• Awwwww yeah. New stickers are gonna start showing up in your orders, folks. Good for your car, guitar case, front kick drum head, or to attach “kick me” signs to that one guy who keeps texting your girl. I hate that guy for you. #bewhatyoumake
    Awwwww yeah. New stickers are gonna start showing up in your orders, folks. Good for your car, guitar case, front kick drum head, or to attach “kick me” signs to that one guy who keeps texting your girl. I hate that guy for you. #bewhatyoumake
  • Love what you do. Love how you do it. Gear up. #bewhatyoumake
    Love what you do. Love how you do it. Gear up. #bewhatyoumake
  • “...every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.” #bewhatyoumake
    “...every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.” #bewhatyoumake
  • 😖💔
    😖💔
  • FROM THE BLOG: Stop Waiting for External Validation of Your Work • http://bit.ly/skelkey57 • #bewhatyoumake • The rub: If you need it, it’ll never come. A few months ago, I ran into a former coworker from many years ago. We both worked in the creative department of a large communications firm and it was good to see her. We weren’t super close, but we have mutual friends with which I am still close, so we did the whole small talk thing. • She asked what I’ve been up to and I gave her the two-sentence story about my starting a business venture. She immediately responded with a question that, I admit, threw me off a little: • “Are you funded?” • That was her first question. Not “How did you come up with the idea?” or “Is it fulfilling work?” or “How long have you been at it?” Right off the bat, it was if I had investors. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a weird question at all, but it feels like it’s at most the third or fourth question you ask. • It shouldn’t have, but it bugged me. • And then I realized why. Some people aren’t wired to validate themselves from within. They need that external validation to feel like they’re doing something of value, something good, something people want. • I’m not talking about the business idea of “market validation,” which is definitely needed. I am talking about the kind of validation where the premise is that other people’s opinions of you are worth more than your own. Where your life/idea/art/business/whatever is only as good as other people say it is. • Oof. You guys. That sucks. • Ok, I get it. Other people’s opinions are sometimes worth something, sometimes even worth a lot. But more than yours when it’s about you? No way, man. C’mon. That question, in her mind, was a way to ask if my venture was “successful” or not. That was the only way she was able to, in two seconds, bestow upon my venture the glamorously ambiguous title of “successful.” • I replied that it was a self-sustaining and growing business. Also, you know that thing where people smile while holding eye contact for a second too long to passive-aggressively make a point? Yeah, well I totally did that and yeah, she got the point. [Read more. Link in bio.] >>>
    FROM THE BLOG: Stop Waiting for External Validation of Your Work • http://bit.ly/skelkey57 • #bewhatyoumake • The rub: If you need it, it’ll never come. A few months ago, I ran into a former coworker from many years ago. We both worked in the creative department of a large communications firm and it was good to see her. We weren’t super close, but we have mutual friends with which I am still close, so we did the whole small talk thing. • She asked what I’ve been up to and I gave her the two-sentence story about my starting a business venture. She immediately responded with a question that, I admit, threw me off a little: • “Are you funded?” • That was her first question. Not “How did you come up with the idea?” or “Is it fulfilling work?” or “How long have you been at it?” Right off the bat, it was if I had investors. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a weird question at all, but it feels like it’s at most the third or fourth question you ask. • It shouldn’t have, but it bugged me. • And then I realized why. Some people aren’t wired to validate themselves from within. They need that external validation to feel like they’re doing something of value, something good, something people want. • I’m not talking about the business idea of “market validation,” which is definitely needed. I am talking about the kind of validation where the premise is that other people’s opinions of you are worth more than your own. Where your life/idea/art/business/whatever is only as good as other people say it is. • Oof. You guys. That sucks. • Ok, I get it. Other people’s opinions are sometimes worth something, sometimes even worth a lot. But more than yours when it’s about you? No way, man. C’mon. That question, in her mind, was a way to ask if my venture was “successful” or not. That was the only way she was able to, in two seconds, bestow upon my venture the glamorously ambiguous title of “successful.” • I replied that it was a self-sustaining and growing business. Also, you know that thing where people smile while holding eye contact for a second too long to passive-aggressively make a point? Yeah, well I totally did that and yeah, she got the point. [Read more. Link in bio.] >>>
  • When they’re “done,” they aren’t really “done done.” Here’s a great shot by MRB artist @scottiimandrums getting the most out of some old 7As. The gift that keeps on giving. #bewhatyoumake
    When they’re “done,” they aren’t really “done done.” Here’s a great shot by MRB artist @scottiimandrums getting the most out of some old 7As. The gift that keeps on giving. #bewhatyoumake
  • Putting some magic into some rooms today in TX, WV, FL, IN, CO, MO, and IL. #bewhatyoumake
    Putting some magic into some rooms today in TX, WV, FL, IN, CO, MO, and IL. #bewhatyoumake
  • Home. #bewhatyoumake [📸: @rafimama]
    Home. #bewhatyoumake [📸: @rafimama]