Do you want more from life? Do you spend hours thinking about your dreams? Can you visualize yourself doing what you love even if you’re not sure how to get there? You’re not alone! As our big interview with lifestyle entrepreneur Kimanzi Constable shows, you really can be the master of your own destiny…
For 12 years Kimanzi Constable lived a life of excuses and regret. Deep down he knew what he wanted but fear of failure held him back. Everything looked okay on the outside – the business he started when he was 19 was bringing in $500,000 revenue, he employed five staff in three states and he had a beautiful wife – but on the inside his world was falling apart. His finances were out of control, his business was in trouble, and his marriage had broken down.
Hitting rock bottom gave Kimanzi the push he needed to stop existing and start living. He left the job he hated, started an online business earning a living by writing and speaking, got fit, fought to save his marriage and fulfilled his lifelong dream of moving to Hawaii.
Now, as well as being a self-published author of two books, which have sold over 86,000 copies, Kimanzi is a contributing writer for The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Mind Body Green and weekly business editor at The Good Men Project. He also speaks and coaches on life and business all over the world. His mission is to help men and women create true freedom in life and here he offers some fantastic advice to help you take action and claim the life you truly deserve.
1. You completely turned your life around. Where did you start and how did you feel at that point?
In 2011, I was $180,000 in debt, 170 pounds overweight, and living in a place that terrified us. I struggled with doubt, fear, and self-limiting beliefs. The biggest battle I had was internal – I realised I was waiting for permission. I was waiting for some validation or for someone to tell me that I could make changes and live the kind of life I really wanted to. The death of my father in 2012, at 54 years old, was my wake up call. He died with so many regrets in life and begged me not to do the same. I vowed I wouldn’t let anything hold me back. I would do everything I could to live life to the full.
2. What do you love most about your work?
The biggest reward, and what I love most could be summed up in one word: freedom. I’m not tied down to any one place; I could operate my business from anywhere in the world with a laptop and Internet connection. I love having the freedom to spend my days doing the things that are important to me, and that I feel passionate about. I have the time freedom to write, coach, and consult. I know that if I don’t feel good one morning, I can do less work and still be OK financially.
3. Why is it important to do what you love?
Gallup tells us that we now do some form of “work” for 47 hours of our week. When you spend that much of your week doing something, it will affect your life one way or another. If it’s work you don’t love, as much as you try, you won’t be able to keep that stress at work. You will bring it home, and it will affect your family (if you have one) and may be even your health. It will eat you up as you try to enjoy your day, and then you wake up and have to do it all over again. Spend those 47 hours doing something that compliments the kind of life you want to live and you’ll be so much happier.
4. Tell us about your first published book, Are you living or existing? 9 steps to change your life…
When I sat down and thought about how I was going to make three big changes in my life, the roadmap for the book was born. The book is the game plan I used to lose 170 pounds, quit the job I hated and move our family to Maui, Hawaii. It’s all practical steps because to be successful, you have to master the basics. It’s a book that has inspired some and gave them a strategy to live the kind of life they want to live.
5. How do we know whether we are living or just existing? What signs should we be looking for?
Truly living doesn’t mean you’re skydiving every day or some crazy adventurer. It means you chase your dreams or live them out. You can tell you’re existing when you’re not taking action on your dreams. Instead of doing what you want to do, you come up with reasons why isn’t not possible. You give into your doubt, fear, or self-limiting beliefs. Simply ask yourself: “Am I living the kind of life I want to be living?”
6. Tell us about your other book, Tales of the every day working man and woman…
Tales was my journal when everything came crashing down on my head in 2011. I wanted to vent about what the everyday working person goes through, and what they could be doing instead. It’s a book that talks about work and creating work that you love.
7. What advice would you give anyone who’s thinking about self-publishing?
In book marketing today there is a lot of hype and strategies that are tired. Nine times out of ten author platform is what sells books. At the end of the day you can have the best book in the world, but if you have no one to sell it to, no one will buy it. Just putting your book out there isn’t enough. You have to build an audience. You can do that in a number of ways, but the sooner you start, and the more effort you put in, the more successful your book will be.
8. Why is self-improvement the key to happiness in all areas of our life?
Change starts with each of us. Once you improve one area of your life, it leads to strength and change in others. In my life, once I lost weight, I had more confidence and energy to write and speak, which lead to earning a better income. If you always work on improving yourself it will pay dividends.
9. What five tips would you give someone to help them change their life and create their own destiny?
- Identify what your dream life would look like.
- Fix your finances or make sure they’re solid.
- Get fit. Do what you can to eat cleanly and exercise.
- Form a support system: Friends, family, or a mastermind group.
- Never give up. It’s cheesy, but too many people give up way too easily.
10. Why should we start taking baby steps towards our big goals today?
We should act now because no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. Life is short. We know this in our heads, but we live like we’re immortal and have more time. We don’t. Time is the one thing we’ll never get back. When you hit a roadblock, talk it through with your support system. Focus on why you started your journey.
11. What advice would you give anyone who’s starting an online business?
While I built my online business, I spent over $5,000 on Internet marketing courses that were all hype. I was broke and making no progress. If I was to do it all again, and this is also what I suggest for you, I’d keep it very simple. Here’s how:
- I’d create a clean user-friendly website with three pages: Home, About, and Services. I wouldn’t worry about all the fancy bells and whistles because people aren’t impressed by it. People connect with the person, NOT the widgets.
- I’d focus on creating great content. My blog posts, podcast episodes, and videos would be the best I could put out there. They would be clear and actionable. I’d only put out content that I know would help people – no fluff.
- I’d create significant premiums offerings. In the past I wasted so much time waiting to sell my stuff. I did affiliate marketing, ads, and a bunch of other things that didn’t make real money. I followed all the “expert” advice instead of focusing on my books and my coaching.
- I’d concentrate on what scales. Writing guest posts and articles for large websites is what brought, and does bring traffic. Look at the article I did recently for The Huffington Post, it was shared over 200,000 times in six languages. It brought in $8,000 between book sales, new coaching clients, and new consulting work. Make no mistake; coaching, consulting, and speaking are the quickest ways to make scalable income. You only need a few coaching clients to make real money.
12. What’s your big dream for the future?
I want to become a New York Times best-selling author. I want to speak in eight more countries. I want to leave a lasting legacy for my children. I want to start a movement of people who refuse to exist in life.
Find out more about Kimanzi and his work by visiting his website or connecting on Facebook or Twitter. You can also click here to buy his books.
Are you living or existing? How are you taking firm intentional steps towards your dreams – big and small? We’d love you to share your thoughts in the comments below.
