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Articles from Young Kim | Selfgrowth.com
- Don't Discount Your Value - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimTwyla runs a training business. One of her biggest pet peeves is when potential trainees ask for a discount. But one particular trainee sent her over the edge. The trainee asked if Twyla would be willing to train five people for free if the trainee gave Twyla a free training space. First of ...
Views: 1266(4 votes) - Give Yourself Permission to Succeed - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimMany of my clients seek approval from friends, family, industry leaders, and colleagues before pushing the "go" button. They feel they shouldn't move forward unless they have everyone's approval or permission first. Some feel they don't deserve success, which sounds odd, I know. They have ...
Views: 1990(3 votes) - Half-Baked Ideas Are Better Than None - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from Young KimI hate wasting food. Rather than allowing food to rot, I have to become an Iron Chef sometimes, and think of some way of salvaging the food. Sometimes I perform miracles, and sometimes my creations end up in the trash anyway. Regardless of how many times I've overcooked the fish, under baked ...
Views: 1329(3 votes) - Invisible Crutch - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2011 from Young KimWhen I was on the high school Speech and Debate team, my specialty was Extemporaneous Speaking. Each speaker is given three topics to choose from, and is given 30 minutes to prepare seven-minute speech, which has to be delivered at the end of those 30 minutes. Although the speakers can bring ...
Views: 1813(3 votes) - Learn-On-Demand - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI love books, and I love learning in a classroom setting, but with time and money being finite, I’d rather learn-on-demand. If I need figure out how to add a feature to my website, I just look it up in user groups. If I need a bit of trivia, I search for it on the Internet. If I need some good ...
Views: 1238(3 votes) - No Job is Worth Losing Your Health Over - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2011 from Young KimI once had as an account manager for a dotcom company, back when dotcoms were still new, and just before the bubble burst. I was single at the time, and I worked close to 12-hour days, seven days a week, by choice. I was on a steady diet caffeine, and fast food. I had no time to exercise, and ...
Views: 2006(3 votes) - Passion Fuels Success - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimWhen I was in college, I knew a guy - we'll call him Robert - who was obsessed with the Denver Broncos. That's all Robert ever talked about. Now, perhaps I think Robert was obsessed because I don't really follow sports, and perhaps he wasn't any more obsessed than any other Bronco ...
Views: 1329(4 votes) - Self-Accountability Empowers Solopreneurs - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Young KimHaving a strong sense of self-accountability is the cornerstone of success and productivity. Self-accountability simply means you are holding yourself responsible for your successes and failures. Most of us feel a sense of accountability towards our managers, co-workers, clients, customers, ...
Views: 2066(4 votes) - Social Relationships Are More Important Than Social Networks - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2011 from Young KimSocial networks existed before Twitter or Facebook. Social networks existed before the Internet or the telephone. Your online followers only make up a part of your total social network. What you have to consider is how many people you actually have a relationship with, both online and offline. ...
Views: 1447(3 votes) - Start Your Day the Night Before - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimIt took me nearly thirty minutes to get ready for the gym this morning. Normally, I have all my clothes and gear ready the night before so that I can just grab them and go. It's a habit I learned from my girlfriend, who always lays her clothes out the night before. I forgot to do that so I ...
Views: 1191(4 votes) - Supporters vs. Cheerleaders - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimYou will always run into people who will doubt your abilities and your talents. On one hand, you should never turn a deaf ear to feedback, even if it is destructive feedback. Their honesty might be the only way of making sure you're not being delusional about your talents. At the same time, ...
Views: 1362(3 votes) - The Art of Reinventing Yourself - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2011 from Young KimOprah Winfrey is an artist, and her life is her canvas. She is a woman who constantly reinvents herself. She started out with a tabloid television show, and then transformed it into an iconic television show focused around self-help and spirituality. Then she transitioned from being a television ...
Views: 1861(3 votes) - The Habit of Completion - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2011 from Young KimIn the movie, "The King's Speech," the speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) provides the stuttering King George VI (Colin Firth) with a set of exercises to keep his body and mind moving forward while speaking. By keeping his body and mind in a state of flow, King George VI was able to keep his ...
Views: 1930(3 votes) - Why New Year's Resolutions Fail - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2011 from Young KimIt's that time of year again where we make a list of things to accomplish in the upcoming year. And 365 days from now, most of us will fail at achieving most of those things on that list. The reason isn't because I'm a cynic. The reason is that most New Year's resolutions aren't resolutions ...
Views: 867(3 votes) - Multiple Identity Crisis - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2011 from Young KimI have an associate who introduces himself in the following manner: "I'm Jack. I'm a photographer, a massage therapist, and I'm also a programmer." His business card actually says all three titles as well. Talk about having a multiple identity crisis. Jack is hoping that the person he is ...
Views: 2210(8 votes) - Copycats and Creative Commoditization - by Submitted on Jan 18, 2011 from Young KimThe famous Ansel Adams photograph, “Maroon Bells” (1964), is possibly one of the most replicated photographs among nature photographers. Run a Google images search on “Maroon Bells” and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Walk into any art store in Colorado, and you will find at least a dozen ...
Views: 1536(7 votes) - Breaking Traditional Barriers to Hit a Home Run - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2011 from Young KimOld beliefs, personal prejudice and dogmatic traditions can often get in the way of progress our personal lives, in business, and even in the creative arts. Since today is Hank Aaron’s birthday (February 5, 1934), it only seems appropriate to take a look at baseball history to understand the ...
Views: 1521(5 votes) - Planning Creativity - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimSomehow, the idea of randomness and freedom got mingled with creativity and artistry. Conversely, somehow, planning has become enemy of creativity. In truth, one has very little to do with the other. Large-scale art project, for example, take a lot of planning, and a lot of resources. Most of ...
Views: 1107(4 votes) - Some Customers Are Worth Losing - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimIn "A Bronx Tale" (dir. Robert De Niro), the main character, Calogero, befriends a gangster, Sonny. Calogero and Sonny are driving around one day, and Calogero spots a guy who owes Calogero some money. Before young Calogero goes running off, the old and wise, Sonny, stops him. Turns out ...
Views: 1264(4 votes) - Believe in What You Sell, and Sell What You Believe In - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2011 from Young KimI ran into an old friend of mine, Brian, at a nearby bookstore, and we immediately went through the pleasantries of finding out what the other had been up to. Brian started telling me about how he and his wife were struggling financially, but that he was hopeful about a new business venture he ...
Views: 1573(6 votes) - Constantly Creating - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimWhen I used to work for a photography agency, I'd get to sit in on a few meetings with photographers as they presented their books. Having just started in photography, I was always impressed with their photographs. My boss, however, was not. A comment she made frequently was, "Their photos ...
Views: 1511(3 votes) - Get-Rich-Quick Business Virus - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2011 from Young KimMy brother and I were fascinated with get-rich-quick schemes when we were in high school. We decided to buy one particular get-rich-quick scheme we saw in an infomercial. The guy in the infomercial touted he had made millions by starting a business in his one bedroom apartment with classified ...
Views: 1237(3 votes) - Just Five Ingredients - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimOne of my tango instructors once told me that there are basically five simple step to tango: forward, side, backwards, cross, and ochos. If you can do these five steps well, you can dance with anyone. I am by no means the best tango dancer, not even close. But I do know that many women have ...
Views: 1209(3 votes) - Just One Ingredient Can Make a Big Difference - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimA few years ago, I discovered that I was about twenty pounds overweight. Being who I am, I researched everything there is about nutrition and fitness. Then I made the decision of eliminating one artificial ingredient from my diet: high fructose corn syrup. I didn't realize just how many foods ...
Views: 1200(3 votes) - Knowledge is Not a Skill - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI used to be friends with a guy, Chad, who was a big movie buff. He knew every thing about movies. He fancied himself to be on par with Martin Scorcese and Quentin Tarantino in terms of being an encyclopedia about film. Although he aspired to be a filmmaker, he actually never made a movie. He ...
Views: 1374(3 votes) - PinkBerry in My Gut - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2011 from Young KimMy father used to have this exercise where my brother and I would try to come up with new business ideas, and we would all try to see what it would take to make it work. My brother and I would pitch idea after idea, and my father would have some kind of objection to each one. Soon, even my ...
Views: 1605(3 votes) - Planning For Your Failure Guarantees Your Failure - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2011 from Young KimMany of us, without realizing it, are manifesting our own failures. We have this intention of pursuing our dreams, but then we also instantly think of a back up plan in case it doesn’t work out. The instant you come up with a back up plan, the instant you fall back to your back up plan, you ...
Views: 1120(3 votes) - Surround Yourself With Successful People - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimSeth works at a camera shop. Seth isn't a photographer. Seth actually majored in graphic design. He had difficulty finding work as a freelance designer, and couldn't find any work in the corporate world either. So he took jobs in retail and eventually ended up at the camera shop. Seth's ...
Views: 1517(3 votes) - Taking Care of Yourself Just As Important as Taking Care of Business - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimThere have been numerous studies that state that not sleeping in, or brushing your teeth twice a day, or making your bed every morning can add years to your life. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that these things also lead to a successful life. The kind of person that does these things ...
Views: 1203(3 votes) - The Hidden Cost of Free Email - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2011 from Young KimWhen I attend networking events, I am always surprised by freelancers, and entrepreneurs that use a free email account – like Hotmail, or Yahoo, or one provided by an Internet Service Provider – rather than a vanity email with their own domain name. They have emails like ABC235LLCCorp@Gmail.com ...
Views: 1069(3 votes) - Imposter Syndrome - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimThe "Imposter Syndrome" is when a person feels they don't deserve a title or identity because they are not the best in their field, or because they feel they lack some form of credential, whether the credential is necessary or not. They are the kind of people who say they are an artist ...
Views: 2052(5 votes) - The Entrepreneurial Mindset - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2011 from Young KimI make it a habit to try to come up with new business ideas all the time. I would come up with ideas while watching TV shows, or reading the newspaper, or while talking to a complete stranger. Whenever I walk into a business, I try to see how they operate, and examine their marketing. I then ...
Views: 924(5 votes) - The Restroom Test - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI walked into a big box office supply retailer the other day. It was possibly one of the dirtiest restrooms I’ve seen. It looked like a truck stop restroom. I decided to go to the restroom next door at a coffee shop. It was pristine. The cleanliness of a restroom tells me a lot about how a ...
Views: 1303(4 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1106(11 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1106(11 votes) - Not All Artists Need to Become Entrepreneurs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI run into a lot of artists that want to sell their artwork, or to turn their artwork into a business. I am all for the idea of sharing creativity. I am not, however, one of those coaches that will tell every artist that I run into to turn their art into profit. Sometimes a hobby should just ...
Views: 1106(11 votes) - The Food Burner: A Parable About Unconventional Thinking - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2011 from Young KimInside an ancient bear cave, around "the dawn of man"... or, um, actually, around dinner time... LARRY: "Hey, Bob. Your caving paintings are looking awesome." BOB: "Thanks, Larry." LARRY: "So, what smells so good in here?" BOB: "Nothing. Just getting ready for dinner. ...
Views: 1429(3 votes) - Saving Money Can Lead to Business Opportunities - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimWhen he was a teenager, my brother was a huge tennis freak, and he would have to get his racket restrung all the time. It started to cost a considerable amount of money. One day, while getting his tennis racket restrung, my brother asked the guy at the sporting goods store all sorts of ...
Views: 1126(9 votes) - Turning Trash Into Treasure - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimMy father is totally hooked on golf. When he first started out, he couldn't afford to buy full club sets. Even used club sets were expensive. Then one day, while chasing down a bogey in the cabbage (whatever that means), he found a club head that had broken off from the shaft. These were ...
Views: 1405(9 votes) - Andy Warhol and Scalability - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimAndy Warhol introduced the idea of modern pop art, where a piece of artwork could be replicated over and over again using silk screening techniques. In a way, Andy Warhol made art scalable, but only up to a point. There's a reason why couture dresses sell more than the ones you find at a ...
Views: 1334(9 votes) - The Dangers of Dreaming Big - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimI first met Brian about a few years ago through a friend at a party. He quickly pitched to me a grand business idea that involved selling video games over mobile devices. I soon realized he kind of introduces himself everyone with a pitch rather than a simple greeting. His video game ...
Views: 1649(9 votes) - All I Got for My Membership Was This Lousy T-shirt - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2011 from Young KimNot so long ago, I used to be part of a photography organization that had a space where members could hang their work for sale. The space also had lighting equipment and printing equipment that members could access. The organization also had a magazine where photographers were challenged to ...
Views: 1370(1 vote) - Facebook and Occam's Razor - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimEvery month or two, the employees at Facebook run what are known as Hackathons. For 24 hours straight, all the participants try to work on a new project that could improve Facebook. The "Like" button and the ability to upload videos on Facebook were just two applications that were invented out ...
Views: 1438(2 votes) - Don't Be Evil - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Young KimThe founders of Google have a motto, "Don't be evil." There are people who have good intentions, and want to make a lot of money. But there are also people with bad intentions that want to make a lot of money. The latter are the people being evil. When I was in college, I ran into a high ...
Views: 1950(10 votes) - 7 Deadly Sins of Networking - by Submitted on May 09, 2012 from Young KimHaving a good elevator pitch and a snazzy business card is not enough to network effectively. I am always surprised at the networking mistakes that both newbies and veterans make at networking events, like only focusing on making a sale rather than establishing a relationship, or going on and on ...
Views: 1386 - Informational Billboards vs. Sales Portals - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2011 from Young KimI've been consulting Twyla about her training business for quite some time. One of the first things that we talked about was converting her website from an informational billboard to a sales portal with automated business processing. An informational billboard only provides general ...
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