The JP Revolution

Reaching your fullest potential while avoiding risks is simply not possible

One of the toughest challenges for an entrepreneur is trying to decide when to take risks. Unfortunately, there are very few stories in the annuls of business history that tells of great business leaders who drove their companies to massive success by playing it safe. Playing it safe is a perfect strategy if you are completely satisfied with the status quo and have no aspirations for the future. That doesn't exactly describe the temperament of the normal listener of this podcast.
In this episode, we break down how to first determine if a risk is even worth considering. If it is, then you just got to rip the bandaid off and make greatness happen.

Separating your business and personal finances from day one prepares you for the growth to come.

When you are first starting a business, you often need every dime of profit to keep the lights on at home. At that point, it doesn't always make sense to isolate your business accounts from your personal accounts. However, as your business grows it becomes absolutely essential to do so. As long as the ups and downs of your business are being felt in your household finances, it is nearly impossible to make the important decisions needed to grow your business. That new piece of equipment your business needs or that expensive ad campaign should never be in competition with the family's summer vacation.
In this episode, we find out the need to separate your personal and business finances goes much deeper than buying decisions. If you don't have those isolated from each other, it means that the stress of every angry client who refuses to pay his bill, every big deal that falls through, and every employee that walks off the job is felt at home around the dinner table. If your home and business finances are intertwined, it's impossible to leave work at work and enjoy quality time with your family.

Setting your goals as specific as possible is the biggest key to achieving them

One of the most important things you can do when building your business (or when making changes to your personal life) is to set goals. Without knowing where you are going, it's nearly impossible to get there. Without goals, you simply can't put together a realistic plan for moving your business forward. However, goals can be very intimidating. What if you set a goal and don't achieve it? Many fear that will "prove" that all of the doubts they have had about their abilities are correct. For those, that's just too scary to face.
In this episode, we find that just setting goals is often not enough. You have to take it one step further and set very specific detailed goals. It's often the specific details that power you through the rough times.

Does visualization make it easier to succeed or manifest your success? Who knows? Does it matter?

When you read many of the books on getting rich, they always talk about tapping into the great creative forces of the universe. They describe a way of life that puts you in the best position to communicate your dreams to this force. When you do that, they say, the universe will manifest your desires. My take has always been that when you get your mind in the right place (a place described in these books) that you are in a much better position to make the decisions and do the work required for success.
I still believe that, but in this episode, we explore the question of whether or not it hurts to hedge your bet and do some visualization just in case.

Deep Work #5 - The value of true leisure time is often overlooked on the pathway to success.

When you are your own boss, there is always a lingering temptation just to shut down and take some time off. However, indulging in such temptations will certainly slow if not completely shut down your growth. When you just randomly take time off, the guilt of unfinished (or unstarted) tasks will often prevent you from relaxing and enjoying your sudden free time. However, when you are able to reach your maximum productive state through deep work all of that changes.
In this episode, we take a closer look at the impact that truly relaxing and planned downtime can have on your rate of success. Such rest accomplishes much more than just recharging your batteries.

Deep Work #4 - Avoiding distractions often requires you to train those who distract you.

To enter into a highly productive state of deep work, you have to master the ability to shut out distractions. Unfortunately, not all of the distractions you deal with are inanimate. Sometimes, it's people that vie for your attention. That's makes controlling your environment a little more difficult. Whether those human distractions are customers or well-meaning family members, it's important you find a way to carve out the time to focus on the important things you need to accomplish to move your business forward.
In this episode, we learn some techniques for training the folks around you to give you the space you need to do the things you need to do to reach your dreams.

Deep Work #3 - The best way to avoid distractions is to simply avoid being tempted.

We all live incredibly busy lives with dozens (if not hundreds) of potential distractions vying for our attention. Is it any wonder that entering into a state of deep work and incredible focus is nearly impossible as we pursue success? The phone is always ringing; notifications are always dinging, and the internet is always calling our name. Ironically, none of those things would happen if we turned off our phones, deactivated our notifications, and deleted those tempting bookmarks from our browsers.
In this episode, we take a closer look at the various techniques you can use to cut down on those distractions that prevent you from doing your best work. Temptation usually walks through doors intentionally left open.

Deep Work #2 - Embracing boredom might be the secret you’re looking for while pursuing your dreams.

How awesome is it to find your passion and decide to make a career out of it? Wouldn't it be really incredible if every step along the way to turning that passion into a booming lucrative business was packed with excitement and thrills? I hate being the one to burst your bubble about that, but the truth is that much of the path to building a successful business is boring... sometimes excruciatingly so. To make it, you have to grind it out. You have to power through that minutia to find the glory waiting for you. Unfortunately, for most aspiring entrepreneurs plowing through the daily grind is too much work and they let their dreams fall by the wayside.
In this episode, we continue our discussion about the importance of focus, determination, and the ability to accomplish deep work on your way to success. Sometimes you just have to embrace the boredom and recognize it as just another obstacle standing between you and your dreams.

Deep Work #1 - Busyness can be the death of your business

We leave in a world where we are constantly bombarded with people, entertainment options, and algorithms fighting for our attention. Unfortunately, when you are trying to grow a business these can become barriers to your success. You only have so much mental bandwidth, energy, and willpower, all of which can be stolen by these distractions. If you are overcome all of this to reach the level of success you desire, you must develop the skills to power through these distractions and focus on the tasks that most affect your business growth.
In this episode, we begin a look at how you can make this happen. It's all outlined in Cal Newport's book, Deep Work. He argues that focus is a skill disappearing from today's world and that mastering it will elevate you above all your competition.

Sometimes being a successful parent can come down to being a successful parent.

Trying to build a successful career or business while also being a good parent can be incredibly stressful. Walking that tightrope can fill a mom or a dad with incredible guilt. Time spent working creates guilt about being away from the family, while time with the family pulls you away from building your career. It's easy to feel that the old adage "you can't serve two masters" is dead on. However, work-life balance doesn't have to be an either/or situation. Often the guilt we feel is really misdirected. When managed correctly, you really can do it all. We all run into a problem when our work life bleeds into our personal life because we fail to take full advantage of those hours dedicated to work then try to make up for it by working after hours.
In this episode, we take a close look at navigating this treacherous pathway. We also point out that perhaps the most important lesson you can ever teach your children is how to create success. By modeling what it takes to be successful and happy, you show them how to one day pursue their won dreams as well.