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It’s All Right To Be Selfish

By Cheval John

I had expected to go to another level this year because of the wins I accomplished the previous year:

Speaking at two social media conferences (social media day lima in ohio and social media day houston)
Working as a volunteer at the social media command center during super bowl 51
Getting interviewed on some live streaming shows.

I was hoping the business was going to take off because of these wins.

That was not the case.

It seemed like I was going backwards.

I ended up working full time again as an employee at a lodging company because it was the right thing to do and my business depended on it.

From that, I realized that I was not getting any younger and I needed to watch out more for myself.

So I started exercising again since in more than a decade and hired an online personal trainer by the name of Monique Kabel to get me on the right track.

The interesting part is Ms. Kabel is based in Canada.

I found out about Ms. Kabel through Instagram because she was posting uplifting messages on her account.

She competed in the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion (WBFF) Competitions and knew a lot about getting ready to compete against others in the fitness industry.

She was not like half of those who would post their photos with a link to a product or service most of the time because of their influence.

Or try to sell to people when they connect with them.

She basically shared inspiration to those who needed it and also show a lot of her workout routines on instagram stories.

So I decided she was the one to be my personal trainer and it was the best decision.

She uses the Trainerize app to put together personalized workout routines that fit me.

This was the best alternative to going to the gym because of my work schedule.

At the same time, I learned a lot from my employers because they started from the ground up in the hotel industry.

Their example of how to be fiscally responsible to the point that I have become more disciplined in how to spend money.

This also helped me to keep Ms. Kabel as my personal trainer too.

It seemed like I have neglected my business (producing content here via blog post and podcast) due to this transition back to full time employment.

I realized that I needed to be selfish and take care of me first in order to be more creative and take care of the business.

Looking back on it, this year was not a setback at all because of the valuable lessons I learned from this experience which I will share with you now:

You Must Take Care Of Your Health

I can’t emphasize this enough.

Do not fall for the so-called hustle culture of working non-stop until you get results.

Being smart with how much food you consume and the amount of time you exercise can play a part in whether your business will succeed or not.

Also, get enough sleep because you can’t be creative if you are tired all the time.

Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People

They will always lift you up when you least expect and will never bring you down just to feel good about themselves.

Focus On The Process

When you aim for the results, you lose track on enjoying the journey and end up producing crappy content.

The true social media influencers (fitness included) focused on providing value to their audience and appreciated the journey to that success.

They were the ones that helped me to make it through this transitional year which will launch me to the next level in my life in 2019.

To conclude, here are some of the people you should follow on instagram if you want to start the new year right

Mindy Harley

David Marshall

Elizabeth Marshall

Lesley Maxwell

Ainsley Rodriguez

Michelle MacDonald

Joan MacDonald

Ryall Graber

Abbie Liu

Jenn Hermann

Jessika Phillips

The Importance of Taking Breaks

By Cheval John

At times, I had wondered why many people who did podcasts or blogs took breaks from their work.

In my mind, I thought consistency was key because in the technology world we have to keep up with the newest trends.

Then I saw why it is important to take breaks and let my audience know ahead of time

I did not plan to take a hiatus from blogging and podcasting because I love these mediums.

But I had to get away from these tech mediums in order to get myself out of a rut and re-discover why I was blogging and podcasting in the first place.

So this show is short and I hope I explain myself very clearly

Are Entrepreneurs Really “Unemployed”

By Cheval John

I saw a commercial during the Super Bowl on how a loan company simplifies the process of getting a loan for a home.

The comedian played the person who simplifies the complicated questions in relation to the company.

Video courtesy of Quicken Loans

What got my attention during the commercial was when a lady asked about a dating account when she saw entrepreneur and the comedian said, “unemployed.”

The truth: entrepreneurs create work for themselves.

Everyday, they have to go and find customers or clients in order for the business to thrive.

For example, a public relations agency has to look for clients and make a proposal in order to convince the person or organization on why they are the right fit.

The unemployed is searching for work with an organization hoping to land the job of their dreams so they can be have a salary to provide for themselves and their families.

They will attend networking events, volunteer for non-profits,participate in twitter chats or even do a live stream show to build long lasting relationships.

Sometimes the entrepreneur who does not have consistent cash flow will have to find part work in order to keep their business alive.

That does not mean they have given up on their business.

It only means they are reducing the stress of running a business.

Barbara Corcoran mentioned in a episode of Shark Tank she had to take a part time job in order to meet payroll for her employees in the early stages of her former company, The Corcoran Group.

If you are fortunate to pick up a second job while you are running your business, you are in luck.

You can build relationships with customers at your second job because that is what they pay you to do.

The thing is you should know how to use your time wisely and also use your common sense because you do not want to create a conflict of interest.

You should also have a positive attitude and see your second job as a venture fund because the company is “funding your business indirectly through a paycheck.”

Meaning you spend the money wisely and save up for expenses or courses which can allow you to learn a new skills that can benefit your business.

Instead of complaining about how much money you are making or why you are not where you are in your business, just be grateful.

You will end up learning valuable lessons.

I will share from my personal experience.

I had worked in a small coffee chain for about two years mostly in downtown houston.

The environment was not great for growth.

Though I could have brought value to them with social media in addition to the regular work duties, they did not give me the opportunity to run their accounts.

They did not allow me the flexibility to run my business whenever I was off because most of the time, they would try and call me in to work and expect me to drop everything for them.

Despite those challenges, I managed to learn everything I can from the business and also build quality relationships with the customers because most of them worked in corporate america in the downtown area.

When I left the coffee chain, I still see half of them whenever I am in downtown and they would ask how I am doing.

I thought I would not be an employee again because I like the freedom of running my business.

The problem was I was not making money consistently.

So when I the owner of a lodging company offered me work, I knew it was the right fit because it would give me the opportunity to learn more about the travel industry since I decided to pivot my business towards this sector.

I was a bit hesitant to take the work because I knew I would have to cancel some shows I had set up weeks prior for my podcast.

After talking to a few colleagues, I decided to become an employee again and work at the lodging company.

Since this business sector is new to me, I had to train on the basics of working in the lodging company.

I can say I had completed one month of working at the lodging company.

Though I am working every day in the night shift, I am very fortunate because I am learning from the owners on how to run a business the right way.

I am also learning more about the tiny details of how a business works including being a great sales person, how to be a supervisor to a degree and how to get back to saving money from the paycheck I earned.

Working at the lodging company allows me to be super focus on managing my time wisely so I can keep the business going.

If you think you are going backwards because you decide to get a second job while you are building your business, you need to get rid of that thinking.

Just because the super successful entrepreneurs says, “you are not an entrepreneur if you work part time,” does not mean they are 100% right.

Everyone have their own journey to success and these same entrepreneurs will not pay your expenses when you are fighting to build a good business.

So do what you need to do to keep your business afloat and treat your internal and external customers right.

You will learn valuable skills which will allow you to turn your business into a cash flow machine.

Early Newsletter For April 1st

By Cheval John

The last couple of weeks, I was in training at a side work while building my business.

So I am readjusting to the normal routine of posting articles here.

Today, you will get an early newsletter for the month of April from trusted sources.

Here there are now:

32 Powerful Women Share the Advice They’d Give Their Younger Selves-Nina Zipkin of Entrepreneur

Internet Trailblazer Jean Case Shares How to Make Your Failures Matter-Nina Zipkin of Entrepreneur

How These Young Entrepreneurs Take Advantage of Their Co-Working Space-Rose Leadem of Entrepreneur

As a bonus, here is an episode I did on the importance of Twitter Chats