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Jef van de Graaf™

Escape into the Great Unknown

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  • MY BIO
  • CONSULT
    • GET 60 MINUTES
  • READABLES
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WORK WITH ME

Jef van de Graaf™

Get a WordPress Website for $17

June 25, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

Let's say you have a few extra hours to spare during the evenings and weekends. You could sit around and binge another Netflix series but where does that get you 1 or 2 years down the road? Instead, why not invest your time learning a skill that allows you to escape your dead-end job and pursue …

Category: UncategorizedTag: Business Idea, Google, WordPress

3 Powerful, Life-changing Business Lessons from Japan

May 13, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

For two years, I grew a small business in the countryside of Yamaguchi (that's about an hour from Hiroshima). I provided in-house (or in-office) English lessons personalized to my students' needs. I relied heavily on word of mouth and guerilla marketing tactics to grow from 0 to 65 students in …

Category: Entrepreneurship, MindsetTag: Business Lessons, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Success

#3: Learning by Doing

April 12, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

Seventeen and a half years of my life were spent sitting at a desk, listening to a teacher, studying for a test, and, when I passed, getting a piece of paper with my name written on them. But -- so what? Even though the education system involves a lot of learning and doing -- nothing prepared …

Category: Micro StoriesTag: Learning, Personal Development

#2: You’re Stronger Than You Think

April 8, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

Last year was the shittiest year of my life where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. F*ck!!! On the professional side -- three of my best copywriting gigs ended their contracts in the same month which had nothing to do with my performance. One of my clients hired an in-house …

Category: Micro StoriesTag: Motivation, No Bullshit

#1: Are You Being Challenged?

April 5, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

I spent the better parts of my 20s riding a bicycle across countries without any plan or purpose as to where I was going. Most days consisted of waking with the sunrise, slipping into my cycling attire, packing up my gear, then brewing a cup of coffee as I mentally prepared for the day …

Category: Micro Stories

Buyer’s Journey: 5 Essential Secrets to Selling More

March 7, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

Not all buyers are impulsive, even though research suggests 64% of people make impulse purchases at least once a month.1 When it comes to complex products and services with a bigger price tag or promise -- here's a glimpse of a non-impulsive buyer's journey. What is a Buyer's Journey? Think …

Category: Digital Journal

Productivity Results: Is Your Time Well Spent or Totally Wasted?

February 18, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

Are you happy with your day-to-day productivity results? Do the things you do help to accomplish your big picture goals? Or did you just waste another weekend binging a random series on Netflix? Sure, our body needs water and oxygen to live but time is our most precious commodity. You can't …

Category: Digital Journal

Morning Routine: 3 Smart Habits for a Healthy, Happy Day

February 17, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

If you've ever wanted a better morning routine -- because you're tired of staying up late all the time -- here are 5 smart habits to make it happen. Do you consider yourself to be a night owl or an early bird? Morning people (early birds) like wake up early, brew a wicked strong coffee, and …

Category: Digital Journal

Overthinking: How to Get Unstuck From Being Inside Your Head

February 16, 2022 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

How do you conquer the problem of overthinking when all your thoughts and feelings continually destroy your ability to do things? You start a digital journal -- that's how! When I grew up, writing was an outlet for my thoughts and frustrated teenage feelings. Even though I cringe whenever I …

Category: Digital Journal

Smart Freelancers Get Paid for Consulting Instead of Wasting Valuable Time

December 22, 2021 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

Ever been hacking away at your work when a client drops a "We gotta talk -- now!" email without any context whatsoever? Your instincts say to drop everything but your gut knows there's a better way to handle these random interruptions. Smart freelancers value their time and they also know how to …

Category: Freelancing, Making Money

4 FREE Web Audit Tools

December 20, 2021 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

If you want to improve your website's performance -- without paying $1000s for a consultant -- these FREE web audit tools are a must-use. With these tools, you can audit your website in minutes and get information to make strategic changes that can help you rank higher in search engines like …

Category: WebOps, Website Marketing, WordPress

Henry Miller’s 10 Rules for Working Effectively

December 2, 2021 //  by Jef van de Graaf™

Henry Miller's Rules for a Productive Workflow Slightly stolen from Henry Miller's rules of writing, I use them to guide my day-to-day working: Work on one thing at a time until finished.Don't be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, and recklessly on the task in hand.Work according to program and …

Category: Mindset, ProductivityTag: Guidelines, Rules, Work

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JEF VAN DE GRAAF™

This website is the epicentre of my thoughts, strategies, and achievements in business and life. I also provide professional services like web design and copywriting. If you think my services can benefit you ― work with me.
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"I have always recognized that the object of business is to make money in an honorable fashion. I have endeavored that the object of life is to do good." ― PETER COOPER