Free Agent Underground

What do you think is most healthy?

Let me define what I mean by 'health'...because what you list out will contain the primary opportunity for your free agent (self-employment) success.     

In your life, you have chosen paths and habits for certain reasons. For example, I'm here trying to inspire you to free agency…self-employment. Why? I honestly think it can be best for you life. So why would I keep quiet about that?

Bear with me on this example...

Is self-employment for everyone? I don't really need to answer that question…it's moot. Bringing up the question itself is unfortuate. When we find things that have benefited our lives, we don't share them and shout from the rooftops. Why? We might offend someone. What we have found as truth for us might not be best or possible for someone else. Our message may even be…gasp…unfair toward them!

Pictured - me working at home on a beautiful Rocky Mountain day, getting some typing help from a neighborhood squirrel. I'd wish that opportunity for you. And yes, that's a real picture and a real squirrel.

If you would unabashedly, fervently communicate to others what you believe in, you'd find grand opportunities within your calling and work. More on that below...

Thus we generally say nothing to avoid coming across as unfair or insensitive. We preface any belief and put fine print disclosures below any statement? What is touted as 'intellectual' and 'mature' today is…to stand for nothing. Complete tolerance. What is right for you is only for you and to put it upon anyone else is intolerant and judgmental.

So we sit silent and let others die while protecting ourselves. Folks, gravity is absolute. If you teeter on the edge of a cliff and I don't grab you, shame on me. If you're about to drive across water in the road that I know is 6 foot deep with a driving current in the middle and I don't flag you down, shame on me. If I find something in life that immensely benefits me and I don't share it with you…I'm being as selfish as if I was given the key to all the world's resources and kept it to myself. And what if I believe it's best and you don't? Well, so what? It's not about agreement, it's about caring.

If college radically changed your life for the better and you think everyone would benefit by going, then shout it from the rooftops! Let us know! State your case and impact those with eyes to see and ears to hear YOUR message and experience. Be brave and confident and you'll bless so many people.

I wouldn't hear you myself, because I am actively opposed to college for most people. But why care about me when there are masses who ARE open to you?

Get that?

So in your life…what:

• Do you believe in
• Do you advocate
• Are you a fan of
• Do you wish others would experience
• Do you believe is best for all or most people

Here is the biggie that sabotages needed evangelists for so many things…the issue of 'right and wrong.' Especially amongst religion. We have a lot of pharisitical, pompous, self-righteous, hypocritical folks feeling they are right and others are wrong. I know…I'm by nature a card carrying member of SRAA - Self RighteousAholics Anonymous.

My wife Teri got onto me about this on one specific occasion. As a family we are self-employed, vegetarian, anti-media (no TV or newspapers or radio), home schooling, environmental, Jesus Christ following, fitness pursuing fanatics. We've looked at most areas of life and pursued what we feel is best and truth, and we've committed to following that. Which can make for some tremendously opinionated feelings. And in wanting these things for others where we've experience benefits, Teri would sometimes chafe at the perspective of us being right and them being wrong.

Point taken. So let's rephrase that...and I think you'll like this:

"What do we believe is most healthy?" It's not right or wrong or self-righteous or life or death (maybe) or an issue of eternal salvation. What do you adhere to in your life that you feel is the healthiest choice? And be boldly honest.

For me again, is it an issue of right or wrong to be self-employed? Nope. Is it more spiritual to be self-employed? Again, nope, not in and of itself anymore than it makes you more spiritual to have a Bible. But I've experienced *successful self-employment in my life and thousands of others…and it by far allows for more good fruit to come from your life than the alternatives. So yes, I think it's 'most healthy.'

Is being vegetarian or even just eating healthfully a right or wrong issue? Definitely not! They ate plenty of meat and milk and honey in my Bible! But in comparison to today's cultural diet, do I think it's most healthy to avoid much meat and processed foods? Heck yes. Should I keep it to myself if I see others in sickness and illness caused from, as my buddy Dr. Randy James says, "Giving your body things it doesn't want and denying it of things that it needs." No, I should care enough about you to share what I think would help you, even if it may step on your toes a bit. Which necessitates me showcasing I truly care about you so you'd even respect me enough to listen.

There is tremendous opportunity for you, in pursuing self-employment, in this exercise. If you can't list anything in your list of what you believe to be 'most healthy', it's because you have not led a self-examined life thus far. Which there is no shame in. Just get to examining now! But otherwise, make a list!

Then, order the list from most to least important. Up there at the top will be some key areas where I'll guarantee there is opportunity for you to create a product or service or message that you can pursue and make income from and truly serve others in.

Just to help, here are some ideas of what I know are often topics of 'most healthy' in people's minds:

• Physical fitness
• Financial stewardship (saving, investing, giving)
• Environmental issues - Green living on many levels
• Animal rights
• Politics
• Marriage
• Parenting
• Education
• Sex
• Diversity
• Serving humanity
• Leadership
• Spiritual faith belief (this will be automatically listed first for many folks, but I listed it last on purpose as it's often a crutch for not going further than just this. You can't have a business based just on this, and being a pastor isn't a business)

Try to keep things you are personally frustrated or angry about out of your list and focus on what things you truly pursue for yourself and feel others would benefit from.

Feel free to share below, debate...whatever. If you read the comments in my previous post, you'll see that we're here to have a discussion, not just spout off.

*Successful self-employment is different from mere self-employment, no different than saying I'm IN LOVE with my wife rather than I merely 'love' her. World of difference.

Is enjoying your work optional?

Hear the show we did today on this topic by scrolling to the bottom of this page

This topic has been needling me a lot lately. We as a society are accepting more and more bad realities as normal. And bottom line, it's a fact…we view NOT enjoying our work as 'normal' and OK. We have come to a place where we breed our kids to get a formal education and a job that provides a nice paycheck to afford what we deem the necessities of the American dream:

• Car
• House
• Major appliances
• Brand clothing
• Computer and cell phones
• Cable TV

Once upon a time people sought valor, legacy, adventure, inspiration and serving humanity. We've traded that for comfort.

You have 7 days in a week. For at least 5 of those days, you spend the primary hours of your day and energy of your mind and body working for provision. The evenings are spent on the necessities of home life and family and basic personal maintenance. Saturday is usually a day to catch up on home maintenance, kids sports events, dealing with car issues and such. Sunday may have half the day spent at church, then the rest of the day watching sports for some inspiration, excitement and entertainment.

Where is there time for…valor, legacy, adventure, inspiration and serving humanity? There isn't any. Folks, in the above expenditure of your week, the only shot you have is your work.

Please don't think that you can work 40-60 or more hours per week at something you are uninspired and unfulfilled and underutilized in…and then bounce back during the off times to be an inspired, whole person. You can't.You can be 'normal.' Which I don't think you'll be proud to have written on your tombstone:

"Here lies John Doe. He made it through life and was comfortably normal."

Which means it's flat-out VITAL that you become whole in your work.

Your work MUST be enjoyable. It MUST be fulfilling your core skills, abilities, passions and heart. It must be fully inspiring for you.

It's NOT an option. It's a responsibility.

If you are in financial survival, sure…get a job doing anything to keep food on the table. You can't cop out on that. But it must be short term. A year is TOPS. Meanwhile you are seeking your calling. The work in which you come alive in!

Otherwise, you are a thief.

• You are robbing someone of a position that is their vocational calling. You're hijacking it from them.
• You are robbing humanity from fulfilling your vocational calling, your unique gift.
• You are robbing your family and friends from being a wholly alive person, all they are getting is a diluted, numbed version of yourself.

Get that last one? I'm going to step on toes here. I know someone closely (I'll let them remain anonymous) who is overweight and had a heart attack. Afterwards, they still weren't readily accepting the need for a healthier lifestyle. So family members intervened and pleaded that it was the person's responsibility to the family to pursue health. Otherwise, the family would get the burden of caring for them later, after the next truly debilitating heart attack or stroke. It was selfish for them not to pursue health.

Folks, if you are working for a mere paycheck and not fervently pursuing your ultimate vocational calling, you are harming your friends and family and humanity. We don't know the real you, we only know a dumbed down version. You could be replaced by a monthly stipend of money and a house maid or handyman. You owe it to us to be inspired and 'whole.' You owe it to your Creator who uniquely and wonderfully made you.

To deny that is…selfish.

Here is the cool thing though…what you get for stepping up…is glorious. It's a huge payoff. It's life…in the form of inspiration, excitement, joy, time, usually wealth and more.

It's doing the right thing and reaping the benefits. Having your cake and eating it too.

Feel like justifying work that you don't like? Leave a comment.

Are you involved in work that you are enthralled with? Share how it happened with us.

If you accept this and are ready to start…where will you take action? The best option I know of is what I helped create…my baby…Free Agent Academy. Check out our new landing page, you can click on the image to go there:

Come on…step up to your legacy,
Agent K Miller

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Free Agent Underground Show - Is enjoying your work optional?

More Free Agent Underground podcasts

Psychologically Unemployable - A guest blog by a rock star free agent

People keep telling me I need to be writing more blogs and recording more shows. So...I'm going to. In two weeks we're going to start producing weekly Free Agent Underground shows and pumping out more inspiration and equipping on self-employment...but also more stories of folks who did it.

Today however, I'm bringing you a blog post...not from me, titled Psychologically Unemployable. This comes from Dave Munson, and he wrote it for us. Dave is Presidente of Saddleback Leather Co., and I'm a fan of Daves. Chuck Bowen is business coach to both of us, and says Dave and I have similiar personality styles. We are both pretty creative, but can't organize our way out of a wet paper bag. We both have really hot wives. Dave though, makes briefcases and other bags out of really thick, dead cow skins. I'm a vegetarian. I love him anyway and actually carry my laptop in one of his dead cow skin backpacks. Which makes me the worst of hypocrits. I'm OK with that.

*Pic: Chuck Bowen, yours truly and Dan Miller sporting their Saddleback bags. We'll all be presenting, along with Dave...at our Oct. 29-31 'Expose Yourself' marketing conference in Colorado. You could join us...

Dave is also funnier than I am, but I'd like to think I'm better looking and that evens things out.

Dave went from being a penniless missionary selling puppies for tacos (literally) to owning a very successful business that allows him to buy all the burritos he wants, drive a really cool, old truck, and take 50 day trips to Europe so he can visit exotic beaches with his hot wife, and camp in Africa for a couple weeks helping bless orphaned kids with shoes and water. He inspires people to more...more adventure, more life and more love of the Lord. (Pic: Dave & Suzette Munson overseas somewhere)



Dave and I are both avid fans of self-employment. Actually, it's life or death. We'd rather be self-employed and have our fingernails ripped off daily, than work for someone else and have daily full body massages. Well, at least 6 out of 7 days.

Dave is coming out here to my place in two weeks to share his journey and learnings with a group of aspiring and successful free agents. In preparation with that, he wrote a bit of a rant on why he can't be an employee and why he loves his current boss. I'm very, very grateful to share it with you. Even though I'm a bit envious of how witty his writing is. Be inspired. Be informed. And if you can read it without laughing, Dave will send you a product of your choice.

Click here for Dave's most excellent blog post at the Saddleback Leather Co. website.

And while you're there, buy something. It's a great way to invest in some quality and adventure for your life!

- Psychologically Unemployable by Dave Munson

Join me for a call tonight on your marketing?

Friend,

If you have an idea you are pursuing (or want to) or you're already doing business, we have a live, 45-minute call tonight at 7pm Central to do three things:

1. Briefly discuss how marketing today has changed
2. Uncover the need for your marketing to fit your personality style
3. Discuss how we are addressing this in our 'Expose Yourself' event at the end of this month

With me live on the call will be Chuck Bowen…biz coach to the stars, Jimi Gibson…branding guru to the stars, and Dave Munson…a free agent star as Presidente'of Saddleback Leather Co.

We'll have a live chat box going where you can ask us questions!

If nothing else, you'll be entertained by our banter. You'll definitely get some insight on marketing in today's world and why cookie cutter approaches don't work…they must be personal. And if you have any thought to attending our event this month (which will also feather Dan Miller of 48Days.com fame...and my father!), this is your chance to understand more and even ask a question if you'd like.

Live call, Oct. 14, 7pm Central
You can attend the call via phone or web, here is the call info page:
- http://attendthisevent.com/?eventid=15485934

Have an inspired day,
Agent K Miller

Why your marketing isn't working (it isn't marketing!)

That's really it...what you're doing is not really 'marketing.' For small business today, the bottom line of marketing is:

• Knowing exactly who your target market is
• Making dead sure your overall branding and positioning speaks directly and compellingly to them
• Finding out where the majority of your target market is residing
• Shining the laser beam of your offering directly in their path

This is my second post on this same subject in two weeks. Why? Rule number one in marketing...repitition. It's truth. Plus, we have an event on the subject in 24 days.

If you are the above bullet points well, then your greatest problem right now is keeping up with the influx of new business and you don't need to waste your time reading this post…it's not for you.

If however, you need more business…or you are building your offering now so you can soon launch…then read on below after this brief...MARKETING:

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Want to just make it happen…guarantee your marketing efforts and ensure your business success for 2011? That's a big claim…and I'm making it. Join key Free Agent rockstars and let them map out your personal 6-month marketing plan. On Oct. 29-31 in Woodland Park, CO at the 'Expose Yourself' Intensive event, join Dan Miller - bestselling author of '48 Days To The Work You Love' and 'No More Mondays' (as seen on Dave Ramsey's Fox TV Show), Dave Munson - owner of Saddleback Leather Co., Jimi Gibson - global brand and marketing director and now guru behind Saddleback's success, and FreeAgentAcademy leaders Kevin Miller, Chuck Bowen (biz coach to the stars) and Justin Lukasavige (CoachRadio.TV).
    This is an intimate workshop where I, Kevin Miller, am not only gauranteeing the event's value for you, but claiming it will give you the best return on investment of any seminar, conference or workshop you've ever attended. Period. Attendance is limited.
- Oct. 29-31, 2010 Free Agent Academy Intensive Event in Colorado: Expose Yourself

*We'll also be celebrating this as the 5th and final 'Intensive' event of 2010!

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Over the past year of walking with hundreds of aspiring, new and existing free agents, THE NUMBER ONE NEED is...more exposure. More interest and prospects to see the wonderful product, service or message they have.

I wear this statement out, but I must…as the disease continues to proliferate in the business world:
"Just because you built it…they will NOT come."

Having a:

• Product, Service, Message
• Name, tagline, logo
• Website
• Blog
• Facebook page and Fanpage
• Twitter account
• LinkedIn network

None of this is true marketing. These are merely landing pages FOR your marketing. Places to drive folks once you've gotten their attention, where you can nurture relationships. Trying to use them to build your audience, such as following ten thousand people on Twitter in order to get their reciprocated follow-backs to give you big numbers, will hurt you, not help you. I get a few Twitter followers per day. Any time they are following more people than they are being followed by, I pay no attention. The only true way to know if someone has value is if their followers are far greater than those they follow.

Folks, having all those bullets above is like having an incredible restaurant a mile or more off a busy interstate. Everything is in place to do great business and serve folks well. But people can't see you, they don't know you are there. Your sign is too far away from the target market.

True marketing is taking that business and great sign, and placing it right next to the interstate. And not just any interstate, but the primary bypass that your specific target market travels. And to do this means you must…Expose Yourself. Intentionally and purposefully. You must step out and make an offering.

How? The reason you don't know how is that cookie-cutter or broad scope ideals don't work anymore, not unless you are a global brand like Coke or Nike. For a small business, the 'how' is as personal as your underwear…and you don't want to try on anyone else's.

If you take successful free agents today, they have each found places to market themselves that fit their:

• Personality style
• Sales strategy
• Target market
• Budget
• Relationships

And the most important bullet of those is the last…relationships, as nailing that can overcompensate for all the others.

You need to look at advertising, affiliate relationships, getting interviews and articles posted and other direct and sustained marketing efforts. But what will serve you more than anything is developing relationships with people and organizations that already have the ear of YOUR target audience. It's not easy, but it's worth putting 75% of your efforts towards. Even for myself, no amount of money could eclipse what I gained from being a guest on the Zig Ziglar Success 2.0 show. That took two years to nurture. And your doesn't need to be that big.

So your lessons from this post:

1. Having your storefront and all the 'signs' is not marketing. It's shouting in the dessert.
2. You must create a strategic plan to get in front of your target audience with a message that specifically speaks to them. And that comes from your personal strengths and positioning.
3. Relationships with entities that have the ears and eyes of your target audience…are paramount.
4. Trying to apply general marketing to your personal biz won't result in much. You need guidance and help.

Take this knowledge and go create a marketing strategy and plan for yourself. Or...catapult your progress and make sure you actually DO progress, by joining us Oct. 29-31, 2010 in Colorado for the 'Expose Yourself' event.

Agent K Miller
Marketing...to you

P.S. Speaking of 'exposing yourself,' if you have small children...specifically kids nearing or around the age of two...who aren't potty trained...get enlightened by today's post (Potty Princess) at this informative, counter-cultural blog by a woman I'm having a mad affair with: http://freeagentmommy.com