Okay this is a little out of left field.
I’m sitting here at my computer working on my strategic business plan which includes this site, “Abundant Practice,” which is where I will be sharing my 20 years of knowledge in creating income as a storyteller, musician, visual artist as well as a hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, NLP trainer…
The thrills! The Spills! the ACTION!
My intention is to save you from the expensive mistakes I’ve made, the dead alleys and burn out that almost stopped me numerous times, while guiding you to take the actions and cultivate the kinds of beliefs and behaviors that get you results you want. My guess is you want more clients, more money, more freedom, more abundance of all the good things in your life. Am I right?
So I’m sitting here thinking about all this…envisioning not just this site but my BIG picture plan…and who should pop into my mind but Jack…you know, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack.
What an incredible analogy for creative types who find themselves in business.
Jack seems like a fool to someone looking in on his life (like his mother). He trades something perfectly usable like a cow (or a day job) for something that seems like it may have potential but is not proven, the magic beans (your dream to be self employed as a hypnotherapist/holistic practitioner or storyteller or artist of musician or whatever).
Jack gets grief for his decision. His mother throws the beans out the door. Ever get grief from your relatives for your “hare-brained ideas”?
In the midst of a crises, something unexpected happens that offers danger and opportunity. The bean stalk grows overnight and reaches up into the clouds. Now the average person clinging to the day job mindset or who has been defeated and deflated by the negative input from friends and relatives would be looking at the bean stalk and going….”too bad I can’t climb it. I have to go to work today. Maybe tonight when I get home I’ll give it a shot…” Knowing that it will never happen.
Jack looks at that beanstalk and just freaking starts climbing. (this is where the dreamer takes action)
He climbs up to the clouds and discovers the Giant’s castle. Now. just because he took an action doesn’t guarantee Jack anything. He still has to use his rapport skills to get the help of the Giant’s wife. He still has to find the courage to steal the various treasures from the Giant. He still has to get away alive. He still has to chop the beanstalk down when it makes sense to do so.
Each and every one of these actions are metaphors for the person who actually wants to make a living doing what they love.
Being a holistic practitioner sounds all nice and wonderful while you are learning how to do it. But when it actually comes down to hanging out your shingle and attracting clients into your practice who are willing to pay you, and willing to come back again and again and willing to refer their friends to you. there is a learning curve that is just as big for us as the beanstalk was for Jack.
I’m still paying for the Yellow Pages Ad I ran, my first year of hypnosis practice (2003). The ad that never came close to paying for itself. 
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Being a creative artist is all well and good but if you are a visual artist, how are you going to get someone to give you money for your painting? If you are a storyteller or musician how are you going to get a gig in front of a paying audience? How are you going to navigate the schools of sharks out there who will try to sell you the moon and leave you with nothing?
Remind me to tell you the story someday of the Manager who was going to take my music to the masses who basically just took my money…
There doesn’t seem to be any school that teaches this stuff. And if there was, chances are the information they have would be out of date.
The future of all self employed creative and holistic practitioners is online.
I have spent the last 5 years intensively studying the tools and techniques of the best internet marketers. My criteria has been how do I take all the things I love to do and create massive, passive, income on a continuous basis from multiple sources so that I can pursue my many passions as a creative artist, healer, teacher, speaker, author, thinker, leader, lover. If I can do it you can too. There is an investment of time and action involved but the out of pocket costs can be kept to an extreme minimum.
Some teach a one trick pony approach where you are supposed to pick your one niche and really go deep into that niche. “Find a niche and grow rich” these people say.
The problem with that is how do you know until you get into it if it is the right niche for you? You don’t.
My challenge was that I am equally as good at all these “niches”:
- Songwriting
- Painting
- Hypnosis
- NLP Coaching
- NLP Training
- Blogging
- Internet marketing
- Helping people clear anxiety and other fears
- Helping guys over come approach anxiety around women
- Storytelling
- African and Irish drumming
- Making cool sound effects instruments
- Public speaking
- Writing copy
- teaching shy professionals how to sell
Each and every one of these niches or areas of interest is an income source.
Can you relate to this? I am writing this for people like me who have many interests and talents.
So I developed a system for using my strengths my many strengths instead of seeing them as a problem.
This was a huge shift in consciousness from the business mind set of narrow focus. I now think about my work as a farmer thinks of his crops. Having only one crop (mon-culture) is a dangerous risk. Safety and abundance can be found in diversity.
If I follow the lead of the organic farmer rather than the industrial mono-crop farmer, I can create many sources of income that are automated and require only a small investment of time and attention once I’ve planted my crop.
To get back to Jack. The internet is the beanstalk.
Up in the clouds of cyber land are hazards (giants) as well as allies (the giants wife) and tools to create increasing amounts of money from multiple sources on a continuous basis from your creativity.
In the days, weeks and months to come I will be sharing with you my insights, and experiences as well as resources that are helpful and knowledge about what resources to avoid. I invite you to climb with me an the adventure of a life time. It is possible to create an abundant living from your many talents. I know because I’m doing it. Join me!
got questions? call me toll free at 888+598+7709 or e-mail me a mark [at] markshepard.com
or if you prefer to have me contact you, simply fill out the form below and send it!
