Side Hustle Spark 284: How to stay motivated? Check out MarieTV.

Image by Ulrike Mai from Pixabay 

In her answer to a listener/fan’s question, Marie Forleo provides three proven steps on HOW TO FIND THE MOTIVATION TO KEEP GOING WHEN YOU’RE FEELING STUCK .

Here is a link to the transcript for the session.

A few gems:

“…ambiguity is the enemy of execution.”

“So once you decide what you really want to work on, what is that specific concrete goal, then we need a deadline.”

“(Deadlines) help me keep things simple.”

“…one of the keys for me to stay consistently motivated is to make sure that I’m doing the simple things that make the biggest difference in terms of my energy, my health, and my cognitive prowess.”


Reminder: Side Hustle Spark 133 pointed you toward Chris Guillebeau’s exploration of ‘stuckness’.

Chris Guillebeau, author of The Money Tree, Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days, The $100 Startup, etc., and creator of over 1400 consecutive podcasts, also shared his expertise on Periscope.

Five months ago, he posted a session, How to Avoid Getting Stuck.

Skip to the 14:30 mark to listen to him embellish these five suggestions:

— Identify potential problems in advance.

— Always know your next step.

— Impose an artificial deadline.

— Look for an alternative way forward.

— Try something totally different.

[Note: Each of his 30+ minute Periscope sessions also feature a live participant Q. and A. that nails down many of the universal concerns of side hustlers.]

Thanks for visiting. As always, check in with questions and requests at:
sidehustlecurator at gmail dot com

Side Hustle Spark 283: 322+ FREE Business Resources (Marie Forleo)

Image by Anita S. from Pixabay

How could I?

I merrily traipse along sharing good side hustler stuff with you and it took me 280+ posts before I shared something from Marie Forleo?

I’m even reading her Everything is Figureoutable book and it didn’t dawn on me that she should have been one of the first people this blog should have showcased.

If I didn’t have to live with myself, I’d fire me ASAP.

Apologies done, let’s move on to her 322+ FREE Business Tools & Resources.

She shares resources via 9 categories, each of which could qualify as an online course.

1. Make a Plan

2. Create a Website

3. Design Your Website, Logo & More

4. Support Your Customers

5. Market Your Business

6. Collaborate With Your Team

7. Be More Productive

8. Manage Your Business

9. Learn New Things

She also offers this massive blog post in spreadsheet format.

Side Hustle Spark 229: Seth Godin freebies –lasting insights and stuff you’ve never considered.

If you visit Seth Godin’s blog, click the link to his free content tucked away in the lower left corner.

The above image offers a hint of the pages and megabytes of manifestos, books, and podcasts featuring lessons learned, obstacles cleared, and experience shared.

Enjoy it and pass along the link to plenty of others.

Side Hustle Spark 227: Like magic! More time for your side hustle!

Okay, okay, you can stop rolling your eyes now, it’s not exactly magic.

Once again, Nick Loper delivers on value and quality suggestions for effective time management.

AND he throws in a free time tracker!

Click here to visit his page with the text summary and podcast versions of:
How to Make Time for Your Side Hustle: 10 Steps to Positive Progress.

In this valuable–even inspirational–episode, Nick weaves in lessons and experience from various podcast guests to reinforce his time-management guidelines. Also included: book recommendations and time tracking tool suggestions.

Here is a sampling from his list:

  • Figure out where your time is going now
  • Find the time that works for you
  • Aim to complete the smallest actionable chunks.

Here is the link to the opt-in for his Google Sheets Time Tracker document. DO opt in!

[After downloading, under ‘File’, click ‘Make a copy’, and you can customize as needed.]

Enjoy! And forge ahead.


And now, time for my book recommendations…

These seven titles are go-to sources of inspiration and valued experience. These are affiliate links which, if you use to preview and buy the product, won’t raise the product’s price and will earn me a commission. At that point, I’ll be that much closer to buying that unclaimed island in the Caribbean. Please don’t ask for the island’s coordinates. It is mine and you can’t have it. ;->

This list cuts across so many lines of productivity and accomplishment. Whether you use my links or go elsewhere, get your hands on these.

Side Hustle Spark 223: 9 Years, 9 Side Hustle Lessons

“Remember, everyone you know knows someone.”

“I make time every Monday morning to send emails, share blog posts, and reach out to potential clients.”

“One of my favorite sayings comes from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella:
‘The learn-it-all does better than the know-it-all.'”

These are just three memorable lines–in addition to the paraphrasing in the above Padlet–shared by Beth Newton in her October 2020 post for Entrepreneur.

Side Hustle Spark 219: Quotes Galore! (Content marketing, butt-kicking, and Seth Godin)

Three new additions to Side Hustle Curator’s page of lists

Lots of smart people chiming in on getting started and reaching your customer.

  1. 47 Content Marketing Quotes that Will Make You a Better Marketer
  2. 21 Quotes That’ll Inspire You To Finally Start A Side Hustle This Year
  3. 92 Seth Godin Quotes On Life, Business & Success

Side Hustle Spark 194: “Hear me now!” and other Gary Vee gems

Nothing like a verbal kick in the rear to get us going sometimes.

And who better to deliver it than Gary Vaynerchuk?

Here are a few Gary Vee quotes to consider today:

From  #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness

  • “…life shrinks and expands on the proportion of your willingness to take risks and try new things.”
  • “Don’t be afraid to break things. Don’t be romantic. Don’t take the time to breathe. Don’t aim for perfect. And whatever you do, keep moving. Reread this a few times . . .”

From Crush It!: Why Now Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion

  • “Even if your ambitions are huge, start slow, start small, build gradually, build smart.”
  • “Building and sustaining community is a never-ending part of doing business.”

From Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too

  • “Hear me now: you are better off being wrong ten times and being right three than you are if you try only three times and always get it right.”
  • “You just have to make the choice to actually do it. I am so tired of excuses. Why not try something new? Be optimistic, exhibit patience, shut your mouth, and execute.”

From Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy World

  • “Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”
  • “What’s always in flux, especially in this noisy, mobile world, is how, when, and where the story gets told, and even who gets to tell all of it.”

And finally…

“There’s no such thing as perfect.
Chasing ”Perfect” is the shortest road to not achieving it.”

As always, I hope this helps a few of you out there.

Forge ahead!

Side Hustle Spark 185: Smart Hustle, Women on Business, templates, and more

Three additions to my Lists Page.

  1. The Entrepreneur’s Handbook: 120 Tools for Entrepreneurs and Startups (Note: Published 2015 with some dead links, but still dozens of sites worth exploring.)
  2. SCORE Resource Lists for Startups (Wide-ranging and practical, including templates for finances and bookkeeping)
  3. The Best Blogs For Entrepreneurs You Should be Reading (Ooooh, a few clicks on this page opens the door to tons of smarts and experience)

Some favorites that I picked up from these lists:

Women On Business

noobpreneur.com

The Quora startup founders and entrepreneurs page (Click on the ‘Discover More Spaces’ link, as I was seeing a lot of ‘Elon Musk’ content right off the bat. Plenty to learn from him, but some weird, almost tabloid-type stuff being posted.)

Side Hustle Spark 184: Brainzooming and Mike Brown

I’ve followed Mike Brown since 2016. He is a consistent source of creative thinking within a business context.

Here is a link to sign up for his 49 Idea Magnet Ideas for Attracting Amazing Ideas

But what exactly are ‘idea magnets’?

Cue to Mike Brown: “Idea Magnets inspire creative ideas and encourage powerful creativity in everyone.” 

Some examples:

  • What can we do better to translate what we know about our customers into pleasant surprises for them?
  • How can we create a place for smart, opinionated, snarky customers to share more of their knowledge with us about what they love (even if it’s NOT about our brand)?
  • How can we test our latest, greatest ideas with a radically small group to get enough confidence to quickly move forward?

The book’s seven categories:

1. Generate Inspiration
2. Embody Servant Leadership
3. Attract Opposites
4. Make Unexpected Connections
5. Encourage People and Ideas
6. Implement for Impact
7. Recharge Creative Energy

For more resources from this generous provider…