Conventional Wisdom: The Ultimate Dream Killer

January 6, 2009 by Jonathan Fields 

Conventional wisdom is, by default, drawn out of the mass experience of people…

Mass-experience translates to commonality, to averages, to medians.  When you live your life based on conventional-wisdom, then, it stands to reason you can expect to live a conventional, average, middle-of-the-road life.

Question is—is that what you want?

Theodore Roosevelt wrote:

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

All too often, conventional wisdom leads to Roosevelt’s “gray twilight.”

When sales exec, Peter Bowerman, was considering a career as a writer, nearly everything he read told him to expect a brutal battle ahead.  The only real way to earn a living was to establish a reputation as a top journalist, write for top magazines or land on the bestseller lists.  Most writers, Peter learned, scraped by and worked largely as a labor of love. So, why bother? That was the conventional wisdom.

Good thing Peter wasn’t into convention.

Refusing to buy into the collective proclamations of poverty, Peter chose to find a different way to earn the living he needed while doing what made him come alive.  He chose to see past convention.  To view it as more of a challenge than a limitation.  And, in doing so, he not only became the exception, but eventually took on the burden of spearheading the drive to make the exception become the new rule.

He researched the many different ways to earn a living as a writer and discovered a niche in writing for companies that paid extremely well. Peter then drew upon his sales background to formulate an approach to finding, then landing corporate clients.

Within months, with no formal background or portfolio, Peter was booked solid. He had more business than he could handle.

Time for stage two…

As others watched him succeed, Peter started getting a regular stream of calls and e-mails asking for writing career advice. After a while, Peter realized he’d given out enough advice to make a book. So, that’s exactly what he did.

Peter wrote “The Well Fed Writer” then self-published it and earned enough from that first book to live well in the world for the next 5 years. That book has now grown into a series of books, trainings and products that teach people how to do what he’s done, all of which generate a substantial living for Peter.

And, if he’d taken the advice of those around him before shifting paths, if he’d bought into conventional wisdom, he’d very likely never have made the jump into a career that not only fills him up, but pays his bills and then some.

Question is…what about you?

Are you stopping yourself from doing something that’d make you come alive, because conventional wisdom says you can’t do it? If so…

Maybe it’s time to rise above convention…

To explore the possibility that if conventional wisdom is what’s gotten you to this point in life, and this point isn’t all that satisfying…maybe conventional wisdom was wrong. Maybe it’s really not a barrier, but a test to weed out those who want it most and are unwilling to yield their dreams to the limiting proclamations of others.

What do you think?

Let’s discuss…

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Resolve This!

January 1, 2009 by Jonathan Fields 

It’s that day again…

You know, the one millions of people use as a jumping off point for grand changes in course. All hail the New Years resolution.

THIS year, I am finally going to [fill in the blank]

Only problem is…75% of this year’s resolutions will be the same resolution made and broken 2 weeks into last year. Resolutions alone don’t have power, they’re just statements of desire. We make them all day, every day.

Resolutions are about want, but they are useless without will and action.

Why not try something a bit different this year? Don’t make any resolutions, unless you are simultaneously willing to:

1. Craft a plan of action around that resolution that is actionable,
2. Immediately schedule the actions needed to achieve your resolution into your daily life and
3. Rally a team to inspire you, teach you and hold you accountable to your daily actions.

So, if you’d like to make 2009 the year that leads you into a career path that makes you come alive. Move beyond just saying it and do what’s needed to acquire the knowledge, rally your team and hold yourself accountable to taking action every single day in the direction of your resolution.

This can and will be a year like no other…

But only if you move past resolutions and embrace actions.

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New Renegade Profile: Clicknewz.com’s Lynn Terry

December 17, 2008 by Jonathan Fields 

From single mom with two kids on the verge of bankruptcy to successful super-affiliate, internet marketer, blogger and online marketing strategist, Clicknewz.com founder Lynn Terry is a powerful combination of will, intelligence and authentic kindness.

In this killer one-hour Renegade Profile, she reveals:

• How she went from supporting 7 people in an 800 square foot apartment to generating a great income and living in her own home.
• How she uses a simple egg-timer to balance working from home and playing with her kids
• How she handled raising a special needs child, working at home, home-schooling two kids and building a business all at the same time.
• What critical moments and realizations led her to a radical shift in career paths
• How she got into affiliate marketing and “what” affiliate marketing really is
• How to start as an affiliate marketer and grow your revenue on the side
• How she became a blogger, teacher and “super-affiliate”
• An inspiring and unusual way to define both security and success
• And, so much more.

If you are already subscribed to the Career Renegade profiles interview series, head on over to the vault now and listen to or download the interview as an mp3. And, if you’re not yet subscribed, sign up below, it doesn’t cost a dime, and dive into the growing library of Renegade Profiles.

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The Power of Being Different in a Down Economy

December 15, 2008 by Jonathan Fields 

If you own a business of professional practice in this economy, the word of the day is differentiation. That’s part of the message I shared in my guest guest post at SmallBizTrends.com.

Here’s how it begins…

It wasn’t so hard to skate by when all ships were buoyed, when everyone was flush with cash. You didn’t have to work so hard to show you were the best. Or at least better than others. You just had to be good enough to take a big enough piece of the pie to get by.

Not any more (though, honestly, that’s never been my approach anyway).

Click here to read the rest

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Get Your MBA On, Seth Godin Style

December 12, 2008 by Jonathan Fields 

So, I just shared this over at Awake@TheWheel, but it’s important enough to repeat here…

Marketing guru, thought leader, author and good guy who gives a damn, Seth Godin, is offering a 6-month apprenticeship program. Who’s it for? According to Seth…

If you’re stuck in a dead end job in publishing, or if you made a not-so-great choice in getting your career started, or if you thought Wall Street would be a different place, or if you just got laid off, or if you’re not crazy about fretting away the next six months waiting to get fired and you’re not quite ready to start your own gig… this might be the turbolift you were hoping for. Yes, it’s free.

It’s a chance to get off that track and onto a new track, faster and cheaper than most of the alternatives. And it might even be fun.

All the details are posted on Seth’s Alternative-MBA Squidoo lens.

It’s not for everyone. You’ll need to be able to set aside six months of your life, travel to the NY area and pay all your own living expenses. But, for the right people, it just might be the opportunity of a lifetime, both personal and business.

Here’s the thing, though…

The application deadline is Sunday, December 14th.

So, if you’ve got the time, the inclination and the vision, don’t wait, go learn how to apply and throw your hat in the ring.

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