Startup Life Hacks | Business and Life Advice | Founders | Entrepreneurship

YEAR IN REVIEW 2015! Welcome to Startup Life Hacks 2015, year in review! First of all I want to thank each and every one of you for having me in your ears while your driving, cooking, doing the dishes, or whatever you are doing to absorb the content. For subscribing, for sending in the great reviews. I’m doing this for YOU. I apologize for the delayed episode, but there were a lot of events this holiday season that left me out of my studio, aka my room, which involved going to LA to pick up my parents that flew in from Japan, non-stop family gatherings, and also recovering from a stomach bug that’s been going around lately in San Diego. Oh and also falling 13,000 feet in the sky, but more on that later. WHY? This is a special episode not only because it will be my last episode of this calendar year, but this will also be my first episode reflecting on this year’s accomplishments, failures, and lessons learned. Something that I feel like everyone should do even if you don’t have a business. It’s good to reflect and look back at what you’ve accomplished to see where you’ve come from and how far you’ve come since then. Now is the best time ever as we’re entering the New Year, 2016. I’ve seen some podcasters and bloggers do this and I think this was usually their best episode/blog to listen to. Mainly because it really makes it humbling to know that they are going through the same challenges I am facing as I’m running my business and I can learn a lot from their trials and errors, as well as tips on what I can do in the future to further my business. And that’s what I wanted to provide to you, and I hope you walk out of here with a few takeaways before this episode is over. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN In this episode you will know a little bit more about me, in case you haven’t listened to my awful first episode. How I started with podcasting earlier this February to this current episode and everything in between. And a little bonus! What’s in store for Startup Life Hacks for 2016! BACKGROUND So a quick background about me. I am a Master’s of Engineering student in Electrical Engineering at San Diego State University. Go AZTECS! [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/sdsu.gif] I was born in the Philippines, but raised here in San Diego, part of the reason why I’ve lost my accent and adopted the California tongue. I grew up very traditional. I was taught the traditional values of going to school and getting good grades to get a safe and secure job with benefits. Stay with the company for 20 years to get a pension to live a “comfortable” life. Sound familiar? I’m not saying that this is a bad route to take, because most people take this route. I’m just saying that I found out later that this was not the route for me. And seeing as though you are listening to this podcast, we are on the same boat. SCHOOL I’ve always felt that I would fuse technology and business together and make a living out of it. I was always good at math at a young age (In fact I was usually first to complete the multiplication table in elementary school whenever we had a contest). times-table-12x12 [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/times-table-12x12-300x222.gif] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/times-table-12x12.gif] And even though I was a shy kid while growing up, I had a good sense of putting things where they need to be visually. Not many people know this, but I was originally a Marketing Major my Freshman year of college, hoping to be the next real estate Mogul. It wasn’t until I took a one year leave of absence after the first year and returned to college, when I took a pivot and switched to electrical engineering to put my math to good use. TWO COMPANIES Between that change to earlier this year was a crazy one. I tried starting two companies. The first was a shopping cart theft prevention company we called Find Cart. Placed top 3 in a business plan competition with no prior business experience. That didn’t continue on after my partners and me won. The second was a mobile gaming company I called The Don Studios, where I repurpose game apps and send them over to iTunes using the freemium model. Meaning free to download, but extra bonuses you can unlock by purchasing coins or credits. The first app being a Twerking Running Game, inspired by Miley Cyrus’ shocking 2013 VMA performance. Super-Twerk-iphone5-kiss [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Super-Twerk-iphone5-kiss-300x169.jpg] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Super-Twerk-iphone5-kiss.jpg] Super-Twerk-iphone5-title [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Super-Twerk-iphone5-title-300x169.jpg] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Super-Twerk-iphone5-title.jpg] Hahah I don’t even think it’s in the app store any more. That failed as well, although there were plenty of lessons learned. PODCASTING Fast forward to earlier this year to my podcasting business. I decided to take some fun classes that interested me. I tried to take a Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship course, aside from taking engineering courses, but the system wouldn’t allow me to add the class to my schedule. But once I talked with the professor, she allowed me to crash and sit through the class everyday. I took notes and participated in every assignment and project. One of the projects was to interview a Startup Founder around the community and discuss about how that person became an entrepreneur and what steps he took to get to where he was at. After everyone presented their findings toward the end of the semester, I saw everyone’s eyes light up with ideas on how they can innovate and start companies of their own. That’s when I had the idea for the podcast. I wanted to have the same effect and inspire others in a larger scale, and I chose podcasting as my medium. I chose podcasting because you can connect with the listener better, obviously through myself and the guest’s voice to the listener’s ear. You can hear the passion through their voice, you can hear how excited they are about their business. That was something that I wanted to capture. NO EXPERIENCE I had no journalism experience prior to this, so I started from the ground up. I didn’t know what equipment to use, how to get guests, I was nervous, I was afraid, but I was excited. Because I get to go out of my comfort zone, and do something that excites me. THE BEGINNING The first step I took was sought out mentors or people that I can learn from. I knew that one of the podcasts I listened to, EntrepreneurOnFire with John Lee Dumas, he had a podcasting course which allowed you to learn how to podcast and go from zero to launch in no time, called Podcaster’s Paradise. PP [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PP-300x122.png] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/PP.png] And so I invested money into that course to learn how to podcast. And here’s what I like to do. Whenever I think about doing something I make the initial investment right then and there. That way I don’t over think it and psyche myself out. This goes for anything, when I plan on going to conferences, vacations, take courses online. Also, be mindful, during this period I was working full-time as a technician at Qualcomm, and also going to graduate school. So I had some extra cash to spend on self-development. This is also a tip I have for you. Set some money aside every year for self-development and to learn something new. Learn from people who have been where you want to be. Learn from their mistakes You can save so much more money by avoiding those simple mistakes by investing time and money learning every year. TIME TO RECORD I didn’t really start podcasting until early June of this year. I had the whole summer to myself with no distractions from school so it was the perfect time to get things settled before I launch the first day of school. I had gotten acquainted with the equipment watching tutorials online and through the course, set my website, and now time to record my first episode…episode 000 QUITTING…ALMOST I never really listened to myself until this moment. I remember listening to myself thinking… “DO I REALLY SOUND LIKE THIS?” And quite frankly, this was one of the moments when I wanted to quit, and I hadn’t even launched yet! I had what people called “The Imposter Syndrome.” Who am I to start this podcast? Who am I to do something outside of what I was taught at school? Where I already invested years and student loans paying for? SOLUTION? So what did any college student do at that moment? Called up a group of my buddies and went to a bar in Pacific Beach. pb [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/pb-300x200.jpeg] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/pb.jpeg] Not gonna lie, it felt like the right decision at that time. But I knew I was only stalling and I needed to get back to work. I needed to remember why I started this podcast in the first place. So I sucked it up and started recording. It wasn’t perfect, in fact I was embarrassed, still embarrassed by my first episode. There’s a famous quote by Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn “IF YOU ARE NOT EMBARRASSED BY THE FIRST VERSION OF YOUR PRODUCT, YOU’VE LAUNCHED TOO LATE.” Think about that. GUESTS The first run of guests was easy to find. I interviewed my previous boss from a startup I worked for in the past, Braydon Moreno from Robo3D EP 001: CREATING A HARDWARE COMPANY USING 3D PRINTING W/ BRAYDON MORENO [http://startuplifehacks.com/braydonmoreno/] My friend and personal trainer Justin Ayres from Ripe EP 002: YOU MEAN, I CAN’T HAVE A GYM THERE? PERSISTENCE W/ JUSTIN AYRES [http://startuplifehacks.com/justinayres/] Also my old classmate from undergrad Drew Haines, that started a software company, called Devco. EP 004: FROM BEER PONG SURFBOARD TABLES TO SOFTWARE GURU W/ DREW HAINES [http://startuplifehacks.com/drewhaines/] All had inspiring stories that I wanted to share with, You. The rest of the guests came from references, attending meetups, going to conferences and events. You can hear how I met these guests in the beginning of each episode. There’s always an opportunity out there, you just have to go out there and get it. A CLOSED MOUTH NEVER GETS FED IS ALSO WHAT I LIVE BY. LESSONS I’ve learned a great deal from these entrepreneurs, and I can’t thank them enough for taking the time out of their busy schedules to sit and talk with me for an hour. They’ve given me advice on how to plan out my next move in my business, which I will talk about in a bit. Although podcasting is a very social medium, meaning that I get to go around and meet a lot of awesome people, the majority of my time was spent inside my room editing, learning new tools, creating content. I’d say for every 30 minutes of audio I record, I do about 4 hours of post editing. Now with 30 episodes already on iTunes, you can imagine the work that was put in. And that’s just the editing! HUSTLE 2015 was the year of the hustle. Like what I always say in every episode… Stay Positive, Keep Grinding. It’s what I live by even after this year is over. Aside from business I was also able to experience some new things. During the summer I went on my first cruise where I went on the Mexican Riviera. I ziplined through the forests of Puerte Vallarta Parasailed in the shores of Mazatlan. group_cruise [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/group_cruise-300x221.png] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/group_cruise.png]group_ziplining [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/group_ziplining-300x199.png] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/group_ziplining.png] IMG_0855 [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_0855-e1451782646631-225x300.jpg] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_0855-e1451782646631.jpg]IMG_0814 (1) [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_0814-1-e1451782287181-225x300.jpg] [http://startuplifehacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_0814-1-e1451782287181.jpg] And just a couple days ago I went skydiving for the second time in San Diego. That was amazing! Jumped off a plane 13,000 ft in the air, reaching speeds of up to 120 mph. All I gotta say is…good thing I wore a jacket. STARTUP LIFE HACKS 2016 Now for the future of Startup Life Hacks for 2016. After hearing all of these startup stories, I am bound to start one of my own, right? I’m proud to announce that I’ve too become a startup founder, for a startup named Trainstar. It was started by a couple of my previous classmates from engineering and they brought me on the team to head the marketing. I don’t want to give too much away, but we will be creating an app for fitness enthusiasts. I love being active and going to the gym. In fact, I’ll be competing in a men’s physique contest in August of 2016. So this aligns perfectly. I want to make sure everyone sees every step of the way in our startup. PIVOT For the podcast, we will be doing a pivot. We will be concentrating more on a few startups so that we really get to know the inner workings on how they are doing things and progressing. One of the startups we’ll be following is Trainstar! During the first episode we’ll be interviewing with the founders and find out how Trainstar got started, then in the later episodes we’ll dive deeper and get into conversations with developers, marketing, financing, and all the things you wouldn’t get to see in an interview style podcast. We’ll be doing this format with a few other startups as well that are yet to be determined. So if you are interested in this opportunity, then shoot me an email at info@startuplifehacks.com But, in order for all of these changes to take effect, we will be taking a short break from releasing new episodes for the next few weeks. If you want to be the first to know about what were are doing, then head on over to startuplifehacks.com and enter in our VIP list. So that’s all I have for you in this year in review episode of 2015. I hope you had some takeaways from today. Hope you have a great New Years! Looking forward to having you join us in 2016! And as always. STAY POSITIVE. AND KEEP GRINDIN THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, pleaseshareit using the social media buttons you see at the side of this post. Also, don’t forget to leave an honest review for the Startup Life Hacks Podcast on iTunes [http://startuplifehacks.com/subscribe]. Ratings and reviews areextremelyhelpfuland greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes. [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-life-hacks/id1036507132?mt=2]

[http://www.thewellnessbucket.com/about-me/]Why are New Year’s Resolutions overrated? Now I know January 1st is when everyone starts making New Years Resolutions, but let’s be real. How many of you have actually stuck to your resolutions? Well, this episode’s guest has insights on how to tackle on 2016! Mike Goncalves is the founder of The Wellness Bucket [http://www.thewellnessbucket.com/], which is concentrated on helping you create more health and happiness in your life, so that you may finally start to feel, look, and live your best. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT IN FITNESS? One of the problems people struggled with when staying consistent originated from coming out of the gate too fast. That’s one of the big reasons why people fall off the chart after two weeks into their New Year’s Resolution. They go from really not doing anything, to going 60 miles per hour. Here are my suggestions… Don’t come out so aggressive. Have a simple workout plan that you know you can follow. Have an accountability structure, whether it may be a buddy that you work out with, a running group that meets a couple times a week, etc. DESCRIBE THE WELLNESS BUCKET An online community that empowers people through health and wellness to live their best lives, whether that’s in entrepreneurship, careers in business, finance, or relationships. WHAT WAS ONE STRUGGLE YOU HAD DURING YOUR FIRST ONLINE BUSINESS? Coming from a brick and mortar, I didn’t know anything about online. My biggest challenge was how to develop a rapport from people that you’ve never even met. Also, how do you stand out online in a sea full of “professionals.” GREAT SUCCESS We do a 30-day wellness challenge every year. Its 30 days a 30 different wellness challenge, such as eating 3 salads, doing 100 burpees, taking a cold shower, etc. It’s great to see different parts of the world take part in this challenge. A notable one was when the French food company, Sodexo, implemented the 30-day challenge throughout the company for everyone in their business to follow. SUPERPOWER I’d say my superpower is the desire to genuinely help people and make a difference in someone’s life. KRYPTONITE Not being able to say no is a struggle of mine. I want to help everyone. IF YOU CAN HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER… I’d love to go back in time to thank mentors that I’ve had. For example, I love Jim Rohn and would love to go back in time and tell him he’s awesome and thank him for all the work he’s done throughout the years and how much it has affected me. RECOMMENDED RESOURCE OR APP Momentum [https://momentumdash.com/]: Daily motivation for your new tab page Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/] RECOMMENDED BOOKS [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1591846358&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846358/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1591846358&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=PCDWR2BFMMLDIY6O][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1591846358] The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846358/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1591846358&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=YNFNQ5JR72MHE2ZV][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1591846358] STARTUP LIFE HACK One of the things that have made a huge difference in my entrepreneurial efforts is serving others. We all have mentors, do your best to serve them, support them when you can. Help those who are on your level, above you, and even below you WHAT IS YOUR WORD OF THE YEAR? Mine is grind/hustle for 2015. Word of the year for 2016 is TEACH **Comment below in the Comments section what is your word of the year. FOLLOW www.thewellnessbucket.com [http://www.thewellnessbucket.com/] mike@thewellnessbucket.com Twitter @WellnessBucket [https://twitter.com/WellnessBucket] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheWellnessBucket] GIVEAWAY! ENTER HERE [HTTP://STARTUPLIFEHACKS.COM/GIVEAWAY] 1st Place (3 Winners): Join Rommel Cabal, Derric Haynie, and two of your peers for a Mastermind session where we talk about your life and business goals and help you step up your game. Valued at $150 2nd Place: Your own copy of these books: “The Lean Startup” “Traction” and “The 4 Hour Work Week” If you’re a Startup Life Hacks listener, than you know that practically every entrepreneur has read these books. They are so crucial to getting your business off the ground. Valued at $44! 3rd Place: “4 Hour Work Week” The #1 most recommended book by Startup Life Hacks guests. Valued at $13! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, pleaseshareit using the social media buttons you see at the side of this post. Also, don’t forget to leave an honest review for the Startup Life Hacks Podcast on iTunes [http://startuplifehacks.com/subscribe]. Ratings and reviews areextremelyhelpfuland greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes. [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-life-hacks/id1036507132?mt=2]

Cameron Ripley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronripley] is the Founder and Director of Community Boost [https://www.communityboost.org/], an award winning digital marketing and web design agency that primarily focuses on the nonprofit and social entrepreneurship space. He’s brought together a caring group of millennials to really tackle on today’s social problems. His organization has worked with many causes, including: Google Ideas, Noah Homes, Miracle for Kids, just to name a few. STRATEGIES USED TO FUND BUSINESS Community Boost [https://www.communityboost.org/] was incubated out of another digital marketing agency, named E-Boost Consulting. E-boost Consulting was mainly focused on the startup tech space. We had this program where we would bring in young people and teach them digital marketing and then have them apply that to the nonprofit and social space. We had a big vision for what that could do and how that can be its own company. We’ve bootstrapped the whole thing and never received any outside funding. FOUNDER I think any entrepreneur looking to get started and have that founder discussion can sometimes get very difficult. When I came out of school at 21 years old, I went out and sought a founder, and I found someone who was really smart and could help fund the business, which was a really big pain point for many startups. But I also realized that we were not aligned with certain key areas and that was an issue. At Community Boost, a lot of the partners, including the management team, has really found us, and have given the opportunity to bake themselves into the business. WHAT WAS ONE THING THAT YOU STRUGGLED WITH IN THE EARLY STAGES OF YOUR STARTUP? I think one the things I struggled with the most was not failing fast enough or a fear of failure. Not failing fast on a certain idea. And just, you got to have no fear when validating your market, validating sales. HUGE SUCCESS My biggest achievements are some of the successes we’ve created for other organizations 3 years ago we were working with Mia Roseberry and she has an organization now called Wounded Warrior Homes. At that time she had multiple veterans who were suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), and she just wanted to help them out. But seeing where they are today, and supporting them from ideation to an office and full-time staff. And really helping her create her vision and what she wanted to make a stand for in the world. That’s some of the stuff that makes me fulfilled and most proud of. SUPERPOWER I really try and value authentic and deep connections with people and really bring in a sense of compassion. So that’s why my superpower is compassion, and I think that’s why I’m so drawn to the space we work in. That authenticity was how we were able to secure business in the early days. KRYPTONITE Delegation of tasks can sometimes be a struggle of mine. The transition from being self-employed to a business was slowed down because of that weakness. IF YOU CAN HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER… For me it would have to be teleportation. I just want to see as much of the world as I can. If I can teleport to all those cool places, that would be amazing. RECOMMENDED RESOURCE OR APP My best resource is not an app, but a routine I do every morning. Take 10 minutes every morning. The first 3 minutes, concentrate on being present. 3 minutes to bring and really feel your breathe through your nose. And then 3-4 minutes of thinking what are 3 things that I’m grateful for today, and 3 things that you want to get done today to further your business. RECOMMENDED BOOKS [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=055380684X&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055380684X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=055380684X&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=QO4P7UFEKJIPROKL][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=055380684X] The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055380684X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=055380684X&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=R6XESFPQOUQNXP57][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=055380684X] STARTUP LIFE HACK The number one hack is to validate your customer, and get payment. FOLLOW Communityboost.org [https://www.communityboost.org/] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronripley] Twitter [https://twitter.com/cameronripley] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/CommunityBoostConsulting/] Cameron@communityboost.org GIVEAWAY! ENTER HERE [HTTP://STARTUPLIFEHACKS.COM/GIVEAWAY] 1st Place (3 Winners): Join Rommel Cabal, Derric Haynie, and two of your peers for a Mastermind session where we talk about your life and business goals and help you step up your game. Valued at $150 2nd Place: Your own copy of these books: “The Lean Startup” “Traction” and “The 4 Hour Work Week” If you’re a Startup Life Hacks listener, than you know that practically every entrepreneur has read these books. They are so crucial to getting your business off the ground. Valued at $44! 3rd Place: “4 Hour Work Week” The #1 most recommended book by Startup Life Hacks guests. Valued at $13! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, pleaseshareit using the social media buttons you see at the side of this post. Also, don’t forget to leave an honest review for the Startup Life Hacks Podcast on iTunes [http://startuplifehacks.com/subscribe]. Ratings and reviews areextremelyhelpfuland greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes. [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-life-hacks/id1036507132?mt=2]

Gary Ware [https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyware] is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Tower33 Digital [http://tower33.digital/], a digital advertising agency that focuses on helping small brands drive results and be seen online. He is a dynamic, qualified, and goal-oriented Online Marketing Professional with over ten years of extensive experience providing key support to professionals, including colleagues and customers, and providing team management. Gary recently gave a talk on how to live an amazing life by using the acronym S.A.V.E.R.S. If there was something that you can do, that would almost be the elixir of life. Where if you did it everyday and took it as a magical pill, and it will give you what you need to thrive. To live your best life. Wouldn’t you want to do that? Studies show that if you commit to something like this during the first part of your day, it’s going to give you the mental energy to get through the day. HERE ARE THE STEPS SILENCE: Meditation or prayer. When we are moving at 120 miles per hour, we hardly get a moment to ourselves. Meditating for about 10 minutes every morning and really focusing on your breathing, allows us to calm and center ourselves. A good app to use for meditation is Headspace [https://www.headspace.com/]. AFFIRMATIONS: Think about a time when you are really stressed out, and you think to yourself that you can’t do it. You’re actually telling your brain that you can’t do it. And that’s an affirmation. It would be better to tell your brain something more uplifting and is going to help you get the things that you want. You can say something like, “I thrive to be ______ a little bit more every day.” VISUALIZATIONS: Try to take a moment and think about what you need to get done TODAY, and really visualize yourself achieving those goals. BONUS TIP: Break down your goals by what you want to get done that month. Write a letter to yourself as if it was the first day of the next month and you have achieved those goals. Not only say what you have achieved, but say what the feeling was like when you achieved those goals. EXERCISE: All you need is a few minutes of physical activity to get you going throughout the day. This could be simple as doing jumping jacks or pushups to get the blood flowing. READING: Read a minimum of 10 pages a day. You’d be surprised how many books you will read. Look at the goals that you want to achieve this year. Now look at the skills you need to acquire those goals. Now find the books and audios that you need to get that knowledge. SCRIBING: Write 3 things that you are grateful for. This is to train you to see the good things in life. When you start looking for the things that bring you joy in life, you don’t have time to see the negative things. MENTIONS Bot Joy [http://www.botjoy.com/]: A tiny (and sometimes giant) robot army programmed to bring you joy Pencils of Promise [https://pencilsofpromise.org/]: We’re a global community that believes everyone deserves access to quality education. We’re reshaping the landscape of education guided by our 100% PROMISE. RECOMMENDED RESOURCE OR APP Evernote [https://evernote.com/]: The work space for your life’s work RECOMMENDED BOOKS [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0979019710&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979019710/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0979019710&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=6NNOKVLZY7V2PI66][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0979019710] The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979019710/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0979019710&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=KZ7AZU67OTL4P4DS][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0979019710] [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307591549&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307591549/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307591549&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=OQVXRXIRXQ5M7FKQ][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307591549] The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307591549/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307591549&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=RDINGIOOBMUNC66Y][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307591549] [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0307465357&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307465357/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307465357&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=XLGICHUQGTBKJH24][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307465357] The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307465357/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307465357&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=VVZTVUN5MZ4F3P7P][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307465357] [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0812993012&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812993012/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0812993012&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=SAAZZWVILAAVMGUA][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812993012] Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812993012/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0812993012&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=ZJUN5IC2ZXS54UAJ][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812993012] WHAT IS ONE STARTUP LIFE HACK YOU’VE DISCOVERED? Fail quickly. Fail often FOLLOW Twitter @garyware [https://twitter.com/garyware] @tower33digital [https://twitter.com/Tower33Digital] Meetup Group – Recess San Diego [http://www.meetup.com/Recess-San-Diego/] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/gary.ware] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyware] SELFIE CHALLENGE Take a selfie with 7 people that you think would say no to you. Let’s get out of our comfort zone! Comment below if you want to participate. GIVEAWAY! ENTER HERE [HTTP://STARTUPLIFEHACKS.COM/GIVEAWAY] 1st Place (3 Winners): Join Rommel Cabal, Derric Haynie, and two of your peers for a Mastermind session where we talk about your life and business goals and help you step up your game. Valued at $150 2nd Place: Your own copy of these books: “The Lean Startup” “Traction” and “The 4 Hour Work Week” If you’re a Startup Life Hacks listener, than you know that practically every entrepreneur has read these books. They are so crucial to getting your business off the ground. Valued at $44! 3rd Place: “4 Hour Work Week” The #1 most recommended book by Startup Life Hacks guests. Valued at $13! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Thanks so much for joining me again this week. If you enjoyed this episode, pleaseshareit using the social media buttons you see at the side of this post. Also, don’t forget to leave an honest review for the Startup Life Hacks Podcast on iTunes [http://startuplifehacks.com/subscribe]. Ratings and reviews areextremelyhelpfuland greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes. [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-life-hacks/id1036507132?mt=2]

[https://www.linkedin.com/in/caldwellw]Will Caldwell is a graduate from the University of San Diego/ After majoring in Accountancy, he has grown to publishing many articles in well-known sites such as Entrepreneur.com, Inman News, and Elite Daily. Will grew up in the real estate industry, with both parents working in the field. So it’s no surprise that he himself is also making a dent in the real estate world. He is the Founder and CEO of Dizzle, which is an app specifically designed for real estate professionals and organizations, to help generate more word-of-mouth leads. STRATEGIES USED TO FUND BUSINESS Initially it was teaching kite surfing. I was able to make cash quickly. Then I started a drone business to compliment my software business. I knew that I needed to get in front of realtors, so I took aerial photography of the real estate. It was a way to fund my activities before I was in the position to go out and raise angel capitol to grow the business. DESCRIBE A MOMENT WHEN YOU FELT LIKE GIVING UP I was in a legal dispute with one of my business partners and it didn’t look like things were going to turn out right for me to continue. At that point you just pray a lot and take it day by day. You can only control what you can do that day, and that’s the mentality I’ve taken because it’s so uncertain when you start a business. HUGE SUCCESS As we pivoted from our initial idea of selling apps to realtors, to then turning into an advertising platform for vendors to reach real estate agents or homebuyers during the sale of a house. To see the vendors happy and to see the business model working as we predicted, has been a phenomenal satisfaction to me and it’s the reason why I do this. SUPERPOWER Resilience. I won’t go down easily. KRYPTONITE It’s everything that’s going against me as an early stage founder. Running out of money. Customers don’t renew. Uncertainty, it’s hard to predict. IF YOU CAN HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER… It would be mind control so I can know what everyone else is thinking. RECOMMENDED RESOURCE OR APP Toutapp [http://www1.toutapp.com/the-greatest-sales-team-in-the-world-runs-on-toutapp-v2/]: Tout lets you see who’s opening your emails RECOMMENDED BOOKS [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0062273205&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062273205/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062273205&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=PDQDRMS4W5SVWQMJ][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062273205] The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062273205/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062273205&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=QZUQDPNXHDJRN7BK][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062273205] [http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0553418025&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=stalifhac-20] [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553418025/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553418025&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=LGLCGHMFWK2747BZ][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0553418025] The Martian [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553418025/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553418025&linkCode=as2&tag=stalifhac-20&linkId=LPBTCSN6ZF45IOXX][http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=stalifhac-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0553418025] WHAT IS YOUR STARTUP LIFE HACK? Learn to network and learn to meet people and build relationships. That’s the key to starting a successful business. ADVICE TO HACKER NATION Start attending events like the MIT Enterprise forum here in San Diego or any type of forum like that. Before you start a business you need to establish your network because you’re going to need that when you begin. FOLLOW Twitter @dizzle [https://twitter.com/dizzle] @will_caldwell [https://twitter.com/will_caldwell] Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caldwellw]