Month: February 2017

We The People: Erwin M. Davis II

Erwin M. Davis II

Introduction

The Renaissance Life is not a solo endeavor.

Sure, if we wish to create change in our lives and the lives of others, we must be self-reliant and take continuous action with our own hands.

Being an Individualist doesn’t mean being alone.

We are more capable together than we are by our lonesome.

We become our best selves by connecting with others. We are better together.

And thus, a new segment on the RL called We the People: highlighting creatives who are a part of the Renaissance Tribe and represent our Ethos.

I ask you questions, you give us insights from your own life.

Enter Erwin:

CEO & Founder of ERWIN DAVIS INTERNATIONAL

 

 

(bold’s, styling and * by josh :P)

Q. How do you answer the infamous question, 

“So what do you do?”

I normally answer with, “I inspire people to think more effectively about the world we live in”.

 

Q. What are the best lessons your mom and dad have taught you? (Or siblings)

Work hard for what you want and don’t let anyone stop you. Give back and protect your family.

 

Q. What’s your favorite travel experience?

I don’t think it has happened yet. I want to travel to Montana and experience what I believe to be nature in it’s ultimate form.

 

Q. What are some decisions you’ve made that have made you into who you are today?

  • Changing my reading habits.
  • Taking my financial growth into my own hands.
  • And trusting God no matter what.

 

Q. What songs do you sing when you are alone? And what new bands are you digging recently?

Ah man..I don’t really sing. I like to whistle. Khalid* just came on the scene. He’s super relaxed and groove heavy. That’s a lot of my listening lately.

*I second Khalid, Bonny Jean Worland agrees too)

Q. If you could have a dinner party with anyone in the world (or in history) who would you invite?

Cleopatra, John F. Kennedy, Dave Ramsey, and Tony Robbins.

 

Q. What are the most important things you bought in the last few months? (Best money investment. Can be anything, big or small)

Website, business cards, and books. A LOT of books. 

 

Q. What advice would you give to someone pursuing creative work?

Find that place that puts you in the zone and go there every day until the ideas start keeping you up at night. 

 

Q. And what advice would you give someone going through creative struggle right now?

Don’t quit. Keep thinking and listening. It may take 500 mistakes and failures, but it just takes one idea to catch fire. After that, it’s on.

 

Q. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Stay alert. Don’t let anything distract you. Be a disciplined autodidact. 

 

Q. Who inspires you and why?

My parents, Patrick Bet-David, Apple team, Porsche team, and whenever I see someone going through a struggle but is pushing past it. 

 

Q. In one word, how would your best friend describe you?

Driven

 

Q. What’s something challenging you faced recently and how did you handle it?

Figuring out how to run a business has been a huge learning experience. I have a lot of CEOs and bosses to pull ‘how to’s’ from. I handle setbacks as a business owner with strategic problem solving and a mindset of it always coming out successful. 

 

Q. What does success mean to you?

Success to me is being able to inspire thousands of people using my words and actions to do more for the person next to them.*

*Agreed!

 

Q. If someone gave you 10 million dollars, what would you do with it?

5 million to my mom, 2 million to my baby sister, $500,000 to my grandma, and the rest will be split between investing and giving back.*

* That’s very specific ha. Have you thought of this Q before?

 

Q. Are there any quotes / phrases that follow you wherever you go?

“Every day is a challenge. Accept it.” -EMD

“The secret to living is giving.” -Tony Robbins

“Nothing is ever hard unless you say it is. Believe it is easy and it will be.” – My grandma

 

Q. Do you have a mentor? If so describe them and what you’ve learned that’s brought you the most value.

I have about 4 that are CEOs and Presidents that I’ve worked for or with. They keep me on track with putting myself in the best possible position to succeed. 

 

Q. One thing you liked about last year, and one thing you want to improve this year?

Haha, I like that 2016 taught me a laundry list of lessons. I want to improve on every aspect of my brain functionality this year. Making my brain stronger, faster, and healthier is my goal. That will undoubtedly lead to success. 

 

Q. What are some impactful books you’ve read recently and why? 

 

Q. Same Question above, but with Podcasts?

 

Q. Who do you follow that have influence you? (People who have change your perspective, motivated you, or inspired you to take action)

John F. Kennedy, Victor Antonio, Jeffery Gitomer, Patrick Bet-David, Dave Ramsey

 

Q. If there were 5 skills you could master instantly, what would they be and why?

Stock investing, social media marketing, not giving girls handshakes*, golf, swimming.

*Hahahahaha I want to know the story behind that one.

 

 

Thank you Erwin for your advice and words of encouragement.

You can follow him on Instagram: @erwindavisintnl, on twitter @erwindavisintnl

or his site: erwindavisinternational.com

 #StayHonest #KeepPursuing — Josh Waggoner, 3 PM EST, Feb. 13th 2017, Chattanooga TN

EVERYONE HAS A VOICE

If you want to give your story on the Renaissance Life, email me @:  josh@renaissancemanlife.com with the subject: We The People.

Tell me who you are, why your a good fit for the Renaissance Tribe and link your social media’s.

On The Rise: A Mantra for a Meaningful Life

Pssst. Here’s a Link to the Audio Version

On The Rise

Up before the morning rays,

coffee in hand,

salutations and praise,

gratitude for another day — 

On The Rise.

 

Mind right,

path is straight —›

Action this day says

small steps lead to big change —

On The Rise.

 

Shoulders of giants, 

the less you’ll mistake

failure is bad

when it stops you in place —

On The Rise.

 

Better together,

words, wit and stone

cherish your tribe

you get what you sow —

On The Rise.

 

Mastery in momentum,

habit is a verb

how you do the small

defines it all —

On The Rise.

 

Focus in to begin

Think sideways to win,

Rome was built one moment at a time

Thoughts are your direction —

On The Rise.

 

Master of all,

jack nothin’ agrees.

Master of few,

one, two, then three.

Priority of mind is a renaissance life — 

On The Rise.

 

Reflect on the good,

learn from the rest

checkin daily, monthly at best 

what gets measured is put to the test —

On The Rise.

 

Rest is equally important,

but the easiest to neglect.

Investment in health

is a long-young road of success —

On The Rise.

 

Are you living or just doing?

Are you challenging and pursing?

Are you asking? Are you improving?

Questions are lightning rods to achievement —

On The Rise. On The Rise.

 

Etch this in heart, mind and soul,

sing, share and wear it,

make it better, make it your own

Life is about creating — 

On The Rise, On The Rise, On The Rise.

 

#KeepPursuing — Josh Waggoner, Feb 7th 2017

Support the Renaissance: Become a Patron (It’s a Win-Win)

Dear Hesitant Creative Like Me,

“What if it doesn’t work?”

‘What if I invest all this time into my idea that I’m really excited about, but it doesn’t get the feedback or engagement I would like?’

‘Would all my time invested matter?’

‘And if people actually like my stuff, how will I keep up with all the engagement and orders?’

 

Dear hesitant Creative Like Me,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I completely understand how you feel.

I was running through the same thoughts when I started my clothing company boldsheep.com (@boldsheep) and when I started this very site.

‘What if no one buys anything from me?’

‘What if nobody reads or comments on my blog?’

And you know what?

Nobody did.

Nobody bought any shirts, nobody read my posts. Nobody was listening.

(And mom’s don’t count)

Even though I implicitly told myself I wouldn’t, I made every mistake in the book.

Fffffff…

But here’s the thing: It was worth it.

Every mistake, every problem, every failure has made me a better and more capable person. 

What if it doesn’t work? It probably won’t. Do it anyway.

Ask yourself, ‘would I rather try and fail or would I rather not try and be exactly where I am now?’

Failure is not an end-point, rather a turning point. It’s Life telling you that your idea needs some reworking and tuning.

What about this worked and what didn’t? What can I change to earn more engagement? How can I do this better next time? Okay that sucked. What went wrong, and how can I avoid it?

The biggest lesson I can give you about starting something is its okay to fail.

If your idea doesn’t work. Keep going. Keep pursuing your dream.

Every good endeavor needs to be honed and crafted.

Reinvent, rework, redesign, pivot, tweak, ask, hone, step back, leap, tack, sprint, redefine..

Do whatever you have to make your idea and yourself better.

And if you must start over with a new idea, take what you learned on your last project and use it to your advantage on your next one.

When it comes to building an audience, focus on helping one person. Focus your efforts on impacting just one person who’s your ideal customer / client.

Because each additional follower count you gain is a person on the other end. Someone you might be able to impact.

 

‘And if people actually like my stuff, how will I keep up with all the engagement and orders?’

That’s a good problem to have. It means what you’re doing is working and having an impact.

Stay honest. Ask for help. Let your audience know. Remember, Vulnerability is Relatability.

Things to note and live by:

  • Every single person who made something wonderful started where you are — at the beginning.

On the ground. figuring out things. failing forward. stepping out of their comfort zones.

  • Continuous action creates continuous opportunities.

what you do will have create far greater value to you than what you don’t do.

  • No is better than maybe. 

Don’t rely on a maybe. Don’t let your life be controlled by ‘some day i will…’

Everything that you want to do, is still in your head, not on the page. And what you should or could do won’t get you anywhere you want to go. 

Everything you can do will change your life for the better if you decide to act on it.

  • Train yourself to think of the positive possibilities, instead of the negative outcomes. 
  • In the end, all the setbacks, frustrations and pains are worth it.

Just because you might fail, doesn’t justify saying no to the good you’ll give to the world if you say yes instead.

I personally believe you are capable of making your dream a reality.

you should too. Once you do, you’ll be on your way.

Remember, today is the best day to start.

I hope this helps you, if it doesn’t I’ll try again.

#KeepPursuing, Don’t Quit Your Day Dream — Josh Waggoner | Feb 3rd 1.30PM EST, Chattanooga TN | Updated Fed 6th

 

If this article helped, let me know in the comments below, or via email: josh@renaissanceamanlife.com.

Dear Creative Like Me, If you are struggling with something and want some advice, email me your thoughts, and you question might be featured on the RL.

Support the Renaissance: Become a Patron (It’s a Win Win)

Support comes from you! Buy Products I love and find helpful

Drink Some Tasty Greens

De-stress Feel Good

related wisdom

Book: Start. Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters by Jon Acuff

Book: Will it Fly by Pat Flynn

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

“All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.”

— Napoleon Hill

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

— Seneca

We The People: Bonny Jean Worland

We The People: Bonny Jean Worland

Introduction

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” — Henry Ford

The Renaissance Life is not a solo endeavor.

Sure, if we wish to create change in our lives and the lives of others, we must be self-reliant and take continuous action with our own hands.

Being an Individualist doesn’t mean being alone.

We are more capable together than we are by our lonesome.

We become our best selves by connecting with others. We are better together.

And thus, a new segment on the RL called We the People: highlighting creatives who are a part of the Renaissance Tribe and represent our Ethos.

I ask you questions, you give us insights from your own life.

Enter Bonny Jean.

 

 

(bold’s and styling by yours truly — Josh Wags 🙂

Q 1. What are the best lessons your mom and dad taught you? (Or siblings)

“It’s okay if you’re not okay” – My little sister Suzannah. She told me that two years ago in the depths of my depression. I’ve learned that over and over again these past couple of years: It’s okay to be broken, to admit brokenness, to lean on friends and family who love you, and then do art, run, dance, sing, be outside… do something to work through your pain, but never ever ignore it. Your pain brings you closer to a truer version of yourself, but you have to face it and feel it to let it shape you into who you are meant to be. The first step, for me, was hearing “It’s okay if you’re not okay”.

 

Q 2. What’s your favorite travel experience?

Living on a hospital ship off of the coast of West Africa: My roommates from that time are still my best friends. It was definitely a life changing experience.  

 

Q 3. What are some decisions you’ve made that have made you into who you are today?

Traveling after high-school and college and most recently moving to San Clemente- up rooting my life, starting over. I was once told “Travel trims the fat off the soul” by John Stember, a man I met while camping in the Grand Tetons. It’s true! Being around people with completely different childhoods and belief systems tests you. It reveals who you truly are deep down under all that comfort we’re surrounded by in our daily lives. 

Probably the most profound decision I ever made was to live.

I found myself with bleeding wrists on the bathroom floor, hysterical, crying, rocking, wanting to die, when suddenly a profound calmness poured over me. I looked at myself in the mirror and said “NO. there is more life to live, people to meet, places to see, laughter to be had. You will not kill yourself” So I bandaged my wrists, wiped my face, and started being honest with myself and others. 

Being honest means disagreeing with people. The decision to listen to my still small voice has been a big change for me. disagreeing with people is hard, but learning to exist and observe the world around me from an island within myself has been life changing. If you can live from a place of solitude (read: Henri Nouwen’s “reaching out”) you can love others more and appreciate and respect their beliefs and ideas. 

 

Q 4. What songs do you sing when you are alone? And what new bands are you digging recently?

I sing “Day Dreamer” by Adele a lot… it’s just in a good key for me.

These days I’ve been listening to Cereus Bright, Animal Collective*, Sufjan Stevens*, Khalid*, Kanye West, Vince Staples*, Kendrick Lamar and Rajitheone.

* josh (aka me) seconds that.

 

Q 5. What advice would you give to someone pursuing creative work?

Do something that scares you and you think you’ll hate. Turn off your brain and create, even if you think it won’t make any sense. Sometimes I paint something, then I write a bunch of stupid stuff all over it to ruin it and then I paint over it again… just don’t put boundaries on yourself. There are no rules!

 

Q 6. What or who inspires you and why?

Nature– being outside fuels my creativity. It’s big and fathomless and beautiful. We could never come close to creating something as magnificent, simple, and complex as a blade of grass. 

Q 7. In one word, how would your best friend describe you?

resilient

Q 8. What’s something challenging you faced recently and how did you handle it?

It’s been a challenging year, to be honest, but the best thing I have learned to do is to make a list. One side is a list of things I know I want to do but aren’t good for me (think drink, reach out to certain people that aren’t good for me, rely on certain relationships too much) and on the other side is a list of things that give me life and bring me joy (think yoga, running, tea, safe friendships). I make rules for myself that I try to follow and then I breathe and do the next right thing for however long it takes to come out of the cloud I’m in. Sometimes that’s a day and sometimes it’s three months. I claim grace days. Where, if i got out of bed, put on clothes, and went to work, I am very proud of myself. “Should” doesn’t exist in my dictionary during these times and if I slip up and do something on my “not good for me” list I breathe, forgive myself, and remember that all that exists is today and I can do my best with what I have in this moment. 

 

Q 9. What’s your mission in life? (Or mission right now)

To be present

 

Q 10. If someone gave you 10 million dollars, what would you do with it?

Invest in small businesses in 3rd world countries.

 

Q 11. One thing you liked about last year, and one thing you want to improve this year?

I learned to laugh again. I want to be more consistent. 

Thank you Bonny Jean for your vulnerability, advice and words of encouragement.

You can follow her on instagram @cameliabearheart

Leave your comments below +

 #StayHonest #KeepPursuing — Josh Waggoner, 12PM EST, Feb. 2nd 2017, Chattanooga TN

Everyone has a voice

If you want to give yours on the Renaissance Life, email me @:  josh@renaissancemanlife.com with the subject: We The People. Tell me who you are, why your a good fit for the Renaissance Tribe and link your social media’s.

Support The Renaissance: Become a Patron (It’s a Win-Win)