Lessons

Lesson Info

Conversation with Jasmine Star

we are approaching now one of my favorite segments of the book of this companion class, because it's about something that's most wildly misunderstood. We've talked about a lot. We've covered a lot of ground. Now we're gonna talk about something I think is critical, and that is community in the book. It's called Amplify its because our community is the thing that amplifies our idea. We're just one human, just one voice, and we know that in order to make our ideas manifest in the world in order to launch a business to show the world it's not a nice toe, have to have a community. It's a requirement. Yes, we can sit in our basement and draw and we can get value from that, but that I don't think that is where we want to stop. And I experience people, millions of people around the world, in the creativelive universe, in my personal universe, who have really come into their own through developing a community and sharing their ideas. That is one of the things that I feel like is this gap. We'r...

e gonna talk a little bit more about it, but when I think about community, there's someone. One individual comes to mind more than so many others. But is it? It's a tough It's a tough way to think about it because there's so many people who are on the Internet have built big audiences. But there are few people who are masters at adding more value than they take. And one of these people is our guests. Today. She is a dear friend of mine, one of the top wedding photographers in the world. Way back in 2000 and one creative I've launched. I want to tell a short story. I've called Jasmine and said, I really think you should do a live wedding on the Internet will actually put together. A couple will do a live wedding if you'll shoot it. And we There was a little bit of cajoling, maybe a little negotiation, a little bit of please, a little bit of begging me. Begging her, she finally said Yes, and then when we did that class, it was the largest class in the history of the world. More than 150, people in that class tuned in as Jasmine Star shot a wedding live on the Internet. I have this amazing screen cap of global twitter. It's Jasmine Star Creativelive wedding, Barack Obama, Lindsay Lohan. And so when you know just the courage with which she approached, that is a signal toe. How strong and brave she is in the world. She has built such a huge and amazing business in what she calls social curator, which is her online business, where she provides assets for those people who are building their business. She's a Not only is she a photographer, she's a business strategist, one of my dear friends. When I need help, I call her. When she gets in a pinch. She calls me. I can't wait for this segment. I'm super honored. It gives me great privilege. And I want a big, creative live welcome for jasmine stars in the house. Yes, you. You look fabulous as always. But where are you? You're in this garden in the adverse I or something? What's happening? Okay, you'll never believe I told you. I had a speaking admit this morning we had to hit the road, were driving on the five freeway. I'm not a Hilton Garden Inn. Like I was like, this looks really fancy, but this just goes to show that you have to take what you have a make it work. So thank you to the Holiday Inn for providing this teller. You know, I shall. I am. I shall. I am. Thank you so much, Jasmine. Well, we have 100 souls gather here in Seattle. We have 3200 gathered online and we're talking about community. And I know you got an advanced copy of my book, and I thank you so much for the feedback that have given an and the support and everything that we've done here Creative live in this book. Ah, and I just I don't know if you could hear over the feed, but I just share with these folks that not only are you an amazing photographer, but what you've done as a business strategist and now creating social curator to me, it epitomises community. And it's a part of, I think, the creator lifestyle the the ability to make a living in a life, doing what we love or just to connect and be in tune with our creativity is something that's wildly misunderstood and you have mastered it. So pleases is we think about community. I want to add some value to the folks here in the studio audience and those listening at home. I think of it as something it's misunderstood and it has to be cultivated. So tell me, what is it that How do you approach community? I see you giving back in ways that most people don't. Most people are just taking from the community. What is what are some of your core principles? And how do you think about giving back on the Internet building community? Well, if I could talk her building community in three steps, and I only speak about what I know and what I dio Step Number one would be to create searchable content, you might think that what you have to share is very basic. You might think that what you have to share has been shared 100,000 times before. Guess what? You can create searchable content based on things from your perspective, and when do you start building out that searchable content people will start stumbling across the thing that you're putting out Number two? It would be to create a personal connection, So this means even if you have just like 30 instagram followers. If somebody likes your photo and they don't leave a comment, we'll go to your likes. Go to their account and you leave the comment that you ultimately want from that person one day in the future and then three is going to be a level of consistency. You will have a very hard time having people by what you sell, create or do if you aren't consistent with them. So those three tenants will be the foundation for how you can build a community and communities. One of those words that I'm just like that kind of like a buzzword. But to me, it just feels like it's just homies on the Internet like if you ever want to do like with homies on the Internet, you have to give, give, give, give far before they'll ever show up for you. I love that you said something that really resonated with me. The way that I talk about it is be the fan that you wish you had and by showing up for other people, just an example. I have this one friend. She's driving down the freeway, and I five. She pulls over and she does a live broadcast that's called showing up. But if you think about like what it is that that, um, what we're doing in the process of building community is that we're all in this together, we're all doing a lot of this stuff. For the first time. We're all looking for feedback, for camaraderie, for companionship, for connection, not overuse this word. But in a time where were arguably more disconnected than ever before? Despite having all the tools, there's an opportunity, a riel opportunity to build riel community through the Internet. So the question is, how has what you've done online translated not just into a better business for you, but also a better life. You're so well connected you. I see you show up at places like Minneapolis in Boston and New York, and you've built a community of like minded people everywhere. You go talk to me about that. You know, for over a decade, my only trajectory, my only aspiration was to show up for other people. That's just it. And I realized that far before I could ever get a gathering of 10 people, 100 people, people ever in single room is to give the type of engagement and relationship that I want. Now I want to take a step back because I think for so long people felt like, Oh, Jasmine, that felt disingenuous. Like, you're only doing this for something reciprocal. And I started it kind of like rubbed against me like I am not trying to show up for, like, what I'm gonna get in future. I'm literally showing up because I believe that my purpose is to empower people to believe that the impossible is actually possible for them. But the only way that I can make it like hounded pound it in your head that whatever it is you want to do, I don't care a frickin crazy and impossible It sounds you can do it now. The only way I can make you believe is if I show up for you again one again and again and again. And I It's impossible for me to show up in all the places in all the ways but you damn me, I'm hitting you back. You leave a comment. I'm hitting you back on the days they feel like things are really tough and you reach out to me, I'm gonna show up for you and those of the people, the people who come at me and they're like, at their lowest, those people who will drive three hours to come to a free event with a cup of coffee just to be like you were down for me at my low point, I'll be right or die for you. That is me standing in my purpose, encouraging other people to do wild, gnarly things and make a point. I am Onley sharing. I am only reflection of what people did for me. Specifically, people like you in 2010. You're like Jasmine when you told me Hey, come sheet a wedding alive wedding on the Internet that we're gonna broadcast. I literally was like, That can't happen. That's impossible. And you like, do you believe that we could do this? And I was like, I guess And so people ran before me to show me what it means to make an impossible thing. Ah, possibility. And now I'm so bat trash crazy about teaching people the other things that I'll show up for them because I know that they're going to show for themselves and then later for me at some point in the future. Amazing things that I think back to the head very fondly. I remember our first phone call and I remember the first time we told you there was 33,000 people watching and you were like, Just like When your dog looks at you and he goes no pressure, you made 33 right? You nailed it. You nailed that. I also know we're friends off camera. And so I know a lot about you, and I know that sometimes the folks at home are listening there like community. That sounds scary because I'm an introvert or I'm an Amber vert. And so for those folks that when I say community and they get jittery like I don't want, you know, I go to an event and I stand in the corner and I'm just uncomfortable. You've navigated a bunch of those fears and thoughts and coached other people through them. So what would be the advice that you would have for a range of personality types with respect to community both at in person events and on the Internet? And this is chase being like super polite about basically saying this homegirl is like the most. She is introverted person like she likes to hang out solo all the time. And what people see online is like an outgoing version of me. That's why I am. But naturally, I'm very, very, very introvert. I like time on my own. I like listening more than I like talking. So when you put me in a social situation, the best thing that I have given myself permission to do is to stand in a corner and watch a room. Because if you give me five minutes to watch room, I could then stand in my power and approach people on my own terms. And you will be the first to know that I will never approach the person in the center of the room because the person in the center of the room is in the center of the room for a reason. That person, because this is a self assurance and confidence that I will never have in my entire life, and I'm okay with it. The people I want to connect with our the other people by the Fried Food station are the people that are standing in line for the back of the people in the corners who like me, were like, Oh, let's like, lurked in the shadow. Okay, fine. I want to know why my business will go farther, being genuinely interested in two other like minded people than trying to get 200 people at a networking event interested in me. I have learned the long and hard way that two people can have a transformative effect on your career. When I say networking, I mean meat to people, those two people and you care about them and you show up for them, they're going to be right or die for you. So I have realized that even though I might not ever be the center of the room and even though I might not be the person cracking jokes or given speeches, the more events that I go to a meeting to people, to people, to people, to people. So while I might not do scale, I do a micro conversation that has massive macro possibilities for me in the future. Is that resonate with anybody in this room like Say it again, Sister, that was amazing. And I look at that. I love it that they're filming this. So I think you just so eloquent, You know, it's like getting content is metta. You so eloquently said what so many people think, but can actually put words to it. And I appreciate you, Um, the way that you approach it, part of what I know I immediately was connected with you around was your authenticity. And I think the ability to be authentic sometimes is hard for people because we're worried about judgment. Were worried about that. We only have 20 instagram followers. They're worried that our business isn't off the ground. We're worried that we haven't really identified who we are, and we're trying to show up on. Define that. So talk to us. It tucked us just a little bit about how you tap into your authenticity because it is such a strength for you. And that's part of what gravitates or makes other people gravitate to you, to your content to your life story and ultimate your business as well. I have realized that beyond a shadow of a doubt, there will be people who have an opinion about mint, and there will be people who do not like me and people will have anything you got Me And people will not like me if I am 100% of myself. Or if I'm 50% of myself. If I'm a show off What? I think people want to be there Still gonna have an opinion about at the end of the date. My only objective is to be 100% of myself. And if you don't like it, I am okay with that. My only objective is to do one of two feeds. I want to attract you into my orbit or I want to repel you. I am not here to be liked by every single person. I am here to be liked by a small of people Because small groups of people are the people who incite change. Small groups of people are people who create alliances. Small groups of people are the people who believe in an idea of philosophy a trajectory so much that you're willing to come hell or high water. Show up or your people and create change. I am not here to be popular. I am number one here to be, uh, boost that everybody like me? No. It is not my objective to be liked by objectives to speak my truth. My objective is to serve you by checking its support. You, if you don't want any of that by this is the Internet. You know where the door is. You followed me. I didn't. Basketball follow me. So all that say you show people you serve them well. I'm spitting over here, coming out of my mouth, my preaching at the holiday. No, I'm just being people like authenticity. Like you will be light and you will be despised at being 25% of yourself or being 100% of yourself. I sleep well with people. Not like me from the people 100. You don't like the people with the other way? Yes, Yes. Hi. Fine. Laying five. Wow, that was fire. Okay, One last question. I know. I promised it would be 15 minutes and you've already been so gracious and gone a little bit longer than that. But here's the question. So I believe that the future of the Internet is it. It's were always sort of figuring it out. And we had to figure a lot of stuff out in this first arc, and we're about to embark on a second arc of the Internet, where the truth that you just spoke is understood. But it takes a It takes a tribe of people who are willing to show up in order to signal to the rest of the universe that it's not about hiding in the shadow and talking trash on reddit. That was the thing that we used to be able to hide behind. And as you step into your yourself and as you are such an amazing shining example for those of for all of us, what is one thing that you find having coached so many people around the world, all of the people in your amazing social curator universe? What's the one thing that people make them? What's That's the largest mistake that the most people you see make and how can we fix it? Um, the greatest gift that you can give yourself is an undaunted, an unparalleled belief in your ability to 60 because all you will hear from others who do not understand the thing that you do is they will say, Why are you doing this? And is this sustainable They might not say those exact words, but that's exactly what they need. Who are you to do this? Quite crazy thing. And I believe, as an entrepreneur, as a creative as a dreamer that you are a vision. There. You see a future nobody else. See, It is entirely your objective to paint a picture and work towards that and anybody else who cannot see it. You should empathetic. We say Thank you for your opinion. You keep it to yourself. But I am going to let my success silence your doubts. That's just it. The biggest mistake I see anybody making is pairing or thinking about what other people say. Those people can't see your future on Lee. You can I'm gonna do me. And when I get to my future self, I'm gonna clap it up and say thank you for your doubts. Thank you for instilling fear. I'm stronger, I'm wiser and I'm greater cause I pushed through all of that at watching Shot. That's it. Ladies and gentlemen, Jasmine star. So grateful for you. Thank you, Jasmine. I'm gonna give you a call a little bit later, as you're a little further north on I five. Thank you so much for showing up for us today. One more big round of applause for Jasmine. Thank you so much for showing up, Dio.