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How to Become a Millionaire

Byjack

Questions Raised:

  1. Should I drop something to focus on my art coaching or AI consulting?
  2. What is the hungry crowd for my coaching, for my consulting?
  3. How do I build my businesses for the long game?
  4. Do I not pay myself the whole salary?

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Setting Boundaries With Others

Byjack

I recently had a situation at work where I felt like I needed to set some boundaries. In order to get more strategies on how to do it, I went with my trusty expert Thais Gibson, who I feel is the absolute best when it comes to coming up with scripts and strategies with processing feelings, dealing with attachment styles and setting and enforcing boundaries.

Taking what Thais says in this video and adding in my own knowledge, I have come up with the follow step process for setting boundaries.

  1. Rage pad: write down or record yourself saying everything you want to say to the person. This gives permission to anger and allows you to process it.
  2. Determine whether or not a boundary was crossed, and if so, what specific one?
  3. Try to empathize as to why that boundary was crossed
  4. Communicate in this format:
    1. Communicate in the positive the boundary violation (what they did, not what they didn’t do). <Insert empathy> At the same time, this is not acceptable under any circumstances.
    2. Explain what you want instead
    3. If repeated violations, add in consequences

Make it really obvious to the person what is going on.

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Profit in Peace 2: First Day

Byjack

Today is not the first day working on the Profit in Peace challenge, but it does FEEL like the first day I am living it.

Today is the first day when I dedicated my morning to finding my magical life. For some context of what that means:

Something that I still don’t really understand or feel comfortable with applying is the values that I believe in every day.

I think that writing honestly and focusing on myself in this blog every morning might actually hit all of these points:

  1. Honesty – well, this blog isn’t called unfiltered for no reason! I do remind myself all the time of the “if they don’t like me please leave” mentality.
  2. Imagination – for me, this blog is dedicated to all my imaginative parts: art, YouTube, philosophy, poetry etc.
  3. Intuition – this is the place where doing things “my” way is celebrated and I tap into what is the best way to do something (according to my intuition) rather than how everyone else does it.
  4. Empathy – this blog is a lot for my feelings where I process feelings through words, video, and images. It is a part of honesty too, honest emotion where this is my place to express everything imperfect.

I also like using the blog as my way of living out all my values and being the person I want to be because it really feels like I am sacrificing something to do this…in a good way.

JT Franco talks about if you aren’t willing to sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice. In the end, I had no idea whether I would sacrifice time talking to my girlfriend, going on YouTube, working, playing games, or making YouTube videos. Those are the things I spend most of my day doing anyway. But none of those things seemed right. It was too blunt on an idea, how could you sacrifice all of YouTube? How could I sacrifice all of work?

But by sacrificing my mornings, in a way, I am also sacrificing all of those things. I resist the urge to listen to audiobooks, watch YouTube videos, check messages, or work in the morning. I dedicate all my time to working on my blog and all my challenges, thoughts, ideas, and philosophies.

I also feel a deep unease and anxiety keeping pace with me this morning:

I’m Afraid I My Boss Will Check

I’m afraid my boss will check

See I’m not working

It won’t matter that I have bigger dreams

it won’t matter if I did a bunch of planning

On the weekend

Feverishly, desperately trying to

Make my workday

Productive, efficient enough

To make up

To make it easy

For me to balance

I remember the look on his face

When I told him

I like to meditate

Skeptical

And

I also wonder

If finding my magic

Will make me feel sad and lonely

Like I did yesterday

I feel tired as I

Let go of trying to change the feeling

And accept it instead

Another anxiety that I have about this challenge or this “morning commitment” is just the sense of lack of clarity. I don’t know what I should be working on, or what I can work on. I think is the pressure of time. Or maybe its because I completed all the prework for the challenge and I don’t exactly have something to work on right now. I’m afraid every action is not “right”.

Is it the right thing to:

  1. Work on challenge videos?
  2. Work on editing videos?
  3. Work on reaching out?
  4. To focus on my body?

Wow there is so much here and I feel that I may be stalling. Scared to make a decision so I’m just rambling on a super long blog post that doesn’t really say anything in particular.

Well all I know right now is I feel like doing a bit of freewriting, fantasy writing or something of that nature. So I’ll go do that.

Stock Investing

Byjack

I was talking to my friend Edgar and was inspired to do more stock investing.

My new stock investment strategy:

  1. Divest from all unclear funds
  2. Create a spreadsheet for fund allocation
  3. Pick a couple of stocks to focus on for the next 3 years
  4. Write down clear reasoning as to why it is a safe bet, how long I expect it to grow, and what would cause me to sell
  5. Create audit schedules to audit stocks

Here are my current list of Top Picks (high grow, low risk):

  1. Nvidia
  2. Alphabet
  3. Cloud computing ETF

Weak Picks (potential high grow or low risk, not enough information):

  1. Tesla
  2. Microsoft
  3. Take Two Interactive
  4. Meta
  5. AMD
  6. Intel
  7. Apple
  8. Tencent
  9. Intuit

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AI Answers My Questions

Byjack

AI

Before I can provide informed answers to your list of questions, it would be helpful for me to understand more about your background, current situation, goals, and resources. Please allow me to ask you some questions to gather this context:

  1. What is your current profession or line of work? Do you have experience running businesses before?
  2. What specific skills, expertise, or qualifications do you possess that are relevant to the potential AI consulting or art coaching businesses?
  3. Do you have any existing client base, network, or portfolio to build upon for these businesses?
  4. What are your primary motivations or goals in starting these businesses? Is it mainly for income, personal fulfillment, or a combination of factors?
  5. What is your current financial situation? Do you have savings, investments, or other sources of income to support yourself as you build these businesses?
  6. How much time and effort are you able to dedicate to these business endeavors on a weekly or monthly basis?
  7. Do you have any partners, team members, or support system in place to assist with these business ventures?
  8. What is your level of expertise or familiarity with AI technologies, and what specific areas of AI are you most knowledgeable about?
  9. For the art coaching business, what is your artistic background, medium, or areas of expertise?
  10. Have you conducted any market research or identified potential target audiences for your services?

Please provide as much relevant detail as possible in response to these questions. The more context I have about your specific situation and goals, the better I can tailor my advice and recommendations.

Me

  1. I currently work as an AI consultant where I do advisory and coding services for large companies. I also do a little coaching of artists on the side.
  2. I studied art for many years, went to a magnet art program in high school, and got a full ride to college for art. I have also started a non-profit children’s magazine when I was in middle school with my sister that used comics and cartoons to talk about social issues. The magazine is no longer running but when it was, we won over 26k in grants. I studied art and mechanical engineering in college, and worked in the software industry for over 6 years and have focused the last year on generative AI and large language models.
  3. I do have an art portfolio, I don’t really have a strong client base, maybe a 2 or 3 who may not be ready to by. I am working on my network, I do have some connections on linkedin that I have not fully tapped into. I estimate maybe 20 or 30 solid connections on linkedin (even though I have over 1000 total connections).
  4. It was personal fulfillment, I feel art coaching makes me really happy, I want to see more artistic masterpieces in the world and I feel I’m really good at coaching. AI is also really interesting for me and I think I’m really skilled at designing clever AI solutions.
  5. Yes, I have a 40k emergency fund, 120k in stocks, and about 35k in cash. I also still do some AI contract work that nets me about 4k per month (which about covers my living expenses)
  6. I have to work 24 hours per week on the AI contract, I’m willing to dedicate another 24 hours on these ventures
  7. I don’t really have anyone. I do have a girlfriend who is supportive but she doesn’t really understand the space. I have a life coach, and also a good friend who also wants to start businesses.
  8. I have a pretty advanced level of knowledge when it comes to generative AI and more basic knowledge on AI in general for other types of machine learning
  9. My background is in painting, but I also sing, play the piano, dance and write
  10. I did a bit of market research for my Art coaching business. It told me that people struggle with a couple of things: balancing art with a different fulltime job, they miss a community, and sometimes need inspiration

AI

Thank you for providing such detailed context about your situation. Based on the information you’ve shared, here are my thoughts and recommendations:

  1. What should you focus on first?
    With your background in both AI and art, I would recommend focusing initial efforts on building up your art coaching business first. This aligns with your passion, leverages your artistic expertise directly, and can be a lower-risk entry point compared to starting an AI consulting firm from scratch.
  2. How to divide what you want to do into steps?
    For the art coaching business: 1) Build out service offerings and pricing 2) Create marketing materials and online presence 3) Tap your existing network for first clients 4) Continuously improve/expand offerings based on client feedback

For AI consulting: 1) Define your niche and unique value prop 2) Build case studies from past work 3) Network and prospect for clients 4) Decide pricing/engagement models

  1. AI or Art Coaching?
    Focus primarily on art coaching initially, using your passion as a competitive advantage. Maintain AI skills through contract work while validating the coaching business.
  2. Should you do AI consulting?
    Yes, AI consulting can be very lucrative, but wait to fully commit until the art coaching business has traction. Use contract work to learn the consulting landscape.
  3. Finding a partner?
    Having a partner can be helpful for AI consulting eventually, but for art coaching, it’s better to lead solo initially to control vision and branding. Hire contractors/staff later if needed.
  4. Legal business setup?
    For simplicity, operate the art coaching under a sole proprietorship to start. Incorporate (LLC or Corp) for AI consulting when you’re ready to go full-time.
  5. Make life easier?
    Prioritize optimizing your energy and focus. Batch routine tasks, automate what you can, and protect deep work time for high-leverage activities.
  6. Marketing businesses?
    Art coaching: Build an online presence (portfolio site, social media, content marketing). Network locally. Get featured on relevant platforms/communities.
    AI consulting: Content marketing, networking, prospect outreach, referral partnerships.
  7. What are you missing?
    A formalized business plan and growth strategy for each venture. Dedicate time to properly scope, plan, and set measurable goals.
  8. Art coaching success without burnout?
    Set boundaries from the start. Limit number of active clients. Build passive income streams like courses/workshops. Focus on your unique methodology.
  9. Maintain AI expertise?
    The contract work helps. Also, publish content, study the latest research/trends, and collaborate on code projects with others.
  10. Make it fun while achieving goals?
    Celebrate small wins. Inject creativity into your work. Spend time with supportive people. And be sure to safeguard work-life balance.
  11. Something to start succeeding at today?
    Update your portfolio site and start promoting it. Reach out to warm connections about art coaching services. Attend/participate in art events.
  12. Are your goals properly scoped?
    Your goals seem reasonable, though having finite milestones will help measure progress. Adjust as needed based on traction.
  13. Speed up progress today?
    Conduct a time audit. Identify low-leverage activities to reduce/eliminate. Also, batch similar tasks for efficiency.
  14. Make a lot of money in a month?
    With your skillset, freelance AI projects could generate sizable income quickly, though likely requiring intense effort that month.
  15. Small shift for massive impact?
    Consistently publishing valuable content and leveraging your existing network can be high-impact, low-effort activities.
  16. What to hire out?
    Once cash flows allow, hire for time-consuming tasks that don’t directly generate value (administrative, marketing execution, etc).
  17. Make you happier/more successful today?
    Spend an hour reviewing your goals/vision. Realign your daily priorities accordingly. Then tackle one high-impact step for each business.

The key will be patience, persistent effort, and continuous optimization based on what data tells you. Let me know if any other questions come up!

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Workpost 4: Tired

Byjack

I feel really tired today. I am worried about my sleep cycle. At least I went to bed 30 minutes earlier than I did the night before at 1:30 AM. I really feel I need more sleep than that to be healthy.

I suppose I can commit to taking a nap today.

Something I was wondering, is if I put positive, confident people on a pedestal. I mean, they can’t be that great right? I like how calm I can feel around them, but I can get that anywhere. In fact, one of the ways that I want to develop myself as a coach is to live more by the coaching mindset (you’re in my house, be patient, take risks, be ok with silence). If I live by that mindset 24/7, not only will I get more clients, I will also feel more calm in everything that I do.

Ok now onto the projects:

Goal: Shoot 3 videos, spend 3 hours on each. I have 2 days to do this.

I think today this will be my primary focus.

The videos I want to choose are:

  1. Can AI be used to create a cure?
    1. Today I’m going to try to use AI to cure all diseases.
    2. How do cures work?
    3. What part of the process can AI help?
  2. What skills are still needed in the age of AI?
    1. AI can do everything, write essays, create art, open doors, and even create videos
    2. Where does that leave you?
    3. Today I’m going to figure out what humans still need to know in the age of AI
  3. How can AI be used to develop innovative products?
    1. Let’s say you got a product – reliable, affordable, but a little boring
    2. Today I’m going to use AI to develop an innovative product

Ok, so in doing this exercise I realize that I have to pivot. none of these ideas are going to take 3 hours to make. I need to choose something that is really really fast to make.

My new top 3:

  1. GPT Prompt: Ask AI to explain a really difficult concept to you on a 2nd grade level
    1. Do you want the be the world’s smartest man…or woman?
    2. Today I’m going to use AI to enhance my intelligence with one simple prompt
    3. Explain it to me like I’m in 2nd grade
  2. GPT Prompt: Take everything in your fridge and ask for recipes
    1. Can I cook like Gordon Ramsey with nothing in my fridge?
    2. Today I’m challenging myself to cook like a high dining chef using one simple prompt
    3. Give me a high-dining recipe
  3. GPT Prompt: Take a boardgame and invent new rules
    1. Monopoly is boring
    2. Let’s make it insane with one simple prompt
    3. Use the monopoly boardgame and make it more skill based

Ok time for Goal 2.

UNIT ONE: Focus on my craft – become a coach I would hire for 1000 per month | Day 1 Create plans

  • 1 hr of meditation every day
  • 1 hr of speaking to other people about this every day

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Working On Instagram

Byjack

So things have been interesting recently. I have a lot of outlets in which to express my thoughts in: Instagram, video, blog post, journal, and slack channel. I don’t know where to post what. But I recently realized that I am taking my blog waaay too seriously. This blog is meant to be a place where I am boldly myself, but also giving me a staging ground to work things out, not come up with the final product. It is my place to draft out ideas, write poems about how I feel, try out videos that I’m not yet ready to publish. It is a place where I’m being unafraidly myself.

With that being said, I wanted to work out some of my thoughts with Instagram on this blog post. I have three Instagram accounts with an idea for a fourth one:

  • personal account
  • art account
  • coaching account

+ valorant account.

I’m going to take a stab at dividing purpose of different outlets:

Instagram – personal

  • Place to relax and talk to friends
  • Ask for help, suggestions
  • Practice challenges

Instagram – art

  • Place to work on art
  • Build worlds, characters
  • Find beauty
  • Ask about works in progress

Instagram – coaching

  • Place to remind myself different life lessons
  • Homepage for coaching, where I direct everyone
  • Write down what helps me reconnect with art

Instagram – valorant

  • Place to create training videos for myself to become the best
  • Reclaim mental

I don’t really know what the purpose of the slack channel is as current. Perhaps I can use it as a place to repost things that I post in different areas.