Writing about wisdom, wealth, and well-being • Coaching professionals to make work a path to enlightenment • 30+ yr tech CEO, Business Coach, Ma.Ed Columbia
At 16, I dropped out of school to do circus work.
No, I didn't end up flipping burgers for a living.
Instead I:
👉🏻 Graduated from Columbia University
👉🏻 Launched 3 funded startups
👉🏻 Now coach entrepreneurs all over the world
Here is my guide for a happy unconventional life:
I'm 67 and I'm starting an online business.
This month I'm learning
- Copywriting
- Brand creation
- Building an audience
If I can make money like this so can you.
There are no limits.
A week ago I had my first viral post.
32,000 views, 487 likes, 67 comments, 156 new followers.
I never felt so uncomfortable.
It started with a casual chat with my friend Brian. Despite our 40-year age gap, our minds sync in extraordinary ways.
In a moment of raw
𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬
Loneliness is linked to
- Cognitive decline
- Depression and anxiety
- Heart disease, and stroke
and significantly increases risk of early death.
Here are 5 mindfulness practices that can help you overcome loneliness and feel connection again:
This episode of Sway scared the shit out of me. Leonard Pozner was trolled mercilessly without deserving and it could happen to any of us. Great journalism tells a story that matters - to all of us who make a living on the web. Thanks
@karaswisher
This is Dan Koe.
He made $4.2 million with his one-person business.
I spent 100+ hours studying his content to understand how to do the same.
Here’s what I found on building a profitable one person business:
I stopped posting on X for 1 Month
Roadtripping in my van, I sought new visions, ideas, and experiences and wrote about them every day. What I learned:
Life isn't about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.
Writing will guide you to become who you can be.
Last week, I felt like giving up
So I wrote about it
And I wrote about it
And I wrote about it
Write long enough you can change your life
and transform your crappy week into a good story
I am celebrating 100+ days on Twitter 🎉
When I started posting here, I wondered if I could find meaningful, fun, relationships with people here 😁
The last 3 months surpassed all my expectations ❤️
I have much to learn and offer 🙌
Today, I just want to say thank you! 🪷
I am building an entrepreneur support platform & I'd like your insight:
What is more important when it comes to starting a new business?
Understanding the Problem you want to solve? 🤔
or
Seizing the Opportunity you have discovered? 💰
How are they different? 🍃
Thanks! 🙌
Puzzled: I'm not growing on Twitter as fast as I want to even tho I'm
- posting 3x a day 🥉
- replying often & promptly ⏰
- Reaching out to new people and complementing them on their insights, wisdom, tips, even hairstyles 😁
Something still is not right 🤔
Any suggestions?
Hi, I'm Marko 👋🏼
I'm a creator, coach, and community builder.
Currently:
🧑🏼🚀 Coaching entrepreneurs to scale their business
💪 Building: Guiderly, a self coaching course for overcoming imposter syndrome
🦞 Seeking collaborators
Reply or send me a DM—let's be friends 🖖🏻
2024 won't be your year
if you wait till January 1st...
February 1st...
March 1st...
Starting now is the best time to build a future
2025 is too far away.
I am struggling with getting shit done
What techniques or tips have worked for you?
🔹 Checklists?
🔹 Time Blocking?
🔹 Bamboo under fingernails?
🔹 Double Martini reward lunch if checklist is complete before noon?
What are your secret hacks? What works for you?
Black Hole of the Scroll
What's waiting for you:
- FOMO
- Loss of Self-Control
- Reduced Productivity
- Jeopardized Mental Health
- Sinking Social Relationships
Stop scrolling, or get sucked into what you are most afraid of.
𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁
I lost my spark
I was hitting snooze on life
I felt like a 9to5r not a creator
I left my family, drove 2000 miles, got sick, lost, and my van towed before I sorted myself out and regained my direction
This is what I learned:
Today begins my third month on Twitter.
At the beginning of this journey, I wondered could I find meaningful relationships here 🐥
The wonderful people I've met in the last two months have exceeded my expectations.
grateful 🙌
What is your favorite thing about Twitter?
Last night I slept outside to watch the stars
and also because my house got flooded and it was still kind of stinky.
I saw 9 shooting stars and felt one with the universe.
Really.
Solving problems for people who can’t pay
- Is a pain in the ass
- Will drain your bank account
- Prevents you from working with people who can afford you
Solve problems for people who have money. They make it worth your while.
Then you have something left over to be generous.
Life is meaningless
Everything is random
Nobody really loves you
Your choices don't matter
Or do they?
Either your life has purpose or not.
You get to choose
- a life of meaning or not.
What's in it for me?
Customers only care about one thing:
- avoiding pain
- getting something they want, or
- an experience that will make them feel good.
Tell them what they want to hear
So you can sell them what they want to buy.
You use 10% of your brain.
Meet the man who helps you access the rest: Dr. Joe Dispenza
He’s helped millions re-wire their brain, change their lives, even heal chronic disease (with their mind).
If you’re tired of reliving the same painful past, read this:
The power of no.
This one word gives you maximum ROI when it comes to freeing up your valuable time.
Learn to say no to requests that are not aligned with your goals or priorities.
This will keep you focused on what's truly important and keep you from wasting time on stupid.
I am committing to launching my "One-Day Business Builder" online platform on August 1, 2022.
This is a super concentrated roadmap for helping anyone start a business in one day 🔥
I am building in public this month and hope that folks can help me with questions and feedback 🙏
I invited money into my life, it taught me to make more.
I learned the laws of money, it began to multiply.
I found the flow of money, it found it's way to me.
Making money is a mindset:
• Resist it, it will avoid you.
• Learn it's ways and it will reward you.
So there you have it, folks. My unconventional guide to a happy life, according to the high-school dropout circus performer turned Ivy League graduate, Teacher of the Year, and successful entrepreneur coach.
Who needs a traditional path when you can make your own?
If the world is against you
Shift your mindset to:
- No one can keep me down
- Setbacks make me stronger
- When things go wrong I self-correct and keep moving
Champions use challenges to get stronger. Weenies whine.
@thejustinwelsh
Focus on the essentials! Validate, offer uniqueness, understand customers, and overcome challenges to succeed as an online entrepreneur.
Everybody said there was no way this could happen.
Until it did.
Here’s me, graduating from Columbia University with no SAT score no HS diploma, and no wealthy connections.
This was one of the most important lessons I learned as a solopreneur...
Oh and the craziest thing?
I
in 28 days, my Profile visits increased 1,253.1% 😁
This is all due to taking
@MeetKevon
's great class
#BuildInPublicMastery
! 🙌
Along the way I've met new friends and have new tools, ideas, and direction in my community building.
What is next? 👾
@thejustinwelsh
Working for a paycheck, doing work you hate, is a form of slavery. Yes, at times we need to hustle to deal with a setback and the need to make cash.
But as a way of life, it will crush your soul and prevent you from the greatest gift: doing work that feeds your soul.
Your job won't last forever.
It's just a matter of time before you
- get fired,
- laid off
- are replaced by someone younger and cheaper.
Work security starts with you. Are you prepared?
My 2024 Achievement Strategy
3 hours renewal: working out, reading, writing, meditation.
8 hours work in 4 two hour blocks
2 hours family, friends, home
These are my daily essentials.
I work the rest of life around them.
At least 7 hours of sleep a night.
No compromise.
No one knows what they are doing for sure.
You are not alone in your struggle to make sh*t happen.
Don’t be afraid to sit with uncertainty; it often leads to the best decisions.
Taking action is the only way to know for sure.
Don't waste time.
You were born with a gift
but you don't find out what that is until you
- take action
- put your work out in public
- and commit to consistently learning and improving
Do this every day and you will never experience regret.
Work-life balance doesn’t exist
Especially for those of us who are
- lonely
- exhausted
- overweight
I am pivoting to balance instead of burnout.
Join me.
A simple cure for boring:
Living creatively isn't just about the art you produce,
it's also about the daily choices you make.
Shift your mindset today and watch how your world changes.
I think I've finally know what kind of presence I want to grow here on Twitter. That may sound funny since I have posted something like 4000+ tweets. But I have gone through so many changes that I can barely relate to how I started here.
Slow growth is where it's at.
I love being my own boss.
We have exactly the same ideas about
- work time,
- vacation time,
- even what time to have lunch
The only thing we disagree about is compensation.
But I am working on that.
Out of nowhere,
a good wave can appear on your horizon 🌊
that is so powerful and perfect that it will change your life to catch it. 🌀
The trick is to
1. Stay vigilant,
2. Be prepared,
3. And be ready to take action when the time is right! 🚀
Picture this: a morning where you don't hit snooze.
Instead, you rise with purpose, eager to face the day.
This isn't a fantasy. It's your potential future life, calling you if you have the courage to pick up the phone.
Transform I can't into I will and see what happens.
I spent my entire day writing
- crap
- more crap
- even more crap
But at least I am writing my way through the crap instead of living a crappy life not writing.
@IAmMarkManson
This is similar to Buddhist practices where the mind is regarded as an unreliable source yet it is with the mind that we discern the unreliability of the mind.
Here's how you figure things out:
1. Start with an idea.
2. Make a plan of action.
3. Do it.
Don't ask questions first.
Be ok with not knowing the outcome in advance.
Taking action is the only way to know for sure what will happen next.
I used to want to do a four hour work week 🙏
but then I found no one was hiring. 🗿
So now I am building in public 💪🏻
with all you great creator entrepreneurs. 🙌
I was a bored, straight A student until a girl fire eater invited me to Amsterdam.
If I hadn't gone, I could have ended up with a divorce, a triple bypass, and forced retirement like the kids I grew up with.
The biggest risk you can take is NOT following your dreams.
How I get over being mad:
• Daily exercise hour
• Daily writing practice
• Daily check-in with a friend
• Daily gratitude for 10 good things
• Daily generosity toward someone in need
Getting over getting mad is about getting over yourself.
People spend an average of 1000 minutes a week with “friends” on social media yet
- 1 in 3 Americans feel socially isolated
- Over 50% of people feel at least a little bit lonely
- 27% of people feel very lonely
I'm starting a two-week experiment as a digital nomad in my 1995 VW Eurovan.
The goals: shake things up, gather inspiration for my Business Buddha project, and see if it's possible to do top-level work remotely.
I'll be documenting my journey, and sharing what I learn.
I became a high-school teacher in the Bronx. The school sucked but the students were amazing. They got my sense of humor and I got a chance to pass on my love of learning and adventure. I won a teacher of the year award.
Giving back is the gift that keeps on giving.
"A modern business can be broken down into 3 core components: brand, content, and product.
"Your brand is your story.
Your content is a map.
Your product is a game."
-
@thedankoe
Here is how you can apply these:
One true tip for gaining real wealth:
Gaining true wealth
is about having the guts to go all in
on what you could achieve
if you weren't holding yourself back.
Let's make this week count!
In the rush to get through all the important things on my list I like to remember something Warren Buffet said:
"You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong."
@thedankoe
3. Your Product is a Game:
Your product is what you offer to your audience.
It could be a physical item, a service, a course, a book, or anything that benefits them.
Like a game, your product should be fun, fulfilling, and tailored to your audience's needs and wants.
@thedankoe
By understanding and applying Dan's analogy of
- Your brand is your story
- Your content is a map.
- Your product is a game
you can craft a compelling brand, create engaging content, and use them to build a profitable one-person business.
The secret sauce to productivity isn't always grinding.
It's about knowing when to pause, take a breath, and realign with what truly matters.
Get outside and renew your spirit so you have fresh insights to serve up to your readers.
My 2024 Goals:
Launch the Business Buddha platform
guide 100s of business starts
host a live event to inspire and educate future business buddhas
generate 100K in sales
Growth Army is a top team of pros with hustle I can learn from, contribute to, and together we rise. Heck yes!
@thedankoe
1. Your Brand is Your Story:
Your brand defines who you are and sets you apart.
It should be authentic, compelling, and resonate with your audience by sharing your personal journey and values.
This emotional connection builds trust and loyalty, making your brand memorable.
In a world addicted to hustle, remember:
Perfect moments will find you more often when you
- Pause.
- Reflect
- Restore
Recognize life's quiet wisdom is all around you and it will seek you out!
I respect the unemployable more than the employed.
• Healthy
• Highly skilled
• Self-educated
• Emotionally intelligent
• Develops self-discipline
• Manages their own time
• Working for an asset instead of a paycheck
• Building their own dream instead of someone else's
Today I start a seven-day zen meditation retreat.
Many people have asked me
what does meditation have to offer
- creators
- entrepreneurs
- people who want to live a more meaningful life.
I've been doing this for 30 years.
Ask me in a week.
Your alarm is ringing and you can't hear it.
Every morning you have two choices.
Continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.
Life starts when you do.
🐈⬛ 5 Things My Cat Taught Me About Marketing
Don't chase customers, position yourself and let them come to you
Play hard to get, but not too hard
Creme is thicker than water
Unexpected shit happens so always land on your feet
Don't do business with kids or dogs, ever.
Inspiration is only ever 5 minutes away:
• Listen to new music
• Consume content from a new creator
• Watch a new movie you know nothing about
Feed yourself new ideas.
You’ll never be hungry for inspiration again.
I am struggling to build leverage
- developing an audience that can compound the effort I contribute into something sustainable
- for my business
- for my community
- and that makes an impact
How did you get your first 3000 followers and still stay true to you?
Be the boss of your life:
- Hire your best self,
- fire the doubters
- Fuel your journey with inspiration, not others' agendas.
Build a life you love.
Don’t settle for less.
I am starting a job today with
@MiraseeOfficial
🎁
I never thought I'd work for another company again.
But so far, everything I've learned about the people and culture at Mirasee
makes me think
it might be like
different - (you know what I mean) 🙏
I hope I'm right! 🤔
Age is not a number.
It's a state of being
and how you put your passion into action.
Don't let anyone stop you from being you.
Do what makes you grow,
And you will always be young.
Robin Sharma is one of the world's top leadership gurus.
He has:
Sold 25,000,000 books
Advised dozens of C-level executives
Worked with Nike, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft
Here's his 5 most powerful lessons on business (and life):