Bailey Mullens is one inspired millennial; not the least bit mindless, as the title of his very popular podcast, Mindless Millennials, might suggest. Barely into his 20s, Bailey is a classic entrepreneur with exceptional amounts of energy, an abundance of ideas, and an ability to execute.
In this episode you’ll listen in on my first conversation with Bailey (the next one will be when I join him on his podcast – I’ll keep you posted). It’s his first real encounter with the V-REEL™ framework. It’s interesting. Bailey’s energy and passion are palpable. And you can almost hear the gears turning as he works to respond when I challenge him to think about himself and his ideas in terms of Value, Rareness, Erosion, Enablers, and Longevity. For great thinkers who are also great doers, stopping to think things through can be tough.
“If you’re going to do something, just do it,” he said.
And, of course, that sentiment doesn’t exactly jive with my approach to things. I encourage people to think things through, understand well how they create value and can be rare, and what might come along to erode their ability to do so. V-REEL™ is as much about slowing down and even being willing to stop as anything. Are Bailey and I on the same page? More so than you might think.
Bailey is clearly a strategic thinker. He naturally understands and pursues value creation and rareness. He also spouts off good life advice like someone who has lived a lot more life than he has.
- You have choices, he says. Choose productivity over the party.
- Take advantage of your youth, he says. People want to help.
- Educate yourself, he says. Read books. Listen to podcasts.
- Do the work to help others, he says. It sets you up for success later.
That’s all great advice. Do you hear a “but” coming? I had to ask about eroding factors. Bailey conceded that having too much on his plate is “definitely an eroding factor.” Then he came right back at me with enablers. Bailey foregoes Netflix with his peers so he can spend that time editing video and producing podcasts. So for Bailey, time management, and cutting out wasteful down time are both key ways he enables his ability to create value.
“You’re either channeling abundance, or you’re channeling destruction and either way you build momentum,” he said.
When we discussed enablers, Bailey shared insights into how Texas A&M University‘s new School of Innovation has, in just a year, dramatically changed his circumstances. The iSchool has provided a home for his student organization, the Student Content Creators, and the resources and relationships he is forming through the iSchool are key enablers for Bailey personally, his podcast, and the organization. I think he gets it.
We went on to talk about longevity, returned to some pretty critical eroding factors and related enablers, and just had a great strategic conversation. If you’re a millennial, this one is sure to inspire. If you’re not a millennial, this one is sure to inspire. Enjoy.