Julian Brass has come a long way, and throughout his journey, he never lost sight of his purpose. After launching and growing Notable Life, a digital lifestyle brand for driven millennials, he longed for a more balanced lifestyle. This led him to sell Notable Life and pursue his career as a life coach, yoga & meditation instructor, motivational speaker and much more. Julian took some time to tell us about his journey and how his passion led him to what he was always meant to do. He talks all things gratitude & self love and shares tips on how to start the New Year on the right foot.
"I landed a marketing job in Silicon Valley and I worked there for almost two years. My dream was to always build my own thing, and that became a voice I couldn't ignore. When I was a teenager, I always wanted to be a motivational figure. I started reading these self help, personal growth books and it became my way of life. Although I knew I didn’t yet have enough experience to be a motivational speaker, I believed I could create an internet business to help people in a more indirect way.
Why did you decide to sell Notable Life?
"I sold Notable Life because I never lost sight of my purpose. I always knew I wanted to help people in a more direct way and this idea never left my mind. As Notable Life became more recognized, people began to ask me if I could speak at their events. I used these events to start a platform where I could discuss life and how to improve it. In 2015, I found that I needed to find a more balanced lifestyle. I requested and obtained a part time sabbatical and moved to Israel. While I was there I found balance. I wanted to find something that I could bring back to Canada and share with other people. I began classes to become a yoga teacher, as I found it very helpful during those hardcore, hustle years, when I was often depressed and anxious. I moved back to Canada with the decision that I wanted to get Notable Life to a place where I could sell it."
What do you love about your current job?
"I am honoured to see change happen before my eyes. Knowing that I'm making a direct impact on peoples lives. It’s selfless work and a lot of emotional and mental preparation goes into it."
What does chasing your passion mean to you?
"To me, chasing your passion involves asking a simple question. Would I continue chasing this opportunity if I wasn't getting paid? If the answer is yes, then you know you are chasing your passion."
What advice would you give someone who's looking to change career paths?
"When it comes to changing career paths, you have to view it through the lens of both a scientist and artist. You need to approach it with the passion of an artist but with the critical thinking of a scientist. Each individual needs to think about how much money they need and how much money they want. Then there's a bit of life forecasting and asking yourself where you want to be in 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. From there, you can decide what career is right for you."
What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
"Remembering to get out of my own way. It’s really easy to think small and think that were not capable and were not enough. Once we can get out of our own way, all the rest is just noise. To help getting out of your own head, I like to think about what's going to hurt more — taking a shot and failing, or not doing it and always wondering. The pain of not doing and always wondering is greater than possibly doing it and screwing up."
What are your top tips to start the New Year on the right foot?
"Look at key areas of your life and ask yourself how you're doing in each of those areas. For the areas you feel you're not doing as well as you should be, focus on creating change and finding a resolution." Other tips include:
- Quantify your goals
- Always remember that some is better than none. Often times we think its all or nothing in life, but if you hit 50% of your goals that is something to be proud of
- Stop playing the just-if-I game, remove justification from your life
What tips can you give us on gratitude?
"Gratitude is the art of embracing what you have. If you want to live a life full of gratitude, you need to focus on everything you have versus everything you don't have."
"Correlate giving gratitude to deep breathing. Take one breath in and and one breath out and your state will completely change."
What's next?
"Creating more workshops and classes that people can attend both physically and online. Real growth only happens through repetition and I'm excited to help people work on that part of themselves."
We're excited to see how Julian will continue to inspire others to live their best.
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