There is no doubt that digital content has been steadily on the rise with no sign of stopping in sight. Websites, Blog posts, pictures, videos, letters, emails, and everything in between are just part of our lives. Back in the day (I like using this phrase because it just seems so old fashioned) when we had to store something of value, we had to find a physical place to store it. Closets, extra rooms, underneath beds and garages were all prime targets. I don’t know how many of you are like me that have a garage for the sole purpose of storage, but I am one of them. When all these options were exhausted, we either looked to buy a bigger house, pay for offsite storage or start going through all the old stuff to make room for the new. This seems old and outdated now in a world of digital data. On the surface, one would think everything going “digital” would make all this storage debacle obsolete. Let’s face it. We don’t have all these paper documents. No more pictures, magazines, newspapers, and most importantly, no more physical books (setting aside the book enthusiasts that just can’t let go of the feeling of reading an actual physical book). It should feel like storage is a thing of the past, so why I am spending so much time trying to manage my storage.

Digital storage, as it turns out, is no better than physical storage. I personally subscribe to three cloud storage subscriptions for myself in addition to the free storage space on my iPhone and laptop and still feel there just isn’t enough room. Last week I spent countless hours scrolling through some old content to make room for new memories and now I am looking at having to upgrade my laptop for more space because it simply can’t handle all the files that I need to download when creating online content. Between pictures and videos, I have over 5 TB of data. Storage problems of the past remain storage problems of the present. Instead of upgrading my home, I have to upgrade my computer. Instead of clearing out my garage I am clearing out my phone and laptop. Instead of paying for offsite storage spaces I am paying for cloud storage subscriptions. Which one is worse? I don’t know but I do not see anything changing anytime soon. When did this become such a thing?

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

I just posted my most epic video on YouTube using all the knowledge that I learned over the past 5 months. My focus on this video was on showing the story instead of telling the story so I had to collect a lot of footage. I also upped my game on the text animations, audio control and music. I am excited to hear your thoughts on it. You can check it out here:

🏆What I am learning

🎓Computer Science

I am still working on Harvard University’s CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science Course. I am on week 6.

📊Data Science

Working through the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate Course available through Coursera.

🎬Film Making

I am going all in on the editing now. It is taking much longer to put out my content, but I am determined to get better at it. I did a lot of experimenting this past week with B-roll footage and how to incorporate that into my videos to show the story rather than to tell the story. As a result, I had to change my video creation method a little. I am scripting much more before filming as it gives me direction on what kind of video footage I will need.

📖What I am reading

I completed the Audio book of Longshot by Zach Graumann. It was an easy listen and since Zach narrated it himself it was delivered well. I always prefer audiobooks that are narrated by the authors themselves. The book delivered on its promise to tell the story of Andrew Yang’s longshot campaign for the Presidency in 2020 but there was much more meat to it about building a brand. I will look to update my website with my summary this week if you are looking for some more details. If you want to check out this book for yourself here is a link for you:  Longshot by Zach Graumann

🛠️What Projects am I Doing?

👉Building a new client website

I am impressed with how this new website is coming along with Shopify. I find that their choice of templates is a little limiting unless you want to pay for some fancier ones, but they are simple for a reason. They want to make it easy for someone with no experience to get their ecommerce store up and running. Despite the lack of options with their templates, I am impressed with their built-in integrations and other resources that are available for small businesses. I have to say it is much easier finding the necessary tools for automation and marketing on Shopify than any other website builder that I have used in the past. I hope to have this project completed and the store running by the end of the month.

👉Complete Business Start-Up Resource Guide:

I keep building on this resource guide and I am starting to realize that if I don’t decide that enough is enough, that this project may go on forever. There are just so many resources available that I will not be able to capture them all. I am to the point where I am looking for the best few options to feature in the guide and keep it simple. The last thing a new business owner needs is too many choices. I am working on narrowing down the resources now and will be releasing the guide featuring only those that made the cut.

👉Creating a Data Scientist Roadmap:

Narrowing down on the final version of this one. I just added some preliminary training courses on Data Analytics in the beginning and will be fine tuning this over the next couple of weeks for release this summer.

👉Blockchain Developer Roadmap

Blockchain Developer Roadmap still in the works. 

👉My Complete Work at Home Setup Resource Guide

I just released a brand-new resource guide that is available as templates in both Notion and Airtable. This resource guide is a supplement to the video I just released, and its initial use case is to be used as a shopping guide for anyone who is looking for some work at home office ideas but there is a secondary and more universal use for these templates. This can also be used as a template for anyone who is looking to track their belongings for insurance purposes. Anyone who has ever had to file a homeowners or renters insurance claim will know the experience of trying to itemize everything that had been lost or stolen. These templates are a great way of capturing all this information in a database that is stored in the cloud that will provide the name of the item, a picture and the price/value of such items. This will make reporting much easier.  

👉Major Project Announcement Coming Soon….

I just had a call with a potential partner on a new project. I am hoping to officially announce it next week once all the details are finalized. This is an exciting new opportunity that validates the theory of building in public. Stay tuned for more details…

💝What I am loving

🦃Turkey – No, not the bird turkey but the country Turkey . My wife recently went on a trip to Turkey to look about some dental work. I was not able to go with her because of my obligations at home and work but we did some research together and what we found out was surprisingly wonderful. I did not realize there was so much to do in that country. My wife had nothing but great things to say about the country and its people. She has to go back in a few months to complete the dental work and I am hoping to go with her this time to witness it all for myself. 

📊Random Insights

When I embarked on this creator journey not too long ago, I was not sure what to expect. I wanted to be true to myself and just work on passion projects. That’s exactly what I have been doing for 6 months now and the rewards are much more than I imagined. I have gained many new friends, I am in a better frame of mind, I am happier, and I am excited for my future. Up to this point I cannot say that it has benefitted me financially because there has not been any monetization of this endeavor YET,  but with your help I am on my way.

A couple of weeks ago I shared in the excitement of the new installment of the Star Wars Saga when Obi-Wan Kenobi premiered on Disney Plus. I have to admit that I am a huge Star Wars fan but not a Phanatic. I grew up during the time of the original Star Wars Trilogy and it has always had a special place in my heart. So when Disney announced that the latest installment was going to be released, I was excited. Even better , it was released on a weekend when my wife happened to be away so I really got to binge on it and even went as far as to binge on the Book of Boba Fett as well. Here is what that looked like:

Now that I am older and our society has certainly changed it is worth taking a new look at Star Wars from an AI Perspective. Let’s face it, the older episodes just seemed so far fetched because our technology was no where near the capabilities portrayed in the movie, but now It’s a whole different story. As I sat and watched I could not help but think to myself (alien life forms aside), this may be a better prediction of the future than anyone of else actually realized at first. Here are some of the key points that I paid attention to and maybe you should as well.

1.    Robots living and working along side humans:

2.    Robots capable of performing surgeries and repairing other technology.

3.    Robots having conversations with us and each other.

4.    Robots being able to interpret multiple languages.

5.    People being repaired with robotic limbs and organs.

6.    Armies of Drones and weapons capable of mass destruction.

7.    Robots replacing humans for remedial tasks and jobs.

8.    3D holograms for people to communicate with each other either pre-recorded or in real time.

9.    Inter-planetary travel with no visas or passports.

10.  3D Maps and blueprints in real time  

Now if we just set aside the word “robot: and replace it with “artificial intelligence” does it seem that we are that far away from this as a part of our reality. Just some food for thought this week.

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

I learned so much about editing over the past several months that I felt as though I should refresh my channel trailer using some of what I have learned. It is a short video, but it represents where I am today versus 6 months ago when I first dropped it. Progress is a good thing and I am happy with my growth so far. You can tell the difference between then and now.  You can check it out here: Introduction to Paul Milakeve

🏆What I am learning

🎓Computer Science

I am still working on Harvard University’s CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science Course. I am on week 6.

📊Data Science

• I found additional resources on Data Science and Data Analytics.

• Just started the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate Course available through Coursera.

🎬Film Making

• Found some new tips and tricks to make my editing faster on Camtasia.

• Started using Adobe Premier and Adobe Rush to do some practice videos.

🚀Blockchain

Found a great new resource on Blockchain and Web 3.0 technology. I am adding it to my Blockchain Developer Roadmap.

📖What I am reading

Moving along nicely with my audiobook Longshot by Zach Graumann. He does a great job narrating it and it is actually more helpful to me as an entrepreneur than I thought it would be. Some of this insights into the early days of a presidential campaign can be applied to any start up business and it is good to hear the success and failures.

🛠️Project Updates

**👉Building a new client website **Its going to be an ecommerce fashion site so I am thinking about using Shopify. Any thoughts?

👉Complete Business Start-Up Resource Guide:

Some great additions to this project this week. Still building.

👉Creating a Data Scientist Roadmap:

Found a few more resources that I am adding to the list.

👉Blockchain Developer Roadmap

Found a few more resources that I am adding to the list.

👉Learning Adobe Premier Pro

Still experimenting. I ran into a snag due to the storage limitations on my Surface Pro 6. I was able to get some practice in on Adobne Rush which does not take up as much storage space. I will need to look at upgrading or look at some alternatives. Stay tuned…..

❤️What I am loving

🔥Tina Huang – I have been binging on some of Tina’s videos this past week. She is a Data Scientist and YouTuber with some helpful content the field of data science and overall learning. If you are a fan of mine you will love her as well. Tina Huang's YouTube Channel

📊Random Insights

As I was going through photos and videos for some B-Roll footage this past week I came across dozens of old pictures from years ago. I knew they were saved to files somewhere but with everything going on I had simply put them out of my mind. Once they resurfaced, I couldn’t help but to go through them. It was some interesting conversation for my wife and I to reflect on those photos, reminisce about where we were in our lives then and have a few laughs at our fashion sense and awkward poses (we hadn’t mastered the art of the selfie yet). It was fun going down memory lane for a short while but we realized that our past was just part of a long journey to bring us where we are today. We learned new skills, found new interests, started new businesses, found new friends, raised a family and built many memories that define our journey. Our journey had ups and downs, successes and failures, pain and pleasure but it is OURS. It is the journey that I leave you with today. How do you define your journey?

1.    Skill Up. We all want to achieve certain goals. Maybe get a promotion, a new job, start a business or just be better at what we are currently doing. Skilling up to learn a new skill or hobby has never been easier. There are plenty of resources available on the internet but in case you need some help you can check out my video on how to get access to Ivy League Courses for free here:

2.     **Read good books. **Whether you are looking to escape from reality, escape to another dimension or just ease your curiosity about a topic or subject, reading offers us a way to do all of that. Your summer reading should be a combination of interests that feed your soul and mind. If you are looking for some ideas, I published a video with several recommendations of 7 Books that you NEED to read this summer.

3.    **Spend time with the loved ones. **Since school is out for the season in most places, summer offers a time for us to spend more time with the kids. This can be as simple as stopping in on them with a surprise dinner or setting up a trip for the family. In my experience it is usually the spontaneous gestures that work the best. Your heart gets full, and the kids will enjoy it (even if they don’t admit it).

4.    Take a trip with your loved ones or friends. In my house, my wife and I do enjoy traveling and summer offers many possibilities. This year we are planning to do a cruise for the first time. For some of you, something as simple as a two night stay at a hotel in the local area is enough of a break from the normal to get away and refresh the mind and soul. Whatever action you take, make sure you disconnect from work or business for a day or so and focus on your relationships.

5.   ** Enjoy the outdoors**. We have been in lock down enough over the past couple of years. Now is a good time to dip our toes into the outside world again. Find open air places to go to like the beach, the zoo, the forest, whatever is in your local area. The wife and I went to a local carnival the other week and we had so much fun that we felt like kids again. There is nothing better to relieve stress than to scream it away at an amusement park or attraction.

6.    Take a few days to do nothing at all. In these days of the grind and hustle mentality, some of us (myself included) may find it hard to just spend time doing nothing but it is important for us to just take a break. This is separate from a vacation which usually involves planning, commitment and financing. This is a simple day or two off work to stay at home just to sleep, eat good food, binge out on some TV, play video games, read a book and just lay around in your pajamas. (Embarrassing to say, but there are days that I do this and do not even shower.)  It is so good to veg out occasionally. Try it and thank me later.

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

My latest video reveals my Summer Book Haul: 7 Books that You NEED to Read This Summer. Check it out here:

🏆What I am learning

🎓Computer Science

I am still working on Harvard University’s CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science Course. I am on week 6.

📊Data Science

• I found additional resources on Data Science and Data Analytics.

• I recently completed the Analyzing Data with Excel Course from IBM through Edx.

• I just received my copy of Storytelling with Data.

• I am enrolled in Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate Course available through Coursera. I have not started it yet but plan to jump in this week

🎬Film Making

I recently experienced technical problems with using Camtasia as my editing software, so I stepped up my game in learning Adobe Premier. I am going to try to use Premier Pro for my next video that I hope to release next week. Stay tuned and tell me what you think. I feel I made progress with my editing skills. I am getting comfortable with Camtasia and having a hard time biting the bullet to switch to Premier Pro. I know it is an overall better program and it will step my video game up a notch but……..

🚀Blockchain

Despite the craziness in the Crypto markets right now, there are exciting opportunities in the future for blockchain. I am compiling my list of resources on this still and hope to have something available for everyone to check out in the next month or so.

📖What I am reading

So many exciting things going on here.

• I just received my Storytelling with Data book in the mail. Yes, it is a physical copy because I will be using this as a resource for years to come. Here is the link: Storytelling with Data

• I downloaded Longshot by Zach Graumann to my Audible library and will be diving in this week. Here is the link: Longshot

• I have two books on deck on Kindle. Die with Zero from Bill Perkins https://amzn.to/3DAIb2M and The Unfair Advantage from Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba. Here is that link: The Unfair Advantage

🛠️Project Updates

I am total revamping my website and making changes to how this is formatted on this newsletter. Stay tuned for updates as I experiment with ways to be the most effective in bringing you relevant and timely information.

❤️What I am loving

**📺The Offer: **This is a series on Paramount Plus that gives us the back story on the making of the movie The Godfather. It’s a very intriguing look at the early days of Hollywood when creativity flourished but the back room deals, and politics started to infiltrate the industry. I was surprised at the amount of resistance there was to the making of the film as much as I was encouraged to see the tenacity and determination by multiple players that was required to get this done

**🌟Star Wars: **Disney Plus just released the latest in the Star Wars Saga. I will have more to write on this next week as I gather my thoughts, but Obi-Wan Kenobi is a much anticipated mini-series that chronicles the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi. One of the few characters to be an integral part of the overall Star Wars Enterprise. As of the release of this article, only the first two of six episodes are available.

📊Random Insights

I am going to keep this short today so that you can get on with your holiday. Let us take some time this holiday to reflect on the reason for it. Memorial Day is when we are to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Military. Sometimes we forget the bravery and sacrifice of these people who gave their lives so that we can read newsletters and watch the programs that we love. Freedom should not be taken for granted. Freedom is the result of their sacrifice and will continue to be tested for years to come. Current events in Ukraine and Russia are reminders of the delicate nature of freedom. Let us take time to remember those that sacrificed so that we can have so much.

Some procrastinators simply enjoy the thrill of it. They like the pressure and feel it brings out the best in them. They are the thrill seekers.

Some procrastinators are just bad at managing time. They get bogged down with other things and lose track of time. These are the delayers.

Some procrastinators are perfectionists. They have plenty of time, they manage the projects well, but just can’t let it go because they are constantly tweaking and improving on their work until they run out of time and cannot do anything more to make it perfect. These are the perfectionists.

Some procrastinators are just carefree. They don’t even think about a project or task until it is due. These are non-planners.

Some procrastinators want to stop, and others have no concern whatsoever.  I am a perfectionist. I keep tweaking and adjusting and modifying until I run out of time. What kind of procrastinator are you?

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

My most recent YouTube video gives a SIMPLE and EASY way to Sell Digital Products Online for Free by Using Gumroad. I love this company and thought I should spread the news about how simple and cost effective it is to get your digital product released to the world. You can check it out here:

🏆What I am learning

🎓Computer Science

I am still working on Harvard University’s CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science Course. I am on week 6.

📊Data Science

Still digging deep into Python through the Codecademy course.

🎬Film Making

I feel I made progress with my editing skills. I am getting comfortable with Camtasia and having a hard time biting the bullet to switch to Premier Pro. I know it is an overall better program and it will step my video game up a notch but……..

🚀Blockchain

I am still stuck on the Capstone Project Part of the Blockchain Academy Course through DAPP University. I hope to get back to it soon.

📖What I am reading

I finished The Atomic Idea Framework : A Radically Simple Method to Become a Content Machine. I think I will release my video with a full review soon so stay tuned to check that out. You can get yourself a copy on Gumroad. Here is the link:  The Atomic Idea Framework : A Radically Simple Method to Become a Content Machine (gumroad.com)

🛠️Project Updates

⌨️Increasing my typing efficiency: YIKES!!  That is all I have to say about this one.

❤️What I am loving

**🎙️Podcast: **Reflections of History. This is a fabulous podcast by the team at C13 Originals and narrated by Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author Jon Meacham. There is no doubt that Jon’s narration is golden with a voice that was made for this, but the content is rich and diverse. Each day is another short story of something that happened on that day in history. These critical moments in our history are encouraging and inspirational. I listen to an episode every morning while I walk my dog before I get into some of my other business-related content. It is always good for the soul to hear some amazing stories of the past so we can be inspired for the future.

🥬Green Chef: Since my wife and I started our Keto Diet journey we have been looking for fun and exciting meals to cook to keep it fun. She suggested that we try this service called Green Chef. This is a subscription service that will send you meals with organic ingredients based upon your dietary preferences like vegan, paleo and keto. We chose the Keto diet and requested to get 4 meals a week to start. We received our first delivery this week and we tried it. Each meal comes with a main protein and all the necessary sides to create the meal. They also come with a card with the recipe and instructions on how to prepare it. Our first meal was fish with creamed Kale and Sauteed Squash. It was easy to follow and delicious. We are excited to try the other meals before we make a final decision on continuing the subscription, but it is looking good for the Green Chef right now. Here is a link to save $125 to sign up if you want to try them for yourself. https://chef.greenchef.com/plans?utm_campaign=clipboard&utm_source=raf-share&utm_medium=referral&c=HS-LYWBEM95X

📊Random Insights

🐦Twitter. We will set aside the drama going on with Elon Musk and all the rumors and speculation about what he may do with it if/when he becomes the owner. Let’s focus on the community itself. I have met some amazing friends on Twitter that continue to create, inspire, teach, and support one another. I know that social media networks can be tricky sometimes as haters, bullies and bots are a major problem, but overall, there is huge value in these networks. The entire landscape has changed for the small creators and businesses because these networks exist. We do have an opportunity to reach a large worldwide audience for FREE. This still blows my mind. It’s a great time to be a creator, entrepreneur and small business owner.

I am going to call out a few notable favorites within my community that I encourage you check out if ever in the Twitterverse yourself.

@heyzoish

@freezebrain

@RedGregory1

@moina_abdul

@IAmPascio

@Junhanchin

@AidaMAlston

@Brodydoes

@tracytangtt

@maneetpaul

@HudsonRennie

@chargrysolle

@heyeaslo

@elliottaleksndr

@indigosblog

@NotionMolly

@HelloNicole01

I fought this one for a long time. I am typically not a morning person. I love my sleep and I typically would try to get as much bedtime as possible in the morning until I finally realized that there was no way I was going to change my life unless I made some drastic changes. There was just too much I wanted to do and not enough time to get it all done.   This forced me to make a change. I committed to getting up early every morning. It took a few weeks to get into it because the first couple of weeks was a lot of hitting the snooze button. (Ultimately that made the wake-up experience even worse because not only was I not getting a solid sleep, but I was also not getting anything done with that time). It was like I fell into a different dimension where nothing existed. No sleep and no productivity.

Once I got used to it, I found huge benefits in having an extra hour to myself. I soon thirsted for more and stepped my game up and started waking up 2 hours early every morning. I reflected on this in my latest YouTube video (which I encourage you to check out). If YouTube is not your thing, let me provide you with a summary of what I am able to do with 2 hours of extra time per day.

1.    Have some quiet time to reflect

2.    Read all my Readwise highlights for the day

3.    Spend some time in my morning devotional and prayer

4.    Get some quality time reading a book

5.    Check my Twitter and interact with some Twitter friends.

6.    Spend additional time listening to Podcasts if needed beyond what I listen to while walking the dog.

7.    Spend some time learning topics of interest like coding, blockchain and data science.

The short of it is that by waking up early every morning I allow myself the time to focus on myself so that I can have time later to focus on work and everyone else. If you have not worked out some time on your schedule to focus on your interests and passions, I suggest that you start today.

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

This week’s video discusses how I 10X’d My Productivity by waking up early every morning. It is worth a watch if you need some encouragement in finding time to pursue your passions and interests. You can check it out here:

🏆What I am learning

It was a tough week this week. My wife and I have been sick all week. It is not COVID, but it is a pretty bad flu or something so my time spent on learning has been a little limited. Here are the updates as to where things are:

🎓Computer Science

I am still working on Harvard University’s CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science Course. I am on week 5.

📊Data Science

Codecademy course in progress. Digging deep into Python right now.

🎬Film Making

This is one area where I spent the most time. I am working on improving my videos. I subscribed to Artlist.io for music and I am learning Premier Pro. All of my videos are still being done in Camtasia for now but I have a kind of shadowing thing going on in Premier Pro so I can get the hang of it. Tell me what you think about the latest video.

🚀Blockchain

I am still stuck on the Capstone Project Part of the Blockchain Academy Course through DAPP University. I hope to get back to it soon.

📖What I am reading

The Atomic Idea Framework : A Radically Simple Method to Become a Content Machine. I just started to dive in to it. It is a quick eBook so I plan on going through it this week and publishing my review soon. You can get yourself a copy on Gumroad. Here is the link:  The Atomic Idea Framework : A Radically Simple Method to Become a Content Machine (gumroad.com)

🛠️Project Updates

⌨️Increasing my typing efficiency: What can I say about this one. It’s a challenge but I am working on it….STILL

👍What I am loving

The Outlaws- This is a fun mini-series on Amazon Prime starring one of my favorite actors, Christopher Walken. It is about a diverse group of misfits from different backgrounds that all get into some legal trouble. Instead of going to jail, they all get sentenced to community service working on a project together. Their misadventures are carried out through the show as they build unlikely friendships and a strong bond. This series is fun and fresh while touching on some social prejudices in a light-hearted but entertaining manner. I would definitely recommend it.

📊Random Insights

**Health: **Our health has been at the top of my mind this week with my wife and I both sick. We both tested negative for COVID but the process of getting tested was terrifying. We are both vaccinated but with the virus still making its rounds and new breakthrough cases happening all the time we know that we are not out of the woods. The whole experience has us thankful for where we are but cautious for the future. We have been losing weight on our Keto diet but now we are looking to step it up a notch and get back to some form of exercise. Being healthy is a lifestyle that we all need to adopt. Hopefully you are practicing some form of healthy habits to keep you mentally and physically healthy.

Reading has always been fundamental in my life but as things become more digital and resources multiply, I do find it becoming increasingly challenging to weed through the junk. I keep my mind open to hear about recommendations from my co-workers, my Twitter community, YouTube and Podcasts that I listen to and of course all of you. Feel free to share your book recommendations with me at any time.  

I recently completed work on my book reading system database using Airtable that helps me track the entire book reading journey from when I first heard about the book through completion of a published review.

In summary, this is what the system does:

Keep track of all the books that I want to read, where I heard about them and why I want to read them.

Tracks the progress on where I am with all books on a weekly basis.

Gives me a quick visual of the types of topics that I am reading and helps me maintain a balance. Reading too much about one topic can be dangerous as it can create reading burnout and a false sense of knowing everything.

Holds me accountable for taking effective notes and sharing those with my community.

Encourages me to experiment and find new ideas to read about.

I hope you have a system for your reading. If you are interested in getting a copy of my Airtable database just let me know and I will be happy to share it with you.

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

I just completed my latest video on YouTube discussing How to find and READ books that are actually worth your time which actually inspired this weeks newsletter topic. You can view the full video here:

🏆What I am learning

🎓Harvard University’s CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science Course is coming along nicely. I am up to week three of the course and could not be happier with the content.

📊I also started with my Codecademy courses. I chose the Data Scientist learning path so I can make sure that I approach software programming from different angles. My multi-specialty approach of learning general computer programming, data science and blockchain technology is taking shape and should open up my eyes to a world of different options and possibilities.

🎬If you watched my video you will notice that I am stepping up my video making game. I subscribed to a new service to get copyright free music and sound effects. This can really impact the quality of videos that I am about to produce. I am still using Camtasia as my main editing tool, however, I did subscribe to the Adobe cloud suite of products and will be learning how to use those soon to give me a more comprehensive approach to video making.

📖What I am reading

📚I am still listening to Sing to Me by LA Reid on Audible. It has gotten me feeling nostalgic just as I thought it would. It’s been a while since I spent any time with music. I had some great times in the industry and I miss some of my friends and networks that I built there, but mostly I miss simply enjoying music. I have to start listening to it a little more frequently again.

🛠️Project Updates

⌨️Increasing my typing efficiency: I abandoned the typing tests on 1fastfingers.com to replace it with some hardcore practice on the touch-typing method. This new website that I found helps me practice typing in a way that forces you to memorize where the keys are on the keyboard, so you commit them to your muscle memory. It is a little frustrating because my 40 wpm dropped to 20 wpm when I first started as I no longer rely on my old typing habits. They say sometimes you must take one step back for two steps forward. Time will tell but I do feel good about my results. I realized my biggest challenge so far has been with the letter “S” as it is in a weird place on the keyboard and my finger does not want to cooperate with me.   

🎥 Editing and Video Making: I enrolled the 14 Day Filmmaker course and have been taking notes in my Notion Dashboard. So far I have learned about different camera gear, focal lengths, Ideal image composition,  camera angles and movement  and I am only on Day 4. Over the next week I am excited about getting into  the editing course that will help me start playing with Adobe Premier.

🚀Becoming a Blockchain Developer: I am still trucking along here. I found some new powerful courses that I am excited about and added them to my Becoming a Blockchain Developer Roadmap that I am working on. I hope it will become a great resource for others that are looking to get into the filed once I am completed with it.

❤️What I am loving

📺My wife and I started binge watching a new series on Netflix. It is called Young, Famous and African. It is another addition to the world of “reality TV’. It is a mixture of the “housewives” model crossed with the “love and Hip Hop” model. I like it mostly because it highlights successful Africans opens our eyes to the luxury world of South Africa which many of us may not even know exists. There is plenty of the usual “reality TV drama” of course with tensions between the characters and whirlwind romance twists. It is a must see if you like that type of thing. There is only 1 season available right now, but my guess is they will renew it for more seasons that will be available shortly.

📊Random Insights

Music. I have some random thoughts on music this week. I mentioned earlier that I have been feeling a little nostalgic listening to Sing to Me by LA Reid. It was written in 2016 just as the entire music industry started undergoing the current digital transformation. His experience spanned the golden years of music as I will call it as hip-hop and rap music transcended into the mainstream. I remember being an early adopter of rap music with Run DMC, The Fat Boys and LL Cool J. It was not cool for a white boy to listen to rap music back then. I was chastised for it during high school and often laughed at. It’s amazing to see how things have changed over the years. Rap music has created muti millionaires and has become a key part of our society.

Music was an outlet for me to express my creativity and uniqueness and my early adoption of the art form opened many exciting doors for me. I started my journey into entrepreneurship in high school by starting my own record label and eventually branched out into several other directions over the years. My last entrepreneurial endeavor in the music business was an attempt to start a music publishing company that would license music for commercial use. It was called Nothing Like This Music and we had a diverse roster of artists and producers willing to create music for us to license. This was in the early days of digital music. My project eventually died because of a lack of funding as life got the best of me and I had to focus on my family obligations.

I look at companies like Epidemic Sound and Artlist and wonder, was I on to something at that time? I just spent $300 for a one year subscription to Artlist. They are operating in the exact model that I was looking to adopt.  

Was I too early of a visionary? Was I just a bad businessperson? Maybe I was just underfunded? Whatever the reason, I know that I was on the cutting edge of the industry at the time and I was there because of my willingness to learn and try new things.  I continue that practice today. I am always looking to learn the latest technologies and be on the forefront of innovation. Maybe my learning journey into computer science and blockchain technology will bring me the next million dollar idea. What are you working on?

I recently came across a tweet by one of my online friends. It was very simple but resonated with me so much that it got me thinking about the dilemma of curiosity. Here is the tweet below (make sure you follow her on twitter).

https://twitter.com/HelloNicole01

https://twitter.com/HelloNicole01/status/1502299513507426305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1502299513507426305%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FHelloNicole012Fstatus2F1502299513507426305widget%3DTweet

You see, the reason why it resonated with me so much is because at the time I read this I was deep in preparation for my latest video on productivity apps. What I realized is that I am so curious about learning everything about them and all the competitors that my time is consumed with learning. While I was reading that I was looking into another app called Coda which seemed interesting to me but here is the catch…. I do not need another productivity app. I have found a great system with the ones that I have so why I am so into learning about this one? The answer…..CURIOSITY. I am just a curious person and always have been. I like to learn new things and I am always interested in hearing about the latest innovations. I’ve asked myself “Is it just me?” I guess not. Are you one of the curious types? Do you find that your curiosity is creeping into your productivity? Let me know. Thanks @HelloNicole01 for sparking such a sudden and unexpected debate in my mind.

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

I have figured out the best Video Planning system using Notion, Airtable, and Miro and lived to tell about it. Here is my new video explaining my process.

🏆What I am learning

🎓I started the Harvard University’s CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science Course. I just stepped into it so I don’t have a comprehensive analysis yet, but I can tell the material is presented in a powerful and interesting way. Can’t wait to share with you all what I have learned.

📖What I am reading

📚I went into my Audible library just to find out that I have about 5 books that I haven’t started to listen to yet. I used to listen to Audible much more often when I had to commute to work. Since the pandemic and the ability to work from home I have switched to Kindle books because I prefer the ability to take notes and link it to my Readwise account for future reference. I find I enjoy the audible versions for things like biographies or historical case studies where I do not typically take a lot of notes. In my search I found this book by LA Reid called Sing to Me. I remember wanting to read about his long and successful career in the music business. It is a little nostalgic for me since I have roots in the music business. This is now part of my listening routine in the morning.

🛠️Project Updates

⌨️Increasing my typing efficiency: After 3 weeks of typing tests, I realized I have gotten nowhere with my speed. I realized that I need some serious time to dedicate to this because every time I start to show improvements in my speed, I go back to it the next day just to be where I was when it all began. I have not changed my typing pattern at all and find that I am using a weird four finger method of typing. It’s time to get serious and make a serious commitment to improvement.

Starting average: 40 WPM

Week ending 3/20/22: Typing average 40 WPM

🏗️ Studio makeover: It is complete. I have everything that I want in my studio/office and making a few tweaks for maximum impact. I am excited to share it with you all.

✅New Business Checklist: I am chipping away at this one. I still have a few more weeks of tweaks before publishing it. Stay tuned…

🚀Becoming a Blockchain Developer: Someone reached out to me on YouTube saying they are looking to become a blockchain developer as well. It’s good to know there is a growing community of us out there. I’m digging in and as I mentioned earlier, I am focusing my learning on the Harvard University CS50 Introduction to Computer Science Course now. I think it is a good idea to know about the fundamentals of computer science regardless of what time of developer you want to become.

❤️What I am loving

💪Super Pumped: This is a new series on Showtime about Travis Kalanick and the rise of Uber. It reminds me some of a book I previously read called “The Upstarts” by Brad Stone but not as good. The book did a much better job of explaining all the trouble Uber had in the beginning, but the show is a good supplement and more casual way of getting a summary of the journey. If this kind of thing interests you, I would recommend getting a copy of The Upstarts by Brad Stone. I will make it easy for you and provide you with my affiliate link to purchase the book on Amazon and let me share in a small affiliate commission. The Upstarts by Brad Stone

💯Niklas Christl on YouTube. This is an amazing storyteller and film maker and his videos have inspired me to step up my game. I am a long way from being able to reach his level, but he is adding some new excitement to the YouTube landscape. You will hopefully find some of his influences on some of my newer material that I will be releasing soon. We all know the saying, “Imitation is the best form of flattery”…. Anyway here is a link to his channel if you are really in the mood to do some serious binge watching. Niklas Christl on YouTube

📊Random Insights

I have some random questions for you this week in our random insights section. Here are a few questions to consider:

❓Is it better to work on making money doing something you love, even if it may be hard to make money doing it or is it better to learn to learn things that can make you money?

👨‍🎓If you could go back to high school knowing what you know today, what would you do differently?

🔑Do you think that luck has anything to do with someone’s success or is it all hard work and determination?

🛠️What is the hardest thing that you have ever had to deal with in your life and how has it changed you?

One of the advantages to the internet is to find so many people with hobbies and talents that I never knew existed years ago. Not only has the internet made it possible for people to find out about new hobbies but it also allows hobby enthusiasts to share their love with a community of like-minded people and actually monetize these hobbies. I think it is an overall win for all of us. Afterall, what is so bad about finding new hobbies?

One hobby that I was introduced to is this hobby of customized mechanical keyboards. I really had no desire to spend so much time learning about keyboards but there I was, spending hours watching YouTube videos on these things. I did enjoy them and have a huge amount of respect for people that dedicate so much time on these things, but I had to check myself when I realized that I started to get analysis paralysis (the problem of not being able to make a decision because there is too much information to consider).

All of this got me to thinking about these rabbit holes that we all climb. Sometimes they can very positive and exciting. Other times they become time consuming and expensive. I finally did make a decision and purchased my keyboard. I have one more coming that I want to check out for comparison and think I am done with that rabbit hole, or so I thought. So why do I keep going back to watch more videos about it?

🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel

I did my first video in my series on the gadgets and technology that helps us build our brand and improve our life and business. The video is an unboxing video of my first mechanical keyboard by IQUNIX. I mentioned this keyboard last week so now you can check it out here: IQUNIX F96 Unboxing

🏆What I am learning

🎓I am knee deep in my blockchain learning. I am almost finished with the preliminary learning through DAPP University’s Blockchain Developer Course. I learned about crypto wallets, SMART contracts and Etherium. I was introduced to the Etherscan website and Metamask chrome extension. I plan on finishing up the preliminary learning this week and then start digging into the good stuff…the capstone projects. These projects will give me actual hands-on practice applying some of the things that we discussed in the course.

🌱I set-up my Metamask account and purchased my first NFT this past week. I am excited to be a member of Lobby3. Can you find me on their webpage here: Lobby3

I am member #708

As someone who is looking to become part of the blockchain community I am always interested in finding new ways to use my knowledge for good. I am excited to see what things they have in store for this new endeavor.

📖What I am reading

I completed my reading of the Minimalist Entrepreneur sample copy and certainly convinced that I will purchase the complete book. I am looking to do my book Haul soon so look for that to hit my YouTube channel soon. I have some diverse new additions to my reading list and I am excited to get started on them

🛠️Project Updates

⌨️Increasing my typing efficiency: After 2 weeks of typing tests I realized I have gotten nowhere with my speed. A change of strategy is in order.

Starting average: 40 WPM

Week ending 3/13/22: Typing average 40 WPM

🏗️ Studio makeover: My makeover is just about complete. I am waiting on two more things to come this week and then I will be ready to share the results. Be on the lookout for it.

✅**New Business Checklist: **I am making progress on this check list. I have a few more weeks of tweaks before publishing it. Stay tuned…

🚀Becoming a Blockchain Developer: As mentioned in the learning section I am about to get started with the Capstone portion of my training. This is where the rubber meets the road.

❤️What I am loving

🐦Tracy Tang - I started following this person on Twitter. @tracytangtt. She is a talented artist that has some fascinating doodles on her twitter page on ideas on how to be a better human. I encourage you all to check her out. Here is an example of one her tweets that I especially enjoyed:

⌨️IQUNIX F96 Mechanical Keyboard: Yes. I am enjoying my new keyboard after about one week of use. My wife on the other hand doesn’t necessarily enjoy the clickiness of the keyboard. Glad I didn’t go with the blue switches….

📊Random Insights

With things getting back to normal (or at least the new normal) I wander if things will ever be the same as they were. We have all been introduced to new ways of working, shopping, communicating with friends and family, and even how we worship and consume entertainment. Here is a short list of changes that I see in my life:

🍿I have not been to a movie theater in years and don’t miss it.

🏡I redecorated my entire house to accommodate working from home and hope to never have to go back to the office again.

📺I found much more content to watch on streaming TV then I ever did with cable.

🚗I don’t drive nearly as much as I used to and when I do I realize how much I don’t like going to gas stations (let alone trying to keep up with the best gas prices)

🏷️I value spending money on the comfort of my home more than I value having a nice care or expensive clothing.

🥩I love the convenience of curb side take-out rather than having to get out of my car to walk inside the restaurant to pick up my order. (Is that just laziness?)

I would love to hear from you. What changes you have experienced that you would like to keep.