Crystal O’Connor, CEO and founder of Fearless Ambition Magazine, joined me Wednesday, August 12. Her purpose with Fearless Ambition Magazine is to empower, educate and enrich. Her site uses success principles of industrialists, diplomats and thought leaders from the world, current and historical.
Her site is clearly organized, pleasing to the eye and offers a great example of how you can use social and digital media to build a valuable resource for your community.
You can listen in streaming mode at this link.
Where are you? What are you doing?
What I'm doing everyday is researching and putting together a plan of action for where I'm going with this magazine. Right now it's an online magazine. But I'm planning to put it in print, soon.
It is an online magazine right now. It's much more engaging. It's almost interactive. But it will be in print. Who doesn't like to take a magazine on the plane with them. Or relax with it in their hands.
When did you decide on this mission? Why this mission?
It was the need for an attitude and of course the educational component.
I have always been blessed with a passion for reading. I took that information that I learned and has chosen to incorporate that into the magazine. There was a strong need to provide these types of tools and information based upon the needs of others. <
That's where I started, seeing the need for educational component, incorporating a lot of the areas of success we need into one site.
I've learned so much from others, reading their thoughts.
I wanted to give back from her own experience and be able to share and inspire others through her own lessons. My experiences I want to give back to help others, even my own kids. If I could teach the important lessons, the lessons, that I learned the hard way...that would be important.
You've decided to take your magazine into print when so many people are poo-pooing print. Why?
Print will never go away. But it will be a struggle. Print will die in different ways. But holding a book in your hands, it's tangible and it's not going away. You can't take a laptop with you into the bathtub... There are places where print is more comfortable.
When you were planning Fearless Ambition, what was your intended audience, the demographic?
It's the person who wants to be a constant learner. You need to be a constant learner. Anyone who wants to thrive, not just survive, should read this magazine. It's the person who no longer wants to struggle, but who wants to thrive.
What needs of theirs aren’t being met? How does Fearless Ambition meet those needs?
Inspiration is a huge part of it.
The entrepreneur. The entrepreneur is a little bit in all of us. It's easier now to be an entrepreneur now than ever before. Bringing in good quality marketing knowledge. We need to start preparing our kids to be entrepreneurs. We need to teach them to think, think creatively. That's the mindset of an entrepreneur. Things are changing so fast you need to be able to do that. If we can teach our kids to do this then we have empowered them to thrive in the world they'll live in.
My favorite part is teaching the kids. Some of us are learning now to be an entrepreneur in our 40's and 50's. It's very much an attitude.
What lets you know you are reaching that audience, empowering, educating, and enriching them? What are the metrics?
I know I need to see more of those signs. But I've never been more sure of myself that there's a need for Fearless Ambition. I receive emails and comments thanking me for the site. That's part of the conversation on social media.
I'm just getting started. I have so much more content to share. Feedback is important. I encourage people to visit the site and give me feedback.
Let's talk about ambition. We've met compliments of Mike Sansone. You're ambitious. What or who has helped you, helped ignite your ambition?
My experiences have helped me overall. My sales experiences have been a great asset to my pursuits. The struggle of learning sales techniques and constantly trying to survive in sales has helped me. Those experiences in the sales world led me to take a look at the relationships I had with others and realized that relationships are everything in the sales world and real life: how to become confident, reliable, self-motivated, creative, driven and it leads to independence and THAT is where I want to lead people.
Independence does not mean to not be collaborative though. They go hand in hand. When you are empowered by others and have taken the time to understand relationships, it just feeds your confidence. And, therefor, you become independent. Let’s do away with the entitlement mentality in this country. Those people don’t realize what they are really capable of: giving is really receiving.
Truly, my mentors have been the ones who've taken the time to write down their experiences and share them. You have to realize that one statement can change another person's life. One statement that you make to another can change a whole life. It is part of the butterfly effect. It is the idea that what we do and say can affect someone else and it becomes global. It is powerful that we have the capability to do that.
Some of the authors that affected my life include:
The Go-Giver. He explains the five laws of success and a person has to be ready to understand and accept the advice.
Napoleon Hill wrote the classic “Think and Grow Rich.”He went around the country interviewing those who have succeeded in business and creating a set of laws. This was during the '20's. Those laws of success will never go out of style.
And Robert Kiyosaki and his Rich Dad - Poor Dad series.
Where's the gap in creating Fearless Ambition in those who have the tools but maybe lack the inspiration to be fearless?
I see the gap in the lack of understanding of social media and its power. The power of blogging for instance. The idea of how to market yourself online using a collaborative approach.
This person has the perfect profile but their life didn't offer them this one element. How does Fearless Ambition help?
Everybody needs inspiration. But being a continual learner, wanting to learn, will continue them on this process to success. But the well-organized may need this more than others. But they might be struggling now in the information age more than they have in the past. And they're just realizing now that they have to reach out and learn more than in the past.
Let’s transition a bit to mundane operational details. You launched your site this year, right? How long did it take to build it?
I have the personality trait to jump in, learn as I go. I want to get going. I did take people's advice and it was good advice.
I didn't experiment with Typepad. Wordpress is maybe more effective. But there is a learning curve that I had to go through. I would encourage anyone considering this to first understand what each blogging platform has to offer.
I started instead of investigating which blog site to start with.
What three tips can you share from your learning experience in creating your site?
1. Start with reading a few books. You need to understand the process: the keywords, technicalities...etc. Any of the “Dummies” books are a great asset in helping you choose the right blog, website, or designer. You gain a greater understanding to help you choose the right person to lead you.
2. Think about the direction that you want. You must see the big picture. Think BIG!
3. Realize your fears: what they are and don’t let them hold you back. Learn to be okay with it.
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How have you incorporated social media into your site?
I use Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed to get my message out there. Each has a different audience-there is a little bit of everybody out there and you have to find them.
What is the impact from using Facebook and Twitter with Fearless Ambition?
I can’t believe how many people I have connected with from all over the world. I have learned from them – they want to be a part of it. We connect with people we have never been able to connect with – learning so many different things from one another.
Which social media resource has been the most productive for you?
I am most active with Twitter! It is very fast, quick and brief. It forces people to get to the point in 140 characters.
What has been the most disappointing resource/tool?
Myspace, but only because it wasn’t what I needed, but I am not one that dwells on being disappointed. I do know it is a viable resource for others.
What are your immediate plans for the future with Fearless Ambition Magazine:
I intend to do more speaking about it, overcoming my fear of public speaking. I would like to see a mentorship program. I want to feed the natural open-mindedness to kids-keeping them thinking like an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have an obligation to give back to others and I hope they do this with great joy, helping to inspire others. I am also in the process of writing a book – full of fearless ambition stories and overcoming struggles and obstacles.
Let's say we speak in a year. I hope we do. What will be your biggest achievement you'll share?
For people to know that when they hear fearless ambition, they will know it is an attitude and they can find the resources online and in book form. I have a group of people that are going around the country sharing this message, in schools and in businesses.
I see you as an aspiring role model for others. What are your four tips for building fearless ambition for our listeners?
1. Think big. Dream big. Change your self-talk. Reach out to others. Be around like minded people
2. Realize your fears – you are not alone. Question your fears. Examine them.
3. Educate yourself.
4. Start blogging: discover yourself and find your purpose
You share a lot of inspiration quotes at Fearless Ambition. Can you share an inspiring quote for our audience to help them become fearless in their ambition:
* “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
* You have to do the thing you can not do. You realize you can do it and it will change your life forever.
You can follow Crystal O'Connor on Twitter at:
Host's Note: I need a producer dragging their finger across their throat signaling me to be quiet. I talked too much. That's a good sign. I only start talking when I'm inspired by what I'm hearing.
Thank you, Crystal, for your patience. You could have shared more of your inspiring message had I been...quiet. Next time.
That was an inspiring post,
Thanks for sharing,
Keep up the good work
Posted by: Software companies UK | January 04, 2010 at 04:15 AM