Creative – lukegajary.org

A Failed Project

luke — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 01:40:37 +0000

I sent out an email today to my Kickstarter backers unpacking the unsuccessful campaign I just ran. Since many of you have followed along for the ride, I thought I would share the email here as well.⁣
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This is a challenging email to write on one hand, because it represents a shortcoming in one of my recent product launches. ⁣
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On the other hand, I’m encouraged because each time we experience failure in something, it is an opportunity to lean in and learn. the road to success is paved with failure, and I’d like to unpack the failure of my Kickstarter campaign in this note.⁣
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What Happened?⁣
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I launched the Kickstarter for Bible Board Books about eight weeks ago, and the campaign only reached about 20% of the funding it needed to execute with excellence. Because of how Kickstarter works, if not ALL of the desired funding is raised, the project is closed and not funded whatsoever. I was frustrated. I actually had a dream a week before the campaign closed in which it got fully funded and some big orders were placed for the first volumes. Obviously that didn’t happen.⁣
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This was both disappointing and revealing. I do have a list of reasons of why I believe the campaign did not fully fund, but ultimately the reason I chose to do pre-orders through Kickstarter was to help prove the interest (or lack of) for such a product. I self-funded my first book years ago, and the route I chose to go left me with a lot of unsold inventory sitting in my garage. That’s why this time, I decided to have more of an experimental approach before moving forward. ⁣
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I was at a funeral today for the father of a member of our church, and one of the family members shared something their father always said while he was alive: “Never take advantage of yourself. Life is too short. You’ve got one chance at life, you’ve got to go for it at whatever you do.”⁣
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Ultimately, I had this idea that was bouncing around in my head, and every time I had a conversation about it, the idea would grow stronger and louder in my mind. I knew I had to get it out, or I would always kick myself for not giving it a shot. That was my whole approach – I was merely desiring to throw it out into the world and what people did with it, was on them.⁣
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What’s Next⁣
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Although I am frustrated it didn’t work out (like Nacho Libre, I WANNA WIN!), I am not the type of guy to sit and wallow in disappointment too long. There is a switch in the creative idea part of my brain that’s broken, it’s stuck in the ON position and it is impossible to shut it off. At any given time, I have 3-5 pots of ideas, resources, projects simmering that are just waiting for the time and energy to execute. SO for now, Bible Board books will go to the back burner and simmer until it’s ready to try again. Then I will begin to throw my energy into other projects and see what happens there! ⁣
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Thanks for your support, for backing the project, for sharing, and for just being super cool about this process. I’ll keep you updated about what’s next!⁣
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Luke Gajary

The Holiday Hustle (It’s Not What You Think)

luke — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 05:05:50 +0000

I️ guess one thing you do when you’re old is marvel / complain about how quickly time is going by. Since I recently turned 32 and am feeling like a full fledged adult now, I’ll take my opportunity to do that here.

December already? Wow, I️ can’t believe Christmas is nearly upon us, it feels like 2019 just flew past!

I️ want to take a moment and encourage everyone reading this that has a side hustle, or lives as an independent business owner full time. I️ believe one of two things can happen in the midst of this season, and the reality is…over the next two weeks, everyone is slowing their life and business down.

You can join the masses and begin the shutdown, and to a degree, I️ recommend that. Taking time with family, unplugging, and being fully present in this magical season is very important.

HOWEVER…

The majority of people will do nothing, then look up on December 31 and decide to turn their hustle back on for 2020.

Here’s an idea: don’t turn the hustle off. As you may know, I️ wrote and launched a book a couple years ago (if you don’t have a copy yet, get yours here: https://www.amazon.com/Tell-Well-Faith-Encourage-Others/dp/0990873870/).

Let’a take a look at numbers and the timeline so I can show you how I kept the HUSTLE engine running through this exact season two years ago.

Tell It Well is approximately 40,000 words long (the average Christian nonfiction is 50,000-80,000 words, so this book is a quicker read than most).

I wrote 25,000 words between September 2014 and June 2016. I was writing casually, and I kept setting the book on my back burner in my brain to work on other projects and ventures.

Then in October of 2016, I attended a publishing workshop and re-ignited the fire for the project. (More details on that whole story & process here: https://lukegajary.org/dreams-change/)

I wrote 15,000 + words in November and December of 2016 and finished the manuscript just after New Year’s Day 2017. I decided to buckle down and use the slowness of the season to finish my personal passion project. The rest of the world had slowed down and disconnected, so it made it even easier to focus and produce good words.

I hope you decide to use the time wisely. Find a rhythm and a balance, but use the slow months to get set up for success in 2020.

What A Comedian Taught Me About Loving What You Do

luke — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 21:52:39 +0000

I was meandering through the NBC gift shop when a young enthusiastic man approached me and feverish held out a handful of bright pink paper slips .

“Hey man! There’s a free comedy show happening in about 30 minutes in a studio upstairs. Are you available? It’s a rehearsal for a taping later tonight.”

I stammered “uh, uh” and looked around, not really trusting this guy.

It was summer of 2010, and I had taken a trip to New York City by myself to clear my head and figure out my next step in life. I was killing a few hours before dinner when this stranger approached, and I was operating under the assumption that everyone in New York wanted to pickpocket me or sell me a fake Rolex (I was born in Queens, NY and grew up within a few hours of the city until I was 17 – that assumption wasn’t totally wrong).

“Well?! The show’s starting soon and I need to find some test audience members! You got any friends with you?”

I noticed the NBC logo lanyard hanging from his neck, and said “No, it’s just me. Sure, I’ll go!”

I took the pink paper and headed upstairs in the NBC building in 30 Rockefeller Center, to the studio listed on the ticket. I got lost and had to ask a security guard for help, but eventually I got there. I filed in with a small crowd to the studio seating, and an MC welcomed the group of about three or four dozen folks from various demographics. He warmed up the crowd for a few minutes, and then introduced the main host for the show.

The host came out casually in jeans and a light blue t shirt. Come to find out, he had recently taken over hosting an NBC late night talk show after a series of failures in the movie business – I wasn’t really familiar with him.

His name was Jimmy Fallon.

He greeted us, shook 6 or 7 hands, and thanked us for coming.

“So I’ve been hosting this show for about a year, and we like to do a ‘test run’ of the monologue every afternoon before we tape the show – I really am truly grateful that you came! I need your feedback tonight, so be honest. Laugh & clap if something’s funny, and don’t laugh or clap if it’s not. You’re literally helping me shape the monologue for the show tonight. Got it?”

He was so genuine and seemed to be really enjoying himself, and I started to like this guy.

He told some jokes, we laughed, we clapped, he told some jokes that fell flat – overall it was a really interesting process to be a part of and I had a fun story for my grandparents when I returned to their house in New Jersey later that night. We even set the DVR to tape the episode and we watched the monologue the next morning. Sure enough, some of the jokes had been cut, and some had been changed. Overall, I didn’t LOVE the content – it was okay. Maybe a 6 out of 10 on the humor scale. However, what really stuck out to me was the fact that I felt like this Jimmy guy was really, legitimately enjoying what he was doing. He was in to it 110%, and even if we didn’t find all his jokes hilarious, he was having the time of his life and clearly doing what he loved to do.

You probably have seen the rest of Jimmy Fallon’s career thus far – he has skyrocketed to fame since that August afternoon in 2010 when I first met him.

Love him or hate him, I believe a key to his success is the fact that he genuinely loves what he does and it leaks out everywhere. Recently I saw a re-run of the show that featured Justin Timberlake … Jimmy was having such a blast it was as if the audience didn’t exist. He was doing this show for his own pure enjoyment.

I think we can learn a thing or two from that.

Imagine if all customer service reps threw themselves in to their work.

Imagine if all ministers led and preached with such authenticity and joy.

Imagine if all daycare workers loved teaching their classes deeply and fully.

Imagine if all starving musicians played poorly attended shows with passion and depth.

What do you do with your “day job” time, and can you ferociously throw yourself in to it? Either adjust your attitude about it, or start trying to find something else to do.

Jimmy’s an example that loving what you do and embracing authenticity can take you places that a charade never could.

Luke Gajary

What You’re Paying For

luke — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 02:45:03 +0000

When you hire a creative (freelancer or agency), you’re not just paying someone to push a cursor around a screen and clack some keys for a couple hours.

You’re paying for their years (or decades) of work and experience in an industry you don’t know much about.

You’re paying for the lenses through which they see the world.

You’re paying for their ability to see your business / product differently and present innovative solutions to your problems.

You’re paying for the hundreds of times they learned something the hard way that you don’t have to learn.

You’re paying for the dozens of free clients they took on just to get their foot in the door and begin a career – because they love it.

So…

If you find a good one, you should (SHOULD) be able to download your knowledge and vision about your project to them, and trust them to execute it well without being babysat.

Be discerning – not everyone is an expert just because they own a Mac and a DSLR…but when you find a good one, trust them. Pay them what they ask. Don’t be nitpicky with small changes because your cousin’s son suggested something.

Trust their opinion. Don’t try to play puppet master – you know your business, and they know theirs.

With the right messaging and the right creative minds working for you, your business or product can likely change the world and make some money along the way.

Social Media Tips

luke — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:40:12 +0000

(updated and revised February 2017)

Facebook:

2-4 posts per day, max. 1 Minimum.
text-only posts have limited engagement. Add a picture (even if it’s random) to boost visibility of your post and encourage sharing.
Don’t be afraid to ASK for what you want. Give a clear call to action, whether it’s to share the post, click a link, donate, or like a post
Out of every 10 posts, only THREE should be promotional / call to action / etc. The other 7 should be personal, real life, or inspirational.
Post direct to Facebook, rather than using third party apps like Hootesuite or Buffer, or sharing from Instagram
Facebook is really proud of its Live feature – so it prioritizes visibility of that content over everything else. A Facebook Live video will be seen more easily than a normal “posted” video.
The best time to post on Facebook is 1–4 p.m. late into the week and on weekends.
1. Saturday and Sunday at 12–1 p.m.
2. Thursday and Friday at 1–4 p.m.
3. Wednesday at 3 p.m.
When to post on Facebook in general to increase your shares and clickthroughs:
1. 1 p.m.
2. 3 p.m.
3. 9 a.m.

(source: http://coschedule.com/blog/best-times-to-post-on-social-media/)

Go Pro Comparisons – Luke’s Thoughts

luke — Mon, 11 May 2015 19:33:24 +0000

I had someone message me last week asking about GoPro models, and thought to myself “self, surely there’s other people that are curious about this!”

So if you don’t have a GoPro and have thought about buying one for upcoming summer family trips, here’s some simplified thoughts on the current models, starting from the cheapest and most basic, to the most current/ most expensive:

*Hero – Entry Level ($129)

Unlike some of the others: It’s built in to the case, so it’s not as versatile, but a great starter go pro for use just once in a while. this is for you if you want to capture some moments on vacation, random trips, etc. Not a ton of footage options – very basic, good for beginner who won’t use it very often. Note: no screen on back of camera OR wireless connectivity.

*Hero 3 White ($199)

One step above the Entry level model. Originally released in 2013. Biggest difference: Wifi built in, which lets you view images from your iPhone or Android once you connect to the camera wirelessly. Again, no screen on back of camera..but solved with connectivity to your phone for preview purposes.

*Hero 3+ Silver ($299)

Basically a little slimmer and smaller than the 3White, and gives you a few more footage and photo options. Adds 60FPS, which allows for good action shots and slow-mo…10Megapixel camera. Now we’re getting a little more advanced, this is for you if…you want to take it on trips a few times a year, and have it around the house for fun with the kids. You maybe want to try your hand editing some of the footage, and getting fancy with photos and action effects. **Still no screen on back of camera, but does sync with your phone like the White.

*Hero 4 Silver ($399)

Now we’re getting to the latest model – released late 2014. This is for you if you want to use it ALL THE TIME. It’s the first model that has a built in touch LCD screen, so you can view images directly on the device, OR sync to your phone. Same advanced footage options of the 3+, but better 12MP camera for photos.

*Hero 4 Black ($499)

The BIG DADDY Go Pro. Same 12MP photo camera & touch screen back, but even more upgrades for video footage. Awesome slomo footage features (does require editing with free included software for Mac or PC), new NIGHT FOOTAGE option that does great low-light footage, and recently updated option for NARROW VIEW…basically means you have the option to record without the distorted wide/fisheye view. Also gives you 4K recording! This is for you if you’re more of a video nerd, and want to really get fancy, or even use it for more professional purposes. Or you just have the $$ to splurge and get the fanciest model…even if you don’t want to mess with all the options.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I personally have the 3 Black – equivalent of the 3+silver – and it meets my needs for the amount of time I use it. If I was buying TODAY, I would probably get the 4 Silver, because it has the touch screen back and gives me all the footage options I need. Few things to note:
The camera by itself does not come with a memory card. you’ll need a Micro-SD…you can get a good 32 GB (make sure it’s class 10) or higher on amazon for around $20 http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Memory-Adapter–SDSDQUAN-032G-G4A-Version/dp/B00M55C0NS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431362620&sr=8-1&keywords=32+gb+micro+sd
They also do not come with a ton of options for the mounts, if you buy just the camera. You can buy accessories as you need, or if you buy a Surf Pack, it comes with a bunch of random stickies and mounts you can use primarily for the beach. I bought the Surf edition, then bought a GoPole, Chesty mount, and Head mount on Amazon. TIP: Budget an extra $100 for SD cards and mounts, to really get the fun ones.
GoPro traditionally releases new models in the fall or late summer – Good news: this means current models will be cheaper, and new updated models will sell at the $399 range. Bad news: if you want one for the summer, you’ll be buying one just a few months before they update. Like buying an iPhone 5 right before they release the 6… Just know that, it’s not guaranteed that new ones will come out in the fall, but it’s been their company pattern and current rumors about the Hero5 support this. (I bought my 3Black for a crazy good Black Friday deal in 2013).

Hope this helps! I am not the only “Go Pro geek” out there so I’m sure you can find other thoughts and opinions, but I do enjoy their products and believe that it’s a great thing to have in your travel arsenal if you can spare a few hundred dollars.

Packaging

luke — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 22:36:35 +0000

I love B&H, but just got a package from them that was not well thought through… Tiny shoe mount for a camera, that came in a massive box. Thumb drive for scale.

30 creative business card designs

luke — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:52:05 +0000

Love these…

http://mashable.com/2013/05/16/crazy-business-cards/

30 Best Creative Design & Marketing Quotes

luke — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:03:07 +0000

Amazing little slideshow I stumbled across. Normally not a fan of these slideshow type deals, but couldn’t pass this one up.

30 best Creative, Design & Marketing  Quotes from Mike Hendrixen

Start with The WHY

luke — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:03:16 +0000

Incredible talk about starting with your purpose.

From TED