Ep. 2 - Create the New | Commercial Photographer, Cam McCleod

As a creative, I often lose focus. I become uninterested easily. And, when things become hard, distraction and procrastination becomes an art form. I manipulate graphics, or scroll social “for inspiration,” or edit “to get ahead,” or watch an instructive YouTube video, or listen to a podcast, when I should be selling. I should be creating. I should be working out. I should be doing the hard things.

So, I encourage you to determine what the hard things are that you are avoiding, and make time for those. One technique is to “Eat The Frog.” Which means to tackle your most difficult task first thing in the morning.” I’ve vacillated with this. Do I, upon waking, and making tea, get immediately to work on editing, show prep, booking guests, firing off sponsorship emails, or do I work out? All are tasks I don’t necessarily look forward to. 

Right now, however, I’m 8 days in to working out first thing. 

Because without your health, you have nothing. 

And, I have 50lbs to lose. 

I’m down 5lbs since Christmas, so 45lbs to go. 

But doing the hard thing, is well, hard. It usually takes discipline, courage, humility, and most importantly, action. 

So, Eat the Frog, and become just a little better everyday. 

Welcome to Ascent Life LIVE, where we strive to become the best versions of ourselves. 

I’m your host, R. Brandon Long.

Please subscribe to the show on YouTube at my page: R. Brandon Long

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Reminder, we are LIVE on YouTube & X 4 days a week. Each episode will then be uploaded as a podcast to all your favorite podcast outlets including Spotify & Apple Podcasts as The Ascent Life podcast.

If you are watching LIVE, play along with us, and drop your questions / comments in the chat! We’ll get to some of those before we close the show.

Our guest today is… artist, professional photographer, and friend, Cam McLeod @_cammcleod_

VI: Visual Inspo of the day: @mosesheredia // @Ascentlife

Interview:

What is your Definite Major Purpose (Napoleon Hill) / Meaningful Mission (Lewis Howes) / Life’s Task (Robert Greene) - Mine: Help 1 Million People a Day Become the Best Version of Themselves by Living an Ascent Life

How do you define success?

Your Story.

What drives you?

What is our purpose as humans?

How do you overcome hard?

How do you want to be remembered, as a person, as an artist?

How can art be used to improve culture / the human condition

 

Wisdom: From the Pages… Robert Greene’s MASTERY, “You have something you want to express that is unique to yourself and related to your inclinations. You must be sure it is not something that is sparked by some trend or fashion, but that it comes from you and is real. Perhaps it is a sound you are not hearing in music, a type of story not being told… a new way of doing business… People are dying for the new… By creating something new you will create your own audience, and attain the ultimate position of power in culture.”

 

Outro:

If you made it this far in the program, please subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Follow me R. Brandon Long on X, and for your daily dose of visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram. 

Thank you for joining me on this journey as we all learn how to level up, and become the best version of ourselves. No wasted ability. We’ll catch tomorrow on the next episode of Ascent Life!