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The Invisible Mentor Weekly Newsletter: Brain Food Wednesdays Number 94: What Problem Do You Solve?
Dear Reader,
The question, “What problem do you solve?” has been dancing around in my head for a couple of weeks now. I’ve been building out the content on my membership site, The Art of Learning. And I’ve been writing new content for my blog, The Invisible Mentor. We all want to leave a legacy behind, and do work that really matters.
A few days ago, while working my way through a devotional guide, the author asked an agent from the Central Intelligence Agency how to determine your vocation in life. His response made me think. He says that three things are necessary.
- What you’re good at.
- What you love.
- What others say you’re good at and love.
Think about that for a second. Because you love doing something, and are good at doing it, does that mean that it solves a meaningful problem for others? Would the third thing on the list, what others say you’re good at and love, be the clincher? Are they looking at it from the perspective of you being the answer to a meaningful problem?
The devotional guide, Embracing Your Unique Calling, didn’t explore the aspect of solving problems. And that’s what I’m really interested in. In the Ask Avil section of this newsletter, I’ll delve deeper.
On a different note, in my Facebook group, I run many challenges. For the rest of October, the Challenge is to read multiple books at the same time. You’re always welcome to join me.
Will you participate in the Read Multiple Books at the Same Time Reading Challenge? Join my Facebook group Reading Rocks: Read a Book, Discover Solutions, Change the World.
Ask Avil
What Problem Do You Solve?
Have you ever thought of the question, “What problem do I solve by doing what I do?” It’s an important question that’s worth thinking about. Employers hire employees because they have a problem that needs solving. It’s not the way that most people would look at it, but that’s the way it is. If you’re a business owner, you’ll always get clients if you offer a solution to their problems. People buy solutions, the same way organizations buy solutions, in the form of hiring employees.
From reading the book, Jobs to Be Done, the premise behind the Jobs to be Done Framework is that people hire products to get a job done. Therefore, people buy products and services to get a job done. If a customer has a job that she has to get done, she will switch products if it makes sense for her.
Let’s use myself as an example. Below are the key products and services that I offer. They are solutions to problems. They get a specific job done. In the book, A Technique for Producing Ideas, there are two types of information you collect when trying to creatively solve problems – general and specific information. General information is the type you collect throughout your life, while specific information is related to the problem at hand.
It’s important to develop a practice of consuming general information every day, and the Art of Learning membership will enable you to do that. If you read one Bookish Note every day, imagine all the new information you’ll learn in a year.
The Art of Learning
This is a membership site and the problem it solves is helping entrepreneurs and small business owners learn new skills. Additionally, they’re able to consume bite-sized content daily to grow their body of general knowledge, so they can creatively solve problems. The job the Art of Learning membership site does, is to prepare people to creatively problem-solve, develop new skills, and get introduced to new books.
Knowledge Accelerator Programs
These programs are for people who want to read but think they don’t have the time to read. The problem these programs solve is that they teach senior level leaders how to read in such a way that they shave hours off their reading time. And they learn new skills in the process. The job these programs do is to teach people how to read like a leader, as well as read to learn specific skills.
The One Problem
This is my podcast. And it provides bite-sized learning. I have 33 episodes that cover a variety of topics. Viewers and listeners can consume one a day and that’s one way to develop general knowledge, which is critical for creative problem-solving. The job that The One Problem podcast does is to provide micro-learning to viewers and listeners.
Reading List
During October, I’m going to try to read multiple books on leadership and self-leadership. I’ll let you know how that works out.
Avil’s Reading List
- The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh, Steve Jamison, and Craig Walsh
- Self-Leadership by Ryan Reed
- The Leadership Gap by Lolly Daskal
- Love Leadership by John Hope Bryan
- Brave Leadership, Kimberly Davis
- How Women Rise, Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith
- Business Model Shifts by Patrick van der Pijl, Justin Lokitz
- Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward
- The Invincible Company by Alexander Osterwalder , Yves Pigneur
- Love-Based Business Models by Shawn Driscoll
- Why Leadership Sucks by Miles Anthony Smith, Book 1
- Why Leadership Sucks by Miles Anthony Smith, Book 2
- Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
- The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions . . . and Created Plenty of Controversy by Leigh Gallagher
- Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal by Nick Bilton
- Levers: The Framework for Building Repeatability into Your Business by Amos Schwartzfarb
- Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great by Carmine Gallo
- I Got There: How a Mixed-Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty, and Abuse to Arrive at the American Dream by JT McCormick
- One Big Thing: Discovering What You Were Born to Do by Phil Howard Cooke
The Invisible Mentor Blog
Blog Posts
What Problems Do Your Products and Services Solve?
Summary Technique for Producing Ideas
Michelle Griffin, Founder Brandthority, Building Your Personal Brand
The One Problem
I usually publish a new episode of The One Problem on a Friday. Since Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving, last Friday, I updated and republished a post on the history of Canadian Thanksgiving.
I can’t believe that I’ve published 33 podcast episodes already. It seems to me I just started a couple of months ago. The videos are short, so they’re easy enough to listen to. And if you read books, I want you to start connecting ideas between the books you read and the podcast episodes you listen to. Why not come on a learning journey with me.
- Michelle Griffin, Founder Brandthority, Building Your Personal Brand
- Donna Knutson, Founder of Write Journeys
- Sophie Gray, Founder of DiveThru: Being Disconnected from Yourself
- The One Problem Interview with Lois McGuire, Author
- The One Problem Interview with Roberta Liebenberg, Senior Law Partner
- The One Problem Interview: Angela Payne, Founder Leed HR
- The One Problem Interview: Rose-marie Fernandez, Founder Coaching Worx
- The One Problem Interview: Reverend, Dr Cheri DiNovo
- The One Problem Interview: Hillary Sobel, Lawyer
- The One Problem: Janet Zaretsky, BS Brilliance Master
- The One Problem: Julie Foucht, Art of Feminine Marketing
- The One Problem: Evelyn Jerome Alexander, Magellan College Counseling
- The One Problem Interview with Rosalin Krieger, The Unstucker
- The One Problem Interview: Tetyana Dudnyk, Director, Technology Project Management Office
- The One Problem Interview: Maura Lustig, Transformational Coach
- The One Problem: Vicki Saunders, Founder SheEO
- Episode 17 The One Problem: Tara Hunt, Founder Truly Inc
- The One Problem Interview: Melanie Russell Talks About Partnership Agreements
- The One Problem Interview: Anthea Rossouw, Founder of Dreamcatcher
- Germain St. Denis, Consultant, Change Leadership: The One Problem Interview
- The One Problem Interview: Sandra Lisi, Leadership Coach
- The One Problem: Deena Baikowitz, Business & Career Coach
- The One Problem: Kelli Wingo, The One Problem Interview: Kelli Wingo, KMW Catalyst
- The One Problem: Patricia Roberts,Chief Operating Officer of the Gift of College
- The One Problem: The One Problem: Patti Pokorchak, Small Biz Sales Coach
- The One Problem: Adrienne Harris, Managing Partner, Portage Sales
- The One Problem: Kristy Wallace, CEO Ellevate Network
- The One Problem: Margye Solomon Talks about Aging and Relevance
- The One Problem: Deb Boulanger, Launch Lab for Women Entrepreneurs
- The One Problem: Sharon Horne Ellstrom – Stop Being Like Others, Be YOU
- The One Problem: Liz Kitchell from SheMoolah Talks Money Conversations
- The One Problem: Avil Beckford, Author of Digest 30 Books in 30 Days
- The One Problem: Interview With Kelly Daring, Author of Is Love Enough
Product Alert
7 Day Reading Makeover Challenge
This is an affordable program to get started on leadership reading. Leaders read to learn what they need to know. You’ll also learn how to synthesize information.
Art of Learning Membership Site
How would you like to access the best, most useful information I have, that’s better than book summaries? Buy monthly access to the Bookish Note that’s behind my paywall. I group Bookish Notes together by a common theme, turning them into a course. Imagine reading themed Bookish Notes and starting to lay the foundation for a new skill.
Until Next Week,
Avil Beckford, Founder, The Invisible Mentor!