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BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint Workshop – 2019 Locations & DatesSydney, Australia: July 13-14th at Clean Shred. Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis). This workshop will piggyback on the material Dean Somerset and I covered in the original Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint. With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:
Find out more details HERE. 2. Strategic Strength Workshop – Boston, MALuke (Worthington) and I did this workshop last summer in London and figured it’s only fair to bring it State side. Combined we have 30+ years of coaching experience (I.e., one Mike Boyle or Dan John) and this workshop will be two days where we uncover every nook and cranny as it relates to how we assess our clients/athletes and how we best prepare them for the rigors of every day life/sport.
This will be a unique opportunity for people to learn from myself, but especially Luke, who is one of the best and brightest coaches I know. This will be his first time teaching in the States. For more information and to register you can go HERE. 3. Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop – Chicago, ILThis will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX. This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out…. …their clients! Click THIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location. SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORKCalories, Sex, & 100 Year Old People – Brandon MancineA case for NOT counting calories. Once you’re done throwing your face into the computer screen, give this a read. I think it sends a great message. Practical Program Design Mastery – Nick TumminelloNOTE: I get zero financial kickback for pointing my audience towards this resource. It’s just really, REALLY fucking good. We like to overcomplicate things, especially when it comes to writing training programs:
Nick is brilliant when it comes to this stuff and I encourage any fitness pro (or anyone who writes their own programs) to check this bad boy out. Why PE Should Be Required From Kindergarten to College – Robert Roy BrittI have a toddler. I swear to god I will go Billy Madison on everyone’s ass if his school takes away recess and PE. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2019/05/stuff-to-read-while-youre-pretending-to-work-5-31-19/
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This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. The other day I watched a Baby Tylenol commercial that moved me to tears (I know, I’m a pretty easy target!). The hero of the ad was a baby with an ear infection and, while his mom tried everything to comfort her little one, the only thing that finally brought everyone some relief was, you guessed it, Baby Tylenol. Now who do you think has a baby who recently had an ear infection? That’s right, me! Those clever ad people know if you tell a story that resonates with a specific pain point, throw in a cute baby, and heart-string-tugging musical score, the first thing that target customer will reach for next time their baby is sick is Baby Tylenol. If one of your business goals is to increase engagement, grow your audience, and turn prospects in to paying clients more consistently, here are three powerful reasons why you should right and share your brand story: 1) Stories inspire and build emotional connection How to apply this to your business or career: Instead of articulating the features of your work, think about the story of why you decided to do what you do? Was there a particular event that triggered your decision? A teacher or mentor who inspired you? Write down everything that comes to you, regardless how insignificant or familiar it feels. Hold that thought, because you’re going to use that to build your story later! Side note, for more on this check out Simon Sinek’s TED talk, Start with Why. 2) Stories build community How to apply this to your business or career: Brainstorm ways you could build a community around your work and mission. What’s the story that inspires the community? What’s the main purpose of creating that community? Who would you want to invite? It could be as simple as a Facebook group, starting a podcast, or building a platform for people to connect and learn. Don’t worry about the “how” for now, just the “why” and “who.” 3) Sharing your story builds trust How to apply this to your business or career: Think of an experience or time in your life that galvanized you around your mission and vision to do what you do. It can be positive or negative. But if it was a negative event, be sure the story has a happy, inspiring ending. You want to take your prospective clients on a journey that lifts them up, not brings them down! If you feel shy about sharing your story, or don’t know where to start, you’re in good company. Few of us come out of the womb willing to be totally visible and share the ups and downs of our experiences and growth. As the tennis legend Arthur Ashe so perfectly put it, “start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” If you’re ready to bust out your story, but know you’ll never do it on your own, I can help! During a 90-minute Skype coaching session, we’ll drill down to who your audience is, what matters to them, and how craft a brand story that builds the connection and trust that builds business. Interested? Email me at [email protected] to learn more and get your session in the calendar! I’d love to hear from you. Do you share your story? Would you like to? Please share a comment below! Justine Clay is a speaker and business coach for creative entrepreneurs and freelancers. Sign up for Justine’s free guide: How to Find High-Quality Clients and Get Paid What You’re Worth. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/05/30/3-powerful-reasons-to-write-your-brand-story/
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Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular, Travis Hansen. It mirrors a sentiment I’ve been championing for a few years now: That we don’t have to start hyperventilating into a paper bag the second we notice asymmetry in our clients/athletes. It behooves us to maybe lean into it a bit more. Not always, of course. But certainly more often than we think. Embrace Asymmetries For Improved PerformanceI’m sure there are many who read this article title and immediately wanted to grab their pitchfork. Hear me out. There are many times when you actually need to embrace the notion that our body’s natural anatomical design consists of several structural asymmetries perfectly balanced to allow us to perform at a higher level. Cue dramatic chipmunk here. [embedded content] Moreover, there are even times when you can implement an imbalanced approach both through a direct exercise, but also through how much volume you incorporate, to help neutralize a dysfunction that currently exists. And lastly, even in the presence of elastic/power, strength, and even limb length disadvantages, the body routinely seeks a way to remain healthy and perform at a higher level. Note From TG: If you’re interested, HERE‘s my take on why leaning into asymmetry is likely the right branch to bark up. You know, because I’M ALWAYS RIGHT. First Layer of AsymmetryLets take a look at the first element of asymmetry that exists in the human body beginning at the foot. I don’t think anyone would argue at this point that the various plantar flexors of the foot responsible primarily for propulsion in human movement vastly out-weight and out-perform the smaller and less powerful dorsiflexors of the foot. Why would this be the case though? If one group, which primarily lies on the backside of the lower leg, dominates the front side of the foot, wouldn’t there be tearing that would occur on the front eventually regardless of how much of an attempt to balance the leg is achieved? The shin muscles do indeed tear from (mainly) eccentric overload and weakness but this can be solved. Regardless, a balance exists at the lower leg just like many other areas, and there is just enough size and strength present in the leg in healthy individuals to allow this imbalance to occur without any problems. Another example, can be seen at the shoulder. Consider that your Latissimus Dorsi, teres major, biceps, anterior deltoid, and pecs all have the capacity to drive the shoulder into horizontal adduction and accelerate the arm explosively, while everything on the backside, which isn’t much, is stuck with the job of having to slow this arm action done. Of course, the posterior muscles will fail to match the strength output of the powerful anterior shoulder group. However, we’re designed pretty miraculously. Our shoulder, specifically the posterior cuff, can slow “things” down just enough to bridge the large gap between front and backside and allow us to remain healthy and continue to increase throwing velocity without much issue. Note From TG: Another way to think of it is that if the body WAS designed symmetrically or if we went out of our way to seek it, that would likely inhibit an athlete’s ability to throw a baseball in the first place. As a thrower throws, particularly at a young age, there’s a bony adaptation that occurs (retroversion) which then allows for an aggressive layback position to throw a baseball faster and faster. If we tried to “fix” that or if the body was designed to be “equal” we’d have a lot of 72 MPH fastballs out there. Of course, this isn’t to say there aren’t certain training modalities and manual therapy approaches we can implement to help “offset” this imbalance; there are many. That being said, from an athletic development standpoint, the late Charles Poliquin even pointed out that elite sprinters carried a much more powerful posterior chain than anterior chain in attempts to sprint faster. Charles declared a 100% ratio, but whether or not that figure is valid remains unseen. To support his statement and raw figures aside, the body cannot run faster after initial phases of sprinting since vertical forces stagnate and any further increase in running speed stems from increased hamstring, glute, and horizontal force production. The Second Layer of AsymmetryThe next example where we can begin to appreciate imbalances deals with a particular approach to program design in those people with “severe” asymmetries. Take an anterior pelvic tilt for example. If this message hasn’t been driven into your brain enough already, it’s worth repeating one more time since its still so prevalent: …and that is utilizing a pre-dominant training ratio hip to quad exercises. There is naturally a slight lordosis and anterior pelvic tilt that does and should exist in athletic and power-based postures, but excessive imbalance is what becomes problematic. The same scenario can be seen at the shoulder like was previously mentioned, anterior versus posterior core, and in other planes of motion as well. Along these same lines, you will see training tactics such as RNT, PAILs, and RAILs all seeking to address imbalances by subtly or substantially inducing imbalances. Alwyn Cosgrove first coined the idea of creating an imbalance to cure an existing one. For example, if you present with a common lateral weight shift during a squat you can actually add increased poundage towards the side of the shift or set up a resistance band to pull you in that same direction to built an instinctive reflex to get you back towards center. Note From TG: You can see that in action HERE. More importantly, it will create a tactile awareness of the issue that you will have memory of in the future in case that same issue decides to manifest again and you will know precisely how to correct it. Third Layer of AsymmetryLastly, is the issue of seeking to reduce or even eliminate according to some, the effect of having one limb stronger or more powerful than the other. In the most extreme cases, you can witness the damaging effects of strength discrepancies with common orthopedic evaluations such as the 90 degree isometric lateral raise test. It’s been stated that if there is a strength imbalance or pain response that results in one arm being over +50 percent stronger than the weaker arm that could be indicative of a full thickness tear to the supraspinatus muscle. So yes, there does need to be at least some balance or an attempt to balance out joints for an athletic performance standpoint to prevent scenario’s such as this one. But is it fair to ever think that we could actually fully restore joint strength so that we are equally strong everywhere? No. 1) For the reasons that were mentioned earlier based on our anatomical design, and 2) you just won’t see it happen. If you truly test single leg strength with optimal testing selections such as pistol/single leg squats, or Bulgarian drills for strength capacity, or advanced bounding plyometric variations for power, you will witness differences in volume, endurance, and intensity more times than not.
And That’s ThatOn a final note, consider that Usain Bolt has one leg that is inches longer than the other but contributes to key characteristics of sprinting speed, and this notion of imbalance is further perpetuated. Maybe it’s time we start to look at imbalance differently when necessary and start embracing the notion rather than trying to erroneously fight it, and see what happens. About the AuthorTravis Hansen has been involved in the field of Human Performance Enhancement for nearly a decade. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and holds 3 different training certifications from the ISSA, NASM, and NCSF. He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBADL for their 2010 season, and he is currently the Director of The Reno Speed School inside the South Reno Athletic Club. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to professional ranks. He is the author of the hot selling “Speed Encyclopedia,” and he is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2019/05/embrace-asymmetries-for-improved-performance/
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According to Twitter user Marcus DiPaola, CNN sent a letter to freelancers this week stating that as of June 17 of this year, it would extend payment terms to “Net 90” (payment 90 days after invoice). The letter also said that Turner is currently working with Citi on providing an optional program that uses a financing tool for suppliers — which would allow them to get paid before 90 days. On that, it said more details would be provided soon. CNN claims that it is making this change to be “better aligned with its corporate interests,” and that it will be implemented as contracts expire. But Net 90 is NOT a reasonable payment term for people who must pay rent every 30 days. And in NYC, CNN’s new policy challenges the Freelance Isn’t Free law, which set a 30-day standard for payment and protects freelancers from accepting reduced rates in order to receive faster payment. Freelancers have taken to social media to protest the announcement. Because make no mistake, Net 90 hurts independent workers’ financial stability. CNN is effectively asking freelancers to finance the cash flow of a multi-billion dollar company by waiting one quarter of a year for payment. We cannot allow businesses who employ freelancers to lower the bar, and circumvent the Freelance Isn’t Free law with predatory payment practices. Sign up for our advocacy list today to help us fight freelancer payment issues. And please contact us at [email protected] to let us know how Net 90 has affected you. We will update this story as it develops. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/05/29/no-cnn-net-90-is-not-a-reasonable-payment-term/
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Now is when the housing market heats up, as home sales generally peak in May and June. According to an ATTOM Data Solutions report, in the United States, June 28 is the best single day to sell your home, with an average price premium of over 9% for homes sold on that day. Even if you don’t sell your home within that window, you may still be able to take advantage of a tax break and reduce your freelance tax burden this tax year. This is because the IRS allows gains made on a home sale to be excluded in all or part from your taxable income if these rules are followed:
Keep in mind that there are some exceptions to these rules for some people with disabilities and specific members of the military, intelligence community and Peace Corps workers. However, if you are selling a home at any time this year, be sure to use this tax break to lower your freelance tax burden! Jonathan Medows is a New York City based CPA who specializes in taxes and business issues for freelancers and self-employed individuals across the country. He offers a free consultation to members of Freelancer’s Union* and a monthly email newsletter covering tax, accounting and business issues to freelancers on his website, www.cpaforfreelancers.com — which also features a new blog, how-to articles, and a comprehensive freelance tax guide. *Jonathan is happy to provide an initial consultation to freelancers. To qualify for a free consultation you must be a member of the Freelancers Union and mention this article upon contacting him. Please note that this offer is not available March 1 through April 18 and covers a general conversation about tax responsibilities of a freelancer and potential deductions. These meetings do not include review of self-prepared documents, review of self-prepared tax returns, or the review of the work of other preparers. The free meeting does not include the preparation or review of quantitative calculations of any sort. He is happy to provide such services but would need to charge an hourly rate for his time. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/05/29/selling-your-home-could-reduce-your-freelance-taxes/
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I’m horrible when it comes to naming exercises. I mean, in this instance, should I have gone with the literal name: Single Stance to Reverse Lunge w/ Contralateral Hip Extension & Flexion? Or, I don’t know, something like Cool Landmine Reverse Lunge Thingamajiggy? Decisions, decisions. As you can see, I chose something in the middle. Shrugs. Angled Landmine Reverse LungeWho Did I Steal It From? – Virginia based strength coach Vernon Griffith. If you’re not following him on Instagram you should be. There aren’t many coaches putting out better content than he at the moment. What Does It Do? – Well, lets take a look at it in action first, shall we? [embedded content] See what I mean about coming up with a suitable name now? Anyway, what I like most about this variation is that I can lean into the plate/bar which provides just a smidge of balance, but still allows me to focus on one leg at a time. As it happens, when I saw Vernon first demonstrate this exercise he ended up lowering the moving leg to his knee (a gentle tap to the floor) whereas I chose to lower so that my foot contacted the ground. Both are viable options. However, I’d encourage people to start with my option and progress to Vernon’s. What I also like about this drill is that because I am leaning INTO the plate/bar I get more (closed chain) hip abduction on the standing side. End Result?: GLUTE O’CLOCK. Key Coaching Cues: I caution anyone from using an aggressive weight here. I was only using a 25 lb plate in this video and From there it’s a fairly intuitive exercise. As noted above the lean helps to provide a bit of balance and because the barbell is situated somewhat in a fixed path, you’ll have all the “guidance” you’ll need to make it pretty smooth. GO SLOW. The real benefit here is learning control and to recognize how to move through your hips and not to compensate via the lower back. Aim for 8-10 repetitions/leg. You’ll feel things firing you’ve never felt before. Glutes, deep hip stabilizers, core, your eyeballs, everything. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2019/05/exercises-you-should-be-doing-angled-landmine-reverse-lunge/
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This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. As a freelancer, you’re always looking for ways to improve your service offerings. Digital products provide you with an inexpensive way to do exactly that, allowing you to make your services more valuable without offering more of your most precious resource: time. Consider the many ways you can use digital products, from workbooks and checklists to ebooks and courses, to leave a lasting impression on clients and drive more interest in what you already offer. Create supplemental materials Supplemental materials can make the life of your clients easier well after they’ve finished working with you. For example, as a contract operational manager, you may be managing and organizing a current hiring sprint, but when the project finishes, your services are made even more valuable when you leave the client with supplemental materials. Simple digital products like these make it easier for the client to manage work without you, leading to more referrals and a better final impression. Here are some simple supplemental materials you could turn into digital products :
When developing these supplemental materials, remember that you don’t want to make the need for your services obsolete, so keep them high-level, as opposed to strategic. Your workbooks or templates should should help past clients with day-to-day tasks, but not give away your secrets. As another example, a software developer may leave the client with a guidebook for how to use the new tool that he or she built, including basic troubleshooting and management guidelines. Level up your service offerings with premium content If you have a tiered service offering, premium content like an ebook, can add value to your most expensive levels as something that the lower-priced tiers don’t include. The difference between this content and the supplemental materials is that it’s both more in-depth and should ultimately be able to stand-alone as a product you can also sell to people who aren’t yet clients. The topic(s) for your premium content will depend upon how you plan to use this digital product within your service packages. According to an ebook guide from FounderU, there are two simple ways to determine your topic: choose a topic based on personal experience or follow the data. They explain, “A great way to gauge what your audience responds to is to look at which of your blog posts and social media updates currently get the most comments or shares.”
In either case, remember that your content should provide value as part of your service offering, but also stand alone. Let that guide your topic choice as you narrow down ideas. Supplement client needs with video courses or lessons Online courses have become more and more popular with the advent of sites like Udemy, a site that supports 30 million students, 100 thousand courses, and 42 thousand instructors. Courses serve as a strategic medium for sharing your expertise while adding value to your service offerings. For current clients, online lessons can provide further insight into specific topics. For future clients, online courses or lessons can serve as a marketing tool: you demonstrate your knowledge to potential clients and then include a CTA to drive them to sales pages. Once you’ve decided on a topic, you’ll need to decide how and where to host your courses. Here are a few ideas to consider:
When choosing your course or lesson topics, consider how this medium can best be used to supplement your service or included as a value-add to increase prices. Perhaps you find that you can create a few short video lessons for current clients, in addition to a full course that can be sold separately and added to a current service offering. Build Digital Products Into Your Service Offerings If you want to make a stronger lasting impression on clients, drive new leads, or increase pricing for your various service tiers, consider creating a digital product. There are options available for nearly any type of freelance business, and with a little work, you can use these products for years to come. Jessica Thiefels is founder and CEO of Jessica Thiefels Consulting, an organic content marketing agency. She’s been writing for more than 10 years and has been featured in top publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and Fast Company. She also regularly contributes to Virgin, Business Insider, Glassdoor, Score.org and more. Follow her on Twitter @JThiefels and connect on LinkedIn. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/05/27/how-to-build-digital-products-into-your-freelance-services/
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Whoa – who was the a-hole this week and barely wrote anything for the site? And by “anything” I mean “zero, zilch, nada.” My bad. But it was for good reason. I travelled to Colorado Springs this week to film some stuff with the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) for their upcoming 2019 (Virtual) Personal Trainers Conference, as well as made a cameo appearance at T-Nation headquarters. Man, between those two establishments AND the National Olympic Training Facility AND The Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs is one buff and beautiful city. Also, as it happens, I’m off to Edmonton (<– that’s in Canada by the way) tomorrow to go film the (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint with Dean Somerset this weekend. So, yeah, it was a busy week. SO GET OFF MY BACK YOU BIG JERK I love you. BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint Workshop – 2019 Locations & DatesEdmonton, Alberta, Canada: May 25-26th at SVPT Fitness. (<– THIS weekend). Sydney, Australia: July 13-14th at Clean Shred. Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis). This workshop will piggyback on the material Dean Somerset and I covered in the original Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint. With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:
Find out more details HERE. 2. Strategic Strength Workshop – Boston, MALuke (Worthington) and I did this workshop last summer in London and figured it’s only fair to bring it State side. Combined we have 30+ years of coaching experience (I.e., one Mike Boyle or Dan John) and this workshop will be two days where we uncover every nook and cranny as it relates to how we assess our clients/athletes and how we best prepare them for the rigors of every day life/sport.
This will be a unique opportunity for people to learn from myself, but especially Luke, who is one of the best and brightest coaches I know. This will be his first time teaching in the States. For more information and to register you can go HERE. 3. Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop – Chicago, ILThis will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX. This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out…. …their clients! Click THIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location. SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORKHow to Build Value and Increase Your Value Proposition – Chi BangREINVEST in yourself. Game. Set. Match Commonly Misunderstood Words in Movement and Mobility – Ryan DeBellMy man crush on Ryan just got to absurd levels with this article. He may need to get a restraining order. Speed Training For Hockey – Kevin Neeld & Travis PollenFun Tony Fact: I can count on one hand the total number of times I’ve ever attempted to skate on ice. I say “attempted” because I believe the longest I’ve ever stayed upright before crashing to the ground (and taking someone with me) is nine seconds. That said, despite my lack of skating skills I know a great program when I see it. Kevin and Travis have produced an outstanding resource here, and if you work with hockey players this is an absolute NO-BRAINER. Speed Training for Hockey is currently on sale at a very fair price, but it only last through this weekend. Check it out HERE. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2019/05/stuff-to-read-while-youre-pretending-to-work-5-24-19/
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Freelance offers endless opportunities for W-2 employees to follow their passions. And while you might have seen some fairly random gigs, Amanda Green’s side hustle literally stops traffic, not to mention Oscar-winning actors. Oh, and he loves baths. Meet Henry, aka @thenotortoisebig, an Instagram-famous, giant sulcata tortoise (not turtle) who regularly drops jaws on his walks around Central Park. To find out what it’s like to manage a bonafide social media star with more than 60.5K followers, we caught up with Amanda to ask some questions (though all of them are really just variations on “What the (s)hell?”). How did Henry come into your life? I met Henry's original owner through Tumblr back in 2013. I loved her Tumblr and thought that she and I would totally be friends IRL when I found out she had my childhood dream pet — a sulcata tortoise. Shortly after I started reading her Tumblr, I found out she needed a foster situation for Henry for six months to a year. Six years later, he has his own room in my apartment and no plans to go anywhere. What are his requirements, and is carrying him a workout? Henry is 39 pounds and bigger than most small dogs. I'm terrible at estimating his size, but I can tell you with certainty that his waist is larger than my size. (I'm a 25 in most jeans.) Hen mostly eats organic Timothy hay I order from a farm in Idaho, basks under a sun lamp when it's chilly, hangs in Central Park or on my terrace when the weather's nice, gets daily baths, and has an Instagram following larger than the population of my hometown in Texas. He doesn't require chin rubs, shell scratches, and head pets, but he gets so many that he now expects them. That said, he's very chill. Yeah on that note, when did Henry become @thenotortoisebig? In March 2014, I started Henry's Instagram account at the urging of a friend. I'd been sending her a lot of photos of Henry, and she basically said, "You need an outlet for this, and it's not me." The account was originally called @tortoiseshellfie, because I have no sense of pun control. I changed the name to @thenotortoisebig a few months later, because I thought it was a lot catchier, and it was one of the best moves I've ever made. People still don't get that a "shellfie" is a selfie with a shelled animal. When I started the account, I naively believed Henry might be the first tortoise on Instagram. I soon realized that wasn't the case, but I've managed to make him the most famous tortoise in NYC, certainly, and one of the most popular on Instagram. It wasn't something I planned, though that would have been awesome. I just thought he was the cutest tortoise ever and shared him until people took notice. His big break, so to speak, was when I posted an ad on Craigslist for a tortoise walker who'd take him to Central Park when I was at work. The story went viral and thousands of people applied. Henry and I were on CBS Evening News, in the New York Times, on the BBC, etc. I was completely unprepared for all the attention, but also delighted. And yes, I did hire one of those many applicants to be his walker! What have been the highlights, both professional and personal, of Henry's growing fame? Seeing Henry in the Sunday New York Times was amazing. People still stop us in Central Park and ask if he's the tortoise from the Times. Henry brings a lot of people joy both in-person and online. He gets fan mail, and taking him to the park is a trip. Almost everyone stops and people ask a lot of questions. People traveling to NYC from all over the world contact me about meeting Henry. One time, an incognito Leonardo DiCaprio stopped by to check him out! Henry's worked with a few brands, but I think his big break is still to come. I'd love to sell a Henry children's book series. Has he got any weird fans? There’s always one, right? Henry's fans are lovely, quirky people. They've visited NYC and met him, crocheted him special tortoise sweaters, mailed him holiday cards... The half-assed haters and tortsplainers are the real weirdos. Occasionally one of them will tell me I should take Henry to Africa, where his species originates, or release him into the ocean, where he'd certainly die, because he can't swim. But these interactions are rare. How has having a giant tortoise as a side hustle affected you personally and professionally? Henry's greatly enriched my personal life, because he gave me someone to come home to. (I grew up with many pets, but he's the first I've had all on my own as an adult.) There's also no better way to feel connected to something bigger than yourself than to take care of a literal living dinosaur. I'm also an introvert and taking Henry to the park has forced me out of my comfort zone and made NYC feel like a small town, because so many people have come to know and love him. I work in marketing now, but long before, I loved experimenting with all the emerging social media platforms. I blogged on many platforms (OpenDiary, Xanga, Livejournal, Blogger, etc.) and adopted Twitter early. I was very slow to join Instagram, though, because I loathe selfie culture. Henry's Instagram has primarily been a creative outlet for me, but it's also taught me — and is still teaching me — about brand-building and marketing. The biggest lesson: passion first, product second. I've yet to get a marketing job because of Henry's Instagram account, but people do think it's cool. Do you think Henry has made you better at your day job? Yes! The success of his Instagram has reinforced the importance of being authentic and the value of being weird. I don't think all the best practices I've gleaned from his account can be applied to just any product, but many translate. What are you and Henry's retirement plans? I'm actively planning for my retirement and starting to think about Henry's. He'll outlive me and I don't have any kids, so I want to make sure he has a good home when I'm gone. I joke about Henry's trust, but I really do save every dollar he earns. It's not exactly a Leona Helmsley situation (I wish!) but I plan on making sure he ends up safe and comfortable, with plenty of head rubs. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/05/24/when-your-side-hustle-is-a-giant-sulcata-tortoise/
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A few years ago, a friend told me, “The future is easy to predict but hard to believe.” Whether you choose to believe it or not, the same holds true for you. As a freelancer, a creative, an artist, an entrepreneur, or however you self-define professionally, you are the Michelangelo carving and chopping away at a block of marble that resembles you in a few not-too-distant years. One thing to keep in mind. What you choose to see or identify with as the future version of you (you 2.0 let’s call it), will be determined by how you invest in your mind, your time, and your active practices professionally. Let’s walk through a few simple tips that can help anyone better shape their future. Tip 1: Dedicate time to designing the future you wantThis seems obvious. Empowering yourself to take more active ownership of the future you wish for in your life is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. But many of us overlook it. We’re too buried in the demands of the now. Too busy to seriously think about next month. Too exhausted to plan anything else. I’ve been there and I get it, having worked myself into a stroke in my twenties. But owning your future requires you to make time and plant seeds in your mind for who you will become and what you want your life to look like. Think on it, plan it, and don’t take it for granted. The preferred You 2.0 won’t happen if you don’t honor your future self and prioritize becoming that person. It sounds almost ridiculous, but anything worth doing is worth dedicating time toward. Make a plan, think about your future, your wants and needs, the learnings you require, the skills you need to build. Write a list of desires and jot down some specific dates and goals or outcomes you seek professionally, financially, and so forth. Your “future you” deserves a design and a plan. If you’re feeling stuck, seek out a career coach or mentor. Watch videos about other people whose journeys inspire you. Keep moving forward and don’t delay. Oh, and by the way, putting in the hard work now is a given. There’s no way around making your future happen other than by accepting the active process of moving through obstacles and creating yourself. This means that wherever you place your focus and your momentum on a daily basis will lead you eventually to becoming the new you. It’s axiomatic, I think and I do, therefore I become. And it requires making an active psychological commitment. Tip 2: Flex your creative visualization muscleWhile the future you may seem unknowable at the present moment, a simple creative visualization technique can help bring you 2.0 closer into view. Sure, everyone’s meditating these days. That’s a good thing. But building the future you requires meditation and creative visualization. One key to creating the future version of you is to quietly practice activating your imagination. Think of this as filling the bucket deep in your mind with positive intentions and attention every day. Eventually, your bucket overfloweth and a new you emerges within your mind. This happens because you are training your brain to orient to a clear and concrete vision of who you and what you look like in the future. Here’s a simple creative visualization exercise: Take a few deep breaths and slowly exhale. For the next five minutes, relax or close your eyes and picture the person you wish to become. Where are you? What are you doing? What are you working on that’s exciting? Who are you interacting with and how happy, inspired, or fulfilled are you in your work? Start to focus on these considerations and a more clear picture of you emerges. Practice this exercise once a week at least. Once you have more clarity, you can begin writing down the vision you have and keep it close to you. Tape it to your wall, put a copy on your desk and your computer. Embrace that person. Commit to the vision, open your your heart and your mind to becoming the person in that vision. This exercise requires you to apply thinking toward not who and what you are today, but who and what you will become in a year, five years or ten years from now. As an additional practice, think about and state your vision in “I am” language. “I am a respected designer.” “I am an inspiring and well-paid copywriter.” “I am a go-to marketer who wows people with my ingenuity and savvy.” “I am earning more as a consultant because I’m in-demand and have clients who refer me steady business.” “I am very proud of the creative portfolio I’ve created and the feedback I’ve received is awesome.” Tip 3: Develop your ESPBy “ESP” we’re not talking about Extrasensory Perception. We mean developing your potential through Experimenting, Storytelling, and Persuasion... or ESP. All three are vital skills for any freelance professional, no matter your level or expertise or how you earn a living. And even better, all three are easy to understand and easy to do. E stands for Experiment: Every day presents opportunities for us to try new approaches to growth, new pathways to learning and validating our ideas, and new ways of becoming better at professional endeavors that bring us more money, meaning, and momentum. Experimenting is fun. It’s where you allow yourself to try and fail, conduct simple tests and get uncomfortable by avoiding the pitfalls of living by routine or blind habit. For example, it could mean experimenting by learning and applying new ways of communicating or applying novel solutions to a complex problem. Maybe you want to solve for productivity. Try shortening your working hours and forcing yourself to get more done more quickly. Instead of an 8-hour day, maybe you only allocate 5 hours. That’s it. Now get it done. Maybe you want to grow your network or contacts. Force yourself to meet one new person each day. Introduce yourself, ask the person for their opinion on a travel destination or an app they recommend. But do so in person — not via email or social — in the real world. The experiment will give you more confidence in how you engage and interact with humans. Write down your results. Any surprises? Experiments are a way to regularly take small risks and achieve discovery or failure. They are a means to try to find new ways to solve problems or come up with novel solutions. They allow you to quickly push your boundaries around pain and gain, winning, losing, habits and learning. And they afford you the ability to test, observe, and measure outcomes. S stands for Storytelling: The stories we’ve been told and stories we tell help give shape to the connective tissue in our work and our lives. We are primed for stories and people want to listen to and learn from our stories. Since we’re all storytellers, some of us naturally better at it than others, it helps to harness the power of storytelling by familiarizing yourself with some basic frameworks or well-known narrative archetypes we all use. Here are a few. The Quest: Think of the character Arya or Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, who are on a hero’s journey a la Joseph Campbell. They are special beings on a mission. You, or the work you’re doing is special because you’re likely gifted, skilled, knowledgeable, and talented in a one or more disciplines. You’re driven to make something of yourself, and thus you’re likely a hero with something unique to share, create, or express. If so, this is your framework. Tell your story like a hero. Rags to Riches: Universally appealing, when the ordinary person accomplishes the extraordinary. Take the real-life Sara Blakely, who took a good idea, worked hard and found fortuitous luck, timing and an army of believers and became incredibly successful. Or think about the lead characters in Rocky or Annie as examples. This is the framework for the everyman or everywoman, or the product that was somehow good enough to rise above the obstacles and stand out from the rest. Stranger in a Strange Land: This is where a person arrives in a “new land” or a new challenge emerges and our old ways of thinking and doing are no longer relevant. We face the struggle of mastering something new or foreign and then adapting. Think Planet of the Apes. This might be you taking on a new product design or service that’s totally unfamiliar or even a new client who presents communication challenges you must overcome. Then there’s the Revenge story, think The Godfather. And of course, the Love story, think Romeo and Juliet. These are among the most common archetypes or frameworks for storytelling. Focus on finding the storytelling mode or framework that works for you or maps to your professional journey and specific context. Practice through crafting your stories by writing them and sharing them aloud with friends. Nothing beats a good, memorable story that sticks in people's’ minds. Stories help people remember us. Stories help us inspire our collaborators and coworkers, motivate our clients and our bosses. They can and often do land us a new job, secure a business opportunity or close a sale. Stories unite hearts and minds around our mission. They’re essential to our success and building the professional future we want. P stands for Persuasion: Persuasion or rhetoric is about influence. Your ability to become more influential of others, to sway and to nudge people in a direction you desire will massively impact your future. You want your message to be heard loud and clear, whether it’s a pitch to a client or a sales call to a new customer or an update to your angel investors. You want your language to be impactful and most importantly, to be received in a way that moves people toward your goal. Think about what a little more influence can do for you. Maybe it’s to get a group of people to support your new product design. Or convince your peers to work collaboratively with you on an ambitious new public art installation. Or your client to pay you more for your next project. Or your business partner to say yes to a bigger budget. To become better at persuading others requires you to pitch more often. Frequency is the key. It’s not necessarily how perfectly you pitch that matters; it’s more about how often you pitch and how many opportunities you have to persuade others. One fail is not make or break. Many pitches are better than few. Yes, you of course need to become more self-aware of your communication choices. Start by focusing on your body language and tone of voice, as 93 percent of communication is nonverbal. Refine your language and wording — written and verbal. Practice by observing the masters of persuasion in your life — the clients or leaders you work with, the influencers you follow, the successful mentors you learn from... and note what makes them more credible and convincing in their delivery of messages. Practice pitching as often as possible. The more you do it, the more confident you will become. It might mean minding your tone of voice when you order from a menu at a restaurant. Or specifically emphasizing select words, your logic, and the feeling applied when you present an offer to a client or negotiate fees on your next project. OK, there you have it. This is hard work, but practicing these simple tips regularly will pay dividends — and you’ll be well on your way to realizing the “future you”. I look forward to hearing about your progress, and invite you to attend an amazing free learning event called OwnYourFutureSummit designed to help empower you to take ownership of you 2.0 and optimize your exciting path ahead. Jonas Koffler is host & creator of the OwnYourFutureSummit.com and is a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestselling coauthor of HUSTLE: The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum, now translated in 10 languages. As a consultant, he advises startups like Spera.io, and brings expertise in the arenas of creativity, human potential, growth and wellbeing. He has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, FastCompany, Fortune, Cheddar, Success, Self and Inc. He’s on a mission to help more people discover what moves them toward more freedom and fulfillment in their work and lives. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/05/23/3-simple-tips-for-planning-your-freelance-future/ |
AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
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