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Find something you love to do, and don’t make any money.

January 30, 2012 By 13 Comments

Make No Money

Serial entrepreneurs run into a major problem in life…we try to make money off of everything we do.

While this can be a great thing in many aspects, we run into one major problem that is ultimately not a good thing. We create a life that is nothing but work by thinking that everything has to create a revenue stream. Our hobbies, our free time, our passions…they all turn into billable hours during the day as we can’t seem to turn the entrepreneur brain off for 5 freaking seconds.

It’s ok. You can love to do something that other people make money at without having to do the same thing yourself.

In life, we need passions and hobbies. We need to be able to escape the life of work and be able to truly enjoy ourselves. For me, that used to be riding my bike…then I turned it into work with Bike198.com. What used to be my escape was now my source of income so every ride became a test, review or brainstorming session. It actually got to the point that my personal bike was never getting ridden and my brain just continued to run 24/7. It was stressful and it sucked.

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7 Tips To Keeping Your Sanity Working From Home

January 27, 2012 By 11 Comments

Working from home rocks. There are no bones about it. In my life, I have done the years of the hour commute to the office everyday and there is nothing worse. By the time I got home, the frustration level of the work day and traffic about had me through the roof. It is amazing that my wife even married me through that time. So for those of you that are still in that and looking for a way out…I completely feel you and hope you find a way to get some sanity soon.

Ironically, working from home also has its share of struggles and adaptations that make it not suitable for everyone. There are certain major advantages like the zero commute, limited work interruptions that make you crazy efficient and the ability to get up and get a snack when ever you want to.

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The Single Best Thing You Can Do For Your Health and Happiness

January 9, 2012 By 3 Comments

A friend and business partner of mine forwarded on this video to me this morning. In my opinion, it is a much watch for everyone. Outside of being one of the best produced YouTube videos I have seen in awhile, it also addresses how we can live healthier and happier lives by doing something really simple that doesn’t take up too much time in the day.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design Tagged With: , , , ,

What you really need to know about owning a business…

January 9, 2012 By 1 Comment

It’s funny. As a business owner, you hear a lot of the same things all the time. You need to keep pushing forward, be smart with your money and come up with new an innovative ideas. There are books that are dedicated to these facts as you try to find your way through the journey of making your ideas reality.

However, one of the biggest driving forces in business that brings you to those “next levels” is generally one that now one really talks about. I find it ironic…but I also understand why. I do not thing it is something that people want to talk about. So what is it?

To make the big gains, you have to step outside of previous comfort zones.

Ok…I know…right now you are thinking, “Robb…yes, we already know that. This is not new news so why are you treating it like it is?” And you would be right, but I am not talking about gingerly taking on new stresses like calling a new client for the first time, stepping out there and talking in public or finally deciding on a new logo. What I am talking about her is stepping WAY outside of where you feel comfortable to the point that you almost feel like you are in the wrong spot.

Anyone can make small gains by staying relatively comfortable and edging that circle out slowly, but the owners that make the big gains jump outside that box with both feat ready to take on new challenges. They take on the projects that they are not sure they can handle.  They get tasks done in timelines that were thought to be impossible. They reinvest back into the company through capital and education.

Bottomline…to make big gains in business (and in life for that matter), you need to make big, sudden gains in expanding what you consider normal and your area of expertise.

It is all about taking that calculated risk to achieve the impossible. Are there new markets you need to attack that has a risk of failure? Is there the next capital reinvestment gain that could land you more opportunities (for site owners…redesign…for brick and mortar…expansion…for consulting…new markets and clientele)?

Some of the more stressful situations in trying to make those big gains is wondering if the risk is going to pay off. But…when it is done right…they pay off in a big way and even if they don’t, you learn more about the process to insure success for the next time around.

There is one thing for sure though, you do not get anywhere by sitting still and staying completely out of risk as you sit safely in your comfort zone. It is time to get out and see what you are really capable of.

Note from Robb: As you can probably tell by the article and how I treat content in general, I write this sort of content when I need it the most as well. Sometimes by saying it outloud…you force your own hand at getting the job done and hold yourself accountable.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design Tagged With: , , , ,

My 2011 Subaru WRX – Family Rocket Ship

January 6, 2012 By 6 Comments

So…awhile back I wrote a post about how I was about to have a baby and that was giving me a sensation of “I wants” for a Mitsubishi EvoX. As with most things in my life, once I get something in my head…I can’t seem to let it go. It was almost a week after that when I started looking for a replacement car for my ’07 Avalanche.

The Evo ended up being a no-go. I opened the trunk and there was only 6 cubic feet of storage space. Seriously?! Who in their right mind would be able to use that for even to-go food from a restaurant?

Well, it was back to the drawing board and I eventually ended up with a 2011 Subaru WRX hatch in silver that would carry multiple bikes for Bike198 and tote the kid around with the half a house we now have to pack with us when we go anywhere.

Those of you that know me…know I can’t ever leave well enough alone, so I started hacking away at the car as soon as I got it. I don’t even think it made it pas 500 miles on the odometer before it was modded.

2011 Suabru WRX
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Top 10 Things I Wish I Could Tell Myself 10 Years Ago

December 29, 2011 By 15 Comments

Last week was my birthday. Around every time this year, I take a look at my life and take somewhat of an inventory of where I have been, where I want to go and how I am going to get there with the knowledge I have learned from the past. I guess you could call it my personal fiscal year for lack of a better word.

But, this year hit me a little bit differently. I turned 30.

While it is just another year just like any other, I think it is natural to use the ages that end in 0 to look at the past decade to see how things have gone. I have always operated under the assumption that we can not get better without learning from our mistakes, so I tend to look at what I have done wrong more closely than the successes.

Then I started thinking, if I could grab a hold of the 20 year old me…what would I say? Well…here is exactly what I would say to the 20 year old Robb Sutton.

Top 10 Things I Wish I Could Tell Myself 10 Years Ago

  1. Hang out with people that make you want to be better.
  2. Get busy doing something. The world is full of grand ideas with no action and you learn the most from doing.
  3. Place importance on things that really matter. You will come up against a moment when you would sell off everything you previously thought was important for something that really is.
  4. One day, it will occur to you that your parents are people too.
  5. Think of life in the context of how you want to live…not how much money you want to make.
  6. These are not the “best years of your life”. Life is really just beginning.
  7. Collect experiences. Not stuff.
  8. Time will start to move faster…not slow down. Enjoy each moment.
  9. Take calculated risks when there can be a positive outcome…not ones that get you in nothing but trouble.
  10. Drop the ego. You haven’t done anything yet.

The best thing about this list is that all of them are things that I need to continue to remember over the next 30 years and I am stoked about what is ahead.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, My Life Tagged With: , , , ,

We Are Capable of Amazing Things…If We Allow Ourselves To Dream

December 14, 2011 By 10 Comments

The human mind is capable of amazing things. If you take a look at history, the amount of time between major events is pretty short even though it may seem they are worlds apart.

Think about it…

On December 17, 1903 the Wright Brothers brought the human race into the air with the first successful, controlled, powered flight in the Wright Flyer 1. In a short 66 years later on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong put man’s first step on the moon. When you put those events in that context, it doesn’t seem like that long of a period where huge strides were made in technology purely through the collaboration and imagination of people.

We Are Our #1 Worst Enemy

With that in mind, what keeps us from achieving our dreams? We all have ideas and aspirations that will take our lives to that next level. However, we watch people every day be content with the average. We put our dreams aside for the stability of not ‘rocking the boat’. We convince ourselves that keeping things as they are is better than having to deal with failure. We watch as mainstream media tries to convince us that you are ‘unique’ while beating in actions that make us all the same.

While it may seem at times that it is the fault of someone else or circumstances that brought us to where we are now, the reality is that our own fears and self doubt is the biggest deterrent to forward progress in our own lives. We believe the hype. We change our course and ability to test our own limits off the thought that failure or rejection must be so bad that it is not worth the reward. The more we try to push the limits of what we consider normal, the more others who are happy with staying in the status quo try to keep us down. Why are you disrupting the way things are going? We are happy with the way things are…or are we?

True innovators ignore the critics and continue to dream…

The reality in the world in which we live is that when you step outside of the box, you are going to get shot at. That is just a fact. The Wright Brothers were ridiculed and basically called insane for their ideas at the time, but now air travel is the most efficient way to travel and ship goods. It was their ability to believe in their dream that made it a reality.

We have to allow ourselves to dream. We have to allow forward progress through the testing of those dreams. Are they all going to work out? No. Are the successful ones going to work right away. Absolutely not. Are you going to have to cross hurdles and work incredibly hard to achieve what you truly want in life? Absolutely.

When we start destroying dreams as a society, we are dancing on very dangerous territory.

So…some of you might be thinking the following…

Great Robb! But how the hell does this apply to me? I don’t have any ideas like the first flight!

And you are right. We are not all going to have that idea that completely changes the world and that is ok. We do, however, have that one idea that can change our own reality. We just haven’t given it an honest chance. We either gave up too early or started to believe the hype of people who didn’t really care to begin with. We found that one excuse or failure that triggered the quitter in our mind and we let it go there. We became satisfied with the notion that ‘it will never happen anyway…so why try’.

We do not have to be innovators for the world, but we can be innovators in our own lives for our own families.

If you have dreams, professional or personal, it is up to you to make it happen. You can not let roadblocks deter you from accomplishing your goals. If you keep the dream alive, you will find a way to get around those that think it can’t happen. It just takes believing in yourself and your ability to get something done. There is so much talent in this world that is wasted due to self doubt and glorified critics.

I was sitting this morning watching this video that is a string of amazing feats by people. With a string of YouTube clips cut together, this video makes you once again realize what we are really capable of. Normal people…doing amazing things. It reminded me that I have several projects that I have either been holding back on or shelved for the very same reasons I listed above. It gave me inspiration to get the needed tasks done in my own life to make those a reality. The people in this video had the drive and the willingness to make their idea a reality. We are capable of amazing things. We just have to make it happen for ourselves.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, My Life, Videos Tagged With: , ,

Wanted: Experts – No Experience Required

November 17, 2011 By 18 Comments

Wanted: Internet Expert | Robb Sutton

I have been thinking about something a lot lately that is nothing new…it just seems to get worse and worse with time.

As the internet becomes more social and less of a resource, we are seeing the emergence of more “internet experts”. Whether it be bloggers writing about subjects they have no experience in or friends on your friendly Facebook wall turning into a heated political debate, the social internet has now given people the ability to say things online that they would never say in person…at least not with the grander and force they do digitally.

We are now in an age where everyone sees themselves as an expert in a specific field because of their ability to research their passion through their favorite sources. This creates a certain amount of hostility online as these “experts” butt heads over what they feel is right. But…just like the experts that think they are right…the sources they quote can be just as biased and misled.

Another example…

As many of you know, we had our first kid last month. I am sure we are going through the same thing most new parents do…the ultimate search for the perfect way to raise your kid. In the pursuit of perfect information, we scour the web and books looking for the “expert” to tell us how things are done and what we need to do next. However, what we find is that no one is on the same page on anything! They can sooth themselves at a month…no wait…not until a year…6 months…3 months…can’t all of you guys just get on the same page?!

This has brought me to the underlying conclusion that you can find whatever you want to read at the time.

  • Are you having a hard time getting your kid to sleep? Then the book that said one month must be wrong and the 6 month one must be right…because that is my experience. (ours is down for the count at one month…and we are grateful for it!!)
  • Do you feel like you lean more to the conservative side of politics? More liberal? You are going to read the sources that you connect with.
  • Have friends on Facebook that are saying what you want to hear? Think you’ll listen to them more than the ones that are saying what you don’t at the time?

Now days…everyone has a voice and the answers online can bring us to a state that we forget to think for ourselves.

Before the age of the internet, we had books and other resources, but the massive volume of information was not present. Now…before we do anything we head to the computer asking The Google what to do next. We forget to stop, think and assess the situation. We completely forgo our gut instincts to trust people we don’t know or ones with zero experience in the specified field.

The internet does a lot of amazing things for our daily lives, but our trust in self proclaimed experts that arose from the ease of publication of information has brought many people to a state that they no longer adapt and think for themselves. They don’t question what they read or try to adapt and change information to fit their lives. Objectivity is going away as blind faith in information is taking over.

It as almost as if the internet put up a wanted ad for experts in fields that have zero ability to talk about things rationally.

While this article might seem like a rant (and it is in someways), it is more about challenging you to question and actually think about what you read online (including things I write and say). There is no right answer for everyone. Everything in life needs to be thought out and interpreted as your life is not the exact same as your neighbors.

That said…we have to be willing to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. I do believe a lot of the trust we give to people that are providing the answers we want to hear stems from not wanting to mess up. We then have the ability to say someone else was wrong if it doesn’t go right, or we can then take credit if it works and push that same ideal on others. Some of the greatest rewards in life come out of what we learn from the mistakes we make. We can not let that fear run how we make decisions.

The internet is a great source of information…when used correctly. It is up to you how you process the information on the screen whether it is from a friend or an article on a website written by someone you don’t even know. How are you going to adapt as information overload continues to expand in our lives?

Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, Social Media, The Web Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Current State Of My Life

November 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

I looked down at my desk and before me I saw the current state of my life. As with most times, some are good…and some are bad.

  • The pills to keep the swelling in my back down while I go through PT to fix my disc issues.
  • The watch that watches the time pass until I’ll be able to get on the bike and hang out with my friends again.
  • The Brembo stickers that are proof that my car is keeping my obsessive mind occupied will I am “off the bike”.
  • The baby bottle…source of food that I can give the greatest gift I have ever received…our new son.
Filed Under: Lifestyle Design, My Life

Every Pro Blogger Starts Somewhere…

May 4, 2011 By 9 Comments

Last week, I wrote an article on Bike198 about how every single rider had to start somewhere (Never Forget We All Started Somewhere). No one just wakes up one day able to jump road gaps or magically gets the endurance and skill to win races. At some point in time, every rider started at square one with zero knowledge and probably not even a bike. All they had was the willingness to learn and the drive to make their own dream a reality, but when you see it on the outside…it appears they have always ridden like that…

In the blogging world, that same paradox exists. You see blogs that are well established and making money forgetting that they too started with an idea and a blank screen.

With my BlogWorld Expo presentation coming up, I have been thinking a lot lately about the sequence of events that got to this point. When I look back on it, it really amazes me. I was just a guy who started a blog…nothing more…nothing less. My idea started to grow with hard work and dedication to the dream to become what it is today, but…at the end of the day…I am still just a guy that started a blog.

Every Pro Blogger Started Somewhere

If you are just starting out or trying to get over a plateau in your progress, it can seem like the world had it easier than you. It can seem like there was some secret that you missed out on. The reality is that every blogger (or rider like I pointed out in the biking article) has been exactly where you are sitting right now.

What separates the successful from those that aren’t is the willingness to push through the harder times and not give up. By learning from our experiences and keeping the drive to move forward, we see success and the monetary benefits that come along with that. No one…I repeat…no one wakes up one day with a “6 figure blog”. Every blogger that generates income from their efforts works hard at it day in day out to make it a success.

Nothing is free in life and everything that is worth having requires work.

You are not the first and certainly will not be the last to start a successful blog or make your blog successful by pushing through the harder times. Every blogger goes through these phases. It is how you deal with the ups and downs that determines your own personal outcome.

Successful business building and blogging does not come overnight. Everyone has to start somewhere…and it is that journey that makes the fruits of your labor so rewarding in the end. Every success has a story…what will yours be?

Filed Under: Blogging, Lifestyle Design, The Web Tagged With: , , ,
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