Author Archives: Neil Wadhwa

Stay Focused with These 5 Pieces of Creative Wisdom

Sometimes you need inspiration to keep you going. It’s hard to see the light at the end tunnel when battling through a creative funk, questioning your career path, or just struggling with a work-related project, especially if you’re trying to figure things out on your own.

As a writer, Paul Jun, author of 7 Pieces of Wisdom That Will Change the Way You Work, knows that the creative path isn’t always smooth. From uncertainty to confidence issues to simple writer’s block, there’s a lot to deal with, and sometimes a word of encouragement is needed to keep going.

Building your solid routine helps you focus on what you need to be doing versus what you actually do at the moment.

Here are five pieces of wisdom that Paul has picked up over the years, and which he uses to move forward and thrive as a writer:

1. Study the Work of Other Artists

Paul picked up on this piece of wisdom from Robert Green, author of the book Mastery. In Mastery, Robert notes that studying the work of other artists is an essential building block for improving creativity and mastering a skillset. More importantly, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just studying artists in your field, as this might only re-enforce your pre-existing ideas.

“Learning does not entail the study of one domain but rather a diversity of them,” says Paul.

“This facilities the process of cross-pollinating ideas and concepts, introducing you to new methods and ways of thinking.”

2. Build a Solid Routine

Building your solid routine helps you focus on what you need to be doing versus what you actually do at the moment. Once you’ve built a solid routine and are in your groove, you realize what really matters in your schedule and, as a result, give it your undivided attention. A solid routine actually gives you more time for what you need to complete, as you’ll be less inclined to break the routine to complete a meaningless, ad-hoc task.

3. Keep Things in Perspective

Working in a creative field—especially if you’re a freelancer, contractor, or solopreneur—requires real dedication to what you do. It can be a challenge to reach the levels of creativity you want to achieve, and do so while being profitable, and emotionally fulfilled. It’s for this reason you need to prioritize what’s really important, and to not squander time when looking to meet your goals. Fully commit to your actions, so when you’re debating between pushing through 30 more minutes of work, or stopping to watch that Seinfeld repeat, you know what your only option is. Continue reading →

3 Ways to Control Your Ambition

Neil Wadhwa

How often do you compare yourself to others? With Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and more, it’s easier than ever to keep tabs on what your friends are up to in the professional world. While the motivation gained from seeing the success of others can act as a driving force for you, it also causes you to needlessly create goals that are never ending and constantly changing. Your ambition is stronger than ever, but you’re never satisfied.

As odd as it sounds, your ambition needs to be managed—otherwise you’ll end up getting lost in a sea of career milestones, always comparing yourself to others along the way. Andrew Dumont discussed the concept of this nagging voice in the back of your mind, constantly telling you to do more, in his article Is Your Ambition Holding You Back?. Here are three ways he mentioned that you could control your ambition by either quelling or satisfying that nagging voice:

Don’t let yourself be in constant awe of what others are doing—you’re capable of doing anything you want, but it seems impossible when you’re always comparing yourself to others.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

The headlines announcing the latest and greatest company, founded by someone a few years younger than you, expected to rake in millions (or billions) will cause the, “What am I doing with my life?” questions to pop-up in your mind. If you keep these comparisons up, all you’re doing is chasing others and creating impossible benchmarks to hit, rather than focusing on realistic goals of your own. The success of others, and what they’re doing with their lives, should not dictate (or block) your path to happiness.

The best way to stop this cycle (comparison > new goals > constant nagging > comparison) is to put the comparison in perspective: acknowledge what others are doing, see if there are any key takeaways that will help you learn and grow, and then simply file the news away. Don’t let yourself be in constant awe of what others are doing—you’re capable of doing anything you want, but it seems impossible when you’re always comparing yourself to others.

Don’t Forget About the “Outside Wins”

Not everything should be about your career. If all your ambition is focused onto your career, you’ll suffer from what Andrew describes as a lack of diversification. You need to find alternate avenues where you can please your ambition. By doing so, you’ll be able to celebrate the “outside wins”. Continue reading →

4 Ways to Become a Coworking Connoisseur

Neil Wadhwa

Coworking is a new concept, but a necessary concept thanks in part to the changing nature in how people work, operate, and interact with one another. Coworking simply involves working in a shared workspace where you’ll be rubbing shoulders with freelancers, contractors, and other work-from-home professionals. It allows you to work in an office-like setting, something which work-from-home professionals often crave after an extended period of time, alongside others doing the same.

It all comes down to this: you need to get to know the people that surround you in the coworking space. It’s easy to walk into the coworking space, put on your headphones, and ignore everyone, but then you wouldn’t be reaping the benefits that a coworking space provides.

Part of fitting into a coworking environment involves understanding how to interact with others in the coworking space. Cassidy North-Reist, author of The 5 Behaviors That Make You a Coworking Space Pro, has picked up some tips on how to work efficiently and effectively with others during her time as marking coordinator for Grind, a coworking space in Manhattan and Chicago. Here are four simple ways to become a coworking connoisseur in no time:

1. Don’t be Scared

You’ll be entering a space full of some of the best and brightest people in your city. Instead of being intimidated, use this as chance to get advice from the other coworkers, and to improve upon your weaknesses.

Remember that this is a coworking space, and you have the opportunity to learn from the people around you, much like they can learn from you. Assess your strengths and weaknesses, and see what you bring to the table that other people might find beneficial. Keep this in mind as you interact with people, use it to frame your conversations, and eventually you’ll be collaborating with everyone in no time.

2. Be Open Minded

Coworking spaces are driven by collaboration. While it’s important to stay focused on your goals and projects, which is why you’re in the coworking space in the first place, you should also remain open to advice, ideas, and opportunities that your coworkers provide.

Don’t put your guards up—park your ego at the door and be receptive to all ideas. The people that surround you in the coworking space are from varying industries, sectors, cities, have different educational backgrounds, and can impart valuable knowledge that helps you personally and professionally. Continue reading →

Become a Morning Person with These 3 Quick Tips

Neil Wadhwa

Waking up at a reasonable hour in the morning can be a challenge if you’re a night owl—never mind trying to be productive during these early hours. It can be even worse if you wake up to a combination of adverse weather, a lengthy commute, and a calendar filled with boardroom meetings.

Resist the temptation to wake up and immediately start working. For many people, the desire to wake up earlier in the morning isn’t just to get more work done, but rather to simply take back the morning, and reclaim the hours that are currently going unused.

Lily Herman, author of 8 Tips for Feeling More Awake in the Morning, has compiled advice from around the web to help you transition from a night owl to an early bird. Here are 3 tips to help you take back your mornings:

1. Avoid Using Technology Late at Night

Your productivity and energy levels in the morning are tied to a good night’s sleep. If you want to get quality sleep, one “trap” you need to avoid is checking your emails, Twitter, Instagram, and more, late at night.

“Modern TVs, tablets and laptops use LED lighting that is similar to daylight which prevents melatonin being released and triggering tiredness,” says Jennifer Smith, author of How to Wake up Immediately in the Morning, “this keeps you awake for longer and can disrupt your sleeping pattern.”

If you want to wake up early and get the day started with no difficulty, the process starts at night: put down the smartphone, turn off the TV, and pick up a good book.

2. Drink Your Coffee at the Right Time

A hot cup of coffee in the morning, or a small shot of Espresso, provides the perfect boost to jolt you out of your tiredness in the morning and into the lane of productivity.

As explained by Rachel Gillett, author of The New Habit Challenge: Drink Your Coffee When Science Tells You To, everybody has an internal body clock (a “circadian clock”) that regulates how sleepy or alert you feel throughout the day. Among the things that this circadian clock controls is the level of cortisol production, which is a hormone that naturally makes you feel more awake.

If you consume coffee during levels of peak cortisol production, the effect of the caffeine will be diminished, and, worst of all, your body will start to build up a tolerance to the buzz you’re hoping the caffeine will provide.

Knowing this, you need to start having your coffee at the right time in the morning to get the kick you want. If you wake up between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., have your coffee between 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. If you’re a super-early riser (before 6 a.m.) wait at least one hour after you wake up (for your cortisol levels to fall) before taking your first sip of coffee. Continue reading →

An Interview with Steve Ballantyne, Founder of STATION Cold Brew

Neil Wadhwa

Steve Ballantyne, founder of STATION Cold Brew, knows a thing or two about running a successful startup. When he’s not taking care of business at STATION, overseeing the direction of the company and personally delivering products to clients, he can be found at his other business, Neighbourhood Buzz, handling the community development and marketing for institutional real estate investors.

After meeting at the Art of Entrepreneurship, I sat down with Steve to discuss the lessons he’s learned while running STATION Cold Brew, and any advice he has to share for entrepreneurs that in the process of getting their startup off the ground. He touched on ways to save costs while running a startup, the importance of spending a little extra on branding, the importance of being involved in the startup community, and more.

***

Neil: Can you explain the concept behind STATION Cold Brew?

Steve: We’re Toronto’s first company dedicated to cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee differs from “traditional” coffee in that it uses time, not heat, to brew coffee from beans. Letting cold water slowly infuse with the coffee beans results in much smoother coffee, and brings the best out of the beans.

Since it’s my money at stake, it makes things a little more real.

A health benefit of cold brew is the reduced acidity—up to 70%. We also strive for a low impact operation, using recyclable options to deliver our cold brew to customers.

How have you managed to bootstrap the start-up of a beverage company?

That’s a good question. I’ve been running another company out of the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) for almost four years now called Neighbourhood Buzz. We do community development and marketing for institutional real estate investors, mostly in the apartment space. So, real estate is really stable and really slow moving, and after doing that for quite a while, and that business stabilized, I starting getting kind of antsy and began looking for another challenge and other opportunities, and discovered cold brew while travelling to CSI’s location in New York. The way we’re doing it right now is that I’m funding STATION from my existing marketing company in real estate.

That’s quite a difference, real estate to cold brew—that has got to be fun.

Yeah, it’s completely different. I’ve thought about it for a while, whether that was smart [starting a cold brew company], because I’m not leveraging my existing network or connections. But for me, I’ve loved it because it’s so fast moving. We’re in a little more control because I’m not trying to convince a client to do something—I can just do it myself. And what’s been interesting is that I’ve been learning a lot, actually, for both companies, because things I previously needed client permission for at Neighbourhood Buzz, I can now just do through STATION. Since it’s my money at stake, it makes things a little more real. If something works for STATION, I’m able to see if there’s anything I can pull out of that, which might apply to my clients in real estate as well, so, even though they have nothing to do with each other, there’s still some relevant learning I get.

As a start-up, money can be tight at times. How do you contain costs?

Pretty much everything we do is community based. So for example, we share office space; we don’t lease a full office or own a building, we share an office space with another business, and then we share that space with the larger community at CSI. We do the same thing for our kitchen; it’s a shared kitchen space that we’re just renting by the hour when it needs to be used. We do the same thing with transport—we use Zipcar to get around—so it’s shared cars, essentially. If I can get it down to one word, it’s “sharing”. Everything is shared. The office, the kitchen, the cars, everything is shared with someone else, so we’re only charged for our exact use of those things. Continue reading →

How Do You Work? 4 Examples of Different Creative Work Spaces

Neil Wadhwa

How would you describe your lifestyle? Is it fast-paced? Career-orientated? Are you a wanderer, fitness-junkie, or laid-back?

What about your workstyle? Much like your lifestyle is the set of habits about your life, your workstyle is your set of habits and preferences for how you work. It’s a term coined by Elisa Steele, EVP, Marketing & Products at Jive Software, and author of Workplace Flexibility: What’s Your Workstyle?.

There is no right or wrong answer to what your workstyle is. Your may prefer working in solitude—being trusted to get things done on your own, with no distractions or disruptions. Or maybe your workstyle is more team-focused, where you prefer collaborating when working on a project. Your workstyle is unique, fits your lifestyle, and fits your personality so you can perform at your best.

It helps ease the burden if everyone can spend a bit more time at home with the family, even if there’s a laptop by their side.

How you prefer to work as compared to your colleagues isn’t important, as everyone’s workstyle is different. Take a look at the workstyles of the following four people and see whom you relate to the most:

Rachel Duran’s workstyle is best described as the “center of attention”. As one of two community managers at Radio Shack, she keeps her eyes on everything—but is well aware that she can’t do it all herself. Rachel relies on teammates to help her succeed and stay focused, knowing that every battle can’t be won on her own.

“You’re not always the best person to implement your vision,” Rachel explained to Elisa.

“I recognize and deploy pieces of my big picture to those who know how to make them happen best.”

Will Rose’s workstyle is much like his lifestyle—family first. In his role as the enterprise community manager for T-Mobile, he schedules his workday around spending as much time with his two-year old son as possible—which means coming late, and leaving early. He often makes up for the sporadic hours by pulling out his laptop while in bed at night and finishing tasks, or getting a head start on the next day’s work. Continue reading →

3 Steps Towards Doing Your Dream Job

Neil Wadhwa

Work for the sake of work certainly keeps the bills paid, but eventually the feeling of wanting to do what you love gnaws at you until you make a change.

Why do you admire some people, but are turned off by others? This helps filter out what career may or may not be right for you.

When you do what you love, a “job” doesn’t feel like a job. Your career becomes an extension of yourself, where your best skills are highlighted, and where the company shares your values.

Daniel Goleman, author of Starting a New Career? Consider Good Work, considers this blend—work you enjoy, using your best skills, and aligned with your best values—to be “good work.” It’s a concept that was first outlined by Howard Gardner, a developmental psychologist and co-director of the Good Project.

If you’re a new graduate and just starting your career, or are transitioning into a new career, here are three steps towards doing “good work”:

1. Determine What You Would Like to Spend Your Life Doing

This is different than asking what job you would like to hold, as the employment landscape changes quite often. Determining what you would like to spend your life doing pinpoints what you really get a bang out of, and where you excel at, while leaving the other aspects open-ended.

Goleman uses the example of someone getting into journalism in the hopes of working for a newspaper. The news publishing industry is changing, so working for a newspaper may be a bit uncertain, but journalism and the aspects that come with it— writing, investigating, and interviewing—can still be carried out in different venues and mediums. You know what you love to do—where it gets done is secondary.

2. Think About People You Admire

The next step is to think about people whom you admire and respect—and people you don’t want to be like.

Why do you admire some people, but are turned off by others? This helps filter out what career may or may not be right for you. Do you find yourself admiring people that are all from a similar line of work, or with similar hobbies and interests? Continue reading →

6 Marketing Buzzwords That Have No Room in Your Messaging

Neil Wadhwa

Buzzwords seem fresh and exciting, but actually create confusion and noise when used haphazardly in your marketing messaging. To get people to hear and act upon your message, toss the buzzwords aside in favour of words and statements that are sharp and concise.

In the article 7 Overused Marketing Buzzwords (and What to Say Instead), author Geoffrey James outlines simple ways to make your messages clear without the use of buzzwords. Let’s take a look at few buzzwords you should stop using immediately.

1. Substantial

Substantial is just a fancy way of saying “big,” and is accompanied with the vagueness and confusion over what “substantial” actually is. “Substantial savings,” or a “substantial increase in web traffic” may sound appealing, but the better option is to provide a hard, quantifiable number that customers can refer to.

Next time, try “20% off your purchase” instead of “substantial savings.”

Next time, don’t tell customers how easy it is to use and assemble your product, but rather show them with concrete examples.

2. Quick

“Quickness is a relative concept and therefore has no real meaning,” says Geoffrey. “To a snail, for example, a turtle is quick.”

Not only do customers have different ideas of what exactly “quick” is, but companies also have different ideas of what the term means. One construction company may consider building a house in 6 months to be quick, while another construction company down the street may consider 2 years for the same project to be quick.

The quick fix? Provide an actual time frame in your messaging.

3. Cheap

The connotations associated with “cheap” aren’t what you want people associating with your product. “Cheap” is often used to describe a flimsy product, or a baseless statement.

If you want to convey that your product or service is affordable, compare it to other (higher-priced) alternatives on the market in your messaging.

4. Easy

Much like “quick,” “easy” is another relative concept. It may be easy for an 18 year old to download an app to their phone, but an 88 year old may struggle with the same thing. Adding to the frustration is the general overuse of the word “easy,” leading to many customers now being weary of the claim.

Next time, don’t tell customers how easy it is to use and assemble your product, but rather show them with concrete examples. Continue reading →

5 Tips for Staying Focused & Productive at Work

Neil Wadhwa

Knocking out projects and crossing tasks off your checklist makes you feel unstoppable, but even the best of us occasionally fall victim to restlessness, fatigue, and… browsing Reddit for 10 minutes (which always turns into 30 minutes).

Peter Economy knows that burnout and boredom are common distractors to a productive workday. In his article, 7 Proven Steps to a Better Workday, he outlines simple ways to give your daily routine a quick sharpening to help you stay on track. Let’s take a look at 5 easy tips to keep you focused and productive at work.

1. Eat Healthy Snacks

You’re more likely to be groggy and unfocused if you have a big, heavy, lunchtime meal. Don’t suffer from the burrito burnout or the dreaded Phoma (Pho coma). Instead, opt for healthy snacks, such as fruits and vegetables, which you can munch on throughout the day, keeping you satiated and energized.

Getting away from the artificial light, soaking up the sun, and getting fresh air, all give you the energy boost and refreshment needed to jump back in the office and knockout the rest of your scheduled tasks.

2. Keep a To-Do List

A to-do list keeps you focused and on track. Make one as soon as you arrive at the office in the morning to get your day started on the right foot – or even better, make a to-do list the night before, so you can jump right into the days activities when you arrive at the office. Keep the most important tasks at the very top of the list and work your way down.

Take it a step further and schedule time for breaks throughout the day in your public calendar. Continue reading →

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Building a Career Strategy

Neil Wadhwa

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

It’s question we’ve all been asked before. It’s straightforward, and usually has a simple answer.

But if you have trouble answering that question, it’s time to develop a career strategy.

Identify what you can offer, create, and deliver, that nobody else can. This is what sets you apart from everyone else.

According to Michael E. May, author of Can’t Picture Where You’ll Be in 5 Years? Find Your Strategy., a career strategy is a thoughtful framework to help increase the odds of professional success, and is built by focusing your resources, making thoughtful choices, finding your competitive advantage, and being creative and scientific.

It’s a lot to take in. It’s overwhelming. It’s necessary.

Here are five questions to ask yourself when formulating your career strategy, as first outlined in the book Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works by authors Roger L. Martin and A. G. Lafley.

1. What is my winning aspiration?

The answer to this question sets the framework for all other questions. Look to the future and spell out what “winning” means for you. Be honest with yourself when answering this question.

“[A winning aspiration] describes the choice you make about what you exist to do and what business you’re really in,” says Michael. “It’s not a modest statement, and it doesn’t describe playing to simply play.”

2. Where will I play?

This question outlines your ideal working space. Consider everything, including industries, verticals, geography, distribution channels, specific companies, and more. This question not only highlights your ideal playing field, but also helps identify spaces that you don’t have any interest in.

By knowing exactly where you would like to work, you can focus your full attention on targeted areas, as opposed to simply working for the sake of work.

3. How will I win?

Identify what you can offer, create, and deliver, that nobody else can. This is what sets you apart from everyone else.

Identifying your where-to-play/how-to-win combination highlights the skills you need to focus on developing that make you unique from everyone else in your identified area of play. Continue reading →