and the pursuit of happiness.

Let’s Be More Like Rappers

The image above illustrates a chain of hip-hop artists who have helped put each other on.

Biggie discovered Jay Z, Jay Z discovered Kanye, Kanye discovered Kid Cudi. Each rapper gave the next rapper a chance to succeed and flourish.

They saw the potential.

They saw the opportunity.

The lesson we can learn? Pay it forward.

Once you’ve reached a certain level of success, it only makes sense to help someone out, share what you know and put someone else on.

You didn’t get to where you were alone, did you?

Be someones mentor. Whether they know it or not. Whether you know it or not.

I’m not referring to mentorship in the traditional sense. I’m not hinting at being involved in a “mentorship program” or hiring an intern.

I’m talking about being involved in a relationship. A real relationship, where you can help guide someone’s way.

Mentorship programs are nice and all, but really believing in someone and seeing their potential is ultimately more powerful.

Now go find yourself a Kid Cudi.

{ 2 comments }

Build A Legacy For Yourself

If you were fired or laid off tomorrow, would you have anything to show for your work, aside from a blurb on your resume?

It’s important to build something for yourself that reaches far beyond the walls of your workplace, so that when your workplace has gone (or has changed), you still have something to show for it…something to hold on to…something to be confident in and to stand for.

Let’s look at an extreme example.

What is Apple without Steve Jobs? Some argue that Steve Jobs makes (made) Apple what it is. Some say that without Steve Jobs, Apple will crumble. Some believe that Apple is nothing without Steve Jobs.

What is Steve Jobs without Apple? He’s still a genius. He’s still smart as heck. He can easily go work for any company in the world. He’s still sought after in a way that only comes with hard work, dedication, and big picture thinking.

But most importantly, he’s still “Steve Jobs.”

Jobs has built a legacy which sprawls far beyond the confines of Apple.

Steve Jobs is a brand.

Here’s an experiment for you.

Google yourself.

*if you have a common name, Google your name + your city.*

What are the results?

Hopefully, there’s more there than a “new hire” press release.

Something that would make someone want to reach out to you and extend an invitation for coffee or a pass along a possible job opportunity. Something that would make someone think, “Man, I should really get to know that person.”

Who are you, and what do you stand for, without anyone else in your corner?

Don’t forget to build your own legacy. Don’t be afraid to be defined by you. It’s never too late to start a blog.

-k

{ 2 comments }

If You Build It, They Will Come…But Only If It’s Good

There is only one way to create a successful business: have a GFP ( a good f*cking product).

Good products market themselves.

They generate referrals.

They create conversations.

They fill a void that needs to be filled.

Without a good product (or service for that matter), it doesn’t matter how many marketing dollars you have or how skilled your team is, because in the end, good products speak for themselves.

Look at Instagram.

5 million+ users, 11 months, 100 million+ photo uploads, 5 team members, zero marketing dollars.

The next time you build it, make sure it’s good.

photo by wilhelmja

{ 0 comments }

Travel Hacking 101

Many of you know that one of my biggest passions and “beacons in life” is traveling.

And if you don’t already know, you’ll soon find out.

Surprisingly enough, traveling isn’t a huge expense for me. A couple of years ago, I discovered this little thing called “Travel Hacking” which I’ll loosely define as: finding loopholes and creating opportunities that help you travel for free/on-the-cheap/inexpensively.

Sometimes it’s hard (tedious) work, but it’s totally worth it. In December I’ll be heading to London, Paris, Cairo and back for less than $500.

Below are some resources to help you get into the Travel Hacking game.

*Please note – none of these are affiliate or advertising links*

Helpful Sites
TravelHacking.Org
ChrisGuillebeau.Com/3×5
FrugalTravelGuy.Org
MilePoint.Com
Yapta.Com
BingTravel
AwardWallet.Com
HelpMeTravelCheap.Com
ThePointsGuy.Com
FlyerTalk.Com

Forums
FlyerTalk Forums
MilePoint Forums

Flyertalk Miles Buzz

Ebooks
FrequentFlyerMaster
Decording Air Travel
Travel Ninja

(free) Guides
Travel Full Time For Less Than 14k Per Year

AirLine Fare School

Beginners Guide To Travel Hacking

AONC Beginners Guide To Travel Hacking

Other Random Articles

http://www.whatsleftout.com/2011/07/travel-hacking/
http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/1-hour-of-travel-hacking/
http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/free-and-low-cost-travel-hacking-resources/
http://manvsdebt.com/travel-hacking-for-noobs/
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/12/beginners-guide-to-travel-hacking/
http://taryn-southern.com/random/the-art-of-travel-hacking-tips-for-first-class-adventures-on-an-economy-budget-part-1
http://taryn-southern.com/random/the-art-of-travel-hacking-first-class-adventures-on-an-economy-budget-part-2
http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/12/09/how-to-fly-35000-miles-visit-4-continents-9-countries-and-15-cities-for-418/
http://www.themiddlekingdom.org/travel-hacking-an-introduction/
http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2011/07/27/5-travel-hacking-tips-%E2%80%93-and-one-thats-no-more/
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/06/03/travel-hacking-smart-ways-to-see-the-world/
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/travel-hacking-101
http://adventureaaron.com/travel-hacking/
http://www.travelhack.org/archives/141

photo by xlibber

{ 0 comments }

7 Ways To Get Experience Without Needing To Get Hired

It’s the age old conundrum.

Which came first, the portfolio or the job?

Marketing, advertising, social media, design, web development, writing, production, public relations, and media (amongst others) are aggressive, competitive career paths saturated with great talent willing to put in work, and finding an internship/entry level position is often times a lofty challenge.

Don’t let your creative juices go to waste.

“Keep on making stuff.” – @jakenyberg

Below are 7 ways to build your portfolio without needing a job.

1. Join the barter economy.

Working for free sucks. Working for money rocks. Bartering fits somewhere in between and is often times better than working for money. Use your “special service” to get other services or things of value. There are plenty of people willing to do this if you just ask. If you can’t think of anyone in your immediate network to swap with, try Craigslist. A search for the query “website” in the barter section of Craigslist bring up all of this.

2. Find a non-profit.

Sometimes people volunteer their time. Sometimes people “volunteer” their money. Other times, people volunteer their services. Find a non-profit organization that needs help, and go get it. You’ll build your portfolio, grow your network, and feel good about yourself all at the same time.

3. Join a collective.

Trying to get clients without having a body of work is difficult. Joining a collective is a phenomenal way to exercise your creative muscles, hone your skill and expand your contact list. If you’re in Minneapolis, check out MPLS.TV. They’re always looking for people interested in everything from design, to social media, to video production. Don’t have anything like MPLS.TV in you city? Start one yourself.

4. Start your own business.

Reach out to some small businesses or dig into your personal network and find some clients who are looking for your expertise. Take on a few clients, and build your book under one “brand umbrella” that you can call a business. This way, you’ll have a position on your resume – instead of a gap.

5. Focus on the small stuff.

The goal is to grow and create, so take on some one-off projects instead of traditional clients. Find events, gigs, promotions, concerts, and other “time-sensitive” happenings and create work around them. Aspiring videographer? Produce that music video for your buddy’s band. Want to be a designer? Design the wedding invitation for your friend that’s getting hitched.

6. Be your own client.

Use your imagination and produce whatever it is you’ve been dreaming about. Have an idea for a greeting card? Make it. Be the art director, copywriter and designer. Have a business idea? Start working on the business plan. Even if things never take off, at least you’re producing work and creating experiences for yourself.

7. Show ‘em whatcha got.

Find a brand, make it better. Do you think that the American Airlines website is disgusting? Be like Dustin Curtis and redesign it. For free. Read about what happens next here.

Conclusion

Seriously, you don’t need a job to get experience. If I can help you in anyway, or if you have any questions – drop ‘em into the comments area or shoot me an email.

-k

______________________________________________________________________________

Do you like this? Subscribe.

Or put your email address in the box in the upper right hand corner.

{ 10 comments }

Livin’ The Dream: Jake Nyberg

The man, the myth, the mullet.

For this episode of Livin’ The Dream we chat with Jake Nyberg of Threevolts.

Learn how Jake took his passion for film and video and turned it into a thriving industry career.

{ 1 comment }

Living Outside The Box

It’s hard to be different, it always has been.

Back in middle school, it was difficult to speak up and say what you really wanted to say or do, for fear of isolation and not fitting in.

Today, things haven’t really changed much.

It’s in our nature to want to fit in.

It’s in our nature to want to categorize each other and to be categorized.

It’s always hard for me to answer the question:”So, what do you do?” because the person asking is looking for a definition. They want to put me into a category.

If I tell them I’m an artist, they might say: “you don’t look like an artist”

If I tell them I’m an entrepreneur, they might say: “you don’t act like an entrepreneur”

If I tell them I’m a business owner, they might say: “you don’t seem like a business owner”

Stereotypes come with categories. Generalizations follow.

But living outside the box is nice, because there aren’t really any rules, regulations or expectations.

Living outside the box gives you freedom.

I do a bunch of different stuff, and I don’t think I or “it” really fits into any specific category.

I’m just me.

So, what do you do?

photo by brevvi

{ 2 comments }

How I Became Friends With A Billionaire

One time, I was at a Timberwolves game with a few buddies.

The T-Wolves were playing the Mavericks.

I’m not really a basketball fan…I went because I had some free tickets. I am however, a Mark Cuban fan.

Cuban’s an entrepreneur that I’ve always looked up to. He speaks his mind, makes questionable decisions, is as self-made as they come, embraces new technology and has successfully become a billionaire (he’s only 43 years old).

At the game, I tweeted Cuban and to my surprise, he tweeted back.

It was exciting and funny.

As soon as the game was over, I went down to ask him if he’d take a photo with me.

I said, “Hey Mark, can I take a pic with you?”

He said, “Eh, I’m not in the mood for pics right now.”

I said, “Ok man, no problem.”

He said, “Wait, you’re that Twitter kid, aren’t you?”

I said, “Yes, @kareemy is the name.”

He said, “Okay! Let’s take a pic.”

So we did (and it now has over 7,000 views on TwitPic).

A few months later, Cuban tweeted that he was in town for another Timberwolves game.

So I tweeted him and told him to swing by The Bulldog NE because I was hosting a tweetup there (he said that he’d remembered me from the other game and that he might swing by).

We continued DMing and about 2 hours into the tweetup, Cuban strolls in, looks at me and says, “Yo! What up @kareemy!”

I was astounded.

The guy actually showed up.

It was awesome. We hung out for a while, I called up some buddies and we hung out some more. Cuban was/is a super nice, down-to-earth guy. He acts like an average joe and isn’t “too good” for us normal folk, although he did make some jokes about being able to fly us down to Vegas in his private jet, if he wanted to.

Cuban shared some great stories and wisdom with us. It was one of those nights that I’ll never forget.

Chubbier-than-now Kareem & Mark Cuban

We still keep in touch and exchange emails every few months.

Cuban is still doing cool things like playing himself in an episode of Entourage.

And that’s the story of how I became friends with a billionaire.

{ 5 comments }

Livin’ The Dream: Tyler Tervooren

For this episode of Livin’ The Dream, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Tyler Tervooren of Advanced Riskology.

I’ve been following Tyler’s journey for the past year or so and man, is he an impressive fella. Tyler just got back to the US from climbing some mountains and running a marathon in Africa (he plans to run one in every continent).

Watch the video below and learn from the Professor of Riskology himself!