307: Pat Flynn | Smart Passive Income

"We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we feel, how we react and what we do." - Pat Flynn The Cheat Sheet: Why it's important to him to fail on his own terms. The best way to find potential income opportunities. The most important question to ask any business owner, and what to do with their answer. What a bucket of crabs teaches us about life, according to Pat. One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is a lack of ideas: true or false? What is "just in time learning" and how does Pat use it? And so much more... One of the greatest challenges a man can face is experiencing a setback and turning it into an asset that actually improves his life. Someone who has done just that is Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income, our guest for episode 307. Pat is the man in charge of SPI, a brand devoted to sharing with people how he's created smart, passive income streams. And it all began when his Plan A fell through. In this show, we talk about how Pat has overcome adversity throughout his career, how he has found the courage to overcome challenges and how he has become efficient and effective at work to create a better balance between work and the rest of his life. More About This Show: From a fairly early age, Pat had his career path mapped out. He got excellent grades throughout every level of schooling, including architecture school. He put in the long hours necessary to be one of the top students in his class at architecture school and did whatever needed to be done to put himself among the very best. So when he landed a job with an architecture firm and began the process of becoming a licensed architect, he thought he was well on his way. And for three years his life went exactly the way he had planned. But one day his firm dropped a bomb: they were letting people go and he was one of them. The timing could not have been worse for Pat; he had just gotten engaged to his now-wife and they were planning their wedding. He had no Plan B and had no idea what to do next. It was then that he learned how valuable it is to have supportive people in his life. His wife and family encouraged him and believed him. They all told him he'd get through this experience, and be better for it. Pat listened to them and took advantage of the few months he had between receiving news of his layoff and actually being unemployed to look for opportunities. He found one in particular that led to the creation of his LEED exam preparation guide. The LEED exam is a common certification for architects to take that helps them land better jobs. Pat had built a site while preparing to take his LEED exam and he had created a resource where people asked him questions about the test. He responded and provided valuable information for everyone who visited. He took those questions and answers and created an online ebook based on that information.Because of all the time and energy Pat had put into his site and his community in its early stages, his guidebook was a massive success early on. It showed Pat the power of online marketing and propelled him on his current path of entrepreneurship. Since then, Pat has become known as one of the most transparent business men on the planet (even Forbes said so) and he shows why in this episode. We talk at length about some of the tools he's learned to balance his work life with his home life so he's fully present in whatever he's doing. He also shares his shoebox trick for staying grateful and a few practical ways to spot opportunities and then act on them. Pat was a terrific guest and I enjoyed having him on the show. And I really appreciated the advice he gave about becoming more efficient with email and how to let go of that responsibility. Of course, there's plenty more Pat and I discuss on this show so have a listen and enjoy! THANKS PAT! If you enjoyed this session of the Art of Charm Podcast, let Pat know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout out on Twitter: Click here to thank Pat on Twitter! Resources from this episode: Pat's personal web siteSmart Passive IncomeDane Maxwell on the Smart Passive Income podcast Pat on Twitter You'll also like: -The Art of Charm Toolbox -Best of The Art of Charm Podcast HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! If you dug this episode, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is what helps us stand out from all the fluff out there. FEEDBACK + PROMOTION Hit us up with your comments and guest suggestions. We read EVERYTHING. Email jordanh@theartofcharm.com Give us a call at 888.413.7177 Stay Charming!