Podcasts about misfit inc

You should never stop asking for what you want. That's one of the many things that AJ Leon believes helps you live a life of intention, meaning, and purpose. He tells his story about evacuating a life plan after it had gone horribly wrong, speaks about starting his company, the influence of Shakespeare in his life, and much more.AJ Leon is the founder of Misfit Inc, and the author of The Life and Times of a Remarkable Misfit. You can follow him on twitter as @aljeon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-unmistakable-creative-podcast.

You should never stop asking for what you want. That's one of the many things that AJ Leon believes helps you live a life of intention, meaning, and purpose. He tells his story about evacuating a life plan after it had gone horribly wrong, speaks about starting his company, the influence of Shakespeare in his life, and much more.AJ Leon is the founder of Misfit Inc, and the author of The Life and Times of a Remarkable Misfit. You can follow him on twitter as @aljeon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cebo Campbell grew up with a father and a community only interested in one of his talents: football. When he was a kid, his father was the coach of his football team where he stressed one thing, be the best you can be. Cebo took that advice to heart and became a dynamic football player, but due to his height, only got a football scholarship from one school. So he took it. This is when Cebo started to shift his focus from athletics to academics. He was always creative, but it wasn't until his teacher encouraged him to major in writing that he truly started to focus on it. When you're a football player, your teammates shun you for being smart, so Cebo always tried to hide that part of his life. But after winning a writing competition as a freshman, he realized there was something there, so he ran with it. After graduating and spending a short stint on the west coast, Cebo moved back to Florida and worked at a hotel. While working at the hotel, he convinced the owner to let him work on the hotel's website. This would be the second big shift in his life. Cebo became interested in everything he could accomplish with website design and writing. So much so that he went to a conference centered around it. That's where he met AJ Leon. Cebo and AJ hit it off immediately. This fateful meeting ended up being the beginning of a great friendship, and eventually a job as the creative director of Misfit Inc. In this episode, Cebo talks about why you should put your all into your work, why you should take your time, and why you should always strive to be the best. Here are three things you can learn from Cebo: Put Your All Into Your Work Something Cebo believes in is the power of pouring yourself into your work. Most people believe talent is the ultimate predictor of great work, but Cebo believes great work is the result of being completely present when you're creating. "When it comes to what is good... that whole measure, I don't think measure exists in your talent. I think the measure is in how much of you are you allowing into be present in the work that you do. Can I see it? Can I feel it?" One of the things that prevents most of us from putting ourselves into our work is that when you make something personal, you open yourself up to criticism. But Cebo doesn't let that criticism stop him. "The minute that you allow yourself to be into the work that you created, you open yourself up to criticism and I have no fear of criticism." That's the problem many creatives have. They are afraid to expose themselves to criticism from the world, so they play it safe. "That's true of a lot of creatives. They're afraid of being exposed, and so they do just enough as opposed to letting it all hang out." And that's what separates Cebo's remarkable work and distinct style from most creators. He is willing to put everything into his work, even if it means opening himself up to vulnerability. If you want to make an impact with your work, you have to be willing to accept and embrace views from the outside world. Don't Be in Such a Hurry One of the burdens of being an artist is knowing when one of our pieces is ready for the world. Sometimes we toil over it for days, and other times we try to get it out as quickly as possible. Cebo believes we shouldn't be in such a hurry to release our work. We need to own it and chisel it until it's ready. "Not everything has to be shipped so fast. Not everything has to get out the door. Not everything has to be expedited. Start. Control it. Own it. Make it the way you want it to be. Chisel it if it needs to be chiseled. That's just how I look at it... I don't want to be here today, gone tomorrow." Our necessity to get things out quickly is especially true of people who work in the digital space. "We have a tendency, in particular with the web, any digital interface, to time stamp it to the trends of today." Cebo doesn't believe in following today's trends. He wants his work to stand the test of time. "I am very particular about my art. The same way I was very particular about playing sports... When it comes to art, I have no problem saying it's not ready." Even though much of his work lives on the web, Cebo doesn't treat projects like one and dones. He doesn't let other people dictate his work. He treats everything he does like a piece of art. "If it's not ready, it's just not ready. I hold to that because I think in the end it's art. If you abide by the rules that other people are imposing on both time and completion, then it's not your art anymore." That's the way we should all consider approaching our work. Whether you're a writer, musician, or painter. You should treat each piece like a work of art you can be proud of. Always Strive to Be the Best Often times we will settle for good enough. We work so long on a project that it starts to feel like a burden. We want to get it out of our hands so we can stop worrying about it. This mindset often holds us back from achieving greatness in our work. But if we want to create our best work, we need to trust ourselves and stop holding back. "I believe wholeheartedly that you have to trust your talent... and there's so many people that I work with, where you can feel them holding back. You can feel it. You can see it in the work, where they're just holding back, holding back, holding back because they're afraid their skill set doesn't allow them to go further. But I will tell anyone, when I do design workshops, don't let up. What you don't know now, you'll learn. You have everything you need to do everything you want so just keep at it and you'll get where you want to go." Always doing your best can be a challenge, but no one ever said being an artist would be easy. Anyone can create art, but very few people can create great art. "I think it's a challenge, and it's not just a challenge to art. it's a challenge to us as humans to be the best that you can be. Take it there... If it's not where you think it should be, hold onto it." Cebo doesn't settle for good enough. He puts everything into his work. Even though he knows he might not be the best at everything, that doesn't stop him from doing his best. That's the attitude he wants everyone to pursue, not just with their art but in everything they do. "It's only the best that I know. It doesn't mean I'm going to be better than every person in the world. I just want to realize the potential that I feel that I have, and I think individually as a pursuit for everyone, not just in art, but in their lives just go out with intention and purpose. Take yourself seriously." Read more shownotes from episode 83

At the pinnacle point of his career AJ Leon, founder of the creative agency Misfit Inc was working as an investment banker in Manhattan was offered a major promotion that was going to make him well over 6 figures walks into his $10,000 office overlooking the city and started to break down as he knows he was faced with a decision that will forever change his life! check out pathhunters.com for more on AJ

A.J. walked away from a corner office on Wall Street because he realized that his life was inauthentic. Since then, he's been on a roll. He founded Misfit—one of the most enigmatic, admirable hunter-gatherer enterprises around. His life is full of travel, love, passion, and positive energy. Plus, he's brilliant, good-looking, and dances like a Cuban. F*ck that guy. Music: "Distinto," by Orishas; "Lekela Muadi," by Tshala Muana.

Living a remarkable life. We all want it, yet so few of us actually execute and live it. w   We have AJ Leon from MisFit Inc on the show this week.    AJ Leon came from a background in finance and was quite successful by every metric in the world.   Corner office, insane salary bonuses, manhattan skyline, $10,000 desk, He seemingly had it all.   But inside, he was depressed.   He knew that if he continued down this path, he would never live the life he was meant for.   Ultimately, he made a choice and gave up his old life to pursue a life filled with meaning. Filled with significance, nomadic travels around the globe, creating art and humanitarian projects.   He shares his in-depth story with us in this interview and tells us how we can start living our own remarkable lives.   It's not about following me or following AJ, it's about deciding for yourself what kind of life you want to live and start walking in that direction.   AJ is one of the most passionate speakers I have come across and there is a lot of colourful language being used in this episode.   For show notes and links mentioned in the show, please go to www.theinnerchangemaker.com/podcast-shownotes/057   LINKS -- Join the Legacy Driven Entrepreneurs Community (it's FREE): http://www.theinnerchangemaker.com/tribe Are you enjoying the podcast? Listen to the episode here and leave us a review: Apple: http://apple.co/1JUHcG9 Android: http://bit.ly/2nuoGpl TuneIn: http://bit.ly/2BjY0gU Breaker: http://bit.ly/2BRwOCb iHeartRadio: http://bit.ly/2BhMr9L Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2BbuWEg Want to grab my NEW audio training? Grab a FREE copy of "How To Be The Leader You Truly Are": http://www.theinnerchangemaker.com/leadership Launching a podcast? Grab my Podcast Creation Roadmap: http://www.theinnerchangemaker.com/roadmap

AJ Leon, founder of the creative agency Misfit Inc, returns to the show to discuss living a life of meaning, intention and purpose. HIGHLIGHTS Why you always have a choice in your life Letting go of our need to prove people wrong Evacuating a life plan that had gone horribly wrong Why you should never stop asking for what you want Understanding the difference between courage and defiance The difference between starting a company and starting to live deliberately Wisdom from AJ's Cuban Grandmother QUOTES I'm not necessarily courageous, but I am defiant.  @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU You always have a choice. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU Sooner or later the person that you want to be will be merge into the person you are. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU If you're good at what you do, people will want more of it. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU What I'm interested is not success, but significance. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU AJ Leon is the founder of Misft Inc, and the author of The Life and Times of Remarkable Misfit. You can follow him on twitter @aljeon  AJ Leon, founder of the creative agency Misfit Inc, returns to the show to discuss living a life of meaning, intention and purpose. HIGHLIGHTS Why you always have a choice in your life Letting go of our need to prove people wrong Evacuating a life plan that had gone horribly wrong Why you should never stop asking for what you want Understanding the difference between courage and defiance The difference between starting a company and starting to live deliberately Wisdom from AJ's Cuban Grandmother QUOTES I'm not necessarily courageous, but I am defiant.  @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU You always have a choice. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU Sooner or later the person that you want to be will be merge into the person you are. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU If you're good at what you do, people will want more of it. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU What I'm interested is not success, but significance. @ajleon via @unmistakableCR https://bit.ly/1UrqkNU AJ Leon is the founder of Misft Inc, and the author of The Life and Times of Remarkable Misfit. You can follow him on twitter @aljeon  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jon Wilkening left a successful career in finance to become a fine art photographer. His whole life, he felt like he was different and couldn't shake a sense of not quite belonging. It's hardly surprising when you think he's an American whose childhood was spent in the Netherlands and India. He was 12 by the time he settled permanently in the US. Jon speaks about his fascinating upbringing and about how he came to make a risky, yet fulfilling leap from finance to photography. You'll also hear about the influence AJ Leon and the force of nature that is Misfit Inc had on his life. A special mention goes to Jane Boyd, a mutual friend who brought Jon and I together for the show. 

AJ used to be an unremarkably, average financial executive in Manhattan. One day he decided to stop living the life he was supposed to live, and started living the life he was destined to live. Now, he spends most of his time changing the world. He's a world wide nomad who makes things happen. He is the Chief Maker of Trouble at Misfit Inc.

Relent Not One Inch If starting something from scratch is tough... And choosing a course of action, a direction, and a speed is scary... Then giving up a lucrative job in New York to bootstrap a business, create a paradigm-shifting, book publishing venture, and travel across the world in a van in 1080 days must be madness. But that's exactly what AJ Leon decided to do. Why? In AJ's own words (click to tweet): I don’t want to relent not one f@#%ing inch. [AJ Leon] Choosing a Course From an outside perspective, AJ had everything going for him; a financially stable job in New York, an amazing and supportive soon to be wife, and a lucrative promotion just days away. Except on the inside, everything wasn't so great. AJ had a painful epiphany the day before a big promotion; he realized if he takes this promotion, he's stuck in this lifestyle forever (a lifestyle that, while socially respectable, drained him of energy and passion). The next day, AJ quit his job and chose his own course; no plan, no preparation, no waiting around for someone to tell him what to do. If you want to understand what it means to draw your own map, talk to AJ. About AJ Leon AJ Leon is a writer, designer, entrepreneur, humanitarian and nomad. He is the founder of Misfit Inc, where he helps brands take over the world. You can find out more about his business at misfit-inc.com, and read about his travels at his personal branded website: aj-leon.com. AJ and his wife, Melissa, are currently on a mission to travel across the world in 1,080 days.  You can follow along at pursuitofeverything.com. AJ also produces Misfit Quarterly – a creative arts journal dedicated to showcasing the work of artistic carriers of the misfit flame.  The digital edition is free – but AJ also does a limited release run of the print version; something I’m a proud subscriber of.  If you’re interested, checkout misfit-inc.com/quarterly. Amazing Quotes from this Equally Amazing Interview I don’t want to relent not one f@#%ing inch.” (click to tweet) This is what I want and I’m going to live my life deliberately based on the choices I make.  If it crumbles in my hand, then at least it’s on me. (click to tweet) True greatness is only a reflection of the failure that is probable in the pursuit of it. (click to tweet) There has to be a possibility that whatever you’re doing may end in cataclysmic failure or it’s probably not worth doing. (click to tweet) Don’t listen to anybody. (click to tweet) More than ever before there is an absurd amount of propaganda out there in the world and there are people that …in a very well intentioned way guide you toward safety, and security, and compliance, and complacency…you should question all of that. Take 3 or 6 months to write down what you want your one and only life to represent on this planet – what you want to accomplish – what you want to be different because you were here…write it all down and use that as a signpost moving forward…but don’t take your cues from society…it will lead you to despondence. Keep on doing it…you’re going to f@#% up…keep on putting one foot in front of the other in defiance of a conventional and conformitive life. (click to tweet) What AJ Leon and I Discuss in this Interview Quitting a successful career for uncertainty and possible failure The power of bold, audacious moves Creative entrepreneurship: what it takes to become a creative entrepreneur and why it’s so essential you become one The absurd awesomeness of taking a 1080 day trip around the world (via a trailer named Pegassus) Overcoming the fear of embarking on an uncertain journey What true absence of fear is (hint: it’s not courage) “No one ever did anything spectacular without taking great risk” Why pressing deeper into uncertainty is the only way to deal with fear How you harness creative energy to create tangible products The power of writing in the morning The power of solitude Waking up at 430 in the morning for exercise and creative development The importance of design in every project you ever create (looks matter!) How aesthetics can set you, your business, or your art apart from everyone else Artisan and Handcrafted work matters more now than ever The mystical power of scarcity in building your brand Adding value to your business through selective craftsmanship The importance of combining art + business + creativity + personality How AJ balances traveling across the world in a bus (The Pegasus), runs his business, creates his art, manages his social network, and still has time to get interviewed by Tom Morkes! Making the leap to doing what you love without a safety net – advice AJ would never give to anyone else, but it was the only way for him to take control of his life (and the world is thankful) Why you should not listen to anybody (the  irony isn’t lost on us) Connect with AJ Leon: Twitter Facebook Google+ More Show Notes: Pursuit of Everything Manifesto by AJ Leon: Read AJ's amazing eBook here (he'll be kickstarting the physical edition very soon!). Escape From Cubicle Nation: A great resource for people who want to quit their job and pursue their passion. Good Life Project interview with AJ and Melissa Leon: Great interview.  Watch it. Misfit Quarterly: Get the free digital edition here.  Or join me and be awesome and support an awesome initiative by grabbing the limited edition softcover.

AJ used to be an unremarkably, average financial executive in Manhattan. One day he decided to stop living the life he was supposed to live, and started living the life he was destined to live. Now, he spends most of his time changing the world. He's a world wide nomad who makes things happen. He is the Chief Maker of Trouble at Misfit Inc.