BOLDNESS + BRAVERY Page 12 of 18

Back by popular demand: The Do What You Love e-course is open for registration!

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The Do What You Love e-course is open for registration! This acclaimed transformational online course is for people like you who want to find financial and personal freedom, living a full and happy life.

Do What You Love is about re-opening doors that you thought were locked shut… re-opening possibilities that you thought were long gone… and illuminating possibilities you never knew existed.

It’s about discovering what you really want to do, and giving you practical exercises and tools to do more of it, get paid to do it (if that’s what you want) and generally have a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Sounds like something you need?

Learn more and register here.

Class begins on Monday October 13 and runs for five weeks. Hurry and register now. Don’t miss this chance – it could change everything.

I hope you will choose to be a part of this adventure with us!

Beth

Life According to Mr K – If your business model isn’t working, change it

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“You have to do what you dream of doing even while you’re afraid” – Arianna Huffington (Co-Founder, The Huffington Post)

The evolution of our business part 2 (read part 1 here)

The inaugural DWYL retreat was a sellout success, which we were told affected many of the participants deeply. In the two years since, many of those who attended have told us very personal stories of how the retreat experience actually changed their life’s course, and how the people they met there have been a big part of those changes.

However, behind the scenes, based purely on return on investment of time and financial resources, the reality was that for as long as we had to rent a venue there was little to no future in a solely retreat driven business. When you consider the hours that went into the preparation and running of the event, the team had essentially been working for less than minimum wage, and it was not a sustainable business model. Diversification was required.

Having said that there was an undeniable vibrancy at the retreat that was almost tangible and could not be ignored, plus it was the source of a huge amount of valuable connections, both for us and for participants and teachers.

During one of the evenings Beth had arranged for an Oprah style interview with our special guest Matt Stinchcomb, Vice-President (and one of the Founders) of Etsy.com, who had travelled from Germany to come and speak. His interview was a great reminder that even businesses as large as Etsy can evolve from the most unlikely and humble beginnings – theirs is an amazing story for another day! It was the only interview that week I was able to listen to and I believe I was meant to hear what he said. It highlighted how businesses evolve due to a need that is not catered for, and how they have to be nimble and flexible to adjust to changing demands.

Seeing so many people sat in that room who had decided to travel from various countries to North Yorkshire also really struck a chord with me. I was starting to see what Beth saw. There were so many like-minded souls around the globe who just needed a purpose to meet and common ground to discuss. Do What You Love could be that vehicle – and an in-person retreat was only one way of bringing those people together.

It was from this realisation that our collaborative e-courses emerged. Beth had already developed and run her own flagship Do What You Love e-course for the first time with an astounding response, and we soon realised this was an incredible way to connect people facing similar issues in a safe, supportive environment. The next step was to start working with others at the top of their game to provide practical, valuable advice to people wanting to follow particular career paths, often challenging the norm and supporting them to make bold moves.

Over the past 2-3 years this has developed into a business model which is cashflow positive (without debt), responsive to changing needs and technology, relevant, sustainable and exciting. We turn down more offers for collaborations than we take on, and we build deep trusting relationships with those we do choose to work with. By collaborating with others we are constantly learning, improving and finding new ways to do things. Every day is different, and every day we support more and more people to do what they love. It’s not always easy – sometimes it is frustrating, sometimes it is overwhelming, sometimes it is exhausting. But always it is rewarding, profitable and totally worthwhile. And it allows US to do what WE love, creating the lives we want to live. And surely that is a massive part of what it is all about?

As for retreats and in-person workshops, for sure we will run these again in the future, but as one arm, rather than the lifeblood, of our business.

Challenging our assumptions about how we should deliver, what we should deliver, and what we knew about the people we were trying to serve was fundamental to an early major shift in our business model which has evolved into the Do What You Love we are today.

How about you? If you run a business, have you shifted your business model over time? If not, it it time you thought about doing that? What if you turned your business model on its head and tried the opposite of what you have been doing for years? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Until next time (when I will share a behind-the-scenes glimpse at each of our collaborations),…

Mr K

Life According to Mr. K – On how Do What You Love was born…

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“If you can dream it, you can do it” – Walt Disney (Co-Founder, Walt Disney Productions)

This month’s theme is ‘Love Business’. I thought it would be interesting to give you a little insight to the birth and subsequent growth of our company.

Just over three years ago I was sat at home listening to Beth tell me that she had made a rather spontaneous decision to book a trip to San Jose in California. She was off to ‘An Artful Journey Retreat’ to take a class from two artists named Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose McDonough. She had been reading Kelly Rae Roberts’ book ‘Taking Flight‘, and decided that she wanted to meet her. As always I told her to go for it. Sometimes we just have to spend some money and treat ourselves.

At that time she had been working tirelessly on the legacy aspect of England’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018, in a very corporate environment. The trip was an opportunity to relax and get painting again after more than a decade on the back burner.

When she returned  from California her smile said it all. She looked like a different woman. She had met kindred spirits and rediscovered her love for ART. The enthusiasm was evident. She came away knowing she wanted to work with and for women like those she met on the retreat. She effusively explained this thing called blogging and the potential business model that she had observed. It was different – in fact worlds apart – from what she was doing at that point, but very intriguing.

She went in search of some relaxation and inspiration. She came back with a the beginnings of a whole new life for us. What was to transpire from the trip was more profound and pivotal than either of us could ever have imagined! The seeds of what would become Do What You Love Ltd were sown.

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Life According to Mr. K – The courage to create

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In last week’s post I touched briefly on the courage it takes to create something. Of course this ‘courage’ has to be supported by a steely determination and conviction to realise your vision whether it be a painting, a song, a design or even a story. But it is that first step that is the most crucial – that long deep breath you take that makes you feel a little sick knowing you are about to leave yourself that little bit more vulnerable than before.

Whatever you are working on, it is your vision, your creation and it should reflect you. The courage comes from imparting something very sincere and soulful from within. You are taking a very intimate part of you and placing it in full view of the world.

I have a great deal of admiration for authors of late. It is not an occupation or a calling that you would instantly relate to the need for courage. But to put your ideas down on paper for others to read, critique, form an opinion about or even dismiss outright, I feel is very courageous indeed.

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Thought for the week (29): It’s time to be brave with your creativity

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Being creative in your work, and in your life, takes guts. Being creative means doing things differently, and thinking differently. It means challenging the accepted norms, coming at things from different angles, and sometimes taking giant leaps of faith.

Putting your creative work out in the world also takes guts. Whether for you that means reading someone a story you wrote, exhibiting a painting you created, even just voicing your ideas in a brainstorm, there is always that fear that it will be knocked back, criticized, laughed at, rejected. But think of the flipside. What if Monet, Roald Dahl and Steve Jobs had never been brave with their creativity? What if they had let the fear of what others thought stand in the way of sharing their ideas and their magic with all of us? The world would be a poorer place for sure.

Life According to Mr K – Love Life (5) Who are you?

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lifeaccordingtomrk

There is great comfort to be found in the sense of belonging and thinking, “I do that too!” I do hope that at times whilst reading my blog posts you may nod and chuckle to yourself in agreement. In those moments we can relax and breathe a sigh of relief. We are not alone!

Finding common ground with humour can allow us to bond, seek perspective and has definitely helped ‘break the ice’ in varying situations over the years.

I particularly love observational humour. One of my favourite comedians is Lee Evans. I remember one sketch in particular when he demonstrates how we attempt to get into a hot bath. It was priceless. I was in stitches… it was as if he had been spying on me, observing and noting all the ridiculous faces and noises I make. Judging by the audience I was not alone.

We often find great comfort belonging to a group, whether that be family, friends, teammates, classmates, work colleagues or any other collection of people. Safety in numbers if you like. This may be in part dictated by the society in which we live. In Japan, where there is a strong sense of collectivism, there is a famous saying, “The nail which sticks out gets hammered down”. Whilst here in the UK the sense of ‘group-think’ is nowhere near as strong, and individualism (especially in places like Brighton where we live) is often celebrated, in our social groups there is still a tendency to do what your mates do. It can take courage to step away and do your own thing.

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Life According To Mr.K – Love to Change (4)

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“Things do not change; we change” – Henry David Thoreau

How times change! Do you ever find yourself sitting there asking “How did I end up here? When did this become my life? Where have these extra inches around the waist come from? How do you use this thing??”

Yeah, me too! Isn’t it also funny that these slightly depressing realisations are usually then followed by little to no action? Change before you have to!

Why is it we normally have to wait for a traumatic event or even a disaster to happen before we make significant changes? This is certainly true of our history and it is certainly the way society and governments often work. But what if we were proactive and made changes, rather than reactive, and let changes happen to us?

Of course we all get older, our bodies change, as do our plans, priorities and maybe most importantly of all our responsibilities. But does this mean we can’t be the person we want to be? Or live in the kind of world we want to be part of?

I have spent the last two decades cruising around in second gear. Doing just enough. I have found myself at times poles apart from where I dreamt I might once be. I have now been inspired to change. I have been inspired to live the fullest life I can.  And I am thrilled to be a part of Do What You Love helping other people to do the same.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

All I know is that I want to be the best person I can be. I want to be the person my parents raised. I want to be the husband my wife dreamt about and one day hopefully be a father that my children are proud of and inspired by. I want to live the life I used to dream of, and at last I feel like I am on my way. Only I can make it happen, and I have finally realised that.

How about you? Do you tend to complain about things? This week, when you feel like complaining about something, why not try changing something about the way you approach it? You must be the change you wish to see in the world!

Until next time,

Mr K

Life According To Mr. K – Love to Change (3)

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Life According To Mr. K - Love to Change (3) lifeaccordingtomrk

In my last column I talked about the six month sabbatical Beth and I took last year. The change of location brought an obvious change in scenery, environment, food, culture, language, tempo and lifestyle. My physical surroundings had changed massively.

We had traded our considerably large and very comfortable 3 storey house for a postage stamp of a flat, – 12 square metres to be exact. We prepared food on top of the fridge and cooked on a single ring hob. The toilet design had been taken straight from a plane, it was three steps from the kitchen and the dining table was literally a foot from the bed. Compact to say the least (or cosy if you ask Beth).

We had no car, no phone and no TV. I had no idea how significant this was to become. These changes in circumstance prompted us to go out all the time. By going out I don’t mean going to the pub. I mean going outside and exploring. We cycled and walked everywhere. We spent time in coffee shops, by the river, at temples and shrines, in parks and public gardens. Okay and the odd bar!

I was reading, writing and drawing nearly every day. I felt alive. More importantly I felt that I was living every day.

There is no doubting that Kyoto is a magical place. It is so different it would capture anyone’s imagination for a while.

But I truly believe the most significant change for me was not the change in scenery, culture, people, language or food.

The most significant change was a shift to having less, doing less, rushing less. Less stuff, less technology and less noise led to more time, more laughs and certainly more adventures.

Maybe less is more! I never really appreciated this saying before my trip but it certainly do now. When you think about it in this way, it is actually possible to make small changes anytime, even starting right now. Small changes can have big results.

“True life is lived when tiny changes occur” – Leo Tolstoy

I remember sitting on the shinkansen (bullet train) and noticing that every single person was transfixed by their phone or tablet. I guess this is pretty much true of any commute, in nearly every industrialised society. And I used to be part of that. But not this time.

I spent the next couple of hours gazing out of the window, watching mountains and paddy fields pass by. My mind was free to wander aimlessly. I felt so relaxed, enjoying the details in the moment. Maybe if we try to be a little less obsessed with what is ahead, we can let ourselves enjoy the journey, and the view, a little more.

“True change takes place in the imagination” – Thomas Moore

I have made so many big changes recently, from changing career, to learning a brand new skill (Japanese) to getting married and now moving house.

I wonder why, after a decade of inactivity/ doing the same thing, there have suddenly been a flurry of changes? Is it my age? Is it the influence of my wife and the ethos of Do What You Love? Or is it that I changed one thing and that went well, so I had more confidence to change another, and another? Once I opened the floodgates I realised that there wasn’t that much to be fearful of, and a whole lot to be excited about. I suspect it is a combination of all the above.

How about you? What small steps could you take right now, to simplify your life and make changes today that will get you closer to feeling how you want to feel?

Until next time…

Mr K