Jeff Hilimire's Blog, page 4

My 7 Keys to Success

Here is a 6-minute podcast I recorded on the seven things that have helped me the most in terms of success in life and business. I hope some of these can be helpful, and please share what some of your keys to success would be!

The post My 7 Keys to Success appeared first on Begin the Begin.

Introducing The A Pledge

I’m pretty excited to share this new initiative with you! We call it, The A Pledge. “A” can stand for “agency”, or “activism”, or “alliance”…but it also is a call back to Atlanta, which is often referred to as, “The A”.

So, what is The A Pledge, you ask?

The A Pledge is a call to Atlanta advertising and marketing agencies to come together in a committed effort to create inclusive opportunities within our industry. Over the next decade, we will make the changes needed to ensure our teams reflect the diversity of our community. As we do, we will see systemic opportunity grow in our industry, our city, and our nation. (read more)

Here’s what happened.

In 2012-2013, I went through Leadership Atlanta. And then this happened. From that point forward, awakened to my privilege, I knew I needed to work hard to have an outsized, positive impact on the world (my personal purpose). 

Soon after that, I started Dragon Army, and I wanted to find a way to fight systemic racism in my business community (Atlanta’s marketing and advertising industry). For that to happen, I believed these three things would need to be in place:

Whatever I did, it had to include the entire community (or as many that would be willing to participate). One-off initiatives, while important, will never be as effective as they could be together. And Atlanta is a community that has a history of coming together around civil rights and social justice.There needed to be a BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal). Something that was ambitious enough to give people pause (“is that even possible?”) while also being a clear, measurable goal that, if accomplished, would be a clear sign of progress.There needed to be public accountability over a long period of time.

That was my criteria when I first came up with the idea of this initiative in 2013. My only regret is not starting this sooner, but here we are, and I couldn’t be more excited to start this long march toward creating what we like to call, SYSTEMIC OPPORTUNITY.

And I’m so honored to be creating this with an amazing group of Atlanta leaders. If you know any of these people, please send them a note of support today :)

Time to get to work

Things are starting to take off…

I gotta say, I’m pretty psyched after the last few weeks (and not just because of the weather, but seriously, how great is this weather?! That tree above is from my backyard…)

Here’s a quick run-down of some things I’m really thankful for

After feeling the impact of COVID-19 in major way starting in March, Dragon Army has had several great months in a row. I’m excited to share that we were able to make it through the year without losing any of our team members, which was my #1 goal. And one of our team members had a beautiful baby girl this past week!!

48in48 had some terrific news this week with a potential new partner, and our plans for 2021 are going to be really excited. I’ll be sharing news on both of those soon…

Last Thursday, I dropped off 50 copies of my book, The 5-Day Turnaround, to a massive corporation in town that is having me give two book talks to their leadership team this coming week! Before COVID struck, I had over a dozen book talks scheduled, including one to a group of over 500 people out in San Francisco (for a major social network..shhhh). All of that was canceled, obviously, but I’ve been able to work with a few corporations to give talks over video this year. Let me know if you’re interested in the same, I’m fairly available :)

The podcasts are heating up, with a few really fun episodes launching recently, including:

The first part of my interview with Pulitzer-Prize winning author, Taylor Branch (he wrote, among other things, America in the King Years…which is simply amazing)An interview with one of my long-time friends in the business, Dan Holm, who now runs digital for SubwayA chat with Alex Gonzalez about our favorite books of all time

And here’s me burying the lead…the election went the way I wanted it to, and Georgia has a chance to really shake things up over the next several weeks. Let’s do this!

How to do this thing called life

This past week I had the privilege to talk with a group of GA State students. I always try to be as thoughtful as possible when speaking to students, because let’s face it, we’re at our most impressionable phase during our college years (at least I was). The last thing I’d want to do is give some bit of advice and send someone down the wrong path!

I focused my talk on giving them my best advice on how to live their best life. Bold, I know. But if this isn’t the time for bold ideas, I don’t know when is :)

Here’s the opening slide of my talk:

I brought each of those concepts to life through my 20+ story of entrepreneurship. 

To emphasize developing a creative, entrepreneurial mindset, I talked about the times I pushed through challenges with my businesses and found creative ways to find success (including the massive pivot we made with 48in48 earlier this year after COVID-19 crippled the business – hear more on this podcast episode).

To explain what I mean by finding and living into your personal purpose, I talked about my experience in Leadership Atlanta, how my eyes were opened to my privilege, and why I’m now on a journey to have an out-sized, positive impact on the world.

To bring it all home, I talked about the four ways I’m focusing on BIG things (excluding my family, which is the biggest and most important part of my life):

Dragon Army is my for-profit business, which is focused on proving that business can be a force for good in the world48in48, a nonprofit I created in 2015, is working to better the world through marketing and technology volunteerismRipples of Hope is a leadership program I created last year for nonprofit and social good businessesThere’s a fourth thing that I’ll be announcing soon, but the focus will be on fighting systemic racism in my industry (marketing and advertising)

My belief is, if you’re a creative thinker willing to put in the work, if you’ve found your personal purpose and know why you’re here, and if you focus your efforts on big things, you can accomplish anything in this life.

Before you leave

I run a weekly email newsletter where I share interesting articles and books I’m reading, productivity hacks, leadership lessons, and an update from that week’s blog posts. There is exclusive content that only comes out in the email!

If this sounds interesting, you can use this link to sign up!

The post How to do this thing called life appeared first on Begin the Begin.

With a little help from my friends

Lately, I find myself reflecting on all the help and advice I’ve had along the way.

I consider myself lucky in so many ways, and the amount of support I’ve received in this journey called life is no exception. I’ve had mentors take a chance on me, partners join me in crazy pursuits, people invest in my businesses, friends join the boards of nonprofits I run, and of course family support me all along the way. 

Last week two of my podcasts touched on this subject. The first was an episode with some of my first business advisors at Spunlogic (YouTube link) and the second is with three people in Atlanta that have mentored and advised so many young leaders (YouTube link). 
 

My advice today

Think about some of the people who have made the biggest impact on your life, and send them a short message of thanks. Earlier this week I received a card in the mail from Hanni Berger (CEO of Joyvial), an entrepreneur who is part of my Ripples of Hope initiative. In the card, she expressed how much she has appreciated my help over the years and how my belief in her continues to give her confidence as she goes after her dreams. That simple, thoughtful note made my day, and only reinforced how much I want to help her going forward. (Plus, she’s just all-around amazing, and if you aren’t following her on Instagram, you’re missing out.)

As always, please share some of the experiences you have as you do this! I love stories of people appreciating each other, and I think we could all use little bits of good news and positive stories right about now. I know I could :)

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My new morning routine (mindset, devices, and apps I use to start the day)

I used to feel like I needed to get up and hit the day hard, immediately getting in front of the computer to knock out emails that came through over the night and crank away at my tasks. I’m not sure if it’s because of the insanity of 2020, or because I’m getting wiser older, but I’ve changed my morning routine up quite a bit over the last few months.

My New Morning Routine

Here is what a typical morning looks like for me:

6:15 AM
For the most part, I haven’t been using an alarm during COVID. I never have a meeting earlier than 8:00 AM, and most don’t start until at least 9:00 AM. And since I don’t have to do all the things I used to do before my first meeting (like, you know, make myself presentable and actually drive somewhere), it’s not that critical that I get up at a specific time. This only works because as a father of five I’m incapable of sleeping past 6:30 AM…

The first thing I do is drink a big glass of water. I read somewhere that’s the best thing to do when you wake up, and maybe you should have some lemon in it but I’m typically too lazy to do that part. Who has time to cut lemons 24/7?

6:30 AM
iPad time. I love my iPad (I have the smaller Pro version, 2018) for many reasons, but especially in the mornings. With the Smart Keyboard it’s very easy to grab the iPad and use it as a tablet. I’ll sit down on the couch in our living room, in the quiet while everyone else in my house is still asleep, and use the iPad to do the following:

Read through Apple News. We have a subscription to Apple News+ for a few reasons, but mainly because it gives us a subscription to several publications we read (The Atlantic, WIRED, Time, etc.) I also read The Washington Post through Apple News+, but it’s a separate subscription. Read the daily NY Times and Morning Brew emails.Do the NY Times free short crossword puzzle. I don’t subscribe to the actual NY Times puzzle, but I like the short free version as a quick way to wake my brain up.Play a few games of Clash Royale, a mobile game I play with some friends and my kids. It’s my guilty pleasure :)

6:45 AM
I’ve held out long enough, time for the first cup of coffee (I get coffee from Mistobox and use the Kalita Wave pour-over). Then back to the iPad…

7:15 AM
This is usually when I make my way to my actual desk. The goal for the next 45 minutes is to get to Inbox Zero (meaning, clean out my entire inbox), review my schedule for the day, and go over my tasks and dashboard in a tool I use called Notion. Notion is essentially the “Operating System” for my life. I use it to manage my to-do’s, my podcast schedule and process, and generally organize my life around my three core focus areas: Family, Dragon Army, and Doing Good.

8:00 AM 
I normally have breakfast around this time, which almost every day is eggs and some fruit. I like making my eggs with this technique, and I usually don’t put anything in them. After breakfast is usually the first time I do the dishes…I would say I average an hour a day doing dishes, especially with the entire family home all day, every day. Imagine seven people, three meals a day, and my wife is an amazing cook so there are usually three or four pots and pans to clean each night. I use that dish-washing time to watch some TV shows (recently loving Ted Lasso on Apple TV+). It’s kind of my “me” time :)

8:30 AM 
Most mornings, before I have my first meeting or commitment, I try to take our little dog on a walk. (We have two dogs, the big one often goes on a run with my wife, so I try to take the little guy out on my walks.) Going on frequent walks is something that I’ve started doing more since COVID and my bout with dizziness, and I really think it’s helped. I’ll often listen to either a book on tape or a podcast during these walks (listening with Google Pixel Buds, the only “buds” that will stay in my ears).



(Once I’m healthier – I’m slowly recovering from the dizziness I’ve been experiencing – this will become my time to run again. Also, when healthy I’ve loved doing yoga in the mornings, so that will re-enter my process when I’m feeling better. But for now, I’m enjoying walks with the little guy.)

9:00 AM
The work-day really begins around 9 AM, and when the second (and final) cup of coffee is consumed. I will say that I now ensure I have several “screen breaks” throughout the day. These can take the form of walks, sitting and reading a book for 15 minutes, playing with the kids, or basically anything that removes me from a digital screen.

And then the day begins. I’d love for you to share what your morning looks like, and/or things you do to start the morning off on the right foot.

Before you leave

I run a weekly email newsletter where I share interesting articles and books I’m reading, productivity hacks, leadership lessons, and an update from that week’s blog posts. There is exclusive content that only comes out in the email!

If this sounds interesting, you can use this link to sign up!

The post My new morning routine (mindset, devices, and apps I use to start the day) appeared first on Begin the Begin.

Personal Purpose, hacking Halloween, and walking off the stress

Note: this first appeared in my weekly email newsletter, where I share more personal stories and progress.

So that I don’t bury the lead, I’m sharing two links that have helped me personally and professionally. The first is a worksheet on finding your personal purpose. My #1 advice to anyone, and the thing I always end my book talks with, is to take the time to find your personal purpose. Perhaps this high-level approach will help you. 

The second link is an approach to evolving your business success by implementing the Great Game of Business. You can read more about the Great Game in my many blog posts on the topic, but the PDF below will help you super-charge your efforts (it’s worked for us at Dragon Army).

Download: Find your Personal Purpose!Download: Enhance and evolve your Great Game of Business




I guess entrepreneurship runs in the family! 

My 15-year old, having seen me build websites since his birth and who I’ve been coaching to look for opportunities in difficult times, came up with the idea to launch a website to help people have a great Halloween during quarantine.

After weeks researching and brainstorming, and came up with 31 ways to help people this October 31st. He then boned up on WordPress, and yesterday his site went live! Please consider checking it out and sharing with your friends! 

Walking More = Less Stress

It’s been no secret (at least to my email readers) that I’ve been suffering from dizziness over the last few months. The good news is that I believe I’m back to about 90% full health. The bad news is, I have no real idea what happened. My best guess is that my body, through some combination of stress and grief, decided that it wasn’t enough for me to be emotionally woozy, I also needed to be physically woozy. A lot has happened in the world, and in my life, since March, and I’m sure you can relate.

I’ve taken to walking a great deal and I believe it’s been helping my recovery. I was reading an article, In Defense of Walking More and Running Less (Just Hear Me Out), and the author writes: 

…the biggest draw for me was the feeling of peace I got on each walk. I felt calm in a way that perhaps I’ve never felt before.

That’s exactly what I’ve been feeling on my walks. Whether it’s first thing in the morning to start my day, a mid-day shake-off-the-Zooms walk, or a post-dinner family outing, getting out and breathing the fresh air and experiencing the outdoors just makes me feel better. Of course, when I get to take these walks with my little ones, it becomes a priceless gift as well. 

Walking with my littles is the best recipe for remembering how lucky I am…even when they steal my hat :)

Before you leave

As mentioned above, I run a weekly email newsletter where I share interesting articles and books I’m reading, productivity hacks, leadership lessons, and an update from that week’s blog posts. There is exclusive content that only comes out in the email!

If this sounds interesting, you can use this link to sign up!

The post Personal Purpose, hacking Halloween, and walking off the stress appeared first on Begin the Begin.

7 questions with leadership coach, Katie Adkins

I’m so excited to get a chance to “interview” Katie Adkins on my blog. She was a teammate of mine at Engauge and also is a core member of the team at Ripples of Hope!

I wanted to learn more about her journey to becoming a leadership coach and what she is focused on, and figured I would share it here as I think anyone would be lucky to work with Katie.

What do you do? As the Founding Coach at Adkins Talent Solutions, I partner with highly-motivated professionals to help them find clarity and create meaningful change at work and in life. Who do you work with? My clients are lifelong learners who desire to make a difference through listening, learning, and leading. My clients’ professions range from CEOs to sole-entrepreneurs to individuals in between jobs. The common thread between all of my clients is that they care deeply about their work and their families/community. They tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves. They are committed to their growth in order to better help others.What is coaching? Well, the answer depends on who you ask. Coaching is not a regulated term, so anyone can call themself a coach. Many people default to what they are familiar with. One of the most common uses of the term “coach” is in sports. Sports coaches instruct players or athletes. For example, I was a swim coach when I was in high school. I studied techniques, planned out practices, and told the team how to improve their stokes or swimming skills. Of course, any good sports coach also listens to their team members in order to understand their strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears. Some professional coaches act like sports coaches by telling their clients what to do to find their dream job or how to create a successful business. I’m not that type of coach. What type of coach are you? I act as a processing partner. I don’t tell my clients what to do. I listen and ask thought-provoking questions to draw out my client’s expertise, insight, and dreams. I align with the International Coaching Federation’s (ICF) definition of coaching, which is “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking, creative process to maximize their potential.” The ICF identifies 8 competencies that coaches must follow in order to receive ICF certification. I continue to study the competencies and follow them with my clients. I listen back to my client coaching sessions to see where I could have improved to better align with ICF’s competencies. It is important to note that not all coaches always follow the competencies. Each coach is unique. It is important that you find the right coaching fit. Are you a life coach or business coach? Both. Life impacts work. Work impacts life. If you don’t believe that then I’m not the coach for you. Coaching is about you as a whole person: your values, goals, work, balance, fulfillment, and life purpose. I use my coaching skills and training from Co-active Institute, Emory Executive Coaching Program, and more to help my clients process and move forward.What does my coaching process look like? I always have conversations with potential clients to make sure we are a fit. I work with motivated professionals to identify their desires and begin to make changes in their lives. We design a plan that is specific to their needs and aspirations. Change takes commitment, time, and follow-through. My clients commit to at least six months of coaching with me. Coaching engagements include a discovery questionnaire and dedicated one-on-one coaching sessions (via video or phone). I work with each client to customize the frequency and length of their sessions. These sessions are 100% focused on the client’s goals. As the client, they drive the coaching agenda. As the coach, I guide the creative process to help them find greater clarity and take steps towards achieving their goals. I hold all information shared during coaching as strictly confidential. Why are you passionate about coaching? People need people. And some need a processing partner. I know because I’m one of those people. I’ve seen the power of coaching in my own life! I’m a verbal processor. I need to talk through my feelings and thoughts to find clarity. I’ve found I usually know what I want to do. Receiving coaching allows me to process in a safe, confidential space. I have seen how being asked unbiased questions can open my mind to new possibilities. Coaching has helped me achieve my goals and feel empowered to move forward!

What else? As I said, I love questions! Feel free to send me your questions via email (Katie@AdkinsTalent.com) or give me a call (770-241-3333).

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A much needed pick-me-up

Remember how Ross would give the most depressing hi’s?

That’s how I’ve felt over the last week. Here’s what happened.

I’m in the middle of reading four non-fiction books. Two of them are set at the founding of our nation – Washington: A life and Alexander Hamilton – and two of them are set during the Civil Rights era – Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63 and His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope. 

As I look around at what’s happening in our country right now, I’ve been reminded of the reality that since our nation’s founding, people of color have had to fight to be treated as equals. Most of the founding fathers owned slaves, and while they wrote these beautiful words about how all men should be created equal, that was hardly the case then, and it is hardly the case now. 

Reading about John Lewis, as a 22-year old, learning how to receive beatings due to the non-violent protesting he was exercising in the 60s is as devastating as it is eye-opening. He practiced how to shield himself in ways to minimize the internal damage that would be done while he accepted the beatings…so that he could get up the next day and do it again. He wasn’t learning how to fight back, he was learning how to absorb the hate being delivered upon him. He was being taught what the movement called ‘Radical Love’ – literally how to love people who hated you so much because of your skin color that they’d rather see you killed than share a stool at a counter with you.

Think about that.

And then I think about the times we live in. Where people of color still feel the need to remind us that their lives matter. How did we get to a point in our lives humanity where we hear someone say, “My life matters!”, and instead of seeking to find out why they might need to say that and how we can help, so many of us instead decide to try to stop them from speaking. In too many cases, to stop them from breathing.

So yeah, I had a down week wrestling with all of this and trying to decide if humans are just innately incapable of empathy. That maybe we’re all wired to be tribal and fight for what’s ours and protect our kind. Maybe a small few break through and actually care about helping those that are less fortunate than themselves. Which brings small, incremental improvements but doesn’t move the needle enough. Not nearly enough.

Then I spoke to a friend that, through a few text messages, realized I needed a talking to :) The first thing he said was, “Honestly, I don’t know what to do with a down Hilimire.” If you know me, you know I’m usually positive and optimistic and generally in a good mood. And while that’s obviously not always the case, it’s very rare that I show anything but positivity to others.

So my friend spent an hour talking with me and showed me a path forward. He sympathized with what I was feeling, and while not disagreeing, showed me that there is reason to believe that we can get to a better place, and even more reasons to believe that I need to keep trying to find ways to be a part of the solution. That giving up isn’t the answer, and the only reason I can even consider that path is because of my privilege.

“There are people who are stuck here, and they don’t have the option to give up and move to New Zealand. That’s why we have to keep pushing forward, keep having hope, and use our gifts to keep fighting for what’s right.”

Thank you, friend. I needed that, because I don’t know what to do with a ‘down Hilimire’, either :)

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My humble thoughts on the Meaning of Life

I seem to be doing more deep thinking these days.

Am I living a meaningful life?

What are we here for? What am I here for?

Seriously, the Post Office?

In one of those times of reflecting, I flipped on the microphone and hit record. Below is the result, both video and podcast versions:

I’d love for you to take a listen and tell me what YOU think the meaning of life is. After all, we’re all in this together…right? :)

Before you leave

As mentioned above, I run a weekly email newsletter where I share interesting articles and books I’m reading, productivity hacks, leadership lessons, and an update from that week’s blog posts. There is exclusive content that only comes out in the email!

If this sounds interesting, you can use this link to sign up!

The post My humble thoughts on the Meaning of Life appeared first on Begin the Begin.