This week’s guest is legendary sportswoman, adventurer, speaker and author Jess Watson.

Jess has navigated some of the world’s most remote oceans and has spent 210 days alone at sea where she became the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop around the world. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you of her awesomeness, she did it at 16, an age when I know I was busy trying to grow out an 80's perm. 

I’m not going to spend too long in this interview delving into the physical details of her journey, there’s many an article, documentary and book on that (and I hear rumours a motion picture is in the works). Instead I’m way more interested in hearing from this extraordinary women, about the mental side of tackling such a monumental task.

So, in the next hour, you are going to hear us go deep on a few key areas:

-          How do you build and then lead a crew when it’s your life on the line? And when they are infinitely more experienced than you? 

-          How do you find the courage to voice an audacious dream and shut down the critics? Even when that critic is you. 

-          How do you get buy in from people when what they are buying into seems impossible?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 billion, that’s the number of deaths due to tobacco that will have happened this century.

8 billion, that’s the amount of money that used to be invested in the tobacco that now, isn’t

Bronwyn King is the person responsible for that last number, and as an oncologist, she’s spent her career trying to stop the effects of the first number.

But it was only when she sat down with her financial planner to look over her family’s money, did she realise that she and millions of other Australians were unknowingly funding the very thing that was killing them through the investment of their super fund.

But instead of getting angry, really angry, stomping her feet and yelling at the front door of the tobacco industry, (which is something I feel I might do) and instead of throwing her hands up and putting this injustice in the ‘stuff it – way too hard’ bucket she did something way smarter.

She got forensic about her own ability to influence. She went to the power brokers of the tobacco industry – the people that invest in them, and compelled them to change.

And if that isn’t the ultimate example of owning your own influence, I don’t know what is. 

In the next 30 minutes you’ll hear us talk about what happens when a cause finds you. We look at some of the tools she used to get a seat at the table with some seriously powerful people. We talk about using compelling language, finding the right buttons to push, how to make simple requests and how sometimes you need to go against the ‘activist norms’ to make change happen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One trek through the rainforest, one life changing decision and one three week incredible fight for survival. It all sounds like the plot of a Hollywood movie right? Actually now it is, but before this story became a big screen blockbuster, one man lived through it and that man is my next guest, Yossi Ghinsberg. Stories connect us emotionally. They turn us into the heroes of our own journeys. And if you're looking to increase your own influence we are literally hardwired to engage with stories more so than any other form of communication. So what does it take to tell epic stories and not only that, what does it take to tell them in such a way that your audience is literally transported through time and space? 

In this episode I find out from Yossi what gives a story soul. We talk about how to prepare to be truly present on stage and we look at what it takes to let your own story go, and allow others to interpret it in their own way.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Hall is the creator of one of the world's most influential influence agencies and yes that is a bit of a mouthful. The name of that agency? Influence and Co. Check them out online, they have been ranked the number one company dominating content marketing in the world. What these guys don't know about getting cut through in magazines and online isn't worth knowing. In the last few years alone they have provided content has been featured in thousands of the world's largest publications all on behalf of different corporations and individuals looking to stand out in their marketplace. John Hall himself is regularly featured in Forbes, he's created a best selling book which is now out, called 'Top of Mind' and he's graced the stage of some of the largest conferences in the world. He has been described as one of the most powerful people in media that you've never met in inc. magazine. In this episode I managed to grab John on the run  to talk about a number of different things to do with content and influence. A few of those include:

Charisma vs.  credibility. What's most important?

What makes a piece of content compelling? 

How do you put yourself in a position of visibility to grow your business or brand?

And why failure really isn't that different to success. 

So for now sit back and enjoy my conversation with John Hall.

Visit my website to hear more about the work I do, www.juliemasters.com or follow me on insta @julesmasters 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian bottled water industry is worth a whopping 600 million dollars a year. Now that's a lot when you think about the fact that we can access water for free every day from the taps in our homes.

Here's another fact that's possibly more heartbreaking than it is interesting. The number of people who don't have access to clean water is close to three times that, it's 900 million people. Now if you're anything like me you hear that number and you just want to throw your hands up in the air, too hard, way too big.

However at the age of 19 my next guest came across those same two numbers and he made a different choice. He created a thriving company, a company which to date has donated nearly six million dollars in profits to get safe water sanitation food and maternal health programs to people in need.

So what does it really take to turn a moment of passion you know the moment of that's just not good enough into a global movement. Not only a movement but a profitable company with the infrastructure and strength to actually tackle some of the world's largest social issues. 

Welcome to my interview with Thank You's founder Daniel Flynn.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does your biology impact your intuition? How can understanding of neuroscience help you be a better leader? And what can a brain scan tell us about depression?

Sylvia Damiano is a self described part Gloria from Modern Family and part neuroscientist. And if you think that that would make for an awe inspiring combination. It does. She has spent her career immersed in getting to grips with how our brains actually work. More recently she's taken this deep understanding and applied it to the modern world of leadership and influence. What that's resulted in is a new view of leadership, where instead of command and control, leaders instead need to master attractorship which she described as developing the skills and awareness to invite, rather than demand, cooperation. 

Silvia is giving our listeners exclusive discounts to her online training courses (15% off for 15 days) by using the code: 15juliemasters, just head to www.aboutmybrain.com/create-the-leader-in-you

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year everyone. Welcome to 2018.

Now with this episode we decided to do something a little bit different and we decided just to keep it really simple.

Firstly because it's Christmas and we wanted a break. Secondly because, if your attention span is anything like mine during this time of year, simple is just good. 

So for this one I wanted to share, and actually actually start a conversation with you, about New Year's resolutions. Now I know that that's a contentious topic. Some people love them some people hate them, but for me I find it a really useful way every year to just focus my thinking right down into what I want to do differently this year. 

So I'll share a few of mine and these are based totally on what I've learnt from the people I've interviewed for this podcast so far. And I wanna hear a little bit more about yours as well. And I want to invite you to publicly share what your influence resolutions are going to be for this year and how you're planning on executing them via my social accounts:

Insta @Jules.Masters

LinkedIn: Julie Masters

Twitter: @Jules_Masters

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt once said I'm not the smartest fellow in the world but I sure can pick smart colleagues. Building a high impact community of people around you who are smarter or more experienced than you in a variety different areas is one of the largest things you can do to fast track or up the ante on your own influence. Essentially having a speed dial of your own A Team, I know it's certainly been one of the challenges in my own journey. How do you find the right people and then when you found them how do you approach them. How do you not sound like some strange deranged stalker. How do you come across as professional but still be open enough to discuss some of the actual challenges and roadblocks that you're currently facing? How do you get that mix right?

Luckily for me obviously and luckily for you my next guest has decoded it all. Janine Garner is the author of the newly launched "It's who you know - how a network of 12 key people can fast track your success". She spent 20 years working across the world in corporate marketing roles with some of the world's largest brands. She then went on to be the founder and CEO of the little black dress group which is one of the most influential women's networking groups in the country. She was listed as one of Australia's most inspiring women by Madison magazine. And if that is not all impressive enough she like me started out in Australia knowing no one as a backpacker so we chat a little bit about that.

We went right in to the difference between how we're all connected right now but not really connected We've got more contacts than ever before but less engagement and we're feeling less engaged and less connected than we have done previously. We talk about finding your board, finding your board of people around you who's going to help you get where you want to go. We talking about value exchange, we talk about how do you know when it's time to move on from a certain contact or a certain group of contacts. And how do you make that shift. We also talked about the role of courage. Big one for me. Role of courage and certainty in a reaching out and getting those connections.

Buy the book: http://janinegarner.com.au/product/its-who-you-know/

Find out more about me and the work I do at juliemaster.com and follow me on instagram jules.masters 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My  next  guest  is Red Bull air racing pilot Matt Hall. Matt is a third generation pilot, a former RAAF Fighter Combat Instructor, which if you are a fan of Top Gun you’ll get just how impressive that is, he’s an international unlimited aerobatic competitor and in 2009 became not only the first Australian to ever compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship but also the first Rookie to finish a Red Bull race and indeed the entire season on the podium. We looked at what it takes to truly lead at speed. In particular, how do you put your trust in the skills and expertise of others, when one wrong call could end your career and quite possibly your life. And when the inevitable does happen, the crash occurs, and your faith is well and truly shaken, what do you do next? What checks, rituals, tools do you put in place to make sure that you don’t allow one mistake to impact the way you lead moving forward? So  this  is  me  and  Matt Hall talking the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and how to lead at speed – enjoy!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest is someone I have known for many years, Kamal Sarma. 

al is the expert in how to Develop the Focus of a Warrior and the Peace of a Monk - in fact that's actually the title of one of his critically acclaimed books.

It’s a big claim – but it’s one that he’s in the unique position to be able to make - because he was one, a monk that is, for 8 years in fact. And since then he’s used the skills around clarity, focus and resilience to dominate in the competitive and fast paced world of venture capitalism.  

I first met Kamal after a mutual friend introduced us over ten years ago. At that point he was new to the world of thought leadership – and I was new to the world of meditation. We swapped expertise and what followed was many beautiful peaceful evenings with a monk visiting my home. 

Since then he’s become an expert – and I’ve stayed a complete meditating novice. However I have been fortunate enough to access his brilliant insights on many occasions – all of which have been transformative in my own journey with influence. 

More recently Kamal has distilled everything he has learnt into his latest book… ‘The Art of Win-Win Conversations: How to Navigate Your Most Challenging, Complex and Critical Conversations Through Connection’ 

Anyone who has ever sat in a high stakes business conversation, or an emotion fuelled negotiation with a loved one, will know that a win win is the holy grail of conversation outcomes. It’s like the unicorn in the room – a way to get everyone’s needs met. 

Interestingly - Kamal defines a win/win best as a conversation where all parties have their needs met. 

And therein I think lies the key - so often we don’t get to the bottom of what our partner, client or colleagues actually need. Which when you think about it is a big ask – as more often we’re not even able to fully articulate our own. 

Have you ever had that situation – where you would ask for what you need – if only you knew what it was? We can always think of what we don’t want, a thousand way we want someone not to behave – a million situations we want not to occur. 

But what we actually want? A clean request we can make that would possible, reasonable and respectful – now that’s difficult. Actually no – sometimes that feels more like impossible. 

So now you can see why I so wanted him on the podcast. 

What Kamal and I explore in this conversation goes to the heart of what conversation is about - a desire to connect, and in order to connect, we need to feel heard. Once the other person feels truly heard, Kamal's belief (and increasingly my own) is that misunderstanding is often removed, conflict dissolves and the opportunity for connections becomes limitless. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been nearly 2 years since Donald Trump was elected, and however you feel personally about his time so far as president, we all have to agree, that on the day that an ex reality TV contestant got elected to the highest office in the world the rules of influence were officially rewritten. And so we thought now would be the perfect time to share a conversation I had a little while ago, with a woman who has more understanding of what it takes to make, or break a political candidate, than almost anyone else in the country.

Her name is Dee Madigan – you’ll know her from Gruen – she’s won pretty much every advertising award going, has been the creative brains behind 10 political campaigns and is the driving force behind Campaign Edge, a dedicated political strategy agency.

In this conversation we looked at what it takes to get someone elected, the impact social media has had on the process, the public’s exhaustion with perfection and polish and what these factors mean for our political leaders moving forward.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest has been described as one-part pioneer, one-part entrepreneur and one-part magician.

With an ability to make the impossible possible – it was Richard Branson who said that, high praise, but thoroughly deserved.

Her name is Linda Cruse and she’s spent the last 20 years on the front lines of the world’s biggest disasters, doing what she can to help. But it’s her particular brand of help, that made me so determined to get her on the show.

Like many others, I’m frustrated that the world isn’t fixed yet.

I’m frustrated that, despite countless telethons, children are still starving, I’m frustrated that, despite brilliant ad campaigns, victims of war are still left hopeless and my heart breaks, often, at the realisation that despite charitable giving increasing exponentially year on year, over half the world’ population lives in poverty.

By harnessing the intellectual power of the most innovative leaders in the corporate space, and directing this brain power to answer the world’s toughest problems, Linda has had a hand in generating an impact that most not for profits could only ever dream of.

Linda flips the paradigms surrounding ‘charity’ on their head, and if you get one thing from this episode, let it be that the impossible is made possible, not by money, but by influence and collaboration.

And If you want to know more about the amazing work she does, and get notified about her upcoming book then head over to www.lindacruse.com and sign up to her newsletter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest has spent over a decade studying and decoding the brains of the world’s highest performers, in the hopes of figuring out what these remarkable talents have in common, and what we can do to in our every day lives to lift our own performance.

His name is DR Harald Harung and he is the author of the book Excellence through Mind-Brain Development: The Secrets of World-Class Performer. In his global study Harald and his colleague, Frederick Travis, travelled the globe conducting experiments and exercises with the top 1% of performers in the world – and ‘top performers’ in this case are defined as those at the very peak of their game who have consistently sustained this level of performance over a long period of time, whether that’s a CEO of a top 10 fortune 500 company with outstanding results over the last 10 years, or a swimmer that has achieved gold in all major championships for the last 8 years.

Why this is important is that Harald wasn’t interested in short bursts of exceptional achievement, he focussed purely on those who managed to reach and then sustain this peak for extreme lengths of time.

And in this episode I was lucky enough to sit down with him and unpack some of the fascinating things he found out.

These findings include:

·         Why your age and experience level has next to nothing to do with your ability to perform

·         Why the highest performing brains are those with the greatest amount of integration – what that means, and how we get it.

·         How, the top performers in the world, all spend a great deal of time thinking of others and why that could be a key driver in outstanding achievement

·         The top 3, easy and achievable, habits we can all put into practise that will lift our game exponentially.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

And when you think about that, about moments where someone has used their influence to drive a nation, a few iconic moments will come to mind for all of us.

Moments where, one person stood up, and through their own human story, united a tribe of people behind an audacious idea: I’m of course thinking of speeches like

Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’

Winston Chrchill’s ‘we shall fight them on the beaches’

And our own Julia Gillard’s ‘I will not be lectured on Misogyny by this man’

These are all just words, impassioned cries for action and change from one person’s heart to another, but from these words, a tide of change was created.

And that’s what we are diving into with today’s guest, the power that words, stories and presentations have in taking an idea and giving it life and gravity.

My next guest is the CEO and founder of Silicon Valley’s largest and most successful communications firm, Duarte Inc – Nancy Duarte.

Nancy has spent the last 30 years immersed in the world of human story telling and has been behind the scenes of some of the most compelling, as she calls them’ impassioned pleas we’ve ever seen including the Al Gore’s ‘an inconvenient truth’ and countless TED talks. She’s worked with the thought leaders of global brands like Apple, Cisco, Facebook, GE, Google, HP, TED, Twitter, and the World Bank.

She’s also a renowned author and has books that have shaped the way many of my own clients now communicate including illuminate, resonate and the communications bible ‘slide:ology’

She’s been the master of the crazy world of presenting since way before speaking was cool, back in the days of projectors and transparencies, where you had to draw your idea onto a sheet of plastic.

In this conversation we cover some serious ground so I suggest you grab your notebook, your iPad or an envelope, whatever you can lay your hands on as we explore:

1. The one pattern all the world’s greatest speeches have in common

2. The power of using contrast when building frenzy behind your idea

3. How to create action on the back of any presentations by ‘illuminating’ a new path

4. Why we sabotage our own ideas – and how to let the struggle transform us

So, think of this as an absolute masterclass in how to convey an idea in its most potent form. Whether that’s across a board room table, a kitchen table, or a lectern to drive serious change.

After this hour, you’ll have the world’s most powerful tools, so now there’s no excuse.

So this is me and Nancy Duarte – geeking out over the power of presenting - enjoy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now I’m usually a firm believer in the phrase ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ but Lisa, and the organisation she sits at the helm of, break this mould time and time again – as you’ll have heard from the preview clip at the start of this episode.

She has also co-authored 16 books, in fact this incredible woman can write a book in the time it takes me to think of a decent title. She is also an absolute authority when it comes to the world of start-ups and entrepreneurship.

And I say that, because more than anyone in this space, she absolutely walks her talk.

I’m also lucky enough to call her one of my dearest friends, someone who has celebrated the business wins with me, and poured the tea while I mourned the business, and personal, losses.

Now, I’ve wanted to interview Lisa on this show for a while, but diaries and life got in the way. And actually, now I’m incredibly grateful it took us this long to get this conversation locked in.

If we had managed to sit down a year ago then this conversation would’ve probably been different. We would’ve talked about what it takes to run a media empire (although don’t worry, we do definitely talk about that), we would’ve spoken about the hustle, scaling up and again, we do cover that.

But at this time is Lisa’s journey, having closed her incredibly successful magazine, these insights come with even more richness, because she’s sat with me, looking at this journey with the beauty of hindsight as she asks herself, what’s next?

In this conversation you’ll hear Lisa, with her trademark vulnerability and openness share the lessons she’s learnt at every point along her journey, from her first venture, to her first book, her first big win, her first big loss and the last issue of The Collective:

In particular, the lessons I’ve really drawn from this centre around:

-          Self belief – How to understand the particular value you can bring and having the guts to state that

-          Purpose – unearthing the power that sits behind your bigger ‘why’

-          Hustle – tips for getting the doors to open and putting the right people in the room

-          Getting the easy yes – knowing what it will take to make yes the easiest answer for investors, customers and staff

-          And perhaps most importantly, Walking away – knowing when it’s time to let it all go

And, as you listen to these insights, just know that she’s about to apply these lessons all over again, for her next contribution to helping others realise their potential.

If you get one thing out of this conversation I want it to be this:

It takes great strength and grit to have an idea and stick with it, sometimes against all reason, to make it succeed in the world. But sometimes, it takes even greater strength and courage to know when the time has come to walk away, and just let it burn.

Lisa has taught me, more than anyone else, that our lives are made up of many brilliant and exciting chapters, and that we can’t begin to write the next one, until we are able to put the pen down on the last one.

So this is me and Lisa – sat on her bed, eating blueberries with her dog – talking start ups, opening doors, hustling, purpose, leading when it feels like you haven’t a clue, and how to know when the time has come to walk away.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest is the former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, Stephen Scheeler. A role which saw him play an integral role in the company’s unprecedented rise from quirky Silicon Valley startup to media and technology titan. 

During his time here he co-collaborated with the greatest minds in tech and business, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and other luminaries of the silicon sphere.

Today he’s the founder of The Digital CEO, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company and he continues to share his wisdom with the leaders of heavy hitters such as Qantas, Google and the Australian Government. 

As part of this podcast, and those who have listened before will know this, we take a look at all angles of what it takes to be an influencer in your space, in the hopes that, whether you are wanting to command more respect in a boardroom, or generate attention and engagement with a cause you care about, we can give you the tools and insights needed to be the authority.

In a business context there’s no better example of a person of influence than a CEO, and at the top of the top of influential CEOs there are the rare few who can say that they have played a part in guiding a business from little known start up, to a global phenomenon.

Which is why, when you have the opportunity to meet one of these individuals, the unicorns of the CEO space, you grab them with both hands and make them tell you their story.

I think all of us, whether you are in the media industry, or not, can appreciate that we are navigating business in a time of relentless change and unequivocal speed.

To put the pace of change we face here today into perspective, it took 40 years for 50 mil radios to be bought, 14 years for 50 mil TVs to be sold and only 1 year for 50 million Facebook accounts to be created.

And if you think that’s where the craziness of these stats stop, you’re wrong, because it took only 4 months for 50 million Wechat accounts to be set up.

So what can we, as business leaders, do to navigate through thischange? And better yet, what can we do to shape it?

One of the most fascinating parts of my discussion with Steven is when we discuss the rise of Facebook, not as a social channel, but as the leading source of news on a global level.

He shares a story, which I won’t spoil, but he shares a story about how a media mogul of the old world press asked for his insight into how on earth Facebook was able to seemingly come out of nowhere to be his biggest competitor.

The punchline of that story will floor you, and perhaps give you an insight into how disruption really is the result of industries taking their own power and scale for granted.

If I was to sum up the value on this discussion it lies in that one story, how, as the leader of a business can you make sure that you aren’t just reacting to the rapidly changing world around us, but how can you get out in front and lead it?

Because by the time you realise disruption is coming, it’s already too late.

Other things we discuss, we talk about:

-          Fake news – how can we navigate a world of click bait to create businesses that are able to inspire trust

-          Curiosity – how the key to navigating disruption lies in asking questions

-          The new ways of telling stories that cut through in a world of earned attention

-          The balance between high tech and high touch in navigating automation and AI

There’s a saying that the ability to learn from someones entire lifetime of experience lies in a cup of coffee, well in this case it’s a podcast and it was an absolute privilege to extract learnings from a CEO who has truly walked his talk and lead on the cutting edge!

Please enjoy my chat with the digital CEO himself, Stephen Scheeler

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest is… Cowboy Gator McGraw 

Yes you heard right, although these days he also goes by the name Mike Kinney.

Mike, (I’m still working up to calling him Gator), is a former pro-wrestler, the type of wrestling that made Hulk Hogan famous, turned global TED sensation after his talk on ‘turning up’ received over 1.1million views on YouTube.

He starts his now famous Ted talk like this:  Picture it: a big, sweaty, tattooed man in a cowboy hat and chaps, is in the ring as the arena full of fans cheer him on. Their hero:"Cowboy" Gator Magraw. Gator bounces off the ropes and is quickly body-slammed to the mat. His wild opponent leaps into the air,crashing down onto Gator's rib cage. Gator struggles to breathe, wondering: "Is this really what my father wanted for me?".

It doesn’t seem like the most obvious career progression does it? From dominating in the ring as a fictional character, to being the real you on centre stage for the world to see via a TED talk - this all happened as a result of Mike’s core belief, something we’ll  be talking about today: You are more than you think you are.  

I have to admit, this conversation did not turn out how I thought it would. I assumed that we’d have a bit of a light hearted conversation about confidence maybe something to share with your children about standing up and absolutely owning it, afterall, the man has wrestled some quite scary dudes wearing trunks and chaps, I can’t think of a bigger embodiment of confidence than that. But I was wrong.

This conversation took us way deeper than that and now, with hindsight, I can see why.

When we talk about owning your influence, being an influencer, leading an industry, more often than not conversation will turn to personal brand. Defining what it is that makes you unique and ensuring that shows up in every interaction someone has with you.

Mike, and the world of wrestling, is perhaps the most extreme version of identifying what you stand for and making sure that gets recognised. He tells a story of his first time at wrestling camp when he and his class mates had to identify who they wanted to be in wrestling moving forward – forever – talk about a leap of faith. And he realised something – the best fighters, were the ones who were authentically themselves, but turned up.

What does that mean?

Well being ‘turned up’ means being unshakable in your belief in your capability, it means knowing your value, it means shutting out the negative talk and the pleas from your inner critic to just retreat before you make a fool of yourself.

It means bringing every fibre of your being into whatever room, or ring, you are walking in to and driving towards the thing you want most.

I don’t know about you, but there are days when I don’t so much want to turn up but turn off – and so if today is one of those days then this is for you.

We talk about:

·         The 5  lessons to turning up your strengths 

·         The 5  keys to becoming unforgettable 

·         And ultimately, in those dark moments of self doubt, when you feel like you don’t know what you are doing, how to dust it off,

stand tall and show up

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve watched a wrestling match, but if this sport produces humans as inspiring and authentic as Mike, perhaps I’ll be watching more often.

Sit back, relax and I hope you enjoy this whirlwind conversation with Mike Kinney, Cowboy Gator McGraw.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation. 

This episode is about one thing. Content.

All courtesy of my next guest - who has to be one of the biggest experts in digital influence out there. Or more specifically, an expert in what makes a piece of content – whether that’s a headline, a blog, a video, a social post or an article – actually get traction.

His name is Steve Rayson and he heads up a company called Buzz Sumo. For those of you that haven’t come across Buzz Sumo before – you should. It’s of one of the primary tools I use when figuring out how to help clients stand out and get cut through in their particular space.

To put it in a nut shell - Buzzsumo analyses millions of pieces of content - across all major digital platforms – in order to tell you what key topics, headlines, questions and trends are gaining the most traction - including who the key influencers are in that space.

To give you an example – they recently analysed 500 million Facebook posts, 100 million Facebook videos and 100 million articles - some of the largest Facebook research studies to date – to figure out what posting times, types, styles and structures got the most traction. That’s one hell of a lot of data – and one hell of a lot of insights. Some of which we dive into in this conversation.

Anyone that knows me – knows I can nerd out on stuff like this. However there is a reason…

If you are trying to stand out in your industry by creating compelling content – as I know many of you that I hear from are – then you know how much time and resources it can take. The biggest mistake I see people making is going out there blind – trying to imagine what people want to hear from you, what they will find engaging – or worse still just using your own tastes as a guide.

One of the biggest questions I get asked about digital influence and storytelling is this - what should I post about, where and when? The answer I always give is – I don’t know – but you should.

As content creators – in the world of earning and keeping attention. It is your job to find out. What are your audience interested in? What are they searching for? WHERE are they searching for it? How do they prefer to consume their content? What’s the key to getting them to share so you can hopefully go viral? Answer those questions first - and you’ll be miles ahead of the game as an industry influencer.

So… that’s why I stalked Steve from the other side of the planet to get him in the show. That’s also what we are going to be geeking out over today. Using the insane amounts of data he and his team have access to – in order to answer to some pretty big content questions. Including:

·     What’s the most compelling structure for a blog headline, and are there any specific words that reliably get the most clicks?

·     What are the absolute key things we need to know when creating compelling online video content?

·     Are there hacks to using newer platforms like Facebook Live and Instagram Stories? A key for anyone just starting out – ignore the rest and go straight to this part

·     Plus what’s the ONE thing that separates content that actually gets engagement - from content that just sits there and gathers dust.

If content is king, then consider this episode a guidebook from the King’s chief of strategy.

So grab a pen, paper, a napkin, your dog – I don’t mind – whatever will sit still long enough for you to get these tools down. So you can go out there tomorrow and develop a content strategy that is clear, streamlined, informed – and most importantly - effective.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If I asked you what it takes to be truly influential I'm sure most of you would say the ability to be able to communicate, whether it's commanding a meeting or an auditorium. How you use your body, your hands, your voice, to demand attention and create impact makes all the difference in the world and for any of you that's ever seen a TED talk, you will know that those that stand out and get shared millions of times have a craftsmanship to what they do and how they explain their ideas.

I've spent many many years working with thought leaders who get up on stage and share their ideas and there's one person who I always look to as an inspiration when it comes to being a true master of communication.

Our next guest is the one that I would usually point you in the direction of and after this particular episode I would recommend you check him out on YouTube, there's a number of amazing videos there.

So without any further ado our guest this week is Colin James. From speaking, facilitating and teaching others how to master their own skills, he is an absolute legend. In this episode we talk about storytelling:

How do you find ideas for stories to bring your presentations to life.

We talk about making it personal. Where's the line between you, your professional self, your authentic self and the self that you want to share.

We get really down into structure, what that means, the technical science behind building an amazing presentation.

We'll also talk about dealing with difficult people, how you hold a difficult space? How do you use your personal gravity to command a room and get everybody on board?

So here's the mentor of great mentors. I've seen him hold his space and command attention in many rooms of influential people, often totally terrifying people who all know how to be heard above the noise and he has the power to silence them all.

He is a true craftsman of communication and that is a rare thing and I am so pleased to be able to share just some of his wisdom with you today.

Colin James

Over the past 25 years Colin James, has worked with senior executives around the world and has deep experience working with groups both large and small, taking cultural diversity and the variety of delivery platforms in his stride. From a young age, Colin’s dream was to be a teacher and he realised that to be an effective and engaging teacher he needed one key skill — and that was to master the art of communication.

Colin James Website: https://www.colinjamesmethod.com.au/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

In this episode, we are going to be fusing the world of influence and rock n roll...

A few months ago - I had the huge privilege of being introduced - and being able to spend some time with the incredible Mark Schulman - who at the time of this interview was in the middle of touring as the lead drummer for multi platinum - global phenomenon - Pink. 

In addition to having performed for over 1 BILLION PEOPLE during his career - alongside world class performers such as Cher, Billy Idol, Simple Minds, Beyoncé and Tina Turner. Mark is also the author of the very fitting Conquering Life’s Stage Fright. In which he interviews global powerhouses like Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos), Jeremy Piven (well known Actor from the Entourage) and Alan Bean (Apollo 12 Astronaut) - out of sheer determination - and a personal commitment - to decode the magic of world-class performance.

In other words what it takes to show up, reframe your fears and own what you’ve got with every cell in your body.

What I loved about listening to Mark talk about the learnings from - and the process of writing - that particular book. Is that it’s a philosophy that sums him up entirely. While others are partying hard on the tour bus - Mark is sat with his headphones on - trying to unpack what makes masterful performers great - so he can show up even harder at the next location.

I first met him on a cold winter’s morning in Sydney - I’m not sure what I was expecting - maybe someone vaguely (and understandably) tired after performing in front of an insane 21,000 people the night before. But the man that burst through the door - and quickly shot out again determined to make me a coffee - literally lit-up-the-room. As I would soon find out - this is one of the most engaged, curious and energised human beings that you could ever spend time with.

Which speaks to the heart of this concept of the rockstar mindset - that attitude and energy are the PRIMARY fuel of any kind of world class performance - and everything, down to the phone call you just took - and the Tweet you’re about to send - is a form of performance.

Like any field, mastering performance at a world-class level - isn’t about faking it. Or just putting a show. It’s about choosing your state, harnessing your energy, commiting to a lifetime of consistency, showing up and leaving everything you’ve got in the arena.

So what did we talk about. During our conversation, we went rockstar hard into so many questions I had since first starting to learn about Mark’s career - including:

• Why what we perceive as fear - can be reframed as something manageable with some simple mental tools - One of those that I really want you to listen out for is the question ‘Am I free to fail…?’ - which I have literally used a hundred time since this interview
• The habits and rituals that literally transform paralysing fear into excitement
• What it means to ‘pick the stick back up’ and carry on - after any major set back
• How to embody 'real' confidence - and the difference between that and rockstar certainty
• How to get out of your own way - and be of service - choosing the words ‘I get to do this’ rather than ‘I have to’ do this before any performance
• What he took from interviewing some of the most incredible performers of our time - and the moment that motivated him to seek them out
• And why to him having a rockstar mindset is less about fame - and more about understanding that there are no small moments - every moment is critical

So… get ready to flex your rock star muscles and soak up the insights of the insanely intelligent and insightful human being. Whether you’re a musician, a parent, a CEO, a doctor, a carpenter - or someone contemplating the next great leap. This episode is for the that moment - that moment when you have to choose between showing up with every shred of what you’ve got - or letting an opportunity to make real (and memorable) impact pass you by.

So please - sit back - and enjoy my once in a lifetime conversation with Mark Schulman.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

In this episode, we journey from mastery to magic decoding the magician's secrets with the incredible Vinh Giang. While it’s fair to say I research all of my guests in great detail, I literally had to pull myself away from the computer as I could have easily lost days in total awe of Vinh's genius.

Vinh has a gift for translating the magician's code in a business context. He demystifies the illusions of magic and has created seriously compelling content empowering audiences with the tools to navigate technicality vs performance and craft vs charisma. He is fascinated by the human psychology behind the tricks, the nature of perception, and the art of illusion. He uses these tools as metaphors to unlock the audience's mind to an array of new possibilities.

Vinh explores concepts such as timing, practice, skills, connection and of course the influence of the magician over the audience. His ultimate goal whether it is in business or life is to see the possible in the impossible. To feel the magic in the metaphors and to find the solutions that set success in motion.

As a speaker, Vinh has partnered with many organisations including globally recognized names such as HSBC, Microsoft, and Gartner. As an innovator, Vinh founded the first online training platform to teach magic, and as a result, was honored to be awarded South Australia Young Entrepreneur. As an awarded magician, he has created magic for audiences all over the world.

Growing up in a refugee family Vinh always valued hard work as the road to success, and this attitude is evident in his mission to educate others on the mastery behind the magic and the process behind the perception.

During the interview, I was again in sheer awe of Vinhs ability to communicate the impossible to make it possible and could have easily lost hours in conversation. To summarise, we covered off some of the following key points in our discussion...

The power of following your passion

The balance between technical skill and performance

The unwritten agreement to be a master of illusion in magic

Understanding our vehicle for influence

The body and voice as our most powerful instrument

How we hold, keep and control attention

The power of rate, pitch, and pause when presenting

The sight, sound and synch audit when reviewing our presentations

Understanding the voice as the tool to impact

What is mastery and how is it achieved

The power of perspective in challenging whats possible

Why magic lives in the unknown

Why talent has nothing to do with success

Why great teachers craft the experience

Get ready to soak up tips, tools, and insights from a true master of communication, influence, and performance. Vinh is on a mission to assist others to 'never die with the music still inside', and this podcast is a guide that will allow you to begin to understand your song, your rhythm, and what it takes to master that melody and ultimately create magic in the lives of those with whom you influence.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Vinh's free community to improve your communication skills http://www.stage.community

In person workshops: http://www.vinhgiang.com/communication-skills-workshop/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

In this episode, we dive into the nuts and bolts of one simple word…. NO. As its definition NO is described as just ’a negative answer or decision’. However in reality - for many of us - summoning the courage to say No often feels impossible.

With that in mind, what if there were more ways to say No? What if there were a thousand ways? Today we dive into what it is to say no with clarity and conviction – and even look deeply at the question of whether it’s possible to say a fiercely powerful ‘no’ - with kindness.

Today’s conversation is with the incredible artist and Art Historian Bahia Shehab. In Arabic the literal translation for the word ‘No’ is ‘No and A Thousand Times No’. It’s this concept – a thousand times no - that started as an artwork, became a book, reformed into a protest, and went on to be heard as one voice of a revolution.

It was during the Egyptian revolution in 2011 – the first day of which (25th of January) is literally referred to now as The Day Of Anger -  Bahia was overcome with rage against the dictators, the violence – and what became military rule. Like many of the people I meet and the people I know - she describes herself as ‘a quiet person’. Shouting and screaming on the streets wasn’t something that came naturally to her.

So instead of screaming – after witnessing the endless stories and images of atrocities – flooding both her City and the internet – she realized she could no longer choose to stay at home safely with her children. She had to find some way to contribute her voice.

So she chose a way of communicating that she did know – a way that drew on her talents as an artist.

Having been invited in 2010 to participate in an exhibition to commemorate 100 years of Islamic art in Europe. She had researched and collated over 1000 symbols for the word ‘no’ in Arabic script - producing both an artwork and a book documenting their history.

So she went back to these symbols - and began spraying them on the streets, in public squares. Channeling these 1000 ‘no’s’ (in her own words ‘just like ammunition’). No to military rule. No to violence. No to dictatorship. No to beating women.

The impact of her work – and the work of the many, many Egyptian artists on the streets at that time – started conversations, provoked debate and above all – at a time when a regime could literally turn off all the phones in a country – allowed the voiceless to be heard.

Bahia has since been selected as one of BBC’s 100 Women for two consecutive years. Been invited as a TED Global Fellow – and became the first woman from the Arab region to receive the UNESCO Shar-jah Prize for Arab Culture.

In this conversation we cover:

●     The challenges of saying a fierce No – when being loud doesn’t come naturally

●     Why actions (and art) can often be louder than words

●     Exactly why a small word can be so powerful – both to hear and to say – that it’s able to both start and stop a revolution

●     Why street art can be pivotal in starting and monitoring progressive conversations

●     The innate power of storytelling - as a tool to remember the past, shape the future and avoid making the same mistakes.

●     Finally the role of empathy when setting boundaries, and why a kind ‘No’ can be one of the most powerful acts of love – and sometimes – alter history itself

One quote that has stayed with me from this conversation is this… “You can crush the flowers, but you can’t delay spring."

This episode is for anyone that’s felt – or currently feels – crushed by the word ‘no’. By the strength it takes to express it – and to hear it – and then to deal with the consequences that inevitably follow. In particular it dives into the story of one woman (who also represents the many others both in Egypt and globally) who are brave enough to show up and - not only say it - but say it without resorting to violence.

Anyway – enough of me. You may notice the internet drop in and out a few times with this one – unfortunately the connection wasn’t fantastic in Cairo on this day – but sometimes you just have to work with what you have. Please enjoy my conversation with Bahia Shehab.

To view Bahia’s Ted Talk Click Here: https://www.ted.com/talks/bahia_shehab_a_thousand_times_no?language=en

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

In this episode, we are diving into the world of inner influence chatting to a true master of Influence, Chris Helder.

Chris is one of world's most sought-after keynote speakers and he is the author of three bestselling books: The Ultimate Book of Influence which has been published in five languages - Useful Belief, which is one of the highest selling Australian business books of all time, and Cut The Noise which (speaking directly to the parents amongst you) is about achieving better results with less guilt.

For anyone who has seen Chris speak (and if you haven’t – YouTube is a feast of videos) you’ll know that his energy as a storyteller is another level. In fact I often show videos of Chris speaking when teaching presentation skills – I do that as he’s one of the best examples I know of deliberately setting your internal state to not only harness and amplify energy – but also use body language to switch on every one of the senses of an audience.

First time I saw him speak… these guys don’t need a speaker – they need a miracle – now I don’t know that I would go so far as to call Chris a miracle – but what he did that morning was nothing short of miraculous.

So – other than all that – why did I ask Chris if he was willing to come onto the podcast?

We’ve known each other a very long time. In fact well over a decade. During that time I’ve watched him break down the art of influence for hundreds of times. Then there was a period of time where – as both our lives evolved and changed – we hadn’t spoken to each other for awhile. At least from the outside that period of time seemed to coincide with a time for him of deep introspection. When we did next speak he put something to me – something he had been thinking about – that he felt sat at the absolute root of our ability to influence at every level – and it blew my mind.

Ever since I’ve known him – Chris has had a saying: "The most important words we say all day - are the words we say to ourselves, about ourselves, when we are alone by ourselves". Which raises an interesting question – if that’s true – why does positive thinking so rarely work?? The place that Chris reached – after a career of driving change in this area – is that positive thinking in and of itself is doomed to fail – what we need instead are useful beliefs.

The key here is the word useful. Sometimes things in life are not positive. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. No amount of positive thinking is going to change that. The truth is - there is no absolute truth. I know that sounds annoying. Especially if you’re trying to navigate yourself through uncertainty – either home, life, economy. But it’s worth the time (at least the next hour) to really think about it.

Once you know the truth, once you have all the facts – it becomes agnostic. The only thing that makes a difference after that point – the only thing that stands between you a clear strategy or overwhelm – is the story you choose tell yourself about the situation – and whether it’s useful or not.

I managed to catch Chris in a rare quiet moment, back stage at an event of I was recently at an event with Chris – we had a choice between getting some food and having this conversation – I think it was pretty worth it.

Some of the areas we dove into include:

●     The Future of Thinking in the next economy.

●     How we manage fear and move through guilt with ease

●     The Power of Accelerated Focus

●     The Reticular Activating System – and why you need to know what that is when it comes to developing Useful Belief

●     How do you break through unhelpful ‘mental loops’

●     How to gain clarity through ‘Time Travel’ – and not the kind that involves Michael J Fox and a DeLorean

This podcast is for anyone ready to look at their beliefs around change, influence – and our ultimate ability to master our state and get clear (or useful) in any given moment. It was a special conversation with someone special from my world. Please enjoy my conversation with the powerhouse that is Chris Helder.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all feel fear. Many of us (even those you least expect) live with it as a daily companion. What we do with it is the difference between freezing – the bunny in the headlights – without the ability to move or adapt. Or proactively seeking fear as one of nature’s best tools to sharpen our ability to influence.

So how do you feel it and still stay present – stay able to master your inner landscape - despite the adrenaline running a thousand miles an hour?

In todays Interview we dive into the world of mastering fear with the extraordinary - Brandon Webb.

Brandon is a former US Navy SEAL sniper, New York Times bestselling author, Experimental aircraft pilot, and Entrepreneur. After leaving home at age sixteen – he joined the US Navy to become a Navy SEAL. His first permanent assignment was as a helicopter Aircrew Search & Rescue (SAR) swimmer - and Aviation Warfare Systems Operator. As a SEAL Brandon completed four deployments to the Middle East.

He also received numerous distinguished service awards - including the Presidential Unit Citation (awarded to him by President George W. Bush), and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal with “V” device for valour in combat.

After ending his Navy career early after over a decade of service – he went on to embark on an entrepreneurial journey that – first time out of the gate – literally resulted in him losing everything. Undeterred - He went on to found Hurricane Media - a fast growing military focused digital content network - which is today valued at over $100 Million dollars.

Yet… and yet… what peaked my interest in Brandon at first wasn’t his incredible journey – but in reading a preview chapter I had been sent on his latest book ‘Mastering Fear – A Navy SEALS Guide’. In which he talks first about trying to teach his best friend Kamal to swim.

Helping a close friend through a crippling fear that had been with them for a lifetime – which he did successfully in one week - set about a process where he decided to break down everything he had learned about mastering fear. Both as a SEAL’s – and in his own entrepreneurial journey – at the crux of it was this quote from the book:

‘it’s not about becoming physically stronger, or tougher, or more aggressive. It is about learning how to identify and change the conversation in your head. Every battle, triumph, the defeat you have ever had - first took place in your mind.’

In today's podcast we cover off…

●     The importance of ‘keeping the sharks out of your head’

●     This difference between mastering fear vs overcoming fear – PIVOTAL ‘if you see fear as the enemy, then you’ve already lost’

●     A simple model to switch the mental switch on fear – Known as the ‘SEALS secret weapon’.

●     How do use the ‘charge’ from fear to sharpen ourselves – most successful people I know literally move towards that charge when they feel it

●     The practice of drown proofing – and why it’s essential to replacing fear with a sense of clarity – knowing that you’ve already mentally faced the worse

• And why – in the words of Mike Tyson – “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.

If you’ve ever heard the quote “What would you do right now if you were not afraid?” – it’s one of my favorites - after listening to this interview I dare you to not change it (as I did) to “What would I do right now if I focused this fear?”

So... grab yourself that coffee – Red Bull – or whatever your caffeine of choice – nothing like facing fear with a healthy shot of adrenaline. And get ready to journey inside one of the most ‘misunderstood’ and underutilized parts of the human condition.

Enjoy my conversation with the incredible Brandon Webb.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For some of us we don’t have a funny bone in our bodies, while for others being funny comes naturally without very little thought or effort. For Tim Gard using humour is not only natural but is also a skill he has chosen to master as a tool yielding epic influence.

Tim has had first hand experience of what it is to earn a living in stressful environments - having worked in State and Federal Government in Human Services and (as you’ll hear more about) also spending time as a fraud investigator.

He was in fact known as the ‘Funny Fed’ – as he continually – and consciously developed humour as a way to diffuse situations, create connection and immediately disarm even the most challenging of conversations.

Tim is now one of the most successful speakers on the planet when it comes to using humor as a tool in business and in life. He is the creator of Comic Vision – a method and philosophy of using humor to influence – first yourself – and then other people. He is also the author of ‘Just Plane Funny’ and co-author of ‘Motivational Leaders’ and ‘Humor Me’.

I have known (and travelled with) Tim for more than a decade - I have witnessed him get of airplanes with fake chicken feet hanging out of his luggage – because ‘no one is going to accidently take home a bag with chicken feet hanging out of it’. Hand out his own policy manuals at hotels - when faced with the immortal line ‘I’m sorry Sir but that’s against our policy’. And – and I’m not joking here – literally sit on a flight drawing in a coloring book made up entirely of pictures of himself… just to dissuade anyone from sitting next to him. Side note – that strategy is always and without exception – successful.

So – other than just being one of my favorite people on the planet – and incidentally also the MC at my wedding (who could forget a room of 60 people playing nose flutes between speeches) – why did I ask Tim to be on the podcast? What has humor really got to do with influence?

In being around Tim I have learned so much about using the skills of a humorist to break states and behaviors – in people and situations – that have obviously been stagnant for years. I’ve learned how humor can immediately and effectively de-escalate situations, or disarm opponents in a way where no other communication or negotiation skill comes close.

Humor has this way of cutting through the noise – of breaking down walls – of building bridges - and of holding attention – that I have come to believe makes it one of the most underestimated tools of influence available.

That’s not even counting what Tim and these tools have given me – the ability to use humor to walk through life lightly, to stay in a resilient and resourceful state - and maintain perspective in heavy situations. As he says – ‘do it first for yourself – and then for other people’.

In this conversation we break down:

●     How and Why Hillary Clinton was able to 'diminish the question - but not the person' by using humor in her response to Donald Trump when it came to her business experience.

●     The role of ‘planned spontaneity’ and why it’s easier than it sounds

●     How to actively use humor to solve problems (aka the Chicken Feet)

●     Why it’s essential to stay present to the stories around us every day

●     Why when using storytelling as a tool – the goal should always be to ‘live and relive’ rather than ‘tell and retell’

●     How to 'dismount' gracefully when an attempt at humor fails

So... sit back and prepare to tune in your own style of Comic Vision. Because – like everything – it looks different for us all. Please enjoy my conversation with the irrepressible and irreplaceable – Tim Gard.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We live in a digital world – not news to many of us that woke up next to our mobile phone this morning. But in this world three quarters of adults now have a device that we spend on average 8.5 hours a day attached to (9-10 hours for teenagers – another podcast).

With this digitisation we have now entered a world where our attention is the primary currency. Some of the largest organisations in the world are now focused purely on buying, earning and trading (i.e. selling) our attention as their only product. Algorithms are being constantly written and rewritten to pull us further and further into a silo of information – that then leads onto the next – and the next. Which raises one very interesting question.

What actually works when it comes to winning the war for our attention? Massive companies are asking this question now – 5 billion hours. They have discovered some amazing things about story telling, about product placement…

But the answer. The real answer – as always with human beings - involves getting really primal.

If you look at what drives our most basic operating system. It’s fear and survival. Possible dangers and threats will always get our attention before good news, opportunities – or reasons to celebrate. Unfortunately – as the majority of media and advertisers have always known – when it comes using fear, drama or outrage as a tool – we are hard wired to stand to attention.

My next guests would call the use of fear as a tool to influence your attention – a mind virus. So – how do you inoculate yourself? How do we pull back some of our most precious resource – so we can use it instead to create – not from fear – but from a place of optimism, hope and resilience? Because let’s face it – regardless of how you feel about some of the world’s largest question marks right now – AI, digitization, immigration, changes in the workforce, the impact of social media on children – reactions that come from fear are rarely ever the solution.

In this episode we dive into the Radical Act of Optimism - as we spend time with the incredible Dr Angus Hervey and Tane Hunter the co founders of Future Crunch.

Future Crunch are a a global movement of scientists, artists, technologists and entrepreneurs - who believe science and technology are creating a world that is more peaceful, transparent and abundant. With gold plated facts at the heart of the narrative they present an optimistic and narrative on the the story of the human race in the 21st century. The mission is to foster intelligent, optimistic thinking about the future – In order to assist us in reframing how we allow fear and negativity to influence us, and even more significantly influence the world in which we live.

In this fascinating conversation we discuss…

●     Our consumption of information the same way we would a diet – where balance and conscious choice is the key to health

●     Why the evidence and facts must always be sacred if you want to drive epic influence

●     The implications of world driven by bad news, and the mind virus of fear

●     Why storytelling is the most powerful tool to evolve humanity

●     The Influence of optimistic thinking and overcoming the neuroscience of negativity

●     And why some media – reality TV I’m talking to you - should come with a smokers warning

So get ready for a dose of optimism based upon cold hard facts. To challenge your thinking on change and disruption - and reframe the opportunity of new technologies such as data, automation and robotics in order to create a better world. Some of the examples these guys use about how this is already happening will blow your mind.

Significantly this is an opportunity to become more conscious in the news we share - and the news we choose to consume. Stepping back just far enough from drama, fear and outrage – to recognize it as simply that – a tool that is used to capture your attention.

So – enough pre-amble – please sit back and enjoy my conversation with my new double dose of brains crush.

Dr Angus Hervey and Tane Hunter – otherwise known as Future Crunch.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year. My name is Julie Masters and welcome to the first episode of Inside Influence for 2019! 

Normally I would be delving into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers, authors, thought leaders or movement makers in an interview style decoding their journey of Influence - however today we have something special to welcome the new year not only in style, but with a tool kit that will empower you to show up, stand out and make the most of your influence in the coming year. 

In 2018 we had a year of extraordinary guests. While we would have loved to feature snippets from every interview we understand your attention span at Christmas maybe a little like a goldfish (we know ours is). Instead we have called on our family and friends (a big thank you - you know who you are), to shortlist the best of the best. This is what we call influence. 

In this podcast you will experience a mash up of tools, insights, audacious ideas and radical acts of influence with the intention as always to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

In todays interview we dissect what I believe to be the three core areas of influence. These three areas are how we influence ourselves, how we influence others and finally how we create the kind of influence that changes the world. 

Our guests today in no particular order include:

DANIEL FLYNN 

LISA MESSENGER 

STEPHEN SCHEELER 

NANCY DUARTE 

MARK SCHULMAN 

LINDA CRUSE 

JAMER KERR 

JUDY ATKINSON 

COLIN JAMES 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when we fuse technology with storytelling? When we hack the brain in order to overcome fear, and ultimately influence how we experience the the world around us - through understanding the world within us? 

Our next guest refers to herself as a storyteller from the future. 

Karen Palmer is an Award Winning Multi-Disciplinary Immersive Filmmaker. Merging Film, Gaming, Technology and Neuroscience to create Emotionally Responsive Experiences.

Karen's most notorious project - and the one that caught our attention - was created in 2016 when she created a film called Riot. Riot is an extraordinary fusion of tech and storytelling. It takes viewers through an immersive, 3D experience of an actual riot - the only difference being - through the use of AI, facial recognition and 3D technology - everything that happens is dictated by the emotions of the viewer. 

So each viewer has a unique experience of the RIOT - how the characters behave, whether the action slows down or speeds up. Based purely on how they emotionally respond to the story itself. In other words - how the film watches them.

So why is that important - other than I believe being the method of storytelling we will all consider to be normal ten years from now. It’s important because it gives viewers a real time experience of how their own emotions and responses (often subconscious in the form of facial expressions and body language) significantly impact how they experience the world.

Have you ever wondered how your internal stories - your internal narrative - about events, people, situations - impacts how the story of your life literally unfolds? If not, you should. It’s one of the most life (and influence) altering lines of exploration. And if you have - Karen’s work will blow your mind.

In addition to RIOT - Karen is also a pioneer of ‘neurogaming’ (basically where immersive tech meets gaming). In which your mind once again becomes a remote control in an incredible experience that includes film, wearable technology and neuroscience. Think Fortnite on crack. 

Her works Syncself and Syncself 2 are live-action video games – the difference being that you interact with them by wearing an EEG headset on your brain, measuring your level of focus - and then adapting the game to reflect your state of mind back to you.

And - as if this lady isn’t fascinating enough - she also merges her passion for cutting edge neuro-storytelling with her other passion - parkour. 

You’ve probably seen footage of parkor before - insanely agile people clambering up and leaping over urban walls, buildings and obstacles - all in one long continuous movement of gymnastics meets martial arts. What I didn’t know before this conversation - was the philosophy of mindfulness that sits behind it.

Just like RIOT, Syncself and neuro-gaming - Karen uses this parkor as an immediate feedback loop - a way of a way to train her mind to stay in a state of total focus. Because let’s face it - there’s no immediate feedback loop more compelling than falling face first onto concrete.

So - some of the topics we dove into in this conversation include: 

Why neuro-storytelling is the future - and how we can use it to build new neurological pathways in our brain

How seeing ourselves - our biases and triggers - reflected on the screen - will help us to take better control of our own lives

Why courage is simply a software download - and how to run an ‘erase and install’ on your own mind

The doors that this type of future storytelling opens for humanity. In particular how we teach empathy and accelerated leadership.

Why we will soon be taking the leap from bio-hacking (think Fitbits - and the various other wearable technology now available) to brain-hacking

And finally... why you never have to be the unwilling participant in someone else’s story

A conversation with Karen is a little like Parkour in itself. Leaping in and out of exhilarating topics, arcs and ideas - yet always with the same intention. Seeking to understand how the future of storytelling can (and will) not only revolutionise how we entertain and communicate important ideas. But also fundamentally change the role we consider ourselves to have - as continual writers of our own experience. 

So... grab yourself a coffee - or whatever your adrenaline kick of choice. And get ready to be mind blown. Many of you that have either listened before - or met me in any capacity - will know that I consider storytelling to be one of the most powerful tools of influence. This one takes it to a whole new level.

Enjoy my conversation with the fascinating Karen Palmer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it to truly listen consciously? To listen for context, listen for culture, listen for values or even more significantly listen for meaning. In schools we are taught the most basic and complex skills of maths, reading, science and history - but what we are never taught - is one of the most important life skills available to us. To consciously explore and interpret the world as it arrives through our ears.

Technology and digitisation has in some ways amplified our communication, yet at the same time - according to our next guest - the use of the human voice has become marginalised.

Today we send texts and emails, snapchats, and emojis... all fantastic tools (if not a little bewildering on the emoji front)… but before these tools… before language itself there was only the human voice.

As most of us know – or have at the very least felt. There is a huge difference between hearing words - and deeply listening to another human being. We’ve talked about it before on this podcast in a multitude of ways. From FBI Negotiators to monks. Yet our next guest is someone I have been hoping we could bring to you since the beginning of this series.

Julian Treasure is a true master of influential communication - whose vision is to transform the world by inspiring people to listen consciously and speak powerfully.

I believe his insights and message contains one of the most powerful tools of influence available. The ability to fully and intentionally understand - and be understood by - another human being.

Julian is a sound and communication expert. He is the founder of The Sound Agency - a company dedicated to asking and answering the question “How does your brand sound?”

He is also the author of the books ‘How To Be Heard’ and ‘Sound Business’. His TED talks have also been watched more than 40 million times - I’ll say that again - 40 million times – that's 4-0 - a testament to just how much thirst there is for this topic and its impact.

His latest talk, How to speak so that people want to listen, is now in the top 10 TED talks of all time. In addition Julian is regularly featured in the world’s media, including TIME Magazine, The Times, The Economist and the BBC.

In today's podcast we unlock the following keys to listen into influence,

• The difference between hearing - and consciously listening (If you can ingrain this one distinction in your life - I promise you this will be time well spent)
• How the voice alone - regardless of the words - always tells a meaningful story.
• Why the vast majority of people don’t listen - and how to overcome the habit
• How our addiction to outrage inhibits our ability to listen.
• Why the most powerful leaders are ALWAYS the most powerful listeners
• The power of silence as a sound.
• And why listening to someone as if it was ‘for the first time’ – can help love last over a lifetime

In a nutshell Julian is an extraordinary human being with a unique vision… To enable a world that listens consciously and can express itself powerfully.

To be honest, as a leader, a partner, parent and friend - I can’t imagine a goal - or an intention for those you love and do business with - more powerful than that one.

So - sit back - breathe into every word and every silence. As an exercise try to take this time as an opportunity - not only to absorb the message - but also to practice listening as one of the highest disciplines of influence. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it.

Enjoy my conversation with the incredible - Julian Treasure.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of the guests I’m drawn to on Inside Influence – come about because I believe they provide a different lens on the subject of influence. FBI Negotiators talking about high stakes conversations – orchestra conductors sharing their lessons in leadership – big wave surfers on how to master fear.

Today’s interview takes that different lens – twists it, turns it into an optical illusion – and then reflects back at you the very assumption that made you perceive it as a lens in the first place. Sound un-necessarily complicated? Maybe – and yet it’s vital to understanding the most fundamental tool of influence. How you perceive and respond to the world around you.

Every piece of information you receive – about people, situations, tools (from this podcast or other sources you follow) – is ultimately only ever shaped by the meaning you give it. How do we choose what meaning to give things? By cross referencing that particular piece of information – piece of stimuli - against a series of assumptions – all of which were formed by our past experiences.

So again – why is this important to influence? As a bottom line – your assumptions dictate how you respond in any situation. Every decision you make, about how to proceed, who to trust, whether to leap into the next opportunity, how to navigate that next high intensity conversation, whether to stand up and be heard on stage or in the boardroom – are all 100% dictated by these assumptions that were created somewhere in your past.

So our history determines what we look at - and what we look at creates our history. Cycle after cycle of thinking you’re running the show – only to realise that – in fact – an out of date show (usually with a very inexperienced script writer) is running you.

Unless, in the worlds of my next guest – Beau Lotto - you can learn how to deviate.

Beau is a professor of neuroscience at the University of London, and a Visiting Scholar at New York University. His work and research over the past 25 years has focused on the biology and psychology of perception. In layman's terms - he studies the science of how we see the world. And how that knowledge can be used to unlock our ability to create, innovate, influence – and ultimately affect change.

In 2001 he founded the lab of Misfits, a neuro-design studio that was resident for two years at London's Science Museum. He is also the author of the bestselling book ‘Deviate – The Science of Seeing Things Differently’

In today's assumption busting conversation we cover off:

• Why your aim should always be to know less than you did yesterday (especially about the people and situations you think you know the most about)
• Why we are usually blind to our assumptions – especially those we inherit – and how to identify and decode our programmed responses
• How to stop focusing on answers and start becoming obsessive about asking better questions
• Why how you perceive yourself LITERALLY determines what you see in the world – this one blew my mind – I’ll let Beau explain – but in essence how powerful you feel yourself to be changes your physiology and the patterns you are able to identify.
• How to use play – or if you dislike that word - experiments – to first overcome our hatred and then start to thrive in uncertainty.
• And finally why – as leaders, parents and influencers - having an awareness of our biases and assumptions – and then being able to deviate - gives us choice.

So... grab yourself your caffeinated beverage of choice… or for this one maybe a glass of wine… and get ready to jump into a world where your perceptions of what’s true – are a mile away from what’s actually possible. Welcome to the world of Beau Lotto.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you could identify one superpower that would set your business on fire what would it be?

You would imagine growth strategy would go hand in hand with running a successful business, but the reality is that many business leaders fail to see the opportunities right in front of them. That is why Growth IQ is the magic elixir enabling business leaders to harness the growth opportunities that are ripe for the picking.

Today's guest, Tiffani Bova is the global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of ‘Growth IQ: Get Smarter About the Choices that Will Make or Break Your Business’.

Having spent her career decoding the art of Growth IQ, she is a top influencer in customer experience, digital and the future of work. She is a master of sales transformation and business model innovation, a highly sought after speaker and business influencer. She is also the host of ‘What's Next! with Tiffani Bova’ which has featured guests from Arianna Huffington to Dan Pink, and continues to rank as one of the top 100 business and marketing podcasts on iTunes, and won top Sales and Marketing Podcast by Top Sales Magazine in 2017.

Tiffani is Magazine’s 37 Sales Experts You Need to Follow on Twitter, a LinkedIn Top Sales Influencer, a Brand Quarterly Magazine Top 50 Marketing Thought Leader, and one of the most Powerful and Influential Women in California according to the National Diversity Council. She has appeared on MSNBC and Yahoo Finance and is a regular contributor to Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Marketing Matters on Wharton Business Radio - SiriusXM and Huffington Post in addition to a variety of industry-leading podcasts.

In today's podcast we cover off;

• Why great storytelling and great data are a formula for sales success
• Why the best leaders are also the best storytellers
• Why business growth is never a quick fix
• How to maximise your sales with the people and resources you already have
• The role of purpose in the pursuit for growth
• Why the experience wins the sale
• We decode the higher expectations of tomorrow's customer
• Asking for a symphony of feedback
• The art of collaborative selling
• Key insights into influence from one of the worlds best

When it comes to the intersection of epic business influence, sales and digital growth Tiffani is a global leader whose journey is only just beginning, and that is why I couldn't more excited about having her on board as an Inside Influence guest. Grab yourself a coffee, sit back and get ready to grow with the one and only author of Growth IQ, the incredible Tiffani Bova.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now I have a bit of an obsession with fear. Or - at least I didn’t realise I had - until looking over some of the amazing guests we’ve had and have lined up for the podcast this year. And realising that fear - or at least mastering fear - seems to be a constant and underlying theme.

So that raises the question of why - what has fear got to do with influence - and why can’t I seem to leave it alone. I’ll tell you why - other than because it’s a daily dance of my own in one way shape or form. As it is for anyone that’s ever tried to do or say anything in the public domain - or any domain for that matter.

I think it’s because - over the years of working alongside influencers - I have met and worked with one too many brilliant people, one too many brilliant ideas, companies, brands and products. One too many people with something important to say or contribute. Who have all been left on the sidelines as a result of this statement: ‘I will do this… when I feel more...’

Sound familiar? Essentially - I will show up, stand up, be seen - and offer the full force of what I have to offer. When I feel less fearful.

So - in that sense - fear - or the ability to move towards it, harness it, rewrite it’s stories and relinquish it’s control over when and how we show up. Is the ultimate key to influence. Without it - the rest - negotiation tools, presentation skills, content algorithms, leadership habits - all mean nothing at all. So - there’s my why.

Now back to this episode. As a metaphor for negotiating with fear - surfing a 50 foot wave has to be on top of the list. As one of Australia’s best big wave surfers, my next guest Mark Matthews understands better than most the the intersections of fear, focus and staying in place when backing out seems like the only sane option. In fact - one of my favorite moments in our conversation is where he talks about ‘Holding the line’.

I don’t know if many of you will remember that infamous scene from Braveheart before the great battle - possibly showing my age here - where Mel Gibson shouts ‘HOLD!’ over and over again as the charging army gets rapidly closer. Mark talks about how he literally uses this technique, this phrase - over and over again when at the crest of a wave - to keep himself in position until that exact right second. Basically - to prevent himself from reacting to adrenalin by backing out or moving too fast.

Unbelievably - as you’ll hear - Mark was frightened of the ocean as a child and spent his childhood visits with family to the ocean sitting on the beach. YET - he went on to carve out a niche as one of the top big wave surfers in the world. Having surfed many of the world's heaviest and biggest waves including Cape Fear, NSW, Teahupoo (hope I got that one right), Tahiti, Maui and - well - if you know anything about big waves - you’ll be able to recite the rest. He has won three Oakley Big Wave Awards and is considered one of the best big waves surfers in the world.

Then - while in surfing in Australia in 2016 - Mark fell feet first onto a shallow reef - waking up later in a helicopter in a full body brace. He had tore his artery, nerve, multiple ligaments and fractured his shin. After an artery transfer he was assured by Dr’s that he would keep his leg - but with that kind of nerve damage - he would never be able to surf again. What followed was a new journey into fear. The fear of starting again. Only this time against the odds - and while the whole world was watching.

In this epic conversation Mark and I dive into:

• The role of risk analysis in dealing with fear
• How to ‘hold the line’ when you’re so committed you can’t back down
• Why pushing any boundary starts with being unreasonable
• How to ignore the feelings that make you want to run - and swap fear for focus
• The power of embracing the pain - to stop the brain shutting you down.
• How to consciously choose your next adrenaline kick to take you to the next level
• AND why you should always train for wipe out scenarios - in order to push past where other people would choke.

I loved my conversation with Mark. He’s unassuming, humble - and yet driven to take on challenges that will blow your mind. Just quickly Google his name and look at the images that come up - that will be enough for you to get a sense of what I’m talking about.

So - if you know you have a 50 foot opportunity or challenge coming your way - or maybe feel like you’re surfing one right now - then this is for you. Sit back, buckle up - and enjoy my conversation with phenomenal big wave surfer Mark Matthews.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can we learn about the art of influence from taming a creature as wild as the horse?

How do we decode a silent language that speaks with feelings and desire rather than cognitive thoughts or words?

How do we begin to understand the silent network of communication that exists within our subconscious mind, and how is it possible to gain insights into some of the most profound parts of human condition by spending an hour horse whispering?

Today, I am honoured to explore all of these questions and more with a world renowned life coach, horse whisperer and the founder of the Equus Coaching Movement, Koelle Simpson.

Koelle's incredible journey into horse whispering came as a result of experiencing trauma as a child that ultimately led to her destiny. In order to heal, a young Koelle would spend hours with the horses in a neighbouring paddock, and in that process began to connect with these beautiful animals in a deeply transformational way. It was during this time, she began to develop a level self awareness, as the horses through their behaviour acted as mirror always reflecting Koelle's internal state. The language of her emotions.

With clarity of purpose, from that point forward Koelle went to to study with the some of the worlds greatest equine teachers Including Monty Roberts, and best selling author, life coach and o magazine columnist Dr Martha Beck.

Today, Koelle is the founder of the Koelle Institute for Equus Coaching. The Institute has evolved into a remarkable community of highly skilled coaches dedicated to creating transformational leadership experiences through encounters with horses.

Koelle is a woman of global influence, with her work being featured in O Magazine, BBC Business Report, The National Journal, The OWN Network and she is a Tedx speaker. She works with individuals and organisations all of the world decoding the silent language of authority through the lens of her journey as a horse whisperer.

In today's podcast we covered the following:

• We learn more about the art of horse whispering.
• Why active and honest connection is at the heart of trust?
• The role of emotions as a silent tool in communication - The horses language?
• Self Awareness and why we disconnect.
• How we can create emotional intention.
• What causes stress and anxiety in how we connect
• Why vulnerability is the strongest component in leadership
• What we can learn from the matriarch mare?
• How do we lead a fearful herd?
• Why Trust is an action in the present moment.
• What makes us suppress expression?
• Why our deepest truth is always held in the body.

So as always grab yourself a cup of tea, and get ready to hear the extraordinary story of a young woman with a gift for translating the silent language of the horse. After all a horse does not hear words, or have the same thoughts we have. This animal has an innate ability to deeply feel and experience the world via emotion. In observing the horse we are given a window into our soul, showing us with no filters… exactly what we are showing the world.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now for anyone that’s been listening to the podcast for awhile - you’ll know I FIRMLY believe that the days of out-spending, out-shouting and out-interrupting our competitors is over.

What do I mean by that? I mean that if you want to stand out in a new age of influence - in an age where what gets talked about, what gets remembered, what (in the words of my next guest) is considered ‘remarkable’ enough to share within our networks - isn’t ‘business as usual’ - OR ‘marketing as usual’.

In fact - I believe it was Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad - who said the immortal words ‘advertising is a tax paid by the unremarkable’.

The challenge now is not to constantly interrupt what people are interested in - but to BECOME what they are interested in. To provide a service or information so valuable - so engaging - or so unexpected - that word of mouth - or word of mouse - literally takes care of itself.

My next guest Jay Baer would describe these moments as Talk Triggers. A Talk Trigger being any strategic, operational differentiators that compel word of mouth. NOTICE THE WORD STRATEGIC THERE - NOT ACCIDENTAL - NOT HOPEFUL - BUT AN ACTUAL PLAN TO CREATE CONSISTENT AND PASSIONATE WORD OF MOUTH. Sounds simple - yet as he points out - nearly every organisation has a…. We have social media strategies, marketing strategies, sales strategies etc.

Now word of mouth has always been the backbone of any business - but in a digital landscape - where voice search, reviews and algorithms all tie back to the sentiment of the crowd. If you don’t have a plan - you are missing one of the biggest opportunities available.

Jay has spent 25 years in digital marketing and customer experience, consulting for more than 700 companies, including 34 of the FORTUNE 500. His current firm – Convince & Convert – provides word of mouth, digital marketing, and customer experience advice and counsel to some of the world’s most important brands.

Jay’s Convince & Convert blog was named the world’s #1 content marketing blog by the Content Marketing Institute. He is also the author of three best selling books - including “Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype”, “Hug Your Haters”, and his latest book with co-author Daniel Lemin, “Talk Triggers - The complete guide to creating customers with word of mouth”.

It is fair to say that Jay understands every aspect of what it is to build a brand around earned influence. And the great thing about earned influence - rather than hype or the number of followers you can amass - it’s really hard to lose once you have it.

Now a warning about this conversation - it’s pretty rapid fire - so grab a pen and paper now. In it we sprint our way through:

• Why so many people confuse influence with audience
• Why relevance is the new killer app
• Why contribution takes courage - and the fears that will hold you back
• How to hardwire ‘help over hype’ into your marketing strategy
• The 4 requirements to designing a compelling talk trigger
• Why in this day and age building a marketing campaign around earned influence shouldn’t be the Wild West - but instead driven by data, AI and machine learning
• AND finally - why real influence is always earned.

So sit back, grab yourself a coffee and enjoy the insights of one of the most experienced thought leaders on the planet when it comes to brand influence. My conversation with the outrageously talented - Jay Baer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest Chris Voss was the FBI lead kidnapping negotiator and what that means is he had to understand influence at a level and with stakes that you and I can barely imagine. During his 24 year tenure in the FBI He was trained in the art of negotiation at Scotland Yard at Harvard Law School. He is also the recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in law enforcement and has taught business negotiation at a number of prestigious universities around the world.

He is the founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group and he’s also also the author of Never split the difference which is a book that I genuinely cannot recommend highly enough. If negotiating persuading or influencing is a part of your daily life which I can promise you it is. In our conversation we jumped in to a number of really fascinating ideas. The first of which was how yes is actually the last thing we want to hear which blew my mind because I had assumed that negotiation was all about getting to a Yes and apparently not one single hostage negotiation technique is designed to get a yes. What are they designed for. You’ll have to listen. We talk about high stakes conversations. How does he prepare. His mental state going into these conversations where literally lives are on the line. We talked about delivering bad news. How to do it quickly and efficiently and get straight into what’s next.

I invite you to sit back and listen and take a fascinating peek behind the curtain of what has to have been one of the most interesting careers I’ve ever heard of. And as a result take some tools and in the words of Chris start negotiating like your life depends on it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of Inside Influence, I spoke to the incredible Dr Kristy Goodwin - children’s technology and development expert, a speaker, author and parent - about The Digital Dilemma.

We unlocked the challenges faced by parents, leaders and teachers in influencing young people in a new digital age. An age where digital devices increasingly - and soon to be literally - are woven into every fabric of our environment.

The episode was full of perspective changing information - or at least I know it was for me - which is why today as bonus episode - and for the first time for Inside Influence listeners we are backing it up with a Part Two.

For those of you who missed last week’s conversation - I would recommend downloading part one - although not essential it will be helpful in giving you some background context to Kristy’s work - however if you did miss it, we covered everything from infobesity to techno tantrums, brain science to boundary setting and Kristy (very generously) offered up a toolkit of proven parent strategies to manage your child's relationship to digital devices….100% guilt free.

At the heart of the conversation we explored one of the most profoundly influential positions we will ever hold as a human being… The Influence we have as parents, mentors and leaders in helping a new generation make healthy choices - in particular around what and who they allow into their worlds.

As I mentioned in the first episode - this used to be as simple as closing the front door - finishing school, heading home and forgetting about it for the day. Now that world - and all it’s opinions, personalities and messages - follows us home in the form of digital devices.

In part two we discuss the following:

• The right and wrong environments for digital devices
• How to engage young people - in particular young children - in conversations about digital safety
• Why technology can in fact support our relationships - but should never supercede them
• How to manage the mine field of early exposure to sexuality, body image norms (or apparent norms) and exposure to porn. This one is I know on the mind of a lot of parents I know, in particular those of young boys.
• How to protect our children from cyber bullying.
• And the most influential question for us all: Are we being controlled by digital or is it possible to develop boundaries - healthy and resilient boundaries - where we can take the best of this new world - and leave the worst?

Now it bears repeating in the words of Dr Kristy herself - these are 100% guilt free conversations. Feeling guilty about our relationship to technology isn’t going to help anyone. It’s just going to keep us all further stuck in the dark - and prevent the type of conversations that are needed if we’re going to navigate this new world. None of us know the rules here. So let’s talk.

On that note - for the second time - grab a cup of tea - a bar of dark chocolate - or your running shoes - whatever floats your boat and enjoy Part Two in my conversation with the incredible Dr Kristy Goodwin.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember the world before the internet? A world where children built Forts, rather than play Fortnite, and setting boundaries was as simple as closing the bedroom door. Or in my case - the day your Father received one too many outrageous phone bills and unplugged the telephone for a week. Teenage. Life. Over. As. I. Knew. It.

Compare that to some of the stories from my next guest….

In a world of influence, there’s possibly none more powerful - or wide reaching - as the influence we have on the next generation.

Maybe I’m thinking a lot about it at the moment - new baby on the way - young daughter I can feel already watching my every technology move. Someone asked me recently - boyfriend beaming into her eyeballs. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THAT?

Yet this isn’t just a question for parents - this is a question for peers, teachers, mentors, relatives and leaders of young people. Or really for anyone trying to navigate a digital age where no one - not even the technology creators themselves - fully understand the rules (or consequences) of the game.

So how do we face this new digital dilemma with optimism rather than fear? How do we instill OR MODEL a resilient, healthy and empowered relationship with the technology that increasingly fuels every facet of our lives?

That’s the reason why today, I am introducing a 2 part podcast series with the incredible Dr Kristy Goodwin. Kristy is a children’s technology and development expert, a speaker, author and parent who has committed her life to translating the latest research on leading young people through a digital age. And it starts - you guessed it - with first leading ourselves.

Most importantly - what I want you to notice is that Kristy doesn’t believe in guilt. Which in a world where all our decisions in relation to technology - seem to be increasing coming under fire - in particular when it comes to digital devices and parenting. Is as refreshing as it is insightful.

In part one of this podcast dive into:

• Info-beasity, and address what it takes to tame the information beast.
• Why our ancient brains are struggling to cope in a digital world.
• Tips to prevent and manage techno-tantrums
• How our own digital habits inform how our children engage with devices - TIP - that age old parenting phrase ‘do as I say and not as I do’ - which is a from memory from my childhood - is about effective now as it was then.
• Effective (parental war zone tested) strategies to implement digital boundaries.
• The neuroscience governing our engagement with digital platforms.
• AND finally - and this one totally changed my perspective - why we should avoid using (or removing) digital devices and connectivity as a punishment tool

So - grab your digital device of choice - find a quiet spot - drop the guilt - and prepare to make some empowered choices in relation to how technology can enhance - rather than control - your life and the lives of those you love and lead. Enjoy my conversation with the crazy talented… Kristy Goodwin.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a leader, it is our ability to influence harmony within a culture that determines our success. There needs to be a focus on both listening and guiding an individual. We must have an ability to hear the voice of one and the voices of many. As leaders we are the conductors in a symphony where the influence we have will determine the magic in the music we create. 

Todays guest is the incredible Itay Talgam. I have wanted to interview Itay for quite some time for one purpose, and that is to decode how leaders can create influence like the greatest conductors on the planet. Conductors who influence, listen, guide and unite individuals in creating musical magic all while performing live in front of huge audiences...where any mistake is there for the world to see. 

Itay Talgam is an orchestral conductor turned into ‘conductor of people’ – A producer of the symphony that is influence. He has mastered the creation of human harmony and cooperation passing on key leadership and influence skills to Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and universities, and at conferences around the world, including TED, Google’s Zeitgeist, and the World Economic Forum at Davos.

With a lifetime of experience behind him Talgam conducted many orchestras in Europe – being the first Israeli conductor to perform with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and with the Leipzig Opera house. He also performed in the United States, and, naturally, conducted and recorded many times with all of Israel’s major orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Israeli Opera, Jerusalem Symphony, and the Israel Chamber Orchestra.

While your office is clearly not a stage, and your team are more than likely not professional musicians, there is so much that can be learned about influence in decoding the mindset, methodology and the magic of some of the worlds greatest composers. Talgam's anecdotes and insights will change the way you think about listening, humility and the path to unpredictable brilliance. They will equip you for exceptional leadership and influence. 

In today's episode we discussed: 

• The Intersection between the office and the conductor's podium. 
• The sheer gravity of silence as a tool of influence
• What it is to create space for others in leadership
• How do you go about creating a community of listeners
• How do you ensure other peoples stories are shared
• The balance between direction and enabling self expression in leadership. 
• Why creating space to simply enjoy your creation revitalises your role in leadership 

So as always kick back, and get ready to tune into the music of influence. A space where leadership and influence express themselves via graceful movements, expression, emotion and sound. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you go from an idea to influence to income? Often we only hear about the two polarities. We hear about people who have a great idea, who put a lot of time and effort into building their influence with very little results. And then there are the multi-millionaires who are living in a New York loft apartment who, just last week, we're living in their parent's basement but then they discovered this Killer system and now they are uber-successful. So what does it take to actually build a business as an influencer? 

My next guest is Dorie Clark, author of the groundbreaking book 'Stand Out' where she first came to my attention. It was named the number one leadership book of 2015 by Inc magazine and named one of the top 10 business books of the year by Forbes, and is a Washington Post bestseller. She's also recently just published a new book which is what brought us to talk this time. 

It's called 'Entrepreneurial You' and I would urge you to go out and get it. In this episode, we discuss how to find your breakthrough idea. We discuss the keys to building a following when starting from scratch. Why most success stories you see on Facebook aren't true and why fear plus 10 percent is the magic number when it comes to turning it expertise into income.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

Over the course of the Inside Influence Podcast, my intention has been to bring you some of the brightest minds in the world of Influence.

However, every now and then, I come across a person who is the embodiment of what this podcast is about. A person who can in every sense of the word claim mastery as an influencer of influencers. 

As some of you might know - I’ve spent the last few weeks bunkered up with my newborn son.  One of the challenges of committing to consistency with anything is that - when life takes over - you need some support. 

So, while I was on Maternity leave the Inside Influence team took over and curated a list of the hottest questions we have been asked over the past year. When they showed me the list I knew there was only one person I would go to to answer them, and that person is the Incredible Dorie Clark. 

For our regular listeners, you would be aware of Dorie's influence genius, however for those of you who have not heard of Dorie... fear not! She is about to become your number one guru on the art of standing out as a global authority in your space.

If you needed more than just my word - Dorie is in fact the author of the groundbreaking book Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine, one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes - not to mention a Washington Post bestseller. The New York Times described her as an “expert at self-reinvention.” 

Dorie has also just recently published a new book – Entrepreneurial You. Which I would urge you to go out and get. Believe me, in all my years of working in this field - it’s rare that anyone actually talks about the grassroots tactics of what it takes to build a business as an influencer. Creating influence is one thing - turning it into income is another.

Some of the questions we explored include: 

• How to identify trends and distill your breakthrough idea. 
• How to turn your influence into income. Again this is where most people - even some of the most well known or famous people you might know - can often get stuck. You can’t pay your mortgage with ‘likes’ - or at least that’s what my accountant says.
• How to get influence cut through as quickly as possible i.e. traction
• Proven methods to identify your niche, add real value and then amplify your impact 
• The common mistakes that industry influencers make in the early days - and how to avoid them 
• Plus - just a ton more.

This episode is pretty hard and fast. Dorie takes the questions and just dives straight in - with none of the usual rambles or segways from me.

However - for those of you who missed Dorie’s original hour long Inside Influence episode don’t worry. We will also be re-releasing the original interview “From Influence to Income” this time next week as an added bonus. If you caught it the first time around and haven’t managed to yet implement the ton gold she delivered - well - then definitely worth a refresh.

Enough from me - enjoy, kick back and soak up the incredible one-on-one wisdom of Dorie Clark. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

Here are some questions that have been on my mind recently:

Is there a science behind how and which ideas become mainstream? Could there be a formula to driving a movement through a human network - at maximum impact and speed? Is it possible to develop a framework that would predict what we pay attention to, what we ignore and what we actually act upon?

And… if the answer to any of those questions was yes… then could it be used to predict some of unexpected situations (politically and culturally) - that have occurred globally?

Essentially - is there something predictable here that I’m missing when it comes to who and what ideas gain the most influence.

My next guest has dedicated a career to - among many other things - understanding this science. The science of human networks. In particular decoding how our position in these networks impacts the most important decisions of our lives.

So why is that vital to the question of influence? Well - our networks - and where we sit in our networks - write the story of pretty much every choice we make. 

Traditionally these networks were the people we grew up with, the people we worshiped with and the people we worked with. However now and perhaps most influentially - they are the people, groups and platforms we spend our digital lives interacting with online.

These networks make up the fabric of our lives - our identities - our choices - and everything we believe to be true.

And yet - amazingly - very little is known about the science of human networks. In particular how ideas spread from one part of a network to another. A fact my next guest - Matthew O Jackson - aims to change.

Matthew is the author of ‘The Human Network - How Your Social Position Determines Your Power, Beliefs, and Behaviors’. He is a Professor of Economics at Stanford University, an external faculty member of the Santa Fe Institute, and a senior fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. 

He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences; a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and former Guggenheim Fellow. Having reached more than a million students via his popular online courses on social and economic networks.

In today's conversation Matthew and I unpack: 

• The digital tipping point in human revolutions - how, when and why ideas take hold
• Why influence and popularity are distinctly different - and how the person with the least contacts is often the most influential
• The importance of being the primary translator - or ‘centre star’ - for your target market. 
• How not enough people focus on the ‘halo effect for building influence - where it’s who you know rather than how many people you know that makes the difference
• How to go about identifying the most influential people within your network
• And finally - some of the key patterns that make an idea or a movement contagious

There is a quote by Sonia Sotomayor that Matthew uses in his book that I love: ‘Virtue in obscurity is rewarded only in Heaven. To succeed in this work you have to be known to people’.

Understanding human networks is essentially that - understanding the science of becoming ‘known’. Which I would suggest, whatever work you do - is usually the key to taking it to the next level.

So grab a cup of coffee, a notebook and pen and get ready for a crash course in global movements, historical figures and network based influence.

Enjoy my conversation with the fascinating Matthew O Jackson.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

Now this episode - is a little different to any other episode of Inside Influence that we’ve ever done. 

One of my favourite parts of putting together the last 52 Episodes of The Podcast has been tracking down world class people to talk to - some of our ideas have worked beyond what I had hoped - poets, musicians, politicians, CEO’s, world record breakers - the list goes on. And some - well - haven’t. Which - lets face it - is just part and parcel of creating anything at all. Sometimes you win - sometimes you end up face down in the dirt wondering how you got there. 

Just as an aside on that - for anyone thinking about putting together a podcast (which I would wholeheartedly recommend by the way) - please never attempt any interview that involves three languages and a four way - real time - translation. As we found out recently it makes a fascinating mime show - but not so much great audio.

Anyway - pretty much the driving force of every episode we have ever done - has been to get inside how we influence ourselves (our own stories and reactions), how we influence others (either one on one or from a platform), or how we influence at scale (i.e. amplifying an idea or message that has the power to change the world).

Most CEO’s and leaders that I meet are on at least one of those journeys. In a world where everyone has a platform, noise is high, brand engagement and trust are low - and storytelling by algorithm now drives the majority of behaviour. Standing out - and converting that attention into action - is probably the largest challenge business challenge of our time.

In today's episode of Inside influence these are the issues we’re going to get into. However - for this week only - it will just be me. No guest. 

Today’s episode is a compilation of a few different speeches I have given recently - mainly for large corporations - most in industries that are currently suffering from a dive in trust. The common theme for each essentially being the question: ‘How do you become the most influential and trusted authority in your space?’. 

The pieces we’ve chosen hopefully answer some of the most commonly asked questions I get in regards to influence. These include:

• How to identify your unique space as a micro-authority
• How the digital world has changed the role of branding - and branded marketing - in driving opportunities, sales, conversations and change. Leaving humans as the most influential force on the planet.
• Why harnessing your unique skills and experience – or the unique skills and experience of the people within your organisation – is now the No 1 key to cut through
• The methods to designing a strategy to become the go-to expert in your space. 
• Tools to focus more on out-contributing - rather than out-spending and out-interrupting your competition
• How to harness the power of epic storytelling
• The power of co-creation - and how to amplify your impact by joining forces with those that already have the eyes and ears of your target market
• And why becoming the primary translator for your chosen audience is the most powerful decision you can make

So - as I said - today is a little different to usual programming. If you like it let me know on the usual social channels. We can try and do more. If not then - just like the multi translation episode - we’ll chalk it down to experience and keep moving. With that in mind, kick back, drive safe (or walk slow) and get ready to take a deep dive into standing up, being seen and harnessing the power of their voice. 

My name is Julie Masters and this is Inside Influence.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

How do we raise, mentor, or lead the young people in our lives to be bold? In other words - how do we raise or lead lions and not lambs? It’s a good question and one that I’ve heard asked a lot - especially since becoming a parent. Which - along with running a business - and therefore leading teams of all ages - through good times and bad - has been one of the most significant (and therefore terrifying) journeys inside influence of my life.

But I digress - raising lions vs. lambs. A great question - but here’s a better one - and this is one you don’t hear asked out loud very often. But it’s there in the background for parents and leaders - like a quiet panic you don’t want to voice.

Can we actually survive raising lions? If we in-still that kind of strength, that kind of passion, the ability and NEED to question and test every hypothesis - every boundary - to take nothing for granted. Especially the instructions of those supposedly in charge. Do we - as parents and leaders - in our most quiet and overwhelmed moments - even want that?

And yet... don’t we need more of those skills? Especially now - with so many global issues requiring the type of fierce leadership - that increasingly only seems to come from younger generations. From those that haven’t learned to shut up and do as they’re told.

But let’s be honest - raising lions isn’t easy. Leading lions isn’t easy. In many cases families don’t survive. Teams fall apart. Governments collapse. Those in charge end up squashing the very passion they were hoping for - swapping innovation for speed - and diversity for consensus.

So here’s my question again. How do you lead lions without taming them? How do you raise passionate, robust, fierce human beings - without surrendering your sanity?

To get some insights into this question we hunted down my next guest - the incredible Joe Newman. 

Joe was one of the very first children globally to be diagnosed with ADHD. A label that taught him to feel “broken,” and accept the diagnosis that he had limited potential. 

Since then, Joe has dedicated his life to shattering that label, re-building his identity - and challenging our notions of the interplay between potential, passion, obedience and leadership. For the past 30 years he’s worked with children from every walk of life - all considered to have extreme behavioural issues. 

In doing that he has shown repeatedly that - by changing the ways we interact - by getting deeply curious - and by respectfully holding our ground - behind those issues is more often than not EXTREME potential. 

His work AND perspectives on parenting, power and relationships - have been shared and discussed by thought leaders across the world.

He has also since written the incredible book ‘Raising Lions - The Art of Compassionate Discipline’. Sounds like a book for parents - and it is. But here’s the thing - there’s not a single leader I know that doesn’t struggle with compassionate boundaries - with channeling the passion, friction and diversity in their teams. Same tools - just different language.

In today's episode, Joe and I jump into the shifting waters of:

• The personal attributes of a ‘Lion’ and what it takes to lead one. 
• Whether labels are useful - for children and adults - or whether they are just permission to separate from our actions
• What does a child – or an adult for that matter – who can self-regulate actually look like? This one is important - because we all know you can’t be what you can’t see. If we can learn to recognise it - and move towards it when we do - our chances of becoming go through the roof
• Why lions love conflict - and how to use that to propel constructive action
• How to use consequences effectively and  respectfully
• And finally how to ‘meet someone’s hand’ and powerfully answer the inherent question in all lion interactions ‘I have power - do you?’

One of my greatest curiosities when it comes to influence - is how often and unintentionally we get it wrong. No one wakes up thinking they want to hurt or fail the ones we love or lead. 

Unfortunately the usual suspects of influence - those we see so often being successful in the short term - charisma, bravado, force or sitting on the fence and avoiding any real conflict - rarely if ever get us where we need to go in the long term.

You can’t force someone to respect you, or listen to you, or love you, or collaborate with you. And trust me I’ve tried. Nor does anything get any better by avoiding the transformative friction that comes from conflict. Or by taming and caging diversity. 

We need lions. But first we have to believe that we can survive them - or better than that - thrive because of them.

So - grab your coffee, or relax into whatever traffic jam you’re stuck in - and prepare to be challenged in all the best ways by the force that is Joe Newman.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation. 

Here is the primary question I went into my interview with this week’s guest thinking about…

What kind of leadership influence actually creates impact? Real impact.

Sure as leaders we can request, motivate, incentivise - reprimand. But what happens when those tools don’t work? When we’ve tried everything we know - and the results are still falling way too far short? When we have that sneaking feeling in our gut that it’s us rather than them - and that a better leader could get this train back on track. 

It’s hard to admit those moments - because it means we have to stretch when we already feel stretched enough. Learn new tools and - hardest of all - admit to those we’re supposed to inspire that in this moment we’re as unsure as anyone else.

And yet - it’s in those moments - according to my next guest - that we have the choice to do something different. To develop tools that are some of the most potent we have available as leaders. 

These tools are counter-intuitive. They involve slowing down - especially when you need results fast. To stop talking even when everyone is looking to you for answers. To really listen to our teams - and consider their purpose in going to work in the first place - rather than purpose we have given them. To trust the people around us implicitly until proven otherwise - and then tell the truth fast when things aren’t working. Essentially they involve unlearning everything we think we know as leaders.

My guest today is the entertaining and unreservedly direct Nigel Risner. Nigel is a globally recognised specialist in company turnarounds - and author of ‘The Impact Code’. 

His journey into leadership began at 21 - as one of the youngest CEO’s of a financial services company in London. He started with the total sum of £12.80 in his pocket - and went on to lead that company through massive growth - eventually becoming the largest independent brokerage in the Country. 

But of course that’s not the end of the story. The course of true love - or true leadership - never ran that smooth. I also can’t think of many masterful CEO’s or Founders that I know that hit the bullseye on the first shot. Or the second or the third for that matter. 

Then came the financial crash of the 1980’s - and after a chain of events Nigel found himself making a previously inconceivable choice - to drive a mini-cab in the Company Bentley in order to pay the bills. 

What happened next - and the lessons he learnt - fire tested all the tools he now teaches when it comes to helping companies and teams successfully emerge from what would be considered ‘near fatal’ situations.

In today's conversation Nigel and I go head first into:

• The importance of telling the truth quickly
• The art of deep trust - until proven otherwise
• What it takes to show up intentionally and powerfully as a leader
• Why 17 mins is the magic number - I won’t go into more detail here - but it’s worth writing down
• How to turn Feedback into Feedforward. A simple twist that completely changes the outcome.
• And the vital leadership pivot from coach to commentator 

I first heard about Nigel in a Facebook message that arrived one morning from a friend I admire. It said: ‘You need to check this guy out. He’s interesting.’

So now I’m saying the same to you. Grab a coffee - get ready to dive into a world of what it takes to drive leadership impact - when the road most travelled disappears.

Enjoy my conversation with Nigel Risner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I want you to imagine the most complex challenge on your horizon at the moment - it might be a global issue, one within your network or organisation. Here’s the question - did it arrive with a roadmap? A simple route to get from A to B? Or even some guide posts around where to start?

I’m guessing the answer is no - because - let’s face it - the more complex or high stakes the issue – the more complicated the solution. 

Why? Because it inevitably involves more stakeholders and collaborations to cross the finish line. Which means successfully navigating a whole series of competing agendas. Not to mention getting the attention of those who usually (if they are in a large enough position of power) do not hand it over easily.

AND THEN - once you’ve herded the right big cats into the room – to use the words of my next guest - you need to become fluent enough in their language – to be able to translate the problem and opportunity in such a way that they are willing to commit to the solution - not just for that day - or while it’s easy - but for the long term. 

Get it wrong at any of those points and the process falls down. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Do not solve the problem. Still up for it? I hope so.

From the outset - my guest today is in the business of harnessing big money. Specifically harnessing how that money it spent and invested in new ways - in order to create solutions to some of the world’s most complex problems.

As Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing for the World Economic Forum, Katherine Brown describes her day job as ‘transforming complexity into concrete action - and navigating ambiguity to find shared value’. A far cry from where her journey began - killing time in the cloakroom of a pizzeria reading investment books. More on that later...

Her role at the WEF essentially involves challenging traditional models of financial investment - including how we leverage emerging digital technology - so returns (and success) aren’t just only measured in dollars - but also in social and environmental outcomes. Posing one of my favorite questions at the highest level - what if we choose both?

In today’s conversation Katherine and I cover a lot of territory. Including:

• The art of getting the right people in the room, at the right time and curating a constructive conversation
• The significance of building a lighthouse - or an easily identifiable target when it comes to engaging those stakeholders
• Flipping the story we tell as change makers - from risk to opportunity - and why risk will always get our attention - but only opportunity will keep us committed to a solution in the long term
• The pivotal role investors and big business has to play in solving some of our world’s biggest problems
• Why to be successful you have to be willing to ‘go there’’ – we’ll talk about where that is in the later parts of the conversation.
• Why the Velocity, Scope and Systems of the 4th industrial revolution has the potential to solve some of the greatest challenges of our time - if we can leverage it

Anyone that’s in the business of behavior change - particularly change where the stakes are high - will tell you that collaboration at any level can be frustrating. That’s before you get to global issues such as the 70 million people are forcibly displaced globally every year and trillions of potential dollars in aid investment. 

Getting any positive action in motion is complex, it’s messy.

And yet - on the 20th of September - just seven days ago as I record this. Sixteen year old climate change activist Greta Thunberg called for one of the biggest climate change action strikes the world has ever seen. 4 million students and workers mobilised and took to the streets - in a mass climate protest that could well change the course of history. 

Almost exactly one year before? In August 2018 - at 15 years of age - Greta had sat alone striking outside her native Swedish Parliament. I guarantee you no one gave her a road map to get between those two points in time. Or permission to start. So it is possible.

And you know the best place to start? Listening to those who are getting it done.

With that in mind, sit back, strap in, buckle up and enjoy my conversation with the seismic force that is Katherine Brown. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m sure we’ve all had days that have felt like we did nothing but fight fires. Nothing but intensely analyse, inspect and wrestle with problems, both big and small, that at times feel like the sheer volume might crush us, or our organisation entirely.

I can definitely tell you, from my own days of feeling like that, the last thing I often felt like I had, was a clear idea of how to address these issues in a manner where everyone wins. In fact some of the time it felt more like frantically getting one fire under control - just to move on and deal with the next.

So I want you to imagine if every day was one of those days. If everyday your job was to tackle some of the biggest crises happening in an organisation, or in the media - and work out how to get them through it.

My worst nightmare - and the reality for my guest this week. He walks alongside CEO’s, executives and organisations in some of their darkest hours, helping them work out exactly what they need to do in the midst of a crisis - to come out with their reputations intact (preferably increased - because that’s the opportunity not often talked about in crisis situations).

As a reputation management and crisis communications expert, Bill Coletti knows his way around the most complex and sensitive situations a business may face.

Having provided reputation defense to numerous high profile clients such as AT&T, American Airlines and Xerox, the thing that stood out to me most about Bill’s incredible approach to his work? He cares. I know that shouldn’t be a surprise - but I’ll admit it - the image I had in my mind of a reputation manager before this conversation was something along the Mad Men vibe - a spin doctor there to protect those than can pay from the worst of their actions.

What I found? Couldn’t have been further from that stereotype.

Bill’s approach to the people behind these crises, is deeply rooted in compassion. For those that have been impacted by the situation - but also for those in the midst of the fire, having to make very tough decisions with their livelihoods on the line... some due to their own mistakes - and others who just woke up one morning to a raging inferno they didn’t see coming. AND THAT is what elevates him to the best in his field.

As much as I wanted to get into the strategies, techniques and tactics he’s road tested over years of being the front line - most of our conversation today is about people. And how to manage the expectations, responses and behaviour of people at critical moments:

In today’s conversation with Bill we talked about:

• Crisis EQ - what it is, why it’s vital and how - like any other muscle - it takes training
• How to get unstuck when a crisis first starts to unfold - when everyone is in flight or fight and you can feel the panic starting to spread
• Why most of us either ‘passively engage’ or over react when there’s an issue - and how to replace those responses with a process he calls Active Decision Making
• The importance of storytelling in controlling crisis
• A simple three-recipe for an effective apology… clue.. it doesn’t involve the words ‘if’ or ‘but’
• And finally - having the courage to speak truth to power. In critical moments there is often significant fear, not of the situation itself but of swimming against the tide and offering a different, unpleasant point of view - how to overcome those moments and share what you know constructively.

One of the moments I knew I would enjoy this conversation as much as I did was when, in researching Bill’s work - I came across his love for a particular quote which has been one of my lifelong favourites:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou

In critical moments - when the stakes are high, emotions are stretched - and every new piece of information feels like a missile - it’s easy to forget that it’s often not what we do that makes the difference - but how we do it. And that’s what Bill unpacks.

So, sit back - stride out - and pull into mind some of the critical moments you have in your life right now - organisationally, personally or socially - how much of an impact would it make if you had a blueprint ready to go?

With that in mind - enjoy my conversation with one of the best in the business, Bill Coletti.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine getting a call from Barack Obama. In and of itself, that doesn’t sound like a usual day at the office. But beyond that, imagine getting a call from then-President Barack Obama asking you to work on the US Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. A team of individuals who role it is to advise the office of the President on the scientific and technological issues requiring attention the highest levels of Governemnet.

If you’re a second-generation physicist, son of two astrophysicists and a biotech entrepreneur working on a cure for cancer - when that call comes - you vaguely consider faking the flu - and then jump straight in with both feet.

This was the position that my guest today found themselves in. Luckily for Safi Bahcall, working on what he calls ‘loonshots’ is in his blood. Having already become fascinated - for very personal reasons that we’ll get into - with what (all too often) makes good teams kill great ideas. Safi started to research some of the great ideas that have already influenced the course of humanity - and what he found was surprising. 

Thanks to NASA, we’re trained to think that the key to innovation is to aim for moonshots  - seemingly huge audacious goals. However - what he found - was that it wasn’t in fact moonshots that created the first long distance phone call, or that created the technology that helped the Allies to win the second world war - it was something else. Something he now calls - a loonshot.

Safi studied at Harvard and received his PhD in physics from Stanford. He was also a Miller Fellow in physics at UC Berkeley and worked as a consultant with McKinsey. Having co-founded a biotechnology company developing new drugs for cancer. He then also went on to lead its IPO and serve as its CEO for 13 years. To add to that extraordinary list of accolades - he is now also the author of a book you have to check out - Loonshots - How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries’. 

This interview was one of my favorite types - the type that goes far and wide, fusing a variety of different worlds - in order to create an altogether new perspective on an important topic. Some of those threads included:

• The real difference between a moonshot and a loonshot (and the fascinating history behind the concept of moonshots)
• Why understanding the molecular structure of water - at exactly 32 degrees Fareinheight - is pivotal to structuring teams that aren’t afraid to take important risks
• How the traditional viewpoint ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’ should be replaced with ‘structure eats culture for lunch’
• Why every organisation that requires innovation as it’s lifeblood - in that read every organisation - needs to have an Chief Incentives Officer
• How to love your artists and soldiers equally in order to effectively fill the gap between innovation and execution - this one huge for me...
• And finally - why any type of innovative ‘loonshot’ thinking requires mental space - and one of the best tools I have comes across in a long time to quiet the never ending mental chatter of your mind

If you ask Safi his greatest weapon in attempting to achieve the impossible - he will tell you it’s curiosity. Curiosity that came from having astrophysicists for parents. Curiosity that took him from consulting to the United States military, to starting his own Biotech company to cure the greatest health issue of our time - and that it’s this curiosity that’s at the heart of anyone that’s ever been crazy enough to attempt a loonshot.

So - get curious. Sit back, strap in - and join me for an epic fusion of the unexpected, at the surface unrelated, but utterly compelling ideas - of Safi Bahcall.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s today’s question - what Quest are you on? And then the next question - what’s the natural enemy of that quest? Not necessarily a person - but maybe an idea, a viewpoint - or a traditional way of doing things?

For regular listeners of the podcast, you’ll know that a frequent topic of conversation is the power of storytelling. Whether it’s in the shows we binge watch on Netflix, the ads we skip past on YouTube, or the way we communicate our ideas in person or from a platform. 

The impact of a well crafted story is one of the most primal - and powerful - forms of influence on the planet. Not to mention the fastest way to cut through. And the most reliable tool in converting that cut through into action.

Storytelling in business isn’t a new concept, we’ve been wondering how businesses should tell their brand story since ‘marketing’ began - literally since the origins of the word - where it began with stallholders trying to get their products to stand out in the town ‘marketplace’. 

So what’s changed? And what’s the next iteration of storytelling? Especially in a digital age where we can no longer out-shout, out-spend and out-interrupt to guarantee our target audiences attention?

Today’s guest has built a career around these questions. And the belief that brands that will dominate in the future - and are in fact dominating today - are those that have taken storytelling to the next level - the level beyond simply telling - and into ‘story-doing’.

Ty Montague - and his cofounders at co:collective - help companies innovate their customer experience using the methodology of Storydoing. Using his own words Ty considers himself a traditional advertising ‘refugee’ - having decided to pivot his entire career when he noticed - and couldn’t explain why - Starbucks could be on every corner - yet not spend a single dollar on traditional advertising. 

Ty took that one question and went on to build a philosophy, a methodology, a company and a global reputation on the answer. Then writing the stand out book - that if it isn’t already should be on the curriculum for every world-class marketing MBA: ‘True Story: How to Combine Story and Action to Transform Your Business’.

In today’s conversation we dive into:

• The difference between story-telling and story-doing? How the best companies aren’t just telling their stories, but building their entire customer journeys around them
• The bottom line (practically and from an execution standpoint) behind what a story-doing company does that works
• The importance of carefully defining a ‘Quest’ and a clear enemy - and why it’s at the core of our very humanity to gravitate towards those that stand for - and against - something important
• How to strategize for the iconic? This one was big for me - it’s one thing to aim to become an iconic brand - but few understand the grassroots strategy behind bringing that word to life. 
• Why a pile of free T-Shirts can tell you more about your brand story - than a thousand surveys or data points
• How to humanize your brand - by developing stories that authentically resonate
• Plus how Ty see’s story-doing playing out in the next horizon - when it comes to new emerging technology
• Not to mention a few golden soap box moments - on how commiting to this new paradigm - literally has the power to solve some of the largest issues of our time.

There were a lot of ‘aha’ moments for me in today’s conversation, but one of the biggest stand-outs was just how logical Ty’s philosophies are. 

This is a man who’s spent decades on the front line of building ideas - brands - and stories - that actually stick. And - as I find we uncover more often than not on this podcast - what he discovered in the arena - turns out to be the opposite of traditional wisdom.

So - get ready to stop chasing impact unicorns - identify the gaps in your story - and start fiercely advocating for your Quest. You’ll definitely want your notepad for this one. Enjoy my conversation with storyteller from the front line - Ty Montague.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the time it will take me to introduce my next guest - 2400 hrs of video will be uploaded to YouTube. Today alone - 5 billion videos will be watched - which - if you do the maths - should equate to 5 billion opportunities to interrupt and capture the attention of those eyeballs right? 

Wrong. More like 5 billion opportunities to get lost, unseen and be drowned out in one of the noisiest rooms on earth. 

So, in a world where we now have the ability to pause live TV, fast forward adverts, pay for ‘interruption free’ viewing and tune out billions of dollars of carefully crafted attempts to steal our attention. Or - in the world of my next guest - simply press ‘SKIP’ on the bottom right hand corner of the screen after 5 seconds.

The question becomes - how do you make sure the stories you tell are UnSkippable?

That was the question I asked my next guest the first time we met - nearly two years ago in the middle of a Boston blizzard. His response - and the data he was able to provide from having LITERALLY studied those 5 billion daily hours of Youtube viewing. Answered more questions for me about online storytelling than any conversation since. Hence - why he’s back today.

My next guest is Ben Jones – Creative Director at Google and Head of Unskippable Labs. A team within Google that started the day Ben decided to put his own credit card on the line - brave man - to try and figure out exactly what makes a Youtube story or specifically advertisement - so compelling that it’s unskippable.

In that conversation we broke down the Netflix Effect - and how it continues to defy the rules of attention (clue: if human attention spans are really at their lowest point - 8 seconds at last check - then why are we binge watching more TV series than ever before?), we talked about ideal story lengths, production values and the incredible results of how long we are literally willing to watch a video of a brick wall. I’m not joking - as it turns out - and Bens credit card bill will attest - the answer is a ridiculously long period of time. 

If you’re business is in any way dependant on trading attention, storytelling, or any form or content marketing - definitely go back in the archives and check it out.

In today’s conversation - we go even deeper into the wilderness. Diving into the what is - and what is to come in the world of online storytelling - including topics such as:

• The bottom line traits that ALL unskippable stories all have in common
• How data can - and increasingly will - change the way we tell stories. Including machine learning and why it’s not time for Creative Directors to retire just yet. Good news or bad news - depending on how you look at it.
• The emergence of intent signals, what they are and and how we can use them to get more sophisticated about the stories we tell, to who and when
• How and when to pull the lever of customising content - to avoid wasting time and money
• Whether our ability to make good decisions when it comes to content - actually impairs the more data we have access to
• The number one metric to double down on when it comes to amplifying what works
• And obviously - what Ben sees coming on the horizon for digital storytelling

I always love having people back on the show - it’s an opportunity to jump back in and explore the extra 10% of the iceberg we rarely have time to touch. In Ben’s case, and with 250 UnSkippable experiments and counting up his sleeve - it’s an iceberg of knowledge that just keeps on growing.

So sit back, stretch out, stride through, sip on - I could literally keep going here - and enjoy my reunion with the man at the forefront of the future of storytelling. Ben Jones. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Start with an announcement… This will be the last episode of Inside Influence for 2019. We’ve been on air now for two years - and come rain, shine, tech malfunctions, childbirth or recording in cupboards during blizzards - we’ve loved delivering an episode every two weeks. 

This year I’ve decided to do it a little differently - and we’ll be taking an extended break over Christmas. However fear not - normal programming - actually no scrap that - bigger and better programming - will resume on the 15th of January 2020. 

As a quick word to the creators out there - you’ll know what I mean when I talk about that essential tension between consistency and creativity. The irony being that while they’re both 100% vital to doing anything worthwhile - they often make uneasy bedfellows. I don’t have a universal answer to that balance - and to be honest I’d be watchful of anyone that claims they do. However what I have learnt over the years is that taking an intentional break - or deliberate pause - is often the moment that things just naturally move to the next level. As someone much wiser than me once said - ‘this is your train set - so drive it.’ And that includes choosing when to take a pit stop.

So - while we peer under the bonnet, check the oil and figure out which parts of the show we want to supercharge next year. I’d love your feedback. What would you like to hear more of? Less of? How can we support you in having more of these conversations out there in the world? All ideas are good ideas so hit me and the team up on social, via the website or good old fashioned web mail at content@juliemasters.com

OK… public announcement over - let’s move on to today’s guest. 

Here’s the question… is there any more important skill than being able to sustain a coherent, confident conversation? Can you think of any other super power that holds more possibility? Or more strength?

As a business owner, leader and parent - I can promise you that any time I have looked at the priorities of skills that I need to develop - for myself - and in those I’m here to support - it hits number one on the list every time. 

Imagine if you could broach that subject that’s painful or uncomfortable for you - and deepen rather than fracture your connection with that person. Or ask for what you want OR stand up for something you truly believed in.

Fast forward a year - what would your life and relationships look like now? Which would still be there? And how fiercely open minded would you have become? 

And probably more importantly in the world right now - where intolerance and our seeming inability to hold constructive dialogue with those that disagree with us - that hold different views and values. Online and Offline. What would our teams, communities and governments look like if we knew how to successfully tackle hard and yet vital topics - with curiosity, respect and an intention to move forward together - rather than score a point?

Someone asked me - ‘would you rather be right or would you rather be in relationship?’. For me the answer is always the latter. And let me tell you that’s hard. That’s a hard commitment to keep. Especially when what’s at stake is high. But there is a difference between mindlessly complying - and being open to other perspectives. You don’t have to agree in order to accept - and once someone feels truly accepted - that’s a place when bridges start to be built.

My next guest in this episode is what I would consider a certified master in having powerful conversations. An award-winning journalist and author - throughout her 20-year career in public radio she has anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition - some of America’s top rated radio programs. She is also the author of ‘We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter’. Synthesising everything she has learned about how to navigate respectful and important conversations.

As an NPR host and journalist, Celeste has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life. From Nobel prize winners, truck drivers, plumbers to Heads of State. Sometimes on topics that fit with her personal viewpoints - and other times with people she disagrees with deeply. 

And once again it’s in the latter - where the most surprising moments can be found. 

In our conversation, Celeste and I danced - yes I’m going to say danced for this one - our way through some of the science, art and profound moments that are possible when you start committing to having conversations that matter. Including:

• Staying open enough to be amazed by everyone you meet - and that means everyone. I know full well you’re picturing one person right now that you’ve already pegged as an exception.
• How to actually begin difficult conversations. Often the hardest part right?
• The toughest conversation she’s ever had - and what she would do differently if she could do it over again.
• How by both focusing on and verbalising your intent in a difficult conversation - has the ability to change everything - and act as a rudder when things get off track
• The power of the human voice on physiological level - this bit quite seriously blew my mind - in fact I think if you listen you can hear my brain scramble when we get to this point. Definitely a rabbit hole I’ll be jumping down over Christmas.
• And the role of empathy, when to use it - how - and why it starts with a commitment to stop saying the phrase – ‘I know exactly how you feel.’ 

If I was going to end this podcast year on any note - it would be this one - we need to get better at having difficult conversations. Openly, frequently, respectfully and intentionally. Even when we don’t know what to say. And especially when we don’t agree.

So - let’s start here. Pour a cup of tea, chai frappe latte - or whatever floats your caffeine boat. Is that a thing? I have no idea. Either way, pick a conversation in your life that deserves either a second OR first attempt. And get ready to learn from one of thee best on the planet when it comes to navigating what should come next after the words…. ‘We need to talk’.

One of the fiercest, funniest people I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with - Celeste Headlee.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation. ____________________________________________________________________________

One of the things I notice a lot in talking to people about influence - and influencers - especially those that have managed to harness attention long enough to redefine or reinvent an entire industry - is the assumption that it must be sexy.

Like the hero’s journey - only in a cool T-shirt. A one way upward trajectory - where you can always see a light beconning at the end of the tunnel, and everything you try either works - or provides an obvious answer around what will.

Yet never - in 20 years of working with, talking to influencers - have I heard anything like that version of events. 

Usually it starts with a feeling - a nagging thought that something is missing - a product, a service, a conversation. And then begins a seemingly never ending process of figuring out what happens next. And that generally involves years of starting conversations you have no idea how you’ll finish. Experimenting with strategies you’re not sure you fully understand. Selling ideas or products you have no clue how you’re going to build. And sitting on the office floor once everyone has gone home - trying to remember why you started.

I saw a diagram on Instagram the other day… what people think it looks like - what it actually looks like. AND THAT - IN MY EXPERIENCE - IS ABOUT AS TRUE AS IT GETS.

For my next guest - that squiggely line began in a garage - and then a campervan - and then became one of the fastest growing online wine retailers on the planet. With an annual turnover already of more than $50 million- and a Global Tribe of Wine Lovers who - and trust me I’ve met a few - you can’t stop evangelising about their love for all things Mofo.

As Co-Founder + CEO, my guest today Justin Dry has done what many would say was impossible - reinvent one of the oldest - most weighed down in tradition - categories imaginable. Wine.

I first met Justin when I was asked to interview him on stage at a corporate event. So much gold came from that conversation - around what worked - but more importantly what didn’t - when it comes to starting, scaling, hacking attention, using social fuel and combining the powers of human interaction with cutting edge content. That all I remember is walking away feeling like ‘why didn’t we record that?!?’.

In today’s conversation we talk about:

• The incredible, unexpected, journey of vinomofo - I don’t always dive into back story - it’s just not that kind of podcast - but with Justin I did - for specific purpose
• How grassroots storytelling is at the heart of building any tribe
• Practical tools on how to use online platforms to gain traction (including when to and when not to double down) - and what he sees coming next when it comes to online attention
• How to translate what works in a traditionally face 2 face (i.e. high touch) model (such as buying wine) into digital channels
• How to manage the issue of control when it comes to creating a culture where everyone is responsible for building digital engagement
• His favorite and most expensive mistake - and what it taught him about being grown up
• And how the 5 love languages has transformed the way Justin’s manages team Mofo

What I love about Justin and the Vino Mofo story - is not only that it’s a story about being willing to back yourself, over and over again. Which is key number one in influencing anything - or anyone. But that it always, always - comes back to how many times you’re willing to get curious, reset, follow your gut and ask the question.

A small shout out finally also to Justin and his amazing partner Asher - who - just last week - welcomed baby Matisse into the world. She’s gorgeous - and it’s hard to imagine how much wine would have been consumed in her honor over the past seven days. Congratulations guys. Enjoy the cocoon - and the caffeine.

So - without further delay - pour yourself a glass - and enjoy my conversation with the Head Mofo himself - Justin Dry.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

____________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever caught yourself wondering if you’re the right person for the job? I’m talking about that feeling that eventually - everyone is going to figure out that you’re making it up as you go along. That questioning how you even found yourself in the position you are, doing the things that you’re doing? Wondering when (not if) anyones eventually going to ‘find you out’?

And secondly - here’s the biggie - have these thoughts ever stopped you from shooting for something - or asking for something - that really mattered?

Today’s topic is a deeply personal one for me...

I know for me there has been countless times in my life, not just my career, where I’ve thought to myself “”? And now that you’re here, how on earth are you going to pull this off?” 

As a mum, a founder, a speaker, my inner voice can sometimes be deafening than the sound of the busy-ness, even louder than the sound of the triumph, can I probably don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times my inner voice has been loud enough to stop me at the last minute from taking a dive into something beautiful.

That’s what makes today’s podcast guest and conversation, such a deeply personal one for me, because I know the grips that Imposter Syndrome has had on me in the past, and I’m sure for you as well, and 

So - as one of the first in the year - I went on a mission to find the No 1. Voice on the planet on imposter syndrome.

Find we did - and her name is Valerie Young, 

Valerie has spoken at some of the world’s largest and most diverse organizations as Apple, Chrysler, Boeing, Microsoft, IBM, Facebook, BP, Google, TED - and the list just keeps going - as well as at over 85 colleges and universities including Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and Oxford.

I...:

• Just exactly how far-reaching the effects of imposter syndrome are - here’s a clue it doesn’t belong to an age group or a gender - in fact - the further up the tree you go - the more likely you are to deal with it
• What it can do, to even the most capable of people - and why it’s vital that we learn to deal with it or miss out on vast amounts of potential
• The tools to re-frame that voice in our heads when it appears - to literally take the ‘freeze effect’ and use it as fuel
• Developing new responses to failure and mistake making - this one has been huge for me this past year. Starting with my conversation with Mark Schulman - drummer for Pink and the phrase ‘Am I free to fail?’
• Why the belief that we are imposters relies on one fundamentally untrue assumption
• And what to do when we feel that cycle of self-doubt kick in

This was one of those conversations, that started out for me - and hopefully will continue to gain traction as we start discussing - in more and more places - and certainly on this podcast - the stories that keep us small - in business, in society and in life - and ways to flip that narrative to make the largest contribution we’re capable of making.

And that involves first believing that we deserve to be there.

So grab your favorite biscuits, I’m all in on Tim Tams at the moment - make sure you’ve got your pen and paper handy - and let 2020 be the year you finally let that imposter go. 

Enjoy my conversation with - Valerie Young. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a business landscape that’s changing rapidly - it’s no secret that the companies staying ahead of the curve are getting better and faster at reinventing themselves. Spotting opportunities, responding to competition, or - more frequently - even becoming their own competition. 

But what - and this is a question I’m asking a lot at the moment - sits in the DNA of a company that can reinvent an entire category? Or a business that completely reinvents itself - or an individual that sparks the momentum that reinvents an entire conversation?

Some might say it’s being really clear about what your target audience wants… and others, including the prime example we’re looking at today, might just agree with the immortal words of Henry Ford: ‘If I had asked them what they wanted - they would have said faster horses”

My guest today is Joseph Michelli - is a psychologist-turned best selling author - who has dedicated his career to decoding how category reinventors such as Starbucks, Zappos and now Air BnB change the game.

In his latest book, The Airbnb Way, Michelli and his team took an unprecedented inside look at the influence of one of the largest disruption stories of our time. To give you some perspective on that... Air BnB now has over 4 million listings in 220+ countries - higher than the top five major hotel brands combined. In 2016 - in New York City alone - the estimated hotel revenue lost to Airbnb was totalled at $365 million. Four years later... there’s only one direction that number would have gone in.

The research of Joseph and his team involved interviewing hundreds of Airbnb hosts and guests in over 11 countries - what they found - was that the same five words kept playing on repeat. The power of belonging, trust, hospitality, empowerment and community.

So in today’s podcast, we take a deep dive into those words and quite a few more. The ground we covered including:

• What it takes to truly reinvent an industry or product
• Designing for trust - staying in a stranger’s house!
• The power and influence of powerfully designing and telling your story
• The noble art of hosting - probably the biggest one for me
• The line between giving people options, and giving them too much choice

If you’re working hard to create something that cuts through business as usual - then this conversation is definitely for you. 

So if you’re anything like me and this year has kicked off with a commitment to cut back on caffeine - pour yourself a herbal tea - get out your notepad and pen and enjoy the incredible insights of Joseph Michelli.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So here’s todays question... is it possible to persuade soulfully?

To influence without (at least partially) resorting to force, manipulation, interruption or

volume? And if it is possible - when you really get down to it - to the business of standing out

and generating results at scale - is effective enough in the long run to commit to mastering

as a skill?

Some would probably say right now that we live in a world where fear drives the majority of

persuasion. In the business world - we call that fear by many different names. Urgency,

authority, scarcity - all of which usually mean the same thing - and for a long time have

informed the majority of the marketing, advertising and sometimes leadership messages we

receive.

But in a world where trust is harder to find - and our ability to tune out the messages (and

people) we don’t want great than ever. Is there another (potentially more effective) way to

stand out? My guest on today’s episode would argue (persuasively) that there is...

Jason Harris is the CEO of powerhouse creative agency Mekanism. A creative agency that

works with brands such as Peliton, HBO, Ben & Jerrys, Dropbox, Under Armor – the list

goes on. He is also the author of ‘The Soulful Art of Persuasion - 11 Habits That Will Make

Anyone a Master Influencer’, it’s pretty much a grassroots guide to influence in a world of

distrust. HIGH RECOMMENDED. In it he draws on the latest in-depth research on trust,

influence and habit formation – to make a compelling argument that being persuasive in

todays world - means rejecting an ethos of quick - and instead embracing a commitment to

playing the long game.

In this conversation, Jason and I dive in and out of topics including:

- Why playing the long game is the key to coming out in front – and why hearing ‘no’

can sometimes be the best opportunity to stand out

- How to apply a philosophy of ‘Never Be Closing’ - and still win more business in the

long run

- The art of giving yourself away – and the tools to not to let it take over your life

- Why learning to write, own and articulate your unique story - is the key to cut through

in a cynical age

- And the importance of ‘turning to face the strange’, I loved this one – basically why

your inner freak – you know the one – the one you pretend you don’t have – is

perhaps the greatest super power you own

Today’s conversation is for anyone trying to work out how to make an impact in a world of

diminished trust. And like most common sense it pretty much applies at every level.

From the bottom line of how you communicate in moment to moment situations – to the top

line of what the future of persuasion actually looks like - in a world where ‘Daisy Methods’

(you’ll understand more about that after listening) – appear on the surface to get the lion’s

share of attention. Basically, the clouds and the dirt of influence.

So grab a notepad, or a coffee... or a protein bar... yep still on the F45 challenge. DM me

your condolences. And enjoy my interview with Jason Harris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

____________________________________________________________________________

If I asked you to list all of the skills you learnt at school, what are some of the things that would make that list? For me, it would be things like the square root of a triangle - algebra - obviously being British - the bloody history of the Empire - and various fun facts about frogs. 

Now the next question you can probably see coming… outside of the occasional hero moment at trivia… how many times have you actually found yourself using those skills?

Today’s conversation on Inside Influence is a second time guest. The first time I had the pleasure of speaking to him it was to discuss the universal challenge of ‘How to be Heard’. This time we wanted to flip the focus - and concentrate on the largest and most undiscussed part of that equation - our ability to hear someone else. 

And it all came from one question he asked me during that original conversation. And it was this… how come - with all the skills we learn at school - the most fundamental skill - the one that’s the most likely to dictate the success of our relationships, careers, businesses and parenting - never gets taught. The art of listening. 

Not hearing - which is something we do involuntarily. But the art of truly listening and processing the world of another human being.

Today I’m thrilled to welcome back Julian Treasure. Founder of The Sound Agency and author of ‘How to be heard’. Julian’s five TED talks have been watched more than 80 million times. His latest, ‘How to speak so that people want to listen’, now in the top 10 TED talks of all time. He is also regularly featured in the world’s media, including TIME Magazine, The Economist and the BBC. 

Today we dive into the deep deep world of listening including:

• The difference between listening and hearing. Listening = position of curiosity
• The circle of influence… why the way I speak impacts the way you listen – and the way you listen impacts the way I speak. 
• The four C’s of conscious listening
• Our relationship to silence – how most of us either jump on it, fill it or retreat from it – and why how we deal with it is often the key to gravitas.
• The four leeches that suck the power out of communication - and how to avoid them
• And how to hear the people around you with fresh ears - by avoiding falling into listening autopilot - ‘I know how this is going to go…’

For anyone that wants to go even further into both Julian’s work on listening - and how to speak so that you are heard - he also has a new course called ‘How to speak so that people want to listen’ on his website speaklistenbe.com. He’s given me a sneak peak and I can promise you it will change the way you approach every single piece of communication in your life.

So - usually I would pick a subset of people that I think this podcast would resonate most with - but this one is for everyone, everyday. So let’s start now. Turn off the distractions if you can, settle in with a curious mind - and dive into a world where our ability to stop talking long enough to listen - will literally dictate the quality of every single one of our relationships - and every single one of our results.

Enjoy my conversation with the sound master himself - Julian Treasure.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside

Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers

– or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and

then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

Have you ever been in the situation where you had limited time to pitch an idea? A moment where you knew you had to immediately capture attention, establish credibility and build a compelling enough argument - and that your ability to do so would literally make or break what comes next? 

I’ve found myself on both ends of this situation more times than I can count over the years. Having both made and received hundreds of pitches. Some successfully - some so unsuccessful I still have difficulty thinking about them without shuddering. 

But the ones that went well - that ultimately ended up changing the course of my businesses and career - and the ones where I have been in the position to change the course of someone else’s business or career. Those successful ones all had a few things in common. 

The largest of those? Is an epic FIRST 2-3 minutes.

So when someone sent me a book recently called ‘The 3-Minute Rule: Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation’. I was ALL IN.

That book was written by my next guest - Brant Pinvidic - award-winning film director, veteran television producer, keynote speaker, top-rated podcast host (Rob Lowe being one of the most recent guests I tuned into) and columnist for Forbes.

With over 20 years of experience in producing, creating, and directing household TV shows and movies - Brant is widely recognized as one of the great creative leaders in Hollywood. Having given over 100+ successful film and television pitches over his career, Brant learnt that if he didn’t get them in the first three minutes - chances are he wouldn’t get them at all. Taking those business and storytelling lessons he developed a proven blueprint for leaders wanting to position their message with impact.

In today’s conversation we delve into the mechanics of what it takes to get your ideas over the line. Including:

• Why three minutes is the key to creating an ultra-concise, ultra-compelling pitch for any idea, product, service or company.
• The Fire Alarm Test – If someone pulled the fire alarm after three minutes of your presentation or sales pitch, have you done enough to make people want to come back and hear more?
• The four core questions every successful pitch needs to address
• Why being passionate about everything - often means you are credible about nothing.
• How to close with a hook that guarantees action.
• And the difference between situational doubt and self-doubt - in particular why one of those mindsets is self-defeating - and the other is self-preserving.

If now is the time to get others on board with your ideas, product, company or vision - those potentially hold the power to making it happen - then this episode is for you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

_________________________________________________________________________

Now, it’s a pretty reliable fact of life that new will always replace old. New ideas, new approaches, new ways of thinking and communicating, new tech, new platforms; new music. 

However nostalgic you feel about the old, the new will usually get you eventually.

But who’s heard of the phrase New Power? Well, whether you’ve heard of it or not there’s a pretty high chance that New Power has influenced your life in some way. Anything from riding an Uber or booking an AirBnB through to contributing to the MeToo or the Extinction Rebellion Movements - all these things fall under the banner of New Power.  

So what is New Power? Well, unlike old power which is traditionally driven by command and control, New Power is an open, collaborative and usually tech driven force. And if used correctly, New Power is probably the most influential tool on the planet today. The fact that in under a year – from the age of 15 to 16 - Greta Thunberg can go from protesting alone outside Parliament – to mobilising millions of people in protest around the world… is testament to that.

So how do we harness this New Power and make it work for our businesses, our organisations or our beliefs? Step forward my guest for this episode: Jeremy Heimans - entrepreneur, political activist and author of the book: ‘New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World - and How to Make It Work for You.’

Not unlike Greta, Jeremy started his activism young; aged 8 in fact, and by the age of 12, his first steps into New Power involved trying to stop the Gulf War - armed only with a fax machine. History may have had different plans there, but un-phased Jeremy went on to form GetUp; an Australian political organisation. Following its success, in 2007 he went on to co-found Avaaz.org, an online activist network that now has over forty million members across the globe. 

Two years later and now based in New York - he co-founded Purpose; a social impact agency working alongside brands like Google, Starbucks and the World Health Organisation. Developing the strategies, campaigns an tech to thrive in a new world. A world fuelled by currents of attention rather than currency – and letting go of control rather than tightening your grip.

If, like me, that sounds in equal parts terrifying and exciting. Stay curious. New Power isn’t coming. It’s already woven deep into the fabric of all our lives. In this episode we jump into…

●      The four vital things to consider before launching a new movement, vision or community.

●      What every organisation needs to learn from the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement – including why you should occupy yourself before you get occupied.

●      How to reach the people you’re targeting - and once you get to them - how to set off the spark that drives them to participate.

●      How New Power is enabled by more than just tech; yes the tech has changed, but alongside it so have we…

●      And most importantly, how old power still has a place in this brave new world – which parts of structure and control we need to hold onto (like seeing actual Dr’s rather than self-diagnosing on internet forums at 2am – cue me hanging my head in shame) and how to apply them in a world where the power now belongs in the hands of the many – rather than the few

As I’m recording this intro we’re deep into the COVID-19 pandemic – over 1.6 million cases and climbing. Thinking back to this interview, and now knowing the world we’re launching it into. It’s interesting to reflect on how relevant understanding new power has become.

Any leader that now needs to motivate and harness the collective power of their teams remotely – needs New Power. Any organisation that previously relied on face-to-face interaction and now needs to pivot into engaging or creating online communities – has to understand New Power. Anyone isolated, struggling with loneliness and leaning on the support of online communities of friends or the likeminded – is grateful for New Power. The government itself, as it tries to spread community awareness and participation in reducing the spread of the virus – is banking on New Power. We may have felt we had more time to understand and try to consciously and responsibly harness this new force. But maybe we don’t. Maybe this is the moment. The pivot point when New Power finally comes into its own.

On that note, I’ll leave you to sit back, or head out for your blissful 30 minutes of the outside world - and enjoy my conversation with the force of nature who is Jeremy Heimans.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

Now, hands up if you have a set routine whilst listening to this podcast. Maybe you listen whilst you’re in the gym or on your commute?

Obviously, if you’re listening to this at the time of publishing – when most of us are in lockdown due to the Covid 19 pandemic - you’re not at the gym and your commute is probably a traffic-free 10 second stroll to the kitchen table. So, in that scenario, it’s likely that your podcast listening habit has shifted or changed. And if that habit has changed, then I imagine, like me, most of your other habits are either completely out the window or drastically re-engineered. 

And… I’d take a guess that you’re probably forming new habits for this new landscape; some good (like spending more time with your family and finally reading those books you’ve been meaning to get to), and some, like the daily baking of banana bread and drinking of red wine -  potentially bad. 

As the saying goes, we are creatures of habit. Habits ground us, they lead us, they calm us. According to researchers at Duke University, they also account for 40 percent of our daily behaviour.  So what happens when all our usual habits disappear – or become impossible? 

Although unsettling (which is a just a fancy way of saying a cause for being either frozen, frantic or freaking out), it can also present us with a massive opportunity to upgrade. To bed down new habits – atomic habits - that can become the foundations of whatever comes next.

In times of crisis we are either catastrophic or catalytic – The habits we develop during this time – they will become the catalysts to who we become next.

So, all you need to do to improve your habits; is put in some good new ones, remove the bad old ones. Easy, right? Well, it’s easier than you think, and my guest for this episode can help you... 1% at a time. 

James Clear is the author of New York Times Best Seller: ‘Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones’. The central question to James’ work both in the book and on his website and (EXCELLENT) newsletter is: how can we live better? And as I’ve said, our habits are the foundation to how we answer that question.

So what is an Atomic Habit? They are small 1% improvements in behavior that, over time, compound into full-blown transformation. And this isn’t just about ‘will power’ and ‘mind over matter’. This is about removing the mental load of intending to get something done every day – and beating yourself up when you don’t – into creating micro habits that you can achieve easily, consistently – and eventually automatically.

In this episode we talk about: 

● Forming and enforcing new habits in this new environment - and what four things you need to focus on to cement those new habits. 


● How to make the immediate outcome of your habit satisfying – even when the greatest returns may feel in the distant future – i.e. developing killer abs.

● The vital practices of Habit stacking and habit squashing - and how to master both. 


● Why identity always trumps motivation when the going gets tough. First asking yourself “Who is the type of person I want to become?” and “What would they do right now”?

·     And Warren Buffet’s two-list rule; how the most dangerous things on your to-do this are the ‘good’ uses of your time (and also that you're a rose bush and not a tree, but that’ll make a lot more sense later). 

I could go on with the sound bytes as this episode is packed with them, but perhaps the most striking insight for me, is that ‘every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become’. If you sit with that one sentence for long enough – other than potentially regretting that last bottle of wine – it brings every decision you make from here into blinding clarity.

So, pick a chair, corner of the garden or just get comfy into whatever your life in lockdown looks like – and enjoy my conversation with James Clear.... 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you are focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, from these incredible minds, you might be able to find inspiration for your next right thing – a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I speak with… Ty Montague – Founder at co:collective and author of:  ‘True Story: How to Combine Story and Action to Transform Your Business’. Using his own words Ty considers himself a traditional advertising ‘refugee’ - having decided to pivot (recognise that work from any conversations recently?) his entire career when he noticed - and couldn’t explain why - Starbucks could be on every corner - yet not spend a single dollar on traditional advertising. 

Ty took that one question and went on to build a philosophy, a methodology, a company and a global reputation on the answer. All based around one premise – if you want to stand out, build trust and engage your target market – particularly in when there is no business as usual to be found. Then you need to shift from Story Telling. To Story Doing.

In this conversation we talk about… Pivoting the Quest – knowing when to double down on your messaging and when to change direction. The importance and process of defining a few transformative actions to focus on in uncertainty. And why these two questions should be on Post It notes above your desk right now: “When this crisis is over what story do I want people to tell about me (or us)?” And “What story do I want to tell about myself?”

What I want you to reflect on here… Those that are doing it well right now – are not necessarily changing direction – but finding ways to take their existing mission – or Quest - and expanding it. To include community, connection and a wider purpose for existing.

If you want to dig even further into Ty’s insanely smart mind and Story Doing as a concept… you can also hunt down our previous conversation - which I believe is episode No. 69. You can also find his book on Amazon – highly recommended. 

So… other than staying well and looking after each other - I hope somewhere in here you find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

This series very much a ‘by the seat of your pants’ kind of thing… the intention is to keep these short – as least for now we’re going to release as we record. We’ll probably also leave in a lot of the imperfections we usually edit out. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lock down.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you’re focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, from these incredible minds, you might be able to find inspiration for your next right thing – a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I speak with… Linda Cruse – frontline humanitarian, leadership expert and author of ‘Leading on the Frontline – Remarkable stories and essential leadership lessons from the worlds danger zones.’

Linda has worked alongside some of the world’s most influential figures including HH The Dalai Lama, Sir Richard Branson and HRH The Prince of Wales, and with companies, foundations and universities including GSK, Virgin Unite, Cadbury, Rabobank, KPMG, Merrill Lynch, the World Bank.

Her main message being this – when crisis comes – and we find ourselves on the frontline in whatever form - we need to stop focusing on being charitable – and start focusing on being capable.

In this conversation we talk about… Leading from the frontline – what she has learned works when all traditional structure and hierarchy falls away. The concept of charitable vs capable – and why there are 7.7 billion hero’s on this planet right now. And how recovery actually works – not the sanitised ‘plan on a spreadsheet’ kind – but the messy ‘making it up the next right thing at a time, when the ground is constantly shifting beneath us’ kind.

What I want you to reflect on here… is that in crisis and uncertainty – those that emerge as the leaders – both as individuals and brands – are often not who you would expect. As frequently as it’s the top dog – it’s someone you may never have noticed before. Someone who decides, for whatever reason, that now is the time to stand up and contribute the best that they have to give – with certainty. Essentially, those that make the decision to focus more on ‘capability’ than ‘catastrophe’.

If you want to dig even further into Linda’s knowledge and background… you can hunt down our previous conversation - which I believe is episode No. 22. You’ll also hear her talk about ‘Race For Good’ which is an online platform (I think maybe app) that she’s developing to allow capable people around the globe to collaborate on solving some of the world’s greatest issues. At the time of publishing it’s not yet finished – but keep an eye out in the coming weeks.

Not perfect – showing up…

So… other than staying well and looking after each other - I hope somewhere in here you find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lock down.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you’re focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, from these incredible minds, you might be able to find inspiration for your next right thing – a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I’m joined by… Bill Coletti - a crisis communications and reputation management expert with more than twenty-five years of experience managing high-stakes crises, issues management, and media relations challenges for Fortune 500 companies and global political campaigns.

Bill’s expertise is focused on one thing – how to approach, handle and lead in critical moments. In the moments when all the bets are off – and a normal Tuesday suddenly becomes the pivot point for your entire career, business – or in the case of some – political legacy.

In this conversation we talk about… The A-B-C (Always be communicating) approach to crisis communication. How to excel during the messy middle phase – when a new normal has sunk in and no end is still in sight – and whether there is such a thing as over communicating with your team and stakeholders.

What I want you to reflect on here… that the leaders that will excel during these times – or during any time that involves a critical moment – aren’t the ones with all the answers. As leaders it’s often easy to fall into the trap of ‘the great reveal’. the ‘da da’ moment. Not the destination – but the map.

What we want is someone to translate the path with a level of certainty. To share our process of decision making – and not our perfection.

If you want to dig even further into Bill’s knowledge and background… you can hunt down our previous conversation – where we talk more about influencing critical moments, developing a Crisis EQ and the Power of an Apology - which I believe is episode No. 57. 

In the meantime stay well, look after each other – and I hope somewhere in here you find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lock down.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you’re focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, from these incredible minds, you might be able to find inspiration for your next right thing – a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I speak with… Justin Dry – Co-Founder + CEO of Vino Mofo, an online wine retailer and community that began in a garage - and then a campervan - and then became one of the fastest growing online wine retailers on the planet. With an annual turnover of more than $50 million – and collaborations with power houses that include wine rockstar Gary Vaynerchuck.

Justin and his team has done what many would say was impossible – and the challenge that so many are facing right now. Which is take a category that previously relied on high touch – face to face interaction – and pivot it into a high tech, high engagement online community. That - rather than diminishing the experience – takes it to such another level that their best form of marketing is the customers themselves.

In this conversation we talk about… the pivot from high touch to high tech – the impact of lock down on our digital attention (including what he sees working right now) – and why relentlessly obsessing about your story is still the number tool of engagement.

If you want to dig even further into Justin’s experiences in creating, building and globally scaling Vino Mofo… you can hunt down our previous conversation - which I believe is episode No.62. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – audio not perfect.

So… other than staying well and looking after each other - I hope somewhere in here you find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

Now, if I asked the question: what is the one big topic, or theme or take away or, let’s face it, obsession of Inside Influence, then the answer would be this: storytelling. 

Sometimes that feels light…

Storytelling is in our DNA; from the dawn of humanity to today and beyond, storytelling is who we are - it’s how we connect, and how we engage – it captures our attention and compels our actions more than any other ONE thing on the planet. 

So that might help explain why, storytelling (that is, telling our individual and collective stories to other people) has quite rightly had its fair share of airtime on this podcast. But one thing I don’t feel like we’ve spoken about often enough – and that I intend to rectify now – is the impact of the stories we tell ourselves. No these stories are usually about ourselves and our abilities – or lack of for the majority of us. And how these stories impact how we show up – WHETHER we show up – and our ability to stand out ground when the road gets tough. 

Things like… I’m not a good leader… I know in my gut that this needs to be said or done – but I’m not the person to do it… Or the biggest one that I see – I’m too old, introverted, different, small, large - who do I think I am to stand out, make waves or be seen.

These stories – as I said usually about ourselves and our abilities – my guest today refers to as our ‘second stories’.

Which if you’re anything like me makes you wonder – if this is my second story – how bad must my first story have been? Which we will get into – including how to rewrite any story that’s keeping you stuck to create a Third story. Which is the one that will ultimately shape the person you want to become. In short, your third story cuts the BS, and enables you to live the life you’ve always wanted to. 

But first, let me tell you about the man behind this way of thinking and todays guest. 

Flip Flippen is a New York Times’ best seller, he’s a serial social entrepreneur, philanthropist, respected speaker, thought leader and, perhaps most surprising and impressive of all - father to 20 children. Can we just sit and comprehend that for a second. Just trying to get shoes on two children in the morning is challenging enough, my brain literally melts trying to imagine 20. 

Flip started-out working with kids who had become involved in gangs, setting up a very successful non profit organisation – before (and after one fateful day which we will talk about) going on to found numerous companies - including one of the largest educator training companies in North America. 

Last year, along with Dr Chris White he released the book: ‘Your Third Story: Author the Life You Were Meant To Live’. 

Which brings us back to today – talking about our first, second and ultimately third story. I won’t ruin it by going too deep into the definitions – but in short your first story is the one you were given, the second is the one you tell yourself to justify the first – and the third is when you throw away the whole God damn book. And this time write your own.

I LOVED this conversation. It’s impacted me in untold ways since as a leader, parent and just human being in this world. If you’ve ever had that sneaking feeling that there are maybe other words you want to say, or challenges you would dare to attempt – if you could just step back from the script for awhile. Then this is the episode for you.

Today we dive deep into... 

·       How to write your Third story; the prerequisites you need to consider and the questions you should be asking yourself... 


·       The drivers for change; be that either an emotionally compelling reason from within you, or an external force that backs you into a corner... enter stage left COVID-19 


·        How you can become mindful of the stories you programme into your children

·       Forgiveness. The benefit to you to forgive, and the impact it can have on everyone around you when you dare to take the leap. And make no mistake about it – forgiveness is one of the most daring acts of bravery we can commit ourselves to


·       And finally -  how to see off the story dragons who want to eat your third story for breakfast... 

Now, speaking of dragons, I had a few tech dragons attacking my mic for this recording, so I apologies for the lower quality than usual, but luckily Flip sounds fantastic. 

So sit back, get settled and prepare to look inward, guided by the story master himself Flip Flippen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the ‘messy middle’ of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you are focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, from these incredible minds, you might be able to find inspiration for your next right thing – or to put it another way - a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I speak with… Joe Newman. Joe describes himself as an expert in helping parents in crisis. When we first brainstormed this series - he was top of my list to reach out to. As one of the first children to be diagnosed with ADHD. A label that taught him that he was “broken,” – he went on to shatter expectations and re-build his identity as a teacher and champion of children labelled by society as ‘difficult’ or ‘beyond help’. Founder of Raising Lions – he is also author of the book by the same name ‘Raising Lions: The Art of Compassionate Discipline’. In other words – how to hold structure in situations – and with children – where structure doesn’t come easily.

Honestly, I think I have used his tools more in my parenting journey than any other source. And – as I say at the beginning of this podcast – I think if this lockdown has taught me anything over the past six or seven weeks – it’s how to apologise. Two kids under three, two businesses in chaos and two parents trying to find their way through without destroying their sanity or each other. That’s a situation – by anyone’s definition - that needs some tools.

In todays conversation we talk about… structure and why it’s vital. Mutual recognition – including why starting your sentences with ‘I need’ – far from being selfish – is one of the most powerful lessons we can teach our children in creating intimacy. Why the fight is never about the thing – insert homework, wearing shoes or use of the iPad – but about power, autonomy and dignity. And the powerful shift from right and wrong – to cause and effect.

What I want you to reflect on here… is actually a quote I heard from Joe the first time we spoke. It’s a quote from Peggy O’Mara and it says this: ‘The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice’. Seriously: ‘The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice’. Doesn’t that just slay you?

Those words I feel have been seared on my brain since the moment I heard them. But here’s what I’ve realised, the more I’ve thought about it. Our words become the inner voices or our children – yes – but those words start as our own inner voice. The voice, the tone and the language we use on ourselves. In our best and worst moments.

So, maybe we can start there – the next time we hear something coming out of our mouths that we don’t feel is perhaps our best selves – by asking ‘where do I say this to myself’, ‘when did I first hear those words’ and ‘how can I be gentler, more resourceful or present in those moments’. Maybe by tending to that inner voice, we can become a better inner voice for the people that we love. 

If you want to dig even further into Joe’s tools and strategies and the work of Raising Lions… you can also hunt down our previous conversation - which I believe is episode No. 54. Obviously check out the book – and if you sign up for his newsletter I believe he’s also running free Zoom Q&A’s for parents in crisis. So definitely worth checking out.

So… other than staying well and looking after each other – now the time to sit tight, listen up and hopefully find somewhere in here - the fuel you need for your next right thing.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say I again - this series very much a ‘by the seat of your pants’ kind of thing… lockdown means we’ve had to work with what we have in terms of equipment and internet speeds. So sound quality isn’t always perfect. But – as I’m learning to embrace - that’s not the point. 

The point is that we’re showing up – with intent that somewhere in here – imperfections and all - you will find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the ‘messy middle’ of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you are focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, from these incredible minds, you might be able to find inspiration for your next right thing – or to put it another way - a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I speak with… Tiffani Bova. Global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce AND Wall Street Journal bestselling author of – ‘Growth IQ - Get Smarter About the Choices that Will Make Or Break Your Business’. 

What impresses me most about Tiffani isn’t her credentials – which are extensive – or her laser focused approach to solving the growth challenges of some of the world’s top tier firms. What has always impressed me during the few times we have been able to spend some time together - is her ability to peer into the clutter – into the never-ending predictions, statistics and trends – especially at times like right now -  and translate them with a level of certainty, clarity (and perspective) that only comes from having done the work.

In todays conversation we talk about… Stabilised decision making – and why’s it’s vital during any crisis. The Growth Zone – what it is – what it looks like – and how we will know when we’re there. Which consumer habits are temporary and which are now here for good. And the one that hit me the hardest – the idea of ‘Jobs to be done’ and how it needs to be the guiding light for whatever you do next.

What I want you to reflect on here… isn’t actually related to growth – but more related to influence. Tiffani has one of the most finely attuned ‘question radars’ that I have ever come across. Her success as an analyst, author, influencer and leader is in my opinion down to one thing – she listens hard to the questions of her target market, and makes it her absolute mission to answer them. There. That’s it. That alone is an insanely powerful next right thing.

If you want to dig even further into Tiffani’s insanely smart mind and Growth IQ as a set of tools and strategies… you can also hunt down our previous conversation - which I believe is episode No. 42. You can also find her book on Amazon – highly, highly recommended. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say I again - this series very much a ‘by the seat of your pants’ kind of thing… lockdown means we’ve had to work with what we have in terms of equipment and internet speeds. So sound quality isn’t always perfect. But – as I’m learning to embrace - that’s not the point. 

The point is that we’re showing up – with intent that somewhere in here – imperfections and all - you will find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

So… other than staying well and looking after each other - I hope somewhere in here you find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lock down.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you’re focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, from these incredible minds, you might be able to find inspiration for your next right thing – a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I speak with… Chris Voss – previously the FBI's lead kidnapping negotiator. During his 24 year tenure in the FBI, he was trained in the art of negotiation at Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School. He is also a recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement – as well as teaching business negotiation at a number of prestigious universities. He’s also the author of the EXCELLENT book: Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. 

In this conversation we drill down into something very specific… How to deal with everything being renegotiated. Most of us have had to deal with either making – or taking – those ‘renegotiation’ phone calls more than we could have ever imagined over the last few weeks. Either with suppliers, team members, landlords or customers. They can be deeply uncomfortable, emotionally intense and hard to navigate. As a blue print to work from – Chris walks through a four point system for handling renegotiation phone calls. As well as how to deal with two of the biggest derailers in phone negotiations – what to do when the other party goes silent – and what to do when they won’t stop talking.

What I want you to listen for in this conversation… is that these tools apply whether you are making – or taking the phone call. Managing your state i.e. tone of voice to set the tone. Creating engagement - through emotionally intelligent guesses as to what the other party might be facing. Reflecting back – and naming the elephant in the room - by labelling what you have heard them say. And then asking thought shaping, collaborative questions that usually begin with ‘How do we…’. Emphasis on the WE.

I’ve said it a hundred times – and it’s never more true than now – influence isn’t something you either have or do not have. It’s not a power bestowed from on high by a divine force to some and not others. It’s a set of tools you can claim and choose to master at any point. But first, like any mastery – you have to decide to claim it and commit to the practice. 

If you want to hear more tools from Chris Voss and his experiences in the FBI… you can hunt down our previous conversation - which believe it or not was actually episode No.1. WOW – how far we’ve come. In particular his insights on ‘why ‘yes’ should be the last thing you want to hear in a negotiation’ is a TOTAL game changer.

Chris also has an amazing newsletter… blackswanltd.com – actionable and brief. Also a masterclass for $90 – insane. 10 videos.

So… other than staying well and looking after each other - I hope somewhere in here you find the fuel you need for your next right thing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi – this is Julie Masters and you’re listening to The Next Right Thing – a mini-series from The Inside Influence Team. Designed to provide some actionable certainty in uncertain times. Specifically – and the situation we’re all facing right now – the COVID-19 pandemic.

The idea behind this series is to go out to some of the most popular guests from past episodes of Inside Influence – and ask them one question: ‘What are the most important things you are focusing on right now (tools, ideas, strategies) - or advising your clients to focus on - that you know for sure work in uncertain times?’

The intention being that somewhere in there, you will find inspiration for your next right thing – a point of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

In this episode I speak with… Brandon Webb. Former US Navy SEAL sniper, New York Times bestselling author and Entrepreneur. He has received numerous distinguished service awards - including the Presidential Unit Citation (awarded to him by President George W. Bush), and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal with “V” for valour in combat.

After ending his Navy career, he then went on to embark on an entrepreneurial journey that – first time out of the gate – literally resulted in him losing everything. Undeterred - he dove deep into the pivot and went on to found Hurricane Media - a digital content network now valued at over $100 Million dollars

This episode jumps around a bit but the there's 3 or 4 gold nuggets I want you to listen out for...

In this episode, we talk about mental management Navy SEAL style, getting off the X and staying fluid, drown-proofing (literally a concept that changed my life – professionally and personally) and surrounding yourself with the right people when the terrain gets unclear.

You may notice a fair amount of background noise in this episode – for those of you that are particularly sensitive to that – I totally get it. It’s just the trade off we had to make to get this one out there. Interesting side story…

If you want to dig even further into Brandon’s genius – you can also hunt down our previous conversation - which I believe is episode No. 38. 

But for now, and as always with these episodes – and all of the Inside Influence conversations come to think of it - I hope somewhere in here you find the fuel you need for your next right move.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

Now, at the time of recording and publishing this episode we are still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some lockdowns are easing, some are being extended - but wherever you’re at in your lockdown, we are all at a point where it’s something we’ve been dealing with for months - rather than for days or weeks. 

For many, or for most in fact, the stress and the strains of those months are very real and there’s a high chance that conflict is a lot more familiar part of your life than it was pre-pandemic. That conflict might be light – children arguing over toys or homework – more intense – as many of us deal with financial and family crisis points – or critical – if – as is the case for far too many - your home isn’t a safe place – and the main emotional and physical dangers lie more within your four walls than outside.

For some people, dealing with – and trying to resolve – conflict - is their life’s work. And it’s one of those people who is my guest for this episode. 

Dr Scilla Elworthy was put on her ‘path’ at the young age of 13 - having watched a life altering news broadcast in 1956 which literally jolted her into action. That small moment changed her life, which in turn, helped change the lives of countless others. 

Dr Elworthy is best known for founding the Oxford Research Group; an organisation set up in 1982 to develop communication between nuclear weapons policy-makers and their critics - for which she was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. 

In 2003 she left her role there as executive director and set up Peace Direct; a charity which supports peace-makers and peace builders in areas of conflict. She is also a member of the World Future Council, has advised Desmond TuTu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’, and was Awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003. 

Today her full attention is on developing Business Plan for Peace - resulting in her 2017 book The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War . 

Her latest booklet - which has literally just been released – is called: ‘The Mighty Heart: How to transform conflict’. It takes the experience of people who have been preventing and resolving conflict for decades; some on the front-line, others within families or schools. And distils their experiences into practical, non-technical advice on how build your own mighty heart. 

So what’s a mighty heart? Put simply, it’s having the courage to meet conflict with compassion, curiosity – and unshakeable presence.

How do we do that? Keep listening. In this conversation we dive into: 

·       How to deal with a bully without becoming a thug yourself, and how to overcome violence in all its forms without resorting to force. 

·       Why it’s important to realise that whilst it’s okay to be angry at ‘the thing’, it’s not okay to be angry at the person who holds the opposing view on that ‘thing’; get mad at ‘the thing’ together and resolve it. 

·       Self intervention - how to take a step back when we feel too close to the trigger point - very important this one, and very relevant for these times. 

·       How to take a stand clearly and calmly – and with full gravity - so you are not dismissed. Quick Tip - it’s important to literally take a ‘stand’. 

·       And how we build certainty through self enquiry. Especially in those 3am moments. One of my favourite moments in this conversation is listening to how Scilla – literally – deals with her dragons when they arrive at 3am. 

For me – speaking to Scilla was both a deep honour and reminder that the most powerful forms of influence are not force, aggression or interruption. Which I know sometimes is a hard truth to hold onto.

In the long run of history – or any relationship - the only lasting genuine peace always comes from a willingness to firstly show up – for ourselves before anyone else. Then to get curious about both sides of the story – even when that feels impossible. And finally, in the decision to fiercely and compassionately hold our ground – even (and especially) in the moments when our knees shake and our voices break. 

Writing this introduction actually sent me off in search of a poem I hadn’t read in years, it’s by Rumi and it’s the closest (and shortest) summation of the beginnings of peace that I have ever found: “Out beyond the ideas of right and wrong there is a field – I will meet you there’.

So, find whatever resembles a peaceful place for you right now - and enjoy my conversation with the truly indescribable, Dr Scilla Elworthy... 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

===== 

I’m sure you, like me and 99% of the population of this planet, would think of yourself as a rational person. The dictionary definition of rational is: ‘based on or in accordance with reason or logic’. ‘Reason and logic’; I’ll take those words – who doesn’t like to think of themselves as logical and reasonable? 

Well, I’ve got some news for you – and it’s probably not a surprise. We are not as rational as we think we are. You are not – and I am not. 

According to my next guest, most of our day to day decisions are not carefully evaluated, thought through - or weighed-up. But instead based on beliefs, personal preferences and working assumptions – each one cross-checked against our environment, background, desires, feelings and mood at any specific time. And most of that… is done unconsciously without you even being aware. Sound hard to navigate? Unfortunately it is.

As I record this introduction, the aftershock, global protesting and heartbreak following the death in custody of George Flyod – is still very much ongoing. And if that situation teaches us anything – it should be how hard wired, unconscious (and often dangerous) our beliefs systems can be. 

But it’s not enough to sit in that knowledge - what comes next is probably the most important question when it comes to understanding influence – what does it take to understand, direct – and in this case – redirect our beliefs into new behaviour?

My guest today has spent a good portion his life studying the gap between what we say is important – and what we actually do - both for individuals, companies and social movements. 

A speaker, writer and advisor - Tom Asacker takes a different approach to creating momentum, and that approach is all about belief, desire and the physics of action. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, co-founded a high-tech medical device company - won the George Land Innovator of the Year Award – and is now the author of ‘The Business of Belief’ focusing on the hidden logic of behaviour. 

In today’s conversation we talk about.... 

·       How to close the gap I mentioned earlier – taking your team, your community or yourself from ‘talking the talk’, to ‘walking the walk’. 

·       Why as a leader you have to embrace the desires and beliefs of those you are trying to influence – especially when the horizon is uncertain. And I don’t mean just acknowledge those beliefs (which actually was a shift in my thinking), but instead find a place where you can authentically own them as your own. 

·       How to get over the past experiences and stories that impact how you show up - so you can arrive at a situation open, but still armed with certainty. 

·       And why it’s physically impossible to hit a baseball – I know this sounds like this would have nothing to do with influence – but it has everything to do with waiting for the right moment… vs. swinging with intent and trusting you have the muscle to follow through when the angle becomes clearer.

What I want you to reflect on in this episode is how hidden and hard wired our beliefs can be. We are complex and multi-dimensional beings – who bring our entire history and belief system with us to any table or conversation. However, by accepting that - and by committing to the excavate – understand – and work with someone’s beliefs – including our own – we start to walk the fastest and most powerful road to influence that I know. 

So, take a seat, let the logical world go for awhile – hard as that is right now - and open your mind to the thoughts and (ever flexible) beliefs of Tom Asacker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation.” 

Now, when you listen to this podcast, are you only listening to this podcast? Or when you listen to this podcast, are you cooking? Driving? Working? Working out? All of the above? 

Chances are you’re not focussing solely on this podcast. Most likely, you’re doing something else. In fact, when you think about it – when was the last time you shut down all distractions and focused on one thing utterly and completely? 

And why am I even asking these questions – what does any of this have to do with influence? The answer is – everything. If there’s one thing I know for sure it’s this – we can have no influence, not over ourselves, our organisations, our networks or our communities – without first mastering the ability to focus. 

The most influential people you know are the most focused. I’ll say that again… The most influential people you know are the most focused. They are the most able to tune out the noise and focus on essential signals. And in doing so create a force strong enough to pierce through the noise in other people’s lives – long enough and consistently enough - to create an equally focused following. 

Add to that – that there are no shortage of distractions right now. No shortage of screaming elements that are as urgent as they are important. The future of the economy, important social unrest in our societies, a pandemic, the health and wellbeing and continued isolation from our families, educating and entertaining our children at home, trying to keep our jobs and businesses alive – not to mention the ever ready call of social media - just to remind us of everything else we (probably) don’t have the time or bandwidth to even consider adding to our plate. 

PLUS – and I will stop soon I promise – there’s this whispering opportunity many of us feel at the moment. The opportunity to look deeply at our lives, our careers, our businesses – and redesign them. For some it’s to include more breaks, more white space and more connection. For other’s it’s transitioning to a business model that will put us and our teams in the strongest possible position for whatever comes next. 

So – have I made my case yet? Focus and how we deal with distractions has everything to do with influence.

My guest today has been making this case for over 15 years. 

Chris Bailey believes in a ‘human’ approach to productivity and focus i.e. no spreadsheets in sight. A fact that makes me truly happy.

His fascination with focus first led him to dedicating a year after college – turning down a number of job opportunities – in order experiment with productivity. Primarily using himself as the guinea pig. These experiments included.... working a 90 hour week, watching 70 hours of TED talks in 7 days, and making himself bored for a month to see where his mind wandered. All this, with the aim to learn and share how we can focus more deeply, overcome procrastination and energise ourselves in the process. 

The result of this 12 months was his first book ‘The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy’. The book was a huge success, but then Chris noticed something – that his old unfocused habits were starting to creep back in – particularly when it came to technology. This led to his second book – the manual he needed and couldn’t find: ‘Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction’. 

In this episode – the conversation I needed but previously hadn’t been able to find - we dive into… 

1. The one thing that we (i.e. I) wanted to hear the most. That it’s not our fault we’re distracted. Apparently, we’re hard wired for novelty (for reasons we’ll get into) and that every time we discover a new and novel thing – hello social media - our brain gives us an addictive hit of dopamine. So, if you can give yourself a pass for that, and be kinder to yourself in those moments, that’s the first step to a better attention span. 

2. Following on from that, how to embrace the break. That includes learning to read your own cues about when it’s time to take a break. And by the way, looking at your phone is not taking a break. Sorry about that. 

3. The rule of 3. This is one of Chris’ top focus tips - each morning, he picks three intentions for the day - out of the many he has on his plate, and gets them done. 

4. How not to fear White Space (another word for the ‘in-between time’ we often avoid or try to fill with stimuli). And how harnessing that space, that pause, is the key to becoming a more effective decision-maker. 

5. And finally, the joy of email sprints – which I can promise you does not require active wear, but does get that never-ending monkey of your Inbox off your back. 

So, no more distractions from me, time to press pause on whatever you’re doing - or at least one of the things you’re doing - and get set to consider a new way of working with the ‘force of focus’ that is Chris Bailey.... 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

Now, some might say, that one of the ultimate forms of influence is the ability to change the mind of someone’s else. 

Which shouldn’t be that hard right? Replace fact A with updated Fact B and then done. System overwrite. Opinion changed.

If you’re smiling right now – then I’m guessing you’re with me in that – never once – in my entire career of trying to get ideas adopted and actioned. Have I EVER had that experience.

Generally speaking, and by that I mean pretty much always, if we feel we’re being pushed to do something, we push back. If something new or novel is suggested, our brains automatically pick out every reason it’s a terrible idea before we even CONSIDER it.

Even when confronted with proven evidence that a change is needed research shows that - human nature (in its infinite wisdom) – then makes us MORE determined to double down on our current version of events. 

So - when opposition is literally hard wired into our nature – and without access to Yoda and some serious Jedi mind tricks – then then question then becomes – how do you change someone’s mind?

My guest today has spent a career unpacking the hidden forces behind influence.

Professor Jonah Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and internationally bestselling author of Contagious, Invisible Influence and now The Catalyst.

At the heart of Contagious - which (without overestimating) is a complete must read - is why certain products, ideas, services, and behaviours catch on. While others stay on the side-lines. 

The success of Contagious and resulting consulting requests for some of the worlds top tier firms – including Google, Apple, Nike - then led him to another insight. That there are two phases to impact. The first is getting someone’s attention – the second is converting that attention into action. 

That realisation - and resulting research - led to his latest book ‘The Catalyst: How To Change Anyone’s Mind’; a counterintuitive approach to initiating change - which isn’t about pushing harder or exerting more energy, but instead lowering the barriers that prevent that change from happening.

·      In this episode, we talk about what those barriers are – and how pushing against them, as instinctive as it feels, rarely works.

·      We discuss the technique of providing a menu; and why giving someone options allows them to buy in while retaining control. Sounds simple, but apply it and you’ll find this one is a game changer.

·      We look at the impact of movements – the role of protests - and the what next when it comes to harnessing attention into action.

·      And finally, one for the world we currently find ourselves facing: How to lift the handbrake of uncertainty. Allowing people to experience what you’re offering, by temporarily removing the risk involved in changing their mind.

At this point I would usually provide a menu of ways to enjoy the podcast – along with some suggestions of what to reflect on – but in the spirit of this episode – I’ll leave that up to your own free will.

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing – I hope you enjoy my conversation with the incredible Professor Jonah Berger.... 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

If I asked you to think of a business negotiation, depicted in TV, film, theatre etc. chances are it’s a scene of high drama. It’s a desk-banging, horn-locking, hard-balling battle where someone (usually the most aggressive) leaves with everything and the little guy gets nothing. 

Now, if I asked you to think back to the last negotiation you were involved in, I’m guessing it didn’t look much like that. But I bet it still had a feeling of edge to it; an understanding that the available outcomes fit into one of only two camps – what they want – and what you want. 

But is this ‘us vs them’ version of negotiation due to the nature of the negotiation process itself? Or the human nature we bring to it?

According to my next guest - this battle orientated framework for negotiation – is as broken as it is ineffective.

Professor Margaret Neale is The Adams Distinguished Professor of Management at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University – as well as Negotiation Strategies Program Co-Director of the Executive Program for Women Leaders. 

Professor Neale’s research focuses primarily on negotiation, and in 2015 she co-authored ‘Getting More of What You Want: How the Secrets of Economics and Psychology Can Help You Negotiate Anything, in Business and in Life’. 

This book leverages decades of research to answer questions like: ‘Who should make the first offer?’ and ‘How to create a compelling pitch?’

What I loved about this approach is the definition of negotiation itself – which shifts the focus from a battle mindset – one I’ve never found comfortable or particularly effective - to one of ‘finding a solution to your counterpart’s problem that makes you BETTER OFF than you would have been had you not negotiated’.

Why is that important? Not many of us consider ourselves talented negotiators – but most of us, in one area or our lives or another, would get a gold star at problem solving.

In this episode we jump into:

How much preparation you should be doing for each negotiation - chances are it’s a lot more than you think – and here’s a clue – twice as much as you’re doing right now. 

The 4 step structure for how to get what you want from a negotiation - including how to tackle most people’s least favourite part: The Ask.

Why – when heading into a negotiation – you should never solve the easy issues first. Why? Because leaving the big hairy stuff until last is the fastest way to end the negotiation in conflict.

The differences between how men negotiate and how women negotiate. This is not only hugely important for women to understand – but for any men who want to better support the women you lead, mentor or love in getting what they have earned – then these insights might change the way you approach it. 

And finally, how to move someone out of survival mode and into learning mode – which let’s face it - is the only mode where solutions are found.

Right now, as we try to figure out what comes next in this pandemic - new rules are being written daily and everything about ‘the old way of life’ has the potential to be renegotiated. I know for myself, this sometimes feels like a huge opportunity – and other days like a daunting challenge - but here’s the choice: do you want to approach these negotiations a) ready for conflict Or b) ready to collaborate?

If the answer is the latter - then yeah, me too.

So, sit back, do whatever you need to do to negotiate some time for yourself – no easy feat these days - and enjoy my conversation with the fiercely sharp mind of Professor Margaret Neale.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

Now, what if I told you that I could capture your attention in 30 seconds or less. Then convert that attention into engagement so great – that you would voluntarily spend an hour of your day – every day – consuming my product. Then add to that maybe another hour of your day talking about my product to your friends, family, online networks.

And then – and here’s the kicker – what if I told you I could turn that engagement into action - to the tunes of millions of dollars in revenue - in the space of one week? And I would do that by persuading you to spend your own money to vote on the fate of a group of people that you don’t know – in a situation that doesn’t impact you or your life in the slightest? And what if I could do that every week? Week after week. In various different forms. To the tune of 8 billion interactions and counting.

So here’s the question - is that a formula you would be interested in knowing? My answer is a big fat yes. 

I’m talking of course about reality television. Now before you roll your eyes, and believe me I get it - let’s get real about the influence it wields. In the UK, more young people voted in the final of Britain’s Got Talent, than voted in the most recent general election. I’ll give you a second with that one. As a content tool, it exists within and shapes more conversations than the news. And as a force – it literally redefined the concept of celebrity and shaped an entire generation of attention spans. 

And on that note – I arrive at today’s guest.

Marion Farrelly created, built and produced some of the most influential reality TV shows on the planet. Shows such as The X Factor, Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice, Dancing with the Stars, The Farmer Wants a Wife. Her content has been watched more than eight billion times worldwide and she’s put more than ten thousand people on stage, who were then watched by hundreds of millions. 

She’s worked with everyone from Hollywood A listers to Astronauts, Politicians to Popstars, Cyber Security Specialists and CEOs. Having recognised one thing very early in her career - that the people who were world-class, charismatic and utterly influential, all had one thing in common – The X Factor. 

In today’s conversation we get into:

·      The X-Factor – what it is, what it looks like and how to harness it from the fist moment – whether in a pitch, a video, or walking onto a stage. Casted over 12,000 people.

·      The formula for turning engagement to action; i.e. getting people to ‘vote’ - either with their time, attention or money. 

·      The power of ‘sticky information’ i.e. how to have the largest impact with the least possible words.

·      The A, B, C & D of presenting yourself in the best possible way whenever you’re required to step up. 

·      How to cut out the white noise; every industry has white noise – the words everybody else uses

·      The difference between hoping something will happen – and making it happen. 

·      And, in what has been possibly the most obvious and yet insightful piece of advice in the history of this podcast. Why the antidote to stage fright is one simple sentence: ‘no one knows what you’re going to say and so therefore, you can’t get it wrong’. Sounds obvious, but believe me it’s worth spending some time with that one the next time you feel any fear around using our voice. 

I’ve known Maz for a little while now. Other than being as brilliant as she is wholehearted. The reason I asked her on the show is really simple – I really believe that if you took everything she knows - about the levers behind attention, influence and action – and how to pull them – and then injected it into a brand or political party. It would rewrite the playing field.

Imagine an election campaign so compelling you would pay to vote? Hard right? Hopefully not so hard by the end of this episode.

So, turn on, tune in, put down the hashtags and enjoy my chat with the explosion of energy that is Marion Farrelly...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever been in the situation where you had limited time to pitch an idea? A moment where you knew you had to immediately capture attention, establish credibility and build a compelling enough argument - and that your ability to do so would literally make or break what comes next? 

I’ve found myself on both ends of this situation more times than I can count over the years. Having both made and received hundreds of pitches. Some successfully - some so unsuccessful I still have difficulty thinking about them without shuddering. 

But the ones that went well - that ultimately ended up changing the course of my businesses and career - and the ones where I have been in the position to change the course of someone else’s business or career. Those successful ones all had a few things in common. 

The largest of those? Is an epic FIRST 2-3 minutes.

So when someone sent me a book recently called ‘The 3-Minute Rule: Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation’. I was ALL IN.

That book was written by my next guest - Brant Pinvidic - award-winning film director, veteran television producer, keynote speaker, top-rated podcast host (Rob Lowe being one of the most recent guests I tuned into) and columnist for Forbes.

With over 20 years of experience in producing, creating, and directing household TV shows and movies - Brant is widely recognized as one of the great creative leaders in Hollywood. Having given over 100+ successful film and television pitches over his career, Brant learnt that if he didn’t get them in the first three minutes - chances are he wouldn’t get them at all. Taking those business and storytelling lessons he developed a proven blueprint for leaders wanting to position their message with impact.

In today’s conversation we delve into the mechanics of what it takes to get your ideas over the line. Including:

• Why three minutes is the key to creating an ultra-concise, ultra-compelling pitch for any idea, product, service or company.
• The Fire Alarm Test – If someone pulled the fire alarm after three minutes of your presentation or sales pitch, have you done enough to make people want to come back and hear more?
• The four core questions every successful pitch needs to address
• Why being passionate about everything - often means you are credible about nothing.
• How to close with a hook that guarantees action.
• And the difference between situational doubt and self-doubt - in particular why one of those mindsets is self-defeating - and the other is self-preserving.

If now is the time to get others on board with your ideas, product, company or vision - those potentially hold the power to making it happen - then this episode is for you.

Enjoy my conversation with the master of the pitch - Brant Pindivic.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. 

Let’s talk about devotion. Songs, poetry and plays are written about it, films are made about it. We use it in association with family, children, partners.... But colleagues or employees...? Not so much. Sure, we want the best for the people we work with, but how many leaders can truly say they are devoted to the success of their people? 

And success is the key word here, because helping someone become the best person they can be, so they thrive under your stewardship - and long after - is one of the most vital forms of influence there is. 

My guest today is striving for more of us to do just that. Frances Frei is an American academic and author. She is the UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management and Senior Associate Dean for Executive Education at Harvard Business School. She is also the author of the recently released book: ‘Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leaders Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You’. 

On top of that – she also leap into Silicon Valley – and became the very first Senior Vice-President for Leadership and Strategy at Uber, brought in at a time when Uber was under fire from pretty much every corner of the planet. Her job description? To try and restore trust at a time when it was at an all time catastrophic low. 

Her first decision in that role says a lot about who she is – committing to wear an Uber T-shirt every day, until the people working alongside her were as proud to wear it as she was... but more on that later. 

What brought her first into my world was actually her TED talk ‘How to Build and Rebuild Trust’. Where her insightful and – more than anything else - practical views on building trust in a world where it’s in short supply, became the first time I began to view trust as something tangible – that we can all build – quickly and predictably.

In this interview, we cover… 

Unapologetic leadership – what it is, what it looks like and why it has nothing to do with refusing to take responsibility – in fact quite the opposite.

Devotion – yep that word again. If it makes you feel uncomfortable then stick with it. What does it take to be deeply devoted to the ‘wild success’ of another human being? More success than they could possibly achieve on their own. Then – if we can do it once – which we can – how do we take that impact and harness it to create a cascade effect - where it goes on to transform a team, an entire organisation (reference again her time at Uber) or a whole Nation. 

How to set and hold high standards without disconnecting from the person you’re trying to support. Basically, how to play bad cop and still have someone feel like you have their back.

The taking and giving of radical responsibility – this one I have not stopped thinking about since this interview. It’s become almost a filter through which I run decisions. Total game changer.

The Trust Triangle; what the three points of the triangle are, how to achieve them and how to maintain them. 

And how to look, square on and without flinching - at what Frances calls, the ‘devastating data’. This being where you currently sit in the eyes of your team, client base or community. And how to then use the information – rather than a brick to beat yourself with – as a benchmark to know when to celebrate.

Leadership is hard at the best of times – in the middle of a pandemic, on the edge of a recession, when you’re miles away from those you’re trying to serve and support. I’m not sure it gets much harder. If I took anything from this conversation, it’s the calm and wholehearted way in which Frances approaches the tough stuff. If nothing else, I hope that carries with you into your day.

In the meantime, sit back and enjoy my conversation with Frances Frei.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What in your life, business or industry needs reimagining right now? I’m guessing for many of us it’s a lot. In my world – the world of influence, speaking at events and working with clients to make an impact with their ideas and expertise. Well that’s a world that pretty much needs reimagining from the ground up right now.

I’m of the belief that the those that will come out of this chapter - being held up as the influencers or authorities of whatever new age comes next – will be those able to reimagine. The ones with the grit and tools to translate the road forward – with clarity, certainty and no small amount of courage.

Which sounds like a great strategy when the road ahead is clear. But what happens when it’s not? 

In those moments the big question becomes this – if this is a job you want to take on – that of the trusted authority or advisor in your space - and believe me there is a huge opportunity for those willing to do so at the moment. Then you need to pay attention to the answer to this question… How do I currently approach the process of reimagining a new path? What currently happens to my mind, energy, team and processes when the road disappears?

One of the wisest pieces of advice I ever heard is this: ‘How you do one thing is how you do everything’. How we handle the uncertainty of recreation in one area of our lives, is how we handle it everywhere. So, if the answer to the above question is not great – then well we need new tools.

My guest today brings exactly that and more. Gabor George Burt is one of the leading experts behind Blue Ocean Strategy – which as many will know was one of the most influential business books and approaches to growth strategy of the last decade. As part of that he then spent 10 years working with companies across the globe to identify and build their own Blue Ocean. 

However, as time went on he discovered something strange. Although most companies loved ideas within Blue Ocean – they just weren’t able to implement. Confused as to why he set off on a journey of discovery that culminated in his latest book ‘Slingshot’. The principal idea being that – just like a slingshot – where there’s tension, there’s room for acceleration.

In this conversation we dive into:

·       Going beyond the wall. How to use the ‘slingshot principle’ to transform the tension of disruption into accelerated growth.

·       Why ‘Infatuation wears off’ – and no I’m not talking about online dating here. And how to ‘re-infatuate’ your target audience with what you have to offer.

·       How to break down your next blue ocean into manageable lakes and seas. Then systematically apply creative thinking to find the edge.

·       How to get other people past fear and onto the journey of reinvention – this includes a six question test that exposes exactly how we limit ourselves on the possibilities

·       Why our childhood creativity is this amazing resource - that we all too often neglect

·       And why all of this isn’t just about business – but the framework of a creative, energy fuelled and resilient life

What I want you to reflect on here is how you approach the process of reimagineering. Do you freeze, fight against it, collapse (internally or externally) at the enormity of it – or hold on for dear life onto what used to work in the thin belief that it’s possible things to remain unchanged. Even as change accelerates around you on a daily basis – as it is now. 

Or do you show up energized and curios, willing to experiment and share what you find? Are you able to let go of perfect and double down on progress instead – or in the words of a friend of mine recently: ‘Willing to get scrappy and keep moving’.

For me – at the moment – I’m calling BS on myself. Although I’m pretty good at moving quickly – and fairly practised at disrupting myself – sometimes by choice – sometimes not. I’m also very good at fighting the process the entire way. Inviting in exhaustion by running the same mental monologues over and over again: ‘Why do things have to change again’ ‘I just built that, how can all that work now be redundant’ OR my favourite ‘I might just sit this one out, look busy and wait for it all to blow over’

Oh I do it quietly – but I do it hard core.

This episode is a call to become infatuated with the process of creation again – whether this is your first or 50th rodeo. Basically, falling back in love with the exploration – just like a child. Because when the stakes are higher than they have ever been – so too is the level of energy and curiosity we need to bring to the table.

On that note – enjoy my conversation with the creative visionary that is Gabor George Burt.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s we’re going to dive into that last word – Nation.

What does it take to write a speech so captivating - so compelling – that it has the ability to stop a Nation in its tracks? Make the planet literally sit up and pay attention – or define an entire moment in history for generations to come. Would it be fair to say that the writing of that speech would take a level of mastery that’s worth knowing?

I’ve worked with speakers and presenters for twenty years. And this bit, the crafting of the story itself – what’s too much – what’s not enough – what’s too simple – what’s too complex – what does justice to the ideas – and what will just get lost amongst the noise. That’s always the most underestimated part. Presentations skills you can learn – an instinct for the unparalleled power of words – that’s a level of mastery that takes years or decades to develop.

Unless… of course… you learn from the best.

My guest today is exactly that. Someone I have admired for years as THE master of the craft. Keenan is a professional speechwriter who, as Director of Speech Writing for President Obama - has written or edited more than 2,000 speeches for his boss. Including the historical March 2015 speech, when Obama spoke in Selma, Alabama, marking 50 years since "Bloody Sunday". More recently he also worked on Obama’s Democratic National Convention speech, which is still being described by many pundits as a ‘historically unprecedented’.

So what does that take? Where do you start? What words do you use when there are no words? Or – in moments when every single word counts so much – that each will be dissected a million times by the media. What you’re about to hear is basically a masterclass in compelling communication.

In this conversation, we dive into…

• One of the most powerful questions I have ever heard when it comes to owning your space in a room – or an arena… ‘Why are you the only one who can tell this story?’
• The importance of starting and ending a speech on purpose - how to grab the audience’s attention from the first word and send them home with a fire to move forward.
• Transitions and signposting – basically how to move seamlessly from one point to the next without losing your audience.
• Why the best speeches are like jazz – a piece of advice that came from President Obama himself – where the pauses and low notes are what allow the high notes to shine.
• Why you shouldn’t put anything in a speech that you wouldn’t say to a friend in a bar – try thinking about public policy this way and you’ll get what a mind flip that requires.
• And surprisingly, and reassuringly, that even for the man who writes to a nation, on some of the most pressing issues of our time... self-doubt and imposter syndrome are par for the course. The question is, can you put them to work for you - rather than letting them run the show.

As a heads up – Cody does make a few references to mass shooting events - in the context of moments where it’s hard to find the words. I’ll leave you to decide how best to take care of yourself and your loved ones in those moments.

What I do want you to reflect on here is that – as always - genius leaves footprints. Think of the last speech you witnessed that left you glued to your chair. That left you utterly committed to taking some action. Can you map out its basic structure? What caught your attention straight out of the gate? What were the core 3-5 points? How did they finished in a way that made sure you took action? Pay attention, all the clues are there.

Oh and finally – if you write anything on a post it note and stick it to your desk today – let it be this: “What’s the story I want to tell – and why am I the only person who can tell it?”

In the meantime, settle back and enjoy my conversation with the incredible mind that is Cody Keenan....

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s conversation is about co-parenting – the good, the bad, the ugly and the achingly beautiful attempt to raise human beings together. There’s no assumption here about in which way you do this – in or outside of a traditional romantic partnership, in or outside the same home. It’s also not about IS NOT ABOUT 50/50 PARENTING – OR WHO WORKS AND WHO STAYS AT HOME. For me, the more important question is how we do it together. 

In a way that keeps everybody – I’ll repeat here – everybody – nourished and supported.

I recorded this episode deep into the trenches of the first lock down. Both mine and Josh my husbands offices had closed, we were working from home - both our businesses needed some serious reimagining in order to survive – and we were trying to do all of this while wrestling two children under four in a home without with walls.

Normal. Game plan. Out. Of. The Window.

Needless to say it wasn’t pretty. But what it did do is shine a very intense light on all of the areas of our co-parenting approach - that maybe hadn’t been working for awhile.

In one of my moments looking for answers, and also using my iphone to numb out the noise, I stumbled across an incredible TED talk by a man called Joel Leon. In it he talked about co-parenting as beautiful and hard work. Work that should be consciously created, rather than left to form as a result of whatever we witnessed as children. He had me hooked.

After I finished watching, I told Josh I wanted to interview him for the podcast – to which he understandably replied: ‘I’m not really clear what parenting has to do with influence’. 

So, for anyone else wondering about that link – here it is.

There is no distinction between parenting and leadership. Anything that works in your home - I guarantee you the essence (don’t mistake the essence with the tactics) will work the people you work with or lead – and vice versa. There is also no distinction between co-parenting and negotiation. Our ability to balance two often competing needs and reach a mutually beneficial – respectful outcome – even when the going gets hard. Those tools, they don’t change between the boardroom and the loungeroom.

And finally - for many of us - isn’t this the biggest influence job we will ever do? The one we will regret the most if we get it wrong - the one we are most fundamentally, universally and societally responsible for?

I know for myself - how I influence and lead myself around the ones I love - is often an exact and sometimes uncomfortable mirror on how I am in the world at large.

Curious, collaborative and clear - or distracted, fearful and forcing my own agenda.

So – in true stalker style – I did track Joel down and in this conversation we go deep into the worlds of:

• Radical Honesty - What does it mean? And where should it be used? Clue for anyone that’s ever given this a try… not everywhere…

• The Beautiful and Hard Work of Co-Parenting – including mutual respect and monitoring ‘how we show up’ 

• How to get through the killer phrase “I didn’t sign up for this” – anyone heard or said that before? And how to accept the fact that this job wasn’t meant to be a ‘fairytale’

• How to handle and communicate our own capacity – and do the same for our co-parent

• And the struggle for relatable/relevant knowledge for co-parents. Why it doesn’t exist and how we can step up and start to lead the charge.

We’re living in a world where the old rules of parenting no longer apply – for both genders. We need a new game plan, one that honors and respects the new shapes of our families. That in turn can help equip our children with better tools to build their own families. In whatever form that takes.

On that note – sit back, maybe invite in your co-parent – and enjoy my conversation with the amazing Joel Leon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I speak with Nancy Duarte - CEO and founder of Silicon Valley’s largest and most successful communications firm, Duarte Inc. Nancy has spent the last 30 years immersed in the world of human story telling and has been behind the scenes of some of the most compelling speeches - or as she calls them’ impassioned pleas’ – that we’ve ever seen. Including Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. 

She’s worked with the thought leaders of global brands like Apple, Cisco, Facebook, GE, Google, HP, TED, Twitter, the World Bank – I’ll stop now. She’s also renowned author of ‘Illuminate’, ‘Resonate’ and ‘Slide:ology’. Her TED talk ‘The Secret Structure of Great Talks’ has also been watched over 3 million times.

This conversation weaves between her observations as a storytelling expert - and her experiences as a leader since pandemic began. Where, like many of us, her skills as a communicator have been stretched to a WHOLE new place. If you want to dive into my original conversation with her, which was one of the most useful explorations of the structure of epic presentations I have ever had. I believe it’s episode:

Today we jump straight into…

• The stories that resonate in the messy middle of a crisis
• How to tell the hard stories – and there’s no getting around the fact that there are hard stories to tell right now. And why not every story is for everyone – and that’s just ok.
• The three act structure – why it works - and how to use it in a virtual setting
• And her take on what the epic stories – and story tellers – of the future will look like. And believe me – this woman is behind the scenes at many of the tech companies that are literally rewriting the future of storytelling as I say this. So if she speaks – I listen.

What I want you to reflect on her is not necessarily the tools – although please do. But her reflections as a leader of her own team. There are no obvious answers for anyone right now – and it’s easy to imagine that the experts must have it down - right? What I took from Nancy is that all the tools and strategies in the world don’t matter – if we can’t first find the courage to be seen. To show up in the chaos when we don’t have the answers. Or to stand in the fire alongside our people when it counts.

On that note – I’m going to leave you in the very safe hands of one of my own personal mentors – Nancy Duarte.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we jump into radical collaboration. Radical collaboration is the ability to hear both sides of an argument with curiosity and empathy and – and this is the pivotal part - an intention to resolve – rather than just beating the other person down with the surely obvious logic of our position. 

Or, and this is the terrifying truth of where we find ourselves at the moment – not showing up in the arena of debate at all - and simply retreating further behind our boundaries – whether those boundaries are global, national, political or digital.

My next guest is no stranger to the arena. Jim Tamm is a former judge for the State of California, a role which enabled him to witness conflict unfold, resolve and of course stay unresolved over the course of two decades and more than 1,000 disputes.

His most recent book, Radical Collaboration (co-authored with Ron Luyet) was on Amazon’s top seller lists for most of the past nine years. He is a former law professor and currently on the faculty of the International Management Program of the Stockholm School of Economics, the Management Education Program at NASA and the Wallenberg Institute in Sweden.

As well as all of that, he is also a dedicated grandfather – which we’ll get into more later.

In this episode, we dive into: 

• Why now is not a normal time – and why it’s more important than ever to pay attention our triggers – and hard-wired responses when things don’t go our way
• Going into an empathetic space: Why role-swapping and learning to fight for the other ‘side’ is key to being a master collaborator
• The vital role of collaborative intention – and why stating your ‘intent to collaborate’ at the beginning of any negotiation can turn the whole thing around
• Becoming aware of your answer to this simple question - when someone makes a mistake - do you get curious, or furious?
• And finally – but most powerfully for me – how to identify which of the three faces of fear – being or being seen as unlikable, insignificant or incompetent - are currently running your life. This one seriously was a game changer for me.

What I want you to reflect on here is that last part. What’s your primary fear? What’s the real trigger in those moments where you fight, freeze or run when the going gets tough – or when the conversations get hard? What’s the No 1. story that kicks you into furious – when all the solutions live in a place of staying curious?

Is it that they might not like you if they knew the truth? Or that your voice isn’t important enough to be heard? Or that eventually, everyone will find out that you’re actually an imposter who’s surely not meant to be here.

Figure that out – name it – learn to recognise the moment it kicks in – and that’s the biggest shortcut I know to the land radical collaboration – and radical results.

On that note, I’ll leave you with the sage words and extraordinary insights from a career on the frontline of conflict. The incredible Jim Tamm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there’s a few words this year that have been played on loop – I think they would be the words pivot, reinvention and digital deep end.

I feel like for many of us, as individuals and brands, there was a long list of activities we knew we needed to do in order to increase our influence in a digital world. However, the general consensus was that we had years right? 

At least a few years to figure out how to tell epic stories online, how to compete with Netflix by making our pitches and presentations utterly compelling, how to transition our sales strategies to include new market segments we can’t reach face to face. How to embrace different business models like subscriptions, memberships and digital tribes. And – perhaps most foundational decision – how to translate what we know, our expertise and message – in order to take your target audience on an Unskippable journey.

Well those years, turned into months, which turned into weeks – which for many – eventually became days to turn around some of these changes.

And those who did it well, who will come out with an edge for 2021 – having activated plans and strategies that may have taken years before the pandemic. If you look closely enough, they all tend to have one thing in common.

They went out to the edges, to people and brands in completely different industries – who have been perfecting these tools for years – and they listened carefully.

So that’s what we’re here to do today. My guest this week is Eric Bandholz. Eric is the Founder of Beardbrand, a men’s grooming company that I have been watching for years as they blaze a trail in a previously crowded space. 

Along with his co-founders, Eric bootstrapped Beardbrand to a high seven-figure company by focusing on (in their words) ‘badass’ products, digital storytelling, focusing on collaborations and building a community of fever pitch fans. 

In cracking the code of a new age of storytelling – Eric also built a Youtube channel dedicated to just answering the questions of his target audience – a channel that now has close to 250 million views, 1.5 million subscribers – and which in and of itself provides a pretty sizeable independant revenue stream.

In this conversation we dive into:

• Pivoting from budgets to beards – his journey starting out as a financial advisor and finding his breakthrough idea
• The myth that if you build it they will come – and the truth that roadmap is often more valuable to your target market than the destination
• Why focusing only on ‘How to’ videos on YouTube was the secret of their success
• How to forget the idea that everything we produce needs to be high production and perfect in order to create engagement – and why what works on YouTube (and I would argue most other platforms) is actually the exact opposite
• And finally, authenticity vs Intention. How, during one of the most difficult periods of his life, he made the decision about what – and what not – to share.

What I want you to reflect on while you listen to Eric is how the path to cut through isn’t a straight line. It’s a series of listening to your gut, making moves, building things, reassessing and choosing to embody rather than hide behind a brand.

The most significant moments – the ones where you take leaps forward you couldn’t have imagined – they aren’t the result of a ‘this plus that’ equation. You can rarely pin point that exact things that made those particular doors open.

Apart from this one. You have to start. You have to accept that you will get it wrong – you might look or feel foolish - usually for a nano second before we all move onto the next attention grabbing thing. And in a digital world where everything feels so on display – that takes a level of courage and curiosity that isn’t easy. 

However – as we’ve seen this year – for those who are willing to consistently show up at that level, the opportunities are literally limitless.

So, on that note, sit back, stroll on, find a quiet corner or open that packet of biscuits that you’ve been hiding for the next lock down. And enjoy my conversation with the one of a kind that is Eric Bandholz.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we are once again fusing the world of influence and rock n’ roll... 

However today’s question isn’t about what it takes to show up like a rock star - when all eyes are on you – and the stakes feel sky scraper high - but instead what it takes to STILL show up like a Rockstar – when one seemingly ordinary morning you wake up – and your entire audience has disappeared.

In order to do that I once again called upon the incredible Mark Schulman – author, speaker, insightful human being and well and truly at the top of the performance tree as the lead drummer for P!nk.

Mark has performed for over 1 billion people - touring with world class performers such as Cher, Billy Idol, Simple Minds, Beyoncé and Tina Turner. He is also the author of the very fitting Conquering Life’s Stage Fright. In which he interviews global powerhouses like Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos), Jeremy Piven (Actor from the Entourage) and Alan Bean (Apollo 12 Astronaut) - in order to translate the magic of world-class performance. 

In other words what it takes to show up, reframe your fears and own what you’ve got with every cell in your body. 

Marks number one super power – other than drumming – is his ability to maintain what he describes as a Rockstar mindset. A belief that the attitude and energy levels we choose - are the PRIMARY fuel of any world class performance - and that everything - down to the phone call you just took - and the Tweet you’re about to send - is a form of performance.

Today we pick right back up again where we left off – however this time in a whole new world. Diving straight into…

• Why ‘world class’ always begins where our comfort zones end”
• How your attitude is both your vantage (or disadvantage) point
• Mark’s favourite equation (and lets face it it’s not often you get to discuss mathematics with a Rockstar): A x B = C (Attitude x Behaviour = Consequence)
• How to embrace the fact that you always have the ability to respond – even (and especially) when situations feel out of your control
• How Mark had to take a huge dose of his own advice in 2020 – when all his events, concerts and sources of income were cancelled within 48 hours
• Why it’s not about WHAT (you say/play) but HOW (you say/play it) – in other words how you show up and embody the impact your trying to have
• And why Clarity + Capability + Competence …. are three steps to top performance

What I want to you to reflect on while listening to our conversation is exactly that – if the lights came on, the music started - and tens of thousands of people were about to watch you perform. How would you show up? Now turn off the lights, take away the audience and remove any element of certainty you had about the future – could you show up just as hard?

With that, I’ll leave you to soak up the most curious, unstoppable, infectious human being that I ever met. The Rockstar himself – Mark Schulman.  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re going on a deep dive into the sticky subject of power. What it looks like, where it lives – and how we can access it – deliberately and specifically - to create more impact, choice and authority in our lives.

If there’s two questions that have followed me throughout my career its these – firstly, how do you create influence? Is there a blueprint to owning your space in an industry, room or conversation – in such a way that you become the undisputed trusted authority.

And secondly – is it possible to communicate with power and certainty - without being perceived as cold, aggressive or unapproachable?

This conversation answers both of those questions.

My guest today is Deborah Gruenfeld, social psychologist, Stanford Professor, in demand keynote speaker and author of ‘Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful than We Believe’. What I love about her book is that it puts to bed the story that there are two kinds of people in world: those who have power, and those who don't. Instead coming to the eye opening conclusion that we all actually have far more power than we think. 

Therefore making success not about how much power we have - but rather how we use it. 

In this conversation we dive into:

• Why in your next interaction or presentation - you have 100 milliseconds before we decide whether or not you are competent – and what to do to make them count
• Why most of us prepare for any big moment by focusing on what we want to say – when only 7% of the impact we make is actually based on our words!
• The body language of power – how to move been playing high – a projection of authority – and playing low – a state where we are more connected and approachable. And why the real power lies in our ability to move between the two effortlessly and consciously.
• The keys to gravitas – and why the answer might just lie in the world of flamenco 
• Our perceptions and behaviour towards women in power – and how body language is the most effective way to offset negative assumptions. These insights are incredible tools to either use – or share with the women you either manage, mentor or love.
• And finally, why being responsible for our state – and our ability to change it – has nothing to do with being inauthentic or changing the entire essence of who we are. But instead owning the fact that we have choice – in any moment – about which aspects of ourselves we choose to dial up. 

As a point of reflection while you listen to this conversation. If 2021 is going to be anything – I think we can all pretty much agree that it’s going to be a year of uncertainty. And, if history and politics have taught us anything, it’s that during uncertain times - our natural inclination as human beings is to avoid risk by seeking out those who communicate their ideas with power and certainty. Basically, we gravitate towards those we perceive as the trusted authorities. 

So now – as we close down on 2020 – it’s the perfect time to get curious about your current relationship with your own power. Where do you step into it? Where do you actively avoid it? Where do you overuse it? And where could you start to share it? 

All choice lives in awareness – and believe me our personal power is no different.

On that note, sit back, stride out, steer carefully – or just sip a cup of coffee - and enjoy my conversation with the literal powerhouse that is Deborah Gruenfeld.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My next guest is James Kerr -  the only person that has ever been allowed to go behind the curtain with the All Blacks -, to study what it is that makes them such an unrivalled force in the sporting world.

He has spent most of his professional career studying the culture, patterns and habits of the world’s top performers including the Navy Seals, Manchester City FC and obviously the All Blacks - the fascinating insights of which became part of his widely acclaimed book Legacy.

It’s his belief, that by unpacking what it is that makes generations of these teams so extraordinary, we can all learn to become better leaders – of ourselves, our teams and our chosen playing fields.

Background to how it came about… 

Jules – can you add how you stumbled on James?

And so that’s how James and I found ourselves sitting down over a dodgy internet connection, he sat by an exotic pool in Bali and me sat in my makeshift studio surrounded by empty cups of tea, trying not to be jealous of said exotic pool.

I think it’s pretty clear to anyone who has ever heard of the All Blacks, which let’s face it, is everyone, why I would be so keen to sit down with the man who’s spent more time studying them up close than anyone out there – as a team, they are the pin ups of high performance, from the moment they step onto the pitch, to the ground shaking impact of the Hakka, to what happens even in the changing room - the influence they have over themselves, each other and their opponents is mesmerising. 

Now I’m not traditional known as a follower of sport, being surprised by the layers of Influence these players master on a day to day basis. From self influence, not letting high stakes situations crush you, to the influence of the collective, working together towards a higher order purpose as a team.

James summed it up well when he said that the entire team has a mission that they strive towards that is talked about at every team meeting, and at every game and that is, to leave the jersey in a better place than when you first put it on.

It’s this that I think will be the most powerful takeaway as you listen to James talk – a higher order purpose, bigger than one individual ego or performance, brought to life by captivating stories and delivered daily through habits and rituals is really the difference between an All Black, and – basically - everyone else.

So what can we learn if we want to become the All black of our own space?

In this episode we dive deep into:

• Intensity vs. hustle – how to shoot for your goals without your team burning out
• Mental tricks for standing your ground – the tools players use to keep a cool head on the field and how these can work in your high stakes situations
• The power of totems – why there are wine gums in every All Blacks locker room  
• Fierce Rituals – how the Haka has never lost its spine chilling power 
• Shared mission – why the man who lays out the jerseys is as important as the men who wear them

I’m confident that you’ll walk away from our time spent together today armed with the tools you need to set an intention, create a culture and operate at peak performance in a way that allows you to create your own legacy  whatever you're playing field.

So sit back – or sit up straight if you’re driving – and enjoy my interview with James Kerr, peeling back the curtain and giving you unfiltered access to the sporting legends that are The All Blacks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now, what if I told you that I could capture your attention in 30 seconds or less. Then convert that attention into engagement so great – that you would voluntarily spend an hour of your day – every day – consuming my product. Then add to that maybe another hour of your day talking about my product to your friends, family, online networks. And then – and here’s the kicker – what if I told you I could turn that engagement into action - to the tunes of millions of dollars in revenue - in the space of one week? And I would do that by persuading you to spend your own money to vote on the fate of a group of people that you don’t know – in a situation that doesn’t impact you or your life in the slightest? And what if I could do that every week? Week after week. In various different forms. To the tune of 8 billion interactions and counting.

So here’s the question - is that a formula you would be interested in knowing? My answer is a big fat yes. 

I’m talking of course about reality television. Now before you roll your eyes, and believe me I get it - let’s get real about the influence it wields. In the UK, more young people voted in the final of Britain’s Got Talent, than voted in the most recent general election. I’ll give you a second with that one. As a content tool, it exists within and shapes more conversations than the news. And as a force – it literally redefined the concept of celebrity and shaped an entire generation of attention spans. 

And on that note – I arrive at today’s guest.

Marion Farrelly created, built and produced some of the most influential reality TV shows on the planet. Shows such as The X Factor, Big Brother, Celebrity Apprentice, Dancing with the Stars, The Farmer Wants a Wife. Her content has been watched more than eight billion times worldwide and she’s put more than ten thousand people on stage, who were then watched by hundreds of millions. 

She’s worked with everyone from Hollywood A listers to Astronauts, Politicians to Popstars, Cyber Security Specialists and CEOs. Having recognised one thing very early in her career - that the people who were world-class, charismatic and utterly influential, all had one thing in common – The X Factor. 

In today’s conversation we get into:

• The X-Factor – what it is, what it looks like and how to harness it from the fist moment – whether in a pitch, a video, or walking onto a stage. Casted over 12,000 people.
• The formula for turning engagement to action; i.e. getting people to ‘vote’ - either with their time, attention or money. 
• The power of ‘sticky information’ i.e. how to have the largest impact with the least possible words.
• The A, B, C & D of presenting yourself in the best possible way whenever you’re required to step up. 
• How to cut out the white noise; every industry has white noise – the words everybody else uses
• The difference between hoping something will happen – and making it happen. 
• And, in what has been possibly the most obvious and yet insightful piece of advice in the history of this podcast. Why the antidote to stage fright is one simple sentence: ‘no one knows what you’re going to say and so therefore, you can’t get it wrong’. Sounds obvious, but believe me it’s worth spending some time with that one the next time you feel any fear around using our voice. 

I’ve known Maz for a little while now. Other than being as brilliant as she is wholehearted. The reason I asked her on the show is really simple – I really believe that if you took everything she knows - about the levers behind attention, influence and action – and how to pull them – and then injected it into a brand or political party. It would rewrite the playing field.

Imagine an election campaign so compelling you would pay to vote? Hard right? Hopefully not so hard by the end of this episode.

So, turn on, tune in, put down the hashtags and enjoy my chat with the explosion of energy that is Marion Farrelly... 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now, hands up if you have a set routine whilst listening to this podcast. Maybe you listen whilst you’re in the gym or on your commute?

Obviously, if you’re listening to this at the time of publishing – when most of us are in lockdown due to the Covid 19 pandemic - you’re not at the gym and your commute is probably a traffic-free 10 second stroll to the kitchen table. So, in that scenario, it’s likely that your podcast listening habit has shifted or changed. And if that habit has changed, then I imagine, like me, most of your other habits are either completely out the window or drastically re-engineered. 

And… I’d take a guess that you’re probably forming new habits for this new landscape; some good (like spending more time with your family and finally reading those books you’ve been meaning to get to), and some, like the daily baking of banana bread and drinking of red wine -  potentially bad. 

As the saying goes, we are creatures of habit. Habits ground us, they lead us, they calm us. According to researchers at Duke University, they also account for 40 percent of our daily behaviour.  So what happens when all our usual habits disappear – or become impossible? 

Although unsettling (which is a just a fancy way of saying a cause for being either frozen, frantic or freaking out), it can also present us with a massive opportunity to upgrade. To bed down new habits – atomic habits - that can become the foundations of whatever comes next.

In times of crisis we are either catastrophic or catalytic – The habits we develop during this time – they will become the catalysts to who we become next.

So, all you need to do to improve your habits; is put in some good new ones, remove the bad old ones. Easy, right? Well, it’s easier than you think, and my guest for this episode can help you... 1% at a time. 

James Clear is the author of New York Times Best Seller: ‘Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones’. The central question to James’ work both in the book and on his website and (EXCELLENT) newsletter is: how can we live better? And as I’ve said, our habits are the foundation to how we answer that question.

So what is an Atomic Habit? They are small 1% improvements in behavior that, over time, compound into full-blown transformation. And this isn’t just about ‘will power’ and ‘mind over matter’. This is about removing the mental load of intending to get something done every day – and beating yourself up when you don’t – into creating micro habits that you can achieve easily, consistently – and eventually automatically.

In this episode we talk about: 

●  Forming and enforcing new habits in this new environment - and what four things you need to focus on to cement those new habits. 


●  How to make the immediate outcome of your habit satisfying – even when the greatest returns may feel in the distant future – i.e. developing killer abs.

●  The vital practices of Habit stacking and habit squashing - and how to master both. 


●  Why identity always trumps motivation when the going gets tough. First asking yourself “Who is the type of person I want to become?” and “What would they do right now”?

• And Warren Buffet’s two-list rule; how the most dangerous things on your to-do this are the ‘good’ uses of your time (and also that you're a rose bush and not a tree, but that’ll make a lot more sense later). 

I could go on with the sound bytes as this episode is packed with them, but perhaps the most striking insight for me, is that ‘every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become’. If you sit with that one sentence for long enough – other than potentially regretting that last bottle of wine – it brings every decision you make from here into blinding clarity.

So, pick a chair, corner of the garden or just get comfy into whatever your life in lockdown looks like – and enjoy my conversation with James Clear.... 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So here we are, 2021 has to be one of the most eagerly anticipated years of recent times, and today’s episode marks 100 episodes into the Inside Influence journey. 

You know, honestly, I'm a little bit in shock with that last one. Three years ago, Inside Influence started out over dinner with a friend, we were talking about how the tools of influence had changed over the last decade. How we had watched the pyramid of influence completely turn on its head. 

These shifts had taken us from an analog to a digital world. From those with a platform having the power and the voice - to those with an iPhone. From brands being the central holder and focus of attention - to human beings. From the information age - to a world of Epic storytelling. From success equating currency in the bank - to success literally now being valued on the currents of attention and engagement you're able to command. 

I can still remember the day when we press go on the first episode. Since then we've been on a ride that I could not have imagined. Diving deep into the world of global movements, WWF wrestling (that was a trip), the underbelly of Hollywood, FBI hostage negotiation, Unskippable storytelling and presidential politics. Throughout it all, the single point of focus has not changed – that being trying to decode this new age of influence. Essentially, unpacking exactly what is it that makes the people, movements or ideas of this new age utterly and truly compelling.

So for this episode, in case you've not guessed already, it's just me. I'm flying solo. I wanted to take a moment to just reflect on some of the lessons I've learned over the past hundred episodes. And not only that, but some of the core lessons I've seen play out and take quantum leaps over the past 12 to 24 months. 

However, before I do, it feels appropriate and somewhat necessary to me to take a moment just to acknowledge the year that has been. 

We started 2020 on a trajectory that changed very quickly. I remember when lockdown first happened, when our businesses, careers, lives and families first underwent this giant shift. In the beginning, all I can remember thinking was - I don't know what to say. I was being asked to speak on podcasts, interviewed for magazines and to be honest I felt like a fraud. The predominant voice in my head just kept saying the same words - I don't know what to say. I felt like I just needed to shut up and listen, because I didn’t have the words to describe this moment. I didn't have the words to be useful. I didn’t have the words to translate this in a way that I felt was helpful. 

And so that's what I did. I listened and it soon became apparent that nobody really knew what to say. And for me, as someone who defines my world through words, that was deeply unsettling. I think it was deeply unsettling for most of us. In particular, those in leadership positions, where you have people or communities looking to you to find the right words.

It felt like we’d been rugby tackled off the road well-travelled and onto a dirt track, where nobody had a map or suitable shoes. Even the boldest amongst us stumbled as much, if not more, than we stood. And so it opened a different conversation. I got to watch a new conversation unravel and unfold, and that was one of bravery. 

This conversation became one of showing up - one of pulling close our communities, businesses, competition and communities. And one that, as I started to watch it unfold, began to amplify the speed and importance of the trends that, interestingly enough, we had already been uncovering in this podcast. These are the lessons I want to talk a little bit about in this episode

In essence, it turns out that the right words don't matter as much as consistently showing up. It also turns out that relying on fear as a tool of persuasion can get you a very long way, a very long way, but not all the way. It also turns out that becoming fluent in the questions of those you are there to lead or serve, is way more important than being seen to have all of the answers. 

Now, as I recorded this, a third wave of COVID-19 was predicted to hit Sydney. It’s no longer shocking, and any adrenaline we had left has gone. Now it's about how quickly we can reset. How quickly we can reframe. How quickly we can focus on what is coming next, assuming and surrendering to the fact that it will probably contain just as many curveballs, if not more, than last year.

So, that takes us back to where we began, where Inside Influence began 100 episodes ago. What can we double down on if we want to expand our sphere of influence? I've framed the five points within this episode as the Five Flips – the five essential shifts in thinking, strategy and mindset - that will be needed in order to stand out and own the power of our influence in 2021 and beyond.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever caught yourself wondering if you’re the right person for the job? I’m talking about that feeling that eventually - everyone is going to figure out that you’re making it up as you go along. That questioning how you even found yourself in the position you are, doing the things that you’re doing? Wondering when (not if) anyones eventually going to ‘find you out’?

And secondly - here’s the biggie - have these thoughts ever stopped you from shooting for something - or asking for something - that really mattered?

Today’s topic is a deeply personal one for me...

I know for me there has been countless times in my life, not just my career, where I’ve thought to myself “”? And now that you’re here, how on earth are you going to pull this off?” 

As a mum, a founder, a speaker, my inner voice can sometimes be deafening than the sound of the busy-ness, even louder than the sound of the triumph, can I probably don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times my inner voice has been loud enough to stop me at the last minute from taking a dive into something beautiful.

That’s what makes today’s podcast guest and conversation, such a deeply personal one for me, because I know the grips that Imposter Syndrome has had on me in the past, and I’m sure for you as well, and 

So - as one of the first in the year - I went on a mission to find the No 1. Voice on the planet on imposter syndrome.

Find we did - and her name is Valerie Young, 

Valerie has spoken at some of the world’s largest and most diverse organizations as Apple, Chrysler, Boeing, Microsoft, IBM, Facebook, BP, Google, TED - and the list just keeps going - as well as at over 85 colleges and universities including Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and Oxford.

I...:

• Just exactly how far-reaching the effects of imposter syndrome are - here’s a clue it doesn’t belong to an age group or a gender - in fact - the further up the tree you go - the more likely you are to deal with it
• What it can do, to even the most capable of people - and why it’s vital that we learn to deal with it or miss out on vast amounts of potential
• The tools to re-frame that voice in our heads when it appears - to literally take the ‘freeze effect’ and use it as fuel
• Developing new responses to failure and mistake making - this one has been huge for me this past year. Starting with my conversation with Mark Schulman - drummer for Pink and the phrase ‘Am I free to fail?’
• Why the belief that we are imposters relies on one fundamentally untrue assumption
• And what to do when we feel that cycle of self-doubt kick in

This was one of those conversations, that started out for me - and hopefully will continue to gain traction as we start discussing - in more and more places - and certainly on this podcast - the stories that keep us small - in business, in society and in life - and ways to flip that narrative to make the largest contribution we’re capable of making.

And that involves first believing that we deserve to be there.

So grab your favorite biscuits, I’m all in on Tim Tams at the moment - make sure you’ve got your pen and paper handy - and let 2020 be the year you finally let that imposter go. 

Enjoy my conversation with - Valerie Young. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s we’re going to dive into that last word – Nation.

What does it take to write a speech so captivating - so compelling – that it has the ability to stop a Nation in its tracks? Make the planet literally sit up and pay attention – or define an entire moment in history for generations to come. Would it be fair to say that the writing of that speech would take a level of mastery that’s worth knowing?

I’ve worked with speakers and presenters for twenty years. And this bit, the crafting of the story itself – what’s too much – what’s not enough – what’s too simple – what’s too complex – what does justice to the ideas – and what will just get lost amongst the noise. That’s always the most underestimated part. Presentations skills you can learn – an instinct for the unparalleled power of words – that’s a level of mastery that takes years or decades to develop. 

Unless… of course… you learn from the best.

My guest today is exactly that. Someone I have admired for years as THE master of the craft. Keenan is a professional speechwriter who, as Director of Speech Writing for President Obama - has written or edited more than 2,000 speeches for his boss. Including the historical March 2015 speech, when Obama spoke in Selma, Alabama, marking 50 years since "Bloody Sunday". More recently he also worked on Obama’s Democratic National Convention speech, which is still being described by many pundits as a ‘historically unprecedented’. 

So what does that take? Where do you start? What words do you use when there are no words? Or – in moments when every single word counts so much – that each will be dissected a million times by the media. What you’re about to hear is basically a masterclass in compelling communication. 

In this conversation, we dive into… 

• One of the most powerful questions I have ever heard when it comes to owning your space in a room – or an arena… ‘Why are you the only one who can tell this story?’ 
• The importance of starting and ending a speech on purpose - how to grab the audience’s attention from the first word and send them home with a fire to move forward. 
• Transitions and signposting – basically how to move seamlessly from one point to the next without losing your audience.
• Why the best speeches are like jazz – a piece of advice that came from President Obama himself – where the pauses and low notes are what allow the high notes to shine. 
• Why you shouldn’t put anything in a speech that you wouldn’t say to a friend in a bar – try thinking about public policy this way and you’ll get what a mind flip that requires. 
• And surprisingly, and reassuringly, that even for the man who writes to a nation, on some of the most pressing issues of our time... self-doubt and imposter syndrome are par for the course. The question is, can you put them to work for you - rather than letting them run the show.

As a heads up – Cody does make a few references to mass shooting events - in the context of moments where it’s hard to find the words. I’ll leave you to decide how best to take care of yourself and your loved ones in those moments.

What I do want you to reflect on here is that – as always - genius leaves footprints. Think of the last speech you witnessed that left you glued to your chair. That left you utterly committed to taking some action. Can you map out its basic structure? What caught your attention straight out of the gate? What were the core 3-5 points? How did they finished in a way that made sure you took action? Pay attention, all the clues are there.

Oh and finally – if you write anything on a post it note and stick it to your desk today – let it be this: “What’s the story I want to tell – and why am I the only person who can tell it?”

In the meantime, settle back and enjoy my conversation with the incredible mind that is Cody Keenan....

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m going to start today’s introduction with a quote from The Times: “If the vegetable kingdom had a supermodel it would be Kale.”  

You know Kale - the green leafy vegetable that seems to be in everything? Steamed kale, baked kale, kale smoothies, dehydrated kale chips and my personal favourite – kale ice-cream.

For those of you that have been living under a rock – kale has to be the world’s most talked about super food of the past few years. 

In 2014, Whole Foods went from barely stocking Kale to selling 22k bunches per day, and small-time kale chip producers became multi-millionaires practically overnight.

From food to fashion - even Beyoncé sported a Kale sweatshirt in one of her popular music videos.

So, like all things that seemingly come out of nowhere and suddenly become viral – it’s interesting to ask the question – what exactly happened? 

Who started these wheels in motion – how do they feel about what happened next - and more importantly – how on earth did they do it?

So this episode started nearly a year ago – when I hadn’t yet asked myself any of those questions about my morning smoothie. It began with an email from someone call Captain Jack. The rough gist of the email was ‘I love your podcast and – if you haven’t already – you have to talk to a lady called Oberon Sinclair. She made Kale famous’. Full stop.

Now we get a handful of these emails every week – some are interesting – some are down right strange - but there was something about Captain Jack – and the words ‘made Kale famous’ – that I think pretty understandably got me hooked. Pardon the pun.

What followed was a six month conversation from various points around the globe, that led me to become more and more fascinated with the phenomenon that is Oberon Sinclair. 

In simple answer to the question – yes she did single handedly make Kale famous – but how she did it – and why she did it – is a story you have to hear. So here are a few background details…

Oberon is the CEO and founder of the PR and creative agency, My Young Auntie. 

Over the past 20 years, she has collaborated with, consulted for and managed clients including Hermès, Vivienne Westwood, Jack Spade, Converse and Fabergé. On top of all of that she is also widely regarded and known – as the Queen of Kale. 

In this conversation we unpack:

• How to spot – and create trends - by making and creating space in your life for curiosity
• Why deciding to act on that zing – is one of the most powerful decisions you can make in business and in life
• Why she created the American Kale Association – and why it became the vegetable kingdoms best kept secret  
• How to create a network of influence – including creating natural, unforced connections – no faking it until you make it here
• The keys to putting together effective collaborations – including the three step rule - Connect, create, collaborate

What I’d love you to reflect on when listening to this conversation – is how un-linear her journey has been. I think we can often fall into the trap of taking a a+b=c approach to influence – or to building any kind of business, career or movement from scratch. 

From my experience – and from any of the conversations I have had with those that have fire tested the tools – it just doesn’t work that way. It involves trusting your instincts, following the breadcrumbs when they appear, showing up and staying inspired when it feels like you’re on an unexpected detour (aka the whole of 2020). And finally – playing the long game with the people you meet along the way. 

If this conversation feels like it walks down many different paths - it’s because that’s what a truly inspired and influential life often feels like. The question is always our commitment to keep walking.

On that note – sit back, pull out the kale chips and enjoy an insight into the brilliant mind of the Queen of Kale herself – Oberon Sinclair.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s a question – how do you feel about the word charisma?

Does it inspire you? Make you think about world leaders or industry icons – those who are able to inspire others with their words and actions. Does it make you cringe? Feel somehow kind of hollow – like a veneer or side show designed to hide something? Or does it just feel like a super power you either do or do not have.

The honest answer for me – is somehow all of those things. I’ve seen charisma – that illusive magnetic quality – move mountains, raise millions of dollars and build entire organisations from nothing but an idea.

I’ve also seen the traditional definition of charisma – one of flamboyance, volume and a willingness to put on a show - be responsible for keeping some of the most incredible people, ideas and companies on the side lines. Resigned before they begin - by the mistaken belief that they don’t have what it takes to achieve that level of influence.

So much power – for one very little word.

Today’s guest takes that word charisma – and turns it inside out. Rather than an attribute that’s externally referenced – what people think of me, the end result I achieve – he believes it to be something that starts from within. 

He also believes that charisma – and influence – has very little to do with the words that we say – but rather in the space between the words – or non-verbal cues as he calls them.

In other words – he’s someone I had to talk to.

Michael Grinder has over 40 years of experience training thousands of groups. Known as the pioneer of nonverbal communication, Michael helps executives and educators assess people accurately, connect with others deeply, and build their charisma.

He’s written 14 books, which have been translated into seven languages. He’s a sought-after speaker across seven continents. He was also Teacher of the year on three different occasions and a recipient of the 2019 DACH “Mediator of the Year.”

In this conversation we dive into:

• How to avoid being shot as the messenger of bad news – especially if you’re in a leadership position that involves naming the unpopular elephant in the room.
• How to use your breath as a tool to immediately move your body from fight or flight – into a zone of powerful influence.
• Why the cracks in works of great art, hold the key to understanding the two spaces we need to occupy when lifting our charisma
• The role of ‘planting’ when it comes to diffusing conflict – or igniting possibility. GAME CHANGER
• And finally, why there should be a school of unlearning, when it comes to the stories we tell ourselves about our own ability to influence – and the tools we are given (or in many cases not given) to make the leaps in impact we want to make.

If you’re interested in even more tools from Michaels arsenal. Can only cover so many in an audio format – if you want to learn more – I can’t recommend highly enough that you check out Michaels newsletter ( http://michaelgrinder.com/free-charisma ). It’s packed full of tools, videos, resources on every area of this topic.

In this episode, what I’d love you to reflect on – or keep at the back of your mind - is this line that you’ll hear us discuss: ‘If you can’t give solutions, give sanity’. 

I think all too often, as leaders, parents – salespeople – we fall into the solution trap. The idea that our role is to have all the answers. To have a clever strategy, or winning smile, that will make all the uncertainty disappear.

The irony is that – more often than not – the people who look to you – or look up to you – they aren’t even listening. They’re measuring how you hold yourself. They’re reading your body language, your voice, your pauses and the strength and certainty of your presence.

That’s charisma. That’s influence. And those are tools you can learn.

On that note, sit back, cycle on, sharpen your pencil and get ready for a masterclass from one of the legends in his field – Michael Grinder.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are some episodes of this podcast where I feel like I come into the conversation with at least some basic knowledge of the subject or, or the journey we're about to embark on. And then there are others where it's probably equally as new territory for me as it might be for you. And in my experience, those ones, the ones where I have the least experience usually make the best conversations. And they also usually lead to places and nuggets of gold that would be hard for me to reach otherwise. Mainly because I don't come at the conversation with my biases or with my own knowledge or own experiences. I am simply able to sit completely in a beginner's mind. And today is one of those episodes. For a long time, I've had a long running fascination into the mysterious world of archetypes. Now archetypes is not a topic that's discussed often or even a word that's probably often used. But use of archetypes typically has and continues to form the foundation of pretty much every brand identity, advert film storyline, reality TV show or a marketing campaign that you have encountered. Now most of the people who work in those worlds can and do talk about this particular subject at length, but outside those walls, you barely ever hear it mentioned. In fact if you've ever taken any kind of a form of personality test, which as we know form the basis of billions of dollars worth of recruitment and training decisions, you'll basically have been given a giant list of what your archetype is usually in the context of work, and how to make that archetype work for you. 

Now, the simplest way to think about archetypes or how I have come to think about archetypes is they just describe a pattern of behavior that is either permanent ie- I am a Heidi for anyone familiar with the Myers Briggs model of personality testing, or they form a part of a very specific phase of a journey, such as the phase of the journey called the call to adventure in Joseph Campbell's classics hero's journey, which if you haven't heard has been used to design the storylines of pretty much every blockbuster movie of our time. Just think Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

So there has to be a key in here, right? Understanding the world of archetypes would seem to give us some kind of unique vantage point on what makes a story, a human, a political party, movie or leadership team so compelling. Basically why some are successful and why others fail. 

And that, my friends, is a very long rationale as to why I sought out my next guest Pip McKay. 

Pip is a world leading coach, mentor and author on the subject of NLP and breakthrough performance, author of two best selling books ‘The eight principles of achievement, love and happiness’ and ‘Four tribes on Earth’, both of which reached Amazon Number one in the US, Australia, UK, Canada - the list goes on. She is also an expert on archetype or coaching, which is predominantly what we dive into as part of our conversation today. 

In this conversation we cover:-

• What exactly an archetype is and how we can use that understanding to build greater insights into where the leaps in our performance might lay. 
• How to get ourselves unstuck - The four phases of growth, How we move between them, where we often find ourselves, what feels like right back at the beginning, aka Thank you 2020.
• The price of feedback and why powerful vulnerability does not mean standing in front of the firing line alone. 
• The concept of thresholds and click through points, usually describing those moments that feel like freefall, but are in fact, usually an invitation to something else. 
• Why at various times, we all need to learn how to stop blaming and pay the price.

I've thought a lot about this conversation since it was recorded. Strangely enough more than

most and probably my biggest takeaway and something I'd really love you to listen out for. While you're soaking all of this up today is this simple reframe. The next time you're stuck there are usually only ever two ways out of it. The first is to stop beating your head against that brick wall - you know the one and get some support. Now that might be a partner, a coach, a friend or a mentor. Essentially, whatever place it is they won't judge how you got yourself there in the first place. And then the second is to consciously surround yourself with a genuine diversity of perspectives on the where to from here.

As that age old Einstein quote goes “We can't solve our problems with the same thinking that we used to create them.” Now both of these strategies sound really simple, but in my own reflections, and as someone who's been stuck more than my fair share of times it's rare that we do either. On that note sit back, sip on your latte, stride out and enjoy the fascinating mind of one of the true sages in this space, the amazing Pip McKay.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It is better to be feared than loved, if one cannot be both” Niccolo Macchiavelli, Italian philosopher.

As a leader – which would you rather be? For all of us that question brings up different triggers, the desire to be liked, the fear of being seen as a push over. The pain of watching our plans dissolve because we were obviously not compelling enough – in that moment - to as my next guest would describe ‘bend the world to meet our will’.

So what if I told you that you can be both. In fact, what if I told you that the most charismatic, influential and inspirational people in our world are always both. 

Everyone wants to know how to be more influential – it’s the entire focus of this podcast. But most of us don't really think we can have the kind of magnetism or charisma that we associate with someone like Bill Clinton or Oprah Winfrey unless it comes naturally. 

My next guest - John Neffinger believes that this isn't something we have to be born with, it's something we can learn. 

In his excellent book ‘Compelling People – co-authored with XX - They trace the path to influence through a balance of strength and warmth. Each seems simple, but only a few of us figure out the tricky task of projecting both at once. Drawing on cutting-edge social science research as well as their own work with Fortune 500 executives, Presidential candidates, TED speakers and Nobel Prize winners, Compelling People explains how we size each other up - and how we can learn to win the admiration, respect, and affection we desire. 

In this episode we unpack:

• Why words like chemistry and "charisma" are unhelpful. In short because they give us the impression that you either have it or you don’t – and they aren’t just tools that can be learned
• The two critical criteria when it comes to being a compelling force as a leader: strength and warmth. And why EVERY single one of our social judgements are based on those two aspects.
• Managing the dance – cold and warm – what comes first – and how the most charismatic, influential and inspirational people in our world are the ones that move continually and deliberately between those two places.
• His experience working with Hillary Clinton to prepare for her first debates with Donald Trump – you all remember that one. Knowing what happened, how would he prep her now?
• How to deal with interruptions – and yep you guessed it – why the Biden / Trump debate was an ideal case study on how to deal with vocal force.
• And why the job of President is not just to run the country. The job of President is to lead the country. Which means giving voice to people’s sentiments and telling the story of what comes next.

If there’s one thing I’d love you to reflect on while you listen to this conversation – it’s the concept of ‘the tilt’. That your role as a leader – positional or not – is not necessarily to bend the world to meet your will – or to fold at the bendings of other people. It’s stay centered, get still, take a moment if you need to – and feel into what’s out of balance. Then, use the power of your will and intention to tilt back the scales.

On that note, sit back, stride out – pull out the protein bar for those who are still on a NY detox – and soak up the lessons from the front lines of persuasion from the incredible – John Neffinger.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s a question for today – what makes someone trustworthy? What do you look for? If you had to pin it down to a single trait, or indicator, what would it be?

Think about how many people we trust in our lives just for a second – with our vision, our businesses, our children, our finances, the health and wealth of our Nation.

Yet how do we ever really know if someone can be trusted - essentially their moral code – until it’s tested. Essentially until – potentially – it’s too late. 

Which brings me on to my next question, and ultimately the focus of today’s episode. 

Is there a reliable i.e. scientific way that we can predict and therefore design for trustworthy behaviour? A way of being able to trust who we can trust in a way.

Now let’s take that to the next level, if there is. If there are repeatable factors behind trustworthy behaviour – how could we use it to influence ourselves? Our own likelihood of behaving in a way that fits with our intentions – with the vision of the human being we want to be on our best days. 

When I first started diving into this topic, the marriage of combining science with trust seemed like an unlikely one. Human beings are mysteries right? We’re a walking soup of contradictions, hormones and reactions. Any attempt to predict our behaviour usually fails.

And yet – this simple force – trust – is the glue that holds together every single fundamental part of the world that we know. Society, democracy, marriage – they all rely totally upon its existence.

So, it would seem about time that we dived a little deeper into the mechanics of it.

My guest on today’s episode has done exactly that, but he’s also taken it a step further. He’s identified the actual molecule responsible for trust – and found a way it can be used to predict behaviour with up to 80% accuracy.

Paul Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Paul’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea.  All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. 

His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to accelerate business outcomes.  His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the exact neurochemical that drives trust, love, and human morality. 

In todays episode we dive into…

• Why human beings are the only creatures with a fully developed moral code – and how we use it to predict behaviour and essentially keep ourselves safe.
• The moral molecule – what it is, how it works and how it can be harnessed to increase the likelihood of trustworthy behaviour.
• The link between trust and prosperity – and why understanding the science of trust might be the key to alleviating poverty 
• How Pauls career and experience in this field has impacted his own approach to building trust – as both a leader and a parent
• And finally – probably the part that blew me away the most – what all this information tells us about the future of storytelling. Including exactly how to structure a story – in order to trigger the chemicals in the brain that are directly responsible for people taking action.

On reflection, the part of this conversation that probably stuck with me the most is the concept of ‘time ins’ as a trigger.

The essential idea being that when people behave in a way that leads us to disconnect – either as a leader, a partner, a friend or a parent – often our instinct is to give them a time out. Set them apart, make an example, reinforce the rules through separation. In most countries we have based an entire criminal justice system upon this one guiding principle. 

And yet… in many of those occasions, what’s actually needed is a time in. A bringing closer into the fold. An acknowledgement that - given the wrong combination of situations, chemicals, hormones and moments in time – we can all (and will all to varying degrees) lose sight of our best selves.

On that note, hunker down – or hide out somewhere quiet if you’re still in lock down – and soak up both the science and wisdom of the incredible Paul Zak.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the great things about the world of founders and entrepreneurs – and for anyone in that arena you’ll know there are many not so great things – is that you get to choose your landscape. 

No one is going to walk into your office at 2pm on a rainy Tuesday afternoon - and announce that you now work somewhere else, possibly in a different country, leading a whole new team, with a whole new batch of KPI’s, stakeholders and challenges.

Such is the world of the organisational leader. The corporate leader who, entrepreneurial and innovative as he or she may be – still needs to exist within a legacy and structure that is largely out of their hands.

Now don’t get me wrong - that journey also comes with definite advantages – mentors, resources, consistency, a carefully refined playbook – but as we all know, the bigger the ship, the more entrenched the culture and the more stakeholders – the harder it can be to turn around.

Honestly, I’ve never really spent much time on the art of corporate leadership within this podcast – I’ve always owned and run my own businesses so it’s not a world I’m deeply familiar with – plus I’ve tended to believe we can learn more about influence on the fringes - than the centre of business as usual.

But oh how wrong it seems I have been. Flashback to a few months ago, when a publisher colleague of mine handed me a new book about to hit the shelves called: ‘Why it’s not always right to be right: And other hard won leadership lessons’.

Written by Hamish Thomson, it’s a book that beautifully documents the learnings, stories and strategies he learnt during a 30-year journey from (his own words) a fresh-faced account executive in the London advertising scene – to the Regional President and Global Brand head for Mars - one of the most iconic and recognised brands on the planet.

In this conversation we dive hard into:

• The namesake of the book – why as a leader it’s not always right to be right. And what metric successful leaders focus on instead.
• Using the 30% rule to light a fire under any team or target  – anyone that’s looking to get serious traction will want to take some notes here.
• Time on the ball – why those leaders that truly become iconic are those that learn how to stop translating pressure into stress.
• The concept of drains and radiators – and how one conversation in a stairwell can pivot an entire organisation.
• And finally – my personal favorite, so much so that it’s now written on a post-it note on my desk. I’m looking at it right now. How to stop confusing motion with impact.

Probably the piece I have been thinking most about since we recorded this interview, is the part around limiting beliefs. Or upper limit thinking.

You’ll hear Hamish talk a lot about the courage it takes to not only talk about the elephants in the room with his teams – those limiting beliefs about why this will never work, what’s been tried before and how the resources will never stretch that far.

But actually taking it one step further – by placing those beliefs on the table, documenting them, questioning them and agreeing to release them as a team.

Whether you’re a solo start up, an experienced leader or the CEO of a multinational enterprise – that’s a powerful (and visible) commitment to removing whatever blocks stand between where you are - and what’s possible.

On that note, sit back, drive on, stride out and I’ll leave you with the insights of a veteran of leadership – Hamish Thomson.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I want you to imagine for a second that your son or daughter – or niece or nephew if you don’t have children – is your legal guardian.

You need their written permission to open a bank account, get a job, get married, get divorced or leave the country. If something were to happen to them, your ownership would then be passed to someone else.

As part of this system, you’re also not able to leave the house alone, drive, show your face, have your name used in public – the list goes on.

When I first started researching todays episode – I had to take a second with that. What parts of my life right now would be or would have been impossible? How would I navigate the day-to-day practical aspects of just existing?

Having had those freedoms throughout my lifetime, it’s hard if not impossible to imagine having them taken away. Let alone not having them in the first place.

My guest today grew up within such a world. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, a country in which - prior to 2019 - women were not permitted legal guardianship over their own lives – including being (until 2018) the last nation on earth to give women the right to drive.

There have been a number of reforms in women’s rights within Saudi Arabia over the past few years – including women’s right to take guardianship over their own lives after the age of 21 - and an increase in participation of women in the workforce from 20% to 33% within the past two years.

However, pivotal to these reforms, are the women that - in the case of today’s guest -quite literally ‘drove’ that movement. A movement that both divided – and then changed an entire Nation.

My guest today is Manal Al-Sharif. I was first introduced to Manal a few years ago when – in exile from her own country – she moved to Australia. Since then we have stayed in touch, and I have watched in awe as she travelled the world speaking on International stages to talk about her activism – and later her incredible book ‘Daring to Drive’. 

In 2011, Manal co-founded and led the #Women2Drive movement. To challenge the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia. She was arrested and imprisoned for "driving while female" and was released on the condition that she never drive again on Saudi lands and never speak about it.

Ignoring these conditions Manal continued campaigning for #Women2Drive and the  #IAmMyOwnGuardian movement - with the aim to end male guardianship in her country. In June of 2018 the Saudi government lifted the ban on women driving. Manal then went on to start #Faraj, a campaign to help domestic helpers leave jail, and #IAmLama which resulted in codifying the first anti-domestic violence law in Saudi.

As a result of her tireless activism, she was awarded the first Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent. Including being listed as one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people, and Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech.

Manal is a TED and Harvard speaker, she has also spoken for the United Nations, UNESCO, the Obama Summit, Google, Yahoo!, the Oslo Freedom Forum and many others.

In this conversation, I finally had chance to ask some of the questions I had always wanted to ask her. Including:

• The day of her arrest – and what went through her mind as she heard those knocks on her door at 2am, while her 5-year-old son slept upstairs.
• What she learnt about using her voice so publicly - against a structure or system that seemed impenetrable – and how she handled the inevitable backlash.
• What it takes to not only start a movement – but to see it through to its conclusion. We tend to hear a lot about movements in their early stages, but not so much in the months and years later - when those at the frontline are still tirelessly fighting – often without resources, media or financial support.
• How she handles the personal consequences of what happened. Including the impact on her career and her ability to see her children – and how she prepares every day to help her sons understand the decisions she made. Favourite part…
• And why – for a large portion of the planet – we still live in a world driven by ‘rules that were written in our absence”- and what she now understands about how you start to question and then rewrite those rules.

Please be warned that some parts of this interview contain violent language and swearing. So I’ll leave it to you to decide whose ears should be listening.

For me, Manal is one of those individuals that – when she walks into a room – the clocks literally stop. Such is the palpable strength of her presence and conviction.

However, what I’d love you to reflect on here is not necessarily the size of her strength. 

It’s the smaller decisions. The moment by moment – day by day choices to commit and recommit. A favourite quote from the suffragette movement is that it is ‘deeds and not words’ that changes things. What aspect of the world around you right now seems broken, no longer useful or in need of a rewrite?

What deed, however large, could you undertake – or whose deeds can you actively support in the long term – to help get that change made?

That's a question that’s very much on my mind at the moment.

On that note, sit back, cycle on, stride out, drive safe and enjoy my conversation with the undeniable force that is Manal Al-Sharif.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gautam Mishra - The Future of the News: Truth, trust and how to turn this ship around

We are drowning in news, fake and otherwise. And our time, energy, and mental health is suffering as a result. During the initial lockdowns last year, I found myself 'opting out'. I was overwhelmed.

But as influencers, we need to stay engaged and focused. And we need to be deliberate about the news we watch and listen to. We need to make it a habit. Avoiding the news is not the answer.

Where do you go to get your news? What news should you pay attention to?

On today’s Inside Influence Podcast episode, we talk to Gautam Mishra the founder of Inkl.

Gautam talks about why he founded Inkl, the importance of getting the right news, and the future of the industry. He also advises on how to stay informed and balanced while avoiding the traps of social media.

Inkl is a premium news service that uses an algorithm to recommend stories from over 100+ trusted global sources like The Economist and The Guardian. It recommends stories based on news value (as determined by the publishers themselves) rather than what is trending. It also presents alternative voices to its stories, “Good News”, and original journalism. It has been called the “Spotify for news”.

During the pandemic, Inkl has seen its revenues double as people have turned to quality news sources. Publishers like Inkl because it pays a higher rate than normal online advertising.

Today’s Guest Gautam Mishra

Schooled in Kolkata, Gautam went to university in the US and graduated with an MBA from the Wharton Business School.

Even as a boy, Gautam was a news tragic. He wrote stories for his local newspaper and was editor of his school newspaper. While at Wharton he helped edit the Wharton Journal.

Moving to Australia he became General Manager for Strategy, Data, and Research for Fairfax Media, owner of the leading national newspapers, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

While at Fairfax he became an expert in paywalls and who and why people were paying for news.

In 2013, he left Fairfax to co-found AirShr (an interactive radio app) and Inkl. Today, he is the CEO of Inkl. 

Website: https://www.inkl.com/

Facebook: @inklcom

Twitter: jeamish

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jeamish

“There are not many parallels for this in history where the value of a customer has collapsed by 99 percent and the business has survived it.” Gautam Mishra.

You’ll learn

• As readers there has been an explosion in the number of topics and sources we follow.
• Social media algorithms give us information we already know and love. News platform algorithms are designed to give us information we don’t already know but need to know.
• Social media is great for sharing news articles but as an open platform it is not good at checking their veracity.  
• A lot of news we now read or even pictures we see come from unknown sources with undeclared biases. This makes it harder for us to process the information.This is why providence is important.
• Since the introduction of the internet, the revenues of newspapers have collapsed by something like 99 percent.
• Online advertising is not working. People are not logging on to news websites. Google and Facebook attract the lion’s share of online advertising, and the small size of mobile phone screens make online advertising difficult.
• News platforms are moving to subscription models, which provide revenues per user a hundred times greater than online advertising. 
• The importance of providing people with sufficient information on their path to conviction over an issue.

References and links mentioned

• BBC Article mentioned in the intro - How the news changes the way we think and behave
• Substack - newsletter service
• Future Crunch -  new learning experiences for key new knowledge (my podcast episode with Future Crunch)
• For anyone who wants to explore Inkl further after listening to this conversation, Gautam has offered a 14 day free trial to all Influence Insiders. You can access it via this URL: http://www.inkl.com/julie-masters.

Also, don’t forget to hop on and download my new ebook The Influencer Code which is available on my website juliemasters.com. 

Subscribe To & Review The Inside Influence Podcast

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Inside Influence Podcast! If the information in my conversations and interviews have helped you in your business journey, please head over to iTunes, subscribe to the show, and leave an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver great, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more amazing people just like you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guy Kawasaki - The Art of Evangelism: Mastery, mantras and nailing the pitch

Is your elevator pitch letting you down? The world is full of the “best” and “revolutionary” so how can you make your product or company cut through?

On today’s Inside Influence Podcast episode, we talk to the former chief evangelist at Apple and current chief evangelist for Canva Guy Kawasaki about how to be an evangelist for your product or company.

Guy shares stories from his journey as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and tech evangelist with practical tips that founders, business owners, and employees can apply to their organisation.

Guy learnt from the best but has a passion to share his lessons with others wanting to get started. 

Today’s Guest: Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and former chief evangelist at Apple. He is an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley), and an adjunct professor of the University of New South Wales. He is also a former trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. 

Guy was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

After working for an education software company, his Stanford roommate got him a job at Apple in 1983. At Apple, he promoted Macintosh to software developers. He ended up working for Apple twice and turned Steve Jobs down for a third stint.

After leaving Apple (the first time), he started two software companies and VC firm Garage Technology Ventures.  

He has written fourteen books including Wise Guy, The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, and Enchantment. He is also a popular speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship, and product evangelism.

He hosts a podcast called “Remarkable People” where he interviews amazing people from all walks of life.

Website: https://guykawasaki.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GuyKawasaki

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki/

“Everybody is using the same adjectives so if you want to position yourself as unique and valuable you have to really articulate why you are unique and valuable”.

“It’s not where you start but how fast you move”.

You will learn

• How to identify “solid-gold” products or people using the “Unique by Valuable” matrix
• That showing (i.e. a demo), is more powerful than telling someone about your product
• How to localise your product - personalising your pitch and marketing
• How to optimise your 30-second elevator pitch - mantras rather than mission statements (for a 3-minute pitch check out Julie’s Podcast with successful film director Brant Pinvidic)
• Whether your product is a “vitamin” or a “pain-killer”
• The ideal format for a pitch deck
• How to become an evangelist 
• What does “drawing on a bullseye last” means in terms of failure and success
• How to make an “ask”
• What the ultimate purpose of an organisation should be

References and links mentioned

• Canva
• Mac-Apple
• The history of Apple Macintosh
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell - 10,000-hour rule
• Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Jane Goodall
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Subscribe to and Review the Inside Influence Podcast

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Inside Influence Podcast! If the information in my conversations and interviews have helped you in your business journey, please head over to iTunes, subscribe to the show, and leave an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver great, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more amazing people just like you!

Also, don’t forget to hop on and download my new ebook The Influencer Code which is available on my website juliemasters.com. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.