Welcome to the 1st edition of the Digital Life Download with me, Chris Rudolph. Thanks for being here! The Digital Life Download is a newsletter dedicated to the wild ones brave enough to follow their dream of building a digital marketing business that gives them more freedom and makes a greater impact in the world.
A special welcome to our newest members: Jenny B, Desiree M, Anna B, DP K, Josh K, Lisa M, Fiona L, Niamh W, George BT, Judi H, Sara T, Loretta G, Josh F, Jeff F, Margie R, Shane C, Jakup J, Bronagh M, Laura A, Lon W, Kerra M, Kiky R, Cris M, Gracie Ruth M, Steena C, Katie C, Braden B, Noelle N, Jazmin W, Evelyn M, Hannah C, Tyler C, Kimi C, Ashley B, Renee P, Ash K, Sarah H, Terri S, and Malini R.
Wednesday morning, May 29, 2019, from Madison, Wisconsin.
So here it is, the 1st edition of the Digital Life Download. Now you might be wondering, “What the heck is the Digital Life Download, and why did you start this?
I’ve been a business coach for digital marketing business owners for over 4 years. As I first meet with clients to find out what their dream is for their business, this is what I never hear, “I want to build a large agency with a huge team, office space and lease (and be a slave to the machine).”
Most of the folks I work with came from the large agency or corporate world before they started their business. Many left well-paying jobs, great benefits and an office with their name on it.
Why would someone leave something that sounds so good? Here’s why…the stress, long commutes, working with clients who don’t inspire them, and the two weeks of paid vacation (where they’re taking phone calls and replying to work emails at the pool).
While each dream I hear may be unique and different, the one thing all of them have in common is the desire for freedom. Freedom can mean many things; making great money, doing work they’re passionate about, spending more time with their family, making a difference in the world or the ability to run their business remotely while traveling the world.
I call this dream the “Digital Life.”
The “Digital Life Download” is an email newsletter that I’ll be sending out about once a month (and will be putting my heart and soul into). In this very first issue below, I’ll be share how you can save time with email, how to give the gift of freedom, an influential book I’m re-reading and a food supplement I like.
How To Save Time With Email
While we’re on the topic of freedom, I’d like to touch on freeing up more time. Out of all the resources we at our disposal; money, time, energy, or attention; time is the most limited resource. We all have the same number of hours each week, 168 hours. In the future, we always have the opportunity to make more money, but we can’t get time back.
While working with my clients to free up more time, email is regularly identified as the #1 opportunity for improvement. After doing time audits, email can occupy anywhere from 10-20 hours per week but is also a huge mental drain.
In this video below, I’m going to share with you 5 simple steps to save you time with
Also, if you’re overwhelmed with hundreds of unanswered emails, Unroll.me is a great free tool to reduce the number of emails in your inbox and save you time. In this short, step-by-step video below, I’ll share how you can use it…
How To Use Unroll.me To Save Time With Email
The strategies above are very useful to give you more freedom, but what if you could give freedom as a gift to others?
You can! There are so many great ways you can do this, but I wanted to share about one organization that my family and I are passionate about. The organization is called the International Justice Mission (IJM), and it’s the largest anti-slavery organization in the world. Their model is simple; set slaves free, throw oppressors in jail, and stop the slave trade forever by working with justice systems to protect vulnerable people.
My wife and oldest daughter first introduced me to IJM a few years ago when they first participated in Dressember. Dressember is an international movement of women wearing dresses every single day of December to raise money and awareness to fight modern-day slavery. Most of the funds raised during Dressember goes to IJM. Their passion for this mission inspired me.
Fast forward to last September, and I was attending the Ocean Conference in Cincinnati that featured some pretty big names in the marketing world like Seth Godin and Todd Henry. However, it was during a keynote of someone I had never heard of before that deeply impacted me.
During part of Jesse Rudy of IJM’s moving keynote, he shared a video about a Filipino boy named Maarko, whose family was rescued from cyber-sex trafficking. It totally wrecked me…I couldn’t stop weeping and thinking about my own kids…what would I do if they were in this same situation.
WARNING this video is super intense, graphic and painful to watch, but I’m confident it will move your heart if you chose to watch it – Watch
It moved my heart to the point where I couldn’t be a spectator anymore. I needed to take action. I signed up my business on the spot to become a Freedom Partner and monthly supporter of IJM.
Earlier this spring, my oldest daughter Olivia participated in the “Freedom Swim,” swimming laps to raise money for IJM.
My Favorites – resources I recommend
What I’m re-reading again —
“Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear. I’ve read a ton of books on habits, but this is the best one I’ve read so far. Some habit books share excellent research, others share entertaining stories, while others share actionable tips, but Atomic Habits shares the best combination of all three. I read it, listened to the audio version, and am now re-reading it… it’s that good!
A Tool I’m using daily —
Toggl Free Time Tracking Software – To free up more time, you first need to track how you’re spending it, just like you would track your business finances using financial software like Quickbooks Online. Toggl is a great free tool that I’ve used to track my time for years (I’m using it as I type this) and highly recommend it to my clients. Toggl allows you to track your time by client, project, and type of activity, so you can accurately evaluate and make necessary changes.
A Food Supplement I’m enjoying —
Pure Encapsulations – Vitamin D3 5000 iu Ok, I’m obsessed with traveling to warm, tropical ocean places. Recently, I was thinking more about why this is…and I think I figured it out. It’s because I live in a cold weather state (Wisconsin) where you go 7-8 months without your skin being exposed to sunlight, which can cause low Vitamin D levels in your body. Why does low Vitamin D matter? Here are some of the symptoms; fatigue, depression, increase sickness, muscle inflammation, and hair loss. This is the Vitamin D3 supplement I’ve taken for the last 3 years, and it has made a HUGE difference in my Vitamin D levels (confirmed by doctor tests) and has improved my mood, increased my energy level and decreased overall inflammation.
To freedom,
Chris
P.S. If you like the Digital Life Download and want to support it, feel free to invite a friend to subscribe at www.freedomagencycoach.com/newsletter.
The resources I recommend in this edition are ones I have experience with and trust. A few of the links above may be affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a small commission in return. This comes at no additional cost to you and further supports my mission. I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commission I may receive if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these unless you feel you need them or they will help you achieve your goals. Much love, Chris
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