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Articles from Young Kim | Selfgrowth.com
- 7 Basic Daily Disciplines... Military Style - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2011 from Young KimMy father gets his sense of discipline from the military; he's a retired veteran. I never had the urge to join the military - goes against my pacifist nature - but I do have to admire the discipline that the military instills in its troops. Along with the weapons training, and war games, the ...
Views: 16765(5 votes) - Apple's Business Unit Strategy - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2011 from Young KimAdmiring Apple for only its well-designed products and clever commercials is only scratching the surface. Apple is actually a great case study on brilliant business modeling. Apple treats every product as its own business unit. What this means is that every product line could exist as its own ...
Views: 9932(4 votes) - Constructive Feedback vs. Destructive Feedback - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimFeedback is a tricky thing. First of all, a critique or criticism is not necessarily the same things as feedback. What separates criticism and feedback is the intent. The intention of a critique or criticism is to convey an opinion. Some critiques are negative, some positive, some articulate, ...
Views: 9600(5 votes) - 9 Tips on Conducting Productive Brainstorming Sessions - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2011 from Young KimBrainstorming by yourself is one thing. Brainstorming with a group of people has its own challenges. I personally love facilitating brainstorming sessions. It's like orchestrating a chaotic storm of ideas. The excitement and the energy generated during a great brainstorming session are ...
Views: 3952(5 votes) - 10 Productivity Tips for Solopreneurs - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2011 from Young KimSolopreneurs by definition work alone. They are the masters of their domain. They take orders from no one, and they give orders to no one. They are 100% accountable for the successes and failures of their business. There is a thin line between having a successful solopreneur lifestyle and ...
Views: 2646(12 votes) - The "Starving Artist" Meme - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2011 from Young KimArtists seem to avoid entrepreneurship like it is the plague. Many artists think making art for money is "selling out," or that money will somehow pollute their artistic integrity, or that great artists have to suffer in poverty in order to produce great works of art. Where did the "starving ...
Views: 2502(4 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: 2209(8 votes) - Avoiding Failure Does Not Lead To Success - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Young KimA common theme among my clients is the fear of failure. They are so afraid of failing that they are unwilling to press the "go" button to get their lives started. Ironically the fear of failure usually leads to more failure. The fear of failure can lead to procrastination, perfection ...
Views: 2208(5 votes) - Be Your Own Tipping Point - by Submitted on Feb 07, 2011 from Young KimWe often remember the people who symbolize a movement, but forget all the people who came beforehand to create that movement. We remember the dates, but forget all the events that lead up to that moment to make that moment possible. These historical figures weren’t just in the right place at the ...
Views: 2203(7 votes) - Push Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2011 from Young KimI was at the gym the other day, and I happened to step on a treadmill where the electronic display was broken. See that the gym was so full, I was glad to have a treadmill at all, and I just started jogging. I had no idea exactly how fast I was going, what my heart rate was, what incline I was ...
Views: 2175(4 votes) - Volunteering Is Good For Business - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2011 from Young KimAccording to the book, "Millionaire Mindset" (Thomas J. Stanley) - as well as other books about how millionaires think - most millionaires are very charitable, sit on the committee of many non-profit organizations, and are actively involved in their community. The cynic in you might think its ...
Views: 2135(1 vote) - Creative Tribes - by Submitted on Feb 23, 2011 from Young KimEven without my practice, I have an eclectic group of creative people in my life. My creative tribe includes filmmakers, glass mosaic artists, photographers, writers, dog trainers, programmers, entrepreneurs, dance instructors, chefs, musicians, architects, and teachers. It shouldn't be ...
Views: 2093(3 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: 2065(4 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) - 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: 2005(3 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) - 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) - 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) - Be Your Own Hero - by Submitted on Feb 23, 2011 from Young KimI finally got around to seeing the movie, "Whip It" (dir. Drew Barrymore). One of my favorite scenes in the movie was when the main character, Bliss "Babe Ruthless" Cavendar (Ellen Page), said to one of the roller derby members, Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), "You guys are like my heroes." ...
Views: 1917(2 votes) - "American Idol" Survival Guide - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2011 from Young Kim"American Idol" (FOX) isn't just a singing contest. It's basically a televised audition process to produce the next pop music star. Year after year, teens and adults audition for the show hoping to make it onto the show, and eventually win the show. Having watched every season, I've developed ...
Views: 1877(6 votes) - 7 Step Perfect Elevator Pitch Program - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Young KimI once had a client, Zach, who wanted to start some kind of online auction business. He would describe to me in detail how the auction software worked, and the different kinds of products that would be auctioned off, but he could never articulate how his auction site would be any different from ...
Views: 1875(5 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: 1860(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) - Be Productive Rather Than Busy or Active - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimThere is a difference between being busy and being productive. Being busy just means you have a lot of tasks you need to get done. Being busy says nothing about what you actually accomplished other than checking-off a task list. Being active is also not the same as being productive. Being ...
Views: 1765(3 votes) - Reincarnated on Groundhog Day - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2011 from Young KimOne of my favorite movies is “Groundhog Day” (dir. Harold Ramos). It stars Bill Murray as the weatherman who keeps waking up to the same Groundhog Day over, and over, and over again. The movie has special meaning to me because, to me, the movie is about what I refer to as “everyday ...
Views: 1751(4 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: 1648(9 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: 1604(3 votes) - Born with Creativity - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Young KimI was at the bookstore the other day, and I noticed two kids running around playing some kind of game while their father shopped for bargain books. I couldn't quite figure out the rules of the particular game the little girls were playing. I soon realized that it was a game of their own ...
Views: 1601(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: 1572(6 votes) - 6 Easy Steps to Create a Crappy Super Bowl Ad - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2011 from Young KimFor the past week or so, I’ve seen a hilarious Volkswagen video clip (see link at end of article) floating around that has a little kid in a mini Darth Vader costume trying to use the force. What’s odd is that this was supposed to be a Super Bowl ad. One would think that with all the money ...
Views: 1540(3 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: 1535(7 votes) - Focus on Progress to Prevent Perfection Paralysis - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2011 from Young KimGuess what the following people have in common? I have a friend who wanted to be a screenwriter at one point, but he never wrote a single line. He's excuse was that he couldn't think of a script that was guaranteed to sell. I have a photography client who hasn't touched her camera in over a ...
Views: 1525(3 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) - 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) - 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: 1510(3 votes) - Beating Yourself Up for Mistakes is Like Pressuring Yourself to Fail - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2011 from Young KimMy client, Lilly, came to me recently came to me feeling defeated. Her job with her boyfriend is going fine, but she said that she feels like a failure. I asked her what made her feel that way. Lilly talked about describe how frustrating it was that she hadn't paid off her students loans yet. ...
Views: 1507(7 votes) - Stop Trying to Be Successful - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Young KimI know this sounds counter-intuitive, but here goes: STOP TRYING TO BE SUCCESSFUL! I have a cousin, Larry, who lives in Los Angeles, and has fallen into the trap of trying to be a celebrity entrepreneur. Larry buys expensive clothes, is obsessed with sports cars, and always talks about money. ...
Views: 1486(3 votes) - Become Who You Are - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2011 from Young KimOne year, I decided to try food photography. I loved food, I loved local restaurants, and I loved photography. It seemed like a perfect fit for me. One problem... two actually. The first was that I had no experience in product photography; my style was more akin to photojournalism, which is ...
Views: 1448(8 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) - 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: 1437(2 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) - Be an Indispensable Linchpin to the Right People - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2011 from Young KimIf you are reading this blog, you have probably at one point either heard of, or read the Seth Godin's book, "Linchpin". If you haven't read it yet, here's the highlight: be indispensable. I would take it another step, and say that you need to be indispensable to the right people. I had a ...
Views: 1420(3 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: 1404(9 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 - 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: 1373(3 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) - 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: 1361(3 votes) - Failure is Not the End of the Road - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2011 from Young KimMy girlfriend and I are "American Idol" (FOX) junkies. We promise to stop watching year after year, but we keep going back. This is the first year that she watched the auditions, which happens to be my favorite part of the series. The phrase that always bothered me is when a contestant ...
Views: 1358(4 votes) - Being Mindful of Money Means Having a Mind Full of Pennies - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Young KimI once saw my mom pick up a penny that she somehow saw in the middle of a parking lot. She waved it in the air as if it were a blessing, and placed it carefully into her purse. I asked my how she was able to see that penny? She said that pennies are everywhere, and that all you have to do is ...
Views: 1354(3 votes) - Be Where Your Buyers Are - by Submitted on Mar 14, 2011 from Young KimOne of my clients, Anna, recently tried to sell her photographs at a concert that one of her friends held at a hotel. Anna's friend, Johnny has a small jazz band and was able to get his band booked for gig at the bar/lounge inside the hotel. Johnny also asked the hotel if they could have ...
Views: 1336(3 votes)