Graduating College and Starting a Business

[lukej]

So, I will be graduating from college by this spring semester. While I am finishing up this year I am getting a “spiritual life coaching certification”. Though I am graduating with only an Associates in Humanities (I changed my degree from Computer Science to Sound Design now to the Associates because of money and staying true to myself -- I did complete a minor in Computer Science). 

Right now I bought a new website and domain name (it would be the third site I’ve built this year). I am going to be trying to coach artists or as I see it I want to do “creativity coaching”. I want to help people break through creative blocks, make inspired art, and make the creative process not so emotionally devastating. While at the same time I want to be working on my own music. 

I have kinda started a business before called Inside The Singularity. I built the website and the YouTube channel. But the stuff I was offering got turned down a lot (I did have some clients that I worked for free but they were not very respondent and some just wanted to talk over text lol). So, I had to re-shift my focus entirely. I still have the site/channel but I am going to use it more for vlogging than anything else. I tried Facebook ads and running many social media accounts. I found it very draining to be doing that. I want to take a more relaxed approach to it. 

So, I am going off into the real world and I am kind of worried. I’ve been trying my hardest to get things off the ground and learn as much as possible. I’ve been following Actualized.Org for about four years. I’ve had many mystical experiences and what not but I just see that this is going to be a weak point. 

Anytime I try to think of a business idea I feel overwhelmed. Cause I don’t really want to sell anything, anything I want to do MUST help someone in a high consciousness way. But after this year I feel less obligated to “save the world” or “awaken the whole world” (which was something I was thinking about and realized it was just a bit too extreme and not trusting the universe). Now my main drive is just to make something beautiful. When I was in the hospital for cancer treatment this year that’s what I discovered what I really wanted. It was just very simple “make beautiful music and inspire people.'' 

I currently work as a web programmer at my university and as a freelance video editor. 

Has anyone dealt with this? What do you think of my coaching idea? Am I too young to be a coach (I just turned 23)? Are there any other places I should go-to for advice? My intuition tells me this will be good but I just want to do it the best way I can.  

If you are curious and if this even relevant my Myers Briggs personality type is INFP.

[lukej]

@Winter Well, those are very good questions. I did a lot of that for Inside The Singularity. I feel maybe that I need to take this a bit slower and think about it more. I've been getting my life coaching certification for about six months now so I've been really trying to think about what I will be doing with it. 

I have read a few books by Seth Godin for marketing. I've also checked out Gary V. 

This would be kinda like my third or fourth attempt at a business. I've started a blog, a youtube channel. and I was trying to make a website to connect people who wanted sound work done to sound designers (but the upfront cost was too much for me right now). So, you know maybe the more I've failed the better i'll be lol. 

[flowboy]

Business plans are worthless, because they are just ideas on steroids.

I'm just parroting MJ DeMarco here.

I can highly recommend his book!

 

One thing I picked up from his book, as well as from Sam Ovens, is that having the idea first and then trying to find customers, is putting the cart before the horse.

If you want to help people in a high-consciousness way, first find the people you want to help. Talk to a lot of them. Ask what their frustrations are.

Then you can come up with the idea of how to help them

 

Unfortunately I'm kind of a hypocrite here, because I'm working on a product I conceived of in my own mind, before interviewing my target audience about their pain points.

I will correct that soon, and if I don't, I'll have to learn a hard lesson too, I'm afraid.

People don't really give a fork about your idea. They want their pain fixed.

Find their pain.

Edited September 26, 2019 by flowboy

[lukej]

@flowboy Alirhgt I will have to check out those books thank you!

And yeah with my previous business attempts I have spent to much time coming up with concepts and not enough action. 

With Inside The Singularity I tried to build this huge thing before "going on the market". I was deeply humbled and decided to slow things down. 

At least I am still in college and can find some art majors and ask them what they are struggling with. 

But I also think my idea can apply to programmers and other technical jobs that require creativity. 

I know one of my major pains when making something is this creativity anxiety that sounds like:

"I will never get this done" or "I am not good enough to make this" or "this is just shit I need to give this up now". 

But usually if press on through that fire I can come up with good things and grow more as a person. 

 

[UDT]

man you dont know shit how business works out of college - thats not just a saying its true 

 

[LiberatedMonkey]

Making a Lean Startup Canvas and networking with people will probably do you some good. First-hand experience is best from what I've heard.

[lukej]

@UDT Well at least I've tried a few times before I graduated. 

@LiberatedMonkey I was part of a lean group on campus for a bit. It is the same as like AGILE program development. 

https://fourweekmba.com/lean-startup-canvas/

If that is what you are talking about I like it a bit more. I learned the basics of this while being a CS major. 

I think I did Inside The Singularity maybe the completely wrong way the first time. Though there is no wrong or right. But in terms of un-necessary un-successful strategy yes.