective ear is hellbent on sabotaging our positivity! Listen to EP14 now!

Imposter syndrome strikes again But this time we did it LIVE at WordCamp Jackson!  Mike Hale joins me to talk about Imposter Syndrome and we get some fresh perspectives on all of the ways this insidious little bug in our collective ear is hellbent on sabotaging our positivity! Listen to EP14 now!

What is the price of greatness? That is one question posed by the 2014 film Whiplash.  And it's a question near and dear to my own heart.  But it's also not the only question posted by the film, and it's certainly not the only question I've been asking myself since watching it.  The whole experience of the film resonated with me on a subatomic level, using some sort of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff to connect me via some loosely construed string theory-esque quantum magic with my past self, laboring under a cruel mentor, building websites.  It made me question some of the conclusions I've made since, and how to think about ambition in my daily life. Listen to episode 13 of Step 3 now!

What is the price of greatness? That is one question posed by the 2014 film Whiplash.  And it’s a question near and dear to my own heart.  But it’s also not the only question posted by the film, and it’s certainly not the only question I’ve been asking myself since watching it.  The whole experience of the film resonated with me on a subatomic level, using some sort of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff to connect me via some loosely construed string theory-esque quantum magic with my past self, laboring under a cruel mentor, building websites.  It made me question some of the conclusions I’ve made since, and how to think about ambition in my daily life. Listen to episode 13 of Step 3 now!

What are we waiting for? When we're kids, we need our parents' approval, we need their permission.  When we go to school, we need our teachers' approval, and their permission.  When we go to work...and so on.  The thing is, outside of those controlled environments (and inside for that matter!) we should be able to give ourselves approval and permission, but we don't, and it's easy to see why!  We so rarely give ourselves permission to relax, to be happy, to say no (especially to say no), meanwhile our life ticks away while other people wind up making our decisions for us.  That's not living is it?! In this episode I talk (for far too long) about that daily struggle, as well as some of the super personal moments in which I needed someone else's permission to grow as a person. Listen to Episode 12 - Permission to Land

What are we waiting for? When we’re kids, we need our parents’ approval, we need their permission.  When we go to school, we need our teachers’ approval, and their permission.  When we go to work…and so on.  The thing is, outside of those controlled environments (and inside for that matter!) we should be able to give ourselves approval and permission, but we don’t, and it’s easy to see why!  We so rarely give ourselves permission to relax, to be happy, to say no (especially to say no), meanwhile our life ticks away while other people wind up making our decisions for us.  That’s not living is it?! In this episode I talk (for far too long) about that daily struggle, as well as some of the super personal moments in which I needed someone else’s permission to grow as a person. Listen to Episode 12 – Permission to Land

What matters most? Everyone can answer that a little differently- what makes you feel free, like anything is possible?  What gets you excited about life?  Something BIG, something borderline cosmic.  In this episode I talk about that feeling when you get when you find that purpose that extends beyond yourself and makes you feel like you're part of something immense. For me that obsession is travel, experiencing different cultures and peoples, learning languages and customs- feeling like a citizen of the planet more than just Michigan.  When I think about the immense diversity of life on this planet I can't help but be awestruck– I want to see it all!  And that is part of the purpose that drives me forward- how about you? Listen to episode 10 now!

What matters most? Everyone can answer that a little differently- what makes you feel free, like anything is possible?  What gets you excited about life?  Something BIG, something borderline cosmic.  In this episode I talk about that feeling when you get when you find that purpose that extends beyond yourself and makes you feel like you’re part of something immense. For me that obsession is travel, experiencing different cultures and peoples, learning languages and customs- feeling like a citizen of the planet more than just Michigan.  When I think about the immense diversity of life on this planet I can’t help but be awestruck– I want to see it all!  And that is part of the purpose that drives me forward- how about you? Listen to episode 10 now!

Mo’ Money mo’ problems Money is the root of…so many things!  Not least of which a whole host of psychological troubles.  Towards the end we go totally off the rails in a dissection of modern society and evolutionary psychology, so buckle up.  This is happening. And don’t forget to stop by and leave us a review on iTunes! Listen Now!

Mo' Money mo' problems Money is the root of...so many things!  Not least of which a whole host of psychological troubles.  Towards the end we go totally off the rails in a dissection of modern society and evolutionary psychology, so buckle up.  This is happening. And don't forget to stop by and leave us a review on iTunes! Listen Now!

Not just the title of a Good Charlotte song I used to listen to in those halcyon days of youth… Though that is why I chose it.  But seriously- motivation is with us when we wake up, keeps us up at night, and buzzes in our ears all day every day.  The question is whether we’re listening to true motivators, or false ones.  Are we motivated our fear of failure, or by a greater sense of purpose in our success?  You can see how the difference is pretty crucial to your happiness and mental health. So strap in y’all, I’m going to lay out false motivators, and their accompanying true motivations that actually bring out the best in people.  So whether you manage staff, have colleagues that need an uplift, or are struggling with feeling motivated in your own personal endeavors, check this episode out, it’s a good one. PS I fixed my recording issues so the audio quality is so much better, muchos apologies for the potato quality last week. Listen to Episode 8 – Motivate Me (seriously do it)

Not just the title of a Good Charlotte song I used to listen to in those halcyon days of youth... Though that is why I chose it.  But seriously- motivation is with us when we wake up, keeps us up at night, and buzzes in our ears all day every day.  The question is whether we're listening to true motivators, or false ones.  Are we motivated our fear of failure, or by a greater sense of purpose in our success?  You can see how the difference is pretty crucial to your happiness and mental health. So strap in y'all, I'm going to lay out false motivators, and their accompanying true motivations that actually bring out the best in people.  So whether you manage staff, have colleagues that need an uplift, or are struggling with feeling motivated in your own personal endeavors, check this episode out, it's a good one. PS I fixed my recording issues so the audio quality is so much better, muchos apologies for the potato quality last week. Listen to Episode 8 - Motivate Me (seriously do it)

Can't we all just get along? Everyone is different, reacts differently, thinks differently, solves problems differently, copes differently, etc.  How do we take this melting pot of human psyche and form a functioning team out of it? The ups and downs and all arounds of developing some content building tools helped me better identify where some personality differences were causing a divide in my team.  When I finally came to an understanding of the root of the problem, it all became clear, and I could start moving towards a positive solution for everyone.  This episode is a bit of an exploration of that thought process, how to balance a team and assign tasks effectively in a small office where people have to wear multiple hats. Don't forget to send me your thoughts, musings, and pizza rolls to my webzone podcast@buildcreate.com The Right Person for the Job - Exploring Team Dynamics ft Alex Beaudin

Can’t we all just get along? Everyone is different, reacts differently, thinks differently, solves problems differently, copes differently, etc.  How do we take this melting pot of human psyche and form a functioning team out of it? The ups and downs and all arounds of developing some content building tools helped me better identify where some personality differences were causing a divide in my team.  When I finally came to an understanding of the root of the problem, it all became clear, and I could start moving towards a positive solution for everyone.  This episode is a bit of an exploration of that thought process, how to balance a team and assign tasks effectively in a small office where people have to wear multiple hats. Don’t forget to send me your thoughts, musings, and pizza rolls to my webzone podcast@buildcreate.com The Right Person for the Job – Exploring Team Dynamics ft Alex Beaudin

Sometimes work is hell.  And your boss is the devil. Lets face it, just about everyone has had to work for or with people that have made their lives hell for…whatever reason.  Taking out life’s frustration on the people around us is inevitable, it happens, we’re all guilty of it, but most of us don’t make the cornerstone of our personality.  In this episode Matthew and I remove our filters (if you don’t like swearing, skip this episode) and share our  horror stories and some of the lessons we’ve learned along the way. We’re sipping on a fine vintage of hatorade in this episode, so if you are ready for some catharsis, this is the episode for you.  If you’re looking for a bright ray of sunshine, avoid this until you’re in a worse mood, then come listen and rant along with us. Episode 6: Toxicity

Sometimes work is hell.  And your boss is the devil. Lets face it, just about everyone has had to work for or with people that have made their lives hell for...whatever reason.  Taking out life's frustration on the people around us is inevitable, it happens, we're all guilty of it, but most of us don't make the cornerstone of our personality.  In this episode Matthew and I remove our filters (if you don't like swearing, skip this episode) and share our  horror stories and some of the lessons we've learned along the way. We're sipping on a fine vintage of hatorade in this episode, so if you are ready for some catharsis, this is the episode for you.  If you're looking for a bright ray of sunshine, avoid this until you're in a worse mood, then come listen and rant along with us. Episode 6: Toxicity

No one is an island. Not going to lie, I was skeptical of the whole coach/mentor thing in my younger days.  Over time I came to realize that having someone who's invested in your success, but not your feelings, is invaluable for getting objective feedback and accountability.  Don't get me wrong, it's a close relationship, it's 1000% honest, but the goal of the relationship isn't friendship, but success.  Having someone in your corner that's not afraid to tell you exactly what's up is an incredible asset that everyone should seek out! So that's the goal of this episode, to convince folks to go out there and look in your life, community, and colleagues for other professionals that can share their wisdom with you. Episode 5: Get a Mentor

No one is an island. Not going to lie, I was skeptical of the whole coach/mentor thing in my younger days.  Over time I came to realize that having someone who’s invested in your success, but not your feelings, is invaluable for getting objective feedback and accountability.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a close relationship, it’s 1000% honest, but the goal of the relationship isn’t friendship, but success.  Having someone in your corner that’s not afraid to tell you exactly what’s up is an incredible asset that everyone should seek out! So that’s the goal of this episode, to convince folks to go out there and look in your life, community, and colleagues for other professionals that can share their wisdom with you. Episode 5: Get a Mentor

Make some stuff, sell some stuff. This episode is about Steps 1, and 2- making stuff, and selling it.  I’m joined this week by Ross Johnson of 3.7 Design Co, to talk about how each of us got our start making websites, selling websites, and of course the obstacles and mental gymnastics that had to be surmounted in order to keep doing it today.  While we come from different backgrounds, educations, and career paths, we wound up in the same spot.  So come along for the journey, learn a thing or two! As always, send questions, comments, random facts to podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3: EP4 – Listen now!

Make some stuff, sell some stuff. This episode is about Steps 1, and 2- making stuff, and selling it.  I'm joined this week by Ross Johnson of 3.7 Design Co, to talk about how each of us got our start making websites, selling websites, and of course the obstacles and mental gymnastics that had to be surmounted in order to keep doing it today.  While we come from different backgrounds, educations, and career paths, we wound up in the same spot.  So come along for the journey, learn a thing or two! As always, send questions, comments, random facts to podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3: EP4 - Listen now!

How many plates can you keep spinning at once? Between work/running a business, doing client work, raising kids, maintaining relationships, etc daily life can become a tangled mess of responsibilities and passions, so how can we keep those in a  healthy balance?  We seek answers from an old friend. Everyone's circumstances, job, and personal interests are different, and as such how we keep them balanced is unique to each person.  At different times in our lives, the balance can shift in favor of work, or personal interests.  So take a listen, and think about what truly excites you in life, and whether you're giving that the time and attention it deserves! Enjoy!  And feel free to send me love/hate/indifference at podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3 - Work vs. Life

How many plates can you keep spinning at once? Between work/running a business, doing client work, raising kids, maintaining relationships, etc daily life can become a tangled mess of responsibilities and passions, so how can we keep those in a  healthy balance?  We seek answers from an old friend. Everyone’s circumstances, job, and personal interests are different, and as such how we keep them balanced is unique to each person.  At different times in our lives, the balance can shift in favor of work, or personal interests.  So take a listen, and think about what truly excites you in life, and whether you’re giving that the time and attention it deserves! Enjoy!  And feel free to send me love/hate/indifference at podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3 – Work vs. Life

Inbox Zero is dead, Long Live Email Anarchy Or something. Remember when you got AOL in the mid nineties and the flush of excitement hearing that weird voice say “You’ve Got Mail” would bring?  So much so that they even made a bloody movie about it?  No one feels that way about email any more.  The flush of excitement is more of a fight or flight response as a myriad of scenarios flash through your mind as to why someone is emailing you at 11:32pm. What to do about this new and exciting anxiety that has become a way of life for most of us?  I’m not sure.  But we do have some ideas! Enjoy!  And feel free to send me love/hate/indifference at podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3: Email Anarchy

Inbox Zero is dead, Long Live Email Anarchy Or something. Remember when you got AOL in the mid nineties and the flush of excitement hearing that weird voice say "You've Got Mail" would bring?  So much so that they even made a bloody movie about it?  No one feels that way about email any more.  The flush of excitement is more of a fight or flight response as a myriad of scenarios flash through your mind as to why someone is emailing you at 11:32pm. What to do about this new and exciting anxiety that has become a way of life for most of us?  I'm not sure.  But we do have some ideas! Enjoy!  And feel free to send me love/hate/indifference at podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3: Email Anarchy

Lessons in business, professionalism, and life. Introducing Step 3, our new podcast!  Step 3 expands upon a conference talk I give regularly that always seems to run over on time as I ramble on about the rollercoaster ride of professional life. As the talk has resonated with audiences in the past, I hope this podcast will be equally impactful, albeit in slightly more bitesize chunks, delivered weekly.  With that said, please enjoy the first episode, where I talk about Imposter Syndrome, where it comes from, how it affects us, and how we as professionals can work against it and take steps to move forward. Enjoy!  And feel free to send me love/hate/indifference at podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3 - Imposter Syndrome

Lessons in business, professionalism, and life. Introducing Step 3, our new podcast!  Step 3 expands upon a conference talk I give regularly that always seems to run over on time as I ramble on about the rollercoaster ride of professional life. As the talk has resonated with audiences in the past, I hope this podcast will be equally impactful, albeit in slightly more bitesize chunks, delivered weekly.  With that said, please enjoy the first episode, where I talk about Imposter Syndrome, where it comes from, how it affects us, and how we as professionals can work against it and take steps to move forward. Enjoy!  And feel free to send me love/hate/indifference at podcast@buildcreate.com Step 3 – Imposter Syndrome