Thought Leadership Archives - Page 4 of 10

Your unique genius and the far reaches of the universe

April 1, 2022 by Jason Van Orden

On December 25, 2021, one of the most ambitious human pursuits in modern history reached a significant milestone.

Spanning 30 years.
Costing 10 billion dollars.
Involving 1200 scientists, engineers, and technicians from 14 countries.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched from French Guiana, beginning a journey to a point one million miles from earth.

(Set your inbox to display images if you can’t see the photo below. Trust me, it’s worth the impressive sight.)

With 100 times the power of the Hubble Telescope, it set out on a mission to look farther into space than we’d ever seen, peering into the origins of our universe.

Tens of thousands watched nervously over the following weeks, praying none of the 344 potential points of failure would occur, any of which would render the telescope useless with no possibility of repair.

Winter came and now it won’t leave

March 15, 2022 by Jason Van Orden

According to a study at UC Berkeley, 72% of entrepreneurs in their sample group self-reported mental health concerns.

Other studies have also concluded that Entrepreneurs experience mental health challenges at a higher rate than the general population. It requires awareness and being proactive.

The first quarter of every year, I brace for a period of lower motivation, increased anxiety, and even a bit of depression. This common phenomenon is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it affects many.

In this article, I want to speak to those acquainted with this kind of mental health challenge and offer some ideas about how to mitigate the effects and survive the taxing final weeks of winter (and any other period where your mental health takes a dip).

Here are a few things that have helped me.

Engage Your Curiosity and Awe

I have a daily nighttime ritual of sitting in my back garden (in front of an infrared heater), looking up at the stars, and watching YouTube videos about space, physics, and other ideas I find mind-expanding. I also picked up the guitar again to learn some jazz standards and hone my improv skills. This has been vital to my well-being.

Find something that will stimulate your brain and soul. Make time for it.

Why over-eager helpers lose sales

March 11, 2022March 8, 2022 by Jason Van Orden

When it comes to earning the trust of your intended clients (so you can inspire them to buy), we all know it’s important not to be an over-eager seller.

But did you know being an over-eager helper can also cost you sales?

So how do you strike the right balance between helping and selling to maximize sales?

Recently, my ten-year-old daughter, CeCe, shared her frustration about something going on between a group of friends at school. Right away, I saw a potential solution.

“You know what you could try…”

The immediate blank look on her face told me I’d jumped in too soon to offer advice. What she wanted was for me first to show understanding.

We often make the same classic mistake when earning the trust of potential clients in hopes of inspiring them to do business with us.

Broadly speaking, we can divide the process of earning a prospect’s trust into two parts.

3 Reasons Your Customer Base is Not Growing

March 11, 2022March 1, 2022 by Jason Van Orden

Want to scale your business beyond the limitations of offering one-to-one services?

Create an online course or group program, right?

Well, yes. But a scalable offer alone won’t get you to your desired level of income, impact, and freedom.

Your entire business model also needs to evolve. That’s why I always work with my clients on three areas of their business.

Positioning: how you are perceived in the mind of the audience you serve.
Platform: the marketing messaging and channels you use to reach that market and attract new customers.
Products: how you deliver your value proposition to the market.

All three need to be scalable. Today, I want to talk about your platform.

I see coaches and consultants make three common and costly main mistakes when scaling their platform to grow their audience and customer base.

One of my biggest mistakes as an entrepreneur

February 11, 2022 by Jason Van Orden

2016 was a rough year for me, even more so than 2020, and dealing with the pandemic. It was the beginning of a couple of years of deep physical and emotional anxiety.

As my inner turmoil increased, my connection to the world diminished.

Go to that networking event? No way, too exhausted. Meet that friend for check-in and chat? I’d just feel inadequate. Put me out there on social media? No. Thank. You.

Unfortunately, this is common when someone deals with mental health challenges: they isolate themselves. Perhaps it’s due to shame. Perhaps it’s because of a lack of energy. Maybe it’s both and more.

As time went on, I isolated myself both personally and professionally more and more. Work opportunities started to dwindle (increasing my anxiety and continuing the cycle). Engagements and invitations stopped coming in. Fresh ideas and inspiration withered.

Bit by bit, my inner chatter told me I was getting less relevant than ever, which fed my sense of fatigue and self-doubt.