RE-OPENED 24 HOURS ONLY – AAA: How Do You Imagine Your perfect creative life?
- Would you sack your boss and do the creative work you really love?
- Commit to your creative business and take it all the way to the top?
- Make a six figure income from your passion?
- Live by your own rules and get the recognition you deserve?
At SUBvert, we give ambitious creatives, just like you, a helping hand to realize their dreams in the cut throat creative world. We reveal the methods that you can instantly put to work to unstick your creative life. And we blow the lid on the people who are purposely holding you back from your goals.
But don’t take our word for it, here’s what a few of our former students said…
“Here’s some proof in the pudding for you. Out of the first four people I approached using your methods, I am now doing work for three of them! So much so that I have had very little time for anything else. And it is really decent work. Very encouraging!” Craig Watkins. USA.
“That hands-on push is invaluable. I need that honest feedback. It’s nice to have positive feedback from friends and associates. It’s rare to have the chance to get the honest, critical, thoughtful and informed variety.” Monique Larson, USA.
“It helps those of us who are ambitious but may not be as naturally business minded to become aware of the many ways we can take our careers into our own hands.” Christine Buijs, Canada.
“Along my creative journey I have faced many challenges and obstacles, and it has been Paul’s one on one, online coaching that has steered me in the right direction every time.” Steve Rack, UK
“This program helped me to realize what is most important to me – what I REALLY want – and focus my energies like a lazer beam.” JJ Harrison. USA
“If you feel you’re on your way but you’re just stuck / clueless in some areas of your career and you wanna move on to the next level, it’s really, really worth it.” Meghan Geliza, New Zealand.
Here’s what we believe…
There is a conspiracy at work in the creative world – and in all good conscience, we can’t keep quiet about it any longer…
What makes my blood boil, is that an entire generation have been tricked into thinking it’s OK to follow a creative path.
But they’ve been SOLD OUT by the people they trusted – people who have failed to show them HOW to make a living doing the creative work they love.
You probably already know us by now, my name is Paul and this is Angel.
As the Editors of SUBvert Magazine we receive hundreds of requests for help every month from creative individuals telling us they are confused and paralyzed by conflicting advice about the best way to achieve their creative goals.
So we are about to take you behind the scenes of the creative industry to uncover what it really takes to succeed.
WARNING: Things Can Get Messy Backstage
When there’s big money, fame and power involved, people can get vicious, messed-up and jealous.
Especially when the people involved are;
Rock star Musicians, Artists, Designers, Performers & Extreme Athletes at the top of their game.
These days, we spend a lot of our time backstage and behind closed doors, conversing with our creative heroes, grilling them to find out exactly what it took to design their own creative lives.
And it’s our mission to share those secrets with you, so you can see the actual steps they took and understand how to avoid the mistakes they made by following a simple to apply, step by step system.
Later in this story, we’d also like to reveal the contents of a scrap of paper that turned our own lives around and helped us replace commuter train tickets for VIP, backstage passes.
I want to share what’s on this scrap of paper with you, because it’s important. It made everything clear for us and gave us the energy to follow our dreams, despite overwhelming odds.
I believe you’re about to have a similar moment of clarity in your own creative life… if you’re not already having one. And when that happens, it’s good to know you’re not alone.
Let me share a bit about how we got to this place, and how it has changed our creative and professional lives forever.
But before we go any further we need to set the record straight…
We are only at the beginning of this story and already the creative world sounds like a soap opera.
Is this a bunch of hype? Can I really learn what I need from these people?
And you are absolutely right to ask that question.
If we hadn’t spent time hanging out with a whole bunch of our creative heroes we’d be skeptical too. In other words, I know how you feel.
So let me ease your mind by pulling back the curtain and giving you a glimpse into the world of creative success.
You’ll hear about amazing triumphs, near fatal incidents and the hair raising roller coaster ride that is living the creative dream.
You’ll see how, amidst all the craziness of the creative world, there is much to be learned from those who have been there and done it.
In FACT: They are the ONLY people you can rely on to tell you how it really is.
And for the first time ever, we share our story and tell you…
How We Went From Wage Slaves – To Collaborating With Our Creative Heroes.
But it wasn’t always like this, not too long ago, it felt like we were on a sickening merry-go-round, that we couldn’t get off.
Can You Relate To This?
- Stuck in a job you hate, just to pay the rent
- Trying to strike out on your own, but struggling to break through
- Feeling paralyzed, unable to move forwards with your plans as quickly as you would like
- Wondering if you’re on the right path at all
- Feeling uncomfortable promoting your own work
- Unable to break into the inner circle of industry players
- The stress, causing you to wrestle with creative block
- Not getting the support you hoped for from those around you
- Fighting an internal battle between truly expressing who you are or creating the commercial work that will sell
- Worrying about the “down economy” and whether it’s the right time to launch a creative career
- Noticing people less talented than you doing well, but not being able to work out why
If you can relate to any of these, we understand exactly how you feel, because these are exactly the problems we faced ourselves, not too long ago.
Let me tell you how a few brave (but scary) decisions, totally turned our lives around.
How we started to learn from those who had BEEN THERE and DONE IT and how YOU can have the very same tactics work for you.
Our Story Includes : The Crazy Decision To Sack Our Two Bosses, Radical Indoor BMX Stunts, Online Dating, Love at First Sight, Betrayal, Rock Stars, Ex Gangsters and Over Medicated Celebrities…
It all began in the slick offices of a “fancy pants” re-insurance firm, deep in the City of London.
Having left her home town some years earlier, Angel had moved from one high-flying company to another, but was still living an un-fulfilling life, as a lowly assistant to an office full of city-slicker types.
As the weeks dragged on, she spent her days looking forward to her evenings, where she indulged in her first real love, live music.
It was a combination of two things that finally pushed her over the edge.
Walking home one night, she realized that if she DIDN’T make a change right now, through no fault of her own, she might just end up like one of the frightful ROBOTS she worked for.
This glimpse into the future, where she saw herself pimping her values away, climbing up the corporate ladder, for nothing more than a better job title and a bigger car, made her sick to her stomach.
Then, out of no-where, the Gods of Music sent her a sign.
It was an album by Rock band Incubus, that provided the inspiration she needed.
This motivation helped her look into the future and imagine what might be possible and make the commitment to start planning a better life.
Little did she know back then, that only a few years later, her dreams would come true and she would be interviewing her creative hero, Incubus front-man, Brandon Boyd.
But it wasn’t all going to be plain sailing. Angel’s gut told her to get out of the city. After all…
If You Keep Doing The Same Thing You’ve Always Done, You’ll Keep Getting The Same Results You’ve Always Got.
So, she crossed the country, with little money, a few clothes and a dream of living a more creative life.
Her train stopped in a sea-side town. There was surf, students and Art school.
4 years flew by and she was living the dream. Expressing herself through a Fine Art degree, enjoying her music, mixing and collaborating with exciting creative people.
Her life was back on track and she didn’t think it was ever going to end.
And Then It All Came Crashing Down Around Her Ears
She had never given much thought to what would happen AFTER university. No one had brought it up.
In fact, she realized, after her degree had finished, that in the 4 years she’d spent in the Art education system, that…
Not once, had anyone mentioned how an artist was supposed to make a living – out in the REAL world
The panic struck at her graduation exhibition, after listening to a local artist give a short talk to the creative students.
It wasn’t so much the tone of the talk (which had the cynical under-current of someone who had really suffered)
It was the look of pity that this professional artist had in her eyes. You could see what she was thinking…
If Only These Poor, Creative Students Knew What They Were In For
It’s at around about this point that I enter the story.
Although, my tale starts 300 miles away, at the end of another long night of overtime in a characterless office.
I was overseeing the latest “urgent project” to change the world by selling people stuff they didn’t really need, so they could impress people they probably didn’t even like.
Marketing was my job and I was starting to hate myself.
As everyone knows, the cure to office stress is wasting time on a good Social Website
It was there that I came across the picture of a baggy jean wearing, bad ass girl, riding a BMX. I was hooked.
The next weekend I traveled 300 miles to meet her, took a week off work and fell in love.
I was there at her graduation and heard that fateful speech myself. It sent a chill down my spine.
In the weeks after university had finished the speech was forgotten and there was a nervous excitement of possibility in the air.
But as the weeks turned into months, possibility started to turn into panic. Then panic turned into desperation.
I witnessed the hopes and dreams of 100 enthusiastic, creative students slowly deflate, as they struggled to find their way in the real world.
One by one, I watched them abandon their dreams, giving-up their creative lives, to clock-in at some menial job – just to keep paying the rent.
I knew nothing about the creative world outside of advertising, I was just a SUIT. But I did know about business and how to Get Things Done.
I also knew that this wasn’t how the creative dream was supposed to go, so together, we started to formulate a plan.
All we needed to do was come up with a strategy, we could sort things out, or so I thought…
Little Did I Know About The Horrors We Were About To Uncover – Horrors That Virtually Guarantee The Failure Of Most Aspiring Creatives
Why The Creative World Has Been Working Against You (Up Until Now)
Angel had a great idea…
The creative world that she had been living in, was starting to become a distant memory.
She was desperate to;
- Keep the creative juices flowing, keep the dream alive
- Get back to the FUN of creativity
- Find a way to help people support each other
- Introduce people and start creative mash-ups and cross collaborations
So, without giving herself enough time to change her mind she said…
Screw It – Let’s Launch A Magazine
We knew nothing about magazines, other than Angel bought a lot of them.
We didn’t know anyone worth interviewing.
We didn’t know how to interview people.
We didn’t know how to put together a magazine.
And we didn’t know how to get it printed or distributed.
Hell, if we would have thought about it at all, we’d have quickly realized…
We Didn’t Have The First Clue What We Were Doing
Whilst Angel started looking for people to help put the first edition together, I started looking into the options for creative people.
As well as creative students I found a whole tribe of people who are sick of the rat race and want to follow a more fulfilling life.
But As I Dug Deeper I Was Dismayed At What I Uncovered.
Our society goes out of it’s way to PREVENT you living a creative life
My first shock came when I researched the schools, colleges and universities who I thought might be keen to help people who wanted to follow a creative path.
Did you know that;
- Creative students have the hardest time finding the jobs they studied for after leaving university
- They are the more likely to still be unemployed 6 months after leaving than ANY other students
- Creative students are also the MOST likely to abandon their chosen career path and end up in an unrelated job, just to pay the bills
- Companies in the creative industries are crammed full with people doing UNCREATIVE, soul destroying work, in a desperate attempt to get close to “the action”
Does any of this hit home for you?
I was surprised at the facts, but even more astounded by the attitude of some of the people I met…
It Seems That The Education System Is RIDDLED With Failed Creatives
For every ONE genuine, creative tutor, I came across TWO bitter and cynical failures who were actively sending their students down a path of misery and disappointment.
How can they be allowed to get away with this?
How can they be allowed to teach an entire generation that it’s OK to follow a creative path without paying any respect to the REAL WORLD that we live in?
How can schools teach creativity, without exploring how to make a living from that creativity?
The more data I came across, the more I was convinced that formal education is FAILING the creative world.
But, that’s not all, I found. I realized that there’s something else that’s compounding the problem;
It isn’t just education that is killing your creativity…
You might be lucky and find one of the few good tutors who can guide you.
Or your University days may be well behind you.
But even then, once you set foot outside the door, you are likely to be Hit In The Face With…
The 30 Foot High Ring Fence That Surrounds The Industry Insiders
You’ll know it when you see it, because you are clearly on the OUTSIDE, trying to get a peak at what’s going on behind the screen.
You’ll know you’re in trouble when;
- You’re struggling to break into the inner circle of creatives in your field
- You feel like an outsider, who’s trying to suck up to the cool kids
- You’re sick of banging your head against the wall, trying to get people to recognize your work
- You wonder if things are EVER going to change
- And you HATE that feeling of pimping yourself out to “get in” with the power brokers and decision makers
That’s exactly how we felt, as we started to put together the first edition of our magazine.
Everyone Told Us We Were Crazy, We Were On The Outside Looking In And It Was Never Going To Work
Luckily, we were too stubborn to listen
You see, no one had taught us, what “the rules” were. So we didn’t know or care that we were breaking them.
And sometimes…
Not knowing what you’re doing can be the best thing that can happen to you.
I was spending a lot of time trying to talk to those INSIDE the ringed fence.
From my marketing experience, I knew that the secret to getting inside any industry is to realize that the 30 foot ring fence DOESN’T REALLY EXIST.
We create the ring fence in our head – when we allow ourselves to be discouraged by rejection.
And we were getting a LOT of rejection.
I have to admit it was painful at first. We didn’t know the creative world, we worried that we were banging our heads against a wall.
But I had seen this game was played successfully in other industries so we persevered.
We decided that rejection cost us nothing, unless we quit and gave up, then it cost us our lives!
So, we kept going, we sneaked into one party and met a few people who’s names we were able to drop to get us into another party.
We emailed everyone we met or heard about and introduced ourselves.
We asked people how we could help them. We tried to uncover, what we could do to make THEIR lives easier.
And to our amazement, the ball started to roll.
People Were Talking About Us Behind Our Backs.
But it turned out they were saying GOOD STUFF
The more we put ourselves out there and the more persistent we were (in a nice way) the more people started to see us as part of the industry.
Heck, sitting at a back-stage bar one day, surrounded by a super model, her rock star husband and a reality TV celeb, we realized we were ON THE INSIDE
And we still didn’t have a clue what we were doing. But we were having fun!
Then We Learned About An Even Darker Evil
We noticed another barrier to creative success.
And this one could drag you down, whether you were on the inside or the outside – hell, it could get you anywhere and at any stage of your career – unless you were prepared for it…
NOBODY wants you to succeed in the creative world…
It’s an unbelievable statement isn’t it? But here’s the bizarre truth behind this amazing fact…
Deep down in our human DNA we are hard wired NOT to stand out from the pack, NOT to be too creative.
From our days living in caves, we have survived and thrived as a species by staying part of the pack, one of the flock or a member of the tribe.
This desire to fit in, to follow the crowd, to do what’s already been done, is such a powerful drive, it’s at the core of who we are.
- Have you ever been petrified when asked to speak in public?
- Have you lost sleep and felt physically ill at the thought of performing in front of a crowd?
- Have you found yourself unable to publish your work for fear of what others might say?
It’s really not your fault, it’s how our brains are wired.
We are designed to totally avoid any situation that might put us at risk of ridicule in-front of our tribe.
After all, when we lived in caves…
Being Banished From The Gang Could Mean Certain Death!
And that’s still how we are hard-wired to think about it.
I was so puzzled at why these impulses are so powerful, I even hunted down a genuine brain scientist, who explained that;
The part of our brain that makes us scared of being ridiculed and laughed at is the same part of our brain that causes us to feel physical pain.
It totally explains why…
Being Ridiculed For “Thinking Differently” Really Can Feel As Painful As A Kick In The Guts
It’s this programming that’s in our DNA, that effects each and every human being, which causes the “crab effect”.
Do any of these situations sound familiar to you?
- Close members of your family have tried to persuade you to abandon your creative work and get a real job?
- Friends who you expected to support your work have been a bit “off”, dismissive and non supportive of your efforts
- Even a close colleague or partner may have tried to talk you out of following your dream by telling you to “get real” or “be realistic”
- You’ve overheard people being bitchy and catty – with real venom – about your work and what you are trying to achieve
We’ve encountered endless examples of this phenomenon, which we even gave a name – The crab effect.
What is the crab effect?
Here’s what it is…
Fisherman have noticed that catching crabs in a basket is really easy. All you have to do is tempt the first crab, using a little bait into your crab basket.
Once in there, the other crabs will start to follow and one by one they find themselves inside the trap.
But here’s the killer, when one of the crabs realizes that he can just climb right back out the way he came in – when one of the crabs realizes he doesn’t have to be trapped, he can be FREE – he get’s an awful surprise…
The other crabs pull him back down
That’s right, his clawy comrades fearing they will be left alone to die prevent anyone else escaping their FISHY DOOM.
Now, I have no clue what goes on in the mind of crabs, but this phenomenon is one I see being played out in creative environments every day by good old HUMAN BEINGS.
It’s a combination of several things;
- Good old jealousy
- People projecting their own fear of failure onto YOU
- People afraid that you will out-grow them
What we wanted to know was…
With All These Obstacles, How Is A Creative Person To Survive, Let Alone Thrive?
We were desperate for an answer and certain that there must be one out there.
We even attended a few seminars and courses designed by other companies, specifically for creative people.
They were great, lot’s of happy clapping and sharing stories of people’s problems.
Like a big therapy group, where isolated creatives could congregate and make new friends.
They gave us some good ideas, and they were great for socializing, but at a huge expense.
We realized that paying for a short-lived boost to our morale wasn’t the answer.
We Wanted Long Term Solutions To The REAL Problems.
We wanted to know the techniques that we could put to work to make real success happen.
We wanted to know HOW our own creative heroes had smashed through their creative barriers
There was only one group of people who had the answers we needed.
Those who had been there and DONE IT. And those, high-level professionals behind the scenes who had helped make it happen.
Is A Better Life Possible?
It Was Time To Access All Areas
Behind SUBvert Magazine was an idea.
The idea was simple – how can we help other creative people?
At least it sounds simple, but one of the things we were learning from our insider interviews is that often you need to take an un-selfish route to get to the top.
You see, most people go through life thinking “what’s in it for me?”.
And in the creative world, the slightest hint of popularity can turn some people into INSTANT DIVA’S.
But we learned one simple rule – that if you focus on helping others first, if you spend time uncovering how you can be valuable to THEM, your success is almost automatic.
Because of this approach, people were keen to work with us. We were putting together all sorts of fun, creative mash-ups. People were getting inspired and we were having a great time.
It Was Time For Me To Face My Demons
I remember vividly when I made the decision to quit my job and work on SUBvert full time.
It was a glorious, sunny morning and we were sat on a cliff top, over-looking the ominous sounding “Hell’s Mouth” beach and cooking breakfast on a portable camping stove.
We’d been surfing there for a couple of hours and now we were just basking in the sun and enjoying the surfers high.
At that moment, we didn’t have a care in the world.
We were going to enjoy our breakfast, then later that evening, pick up some back stage passes to a wake boarding festival.
Then, in the middle of a perfect day, I started thinking about my “Day Job”…
It was like being stabbed in the gut
There I was, unable to enjoy a perfect weekend because I was worrying about office politics, meaningless deadlines and having to compromise my life away.
I felt like I was trapped inside someone else’s life.
People were telling us they loved the magazine, but we hadn’t figured out how to make money from it yet.
All my research pointed to the fact that the creative world is one of the hardest to succeed in. So wasn’t it madness to even consider it?
And of course the timing was terrible.
That very week I had just finished reading a book that clearly predicted the recession we are now in.
People were telling us we needed to hold on to at least one form of safe and secure income.
But I’d Had Enough Of Living My Life As A Cog In Someone Else’s Machine
This wasn’t about having a job, it was about having a life.
This wasn’t about having security, it was about having a mission.
I went back to the van we were using as our mobile office for the weekend and started scribbling notes on a legal pad, I needed a clear sense of what we were about to dive into so I wrote out a manifesto for our new life.
Here’s how it looked;
Everyone has their own definition of the creative life that inspires them.
Writing this, I’m wondering what yours is? (And I’d love for you to write and tell me: paul AT subvertmagazine DOT com)
For us, it was simple and once the decision was made, it happened surprisingly quickly;
- OUT went working on things we didn’t care about
IN came working with people who inspired us - OUT went getting up at stupid o’clock to battle the traffic and travel to a depressing office
IN came working on OUR TIME - OUT went dressing like a walking suit
IN came dressing like ME - OUT went doing shit I just clearly thought was stupid, because someone “above me” thought it was a good idea
IN came making my own decisions and living with the results - OUT went the AUDI, I was DONE competing in car wars
IN came a VW campervan. (You can’t fit surf boards in an AUDI and you can’t lie on the roof at night and watch shooting stars) - OUT went the numbing feeling that my life was slowly being drained away
IN came the excitement that I was in-charge of my destiny at last
Once The Decision Had Been Made To Go For It, A Huge Weight Lifted From My Shoulders.
I was finally starting to really LIVE. Just by getting started, ignoring the doubters and being persistent, it was starting to come true for us, against all odds. But…
Things really started to change when we went “under cover” and got all “celebrity”…
Why Things Can Be Different For You Now…
You see, what we realized is that EVERYONE has an opinion on the right way to “make it” in the creative world.
Yet in reality – there are only a tiny number of successful, professional musicians, artists, performers and designers.
So, why not learn from the few at the top. The 2% who have actually made it?
Once we had made that decision to do whatever it took to get only the very best advice, from the most successful people we could find, things really started to get interesting…
We Decided To Interview Our Personal Creative Heroes.
We were going to do what would be most fulfilling, not what we thought would draw in the biggest crowd.
Our heroes were people who had dedicated their lives to their art form.
We found that a lot of our heroes had run into real troubles early on in their careers, but they had battled through and come out stronger on the other side.
We learned that there was no dream ticket, there was no easy ride, life just isn’t that simple.
But when you open yourself up to learning from the best, you can save yourself years of heart ache and pain, and avoid going down the wrong path.
We Discovered That There Are Always Two Stories. The Real One – And The One For The Press
When you’re successful and in the public eye, you pretty much have to learn to deal with the media.
And the media is full of bare faced liars
But it’s not really their fault, you see, they only write about what the average Joe wants to read.
The very fact that you are reading this letter, makes you special, you’re not the average Joe.
The average Joe isn’t the least bit interested in making their life a success.
Sure, they might say they would like to “earn more money” and be good at what they do.
But they rarely get off their butt and ever DO anything about it.
The average Joe is more interested in hearing gossip than uncovering the truth.
The average Joe is more interested in a story about sleaze than success.
The General Public Don’t Want To Hear About How It REALLY Is. They Like To Think…
That stars are BORN
That stars are from a different GENE POOL
That they were LUCKY
Because that way of thinking helps protect a fragile ego. It creates an excuse for not trying.
But We Were Clueless
We didn’t know we weren’t supposed to ask real questions.
So when we put people on the spot, when we pushed for real answers, we ruffled a few feathers.
But…
We had nothing to lose…
We weren’t going to get sacked by “the network” so we persevered.
We wanted to really get to the truth on behalf of our readers.
We wanted to be able to pass on something of real value, genuine insights that no one else out there is doing.
After a while, people started to come around. We got a reputation for asking tough questions, but being genuine and honest.
It was only when one of our creative heroes contacted US about working together, we knew that all our struggling and hard work was starting to pay off.
We realized that what we had was valuable.
People in the inner circle were starting to approach us, because they wanted to share their stories and their knowledge with the next generation of serious creatives.
We Had Discovered The Real Truth About Success
We had met with ex hard-men who were now inspirational leaders.
We had met with guys who had started their career delivering “packages” for the mafia. Who were now respected musicians.
We had also met those who thought they could fast track their way to fame and fortune, but found they really couldn’t handle the pressure of being a creator in the public spotlight.
Everything pointed to one fact – that people AREN’T BORN into creative success.
People aren’t NATURALLY gifted. We ALL possess the potential for success.
Background makes almost NO difference.
And importantly, many were able to build successful creative careers despite bad schooling or even NO schooling.
Despite all the challenges that our heroes had faced, they had turned their lives around, overcome their fears and were living out their dreams.
Uncovering What Works From Those Who Have Done It, Is Important
We are having a blast doing it, and we find it really fulfilling when people tell us how much it has helped them turn their lives around, get unstuck and move forward with their own creativity.
So to make this stuff more accessible to the right people, we are launching two new versions of our AAA creative training program.
It’s an exclusive program. It’s not for everyone.
It’s for those who are ready to turn their ambition into action, but are not necessarily business minded.
It’s for those who want a helping hand in communicating their value to the paying public.
It’s for those who are stuck and want a detailed overview of what its like in the real commercial creative world.
It’s for those who want practical tools and tactics to get more work than they can handle.
We learned that not everyone is ready for success. Are you?
There are 3 options available to you
Option 1: Paralysis
The first option is to do nothing, stay scared. Keep suffering, losing your motivation, having the creative life sucked out of you, drip by drip, day after day. The other two options are as follows;
Option 2: Platinum AAA membership
The premise of platinum membership is simple, we use the written lessons of the AAA program as the foundation, the starting point, each week. But you have complete access to me, via email for up to an hour of consulting, to assist you with specific, hands on advice on any of the creative, business, marketing or personal growth topics we cover. The format is flexible and tailored to your individual needs.
This level is particularly suitable for former AAA students, who are already familiar with the quality of my guidance. Or those with creative businesses that have already reached a certain level of success.
The goal is real, measurable breakthroughs in the areas that are holding you back the most. I help you move from knowing, to mastering.
Expect constructive honesty. I’ll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. I’ll give you the push and the accountability you need to achieve the results you want.
Above all, Platinum membership is a time saver. It shaves years off the “learning curve” of creatives who want to go all the way and are willing to dive in and DO what is already well proven to work. Those who prefer to sit and debate and discuss and then debate and discuss some more, need not join.
Option 3: AAA Lite membership
Lite membership is designed for those with ambition, but limited budgets. You get all the written knowledge and action plans contained within the 12 weekly lessons of the core AAA program. (You’ll find details of the topics covered below)
What you don’t get, is personal access to us, or one-on-one advice.
The program covers all the fundamentals for a successful and sane creative career. And by that I don’t mean basics. This course will change the way you think, the way you run your business and the way your customers respond to you.
If you read the lessons, follow the action plans, it will change your life. (If you don’t, it won’t).
Buy Platinum Membership$2000 USDollars
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Buy Lite Membership$99 USDollars
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Here’s what you’ll learn inside…
Overcoming Procrastination & Creative Block For Good
We show you how to launch your creativity at will, quickly going from a standing start to immersing yourself in the flow. You’ll learn how to eliminate the stress and guilt that comes with procrastination, and replace the highs and lows that disrupt your life, with the steady progress of a professional, in control of their growing talent.
The only way to create a rock solid foundation for success
This is a 4 part process in which we take you through the 4 pillars of our busker principle. A pattern we’ve observed in every long-term creative success.
- Perfecting your craft
How to find, re-establish and maintain the joy in what you do, so that your work becomes a pleasure and never a chore.
- Performing your creativity live
How to calm your mind and not only get over your fear of live meetings, pitches and performances, but learn to love them and work with the energy they bring to your life.
- Getting real world feedback
Learning how to find that sweet-spot where your self expression meets the needs of your public. Understanding how some individuals and companies seem to walk on water and never put a foot wrong.
- Asking for money
We explain why you find it so tough to ask for what you really deserve, and show you how to banish that mindset for ever. We also share the secrets of some of the worlds most successful ventures, who all started their projects deep in recessions.
How To Create Products And Services People Will Be Begging For
Ever wondered why a few others in your field seem to get all the attention and the business? Most people are tempted to call them sell-outs or boot-kissers. We show you how they really operate and why you don’t need to worry about selling anything, when you know how the game works.
How To Build Credibility And Be The Go-To Person In Your Industry
Like it or not, whatever your industry, name recognition is probably the most important factor in how many opportunities you’re offered, and how much money you can charge for your services and products. The person who has the most credibility, takes a totally unfair share of the spoils. We show you how the professionals go about getting it, without waiting a couple of decades to become established names.
Making A Good First Impression At Meetings, Pitches And Events
Making a great first impression has a snowball effect on how people feel about you and can really help you develop your career. Most creatives hate coming out of their studio, so we reveal half a dozen of the most effective quick and easy tricks, to help you lose the nerves and have your public eating out of your hand.
Understanding What Makes Websites, Online Stores And Profile Pages Work
9/10 creatives (including web site designers) are totally unaware of the essential elements that online shoppers demand before trusting you and ever thinking about buying your work online. I’ll bet good money that you have dabbled with a website, eBay or Etsy and had dismal results? You are losing out on the single biggest opportunity presented to entrepreneurial creatives, ever! Seriously. And it’s so easily fixed when we show you how and why people really buy.
How To Use Social Media To Build A Solid Fan Base
All those sites that you wasted hours clicking around, well they present a dream opportunity, an opportunity that marketers paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to access, only a decade ago. Now you have instant and free access to millions of potential fans. We show you how to build a fan base that will follow you throughout your career in less than a year. We show you exactly what’s important, how to spend your time wisely and which pitfalls to avoid.
How To Get Exhibited And Published
If people knew how easy it was to make this work, we wouldn’t see the hundreds of soul crushingly poor attempts we receive every month. Never waste your time sending out work that gets thrown in the bin again.
Learn The Magical Difference That Seems To Give Some People All The Luck
From the beginning to the end, losers lose, winners win! We let you in on a decade’s worth of scientific research by some of the worlds leading social scientists, revealing how the super-lucky maintain their magic touch and what makes a loser, a loser for life. (Guess what? You get to choose which you want to be!)
A Program Delivered Once A Week Over 12 Weeks
Once every week, we will give you access to a new report covering one of the topics mentioned above. Each topic is broken down so you have plenty of time to take it in and compare it to your own situation. Once a week (for Platinum members) we expand on any areas you want us to cover in more detail.
This schedule leaves you with plenty of time to take action on what you’ve learned before the next session without interfering with your existing busy life.
How To Tell If This Program Is Right For YOU
If you are already happily supporting yourself through your creativity, if you have broken through, into the inner circle of professionals who now go out of their way to help you develop your career, then consider yourself VERY LUCKY.
However…
If you find yourself stuck in a job that is gnawing away at your soul and you long to blaze your own trail in a field that you really love…
If you have already taken the plunge and left your job, but feel like you’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire…
If you are looking forward to finding a little structure and guidance…
If the life of a creative freelancer isn’t living up to your dreams and expectations and you would benefit from sharing your experience with people who understand…
If you are committed to turning your life around, you believe you deserve better and you are ready to take action on the proven, expert techniques you will be given…
If you’re an Artist, an Illustrator, a Graphic Artist, a Designer, a Photographer, a Writer, an Actor, a Performer, a Dancer, a Musician, an Extreme Athlete, a Film maker, a Fashion designer, or any kind of creative entrepreneur…
Then this program is designed specifically for YOU and I guarantee it will help you move forward to that next level.
How Much Is This Going To Cost Me?
Less than it should.
We erase YEARS of trial and error from your creative life. The value of that is not only financial, but psychological. If you’re here, you’ve probably already suffered, don’t let that suffering go on for years. It ends in a bitter place and its not creative.
Our Platinum Membership costs $2000 USD.
Our Lite membership cost just $99 USD.
People who have already received value from our FREE articles, creative surgery sessions, interviews and creative secrets emails, won’t even blink at this price.
Be Totally Relaxed With This Decision
We hate gambling and we hate taking unnecessary risk, there’s rarely any need for it, especially when it comes to getting solutions to your problems.
So we want you to be totally relaxed with this decision, regardless of how low the cost is.
30 Day “Money Where Our Mouth Is Guarantee”
If you read the material you receive, follow the simple exercises that are suggested and take action on what you learn, you WILL turn your creative life and business around, we guarantee it.
If you don’t, then WE REALLY DON’T WANT YOUR MONEY.
So, this is our personal promise to you, if you’re not delighted within 30 days, we will refund you IN FULL, quickly and hassle free.
You are free to use the secrets you have learned and there will be nothing for you to return. We will part friends.
But I have to warn you, DO NOT DELAY.
Use it, or lose it
We’re opening the doors to this program for just 48 hours. Everyone who follows us has been made aware of the program. Everyone knows this is the LAST time we’re running any sort of program that gives you direct access to us for one-on-one consulting, before we shift our focus to our growing health and fitness projects.
Buy Platinum Membership$2000 USDollars
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Buy Lite Membership$99 USDollars
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Feedback from real, live, actual people who’ve done it
“Before joining the AAA Program I was exhausted. Mentally and creatively. I was trying to accomplish too many things at once and going in all different directions. This program helped me to realize what is most important to me–what I REALLY want–and focus my energies like a lazer beam.
I was always terrific at starting things and lousy at finishing them. I also had this idea that everything needed to be perfect before anybody could see it. Now I feel like a switch has been flipped. I am empowered and I have higher confidence in my work. This attitude has spread to my communications with my customers and it’s made a big difference. The best part is that I have only begun to implement some of the AAA awesomeness that I’ve learned and I’m already seeing higher sales and new customers! Most importantly, I am working more.
AAA is rad and it works. And as far as the investment goes, this might sound weird, but if this were just given it away for free I never would have done it. Sure, I would have thought it was awesome. I would have bookmarked it for later, but I probably never would have read it again. Slapping down my money was like an investment in my future. This was my call to action to change things and it is working.
Anyway, to get things rolling I just started a web comic this week and I feel so high right now! If it weren’t for you and your program, I would still be in a creative rut. So thank you very much! ”
JJ Harrison. Utah
Has the program helped you in any way?
Most definitely, it introduced me to whole new aspects of building & maintaining a successful business. Aspects that hardly anyone ever mentions when they talk about successful artists.
In the beginning I really needed some time to accept some insights and facts that are essential to the program,
make no mistake, you will have to be open to really question what you believed so far. That can be painful at the beginning (it sure was for me), but once you get over that, it’s a relief, cause it actually means you are in control of your career. you really, really are:)
I encourage everyone to get as much out of this workshop as possible, I bugged Paul quite a lot with further inquiries, and it was well worth it.
By now it actually feels cool to learn all the things that are related to being an “entrepreneur”, I look forward to the day artists aren’t irked by that term and “artist” & “entrepreneur” aren’t regarded as contradicting careers.
Have you taken any new action as a result?
Yep, for sure: I got into copywriting, dived into social media as opportunity to connect with my audience (and it’s fun:)), get familiar with totally new areas of expertise (like digital marketing), I’m starting to educate myself in the field of psychology, I am currently successfully changing my sleep pattern to have more energy and have the time to make long morning walks every day. I feel more confident and focused. I keep an open mind and make it a habit to do things that are uncommon for me. I am getting to know my fears, maybe we’re even gonna be friends (okay, good aquaintances…)
I take more pride in who I am, what I do and what I am capable of.
And that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head.
Would you recommend it to others?
Yes: If you are really out to get where you wanna be. This isn’t a cake walk, it gets overwhelming, you’ll go through tough times, but there is so incredibly much to gain
If you’re really up for it.
Paul and Angel are both incredibly inspiring persons and got out of their way to help me with relevant & helpful advice.
You’re in the hands of people that honestly & truthfully love what they do.
Has it been worth the investment?
YesYesYesYesYes!
YES.
Sarah Palisi. Hamburg Germany.
“Paul is a beacon of light within the creative industry. Over the past 18 months he has worked closely with me in order to help me achieve a successful career as a freelance illustrator specializing in character design.
His ideas and advice have been specific to my circumstance. Along my creative journey I have faced many challenges and obstacles, and it has been Paul’s one on one, online coaching that has steered me in the right direction every time.
Paul has helped devise successful marketing strategies that have enabled me to reach my target audience. He has always been at hand for advice, and I have found his approach extremely professional.
18 months ago I was an unknown artist, struggling to realize my dream as a successful creative. 18 months later I have exhibited work around the world in 21 exhibitions (and counting). My work has featured in several publications. I have been interviewed by magazines, websites and radio stations.
I have been approached by large companies and I have collaborated with established artists within my field. I am part of three high profile art collectives, including Boys Who Draw, and I run a very popular blog devoted to the very art that I am passionate about.
This is still the beginning for me, and I can say that Paul’s coaching has played a valuable part in my creative journey thus far. I count myself lucky to be able to work alongside such an inspiring person, and I always look forward to our coaching sessions, as they always leave me feeling even more focused and raring to go than the last time.
I strongly recommend Paul’s services to anyone, as to me they have proved in-valuable.”
Steve Rack, UK
Has the program helped you in any way?
It certainly did, when i started the program I basically was like a sailing boat with no captain being directed by conflicting waves and no planned journey, now I have focus and a goal and I know what i need to do to get there.
Has it changed your way of thinking about anything?
Oh yes, before I thought I might be able to do it, now I know that i am going to make it, I stepped on my fears, of people telling me they don’t like my work, of me thinking that maybe my work is not good enough, now i make sure i am always one step ahead of my fear so it won’t get the chance to push me down, It is not a magic formula.. one has to work to get results, I actually write down every week the AAA document in my note book because it helps me to focus and process the ideas and make connection, and then apply it to my every day life because if I want to successful in my chosen field you have to mold your life to accommodate this success.
Have you taken any new action as a result?
Considering when I started the program i had started and abandoned 101projects, toying with the idea of a blog and a website but never getting to actually do it, add to that I didn’t really know what direction I wanted to go …..
I would say I definitely took action… Now I have a blog, a Facebook page and I am using my twitter in a useful way, a web site is still in the making, and more importantly I am producing work, I am sketching every day and I am putting it all out in the big world and inviting people to have a look, and even had few positive feedback, and to top it all with a dollop of cream I am loving it, I am enjoying the work, I’ve met very interesting people through subvert mag and the AAA program…and I am very proud of the steps I’ve taken in the past 2 months.
Would you recommend it to others?
Yes I definitely would, but as we been told it’s no magic, this program is the keys and the individual need to unlock the doors.
Has it been worth the investment?
YES!!!!
Laila Khubeize. UK.
Has the program helped you in any way?
The AAA Program has helped me immensely. I went in this program as an emerging artist, who has shown in group shows here and there, and although I’ve been getting great feedback on those shows and have built a good network of friends in the art scene (established and emerging) here in New Zealand and in the States, and even though I was slowly seeing the progress in my body of work, I could learn how to sell my works better.
This program is really for people who are already hitting the ground running, but is stuck on some major areas of their career, and would need perspective from someone who knows the realities of this industry and real-world facts that could hinder or help your career. The program, and especially Paul’s hands-on approach on us, really made me see what I was doing “wrong”, what could be done better, and what else I haven’t seen about my situation that could be opportunities/obstacles. I was really surprised, there were a lot of gems on the weekly lessons and his one-on-one chats and direct emails to my specific situation and concerns, and looking back, I definitely believe I wouldn’t even realise most of what he taught maybe until 5 years later of trial and error.
Has it changed your way of thinking about anything?
Definitely. I’m no longer second guessing what I must do next, for one. That fear of ridicule too on putting myself out there all the time have been overcome too. Also because I already learned, through AAA, some things that I wouldn’t even realise until 3 – 5 years of probably costly trial and error, I can focus more on going on to the next level of my career, tick those boxes on my list, without hesitation.
Have you taken any new action as a result?
Yes, several. From methods on improving my work, to my gameplan for the next couple of years, to changing my focus on more productive concerns that will get me results, to my social media presence, I’ve dealt with these things differently this time since the program.
Would you recommend it to others?
When I joined this program, it was on the last day, on the last few hours when this program was open. I actually wasn’t gonna join, because, like many, I was concerned with paying for something I wasn’t sure about. But in the end, I realised, maybe, what I’ll be paying for may be the best bargain for my career in the long run, so I joined, and its one of the best investments I’ve made. So yeah, if you feel you’re on your way but you’re just stuck/clueless in some areas of your career and you wanna move on to the next level, it’s really really worth it.
Has it been worth the investment?
Yep it’s been worth it, I actually think from what I got from it I think it’s a bargain!
Do you think the sessions have been practical?
Yes very practical, and really appropriate too to your specific cases. You have to put the extra work in though, and depending on how much you put in that’s how much you’ll get out of it. And yeah it’s challenging when you have to look yourself in the mirror and scrutinize every bad habit you accumulated in the past that you now have to get rid off. But yeah, thanks Paul and Angel, you guys rock!
Meghan Geliza. Auckland New Zealand.
Has the program helped you in any way?Yes it has! It’s offered a lot of insights into things I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise – such as uncovering the value in what I’m selling, thinking about my customers needs and how that works with what I do, how to make an effective website, and how to use social media to your advantage (especially on a tight marketing budget)!
Has it changed your way of thinking about anything?
It’s encouraged me to think about the whole picture of how I market myself – to come up with an overall strategy. It’s opened my mind to the possibilities of social media and blogs and what they can do – and the importance of offering regular, valuable content on them. It’s also helped me realize that having confidence in my work is really important!
Have you taken any new action as a result?
I’m currently finalizing a bunch of changes to my website to add more written content, more information about me and links to my social media profiles. I’ve also started a new blog and am continually brainstorming new topics to add to it. I will also be ramping up my marketing efforts for this year and using a lot of the advice and overall strategy that Paul has helped me define in the one-on-one coaching sessions.
Would you recommend it to others?
Absolutely. If you’re looking for ways to marry your artwork with a commercial business, and take it to the next level, this is a great program to take part in. It helps those of us who are ambitious but may not be as naturally business minded to become aware of the many ways we can take our careers into our own hands. And in my mind that’s always a good thing – we can always use more resources and help which in the long run will only make our art better!
Has it been worth the investment?
Definitely – I plan to read and re-read the articles in the future to keep reminding me of the valuable points I’ve learned. These are life-long strategies, not just read-once-a-week tidbits. The articles are very rich and informative and have plenty of ideas and challenges to work on for the months to come. I think AAA will be like a fine wine – it will only get better as time goes on and as I have more and more opportunities to apply what I’ve learned!
Do you think the sessions have been practical?
Yes – Paul’s down-to-earth advice is rooted in his own beliefs of testing and getting practical results. As such all the topics have practical advice you can start applying and using right away.
Christine Buijs, Toronto, Canada.
Buy Platinum Membership$2000 USDollars
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Buy Lite Membership$99 USDollars
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Got a last minute question?
Send it to us quickly! Email paul AT subvertmagazine DOT com
