177: Why The Time To Start Is Now w/ David Burkus

Season #1 Episode #177

Balancing your creativity and your business is a challenge. But prioritizing the parts that fulfill you the most won’t just be good for you, it will benefit your business too. Inevitably, this will foster a sense of purpose for your business that will lead to meaningful connections and projects.

David Burkus is a skilled researcher and an inspiring communicator. His award-winning books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. By making cutting-edge organizational research accessible and applicable, David pushes audiences to reconsider how they work both individually and in teams. This way, they unlock the methods top performers use to thrive at work and in life.

In this episode, David and I talk about how the right time to start any endeavor is now. Waiting for the time to be perfect means waiting forever. We both started lots of projects before we had it perfected. Some of our early works were really abysmal compared to where we are now. But if we didn’t take the chance, we’d still be back at the starting line.

With all the work we have, it’s easy to miss the parts that actually bring you joy. David strongly urges all creative business owners to identify and set aside time for what makes you feel engaged and satisfied. Make this a non-negotiable. There will still be room for the rest of your business. If you ignore the parts you love, then it won’t be long before your work suffers.

David drops some great wisdom when it comes to networking and making connections. His main piece of advice is not to talk that much about your work itself. Rather, tell people about the good you want your work to accomplish. That will lead to stronger connections and create meaningful allies. 

How do you network without feeling icky? Tell me in the comments on the episode page!

 

In this episode

  • Why you should never wait for the perfect time to start
  • Why you need untouchable time built into your work rhythm
  • The importance of knowing what you’re fighting for in your business
  • What’s wrong with having the “perfect” elevator pitch
  • The power of meaningful networking to create the right connection

 

Quotes

“The biggest problems are not procrastination or lack of knowledge. It’s that you have taste. You develop that by being a fan. So you know what good looks like, but you don’t know how to do it.” [15:32]

“The people who would tell you that they are in their dream job usually built it.” [26:30]

“I think people don’t want to join a company. They want to join a crusade. They don’t want to talk about what they do. They want to talk about what they’re fighting for.” [40:55]

 

Links

Get access to my free networking checklist

Find David Burkus online

Follow David on Twitter | Facebook | Linkedin | Instagram | YouTube

Pick a Fight by David Burkus

 

Additional Links:

Check out the full show notes page

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