Just a reminder that today is the VERY LAST DAY to sign up for Create Passive Profits!

Create Passive Profits class starts on Monday! So excited!!

I recorded a welcome video for all the new students to know what to expect – and I’d like to share it with you all as well, in case you’re still on the fence, not sure if it’s a good fit for you, and would like to know what to expect during the course.

Click here to view this video on Vimeo.

Happy Weekend all!

 

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I’d love to invite you to join us in the new 4-week long Create Passive Profits workshop, where I will teach you to take your ideas, talents and passions, and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream.

This is the very last DAY to register for Create Passive Profits – so snag your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!

I was having a conversation with a friend who’s a wedding photographer – and she was saying as much as she loves her career and business, some days it feels so predictable, and sometimes it feels like she’s on auto-pilot. I know I’ve felt like this before. Goodness, I’ve been a graphic and web designer for over 14 years professionally, and over that time, even though some things have changed – a lot has also stayed the same.

It’s easy to get too comfortable in your role and to start to feel unchallenged as an artist – or really as a person.

So is it creative burnout? I don’t really think your creative tank is EMPTY. I think it’s creative auto-pilot – I think there’s lots of creativity still in there. Since I have been doing this for long, I’ve had to come up with new ways to make it fresh. Here’s some of my ideas for you, if you feel like you’re in a creative rut or that you’re burned out.

1. Passion projects

This is my favorite go-to for when I feel burned out. It’s almost like taking an old car out for a drive. I need a little recharge of my battery, and to push those challenging high speeds for a moment to remind myself that I can. Passion projects can be paid or not paid. Personally I prefer the paid kind (like passive income projects), but I don’t always go that route. Sometimes I just devote my time and energy into a side project. Maybe it’s planning an event, starting a community or group meet up, or maybe it’s planting a vegetable garden. Maybe it’s redesigning a room in your house, or maybe it’s taking up knitting. Whatever it is – it takes you mentally AWAY from your bread and butter and allows you to use some under-utilized creative muscles.

2. Learning

This another favorite go-to: learning. I love to digest new information. I love learning about new experiences, new people, or new things. I love expanding my knowledge and feeling that ah-ha moment about something totally foreign to me. This can be cross-promotional (meaning it helps your career) or not. It can be totally something that has nothing to do with what you do. All that matters is that you are passionate about it, and like learning it. This can be a simple as reading a book, or as elaborate as planning a trip to attend a workshop or seminar. I try to make it to at least one workshop or seminar a year. I love travel in theory, but executing it takes some work with a family. Last year we did a lot of traveling, in prep for this new baby coming. So this year I’m doing more from home learning – which is totally fun too! As long as you feel like you’re growing, that’s all that matters.

3. Simplifying

This can be the hardest of the three – but sometimes it’s most needed. Sometimes we need to EDIT. It may be time to prune your business or life. You could be burned out because you don’t like your offerings – or maybe you like some, but not all of them. Now is the time to see what you love about what you do – and what you could live without. I’m a huge fan of narrowing your market and also your offerings. I’m also a big fan of saying NO and getting rid of things. When you get rid of things – it also makes more room for new things. I’m currently working on launching a new design offering (something that isn’t out there right now but there is a huge need/market for) for Love-Inspired when I return from maternity leave – but it will mean me taking less business from another area. (To answer your question, I’m still not sure what I’m ditching – but rest assured I’ll have to ditch something.) Try getting rid of the things you don’t LOVE and filling that space with more that you do LOVE. Check out the YES list if you need a reminder of the things you LOVE.

 

Not sure if it’s the weather, or the time of year, or a mixture of the two, but I hear a lot of creative people struggling with burnout right now. I’d love to encourage you today to share this with a friend (share buttons at the end of this post) who you know may be struggling with this. Try one or all of these ideas, and let me know if it helped your burnout!

 

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Reminder – Create Passive Profits starts NEXT WEEK! I’d love to invite you to join us in the new 4-week long Create Passive Profits workshop, where I will teach you to take your ideas, talents and passions, and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream.

This is the very last week to register for Create Passive Profits – so snag your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!

Got 5 minutes?

Today I’d like to share a few SIMPLE steps that you can do RIGHT now – to get more done today. This will take you 5 minutes or less and might make a huge difference in your day. Why not give it a shot?

• Step 1:

Take out 2 blank sheets of paper and your favorite pen. Grab the first blank sheet. Take 1 or 2 minutes to write out everything you could work on today, or need to work on today.

• Step 2:

Pick 3 things – the top 3 things that HAVE to get done today, put a star next to them.

• Step 3:

Pick 2 more things that COULD get done today if you have some more time, put an arrow next to them.

• Step 4:

Grab the second blank sheet of paper, write down what time it is. Pick the easiest/quickest thing on your starred 3 list, write it down, and get started.

• Step 5:
  

When you’ve finished that, physically check it off or cross it out. Then do the same thing with the 2nd starred thing on your list. Write down the time you get started, and get started.

 

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Repeat this with your 3rd starred thing, and if you don’t get to anything else, pat yourself on the back for getting 3 top things done today. If you have extra time and/or you’re on a roll, take the next 2 arrowed things on your list and follow the above!

 

The ideas behind this:

• A lot of us overfill our plate, get overwhelmed, and then start stalling. By choosing only 3 things to get done, you automatically focus in on 3 doable things – it’s an okay amount to chew without getting overwhelmed.

• The idea of writing down the time you get started, starts the clock, and gets you aware of time spent. Time is now ticking and you’re counting. This allows your mind to laser focus in and give yourself an actual starting point. It’s like the gun going off signalling the start of a race.

• Picking the easiest thing to start with builds momentum, makes you want to continue to conquer more, and you don’t tire out on your first task.

• Crossing an item on the list, builds confidence in the fact that you are really seeing progress.

 

Easy peasy? Give it a shot, and let me know what you think!

 

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Reminder – Create Passive Profits starts NEXT WEEK! I’d love to invite you to join us in the new 4-week long Create Passive Profits workshop, where I will teach you to take your ideas, talents and passions, and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream.

This is the very last week to register for Create Passive Profits – so snag your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!

This is the fourth post in a series on new idea fear busting. In Create Passive Profits, we are going to start the course by pushing past the fears that have stopped us in the past. In this series, I’d like to dispel some fears here on the DLP blog, to encourage you to start those things you’ve been dreaming about.

New idea fear busting #4: I don’t have enough time

Ah, the fear I hear most often that stops people from going after their dreams. There are many misconceptions about time, and I’d like to squash some of those here.

• Who said you needed full-time hours to make money?

Who said you needed 40 hours a week to develop a company? Because you don’t. You only need little scraps of time here and there. Think about if you started today, just 10 minutes a day, to learn Spanish. Guess what would happen? You’d learn Spanish! It’s as simple as taking the time you can, and taking action towards it.

• Think of how you’re currently wasting time

Chances are, there’s something you’re doing (or many things you’re doing) that are a waste of your time and your resources. You are probably just in a routine and you haven’t even thought about why you are continuing to do it. If you truly audit your day – you’ll find there’s a lot of things that YOU don’t really need to be doing. Feel free to quit things that are extra or are just there. Simplify and you’ll find a bunch of free time you didn’t even know existed.

• All time is not created equal

An hour of work doesn’t have to be an hour of work. An hour of work can equal 100 hours of work. What do I mean? When you create passive or re-occuring income, one hour of your work can translate to countless hours of repeat business. If you set up a system that is automated or scalable – your time can be invested instead of just spent. See my blog about passive income for more explanation.

• Work doesn’t have to feel like work

When you are doing what you love – where do you draw the line between a hobby/play and work? I love this quote by James Michener:

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide if he’s working or playing. To him he’s always doing both.”

So perhaps your hobby/free time can cross over into work time. Maybe you can be making money while you’re having fun. We all have time for that, right?

 

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If you haven’t already – read new idea fear busting #1 – it’s already been done, new idea fear busting #2 – I’m not {blank} enough and new idea fear busting #3 – someone will steal my idea. I’d also love to invite you to join us in the new Create Passive Profits workshop, where you can take these ideas and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream. Registration is now open – so snag your spot, class starts very soon!!

This is the third post in a series on new idea fear busting. In Create Passive Profits, we are going to start the course by pushing past the fears that have stopped us in the past. In this series, I’d like to dispel some fears here on the DLP blog, to encourage you to start those things you’ve been dreaming about.

New idea fear busting #3: Someone will STEAL my idea

I don’t take this fear lightly. It’s a very real fear – copying exists today more than ever. But we don’t need to fear it, or worry about it.

• You will ALWAYS be the genuine article

Ray Kroc – founder of McDonalds said this:

“We can invent faster than they can steal”.

How true is that. You will always be one step ahead – you will always be the innovator. You will always be able to tout being the “Original” and you will always be able to charge a premium for your quality. The good news, is they can not make it as good as you, because you will always be one step ahead of them.

• Worry is a waste of your precious time

It sucks, and it hurts to be copied. People say it’s the highest form of flattery – but I would beg to say it’s the highest form of a slap in the face! Haha. The good news is, they aren’t worth worrying about most of the time. Even if you decided to litigate – there are always those overseas companies that can skirt around the law. Don’t waste time going backwards – instead, send your C&D orders – and continue innovating.

• Rest easy knowing they will ultimately fail

Copycats never thrive. They are bottom feeders and will always be leeching off of someone else. Copying is a weak business model that’s built on quicksand. You know it and they know it. Be happy that you are on the winning end of the stick.

• They can NEVER be you

You make a great product – and knock it out of the park. Put your heart and soul in – and have a GREAT time doing it. They can never be you.

 

Don’t let copycats stop you from getting your dream. You deserve to produce your idea and get it recognized. Forget them and keep being amazing!

 

 

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If you haven’t already – read new idea fear busting #1 – it’s already been done, and new idea fear busting #2 – I’m not {blank} enough. I’ll be posting more new idea fear busting this week. I’d also love to invite you to join us in the new Create Passive Profits workshop, where you can take these ideas and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream. Registration is now open – so snag your spot before it’s sold out!

This is the second post in a series on new idea fear busting. In Create Passive Profits, we are going to start the course by pushing past the fears that have stopped us in the past. In this series, I’d like to dispel some fears here on the DLP blog, to encourage you to start those things you’ve been dreaming about.

New idea fear busting #2: I’m not {blank} enough

We really seem to psyche ourselves OUT of the good ideas, don’t we? There are lots of excuses we give ourselves about why we aren’t enough to pursue our idea. I’d love to debunk some of these now.

• I’m not EDUCATED enough

Why is it that we all think we need degrees in anything we do? Maybe it’s the old school way of doing things. It’s never been easier in history to learn how to do something. Hey, I even have a couple degrees in graphic design – but I know a LOT of my colleagues don’t. Since I worked very hard for it, I’m proud of it. But guess what? On the web – no one really cares. I don’t think people hire me because I have a degree – they hire me because they like what I produce, and they know that I can help them. No one cares about your background – they only care if and how you can help them. It’s really, really true.

• I’m not OLD enough, or YOUNG enough

This can be added on to the above – the web is the great equalizer, and nobody cares how old you are. The web is completely merit-based. Age just doesn’t matter anymore. And if for some reason, your ideal clients are looking for age – they are going to be your same age. So even if that is a factor (which it’s probably not) then there will be an audience and market just like you. Maybe that’s part of your niche – and that’s okay too! It’s just a selling point instead, and no reason to be afraid.

• I’m not TECHY enough

Simple software solutions are constantly being built for those who aren’t as technically inclined – as well learning programs for those who want to learn how. You can learn just about ANYTHING on the web these days. And even for free if you’re willing to dig. There’s no excuse any more – they are breaking down the tech barriers as we speak.

• I’m not RICH enough

I have some REALLY great news for you. Remember how I said it’s never been easier in history to learn something? Well it’s also never been cheaper to sell something. Informational products especially are DIRT cheap to produce – and the profit margins are close to 100%. You can get a site started with everything you need for less than $100 these days. You absolutely do not need a lot of money to start your idea. Even sites like Kickstarter.com and Indigogo.com make it easy to gain funding if your project does need it.

So have I convinced you that you are enough? Well, of course you are. You are amazing and ONE of a kind!

 

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If you haven’t already – read new idea fear busting #1 – it’s already been done. I’ll be posting more new idea fear busting this week and next week. I’d also love to invite you to join us in the new Create Passive Profits workshop, where you can take these ideas and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream. Early-bird Registration is now open – so snag your spot TODAY before the price goes up to the regular rate on Monday!

I’ve written a lot about fighting fear on this blog – and for good reason. Fear stops great ideas from happening – and worse – it stops great DREAMS from happening. In Create Passive Profits, we are going to start the course by pushing past the fears that have stopped us in the past. Over the next couple weeks I’d like to dispel some fears here on the DLP blog, to encourage you to start those things you’ve been dreaming about.

New idea fear busting #1: “It’s been done already”

Perhaps you’re afraid your idea has already been taken – or more broadly, all the good ideas have been taken. It’s not true, and let’s talk about why.

• No one else is YOU

You know this is true, but I think we forget just how special we are sometimes. There is not one other person on this planet that’s exactly like you. You are a totally unique blend of your personality, your thoughts, and your experiences. Nobody will have your exact take on things. YOU are what makes your product/information/service different. Don’t forget it.

• People love to collect things – they own more than one of everything to round it out

People almost always own more than one of something. Because products/information/services vary so much, they will probably own a few. They will all have different features and perhaps they can be used in tandem with each other. And if they love your product – you want them to order more than one, and to share it with their friends! There are more than enough interested parties to go around.

• It’s MUCH easier to enter a market that already exists

Can you imagine how difficult it was for Steve Jobs to sell desktop computers when he first started out? I recently watched the movie “Jobs” and it detailed how he had to cold call people and explain the benefits of having a home computer. Being the first in the industry is back-breaking work. Who says we even want that, right? Wouldn’t we rather head down a paved road? I know I would.

• If you don’t do it, someone else will

How many times have we heard someone say about a new invention – “I thought of that years ago!!” – but they did not do anything about it. The problem with great ideas is they do have expiration dates – because someone will eventually come to the same conclusion. If you don’t do it – someone else will. Why not have it be you?

 

Last thought today: in this world of “I’ve already seen it on Pinterest” – it’s easy to get discouraged. There is something to be said about personal interpretation of an idea. The world may miss out on your take of a cool idea – don’t let it discourage you! Seek out your dreams anyway!

 

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Stay tuned! I’ll be posting more new idea fear busting this week and next week. I’d also love to invite you to join us in the new Create Passive Profits workshop, where you can take these ideas and monetize them to create a passive revenue stream. Early-bird Registration is now open – so snag your spot TODAY before the price goes up to the regular rate next Monday!

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Create a revenue stream that’s not dependent on your time, and is tailored for the CREATIVE business entrepreneur.

Create Passive Profits is a 4-week, online course to help you develop a system to create passive income, so that you are no longer exchanging time for money. Create Passive Profits will help you identify profitable and passive revenue streams to add to your offerings, so that you can free up your time and energy for the things you love. Create Passive Profits will help you decide which information or products are perfect for creative entrepreneurs, how to develop them to their full potential, and start making profits RIGHT AWAY.

Passive income is money that’s created without extensive effort, that can be re-used or resold for reoccurring income. Once it’s developed, and systems are automated, you are no longer limited by time and your sales can exponentially grow with little effort. Create Passive Profits gives you the tools to work less hours and still do what you love!

Are you a creative who:

• Understands the value of passive profits, but has no idea how to implement them in a creative business?
• Is afraid of relying too heavily on your current clients or getting new clients for income and stability?
• Finds your revenue is limited because you only have so many hours in a day?
• Feels like you have more information or skills to offer the world, but can’t find the time to figure it all out?
• Would love a flexible schedule and more free time?
• Wants to diversify your income in case you ever need time off?

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Perhaps you are getting busier than ever before, and you are SERIOUSLY worried about sustainability. Maybe you’re feeling limited in how much income you can earn in your current role and with your current offerings. Possibly you’re like most of us, and feel like your true potential isn’t being utilized, but you’re stuck on how to start. This robust e-course will give you the ideas and tools to help you define the perfect passive income offerings FOR YOU, and walk you through the steps on how to start offering them, in just 4 weeks!

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Would you like to:

• Reduce your client dependency?
• Build a healthy and more consistent cash flow?
• Create endless revenue stream potential?
• Use 100% of your creative potential and feel TOTALLY inspired?
• Broaden your audience and cross-promotional opportunities?
• Have FUN?

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Each week, you’ll get:

• Comprehensive training videos for each lesson (approximately 15 – 30 minutes long, Mondays and Wednesdays)
• The video lesson in on Vimeo – Mobile-friendly
• Worksheets and examples to help you apply the techniques to your business
• Action steps so you can get actually develop your system as you go
• Teacher feedback, and fellow student feedback

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Week 1: Smart Passive Income and How it Will Work for YOU

In the first week, you will learn all about passive income and reoccurring revenue streams. You will learn about the different types, including the two major groups, and also some little known others. You will get a great overview of all the possibilities and EXACTLY what it will mean for your business (and for you). We will get you fired up to start this new path by hitting the ground running

Week 2: Identifying Your Direction and YOUR Unique Offerings

In the second week, you will learn how to discover the direction you’d like to take your profits, and exactly how you’re going to do it. I will help you identify what brings you JOY and what ignites your best work. You will learn how to identify market gaps, and what your ideal clients are looking for. You will discover the products or information THEY crave and you will fill the niche and in turn, be able to charge a premium for it.

Week 3: Focusing on Informational Offerings + Taking Action

In the third week, you will learn how all about the potential of informational offerings and how they can create massive revenue streams. I will show you how to use your expertise and smarts to leverage information that others will pay a large premium for. I will show you how to create these offerings, how to price them, and how they can be reused over and over and continually make profits. You will learn how to continue this path and keep creating amazing offerings that blow them out of the water, every time. You will learn how to effectively market your offerings for amazing results.

Week 4: Focusing on Product Offerings + Taking Action

In the fourth week, you will learn how to all about product offerings – both physical and digital. I will show you how to use your strengths and intuition to create products that people love and can’t stop raving about to their friends. You will learn about resources on where to sell your products for maximum profits. You will learn what’s involved in product selling and what will truly make your products stand out from all the others.

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Design Life Project is taught by Graphic and Web Designer Cathy Olson, owner of the design studio Love-Inspired. She has over 14 years experience as a professional graphic designer, and has worked with a range of businesses – big ones like Disney, Costco, Best Buy and Walmart – to small ones like work-from-home moms, working from a desk and a laptop in the wee hours. Cathy started her own design business over 6 years ago, and in that time has helped hundreds of businesses find their authentic voice through exploration, social media, marketing, graphics, and web. She has dealt first-hand with the juggling a thriving business, being a mom to a growing family, and personal goals. She’s determined to work less and play more – all while cultivating her thirst for art, helping others and using God-given talents. She’s experienced in business, marketing and strategy and LOVES continually learning and teaching others to work less and make more. This class is perfect for designers, photographers, artists and creatives who want to have more free time, have a monetarily healthy and rewarding business, become independent in your business and truly help brighten others lives with your gifts.

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Let’s FINALLY free up your time, and work smarter to make more money with LESS effort. There is a lot of corporate information out there on passive income, but it’s hard to figure out how to apply it to CREATIVE businesses. You will finally be able to identify a clear route towards developing a passive revenue stream JUST FOR YOU. You will learn how to develop the information and products that people WANT from you.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I’m so busy. Can I register, but start it later when I know things will have quietened down? The course spans over 4 weeks and is very robust. Each week we will have lessons and worksheets, and you can do them in your spare time. You will also have access to the private Facebook group to bounce your ideas off of. We are packing a lot of information into 4 weeks, so you can absolutely take longer at each step if you need to. You will be able to download all the content and access the course site for at least three months after the program finishes.

What kind of teaching can I expect in the course? What’s included? The Create Passive Profits e-course is content and resource rich. Enrolling in Create Passive Profits includes full access to the online classroom, video tutorials, Q&A and worksheets to identify your unique offerings, as well as access to a private Facebook group where you can connect and share with your classmates and get feedback directly from Cathy. After 4 weeks, you will have the potential to start developing your products right away.

When does the class start? Registration opens February 24, 2014! Class begins Monday March 24, 2014. You’ll be able to download all content and access the course site for at least three months after the program finishes.

Does the course meet at a certain time? Does it matter what part of the world I’m in? Create Passive Profits is a virtual course, you can participate from anywhere at anytime! Lessons will be posted online throughout the week, and you can log into the course at any time to view them.

How much time can I expect to spend on the course? You’ll get new content on the course site throughout the week, M-F. We’ll start with a lesson, then a worksheet, some observation and testing, and then end the week with resources to explore on your own. You can expect to spend anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes reviewing the content and completing the exercises and work for the class each day, depending on the length of the lesson. Some people may work through the content more quickly, and others may want to spend more time. All the content will help you develop your personalized plan by the end of the Create Passive Profits e-course.

How are payments handled? Payment is securely processed via PayPal and can be made using your PayPal balance or credit card. Please note that all course correspondence will be sent to the email address associated with your PayPal account. To use a different email address, please forward your PayPal invoice to cathy@love-inspired.com.

Other questions? Email me at cathy@love-inspired.

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