Free Agent Underground

The best microwave solution for self-employment I know of

Listen to a quick intro on this message here:

 

You'd like to be your own boss.
You'd like to have total control over your daily time and ability to make more money.

To become successfully self-employed takes new knowledge, help with your personal application of that knowledge, accountability on doing what's needed and making the right decisions and lastly…viable encouragement.

You want it, and I have a solution.

It won't be possible for many folks, either because they can't afford it or they don't really believe it can be done (lack of faith in themselves or in me).

But for those who want to guarantee 2011 is a very different year than any other, I'd love for you to contemplate that this may be an opportunity you've been waiting for…or that's been waiting for you:

90-Day MFA with Kevin (that's me)

Today, an MBA will set you back $100,000 and assure you of…absolutely nothing. I'm offering something that, in my experience, is not only worth far more, but has value that will impact all areas of your life. An MFA, 'Master of Free Agency'.

Over 90 Days you will complete a personal audit and then go through the 7 courses in Free Agent Academy, and follow every course with a personal consultation with me. I also have a very special strategy for your accountability to really walk this out. It's a vastly accelerated program. There are two reasons I'm doing this now, you can go to the info page to find out why.

It's your chance to make the average New Year's Resolutions look like child's play. But mostly, it's a chance to make 2011 a turning point in your life away from the bind of traditional employment, to the freedom of self-employment.

Read about the 90 Day MFA and exactly what it would do for you and your free agent pursuit, and what the benefit to acting now is:

Jump to the 90-Day MFA info page

Why you don't really feel thankful (The Show)

A lot of you commented on my Thanksgiving inspired post the other day, so for today's Free Agent Underground Show, Justin Lukasavige and I discussed it more. Really hit hard on making Faith, Family and Freedom true priorities, and how doing so will cause you to encounter Pain, Hardship, Challenge and Lack. And in overcoming them, you're thankfulness will grow abundantly. If you didn't catch the initial post, read it here, and don't miss the incredible comments.

Or hit play to listen to it here below.

And hey...a Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving to you,
Kevin 

 

Right-click to download

 

Leave a review in iTunes

Free Agent Underground Show - "Why you are not thankful"

 

More Free Agent Underground podcasts

Why you don't really feel thankful

Rule number one in writing, don't lead off with negative headlines. Well, if I was a rule follower, you wouldn't be reading this anyway. So here goes…



The Point of This Post: You're not really thankful on this Thanksgiving. But you can be next year. I'll tell you how.

Thanksgiving is in two days, and the truth of the matter is…we don't naturally feel thankful. Sure, if we step back and count our blessings, we'll cite stuff like, "I'm grateful for my spouse, my kids, my health (if you're healthy), my job (even if I hate it, it at least pays me), etc…"

But that's not really feeling 'thankful.' Not in the sense it's intended to be. Think about it, there is an entire day, the 2nd most popular and participated day of the year, set aside because some folks long, long ago felt so dang thankful they just couldn't contain themselves!

So let's put it into that context. What are you so immensely thankful for that you can't contain yourself?

Unlike possibly any Thanksgiving message you've ever read, I'm going to suggest that you DO NOT look at what you have, and manifest exaggerated joy for it. What if the reality is that there isn't much for you to feel that dramatically grateful for?

Go with me a minute…I'll redeem this downer.

Great, authentic thankfulness ultimately comes from knowing great pain and hardship and challenge and lack…and surviving it. Even more, overcoming it.

Life as we know it today, is completely aimed at ridding ourselves of any:

• Pain
• Hardship
• Challenge
• Lack

I'm not dissing the great wealth and amenities we have as 20th century westerners. I own every amenity you have. I'm not about to give them up either!

But the reality is that our basic day to day existence dwells on affording what we have or getting more. And we pretty much all have everything that the ultra rich have. We lack for nothing. They may have a big house, but we have a house too. They may have a Ferrari, but we have a car. They may have 15 bathrooms, but we have two. They may have a $10,000 watch, but we have one that tells the correct time for years on end.

Consumerism is built on making sure there is no single, solitary item that we cannot afford and possess. We may have a bit cheaper model, but we have one. Makes me think of dishwashers. I know folks with a $1,000 Bosch that can clean concrete off your dishes and do it without a sound. I have two cheap dishwashers that sound like a 747 taking off, and if you haven't nearly cleaned the dishes to perfection, there will be food on them afterwards. But geez, we have two. Literally, dual dishwashers.

I digress…

So, we as a society don't lack for much. We have little to fear or desire or struggle with. We have clothe's, homes, cars, running water, medicines, safety from danger. We appreciate it if we have to, but heck, everybody has all those things. Big whoop. It's expected and we feel entitled to it.

Here is the kicker. A few days ago I posted a blog about the legacy of my free agent Grandpa - A true free agent legacy, Ray Miller 1913-2010.  I got about as many comments as I've ever received on that post. If you didn't read the blog, you should at least read the comments, as they contain great wisdom and insight.

One of them was from Jason Garey, someone I've never communicated with before, he's a subscriber I assume. He referenced his two Grandfathers, who also lived into their 90s. He said, and I quote, "Both men took little for granted and, in the end, wisely understood that faith, family and freedom were, above all, the most important things in life."

I'm not going to focus on taking things for granted. Instead, let's look at faith, family and freedom. If in this next year you made those three things your priority focus, literally, instead of maintaining what you have or working to afford more, you WILL encounter:

• Pain
• Hardship
• Challenge
• Lack

- If you live out and speak and endeavor to share your faith,
- If you in truth make the priority of your time and attention your family,
- If you place the highest premium and value the reality of owning your life and having true and real freedom...

...you will no doubt, realize:

• Pain
• Hardship
• Challenge
• Lack

And as a result, as you cope and strive and overcome in your own, true ADVENTURE - you will feel, possibly for the first time, genuine, heartfelt, uncontainable THANKFULNESS.

I'll end with a question:

Do you believe that in the workplace today (traditional employment), companies and stockholders and employers…have in their mission statements, to ensure that YOUR personal faith, family and freedoms come first? Or second, or fifteenth?

Want to have an unprecedented Thanksgiving in 2011? Make the pursuit of faith, family and freedom as your top priorities a resolute commitment. And start by endeavoring to own your life. To own your time. To own your work. To be free to place your faith and family first. You'll start living a true adventure, and you'll find true…thankfulness.

I raise my eggnog and spiced rum to you this Thanksgiving!

Cheers, and a blessed Thanksgiving to you,
The Free Agent Family of Kevin, Teri, Caleb, Autumn, Eliza, Ian, Canyon, Serene & Nekoda Miller

A true free agent legacy, Ray Miller 1913-2010

I just returned from my Grandpa's funeral, Ray F Miller.  He was 97 years old and finally breathed his last breath. They say the 'F' in his middle initial didn't really stand for anything, so everyone joked that it was for 'farmer,' which he was.

I've always viewed farming as the ultimate roots of free agency. You own your land, you raise crops or animals, you stay close to home and have lunch in the afternoon with your family. You work as hard as you can and depend on neighbors for help in times of trouble, and rely on the Lord for rain and to hold off the frost. You truly reap what you sow.

It wasn't till this funeral that I realized what an astute businessman Grandpa was. After growing up on a farm and learning the trade, he began his independent life working a farm for a wealthy gentleman in New York. As part of the arrangement the man let him have a stake in the cattle, till ultimately Grandpa owned quite a herd over a decade's time. He was feeding his young family, apprenticing and building assets at the same time. Good man.

At the age of 39 (which interestingly enough, happens to be my current age), he was ordained and accepted a position as pastor of a small church in Johnsville, OH. Pastoring was his heart's desire. His only income from this position was a quarterly 'love offering,' which meant his main sustenance needed to come from elsewhere, like farming. He again worked a farm for another land owner while scouting around to purchase his own place, which he did after just one year. He claimed a house and barn and 96 acres for $13,000 in 1954 (pictured below), full picture posting at my Facebook photo album).

He worked that farm for 20 full years, building an addition on to the house, outfitting the barn with modern dairy equipment, and in 1974 sold it during an abundant time in real estate for a princely $800,000.

Let's think about that a bit. A farm, while providing a home, is a business. In the mid 1900s there were many men who had 'given up the farm' for easier, more consistent income as an employee in various companies that sprung up during the industrial revolution. I can't speak for those men, but if we look back historically we know that companies spent huge amounts of resources on 'company moral' and 'workplace environment.' Why? Because they had taken men used to hard work, self-discipline, the ebb and flow of success and failure (droughts and floods that affected crop yields), community involvement and reliance, family affairs and building personal assets…and sat them behind a desk or a lever in a sterile environment where they were simply paid a check for fulfilling a duty. The same thing, day in and day out.

Men fell into depression and work productivity fell. The companies had to scramble to artificially manufacture personal purpose and relationships and 'meaning' into the workplace. This is very similar to breakfast cereals. People used to eat raw, whole grains and nuts and breads for breakfast. Industry took these 'cereals' and stripped everything good from them, while adding sugar, preservatives and dye. This is where we get 'Fruit Loops' and 'Count Chocula,' God help us. The public gullibly accepted what was put on the store shelves cause it did in fact taste good and the kids clambered for it until the fattened, hyped up kids got the attention of somebody with a brain who said, "Wait a minute, there is no nutritional value in this crap!" So, instead of going back to what was really healthy, they just 'fortified' the cereal with the vitamins and nutrients they had stripped out. The cereal still has too much sugar, preservatives and chemicals, even if it is "Fortified with 8 essential vitamins and iron!" That's like putting frosting on a turd. And we still consume it. Please, for the love of God, yourself and those you love who will have to care for you...buy this book for your health and diet (Food Rules).

The above scenario is still occurring in the workplace today. The easy money "tastes good", but the workplace has to be 'fortified' with "8 essential perks and benefits" in order to keep us there without falling into despair and depression. Though it's not as big a deal today as we've become comfortably numb and don't feel the longings of purpose and meaning as acutely any more.

A reader of mine recently sent me a quote from an article about the slums in Thailand. These cardboard and corrugated metal dwellings all have a blue glow immolating at night. From…TVs. Government supplied. Why? To keep them from rioting. To quell their discontent.

I think you get my point.

So back to my Grandpa. While many were renting their work and at the end of 20 years getting the gold watch for their loyalty, he made a 6,150% increase on his investment. $13,000 to $800,000. He had control over his work so he could do the job as he saw fit, apprentice his kids in work ethic and family and stick close to home, pastor a church and invest his community, and generally decide who he was, what he would do and how he could best serve at any given moment. The outside air, exercise, natural eating and complete fulfillment of purpose kept him active and vibrant and working till he was *85. After my Grandma died and he couldn't do what he wanted, he did decline. Without the ability to fully engage in what his heart and mind were called to, he lost the will to continue. Somewhat unfortunately to him, the lifetime of healthy living kept his body rolling till he was just nipping at a full century old. Pictured below, Ray & Clara Miller - Grandpa & Grandma).

So here you and I are today. Are we working at something that we enjoy? That inspires and invigorates us? Can we work and live as we see fit this very day, or are we merely responding to the dictates of someone else's agenda? Is our work adding up to something for society and our own prosperity, or are we just trading our time to pay for bills and 'stuff,' and in essence renting our lives away? Is it possible to create wealth as an employee? Is work meant to pad our comfort and be as easy as possible, or is that missing the point and it's supposed to have purpose and meaning and value, no matter that it may NOT...be the easiest choice?

I'll let you answer these questions today, as I do, or ponder them aloud in the comments area below.

Agent K Miller
Never, ever…giving up the farm

*Not one to stay idle long, after Grandpa sold the farm he bought the first of many passenger vans and began transporting Amish far and wide. My brother Jared and I always thought that would be a great name for a rock band, "Haulin' Amish." The Amish don't believe in owning cars, yet somehow justified paying my Grandpa to drive them further distances than they could realistically travel with their horses and buggies. He did this till age 85 when he attempted to drive through a flooded stream on the road that carried his van away and nearly drowned him. He accepted then that God wanted him to retire.

How Free Agent Academy works

I'm starting off by making a case, but if you really just want some nuts and bolts of how this 'school for self-employment' works, skip down to that heading. You can also scroll to the very bottom to hear the full show we did on this topic.

WHAT
If you are reading this, then you have a desire to be self-employed, or at the least, generate some of your own income (read the last post 'Forget self-employment').

WHY
1) You want more freedom in your life, 2) You want more purpose from your work - to work at something you really care about, and 3) You want all your work to add up to something (an asset) instead of at the end of your days you've just traded your time for a paycheck (listen to the show link at the very bottom for more on 'renting vs owning your work).

WHO…
…are you to think you can be different than the majority who have a traditional j-o-b? We have to admit that most people (even your loved ones) will think you are being 'risky' to pursue free agency. Only until you become successful at it of course, then they'll either brag about you or be jealous. But you have to get to a point of believing you are not only capable of being a free agent, but that it's a necessity for you to be fully whole. If you feel 'called' to 'ministry' most everyone will support you. If you feel called to be married or a parent, it's all good. Even being 'called' to be an artist or athlete gets a good reception. If you  know you'll never be very satisfied as an employee, and/or you have a desire to truly create or pursue something that you build, then you've just gotta get comfortable and committed to your pursuit of free agency as a viable calling on you.

HOW
Well, that's the biggie now, isn't it. Type in 'self-employment' or 'entrepreneur' or 'small business' into a search engine and you won't find anything that gives you much peace, comfort or direction. Why? Because the media loves 'big.' The focus of self-employment is on big business and wealth. You'll quickly read about business loans, venture capitalist, angel investors, overhead, payroll and plenty of other focal points that…MISS the point.

It's a HUGE disservice and dramatically misses the truth. The vast majority of full-time, successfully self-employed people have no employees, no offices and...while making far above the national average of annual income, they aren't millionaires sipping umbrella drinks on their yachts.

It would be like typing 'lose weight' into a search engine and all that was showcased were supermodels and pro athletes. That's not even the goal or expectation, you just want to lose weight!

The point is...there aren't great resources for pursuing free agency, which is why most folks end up trying to do it alone, or they latch on to scams or franchises or network marketing companies and all the other misguided attempts to help them achieve what they are ill equipped to pursue.

A REAL SCHOOL FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT
Talking about weight loss, have you noticed that the most successful methods are not just systems, but communities? Weight Watchers, Curves, even the new P90X, they are more like communities and movements than mere manuals. That's important.

Also, they don't just focus on the exercises or eating, they put equal emphasis on motivation and belief and…personal development.

So to realistically guide you from zero to success in the pursuit of self-employment, you must have:

1. Step by step curriculum to inform you
2. Community to aid and encourage you
3. Personal development to empower you

And folks, those above bullet points don't exist in any one cohesive place for pursuing self-employment. Which is why myself and some other key free agent rock stars and advocates have created Free Agent Academy. I never went after this because I thought it was a good business idea. I did it because I fervently believe in the power and necessity of self-employment, and there is a distinct lack of relevant resources to really help people.

WHEN
Well, that's up to you. It's a process that is not quick. Again, just like major weight loss. The sooner you want to realize a different reality for you and your life, THAT should be motivation to start today. Or you can put it off for the holidays, the first of the year, then Spring break, then summer, then vacation, then the start of school and…hey, you'll be right back here next year in the exact place you are now.

So today, what can you really do? If you are ready to commit, truly, you can become a member of Free Agent Academy. Here is what will happen:

JOIN
Go here and join. If you are at the very beginning, you'll come on at Foundation level. It's $95 per month. It needs to be significant. I want you committed to your pursuit. If you just want hype, there are plenty of late night infomercials to entertain and con you.

We do give you a guarantee. Within the first 30 days, if you feel FAA is just not the place for you, let us know and we'll refund your money.

AUDIT
The first thing you'll do is fill out a 41 question new member questionnaire. You can actually see them here so you'll know what you are getting in to. It should motivate you or scare you off. Either is great. Jonathan Pool is our Professor of Idea and he will complete a personal 'Audit' with you to review your information and status and discuss where you are in the process. This allows us to know you and feel confident in serving you.

COMMUNITY
Along with the questionnaire, you'll fill out a personal profile and join our community. You'll have access to all our members, professors and a lot of information and excitement. It's flat out fun and immensely motivating.

COURSES
You'll then start in on our courses and curriculum. You'll begin in the YOU group and the "Discover My Best Focus" course. This will hone in on your key strengths and weaknesses. Upon completion, you'll move on to the IDEA group and the "Find Your Best Fit" course. This will go deep into who you are what what you have to offer and result in your 'Idea Filter,' which is literally the best thing since sliced bread. Those two courses alone will open up a whole new world to you. Next you take your idea and dive into the BRAND group and the "Branding Course." This sets the stage for what your business will look, feel and act like. People DO judge a book by it's cover, and they'll judge your business by your branding and positioning. Next, the ROADMAP group to develop your "Simple Strategic Plan." If you can work it out here on paper, you can work it out in real life.

These four courses don't exist out there. You surely won't find them in an ivy league MBA program, or the latest, greatest internet marketing schpeal. You'll find them here, and it's why we are literally creating successful free agents.

What comes next is diving into Marketing and your Online presence. This is where most of the focus is, and as you can now see, it's puting the cart before the horse in a big way. It's a tree without roots.

Got questions? Let me know. Leave a comment here or email us about joining.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL
January will soon be here and you'll be looking at another year of life as you know it. You'll feel the tug of making resolutions and some little changes. Maybe you'll buy a book and get inspired.

OR...change your course now. Make sure when January 1 hits and when you hear folks talking about their little New Year's resolutions...you are in a different league. Join Free Agent Academy now and guess what, you'll be living a different life when the holidays roll around next year. That's it. That's the special offer. Join now and instead of the holiday's wearing you out and you hitting January feeling stressed to make some resolutions, you can rest in peace that you are already resolved and already a many steps into the process and your free agency!

INFO AND REGISTRATION PAGE - CHECK IT OUT - SEE IF YOU'RE READY

 

 

Right-click to download

 

Leave a review in iTunes

Free Agent Underground Show - How Free Agent Academy Works

 

More Free Agent Underground podcasts

Forget 'self-employment'

It's a big, daunting word to many people. Some are ashamed to admit they are desiring it:

"I want to be self-employed"
"I want to be my own boss"
"I'm pursuing free agency"

Bucking the norm of employeedom and j-o-b is a big deal in our current society, and being FULL TIME SELF-EMPLOYED is like a 500 lb gorilla (I said "elephant in the Free Agent Underground show - posted below - cause I couldn't remember 'gorilla').

So, forget about it.

Erase 'self-employment' from your mind and vernacular. At least for now.

Replace it with this:
"I'm gonna generate some income on the side doing something I really enjoy."

That's it. Take the pressure off. You're not quitting your job, planning an escape plan, trying to take over the world or risking the farm. You're just having fun and inspiring and using your time more wisely than TV watching. Nobody will give you grief over this, most will think it's cool. You have your regular day job, so you'll be deemed "responsible and secure" by society, shameful as that is. What you do in your free time is your own business.

In reality, most successful free agents started just like this. Working on something part time that they enjoyed and cared about. Often it was fairly low key. But they were diligent and consistent and low-and-behold, started making income! Little by little it grew to where it was getting mighty hard to keep it rolling AND keep the day job. How much easier though, to make the transition from j-o-b to free agency, when you're already half way there!

Now, you still need to be diligent. No sense wasting your part-time efforts doing something with no future or growth potential, or doing it poorly so your efforts are in vain. Understand yourself. Find what fits you. Put a reasonable plan in place. Get counsel! 

NOTE: This still won't happen without you being fully committed. Everyday I see the truth in this - people who 'try' generating their own income, might as well never bother. It's like 'trying' marriage. Guaranteed recipe for failure. Success only comes as a result of determined perseverance.

So even in your "part-time, no pressure to overturn your life right away" endeavor, there still must be commitment.

Pictured at the top is our newest member to Free Agent Academy. Jeff Jones joined today. He's the drummer (http://www.jeffdrummer.com) for Christian rock band Big Daddy Weave. He loves drumming, and it's his primary source of income. On the side, he started a business creating and selling custom drum sticks (http://www.customstix.com). Last year he generated an impressive amount of income on this 'fun side business.' And unlike many of you reading here, he digs his 'regular job' of drumming in a rock band! But how cool to have multiple streams of income…especially those you can't be fired from!

So how about you. Ready?

 

Right-click to download

 

Leave a review in iTunes

Free Agent Underground Show - Forget 'self-employment'

 

More Free Agent Underground podcasts

What are you really selling?

The answer to this will dictate the success of your self-employment venture. And the answer is not merely "yourself."

The answer is also far more than semantics. It's tragically important for you (and me) to understand what we are really selling. IF…we want to succeed.

And I know you do. Want to succeed.

What you are NOT selling is a mere product or service. If you think it is, then you are competing against the universe and everyone else that would claim to sell what you do. People today are not satisfied to buy a mere product or service.

If that were the case, we'd all buy our clothes from Wal-Mart. They have fine clothes there. They basically follow the societal trends of style, moderately durable and very cheaply priced.

So why don't you buy your clothes from Wal-Mart? Socks and undies don't count, as I actually DO buy that stuff from there. But shirts and pants and jackets and such. I don't know anyone who buys that kind of stuff from there. OK, heck…we buy the occassional stuff for our kids, but only while they are young and have no brand name identity yet…but try to stick with my analogy before I ruin it.

We don't buy our primary clothing from Wal-Mart because our cloths say so much about us. We want to wear clothes that attach some meaning behind them. If you go through my personal clothing, you'll find:

• Northface
• Gap
• Columbia
• Old Navy
• Merrell
• Woolrich
• J. Crew (not really, but I want some)
• …etc

Why? Because I want to associate myself with the images those companies portray. And they've caused me to believe their clothing actually feels and performs better. Does it? Some may, some is just overpriced. Which is why most of mine actually came from the Goodwill store down in Old Colorado City, which is the best place in Colorado Springs to find those types of clothes, barely used, for a few bucks. I love it.

My friend Dave Munson who I talk about so much, owns Saddleback Leather, Co. If all they sold were leather bags, he'd still be selling puppies for tacos in Mexico. Umm…that's an exchange, not an ingredient by the way.

Dave was just at our FreeAgentAcademy 'Expose Yourself' event and stated that what he's really selling is "A lifestyle of adventure." So when he shares photos on Facebook of his 51 day trip to Europe and Africa to see the world and help kids in Rwanda, he's doing more to sell his leather bags than anything else he could do, as he's showcasing the lifestyle and image that really sells his stuff.

That's Dave and me in the picture at the top, sporting our bags that say, "Yeah baby, taste the adventure..."

What about you? What are you selling? And you can't say your product or service. When you discover the essence and heart of what you are (or want to be) selling, you must get it as a tattoo so you don't forget. It must be the platform that you speak and stand on. It must be the heartbeat of your business and promotion and sales. Your website must lead with it!

Dave told me my website was lame, and when he heard me say I wanted a bumper sticker that said "Self-employment or death!" he said "That's what you need to lead with!! That's excellent!"

I had all the attendees at the event write and share what they are really selling. Mine with Free Agent Academy was:

"I'm selling an inspired life of freedom and purpose."

Doesn't that seem more compelling than "I sell self-employment."

So again, what are YOU…really selling??

I went further into this in our Free Agent Underground Show with Justin Lukasavige. You can listen here:

 

Right-click to download

 

Leave a review in iTunes

Free Agent Underground Show - "What are you really selling?"

 

More Free Agent Underground podcasts