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94 articles by Young Kim · showing 50

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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

The Myth of Multitasking

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Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Creativity and Productivity Are Not Mutually Exclusive

Many creative people struggle with time management and organization because many of them believe that constraints hinder the freedom to create. The opposite is actually true. Constraints can actually lead to productive creativity. To be creative means one is in the habit of creating. Being productive means one is in the habit of creating regularly.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Learn-On-Demand

I love books, and I love learning in a classroom setting, but with time and money being finite, I’d rather learn-on-demand. If I need figure out how to add a feature to my website, I just look it up in user groups. If I need a bit of trivia, I search for it on the Internet. If I need some good tips on marketing, I’ll either research a few articles, or I’ll listen to a podcast while I’m exercising.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Solve the Right Problems

Tired of having to carry around a bottle of ink just to sign legal documents, W. B. Purvis invented the fountain pen. He didn’t shop around for a solution; he invented the solution. The solution was in the problem itself: the body of the pen became the vessel in which to carry the ink. In almost every case, the constraints of a problem always end up presenting the solution. And if you can find the right solution to the right problem, you have a business on your hands.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Just Write

Alex came to me for some coaching on writing. I asked him how often he wrote, and Alex said maybe once a week for only a few minutes. He also said he was writing less and less. I asked him about his writing process. Alex said that he tries to imagine a story from beginning to end in his mind first before writing anything. He tries to imagine every detail, and every word that is said before he writes even one word. And that's usually where he gets stuck. He just keeps rewriting his opening scene over and over again until it's perfect.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Born with Creativity

I was at the bookstore the other day, and I noticed two kids running around playing some kind of game while their father shopped for bargain books. I couldn't quite figure out the rules of the particular game the little girls were playing. I soon realized that it was a game of their own invention. It reminded me of the time when we were kids, and my brother and I would invent games for ourselves when we were bored. At the grocery store, for example, the tiles were mostly white with a few islands of color tiles.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Some Customers Are Worth Losing

In "A Bronx Tale" (dir. Robert De Niro), the main character, Calogero, befriends a gangster, Sonny. Calogero and Sonny are driving around one day, and Calogero spots a guy who owes Calogero some money. Before young Calogero goes running off, the old and wise, Sonny, stops him.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

The Restroom Test

I walked into a big box office supply retailer the other day. It was possibly one of the dirtiest restrooms I’ve seen. It looked like a truck stop restroom. I decided to go to the restroom next door at a coffee shop. It was pristine. The cleanliness of a restroom tells me a lot about how a business is run. The office retailer, for example, had shelves that weren’t messy, and the uniforms that the customer service reps were dirty, as if they hadn’t been washed in weeks. The entire store just felt grimy. I wanted to get out of there fast.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

All I Got for My Membership Was This Lousy T-shirt

<img class="size-medium wp-image-150 " style="border: 0pt none; margin: 1px;" title="ideavist_image_20110307_LousyTshirt" src="http://www.ideavist.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ideavist_image_20110307_LousyTshirt-300x225.jpg" alt="All I Got for My Membership Was a Lousy T-shirt" width="300"

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Breaking Traditional Barriers to Hit a Home Run

Old beliefs, personal prejudice and dogmatic traditions can often get in the way of progress our personal lives, in business, and even in the creative arts. Since today is Hank Aaron’s birthday (February 5, 1934), it only seems appropriate to take a look at baseball history to understand the value in breaking traditional barriers.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Become Who You Are

One year, I decided to try food photography. I loved food, I loved local restaurants, and I loved photography. It seemed like a perfect fit for me. One problem... two actually. The first was that I had no experience in product photography; my style was more akin to photojou alism, which is stylistically different than product photography. The second problem was that I had absolutely no culinary background. Being who I am, I didn't let any of that hold me back.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Just One Ingredient Can Make a Big Difference

A few years ago, I discovered that I was about twenty pounds overweight. Being who I am, I researched everything there is about nutrition and fitness. Then I made the decision of eliminating one artificial ingredient from my diet: high fructose corn syrup. I didn't realize just how many foods included high fructose corn syrup, so it ended up being a bigger change tha I originally thought. Within one month, without making any changes to my fitness, I lost five pounds! Eventually I achieved my ideal weight. And I all did was eliminate one ingredient.

Primary topic: Transformation
Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

The Solution is in the Problem

One of my clients came to me with the goal of trying to get into the craft business. For now, let’s call him Dale. Like many entrepreneurial artists, Dale had a day job, and he was trying to build his craft business during his spare time. One of the first questions I asked him was whether he wanted to turn this craft business into his main form of income. Dale said that he couldn’t figure out how to turn his craft into a full time business. I tried to point out to Kevin that my question was not whether he knew how to turn his craft into his main form of income.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Just Five Ingredients

One of my tango instructors once told me that there are basically five simple step to tango: forward, side, backwards, cross, and ochos. If you can do these five steps well, you can dance with anyone. I am by no means the best tango dancer, not even close. But I do know that many women have enjoyed dancing with me. It's not because I knew a lot of tricks, I don't. It's because I did what I knew very well.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

No Job is Worth Losing Your Health Over

I once had as an account manager for a dotcom company, back when dotcoms were still new, and just before the bubble burst. I was single at the time, and I worked close to 12-hour days, seven days a week, by choice. I was on a steady diet caffeine, and fast food. I had no time to exercise, and spent most of my free time in front of a television set. I was exhausted all the time, and I never felt fully rested. And even though I was making a decent living, I never felt fulfilled. I became a workaholic.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Your Niche is Bigger Than You Think

The word “niche” evokes visions of some guy only collecting comic books that have monkeys in them, or a blogger who only writes about staplers, or an online store that only sells crackers made in Colorado. Artists and entrepreneurs seem to think the word “niche” is synonymous with small, or tiny. A more accurate definition would be highly targeted, focused, and clearly defined market. Although the definition tends to make artists and entrepreneurs gravitate toward something small, a niche audience is actually much bigger than what most people think.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Focus on Progress to Prevent Perfection Paralysis

Guess what the following people have in common? I have a friend who wanted to be a screenwriter at one point, but he never wrote a single line. He's excuse was that he couldn't think of a script that was guaranteed to sell. I have a photography client who hasn't touched her camera in over a year because she's waiting for an ideal photo project. I have a family member who has been living with his parents for over five years because he refuses to get a job, and is waiting for a million dollar business idea.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Planning Creativity

Somehow, the idea of randomness and freedom got mingled with creativity and artistry. Conversely, somehow, planning has become enemy of creativity. In truth, one has very little to do with the other. Large-scale art project, for example, take a lot of planning, and a lot of resources. Most of us also are more creative at certain times of the day than others; sometime even certain times of the week or month. For some professions, like photography, timing and planning is essential.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Planning For Your Failure Guarantees Your Failure

Many of us, without realizing it, are manifesting our own failures. We have this intention of pursuing our dreams, but then we also instantly think of a back up plan in case it doesn’t work out. The instant you come up with a back up plan, the instant you fall back to your back up plan, you are manifesting your own failure. You are already thinking, believing, and behaving as if your dreams won’t work out, or aren’t worth the trouble of pursuing.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Get-Rich-Quick Business Virus

My brother and I were fascinated with get-rich-quick schemes when we were in high school. We decided to buy one particular get-rich-quick scheme we saw in an infomercial. The guy in the infomercial touted he had made millions by starting a business in his one bedroom apartment with classified ads, and that he wanted to share this secret, which we purchase with three easy payments. We knew there had to be a catch, but we wanted to see for ourselves what it was.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Self-Accountability Empowers Solopreneurs

Having a strong sense of self-accountability is the cornerstone of success and productivity. Self-accountability simply means you are holding yourself responsible for your successes and failures. Most of us feel a sense of accountability towards our managers, co-workers, clients, customers, friends, family, and even society in general. If you are a solopreneur, it is far more difficult to hold yourself accountable.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Passion Fuels Success

When I was in college, I knew a guy - we'll call him Robert - who was obsessed with the Denver Broncos. That's all Robert ever talked about. Now, perhaps I think Robert was obsessed because I don't really follow sports, and perhaps he wasn't any more obsessed than any other Bronco fan.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

When Life Tangles Up, Just Tango On

I’ll admit it: I know how to tango. I started years ago. I never performed, or competed. I didn’t do it to pick up on women. I just did it for fun. The dance itself is unpredictable considering there is no set pattern, and I have to keep switching partners since I didn’t have a permanent partner. That’s what makes tango so interesting: the unpredictability.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

9 Tips on Conducting Productive Brainstorming Sessions

Brainstorming by yourself is one thing. Brainstorming with a group of people has its own challenges. I personally love facilitating brainstorming sessions. It's like orchestrating a chaotic storm of ideas. The excitement and the energy generated during a great brainstorming session are almost addictive. If your experience in having a group brainstorming session doesn't seem to match my experience, then perhaps you should examine whether or not you're actually running an effective brainstorming session.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

The Zen of Cleaning the Pagoda

Oranges, and lions, and bakwas! "Oh my!" as George Tikei would say. It's Chinese Lunar New Year! Yes, it's that time of year when every member of the Chinese family has to get up and clean house. What? You don't know about this tradition? Yes, along with the loud fireworks, red envelops filled with money, and enough food to feed a Chinese army, during Chinese Lunar New Year, every member of the household is also suppose to help in cleaning the home. Technically, considering all the "tiger moms" out there, this probably actually happens everyday.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Creative Tribes

Even without my practice, I have an eclectic group of creative people in my life. My creative tribe includes filmmakers, glass mosaic artists, photographers, writers, dog trainers, programmers, entrepreneurs, dance instructors, chefs, musicians, architects, and teachers.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Be Where Your Buyers Are

One of my clients, Anna, recently tried to sell her photographs at a concert that one of her friends held at a hotel. Anna's friend, Johnny has a small jazz band and was able to get his band booked for gig at the bar/lounge inside the hotel. Johnny also asked the hotel if they could have friends sell art and crafts in the lounge area. The hotel approved as long as it was kept to a small space.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Stop Trying to Be Successful

I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but here goes: STOP TRYING TO BE SUCCESSFUL! I have a cousin, Larry, who lives in Los Angeles, and has fallen into the trap of trying to be a celebrity entrepreneur. Larry buys expensive clothes, is obsessed with sports cars, and always talks about money. Larry’s Facebook page is filled with photos of himself with random gorgeous women, or standing next to a sports car. Larry also has tons of credit card debt, and probably has more money going out then in.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Facebook and Occam's Razor

Every month or two, the employees at Facebook run what are known as Hackathons. For 24 hours straight, all the participants try to work on a new project that could improve Facebook. The "Like" button and the ability to upload videos on Facebook were just two applications that were invented out of such a Hackathon event. Mark Zuckerberg believes that most good applications are the simplest ones, and therefore one should be able to create a great program within a short period of time. This is why the Hackathon only takes places for 24 hours.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Avoiding Failure Does Not Lead To Success

A common theme among my clients is the fear of failure. They are so afraid of failing that they are unwilling to press the "go" button to get their lives started. Ironically the fear of failure usually leads to more failure. The fear of failure can lead to procrastination, perfection paralysis, indecision, and even depression. One thing the fear of failure will never lead to is success.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

An Idea That Will Stick to the Roof of Your Mouth

If you ever wanted to get into the food business, I think it’s important to check your knowledge of food history first: * Who invented the crop rotation method for farming? * Who invented of soy-based paints? * Who owns the patent on peanut butter? If you answered George Washington Carver to all three… you’re wrong. Although Carver did developed the crop rotation method, invented soy-based paints, and did discover hundreds of uses for peanuts, including peanut butter, he actually never patented peanut butter.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

The Entrepreneurial Mindset

I make it a habit to try to come up with new business ideas all the time. I would come up with ideas while watching TV shows, or reading the newspaper, or while talking to a complete stranger. Whenever I walk into a business, I try to see how they operate, and examine their marketing. I then try to come up product lines they could add, or a new advertising campaign. I developed this habit from my father who is a serial entrepreneur, and is the poster child of the entrepreneurial mindset.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

8 Ways to Support Your Local Creative Community

Although many communities support local businesses, supporting local art seems to be a different story. Our homes are filled with poster art of long dead artists, our furniture looks like it came out of a catalog, and our bookshelves are lined with celebrity authors. With our taste for art and design so homogenized, it's no wonder that the appreciation for art has actually depreciated in this country, especially in our classrooms.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

Be Your Own Tipping Point

We often remember the people who symbolize a movement, but forget all the people who came beforehand to create that movement. We remember the dates, but forget all the events that lead up to that moment to make that moment possible. These historical figures weren’t just in the right place at the right time. Their internal beliefs and their outward actions were aligned in such a way that when the right time and right place came along they had the courage to step into their moment in history.

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

7 Basic Daily Disciplines... Military Style

My father gets his sense of discipline from the military; he's a retired veteran. I never had the urge to join the military - goes against my pacifist nature - but I do have to admire the discipline that the military instills in its troops. Along with the weapons training, and war games, the Privates are taught basic health disciplines to make sure they are taking care of themselves, and to make the connection that without their health they cannot survive in the battlefield. Here is my list of the 7 basic daily disciplines from the military that we should all instill in our own lives:r

Primary topic: Transformation
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By Young KimRecently published1 topic

6 Easy Steps to Create a Crappy Super Bowl Ad

For the past week or so, I’ve seen a hilarious Volkswagen video clip (see link at end of article) floating around that has a little kid in a mini Darth Vader costume trying to use the force. What’s odd is that this was supposed to be a Super Bowl ad. One would think that with all the money Volkswagen is spending to place the ad during the Super Bowl that they wouldn’t want to release it until the big game. Or perhaps this is a just a teaser for another commercial.

Primary topic: Transformation
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