Jeff Goins's Blog, page 22
October 24, 2017
The One Life-changing Writing Resource Nobody Told Me About
If something like Tribe Writers was around when I started blogging over five years ago, my writing journey would’ve been much smoother. I definitely could’ve avoided struggling for seven years before gaining traction with an audience online.
Nobody told me that you didn’t have to spin your wheels. Nobody told me that there was a proven process to getting your writing noticed. I wasted a lot of time and a lot of words trying to do it on my own.
If I had known that there were thousands of other writers out there to encourage me and a process that worked that I could just follow, I’d be a lot farther today than I currently am.
That’s one reason Tribe Writers exists. I wanted to create the resource I wished for when I started writing online. A library of resources, practical applications, and a community to encourage and educate one another.
I’m honored that thousands of authors and bloggers are now Tribe Writers. And I would be remiss if I didn’t share a few of their stories with you.
From eight kids to over a million readers
Mike Berry joined Tribe Writers, and three years later, Confessions of a Parent is now read in 14 countries around the globe, by more than 100,000 people a month.
And here’s how it happened:
It revolutionized my writing and my blog, but more than that, it changed my life. I learned how to find my writing voice and write with brevity.
I discovered the power of a platform and how simple it was to build one. I discovered that I was a writer. No longer would I hide what I was called to be!
That kind of realization, followed by action, can be powerful.
“More than the numbers,” Mike told me, “we have been able to reach out and have honest conversations with parents from Australia to England to Canada to the United States.”
Join Tribe Writers and discover just how far your message can reach.
Guest posting for celebrities like Cameron Diaz
A common misconception about celebrity blogs is they are difficult to guest post on. However, if you position yourself correctly and take your writing seriously, anyone can do it.
Elizabeth Bradley enrolled in Tribe Writers, and used the practical applications to land guest posting opportunities on celebrity blogs and quickly gain another 2,000 subscribers. Her feedback on the course is one of my favorites:
Joining Tribe Writers nearly three years or so ago was one of the best decisions I made for my career. It helped me connect with a like-minded community and learn from the best.
The training modules are super high-quality, and contain actionable advice that helped me get focused on building my platform before launching my book.
I’m currently working on two books, an ebook on living in Thailand, and a book for my Ideal Clients that will be called Thriving Coach.
Guest posting is a powerful tool for growing your platform. You develop relationships, increase the visibility of your content, and generate new opportunities.
Enroll in Tribe Writers now and learn how to connect with influencers.
Making a living writing fiction
The process of becoming a full-time writer rarely makes for good television. Each episode would feature a lone actor sitting at a desk typing for an hour. Writing for a living is much less romantic than Hollywood leads us to believe.
Stacy Claflin is a Tribe Writer alum and has gone on to become a full-time novelist writing across multiple genres. She continues to show up every day to write while running a daycare business and homeschooling her children. She didn’t leap without a parachute — she built a bridge, one book at a time.
Become a Tribe Writer and build your own bridge to your writing dream.
Finding your voice and losing over 260 pounds
Teresa Parker was an early Tribe Writer and part of the inaugural cohort at Tribe Intensive that was a precursor to the Tribe Conference.
What you don’t know about Teresa when you first meet her is that she’s lost over two hundred sixty pounds in addition to publishing three books, two study guides, and has thirty more book ideas in the pipeline. She also makes over $5,000 a month from work based on her writing.
Just yesterday, as we opened Tribe Writers for the Fall, Teresa sent me an email reflecting on her experience:
The first Tribe Intensive really helped make me get over my fear of continuing in the coaching bent…
More than anything you were instrumental in helping me understand where my destiny lies. At that Intensive you identified my voice as the Celebrity…
The one who says if I can do this, you can do this. To hear you say that solidified something that was churning inside me but I couldn’t quite voice.
Find your voice and become part of the Tribe Writers community.
If you’ve ever struggled with a blinking cursor, if you’ve ever wondered what to write about, if you’re unsure who you should be writing for, Tribe Writers is for you. If you do the work, I guarantee you’ll get the results. Click here to get started.
October 23, 2017
Want to Succeed as a Writer? You Have to Pick Yourself
In 2011, Sandy Kreps was working just outside of Dallas, Texas as an art director, and things were going well. It was hard to be away from her two young boys, but the family relied on her income, so she made the sacrifice a lot of parents have to make.
Then she got laid off.
It appeared to be a blessing in disguise, because now she could finally pursue her passion for writing while staying home with her boys.
With a fair severance and the blessing of her husband, Sandy set out to do something she had always wanted to do: She was going to try to make a living as a writer.
It wasn’t easy, though. For years, she struggled, writing a blog few people read. She tried to publish books that didn’t sell well and in spite of her attempts to make money writing, nothing seemed to work.
The whole experience was frustrating. What was she doing wrong? It wasn’t for lack of effort on Sandy’s part, because she was trying — she was really trying. All the while, she watched other writers’ careers skyrocket. Blogs that began the same time hers did were reaching tens of thousands of people and here she was, still plugging away with disappointing results.
As her unemployment began to run out, this young mom took her situation even more seriously. Something had to change. But what?
Then, something even worse happened: Sandy was diagnosed with a chronic illness.
As a mother, wife, and aspiring writer, she didn’t have time for this. She didn’t have time to feel sick and tired every day. Maybe it was time to just throw in the towel on this writing thing altogether and go find a “real job.”
When the tides turn
In a last-ditch effort, Sandy decided to give one more go at writing. She signed up for Tribe Writers, an online course that helps writers build their audiences and get paid for their work. Because she had no other plan, she followed each lesson, and soon, she started to see results:
She published books that thousands of people read.
She grew an email list to over 1000 subscribers.
She started started writing for clients and websites, making over $1000 a month.
It wasn’t all at once, of course, but as she did the work, she started seeing results. Why? Because she was no longer grasping as straws. She was following a proven process and surrounding herself with other writers to encourage her.
Last year, she attended the Tribe Conference and met a woman there who challenged her to finish the book she’d been working on for two whole years. Sandy took the dare and completed her book in 90 days.
The book, Mommy Simplicity, was published in January 2016 and has sold nearly 1000 copies in the past ten months.
What Sandy did, you can do
Today, Sandy is doing something she never thought possible. Every single day, she gets paid to write, all from the comfort of her home with free time to watch her boys grow up.
She still struggles with low energy and other health complications — those are things that will never go away. Fortunately, because she’s a writer, she can do her work from bed or have a flexible schedule on the days when she’s feeling “off.”
When she shared her story with me, Sandy was embarrassed because it’s not the usual success story of “making millions on the Internet” you usually hear. But that’s why I love it. It’s a real, honest story of a writer making her way in the world.
It’s not some crazy life on an exotic island that Sandy has. It’s even better. It’s real. She’s doing work she loves that benefits her family and her thousands of readers. And maybe that’s more than enough to be proud of.
And who wouldn’t want an extra $1000 a month?
Sandy is well on her way to making a full-time living as a writer. Every month, she sells more books, makes more money, and reaches more people with her writing. Once she was stuck, now she is not.
The same can be true for you. In Sandy’s words, “There’s always a way.”
Four things to do to succeed like Sandy
So… what made the difference between Sandy’s struggling and finally succeeding? Looking back at her journey, there are four things that she did right that we all can do:
She didn’t wait to be picked. She started a blog and began publishing books on her own. It was a long, hard slog but in the end all the work paid off. She found her voice and built a solid platform around a unique message.
She didn’t let her obstacles stop her. On days when she was too tired to get out of bed or had a lot of pain, she would grab her laptop and write in bed. “Yes I do have these challenges,” she said. “But I still want to do this so I’m going to make it happen.”
She followed a proven process. She didn’t try to go it alone. She signed up for Tribe Writers and figured out what she didn’t know. Then she did it. When you invest your time, effort, and resources into something, it forces you to commit.
She found a community. “The thing that really saved me,” she said, “was the Tribe Writers community.” Every story of success is a story of community. You need others to encourage you and hold you accountable.
“Every story of success is a story of community.Tweet thisTweet
If you dream of becoming a writer, do what Sandy did. Here’s what she said about the experience of joining a community of other writers who encouraged her and helped her succeed:
Before I joined Tribe Writers, I felt like I was getting nowhere. I was trying different stuff and nothing was working, and I felt like I was making up the plan as I went along… Now, I feel confident. I have a plan, I know what to do, and I’m not overwhelmed anymore.
Do what Sandy did
If you want to feel the same, it’s time to stop waiting and invest in yourself. It’s time to go pro.
And that begins by not letting your obstacles stop you and finding a way to get around a group of writers who can encourage you and hold you accountable. It also means following a proven process that you can trust.
If you’re serious about taking the next step, I encourage you to join Tribe Writers, as Sandy did. It is, in my opinion, the best investment a writer can make in themselves.
Are you ready to finally pick yourself? Tribe Writers will help you find your voice and build the audience your writing deserves. Enroll before Midnight on Monday to get the Effective Writer course for free ($200 bonus). Click here to learn more.
What is it you’re waiting to be picked for? Share in the comments.
October 19, 2017
Pursuing Your Art Full-Time: An Interview With Cassia Cogger
One of the things I admire most about today’s guest is her voice as a true artist. I also value her experience in business, entrepreneurship, and raising a family.
Cassia Cogger is an artist, an entrepreneur who has taken her art online, an author and a wife and mother.
For Cassia, art has always been a part of her life, and an artist is who she has always been. Her biological father was an artist who was always creating when she was with him, and her paternal grandmother encouraged her to follow in his footsteps.
However, when it was time to go to college, Cassia started in the architecture department at her university. She lasted all of a year before moving into the art department where she pursued watercolors first, then printmaking and pottery along with art history.
But it was when she and her now-husband moved to New York City and she took evening classes with the Art Students League that she fully blossomed as an artist. Even though she learned the nuts and bolts of art with the ASL, it was still a few more years before she pursued her art as a full-time income source.
Today on The Portfolio Life, we talk about how her upbringing influenced her notions of the suffering and starving artist, when and why she finally made the shift from creating art part-time to doing so full-time and how her book came to fruition.
Listen to the podcast
To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).
Show highlights
In this episode, Cassia and I discuss:
Is it necessary to have an art education to be an artist?
What were the two periods in her life when her artistic production slowed?
Why did she spend a year in the architecture department of her university?
What experience allowed her to discover what kind of artist she wants to be?
Why she and her husband started an e-commerce business, despite not being “business people”.
“The ideal artist is one who is willing to stay open.Cassia CoggerTweet thisTweet
Takeaways on art, money and work:
Is creating art really a choice for her?
Why she never wanted to be combine her art and the Internet, and when that changed.
What are the two reasons a publisher asked her to write her mandala book?
Is it true that those who can’t do teach?
What is the fine line between teaching and creating art?
“If I’m not making art, then I’m not an artist.Cassia CoggerTweet thisTweet
Cassia on the notion of the starving artist:
What does she say you must do in order to be an artist?
How her father influenced her views on what it means to be an artist.
What does it mean to be an artist today in Cassia’s opinion?
Why was she reluctant to focus on art as her sole means of financial income?
Does she hold an ideal of what a real artist should be?
Resources:
Cassia Cogger’s web site
Creating Personal Mandalas by Cassia Cogger
Cassia Cogger on Instagram
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review The Portfolio Life on iTunes
What do you think it means to be an artist today? You’ve heard Cassia’s definition – now chime in with yours in the comments.
October 12, 2017
Choosing Freedom Before Money, Fame and Influence: An Interview with Sol Orwell
People choose the entrepreneurial path for a number of reasons, some want the ability to make as money as they can, others don’t want to work for anyone else.
And yet others, like today’s guest, want the freedom to do what they want whenever they want.
Sol Orwell’s entrepreneurial journey began while he was still a teenager. But to understand his desire for freedom over his own course in life, he says you can look to his father’s life. His dad worked in the oil industry, but despite his hard work and dedication, he was never promoted above the manager role.
In fact, his dad was dedicated to his work that he moved Sol’s family all around the world. Sol was born in Pakistan, and then moved to Saudi Arabia when he was only two. Next Sol’s family lived in Japan before moving back to Saudi Arabia. By the time Sol entered high school, his family had also lived in Houston before settling in Canada.
It was in Canada, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario specifically, that he started two of his first businesses. The Internet had become something of a haven for Sol and he began fulfilling a need for virtual currency in the online MMPORG world (the online world of massively multiplayer online role-playing games).
Today on The Portfolio Life, you’ll hear Sol explain that venture in detail, and how he started Examine.com. He tells us why he was willing to spend $42,000 on the Examine.com domain, why he is never the face of any of his companies, what failures he has had throughout his life, and how he approaches them today.
Listen to the podcast
To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).
Show highlights
In this episode, Sol and I discuss:
Where did his appetite for entrepreneurship come from?
What is his stance on joint ventures (JVs) and why?
Why does Sol consider his years in South America “lost years”?
Why the 4-hour work week is a myth.
Why he made Kamal Patel the face of Examine.com and not himself.
“I find passion to be a little overrated.Sol OrwellTweet thisTweet
Takeaways from Sol on entrepreneurship
How did HostGator become one of his first SEO clients?
What is acquihiring, and why won’t he do it?
The reason he has never taken venture capital funding, and never will.
Why micromanaging actually says YOU are terrible at hiring.
What are the two questions he asks himself before starting a new venture?
“No one ever cares that you fail at something.Sol OrwellTweet thisTweet
Sol shares his thoughts on passion, focus and failure:
What persists after passion has waned?
Why being hyper-focused on one area at a time has been critical to his success.
What failures has he had, and how does he view them?
What is the Picasso Principle and how does it relate to success versus failure?
What are his feelings on philanthropy and entrepreneurship?
Resources
Sol Orwell’s web site
Sol Orwell on Twitter
Examine.com
See Sol’s “ridiculous” amount of supplements!
The Sausage Showdown
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Off NYC
Real Artists Don’t Starve
Subscribe, rate and review The Portfolio Life on iTunes
Would you choose freedom first, before money, fame and influence? Why or why not? Share in the comments.
October 10, 2017
Everything I’ve Learned from 6 Years of Writing for a Living
Occasionally at parties or coffee shops, someone will ask what I do, and I’ll tell them I’m a writer. Sometimes, they will offer a look of surprise and ask, somewhat stunned, “You can make a living doing that?” Indeed you can.
My whole life I was told that being a writer (or an artist for that matter) was an unwise career choice. It was always the same advice: “You can’t make a living writing. You’ll starve.” It turns out, this isn’t really true.
“You can make a living writing.Tweet thisTweet
Yes, it’s possible to support yourself by writing full-time. And you don’t have to be famous or lucky to do it. I’ve done it for the past six years and have coached thousands of others through the same process, seeing many of them succeed.
I also know hundreds of successful writers whose lives do not look like the typical “starving artist” you might expect of a full-time writer.
In this article, you’ll discover everything I’ve learned about what it takes to make a living writing. This is based on my own experience, but also on observations of what other successful writers are doing today.
As with most things, I can’t guarantee you 100% success, but rest assured these lessons work for most, including fiction writers, business writers, memoir writers, and more.
Yes, you can make a living writing.
Here’s how.
Warning: this is not for everyone
Making a living writing is possible. But in order to do this, we first have to dispel the most common myths about this profession:
Becoming a full-time writer won’t happen quickly (and if it does, you’re lucky).
Becoming a full-time writer won’t happen because you produce a one-hit wonder. These kinds of successes are impossible to orchestrate and in themselves rarely lead to long-term success.
Becoming a full-time writer, for most, requires more than just writing.
Are you still with me?
This is not just rainbows and butterflies, but I promise you this works. I’ve seen it in my life and in the lives of others.
One more disclaimer: These are not steps; they are habits. For some, the process may take longer than for others, but as Derek Sivers says, “most things work if you do them.”
That’s my promise. Do the work, see the results.
“Most things work if you do them.Derek SiversTweet thisTweet
If you want more details on this process, you can download my free book, The Writer’s Roadmap: 12 Steps to Making a Living Writing.
In this article, I will simply cover three habits that have helped me and three steps you can take to make these things stick.
Okay, let’s get started.
Habit #1: Produce a lot of content over a long period of time
When I started blogging, I heard a well-known speaker and blogger tell an audience that on Day 6 of his blog, he had over 6000 visitors.
“That’s when I knew it,” he said. “that’s when I knew that this was my calling.”
“Okay, great,” I thought. Unfortunately for me, on Day 6 of my blog, I did not have 6000 visitors. I had more like 2.5 readers (my mom, my wife, and our dog). So that was discouraging.
What was I to do… just quit?
I was so frustrated from trying to make it as a writer and quitting every time it got hard that I was determined to see it through this time. I wasn’t certain of success, but the biggest variable in the past seemed to be my commitment.
So I made a life-changing decision. I would write every day and publish it on my blog for two years straight. That was my promise to myself. Practice every day for two years before giving up.
And it worked.
After my first year of blogging, I had written over 400 articles (one each day for my blog and another 50-60 guest posts for other websites). For the first six months of doing this, my blog had only 70 readers. After a year, however, I had over 10,000.
Sometimes, growth isn’t a linear path. That’s why you have to create a lot of content, share it in a lot of places, and not worry too much about the metrics at the beginning.
Your job is to show up, do the work, and become a reliable source. Commit to being relentlessly helpful and people will notice… eventually. Create something small every day that you can share. First, people notice you. Then, they trust you. And ultimately, they buy from you.
“Your job is to show up, do the work, and become a reliable source.Tweet thisTweet
That’s what illustrator and artist Lisa Congdon learned when she started sharing one piece of artwork every day on Flickr for a year. After doing this for four years as part of her daily practice, someone contacted her, asking if they could purchase a piece of her art. Today, she is a full-time artist.
That’s how it works. One day at a time, sometimes for years. It’s a grind, one small step after another. But then one day, for some reason, something amazing happens.
I don’t know why some writers succeed faster than others. I don’t know why it takes one person longer than another. All I know is if you do the work, you will see the results. But you have to do a lot of work. And it may take a lot of time. But patience and perseverance eventually pay off.
Action: Blogging is ideal for this first habit. If you don’t have a blog yet, you need one, if for no other reason than to archive all your best ideas. Publish something new on it at least once a week, and do one small thing every day to promote your writing. If you don’t have a blog and need help setting it up, follow my tutorial on how to launch a blog.
Habit #2: Build a body of work
Lysa TerKeurst was a struggling inspirational writer for decades. She had published over a dozen books but was never able to sell more than a few thousand copies per book. She believed her message was meant for millions, but just couldn’t break out of this pattern of publishing a book, selling a decent number of copies, then repeating the process all over again.
Eventually, she figured out how to write the kind of content that connected with her readers. First, though, she had to create a lot of content over a long period of time (see Habit #1). Lysa now sells hundreds of thousands of copies of her books, and has put multiple titles on the New York Times Best Sellers list (even landing on the #1 spot with her most recent book).
How did she do this? She focused on the long game instead of the short-term flash in the pan. Lysa isn’t just trying to create work that is merely newsworthy. She wants to create a body of work that keeps selling long after the launch of a single project.
This is an important part of being an author. Books have no urgency. They move slowly and have a long shelf life (or at least, they should). A book may come out and still be considered “new” a few years after publication. When we write, we ought to be thinking along these lines, aspiring to create perennial sellers that will endure for years, if not decades.
The other week, I was speaking at an event at a country club, and one of the waiters came up to me just before I started speaking and asked, “Are you Jeff Goins?” I said I was, and he replied, “I just read your book, The In-Between. It was in my college library and really helped me. Thanks!”
That made my day. Little did he know this was a book I had deliberated over and obsessed about. At the time, I thought it was my magnum opus, but was disappointed to see it not sell that well. In fact, to be honest, it’s my worst-selling book to date.
After that book was published, however, I wrote The Art of Work, which debuted on the USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and Washington Post bestsellers lists. Two years later, I still get royalty checks for that book every quarter.
I’m glad I published The In-Between. Without it, I don’t believe I ever would have written The Art of Work, which became a national bestseller. But if I’d hoped to make a living just off that one book, I’d still be struggling today. In a way, one book paid for the other to exist. And the less successful book, as the waiter’s story illustrates, is still selling and reaching readers.
Here’s my point: Writing is not a short-term career. When I quit my job in 2013, I had spent two years building a platform that didn’t require me to take a leap of faith. The goal was to never look back. Hopefully, I never will.
“Writing is not a short-term career.Tweet thisTweet
When you set out to do this work, understand it will take time. Your goal isn’t to produce a single masterpiece but to keep adding pieces to your portfolio. Each work adds to the greater whole. Your job is to keep going.
Action: If you haven’t written a book, I highly recommend it. It’s the hardest work you’ll ever do but also the most gratifying. It probably won’t make you a millionaire, but it’ll force you get clear on an idea that you have. That’s why I write books — to figure out what I think about something. If you need help, I have a very popular blog post on the subject: 10 Ridiculously Simply Tips for Writing a Book.
Habit #3: Create multiple income streams
What we’re talking about here is how to make a living writing. Not how to make a quick buck or even a million bucks. Instead, we’re talking about how to do this for the rest of your life. That’s my goal, and so far, so good.
A benefit of this approach to our work, treating it as a marathon instead of a sprint — is that it tends to produce a diverse portfolio with many different pieces of your work distributed out in the world. This can easily turn into multiple income streams, which is the most likely how you’re going to make a full-time living as a writer.
Certainly, there are exceptions to this rule: the Stephen Kings and J.K. Rowlings of the writing world. But these are the outliers whose success happened literally decades ago. Today, the world has changed. And those who are making a full-time living today off their writing are doing it through diverse incomes streams.
What do these writers do?
They make money off their books. They make money off their courses. They make money off their speaking gigs. They make money off their consulting. They make money coaching, editing, teaching, and so on. Just as a wise investor would not put her entire net worth into a single stock, you should be investing your creative energy into multiple projects that earn an income.
When you do this, you remove the financial strain on a single source (say, book writing, for example) and give yourself the freedom to occasionally fail at a project without having to go bankrupt.
“Don’t put all your creative eggs in one basket. Invest your creative energy in multiple projects.Tweet thisTweet
For me, this means writing books, speaking, and teaching online courses. Those three income sources make up the majority how I make a living. Each year, the revenue from each source varies. One year, book royalties may be higher while speaking income is lower. As one decreases, another often increases. Sometimes, they all increase. But the point is that I am not putting all my eggs in one basket, ensuring I can live to fight another day.
The goal of multiple income streams is to reach a place of financial stability so you can focus more on creative projects and less on worrying about how you’re going to pay the bills. An ancillary benefit to this is that you may enjoy more than just writing, as I do. I could live off my book royalties but enjoy teaching courses like Tribe Writers and Intentional Blog.
At the same time, I’m glad I don’t have to travel every weekend to speak at another event just so my family can eat. I’ve created a portfolio that works well for our family, because I don’t try to make all my money from one activity. You can do the same, as long as you choose the streams that work for you, taking into consideration what you’re good at and what people need.
Action: Make a list of things people tell you you’re good at. If you don’t know, email five friends and ask them “what’s something that’s obvious to me but amazing to others?” For further help, check out my free eBook on how to make a living writing. In it, I’ll show you how to create your first product and start making money off your writing (and what needs to come before you can do that).
This really is possible
You can do this. You can make a living writing. I see it happen every year to “ordinary” people who are willing to do the work. It’s not easy, and it’s certainly not what everyone wants, but it’s possible.
Of course, you don’t have to do this. And if you choose not to, there’s no shame in that. God knows there are easier ways to make a living.
But if this is something you can’t not do, if a writer is something you must be, then I urge you to give it a go.
“Now is the best time to be a writer.Tweet thisTweet
I can’t promise you an exact timeline, but I do know this from growing up in the farmlands of Illinois: if you plant enough seeds, something grows. If you sow, you will reap. If you do the work, you will see the results.
Good luck!
Check out my free eBook on the 12 steps to make a living writing and the free video series that goes with it. Click here to sign up (it doesn’t cost a thing).
Here are some additional resources on making a living writing:
The Breakthrough That Took Bestselling Author Jeff Goins From Amateur to Pro
How I Became a Full-time Writer
How to Make a Living as a Writer
I quit my job, wrote 4 books, and started making 6 figures — all without a plan
How to get 10,000 Fans, Publish a Book, and Make $100,000 in 18 Months
How to Write a Book
Where are you at on your writing journey? What is the next step you need to take? Share in the comments.
October 2, 2017
The Counterintuitive Way to Create Something that Changes Lives: 4 Lessons from Tribe Conference
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
–Oscar Wilde
Well, the third year of our annual Tribe Conference just wrapped, and I’m still reeling from the experience. But I wanted to share with you a few takeaways from the event and how they relate to your own creative work.
First of all, this is an event that hundreds of people have told me is life-changing. Over and over again, they’ve said things like “Tribe made me call myself a writer” or “this was the best conference I’ve ever attended.”
Initially, I brushed off these compliments, but after hearing them over and over, year after year, I realized we’ve created something special. And I want to share with you the reason why that is.
And to be honest, it surprised me.
How did we do this?
It still kind of surprises me when people say these things about the conference. I see all the flaws, all the things I want to improve with the conference, but I suppose anytime you create something, this is the case.
As a creator, you are more prone to see the weaknesses of your creation than the strengths. It takes a community to tell you what you’re doing right.
This year at Tribe Conference, I began to notice what people have been seeing all along. I started listening to what others said so that our team could preserve what makes this event unique. And here’s the thing:
I gave myself permission to believe in my own success.
I know that sounds funny. But after chatting with countless attendees and staff, I finally allowed myself to appreciate what my team and I had made. And the biggest surprise was that people loved this thing not because it was perfect, but because it was real.
If you don’t read anything else, please don’t miss that.
People don’t want you perfect; they want real.
And we all have the power to create something like that. In this article, I’ve compiled a short list of characteristics that have made our event stand out from others. I hope in sharing these that you are encouraged in your own work to own what makes you unique and not worry about what everyone else is doing.
What we did to create a unique conference
What makes something great, I think, is a series of small decisions that up over time. My friend Michael Hyatt likes to say that wow is created not by meeting expectations but by continually exceeding them. That’s what we’re aspired to do with our conference.
Here are four decisions we have made that made Tribe Conference a success — and four decisions we will continue to make.
1. Make your mess your message.
This was actually a tip from one of our speakers this year. “Make your mess your message,” Ishita Gupta told us. Don’t try to hide the unkempt parts of yourself. Let your hair down, tell the ugly parts of your story, and allow people to love you for who you really are.
“Make your mess your message.Ishita GuptaTweet thisTweet
With Tribe Conference, this means acknowledging when things don’t go well. We are intentionally not going for “polished.” We don’t want to be sloppy. But when we project an air of informality from stage, attendees pick up on this, and it makes them feel more comfortable. It’s all about giving people permission to be themselves.
For me, this was an epiphany. When I decided to do an event, I wasn’t even sure I could pull it off. I was scared to do it but did it anyway, being 100% honest about this — from the marketing of the event to the actual execution of it. After the event, I would publicly share what we did right and what we cold do better.
My friend Bryan Harris calls this “learning out loud.” This means that as you create the thing, you talk about what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong, and what you’re learning. This is not a license to be unprofessional, but when you share how raw something is with your audience, if you don’t try to hide your mess, people don’t criticize you. They cheer for you.
2. Prioritize people over performance.
At Tribe Conference, speakers are allowed only 30 minutes to deliver a message and are asked to end with a practical application. We believe that every story of success is a story of community, so we try to engage the audience as much as possible.
The best session at a conference is not the one that happens onstage but the one happens around the table.
We also make a point to bring up past attendees onstage and have them share their successes. We encourage those who have published books to bring them and exchange them with other attendees.
None of this is about creating the best public performance. In many cases, these experiences are a little messy. But the feeling of inclusion this creates is priceless. As a result, the audience feels bought into the work you’re doing and will work with you to help it succeed, instead of sitting in the stands waiting for you to impress them.
With your own creative projects, think of ways you can empower your audience to feel like they are a part of the work you’re doing. Not only that, actually include them. Give them some ownership and see what they do with it. In our experience, this almost always yields a better product.
3. Focus on action over information.
At the end of every talk at Tribe Conference, there is a practical exercise or next step we ask the audience to take right there in the moment. The promise is that you will not leave without a list of things to do but with a list of things done.
Conference attendees don’t need more information. They need help applying what they already know to do. Of course, we want to teach and share and help But we also want to create space for people to apply.
So we give them about ten minutes at the end of each talk to do just that.
We also make our breaks extra long: two 30-minute breaks plus a two-hour lunch break and other “work” times. We leave lots of room in the schedule for people to connect with each other and apply the lessons they’ve learned so far.
4. Be a fan of fun.
One of my biggest complaints about conferences is that they are too serious. The event planners don’t allow themselves or their attendees to enjoy the experience.
At Tribe Conference, we are big fans of fun. We recognize that part of what people want is a little inspiration and a little time away from the demands of their daily schedule.
So we make this a priority. It’s okay to enjoy yourself. It’s okay to celebrate. In fact, this is a necessary part of the learning process as well. Your mind needs to feel at ease in order for it learn new information.
So, we have dance parties and chocolate tastings, mimosas and popsicles, after parties and pre-event meetups, and so many other fun surprises. No year is ever the same as the last, but we are always looking for new ways to delight our attendees.
We want to provide an experience that leaves an indelible impression on you, a way of reminding you that this was a special time so you won’t forget who you were during this extraordinary weekend. And that way, you can keep being that person when you go home.
Plus, we find these things for us, too. And it’s an excuse to wear fun costumes (thus far, I have been Superman, Batman, and a ridiculously dressed starving artist).
Looking to the future
So that’s my summary of Tribe Conference 2017. If it sounds like it’s up your alley, please check it out. If not, that’s okay. We don’t want this thing to get too big too quickly. It’s been fun keeping it personal and intimate. That said, here’s the look to grab a ticket if you want one:
Tickets officially go on sale today for our 2018 event.
This year, we are limiting the early bird rate to the first 100 people who sign up. After that, we will shut registration down and open it up again next year at a higher price point.
So, if you’re interested, don’t miss it. Check it out at TribeConference.com for more information.
Here’s what our attendees have to say
If you’re still not convinced Tribe Conference is awesome, read what this year’s attendees have to say about it:
How To Easily Invest In Yourself And Your Orginization by Kristi Porter
3 Life Changing Insights the Tribe Conference Revealed by Mike Brennan
Reasons Why You Should Attend Jeff Goins’ Tribe Conference by Kristina Roth George
Tribe Conference 2017: Creative Gratitude by Meredith Atwood
Who wants to see a grown man cry? Apparently, it’s good entertainment. by Austin L. Church
Packing Your Bags – And Packing On The Pounds by Laura Orsini
All My Notes And Takeaways From Jeff Goins’ Tribe Conference For Writers by Shawn Blanc
Of Dork Goblins and Tribe Conference by Moira Green
8 Things I Learned About Photography From A Writing Conference by Courtney Slazinik
The Value of A Tribe by Emily Meyer
When Your Heroes and Reality Meet by Eric S. Gale
My Praise for Tribe Conference 2017 by Lex Latkovski
The Michelangelo Effect by Laura Mc Coy
Finding Myself at the Tribe Conference by David Mixson
A Lesson in Connection that Will Change Your Life by Danielle Bernock
“- The Art of Tribe (and a Mastermind Becomes Family) by Chris Moore”
Tribe Conference 2017: 3 Unforgettable Lessons That Changed Me Forever by Frank McKinley
4 Tribe Conference Takeaways for Every Writer by Nicole Akers
A Different Kind Of Conference – Tribe Conference 2017 by Leo Sabo
Take Aways from Tribe Conference 2017 by Rebecca Kojetin
Another Kind Of Conrence by Jess Creaden
I am perfect in my pain – Tribe 2017 by kp Ramsdale
How Focused Are You on the Business of Writing? by Anna Sabino
Why Jeff Goins is Better than Leonardo DiCaprio by Victoria Buck
yes yes tribe by gretchen hanson
Tribe Conference by Jennifer Cioto
I’m Not Seth Godin, But I Felt The Love Rush. by Seth Guge
When you’re feeling a little wobbly. Tribe Conference 2017 by Beth Gross
3 things I learned from the Tribe Conference by Lauren Meeks
My cup runneth over… by Claes Jonasson
Generosity Trademarks the Kingdom of God by Dave Wernli
This is what happens when you go ALL IN on Relationships by Ben Weaver
Why Tribe Conference Should be on Your Calendar Next Year by Christine Goodner
This Is What Happened When Fear Showed Up at My Conference by Anne Peterson
What If You Created As Much As You Consumed? by Debbie Meyer
Change Your Life at the Tribe Conference by Debra Schroeder
A Positive Mid-Life Crisis by Alicia Rust
What Would You Do with a Notebook Full of Gold? by Tamela Pitts
How Tribe Conference Can Change Your Life by Craig Kulyk
Tribe 2017 birthed the Curiouseteer by Robin Anderson
My Tribe Conference Experience by Pierce Marrs
Three lessons I learned at the Tribe Conference by Steve Hawkins
I Spent A Weekend Outside Of My Comfort Zone by Mark J. Cundiff
Tribe Writers = Prize Fighters by Joanne Sanford Cherpack
Top reasons overcoming networking is terrifying by Ashley Tauriac
Tribe Conference 2017: Why I’ll Never Forget it by Jessica Peterson
How a Yankee Homeschool Mom “Brought the Party” to the South by Ashley Nance
25 Things I Learned at Tribe Conference 2017 by Scott Whisler
My Review of Jeff Goins’ Tribe Conference by Kent Sanders
5 reasons why tribe conference is one of the best places for creatives by Kelly Leaver
Tribe Conference Dekaazens Rock! by Rachel Bagby
How to Make Sure You’re as Un-creative as Possible by Jathan Maricelli
What I Learned at Tribe Conference 2017 by Shelly Pordea
What I Learned at Tribe Conference 2017 by Nick True
When Your Mess is your Message by Carrie Ott
Tribe Conference 2017 – Vlog by Daniel Callahan
Yes, you can. Be present, be helpful, be brave! by Caroline DePalatis
Tribe Writers At Its Best: Weird, Brave And Creative by Kathy Burrus
3 Things I Learned at My First Conference by Colleen Valles
Finding My Tribe (Or Summer Camps For Creatives) by DJ Eshelman
Who is Jeff Goins and why should I care? by Liz Wilcox
How Tribe Conference 2017 Changed Me by Jeff Jackson
Networking for Introverts: How to Build Your Community One Meaningful Connection at a Time by Haley McManigal
3 Essential Truths to Get the Most Out of Conferences by Ken Broeren
Tribe Writers Conference 2017: Best Conference I’ve Attended In Years! by Andrea Cadelli
Do You Have the Right Connections? by Danielle Bernock
Saying yes can change your life by Pamela Hodges
4 Ways to Make the Most of Conference Relationships by Judy Herman
Our goal with this event is for it to be a shot-in-the-arm that gives you the energy you need to keep going for the rest of the year. If you’re a writer or creative who wants to make a living off your work, check out this event.
What do you think makes for a memorable event? Share in the comments.
September 28, 2017
The Simple Hack to Write More and Break Bad Habits: Interview with Maneesh Sethi
Making a positive change in your life is challenging. With the failure rate of resolutions at 80%, it’s no wonder people give up on setting goals altogether. What if there was a simple, scientific hack to help you break bad habits and get more writing done?
This week’s guest on The Portfolio Life got his first book deal at 12 years old, travel hacked his way around the globe, worked with Tim Ferriss to launch The 4-Hour Chef, appeared on Shark Tank, and that’s just scratching the surface.
Listen in as bestselling author and habit hacker, Maneesh Sethi and I talk about how his revolutionary wearable Pavlok came to be, his journey as a nomadic entrepreneur, and how he wrote 5 months of content in 5 days.
Listen to the podcast
To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).
Show highlights
In this episode, Maneesh and I discuss:
How a hero crushed his dreams
Writing a 80 pages in 4 days and landing a book deal
Repurposing existing research and content for a niche audience
Being motivated by people who don’t believe in you
Studying abroad in Italy and moving to Buenos Aires
Buying a camel and riding him to school
Trying to become a famous Berlin DJ led to working with Tim Ferriss (and sleeping on his couch)
Paying someone to slap him every time he checked Facebook
The fleeting fame of going viral
Dealing with imposter syndrome
What really happened on his Shark Tank appearance
Winning the wildcard slot to get incubator funding for Pavlok
Discovering the impact of self-administered aversion therapy
The most impactful hack to writing more and losing weight
Getting death threats
The value of helping people solve tangible, life-changing problems
Takeaways
“You’re not broken. You’re designed to fit in to a group of people who allow you to extend your strengths, and not feel bad about your weaknesses.” –Maneesh Sethi
Finishing is not always the goal, the idea has intrinsic value.
Temperament is a tool to help you understand yourself, not a box to live in.
Reduce complexity to increase feasibility.
Work with people you inspire, and who inspire you.
The right tools allow you to externalize your willpower.
You don’t have to do stuff that you hate to do.
“Optimize the path to your goal.Maneesh SethiTweet thisTweet
Resources
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Hack the System
Bolt
Pavlok
How far would you go to stop a bad habit? What lengths have you taken to start a new habit? Share in the comments.
September 25, 2017
Don’t Hit Publish (Until You Ask These 5 Questions)
How do I know when my writing is ready to publish? What does it take to ship a blog post, an article, or even a book? When do you wait and when do you push through and share your writing with the world? If only there were an app for that. 
September 21, 2017
Stop Waiting for Your Big Break: Interview with Ryan O’Neal
Too often, arts of every shade toil in obscurity, waiting for their big break. They work hard on their craft, take on odd jobs to pay the bills, and hope to get discovered and become an overnight success. Sadly, they are wasting their time on a myth.
If you do what everyone else does, you’ll get the same results as everyone else. Average. Mediocre. Middle of the road.
But you aren’t average, are you? You have a story worth sharing, a song worth singing, art worth making a living from.
“Stop waiting for a big break. It may never come. And it may never matter.Tweet thisTweet
This week’s guest on The Portfolio Life turned the music industry upside down and cut out the middle man. No more waiting for record labels to call. No more false hopes of overnight success.
Ryan O’Neal (of Sleeping at Last) has taken an innovative and savvy approach to consistently producing quality music, growing a loyal fan base, and creating a steady income as a full-time artist.
Listen in as we discuss the value of constant, immediate feedback and how traditionally released albums and books don’t have that loop, and why some artists aren’t successful in their lifetime.
Listen to the podcast
To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).
Show highlights
In this episode, Ryan and I discuss:
Paying attention to what emotionally moves you, and creating art that elicits the same response
Reflecting on the music that defined your youth
Translating the sounds in your head into music that comes through the speakers
The process of writing and producing an entire album
Operating as a business and a songwriter
Tackling writing, launching, and promoting an album from a new perspective
Putting on the mindset of a fan
Changing customer behavior in consuming art
Takeaways
“Limitation is healthy for your creativity.” –Ryan O’Neal
Create quality content on a consistent basis.
Worldwide distribution is accessible to everyone.
As technology evolves, there is limitless opportunity for music.
“I love creating, so why wouldn’t I do more of it?” –Ryan O’Neal
Art can always adapt to the market.
“The harder you work, the more things work.” –Ryan O’Neal
Once you break the mold, doing things the old way doesn’t make sense.
Catching a big break has little to do with the rest of your career.
“There will always be room for songs and storytelling.Ryan O'NealTweet thisTweet
Resources
Sleeping at Last
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Real Artists Don’t Starve
How does innovation impact your art? What can you do to break the rules? Share in the comments
September 14, 2017
How to Become a Rockstar: Interview with Manafest
Attending a live concert makes you wonder what it’d be like to stand on stage, surrounded by your band, playing to a crowd of screaming fans. Few people have never fantasized about being a rockstar in their own way, but how is it possible?
In a world saturated with distractions and noise, it’s difficult to stand out from the crowd. With barriers to entry in every industry nearly obliterated by the Internet and social media, everyone has a voice. Which is both a challenge, and an opportunity.
This week’s guest on The Portfolio Life is no stranger to life as a struggling artist. After landing a contract and leaving his day job to work full-time as a musician, he actually went into $30,000 in debt.
But just when he was about to quit on his dream, Chris “Manafest” Greenwood caught an unexpected break from a surprising source. From there he continued to build an effective platform piece by piece, leveraging his background in business, and exploring creative methods of distributing his music.
With 10 albums released, a self-published book via Kickstarter, and a thriving business teaching other artists how to make a living from their music, Manafest has a lot to share with us.
Listen in as we discuss how he “blew up” in Japan, the parallels between the music and publishing industries, and my own rockstar moment in Taiwan.
Listen to the podcast
To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).
Show highlights
In this episode, Manafest and I discuss:
Understanding the business behind your art
Transitioning from IT to music
Treating your art like an asset
Exploring new markets and creative ways to diversify
The semantics of copyright ownership
Where the real money is for all kinds of artists
How it works when something “blows up”
Why you can’t manufacture a hit
Using Kickstarter to self-publish a book
A secret tip to find a great editor
How to know if you have a good song
The benefits of being an artist in the digital age
One investment every artist can’t afford to miss
Quotes and takeaways
Avoid signing away everything for quick money and false prestige.
Create something beautiful that feels special for readers to hold.
Whatever you spend on making art, you’ve gotta spend double on marketing it.
“Action fuels success. Superman isn’t coming to save you.” –Manafest
“If you have fans, the labels will come.” –Manafest
Remember why you’re making art in the first place. Money and fame isn’t sustainable. Do it to make a difference.
“The worst thing someone can do is quit their job before the art is ready.ManafestTweet thisTweet
Resources
Fighter: 5 Keys To Conquering Fear & Reaching Your Dreams by Chris “Manafest” Greenwood
Strategies to Help You Sell More Books and Spread Your Word (Jeff’s appearance on the Smart Passive Income podcast with Pat Flynn)
The Words with Bradley Cooper
Nothing to Love, Everything to Gain by Ryan Blair
Rock Bottom to Rock Star by Ryan Blair
Who are you creating for? What would it look like to be a “rockstar” in your art form? Share in the comments
