business + wealth articles

4 righteous bits on art + interactivity…

[a follow up on "making space for creative credo" / and turning off blog comments]

Debates are wrenching for absolutists and purists; thrilling for the open-minded questers; and neither here nor there for what Lao Tzu calls, those "with no preferences...for whom the way is fluid and light." I'm an open-minded, strongly particular, highly tolerant, purist. I love and hate debates. I have a tendency to break the Rules of Debate. (That's a foreshadowing. Read on...)

I am deeply digging the current discussion about social media conversation, specifically whether to have comments on or off on blogs. When I turned off the commenting function on WhiteHotTruth last month, here's what happened:

Quick measurables:
: 3 blogger friends with large sites each told me that week that they would love to do the same thing, but it wasn't quite right for their business model, or they were too chicken shit. But it's tempting...
: 30+ people emailed me to say, "respect, love, way!" No one emailed me directly to call me bad names - I expected a few nasty emails, not one.
: 8 people unsubscribed. 20 more subscribed.
: A bunch of The Fire Starter Sessions programs sold.

Inner status:
I felt deep peace and artsy-honouring. The vibe in my live-work space shifted. I had three sizzlin' creative ideas the next day that were keepers.

Rumbles in the jungle:
Charlie Gilkey, who is dependably thoughtful, wrote, "Why I Leave Comments Open" and generated plenty of convo:

... Why even have a blog if you don’t want to interact with your readers?
... A blogger refusing to take comments would be like an artist refusing to take part in a critique.
... It just seems to me that an artist’s existence is entirely based on audience… without an audience we are nothing.
... Although I logically understand, there’s an emotional disconnect to bloggers that disable comments. To me, it’s a very subtle way to say, “Your thoughts are not worth my time.”

Mark Silver (another high-minded dude,) wrote:
... In making risky choices, one often tries to find comfort by moving in packs. But sometimes that’s not possible, and making the risky choice means going it alone- or nearly alone. The risky choice can be completely right for the person making it, and completely not right for anyone else.

InformationJunkies posited, "Why close comments when they can provide an insight into what our reading community is talking about?"

Not related to my announcement:

Everett Bogue turned off blog comments while he was on vacation, and decided to leave them off.

Mitch Joel from Six Pixels of Separation wrote a piece called, The End of Conversation in Social Media.

He dug up this music-to-my-ears, from Dave Winer, who PC World calls the "The father of modern-day content distribution" and The NY Times deemed the "The protoblogger."

I know some people think that blogs are conversations, but I don't. I think they're publications. (You can read Winer's full article here.)

I'm with Winer.

re-Conclusion:

PRIMARY INTENTIONS...are EVERYTHING

4 righteous bits on art + interactivity

1. Don't be glamoured by the medium.

"Blogs beg to be interactive," someone said in this no-comment debate. Blogging is a relatively new phenomenon. In the years to come, technology is going to wire us together in so many seamless and sweeping ways that the novelty of interactivity will no longer eclipse what's most important, which is the content.

Imagine six+ billion people having their own holographic "micro-blog" (Twitter, anyone?) When we are all uploading our thoughts and wares into the space, we won't be talking about who's got "comments" open or not. We just ALL be opinionat-ing and publishing EVERYWHERE. Like we do on Twitter and Facebook and...and...

"Blogs" are nodes in The Global Brain. Blog as a term (shortened from web-log,) is limiting in and of itself. When you're clear on your primary intent, this medium becomes a powerful tool, instead of the tool working you over.

I want this space to feel like a temple, a publication, and a prayer, not a town hall meeting. I hope you'll feel a bit secluded and protected here. Spacious. Intimate. Mindful.

2. You can serve the collective without being community-centric.

... just ask any eccentric painter, or reclusive writer, or monk.

My primary intention is to inspire individuals to be conscious individuals so that they can...serve the whole. Community is a positive, unintentional consequence of publishing in this globally-wired medium. If my primary intention was to create community and forum, I would invert my whole business model and take a back seat to watch the system self-organize, and I'd respond to what was emerging "out there." It's a beautiful way to foster change, but it doesn't fit with with my true strengths, or the fire in my heart.

3. Pure art is not about pleasing your audience.

It's about getting the art out in it's true form, which is no small undertaking. And therein lies the service.

When you do what you do solely to be loved, or buzzed about, your rudder will start to crack. If your esteem depends on being liked for your beliefs or opinions...whoa.

Respect...I want it, of course, of course. I want love, connection, and the joy of admiration, but the art has to come first, or I'm just not that interested in the commerce. If I start writing philosophy "for" an audience, I'm fucked. This ain't no fiction novel. This is my life.

Anticipation can be deadly to art:

Why I Don't Have Comments, by Seth Godin:

... I think comments are terrific, and they are the key attraction for some blogs and some bloggers. Not for me, though. First, I feel compelled to clarify or to answer every objection or to point out every flaw in reasoning. Second, it takes way too much of my time to even think about them, never mind curate them. And finally, and most important for you, it permanently changes the way I write. Instead of writing for everyone, I find myself writing in anticipation of the commenters.

4. Everything is energy.

Comments. Links. Thoughts thunk or tweeted or sent in bytes. Data files. Crowded in-boxes. It's all energy being moved around. Call it society, culture, universal consciousness, intelligence, or the morphogenic field, we are constantly depositing and withdrawing and otherwise distributing stuff from the cosmic space.

So I can't, as some have suggested, leave comments on and "just not pay that much attention to them...let people talk amongst themselves." That's like having people over for dinner and hiding out in your bedroom. I hear stuff. I'm "compelled."

But more than that...I'm devoted, primarily, to keeping it real 'round here.
That's the best I can do.

Intention
is
everything
is
energy.
Real
is
virtual
is
real.

Honour the intent. Master the tool.

Respect.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

psst...Bindu Wiles' SHED PROJECT starts September 14.
Check it. Shed.

 

get a spark o’ the fire : the true strengths + the metrics of ease chapter

Would you rather be sufficient, or masterful?
Would you rather be bright, or a freaking supernova?
Would you rather be well-rounded, or
on your own leading edge?

"This chapter is a BEAUTY — such a kick start.
Your words give me permission to be awesome."
- Sas Lockey

True Strengths + The Metrics of Ease is Session 3 in THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS. One of the most popular chapters, you can get it now as a mini-media sparklet, a warm up for the mondo inferno. It explores:

: clarifying your intrinsic strengths vs. weaknesses
: the dangers of being "competent." Being well-rounded is highly overrated.
: the game-changing practice of getting better at what you’re best at
: passion as your growth point
: the brilliance of approving of your weaknesses
: enthusiasm as a state of higher consciousness
: using grace as data in your decision making
: a list of personality tests and reading resources
: ...and a word on life purpose
: VIDEO: The Metrics of Ease with Danielle
: VIDEO: The Merits of Self-Centered with Danielle + Dyana Valentine
: WORKSHEET 4: Passion Play
: WORKSHEET 5: Very Strong Priorities

"[this] chapter...is blowing my mind. Amazing.
This chapter alone is worth way more than $150."
- Tim Murphy

All this for $20 bucks, baby. And when you're hot for more, you can put the cost of this chapter toward the full-tilt FIRE STARTER SESSIONS program. And! By owning the True Strengths chapter, you're able to become an affiliate.

** click here to purchase true strengths + the metrics of ease **

rave reviews

"Danielle LaPorte's passion for her mission leaps off the page, and reading a few chapters of this book will ignite you into action."
– Gretchen Rubin | Author, The Happiness Project

"The Fire Starter Sessions is the revolution you’ve been waiting for. It will shake-up and wake-up every aspect of your life."
– Kris Carr | Award-winning Author and Documentarian, Crazy, Sexy, Cancer

"The Fire Starter Sessions is the new, bad-ass Artist’s Way.”
– Linda Sivertsen | Co-Author, Harmonic Wealth and Generation Green

"The Fire Starter Sessions...is so good that I’m taking it slow. All meat, no filler."
– Nathan Hangen | Author, Beyond Blogging and the Webrepreneur's Guide to Funding Your Business

"No entrepreneur should make another decision about the direction of his or her future without reading this book and doing the exercises Danielle has included."
– Alexis Martin Neely | Founder, Family Wealth Planning Institute and The LIFT Foundation System

"I'm savoring my way through FSS and loving it. I've scheduled a standing weekly appointment to work through Danielle's ass-kicking, fire-lighting, stakes-raising worksheets until. I'm. done. I'm admitting, forgiving, clarifying, imagining, and (most importantly) becoming – and I've needed this for a long time."
– Dave Navarro | TheLaunchCoach.com

"Money, failure, power, appreciation – this doesn't leave anything out of the mix."
– Barbara Stanny | Author, Overcoming Underearning

"You know the acronym TABO? True And Bleedingly Obvious. The Fire Starter Sessions are the opposite of that. They're fresh, compassionate, practical, sassy, designed (and design is one crucial way that content becomes useful), wise, engaging and, above all, different."
– Michael Bungay Stanier | Author, Do More Great Work and Senior Partner, Box of Crayons

Or of course, you could just go for the mondo inferno right this minute and invest in the full FIRE STARTERS SESSIONS program. Click the orange icon:

$150 for the full-tilt love. And! $5 from every copy goes to the charity you choose:The Acumen Fund or Women for Women International

or...

click here and warm up for $20 with a sample Session.

With Love,

 

how much money do you want to make this year?

I work with a lot of serious entrepreneurs. By "serious" I mean devoted, aware, hungry, keen. At conferences and party do's, I come in to contact with plenty of hobby-preneurs, freshling-preneurs, just-getting-on-the-path-preneurs. I adore them one and I adore them all.

But this takes the wind right out of my strategic cheerleader sails:
I ask: "So how much money do you want to make this year?"
Reply: "Um...I...well..." Knife in my heart. Hole in my sails.

You're in business to make money, right? (BTW, I operate on the premise that you're doing work in the world that you love, and by virtue of that you're likely making the world a better place. I don't flippantly assume vocational integrity, but if people want to jam with me, I assume they're in the neighbourhood of meaningful work. And once that's established, it's time to focus on the money, honey.)

Question 2.5 in The Burning Questions of The Fire Starter Sessions and with my 1:1 clients is this:

How much money would you LIKE to be making?

As Naomi Dunford put this question to me, "The best way to think about this question is this…we want the number that would make you happy. Not resigned. Not elated. Just happy. Somewhere between eating Ramen noodles and buying a yacht. For many people, this number is about the salary they would be making if they worked outside the home."

Aim for that.

DECLARING HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WANT TO MAKE IN A YEAR:

1. Gives you a goal, for Chrissakes. Goals are to manifesting what a microphone is to Lady Gaga: essential and effectual.

This may sound over-simplified, but when you know what you want to make in a year, you can do what it takes to...go make it. You can break it down. You can aim. You want to make $150K? Great. How many units do you need to ship? How many clients do you need to service? What does your profit margin need to be? What kind of a raise would you require?

Considerations:
What if you have a set income, like a salary? Don't let that hem in your earning desires. There are raises, and surprise opportunities, and frequent flier miles, and Aunties who will you their Cadillac and investments that soar. Make.the.declaration.

"I wanna rake in a million bucks this year! (says dude who just launched his first blog or has $50K in credit card debt.) If your declaration has a flavour of rebellion or feverishness to it, you might want to reign it in a bit. The desire has to come from a peaceful place. I'm not saying don't aim high - quantum leaps and breakthroughs happen all of the time. But aim to where you'd feel proud and fulfilled. This is about creating wellness, not gluttony or exhaustion.

2. Puts it into perspective - and fast. You may add up your financial goals with the number of hours you work in a month and realize that you're really making $15 bucks an hour after you pay your overhead. In order to hit your target you may have to raise your rates, work from a coffee shop, or invest in the kind of expert help that gets bottom-line results. And remember, it's not completely about what you bring in, it's also about what you keep in your pocket. Where can you simplify? ("Simplify" is a much more attractive term than "cutback", don't you think?)

3. Makes you feel capable, and when you feel capable, you act capable. With your desire declared, you'll magically start to see ways of making things happen -- in ways that work for you. If you're more productive in the summer, you'll crank for 3 months and wind down in the fall (to count your money.) You'll see potential collaborators more clearly. Your dormant ideas will rise to the surface again and they'll have strategies to back them up this time.

4. Sets you free for non-earning pursuits -- for living. As you near your fulfilled aspirations, you can let enough be enough and take the day off.

5. Sends a message to your subconscious, and your subconscious takes things way too literally (this is one of those times when you want your subconscious to take you way too literally.)

6. Summons the Idea Fairy. The Idea Fairy is on the edge of her seat, waiting to hear your dreams so she can get to work on your behalf.

7. Signals to your tribe that you're in it to win it. The people who love and respect you - friends, coaches, mentors, partners -- will not only hold you accountable, they'll likely do whatever they can to help you get where they want to go. Throw a party for all of them when you get there.

. . . . . . .

INTERVIEWS

Join the Convivial Women Society. I did. READ HERE.

This is a great piece, from HiLife2b.com on the first steps to take in creating the life you want, from 16 bloggers. READ HERE.

. . . . . . .

RECENT RAVES FOR THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS

"Danielle LaPorte's passion for her mission leaps off the page, and reading a few chapters of this book will ignite you into action."
- Gretchen Rubin, author, The Happiness Project

"Please fasten your seat belts because The Fire Starter Sessions is the revolution you’ve been waiting for, it will shake-up and wake-up every aspect of your life. Danielle LaPorte combines soulful wisdom with razor sharp business advice to create a blue print for moguls, spiritual rockstars, and lovers of life. Skinny dip head first into this hot and fabulous book. I dare you."
- Kris Carr, documentarian, Crazy, Sexy, Cancer

 

building trust and other tactical bullshit that you probably don’t need

I was on my way to a speaking gig in Austin, Texas. The taxi driver picked me up from the hotel so naturally he asked me if I was in town for business. "Sure am." I said. Then he asked what I did. (A question that always makes me sigh heavily inside. I teach people about the importance of having a "cocktail line," so lest I be a hypocrite, I have a smooth one liner that I can pull out at parties. This is NOT it:)

"I write, and I speak...on stage...n' stuff." (Severely LAME intro, my Fire Starter Sessions readers would be aghast.) "You're taking me to my gig tonight, actually."

"What do you talk about?" asked Bert.

"About being yourself," said I, Mademoiselle Motivational Speaker.

Silence. He was doing the math.

"Ain't it kind of sad that you gotta talk to people about being themselves?" asked Bert, thinking nothing of it. I laughed. Like, slapped my legged and threw back my head laughing. It was just the kind of relief that's sweet before you're about to go on stage in heels that will expire in precisely 2 hours.

"Yeah, it's sad. But if everyone were authentic, I'd be out of a gig, Bert. Some people need what I got. And if not, well I'm always good for a few jokes."
We laughed, together.

HAWKING WISDOM, AND BUYING IT
As a professional, I prey pray on the conundrums of the human condition. I get to polish my halo because we're all such fucked up, curious, perfectly beautiful messes. Cha-ching. I tell people things that are primary to some ears, and YES! revolutionary to other hearts.

As a peddler of stuff that goes into the collective field of consciousness, I'm responsible to wonder: Do you really NEED what I've got? I don't want to load the cultural landfill with useless know-what-ness.

Try this. The next time you walk into a bookstore, or stumble upon a seemingly helpful blog, or lean in to hear a theory from someone supposedly wiser or more trained than you, just ask yourself:
DO I REALLY NEED THIS?

When you ask yourself if you really need what someone is selling (from flip flops to life philosophy,) you start to rattle the trance-inducing phenomena of "popular," "pretty," "bestselling," "certified," "ordained," et cetera-rah-blah-blah-blah.

There are books that hit the NYTimes Bestseller list that are about the merits of being nice to people in business. About how, (hold on, this is breakthrough theorizing:) taking an active interest in people can help you build better relationships in the workplace; why asking people about their personal lives before a meeting can make them feel like they're part of team. (Wow. Is that like, statistically proven?)

Do you really need a blog to tell you how to...be nice?

And now there's a plethora of material about building trust, as if trust is a precious mineral that only some gifted folk know how to mine.

Do you really need a book to tell you how to...be trust-worthy?
Here, I'll tell you in one sentence and you can skip all those books: be yourself on a regular basis and don't tell lies. It's worked well for a lot of people I know. Renegades.

DO I REALLY NEED THIS?

It's such a fog-cutting, wake-you-up kind of question. It activates your smarty pants brain chemicals, it safeguards you like a big brother looking after you on the first day of school. "Do I really need this?" saves you cash money. (WalMart might consider this article propaganda.)

So when the blogger or the Buddhist or the Motivational Speaker in heels tells you the answer to your problem, maybe you don't really need that answer. You have your very own.

Take my word for it.

. . . . . . . . .


PROUD SELF PROMO, (NOT SO SUBTLY POSITIONED AT THE END OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT BUYING/NOT BUYING WISDOM):

"The Fire Starter Sessions is a huge gift to anyone who is an entrepreneur, is thinking about becoming an entrepreneur or might one day entertain the possibility of maybe becoming an entrepreneur. Danielle helps you light a fire that is truly your own sacred flame. She delivers on every level: smarts, guidance, authenticity, deep wisdom, intuition, killer business acumen and practicality. She helps you tap into your deepest truth and create a thriving business from there. She is an alchemist, high priestess and yes, a true fire starter. This is not just a book or some videos, it's an experience."
- Danielle Vieth, Marketing strategist, copywriter

$150 for the full-tilt love.

And! $5 from every copy goes to the charity you choose:
The Acumen Fund or Women for Women International


Learn more...

. . . . . . .

Need writerly wisdom? I can hook you up: Bindu Wiles' Diamond Cutters course just opened. 6 writers. 6 weeks to refine and shine. CHECK IT.

 

art + cash, truth + freedom: recent interviews

I've been asked some great questions lately by lovely seekers and servants of entrepreneurship. Please dig in.

LifeDev.net with @Glen Stansberry

Glen: Money and Art seem to always be at odds. This is a massive deal for MANY wanting to stay true to themselves, but still make money. Good money, even.So here’s the Million Dollar Question: How do you create a personal brand, without selling out?

Danielle:...If you create a personal brand that isn’t deeply personal, you’ve already sold out.

The vast majority of artists I know (from writers and craftspeople, to software developers and designers) don’t have any quams with making money – and lot’s of it if possible. What makes them all weird is the marketing of their stuff, they don’t want to sell out and become an infomercial. It understandable, because we live in a culture of false advertising and the slick, hard sell. It’s dangerous turf for sure. But this is where you need to diligently carry your personality forward. It’s not enough to have an authentic, integrity-driven offering, you need to sell it in a way that is true for you. If you’re slick, be slick. If you’re subtle, be subtle. Just be consistent. And above all, be passionately proud of what you’re bringing to the world.

>> READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

AuthenticatiKate.com with @katenorthrup

Kate: I find that, often, people (meaning myself) are unaccustomed to telling the truth. And my question is, what do you suggest for those of us who’ve been raised to be afraid of the truth, if we want to start to peel back the layers and start telling it like it is?

Danielle: Hang out with people who do tell the truth. Learn from example. Get interviewed. Start telling the truth to yourself.

Here’s a formula: Start telling the truth to yourself in as many ways as possible. And then start telling the truth to a few more people. Extend. I see it as concentric circles. So, you can tell yourself the truth when you look in the mirror. You can tell yourself the truth when you’re journaling. You can tell yourself the truth when you’re getting dressed, when you’re dancing, when you’re getting yourself off, when you’re going shopping. There’s lots of ways to tell yourself the truth. You can tell yourself the truth by drawing it out. Yeah, it’s about expression. And then tell one good friend, and then tell two good friends. And then start telling the people you work with, and then start telling strangers.

>> READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

PurposefulProduct.com with @samrosen

Integrity branding, stripping it down to your truth, and as Sam calls it, "the mystical fog of creating product."

>> LISTEN TO THE RECORDING HERE

 

11 wisdoms that you can turn into cash…and crazy love

or: WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE HUMAN SPIRIT + MONEY ON MY 41st BIRTHDAY

So I did this Pay What You Can Day (hereto referred to as PWYCD) for THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS. On my birthday. Recently. Many people cheered me on for "clever marketing!" And hey, I did come out of the womb with my own press release, but, you know, this wasn't solely driven by a marketing impulse. I love the sentiment of giving gifts on your birthday. Giving feels good on any day. The PWYCD notion came to me just a few days before May 25 and, truly, I thought, Hey, what the hell? If, like 70 people get in on the deal, that'd be sweet. Ha! SEVEN HUNDRED+ e-books later, we lit up the sky with crazy delight and motivation.

What happened behind the scenes:
I went for a salt scrub that morning and when I came up for air to check my iPhone I almost fell off my lounger. Gobsmacked, as the Londoners say. My VA, Dawn and I just about keeled from the comments and the emails. (It took Dawn nearly two weeks to sort out the messages, PayPal invoices, currency exchanges, cheques, and special requests.) I got in my car and had to have a boo-happy-hoo. The stories sent to my personal email address were heart-stretching, sobering, inspiring. The outpouring of love and appreciation was stunning, and (and this is what moved me so deeply,) the spontaneous generosity sparked amongst White Hot visitors, well, that just about did me in. Between the spa steam, chocolate cake, and the PWYCD affection, I was a stun bunny.

It was a life-affirming, wisdom-bolstering, humbling event that ranks in the Top 3 highlights of my career (and birthdays!) Here's what it confirmed:

11 Wisdoms That You Can Convert to Cash + Crazy Love

1. Creativity + Aspiration = INGENUITY. And ingenuity wins, every time.

Make up your mind to make an effort and then make it up as you go.

"Here is a promise and my offer. 1) I will pay this gift forward. 2) I will hold you in the Light with an intention for abundant blessings on you, your family, your ventures, and your efforts to make the world a better place. 3) I'll send you 10% of every payment I receive from every client until the entire $150 is paid off."
- Eydie

"If I sell a painting this week, I'll send you $100. If I don't sell anything, will $41 do?"
- Lisa

2. Initiative and specificity are sexy.

"I've got $37.80 in my PayPal account. It's yours. Right now. (I wish it were so much more.) I will Tweet your praises and send you a full testimonial within two weeks of receiving the book."
- Andi

3. Humility is the inroad to conviction.

The stories of hardship, and resiliency, and exceptional wealth that were so open-heartedly shared with me from women and men in four different countries...well, be still my heart. I had flashbacks to my own days in the New Mexico welfare office after I'd lost three clients in two weeks. I had flash-forwards to my intentions for sweeping financial freedom.

"I am a broke, unfunded graduate student & I work part time and a children's bookstore to feed my belly while I stoke my soul. I'd like to offer $30, a multiple of three, a great fairy tale number. And when my first book is published, you'll be in the Acknowledgments.
- Natasha

"My situation: I am currently unemployed - but am stirred up, expectant, and on purpose. I hope to use your vook to successfully launch a blog of my own. I am most humbled by your generosity and am offering to pay $75 USD."
- Rah

"I'm a single mom of two, getting food stamps, with plenty of ambition and smarts and vision. I'm good for $30 this month."
- Sasha

Sharing your story is the surest way to create a unified field of empathy. And empathy moves mountains.

4. Generous people have more to give.

"Danielle, I'd like to offer $150 but in a spread-the-love way. I'd like to:
1. give $50 directly to you,
2. give $50 to whichever of these (http://u.nu/366pa) Gulf oil spill rescue & cleanup initiatives you'd like me donate to, &
3. give a final $50 on behalf of someone who can't afford to pay anything at all for the sessions because they've done something very brave (like for instance, a woman leaving an abusive relationship with her young kids)"
- Kye

(This gesture of Kye's started a domino affect. We gave out about a dozen Fire Starter Sessions "scholarships" and paired up the donor with the recipient.)

"I would like to humbly offer you $28.44. I know this is not a lot and does not do justice to the work that you have put in to your Fire Starter Sessions. I am offering you this amount because it is the entire amount of extra money that have outside of the finances that I have put aside for rent and other similar things. If you accept my offer, I promise that I will pay it forward and make sure to share both my experience with the Fire Starter Sessions and the generosity that you have shown. I can also send some vegan baked goods your way."
- Lexi

"I would like to offer you $25 for the FSS. In addition, here is my deal to you:
~ Within the next 6 months, I will pay the remaining $125 to pay the full amount.
~ By your 42nd birthday, I will not only book an actual Fire Starter Session with you, but I will also pay another $150 so that someone who either cannot swing today's offer or does not know about it can enjoy FSS, too."
- Mary

"Offering $75 for FSS and $75 for the Gulf clean up efforts - just let me know which one of those charities you prefer."
- CJ

"I can pay $50 for Fire Starter Sessions and in a month or two give another $50 to my friends organization in Haiti on your behalf." Check http://www.fida-pch.org "
- Bronwyn

"I love this idea so much that I'm offering $200. I've had a tab open on your site since you launched, planning to buy when the moment was right. I'd say this is it."
- Oroboros

5. Giving begets giving.

This flipped me right 'round:

"I'd like to gift a copy to my fabulous friend Jo Hanlon-Moores. She is brilliant and funny and talented. And her business is growing from a little acorn. I want to bring her some fire :)"
- Sas Lockey

"I can pay the full amount and am going to because your amazingly generous offer reminded me of just how very lucky we are and we live our lives by these three words - dignity, integrity and love. I hope that by paying in full I can help subsidize a copy for someone else."
- Sophie

"I'd like to give you $100 directly for the Fire Starter Sessions, and $50 to a charity of your choice."
- Melissa

6. You must heed the impulse to give. Generosity is a core muscle that your whole being can move on.

"Today has been full of unexpected gifts and I am now able to increase my offer to $100. Reading the comments in response to your generous offer I am struck by the power of sharing our gifts. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity within my own work, and you've inspired in me a grand vision for an annual pay-as-you-can gift to my extended community."
- Sarah Juliusson

7. When you give people a break, they want to -- and usually will -- go the distance for you.

"I wanted to ask for FSS for $50, but I can actually afford the full price if I'm honest. But your generosity forces me to either pay in full or not at all. Sigh. Stupid freakin integrity..."
- Andrew Lightheart

"I only have about $50 extra bucks a month, but I want to pay the full price because I know it's worth it."
- Sam

"I'd love to pay the full $150, but with the tight spot I'm in, $40 would make my heart smile. I hope that works for you. I'd be honored to pay the balance, or make a donation to charity in your name, once my business is up and running."
- Brian

"I sold three memberships to my small site today, so that's $60. I'd like to offer that as payment for the course right now."
- Magpie Girl

8. Scarcity creates anxiety.

(This fact alone gives me cause to never do another time-sensitive event like this. I'm not saying that I won't but...whoa.) We were bowled over by dozens of emails to this affect: "Did you accept my offer?" Some people left their price offer as a blog comment, then emailed me AND my VA, and also messaged me on Twitter, and in some cases, also left a message on Facebook. The sense of urgency was...urgent! I was shocked, because, in my mind (which of course I expected thousands of people to read), I intended to honour a huge range of offers. Need + want + restriction = urgency. And the tighter the restriction, the more likely that urgency will turn into anxiety.

9. Money makes people get all weird n' stuff.

Money is like a chemical. Some chemicals mix nicely with other chemicals, some don't. With my PWYCD experiment, some folks got downright demando, "I left my comment/offer this morning and I STILL haven't heard back from you." Chill. And I'm not saying to back off just 'cause you got a hot deal (tho' that is a factor,) I'm saying chill because "chill" is generally better for world peace and your complexion. When money and trust occupy the same space, things move forward.

10. Generosity + healthy boundaries clearly communicated = ahhhh.

It's fair to say that in the (now distant) past, I may have had some uh, boundary issues with my giving nature. So although I very clearly stated in the PWYCD announcement: "This offer expires at midnight PST May 25, just like my birthday does. And I'm serious about it." I was still fretting about the possibilities of pleading, after-the-fact requests. But I only got a couple of such requests and they were so gracious and dignified and sincere, that it was a total (healthy) pleasure to honour them.

11. Humanity is, on the whole, generous, loving and kind. People want to give.

And when you operate on that foundational premise, you are actively allowing amazing things to happen.

QUESTIONS?
I'm opening up this conversation to answer any questions about the behind the scenes happenings, technological do's and snafus, emotions, and outcomes of the PWYCD extravaganza. Let 'em fly!

And...thank you.

Ever true,

. . . . . . . . .

$150 for the full-tilt FIRE STARTERS SESSIONS love.

And! $5 from every copy goes to the charity you choose:
The Acumen Fund or Women for Women International

Click here to view the full
Table of Contents!

 

11 things to do (and not do) when you’re burned out

Life balance? It doesn't exist. (Proportion, however does.)
Burn out? It's just a given for mad scientists and artists (and so very many of us are artists. MuWahahaaaa!)

I planned for this intense regeneration phase I'm in right now (read: burn out). In fact, I intended it. Three+ round-the-clock creative months on The Fire Starter Sessions book, one purchase of a new abode, big launch day, followed three days later by a move, followed by the most overwhelming need for stillness I've ever experienced. Perfectly fried. Naturally. And quite contentedly.

How to meet your burn out with an open heart and mind:

1. Cease keeping a to-do list. It's critical in burnout phases that you restore your connection to your instincts and natural rhythm--those same instincts that you likely had to override in part to achieve your goal. Not having a to do list does a few important things for your psyche: it immediately puts you in holiday-lite mode and it gives your brain space to re-jig what's important. Because if it's really and truly important, you WILL remember it. If it's critical, it will get done. When the spirit moves you, you will let yourself be moved.
2. Keep a schedule. This may sound counter-logical to easing up on yourself and nixing your to-do list. But often when we complete massive projects we can feel discombobulated or adrift. And since there are still the details of life and business to attend to, you don't want to let those smaller, non-urgent details encroach on all the space that's been freed up--that new, free space is for re-charging and partying. My re-generate schedule has "OFF" written on three days of this week. And on other days, I ink in really basic stuff that I'd normally cram into a full day, like "groceries, bank, pick up gift for Karis." And, I even make notes to myself to...
3. Schedule in sleep. This sounds goofy, but allotting time for extra sleep does something to your head-zone. It breaks the pattern of over-work, it signals your body to gear down for rest, and the mere act of writing it down officially gives you permission that you probably have a hard time giving yourself because you're so used to kicking ass rather than kicking your feet up.
4. Plan to do one Busy Luxury Thing that would make you giddy, but has felt like a waste of precious time. This week, I'm tidying up my iTunes and cranking out some new playlists. Why is this a good thing? Because my mind has been in productive over-drive for months and I want to ease out of that high. It's great to feel like you're downshifting to take in the view, not crashing into the the guardrail.
5. Recapitulate your work process and your success. It may all be a blur. But walk yourself through the inception and birth of your project. It's so important to objectively see how you managed to finish the race.
6. Return to your roots. You'll probably have a few emails to return after long-term neglect of loved ones and society. The best place to start can be with the comfort of familiar friends who loved you long before you slam dunked your big goal. The familiar can be such luscious comfort. This not only includes people, but favourite books, poetry, songs, movies, places.
7. Do not start anything new. For the love of God, stop. You're allowed to have new phantasmogorical ideas (indeed, now that your mind is freed up, you probably will have a whole new set of visions.) You can make notes. But do not activate anything. Projects started in the glow of burnout fumes have a way of fizzling out fast.
8. Express your gratitude. This is the sweetest part of regenerating. Send thank you emails, make phone calls, mail cards, send flowers, dole out bonuses. You didn't cross the finish line alone. We never do.
9. Be generous. Generosity when you're fried can be one of the most healing and restorative acts of all.
10. Wholly embrace the organic nature of create-fry-regenerate. Guilt and pressing on with super-hero stamina is three steps back. Down time is natural as John Denver in the early days.
11. Trust. It's hard for me to think that I'm not being creative, productive, contributive, moving forward--at the speed of light and love 24-7. Maybe this is a psyche workaround but it's recently and more deeply occurred to me that even in the resting, new things are being born, dying to be born, in fact. And it delights me to no end to imagine what's next.

But first...there's that nap I've scheduled in, followed by a bitta Rilke, and tea with an old friend.

. . . . . . .

My web guy, Paul Jarvis of twothirty.com, is so web-hot that he gets to name a WordPress theme after himself. He just launched JARVIS. Jarvis is a customizable WordPress theme, a hosted solution, and a set of plugins for excellent value. If you need to stand up a site and dont' want to lay out $3K to do it, this is a fab option. I've worked on a lot of sites with Paul over the years and I can tell you that he is one solid, smart, logical dude -- which is just what you want in your code. CHECK OUT JARVIS HERE.

 

it’s pay what you can day. happy birthday to…us!

It's my birthday on Tuesday May 25. (I'm 41. No need to lie about it because: a) I look great, and b) I feel...41 some days, 111 on others, and usually, about 30.)

You could send: orchids, fine milk chocolate or cashmere. Or some Pinion incense from Taos, or Amber oil from Bali. I'm also partial to gold hoop earrings and mystical poetry.

But if you send some cash - on May 25 - I'll give you a prezzie back, because until midnight Pacific Standard Time, May 25, it's:

PAY WHAT YOU CAN DAY FOR THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

This offer applies to my Fire Starter Sessions digital extravaganza e-book (not my 1-on-1 consults. I'm not that beatific.) This could be a total snafuzzle but what the hey, it worked for Naomi...

Here's how it works: you pay what you truly can. That's it.

1) Leave a comment in the comments box and tell me what price would make your heart smile. Then we'll send you a PayPal invoice. If you're not inclined to publicly declare that your Mastercard (and Visa) are way maxed and you'd like to send me three postdated cheques for $20 each, over the course of ten years, well then, we'll make it happen.
2) Once you pay, we'll zap you the access code to the book. You'll need to download the book within 24 hours of receiving the link.
3) You go light up your life and career.

Some disclaimers and emotionality:
: THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS retails for $150 USD. A number of people have expressed that they think it's under-priced for the value. I'm cool with that.
: If you already have The Fire Starter Sessions and would like to gift it to someone at a pay-what-you-can rate, let us know who the lucky recipient is.
: This birthday offer is not retroactive.
: I reserve the right to veto ridiculous offers.
: If you feel inclined to pay the full price after you experience The Sessions, feel free.
: If you're independently wealthy and want to pay more than $150 for The Sessions, than that's just brilliant karma.
: I will take multiple payments over time (this works on the honour system. If you want to pay, say $30 in three installments, just let us know what your plan is.)
: For those of you who do not jive with PayPal or credit cards, you can mail a money order or a cheque (that's Canadian for "check") to: Danielle LaPorte, Box 78055, Grandview RPO, Vancouver BC, V5N 5W1

Repeat: this offer expires at midnight PST May 25, just like my birthday does. And I'm serious about it. If you're out of town, if you missed this email in your inbox...then the opportunity will have vanished. I like things, especially money things, elegant and simple (and generous.) So I'm extremely unlikely to do any other gimmicky stunts like this.

Make a wish! And and make me an offer...

With all the love in my heart,

. . . . . . . .

INTERVIEWS

: I'm a big fan of Adam Baker at Man vs. Debt, and after our interview, I'm convinced he needs his own TV show: WATCH HERE

: An interview with Kristin Harad about getting unstuck: LISTEN HERE

 

the logic + love of the nonrefundable policy. mine, that is.

Here it is: THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS is a non-refundable investment in your mojo and moxy -- similarly to the commerce for artwork, a book you'd buy from a bookstore and read, a consulting exchange, a concert, or an album that you would digitally download.

This is counter to the predominant e-book culture, I know. And I understand that having a satisfaction or money back guarantee helps to reduce buying resistance. I get it. But both my intellect and my heart are standing in the value of what I've created, and the responsibility and free-will of each of us.

BELOVED BUYERS:
1. Always, always know where your money is going. Get to know me before you pay me. Hang out, read my stuff. It won't take long to see that my belief system is melange of the deeply esoteric, and no-shit street smarts, and that my acumen comes as much from raising venture capital and hustling the media, as it does from Buddhism and too many self-help retreats. You'll probably get a lot more out of my work if you feel a sense of kinship with, or at least a likable curiosity about me and my perspectives.
2. Credit card and PayPal money is real money. It's easy to click-click. Lot's of on-line retailers rely on the click-click psychology. I'd much rather that you value your money in such a way that buying THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS feels like a high-traction investment, because you are worth it. And you most certainly are.
3. In the grand scheme of your vocation, your fulfillment and financial freedom, $150 is, potentially, a micro investment.

BELOVED FELLOW ARTISTS:
1. Give it your all. As an artist and a strategist, my responsibility is to show up and be fully available with every ounce of wisdom and experience that I've got to give. Holding back or reserving my better stuff for down the road isn't an option for me. For this product, this is the absolute best I have to give. That intention counts for a lot. But not everything of course. In the end, you need to deliver something with utility. According to the reviews, this is incredibly useful stuff.
2. Be specific about the features and format. I clearly layout what you'll get in terms of format. The Table of Contents says it well.
3. Test it out. And then test it out some more. Over 500 clients and seminar participants heard and responded to my theories and how-to's over the last two years. And a few dozen literary agents, editors, and willing guinea pigs reviewed my material to suggest improvements and affirmed it's practical application, and sometimes, it's sheer brilliance.
4. Wave your passion flag. As for the ineffable elements I promise to deliver, like, "inspiration" and "mojo fire" while I appreciate that we're all motivated and inspired by different things, if you're not moved or illuminated by at least half of the motivational content in The Sessions, than dude, not even puppies and miracles could blast through your cynicism.

I get asked if THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS will help someone achieve XYZ, or help them get clear on their goals or their life purpose, or give them SEO tips, or creativity prompts, and does it have value for someone who's still working in a corporate j-o-b.

My first answer: absolutely, positively, without a doubt, maybe.
My second answer: If you want it, get it. Follow your heart. That way, you're guaranteed to learn what you need to know.

Love + Respect,

 

super hero syndrome + the practical response to crazy ambition

or, "How to Accomplish Great Big Stuff in a Short Amount of Time"

Technically speaking I created THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS in under twelve weeks. The holy spirit of digital love and audacity entered my soul and MacBook Pro and said: GO FORTH AND CRANK IT, LAPORTE! Maybe it's Catholic residue, but I felt called. So I set an impossible deadline for myself and I declared that the e-book was done--that it actually existed somewhere on the cosmos already, and all I needed to do was pull it down from the ether into pixel form.

I was crazy. Ca-ra-zee. It's a good thing that I revere Crazy. Crazy gets stuff DONE. Crazy eats impossible for her afternoon sugar fix. And if I may use some Kerouac to pat myself on the back, "Here's to the crazy ones."

That said, having been around plenty of start-ups and politicians in my career, I've seen a whole lot of the stupid-kinda-crazy.

STUPID CRAZY is the unrealistic, delusional, (and often inflated) thought that you can accomplish big, fast, amazing professional things while keeping the rest of your life in a state of "balance." Young dudes/dudettes in Silicon Valley and other such wanna be's have this one down--and they get dumped by their fiancees, quietly deal with anxiety, and know little about life outside...their life.

It's the Super Hero syndrome: I can do it all! I can squeeze more hours out of the day; keep up my exercise regime, be romantically attentive; well groomed n' stylin'; AND! launch a brilliant, brain-powered innovative, substantive product in record time. Nothing will change. I'll just fit MORE in.

Of course you have to do MORE. You have to expand in order to reach new heights. But that critical more-ness needs to be poured directly into your project, not spread thin amongst a bunch of pre-existing obligations and habits. Focus your moreness.

AT THE START OF YOUR CRAZY AMBITIOUS PROJECT:

1. Ask yourself what you're going to have to give up in order to pull it off. It's a total downer of a question and Super Heroes hate this part of strategy. In order to launch THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS on time, I gave up: most all TV, a lot of sunny weekends outside, about a 40% of my monthly income (I had to cut back on clients to have more creative time,) and pretty much all socializing. You cannot pull off energy intensive big-wins in a state of harmony. It happens in bursts and fits and pushing and grooving--innovation by nature is disruptive, not easy going.

Something will have to give so greatness has room to emerge. So give it up before it takes you down.

2. Line up some "multi-dimensional" support. When it's nose-to-the-grindstone time, we tend to get the grindstone kind of people on board--suppliers, designers, editors, marketers, "work/task" people. But this is precisely the time when you need some spiritually-informed intelligence to back you up. Within the first two weeks of starting on the e-book I worked with Bindu Wiles for writing coaching; I signed up with Dyana Valentine; I plugged into a wonderful Naturopath, Dr. Diane Chung, who works virtually; I had a session with Hiro Boga; and then I consulted with astrologer Ophira Edut about the best or worst time to launch. All that woo-woo love and insight helped me navigate the heavy-duty logistics on a daily basis.

3. Declare your intentions as widely as possible. Announce that you're going "away" for a while. When you're proactive about announcing your short term, utter neglect and blatant unavailability to the rest of the world, you solve some problems before they start. I told my friends that I was going into the creative bubble and would be up for air late May. And so when I missed a birthday, and when I had to repeatedly say "no thanks" to tea dates, it was not only cool, but I didn't feel guilty and anti-social. I felt responsible and supported. Bonus!

Half of getting where you want to go is KNOWING WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE. Crazy ambition requires radical practicality. Otherwise, it's just stupid.

. . . . . . .

INTERVIEWS

: $11K in 11 Hours, a tell-lot's interview on how I launched with The Launch Coach himself, Dave Navarro. READ HERE
: My take on "burnout", an interview with Rock. Paper Scissors. READ HERE
: The truth never attacks, an interview on My Courageous Life. LISTEN HERE
: The effect of social media on marketing with MacDonald Marketing. READ HERE

. . . . . . .

LOVE FOR THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS

"Blown away. Energizing, motivating, authentic, relevant."
- Lori Race

"Every page is rich, rich, RICH in intersecting resources, ideas and strategy. Glorious multimedia: audio, videos, workbooks, oh my. And the words….poetry in power. Truth bombs rang in my ears long after I put it down."
- Tanya Geisler

$150 for the full-tilt love.
And! $5 from every copy goes to the charity you choose.

Click here to view the Table of Contents!
Click here to watch the video!

. . . . . . .

GROUP COACHING WITH LIANNE RAYMOND

Lianne Raymond is kicking off a program to support women who are ready to step into the "ring of fire" with a group coaching program designed specifically around THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS.
GO FIND OUT MORE FROM LIANNE.