Travis Hellstrom's Blog, page 5

The Joys and Perils of Working for Yourself

I’ve been working for myself for the past 5 years. During that time I have served as an advisor and VP to an incredible Mongolian CEO and his tech startup, started and led a charitable foundation, did consulting work while completing grad school, served on several nonprofit boards, started my own company, worked with another startup, survived a complete layoff, and been a full-time entrepreneur.

I’ve made more each year than the year before, starting from a solid Peace Corps salary of $250 a month and going up from there. I’ve also learned a ton (and not always the “Yeah, this is fun!” kind of learning, often the “Yikes…this hurts” kind of learning).

With that in mind, I’d like to share some things I’ve learned the hard way so you don’t have to. On the spectrum from Yeah! to Yikes, I will try to keep this essay on the Yeah! side.

Here are 5 tips on how to maximize joy and minimize the perils of working for yourself in our wild and exciting world:

1. Notice That Everything Has Changed. For a long time there has been a simple prescription for success: go to school, study hard, graduate, work hard, be loyal, get in debt, save up, pay off debt, retire and chill out. That model worked for decades but now not so much. Degrees don’t guaranteed jobs. The average stay in a company is more like two years, not ten. And more people work for themselves than ever before. Further, the idea of delayed enjoyment of life through retirement is less appealing. People are living simpler, being more creative, self-reliant, entrepreneurial and focused on work-life balance. We live in one of the most creative times in history and it’s a great opportunity to rethink how you are making a living and (more importantly) how you are making a life.

2. Get Clear on What Success Means to You. It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing what other people expect of us, to try to please people and follow a set path. It’s a lot harder to follow your own voice, say no to things and create your own path. It’s possible though, and it’s worth it. The most helpful first step I’ve found is to get clearer on my values and what success looks like for me. I’ve memorized my top 5 values (in order) and loved the process so much that I created a simple Uncovering Your Values worksheet which you can download here for free.

3. Don’t Run Scared, Run Experiments. One way I talk myself out of things is by overthinking them. I see the end product in my head and it’s so big and perfect that it seems impossible and I don’t even start. In my better moments however, I just think “Why not?” and just start with something small. I didn’t picture this whole essay for instance, I just started with a title. Then an outline. Then added sentences. Then it was done. I ask myself, “What’s the next little step I can take to experiment toward my new fun idea?” Derek explains this concept really well here (it took him from a one-click website to a $22 million dollars which he then gave away). The first time I sold my guide online and someone paid me when they didn’t have to, it was amazing! Now it happens all the time, but I had to start somewhere.

4. Take Care of Yourself. As they say, all work and no play leads to a nervous breakdown. And probably 50 extra pounds. Exercise is super important, especially when you are too busy to exercise. Research has shown that not exercising is the same as taking a depressant. Yikes. No thanks. Pick something you love and make it a regular thing. Get creative and mix work and play, hike and talk, go on walks for meetings, or bike and play video games like this guy who lost 135 pounds. I own this bike and love it.

5. Create an Advisory Board. Being an awesome entrepreneur (an awesomepreneur if you will) can be lonely. When I work at home or sit in the coffee shop writing posts like this, it’s easy to get lost in my own thoughts. Dreamers need to stick together. I have a short list of people who inspire me and I can call anytime to talk about just about anything. I love them to pieces and each one of them is priceless. Start with one person you love talking to and go from there. Don’t have one yet? Send me an email.

That’s it for now! I will share more tips as time goes on, but those are a fun place to start. In the spirit of experimenting, I’m also starting a video series for Awesomepreneurs, so I look forward to sharing those with you.

In the meantime, I wish you the best in your own entrepreneurial adventure whenever you may be!

How I Lost 15 Pounds with My Apple Watch

In Peace Corps I lost 70 pounds and got into the best shape of my life. It was a wonderful experience. Slightly less wonderful has been gaining all of that weight back since finishing Peace Corps.

For the past several months I’ve focused a lot more on healthy eating and exercise and was pretty psyched to get an Apple Watch to help me in my adventure to get more fit.

In my first two months of using it, I have lost 15 pounds.

Let me explain a bit on how Apple Watch works and how it’s helped me lose that weight:

1. First, It’s Fun. I’m human. If something is fun, I’m much more likely to do it. And Apple Watch is fun. It turns exercise into a game and gives you reminders throughout the day on how you are doing in three categories: Movement (calories burned), Exercise (minutes of activity at or above a brisk walk) and Standing (standing at least 1 minute every hour). There is a ring for each category and they fill throughout the day as they are achieved. The Standing (12 hrs/day) and Exercise (30 min/day) goals are based on decades of research and aren’t adjustable, but your Calorie goal is up to you. I started at 450 calories a day and now I’m up to 620. It also gives you badges for achievements, which I will explain later.

2. It’s Smart. The watch does several things very well. It measures your heart rate with four sensors, it tracks your movement with an accelerometer and connects with the GPS in your phone. Combined these things means it tracks your heart rate, steps taken, stairs climbed, distance, pace and calories burned all day long. Based on your height, weight, age and gender it then calculates your target heart rate and holds you to that in exercise mode. Which means…

3. It’s Untrickable. Here’s an example: I like hiking, but as any hiker knows there are easy hikes and hard hikes, steep inclines and plenty of downhill trots. Because Apple Watch measures my heart rate and distance, it knows when I am busting my butt and when I’m not. So when I hike for 2 hours, although it will track the entire time as activity I might only get 30 minutes counted toward my green Exercise ring for the day because that was when my heart rate was high enough. It’s pretty incredible. This goes for the Calorie ring too of course, when your heart rate is higher, you are burning more calories and it knows that.

4. It’s Comfortable. I love having it on and that’s pretty important. It is extremely comfortable. It’s also very convenient: I can check messages, emails, weather, directions, skype, music, time, and more, so it’s something I enjoy having on. Other than my wedding ring, it’s the only thing I have on me all the time. Because of that, it’s constantly measuring my activity and keeps track of everything I do throughout the day, including a random sprint around the house, carrying my wife up the stairs or walking a little faster just because why not?

5. It’s Rewarding. I found myself, right from the beginning, exercising more than I normally would. I’ve also gotten more adventurous and used the watch hiking, walking, biking, running and even kayaking. I also started saying “Yes” more when someone would suggest something healthy. Want to go on a walk? Sure! Want to go on a hike in the morning? Yep! How about we walk into town instead of drive? Okie dokie. I would welcome the chance to fill up my rings early in the day because…

6. It’s Unrelenting. There have been plenty of evenings where I have had several hundred more calories to go for the day and Apple Watch doesn’t have a way to input excuses. You either fill your ring or you don’t. So I get on my stationary bike and I stay on it until I fill up the ring. So far I have filled my Movement and Exercise rings every single day since I’ve had it and that’s why I lost 15 pounds. No excuses. Pretty simple.

I’ve tried a lot of things over the years to get more fit and this has been the most fun. As I exercise more and make healthier choices, I eat better and I’m more conscious of how I am living day to day. I’ve started taking more walking meetings rather than sitting and call people while I hike, which I really like. I also read more and watch things for fun while I’m biking, I have more conversations with people I love, I sleep better, my appetite is healthier, I’m in a better mood and I feel better about myself.

So that’s how I’ve lost 15 pounds with my Apple Watch.

I’m excited to lose more (50 pounds total) and I look forward to telling you what I learn in the coming months on that journey!

 

P.S. I’ve also heard great things about Fitbit, Misfit, Up and other trackers too. So check those out too if you are interested in the Apple Watch for fitness.

The 4 Things I’m Doing to Find My Voice Again

Over the past few years I’ve lost my voice.

In Peace Corps, I felt like I really knew who I was. Every day I got clearer on that. As the pounds fell off and I lost more than just 70 pounds of unnecessary weight I also lost parts of my identity that weren’t really me. I lost my ambition to become someone just to become someone. I lost the need to please others so much while ignoring that quiet little voice in my head. I lost my tolerance for injustice and privilege. I lost my silly rule to not fall in love. I was lighter than I had been in my entire life and I like I was fully myself for the very first time.

I’ve now been out of Mongolia almost as long as I was in Mongolia. After my three years of Peace Corps and a year of mini-retirement, I jumped into two years of graduate school and a year of being an entrepreneur. I gradually put back on every pound that I had lost and with every pound I lost touch with that person I was. As amazing as I had felt, I felt increasingly worse.

I also started writing less. I shared less. I felt confusion around who was and what I stood for, what kind of a life I was creating and the kind of difference I wanted to make in the world. That quiet little voice that became a booming part of my life after 10 days of meditation and years of service in Peace Corps became so quiet that it felt like a distant memory.

I lost my voice.

But recently it’s started to come back.

Slowly. Quietly.

A whisper at a time, I’ve heard it. The more carefully I listen, the more it’s spoken to me. Saying things like: Relax. Get outside. Exercise, just a little. Do a pushup. Write a little. Pay attention. Really listen. Read a little more. Don’t be afraid. Smile a little more. Don’t worry about that, it will work out. Be honest, don’t hide how you really feel. Write about what you’ve been going through and share it with others. Don’t wait.

So here I am.

The truth is, this is hard for me. I can be a perfectionist and it’s hard for me to put things out into the world that aren’t just right. But I’d rather be human than perfect. I’d rather share this with you, let you in on how things have been going and let you know that I’m not perfect than to pretend. I’d rather be a real version of myself than a perfect version of someone else.

I’d also love to help you find your voice too.

So here are 4 things I’ve been doing that have worked for me:

Exercise, don’t sit around. Research has shown that not exercising is the same as taking a depressant. That’s certainly true for me. Not exercising because I’ve been busy, tired (and lazy honestly) has felt depressing. Now the more I exercise the better I’ve felt. I’ve lost 15 pounds in the last 3 months (thanks nifty watch!) exercising 30 minutes a day. My favorite activities have been walking, stationary biking, hiking in the park, doing pushups, and lifting some weights. I plan to lose another 15 pounds in the next 3 months and I look forward to telling you all about it.
Really share, don’t hold it in. My friends have been amazing and wonderful, but they’ve only been able to listen as much as I talk to them and share. It’s hard to share when I’m having a hard time and it’s easy to just say “Fine” when they ask how I am. Instead I’m trying to really share how I am with others. I started with those closest to me and as I’m gaining my confidence I’m sharing more with others, including you right now. We all have hard times, they mean we are human. My dad once told me, “It’s a gift to allow others to help us.” If we were perfect, we could never give anyone that gift.
Be inspired, not drained. I’ve read that there are two types of people: those who inspire us and those who drain us. My experience confirms that. I have quite a few inspiring people pictured on my office wall and I actually just read about one of them (Gandhi) in this month’s National Geographic right before writing this post. Not a coincidence. When I read about, listen to, watch, or hang out with people who inspire me great things can happen. I bet you have a friend who really inspires you. Take a moment right now and name them out loud. If you text or call them right now and tell them that, I promise it will lead to good things.
Get outside, don’t be a fuddy-duddy. It’s easy to sit inside. Ooo, it’s nice and cool in here. It’s so hot/cold, wet/dry, crowded/lonely outside. Yeah, I know. Whatever. I always feel better when I get outside. That’s where all the action is! And all the cool people. They are in coffee shops, in the library, in the park, hiking on trails, at the gym, the beach, in offices, puttering around in their Teslas. This is easily incorporated into my exercise, but it goes beyond that too. Fun awesome people are usually busy being awesome. I have to get outside to find them. Plus I also get a little exercise and some vitamin D from the sun while I’m at it. Win-win-win!

This is really just a short list to get you started and I hope to add more as I explore this and find my voice more in the coming weeks and months.

I’d love to hear ideas from you too! The internet is fun like that.

30 Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 30 Years

Today is my 30th birthday! To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to create and share something with you: 30 Life Lessons.

I’ve been reflecting on these for a few weeks and put them together into a PDF as a Week 4 challenge in my Crafting Your Purpose course which just finished up its inaugural course this week!

These 30 Life Lessons include everyday truths that I live by and other things that have made a big impact on me.

I thought it would be best to offer it in two ways, paid and free.

Either way I want you to have it and enjoy it.

Thank you for being with me on this fun journey!

Patience = Waiting + Being Happy

When I first started my job as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I was just beginning to learn the Mongolian language while at the same time teaching English to doctors and nurses in our hospital. This, as you can imagine, was a lot of fun. And by fun of course I mean hilarious and confusing.

One particularly confusing verb for me to explain, because I didn’t know the word in Mongolian, was “patience.” Actually, this is embarrassing… I still don’t know the word for patience in Mongolian.

I tried to explain the word to my class and the best thing I could come up with in Mongolian was “Baych bain, givch bayartai bain.” Which is a horrible translation, but my students understood what I was trying saying, “It’s like waiting, but still being happy.”

I thought about it after class that day, and everyday since then I have loved that definition more and more. Mongolians are very patient people, probably the most patient people I have ever met. It’s like they are born patient!

Whenever I see a Mongolian baby on an 11-hour bus ride in the countryside, they are like little Buddhas. It doesn’t matter how little they are, they just sit calmly, look around, sometimes smile, sometimes laugh, sometimes drink, sometimes eat, but never cry, or whine, or complain, or act up, or get impatient.

Nope, the little Mongolian babies, the big Mongolian kids, the bigger Mongolian women, the really big Mongolian men and the saintly Mongolian grandfathers and grandmothers all sit quietly on the bus from the morning when we leave until night when we arrive. Once we arrive in town the cellphones pop out with “bainuu?” and “bain bain,” which is “Hello, yes I’m here”, but until then being inside the bus is like being inside a Buddhist monastery with everyone meditating.

And of course, it goes beyond the buses – it’s in everyday conversation. You can find it in words like zuger, margash, dara, za za which mean, loosely, it’s okay/don’t worry, tomorrow, later, and okay, okay.

If patience were an art form in Mongolia, life would be the canvas, “za” would the paintbrush and “zuger“, “margaash” and “dara” would be the paint. Za, za, za. Actually… patience is an art form here.

Mongolians know that if something doesn’t happen today, the world isn’t going to end. And even if, as Mongolians say, “tomorrow never comes” then that’s okay too.

 

Thank you Jen for the inspiration to share this.

This is from my book Enough which you can read free here.

How to Fix Your Really Bad PowerPoint

Great Presentation Found Here

Why Great Presenters Are Boring People

Here’s something fun, I just read an article entitled “Why Great Presenters are Boring People” and loved it!

The basic premise is that if you look at anyone who is really successful (including great presenters) they are usually very predictable and “boring” people.

They are the people who turn in early, guard their time, say “no” to things, work for hours at a time writing or perfecting their craft.

This is a wonderful to ask yourself, “How could you be more boring?”

What could you commit to doing today that, even though boring, might be something that will improve your life, your relationships and make you a happier person in the long run. Maybe it’s running a marathon, writing a book, or meditating every morning for twenty minutes (that’s mine right now).

Whatever it may be, embrace the boring!

Check out this presentation to see more.

5 Awesome Super Bowl Ads From Over The Years

The SuperBowl is a lot of fun, especially the ads.

Here are five of my favorites from over the years.

Do you remember these?

Oreos

Terry Tate 

Old Spice

McDonalds

Apple

Crafting Your Purpose

As I mentioned in my post on How I Bounced Back from Losing My Job I am creating a new 4-week course starting February 2nd called Crafting Your Purpose and I’d love for you to sign up!

The course will cover how to create a life & work you love, clarify your values, find balance and much more. It’s available on a pay-what-you-want basis and then in March will be available for a standard price. You can read more about it here.

If you’d like to share it with your friends, I’d really appreciate it. Just share the image below.

I look forward to seeing you in the course!

How I Bounced Back from Losing My Job

The week before Christmas I lost my job. Everyone at our startup did.

I had been working full-time with en*theos, an online learning startup, since May and really loved it. It was a shock for all of us when things ended suddenly, but now that it’s been a few weeks I feel like there have been several important things that I’ve learned on bouncing back.

Here are five lessons I hope might help you if you lose your job or are making a transition in the job market.

1. Know You Aren’t Alone

The first thing I wanted to do when I found out my job was no more was to be alone. I could feel my emotions retreating back inside me, loneliness, fear, confusion, anger, and for some reason being alone felt right.

Ironically, at the time, I couldn’t be alone. I was surrounded by people that I was helping at the time and so I told one of my best friends immediately and another the next day. It turns out that was one of the best things I could have done. It was very emotional, but it helped me get out my feelings.

2. Talk to People You Love

I found myself wanting to tell certain people first, people I knew would be positive but also real. I didn’t want someone to say, “It’s all going to be okay.” I wanted someone to just hold the space and understand how I must be feeling. One of my very favorite things, looking back, that a friend told me was, “I’m proud of you.”

I was completely caught off guard by that statement, so much so that I couldn’t speak for almost a minute. I didn’t feel the same at the time. When she elaborated she said, “I’m proud of who you are. Who you are today is the same person you were yesterday, and I’m lucky to be your friend.” Wonderful friends know how to say things like that; call those people.

3. Ask for Advice from People You Admire

One of the best things I did the following week was reach out to people I admired. I started with people I was close to including mentors and friends, but I also reached out and was introduced to new people who could potentially play that role.

I was nervous at first. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted next and thought they would put me on the spot, but none of them did. They understood it was a confusing time and asked great questions like: What’s excites you? What are you considering? I also asked them questions like: Have you ever been in this position yourself? What did you do that really helped you the most?

4. Be Open to Possibilities

The more mentors I met, the more specific I tried to be about where I was and what I was thinking about doing next. This led one mentor to email me back the next day saying, “I just spoke to a client and I think there might be an opportunity you would like!”

I was on the phone with her that afternoon and had my first client by the next morning for several thousand dollars. I’m still pretty astonished by it honestly.

5. Get Excited About What’s Next

It’s tempting to retreat to security and what we’re used to when it comes to our careers, but the truth is that there is a world of possibilities out there. It’s fun to play in that space, even just a little bit, and imagine what new things could be next. Questions like What does your ideal day look like, or, what would you do if you had a million dollars can be a fun place to start. If you answer them honestly, you might be surprised where they lead you.

 

So where does that leave me?

If you’ve read this far (thank you for that), you might be wondering what’s next for me.

I’m very excited about two things and I could really use your help:

1. Crafting Your Purpose – I’m creating a new 4-week course starting February 2nd called Crafting Your Purpose and I’d love for you to sign up and share it with others. It’s available on a pay-what-you-want basis and then in March will be available for a standard price. You can read more about it here.

2. Consulting – I’m currently accepting clients who need solutions in organizational development, online content creation, website development and B Corps certification. If you know someone who you think would love working with me, I’d love to meet them. Please feel free to connect them with me anytime.

 

I really appreciate your love and support everyone, thank you for your help.

I hope this year is your best yet!