Live Limitless

Adventure, Business, Travel

unique genius

LL 026: Finding Your Talent & Genius with Nancy Marmolejo

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In the 26th episode of the Live Limitless podcast, I chat with Nancy Marmolejo of talentandgenius.com.

How to Find Your Talent and GeniusNancy Marmolejo teaches entrepreneurs, experts, and teams how to tap into their unique genius and use it to position themselves as trusted authorities. Dubbed a “professional paradigm shifter”, Nancy helps people understand all they bring to the table, especially the parts of themselves they can’t see.

Since 2003, Nancy’s business consulting has helped clients from around the world expand their reach and impact. As a social media influencer, she’s known for her authentic and relatable style.

Nancy has won numerous awards for her business and has been featured in The Huffington Post, Smart Money, Redbook, Latina Magazine, The Orange County Register, Univision, NPR and more. She’s also the host of the top-rated podcast, Itenco: Lessons For The Leading Edge.

We do something extra cool in this podcast. Instead of a typical interview where I ask Nancy all the questions, we turn this around and Nancy gives me a live “coaching call”. I call these “workshop” episodes. It’s like a live case study because instead of Nancy telling us about what she does, she actually shows us what she does by helping me find my genius!

If you’re trying to figure out what your mission statement is, what your hidden genius is, and how to find your strengths and talents, this episode is for you!

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Finding Your Unique Genius | An Interview with Aaron Ross

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Aaron Ross of Unique Genius and PebblestormMeet Aaron Ross, the founder of PebbleStorm, which is helping 100 million people “make money through enjoyment” by combining happiness and money. Aaron’s Unique Genius work shows people how to discover their purpose & passions and turn them into a successful business.

Aaron is also the author of “CEOFlow: Turn Your Employees Into Mini-CEOs“, and “Predictable Revenue” which is coming soon.

I’m excited to interview Aaron and surprised I haven’t done this yet. I took the Unique Genius course last September when it first opened. I was just starting A World of Inspiration and his free videos resonated with me so much that I had to give it a try. It was great. It helped me learn some interesting things about myself, introduced me to a community of awesome people that were really helpful (I actually had lunch with two of them while visiting Japan), and made me throw my first rock of creating an ebook. Aaron’s been super supportive along the way with everything I’ve done and I’m honored to introduce him to you.

Welcome Aaron.

What is the Unique Genius Superhero Program?

It’s a group mentoring and educational program, in which people learn how to start a fulfilling business that is based on values such as integrity, purpose, authenticity and making money in ways that are fun and feel good. I want people to be able to make money through enjoyment, meeting other like-minded people and making lots of money  at work they love!

What brought you down the path to creating Unique Genius?

I’d been successful in Silicon Valley: I’d been an Internet CEO, built a sales team at Salesforce.com that helped them add $100 million in revenue, and had a job at a venture capital firm where I was getting paid to figure out what company I wanted to start.  It was at that point I realized that I felt unfulfilled, that my work didn’t really matter.

Who needs another sales or marketing process app?  Was some internet or software app really going to change the world or lives?  I knew I was meant for more and that I wanted to make a big difference…and that I didn’t feel like I was going to do it in that world.

This led me to my purpose – to help 100 million people “make money through enjoyment,” combining the best of capitalism (money) and buddhism (happiness). Unique Genius are the methods and principles I discovered to help people do this, do what I did.

What did it feel like when you found your Unique Genius and what happened after?

It felt INSPIRING at first, and then SCARY second – it brought up all kinds of hidden fears and questions like, “Can I do this?  Who am I to do this?  Will people reject it?” and others.  (I’ve since seen this same thing happen with every single student).

Also, I think there’s some misconception that people find their life purpose, or Unique Genius, in some single big flash of light.  Really, it comes from a series of breakthroughs and realizations, all of which build on each other, step by step.  Also, finding your purpose is one thing…learning how to live it every day, to express yourself fully, is a whole ‘nother ballgame!   The Unique Genius work helps with both steps.

In the program, you talk a lot about taking baby steps and throwing rocks. What do you mean and how important are these things?

First of all, baby steps are just so amazingly powerful.  I’ll bet you come up with big ideas all the time that you don’t do anything with…they can feel so overwhelming.  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  How do you discover what you are meant to do, your unique talents, and turn them into a fulfilling business that can’t fail?  One baby step at a time.

Where does all this impatience in our lives come from?  Everyone wants INSTANT results, whether it’s with weight, money or love.  It’s insane.  Impatience to me is a form of unhappiness, as in “what I have isn’t good enough right in the moment, I need something different NOW.”

Look, you can make money very quickly: get a for-profit job.  You can find fulfilling work very quickly: get a not-for-profit job.  But combining the two in spending the time to discover your passions and purpose, then turn them into a fulfilling business that makes you plenty of money, takes time.

There are probably online courses that promise you a college degree in 30 days.  Good luck with that!  After founding half a dozen companies and mentoring hundreds of people, I’m here to say there are no shortcuts…so you might as well start now, and you might as well have fun and enjoy the process!

unique genius, aaron ross, pebblestorm, make money with your passion

Have your past students had success/breakthroughs with Unique Genius?

Some examples:

1) Jessica Ross, who, as a single mom with no time or money, founded Bond Girl Bootcamp, where she takes women out to be badasses for a day in shooting guns, jumping out of airplanes and learning self-defense.

2) Rich Walker, CEO of a software company, published an amazing book and has started a second fulfilling business as a coach (video of Rich).

3) My mom took the course last year and, at age 67, has started Wheels Up Adventures with a friend of hers.

Marylou Tyler was a client who was so gung-ho and fun to work with that we ended up partnering and created a new business together that she is CEO of.  She and I founded Predictable Revenue, Inc., a company that helps businesses multiply sales.

How does it feel to help people find their unique strengths and superpowers?

Incredibly fulfilling.  Even better is when clients find them, and then come up with ways to partner with me and stay in the community, like Marylou.  And many alumni of the program come back as mentors to new students, which is fun, fulfilling and a great way to build their own skills and businesses.

I think a lot of people think that they don’t have any special skills or strengths and therefore feel they have nothing special/unique enough to form a business with. What would you say to those people?

None of those things are true, and they should watch the videos on www.UniqueGenius.com.  EVERYONE is unique, and has a special gift to share with the world.  Few take the baby steps and have the commitment to find it and express it in a way that they live every day (and can make money from).

Thanks Aaron for doing the interview. Anything else you would like to add?

Yes – that there are many lies people believe about what it takes to start a business.  For example: you might believe that you need money, time, a brand, a great idea, a college degree, to raise money…etc etc.  None of that is true.  I’ve started and gotten all my current businesses to profitability with less than $100 each.  All you need is commitment and a decision, baby steps and patience…and the rest can follow.  Unique Genius video #2 is titled “Start A Business That Can’t Fail,” which I highly recommend watching if anyone feels this way.

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Registration for this year’s Unique Genius course is July 30th. Note: I am a past student of the Unique Genius program and I am affiliated with it. If you decide to buy the course through one of my links, I will also include 4 hours Unique Genius coaching with myself. As a past student, I will be able to help you through some of the modules and explain anything you don’t understand. We can also talk about cheesecake.

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What do you think? Have you found your Unique Genius?

A Virtual Hello, Japan, and Baby Octopus Lollipops

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Kyoto Japan with Matthew G. Bailey
Wakato, Keiko, and myself

Back in September 2010, I enrolled myself in Unique Genius, a course aimed at helping people find their passions, build them into a business, and make money doing what they love. Before I enrolled, I actually met the founder, Aaron Ross, while traveling to Los Angeles for a JCI (Junior Chamber International) conference. Aaron lives in Santa Monica and after learning about his business through Jonathan Mead, I sent him an email asking if he would be down for meeting up when I was there. Aaron agreed and after figuring out the mess that is L.A. transit, I wound up in Santa Monica sipping hot chocolate and Cappuccinos at a local cafe while talking to Aaron about my plans for online business.

A couple months into the program, I was also planning a trip to Japan to attend the JCI World Congress which featured more than 100 countries and 11,000+ inspiring people from all over the world. While planning my trip, I was scanning the forums in Unique Genius and came across a message from a guy in Japan. I immediately replied and told him that I was going to be visiting Japan and could potentially meet up. Wakato (the guy who had wrote the message) quickly replied back saying he would love to meet.

But it wasn’t just an email from Wakato I received. I also received another email from a guy in Tokyo who noticed our conversation in the forum. He wanted to meet up as well. Awesome! I now had 2 people I could meet while in Japan. Wakato was living near Okayama and Trond (the other person) was living right in Tokyo. I told them that I had 6 days to myself and would figure out a way to meet both of them.

Most expensive mushroom in the world
Most expensive mushroom in the world?

I still remember leaving Hiroshima to Okayama and meeting Wakato and his wife Keiko. With such friendly enthusiasm, they brought me to the ancient city of Kyoto. I couldn’t believe how friendly, generous, and accommodating they were. Not only did they escort me around Kyoto and beautiful ancient temples, they also treated me to a huge traditional Japanese dinner and dessert. It was definitely the best and most unusual meal I had while in Japan. I remember one of the soups having a special mushroom that costs $80 per mushroom! This explains why my soup had just a tiny piece of one. We got to talk about the Unique Genius program and how Wakato spent 4 years at a New York University. No wonder his english was so good! After this, we walked around a fish market looking at all the odd creatures available to eat. I remember walking by one stand that had baby octopus lollipops. Boiled baby octopus stuck on a stick. I thought it looked gross (and funny) so I just walked by. But as I began walking around, the temptation to put myself out there and try this rare looking food made me go back. I had never seen anything that looked so odd. A baby octopus lollipop. Wakato brought me back and both of us ate one for the first time. It actually wasn’t to bad. A little rubbery but overall, not bad at all.

After bidding farewelll, I made my way to the north. But before going to Tokyo, I stopped near Mt.Fuji to spend 2 nights with Mochan, a guy I had met through couchsurfing.org (more on that in another post). After 2 amazing nights with people from all over the planet, I finally made it to Tokyo for one short night. I was greeted by a tall businessman just outside the train station who happened to be Trond. Trond was actually from Norway but had been living and working in Tokyo for 15 years. He was also the president of a recycling company trying to break into Japan. Impressive.

Just getting off work, Trond treated me to a really fancy Japanese dinner at a local place where the likes of past-president Kennedy would eat when he came to Tokyo. As if this wasn’t enough already, Trond also pulled out a couple gifts he had bought for me. One was a book on the crazy new-age Tokyo culture, and the other was a book on the more traditional zen culture of Japan. He then brought me to an Indian restaurant owned by one of his friends. We ended up having a second dinner while Trond explained his new online business plan to me. Other then trying to stop by stomach from exploding, I was super inspired by the business model Trond unfolded before me and also impressed with the amazing naan bread and curry I had just gobbled down.

Tokyo Capsule Hotel
The top one is my bed

It was now getting late and Trond had to get back to his family. Before heading back, he quickly brought me to Tokyo’s famous human intersection and to the train station that would take me to the capsule hotel I was so excited about. Trond then offered to pay for a hotel (he thought I would be more comfortable) which I had to kindly decline. Not only was I stuck on the experience of a capsule hotel but I felt almost bad for receiving such a gift. I just couldn’t believe the kindness and generosity Trond showed me. And just moments after, when I thought Trond couldn’t be any more generous then he already had, I mentioned to him that I only had credit cards on me. Uh oh, this is a problem in Japan. Trond told me credit cards are very rarely accepted in Japan and I could only get cash from machines at 7/11. Rather than send me searching at midnight, Trond gave me $100 to get me through a couple of days until I found an international bank machine. I was so thankful and told him I would send it back to him via paypal as soon as I could.

I then said bye, sat down on the train, and thought about the amazing person that I just met. I was truly astonished by the kindness I was shown, both from Trond and Wakato (and Keiko). I was just a stranger who said “hello” via email. Next thing you know, I’m eating a fancy dinner in Tokyo with the president of a company and eating a traditional Japanese meal next to an ancient temple with a Japanese local.

Wow.

After 30 minutes, I arrived at my capsule hotel, excited to see one for my first time and also excited to sleep. I awkwardly stumbled my way through the check-in process and found my “coffin-in-a-wall” that would be my bed. It actually wasn’t bad at all. It had its own T.V. (which I didn’t watch), a built-in alarm clock and radio, and a little curtain at your feet for extra privacy. I pulled out my trusty earplugs, nestled into the blankets, thought about the inspiring people I met over the last 6 days, and went to sleep.

Japan was such a great trip. I met these wonderful people above, some awesome people via couchsurfing, and partied with 11,000 people from over 100 countries during the JCI World Congress. Japan became yet another addition to my memories of a lifetime and continued to remind me why I love travel, love meeting people, and why I will continue chasing adventure for the rest of my life.

It also reminded me of why I absolutely love saying “hello” to new people and why it really is the most important word in the world. It opens up all the possibilities in the world.

 

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A Very Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your all having a wonderful day with family and friends and if your at work (like my brother), know that your family is thinking of you and can’t wait to see you when your off. I hope you have been to some wonderful Christmas markets. Originally I was going to write about reflection on the year past and goal setting for the year ahead but I’ll leave that until next week. Since it’s Christmas I’d like to reflect on some of the great organizations and cool people I came across in 2010 and would like to say thanks to for all the inspiration you have given me throughout the year.

Earlier this year I bought 100 copies of the “Four Hour Work Week” so that I would have the opportunity to go down to San Francisco and meet Tim Ferriss and other cool people in the online world. It was a cool experience to have dinner next to Tim and 20 other participants from around the world followed by a party on a warship at the San Francisco harbor. Aside from quick introductions with Ramit Sethi, Kevin Rose, and Paula Abdul, I managed to briefly meet Noah Kagen of AppSumo who I asked to be my “voice” that yells at me to keep me motivated towards my dreams of location independence and online entrepreneurship. Noah was surprised I would come all that way just to network with people doing what I want to do and agreed. Thanks Noah!

Me and Tim Ferriss

I then read a book called “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” which I wrote about in an earlier post. This is the story of John Wood; a former high-level executive for Microsoft who chose to quit and start a non-profit organization called Room to Read. Room to Read helps build schools and libraries for children in less fortunate countries as well as supply them with books (in both English and their language) and grant scholarships to girls so that they can become educated and pass that on to their family. The organization is one of the best and the book brought tears to my eyes. [Read more…] about A Very Merry Christmas!