AJ Leon

“Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves”- Cassius speaking to Brutus, Julius Caesar

The business of average is thriving.  It always has and it always will.  There is enough Vanilla out there, enough homogeneous products and services and businesses and charities and life plans to fill up the seven seas three times over.  I can speak to this with some authority because in a former life I was a spokesman for the business of average.  Until that one glorious day I realized that average is not inherited.

Average is a choice.

And this choice governs and directs every problem that we solve. Every item that we produce. Every interaction that we have. And every decision that we make.  But it’s not like the decision to put your socks on every morning.  This decision is so subtle that most days we wake up and don’t even realize we are making it.  But we do.  It’s the decision to average, to be like everybody else.  Or to deliver extraordinary, to produce exceptional and to be remarkable.

The Anatomy of Average.

Average seeks validation from “experts”.

Average awaits sufficient case study to prove that it’s worth it, and is therefore late to everything.

Average avoids any and all risk, thereby avoiding both adventure and failure (two of the best teaching tools the world has given us).

Average praises incremental change because its afraid of revolution.

Average has no courage.

Average marketing seeks attention like a high schooler with low self-esteem.

Average decision-making uses “playing devil’s advocate” as a way of masking fear and avoiding responsibility.

Average business seeks to be pretty good at everything instead of being the best in the world at a few (or one).

Average service focuses on mitigating complaints as opposed to delivering extraordinary.

Average teachers ensure their students never outgrow them.

Average charities grab for your wallet instead of your heart.

Average restaurants are forgotten before we leave the table.

Average people are governed by fear, but convince themselves its prudence.

Average finds comfort in standing for absolutely nothing in order to evade any possible attack.

Average is scared to death of remarkable misfits, like you and I.

Average never leads.

And most importantly, average is just average and nobody will ever remember it.
___

There are many people in the business of average.  But you don’t have to be.  You can be in the business of remarkable, of delivering extraordinary.  When you walk up to the plate, you can muster up the courage to point your bat into the upper deck and park one over the left field wall.  And if you miss.  You can muster up the courage to stand up and do it all over again.

Average is not inherited or thrust upon us.  It’s a decision, a choice we make.  The bad news is that we can’t change the past. But the very good news is that tomorrow morning we get another shot to choose.

_________________

If you like this post, please consider Retweeting or Sharing on Facebook.  I’d truly appreciate it! 

Let me tell you something that few people will.  When you decide to do something different, to stop living your life the way you were supposed to live it, you will have a lot of people tell you why its not possible.  Sometimes, you will be shocked at who end up being the critics in your life.  In many cases, it will be your mom, your best friend, your sister.  Why is this?  On the one hand, they may just care about you and not understand why you won’t be safe and follow everyone else on the nice, well-lit paths of life.  But another possible reason is that by simply deciding not to follow a conventional path like they may have, they feel like you are making a judgement on them. You’re not, of course.  But sometimes these people quietly wish they had the courage to do the same and they express it by trying to strangle whatever it is you have that they want..

Don’t Waste Your Time

You will never ever ever convince them.  So don’t spend your time trying to garner support here.  Believe me, emotional energy is an exhaustible resource.  And it’s a terrible investment to expend yours by getting roped into conversations and arguments with critics.

Calling All Misfits

There are other misfits like you and I.  I promise you.  Maybe you didn’t go to school with them.  Maybe they don’t share your last name.  Maybe they didn’t grow up on your block back home.   But they are out there.  And it’s easy to find them.  We hang out in packs like in middle school, to make sure that the critics don’t come by and steal our lunch money.

With the advent of the social web, its much more easy to find others that feel the same way you do.  Find one person that speaks your language, that resonates with you, that is living a life you would like to live.  Read their blog.  Comment on it.  Become a part of their community.  Then, and this is key, look at the other people who comment on their blog and check out what they do.  Write them an email.  Tweet at them.  Start connecting with them.  Fellow misfits love hearing stories, connecting with and helping other misfits out.

___

If you have been feeling discourage lately, maybe this advice is what you’ve needed.  Listen to me, you can do this.  You can start living the life you want, and doing the work you are passionate about.  And no you are not crazy.  You are a remarkable misfit. Now start wearing it like a badge of honor.

Side note – I’m starting a resistance in 2011, dedicated to helping the remarkable misfits out there start taking over world. If you’d like more information, you can sign up here.

As many of you know, I’m traveling across most of the country on the Rise of the Cubicle Farmer road trip interviewing people who have managed to use technology to share their art with the world, and “rise up” from jobs and lives that didn’t fit them.  I’m doing this to share stories of triumph, and empower those remarkable misfits out there working jobs and living lives that were not made for them.

Here at ajleon.me , I’m trying to share as much learning as I’m gathering on this trip that I think might be valuable for you.  So, here it goes.  Do you want to know the single most constant theme of the journey so far?

You need a Message.

So, let’s take a step back.  What do I mean by “message”.  I mean being able to concisely and clearly describe what you are about.  Your business.  Your blog.  You.  You may work on a lot of projects like I do, but it is so important to find the common essence behind all of them.  For the record, I’m sharing this with you because its something I haven’t done very well at all.  And I don’t want you to make the same mistake.

Micro versus Macro Message

I’ve been pretty good at developing strong micro messages.  And by that I mean project-centered messages.  But until very recently, I haven’t considered what the macro message to my work may be.  And that’s bad.  Why?  Because although I have worked on a bunch of unique and successful projects, there is no way to describe all of them in a way that makes sense to someone new that I meet.  So, I’ll end up just telling them that I run a traveling circus, which is kinda true, but isn’t a very compelling way to describe the spirit of my work.

Here are a handful of projects I’ve worked on in the past of couple years.

Emma Academy Project – partnered with Emmanuel Jal to build a school in South Sudan

Open Source Charity – produce high quality and affordable Webinars and Courses teaching Non-profits about digital storytelling, community building and inciting movements instead of campaigns.

Twitgift - built a twitter app where brands can delight fans by sending physical gifts through twitter.

Twitterkids – partnered with Epic Change to bring a tech lab & a social media centric curriculum to an unbelievably awesome group of kids in Tanzania.

Rise of the Cubicle Farmer - a live documentary road trip capturing inspiring stories of individuals who have risen above convention and leveraged technology to share their art with the world.

I’ve also partnered with fabulous clients like Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to democratize Shakespeare and GHNI to connect the developed and developing world using technology.

And I’ve managed to do that while taking on a personal project of traveling the world with my beautiful co-conspirator (so far 35 countries and 42 States).

All great projects, right?  But could you imagine asking me at a Meetup, “so, AJ, what do you do?” and I spout off all of that.  Exactly.  I’d feel weird and you’d probably fall asleep.

Why is a Macro Message Important?

Because in a 140 character world, if a message is not soluble, it is both difficult to get behind and difficult to share.  I obviously haven’t figured this out yet, but here are some people I have learned from on this trip who have.

People who have Figured this Message thing out.

Pam Slim
Escape from Cubicle Nation “From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur”

I had the privilege of crashing at Pam’s house on this journey.  And on top of being one of the most unique and warm people I have ever met in my life,  Pam is a blogger, author, entrepreneur, trainer, coach and a bunch of other stuff.  But her macro message is crystal clear.

You can watch my interview with Pam here.

Chris Guillebeau
The Art of Non-Conformity “Unconventional Strategies for Life, Work and Travel”

I heard about Chris while researching for Rise of the Cubicle Farmer , and had the chance to interview him while we were crossing paths nomading through Denver.  I met Chris at a stop on his book tour.  And I was shocked to see how many people packed out that little indy book store just to meet him.  He hasn’t even been blogging for that long, but his message is so clear and compelling it immediately attracts a tribe of like-minded people.

What I’m Doing to Fix This. (and maybe you can too)

1.  Admitting that I’ve sucked at sharing my macro message here.

2. I’ve written down every single project that I’ve worked on for the past two years, successful and unsuccessful, personal and professional.  And I’m starting to find a commonality between all of them.  So I can give you some practical tips, instead of talking about stuff I do and expecting people to just figure it out.

3.  I’m thinking about all of the emails and DM’s that I get from you, and all of the coffee meetings and Skype calls that we’ve had.  I’m thinking about all the things we talk about one on one, and how I can contextualize those passionate one on one talks into something I can share here.

4.  I’m taking action.  On January 1, 2011, you will see a different look and feel around here.  I’m going to be focusing my message to be more helpful.  I’m going to share specific things, like how I managed to leave my high paying, traditional corporate job and create a life where I work on profitable passion projects while traveling the world.

My next big project will be devoted to the remarkable misfits of the world.  And I would love for you to join me.  You can sign up for my newsletter to get updates in the next couple weeks.

Photo Credit: The Paradigm Shifter

I agree with you, its definitely not as appealing as Tim Ferris’ work week.  Four hours, huh? Let me tell you something that will never be published in any book because it wouldn’t make anyone any money.  You will never get anywhere in four hours a week.

As Humans our Work is Important.

It’s how we identify ourselves.  When you meet someone new, what are the first two questions asked?

New Dude: “Hey there , what’s your name?”  (Question 1)
Me: “I’m AJ”
New Dude: “So what do you do, AJ?”  (Question 2)

Work is our human signature.  It’s how we explain who we are and what we are about.

The Problem isn’t the Hours

The problem is what you do with your life.  If you are doing something that you want to do less of, then you probably aren’t doing what you’re supposed to be doing.

Talk to anyone who really loves what they do, and ask them how much they work.  Most of them will tell you that the difference between themselves and their work is so thin, that they are effectively working most of the time they are awake.  And they love it.  They wish there were more hours in the day just so they could do more of it.

It’s Not Always About Being an Entrepreneur

Some people boil down this question of work down to whether you are going to “start your own thing” or “work a j-o-b”.  This usually leaves people frustrated.  Because they are faced with either “paying their dues” in some cubicle farm for 40 years or taking a massive risk they are not comfortable or equipped assuming.

I have been self employed for a few years now.  In other words, I create my own paycheck.  Here’s my story.  I worked my way up the corporate ladder, realized I hated what I was doing, accepted the fact that I prostituting my life for a paycheck, and walked out with no plan.  I sincerely don’t suggest this as a life model for anyone.  But sometimes you just know that if you don’t do something drastic, you won’t do anything at all.

However, there are plenty of people who are living a life they love by combining employment and entrepreneurship.  You just have to be more creative in finding options that will work for you.  Instead of all or nothing, how about you find an opportunity or two that will allow you to work remotely, while also working on passion projects at the same time.

How to Find Work You Love

Still with me?  If so, then you are what I call “on the bubble”.  You are probably working a job that you at worst hate or at best endure.  You are wondering how you can either live a life of adventure or do work you love, or both.  Here are two tips that will help you.

#1 Stop trying to convince yourself that your next pay raise will make you happy.

It won’t.  Trust me, I probably made a lot more than you do.  And every time you think that next pay raise or bonus will numb the pain of living a life you don’t want, you enter into a cyclical arrangement with the devil.  The more money you make, the harder it is to walk away.  At some point, you will never be able to do it.

#2 Start Planning your Insurrection Now

Recently, I interviewed Sean Ogle, a young ex-Financial Analyst in Portland.  Sean started writing a blog about the life he wanted to live six months before leaving his job!  When he finally did leave, he didn’t have his own business fully intact.  So, he reached out to his community and took on two completely remote positions that allowed him to work on his true passion, travel and writing.

You can watch my interview with Sean here.

It’s going to be hard work

And you certainly won’t be able to do it in 4 hours a week.  But you won’t want to.  Because when you are doing what you love and sharing your art with the world, the last question on your mind is how you can do less of it.

If you’re still with me, then you are probably one of us.  A remarkable misfit.  And you might want to join the resistance.

Photo Credit: Code Martial

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting a fabulous little restaurant is Azusa, CA called The Pasta Bar run by co-preneurs Mirko and Geni Spinella.  I’ve known about the shop for a while, but this was my first visit.  And I fell in love.

With a marketing budget of zero, this passionate married couple has managed to remain in the black since day one.  How? Because they care.  You can feel it when you walk in the door.  They care about their product.  They care about their employees.  And they care deeply about their customers.

After three straight days of geeking out and pigging out on pasta and cannolis, I was so impressed, I shot a video right in the middle of the shop.  Check out their new blog when you get a chance, they are such great people.  They will brighten your day.

I also interviewed them as part of the Rise of the Cubicle Farmer project.  At one point during their interview I even teared up.  If you have some time today, watch it.  They are shooting stars.  And they are doing it right.

In his quote, Teddy uses a very masculine speech.  Obviously, I’m reciting it verbatim and don’t actually believe it only applies to men.  Especially since my wife is the real boss over at The LaC Project.

There are three ways we can approach a new project.

The Defeatist looks far beyond the first step, and becomes overwhelmed by the length and height of the entire flight of stairs. They spend most of their time convincing themselves and others that its better at the bottom of the stairs. (ie security, safety, etc)

The Tactician looks at the very next step, takes it, and focuses hard on each individual step, but they very easily lose site of the destination.  Because they are detail people, they efficiently spend their time moving from step to step, but not necessarily moving up the staircase.

The Strategist looks at the whole staircase as a series of individual steps, each having purpose and each leading further to the end of the staircase.  She does not get overwhelmed or impatient, nor does she just “put her head down” and aimlessly take steps.

The Defeatist will never be talked out of their convention, so don’t bother with them.  The Tactician is very useful, but only if working with a Strategist.  And the Strategist can see all three of these archetypes, and one of their gifts is seeking out and partnering with other strategists, employing great tacticians and ignoring defeatists.

Are you an entrepreneur or small business owner? If so, then you already know the most important element of your business is people.  Customers.  Prospects.  Fans.  Partners.  Super Fans.  Vendors.  Influencers.  And if you don’t yet, you need to start using a social CRM to keep track of all those relationships.

Over on Rise of the Cubicle Farmer, I talk a little bit about how and why I use Batchbook at The LaC Project.

You can view the post here.  Would love your thoughts over there.

Full Disclosure – Batchbook is one of the awesome sponsors of our Rise of the Cubicle Farmer tour, and we have been using them since the day we opened our company.  If you run a small business, you should really consider using them.