Here are two great resources I would highly recommend for your off time that will considerably improve your on time.

First, take about 45 minutes and watch the videos from Derek Sivers on how he created CD Baby. I’ve talked before about how we were early adopters, releasing our first CD in ’99 at CD Baby when there were only a few thousand or less artists there. And he’s telling the truth – I remember those “second ring answers” and all of the personalized treatment for both us and our customers. It’s what built the loyalty we had for them through the buyout. Plus, Derek’s a very engaging speaker and this longer presentation is cut into very easily digestible nuggets, so it’s an easy view.

Sidenote about AppSumo: the first time I viewed, I didn’t get a log-in page, but the second time, I did. When that happened, I requested log-in with Facebook, and was taken right to the page. So don’t get discouraged if you think I gave you a null link – I didn’t! And it seems to be a really cool site, too.

The other resource well worth your time is a book I just finished reading called Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content by Mark Levy. It’s all about “freewriting”, a practice that takes the best of both brainstorming and stream of consciousness and turns them into the coolest business (and life) tool I’ve used in a very long time. You may *think* you know all there is to know about digging into your creative center, but trust me, this book is going to take it up a notch. Even something as simple as journaling will never be the same again.

Enjoy!