Within the past year i have watched a heep of motivational, inspirational and personal development videos. Finding that guidance in life so you know deep down that you are heading in the right direction is not in any way easy to find.

In my last post i wrote something very personal; as i am currently going through a transition period in my journey to find self fulfillment.

Tony Robbin’s is one of the world’s most famous public speakers, first brought to my attention by my former mentor Andrew Davis. I have watched this video over and over, and some of the quotes he uses are remarkable.

Take eight mins to understand how he identifies having Clarity and Purpose in life.

“Clarity is power, you gotta know the specific result you are after. What do you want. If you can’t answer that question right now, in your personal life, in your body, in your relationships, in your finances, in your spirituality, then you’re not gonna be as fulfilled as you want to be.”

The quote above; while lengthy, is brilliant. Tony Robbins talks real sense and most of our days fly by us without us taking a moment to really understand where we are heading, what we want to achieve and how we are getting there.

“Life will pay any price you ask of it.”Similar Posts:

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Every once and a while our lives get to a crossroad where a decision needs to be made so that we can progress.

One of the first posts i wrote for this blog entitled Just Another Chapter In My Story explained how a series of events had occurred in my life. I ended that post writing this analogy:

Every challenge is like a chapter in a story; the story of your life. While the chapter will eventually come to an end, it does so to let another chapter begin. The next challenge will not be the final chapter in your life, and as your story goes on, each chapter will make it easier to understand what this story is about. As you progress, the book will become clear and you can conquer the rest of the story with ease.

Around six months have passed and im up at the next set of crossroads again.

Back then i had no idea what this blog would turn out to be, what would be my focus, or if anyone would care enough to read it. As i said then, it was about getting off the bench and into the game.

The last six months have been amazing though, and some of the articles i have written have gotten some fantastic feedback. From this i have given talks on Personal Branding, become a mentor to some great friends, done an array of freelance Digital work and worked with and alongside some really cool people and brands.

I have written on various topics; Personal Development, Branding, Success, Digital Marketing, Social Media, the list goes on. With the idea in mind, that i know what im talking about; im no expert, but the information is out there, so i have researched, studied and have shared.

In my game plan, I always had two methods to act as direction to finding success:

1). Create or be part of an idea, product or project that i was heavily involved in or managing. Be recognised by an industry for bringing about success and build a career upon that.

2). Build up a credible level of experience from freelancing so that i could apply to work with a large corporate company and build a career from within that company.

You can view what projects i am/have been involved in from the Projects & Clients page.

I mean ive watched and read enough Personal Branding videos and posts to know what i needed to do to put myself in the best possible position for employment… then it would only be a matter of time before either one of my projects took off or i would get hired by a big company.

So as of 28th June 2010 i am officially the Digital Marketing Analyst for Chelsea Football Club.

The big corporate brand that i have been searching for has arrived, and hopefully with this, i will be able to learn, grow and expand my skills and knowledge in the field.

The most important thing to me in my career is to make sure i am continually progressing, and with this in mind, i feel that the past six months that i have been archiving my footsteps in this industry, have lead to this crossroad where i open my next chapter.

From here on, i will try to keep this site as updated as possible with my movements and developments in the digital sector.

I want to thank you all for supporting and being part of my journey. To all of you that read, comment and retweet my posts i am forever grateful to you for sharing and believing in what i write.

See you on the other side…Similar Posts:

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Family? Friends? Employers? Politicians? I could go on. From the way my Twitter followers act it appears the only thing they rely on is Eastenders being on the TV four times per week… and when it isn’t… you better find a World War bunker.

The topic of relying on people is a general discussion and it amazes me how the consensus is that you have to rely on people in life. But do you really?

To be perfectly honest, i find Bruce Wayne/Batman to be much more of a role model when it comes to proving that with determination, self belief and being proactive, you can achieve without having to rely on anyone else.

It was a quote within ‘Batman Begins’ that really made me think that dismiss the obvious fictional creation; Batman and Bruce Wayne stand for a whole lot more.

“It’s not who i am underneath, but what i do that defines me.”

With this in mind, i wrote a post about relying on people, and whether it is within yourself or others that defines what you stand for. Cos Who Can We ‘Rely On’ Really?

But why i chose not to vote points back to the title of this post and it is simple.
I do not rely on the Government, i do not believe their sales pitches and to be honest my mum talks about it more than enough for me to spend my time watching the news or reading about it.

Should i pay more attention to the Government and their policies? Maybe. But give them one chance to let you down and you’ll be forever cursing them so i’ll leave you to decide if politics has much of a point and whether your vote/voice/opinion actually makes a difference.

It’s the same with everything in life. Leave your fate in someone else’s hands and its like being put on eBay at a starting price of 99p. The risk is always there and you could get sold short.

Take control of your decisions and have 100% belief in yourself over anything else and you will find that you are less likely to face a problem. Simple outlook right? Kinda…

But at some point you will reach a stage where you may need to rely on someone to get you to the next step. Whether it may be a contact to introduce you to someone, looking for work and relying on either the recruiter or the employer to believe in you or even maybe just waiting for someone to arrive before you can crack on.

The message i portray on this site has always been and will continue to be that to succeed, you must rely on yourself.
You must rely on your own knowledge, power, experience and resources.

You must be self-determining like Bruce Wayne! No, I’m not saying to hibernate into a cave but i suppose if you had Bruce Wayne money things would be different. I’m saying be resourceful, be appreciative of life and be proactive.

Know that there is no absolute security in anything, and push the boundaries without relying on anyone!

That being the case, get in the thick of it and fight! Create the life you would choose to have, and whether you achieve it exactly or not, just an effort is noble. Failure is not an option!

With this in mind, i have put myself in the position i am in and my future relies 100% on the decisions i make and the opportunities i present myself.

For example, while i created this blog to assist and help people with easy-read articles about development, it is also my personal platform to leverage me to the next step. I rely on my determination to stay active, current and informative with articles and entertaining pieces.

Bare in mind, i am no journalist and it is not in my general skill set to write articles or stories; so ask yourself why you think that i do this and maybe you can figure out what it is that you really want to achieve and also how you will go about reaching that goal.

I am Batman and Bruce Wayne together, minus the bad ass suit and the millions, i have the discipline and the determination to overcome any hurdle that may stand in my way.

Tinchy Stryder – Rely On Me
Similar Posts:

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It’s the year 2010 and isn’t technology wonderful? We only have to see an influx of trends about the latest iPhone news leak and it sparks off more of a debate than the war in Afghanistan.

The image below paints a nice colourful picture of the evolution of 21st Century Technology.

Click to enlarge

As intelligent specimens we are blessed with the ability to do pretty much anything, bar fire red beams out of our eyes or fly.

We can have whatever we desire; if we use our heads to find a way of getting it, and we can be whatever we want to be; again if we use our heads.

Yet i find as time progresses, as technology enhances and as everything appears to become easier; people are generally making life more and more complicated for themselves.

This begs the questions ‘Are We Spoiled By Technology?’

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What with Social Media, Mobile Technology and the wonders of Internet Search; how hard is it really to make that network, build a brand and climb to the next level?

Now, there is no need for me to reminisce on the days when people actually made of an effort than just 140 characters to communicate, but there was a time before Twitter, Facebook, Blackberry Messenger and Email that we still managed to get things done and enjoy life.

Don’t start assuming i’ve gone from being 25 to 65 overnight, cos that orange bus pass holder is a few years away yet. But what is beginning to bug me, is the way technology has become the forefront of everyone’s lives; to the extreme, that we are living our lives in a digital world and actually neglecting the essence of reality around us.

Here’s an example: Last week i actually said, “Im coming off Twitter for a bit, cos im beginning to feel like a stalker.” So i did… i left Twitter for a whole day; only to get a Blackberry ping AND a text message from two people asking ‘why i didn’t reply to their Twitter messages.’ So it appears everyone wants to be stalked.

“Ok ok chill… i’ll log on and i’ll reply.” and that was that.
*Exits digital rehab and heads back to the crack world.*

Even more exaggerated is the fact, that we actually get annoyed if our technology may either slow, stall or stop working. Now, think about that for a second…

• Do you rely on technology so much that it affects your emotions?
• Have you ever broken a gadget of some kind because it didn’t do something you wanted or better yet…
• Do you have dents around your house from where you have chucked the gadget at the wall?

Were these avenues of communication invented so that we can broaden our networks, expand on our connections and generally get things done easier?

… or were they actually created to keep us contained?

Yes i am writing this post in a very contradictory fashion using the same technology that i question; but ask yourself…

• Are you using technology to keep up with the trends or is it essential to your business?
• Are you using technology for your benefit or someone else’s?

Here’s one for all you Social Media Celebrities…

• Do you find yourself acting as a completely different persona in front of a screen to how you would act in person?

Now pause to think about those questions carefully before you disregard them.

Technology can be just like a drug… Give someone a little taster and if they like it, they will want a little more.
Give them a lot more and they get addicted, they forget how they lived without it and begin to lose control.

I find myself admitting myself into the digital rehab now and again, turning off my Blackberry, temporary deleting my Facebook and taking a step back from Twitter. Why you may ask?

Because productivity is based on being focused and it’s very difficult to be focused if you are juggling between gadgets, websites, networks and applications.

While you may feel like you are out there being very productive, chatting to people across the globe using your incredibly ambitious 140 characters to compile the most interesting passage of your day; the irony of it all is that you probably do so whilst sitting in your pants in your bedroom.

Pause!

• When was the last time you pulled our a notepad and brainstormed productive ideas whilst you have those spare minutes?

• When was the last time you read a book, maybe something like Rich Dad, Poor Dad? (That’s what i am currently reading).

Take a day off technology and refresh your brain… you deserve it!

“Everything is amazing and nobody is happy”
Uploaded by Meowbay. – Click for more funny videos.

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“You’re born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you’re up in the rarefied atmosphere and you’ve forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake son.”

I have thought about the quote above for years and have repeated it many times when speaking in discussions about power, respect and success.

This got me thinking about what it is that we actually strive for…

Here is my analogy of Striving To Achieve in reference to The Layer Cake.

On my About Page it says“I have come to realize that my desire to achieve is linked hand in hand with wanting to help others achieve.” That may sound pathetic and cheesy, but my last blog post had over 30 Twitter retweets, meaning it helped some of you enough or was a good enough of a read for you to share with your friends.

Also on my About Page i quote a passage from world famous motivational speaker, Anthony Robbins; as he states in this video that there are six human needs to help us to find self-fulfilment on our journey:

• We need Certainty
• We need Uncertainty
• We need Significance
• We need to feel Connection & Love
• We need to Grow
• We need to Contribute Beyond Ourselves

The feedback i have begun to receive from writing, has given me the motivation to continue to share the knowledge i have collated in the industry with the hope that it will help you on your journey. This is in fact my chance to ‘Contribute Beyond Myself’… and it is this that gives me the reason to continue trying to help others.

Bear in mind, i am no way an expert or a specialist (although thanks to those who have said i am lately).
I created this with an understanding that i wanted to lay the basic foundations so that:

• I understand myself the journey i am taking.
• I can share my knowledge with those that may find it useful… Sharing is caring and all that.
• I am creating a personal archive to look back on.
• I am striving for personal success.

Take a moment to think for a second about your plan. Have you laid your foundations or are you just going all guns blazing with no armour? Seriously… think about it.

The ladder to achievement is always based on taking a hefty amount of shit.
Remember Andy Dufresne swam through a tunnel of shit to come out clean on the other side. Confused who he is? Shame on you… Click here!

So where do we find common ground for those that are on their way up trying to reach the next level?

I’ll give you my example. I work full time; i understand that for me to touch the sky, i have to be able to afford to fly. Money doesn’t grow on trees remember…

I answer to a series of people who can rain a storm of shit on me if they want, and regardless of how many people i know in the industry, how many followers i have on Twitter or how many projects i work on; i do need to be employed.

I know that success is a slow climb and by playing my part in the chain of command i am able to slowly piece together my journey to the top of the ladder.

If you have an idea of what it is you want to become, make sure you have a plan of how you are going to reach it.

Make today become the first day of the rest of your life…
Note down where you see yourself in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months.
Then break that down even further…

• How are you going to get to your 3 month goal?
• Who do you need to contact?
• What do you need to set things up?
• Do you need to raise any finances?

There is no shame in working to raise collateral, it is down to you how you manage your finances and your time so that you can progress.
It is the weak that get locked in to an establishment so long that their dreams become non-existant and they become part of the office furniture.

They have become a Customer Services Supervisor!

WAHEY………. SCORE! Enjoy paying that student loan back!

If you stick to a basic plan and are passionate about your dream, you will never get complacent with a dead end job as you will always know what you are capable of.

“Well I’m honored. But for me this is all over. I’m getting out. What was true then is true now. Have a plan. Stick to it. So I’m sure you must have lots to discuss… but I have no business being here. I’ve got someone to meet. Adios, amigos. “Similar Posts:

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“If you for a second, don’t believe in what you are doing, whether it is your personal brand, or the product you represent, you need to get out now.” Gary Vaynerchuk

I have been meaning to write a post on Personal Branding for a while now. I spent 40 mins watching this video twice and making notes on Gary’s speech, before deciding that i cannot explain Personal Branding with more passion and energy than Gary does.

So below i have taken the 10 most significant parts from the video and constructed them into this post about Personal Branding.

First and for most, I really want to thank everyone for reading this. I mean, this is outrageously humbling. Every single person who is reading this, since your here, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re going to kill it.

1. Have Patience and Passion

Lets starts with passion, there’s way too many people right now that are doing stuff they hate. There is no reason in 2010 to do rubbish you hate. None. Promise me you won’t, because you can lose just as much money being happy as hell.

Have patience; success does not happen over night, but it also won’t happen unless you ‘get off the bench and into the game.’

2. Listen To Your Community

Listen to your users absolutely; but caring and understanding your users is a lot more effective. People listen but they don’t do anything!!! Do something, answer those emails, give a shit about your community, care about your user base… That’s what you need to do.

You need to care about everything and it starts with yourself. Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself,

“What do I want to do every day for the rest of my life?” Do that. I promise that you can monetize that.

3. What’s Your Legacy?

Legacy is greater than currency. Has everybody completely grasped that your grand children are going to watch and see everything you’ve even done? I think about that every single day. I want my grand kids to be proud of me.

4. Hustling and Building Business

Do you know what I hustle about? I hustle about meeting every single person on earth and building a relationship to create another exciting opportunity.

Hustle is the most important word, ever… and that’s what you need to do. You need to work hard.
We’re building business here, this isn’t about parties and wasting your life away watching relentless episodes of daytime television and Eastenders.

Getting a load of users or Social Media statistics is not a business model. Make some cash along the way!

5. Believe In What You Do

If you’re pumping out good stuff, people will follow. But if for a second, a half a second, that you don’t believe in what you’re doing; whether it’s your personal brand or the product you represent; you need to get out now. Please!

6. Understand The Game Is Changing

We only get to play this game one time. One life.

The way everything is changing is unbelievable. Everybody is consuming content everywhere. The people that controlled it; Newspapers, Television and Radio are no longer in control!
That is a huge factor that people have not totally wrapped their head around. You need to build brand equity.

It’s about brand equity in yourself, because you never know what could happen.

7. Networking and Being Transparent

I love people, so networking is a huge advantage for me. Get out there and network. People are the people that are going to help you. The only way to succeed now is to be completely transparent… Completely.

Everything is exposed. Everything you do. So your legacy is your ultimate life. It’s all you’ve got. And you can build so much on that. When you have brand equity, anything can happen.

8. Using Social Media Tools

What’s very imperative to me right now is using the tools. Too many people are trying to figure out which tools to use. Shall I use Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, which tools shall i use?

All of them… Your user base, and the people that care about you; you need to connect with them anyway you can, everywhere you can, as often as you can. That interaction is essential. Communication is essential!

9. What We Do Is Real

Look at Reality TV, that’s about as real as shit! That stuff is not real. But we still like it because it’s somewhat real. This other stuff is very real. The place where we play is very real. And it is a massive, massive opportunity.

I hope people wrap there head around that, because we are going through a gold rush of branding. In the old days to become a brand you needed a lot of mainstream media attention. But now, if you get talked about enough in social media; blogs, networks, videos, you can get there.

You can build your brand. Your companies brand.

But it all starts with that first moment when you look in the mirror and you ask yourself, what do I want to do?

10. Time To Do Damage

If you want this, if you’re miserable, if you don’t like it or you want to do something else and you have a passion somewhere else. Work nine to five. Spend a couple hours with your friends and family and then spend seven to two in the morning putting your game into action!
Who says you have to work to someone else’s schedule anyway?

But that’s it. It’s not going to happen any other way. You’re not going to make stickers and stand on the street selling your ideas, cos really nobody cares about you until you make yourself heard. Get off the bench and into the game!!!

“We only get to play this game one time… one life.”

Check out more from the legend that is Gary Vaynerchuk hereSimilar Posts:

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This is a very nice blog right? I think so, but i’d be lying if i said it made any money.

While i love working on some exciting projects, freelancing and helping out others with advice and support so that they can connect the dots to achieve their dreams; i am searching for an opportunity that can provide a steady income and put me on that path for a prosperous career.

To date i have signed up to 15+ recruitment sites/agencies, sent out over 50 applications, with specifically designed covering letters and CV’s… but, i have had no success as yet.

So here is the question… Do you know anyone that can help me find a job?

Over the last few years i have been involved in the Music/Entertainment Industry utilizing Digital Marketing and Social Media to create leads, expand on networks and generate return on investment for both my own ventures and my clients.

I am looking to expand on this by joining an Entertainment/Music/Digital Company or Agency that is specializes in or is interested in using Digital strategy to accomplish targets and goals.

With experience of working with large brands, such as Orange, Sony Ericsson, Channel 4, Myspace, O2, Luminar and Comic Relief. I have managed Entertainment Events to a consumer market of over 100,000 people, generating company profits in excess of £250,000 and distributed online content and material to millions of people worldwide using strategic Social Media, SEO and Email Marketing techniques.

You can click on my Testimonials Page to see what some of these clients have said.

My strengths are in understanding strategy and using whatever tools i have at my disposal to get the job done. I am a deep thinker and i plan everything i do within business so that i am always prepared for any turn of events.
The last few years i have developed strategies and tactics in and around Social Media; while i do not claim to be a ‘guru or expert’, i have the knowledge and experience to make and save any company money by expanding on the tools of the Internet.

I am passionate about ‘connecting people’. I know it sounds cliche, but i believe that one of the most important things in life, is to use what skills you have to help others. That is why i created this blog and it is why i assist so many creative people with direction and advise so that they can also connect the dots to find their success.

The motivation for what i do comes from a life within Music having spent the last ten years in the Music Industry at both education and professional level. Music is a Universal Language and one way or another it connects everybody… Just the same way Social Media does, that is why they go hand in hand.

I am a very enthusiastic person and can bring energy and passion to any job. I believe that a happy team creates a happy work environment and thus creates success in the workplace and ultimately a happy client.
I am willing to start at a low level position to grow through the ranks, learning the specifics of what the company/organization is built on.

I believe that due to my flexibility, strong work ethic and commitment, I can be a smart investment within the appropriate company or project. All you need to do is pick up the phone and ring me, pass my contacts onto someone you think may be interested or drop me an email/comment and i can assure you, you wont regret it.

Email: info@iamluca.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 7849 975 561
BB Pin: 20EE91E1
Twitter: @iAmLuca

For more information, i have a CV available upon request that will elaborate in depth on each of the points raised above.

I can also be available for an interview at any time. Thanks for reading and i hope to hear from someone soon!

LucaSimilar Posts:

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So what do you do then? Is the general question you ask someone after being introduced to a friendly face. Well that’s how they appear until they unleash their rehearsed lines from their invisible sack of bullsh*t that they carry with them. You know who im talking about; the relentless amount of fakers, takers, liars and snakes that continue to bombard us with their name drops of imaginary clients, fictional past projects and future ideas in their quest to jump on a bandwagon or poach on our vision to achieve the dream.

I work in the Entertainment industry, and my day to day life is focused around a selection of self networked projects. Meaning, i met a network and created an opportunity from that network which led to another opportunity and so forth. Hit the Projects page for more information on what exactly i am doing.

My Reality!

I don’t make serious money, i don’t claim to be ‘balling’ or driving a blacked out Range Rover Vogue. I live at home with my mum and make ends meet by assisting people with their projects, in the idea that networks will open, the projects will take off and reputation will do the rest.

But because i work in such a cut throat environment, everyone is out for themselves. I understand how difficult it is to make a dent in this industry. I am very open and welcoming to any new face, as anyone who knows me will say (read the Testimonials page), but if it’s one thing i have found i have as a super power, it’s a sixth sense to read the bullshit coming out of someones mouth (catch me in the new season of Heroes).

A friend once told me, “you can only really trust someone who speaks from valid experience, and when in a business meeting with a new character, they will generally try and qualify themselves to you as you would to them within the first few minutes of engagement”… first impressions are everything right?

The Great Game

So like an interview, but where it is less formal and they know you won’t actually ask for a reference, they feel the need to not only exaggerate on their experience, but implement fictional events into their description like they are reading Lord of the Rings to a class of children.

I tend to call this, ‘talking a good game’. It is basically a sales pitch, where they believe that by being something they are not, they can open doors and create shortcuts through the industry.
They also claim this story to be true so much that they live by it and are actually enthused by their false achievements.

How Can You Recognize ‘A Great Game’?

Name dropping is a perfect tell sign… ever heard the line, “yeah i worked with ….. a little while back on his album/tour/release” or “I’m just about to sign a deal with this company”… oh yeah, we say, as we inquire a little further into the story like we are paying for the entertainment… “but i can’t actually say the name of the company, the date of the meeting or the contact who hooked me up.” So i thought…
You just decided to reel me in like a worm on a fishing rod so that i will introduce you to my very real contact/client list?

Other ways of noticing this hot trend is by excuses the gamer will use. As they cannot prove their experience or find clarity in their name drops, they will stall on meetings they originally agreed to wholeheartedly or will make up another story to back up their original lies ie: “Sorry i can’t bring over this act/client to the meeting as we are in LA working in the studio.” Smell something? Yes that’s the stench of rotting bullsh*t.

While everyone exaggerates in one way or another, whether it’s editing your CV in your favor for a job or trying to impress a hot female (yeah i have done both), i believe that reputation is everything.

Reputation is your brand, and will stick with you through everything that you do. I am all for people doing ‘whatever it takes’ to make it, but if history has taught us anything, it is that the truth always comes out… and when it does, you would kinda wanna save the embarrassment of having to admit your deceit.

While you may have made the money, success and power you dreamed of achieving whilst plotting your game plan; your consumers, customers, friends and networks will only remember the negative feedback and press you WILL receive in the end.

What Are You Saying Then?

To The Gamers:
Be you… Don’t reinvent the wheel to be original, but live your life and achieve your goals in a way that new contacts you network with, will only be able to say, “you know what, use ….. as he’s a good guy and will help you/your company out”. That’s building a network, and word of mouth is still the most popular form of promotion!

But if people start spreading your lies for you and forwarding your stories on because they believe you are for real, you will eventually have to bring some form of clarity, and when you can’t justify yourself, you can only back up your lies with more lies before your reputation is buried.

Sidenote: No bulls were actually used in creating this post and no snakes were killed. This is also not directed at anyone in particular and for any privacy concerns please read through the disclaimer.