‘I am a museum of everything I’ve ever loved.’
We dive into what it means to us and how we all collect memories and experiences that shape who we are. We chat about the idea of always adding to our personal ‘museums’ and how life is all about growth and trying new things.
Amara Andrew: I am a museum of everything I’ve ever loved. Hey, explorers, welcome back to Useful Not Famous. This is the show where we explore the topics we find the most interesting and strive to be the most useful people. You know me. I’m Amara.
Jeff Sarris: I’m Jeff Sarris.
Amara Andrew: I am a museum of everything I’ve ever loved. So I found that the other day scrolling on TikTok as I’m wont to do.
Jeff Sarris: I am wont to do?
Amara Andrew: W-O-N-T
Jeff Sarris: I am an academic.
Amara Andrew: But I saw that on TikTok and I was like, that is one of the most profound quotes I think I’ve ever heard. It’s so romantic. It’s so beautiful. Not romantic and like I love you sense, but just like such a romantic idea that I am the museum of everything that I’ve ever loved and. I tried to look it up.
I could not find a single point of attribution for it. There are a few different articles that were written on Medium by I think two or three different authors. But there actually isn’t a main source that I was able to find. So if you’ve actually found it, let me know in the comments please.
Because I really wanna know. I guess I could ask AI and see. I dunno, I like doing the research still myself by hand.
Jeff Sarris: But what does this mean to you? How do you interpret it? Because for anyone who doesn’t know you were an archivist. Yes. So that’s someone who works in memories essentially.
In memories. And you work in a museum type. Sense where you’re curating and deciding the things that stay and how they’re preserved and everything.
Amara Andrew: Yeah. So not putting things on display as much, even though I did work in that capacity as well. But an archivist is somebody who identifies, collects and preserves items of historical significance.
Jeff Sarris: An archivist is a, is just some lazy person.
Amara Andrew: like it’s not just ’cause it actually is a very loaded job when you look at it. I loved that job, like it was so much fun and I worked in a bunch of different. Capacities to doing it. But anyway, from my perspective, I really had to sit with it and think, because I was like, is this profound or is this one of those things that sounds really profound?
And then you’re like, this is so fucking dumb.
Jeff Sarris: That’s the like ab contrast I forget the term, but it’s think not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. having them contrast is powerful, even if it’s nonsense. If I was like, think what?
A glass of milk does for you, not what you do for a glass of milk. It makes you paint and you’re like, what? Yeah, it’s not of that.
Amara Andrew: There is a specific phrase. I’m gonna look it up while you’re talking.
It was one of those things where I had to sit with it for a minute and be like, okay, is this insightful or is it just oh, I’ve never thought of it like that. It is a very selfish quote because we’re putting ourselves on a pedestal and it’s a self-aggrandizing quote who am I to think that I am this?
Essentially, we think of museums as. Places of knowledge of maybe perhaps being a little intimidating to some people because they feel like they’re gonna be stupid going through there and just these sort of untouchable places too. This is a whole thing I can unpack and. the idea of the museum is definitely obviously a very hot topic.
One of contention because of the items that are in museums, some items shouldn’t be in there, so it’s a whole repatriation thing, blah, blah, blah. I’m not even gonna get into that. So yeah, that’s a specific thing, but not
Jeff Sarris: the concept of museum.
Amara Andrew: very intimidated by going to a museum.
What’s the point of a museum is the overarching thing
Jeff Sarris: Did you have a third one there or did you feel compelled to have a third? I felt compelled to have a third one there.
Isn’t that funny how that works? I know this is like a tangent, but I started the notes and then I was like, I this of this and do not what for milk does for you, but do for what milk does for our country. For the glass?
Amara Andrew: Yeah.
Jeff Sarris: Isn’t that weird though? It’s like bait didn’t know us because we inherently know that’s how we do something and the astronaut, what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.
He also said, mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. And that is just, it’s an A, B, BA formula. So it doesn’t have a great term, it’s just maybe, yeah. BA and that always feels powerful.
Amara Andrew: There is a word to describe it. I don’t remember what it’s, but anyway, those are very profound because it makes sense, the inverse.
I did end up coming to the realization that this is actually a very profound quote, which is why it struck me. Because I think for me, if something makes you take pause for a minute. And after you think about it, you’re still thinking about it. This is one that I’ve actually been thinking about quite a bit.
That to me is a more profound quote. If it’s something stupid, then you’re like, what is this asshole talking about? Like they just, they made this up, they wanted to sound, it’s like a listening to certain podcast now, and you’re just like, okay, this person’s trying to make a clip of a moment, which I’m a hundred percent guilty of,
Jeff Sarris: which we’ve pitched now with this new format.
Amara Andrew: I don’t care, clip whatever. I’m gonna sound absolutely bad shit, but I don’t care.
Speaker 3: morning I was thinking, what if we do send her a podcast to. The person we met and see if she’ll clip it up. I think I’ve already brought that up to you. I know, but I was just like, maybe we should just do that
Jeff Sarris: Okay. Yeah. Anyway,
Speaker 3: It’s,
Amara Andrew: we’re in the shower with someone right now and then they’re like, why
Speaker 3: are they spray my shower? Yeah. Ew. Grab that. So no, stop it. You need to wash your toes. This is disgusting. Oh, your butt. Why do you, okay, honey.
Funny.
Jeff Sarris: Anti-me. That’s what it was. Antimetabole. It’s the rhetorical device where words are repeated in successive clauses, but in a transposed or inverted order.
Amara Andrew: Yeah. So you take it from here and plug it in and it works. So back to the quote, I am a museum of everything I’ve ever loved and specifically the loved.
So it’s a positive. Idea, a positive quote.
Jeff Sarris: Oh, did you hear that? I did not.
Amara Andrew: I’m so excited. It’s such, it’s also such a not serious idea. So for example, I love pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin pie.
Okay, so we will get through maybe one idea, probably maybe not. No, this is just fun. So I love pumpkin pie and at a very superficial base level that is in my museum is pumpkin pie. And I’m only saying that because we’re almost to thanksgiving me time.
Jeff Sarris: know because this comes out the week of Thanksgiving.
What do you mean? ’cause we’re recording it exactly Six days before Thanksgiving. Look at us. We’re on time too.
Amara Andrew: know. Go us. We’ve been very good with being on time. I really liked our set last week, by the way. And when, let’s get rid of this table
Jeff Sarris: when we’re traveling.
I wanna get back. I wanna actually bring this gear podcast on the road. ’cause we’ve always said we would. Yeah. But. We haven’t, but I like that too.
Amara Andrew: This is just two schmucks at a table. That’s a new title.
Useful, not schmucks. Schmucks not famous, but, so yes, I love Pumpkin Pie is what we’ve established in this episode. Tune next week where we’ll see what else I like. I’ll describe the toppings.
Jeff Sarris: Do I like whipped cream?
Amara Andrew: Oh, I was like, what other toppings are there? With cream, don’t
Speaker 3: bury the lead
Amara Andrew: or don’t
Speaker 3: Are we back in their shower drain? Oh you’re still cleaning your butt. Why are you not? Okay. Whatever. Wow. At least they’re really in there. Yeah. I wonder is it getting in each individual fold.
Jeff Sarris: Okay.
Amara Andrew: so if this is your first time listening to the show,
Jeff Sarris: I’m surprised you’re still here.
Welcome.
Amara Andrew: Pumpkin Pie is in your museum. There’s so many things in my museum, but it’s, it goes, okay, so this is essentially the point that I’m trying to get to. this quote actually made me think of what we have talked about and what we’re aiming to get back to exploration.
We are the accumulation of all of our exploration on this earth, in this life that we have. It’s all of the things that we’ve tried, we’ve tested, we’ve maybe succeeded with maybe we didn’t really like whatever it is that is all accumulated in our one body and specifically in her mind. And I just find that so beautiful.
Life can become very monotonous and very dull. But if you’re always exploring these new things, like I realized I really love origami. I had no idea until we went to that exhibit that I just wanted to do a video on. Then I was like, oh, this is cool.
I’m gonna, I have a whole stack of origami things over there. So I dunno. It’s just constantly adding to your museum, like how a museum, they have a collection, they don’t always keep everything in their collection. Sometimes they purge things, they give it to other institutions. Maybe deaccession it entirely
Very rare or it goes to a private collector, whatever, blah, going too far in the weeds. But you will cu your collection and remove things maybe that doesn’t serve the institution anymore and figure out where to put it instead.
I’m extending part of my museum, I’m loaning out part of my. Artwork, my object, my collection, whatever to you. And then now maybe that’s in your museum. I don’t know. I find that so beautiful.
Jeff Sarris: Yeah. And the education, it’s like my new favorite thing probably, yeah.
Is the lending out is educated and sharing with others. Uhhuh. But then maybe like things that don’t serve us anymore. So we’re curating or we curate the museum collection within us, and we’re curating the things that we do.
We’re in the middle of a lake surrounded by mist, and we only see one stepping stone distance from us. But there’s a bunch of them. There’s a bunch of stepping stones laid out in front of beside and behind us. But which of those is the most interesting? That would be how we curate it. We curate based on what stepping stone looks.
Interesting for us. We’re curating our museum. We’re seeking or exploring. The landscape in front of us, and we can take an infinite number of different stepping stone steps, but what’s the most interesting? And I think that’s how we can curate and build a great collection in our Museum of the Mind.
Man,
Amara Andrew: Uhhuh, I feel like I want a shirt that says Museum of the Mind, but how you just said about education, something I’ve gotten hung up on before, not entirely, but just more recently is. Sharing more of what I know and helping people more. I’ve always loved doing that. That’s always been like one of my favorite things.
But with our business maven, what is maven.com? We fly all over the country film with realtors and local small business owners in their market or in their area. And something I’ve gotten stuck on is the teaching part of that. I’ve felt like I need to hoard all the knowledge and all the things, which is very antithetical to how I like to approach education, which is just make it open and free for everybody because you don’t want a bunch of dumb asses running around.
Jeff Sarris: because you also feel compelled that you have to teach?
Amara Andrew: I feel compelled to. I also, I would like to, because we’ve learned and tested and tried so many different, like people have no idea how many things we’ve tried and like just behind the scenes even that haven’t even made it to our top bananas, who are our clients.
There are just so many different things that I would like to share with people. But yeah I do feel compelled to. Share that with people. But then I also would like to, but then it’s one of those things that we hear from our clients where it’s okay specifically working with realtors, they’re just like the market’s already saturated with every other realtor in my area doing content.
And it’s yeah, but there’s no you in there. Everyone else, you may be very similar to this other person, but there’s still something unique about you. This is you are a little snowflake. Like each person is just a little bit unique, not unique enough that we all need to celebrate ourselves all the time.
However, we are all a different museum. We have different collections within us. Just felt very hyper competitive, and not really, this is just purely my own takeaway.
Jeff Sarris: I think I know what it is though.
Amara Andrew: What, I didn’t mean this about me, but here we are.
Jeff Sarris: No. This is,
Amara Andrew: just something that I know other people struggle with as well
Jeff Sarris: because it’s two things you love teaching, but ’cause these are things that we like are same, are the same about you. Love teaching people.
But when it comes to video content, hyper-local video marketing, that’s what we do. So many people are selling video marketing. They’re like, we love teaching. But then it also feels like we quote unquote, have to do it, but not out of passion, out of what I’m supposed to do this, and I’m supposed to do that because otherwise, why do people know what we know, what we’re doing?
Or da dah. But then, yeah. I think. I think where we get caught up, and I think where you get caught up too, which we talked about. We have talked about there’s so many people trying to sell you something and almost all of them. Have zero experience to back it up and they’re all saying the same thing.
Yeah. And we’re all about results. We wanna be useful, we wanna be useful to everyone we know, to ourselves, to just life in general. It’s like that’s what makes us feel good, but as soon as we’re making like hyper-local video content, meta content about it, it feels like we’re disingenuous. We’re not doing it.
It’s metrics. We’re measuring things then, and then it’s like we’re not getting the engagement because people aren’t seeing us for this thing that we’re teaching on But that’s not it at all. Like we’re doing it. We’re actually doing the work. We’re practitioners and it works and we know it works, and everyone who works with us knows it works.
But then it’s do we need to educate the masses because we want to. But we end up down these different paths that aren’t maybe the path that we would go down, like with this show right now, like we’re talking about something real. On the show for the last six weeks. So whenever we pivoted a little from our format, it feels so
Amara Andrew: much more genuine. Whereas manufacturing which is why we film with people. We don’t tell them, we give them a very base overview of what we’re gonna film with them, but we want it to be as genuine to them in the moment as possible.
And I think that’s so valuable because when you have this perfectly crafted and curated video. It feels a little uncanny valley and that’s just not you, but like obviously there’s certain, like a hook that you need and a brand closer, which we’ve talked about in other episodes. There are certain elements that you need to have, but overall, the more in the moment you can answer and the more genuine and authentic.
And I’ve had people where I’m like, okay, and if you don’t know the answer to the question, we’ll skip it. And they’re like, yeah, I have no idea. That’s cool, that’s fine. Like it literally does not matter. It’s you need to talk about the things that. You are passionate about and that you are knowledgeable about in your content and that you can share with people.
And it is hard when you’re trying, like even though we do this with people, I’ve made almost 15,000 videos in the past few years.
Jeff Sarris: We’ve talked about that. Difficult solve problems for people.
Oh yeah. It’s hard to artificially craft a problem to solve and feel compelled enough to describe it. And explain how to do it.
Amara Andrew: But if somebody asks me a question, I could talk for 45 minutes on the subject’s fun.
Jeff Sarris: I think it’s also important to not feel like we have to be something we’re not. Because like you create content, but I don’t think you need to be creating content about creating content unless you love talking about that. Yeah. Like we love solving it. We love the practice of doing it like this works better than it did then.
This works better than that did. And each time we film with someone, we’ve talked about this before, but it always is a running joke. Everything’s a little different. Uhhuh, you’re gonna see, you’re gonna like it. It’s, we’re more effective at it. It’s it, the things work better and better because we have all the reps in there.
And the reps are what’s fun. Michael Jordan didn’t go around teaching people how to shoot a free throw or a three pointer or a dunk, or he didn’t teach people because that was the only way people would know that he was good. He just went out and scored 60 points and won six NVA championships in a row, like not in a row, but two, three beats.
Like he just did it. Like he, there’s a concept of cooler, closer, cleaner. the concept of all three comes from Tim Grover, who was Michael Jordan’s trainer, then Kobe Bryant’s trainer. he’s worked with the best in the world a cooler is the person that will be able to get something done.
They’re good. The closer is the person who can. Close the deal when they’re needed. It’s like we need you to step up. Then they step up and do it. The cleaner doesn’t care. The cleaner gets it done, whether you’re in their way or not. Like you just clear the path and the cleaner will make sure it happens.
That’s a Jordan, that’s a Kobe. That’s a different way of operating and it sounds self-aggrandizing, but I would say. We live in the cleaner, like we wanna get stuff done, we wanna be. Doing the great things, not trying to prove our worth to people based on if you start with an avatar hook and an avatar hook means make your business
Amara Andrew: plan.
Jeff Sarris: We’ve never had a business plan. I’ve never had a business plan, no one I’ve ever worked with has ever had a business plan, and we’ve done better than everyone that I know who’s ever had a business plan. Actually, so throw your business plan concept in the trash. There’s no such thing as a business plan.
You have to do something.
Amara Andrew: telling you to make a business plan, it’s because they have no other advice.
Jeff Sarris: Like nobody, nobody makes a I understand this. You need to map certain things out for investors. Meaning, I need $10 million to start my startup.
Okay, maybe you need a business plan No one uses a business plan. It’s the whole Mike Tyson thing. Everyone has a plan to get punched in the face, which is so true.
Write your business plan and then wait for someone to punch you in the face. That’s, it’s just what happens and that business plan’s out the window. You gotta do something.
Amara Andrew: Yes. And this isn’t shade or anything, but just the business plan is getting in the way of actual. Productivity, I think for a lot of people.
Just like literally just try anything and everything. And that’s what we’ve always done.
Jeff Sarris: feels fulfilling because you can check a box,
Amara Andrew: And we were reorganizing my website last night and it was just all these different things that we’ve done in the past four years, which I was like, no wonder I’m exhausted, like in a good way.
It was just all these different things that when you look at it, it’s like what in the hell were they doing these years? But then they were all different stepping stones and trying different things that have actually amalgamated to some really great projects and really great things that I’m actually very proud of, including Maven, like they all led to that and it was obviously without a business plan ’cause it was just like, let’s just see what happens and what sticks and obviously you need to make money,
Foregoing the business plan will, I would guarantee a hundred percent of the time lead to more money than working on your business plan for weeks, months, years, whatever. Because that just, it’s procrastination. That’s all it is. And it’s a way for people who say that they’re coaches or say that they’re mentors or whatever, it’s a way for them to be like, okay, here’s a concrete piece of proof that what I’m telling you, you had.
Because they’re inept in every other way. And again, I don’t wanna be negative, but throughout the business plan, just start things.
Jeff Sarris: Because every minute you spend planning is a minute you’re not spending doing,
Amara Andrew: and it’s people who don’t do businesses
Jeff Sarris: every minute you spend planning is a minute you’re not doing.
And the only way you get anywhere is by doing There is no planning. planning is nonsense.
Speaker 3: is Yoda say?
Jeff Sarris: Do or do not? There is no try. There you go. But also, you said you looked at your website, amara andrew.com and it’s what are they doing? It’s not even that.
It’s whoa, they did a lot of stuff because like your website’s been like that for. Maybe a year now. But you hadn’t seen it because I just mapped, I just laid everything out. Never go to it. It’s just so when people Google Amara Andrew, they have your destination there.
But then when you even saw it, you’re like, oh wow, we did a lot.
Amara Andrew: That was my museum. That’s my museum, which I want everybody to have the most over overstuffed museum possible. Toilets
Jeff Sarris: everywhere.
Amara Andrew: Yeah. I want everybody to try so many different things because there’s just so much value in it, and you just don’t know what amazing beauty can come from it.
The bigger you try to make your museum trying to have the biggest collection in the world, I think is so valuable.
Jeff Sarris: Because we start empty. And hopefully we end full.
Amara Andrew: feels like that’s the point.
Jeff Sarris: That’s what I’ve said when it’s like, what’s the meaning of life?
Like to me, the definition, like the core meaning of life is growth. If I’m not growing, I’m only dying. we start with nothing. No knowledge, no abilities, no anything at all.
Amara Andrew: Speak for yourself.
Jeff Sarris: But every little step we take, we’d have all these new threads. Of connections of things we’ve experienced, things we understand, things we can do, and suddenly I’m not just learning from a course or a book or whatever and then trying to sell someone on the things that I just learned.
I’ve learned from experience, and now I can help someone do so much better because I’m like, you know what’s really interesting? If you look at. Da Vinci did this, but then like Steve Jobs over here when he did that, it’s actually very similar to this because of that.
Because this concept means that da, like you connect all of these disparate things, that you’re the only one who can connect them. Your experiences, your knowledge, everything you’ve done creates a unique set of. Just the, I don’t wanna say brain chemistry, but the wiring, you’re the wall behind the guy who’s ah, in the meme, like where all these lines are going everywhere.
And he’s like pulling his hair out.
Amara Andrew: explain that again for me?
Jeff Sarris: You’re the wall. Behind the guy and the guy goes, ah.
Amara Andrew: Oh, okay. I just needed clarification on that part. Thank you. Who is that?
Jeff Sarris: You know what it’s from?
Amara Andrew: I think you need to pull it up.
Jeff Sarris: ’cause I’m thinking of Zach AKIs where he’s counting cards. It’s the little,
Amara Andrew: Oh, it’s always sunny.
Jeff Sarris: it from that?
Amara Andrew: Is it Danny DeVito?
Jeff Sarris: No, the younger guy.
Amara Andrew: Younger guy.
Jeff Sarris: Not where, so Zach cus everything is like smart. I figured out the world.
It’s the little guy.
Amara Andrew: Oh, Charlie day.
Jeff Sarris: I think so.
Amara Andrew: it was always sunny.
Jeff Sarris: that thing is used all the time. You’re that wall, you’re all those threads going everywhere. And from the outside we’re all the guy who’s like everyone else, like you. But to you it’s oh, this all just makes sense.
Like I can connect these dots in a way that you never will and you can connect dots in a way that I never will.
Amara Andrew: Yeah. That is fascinating. I think at the end of the day, just try to have as many not inputs per se, because I am, I wanna be very careful how I say this.
Jeff Sarris: is a very tough spot because we don’t want you to have too many inputs and we want you to have more inputs, but it’s the right inputs, so
Amara Andrew: More action and experiences. It’s seeing the first stepping stone and then doing something about it. I think that’s it. Read a book, do whatever. Find one little piece of inspiration. Take some immediate action and do something with it and experience something new, or put the connectors together in a different way.
Great. Now go on to your next piece of input when you feel like you’ve creatively tapped that one. I think that is maybe a better way to say it because I feel like people have 80,000 different newsletters and they’re part of webinars and they’re part of this and they’re part of that. And it’s just do something with all this information that you’re learning.
Don’t just keep learning to learn. You don’t need to be a PhD unless you’re in like very specific fields. Just work. Just do it. Just go out there. Have fun. Enjoy.
Jeff Sarris: So I think it’s. Fewer total inputs. More diversity of inputs. Yes. And that’s not humans. There you go. Like I think that’s the thing is we don’t want you to not, don’t never stop learning.
Yeah. But stop learning about the same thing from every single angle that you possibly can because that’s only procrastination. Yes. If it’s I want to, I wanna launch a course, and then you’re like, okay, Jeff Walker is the guy for launching anything. He created the product launch formula. He did this in, I know, 2002.
Such a great book. Made millions of dollars every year. ’cause people would pay him a ridiculous amount of money to learn how to do this. So it’s okay, I wanna launch something. I’ll learn from him.
Amara Andrew: thermodynamics,
Jeff Sarris: The what?
Amara Andrew: Thermodynamics. Okay. Something I’ve been reading.
Jeff Sarris: so if you’re multiple inputs, that’s a vast diversity of inputs right now because. You also need that time for action, but you don’t say, let me see every single thing I can learn about launching. And then oh, I just saw this. Tweet or TikTok or Instagram post or that, oh, I should actually take their course.
I should do that. All that time. You’re not doing, you need to do it. Like the best way to launch something is launch it. Yeah. Launch it and have no one buy it quick and dirty. That’s what’s gonna happen is no one is gonna buy it because you don’t understand how to launch, but you don’t understand that it’s not gonna work until you launch something.
Yeah. Like the number of things we’ve launched is immense. Yes. Like it’s, we have highway on the way.
Amara Andrew: But something else got in the way.
Jeff Sarris: Yeah. There was a whole other direction that I had to go with a partner with one of the big platforms that we worked with. That took a lot of time.
Yes. So now we are swinging back around. So we’re going to have highway I was in, in Dubai the first of the year. If we set that for us, that works just as that we’re gonna be
Amara Andrew: home for most of December.
Jeff Sarris: That’s it. That’s all you can do. It’s, we’ve learned through making all this hyperlocal content. Now we have our own hyperlocal channel where it has grown. The most recent hyperlocal channel we created is the one for us, and it has grown faster than anyone else’s because of all the experience we’ve gathered over doing this over and over again.
Each iteration for each person grows. Faster and theirs will hit that ramp where then it starts taking off. We were able to, we’re able to shortcut with each new person because, and I’ve, we’ve learned all these things. I’ve worked very hard too. It’s not just, and that’s what
Amara Andrew: I’m just gonna put videos out there and see what happens.
Other things that I’m doing.
Jeff Sarris: self-explanatory. It’s like the reason we’re doing all of it is because of everything we’ve learned and all of that gets applied to all of our top bananas. So that’s why they all are experiencing the same thing now.
Amara Andrew: Okay. Speaking of, we gotta go. Yeah. We’re gonna go from We’re for that a little behind.
Jeff Sarris: Okay.
Amara Andrew: You know me. I love being late. You love my behind? Yes, I do love your behind. Hey see? So there we go. See? So
Jeff Sarris: me being late, you love my behind.
Amara Andrew: We’ll be in your shower drain. But seriously, just go out and do we’ll. Be in your shower
Jeff Sarris: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Don’t you remember?
Jeff Sarris: No.
Speaker 3: When we’re whispering,
Jeff Sarris: Drain. No. You can be in their ears.
Amara Andrew: in their shower drain, looking at their toes. And if you’re still washing your butt, good for you.
Jeff Sarris: we’ll see you next week.
Bye.