phil sanders

If I could point to one thing I wish I was better with, it would have to be consistency. I’m great at writing out my goals, todo lists, making a great first cup of coffee & even getting up on time [sometimes], but I definitely suck at being consistent in the things that I want to be great at. I tend to daily veer toward watching every video on devour, being jealous of what everyone else on instagram is doing, or just going nuts because I don’t really know how I should be spending my time. Ah, the tortured life of a creative entrepreneur.  It’s funny how I seriously am my own worst nightmare. Funny because it's true.  Recently, my wife & I started really focusing on getting our finances in order. Not rocket science, just paying down debt, knowing how much is coming in, & where we are spending our money. Simply simplifying. Funny thing, we are now on the same page financially, more at peace, have a written out budget, & actually have a purpose with the money we spend. It's been a tough few months adapting to the new way of life but beans & rice taste a whole lot better when the bills are paid.  The goal here isn’t just to do this with the finances though, it’s balancing out all other aspects of my life too. Again, nothing huge, but a few simple & intentional steps so I can be better than you… haha no, just be a better me.  Here’s where I am with 2014. Instead of listing out the goals that I want to accomplish this year, I’ve written out some aspects that I’d like to make into habits. I'm going to focus more on the habits that get me to my goals rather than just listing out mega goals & hope that I hit a few. The theory here is that as I focus on these habits I will achieve those goals I would have written down in their place as a side effect of being consistent in these categories.  I’ve categorized my habits that I want to focus on as follows. Also, listed out are a few examples of subcategories. 

habit #1 faith      - daily scripture      - a day of rest 1x weekly      - serve w/ a organization or cause 2x monthly habit #2 family      - date night 1x a week      - family mtg night 1x a week      - intentional time w/ parents & extended family habit #3 finance      - pay off as much debt as possible every month      - complete financial peace university       - stay within pre-decided budgets habit #4 personal      - exercise 3x weekly      - read one productive book a month      - work with my hands 2x a week habit #5 relationships      - host friends 2x month      - phone calls instead of texts      - hand written notes habit #6 work      - creative project 1x a month      - work according to a block schedule      - treat every client/job to the best of my ability A few things I do to make sure that I’m being intentional with these habits.  1] Review it once a week. I tend to do this first thing on Monday. 2] Treat my todo lists as law. 3] Track my consistency on habit list [irunurun is another goodie]. 4] Have someone to hold me accountable.

Acquaint, a new local hang. 

This weekly meetup is for the freelancing/creative worlds to break their solitary norm & hang out for a few beers with real live people. It's going to be a good way to constantly get a lot of our community together in one place.

There aren't many rules to this thing other that it is not a networking event. Seriously. It's simply a time for us all to get together & have a good ole time. Obviously it would be great if relationships were formed & out of that came collaborations, but everyones intentions just needs to be to get to know some new good people. 

Eventually we are going to be at the same bar every time, but these first few we may try out some different locations. Tonight's will be in East Atlanta Village at The Gleenwood & we'll get started at 5pm [it opens at 5pm, so no early birds].

That's it. See you there. 

Ever since early last year I’ve had a vision that I’ve been trying to work into a reality. I’ve always loved being a freelancer. The freedom it brings is priceless & the people it puts you around are some of the best in the world. However, some of the very things that make freelancing great are also what make it so difficult. Things like, staying challenged in business & creativity, separation between work & life, or just simply having human interaction are all some of the reasons why I’ve started seeking a better working environment. I know collaboration spaces are a fairly trendy topic now but I really & truly desire to be a significant part of an effective one. Not only collaboration that is a physical space for work to happen, but a place where community can grow, creatives/entrepreneurs are challenged & encouraged, & we all live a more balanced & enriched life because of it.  More than anything I want to be a part of a strong community that plays an active role in each other’s lives & invests in the surrounding culture. So, this is my first step towards that.

We’re starting small & we’re starting simple.  Currently we are looking for a space that could fit about 15 people on the east side of atlanta, more specifically east atlanta village. I’d love to fill this space with people who don’t just want to receive the benefits of a collaboration, but want to openly be a part of investing in others. I believe that we are better as a collection than we are as individuals.  So, if you believe in investing in rich relationships, the love of a craft, & being a part of a thriving community, then I would love to hear from you. We’re looking to move into a space between now & the end of march. The space will be one that can be versatile & affordable. 

Email me at [email protected] for more information & pricing. There is a possibility of a space that we could move into very quickly, so don’t hesitate to reach out.