Startup & Small Business - Page 9

Nearly everyone is familiar with or has at least heard of the concept of self-improvement. Especially when it comes to setting goals for personal development and achieving success.  Sometimes it takes a bit more than reading tons of self-help books and about other people’s journeys.
While using the information from books, Youtube videos, and others can be a great starting point for transforming into that version of yourself you’ve longed to become you won’t get there until you commit yourself to actually doing the work.

Here, we’ll delve into 3 fun ways you can work on transforming your self-image and become the person you truly are. It doesn’t take a lengthy course or months and months of work to get started. You can start right where you are today. Small, fun, and action-oriented steps will help you achieve true self-transformation. 

1. Create your Alter Ego. 

You may be familiar with the popular book “The Alter Ego Effect” by bestselling author Todd Herman. It’s a great read that really goes into how we can create positive changes from within by accessing our true potential. By creating an alter-ego, we can easily tap into a hidden reserve of possibilities when we access our super character to take over and get things done. 

Create an alter-ego that has special characteristics you personally wish to embody. Decide which superpowers/traits this super character will display so you can summons your character to act in those situations where you normally wouldn’t. There are no limits to creating your character. 

2. Scripting: Star in Your Own Movie.

Why co-star in someone else’s film will you can create your own. It’s great to lend your support to others here and there but if you ever want to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself then you have to be the one who shows up for you. What does that mean? It means taking the initiative to map out exactly what you want for your life and to make your goals a priority. How do you see yourself? What new characteristics do you embody? Visualize it. When you do you’re twice as likely to act accordingly. 

Create and act in your own movie. Since you’re the writer, director, and the main actor, you can script whatever your heart desires. It basically sums up to setting your scenery, your intentions, you write your script. Decide on how you will act and interact. Writing things on paper will make the process of a renewed self-image easier to accomplish.

3. Do the Unexpected.

How many times are you going to cast aside an invite from a friend to attend a party or some other social event? I know I’m guilty. It may take a few tries but you really need to get over your self. It may seem scary stepping outside your comfort zone but it’s a great start to a better future. What if there’s a new opportunity awaiting your arrival? But you’ll never know if you don’t go. Matter of fact, you’ll never have a shot at anything if you don’t take chances.

Personally, like most people, I don’t enjoy being uncomfortable but I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone more times than I can count for an opportunity at something new. Sometimes you have to take the shot. Do the unexpected. Intentionally stepping out of your comfort zone and into new territory opens new doors to an improved and better self. 

If you know of other fun ways to change your self-image feel free to drop us a line in the comments!

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Before getting into the finer details of how to record the demo that could get you or your band noticed, it is worth clarifying that people record demos for all kinds of reasons. It could be that you want something to give away or sell at gigs, you might want to send a voice recording demo in the hope of a career in oration or voiceovers. Or, you or your band could be hoping to record a high quality, professional demo to send to record labels across the country in the hope of a label contract. While this article will be skewed towards the latter, there are many universal rules that anyone recording a demo of any kind would do well to follow.

Preparation is key

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of preparation when it comes to the task of recording a demo that best reflects the passion, skill and creativity behind your music. By being well prepared for your session, whether it be in a professional recording studio, a mate’s garage or a borrowed school hall, the same mantra applies – be prepared. By making sure you’ve practiced the material, fired yourself up, ensure everyone turns up on time and have all your gear ready you will maximise costly time in the studio or if going DIY get yourself in the correct mind-set to do your very best. There should be no guitar left un-tuned, no strings needing replacing, no pedals forgotten and heaven forbid you should turn up without the relevant cables. If you are in a studio call in advance (well in advance) to establish what they provide and what you need to bring yourself. If you are using an engineer make sure that he has listened to your material and understands the desired result. Having everyone pulling in the same direction is vital.

If you are a band that plays live, it would be a great idea to try recording as you play on a phone or tablet so that you can sit down and listen through before you go into a studio. You can never understand your strengths and weaknesses nor those of your songs until you do this. While you are playing, the adrenaline can give material an added boost, but remember this is not felt by the listener or the record label executive! You might feel that some added layers or dimensions could beef up the material for recording purposes.

Wear your passion on your sleeves

Believe me the record label bosses will receive countless demos that are proficient, professional and well recorded, but ultimately bland. The way to stand out is by having interesting, unusual and unique material on top of all of those previously mentioned traits and also by conveying a sense of almost primal passion to the listener. You’ve written songs about heartache? Make the listener cry as if it were their own heart being torn apart. You’ve written death metal songs? You want the listener to feel the grime of crawling through a swamp full of cadavers. Whichever end of the spectrum you are you simply have to convey a strong emotional connection to the material.

Write down or hum interesting riffs

There is no substitute for those ephemeral ideas that sneak ninja-like into our conscious minds only to leave, unnoticed through the back door in a flash should we not grab them and somehow capture their essence. The best way to do this is to hum the genius riff into the mic of your phone on record or if it is a lyric scribble it down before it escapes your mind, never to return. Jamming these ideas and allowing for time to do so can make the difference between humdrum and incendiary.

Even if you’re going DIY on recording, don’t be cheap or lazy!

It would not have been in the too distant past that should you submit a phone-recorded demo to a record company you’d have been ridiculed. Nowadays things are very different thanks to the combination of powerful smartphones and incredible apps. The problem is that the inbuilt mic on all phones is pretty terrible, but apps like Spire can really help. Powered by iZotope Spire is a free 4-track recorder that will help add some va-va-voom to your recordings. Even if you are planning to go to a studio, such a set-up is great for spirit of the moment recording sessions.

Go to the studio, at least for the mixing!

Entering the studio is probably to be recommended to achieve both the recording and mixing of your demo. But at the very least you should aim for the latter, should the budget not allow for the former. A serious recording studio will benefit from a passionate, experienced and knowledgeable engineer who specializes in professional mixing – a field that can make all the difference between a passable demo and an exceptional listening experience. You should benefit from pitch correction and alignment of vocals, re-triggering of drums where necessary and the individual appraisal of each track for EQ, dynamics, compression and the addition of any effects.

All of these factors come together to give you the best possible chance of getting a great demo recorded. However, the first and most important step is to practice and find an identity you can really and passionately get behind. In a crowded field those that stand out are those who can convey their feelings via their chosen medium.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!