Franklin Taggart's Unconventional Life Blog

For many people ages 50 and up, we're adapting to a part of our life in which our normal roles are going through significant changes. Some of us are shifting into caretaking for aging parents while shifting away from the caretaking role we've had with our kids. The norms we've been used to, sometimes for decades, are undergoing great changes. Some of my friends and clients in this age group talk about the difficulty they have in regaining their own sense of priority and desire apart from those they've adopted as spouses, parents, co-parents, and partners. Some are challenged by setting aside the things they want to do in order to take on more responsibility for family members.  My own newfound time freedom since my son got his driver's license has been surprisingly daunting because I'm no longer spending 15-20 hours a week driving him places. And the default reaction of doing more work hasn't actually happened. I have a friend who talks about her difficulty

In this video about pricing your freelance services, I challenge some of the things people think they're paying for. When it's all said and done, you're not being paid for your time, talent, knowledge, expertise, or qualifications. In truth, you're not being paid for your product or service. You're only being paid for one thing. Watch the video to find out what that one thing is, and join the conversation about how to price your work fairly so that you and your customer both feel great about the transaction. pricing #value #entrepreneurship 

Thanks for the supportive notes and calls after my video the other day talking about seasonal depression. I was telling a friend that one of the things that is hard when I'm feeling that way is that other people see it as a problem to solve or something broken to fix. That usually just makes it feel worse. Those of you who were able to just let me have the time I needed and my own process to work it out are appreciated beyond words. I've mentioned these people before:  Sydney Banks - The blue-collar Scotsman who spontaneously awakened and realized the relationship between thought and emotional experience. Lester Levenson - The skeptical physicist who dove into relentless self-inquiry after his second heart attack at age 42, discovering a way to release emotional resistance and experience incredible freedom. Esther Hicks - A spiritual seeker and experimenter who became an open channel for another realm as she learned to meditate. I've learned something from each of them abou

2022 ended for me with a round of depression. This isn't a new thing and is likely seasonal, but it is still depression, and it's not exactly comfortable. After finishing the year and achieving what I'd set out for, I was at a loss for what I wanted to do next. When desires seemed out of reach, I knew it was a visit from my well-known companion. Recognizing the signs, the first thing I did was allow myself a week off. I did a bare minimum of work-related activities and binge-watched a few shows on Netflix. One of the things I appreciate about great stories is that they give me a way to reconnect with humanity without having to have other humans in the room. I also read some good fiction and that accomplished much the same thing. I didn't resist the urge to sleep, and I added a little bit more physical activity into my routine via yoga and some extra walking time with the dog. Most importantly, I didn't try to force myself to feel anything different. I meditated and

When his research led to finding a link between multi-passionate people and neurodiversity, Perry Knoppert ultimately created a movement. The Octopus Movement is, in Perry's words, a gathering of curious misfits. Now numbering over 2500 members from 60 countries, The Octopus Movement is a celebration of people who don't fit neatly into well-defined social structures and who share the common characteristic of nonlinear thinking. In this episode of Your Own Best Company, Perry tells his story of losing everything as his first step to making anything possible. Our topics of conversation include: ** Finding a link between having multiple passions and neurodiversity. ** Making a place for nonlinear thinking in linear organizations. ** The common loneliness experienced by neurodivergent people. ** The challenges of nonlinear thinkers in employment and relationships. You can join the Octopus Movement and learn more about Perry at https://theoctopusmovement.org. Thanks for listening, s

I started 2022 with a stark realization about my content consumption habits and committed to reverse the ratio between content consumption and content production. My practical commitment to make this reversal was to release a new episode every day of the year on YouTube, my podcast, and my blog. I was able to keep this commitment, and I've seen some incredible results.  When Spotify released its Wrapped reports in November, I'd already released 300 episodes, created 4,200 minutes of content, and seen my streaming numbers increase by 999%. December numbers will show that I reached over 365 video/audio/blog releases, and my number of minutes will be over 5000. YouTube reports that I've generated 19,200 views on my channel, and my watch hours have increased to 582. These numbers are enough to encourage me to continue releasing new video, audio, and blog content with a high frequency, although I will be allowing myself a couple of days off each week from now on. I'm also ex

 I haven't listened to as many podcasts this year as last, but I wanted to mention those that I still automatically download. I keep my subscription list trimmed to about fifty shows, and right now it's at 49. Of those, there are less than ten that I listen to every episode. I'm sharing my top ten for 2022 according to the Podcast Addict app. 1. The Entrepreneur's Ecosystem Podcast - I made a recommendation video about this one  back in October. Dawn Petrin and Chanti Zak host in-depth interviews with coaches, copywriters, marketers, and other entrepreneurs. The enthusiasm and energy are high, and the guests are top-notch. 2. Copywriters Podcast - This has been one of my top picks for a few years. Copywriting coach David Garfinkel curates marketing communication advice from some of the best writers in the history of modern advertising. While I don't consider myself a great copywriter, I continue to learn things from this show that raise my game. 3. Akimbo: A Podca