🎥The Latest on my YouTube Channel
I was tasked with posting my first full length video on my YouTube channel this week. I found it surprisingly difficult to finally pull the trigger and get the video recorded, edited and posted all in one week. This is where most YouTube beginners fail. When it is time to record, and post is really when the rubber meets the road. Despite the obstacles, I pushed through and got the job done. It premiered on Sunday Jan. 9th. You can check it out here:
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🏆What I am learning
🎬I posted my first full length YouTube video. Part of that is learning how to edit. I am new to this editing game, and although I have a basic understanding of it, getting to know the software and all the available tools can be a process. I am using Camtasia as my editing software of choice, and they offer some free training videos. I will be diving deep into those videos over the next couple of months as I look to learn and improve my editing skills to make my videos more entertaining and engaging.
🪙I am working through some courses on Simplilearn. I completed my first certificate on the Introduction to Cryptocurrency course that they offer. I was surprised that they covered the basic currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, but they also covered some of the altcoins like Dodgecoin. Ultimately, I found it very helpful for beginners to understand the space a bit. I moved on to the next course which is a Blockchain certification training. They estimate 9 hours to complete it. As always, I will give you my honest review once I have completed it and keep you posted on my updates. If you are interested in learning along with me, sign up for an account using my affiliate link here https://simpli-web.app.link/e/hwcdjHJhlm. You will get FOUR FREE Courses and you can connect with me and share notes.
📖What I am reading
I downloaded a new book from Meera Kothand called Uncover Your Difference. It touches on this interesting concept of uncovering your unfair advantage. I first heard about this from Ali Abdaal’s YouTube channel and was intrigued by the concept, so I wanted to get into it more. The book he discussed is not available for purchase yet but this one should satisfy my initial thirst for knowledge while I wait on that one. I read another book from Meera over the summer, and I found her writing style very simple and practical. It is another short read, so I am hoping to have a full review available for you on my website shortly. Make sure you check out some of my other reviews on my website here: https://www.paulmilakeve.com/book-reviews
🛠️Project Updates
🛣️The rubber hit the road this week with my first full length video on YouTube and my first course completion from Simplilearn. Going into this week I am going to learn some more about editing and becoming a blockchain developer.
🛋️I am thinking about a remodel of my office/studio space. After filming my first couple of videos I realized that my set-up was functional for work but not recording or reading. In an ideal world, my office/studio space would include a relaxing reading nook for me to focus on my reading, writing, and overall creative process.
👍What I am loving
📺I spent some quality time with my wife and daughter over the holiday weekend. We enjoyed some family time and got entrenched in a shockingly enjoyable show on Netflix. It’s called Stay Close. It is an 8-episode series that has the right amount of suspense and intrigue. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so you will just have to watch it and tell me what you think about the ending. Be careful because the plot has so many twists.
🎙️I discovered a new podcast this past week that I have been binging out on. Coming from Philly and having done some consulting work for a bunch of artists in the Roots camp I have a love for everything neo soul and The Roots. Their drummer and DJ extraordinaire Questlove has really become a force in the music and entertainment world. He has a podcast called Questlove Supreme. It’s been around for a while, but I just recently discovered it. If you are a true fan of hip hop culture, or if you are from Philly and the surrounding suburbs, this podcast is a must listen. You can listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any of your favorite platforms for free of course.
📊Random Insights
I find myself contemplating on my life in a deeper way over the past couple of days. My former boss and one of my most influential mentors reached out to me the other day with news that one of our former co-workers recently passed away. She was diagnosed with a liver disease about a year ago. It took me by surprise, and I find myself unusually thinking about it. She wasn’t much older than me and although I haven’t seen her in over 6 years, I remember her as healthy and fit. She was a part-time fitness instructor at a local gym when we worked together. She was very positive, compassionate and energetic. As I try to understand my feelings, I realize that COVID has caused me to become a little detached from death. I do not know of anyone personally that has died from it but I as I read the message, I was prepared to hear that the cause of death was COVID. It is hard to admit it, but it is the honest truth. With so much focus on COVID, we can forget to realize the millions of people that are suffering from other chronic diseases and conditions like liver disease, cancer and dozens of other things. My hope is that we will find a cure for these diseases in time. I have personally lost several loved ones to cancer over the years, and it is one thing that really scares me because of how it is so relentlessness and non-biased. It resurfaced my fear of the things that are out of our control and beyond what our scientists have been able to solve. My call to action is for all of us to reflect on our blessings, be appreciative of another day of life and live each and every day in a quest to live the best life possible.