Onward Creatives

You're one of the rare ones.  You're one of the ones who has an idea and is acting on it.  Whether you're starting a business, launching a career or building an existing business I want to remind you this week....You can do this! I'm a huge fan of Disney, ok more like a Disney nerd.  But I don't think we can just wish and hope our dreams into existence.  Of course we can imagine and maintain hope but this journey requires more.  This journey requires everything from us. You can do this.....but (Kardashian size) you have to work for it! This is going to require a lot from you, but if you want it bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes. Start the week by resting in this encouragement....You can do this!  But after the coffee cup is empty it's time to go after this with everything you have.  The journey onward starts here! Join our Private Facebook Group!   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  A space to develop and grow your creative potential. Each week we provide inspiration and resources to you, the cre

Welcome to the Question and Answer Episode!  I love these episodes because it's all about you!  Here are a few of the questions that you all asked: How do you remain confident when facing lots of rejection? How do you restart your creativity after a slump? At what point do you consider yourself successful? How do you manage your social media? Does working out and eating well affect your creativity or work? When do you transition from a project to entrepreneurship? Thanks to those of you who asked! Join our Private Facebook Group! Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and th

You are the one, the only!  I don't mean this in a cheesy, we're all perfect, we all deserve a trophy kind of way.  The reality is that we're not all good at everything because we're each different.  It's time that stop celebrating us all for the same thing and begin to celebrate the uniqueness that we each are. This celebration also comes with responsibility.  We're not interchangeable like cell phones.  We're each wired and talented in unique ways.  I do coaching and business development and one of the things that I hear all of the time is "I don't know who I am" or "I have no idea what I enjoy doing or am good at."  This is tragic and is a reminder that we have to take the time to get to know ourself.  So grab a cup of coffee and dive in to the one and only....you! Join our Private Facebook Group! Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are c

Jeff Shinabarger truly believes that better is possible.  He is a firm believer in solving problems through both for-profit and non-profit endeavors. Jeff is the founder and director of Plywood People in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been involved in helping over 200 startups do good while solving key problems.  He is a thought leader in Social Entrepreneurship and in addition to co founding Q and eight years at Catalyst he has been featured by CNN, USA Weekend, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Huffington Post, Christianity Today, Coca-Cola, Relevant Magazine, and the Chicago Sun Times.  In this podcast Jeff shares several key insights: The role that being uncomfortable plays in the life of the innovator. The importance of curating key voices into the creative cycle. The need to have mentors and how to choose those key mentors. The key factor that determines whether an entrepreneur is successful or not. Join our Private Facebook Group! Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dr

We've heard it before and it's a big fat lie, "Curiosity killed the cat!"  It's intended to protect us as children from doing things that are harmful to us.  The problem with childhood advice is that it often influences us as adults. It's quite easy to live our lives surrounded by people who are just like us in most ways.  And because we've been raised to be afraid of curiosity we never venture outside of our homogenous norm. If we want to grow, be stretched, and learn new things we have to say "screw the cat" I want to be curious.  Samuel Johnson says "Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect."  So let's throw caution to the wind and surround ourselves with people who think, believe, vote and act differently than ourselves.  Be Passionately Curious!   Join our Private Facebook Group! Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their ide

Knowing if and when to transition a project into a business can be a difficult process.  There are so many factors that play into this vital pivot but if done correctly an amazing business can be the result. Eryn Erickson was working as an art director and aspiring musician when she started a small t-shirt project to give back to her fans.  She suddenly found herself with a house full of t-shirts and people sharing their stories from all over the world.  She utilized mentors, business savvy and her instinct to transition this side project into the highly successful lifestyle clothing line, So Worth Loving. In this episode Eryn shares her journey and some of the key insights that she's learned along the way.   Eryn shares three major lessons with us: How she pivoted from a project to a business The importance of mentors: how to chose them and when to let them go The need to balance vulnerability with thick skin Follow So Worth Loving: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr Join our Private Faceboo

Keep looking ahead! Not only is this really good advice for driving but also for life. When we make big, crazy decisions it's tempting at some point to look back.  To be honest sometimes the road ahead looks treacherous and uncertain. This is when we're tempted to look back, and even turn back. Whether it's in business or life, we have to keep our view on what is ahead, the more treacherous it gets the more focused we have to be. Let's stay on the journey with our eyes on the possibilities that lie ahead! Join our Private Facebook Group! Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey

Do you have an idea that is great but you don't have the experience for?  This is a common problem among entrepreneurs and often times keeps us from pursuing our dreams.   A few weeks ago I met Laura Bento, founder of Good Grit Magazine, and was shocked by one of her first statements.  I expected to her say that she had worked for publications for years and after proving herself had decided to start her own magazine.  Instead she told me "Prior to starting Good Grit I had never actually subscribed to a magazine before."  After a few more questions I discovered that when she conceived the idea for Good Grit she had ZERO publication experience. Prior to launching her magazine she ran a consulting company and found herself needing to learn new skills consistently.  She was able to utilize multiple opportunities to build her skill set through curiosity and the simple art of asking questions. Laura is the ultimate learner and has leverages this skill set to build Good Grit. In this Episode you will learn: You are

Whether we're starting a business or looking for a job,we all do our fair share of research.  We research production, marketing, branding, pricing.  We look into the company that we're applying to and learn how to network and use social media to make meaningful connections.  All of these are great and definitely important but so many of us miss out on knowing our best asset...ourself. We need to learn about ourself in order to: 1. Operate in your our strengths 2. Build a team that compliments us 3. Avoid being the chameleon by staying true to ourselves.   Join our Private Facebook Group!   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. E

Can you be an entrepreneur and work for the "man?"  Some say no but we say yes!  And here are seven reasons why: 1. Sometimes you don't have a full-time idea 2. It's best for your stage of life 3. It reduces your stress/pressure and keeps things fun 4. Allows for a slow build 5. It allows you to work on a team 6. It provides you with experience 7. You can add value to an existing company   Join our Private Facebook Group!   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet along the way. The journey onward starts here! For more inspiration and resources f

Change and growth come from disruptions.  Commonality creates comfort but differences create growth.  Whether it's in our own personal journeys or in the business's that we lead significant change and growth cannot happen without disruptions.  The Humanitas home in the Netherlands is a great example of how revolutionary thinking changed the conversation from death and sickness to youth and parties.  If we want to make life change or take our business to the next level we need to change the conversation and this change in conversation requires disruptors.    Join our Free Private Facebook Group! Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the

There are six common myths about pursuing your dreams.  To be honest, I've believed a few of them along the way and maybe you have too.  Today we'll be your entrepreneurial Myth Busters, here they are: 1.You have to quit your job 2.You can finally focus 100% of your time on your passion 3. You cannot work for someone else 4.You will get rich quick 5. You will be guaranteed happiness 6.You can't be a grown up and have a dream   Join our Private Facebook Group!   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet along the way. The journey onward starts here

You have to break out of the drift.  The drift is the subtle, gentle current that slowly takes you far from where you want to be.  If we don't break out of the drift we will wake up one day and say "This isn't the life that I wanted."  In this Motivation Monday we talk about the need to break free of the drift. Join our Private Facebook Group! Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet along the way. The journey onward starts here! For more inspiration and resources for your life visit us at: Onward Creatives Facebook You can follow Valentina at: H

We're all leaving one place and heading towards another.  The journey requires that we set out on a path that will require a lot from us.  In addition to the difficulties we face in starting a business, changing jobs, getting healthy or changing relationships we also feel the continual pull of gravity to return back to where we came from.  We need a group of people who will not only help us navigate the journey itself but who will also fight gravity and beckon us onward towards our best life.  For many of us this process of building a new network can seem daunting but there are five simple things that we can do to build our new support network. Key Points: 1. Introduce yourself to people 2. Connect with an existing group 3. Join a learning group 4. Attend a conference or event 5. Hire a coach/mentor What do you want us to talk about? Take the survey.     Additional info: Interview with Megan Huntz Interview with Eryn Erickson   Join our Private Facebook Group!   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This

Welcome to Motivation Monday!  Every journey has a starting point and a destination.  The beginning of the journey is marked with excitement and the end of the journey is exhilarating because you can see the end.  The middle though, when we can't see land on either side of us, this is where it gets difficult.  It's in this season that we must remember two things:  1. We must remember why we started.  What was it that caused us to embark on this life change?  What is it that we want to leave behind?  2. What is the desired outcome?  What does change look like?   I hope you'll join our Facebook group and share your "2 things" with us this week. Join our Private Facebook Group!   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relau

Life change is easy!  Ok, no one ever said that.  In fact, when you decide to change something in your life you'll quickly find that it can be more difficult than you've ever imagined (which is the very reason so few people do it).  Here are 5 things that you can do when the doing gets difficult. 1.Realize it's always difficult 2.Remember why you're doing this 3. Pick one thing to work on today 4. Find community (such as our Facebook group ) 5. If necessary, pivot a bit   Join our Private Facebook Group!   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet

Are you ready for action today?  In the next five minutes I'm going to help you embrace a two letter word that will change your life.  This week is all about action so we're going to take the first step towards our dreams becoming a reality.  Once you've listened to the podcast I want you to visit our Facebook Group and share your step for this week.  This gives us all the chance to encourage and celebrate these most important first steps to each others dreams becoming a reality.   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet along the way. The journ

Do you like waiting?  I hate it!  Whether in it's line, traffic or for the next Star Wars movie.  It's even worse when I have an idea that I want to act on. Unlike Jerry Maguire we can't just quit our jobs and start over in the night.  Sometimes we need to wait for a season until we can pursue the idea.  In this episode we talk through four ways to get ready while waiting. Key Points: 1. Get rid of the excess baggage 2. Make a plan 3. Get prepared 4. Enjoy where you are   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet along the way. The journey onward

Ever feel like on the road to success you're in a Fiat and everyone else is in a Ferrari?  We live in the instageneration so this feeling is quite common.  You have the idea and the skill but patience and practice are what you need to make your dream a reality.   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet along the way. The journey onward starts here! For more inspiration and resources for your life visit us at: Onward Creatives Facebook You can follow Valentina at: House of Valentina Instagram Twitter Facebook You can Follow Jack at: Instagram Twi

How do we stay hopeful with tragedies occurring every day? How do we solve problems which seem to increase daily? We can fight hopelessness and despair with two words...."What if"   Welcome to the Onward Creatives Podcast.  This is the place for anyone who is dreaming of making a change in their lives, taking a leap into a new adventure, or wondering if their idea is worth pursuing. We are creative entrepreneurs, Valentina and Jack Fussell and in Season Two, we continue to share from the midst of a total life relaunch.  After 12 years living in Africa and Europe we are relaunching our life in the US. Each week we share insights from our personal journey and the inspiring people we meet along the way. The journey onward starts here! For more inspiration and resources for your life visit us at: Onward Creatives Facebook You can follow Valentina at: House of Valentina Instagram Twitter Facebook You can Follow Jack at: Instagram Twitter Facebook