How can you grow your network of like-minded individuals?
After you’ve defined what you want to do and what your field of interest is, you’ll want to attend networking events, conferences, or Meetups in that area to meet others with similar interests.
You can also join online communities and Facebook groups to connect with these kinds of people.
Today I’ll share the story of Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO, Brian Chesky. With a net worth of $3.8 billion at the age of 36, Brian might have a lesson or two for us. The idea was born when Brian and his roommate and college friend, Joe Gebbia, needed money to pay rent. They rented space in their apartment and that proof of concept grew into the giant company we know today.
Less Dreaming, More Doing. Contact me directly or check out my blog at chrisbello.com.
This week, I want to introduce you to Reid Hoffman’s podcast, Masters of Scale. Reid covers how companies grow from 0 to a gazillion and tests theories with legendary leaders. This podcast is the first to commit to a 50-50 gender balance for guests as well, which I just learned when looking at the website, so that’s pretty neat as well!
Feel free to reach out with questions or comments at chrisbello.com and remember, less dreaming, more doing.
Before we get into the 3 Simple Steps of how to inspire and motivate others, I want to share some nuggets of knowledge from what I’ve learned along the journey so far.
It’s impossible to know everything before starting something new. You just need to take action and figure it out along the way.
When I decided to create a website, start a blog, and a host a podcast, I honestly had no idea where to begin. I just started and continue to figure it out more and more as time goes by. I wanted to start sharing my message, and everything on my mind in regards to various business ventures or learnings. The most important thing is that I decided to take action. I could be twiddling my thumbs right now wondering “gosh, wouldn’t it have been nice to have started a website or podcast?” Instead, I’m jumping for joy at the little things. For example, my podcast had 499 downloads last month, up from 157 the month before. When starting from 0, progress is so exciting!
I have heard numerous times that “the riches are in the niches,” and that you should really focus in on a specific area, build a passionate following, and offer products or services to cater to your tribe. However, there is so much on my mind lately, and I feel like a sponge trying to absorb all the water from a fire hose. My posts aren’t just about “traveling” or “product invention.” My articles and blog posts are really about my entrepreneurial journey, from the time I invented a product with a friend to now, where I’m reading more, learning more, and trying to level up in all areas of my life. I’ve been documenting my journey and am trying to share anything of value with you as I learn things myself.
No matter what you’re passionate about, there will be others that share that passion.
The coolest thing to see is that there are a lot of people who have reached out to me to say that I unknowingly inspire. This even includes people I haven’t spoken to in years that have kept up with my posts on social media. I’ve poured money and time into things I strongly believe in and know will eventually pay off. While there are some people who think I’m crazy and taking on so much risk, most people playfully mention things like “remember us little guys when you make it big.” I’ve had people ask me how they can start with a website or podcast, or even how to get a logo trademarked. This has been extremely motivating for me to continue pushing and documenting the journey.
Some people ask how they can elevate their mindset and where they can start on things they’re interested about. I’ve got plenty of books and podcasts to refer you to, of that I am certain. No matter what advice I give to others, I always start off by throwing my tagline out there: less dreaming, more doing. I firmly believe in taking action, spitting in the face of risk (within reason), and just doing it. What is the worst that can happen? If it’s death, perhaps consider trying something else, but if it’s just something like monetary risk, you need to determine if it’s one you’re willing to take.
What is it that you are seeking?
For me, I’m willing to sacrifice my money and time to build assets and passive income streams that I can live off of. Once these systems are in place, I can live freely and on my own terms. How sweet does this scenario sound: your monthly expenses are $3000, and you get a check each month for $5000 without having to do anything. I’m not there yet, but that’s what I’m working towards. It takes a lot of time upfront to build these types of systems, but I’ve met so many people that have been there and done that. Now it’s just a matter of getting to that point. It’s NOT about the money. It’s about the FREEDOM to not have to go to a 9-5 job you hate when you can instead travel or spend time with family.
MINDSET SHIFT: Spending versus Investing: There is a HUGE difference between spending money and investing it. Investments have risk but also have a potential for return. Spending typically only results in temporary pleasure (or avoidance of pain such as being hungry). Check out the differences below:
Spending: You spend $500 of video games and spend hundreds of hours playing them. Nothing is gained but temporary pleasure. You can probably sell them back to GameStop for $20.
Investing: You invest $1000 on inventory from sourcing an item on Alibaba. You invest 30 hours in online courses on private labeling and selling on Amazon and eBay. You generate $3000 in profit after selling the items. Your profit is $2000, but what is more valuable is the immense knowledge gained from going through the motions and putting in the work.
Anyways, let’s get to the 3 Simple Steps necessary to motivate and inspire others based on my observations so far:
1. Be yourself.
Don’t try to fake your personality or anything else. Be yourself and things will be so much easier to do. When you try to speak differently or put on a front, you’ll find that things take longer and seem to be more challenging to do. When you just let your natural self talk about something, write about something, etc., you will find that you are able to get so much more done quickly.
2. Stay consistent.
Have a calendar, or recurring thing on your phone calendar, to remind you to do certain tasks. For example, I publish a podcast episode every Monday at noon. I might record the episode earlier in the week or the morning of, but I make sure to publish it at the same time.
I’m trying to get a little more consistent with my blog posts, but I have pretty good about posting on Wednesdays or Thursdays, with an occasional Friday post if I’m busy or feeling lazy. When you stay consistent, you can develop new good habits, and make things part of your normal routine. Things that you might put off without having a deadline now become urgent on your list of to dos and ensure that you actually get them done.
3. Put in the work.
Third but probably most important, put in the work. You need to be yourself, you need to stay consistent, but you need to put in the work or nothing will get done. Once you’ve got a plan, stick to it. No excuses, no putting things off until next week or next year. A sense of urgency is required or else you will never get anything done.
You must feel like something must get done as if your life depended on it. I think it is absolutely crazy to see the mindset shift that has occurred within me over the last 2 to 3 years. I recently shared a Facebook status from five years ago where I was excited to get a job offer at a certain company. I shared that status again this year saying “wow, was I crazy to get excited about a job.” Now all I want to do is create my own products, make my own sales, and grow my own dream. Things really do change with time and experience.
In college, I would put in the work to the best of my ability. I didn’t like studying for classes that I didn’t find interesting and it was a challenge to get myself to sit through it read chapters for classes like history. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill three or four hours playing Xbox sometimes in a single day after class. Now my mindset has completely shifted… I feel a sense of urgency and duty to create my own wealth, to not have to reach out to my parents and ask for help. And even to be able to help them and pay them back for all the things they’ve done for me so far in life. I know I need to put in the work, and I like to think that I do. It’s nice to take break sometimes, but make sure to put in the work.
Maybe These 3 Simple Steps Aren’t So Simple…
So maybe I lied… These 3 steps aren’t always so simple. There’s a lot that goes on with in each one. The important thing is that you take the first step and really focus on speed over perfection. If you try to get every little detail perfect, you’re likely to never take action. If you’re able to take action now, and put something out there, you will at will at least be one step closer than if you had just left it as a thought. My goal is to inspire and motivate you to light the fire inside, ignite that passion. Take the first step towards making your dreams reality.
How I Built This is by far one of my favorite podcasts I’ve stumbled on. Guy interviews various entrepreneurs and shares their stories. They aren’t just any entrepreneurs, by the way, they are pretty successful ones that started companies that most of us are familiar with. A few entrepreneurs interviewed on this show include Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, and James Dyson, founder of Dyson vacuums and other products.
In this episode, I dive into detail on one interview in particular of Richard Branson of the Virgin companies. Spoiler alert – I cover a lot of what the actual episode covers, but at a quicker pace.
Feel free to reach out with questions or comments at chrisbello.com and remember, less dreaming, more doing.
Tony Robbins offers several lessons to a happier life. First, associate bad habits with pain and good ones with pleasure. Second, change the words you use to transform how you feel and deal with problems. Third, make up your own rules and communicate them to become happier.
Listen to today’s episode to learn more on those life-changing lessons and get a copy of your book here.
Feel free to reach out with questions or comments at chrisbello.com and remember, less dreaming, more doing.
The Magic of Thinking Big is one of the first books I listened to on Audible when I started getting into this “mindset shift.” I’ve got to credit my friend Manny Atilano for introducing me to Audible as well as this type of thinking. He had a huge collection of books and helped get me started with a few he recommended. We’d go to Starbucks to work and “get on the grind” as we would call it. Those early days would evolve from just brainstorming business ideas to now having my website, blog, podcast, book on Amazon, and a course on reselling.
Welcome to Season 2 of the Entrepreneur Motivation Podcast. If you were here for last season, you’ll remember we covered a lot of topics from inventing a product to online tools I recommend checking out.
This season will be a little different. I’ll be running through some of the important points I’ve come across in various books I’ve read. Whether you’ve read them before or not, I’ll be sure to offer some fresh perspectives and highlight key takeaways. I definitely recommend you check the books out that I’ll be running through, as my short podcast can’t truly do them justice.
Happy New Year! I don’t really believe in “New Year Resolutions” and explain why in this episode. It’s important to set and achieve goals constantly throughout each year, but setting huge goals for an entire year without breaking them into smaller ones is a recipe for failure.
Feel free to reach out with questions or comments at chrisbello.com and remember, less dreaming, more doing.
Your mom was right. Who you hang out with tends to define you. If you’re hanging out with people who are okay with the status quo and don’t have drive to do more, they’ll pull you down to their level. If you want to level up, you need to elevate your peers.
Find mentors who have been there and done that, have a proven track record, and are willing to show you the ropes or even just grab a cup of coffee. This episode dives into the importance of mentors and network.
Feel free to reach out with questions or comments at chrisbello.com and remember, less dreaming, more doing.
