Scotty Russell // Where Are They Now series

I have known Scotty for over seven years. In that time I have seen him flourish as a designer and illustrator and lettering artist AND as a speaker, coach, and teacher. Scotty is a coach, artist, designer, podcaster, speaker, dad to three and husband. Scotty is someone who is passionate about helping other people. He is empathetic towards people who are amazing but are in less than great situations. He has helped hundreds of creatives take their side hustle to be their main hustle through his unique spin on mindset, motivation, and marketing.

He is the real deal. He is eager to connect on a genuine level and help other creatives level up. He understands the power of community AND one on one coaching. He was on the show for the first time in 2016 and 2018, then helped with the inaugural Creatives Ignite Summer Camp in 2020.

I am excited to catch up with my friend and hear his insights on business, and life.

I hope you will join me for Episode 445, LIVE on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 11:30am PT / 2:30pm ET / 7:30pm BST / 8:30am in Hawaii

You can be part of the conversation live with us. Simply join the Creatives Ignite Family by giving me your email and get a reminder email 30 min before the show: https://creativesignite.com/signup You can also add it to your calendar so you don’t miss it. (Those links are in the emails). See you there, then you can type in the chat and ask questions live.

Questions

1. Scotty, can you tell everybody a little background about you, who you are, where you are, and what you do? 
   
2. You’ve been on the show two times, first on the show back in 2016, then in 2018. Plus you were a speaker at camp. How has life and business changed since last time we talked?
   
3. What has been the biggest hurdle you’ve faced in regards to your business? 
   
4. Has staying creative been a challenge for you? How do you come up with new ideas? 
   
5. Do you struggle with time management? Marketing yourself? Coming up with content ideas?
   
6. How do you get your name out there? 
   
7. Do you have any systems or processes that has helped you develop new skills? What types of business skills and creative skills have you had to learn? 
   
8. Looking back, have you found or realized a new superpower you weren’t aware of before? 
   
9. Do you ever deal with being overwhelmed? If so how have you dealt with that?
   
10. Have you avoided burning out?
    
11. Do you collaborate with others? What elements make up a perfect collaborative project for you?
    
12. What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself in the last year, that has been most impactful to your life or business? 
    
13. What’s one piece of advice you would tell your past self 7 years ago? 
    
14. What is next?

Listen here

Connect with Scotty

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottyTheCoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachscottyrussell/
Website: https://coachscottyrussell.com/
Q3 Group Coaching Boot Camp (his 3 week boot camp actually opens for enrollment on Aug 9, 2023):
http://bootcampsidehustle.com/

Transcription

[00:00:00] diane: Hey everybody. Welcome to another episode of Creatives Ignite and I am excited to have my friend Scotty Russell back on the show. He, it’s been a while, so I think the last time we talked was in 2018. You were on can. I can’t believe the first time was 2016, but maybe I just had my dates wrong, but it just feels like I’ve known you a lot longer.

[00:00:26] Yeah, we’ve had lots of, lots of experiences [00:00:30] and lots has changed. I’m excited to hear where you were kind of. Given me, um, the appetizer beforehand. Um, so I’m really excited to hear about how it’s changed. So this is a series, so if you’re looking for it, there is, um, on, if you’re on YouTube and you’re looking for it, you can just, where are they now?

[00:00:48] Series. It’s all the people that were really popular episodes that I wanted to come and hadn’t talked to in a while and I wanted to bring them back and Scotty was one of those. We only have a [00:01:00] few more left. So Scotty, give everybody a little bit of the background of maybe where you were and where you are 

[00:01:08] Scotty Russell: now.

[00:01:08] First, just who I am now. I’m gonna start with the present and then we can talk about the past. But, um, I always like to go into this pretending that, assuming that nobody knows me, so, um, Scotty Russell, I am a creative business coach for Web two and Web three artists. New kind of term there. You know, a lot of things have changed for me, [00:01:30] but also an artist, also a speaker designer, podcaster, you know, wear a lot of hats under this.

[00:01:36] But, uh, a dad of three, I just added the new kiddo to the mix. Pizza roll number three, Ellie Rose Russell. Uh, she’s going on six months. My oldest is Scotty. He’s almost five this month. And when my middle child is Emma, so she’s three. So I think last time I was on, I just had my first kiddo, which is pretty crazy.

[00:01:58] And yeah, things have radically [00:02:00] changed in my business, but I’m self-employed working out of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and I really focus on helping creatives. You know, I, I I like to fuel your mind and your creative grind and put you on a path to get paid to play. That’s pretty much my little value proposition.

[00:02:13] Um, but I think in the past where we were at, you know, I was kind of doing a lot of the same things. Coaching, doing the podcasts, doing speaking, selling digital services and goods. So not. Much has changed in that lane, still still doing that. But also my [00:02:30] eyes and sight are on a whole different world that I’m solely pivoting to, to become a bridge, to help people expand their opportunities.

[00:02:37] You know, as a creator, as a builder, you know what’s possible for your arch, your design work, et cetera, et cetera. 

[00:02:42] diane: So one of the things that sa sounds like before it was really turning that side hustle and having people take that side hustle to a full-time thing. So now it sounds like there’s another layer to that that it, that’s not the only thing that you’re doing.

[00:02:58] So taking web [00:03:00] two to web three, what does that mean 

[00:03:02] Scotty Russell: and what does that mean? That’s, that’s the thing I’m like continually trying to define more. Um, and, and it’s still helping people take their side hustle to become their main hustle. But over the years I’ve. Helps a lot of people do that. And now what’s the next step for ’em to scale and to grow?

[00:03:17] Um, so it’s basically providing some kind of service where everybody’s at, where, where anyone could be. But a lot of people, their goal is to do their thing full-time one day. And, you know, my, my goal is to help build their mindset around it. [00:03:30] Help the unsexy things for the unsexy results. Like how do you get good at prioritization, time management, um, to be more product productive, you know, and, and really dial in your focus skills.

[00:03:43] And then how do you get good at building your own personal brand? The things you, you love to talk about, the things you love to chase, the things you love to do, and how to build intentional work and curate around it so you can leverage it to attract specific clients, you know, get paid to play. And then I layer on all the marketing tactics based on [00:04:00] someone’s at, you know, um, uh, your, your value.

[00:04:03] Proposition, your messaging, your positioning, um, how to promote yourself in a non gross way. Because I work with a lot of introverts who just struggle talking about themselves. You know, I’m, I’m a big, uh, believer in the power of not only the creation of the art, but the art of communicating who you are, your story, your process, you know, just to get it front of, get it out there in front of people, you know, and, and build a, a creative business that’s [00:04:30] focused on longevity, sustainability versus burning yourself out.

[00:04:33] And just small spurts and seasons play the long game with people. So it’s not always what people want to hear, but I work on those hard skills, the foundational, the launchpad, because this is something we wanna do for the rest of our lives. You know, we don’t wanna burn ourselves out for, in small seasons.

[00:04:48] And then, you know, kind of wave the white flag. I just didn’t have what it take. I’m like, maybe we just didn’t approach it from the right mindset and weren’t, we were too ambitious to not realistic. So I really like to reign [00:05:00] things back, slow down so we can scale fast. That makes sense. So 

[00:05:06] diane: going in from the very first time you came on in 2016, you were doing a lot of lettering, a lot of illustration, or maybe 

[00:05:15] Scotty Russell: mostly lettering, just an Instagram game.

[00:05:17] Just so Instagram, post and art on Instagram. That’s 2015 where I met you at Creative Salt is how it all started. Okay. 

[00:05:24] diane: Yeah. So then you had this, um, you knew you wanted to help people [00:05:30] in a different way than just using design tools, so you kind of easily led into teaching and coaching and, and speaking from speaking.

[00:05:40] That kind of easily goes into like hearing people, listening to people. And some of those people I know that they’ve been in either classes with you or seen you speak and you’ve sat down at a table with them and. Because that’s what you do. So how do you go from, is it, [00:06:00] just tell ’em the story of when you decided, ’cause this is a big thing for a lot of, a lot of people is saying, do I have enough of the side stuff to go full time?

[00:06:13] Do I have enough saved or do I have enough, um, people that need what I want? And sometimes I think probably you’re helping people or may maybe not. Are you helping people figure out what they can do or did most people already know what they can 

[00:06:29] Scotty Russell: do? It’s, [00:06:30] man, it’s a, a good mix of people who may just be discovering their creatives and they’re in their forties or fifties.

[00:06:36] So we really locked down that foundational element of things. It could be people who are seasoned but stuck. You know, I’m only can make this amount, or like, where’s the next lane for me to pursue? You know, they’re just too close to everything and they haven’t really had someone. Outside to provide unbiased, tactical feedback and support.

[00:06:58] Um, but for me, [00:07:00] I think, uh, probably a lot of people are in here. We believe that maybe there’s only one path to be successful with our creativity. Either you’re a full-time artist, you know, painting whatever gallery, traditional method, or you are a freelancer, you know, and I grew up like, okay, well I’m not a traditional artist.

[00:07:17] I’m not like a, a Bob Ross. I don’t have canvases and galleries. I didn’t go to fancy art school, so I was sold a dream. That design is where you make money either for a day job or you do a freelance. So early on, I thought the only path to do [00:07:30] my thing full-time was. Becoming a freelance designer, maybe some art within there as well.

[00:07:35] So I spent years just chasing someone else’s dream because I thought that was the way to be respected. And I thought that was the only means of being a full-time creative professional. And I believe that myth for a long time. And it just, it never felt right, it wasn’t fun. I still to this day, don’t enjoy creating for other people.

[00:07:52] I enjoy working and serving other people, but it’s very rare that I say yes to any type of commission-based or [00:08:00] client-based work anymore. These days, I like to create for me and I like to serve people. Um, so how it started for me over the years is when I wasn’t getting freelance, I was creating my own ideas and then just sharing stories around it, sharing myself and my work.

[00:08:13] And it started being like I, I didn’t have enough characters in an Instagram post. So Instagram started turning into like a mini blog post. And then I went to Creative Self for the first time and I saw other people there doing incredible things. I called a little glimpse of like, Hey, maybe it’s maybe [00:08:30] freelance.

[00:08:30] Isn’t the only option for me. I don’t know what it looks like. I’ll just figure it out. Maybe it’s merch, maybe it’s um, affiliates. Maybe it’s something. I had no idea it was coaching. No idea. I had no idea it was podcasting. But I came home from Creative South. I started blogging, talked to you. Nobody read my blog, but you did.

[00:08:47] You saw that I wanted to try public speaking and because one person read my blog and I put it onto the universe, like I wanna do public speaking. One day, one person [00:09:00] saw it. I didn’t get much traction early on. And that led to my first speaking gig, which then took, took off, which then led to the podcast, which led to teaching workshops, which led to, uh, you know, the, the podcast really started taking off to a point where like, I don’t have to do freelance right now.

[00:09:15] I’m not enjoying it. I can do products, I can do services. But how coaching came around is. People would listen to the podcast and they would hit me up with questions all the time. Like, oh, I thought you did perspective collective full-time. I’m like, no, this is a side hustle. Well, how do you make time to do this?[00:09:30] 

[00:09:30] Um, how do you grow an audience around the things you like and not do? Design? How do you make money off not doing design work? So I just started listening. So I would ask what people struggle with. I would listen, I would serve them, and I would build more content and just test and test and test. And then I’d come up with a small offering.

[00:09:50] If it did well, I would create more around that, build credibility, build authority around it, then scale it to a small service. And it got to point, people kept asking all these questions, jumping on [00:10:00] Skype calls back then, and I’m like, whoa, something’s here. You know, there’s, there’s coaching. There’s a opportunity here.

[00:10:05] I’d rather be on calls with people than draw for people. And that’s where kind of coaching was born and things just kinda radically took off. And then I have my own coaches. I’ve spent a lot of money on coaching. Uh, to me, like being a coach, offering services and not believing in having my own coaches would be like being a doctor who doesn’t believe in having a doctor, so, right, right.

[00:10:26] That’s kind of like the evolution of things, but it, it was just [00:10:30] all stumbling and listening to what I wanted and stop I following someone else’s blueprint. Like what, what do they say? Success leaves clues, but like someone else’s blueprint for their success. I don’t have to be a duplicated clone of that ’cause there’s other things I want to do, you know, but I, I did it all outside a day job.

[00:10:47] diane: And your day job was design. So serving, um, was natural for you, but you just would rather you have more. 

[00:10:56] Scotty Russell: Um, it, [00:11:00] it, uh, pretty myself as I’m my own dream client, my own dream project, my own dream creative brief. And that’s what I want to help other people do. You know, like. What do you really want? And a lot of people tell me they wanna do freelance.

[00:11:11] Then I hop on a call with them and I dive a little bit deeper and I ask some really hard questions and it just reveals like, no, you don’t really want to do freelance. This is what you really wanna do over here. But in order to get to that, you feel like you have to have your own time freedom and basically be miserable on your own terms.

[00:11:29] And [00:11:30] you think you have all this freedom, but you don’t. You have way more responsibilities. It’s way hard to go full-time. And yeah, a lot of people are just chasing a dream that’s not really theirs. It’s just a means to do their thing full-time quicker they think. But really, it’s like the day job. You can leverage that to get to what you want way more quicker.

[00:11:47] Over here, just most people can’t see the end results. It’s hard to embrace it without a crystal ball in front of you. So this is the known path. Most people try to take the known path because what I’m doing, there’s no, there’s [00:12:00] no instruction manual. I have to recreate my job description. Like every couple years I gotta reinvent myself.

[00:12:05] So there is no crystal ball. I’m always had like one foot in of what’s working and one foot in of like what could be next out there because I don’t know where all my next paycheck’s coming from. 

[00:12:14] diane: Ex Exactly. So what do you think is important for someone if they are thinking about their maybe unsatisfied or unfulfilled in their client-based life?

[00:12:29] What would [00:12:30] be something that you would tell someone to get started? Like what? What are some self revealing questions that I could ask myself or that they could ask themselves that could help them get started? 

[00:12:45] Scotty Russell: Oh. Say less. Hold on real quick. I don’t know if I can share my screen, but like, this is literally, you can, what I’ve been talking about, like this isn’t a, she, I’m not selling you anything here.

[00:12:55] This is like free trainings. Um, so from the lens of like, [00:13:00] how do you know if you’re wasting your time creating things that you don’t enjoy right now? Like my whole goal is to, if you work at a day job all day and then you come home and you dread your own personal work, something’s wrong there. You know, like, what’s wrong there?

[00:13:19] Um, and for me, there’s two things I keep in mind, especially in this little series that I put out. It’s just free trainings, y’all. I don’t, I don’t, you don’t have to buy anything from me. Um, I had to keep in mind two things every day for myself and with my [00:13:30] students is if I don’t vibe to what I’m creating in my personal time, how will anybody else vibe to what I’m doing?

[00:13:37] If I don’t truly connect deeply and like am connecting with myself and what I do, how will anybody connect with what I do? Because most people. They think success in a creative business is like shortcuts. I gotta build the product, I gotta find where demand is. I need to build something that I have a great idea about, and then I’ll find the audience.

[00:13:57] That’s tends to not work well for very [00:14:00] many people. You know, they’re not operating within their sweet spot. There’s zone of genius as the book. Um, the great, uh, the, the Great leap. The big leap. What is it? The by gay. Mm-hmm. The big leap behind Gay. You know, most people operate in their zone of excellence or their zone of competence, and I’m like, where’s your sweet spot?

[00:14:13] What do you really love to do mixed with? What are you driven to be great at? You know, like, let’s find that as your baseline and build that secret sauce. Let’s find like an area of a passion and a strength. People like to skip that. They want to go, where’s the demand and where’s the money? And so you could be good at something but you [00:14:30] don’t love it.

[00:14:30] That was me with corporate. You know, I, I, I worked corporate cubicle, ui, ux branding. I was really good at it, but I didn’t love it. It was something I would be miserable doing the rest of my life. Then something like basketball. I love basketball. I, I really loved basketball, but I wasn’t great at it. So like the passion didn’t match the strength.

[00:14:48] So if you’re not having fun right now, you know, I, I break down here. Like I want to challenge people to dive into a, a season of selfishness. And selfishness has a, a [00:15:00] negative connotation wrapped around it, around it, but to me there’s two different types. There’s negative selfish tendencies and there’s positive selfish tendencies.

[00:15:07] It’s like you can’t help other people on a plane until you put your own os oxygen mask on ’em, you know, you can’t, uh, pour from an empty cup. So there’s good, selfish behavior and that’s going deep of instead of taking on client work that you resent and then you resent the people you work with, what if you were your own client and you really had fun and you just chase the play, create the type of work that you love that.[00:15:30] 

[00:15:30] You are radically interested. The day job covers your bills. Ideally, in this perfect world, you know, stop feeling like you gotta leave your day job to go pursue something else, to be measure on your own terms. And then I give you 10 questions like as you, after you start really chasing this play, you’re really in tune of what you want.

[00:15:44] What’s exciting. I give you like 10 questions to really get intentional on how to pursue purposeful play. ’cause in order to get paid to play, you need to learn how to play with a purpose. Hobbyists just play and do things. When it feels good. My toddler just does things when it feels good, you know? But [00:16:00] professionals, professional’s, just a mindset.

[00:16:02] You don’t have to work and do your thing full-time. Self-employed to be considered a professional. I was a, I was a professional, even though I rocked the day job for a decade, you know, I was still a professional with my creative pursuits. So here in this training, I give you like step-by-step questions to be very intentional with your work.

[00:16:19] And then in this latest one, I give you kind of these six little boxes to check if you’re really not. Enjoying yourself right now. If you can’t check like these six boxes with your personal work, there’s something wrong. [00:16:30] You’re wasting your time. Like, what are you doing right now? So, I mean, these are just three free trainings to kind of put things into perspective people, get ’em back on the right path.

[00:16:38] Think of it as coaching from afar without me kind of guiding you, but you know, just some really good questions to spark some interest. I don’t know if that helps. But ideally, someone has a day job and they’re doing things that they love on the side. Exploratory, as you say, date, a lot of things, date things intentionally speed dating, but with purpose and seasons and sprints and series of of work that you [00:17:00] can leverage and catch a pulse.

[00:17:01] I just wanna catch a pulse, go deeper, catch a pulse, go deeper and expand and scale or pivot. So one thing 

[00:17:07] diane: I heard that kind of was, uh, not something I’m used to hearing, which I’m, so I’m excited and interested in. So say it’s something that I like to do and I’m committed to doing it. I’m not just doing it when it feels good, but I don’t know if it is.

[00:17:27] Viable. If I could sell [00:17:30] that thing, what, maybe it’s making art or something. How would you tell somebody who really wants to be an artist, 

[00:17:38] Scotty Russell: um, 

[00:17:40] diane: because you said usually we, we find a need and then we fill that need. But you’re kind of saying switch that instead of make the thing that you make that you really feel called to make and then go find the people.

[00:17:57] That is hard to do it. It’s hard to do, [00:18:00] but just it’s the same just as unfulfilling maybe to make the thing somebody else wants instead of making the thing that you want. 

[00:18:09] Scotty Russell: Right. So I think this is even like in Seth Godin’s book, like this is marketing, stop trying to build the product. Okay. But. You know, really dive into what you love, serve people, understand what people are wanting because they will tell you what they want.

[00:18:22] And then you can craft that forum and it’s, it’s already been socially proofed. You know, like you, you already have that credibility. This is a [00:18:30] need. So, like, for me, anytime I forced my work to be something I wasn’t ready for, I didn’t find out joy, I didn’t find happiness, I suffocated. ’cause I put all this pressure for my work to become something, you know?

[00:18:43] And every time I’ve pumped the brakes and just think, what do I want to create? What do I want to do? And just share that, you know, share it versus selling. There’s a big difference between selling stuff all the time. Selling your concepts, selling your ideas, versus sharing your ideas. It’s less pressure, it’s less gross.

[00:18:58] You’re sharing something with the [00:19:00] world, you know, but you can do it in an intentional way. I, I believe there’s, there’s phases to this game. There’s the exploratory phase. You gotta catch a pulse, you gotta date things, you gotta figure out like you. What are you supposed to do within this season? Where do you feel called to be, even if the path isn’t clear, like nobody has a clear path.

[00:19:17] I stumble every, every, every year I’m stumbling into the next phase, a new season that I’m in. But like what season are you in? What is your focus within this season and what’s the number one result you want to get? People are trying to do too much, trying to do [00:19:30] five things at once, and I’m like, how can we do less but better?

[00:19:32] How can you catch a pulse and like, what works for me and what I work with students is even if you can catch that little pulse, I like to help people catch that pulse early on, vibe it out instead of. I’m creating something I don’t like, but the algorithms allowing it to perform, you know, it’s riding a trend really well, and it’s doing well.

[00:19:49] I don’t really enjoy it. I’m like, that’s empty. That’s not sustainable, you know, but like really dive it into, oh man, I’m getting really good at this style of art that I really love. It’s [00:20:00] allowing me to share my story and kind of like getting good at, at knowing my process and teaching and sharing my process along the way.

[00:20:07] Like you’re building skill sets, you’re building routines, systems, structures, foundation, the communication skills of being able to communicate who you are, what you create, why you create it, what’s the value it provides you, what’s the value it provides other people. And then how do you promote yourself, get in front of people in a non gross way.

[00:20:27] That is stuff that transcends [00:20:30] all markets all the time. That’s a priceless, priceless skill is being able to just communicate these things with other people. So over time, as you dive deep into like, this is what I love and this is what I’m good at. I’m a big believer, like, go all in. If you found that pulse go all in for two years, and this is something I learned from Sean McCabe.

[00:20:46] I know not everybody’s a fan, but this is, this is really true to me. You know? Um, go all in. Don’t pressure yourself to monetize it in any type of win you have along the way in two years. That’s just like a little sign, a little omen, a little validation. Like you’re on the [00:21:00] right path. I’m not saying you’re not gonna experience any wins, any wins, but like you’ll get something.

[00:21:03] And every two years I’ve gone all in on something. At the end of that two years is when I’ve had my breakthrough, you know, consistently creating and writing with blogging and everything at the end of it. First public speaking opportunity. Two years into podcasting, nobody really listened. And that second year things really started taking off.

[00:21:19] Two years into coaching, things really took off for me. Two years into me in this new pursuit with my digital fine art. I’m leading up to my second year at the end of this year, [00:21:30] and things are really heating up, you know, because I’ve caught a pulse. I didn’t put that pressure on myself. ’cause I have day job over here.

[00:21:38] Coaching is my day job. It pays the bills. My art is the side hustle. I always have a side hustle. That’s where I’m able to keep one foot in what could be something new. So I’m just a big believer in patience. And it’s not a fun word, it’s not a sexy word, but it’s true. Like your most powerful asset is your brand.

[00:21:58] Like we’re all brands and we’re in a live, in an [00:22:00] age where people don’t trust companies and corporations, people trust people more. And marketing 1 0 1 is no like and trust. How can we get, let, allow people to know us? How can we position and present ourselves in a way that people can like, like us in authentic way?

[00:22:15] And how can we allow people to, um, be educated or entertained or inspired and build trust and credibility? People trust personal brands more than they do companies and stuff anymore. So I want to help people build a [00:22:30] personal brand around their creative business. ’cause these are things that transcend.

[00:22:35] Way beyond whatever phase we are in this digitally creator economy. And that’s just powerful to me. So he 

[00:22:42] diane: absolutely. So one of the things that I hear people say, they understand the know, like, and trust, they get it, but there is a big barrier between they don’t maybe wanna share everything about their life or they are like, somebody’s [00:23:00] gonna make fun of me.

[00:23:01] I don’t wanna, they’re gonna think that I know what I’m talking about, but. I used to ask this question I used to make, I know Courtney’s here, she had to do this exercise where it was teach me something in nine minutes and people really had a hard time. I remember I had this one guy who just broke down and he’s like, I’m not an expert at anything.

[00:23:22] And I said, can you tie your shoes? And he said, yes. And I said, well, then you’re an expert at tying your shoes. You [00:23:30] know, like, and then it was like, oh, it doesn’t ha I don’t have to teach you something about graphic design or about art or illustration or whatever. I could teach you something outside of that.

[00:23:40] And that was what a lot of people chose to do. But I think some, I think a lot of times when I’m saying, oh, well this is, and even with me, this will be something that kind of holds me back. Um, I was watching this lady that I follow on YouTube and she’s like, I didn’t want [00:24:00] to share my. Because I just thought people would think that I was saying I knew what I was doing, and I just encouraged her.

[00:24:08] And I just said, I’m glad that you’re sharing your journey. You’re being honest about your journey. I’m not saying that you are, you know, anything more than what you’re saying you are. But for me, that you’re able to share the good and the bad and just the journey that, that is what I think what you’re talking about is that [00:24:30] no, you don’t have to have it all polished.

[00:24:32] You don’t have to have mm-hmm. Everything together. It’s actually a little bit better. 

[00:24:37] Scotty Russell: Yeah. A little bit more authentic. Especially, especially in this age where we’re all being sold to, like, people appreciate just real, honest transparency. Raw, not hyper curated, you know, like, yeah. Uh, I think one thing people struggle with is just embracing the unknown on a path that doesn’t have like, You know, set criteria and steps along the way like you would at a corporate [00:25:00] job, but also it’s people care way too much about what other people think.

[00:25:04] We’re so wrapped up in trying to please strangers on the internet that it holds us back from like, what we could be doing. And, and, and we’re, we’re too obsessed with feeling like, I can’t talk about this become because someone’s way smarter than me about this. I’m like, that’s very like, but what I’m teaching, there’s people who are way better artists, way better coaches.

[00:25:25] There’s people who are way better, I’m not gonna say dads ’cause I’m feel like I’m [00:25:30] pretty dope dad, but there’s people who handle their emotions and everything better than me. But what makes me the best at what I do is because I take all those things that I’m good at, I’m not the best at, but because I can bring ’em together and be me in all of them, nobody can do what I do.

[00:25:47] And that’s, and I’m not competing with anyone because like, I. I don’t know anybody else who can do what I do, who has my experiences, my stories, and I’m not here trying to educate someone smarter than me. I’m trying to bring someone who’s doesn’t know as much as [00:26:00] me along for the ride. So I’m not trying to teach experts.

[00:26:04] I’m trying to teach past me who had no idea what I was doing. So again, I’m not, I’m not the best artist. I’m not the best, but I’m just the best at what I do because of all these areas. Well, you’re, 

[00:26:16] diane: you’re combined and making, you’re showing what’s happening and how, what you’re learning in that real time where you’re saying, Hey, this didn’t work or this did work.

[00:26:27] So when you’re starting in one of these [00:26:30] two year kind of stints and you’re focused in, so one of the things I struggle with is that I don’t know. What the real goal is, is that, and I don’t know if that’s just me or if that’s what lots of people struggle with, but if you’re honed in, I’m gonna do this for two years, do you have to have a really good, clear goal of what, and it, you know, that you’re tr you’re trying to have a [00:27:00] thousand more followers, or you’re trying to make this in such money from this?

[00:27:04] Or is it about reach or what? 

[00:27:08] Scotty Russell: Like what would be a I think that’s a way, good question. Um, I’m actually a big believer in like three to five year plans, like having that target on the horizon. But also there’s times, like within the last two years, I had no idea what the next three to five years was gonna look like.

[00:27:22] I just have a pulse of like, this is exciting, this is challenging, this is fun. Um, [00:27:30] like, like starting the podcast I had, I. I had no set goal of like, I wanna be top five creative podcast in two years. Mine was, I wanna see where this goes in two years. I’m not gonna obsess over monetizing it. I’m not gonna obsess anything.

[00:27:45] I’m gonna see what will happen in two years. I really enjoy it. It’s challenging, it’s allowing me to be a, it’s allowing me to talk better, present better. I get to have conversations with like people I never would’ve had an opportunity before. And it attracted speaking [00:28:00] opportunities, it attracted students.

[00:28:01] And just by like going in on that lane realizing I don’t have control of the outcome, it exploded into something that I never could imagine in terms of a coaching practice. You know, like, so sometimes going in obsessing over an outcome, the end result is cool and all, but also like, I don’t want it to distract me from serendipitous opportunities of how things can evolve as well.

[00:28:26] So like right now I’m at going into. The season of, [00:28:30] I’m gonna see where this goes in two years. I’m gonna go heavy into it. And now that I’ve caught like the vision going in in two years, I’m like, I can, this is, needs to be a big pivot in where my business is going. So it was like a, a two year side hustle pursuit, 

[00:28:43] diane: you know?

[00:28:43] So more, you’re, you’re driven by if it’s exciting, fun, and challenging and if it stops, if a part of it stops losing some of that, you’re like, okay, I’m gonna move away from that thing. Yeah. 

[00:28:56] Scotty Russell: If I’m not in more, 

[00:28:57] diane: more than like a [00:29:00] monetary or a number. Diane, I 

[00:29:01] Scotty Russell: made, I made 160 K in 2021 off my creative business.

[00:29:06] And I was miserable. I was burnt out. Wasn’t having fun, wasn’t drawing, wasn’t creating, it was all about coaching, coaching, coaching. Making money, making money. I had a sponsorship with my podcast with Adobe Max and I wasn’t having fun with my podcast. Said yes to a lot of things based on expectations of others.

[00:29:23] I’ve made less money the last two years, but I’ve like really found a lot more joy in what I’m doing, [00:29:30] like way more joy. So I know that’s easy to say, making that amount, whatever, but like 2021 was miserable, but it kind of hold you so miserable. 

[00:29:40] diane: Yeah. It handcuffs you to, yeah. 

[00:29:43] Scotty Russell: Yeah. So just getting back to drawing for myself again without selling it like the end of 2021, I’m like, what’s missing?

[00:29:52] Making more money, like great opportunities, working with a lot of people, you know, things I would kill for two years before that. I’m like, [00:30:00] why do I feel so empty and not having fun? Oh, oh, I wasn’t drawing. I forgot how to draw for myself. And so at the end of the year, I just started drawing again. I started drawing like my son’s bedtime characters, you know, um, on their birth.

[00:30:16] When did I have the most fun this year? Was drawing anything for myself, even doodling or like drawing my kids’ birthday invitations, like, why am I not drawing right now? I don’t have a good reason just because drawing I saw was selfish because it wasn’t providing income [00:30:30] for me and my family. After going full-time and second kiddo during pandemic and, you know, taking the full-time leap after getting let go of my safe day job, like I saw it as selfish in a bad way, when really it was a good thing to be selfish for drawing.

[00:30:43] And so like tapping into drawing, not forcing it to monetize or anything, just drawing to reconnect with it and sharing it, and then that exploded into this new lane I’m in where I don’t even like using Instagram anymore. Twitter is my home now. You know, [00:31:00] Twitter radically changed to a new home and now I have collectors of my art.

[00:31:04] All across the world, you know, through the digital NFTs scene. And, and I’m, I’m on Solana. I’m not killing the planet. I’m, I’m not at all. I, I know that gets a bad rap in the news, but it’s totally a lack of education in that space too. Um, but I’m not here to talk about that. I just don’t want people to think of NFTs Ill gross.

[00:31:20] He’s killing the planet. I’m like, no, actually it’s carbon neutral that I’m, I’m doing, it’s green for the environment. It’s not bad. Um, 

[00:31:26] diane: but you’ve always been a, a, you’ve always been [00:31:30] willing. Do you think that somebody, uh, maybe a characteristic of somebody who’s going to be really good at this, taking their side hustle?

[00:31:40] And I love that you continually have these side hustles, these 

[00:31:43] Scotty Russell: side projects always changing, always evolving. 

[00:31:46] But 

[00:31:46] diane: I think that that’s, we have this idea that there will be this other big solid thing, but it’s not, it is this, we are, especially as creatives, we’re finding new things that we’re interested in.

[00:31:57] And, and it’s just like pencils, they’re [00:32:00] only so long and they run down with time. And so you have to get new pencils. And so you’re just, your side projects are these tools. But do you think, um, a characteristic of these people is that they are willing to try new things and willing to, um, embrace some of these new technologies like NFTs?

[00:32:19] Because even Bitcoin, you were, early on, you were like, support the show with, um, your Bitcoin. People 

[00:32:26] Scotty Russell: thought I was crazy. I know people think I’m crazy [00:32:30] now. People thought I was crazy when I was telling ’em about social media early too. I’m like, I’m, I just, if I spot something, I’m like, but like for me, my thing is I.

[00:32:43] I take pride in going against the grain if I see something that doesn’t make sense, but yet, this is the way it’s always been done. Hence why I love side hustles. Why I love crypto, why I love, you know, things that go against our, uh, I, I’m, I’m not gonna dive deep because [00:33:00] that’ll stir up the pot with certain things, but I like to challenge a narrative that’s big for me because I grew up being force fed.

[00:33:06] This is what, this is what it’s always been like. And so I’m like, that can’t, this is the only way to do things is being your creative business. As a freelancer, I’m like, actually, no. No, it’s not. No, it’s not. So a contrarian point of view on a lot of things, and that’s been good to me. But I also think like most people are scared to pursue something [00:33:30] when they don’t know the outcome, and most people are scared to do something.

[00:33:33] I. That not many people would agree with or like, or judge them for. And I’m a recovering people pleaser for sure, for sure. It still affects me. I’ve had, had people say mean things to me all the time or telling me I’m crazy for X, y, and z I, I go with my gut and I chase like, I, I truly chase what I’m interested in, where I’m having fun and where do I feel like I find my fit, you know?

[00:33:57] So if I’m not having fun, that’s like [00:34:00] a spider sense tingling of, whoa, we really need, we really need to analyze what’s going on right now. You know, what’s changed? I changed. We’re all just little Pokemon evolving, trying to become our ultimate forms, you know, like, and, and I’m constantly trying to evolve and level up, take those rare candies, battle, get those experience points, you know, taking certain items to help me along the way in the form of coaches, trainers, mentors, books, resources, webinars, conferences.

[00:34:26] So we’re just all little Pokemon here and, and [00:34:30] what got you here is not gonna get you there. That’s the big thing for me is Instagram and sharing my art this way got me to this point, but then it got stagnant and things change. Algorithms change and I’m not having fun. So what needs to change? Okay, I need to change.

[00:34:45] I need to change. You know, I can’t blame an algorithm for changing. I need to change what, where, why am I not having fun right now? I’m just playing an old game, you know? And a lot of people just wanna stay comfortable. Well, and [00:35:00] 

[00:35:00] diane: a lot of times people have just one bucket. And I think when we started talking in the beginning, um, you said, you know, it’s about for you, you’re taking and you want to not just have.

[00:35:12] Everything in the coaching bucket and every, you know, like you really have mult, so all these extra diversify projects, which you’re focusing on one in a two year period, not five in a two year period, but one in the two year period. Yeah, 

[00:35:24] Scotty Russell: it, it sounds like I do a lot, but I’m very like, do less but better, do less but better.

[00:35:28] I’ve done all the things all at [00:35:30] once. That’s when I know I burn myself out the most and I wanna gain the most traction. So if I really focus on lanes within seasons, lanes, and seasons, that’s, that’s it. Do less simplify and long-term pictures of things. 

[00:35:44] diane: So you’re able to, by taking, doing what you wanna do for two years, that ends up hopefully becoming something that you can, 

[00:35:55] Scotty Russell: um, leverage as an a, a new channel in [00:36:00] something.

[00:36:00] But even if it like doesn’t turn out to what I was hoping or wishing, there’s so many things within there in terms of relationships. Skillsets, experiences that I’ve learned that like reveal the next path. My big thing is action reveals answers. Action reveals answers. So like even I’d gone super hard in the paint in one lane for a specific season like I did after I like pushed pause on the podcast.

[00:36:23] I’m like, YouTube’s where it’s at, YouTube’s where I’m gonna do it. But I pushed it over there and it wasn’t it, but it led me to something else with Twitter spaces [00:36:30] instead, you know? So like when I, when I pursue something, it’s not a failure if it didn’t end up. It’s all the things I learned along the way are like the tools that I get to leverage in the next path that does click.

[00:36:44] You know? So most people see that as like failing because I didn’t reach that end goal, but I’m like, yeah, but what did it lead you to? You know, becoming a full-time freelance designer could be viewed as a failure, but that’s by the definition of someone else’s limited mindset of what a successful creative is.

[00:36:59] To me, it [00:37:00] evolved into coaching, which I’ve never ever. Ever could have saw happening. But it’s because I went in lanes for seasons, like blogging led to the podcast, which led to, or led to speaking and then speaking led to the podcast, which then led to coaching. I, if I would’ve tried to plan all that, I would’ve been like, Nope, I don’t have what it takes.

[00:37:19] I’m gonna go work up in nine to five and be miserable. And there’s nothing wrong with the day job. I actually want people to have day jobs, you know, I’m all for the day job. 

[00:37:29] diane: [00:37:30] Okay. So let me ask you a couple questions that were in some of these. ’cause um, business has definitely changed. Yeah. I love how, how you focus on something two years and then you, you’re not tabling it, you’re just seeing where it leads and you’re seeing kind of where you’re, um, do you to get to that?

[00:37:51] I mean, is it a certain time of year? Like every September I go to the beach and I take three days and I do, is there, it’s not a certain amount. Is it is [00:38:00] January? Is it 

[00:38:00] Scotty Russell: just. Intuition based. Okay. And it’s usually, and it’s not even like an immediate thing, it’s like maybe a couple months or so I’m feeling a certain way and then I make the decision, you know, I’m like, uh, this isn’t fun.

[00:38:15] This is miserable. It’s just weighing on me. And it just slowly compounds to the point where it’s like, if you ignore your body with an ailment or something like that, then your body forces you to listen to me. It’s kind of like the same thing in the creative realm of [00:38:30] just grinding on me. Like the podcast, I wanted to stop doing the podcast for like six months before I stopped doing it.

[00:38:35] And by stop, I mean like pause. ’cause I still drop sporadic episodes when I really want to have something and to say, or I wanna showcase, you know, students in my coaching programs, you know, doing coaching spotlights. But it’s like something I try to shove under a rug for a while and I ignore it until finally it creeps up.

[00:38:51] I’m like, okay, something’s here. What do I need to do? I need coaching. I need someone to help me to talk these through. I need my [00:39:00] students around me. My closest. Premium students that I keep working with onward. They serve as people to help me work through stuff. And then, um, I, I kind of have coaches and mentors in every little bucket.

[00:39:10] Like I’m really back big back into like Pokemon card collecting, and I’m around people way smarter than me, or like fitness and nutrition. I’m around people smarter than me. I’m around dads and entrepreneurs. I’m around crypto investing. I’m around other coaches with marketing. So I have, uh, mentors or smarter people everywhere, [00:39:30] you know, in those little buckets.

[00:39:30] So there’s, well, they think I can’t do things 

[00:39:33] diane: on my own from you. Yeah. Okay. So 

[00:39:37] Scotty Russell: did I even answer the question? I don’t know. 

[00:39:41] diane: I well, I, yeah. ’cause you said it, is it it’s more flexible. It’s more fluid. You’re not like in January, you’re 

[00:39:50] Scotty Russell: making the next Okay. Yeah. I don’t have a set structure of like, oops, it’s the end of the year.

[00:39:54] I need to pivot. Like, I don’t have that corporate world of here’s my KPIs and my ROIs. I’m like, yo, is this [00:40:00] fun anymore? Why does this feel like a burden? Why? And, and probably once or twice a year, especially like recently, I’m like, what do I enjoy? What don’t I enjoy right now? What’s working? What’s not working?

[00:40:13] Who do I love working with? Who do I not like working with? Even though the people I don’t like working with are paying a good amount of money, but if I dread and resent having calls, it’s like hiring a client. You don’t, you resent doing projects for like, there’s, there’s certain students. I’m like, this [00:40:30] doesn’t light me up like it used to.

[00:40:31] It’s not you. It’s truly me. So I have to analyze these things a lot. Otherwise, I’m just spitting the same hamster wheel of not enjoying myself and, and I have to have fun. My time is way too finite these days. Like if I’m not enjoying my work. And don’t get me wrong, it’s work. But it’s a mixture of thing I really love and a thing I’m good at, which makes it easier to show up for in the hard days, you know?

[00:40:59] But most people [00:41:00] are like, oh, my job should be something I really, really enjoy and I don’t get paid for it. Or some be something I’m really good, but I don’t enjoy. I’m like, that, that doesn’t work for me. It could work for someone else, but not for me. Well, and you said 

[00:41:11] diane: before we started, you said automation has been key 

[00:41:15] Scotty Russell: to getting you, that’s gonna be key this year.

[00:41:17] Automation, delegation, streamlining, you know, because building things more passively. ’cause I, I’m like here, I, I just give my time away too much and that sucks. Recovering people pleaser. But I now I have like a priority list of here’s [00:41:30] the level of people who give my time and who I’m okay with not responding to right away.

[00:41:35] I’m not gonna feel bad about not getting back to every Instagram dmm because I would prioritize an Instagram d dmm from a stranger at the same level of someone who’s paying six K for coaching. I’m like, that doesn’t, why, why what? And then I would get back to students quicker than I get back to my wife.

[00:41:51] Yeah, and it just, you know, I, I, I had no list of priorities of what’s my priorities in my life bucket, what are my top priorities in my [00:42:00] business bucket, and what are my priorities in my, like my dream bucket? You know, like I, everything can’t be a priority. Not everybody can have same priority, treat everyone with respect, but not everybody gets treated equally in terms of your time.

[00:42:13] So in, 

[00:42:14] diane: in being that recovering people pleaser, that’s probably a really hard thing, is the priorities. And the people who aren’t squeaking the, you know, they’re not getting the grease and so they may be paying more. Or like, [00:42:30] Emily, you’re there, your wife and she needs this. She’s trying to be, um, patient and, you know, give you grace, but she also needs your time.

[00:42:40] So what is a. What’s something that you would tell somebody else who was having trouble with prioritization? Because that was one of the things that you said. Mm-hmm. Now you help people with, that was 

[00:42:50] Scotty Russell: a, that was, uh, just the recent three week bootcamp last, uh, last May was like prioritization, focus, productivity.

[00:42:58] I see. The main thing is [00:43:00] who are the right people to disappoint in your life? Who are the right people to disappoint? Start there. And then again, I like breaking things up into buckets. I like to see like the perfect, well-balanced life is like a slice of pizza. Go figure. Like you got your crust in your sauce, that’s your life bucket.

[00:43:19] You know, if you don’t take care of your life bucket, you just have a handful of messy cheese. That’s not a, that’s not a slice of pizza. But then the cheese, to me, that’s like the day job. That’s the thing that sticks everything together. That’s like the glue that holds it all [00:43:30] together. You got your life, your foundation, that that’s your life.

[00:43:33] Could be, um, you know, to me it’s wellness family. Finances, you know, like that’s what funds my life and my lifestyle. And then, you know, a fitness in there too. So wellness and fitness, family fitness, finances. Then the cheese is the day job. That’s the coaching practice. What’s working, what’s paying the bills, ideally with the people I wanna work with.

[00:43:50] And then the toppings. Just the toppings. You can still have a slice of pizza, which is cheese and crust, but the toppings are the dream. You know, what’s my dream goal? So I believe you can only be obsessed with [00:44:00] like one to three things max within each bucket. So three buckets. What are your one to three things in this life bucket?

[00:44:05] What are one to three things that you’re obsessed with in your day job bucket Or that that by obsessed, it should be more like what delivered the biggest results. So like say at your day job bucket, you are a designer, so it’s gonna be like 60% of my time goes to designing whatever brand identity. And then 30% is to working with my clients and presentation.

[00:44:29] And [00:44:30] 10% could be learning website design, whatever. And then in your dream bucket, it’d be like, 70% is my podcast this season. 20% is, oh my gosh, I don’t know. Like LinkedIn. LinkedIn and telling your story over there, but it’s your website. And the other 10% could be a little thing to experiment, but up to two or three things.

[00:44:51] And I feel like I get granular and objective and I save the emotion for the art. Most people just save the emotion for every aspect in their business. They [00:45:00] overwhelm, they, they overwhelm themselves. I’m like, how can we get granular and get very objective and make things measurable? So we’re like, we’re bowling with bumpers, you know, if some people don’t know what I mean, like get the bumpers up.

[00:45:11] So it makes it way easier to play the game and win. Most people have no bumpers and you’re trying to bowl in five lanes all at once with balls that aren’t working for them, and shoes that don’t fit that, uh, curated lane or I don’t know. So it’s how do we simplify, get objective, get very clear about like what drives the biggest results?

[00:45:29] What [00:45:30] season are you in, what’s the focus of priority this season? What’s the number one result you want? So like, Streamline it. Simplify the game. That’s what I like to do with people. 

[00:45:39] diane: So one of the hard things can be is to actually verbalize who you want or who is that ideal client, because you’re, especially as a people pleaser where like, oh, I don’t want, somebody don’t want them to feel like they can’t call me if they need this.

[00:45:56] Right? So as a designer, we, or [00:46:00] as a creative, we’ve been like this, whether you’re a writer or whatever. So Scotty, who is your ideal that you want to work with? Like who may not be who you’ve worked with in the past, but who do you feel like is your ideal right now? 

[00:46:19] Scotty Russell: Oh, Diane, you’re gonna do that to me right now.

[00:46:21] I’m like just going into a, is it, I’m going into a boot. Is it hard? I’m going into a bootcamp launch mode. It’s gonna be like a melting pot of people. So, so who is, but 

[00:46:29] diane: who then, [00:46:30] who isn’t great? Who’s the bootcamp great for? 

[00:46:32] Scotty Russell: Okay. Okay. Okay. I can, I can answer that one ’cause I don’t wanna like alienate someone right as I’m going into this.

[00:46:38] Yeah, yeah. Um, let’s see. Okay, so like, so the bootcamp that just open for enrollment today, to me, this one’s all about teaching people how to get paid to play. So I wanna work with someone who is ready to get uncomfortable, someone who struggles telling their story, someone who struggles to understand, like, what are, what is [00:47:00] my brand?

[00:47:01] Someone who struggles to understand the value that they provide. And someone who struggles to create, like, very intentional work that they can leverage. You know, they just create all different things all the time. They don’t know how to pour themselves into their work. They don’t understand like how to connect with other people.

[00:47:17] Through what they do, you know? And how to understand like the value, how to communicate the value to understand like, yo, it’s not just about the craft. Like you on the other end listening, you are the value. You’re more than just your work. Like you are [00:47:30] the value. So my job is to really strip back all the limiting beliefs.

[00:47:36] Let’s go deep into like your story. Let’s build that secret sauce. You know, what makes you unique? What are your strengths, your skills? Let me get to know you a little bit more. What are like your, uh, your beliefs, your interests, your passions and your values? And I, I, I, I get you to create this formula, and I pluck all these things.

[00:47:52] I’m like, okay, here’s you, here’s what I see. Like if I spend five minutes on someone’s profile, just scroll a little bit. I’m like, oh, okay. I can see [00:48:00] their story element. Like, gimme any successful person, gimme five minutes. I’m like, oh, there’s their secret sauce. Like I can just decipher and extract. And I’m like, okay, this is, well, this is what they’re doing.

[00:48:09] Here’s their strengths. I see how they use their story. Like, this is what they’re going to market with right now. Then I help people find all those things, identify their ingredients and go to market to experiment with, with intentional work. And then understand how to provide value. Are we educating people?

[00:48:24] Are we entertaining people? Are we inspiring people? So you don’t want to educate people on what you, that’s fine, but like you’re very [00:48:30] funny, entertaining, dry humor. Sense away. Like me, I use alliterations and pizza metaphors. That’s my entertainment bucket. Um, I talk about poop jokes, you know, and talk about poop stories with my kiddos.

[00:48:41] And then I talk about, you know, past struggles to where I am now, and leverage student examples to inspire. And then I can educate here, here’s 10 tips to really dive into more work that you want to create. So then I can overlap these buckets. But with most people, I’m just like, yo, let’s start here. ’cause we tend to project what we need.[00:49:00] 

[00:49:00] So like, I love watching documentaries all day. Chances are you might like the education bucket. You know, I watch com comedian and movies and comedy all day. Chances are you’re probably gonna thrive in the entertainment bucket. You know, 

[00:49:13] diane: so what, what do you think is a superpower that you’ve uncovered in yourself through all of this work that maybe when you, when we first started talking in 2015 that you didn’t know was a superpower, is it that ability to [00:49:30] kind of see that gold in people?

[00:49:33] Scotty Russell: I would say one is, is the ability to buy in for delay gratification. I feel like I really got that one down. Delay gratification is most people are entitled to a result they’ve never earned, you know, or so they, they seek shortcuts. Um, but also, yeah, I feel like, that’s a good question. I feel [00:50:00] like I’m good at seeing what other people can’t see in themselves.

[00:50:03] I’m like, oh, I see something. You’re just too close to it. Like, I see it right now and eventually, like, I’m gonna help you see it. And then when they catch a glimpse and when they catch a glimpse, oh, Diane, it’s so dope to see like, okay, now they finally get it, they see it, the pu the puzzle pieces are coming together.

[00:50:19] ’cause everything we’re do, like my artwork is a complex puzzle. My business is a complex puzzle. It’s like I start with the corners and then trying to fit everything. It’s just a mind game in between to like [00:50:30] finally put the puzzle together. And at the end you’re like, oh, the pieces are coming. You know, that’s everything.

[00:50:33] It’s like, everything we do is just a puzzle. And it just takes a little bit of time to figure it out and finesse it. And sometimes, you know, you have a box to look at and what the puzzle’s gonna look like, but often you don’t have like, the picture of what it’s gonna look like. So we’re just trying to start with the borders, the easy stuff, low hanging fruit.

[00:50:48] And then we start putting the pieces together and at the end you’re like, oh, okay. You know, and then you’re onto the next puzzle. So when 

[00:50:55] diane: you’re working with somebody, say they start out in a bootcamp, like one of these, the bootcamp that’s [00:51:00] on now, and I’ll mm-hmm. Share that link in a second for you. Um, but they start out in a bootcamp.

[00:51:05] Do they? Is is, does somebody, like, if that’s the low hanging fruit, is that something they can get in a bootcamp and then working with you long-term, like for five years or, you know? Yeah. Or do you have like somebody, you’re, you really, it’s best if like, they, you can help people in this way, but the ones that you really like get [00:51:30] like, oh my gosh.

[00:51:31] Yeah. Get the uh, it’s 

[00:51:33] Scotty Russell: curated on or something. Right. Of like, who gets the most direct time For sure. Um, I like kind of like, what are the levels of 

[00:51:41] diane: Yeah. Offering, like where do you see somebody being able to like graduate, you know, 

[00:51:49] Scotty Russell: I don’t think we ever graduate, to be honest. No. But 

[00:51:52] diane: like, okay. But, so I always think about it like with a job.

[00:51:55] There are certain jobs that I’ve had that I’m like, okay, [00:52:00] I’m kind of. It’s maybe like a side project. I’m like, I’m, I’m kind of done. I’m graduated from this thing. I wanna go to the next level. And so I feel like there are, with um, students, you know, it is best if they go on, they have learned everything they can from me at this time in their life.

[00:52:21] Now it’s time for them to move on and learn from somebody else. Or is it, ’cause I think of this, uh, in some extent, [00:52:30] like there are people who maybe work with you and they just don’t want to do that uncomfortable of having to share with somebody else. ’cause that’s another one of your superpowers is your ability to listen, ask good questions, and really care.

[00:52:47] Right. But like, I 

[00:52:50] Scotty Russell: just think of it get, I think I understand what you’re saying. Okay. To me there’s kinda like two ways. There’s, there’s people I’ve been working with for years. I personally have worked with my coach for like four years now [00:53:00] and. There’s certain things that she understands more about me.

[00:53:04] And then there’s some people, it’s like, Hey, you just wanted to learn how to do X, Y, and Z, that’s fine. But like the people who work with me the longest, it’s from that support method. It’s like, it can be therapy. I know the questions, I know the triggers. I am not someone who’s gonna bss ’em. Like they, it’s a, it’s tough love mixed with like, I’m also their biggest cheerleader and supporter.

[00:53:26] Um, people just like having that person [00:53:30] constantly in their corner. Not always for the tactical, but more of the get right. You know, like, ’cause I come from the sports background. I, I understand I could pick up on energies pretty well, you know, getting woowoo and stuff, like, I could pick up on tone of voices, energies, expressions, gestures.

[00:53:49] You know, I can, I can get in someone’s head or I can ask really, really, really hard questions. To me, it’s, it’s, I’m not the driver. I’m a G P S. I’m the g p s. We gotta get, I got [00:54:00] I’ll, I can help you figure out which direction you want to go, but I’ll ask you questions along the way. Like this path could be quicker, but is that the path you want?

[00:54:08] Or like, Hey, let’s, we, you’re looking a little beat. Let’s like rest real quick at this rest stop. Let’s snack up, let’s fuel up, let’s keep going. And just like really challenge, is this the direction you want to go? Why do you want to go there? So I’m a G P S. So some people want that ongoing and then some people want the more tactical for a season.

[00:54:25] So like I, I’ll work with, so I do the quarterly bootcamps, you know, here’s the free stuff. [00:54:30] But if you wanna like really experience what group coaching is, you’re time feeling isolated. These group, these, uh, quarterly, three week bootcamps, super accessible, 21 days of just like weekly exercises, three weekly live calls.

[00:54:42] I have many coaches in there that are assisting as well. You know, very high accountability atmosphere. Like here’s a jolt of what true support and accountability feels like in a very fun, energetic atmosphere. You know, we get pretty goofy, but we’re serious. Um, Then from there, like you can take these quarterly bootcamps.

[00:54:58] I have ’em spread out. So you can take [00:55:00] what you’ve learned, practice it for a little bit, and then here’s like a, an alumni discord where you can keep in touch with people in between sessions. But if you feel want the next level, then I offer like really intense and in-depth 12 week coaching twice a year, spring and fall sessions.

[00:55:13] So the next one will be like, there’s this bootcamp right now that leads right into like the 12 week fall session. And then I have, um, those who wanna go deeper. Here’s like a smaller mastermind version, or I offer really premium one-on-one. You know, 

[00:55:26] diane: it’s just different people. People may do the group and one-on-one and then they [00:55:30] may, but you’re not somebody who they have to, they get to a certain point and you’re like, it’s time to move on.

[00:55:36] Here’s your 

[00:55:36] Scotty Russell: graduation. Right. I’ve never forced someone out of the nest. You know, it, it usually it’s, but some programs, 

[00:55:42] diane: some programs do, are set 

[00:55:43] Scotty Russell: up like that, right? Yep, yep, yep. Yeah. And mine kind of were like that until students were like, now what? And I didn’t have like a what’s next for ’em? I was like, oh, I feel bad selling you again.

[00:55:56] But like, here I am paying a lot of money over and over to Arena with my [00:56:00] coaches. Why do I feel guilty about providing the next step when that’s a, a, a warm lead of someone who I’ve built like no and trust with? Like I shouldn’t feel bad about. I’m providing value. I’m not selling. I’m providing you a service that we both as a win-win.

[00:56:17] I sell things I believe in. You know, I’m ne I’ll, I’ll, I’ll send a lot of emails during bootcamp launches because I don’t feel bad about sending you an email. I’m not selling you, I’m serving you. I’m doing you a disservice by not sending you this email ’cause you [00:56:30] may have missed it. Or maybe this one email, I sent it in the right way that I triggered something that you really were missing that I know I can solve or at least provide you a, a equip you with something, you know?

[00:56:40] So I don’t see it as I’m selling, I’m, I’m providing a service and doing an injustice by not putting this out there. And that was a, that was a big mental shift for me. That sounds 

[00:56:49] diane: awesome. I have a question about the quarterly bootcamp. Is that something that you’re, is the content of that bootcamp, does that change as you change, like if you see something, [00:57:00] so this is something that Or answer that 

[00:57:03] Scotty Russell: question.

[00:57:03] Yeah, yeah, yeah. So each. Each bootcamp has a theme, you know, it’s spread out through all the years. Starts with like mindset, strategy, and planning at the beginning of the year so you can set yourself up for the whole year. Mm-hmm. Then we get nitty gritty on like the hard skills and Q two bootcamp, uh, prioritization, time management.

[00:57:19] Q three is about the purposeful play, how to get paid to play your personal brand, your foundation, your launchpad. Q four is heavy on the marketing, so I have base themes that [00:57:30] stack on itself, and they’re all evergreen. Like you come back into these exercises a year later, you’re gonna be blown away by just like, whoa, I’m way better at this stuff.

[00:57:36] I do all these exercises multiple times in a year. My most successful students have done these exercises so many times and they always get new clarity, insight. But the most important thing, aside from just the topic, it’s. The support, the relationships that you build, the habits, the systems, the structures that you start finding for yourself.

[00:57:56] So here’s just the topic, but it’s [00:58:00] everything else that comes with underneath. You know that it’s the foundational elements for growing and creative business and the people to support you along with it, and just making it really, really accessible. You know, it’s like not on the premium tier of things, but it’s, you get premium results, you know, so that’s awesome.

[00:58:16] If, if the topic vibes to you, that’s great. If the topic doesn’t vibe to you, you still get a lot to find a, a ton of value from the weekly calls, the people that you’ll build relationships with and everything else in between it. So yeah, the value isn’t just in the topic. All right. So I just wanna make sure [00:58:30] That’s a great, I probably don’t 

[00:58:30] diane: explain that well enough, everybody.

[00:58:32] No, yeah, that was, you did good. And, and also when you were explaining who it was for, like, there were so many things there that were. Spot on. And I think that was great. So, um, I’m gonna share your links, but I’m gonna read them out loud. So on Twitter is Twitter you think the best place for 

[00:58:51] Scotty Russell: you? Yeah. Funny enough, I was always Instagram and it’s wild to say you used to like Twitter and now I love Twitter.

[00:58:58] I. Wild. Okay. 

[00:58:59] diane: So [00:59:00] on Twitter it’s Scotty with a y s c o t t y, the coach. Scotty the coach. And then on Instagram, it’s Coach Scotty Russell. So instagram.com/coach Scotty Russell. And then, uh, your website is coach scotty russell.com. And this bootcamp, which is open, it opened today, and it’s o only, how long is it open?

[00:59:27] Scotty Russell: Because when does it start? I’m doing 10 days just because, like, it’s [00:59:30] usually a slower time in August where people are away more for traveling. So this is usually a longer 10 day launch versus like a six or seven. 

[00:59:37] diane: Okay. So still a pretty short launch, 10 days, 10 day launch. So this 10 days to enroll and book a spot.

[00:59:43] So, and it starts on what 

[00:59:45] Scotty Russell: day? Um, it starts on Monday, August 21st, and it goes through September 10th. 

[00:59:50] diane: Okay. Okay. So August 

[00:59:51] Scotty Russell: 21st, kinda like that. End your summer with some momentum. Bang. So you can crush the rest of your year. So shake off that summer, summer rust, and let’s get to work. That’s [01:00:00] when 

[01:00:00] diane: school starts.

[01:00:00] So it’s all, we have that in us. That is the starting something. So I really like the timing one. Exactly. So it is bootcamp side hustle.com, and you can probably get access to it if you can only remember Coach Scotty Russell. But if you’re watching on YouTube, then this is gonna be right at the top. If you’re watching, listening on, on wherever you get your podcast, these links are right at the top.

[01:00:26] Um, and if you’re listening right now, um, just put ’em in the chat. So [01:00:30] is there a link on coach scotty russell.com for this 

[01:00:34] Scotty Russell: bootcamp? Yeah, it’s like one of the first things on the homepage. Otherwise just dmm me and ask me questions. I honestly wasn’t coming here to like, sell, I know, I know to join a bootcamp or anything today, but I mean, if I give value, I’m, I’m get a, get a share it.

[01:00:50] Absolutely. But I, I’d prefer like, if you have questions on it, just dmm me directly. Um, yeah. I would rather build a relationship, build a trust first [01:01:00] before be like, come just do this. So, yeah, I, I’d rather just have a conversation first with anyone. That would be really, really cool just to connect with someone on the other side.

[01:01:08] Well, 

[01:01:08] diane: Scotty, thank you so much for doing this with me. It’s always good to catch up. I’m glad I can’t wait to see what the next thing is When my continued this, um, and Jason, Craig last week was like, let’s not let it be this long. And I’m like, yep. And 

[01:01:24] Scotty Russell: I can’t believe I missed that. Jason was on last week, so I gotta go catch that replay.

[01:01:28] diane: It was a, it was a good one. Hopefully it’ll [01:01:30] be up, uh, this week. Um, but what’s, uh, one piece of advice that you would give yourself seven 

[01:01:37] Scotty Russell: years ago? You can’t make everyone happy. You are not pizza. So stop trying to please everyone. Do your thing, find your own pulse and figure out who are the right people to disappoint.

[01:01:49] I needed someone to tell me that, and I still need people to tell me that. Well, I’m, 

[01:01:54] diane: I’m excited, um, that we got to do this today. Scotty, thank you so much and I hope [01:02:00] you guys check out, check out the bootcamp side hustle, check out coach Scotty Russell and ask him some questions. And I just love that you’re doing really cool things and you’re happy doing it, 

[01:02:14] Scotty Russell: always.

[01:02:14] I love you Diane. And thank you everybody in the chat who is here. That means a lot to me. So I, I just love to connect. You don’t have to buy anything. Let’s just connect. 

[01:02:22] diane: Love you too, buddy.[01:02:30]