all posts tagged “lifestyle”
15 Lessons Learned in 2007
Posted by: leelefever on January 1, 2008- 4:00pm
Categories: beingsmall, business, lesson, lifestyle, ourwork
What a year. I can say with ultimate confidence that we never would have guessed, one year ago, that 2007 would be so transformative for Common Craft. Here are some things we learned:
OUR WORK
Video works. Text, graphics, audio, they all have a place. But video is a different animal. Nothing engages people like the dynamics of a video. Ever read about a car chase? It's not as fun.
Simple is better. Approach an explanation by removing information instead of adding it. Remember Occam's Razor.
Production values and ideas are often at odds. Flashy graphics and cool music are sometimes a poor replacement for a good idea. Spend time focusing on the message.
Constraints facilitate creativity. Jazz great Charles Mingus once said, "You can't improvise on nothing, man." Bring focus to your work by creating rules or constraints that give your creativity a starting point.
It's not always about how it works - it's about why anyone should care. The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference (Elie Weisel). The path to a solid explanation is making people care as a first priority.
We all need a little more levity. Unstuff your shirt and make people laugh. Look foolish. Defy convention and do not take yourself too seriously.
"Viral video" should never be the goal - it's a by-product. The best you can do is to fill a knowledge gap and make it easy for others to share the love.
Solve problems when they need to be solved. If you have a big idea, don't try to research and plan everything from the start. Instead, do what you can today and tomorrow's problems will be revealed in due time and in a manageable way.
Don't assume. You are part of a tiny group that knows what you know. It may seem like everyone knows, but they don't - it's an illusion created by a consistent group of contacts.
OUR BUSINESS
Small is beautiful. You don't have to grow just because you can. Look for ways to work in the most lightweight ways possible. Beware having too much momentum going in a single direction.
You're never too small to build a brand. Give your company a name and logo and make it a part of everything you do. The best time to plant an oak tree was 80 years ago - the second best time is today.
Give it away. Find something you love to do and give it away. If people love it, it may become your business.
Lifestyle is what matters. If you're independent, remember why. Look closely at how your business impacts your life. Step back and remember that you have a choice in how you live. You don't have to do it all.
Be Authentic, genuine and legitimate. There are far too many hucksters out there. Be yourself and orient your business around integrity as a priority.
Always tinker and experiment. There is no such thing as a finished product - always push for the next big idea.
First, we want to wish you and yours good cheer and positive vibes for the Holidays. It's been an exciting year for us at Common Craft and it couldn't have happened without you. Your links, your blog entries, your emails to friends all put a spotlight on our work that wouldn't have happened otherwise. Maybe there is something to this social media thing after all. J
Between now and the New Year, we'll be with families on separate coasts and generally unavailable.
If you're looking for an off-topic diversion, we were interviewed for a podcast by Vann Black recently about our trip last year. It focuses on travel planning and making lifestyle changes to support extended travel.
Ta Phrom, Angkor, Cambodia
I always wanted to be independent - I never, not once in my life, had the goal of working for someone else. It's not in my genes. In 2003 I founded Common Craft and in January of 2007 Sachi joined the company. Since then, Sachi has been the real force driving our goal of having a truly independent lifestyle.
And it is ALL about lifestyle. As I've written before, we make our lifestyle a huge priority. Why choose to be independent if you can't create a job and schedule that works for you? We've been trying to figure out what this means and I have a couple of examples.
Despite being independent since 2003, there is a part of me that feels like I need to keep normal business hours. This is particularly true in the mornings - I'm compelled to get up and start work. Even when we're up past midnight working - I still feel the need to be up early. This makes no sense to Sachi. She says things like "We're independent - you don't make that choice to conform to everyone else's hours. Work on your schedule." Of course it may be that my schedule happens to fit with the corporate world. On the other hand, I think Sachi is slowly becoming nocturnal - sometimes staying up till 3 and sleeping until 11. But hey, if it works for her it's a very good thing for us both.
There is part of me that still wants a weekend and sometimes they happen. I look forward to Fridays and part of me needs to have a Saturday like everyone else. Of course, Sachi is the voice of reason and says things like "Why would you go on a Saturday with all the other people? - go on a Tuesday when they're at work. Do you want to fight for parking and stand in line?" Of course it's a good point - we have made a choice to be able to avoid the masses. Sachi often reminds me that we can exchange almost any day for a Saturday.
I find all of this so interesting and we talk about it constantly. It's one thing to have a job that is independent of bosses and corporate structure, but it's yet another to use that opportunity to create a lifestyle that fits you.
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