- Joined
- Jan 8, 2022
- Messages
- 48
Rep Bank
$445
$445
User Power: 71%
Hi everyone!
It's already been a long journey for me but I finally have my one thing to show and ask feedback for.
I read TMF back in the summer of 2021.
Moved on straight to the Great Rat Race Escape and then on to Unscripted .
Half way through TMF I thought: what is the thing that I can do right here, right now?
I thought immediately: I can write a children's story. Well, it is easier said than done!
Today, I am able to share a Youtube video for one of the stories that I wrote and for which I would appreciate your feedback on, particularly, on what I can improve. More details on background and process below.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFnDZkhIhzI
Background
My mindset has completely shifted after reading TMF.
Coincidently, around the same time me and my partner were having a rough time.
The job, the kid, the constant tiredness, the stress, the lack of time, the lack of life... everything was weighing on us.
The mortage was already paid, which was something we did in 5 years, way ahead of what we would've expected, but which only added to the feeling that there needed to be more to life than what we were experiencing. Before the breakdown, I used to think to myself: well the mortage is paid, now I can work and have a relaxed life. But something truly did not add up. More than 40 years of this life? But I could not grasp exactly what it was wrong. The FIRE thing only added to that. I am a slowlaner, except for the fact that I don't invest in the stock market. It just has never felt as a way that I could make money. It is true that anyone can invest in the stock market and despite my background in finance, I just feel it is not for me. And it only felt that the promise was roughly the same as keeping the job and keeping being good at it in order to climb the corporate ladder.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad also shifted my vision of the world somewhat and in 2021 (before reading TMF) my husband and I took our savings and invested in real estate rental properties. We bought two in the same day, which also felt extraordinary and which are contributing to our income today, but it was a one time thing as we are now in debt again for those two properties plus a mortage because we took advantage of the real estate market to sell our house on a profit and move to a bigger one but still with recourse to a loan.
The journey after TMF
Only TMF provided me with answers and a sense of purpose.
I started writing stories. At night. After the job and after putting the kid to bed.
I wanted to publish a book so I send them to publishers and contests to see if I had any positive feedback.
Nothing.
My job was consuming a lot of my time and it was not until my birthday, when my brother gave me an illustrated hard copy of one of my stories that a fire light up within me. I was so happy to held that book. I knew at that moment that I had to try and make a book happen.
Process and execution
1. Copyright
a) I needed to register copyright to the stories. So that was the first thing that I did. That was easy. I submitted a form, paid a fee and it was done.
b) Children's books need to be illustrated and I can't draw and don't know any one that can.
Illustrators own the copyright to their illustrations and because control is key I had to take care of that.
I needed to have control over the illustrations. So I hired a lawyer. It took me a few days, I think I asked for 30 budgets, until I found one lawyer specialized in intellectual property but that had never specifically dealt with copyright, that was willing to charge me a lower fee. She drafted an agreement that I could use to engage with illustrators.
2. Costs
When starting to think about publishing a book I tought about the costs to achieve that as well as distribution.
Everything felt so cumbersome and expensive that my husband suggested to make videos and put them on YouTube.
At first, I did not like the idea. Why should I be giving my stories for free? But then TMF helped me once again. The first copy I read was a pdf file that I found on the web (sorry @MJ DeMarco but I hope to have paid my dues as I have since then bought all 3 books and 2 extra copies of the TMF to give to friends - talk about value
) so I thought ok, if people like it I will find a way to make money out of it. So I decided to pivot and start making the videos. To increase my reach I would make videos in my mother tongue (EU Portuguese) as well as in English.
3. Illustrator
Again, 30+ budgets that I ask for until I got to the one!
A young woman that worked in an agency but started freelancing with tremendous talent willing to help me for the smallest of the budgets.
Happy again!
4. Video
Even before I selected the illustrator I engaged with someone that I bumped into in a facebook group offering services to make videos. I asked a fee and it was so cheap that I decided to take the deal. I engaged with her to ask what she needed for the video and I asked for those specific things to the illustrator. It seemed it was going to be fine. It wasn't. Even thinking about a non-animated video, which would only require to change images as the reading went on, I feel that she delivered poorly, did not show any creativity, initiative or intent to achieve a good result. So I have that regret. I chose wrong. But the truth is that I don't know nothing about making videos, specially animated ones, so it was a learning experience. I did not even know what to ask from her. Now I know that there are different layers of animation, that Adobe Illustration has nice effects that can be used to create movement and a video may not need to rely on the illustrations itself to be animated. For a second video, which I am already working on, I will make totally different choices!
5. Text revision and translation
I felt that I needed someone to help me revise the portuguese text and again I asked for quotes and selected the lowest budget.
That process went well. With regards to translation into english, I learned from the lawyer that tranlators have copyright on the translations so I decided that I would do it myself instead. Even if it was not perfect, I would avoid having to ask for assignment of copyright on that. I even thought I could try to have someone revise the text in english but I am more eager for feedback on the video than waiting to complete that, so I thought I'd wait to check if anyone has comments on that. I will probably have to adjust this.
6. Audio
It is only my voice in what I think it is a low/medium quality audio but again I am rushing for feedback! As the initial idea was for a video that would be changing images as the story went, I thought to make the audio as if mom or dad was reading the story to the child. I am checking for ways to test including different voices and I think there are apps for that. It is definitely something I need to investigate further.
How to turn this into a business?
I don't really have an answer to this question yet but I am confident that I can create products around the stories and monetize them beyond YouTube. I am thinking, for example, that I could make puzzles out of some of the illustrations. And that is just one idea! But that is a whole different story (and post probably!)
I am ready for the roughest of the feedbacks!
Bring it on!
I hope you enjoyed the video and the post!
Let me know what you think!
It's already been a long journey for me but I finally have my one thing to show and ask feedback for.
I read TMF back in the summer of 2021.
Moved on straight to the Great Rat Race Escape and then on to Unscripted .
Half way through TMF I thought: what is the thing that I can do right here, right now?
I thought immediately: I can write a children's story. Well, it is easier said than done!
Today, I am able to share a Youtube video for one of the stories that I wrote and for which I would appreciate your feedback on, particularly, on what I can improve. More details on background and process below.
Background
My mindset has completely shifted after reading TMF.
Coincidently, around the same time me and my partner were having a rough time.
The job, the kid, the constant tiredness, the stress, the lack of time, the lack of life... everything was weighing on us.
The mortage was already paid, which was something we did in 5 years, way ahead of what we would've expected, but which only added to the feeling that there needed to be more to life than what we were experiencing. Before the breakdown, I used to think to myself: well the mortage is paid, now I can work and have a relaxed life. But something truly did not add up. More than 40 years of this life? But I could not grasp exactly what it was wrong. The FIRE thing only added to that. I am a slowlaner, except for the fact that I don't invest in the stock market. It just has never felt as a way that I could make money. It is true that anyone can invest in the stock market and despite my background in finance, I just feel it is not for me. And it only felt that the promise was roughly the same as keeping the job and keeping being good at it in order to climb the corporate ladder.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad also shifted my vision of the world somewhat and in 2021 (before reading TMF) my husband and I took our savings and invested in real estate rental properties. We bought two in the same day, which also felt extraordinary and which are contributing to our income today, but it was a one time thing as we are now in debt again for those two properties plus a mortage because we took advantage of the real estate market to sell our house on a profit and move to a bigger one but still with recourse to a loan.
The journey after TMF
Only TMF provided me with answers and a sense of purpose.
I started writing stories. At night. After the job and after putting the kid to bed.
I wanted to publish a book so I send them to publishers and contests to see if I had any positive feedback.
Nothing.
My job was consuming a lot of my time and it was not until my birthday, when my brother gave me an illustrated hard copy of one of my stories that a fire light up within me. I was so happy to held that book. I knew at that moment that I had to try and make a book happen.
Process and execution
1. Copyright
a) I needed to register copyright to the stories. So that was the first thing that I did. That was easy. I submitted a form, paid a fee and it was done.
b) Children's books need to be illustrated and I can't draw and don't know any one that can.
Illustrators own the copyright to their illustrations and because control is key I had to take care of that.
I needed to have control over the illustrations. So I hired a lawyer. It took me a few days, I think I asked for 30 budgets, until I found one lawyer specialized in intellectual property but that had never specifically dealt with copyright, that was willing to charge me a lower fee. She drafted an agreement that I could use to engage with illustrators.
2. Costs
When starting to think about publishing a book I tought about the costs to achieve that as well as distribution.
Everything felt so cumbersome and expensive that my husband suggested to make videos and put them on YouTube.
At first, I did not like the idea. Why should I be giving my stories for free? But then TMF helped me once again. The first copy I read was a pdf file that I found on the web (sorry @MJ DeMarco but I hope to have paid my dues as I have since then bought all 3 books and 2 extra copies of the TMF to give to friends - talk about value
) so I thought ok, if people like it I will find a way to make money out of it. So I decided to pivot and start making the videos. To increase my reach I would make videos in my mother tongue (EU Portuguese) as well as in English.3. Illustrator
Again, 30+ budgets that I ask for until I got to the one!
A young woman that worked in an agency but started freelancing with tremendous talent willing to help me for the smallest of the budgets.
Happy again!
4. Video
Even before I selected the illustrator I engaged with someone that I bumped into in a facebook group offering services to make videos. I asked a fee and it was so cheap that I decided to take the deal. I engaged with her to ask what she needed for the video and I asked for those specific things to the illustrator. It seemed it was going to be fine. It wasn't. Even thinking about a non-animated video, which would only require to change images as the reading went on, I feel that she delivered poorly, did not show any creativity, initiative or intent to achieve a good result. So I have that regret. I chose wrong. But the truth is that I don't know nothing about making videos, specially animated ones, so it was a learning experience. I did not even know what to ask from her. Now I know that there are different layers of animation, that Adobe Illustration has nice effects that can be used to create movement and a video may not need to rely on the illustrations itself to be animated. For a second video, which I am already working on, I will make totally different choices!
5. Text revision and translation
I felt that I needed someone to help me revise the portuguese text and again I asked for quotes and selected the lowest budget.
That process went well. With regards to translation into english, I learned from the lawyer that tranlators have copyright on the translations so I decided that I would do it myself instead. Even if it was not perfect, I would avoid having to ask for assignment of copyright on that. I even thought I could try to have someone revise the text in english but I am more eager for feedback on the video than waiting to complete that, so I thought I'd wait to check if anyone has comments on that. I will probably have to adjust this.
6. Audio
It is only my voice in what I think it is a low/medium quality audio but again I am rushing for feedback! As the initial idea was for a video that would be changing images as the story went, I thought to make the audio as if mom or dad was reading the story to the child. I am checking for ways to test including different voices and I think there are apps for that. It is definitely something I need to investigate further.
How to turn this into a business?
I don't really have an answer to this question yet but I am confident that I can create products around the stories and monetize them beyond YouTube. I am thinking, for example, that I could make puzzles out of some of the illustrations. And that is just one idea! But that is a whole different story (and post probably!)
I am ready for the roughest of the feedbacks!
Bring it on!
I hope you enjoyed the video and the post!
Let me know what you think!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
