52 Motivational Quotes that Will Change Your Life

November 12, 2022November 12, 2022 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

QUOTESAUGUST 28, 2020

Curated Article https://memphisvoyager.com/

A COLLECTION OF OUR QUOTES OF THE WEEK FROM THE PAST YEAR

1. “Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself” – Unknown

2. “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” –John Lennon

3. “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” –Benjamin Franklin

4. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” –Robert Frost

5. “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” –Farrah Gray

6. “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs

7. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou

8. “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” –Vince Lombardi

9. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

10. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” –Albert Einstein

11. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” –Steve Jobs

12. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on. –Sheryl Sandberg

13. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” –Michael Jordan

14. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” –Arthur Ashe

15. “Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture the heart.” – Ancient Indian Proverb

16. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

17. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” –Chinese Proverb

18. “The best revenge is massive success.” –Frank Sinatra

19. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” –Maya Angelou

20. “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” –Aristotle

21. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” –George Addair

22. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank

23. “The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” –Chinese Proverb

24. Education costs money. But then so does ignorance. –Sir Claus Moser

25. “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” –Rosa Parks

26. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” –Martin Luther King Jr.

27. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” –Ayn Rand

28. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

29. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” –Henry Ford

30. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain

31. “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

32. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

33. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain

34. “It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – J. K Rowling

35. “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” – Swami Vivekananda

36. “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn

37. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs

38. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” —Alice Walker

39. “If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” —Vincent Van Gogh

40. “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” —Leonardo da Vinci

41. “Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” —Jamie Paolinetti

42. “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” —Ronald Reagan

43. “Nothing will work unless you do.” —Maya Angelou

44. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

45. “Tough times never last, but tough people do” – Dr. Robert Schuller

46. ““Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

47. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

48. “Someday is not a day of the week.” – Denise Brennan-Nelson

49. “Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated” – Russell Warren

50. “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

51. “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.” – Mario Andretti

52. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” – Truman Capote

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Unlock The Power Of Residual Income

October 17, 2022October 17, 2022 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

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The Keys to Clarity

August 30, 2022October 4, 2022 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

How to create success on your own terms

JEFF KENT • PPA…….AUGUST 2022 ISSUE

We all get frustrated in our work sometimes. Often, that dissatisfaction stems from a lack of clarity in our purpose and our actions. But what if you could learn how to focus on the right actions, for the right reasons, and in the right order? What if you could start moving forward in your business with a clearer, more defined objective?

Debbie Peterson is a certified trainer and master practitioner in neurolinguistic programming through the Association of Integrative Psychology. She’s also a nationally recognized speaker and the author of “Clarity: How Smart Professionals Create Career Success on Their Terms.” In her book, coaching, and speaking engagements Peterson asserts that even the most confused entrepreneurs can achieve clarity by taking a few basic steps in their approach to work. It starts by focusing on five key elements:

Move away from thoughts like Why is this happening to me? and think about what you want to do to improve your situation.

1. Mindset. Focus on the things you want rather than the things you don’t want. It takes time to change your mindset, but it’s possible with consistent daily effort. The process begins with how you start your day. When you wake up in the morning, do you focus on everything that could go wrong, or do you focus on opportunities? Move away from thoughts like Why is this happening to me? and think about what you want to do to improve your situation. This is an empowering process of taking control of your thoughts and your future.

2. Passion. What do you want and why? Do you have clarity in the direction of your business? What is the overall goal for your business? Knowing the answers to these questions is important because it helps you tell your mind what you want to find.

3. Planning. Get your plans out of your head and onto paper. Write it down; sketch is out. Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based) and plan out ways you will gain better clarity in your work.

4. People. Who can help you reach your goals? You need a support network, people who understand you and raise you up. Fill your inner circle with people who can help you get what you want. If you feel like you need to figure it out all by yourself, you’ll get stuck. Remember the proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

5. Performance. What gets in the way of your success—fear of failure, time management, other people? Think about whether you have control or influence over those things. This is important because success comes by choice, not by chance. Are you putting your time and energy into what you want or into the obstacles that are blocking your progress? You get to choose, so choose wisely.

PRIORITIZE TO THRIVE

Once you’ve organized your process around the five keys to clarity, Peterson recommends getting specific about the work you’re doing and the order in which you’re doing it. She suggests making a career bucket list. Write down all the things you want to do in your business, then divvy them into A, B, and C buckets:

A is critical.
B is important.
C is interesting but can wait.

“The key here is to divide them equally, so you’re forced to prioritize rather than dumping everything into the critical bucket,” says Peterson. Within each bucket, prioritize again. List each task in order of importance so you have A1, A2, A3, etc. When you’re done, you’ll have an ordered list of tasks you can tackle one after another rather than drowning in endless, cluttered lists.

You can use the bucket list exercise across many areas in your business, from to-do lists to long-term strategic plans. Peterson goes through this process weekly for her regular to-do list and at longer intervals (every few months) for long-term planning.

THE POWER OF THREE

When you run through the bucket list exercise, you’ll have an orderly list organized by importance. Next, think about the three things you can do every day to help you achieve your A1 goal. Then move on to the A2 goal and the three things you can do to accomplish that. “Every single day you are focusing on what’s most important for your business, and you’re making an agreement with yourself to move toward that goal,” says Peterson. This process helps alleviate the all-or-nothing thinking that overwhelms people. Instead of looking at everything you must do and getting overwhelmed, divide your workload into prioritized lists and give yourself the ability to tackle them one at a time.

8 STEPS TO FOCUS YOUR BRAIN

1. Recognize your brain’s limits. Prevent overload by eliminating as many distractions as you can.

2. Stop trying to multitask. You can’t do more than one thing at a time. It takes time for your brain to switch between two things.

3. Write a to-do list. Relieve your mental load by putting tasks and worries on paper instead of letting yourself ruminate.

4. Identify motivators. When you’re avoiding a task, think about the benefits of getting it done to stop procrastinating.

5. Zone out with exercise. Physical activity can increase dopamine, which drives your brain, but let your mind wander to recharge your concentration.

6. Cut the clutter. A messy environment commands your brain’s attention, making it more challenging to focus.

7. Seek some quiet. Research shows that auditory distractions can be disruptive to a brain that’s trying to focus.

8. Tip up a coffee, tea, or caffeinated soda. There’s a reason caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the world. It works.

Source: “How to Use Science to Focus at Work,” wired.co

YOUR MODEL FOR SUCCESS

Clarity comes from within. Unfortunately, a lot of us look elsewhere when assessing success, and this can confuse the process. To reach a state of clarity in your work, figure out what works for you, and determine your own model of success instead of measuring yourself by what others find important. Peterson recommends taking three steps to establish your own measuring stick:

1. Understand your core business values. What does your business stand for? Determine your core values, then build an experience around what you want to create. Ask yourself how you want to feel throughout the day and what experiences you want to have within your business. Think about times when you felt motivated, when there was a natural flow to your work. That was an experience. Identify those times and work to build more of them into your work.

2. Run your own race. We all get caught up comparing ourselves to everything else we see. But what does success mean to you? Pause to truly consider this question. Then write down the answer and make it one of your goals. Otherwise, you’ll just be chasing others’ (often unattainable) visions of success.

3. Partner with the right people. Your ideal partners will fall into two camps: the people who surround you and the people who support you. The people who surround you are the folks who make up your inner circle. However, not everyone who is with us is for us. Sometimes you need to evaluate your inner circle and make sure you’re surrounded by people who believe in you. The people who support you are individuals who are trying to create something similar to what you’re trying to create. Tap into the experience and motivation of others who are on the same path. When like-minded people come together and focus on each one in turn, action is sparked. You can tap into the momentum of the group and hold each other accountable.

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY

Clarity is a journey, not a destination. This is a rinse-and-repeat system designed to help people continue down the path toward clarity while reaching important milestones along the way. Every time there’s a challenge or a new step in your business, Peterson recommends going back to the five keys to clarity:

Consider your mindset.
Figure out what you really want (your passion).
Make a plan.
Find the people who can help you.
Focus on your performance.

Going back to this process, again and again, helps provide context; it defines who you are as a businessperson and what you want to achieve. When you do that, the markers start lining up, and the path forward becomes clear. You start making your own answers to questions that previously befuddled you.

“Having clarity helps you rebound and reach your potential,” says Peterson. “And you have far more potential than you realize.”

Jeff Kent is editor-at-large

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Earn Unlimited-Never Ending-Residual Income As A Travel Advisor

July 6, 2022September 23, 2022 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

Take a moment and think of what you want, and how you are going to get it. Regardless of what it is that you want, It will take MONEY to get there!

“A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but Money answereth all things”..Ecclesiastes 10:19 (yes, check your bible, it’s there)

Money can’t buy you happiness, but if you are going to be happy you Will Need Money. Looking at people who have acquired great Wealth, I have recognized they basically have three things in common:

1. Multiple streams of income

2. Residual Income

3. Unlimited, continous, never ending income

Networking marketing (ie..Pyramid) has always gotten a bad rep. Let’s take a closer look;

# Low start-up cost
# Turn-Key (everything needed to get started built in price)
# Low monthly business expenses
# The opportunity to Franchise(without franchise cost)multiple sources of income (travel commissions, direct sales commissions, rep overrides)
# Never-ending residual income (make money once, and receive it continually)
# Worldwide market

This being said I consider myself as being a very astute Entrepreneur who utilizes the tool of NETWORK MARKETING to acquire wealth. The Network Marketing tools I use are; PlanNet Marketing (continuous never-ending residual income), and InteleTravel (travel sales commissions)

Direct Sales Commission

The PlanNet Marketing Rep who sells the InteleTravel home-based Independent Travel Agency (“ITA”) business earns a direct sales commission. When you, as a PlanNet Marketing Rep, sell the InteleTravel Independent Travel Agency business (an ITA sale) for $179.95 and $39.95 monthly, you are paid a Direct Sales Commission of $50.00. There is no limit to the number of $50.00 Direct Sales Commissions you may earn.

Build a Rep Organization and Earn Override Commission

The PlanNet Marketing Rep, in addition to selling the InteleTravel business opportunity, may also choose to build a Rep organization and earn override commissions on Reps in their organization who do the same.

PlanNet Marketing offers the Rep who chooses to build a team and Rep organization, financial freedom and flexibility in achieving that goal. As a team-building Rep, you are provided with an online, feature-rich Virtual Office, complete with all of the marketing and sale tools and support that you need to grow your business. When you enroll someone as a PlanNet Marketing Rep (initial fee $19.95 and $19.95 monthly*) and they make an ITA sale, you, as their Sponsor, are paid a 50% Match ($25.00) on their ITA sales. There is no limit to the number of 50% Match Commissions ($25.00) you may earn. And that’s just the start!

As you continue to enroll Reps, and they, in turn, do the same, your team grows and so does your earning potential. As your business grows, you become eligible for increased levels of earning. Click here for our exceptional compensation plan and explore the many benefits available to you as a PlanNet Marketing Rep.

PlanNet Marketing is committed to your success. We want you to live life the way YOU want to live it, to achieve financial security on your terms, and to improve your life and the lives of others.

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The Power of Choosing a Niche

June 27, 2022September 23, 2022 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

**Travel insights from Elisa Parhad, contributor to The Compass**

It might seem counterintuitive but focusing on a specific corner of the market — whether that be multi-generational travel, cruising or European vacations —is key. Doing so can turn your travel agency into a powerhouse, enabling your business to attract more clients, while showcasing you as an expert in a specific area. You’ll also spend less time researching trips as you continue to build your knowledge about your specific target audience and their needs.

This philosophy is one that Sharon Little, Owner of Bespoke Travel Group, always believed. She knew that, at some point, she would become known for a niche of her own. After all, she had always worked in one, initially in sports travel in the United Kingdom, and then in romance travel thereafter. But an even more specific corner of the market became clear in 2011 on a trip to Jamaica.

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“I noticed at every property I visited, there were several weddings each day,” says Little. It turns out that Jamaica is one of the easiest places for Americans to get married legally, and the island offers several other perks for couples, including tropical vibes and close proximity to the East Coast and Midwest. Little also loved the island, so the decision she made was easy: her agency, Bespoke Travel Group (formerly known as Wedding and Honeymoon Travel Group), would focus on couples headed to Jamaica for weddings or honeymoons. “It was my niche within a niche,” Little jokes.

For three to four years, Little only booked these two types of trips, despite getting inquiries for other destinations. Working with top suppliers and vendors, she quickly achieved her goal and became the leading agency for weddings on the island. Although Bespoke Travel now offers trips to a variety of other islands and Mexico, Little is first and foremost an authority on Jamaican romance travel.

“If you’re good at what you do, and you have that knowledge, you become the authority for that niche and the go-to person,” said Little. “Not only were we getting referral business from our customers, but the partners that we worked with often recommended us to their clients, too.”

By zeroing in on a specific travel segment, Little’s reputation precedes her. Her job also requires far less research than if she were booking for a broader range of destinations, saving her valuable time on a day-to-day basis.

“We know what time the sun sets and what time the sun’s actually going down. We know how windy that location is. We know how long it’s going to take the bride to get from her room to the altar and we know what the walkway looks like. Essentially, we know every minute detail. To me, that’s a huge benefit I can offer clients,” Little says. “It also makes the job exponentially easier. Once you have your niche down, you basically know everything, or the majority of the knowledge that you need for every single inquiry.”

Another advantage of a specialization is that competition is reduced and the return on budgeting dollars — because they are focused — is higher. “I’d much rather be laser-focused on a smaller audience but convert them to clients at a much higher rate,” says Little.

How to find your own niche

This starts with discovering your passion. Little suggests asking yourself what you enjoy selling. Whether it is retreat trips for artists, deep-sea fishing excursions or heritage travel to Eastern Europe, it is crucial that you truly enjoy that type of travel and crafting those itineraries.

“If you’re a generalist right now, look at all the different types of travel you are booking,” Little suggests. “Maybe you love planning European itineraries or multi-generational families getting together and having a great experience. Regardless, it must be something you really love. If you aren’t excited about it, it’s not your niche.”

Next, research the market to understand if you can make a living on that slice of the pie. Is it big enough? Is it already saturated? In finding or developing your niche market, ensure it has accessible customers, room for growth, and no dominant competition.

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Identifying and researching areas you are passionate about can be the fun part. Where most advisors get stuck is committing to their chosen niche. For a period, this likely means turning down work and getting through a hard transition period with a lower income stream. In Little’s case, she planned for a slow period of three to six months — the approximate amount of time it took her to change her message and let it filter down to her target customers. The success that followed is a testament to the idea that the foundation for a great business takes time and patience.

Little’s advice to weather the transition is to be prepared for short-term losses, partner with the best vendors and suppliers, and keep your eye on the long game. Now with 10 years of business behind her, she says the payoff is worth the initial hardships she had to overcome. Luckily for her, in just 12 to 18 months she was pulling in over a million dollars in revenue.

Get your message out there

Like so many elements of business today, social media is a key to keeping clients informed of any pivot your agency makes. Use these channels to communicate what your agency is learning and where it is going. “You’re just trying to get the word out there,” says Little. “’Hey, I’m doing this class today,’ or, ‘Hey, I’m in this destination today, and I’m learning about this.’ It’s about involving them in your learning process. In keeping them updated and letting them know what it is that you’re doing, you’re developing your education and keeping clients informed.”

When Little was starting out, social media wasn’t what it is today and she didn’t have a significant following. She turned to referrals, which is another classic tool to help grow a niche market. In the world of romance travel, it is likely that every bride getting married knows at least three other brides getting married within a couple of years. Little seized on that opportunity. “We would go to our brides with a referral program and ask them if they knew anyone getting married or getting engaged,” she explains. “We would ask them if they knew anyone or heard of anyone who’s looking for this type of service, to please keep us in mind. And, that has worked really, really well for us.”

The work of having an agency focused on a niche isn’t done after you have a regular roster of clients booking trips. Tending to your niche is just as important as committing to it. “It’s a partnership and a relationship that needs continuous nurturing,” says Little. “There’s high turnover in the hotels and the wedding teams, and properties constantly have new products, new packages and new customizations you need to know about.”

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Focusing on a niche requires finding your passion, committing to your corner of the market and constantly nurturing its growth. “I don’t want to be a Jack of all trades, master of none,” Little says. “I want to be a big fish in a small pond. Because for me, sticking to a niche has absolutely worked.”

In searching for your own portion of paradise, remember that new niches are created all the time — think film tourism, trips for those who only travel with pets or adventure travel for women over 50. For Little, it was a perfect pairing of romance and an accommodating island in the West Indies. For you, the opportunities are endless.

Originally appeared in the spring 2022 issue of The Compass Magazine.

How to Sell Yourself as a Travel Advisor

June 14, 2022September 23, 2022 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

Travel insights from Steve Hirshan, senior vice president of sales at Avoya Travel and contributor to Travel Professional News

Here’s the one question customers usually ask themselves that can make or break your sale: “Am I willing to invest my time and trust with this person?”

How do you ensure you get the ‘yes’? By ensuring you’re selling yourself to your clients. As a travel advisor, your experience and knowledge help you design unforgettable travel experiences for your clients – this value that you bring is what you want to be selling. By ‘selling the product’ first and not yourself, you run the risk of your clients saying to themselves, “I can buy this online.”

Compare this to the large-scale travel websites today that focus on selling the product first. Following this strategy is sure to guarantee that your authenticity, uniqueness and human side get lost in the mass market of potential sources for booking travel.

Here are four tips on how to best showcase your value as a travel professional to your clients (and how to win over new ones).

Showcase Your Expertise

Don’t just focus on selling the deal, sell your knowledge and expertise. Being a jack-of-all-trades (but a master of none) isn’t going to help you stand out in the marketplace, so be sure to focus on a niche to specialize in and communicate that expertise to your clients. To get started, choose a few destinations, products or types of travel experiences and make those your specialty. Incorporating a niche may seem like you’re narrowing your prospects, however, it can create more business than you think by winning over prospective clients’ trust.

Focus On Personalization And The Human Touch

In today’s digital world, personalization is a must, and that doesn’t exclude the travel industry. Travelers are seeking out that personal touch more than ever, which is your opportunity to step up and fill those shoes.

Large-scale online travel agencies often make travelers feel unimportant and unknown, and clients can be made to wait on hold when complications arise. Travelers want to be assured they can talk to a real person, not a machine or call center agent – someone who gives that personal support even while clients are traveling.

You’ll also want to take the time to get to know your clients’ interests. Travelers are seeking out personalized trips partial to their interests and hobbies. You may have a customer looking at going paddle boarding, exploring coffee houses, different cuisines or cliff diving on the other side of the globe. Whatever their interest is, creating a personalized itinerary that reflects the traveler is key to success.

Sell Your Services

When it comes to the value you can bring to a booking, people usually think of the assistance you can provide when things go wrong, the time you can save clients by sifting through a myriad of travel options and the details you can tend to on their behalf that make trips go more smoothly (especially during these last two years).

Travelers are not coming to you for something they can easily book online themselves. They want to see the value of using you. Add different complexities to remind your customer that only you can plan a vacation like this – unique recommendations, unforgettable excursions, first-hand experience – the possibilities are endless.

Define Your Elevator Pitch

If you had only 30 seconds to sell yourself (and the value you provide), the same amount of time it would take you to ascend five floors in an elevator, would you be able to convince someone to book their travel through you? A good elevator pitch will help you establish yourself as someone with the ability to create great vacations for your clients; not just a representative for various travel companies, but the go-to source for all things travel.

Take the time to define what makes your agency different than the large-scale OTAs or other travel advisors out there. Is it an interesting backstory or a focus on a specific travel expertise? Make sure you know who you are and what you’re able to share with your clients. If you’re not clearly defining your value, your clients won’t be able to see it either.

How to Stop Endlessly Procrastinating

January 24, 2022September 23, 2022 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

Photo by Tom Morel on Unsplash

Is it even possible?

Ayodeji AwosikaFollowingJan 21 · 4 min read

I hated this feeling.

Before I figured out how to change, every day of my life felt like I was losing bits and pieces of myself.

I had all these dreams, but I kept procrastinating.

I felt my future slipping through my fingers. And still, I couldn’t bring myself to do a damn thing about it — couldn’t save my own freaking life.

I felt pathetic.

But, eventually, I stopped. Just like that.

Here’s how…

Step 1 — Decide to Change Your Life

Great advice, Ayo.

I’m sorry, but it’s the answer. It’s that simple.

I decided I was done being a loser, and then with a seemingly infinite number of baby steps, I’ve made it to the point where I am today.

You see people in the gym every single year who make it past the New Year’s resolution threshold and create a life-long habit.

Why? Because they decided to.

The distinction between wanting to do something and deciding to do it is so subtle, but it makes a world of difference.

How can you bring yourself to decide? Some of my favorite techniques are:

Future extrapolation — I always think about what my life will be like years from now if I don’t decide to do that thing I know I need to do. What will your future look like if you don’t decide to make that move you know, deep down, you need to make? Use that negativity to your advantage.
Get pissed — Inspiration is light and fluffy, but negativity cuts deep. So when I’m on the fence, feel scared, and find myself hesitating, I beat myself up until I do it. I don’t automatically make the tough decisions I need to make right away, just because I’m a self-help writer. Like I said, it’s hard to bring yourself to do the things you need to do. Sometimes, it takes a ton of repetition.
Positive Visualization — Positive visualization can and does work, but I put it last because you can easily fall into the trap of having a never-ending daydream about the person you can become. Be careful with this one, but yes, do take time to actively and vividly picture what a better life would look like. This only works when combined with the work, though.

Step 2 — Do the Work

Wow, what an amazing pep talk here Ayo! Do the work! Such sage advice!

Look…

As cliche as it sounds…one step at a time my friend.

What are you trying to do with your life?

What do you want to change?

Ok, first you decide. Then, you do the teeniest tiniest steps consecutively until you get momentum. That’s it. This little mini-empire I have started with writing one blog post.

If you want to get in shape, you have to go to the gym for the first time.

If you want to be a writer, you have to write one thing — could be 10 minutes worth of writing, but you have to do it.

If you want to start a business, you have to do whatever the teeniest tiniest step is…maybe googling “How to Start an Online Business” is step one. Then maybe you find a list of businesses you could start.

Then you find a guide on how to start that specific type of business. Maybe the guide has 17 steps to it. Do step 1 on day 1[….] step 17 on day 17. Break it down into the smallest chunks you need.

“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

You kill procrastination by creating a system. Your system has rituals and practices you force yourself to do at first, but become second nature over time.

Reverse engineer your goals to what you need to do now. Create an environment that helps you get to work as soon as possible.

Put your gym clothes in the car so you don’t have to stop home to change after work. Leave your phone in another room while you work on your blog posts. Batch tasks. Throw your Xbox in the trash. Use tiny checklists and cross them off.

When you feel like hesitating, take a deep breath, and count down from five. Once you reach one, you have to start the task. I used to do this in the mornings when I needed to wake up early to write.

Eventually your systems create momentum and all of a sudden your entire life has changed.

You can get there.

Let’s say you’re at square one as of this moment.

Decide today. And then ‘do’ today.

This is the recipe.

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How to Become a Travel Photographer – the Blueprint

September 24, 2020January 31, 2021 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

BY VIKTOR ELIZAROV

If you want to learn how to become a travel photographer, you in the right place.

It was a beautiful day in Montreal. I was on a regular afternoon jog listening to a popular photography podcast. The topic of the episode was travel photography. The guests of the show were two professional photographers with the years of experience.

At the end of the podcast during the listeners’ question and answer session, the first question immediately grabbed my attention. Why? Because I’ve been asked the same, or nearly identical, question many times before.

So what’s the question?

“I want to start traveling more specifically for photography, but I do not know where to start. Do you have any idea where I should go or how to plan my trip? Should I edit photos while I am there or should I wait until I return home? What cameras, lenses and other equipment do I take? Help! I am suffering from analysis paralysis“.
Ok, so perhaps the question has multiple parts but it still rang true to my experience. I was curious to hear the answers because I knew it was a loaded question and definitely not an easy one.

The photographers’ answers surprised me.

Here are some of them:

“South Asia is a good place to go.”“Do not go to Bangkok.”“If you do not know, choose a place randomly.”“Europe, maybe.”
Instead of addressing the complex subject of travel photography, the photographers only concentrated on a single aspect: the location. Their answers disappointed me because I do not consider the location to be an essential part of travel photography. You do not need to travel to a remote and exotic destination to enjoy travel photography.

A simple 4-step process on how to become a travel photographer

I decided to put together a blueprint or guide to help people who want to get involved in travel photography but do not know where to start. I used a similar approach when I first started and it has proven successful over the years.

First and foremost, please do not start your travel photography journey with a trip to South Asia. It will be a waste of time and money, not to mention it will be full of disappointments.

Start smaller and grow from there.

Northern California. Morro Bay.

**Step 1: Testing Ground**

Find a local park in your neighborhood, preferably within walking distance or a short drive. Make this your testing ground for your equipment and photography routines.

Any urban park has all the essential elements of travel photography: landscapes, cityscapes, people, etc….

Plan your visits during different times of the day. Learn how to deal with the harsh midday light, overcast, rain, sunsets and sunrises. In doing so, you will figure out what minimum equipment you need to cover different scenarios of travel photography.

For example, I realized pretty early that a minimalistic approach to photography suits me the best and all I need is a camera with a walk around lens. For years, I used a combination of a Canon 60D + Sigma 17-70mm and now I have a similar setup of a Sony a6000 + Sony 16-70mm.

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I am lucky enough to have a beautiful park in only short walking distance from where I live. Even now, when I have a new piece of equipment, I always test it there. When I switched from a Canon to a Sony, it was a steep learning curve and the local park was the ideal place for learning and testing my new equipment.

Now that it is winter, I ordered new photo gloves and, when I receive them, I will go to the park for a few hours to see if I like them or not.

Park Rene Levesque in Montreal is my testing ground

Step 2: Mini Simulation

The next step is to go on a day-long trip at a location within a 1-2-hour driving range. In my case, I know all the national and provincial parks around Montreal and most of them make perfect destinations for short photo trips.

This trip will take you away from the comfort of your home for the entire day and will allow you to start micro planning and testing your skills.

Make sure you plan in advance what spot to visit at sunset or sunrise. It is not always easy to do both during a short trip, so choose only one and make sure you visit the best spot. Use Google search, Google maps, and 500px to pinpoint the perfect location for your sunrise or sunset shoot.

Also, you have to decide how many camera batteries to bring with you, if you need spare memory cards, and so on. If your trip involves challenging hiking, it also might be a good idea to leave the tripod at home.

These trips are designed for photographers to make mistakes and to learn from them. With every new trip, you will learn more about planning, your equipment, and your habits.

When you comfortable with the short trips, it is time to graduate to multi-day trips.

Mont-Saint-Bruno national park is only 30km from Montreal

Step 3: Multi-Day Driving Trips

This is how real travel photography started for me.

Montreal is located within a 5-7 hour driving distance from New York, Boston and Toronto with Niagara Falls. My trips dedicated exclusively to photography started with 2-3 day driving trips to those destinations.

Multi-days trips require much more planning where you should always do your research first and then plan all your sunrises, sunsets and everything in between.

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Another new challenge you have to face on these trips is to figure out how to deal with editing and backups.

I am not giving you a specific scenario to follow because, based on my experience, travel routines are always changing and evolving.

For example, in the beginning, I always did some basic edits of my new photos by the end of every day of the trip. Now, I only concentrate on my shooting and I start the editing process when I am back at home. But, I always have the option to edit photos simply by connecting my tablet to camera using Wi-Fi, grabbing a few photos, editing them with Snapseed and posting them to social media.

At the same time, my backup routine has not changed a lot. By the end of the day, I backup all new photos to two external hard drives and always make sure to keep them in two separate places. I have one with me at all times in my bag and the second I keep in the safe in the hotel or in the trunk of my car.

Also, I do not rush to format my memory cards. I keep photos on the cards until I run out of space on all four of them and only then do I start formatting.

The beauty of driving trips is that you do not have to be too selective about the equipment you bring with you. You can load your trunk with everything you own and later figure out what pieces are essential for your style of photography.

New York. Taken from Staten Island Ferry.

Step 4: Hacking Family Vacation

The next step is to hack your family vacation.

You have to be careful with this one so as to ensure you do not agitate your loved ones or ruin the vacation for them.

A family trip can serve as the perfect opportunity for testing your air travel routines. It requires additional research to figure out carry on allowances on every leg of your trip and to decide what equipment to bring.

After I brought all my equipment on one of my first family trips to Cuba and hardly used any of it, I started to pack differently by bringing only the necessities along. Also, after I switched from DSLR to Mirrorless, I can pack everything (almost everything) in my carry on without worrying about lost luggage.

So how do you start planning?

Begin by planning your vacation as you normally would and concentrate on family activities first. When these are done and everybody is happy, you can enhance your trip with photography adventures.

During the vacation, the only time when you can be 100% dedicated to your photography is when everybody is sleeping. On each day of vacation you will have a few hours between sunrise and breakfast to concentrate on your photography. And, not only will your family be in bed at 5 am, about 99.9% of tourists will be in their beds as well. In fact, you would be surprised how beautiful Venice looks at sunrise – it is completely different and calm without the chaos of crowds.

Cuba. Sunrise at Cayo Coco beach.

Last year, my wife and I went to Niagara Falls in the middle of summer on a weekend getaway. It was so crowded during the day that I had no chance of using a tripod. It was even difficult to take any pictures without having people in the frame. But, when I went to the Falls the next morning just before sunrise, I had the entire place to myself. The only person I met there was another photographer who had the same idea.

The goal of successfully combining a family vacation with photography and to be able to enjoy them both is to plan every single sunrise in advance. The rest of the days will be dedicated to family activities and are much more difficult to plan. You can enjoy your family while trying to be as opportunistic as possible with your photography.

After you have completed dozens of one-day local trips, half a dozen of short driving trips and at least a couple of family vacations, you will be ready to go on extensive trips dedicated exclusively to photography. You will acquire the necessary skills and establish personal routines that will help you be comfortable, confident and safe during your travels.

Check what is in my camera bag

Conclusion

Learning any new complex process requires breaking it down into smaller digestible chunks that you can then start to tackle one at a time. Travel photography is no different. You cannot learn everything in one shot. By starting small, you will gradually accumulate knowledge, experience and establish your unique routines.

I hope my simple blueprint will help you fulfill your dream of becoming a travel photographer and accelerate the learning process.

By Viktor Elizarov

I am a travel photographer and educator from Montreal, Canada, and a founder of PhotoTraces. I travel around the world and share my experiences here. Feel free to check my Travel Portfolio and download Free Lightroom Presets.

My Digital Marketing Journey

April 21, 2020September 28, 2020 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

Most digital marketing journeys begin with many unanswered questions, mine was no different. I had to first wrap my head around what digital marketing is, how it works, and of course the profit potential.

Recent retirement, quickly reveled the need for additional income. Not wishing to continue to conform and comply with the natural flow, I had no desire to work for anyone. The natural question became apparent; What can I do?

Spiritual awareness revealed to me that being the unique individual that we all are, we were born to create. We are to use our unique gifts, talents, and ideals to provide for the collectiveness of the universe.

Further contemplation led me to my love for photography and art. After years of running an inherited family business and working for others within the workforce, I now finally have the opportunity to pursue my passion for photography.

With the question of what to do finally answered, how to make this a reality became my focus. How could I create a digital photography business? The how began with an intense investigation of the overall digital photography industry.

That investigation very quickly exposed, and initiated a huge need for support, direction and instruction. I lacked the technology as well as the knowledge.

Understanding that the driving force for any business is customers. All business must address customer needs and problems. Bottom line customer acquisition is the key. I had to find potential customers, to present my artistic creations.

Start Up Problems

As a budding entrepreneur you must address a unique set of problems relevant to your particular niche. Ironically, you must solve your start up problems in order to create an entity to address your customer needs.

There are many obstacles that must be addressed when starting any business. The main ones being:

Start Up Capital
Technical Platform
Marketing/Advertisement/Promotion
Training/Coaching/Learning

The good news is; digital start ups are a little less daunting than traditional brick and mortar companies. And, a lot less expensive!

As I searched for the things needed to get up and going, I was bombarded with countless get rich sachems. Stay Clear! ….. Investigate Thoroughly!

“The strength of the effort determines the outcome”

After countless hours I found a company named The Six Figure Mentors. My affiliation with SFM is the cornerstone of my company. Uniquely, this company addressed not one but all of my start up concerns, issues, and problems.

Via this affiliation I was led to AWeber email marketing company which augmented my customer acquisition efforts initiated by SFM. Although a digital marketing plan can be created without the concept of email marketing, I found it in my best interest to add this concept to my marketing efforts. Email marketing has become the foundation to my marketing strategy.

The technical platforms, training/coaching, learning modules, mentorship, and support from both companies are second to none. This partnership is the solid foundation for my ever expanding digital world.

In addition, marketing their products provides the economic base needed to grow your business regardless to your particular product/service or niche. Their pre developed sales funnel gave me the beginning cash flow necessary to build on.

Do yourself a favor and check them out. Do your own investigation. Simply follow the links and banners on this page.

Concluding Note

Please be aware and understand who you are. You must understand the Divine Creation you are. You must understand that you were created by the Divine(God) to create for the universe.

“Simply Become Who You Are”

Throughout my life experiences it seemed the happiness was only an illusion. It was not until I realized the true nature of my being that I could experience the state happiness I now experience.

So create that which you are intended to create. Give of your Gifts and Talents! “DO What You DO”

Health Wealth & Love! …. “Namaste”

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5 Steps to Take Now So You Can Thrive in the Post Coronavirus World

March 31, 2020 Digital Age Travel ProfessionalsLeave a comment

Article Written by; Barry Davret FollowMar 25 · 5 min read

You have plenty of alone time. Don’t waste it.

Pandemics always end. At some point, this will pass. We’ll find a way to defeat the coronavirus. We just don’t know when. But that’s not the question that troubles me. What I want to know are the answers to these questions:

Will my friends and loved ones still be here? Will I still be here? What will become of us? Will I still have a job or business?

Don’t tell me you aren’t thinking that too, or at least similar thoughts more appropriate to your situation. If you’re not careful, you can spend hours on end contemplating the worst-case-scenarios. That kind of thinking will destroy your sanity.

Nobody can predict how this will all end, but I’m planning on thriving in the post coronavirus world, and I’ve already started taking steps to make it happen.

When you shut off the endless cycle of crisis, you’re left with a lot of free time. How you choose to fill that time today will impact your future outcomes. So, where do you start?

These five steps will help you focus on doing work that matters.

1. The Life Design Questions

In the early 2000s, I attended a string of personal development seminars. My intoxication with self-help schemes fizzled out, but one of those events left a lasting impact. The leader of this seminar had us focus on three questions. The answers gave us clarity on what we wanted and enabled us to design a life we desired.

Who do you want to become?

What kind of person do you aspire to be? What characteristics do you want other people to ascribe to you?

What do you want to become?

What kind of professional life do you desire? Describe it in detail.

What is the change you need to make?

Describe the person you are now and what you do. What changes do you need to make to achieve the vision of your future self?

This exercise always provided me interesting insights, but it never resulted in any changes to my life. But years later, I found this to be a useful tool when used as a precursor to the next step.

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2. Create Your Day in the Life

Several years ago, I listened to a Tim Ferris podcast, where he interviewed Debbie Millman. She described a life-changing exercise that I’ve been following for the last two years. Here’s how it works.

Picture yourself five years from now, long after the crisis ends. Write out in essay format, a day in your life from the moment you get out of bed until you fall asleep.

Think about all of your dreams and imagine that you have already achieved them (use results from the first step). Imagine what your life would be like if you pursued your goals without fear and delay. Be specific about what you do with your day, both professionally and personally. Write about your career, family life, health, and hobbies. Your essay should run about 3,000–5,000 words.

For more details, I suggest you listen to the segment here at 1:31:00 into the podcast. I’ve been focusing on this the last week, and whenever I feel that twinge of angst, I pull out my essay and read it. It has a remarkably calming and motivating effect.

3. List the Actions You Must Take to Create That Life

Once you’ve put your dream life on paper, list out the high-level activities you must take to achieve those goals. Creating a plan can overwhelm you, so don’t get hung up on intricate details. List out the steps as you think of them. There will be a significant amount of gaps, but you’ll address those in the next step.

Let’s suppose in three years you will have published a novel. Your high-level actions would be:

Write the first draft.
Get it reviewed by a developmental editor.
Rewrite.
Final edit.
Book design.
Publish.

Yes, there are dozens of steps in between. You may need to acquire specific skills, get recommendations, research, and network. But a high-level outline like this gets you excited, focuses your mind, and prepares you to dig into the details.

4. Research, but Not Too Much

There’s nothing like losing yourself in research to take your mind off the craziness of the outside world. It takes more than a few hopeful ideas to achieve a dream. You need to know what steps to take and then act on them.

But don’t bury yourself in research forever. I’ve found that some folks use it as an excuse to avoid doing work or taking risks.

Research other people who have achieved similar goals to yours and find out what they did, and then move on. You can always come back to do more if you need it.

When you finish, go back to your list from the previous step and fill in some of the blanks.

5. Make it Happen

Dreaming and planning are necessary steps, but they mean nothing without taking action. Schedule time in your day to work on your dream. Sure, you knew that already. But what if you’re struggling with following through? It’s almost impossible to focus in this environment.

By scheduling time and limiting your intake of social media and news, you’ll find it easier to focus. If the stress still gets to you, I’ve found that these steps help:

Read your day in the life essay. It’ll transport your mind to a future state.
Listen to music or sounds that calm you. I listen to Brain.fm, but it’s subscription-based. If you want something free, create a playlist. I find that listening to music that reminds me of childhood brings back memories of happier times, and crowds out today’s madness.

Living in an era of uncertainty and fear may get the better of us at moments. But focusing on your dream now will not only distract you from the fear and anxiety but will set you up for a more fruitful post corona world.