Taren Gesell is a Triathlon Influencer

10/02/20 • 90 min

In this episode we talk about:

Why Taren left his original career as an investment advisor
How trying to "beef up his resume" while applying for (and getting rejected from) MBA programs started Taren on the path to social media success
Why Taren doesn't advise people to "follow their passion" and what he did (and recommends doing) instead
Our shared belief that traditional resumes are obsolete, and how to promote your skills instead
Fighting back against corporate office culture ("well, that's how we've always done it here")
Sages, sign posts, and strugglers -- how to deal with "imposter syndrome" and give advice to others, even if you're not a credentialed expert (and why credentials might not matter)
How long it took Taren from starting to post videos on YouTube until it became a business
How to know whether you should "burn your boats" and go all-in or play it safe and "don't quit your day job"
How Taren used Kickstarter to raise $45,000 and how he tests ideas before he starts projects
The first time Taren got recognized by a fan in public
How often you should post videos on YouTube for best results
The difference between playing with your own money vs. someone else's money and the advantages of bootstrapping vs taking money from investors
*** The exact step-by-step process that Taren uses to figure out what to talk about, how to get views on his video, and grow his audience on YouTube (and his website) ***

Follow Taren:

Triathlon Taren on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AKDrz2GvLxD29W9tow66g)
Taren's Website (https://triathlontaren.com/)
Triathlon Taren Podcast (https://triathlontarenpodcast.libsyn.com/)

Other Links / Tools Mentioned in the Episode:

In this episode we talk about:

Why Taren left his original career as an investment advisor
How trying to "beef up his resume" while applying for (and getting rejected from) MBA programs started Taren on the path to social media success
Why Taren doesn't advise people to "follow their passion" and what he did (and recommends doing) instead
Our shared belief that traditional resumes are obsolete, and how to promote your skills instead
Fighting back against corporate office culture ("well, that's how we've always done it here")
Sages, sign posts, and strugglers -- how to deal with "imposter syndrome" and give advice to others, even if you're not a credentialed expert (and why credentials might not matter)
How long it took Taren from starting to post videos on YouTube until it became a business
How to know whether you should "burn your boats" and go all-in or play it safe and "don't quit your day job"
How Taren used Kickstarter to raise $45,000 and how he tests ideas before he starts projects
The first time Taren got recognized by a fan in public
How often you should post videos on YouTube for best results
The difference between playing with your own money vs. someone else's money and the advantages of bootstrapping vs taking money from investors
*** The exact step-by-step process that Taren uses to figure out what to talk about, how to get views on his video, and grow his audience on YouTube (and his website) ***

Follow Taren:

Triathlon Taren on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AKDrz2GvLxD29W9tow66g)
Taren's Website (https://triathlontaren.com/)
Triathlon Taren Podcast (https://triathlontarenpodcast.libsyn.com/)

Other Links / Tools Mentioned in the Episode:

In this episode we talk about:

How Anna went from growing up in the poorest country in Europe, having "never seen a lawn mower or a laptop" in her life, to becoming the successful online entrepreneur based in Australia that she is today.
What it was like going to high school in rural Virginia for one year as a foreign exchange student
Anna's experience moving to Malaysia for her first job straight out of university.
How breaking up with her boyfriend started Anna on the journey to finding her passion and starting a business around it
The 99 day challenge Anna assigned herself and how it changed her life forever
Why women pay Anna to help them with their love life
The simple, but effective marketing "funnel" Anna uses to get new coaching clients
How Anna deals with her "haters" online

Anna's Work:

Claimed Webinar - Start here to discover Anna's work
Anna's writing on Medium - (including her "99 Days of Wander" series that started it all)
Claimed Podcast (formerly Girlskill) - Anna's bi-weekly podcast that "provides women inspiration, tools and resources to embrace their wild, feminine nature so they can attract and keep a masculine man."
ManInside show - Anna's Previous (Now Retired) Podcast. You can also read about why she stopped that show and the lessons she learned here.

Additional Links:

1000 True Fans Essay by Kevin Kelly
Tiny Little Businesses by Andre Chaperon
David Deida - Author of The Way of the Superior Man, the book that popularized the concept of polarity in relationships (you can read/listen to a free chapter here)
AIESEC - Student Leadership Organization
Mindvalley

In this episode we talk about:

What is graphic recording
How Verity got her first gigs as a graphic recorder after studying textile design and working in sales for 20 years
Blogging from an iPod touch in Argentina and how Verity rediscovered and reignited her creativity in South America
The benefits of solo travel with no set itinerary
How to build your portfolio before anyone is willing to hire you
The power of constraints - "You become more creative the more limited your resources are"
How Verity adapted to working during the COVID-19 pandemic by teaching her skills to peers in her professional community
How Verity got over 100 people to express interest in her Masterclass in less than 36 hours

Connect with Verity: