Note from Nick: this is a guest post from my friend Rebecca Tracey, of The Uncaged Life. Her blog is unmitigated genius – great holiday reading, if ever there was any. I asked Rebecca to share with you something straight from the heart. Told her she could even swear if she wanted. And this is what she came up with – enjoy!

When Nick asked me to write a guest post, I sorta freaked out. My business is new, I’m still establishing my own website, and I don’t have nearly as much ‘expertise’ as he does.

Yet not once did he ask for my resume, my credentials, or check up on me to make sure I really know what I’m talking about. Why would he want me to write for him?

I mean, I know I’m a great coach. I have fantastic insight, amazing life experience, and a finely tuned bullshit meter. Of COURSE I’m valuable to Nick’s readers.

Thing is, on paper… I’m not so hot. My resume – it sucks. Sure, I have an undergrad degree (in a totally unrelated field), I did post-grad training as a nutritionist (so what, right?), and I’ve gone through a few intensive coach trainings (Finally! But – I don’t even list those on my website/resume).

I don’t have 10 years of coaching under my belt. I don’t have an MBA or any particular entrepreneurial skills training. I’m not an expert on blogging, or internet marketing, or technology. I have more than one series of year-long gaps on my resume where I chose to drop out of life as I knew it and focus solely on travel, play, and neglecting all my responsibilities. Not exactly a marketable skill, right?

In the traditional sense, on paper, I’m crap.

But in life, where it really counts – I’m more than “qualified” to be doing what I’m doing.

And, true story – many great innovators are in the same boat. Mark Zuckerberg. Bill Gates. Einstein. Disney. Oprah. Dropped out of school, fired from jobs, kicked out of college and told their ideas were shit.

We seem to have this insane want for more education, more degrees, more time spent in the classroom, more training, more courses, more hours and dollars spent to prove to the world that we are worthy.

We use the excuse that we just need to learn a little bit more before we can be great.

And it’s a fucking cop out.

What if you chose (yes, voluntarily) to leave your education out of the equation. What if you focused on what you have to offer, in real life skills rather than obscure letters after your name? What if everything you’ve ever done and everything you know NOW is all you need to create the dream job you crave?

Stop putting it off because you’re not perfect on paper yet. Start believing in more than what’s on your resume and what letters fall after your name.

Save your money, save your time, and have the balls to just GO FOR IT, regardless of how qualified you are on paper. Because if you really wanna go places in this world, your resume means jack shit.

xx becca

Rebecca Tracey | The Uncaged Life
As a Life-switch + Career-shift Coach, Rebecca Tracey helps cubicle-phobic crusaders bust out of their self-imposed cages, by taking big risks + bold swings—the kind that pay off, in more than just cash.

Explore Rebecca’s rule-bending riffing on radical life design, road-tripping + rock climbing at TheUncagedLife.com… and schedule your no-cost Uncaged Chat, to see if 1-on-1 coaching is the awesome-sauce you need to activate your dreams.

(Header Photo: This is happening without your permission)

As the year comes to a close, you’re going to get a lot of people reflecting on the last year. Lessons they learned, things they did, all neatly summarized into a cute blog post with a cute image, maybe of some ducks crossing the road.

They’re going to give you advice. It’s going to sound sage. And practical. And you’re going to think to yourself, “Holy crap, I’d better do that.”

And I’m here to tell you: it’s the same as it ever was.

The same as it ever was.

Every revolution around the sun, we try to make some meaning of the craziness. To ordain some life lesson from the heaping mess we traveled through. And, let’s face it – we’re still in a mess.

• 1 in 2 Americans is poor or low income (1 in 7 is hungry) even while Black Friday set records.
• Gays are still persecuted and don’t have the same rights as straight people.
• Transgendered teens are still required to use staff bathrooms, or face suspension.
• The Internet’s future is being debated by people who still probably use IE6.

It’s 2011. About to be 2012. Gay people being gay is still a thing other people get fussy about? We haven’t figured out how to reduce or eliminate poverty? One in seven American households goes hungry?

WTF people? You can take your year-end synopsis and shove it. Keep your silly advice and to-do lists and holiday cheer and photos of ducks. We’ve got some serious shit to do, here.

We’ve got Star Trek level-technology like iPads and iPhones and replicators without Star Trek-level ethics or Star Trek-level living standards to back it up. And don’t tell me that Star Trek is socialist. That’s bullshit, watch some Deep Space Nine and educate yourself, fool.

It’s time to start fixing things. Nobody in charge seems to have any idea what’s going on. Or what to do. Or how to fix these huge problems. And even if they do know what’s going on, or what to do, or how to fix it – they’re being held back by the idiots who like things just the way they are.

This year, I ran the Digital Gunslingers through enough classes to raise $500 for the Larimer County Food Bank, which is 2,000 meals for local families. It’s a start.

I’m going to do an experiment starting in January. Over the course of the year, I’m offering 12 businesses a simple WordPress website – one per month, with a simple store, up to 10 products, a year of hosting, and basic SEO. No crazy custom designs, just a simple, easy-to-use website. $500 is the cost – a lot less than what I usually charge.

The $500 will go directly to the Larimer County Food Bank. At the end of the year – that’s $6,000 or 24,000 meals for local families ($1 = 4 meals), or 12x better than I did this year.

So, I lied a little – this post does have some advice.

First: be a little nicer to everyone – you never know who needs a sandwich, a hug, or a closer bathroom.

Second: get off your butt and start fixing some problems. Doesn’t matter what you do. Just do what feels right.

(Unless it’s being a douchebag towards gay people or beating up hungry hobos – don’t do that.)

(Header photo: Duckies!)

I had the distinct pleasure of being interviewed twice last week. Once for BlogCatalog by Tony Berkman on what it’s like to be a business storyteller and once for Broowaha.com by Cher Duncombe on creativity. Fun people, fun interviews.

Speaking of interviews, I helped Logically Local conduct some of their own. Check it out:

Interviews give you a wonderful chance to re-examine if you’re living up to your own goals. I’ve made great progress, but I’m not there yet. I don’t have to go completely back to the drawing board, but there’s a lot more work to do!

On a related topic, I’ve been pretty quiet lately; whatever extra time I have is going into writing the Psychotic Resumes eBook.

Getting stuck because of another person sucks. And it sucks more when that person is an punk. Here are a few of the ones I’ve encountered and how to deal with them like a Geek Superhero:

• #1: The Martyr
  I had a group project in College where the team would assign tasks, and regardless of who did what, The Martyr always re-did them. Without asking. The Martyr is that special person who thinks it’s necessary to take on every single little task, no matter who it was assigned to or who offered to take it on – even without telling anyone else they’re doing it. The Martyr’s distrust of other people’s work ethics and quality leads to an insane pile of work, but – as they’re so fond of saying – they were just doing it all for the group. More often than not, they really do believe this. I’ve defeated Martyrs by setting them loose on a task that takes up their time and (anxious) energy, but also serves the group in a meaningful way – like research.
• #2: The Squid
  One of the places I worked had a particularly talented employee – or at least, that employee liked to think so. This Jerkface found little ways of subverting anyone’s unique ideas, shutting people down, and making himself look good in the process. This Jerkface was a Squid. The Squid is the Martyr with two extra helpings of ambition and evil. The Squid is innocuous enough, hiding in plain sight and observing. The Squid’s primary mission is to eliminate the need for any other team member by figuring out how tasks get done and taking them over or taking a leadership role over those tasks. Over time, the morale of the team diminishes to near nothing and trust is eliminated entirely as the team competes against each other for the remaining crumbs of the pie. The fun doesn’t stop there, though – the Squid keeps on going until they’ve taken everything they can and pushed everyone else away – all for the wanton desire to be in the spotlight. The Squid must be killed on sight or she’ll take the team down – seriously, kick them out before they give you the chance to regret your inaction. In my case, I made the decision to run like hell and leave the company after The Squid became my manager.
• #3: The Sorry
  I work with a lot of quality people, but occasionally I’ll run into the one that just doesn’t seem to get their act together when the chips are down. The Sorry is that sad sap who consistently apologizes for anything and everything. One excuse after another, delay after delay, inaction created by endless anxiety and worry. The Sorry will never take initiative, even if you desperately need what he has to offer. The Sorry is defeated by reducing their role to bare-bones tasks – one simple project that cannot possibly be delayed. One task that can be handled immediately and done well. Once The Sorry has proven themselves in that arena, add more complexity bit by bit until you reach the point where The Sorry has enough to do but isn’t overwhelmed. For me, The Sorry is always tackled by saying something along the lines of, “Stop apologizing and start doing – let me know how I can help.”
• #4: The Flake
  I think this one’s universal. Everybody knows the one person in their lives who makes endless promises and appointments and agreements and then never sticks to a single damn one. The Flake is one step worse than The Sorry. The Flake may or may not apologize after they agree to do something and then don’t. In fact, they seem to flake out on flaking out; showing up without any real intention of “being present”. Unfortunately, the causes of The Flake mentality can be many and varied; the worst of which is laziness or a sense of entitlement. These Flakes are unable to be fixed and must be excised from the group. However, if The Flake mentality is the result of being overwhelmed, lack of instruction or understanding, or a lack of commitment, then these can be fixed by figuring out the cause and working around it.
• #5: The Bull
  I can count on one hand the number of Bulls that I’ve encountered in the workplace, but in volunteer projects, they seem to be everywhere – somebody who just doesn’t understand why you’re not doing things their way. The Bull is a stubborn sonofabitch. They want things their way and they won’t take no for an answer – no matter who they think is wrong. The Bull will run a rampage through the project and take down any creative idea that doesn’t agree with their own in a sort of forced group-think. The Bull can be defeated if not in a position of power by active demonstrations that the other way does work; the group can also easily take power back by threatening to leave. On the other hand, The Bull can be a powerful force when leveraged by a good leader; The Bull takes initiative, sets a course, and tirelessly works to execute on it. It’s only when they get out of control that a problem crops up – and a Bull with a vengeance and enough ambition turns into The Squid.

You’ll always run into punks, what you do when you run into them is up to you – hopefully these 5 are the most common. Are there any that I’ve missed?

(Header photo: Punks)

I’ve always wanted to bring more creativity into the business world, so on December 25th, I’ll be launching my new business: Creative Renegade. My focus is on reminding businesses how to be creative by improving communication with their customers, employees, and businesses partners. If you are interested in learning more, visit the Creative Renegade website at http://www.CreativeRenegade.com and subscribe.

Without getting in to too many specifics, I see a serious need in a few different areas:

• Web Marketing Strategy
• Talent Procurement and Management
• Team Communication and Creativity
• Customer Engagement and Retention

I don’t pretend to be a wizard (and if you know me, you know ‘guru’ in my book is the same as ‘snake oil salesman’) – but over the last few years, I’ve been able to help businesses in every industry communicate better. Perhaps as a neat side-effect, not one of those businesses has gone out of business because of the economy.

I also want to see some cool things happen around Fort Collins. On my 5-year to-do list (and you’re welcome to help, I can’t do it alone!):

• Eliminate Hunger in Fort Collins
• Regular Free or Low-Cost Music Lessons in Fort Collins
• Bring TEDx to Fort Collins (I just found out on Friday that our license was granted!)
• Make Fort Collins a major hub for cool, geeky events like PodCamp, GameCamp, FreelanceCamp, and CareerCamp!

I’m really excited to make a difference for businesses and the community. In the next few days, I’ll post a few choice questions for local business owners; let me know what you think and you’ll be entered for a chance to get my services for free. Keep watching CreativeRenegade.com for more updates!

In a digital age have we forgotten the basic elements of human connection in business?

At a time in history when we have a plethora of communication options at our fingertips, why are the polite and respectful elements of business drying up like a crusty glob of mayonnaise left on the counter?

Constantly rescheduled meetings, completely missed meetings with no explanation, texting while in a meeting, the need to constantly check a phone or mobile device in the middle of a conversation or meeting, consistently showing up late… the list goes on.

Have we forgotten social graces, or are they slowly evolving out of traditional business interaction in the digital age?

Its Pretty Simple, Stupid

When you make plans. Keep them. If you cannot, let someone know, much more than five minutes before you are supposed to show up. Considering we have several ways to communicate that have evolved way beyond  the carrier pigeon, there are really no acceptable excuses. In fact, you look like more of an ass given just how many options you can use, including Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, text message and even phone…remember that one?

A doctor charges you for missing an appointment without giving 24 hours notice, so why should inter-business meetings be any different? You are wasting people’s time, and that translates into money lost in any business. You also piss people off who tell other people about their experience.

Make a Decision and Stick to It

People who constantly change meetings look flaky and undependable. Same goes for the people who consistently request you send them multiple dates that you are free, only to tell you none of them will work. Then why the hell are you asking? In this case its not me, its you, so come up with some alternatives so I am not constantly throwing darts in the dark.

This does not instill a sense of trust, and makes me concerned about working with you in the long-term. Can I count on being able to meet with you in a timely fashion to get anything done? Or are you going to play the hard to get card? Please note; we are not dating, and I am not interested in chasing your tail.

Shut off the Mobile Device for Five Minutes

Yes, we know you are important. We also know you are a critical cog in the wheel of U.S. commerce. You are also a human being who can pay attention for more than five minutes at a time if you try.  I believe in you! How can you really connect with the person in front of you if you are constantly thinking about who else is trying to get in touch with you? Remember, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.  Believe it or not, successful business transactions took place before technology convenience.

Get Organized; It Pays Off

The underlying problem with these scenarios is basic time management and organization. Don’t think it needs to be complicated or that you need to invent a complex system. Sit back and think about what would work for the way you work. I like having a paper calendar (yes, old school) so that when I am using my digital media I can easily access my calendar and change things.

Google also offers a free online calendar that will also send you alerts for upcoming meetings, and you can schedule the alerts for any amount of time. They also have ton of other tools that help with all aspects of your business and life.

Not getting anywhere? Get help. Talk with others in your industry and find out about the tools they use to manage their time. There are professionals who can work with you one-on-one to determine the approach that works for your lifestyle. Timebridge and Toggle are also very helpful time management/meeting tools.

The bottom line is that with more media to manage,  time is spread thinner. Its critical to maintain your in-person connections as priority one and be sure you are using digital media to enhance these personal relationships, not erode them.

How often do you stretch yourself, I mean, REALLY stretch yourself in your job, career or business? Do something completely out of your comfort zone where your stomach bottoms out, palms sweat in an instant and you feel the urge to melt into the floor out of sight? If the response is NEVER, you have some exploring to do.

Depending on your personality, a big stretch might be trying a veggie burger when you usually get a cheese burger with bacon. Well, good for you — but that is not a gut-wrenching challenge that takes any real cojones. I am talking about trying something your heart has always dreamed of, and ignoring the loud obnoxious voice that bellows “this is comfy”, to listen to the lighter, fainter voice that says “I would be happy if I…”.

Being Scared is Normal

I get it, fear can stop you in your tracks. Doing something new is scary, and can feel completely overwhelming. However, as human beings we are also often terrified by actually getting what we want. By trying something new, that might actually come to pass. So, get off your butt and pick that one thing that truly scares you, and DO IT! How else will you ever know if you are really afraid our just making excuses? This is especially important for entrepreneurs because without innovation, your business can quickly become complacent or obsolete.

Even businesses with simple formats such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries are innovative. They stick to their base plan and formula but continue to innovate in small ways to stay on the top of their game, despite the owner’s initial fears about stretching outside his own comfy box and business plan.

Entrepreneurship and Night Terrors

Being an entrepreneur is a risk in and of itself. It takes guts, vision and often self-soothing pep talks at midnight when you are so freaked out you swear getting each fingernail plucked out one-by-one would be a better deal. Yes, it might feel that way, but what is the alternative? A long, slow march forward doing things that feel comfortable and safe but never even get close to igniting your passion?

When you really get quiet, shut out all the distractions and To-Do’s, there is a voice, a general direction guided by your internal passion for your purpose on this planet. If you are going to be here taking up space anyway, you might as well do something that gets you fired up and happy. Not sure what that might be? Then get relaxing! Yes, not doing, relaxing!

Why keep doing when you are not even sure what it is you want or makes you happy? Take the time to find peace and quiet in your life and your mind. Yoga, sauna, exercise, trips, nature, do whatever it takes to get you centered, and then begin to build a practice around creating that time REGULARLY in your life. Life changing events happen in a second and transform your entire outlook on life. Keeping your mind open to new ideas is a life long process.

The Busy Mask

Yes, I get it, we are all busy. Heard it all before. I minimize it as much as possible in my own life. Look, only you can decide if you are too busy to help your own ass. So let’s leave the excuses at the door and find time to take a risk that has no SURE outcome, but leaves you with a sense of being forever changed for at least having tried. I guarantee it will change your outlook on life, and in turn, change your perspective and approach to business.

So now that we have all the fancy buzzwords out of the way, let’s pose an important question every entrepreneur should consider… is it critical to have a long, detailed business plan to support a new venture effectively?

Turn-Key Strategy vs. Strangling Innovation

Well, yes and no. Do you need a strategy about what you are offering, who will want it and the different ways to get that information to your target audience? Yes.  Should it be in writing somewhere that is easy to access, created on materials that do not resemble cocktail napkins? Yes. Do you need a large, cumbersome very detailed plan that tells you when you will finally be free to take a bathroom break? No. Being flexible is one of an entrepreneur’s most important assets.

Today’s consumer is constantly changing their interests, focus and means of gathering information. With a basic plan and strategy in place that clarifies the cornerstones of your business and general approach, you can remain more fluid and expansive as a business and weather the consumer-driven marketplace. This leaves you more open to meet growing and changing demands on the fly, and react to opportunities as they emerge.

Google is one great example of a company that follows this approach to business. Are they off their original course? Yes, but in staying open to consumer demand, they are able to stay on the cutting-edge of what consumers want — and deliver it. If they had stayed locked into a very specific plan of attack, they would be missing key target markets of growth.

That is not to say a very detailed plan is not great for a very fixed goal  such as a diet, budget or other important internal business goal. In the marketplace however, its best to create a basic, fluid plan that includes cornerstone ideas that serve as the foundation, but are also flexible and open for change as needed.

Support Long-term Growth By Staying In Touch with Your Business

Its important for a business to pick a check-in point to regularly examine business strategies and how they are working. This way you are constantly reviewing the successes and failures of your business and responding in kind, instead of doing an annual check in on a wordy document. A monthly review is a good place to start, especially if you are a new business and have a few paths you want to try before creating a more solid basic plan.  Its also best to have it on hand for easy reference, not shoved in a drawer for a rainy day. Once the business has been moving along, you can move the check in to every quarter or as needed.

Having a short five page or less document that outlines the mission and vision of the company, as well as your target market and core strategies to meet those market needs is a good place to start.  Include additional resources you may need to promote your business effectively, such as a social media strategy, marketing, content writing, basic financial information too.

The real trick is to stay in touch with your business as a living, breathing thing, and you will see that the business plan is more like a fun map to make sure you are on track instead of a long, cumbersome waste of time and energy.

Know yourself, know your business

That is what we need to remind ourselves of pretty regularly, especially when the business of business has gotten us down.  It was also a great reminder for me personally, when I ran across a cool, comprehensive marketing idea book online today.

The short free PDF includes all of the core points for a solid marketing plan, and is similar to what I review with clients when I work with them one-on-one. It is a fantastic guide for new entrepreneurs,  and a perfect review opportunity for current businesses and entrepreneurs.  The simple, clear framework makes it easy to identify, review and clarify what our business means to us, where its going and how to get what we want from it.

As I  mentioned in my last post, we all have creativity we express in different ways. To run a successful business based on your creative genius, its important to have some ideas and goals clear in your mind and on paper (or computer). By using a solid framework to map out those ideas, its much easier to stay on track to grow your vision and outreach, rather than flinging random marketing ideas like cow pies  to an audience that may not even be paying attention. Or they pay just  enough attention to deflect your half-assed marketing efforts, which they ultimately view as manure — but I digress.

I highly recommend you take a look at this marketing idea book and see how you can further explore your freakin’ genius. Do it! I dare ya…

The most important lesson is this: things cost what they cost.  The basic premise that drives this lesson is trust.  Trust between the buyer and the seller that the price is accurate and fair.  Without inherent honesty about accurate and fair pricing, someone’s getting screwed.  Without trust, it’s only natural to assume you are the one getting screwed, even if this isn’t the case.

Good business people will be blatantly honest about three things:

• What things cost;
• Why certain things cost more than others;
• How much higher or lower their price is, comparative to similar businesses

For more on this, check out Seth Godin’s The Dip and Waiter Rant by The Waiter – probably the two best non-business reads on fair pricing.