In this episode we link up with Personal Trainer, Keith Roberts and chat about…
-Keith’s Journey into the Fitness Industry
-The benefits of boxing workouts
-Maintaining energy as a personal trainer
-The importance of truly caring about your clients
-Authenticity on Social Media.
Listen here…
Have you ever been told to “follow your passion?” It’s a common statement these days. Hating your job is out and being happy is in. In The Bald Brothers Podcast’s debut episode we chat about…
Listen to our first episode at the links below…
Let’s talk about the “Creative Lifestyle.”
I’m talking to those folks who are living out their creative passions and financially supporting themselves with side jobs. My question for you is how long are you willing to continue this lifestyle? 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? 15?
I currently work three part-time jobs. None of which I am truly passionate about but all of which I enjoy. They don’t pay me much but it’s enough to cover my expenses. They also give me flexibility to pursue my creative dreams (acting and writing).
At this point in my life, I’ve prioritized passion over practicality. Some may look at my life choices with a questionable eye. “Why is this lawyer working retail, giving tours, and trying to be an actor?” I hear it a lot, trust me.
Truth is, I’m okay with not making a lot of money. I’m okay with not having a “traditional” career. I have a deep desire to act and write creatively. So that’s what I’m trying to do. I don’t have many fears, but regret is one of them. It’s the driving factor behind a lot of my life decisions.
All that sounds inspiring, I know. But despite what it may sound like, I don’t have it all figured out. Here’s a question I’m completely unsure about…
How long will I be able to keep this lifestyle up?
The bravado response is AS LONG AS IT TAKES!! But that’s not honest.
The truth is I HAVE NO IDEA.
Maybe my passions will take me in a different direction. Maybe I’ll never be able to fully support myself with acting or writing. Maybe I’ll become a “working actor.” Maybe I’ll sell a screenplay. WHO THE HELL KNOWS! That’s what’s so great and terrifying about being an artist.
The goal of my creative pursuits is not to make money – it’s to be happy. Now don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to be able to financially support myself with work that I love – I think we all would. But wealth is not the destination – happiness is.
That’s why I haven’t given myself an arbitrary time limit. I’m not sitting here thinking, “If I don’t make it in 2 years, I’ll give in and go get a real job.” FUCK THAT. If I thought like that, I’d be done for. I definitely wouldn’t “make it,” whatever that means, and I definitely wouldn’t be happy.
Instead, I’m not in a rush. I’m taking my time.
Who knows how long I’ll be happy being a broke artist. 1 year? 5 years? 20 years? Forever? I have no clue. Will things change? I don’t know, maybe?
All I know is that I’m happy now pursuing what I love.
Cheers.
I’ve worked at Lululemon for several years. I first started working at the Annapolis store when I was still in Law School and have worked, off and on, over the past 5 years. In my tenure, I’ve learned quite a few things. Some good. Some bad. Some random. Thought I’d share my thoughts. Here are 5 things I learned while working in retail…
They really are. The vast majority of guests are kind. They smile. They make small talk. They laugh at my jokes. Some I even become friends with. Only a small percentage of guests are rude and ugly. If you’ve ever worked retail, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For starters, you’ve got the guests who try to return a worn pair of pants with no tag or receipt. If you refuse, they absolutely EXPLODE and demand to see your manager. Fun stuff. Other guests will simply ignore you and refuse to acknowledge your existence. The ignorers don’t really bother me though. They’ve probably just had a bad day. You then have those guests that we call, in the biz, “high touch.” These are the guests that expect you to be at their beck and call every second they spend in the store. They suck you into their needy vortexes and before you know it you’ve been following them around the store for an hour and a half. But, like I said, these problem guests are the MINORITY. Most are nice!!
Caffeine is a necessity for retail workers. Folding clothes and dealing with people is infinitely easier and MORE FUN if you’re running on 300 mg of caffeine – trust me. My store recently installed a Nespresso in our backroom and everyone’s efficiency levels skyrocketed!!!
This is a biggie. I can’t tell you how many shirts and bras I’ve had to clean over the years that have been stained white with deodorant. It’s gross. BUT I take comfort in knowing that these guests were at least wearing deodorant!! Better they leave their deodorant on the product than their actually STANK. Some guests do leave their stank on products though. It’s not pleasant. Have some respek people!!!
Not sure if this is a universal truth but it’s been the case at every store I’ve ever worked. I still call every single person I’ve worked with a friend. Major shout out to Lululemon for hiring awesome people!
Retail shifts are so much better when things are busy. The energy is higher and you have more fun. One minute you’ll be helping a guest find a size, the next you’ll be ringing someone up, the next you’ll be grabbing something from the back, and the next you’ll be cranking out some pushups (I do this a lot). There is never a dull moment. This is why I actually like working during the holiday season!! I’m crazy — I know. But when shit gets crazy, shifts absolutely fly by!
Working retail is a great side gig that I have thoroughly enjoyed over the years. I could easily think of 5 additional things I’ve learned. But for the sake of time, I’ll keep it to 5!
Cheers to an upcoming holiday season at the lemon here in Nashville, TN! Let’s get it!
Listen, I’ve got two words for ya. MARKET RESEARCH!
Yes. You read that correctly. In almost every field of work, market research absolutely blows. It’s a fact of life.
UNLESS you’re an Actor.
“Why? What’s the difference?” You may ask.
Well it’s quite simple.
For an actor, market research means watching loads and loads of movies and TV shows. It’s basically a free pass to spend 12 hours on a Sunday watching Netflix. You can literally call a day filled with two large pizzas, three bags of chips, six diet cokes, and the entire first season of Ozark a “productive” day.
Watching movies and TV shows is considered “working.” This is one of the MANY amazing things about acting. Obviously, no one is paying you to do this “work.” BUT you can learn so much and improve your craft by watching movies and television.
You’ll discover a plethora of information if you study your favorite actors. You’ll discover what sorts of characters they typically play. You’ll get a sense of their range. You’ll start to notice their ticks. You’ll notice their blocking. You’ll notice everything. And it’s all beneficial.
Point being, you can learn A TON by studying the actors you admire.
The same holds true if you’re a writer.
I recently jumped into the world of screenwriting and now try to either watch the movies or read the screenplays of my favorite writers.
Currently my all-time favorite writer is Aaron Sorkin. The way he drafts dialogue is out of this world. I find myself spending many a night binge watching West Wing or re-reading his famous play, A Few Good Men. Any time I write, I tell myself to “channel my inner Sorkin.” I’m not kidding. 😂
Now that I’m re-reading this blog post, I’m starting to think this may just be one giant justification for my tendency to binge watch so much Netflix. But who cares, right? It’s all done in the name of MARKET RESEARCH!!
Brendan Bald 