Before I go any further, I want to tell you that being a successful entrepreneur takes MORE than two things, obviously. Running a business requires you start doing all kinds of shit you told yourself you’d NEVER do. Like MATH, for example. Did you know I dropped precalculus in high school because once I found out I didn’t “need” to take it to graduate I was like “fuuuuck thaaaaat shiiiiit.” ??? Well, now you do.But can I pay my peeps, allocate funds for taxes, review my P&L statement year-to-year, make financial decisions about stupid (or smart!) investments without MATH?! Fuck no. Anyway, this post actually isn’t about MATH, it’s about the TWO critical things (besides math) that YOU need to succeed in biz. And these two things are ALSO the areas where people get tripped up by common pitfalls (< yes, I realize that’s a total copywriting buzzword but it’s just fucking true!). So, before I ramble on any further with bullshit jokes… THING # 1!CREATING. Yes, you need to create. Create a brand, create a team, create free content, paid content, courses, videos, systems, processes, intentions, clients. YES, you can even CREATE clients. If you’re creatively blocked, that means you’re ALSO financially blocked because if you’re NOT creating offers and VALUE ain’t no money gonna flow your way!

Biggest creative blocks I see time and time again?

A > Trying to do shit alone.

Literally. Either by trying to do it ALL by yourself, or by charging ahead without any freakin’ support. Naturally, I don’t recommend either. If you’re feeling tapped out, it could be because you’re not leaning into the support systems you’ve got and/or you need to hire some more help.

B > Trying to do shit that’s OUTSIDE your zone of genius.

This is a major inspiration-boner-killer. Me for example? I HAAAAATE tech stuff. Hate it. With a passion. When I try to wrap my brain around things like CSS and HTML, I start to feel stupid because I don’t enjoy it and it’s NOT my zone of genius. So instead of getting shit done, I struggle and waste hourssss of my life. So, I made my first website, and that was IT. The point? Don’t do shit that’s outside your Z.O.G. or your creative juices will dry right up!

C > Trying to do shit in a way that’s OUTSIDE your nature.

Ugh. So here’s the thing. You naturally have a way of working that  - no pun intended - works for you. For me? I prefer having lots of space and working in short, sprint-style bursts. Immersion is my style. Some people prefer having everything anally scheduled, and others get MORE done when they have tight deadlines. We’re all different. Knowing what motivates you, and how you take action is KEY. Otherwise, you’ll be trying to fit yourself into someone else’s idea of “perfect” productivity and that does NOT work.

D > Worrying that anything you create will suck, so you just DON’T.

Yep, that nasty inner critic pipes up whenever something awesome is on the horizon - because it’s the voice of your FEAR. The “fear of sucking,” or as my amazing screenwriting mentor calls it, “the FOS” (pronounced “FOZ”) will literally halt creativity in its tracks, straight up SCARING the good ideas away.

E > Not creating the SPACE you need to actually DO SHIT.

Being TOO BUSY will kill your creativity because ideas don’t show up if they don’t have room to THRIVE. Plus, you just won’t have TIME.

F > Too many ideas and you can’t CHOOSE.

Ever have this problem? OMGMETOOSAME.

G > No fucking ideas at all!

You stare at the blank page wondering what to write and CAN’T. Or, know you need to create something and put it out there but you’re STUCK on what to make, wondering: What will actually sell? What do people want? Yeah, you need to fix your creativity probs, STAT.

Sidenote: Creativity is ACTION so if you’re idling, you’re not doing it right.

If ANY of these blocks or holdbacks resonate with you, here’s what to do to fix it…

• Clear your calendar and create some space. Ideas don’t show up when you don’t have room for them. This means you need to clear your head too. I love this app for that.

• Connect with your ideal clients. Get them on the phone. Find out where they hang out and get into a room with them (real or virtual). Listen to what they need. Once you’re inspired with ALL the ways you can help, ideas will FLOWWWWW. Then, figuring out the right one to choose becomes easy. You create the thing they REALLY want and need most.

• Gather a tribe. Join a mastermind. Build a team. Ask for feedback. Have a brainstorming session. Stop trying to do it all alone. Chances are, “martyrdom” isn’t a good look for YOU, because it’s not a good look for anyone. Also, last I checked, it feels like shit.

• Un-invite your inner critic to the party. Yeah, I know, he’s the guy who ALWAYS brings the booze and the drugs. He’s fun sometimes. But, let’s be honest - you’re in a new place in life. A place where you no longer need him.

AND WHAT’S THING 2? Well, you’ll have to wait until next week to find out, boo. Okay, I’ll give you a teaser… it’s SELLING. *GASP*Curious what your sales & money cockblocks are and how to fix them? Come back to check out next week’s blog to find out MORE...xxSave