Presenting Corey Knight

You have come into a hard world. I know of only one easy place in it, and that is the grave. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Life is hard and will always be. This came to me yesterday talking to someone that I looked up to, who is letting life get in the way of his talent. For the past few years of my life things have been good and bad, and honestly that is just the way it goes. If you’re waiting for a particular time in your life for things to ease up so you can go after your dreams, you will be waiting until they close the casket. The saying “Life gets in the way” is an excuse for laziness. Unless you hit the lottery or receive some kind of settlement, where you’re at in life right now is what you have that’s it. Now what are you going to do with it? When we started Art-n-Hustle I was out of work for 6 months and no job in site. During that period of time building the company, it made me realize many things but 2 gems will stick with me forever.

You always have time: Sleep is important don’t get me wrong this is something that I’m learning but you don’t need 8 hours EVERY night. Most of us waste a lot of time on futile things like twitter, facebook and TV. If you’re really honest with yourself and look at the time you spend on these things, you will see how much free time you have.  This is time that can be spent developing your craft, networking, anything that will progress your brand and or business.

You don’t need money for everything: I know you need money to make money but that is not necessarily true for everything. A great mentor of mine asked me a question that put a lot into perspective. He said “You need money? No problem; however what are you going to do with my money? How are you going to turn my 10,000 in to 20,000?” Basically what he was getting at is, where is your plan? You may say if I only had 20,000 I could do this or that, but do you really know what you would do? What’s your first, second, and third step? If you can’t tell me what you would do with a lump sum of money why would anyone give you any? MAKE A BUSINESS PLAN! All it cost is your time, time that you should be willing to invest.

By Corey Knight or Art-n-Hustle | Follow me on Twitter

andrewjpollard:

             

I got a promotion today, and it feels great to be recognized for all the hard work, dedication and vision I have for my job. I have been reflection on the past 12 months and realizing how incredible life is, and how it somehow manages to bring you what you truly believe in. I feel fortunate to have a very clear idea of what it is I want to achieve professionally, and seeing it come to fruition is quiet a uniquely magical experience.

I have 5 guiding principals that I apply to anything I do professionally;

Innovation - I have to be creating something new & interesting, not following. This approach always keeps me stretching and searching for ways to excel. 

Quality - Its all in the details of a product or service, & that doesn’t mean it has to expensive. Your brand is defined by your commitment to quality

People - I thrive on finding the true potential in others, by helping them see their own beauty and grace. People are the most valuable asset a company has, never forget it.

Contribution - Giving is the essence to life, & adding something of value to the world is so much more enjoyable than taking from it. Community is our human way.

Money - Its just a score card. The more you make, the more power you have, therefore the more opportunity to make a positive difference in this world.

AjP

Martin was a scrawny kid when he was in high school. He wasn’t that tall and he wasn’t that strong. He didn’t excel at any athletic activities and was an average student. By normal high school rules, Martin would be considered a target. A target for bullies, a target for ribbing from other students or even teachers.

But no one laid a finger on Martin. Not ever. And the reason was simple. Everyone liked Martin because he was funny. If anything, people enjoyed having him in their class – students and teachers alike.

Something deep inside Martin’s brain knew he couldn’t compete on a physical level or academic level so, in order to survive high school, he developed a fantastic sense of humor.  Now, as an adult, we refer to Martin’s sense of humor as his gift.

I grew up with ADD and thank goodness no one diagnosed it. If they had, I wouldn’t have been forced to learn the skills to survive. Unable to focus, I too had to learn how to get through high school. My still-forming mind and personality could have taken me in two different directions – I could have become a victim of my weaknesses or I could figure out a way around it.

At an early age I learned to help others. I had to…I needed their help in return. I learned to talk, develop a charm and a curiosity for what others were doing. It wasn’t an option. If I didn’t do the reading for my English class because I couldn’t focus long enough to get it done (no matter how much my parents yelled at me to concentrate) I’d still need to know what the reading was about for class the next day. So I’d ask someone…and we’d talk about it.

It was because I lacked a natural ability to focus that I learned to spend more time talking about subjects instead of reading about them. I had to. Without it, I’d fail. This survival skill carried me through college also. I rarely cut class in college. If I didn’t go to class, I’d have to read the books and that would be the end for me. I spent hours talking to colleagues and professors after class - learning. And thank goodness I did…because I don’t think I read a single book in college.

As an adult nobody looks at my skills as survival skills, they look at me and say “what a talent you have.” When we’re young, the things we learn in order to survive become our talents when we’re adults.

Richard Branson suffered from terrible dyslexia as a boy. As an adult, we hail his ability to rally people and solve problems. A “talent” he freely admits was born out of a need to survive as a kid.

The greatest thing any parent or teacher can give a child is the support to solve their own problems. The goal is not to force a kid who struggles to work harder at being like everyone else. The goal is help a kid who struggles to find a workaround for the specific thing that’s holding them back. The skills our children learn to overcome adversity when they are young will become their talents when they are older. And it is these talents that will invent and build the products and companies that will help and inspire the rest of us when they’re older.