PURPOSESCAPING with Amanda Miller Littlejohn

[Ep. 39] Package Your Childhood Genius - finding your passions early with DJ Connor B

http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com On episode 39, we hear from Connor Benjamin Littlejohn, aka DJ Connor B on Soundcloud and Twitter. Connor is an 8 year old music phenom (and my son) - a pianist, composer and producer who has already jammed with the likes of Grammy award-winning Robert Glasper - his musical idol.
Connor talks about finding his passion for music as early as 2 years of age, why he's so disciplined about producing new music, how he gets ideas for his songs and how he brings them to life.
He shares two of the four songs from his latest EP "Return of the B" and plays a new untitled original tune on piano.
Enjoy the interview with this dynamic young genius - you may be inspired to revisit your childhood passions.
Mentioned in the episode:
Connor's 2016 jam session with Robert Glasper at 7 years old
https://www.facebook.com/amandamogul/videos/vb.1147638919/10209130714082126/?type=3&theater
Connor's early compositions - spoon on counter at age 2
https://www.facebook.com/amandamogul/videos/vb.1147638919/2050820787291/?type=3&theater
Connor's early composition - banging on the kitchen door at age 2
https://www.facebook.com/amandamogul/videos/vb.1147638919/2050825507409/?type=3&theater
Connor's new EP - Return of the B
https://soundcloud.com/dj-connor-b/sets/return-of-the-b
Follow Connor on Soundcloud
http://www.soundcloud.com/dj-connor-b
Follow Connor on Twitter
http://twitter.com/djconnorb

[Ep. 38] Who's Holding You Accountable? How Being in Your Head is Costing you Your Dream...

I recently started an accountability group for creative writing and one of our members as already shown me how powerful accountability can be when you're on the cusp of new.
Mentioned in the episode - our 12 week accountability personal branding program is open for enrollment.
http://www.packageyourgeniusacademy.com/program

[Ep. 37] How to push past impostor syndrome and claim the full power of your gift

http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com/podcast Therapist-in-residence Dr. Reisha Moxley joins us for another episode in our Psychology of Success series. This week we discuss impostor syndrome, feeling guilty for being paid to do what comes effortlessly to us, and why your work is not at all about you.

[Ep. 36] When preparation becomes procrastination and why you should stop listening to the experts

http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com/podcast
Does your dream have a list of prerequisites? I.e. "I have to have x,y and z in place before I can do what I really want to do..."? How many times have you heard credible advice from coaches and experts that confirmed your thoughts that you weren't in a position to move forward on your ideas?
I suspect that we subconsciously seek out confirmation so we don't have to act. Because acting is difficult, anxiety inducing, scary.
When you sign up for a coaching session, program or pick up a book to tell you how to do a particular thing, be careful not to fall into the trap of waiting to pull the trigger on your ideas before you've checked every single item off of your coach or program's to do list.
When we do that, we could be falling into what author Tara Mohr calls "This Before That" - a hiding strategy that she details in her book Playing Big. When we fail to launch because we are waiting to go after what we want until after we take a class, or get a degree, or save $100k, or lose 30 lbs, or have 50k Instagram followers - we may be using our checklists and advice from coaches and courses to validate our fears and delay the emotionally hard work of stepping up and being seen.
Are you using preparation as a way to procrastinate on your purpose? Are you using your pre-launch checklist, your list of "should haves" as justification for why you've yet to put yourself out there?
Don't let your list of "shoulds" and list of prerequisites keep you from pursuing your goals. Sometimes hard work, passion, heart and old-fashioned hustle can beat the most well-thought out strategy any day. There's always going to be something we can improve to make our products or services better. But everything doesn't have to be perfect before we take the first step.

[Ep. 35] The Gift and the Curse of the High Achieving Mindset with Dr. Reisha Moxley

How did your childhood experiences shape your relationship to achievement? How do you go after praise, and how do you process praise and applause once you receive it? On this episode of Package Your Genius, we have therapist Dr. Reisha Moxley (our therapist in residence)back for another special episode in this series on the mindset shifts necessary to claim your biggest dreams. Because as you know, mindset is everything.
In this episode we explore:
The gift and curse of high achievement
How the praise you experienced as a child shapes how you process praise as an adult
The ball and chain of achievement
How to reframe praise as a parent to your kids
How to find "peace in the plateaus" between achievements
When goal setting triggers dormant, unresolved issues and old feelings come back up
Why you don't have to know all of the answers
... and much more
To ask a question for an upcoming episode of the podcast visit http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com/podcast to ask your question
To contact Dr. Moxley directly email her at reisha.moxley@gmail.com
To inquire about sponsoring the podcast, email info@amandamillerlittlejohn.com with "PYG Podcast" in the subject

[Ep. 34] Why aren't you asking for help?

http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com/podcast When was the last time you felt in over your head or out of your depth about something in your life or business? What was your first response? Did you try to figure it out on your own, keep pushing blindly forward despite your limitations? Or did you find someone who could help you figure out where you were going wrong?
In this episode of Package Your Genius I explore five reasons why we don't ask for help, and how that holds us back from getting the support we need to claim our boldest dreams.
Inspired by a real life incident with my son, I relay the simple lesson I shared with him - "When you don't know what you're doing, and you don't ask for help, the only thing you can possibly make is a mess."
This holds true for life, relationships, business, cooking, ponytails - everything!

[Ep. 33] When the holidays are...hard. Dealing with the sadness that can come with the season

http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com/podcast Therapist in residence Dr. Reisha Moxley joins Amanda as a co-host on this episode of Package Your Genius.
Amanda and Reisha discuss the difficult feelings that can come up during the holiday season, how to deal with sadness, dissolved relationships and friendships, what to do with feelings of discouragement when you haven't reached your goals and processing the sense of loss after the death of a loved one.
This is an emotional episode - grab your tissue!

[Ep. 32] Do the work

http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com/podcast Are you doing the work for the applause? Or are you out here trying to make an impact?
How many times have you looked over your shoulder just to see who was there waiting to pat you on the back? Or, when was the last time that you checked your podcast stats (guilty!) or website stats and got discouraged when the numbers weren't where you thought they should be?
If you have ever found yourself in this situation, this podcast is for you.
As a creative, a coach, an artist, a healer, an expert with information to share, it's only natural to look to your audience in an effort to uncover if you're on the right track with your content, or if your brand is resonating. But at a certain point it's important to let go of the need for applause, unhook from the expectation of praise and simply DO THE WORK.
You never know who is watching you silently. You're probably unwittingly inspiring someone right now!
And, after all, if there is still work to be done, there is still a difference to be made, no matter how small.
NEW! You can now visit http://www.amandamillerlittlejohn.com/podcast and record your questions for the podcast! Record your voice memo for a chance to have your question answered and to be featured on the next episode of Package Your Genius.

[Ep. 31] Are you prioritizing connection?

[Ep. 31] Are you prioritizing connection? by Amanda Miller Littlejohn : Personal Branding Coach and PR Strategist

[Ep. 30] Turn your homemade beauty product into an EMPIRE with Gwen Jimmere, CEO of Naturalicious

Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn your homemade product into a product line, then a full-fledged company? Gwen Jimmere was a new mom with a big idea who did just that. When she set out to simplify her hair care routine, add valuable hours back to her schedule and decrease the ingredients in her beauty regimen, she stumbled upon a product that would quickly become a household favorite for natural hair enthusiasts everywhere. Her young company is nearing the 7-figure revenue mark in only a few years time.
We talked to Gwen about what it takes to take your products from the kitchen table to the shelves of Whole Foods stores around the world.
About Gwen
The first black woman to hold a patent for a natural hair care product, winner of the 2014 Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition, and named one of Hello Beautiful's 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurial Mavens, Gwen Jimmere is a frequent keynote speaker and highly requested panelist on business and entrepreneurship.
As the founder and CEO of NATURALICIOUS (http://www.naturalicious.net), she has grown her beauty industry startup into one of the fastest growing hair care companies in the U.S. NATURALICIOUS is the first company to develop an all-natural, patented hair care system that does the work of 13 products in only 4 simple steps, and is proven and guaranteed to take you from wash to style in less than an hour. The line is sold in select Whole Foods stores, all Mustard Seed Market locations and other fine retailers and boutiques across the U.S., Indonesia and Trinidad.
Prior to beginning NATURALICIOUS, Gwen held the position of Global Digital Marketing Manager at Ford Motor Company, overseeing and executing the big three automaker's digital marketing strategy. Later, she went to work for Uniworld, one of the world's largest multicultural advertising firms, where she spearheaded digital strategies for a client list that includes Ford, Home Depot, the U.S. Marines, Marriott Hotels, 3 Musketeers, and many more.