Amy Winehouse and the "27 Club"

Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Jim Morrison
Kurt Cobain
Jean Michael-Basquiat
Freaky Tah of the Lost Boyz
Johnathan Brandis from the NeverEnding Story II

All influential and known celebrities and artists who came and touched our lives through music, art, television, and movies. All tragically and mysteriously died at the age of 27. It's sad when you think a celebrities career is just beginning to take off. It literally seems like they were here today and gone tomorrow. Now they are infamously a part of what is known as the "27 Club." The club in which famous people become inducted into when they die at the age of 27 through tragic causes.

In their deaths, lies a story. Nothing lasts forever. What can we learn from Amy Winehouse and the "27 Club?" Sure it's easy to give an "anti-drug" speech, but at the end of the day as we look at their careers, the lives they left, and the people who surrounded them there is a story lesson to be learned.

1. Live your life like it's your last day. It seems almost like these, and others, were at the height of their career. Things seems to be going to well, seeming so lucrative, and all of a sudden we get the breaking news of their deaths and find out even later that they were depressed and overwhelmed with the level of celebrity they received. No matter what, do what makes you happy. Whether it's picking up trash, inspiring others, teaching, or writing. Do what makes YOU happy. No one can live your life, but you!


2. Make your dreams a reality, despite the nay sayers. These folks lived a dream life we will never get to experience. They may have died suddenly at 27, but what they were able to accomplish is more than most of us will ever experience in our lives. Do what you can to even get a glimpse of your dream. It's worse to regret not trying to live out your dream or passion than to deal with the failure experienced trying.


3. "Yes" people are enablers, get rid of them. It's always great to have your ego stroked. We all want it, we sometimes need it. However, if you are around people who ONLY tell you how good, awesome, great, pretty, or smart you are how will you know what you need to do to get better and to grow? We need constructive criticism to progress. If all you hear is yes, how will you know how to handle the "no." We can only speculate that some of these celebrities died, especially the ones from suicide and drugs, because they had too many fans and not enough friends. Get rid of enablers, their bad for you.


4. Know when to ask for help. At the end of the day, we need help. In our darkest hour, for our progression and growth, just because. Help is available in many forms, what we have to do is learn to put our pride to the side and ask for it. I feel like if these artists were able to simply ask the right person for help, we would have had them for so much longer.


5. Empowerment is a very powerful tool we all need. Motivation. Inspiration. Empowerment. It's the tools that keep the positivity in and the negativity out. Find a mentor, speaker, book, counselor, or method to ensure that you ALWAYS have some form of empowerment and positive energy in your life.

Amy Winehouse [9.14.83-7.23.11]

Amy Winehouse was a great singer. Despite her vices and her troubles, she had a gift that she was able to share with the world...even for a little while. Unfortunately, she is now the newest member of the "27 Club." We may not ever know what problems she had in her life, but from the time we had her here...we can learn much from her and the other members of the "27 Club."

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

7 Tips Your Business Can Learn from Oprah (via Inc.)

If you're anything like me, you're feeling the absence of Oprah on your television by now. Even if you weren't an avid watcher like myself, you took comfort in knowing you could easily turn to your local channel and watch her inspiring, uplifting, and advising people everyday. Even though she is gone from our 4pm slots, trust that she is not absent from our lives. Even as a business there is so much that can be learned from our dear Oprah. Inc.com did a great job of compiling a list on tips we businesses can learn from Oprah. Check out the list overview below and definitely go to their site to see the full list and descriptions!

7 Tips Your Business Can Learn from Oprah (via Inc.):

1. Give back to your fans. How could we all forget Oprah's Favorite Things? "You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!"


2. Take risks and get attention. Taking risks is essentially what entrepreneurs do. Oprah said the only gamble she ever took was when she bet on herself...and guess what? She won. BIG!


3. Explore new verticals. Did you know Oprah started off as a news anchor before she became a television host? Her brand is now a multimedia platform with a television network, production, magazine, and apps.


4. Reveal your personal story. Personally I think the thing that makes us love Oprah and admire her is her ability to connect with people through her personal stories. She's relateable and seems like a great friend and associate to know. It's hard to find and trust people like that in business nowadays.


5. Get celebrities on your side. It's all about WHO you know, but also about WHO KNOWS YOU.


6. Become an influencer. The best leaders are the ones who can influence others to action. You can't tell me that Oprah doesn't encourage you to want to be the best version of yourself in life and in business.


7. Know when to quit. Always have a good exit strategy. You will be better remembered and sorely missed when you leave at your peak.

Check out the entire list and descriptions at Inc.com

Oprah is a lot of things to a lot of people, but the one thing that you cannot deny that she is is great.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

What I've learned from Oprah...thus far

Oprah Winfrey taped her last talk show yesterday. That 4 o'clock spot on television is now void. There won't be any more Oprah's favorite things episodes. You won't be able to get a ticket to see her show. Our source of daily inspiration and wisdom is now gone. Although we all know that Oprah is in the process of moving on to bigger and better...and I do mean BETTER things, we must not forget all she has taught us in her 25 years on our televisions.

What I've learned from Oprah...thus far?
Hardwork. Oprah has come from meager means to get to the caliber of success that she is currently at. She didn't do it because she felt like she needed to. She didn't do it because it was handed to her. She didn't even do it because it was necessarily the right the thing to do. Oprah got to where she is today through hardwork, determination, and faith.

Self. As we all travel on this journey called life, it is not surprising that we go through trials where we lose ourselves, change our sense of ourselves, or better ourselves. Through everything Oprah has done, it has been through her sense of self. She stated in her episode of Masterclass that she felt terrible when she tried to pretend to be someone else. She didn't feel like herself. In that same episode she stated, "I can be a better Oprah than a pretend 'Phil Donahue'," which translates in my mind to "you will always do a better job of being yourself than trying to be someone else.

Love and passion. Even if you are that 0.0000001% of people who don't like or admire Oprah, you have to accept one thing about her...She does what she does for the love of it. For the love of the people she meets, the lives she touches, that passion she feels to fulfill her purpose in life.

Purpose and inspiration. I wasn't a regular watcher of the Oprah show, but I am a regular admirer of hers. It's definitely true what people say, "when you are living in your purpose, the universe will conspire in your favor." It's true and all you have to do is have faith in that belief. Oprah found her calling through a series of trials and had faith in accomplishing it. But once her purpose became evident and she used the platform she had to inspire others, the universe brought her everything she has now and will get beyond today.

Others. The more you give, the more you receive. "To whom much is given, much is required." I don't know another celebrity or personally another person who has given as much as Oprah. Not just the materialistic things like cars, trips, clothes, etc. I'm talking about the wisdom, knowledge, love, compassion, motivation, and advice that she's given us over 25 years. The selfless act of putting others before yourself is one of the greatest sacrifices you can make. In Oprah fashion, she has given of herself so that we may benefit from what she has to offer us.

Knowledge. I watch my peers and influencers and wonder why many of them have this trait of hoarding knowledge. It's one thing to protect your ideas and identity, but to hoard knowledge because you don't feel like people are worthy enough to have it is down right terrible. Knowledge is acquired to share it with someone else. When we go through life as teachers and students, acquiring knowledge to share it to acquire it again, we will find that we live a more purposeful and fulfilling life. Oprah has taught us a lot about humility, self, and compassion. She has taught us that knowledge truly is power.Thank you Oprah for inspiring and teaching us for 25 years. We look forward to the next 25.

These are the things that Oprah has taught me. Through the years, as we followed her life and trials, Oprah has been like the Confucius of our time. She has taught me that although there is a burden that comes with finding your passion and purpose, once you've recognized it and lived it...nothing is impossible.

"Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility."         -Oprah Winfrey

The Unemployed Entrepreneur