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Do What You Love HQ Update – May 2015

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The long summer evenings have brought with them a renewed sense of relaxation and calm after an incredibly busy few months at DWYL HQ. After almost a year of new content creation and recruitment our team has clicked with everyone fitting into the right roles, finding autonomy and feeling assured. The sheer volume of work that the team has got through since January is astounding. I take my hat off to each and every one of them, from Beth downwards. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with so many people who are motivated by purpose, and who work with humour and a smile to such incredibly high standards.

Fast on the back of her appearance at The Barclays Debate #barclaysdebate Beth was proud to talk at the recent Mumsnet conference in London. She was there as part of a panel providing business and lifestyle advice about how to start up on your own. I know she thoroughly enjoyed herself as she came back with a spring in her step after mingling with so many other aspiring and driven mothers.

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The Business Soul Sessions opened its classroom doors (digitally speaking) on May 11 to a new group of individuals. This revolutionary course offers a thought-provoking, perspective-shifting, mind-opening approach to business growth for entrepreneurs who want greater impact, explosive growth and serious profits they can be proud of. Without blowing our own trumpet, I wish we could have taken The Business Soul Sessions at the start of our journey!

It has been nearly three years since the previous class ran and I can’t wait for all the wonderful eureka moments that I know our students will have. So many great things come out of this course for so many people, and it’s wonderful to watch our students grow and transform their approach and their businesses before our eyes. This is what some of our past students have said…

“This course was pivotal for me. It helped me gain a professional confidence and business identity that I didn’t know I was even missing.” ~ Noelle Rollins

“My business has grown at least 300% and my network and knowledge have expanded exponentially because of this course.” ~ Sandra Dumais

“The Business Soul Sessions changed my entire approach to everything I did. It changed how I thought about business and living the life of a business person. I taught myself to value my talents, my time and my efforts. I would tell anyone who is in a business that relies on creativity, imagination and ingenuity that they really need to do this course. It will pay for itself and you’ll look back in time and be so grateful that you invested in your soul work”. ~ Kass Hall

And there’s lots more exciting news to report…

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1. Registration is open for the next DWYL e-course, starting June 15. We’re proud to say that the powerful yet practical content contained in this transformative course continues to surprise people. It’s all about helping you find the answers to your questions and then taking the right actions for you. If you are wondering about the true power of the course, well it doesn’t come much bigger than a Marriage Proposal… and just wait until you find out how he popped the question!

2. We launched our brave stranger campaign to celebrate bravery in all shapes and sizes, by every day people. Get involved on Facebook or Twitter next week for a chance to WIN a place for you and a friend on the DWYL e-course.

[Tweet “Change your life! WIN a place for you and a friend on the next DWYL e-course”]

3. We’ve had some brilliant applications for Little Beach Hut of Dreams and we can’t wait to share how our beach hut residents spend their days by the sea. UPDATE: The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been sold as we no longer live in Brighton and only residents are permitted to own beach huts there. This post has been archived for reference but we are no longer accepting applications for Dreamer-in-Residence. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Dreamers-in-Residence for being part of our adventure, and to Towergate Insurance for awarding The Little Beach Hut of Dreams runner up position in Beach Hut of the Year 2015. She was very proud!

4. Our Webinar Series – Alchemy – has certainly got people inspired and thinking. The feedback and comments have been great. Alchemy is constantly available and now takes pride of place in amongst our other FREE Resources – Sign up today and listen to some of the most interesting and potentially important conversations you will hear all year.

5. Our blog continues to be galvanised by our guest bloggers who are all leading all experts in their field. They include: Alastair Humphreys, Ben Keene, Frances Booth, Louise Armstrong and Lara Tabatznik.

6. What do you think about our new look? Last month our new website launched. We want it to be a place you can trust to find all the inspiration, tools, resources and support you need. At the end of the day all of this is for you. So we’d love to hear you thoughts. Please get in touch and let us what works, what doesn’t and most importantly, tell us if something is missing, or if there are any features you’d find helpful. We really do value your feedback.

An update on our collaborations

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Make Art That Sells (MATS):

1. The LIVE event is SOLD OUT! Make Art That Sells: The Global Art Gathering will take place in Brighton, UK, on Friday, June 12, 2015. It promises to be a fun-filled, action-packed day with all the energy, passion and magic you’d expect from Make Art That Sells. We’ll be welcoming a host of acclaimed speakers and panelists from the international art industry to advise and inspire you.

2. MATS: Creating Collections for Home Decor has been hugely in demand since we announced its launch last month. Lilla and Beth have teamed up with Top Art Director Margo Tantau – to run the fantastic course that Margo has described as a GAME CHANGER! To ensure you don’t miss out before it sells out Register here.

3. MATS: Assignment Bootcamp has entered in its final month. I can honestly say that I will miss the buzz in the Bootcamp Community when it draws to a close but I know there will only be a short interlude before attention turns to this year’s Global Talent Search. Don’t miss out on what could be one of the biggest and best opportunities for your career… join the waiting list here.

4. Our gorgeous new Make Art That Sells website continues to turn heads! It’s bursting with free resources, industry insight and motivational videos to help the artists among you make leaps forward with your career. Be sure to check it out.

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Make It In Design (MIID)

Since our sister site, Make It In Design, announced Printsource New York as their Official Trade Show Partner energy levels have been sky high. As one of the world’s most prestigious shows for the surface pattern design and textile industry, this partnership will provide exclusive content, behind the scenes access, and top tips to help designers build their brand through trade shows.

1. Trade show video series – over 1,000 people tuned in from around the world last week to watch our latest Trade Show video series hosted by Rachael Taylor and Massimo Iacoboni, the owner of Printsource New York. The feedback has been amazing with many people letting the team know how many great ideas they’ve picked up and how grateful they were for all the free inside know-how to trade show success. Rachael shared years of trade show trial and error to help others avoid the steep learning curve. The videos are still available to watch until May 31, 2015. Sign up here.

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2. Make it in Design are on the countdown to one of the most exciting and powerful courses in the world of surface pattern design – ‘The Ultimate Portfolio Builder in association with Printsource‘. This advanced 7-week course will give you all the tools and advice you need to grow your body of commercially viable work, refine and strengthen your professional design portfolio, make your designs more sellable and give you the fast-track to trade show success. Class starts on May 25, 2015, there’s still time to join us.

3. Uppercase launched an exciting competition to win a place on the upcoming ‘The Ultimate Portfolio Builder’ course. To date there have been over 70 entries which you can read on the blog here.

4. Summer School dates are out! Last July hundreds of people joined Make it in Design for some creative fun for all the family. Check out the Summer School Lookbook featuring some of their favourite designs and join the waiting list to get more details soon.

5. We are also thrilled to tell you that a number of Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design students exhibited at Surtex in New York last week. You can see their latest work right here on the Make it in Design blog.

Thought of the month…

Just last week Beth (Mrs. K) and I sat down to work through the ‘Core Values’ section of The Business Soul Session course for our business (yes, we use our own resources!) and it couldn’t have been better timed. In the midst of all the ideas, an ever-growing team, increasing commitments and working at 100 mph to get everything done, we needed to ensure that we were still being true to the soul of our business. The outcome was really insightful; it reminded us that we must never lose sight of the ‘WHY’ behind our business. It is the beating heart of Do What You Love.

Make time for the important things and stay true to yourself.

Until next time,

Mr. K

Why your writing matters (aka birthing my first book)

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Last weekend I joined a workshop in London run by Hay House, the largest and most influential self-empowerment publishing company in the world. It included a whole half day session with Reid Tracy, President and CEO, who shared a host of valuable insights into how to get published.

As I sat there in the room of 250+ people, scribbling madly to capture all the wisdom being shared, I thought about the extent of the potential impact that single workshop could have. Even if only 20% of the people in that room ever get published – by anyone, not necessarily Hay House – and if they each go on to sell only 10,000 copies of their book, assuming that everyone who reads a good book shares it with at least one other person, that’s over a million people who would be reached, supported, or influenced. That’s both huge and exciting.

You could see in the faces of everyone who stood up to ask a question, queued in the break to speak to Reid or one of the authors, sat in the corner furiously making notes, or chatted animatedly to other participants, that dreams were taking shape in that room. The practical guidance, motivation and success stories shared showed that it is possible, even if it takes a lot of hard work. It also made me believe more strongly that our stories are there to be shared, we just need to learn how to share them in a way that connects with other people.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about? Would it be fiction or non-fiction? Advice based? Autobiography? Rooted in research? It’s an interesting question to ask yourself, and see what comes up.
Personally I have had a book in my head for the past 3-4 years, and it feels like it’s time to start bringing it to life. It’s a big thing, that needs a lot of planning and attention, but mostly it just needs me to sit down and write it. That’s a scary thought, knowing that the only thing stopping me from writing it is me. But that’s also a good thought – because it means I can change that in an instant. (She says as she pulls out a brand new notebook…)

So for me, even though I will be on maternity leave for the second half of this year, I plan to use this time of birth, nurturing and space away from work to start my first book. That’s the idea anyway – who knows how it will turn out! If you are working on a book this year let me know – I’d love to share the journey with you.

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Do What You Love – the e-course starts June 15 – this is the LAST time we will run the course this year

As I am taking five months off for maternity leave, the June DWYL class will be the last one this year. If you are feeling stuck in a job you hate, frustrated with the lack of balance in your life, weighed down by obligations, creatively stifled or otherwise not doing what you love, I urge you to join us. This mind-opening online course has helped people from countries all across the world to identify and follow their passion, learn how to monetise it or find a career that really makes them feel alive, and live a happier, more fulfilling life as a result.

Don’t miss out – join us! Book your spot here.

This week we challenge you to consider what would need to be different for you to honestly say you are doing what you love every day. Share your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter @DoWhatYouLoveXx.

Until next time!
Beth and team

[Tweet “Why your writing matters (aka birthing my first book)”]

UPCOMING COURSES

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Our new creative course ‘The Ultimate Portfolio Builder’, brought to you in association with top trade show Printsource, starts TODAY. Plus, one lucky participant will win a FREE BOOTH at Printsource New York, plus $1000 towards travel! If you are an artist or designer looking to build your commercial portfolio, and haven’t yet checked out the course, watch this short video featuring course leader Rachael Taylor to find out what is included (hint: it’s jam packed and amazing for your creative career!)

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You can still squeeze in if you are quick – book your spot here.

Life According to Mr K: On Recruiting

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lifeaccordingtomrk

We have just put the final building block for our team in place, having recruited a new Marketing Officer/Community Manager. Our team is now complete (for the time being anyway!) The successful candidate cannot yet be named but I look forward to introducing you to a very special person next month. For now, I wanted to share some thoughts on the recruitment process itself, as it has really fascinated me over over the past few months.

In the last year we have recruited SEVEN staff for DWYL and for some of our various collaborations. I know this number might not seem very large for a major company, but for us it is a huge increase in staff and brings with it a huge responsibility.

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How can we be more inventive with email?

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This is a guest post by one of the UK’s leading experts in digital distraction and digital detox and author of The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World, Frances Booth. Find out more about Frances here. 

 

Email management is something that many of us tend to ignore, or not even think about.

Despite email being such a big part of our daily working lives, and presenting such a big chance to make productivity savings, many of us just resort to a default always on mode to deal with our emails.

It can sometimes seem like all we’re doing is clearing messages, desperately trying to empty our inbox faster than the flow of new messages coming in. Or, we spend hours just wading around in our inbox, feeling overwhelmed. We know we’re spending our time unproductively, and feel like we’re fighting a losing battle.

Yet still we don’t tackle the core issue – the way we’re choosing to use email.

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Discover your passion and purpose today…

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Do you feel lost or as if something is missing in your life? Maybe you want to make a bigger difference in the world than you feel you are, but you aren’t sure how. So many of us walk through life, feeling numb and desperate for a deeper connection, but aren’t sure how to get it. We can help you change that. Tell us what you need today and we’ll help you do what you love.

Life According to Mr K: A snapshot of my life

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lifeaccordingtomrk

Earlier this month we spent a week or so in the Arctic Circle, North Finland. The trip was amazing on so many levels and even more special as we got to experience all its wonders as a family.

It was during the first evening in our traditional (and very impressive) pine cabin that it really dawned on me just how much my life has changed over the past year or so. As I studied the items on the little wooden table in our living room I realised that they provided a great snapshot of what my current life looks like.

FullSizeRender-2 A snapshot of my life (more…)

Do What You Love HQ Update – February ’15

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There seems a lot to report since my last update. February may be the shortest month of the year but that hasn’t stopped us cramming everything we can into each and every day. We have even travelled to the Arctic Circle and back to ensure our content continues to be both current and relevant!

The Do What You Love e-course began on January 26th and it is now entering its final week. Once again the energy in the classroom has been phenomenal but this time around something really stood out for me. This particular group of people have created such a tight community that I am sure they will continue to support one another long after the courses finishes.

For us, reading the testimonials has been fantastic – it makes it all worth while.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Frances Booth. Over the Christmas period we added to our list of inspiring Free Resources with the launch of our Winter Writing Workshop. It was a massive success with over 1,000 writers taking part. We know from the feedback we had that it provided much needed inspiration, guidance and support for people with burning ambitions to write.

Our commitment to building our Free Resources portfolio will continue throughout 2015 and many more useful tools are being written and designed as I type!

DWYL_LOGO_TEAL_550PX_LR_V3And there’s lots more exciting news to report…

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Five signs you’re suffering from digital distraction (with tips for finding balance)

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This is a guest post by one of the UK’s leading experts in digital distraction and digital detox and author of The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World, Frances Booth. Find out more about Frances here.

How digitally distracted are you? Often we don’t realise how attached we’ve become to our smartphones, social media or email. But being distracted by a digital device all the time can have an impact on our productivity, wellbeing and relationships.

The first step to achieving balance in the digital world is to increase your awareness of your behaviour around digital devices. Here are five signs of digital distraction, along with five strategies you can use to increase your balance, productivity and wellbeing in the digital world.

1. Smartphone separation anxiety

You take your smartphone with you everywhere you go – often actually carrying it in your hand. As soon as your phone beeps, you leap. This is not prioritising. This is phone-in-hand syndrome. Your phone accompanies you everywhere, including to the dinner table and to bed. It muscles in on any conversation you have. It interrupts your thoughts, keeping you constantly ‘on call’.

The solution: Be realistic. It won’t be easy to suddenly go without your phone. You might find that as soon as your phone isn’t there, you need something to do with your hands. You might feel like something is missing (I see this in one-to-one sessions I run). It’s like giving up smoking, in a sense. Be aware of this. Try putting your phone in another room for just 15 minutes. Make sure you have something to do, like read a magazine. Hold something like a pen when you’re talking to someone. Next level: Go to the corner shop without your phone.

2. Journeys pass you by

What do you see on journeys? The light falling just so? Interesting happenings through the window? Or is your field of vision restricted to your smartphone screen? Journeys by bus or train provide a great opportunity for thinking time, or a short rest. They can be a chance to catch up mentally on the day so far, or to dream and plan. But all too often, we miss this chance. We begin our journey, and immediately stare down at a screen, processing yet more digital information. We arrive feeling rushed, and we’ve no idea what happened out of the window.

The solution: Become an observer

Try this exercise: Count ‘em. Next time you are on a train or bus, instead of staring at your phone or tablet, put it away. Start to observe other people. How many digitally distracted people can you spot? What do you notice about their behaviour? How do they look? Stressed? Absorbed? Can you spot pairs of people together who are both staring down at their phones? Sometimes it’s easier to observe behaviour in other people rather than ourselves. See what you can learn by doing this on just one journey.

3. Memory lapse

You blame your bad memory a lot these days. Or perhaps it’s not you, but other people you know who are using the excuse of their bad memory. Ask yourself whether this is really a memory issue, or whether you (or they) could be distracted. If you’re trying to pay attention to more than one thing at once, you might forget to reply to messages, and even forget the contents of the messages you’ve read. This is because you are not storing memories. I look at this in more depth in my book, The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World.

The solution: Do one thing at once. It sounds simple, but we often don’t do this. Try it and see what a difference it makes to your memory, and to your productivity.

Do you use your smartphone when you walk along the street? Do you veer around the pavement as you look down at your phone? Do you stop and start, and even cross roads without looking up? Have you seen other people doing this? Digital distraction is extremely dangerous for pedestrians and drivers. Take this seriously. Put your phone away when you’re anywhere near a road. Never use your phone while driving.

The solution: This is an issue we really need to raise awareness of. Not only should you do this yourself, but you should tell other people to do the same too.

5. No time to think

A thought pops in to your head. This could be it … the answer to that thorny business problem you’ve been struggling with. Then – pling!!! – your phone demands your attention or an email pulls you off track. All too often, when we leap to answer to digital demands, we neglect time for deep thinking. Somehow, answering our email seems more urgent than just having a think. But if you (or your team) are short on good ideas right now, then the chances are, this could be why.

ThinkDo digital distractions mean you have no time left to think? (Photo: J Devaun)

The solution: Leave time for thinking. A simple way to take a first step here is by switching off digital devices when you are doing simple daily and weekly tasks round the house. Allow yourself to use this time for thinking.

Why doing what you love is the key to success in business

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We seem to be getting more and more questions lately about how to create and run an online business, as people are increasingly seeing it as a fantastic way to do what you love on your own terms. We have learnt a huge amount over the past five years, always trying to push the boundaries and stay ahead of the game, and are happy to share that if it inspires even more of you to go for it.

We are working on some fantastic new business resources which we will share over the coming weeks and months, along with links to some of our favourite business websites, blogs, magazines and books. We will also be sharing a number of our most valuable lessons through this newsletter and dedicating the whole month of April to online business – the pros and cons, ups and downs, opportunities and how-tos – so if you are interested in finding your freedom through being your own boss, stay tuned! And even if you have never even contemplated running your own business, try to have an open mind and consider all the possibilities. You never know what might spring to mind…

One of the keys to our rapid growth over the past few years has been our commitment to collaborations. We have built some really strong partnerships with leaders in their field, which have enabled us to grow together, and make more of an impact than we could have made alone. We are grateful to be in the position where we turn down many more partnership opportunities than we take up, but when we do take a new partner on board, it is always from a place of real belief in their work, their approach, their expertise, and the relevance of their teaching for our audience.

And that is why we have chosen to partner with Marie Forleo in the promotion of her upcoming (awesome) online marketing course B-School. You may have heard a fair bit about B-School lately. That’ll be because Marie and her team are the best at what they do. But we have chosen to be a partner because the essence of what they teach – how to get your products and services in front of a huge audience of people who NEED them – is absolutely key to doing what you love in business.

Think about it for a minute – if you get clear on what doing what you love means to you, and you find a way to make that into a business, you have overcome the first hurdle. But if you don’t find the customers who want and need what you are offering, you have no business – certainly no long term sustainable business. And that will just leave you frustrated and sad. Great online marketing is a non-negotiable in this digital age, if you really want to carve out a place for yourself running a business doing what you love. You can have the best product or service in the world, but if no-one knows about it, your dream isn’t going to last.

If you want to find out more, here are two really useful free training videos from Marie, which explain a bit more about why this is so crucial to your long term success:

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