Doubt can be a powerful force that can challenge even the strongest of convictions.
It can make us question our beliefs and cause us to second-guess ourselves.
However, having conviction in the face of doubt is a key ingredient for success in all aspects of life.
Whether it’s in our personal lives or our careers, maintaining a strong conviction in the face of doubt can help us achieve our goals and live a fulfilling life.
Stick to your ideals, your beliefs, and your values.
There’s so much information out there that it can be difficult to decide where to look.
I believe the best place to learn and grow is on Reddit. Yes, there’s controversy. Yes, it’s not always accurate.
But when it comes to learning stories and gaining perspectives, you won’t find a better place than Reddit.
Here are my 5 best subreddits I love going to every day to learn and grow.
Let’s dive in.
1: r/AskReddit
The r/askreddit subreddit is the place to ask and answer thought-provoking questions.
You’ll get a mixture of topics ranging from serious down to comedy.
Example: “People who haven’t pooped in 2019 yet, why are you still holding on to last year’s sh*t?”
If you love learning and gaining insights from people all over the world, r/AskReddit is the place to go.
2: r/SmallBusiness
The r/smallbusiness subreddit is great for those who own a small business.
As a business owner, there is too much to learn and it helps to go to a community that provides guidance and help.
I’ve found this subreddit in particular very helpful, with topics ranging from sales and marketing down to how to manage taxes and LLC formation.
If you have a small business or planning to start one, consider this r/SmallBusiness.
3: r/PersonalFinance
The r/personalfinance subreddit is great for those who need to boost their personal finance knowledge.
When I started my career, I struggled to understand 401ks, Roth IRAs, and other best money-saving tips.
So when I found this subreddit, I immediately found a sense of relief.
This subreddit also jumpstarted my FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early) mindset (more below).
If you struggle with money or just need a community to learn best practices, consider r/PersonalFinance.
4: r/FinancialIndependence
The r/financialindependence (FIRE) subreddit is great for those who are serious or are considering living life on their own terms.
What do I mean?
When I found this subreddit back in 2016, I was struggling with why I felt apathy toward my job and career.
I realized it was because I could be working for the REST of my life…
So I set out to understand what I needed to do to stop that from happening.
More importantly, to live life on my own terms and not be tied to a corporate job forever.
I came across this subreddit, and it forever changed my perspectives. I was taught early on that you graduate from college, enter the workforce, build a “career”, and that’s that.
Never did I ask myself, “How much do I REALLY need to live? What is that number I need to achieve to NEVER be tied to another job ever again?”
Through FIRE, I learned that number (it was MUCH small than I thought).
I also learned how to make money in different ways, how to cut unnecessary expenses, how to negotiate for things like salary and expenses, and so on.
If you’re on a similar path to financial independence and freedom, consider r/FinancialIndependence.
5: r/Space
The r/space subreddit is a subreddit dedicated to all things space.
From astronomy to space exploration, this subreddit has everything you need to learn about space.
Whether you are a beginner looking to learn more about the universe, an experienced space enthusiast, or someone that’s curious about those bright shiny objects out in the sky, this subreddit is the perfect place for you.
Ever since I watched Interstellar, I couldn’t stop thinking about the stars, galaxies, black holes, and the cosmos.
If you’re curious too, I highly recommend r/space.
P.s. I am STOKED for the James Webb telescope! You can follow along here.
What are your favorites?
Learning and growing are tough when there is so much information out there.
But I believe the cornerstone to learning comes best when it’s with a community.
It was about building a lifestyle that was about delivering happiness to everyone, including ourselves. (it’s not all about money)
Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos
A business can be more than just about money.
It can be about making customers, stakeholders, employees, and families happy.
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh shares the insights and learnings he developed during his tenure as CEO at Zappos.
Let’s dive in.
What itâs all about
Delivering Happiness shares the insights and learnings Tony developed during his time at Zappos and with the sale of his first startup.
Despite selling his first startup, he noticed something about the culture:
We knew the outside world probably thought we were jumping up and down and doing cartwheels, but instead our mood was a strange mix of apathy and relief. The excitement of LinkExchange had disappeared long ago.
Knowing this, he set out to create a culture at Zappos that focused on making employees, teams, and customers happy.
For example, whereas every business at the time hid its phone number, Zappos displayed it right on its homepage.
Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth.
Short story, Zappos did incredibly well.
They eventually sold to Amazon with Tony continuing to manage the business.
The key message
Businesses can be fun and still serve their purpose of helping people.
Focus on an amazing culture.
Focus on making customers love your business.
And as always, do what’s best for the customer (forget KPIs).
Why I loved it
I share a lot of the same feelings Tony has about business.
My near-decade in Corporate Finance showed me culture is a problem for many businesses, small and large.
Additionally, I’ve seen many businesses not do what’s in the best interests of their customers.
This book will remind you why having a great culture, focusing on customers, and, overall, making people happy matters.
Why you should read it
I believe all founders and company executives should read this book.
It’s a great reminder that businesses thrive when people are happy.
It’s also a reminder that businesses ALWAYS start at the top.
No amount of MBA and studying can teach you that people are people.
Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth.
We also offer a 365-day return policy for people who have trouble committing or making up their minds.
We believe that customer service shouldnât be just a department, it should be the entire company.
To WOW, you must differentiate yourself, which means do something a little unconventional and innovative.
We must all learn not only to not fear change, but to embrace it enthusiastically and, perhaps even more important, encourage and drive it.
They told me they really enjoyed the personal stories, and they said that, even though many of them had already read about Zappos in the press, it made a huge difference to actually hear it come from me. They told me they could really feel my passion for company culture, customer service, and Zappos in general.
In the end, it turns out that weâre all taking different paths in pursuit of the same goal: happiness.
I believe that thereâs something interesting about anyone and everyoneâyou just have to figure out what that something is. If anything, Iâve found that itâs more interesting to build relationships with people that are not in the business world because they almost always can offer unique perspectives and insights, and also because those relationships tend to be more genuine.
As a solo entrepreneur aka solopreneur, it’s important to stay productive and focused.
I ran 2 businesses and a handful of side hustles as a solopreneur, and some days were unbearable.
Being a solo founder can be really tough.
You’re constantly fighting against the odds, and you’re always on your own. It’s a lonely job, and it can be really hard to stay motivated. But there are ways to make it easier.
These are my 5 best productivity tips for solopreneurs.
Let’s dive in.
Tip 1: Set Goals and Milestones
Setting goals and milestones can help you stay on track and achieve your objectives.
By having specific targets in mind, you can stay motivated and focused, making it easier to reach your goals.
Depending on your business, some goals could include:
Evaluate your current marketing efforts and determine where you could improve.
Develop a plan to increase traffic to your website.
Create a budget and allocate resources to marketing and advertising campaigns that will help you reach your target audience.
Streamline operations by picking the right software for your business (e.g. Zapier to automate processes)
Grow sales to $X by running cold campaigns
Setting small goals that you can easily accomplish is often more effective than setting lofty goals that are too difficult to achieve.
So start small and work your way up.
And be sure to celebrate each milestone along the way!
Tip 2: Get Enough Sleep
A lack of sleep can have a negative impact on your productivity.
Remember those late nights and the feeling you have when you wake up, feeling drowsy and out of sorts?
Yup, that kind.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to be productive.
If youâre struggling to get enough sleep, there are some simple tips you can follow to help improve your productivity.
Make a list of what you need to get done the next day and try to stick to it as much as possible.
Establish a bedtime routine that helps you wind down before sleep. This could include reading or listening to calming music.
Avoid watching television or using the computer in bed, as they can keep you from drifting off.
Try to get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, so that your body gets a consistent rhythm of rest and relaxation.
Get enough exercise. Exercise has been shown to improve your overall mood and energy levels, which can help you get more restful sleep.
Whatever tip you choose, stick with it and try your best to get much-needed rest.
Tip 3: Organize Your Time Wisely
When starting out as a solopreneur, it can be difficult to manage your time wisely.
Juggling work, family, and social obligations can feel overwhelming and lead to less productivity.
Here are three tips for organizing your time wisely:
Set boundaries.
Establish specific times during the day when you will be working and other times when you will be free.
This way, you know when to allocate your time and energy accordingly.
Break down large tasks into manageable pieces.
When faced with a large task that needs to be completed, break it down into smaller tasks that can be completed in short order.
This will help reduce the stress of trying to complete a large project on deadline.
You can also refer to my post on how to set up ClickUp here if you’re brand new to the tool.
Take a break.
When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, take a break to relax and recharge your batteries.
This will help you return to work with renewed vigor and focus.
I personally like to step outside, close my eyes, and take a deep breath.
Tip 4: Use Technology to Your Advantage
Technology can be a great asset for solopreneurs.
By using technology, you can save tons of time and increase productivity.
For example, you can use software to keep track of your deadlines, manage workloads, or market your business.
Here are some example tools you can use to be productive:
1: Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a free online tool that lets you manage your work and personal schedules.
You can add events, set reminders, and add notes to events. This way, you can keep track of all the important dates and details related to your work.
I love color-coding my calendar based on:
Activity type (meeting vs. focus time)
Category (business vs. personal)
Reminders
Whatever process you use, I recommend sticking to it and readjusting every month to see if it still suits you.
2: Notion
Notion is a software app designed to help individuals and teams manage their work and stay organized.
It’s perfect for businesses or organizations that want to be more efficient and productive.
With Notion, you can create custom pages, notes, agendas, wikis, processes, goals, and so much more.
I love using Notion to manage as my second brain and for my business.
3: Google Drive
Google Drive is a great way to keep your work and projects organized.
It offers a simple interface that makes it easy to share files with others, and it can automatically keep track of changes so you don’t have to.
And if you have a Google Workspace account, it’s only normal to use Google Drive as it’s part of your subscription.
I love Google Drive and use it to manage everything.
4: ClickUp
ClickUp is a project management tool that helps people and teams manage their work and personal life.
You can use ClickUp for a variety of things:
Manage personal to-dos
Manage business tasks
Create CRM to manage sales lead
Manage growth marketing experiments
Create goals
Create project timelines using the Gantt function
There’s so much you can do with ClickUp.
I’ve been personally using it back when it was version 1.0 and still love it to this day.
5: Microsoft Office 365
As much as I love Google Drive, Microsoft is still king when it comes to spreadsheets.
Microsoft Office 365 is cloud-based, and you can access all the features of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
My recommendation is to leverage the built-in features such as macros, voice-to-text, and keyboard shortcuts to be more productive.
Tip 5: Delegate Tasks When Necessary
When starting out as a solopreneur, it can be hard to know when to delegate tasks.
Delegating can help you focus on your core strengths and business goals while freeing up time to do other things that are important to you.
Here are five tips for delegating tasks effectively:
1. Define the task clearly.
Make sure everyone understands what is required of them and what the expected outcome is. This will help avoid confusion or frustration down the line.
2. Set deadlines.
If a task is not completed by the deadline, it should be assigned to someone who can meet that deadline more easily. This will help you stay organized and keep your team on track.
3. Be clear about expectations
Set clear expectations for team members, and be willing to hold them accountable. This will help everyone stay focused and motivated.
4. Give feedback.
Be sure to give feedback on a regular basis so that team members know how they are performing. This will help them improve their skills and work towards meeting your expectations.
5. Set up systems and procedures.
If you want your team to be effective, it is important to set up systems and procedures that guide their work. This way, everything is organized and everyone knows what to do in order to meet the goals of the project
Be more productive today
As a solo entrepreneur / solopreneur, it’s important to stay productive and focused.
It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when working alone, but following these five tips will help you stay on track and meet your goals.
What are your thoughts?
Do you have any tips that have helped you become more productive as a solopreneur?
I was forced to learn how to save money at a young age, and along the way, I’ve learned a few tricks and tips.
And with Covid-19 still in effect, increasing inflation, and the likelihood of no further stimulus checks, we’re all looking for more ways to save money today.
In this post, I’ll share with you five best practices on how to save money today.
Let’s dive in.
1: Cut Back on Expenses
When it comes to saving money, one of the best things you can do is to cut back on your expenses.
But first, it’s important to note that cutting expenses doesn’t mean living a less-than-average lifestyle.
You can still enjoy life while cutting back.
As Ramit Sethi points out, focus on cutting back on your top 3 cost buckets.
In my finance days, 80% of costs came down to 20% of your categories (Pareto principle).
For most of us, these costs include:
Rent
Dining out
Personal expenses (clothing, toys, etc.)
To cut back on expenses in these areas, determine the following:
Rent
Rent is easily at the top of the highest cost buckets for most.
So reducing this cost can make a significant impact on your savings.
Ask these questions:
Can I find a cheaper place to rent?
Can I room with a roommate?
Can I sublease?
Can I move to a lower cost of living (LCOL) area?
One way to start seeing potential is to plug numbers into your spreadsheet.
Play with scenarios, e.g. “If my rent was $500/mo vs. $1000/mo, what would that look like? Where would I live in that range?”
You’ll quickly start to get some great ideas on how to lower your rent costs.
Dining out
When it comes to dining out, many people tend to overlook the fact that it can be one of the hardest areas to cut back on.
In fact, the average American pays $232 a month for commercially prepared meals and eats out four to five times a week.
Take $232, multiply by 12, and you get a staggering $2,784 spent eating out.
Personally, I’ve spent upwards of $5k on eating out….
That’s savings that could have gone towards investments.
You learn đ¤ˇââď¸
Questions to think about when cutting back on dining and eating out costs:
Can I cook at home more often, perhaps using things like the Instant Pot?
Can I replace full meals with appetizers?
Can I set a budget goal to eat out at specific frequencies?
Can I dine out only when I hang out with friends?
Be gentle when cutting back.
It’s hard to slash away dining costs, so strongly consider which areas you’re okay cutting back on. E.g. eating out 1x per week vs. 5.
Personal expenses
The next category that eats a big chunk into savings is personal expenses.
To reiterate, there is NOTHING wrong with spending on yourself.
The key, though, is to focus on your budget and what you’ve allocated yourself to spend.
For example, let’s say you allocate $100 dollars every month to spend on yourself. That’s $1200 per year to spend on yourself.
And if you save more than you spent, you can also consider rolling that amount over to next month.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when thinking about cutting back on personal expenses:
How much can I reduce my monthly expenses by cutting back on personal expenses?
Can I make better use of the personal things I’ve already purchased?
How much have I spent year-to-date? Why?
If I increase my budget, how does it impact my overall savings?
Too often, we feel trapped by our budgets. To me, that’s not a real budget.
A budget is flexible and is meant to work for you.
So long as you set a budget for yourself and stick to it, spend away!
2: Find Deals Online
One way to save money is to find deals online.
There are a number of websites that offer discounts on products and services.
You can also use apps like Honey that automatically find you great deals. I love this app because it searches for coupons for you and then automatically applies them to your basket.
How easy is that?
If you’re an entrepreneur, it can be tough to spend on monthly software subscriptions.
Instead, consider lifetime deals.
You can buy lifetime software deals at sites like Appsumo, Pitchground, and SaaSMantra where you pay once and get the product for life.
This is a great way to save money for your business.
3: Use Cashback Rewards Programs
Cashback rewards programs are a great way to save money on your purchases.
By using these programs, you can earn cashback on your purchases every time you make a purchase.
Some of the best credit cards for earning cashback include:
Chase Freedom
Chase Sapphire Preferred
American Express Blue Cash Preferred
Depending on the card, these cashback rewards can add up quickly.
Always remember to pay off your credit card monthly bill statement in full, so that you don’t owe any interest or debt.
4: Save Money Today Using Coupons
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Coupons can be a great way to save money when shopping.
I personally have used both physical and digital coupons.
Hey, a deal’s a deal!
One app that I love using to find digital coupons and deals is Honey.
Honey is a free app that helps you find amazing deals and coupons for you automatically.
For example, when you’re ready to purchase an Appsumo software tool, just hit the Honey chrome extension and will show whether or not it found a deal. See my screen below:
Leverage coupons to your advantage to start saving money today.
5: Make a Budget and Stick to It!
Making a budget is one of the best ways to save money.
When you have a budget, you know exactly how much money you have available each month and what you can spend it on. You can also track your progress over time and see how much money youâve saved.
What I love to do with my budget is to make it visual.
That means creating graphs and charts to showcase your financial progress.
An app I recommend trying out is YNAB (You Need A Budget).
It can be relieving to see your savings accumulate, which means more money for investments, projects, and more.
Here are some tips for making a budget, all of which can be in YNAB:
List your income sources (W2 job, side hustles, businesses, crypto)
Then list your monthly expenses. Include things like rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, and other bills.
Review your net savings percentage (income less expenses divided by expenses). Higher the percentage, the better (I like to aim for +30%)
With your budget in place, now figure out how much money you need to live comfortably
Making a budget is a powerful activity.
I’ve had my budget since 2009 and review monthly.
It’s a great reminder of why I save in the first – freedom, flexibility, comfort.
Plus, a budget helps you see things differently. Ask yourself, could I make more money via a side hustle?
Hmm….
Save Money Today
Saving money can be tough.
It’s not always easy saving and knowing that you’re also foregoing that fancy trip, car, or big-ticket item.
However, I would argue that it’s worth it.
Not having to work for another corporate?
Sign me up!
I hope this blog post about the 5 Best Practices to save money today helped you.
There I was, in the first grade, witnessing my own mother trying to end her life.
I was so young I didnât quite know what was happening, but I did know that she wasnât breathing.
It was the four of us, and we were crying our eyes out hoping she would wake up.
âPlease wake up,â I said as tears fell down my cheeks.
Please wake up.
We were just kids.
Experiencing these kinds of moments at such a young age is hard.
Normally, kids and families shower each other with love and affection, have family picnics with friends and relatives, enjoy their childhood, and not have to face the harsh realities of death, sadness, depression, and loneliness at a young age.
My mother faced many demons, many of which I didnât know about till much later.
While growing up, we lived through an extremely difficult childhood as my father would constantly scream and shout at us while our mother would guzzle her favorite alcoholic beverage every night.
And after that, my dad would go on to scream at our mother, which then our mother would scream right back at us. It was a vicious cycle.
Every day felt like misery.
There were so many memories of me crying in my bed, praying I wouldnât be screamed at again. My siblings went through the exact emotions â we were in constant fear.
You never forget.
Those memories will forever remain
As I’ve gotten older, those memories have never disappeared.
Sometimes, those memories motivate me to do more and persevere. Other times, those memories drag me down. I’m human.
My mother ended up suddenly passing away 18 years ago while I was still in high school.
I was right beside her to witness her breathe her final breath. Down to the last hour and last minute.
It was painful.
You’re not alone
For those who have experienced something similar, just know that I empathize with you.
Although you may not hear it every day, you’re loved and cared for. This world can be very misunderstanding, but know that there are many, many others out there just like you.
You’re not alone.
You will persevere.
You will get through this.
Have you experienced something similar in your life?
I recently finished reading âDrivenâ, an autobiography by Larry Miller.
Itâs a powerful story of a man who climbed through the ashes, worked inhumanely hard (100-hour workweeks for years), and rose to become an extremely rich man.
The problem?
It all came at the expense of his health and family.
He worked years on end, that eventually his health succumbed to itsâ effects.
He would end up dying from health complications as a result.
What itâs all about
Driven is the autobiography of Larry Miller, a Car Parts Manager turned Entrepreneur whose net worth would eventually hit more than $500MM by the time of his passing.
Despite his incredible entrepreneurial success driven by a work ethic thatâs unheard of, he was also a very generous and giving person.
What struck me about Miller as we talked over the course of many months is that his entrepreneurial career wasnât fueled as much by money as it was by a sense of duty and community. He saw himself as a bridge builderâanother appellation he embracedâsomeone who could organize efforts between people and organizations to make things happen.
But you might be wondering.
Why was he like this?
A large part was due to his upbringing (was kicked out at a young age and couldnât understand why), and his anxious need to care for his family.
Here I was, soon to be 27 years old, married, with two children and one on the way, and I was responsible for raising and supporting those children, providing food and shelter and college and housing and much more, while preparing for old age and retirement, and I realized I had nothing to fall back on.
It was at this critical moment he decided he had to be great at something in order to achieve financial security, not only for himself but for his family.
I decided I had to be extremely good at something, and the thing I was best at was being a Toyota parts manager. That night I worked until 10:00. It was the start of my 90-hour-a-week work schedule.
All in all, that work ethic and drive would lead him to purchase the Jazz basketball team, open multiple car dealerships, and have legacy wealth.
The key message
Achieving incredible (financial) success requires an unimaginable work ethic.
But it could come at a cost â your health and your family.
Be wary of the lessons from Larry Miller and decide when enough is enough.
Why I loved it
The book is written very clearly and concisely.
It also contains Gailâs â Larryâs wife â post thoughts, which are insightful and you get to understand her position through it all.
Most of all, it was relatable.
Itâs a great reminder success has a cost and can burden those we love around us.
Why you should read it
This book is long.
But thankfully, each chapter is very short â about 5-10 minutes long.
Each chapter is packed with key insights and stories that you can take away for yourself.
Most importantly, itâs a great reminder of focusing on what matters to us â family, health, etc.
Memorable quotes
What struck me about Miller as we talked over the course of many months is that his entrepreneurial career wasnât fueled as much by money as it was by a sense of duty and community. He saw himself as a bridge builderâanother appellation he embracedâsomeone who could organize efforts between people and organizations to make things happen.
Did you know that he worked six days a week, dawn to bedtime, for 20 years and missed his childrenâs youth, and that it was his greatest regret?
His body finally organized a boycott to slow his pace. A heart attack was followed by kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and other problems associated with diabetes.
Larry listened intensely and sympathetically, trying to understand and get to know the person.
People ask me if I set out with a plan. No way. The chain of events that began my entrepreneurial career was sparked by three failures: I dropped out of college, got laid off, and got demoted.
She did everything quietly, with no complaint. I couldnât have done what I did if she had been nagging me and not minding the home front.
I didnât really learn much the first couple of times I was mistreated by employers, but the third and fourth time it happened, it really sank in. I remember thinking that if I ever got my shot at being a general manager or owner, I would treat my employees better than that, because I know how it feels to work hard and do a good job and then have my employer fail to live up to promises, even though I had helped make him profitable.
Initially, it was fear that drove me to work those 90 hours a week for 20 yearsâthis overwhelming feeling of being responsible for the needs of my wife and children and not having a college degree to fall back on.
When we returned to Utah, I had saved $88,000âwhich I used to buy my first car dealership. By saving that money, I was able to start my own business, and everything in my professional and entrepreneurial career began with that purchase.
He was afraid if he changed into a person who wanted worldly things heâd lose sight of the reason he had money, which was to help people.
âWe all stood around him and said our good-byes,â says Gail. âHe took a deep breath and sighed and then he was gone. A tear fell from his left eye.â
Gail picked out a plot that she could see from her bedroom, and every day she looks out to gaze down at Larryâs gravesite. There you are and here I am, she finds herself thinking; after all these years together, weâre still close.
Now, itâs Larry who is waiting for Gail to come home.
