A hack for learning more effectively.

Learning from someone who is drastically more advanced than you is difficult.

A complete beginner will get lost in the details of an expert’s advice.

A beginner needs to understand the basics.

Similarly, an intermediate might need more challenge than a typical instructor can offer.

Ideally, your teacher must align with your experience.

Learning from Practice + Challenge

I bought my first camera when I was a freshman in high school (9th grade).

I saved up some money and invested in something I really wanted to learn.

Through watching YouTube videos and learning everything I could online – I had a base level of knowledge about how to use the camera.

But when the camera was finally in my hands, all the technical knowledge in the world wouldn’t allow me to create a great video or take an awesome photo.

These things would come with years of time and practice.

First, I had to learn which settings were best.

Then I had to learn about lighting.

Then I had to learn about composition.

Then I had to learn about storytelling.

Then I had to learn how to edit photos.

Then I had to learn how to edit videos.

And the list goes on.

The Trick to Excelling Quickly

I needed to learn through practice.

And I needed to learn from someone who had recently overcome the barriers I was facing.

I began learning more online from people who were more advanced than I was.

And eventually I had the opportunity to be an assistant filmmaker for a mentor who created wedding videos.

It was through this experience that I excelled to levels far beyond my expectation.

When I was put in a scenario that “forced” me to figure it out, I had no other choice but to make it work.

With this mentor, I was able to:

  • ask questions
  • learn their workflow
  • see how they filmed each video
  • get feedback on my personal videos
  • and experience someone doing what I wanted to do first-hand

With this, I’ve found that the best way to learn is from someone who is just beyond my current experience level.

Ideally, they have gotten results that I personally want to achieve.

But… they aren’t so far past it that they forget what it was like.

It’s hard to recall certain details or struggles from things that happened years ago.

I wouldn’t be great at teaching someone how to ride a bike for the first time, because I’ve forgotten what it feels like to not be able to ride a bike.

I don’t understand the fear of falling that they are experiencing.

It’s best to learn from someone who remembers what it was like being in your shoes.

Because they understand the secrets to get you past the barriers you’re facing.

Start With One Step

Beginners learn best from intermediates.

Intermediates learn best from experts.

Experts learn best from masters.

It’s a chain of interactions that lead to the most fluent levels of growth.

A journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step – not figuring out how to take 500 steps at once.

You must learn the basics before you learn the tricks of the trade.

You have to be bad at something before you get mediocre at it.

You have to be mediocre at it before you get good.

And you have to get good before you become great.

The sooner you get the bad and mediocre out of the way, the sooner you start displaying your “natural talent” that blows people away.

(Spoiler alert: It’s just that these “talented” people started before you did)

You can’t be afraid to be bad at something.

You can’t get better unless you admit you need to learn.

And you can’t level up until you take that first step.

Learning all of the steps sounds overwhelming at first, but these things gave me a sense of purpose as I learned how to use my camera as a tool to create something meaningful.

I had a vision for what kind of videos I wanted to create.

But until I picked up the camera and made dozens of terrible videos, I wasn’t making progress towards that goal.

Finally, with time and practice, my projects began looking more like the vision I had years before.

It’s a continuous work-in-progress that keeps you motivated to continue learning.

But you have to “pick up the camera and make terrible videos” first.

You must begin with that first step.

Content Tutoring with Me!

I’m stoked to announce an opportunity to work with me 1-on-1!

This is something I have not offered to the public before, and will be opening up a very limited number of spots to begin.

The tutoring will consist of 4x sessions with me over the course of 4 weeks, working through the steps of developing a personal brand for yourself — and creating your system for consistent content.

You can use my 10+ years of personal experience to get coached through the “bad and mediocre” stages much faster.

Think of it as a way to work through your personal branding barriers, but I’ll be alongside you for each step.

If you’re interested in more info, you can join the waitlist here!

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