The Idea Climbing Podcast (Mark J. Carter )

Mentoring can seem confusing and ambiguous without guidance. In this episode you'll learn how to avoid common mentoring pitfalls and how to create meaningful, successful mentoring relationships. ABOUT TROY HENIKOFF Troy is a seasoned entrepreneur and VC who has built multiple successful technology-based businesses from the ground-up over a 30+ year period. He is the former Managing Director of TechStars Chicago. With one foot firmly rooted in technology and the other firmly rooted in business he seamlessly bridges the divide between business and technology to create profitable organizations quickly. Troy excels in situations where innovation and creativity are required to solve real business problems.

In this episode of the Idea Climbing™ podcast I interview successful entrepreneur James Carbary about what he calls "Content-Based Networking" and how he uses it to grow his business. When many people start a podcast they're focused on the number of downloads. Yes, that's important BUT there's a much more valuable opportunity at hand. Your podcast can be a way to build your business. You need to know who your target market is for your clients and also referral sources. Get clear about those people and then invite THEM to be guests on your podcast. That's a great way to start or foster relationships. When you do that you're leveraging the relationships with your guests and driving business results, not focusing primarily on downloads. This also works when you're interviewing people for videos and written content. We discuss in detail how you can easily and successfully kick of your own Content-Based Networking campaign! About The Guest   JAMES CARBARY is the founder of Sweet Fish Media, a podcast agency for B2B brands. He’s a contributor for Entrepreneur.com and he also co-hosts a top-ranked podcast according to Forbes: B2B Growth. When James isn’t interviewing the smartest minds in B2B marketing, he’s drinking Cherry Coke Zero, eating Swedish Fish, and hanging out with the most incredible woman on the planet (who he somehow talked into marrying him).

In this  episode I speak with Hassan Akmal from Columbia University in New York. This 7 minute interview debunks mentoring myths and gives you tools to create amazing mentorship experiences. "Mentoring" can be confusing, it's MUCH more than just "having coffee and sharing stories". When done right it can change lives. Hassan was fortunate enough to start experiencing mentoring at a very young age, but some people aren't as fortunate. We discuss how to remedy not having a mentor in your life. Hassan shares how tough love plays a role in mentoring and should be embraced so that you can learn faster than you ever could on your own. We also discuss the need for MULTIPLE mentors because each one will share different advice and give you a deeper well of knowledge to draw from. Hassan shares some experiences from his previous role as Director of Career Services at Loyola University's Quinlan School of Business and lessons that you can learn from his tenure there including the role that leadership plays in mentorship. A fun fact? You can have a mentor and not even realize that they are a mentor (and vice-versa) because the both of you are just looking at the conversations as getting and receiving help and not as a formal mentoring relationship. Whatever the relationship great mentors are great listeners. They listen, probe BUT they make YOU make the decision and take action. A key message? Everyone needs a mentor!   About the guest: Hassan Akmal, MBA, MPH, is the Inaugural Executive Director of Industry Relations and Career Strategies and Founder of the Career esign Lab at Columbia University. An alumnus of Columbia University, Akmal blazed a successful path as a visionary, Career Thought Leader, Chair of Career Education, and Director of Career Services at several universities in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. He is a former professional tennis player and International Athlete Ambassador to the United States, and serves on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) “Future of We” — Think Tank Committee. Additionally, he spearheaded Columbia’s “Career Week” —a five-day premier conference on the future of meaningful work, one of the largest career center events in the nation culminating with a Future of Career Services symposium. With over 10 years’ experience leading career and professional development, Akmal teaches individuals the importance of capturing their career and life vision, elevating personal brand in multi-layered social media, leveraging self-awareness, and purpose alignment—he believes these elements are both the keys to maximizing career and the means of self-fulfillment. He is the Author of the Amazon Best-Selling Book—How to be a How to be a Career Mastermind™: Discover 7 "YOU Matter" Lenses for a Life of Purpose, Impact, and Meaningful Work. Akmal hosts exclusive global Career Mastermind™ Groups 3x/year that historically sell-out.

In this episode of the Idea Climbing™ podcast I interview founder and managing partner of a venture capital firm, Jason Jacobsohn. You’ll learn why mentoring is a two-way street and how both parties can benefit from one another. Key point: It’s not an “age issue”, an older person can learn from a younger person and vice-versa. There should be a learning experience going on for both sides. Successful mentoring relationships grow into long term relationships when both sides get value from the relationship. How Can Mentees Give Back? First, mentees should show a genuine interest in the mentor. They should be seeking ways to help the mentor with feedback and possible connections. Sometimes just being a mentee is enough – the mentor wants to give back because someone helped THEM at some point in their career and now, they want to help someone else with THEIR career. To make that happen the mentee has to take ACTION with what the advice that their mentor gives them and then report back with the new results that they’ve achieved and bring more questions to the table to continue the mentoring conversation. This lets the mentor know that their mentee is serious about the relationship. There’s No Quick Fix A mentoring relationship can’t be forced for quick results. It gradually happens over time as trust is built. In the case of Founder Institute, as time goes on mentors become more actively engaged with the companies and continue to provide invaluable guidance as the startups grow. As the mentees continue to take action with their mentors’ guidance, they get to know each other personally, and trust is formed. That’s when mentoring relationships start to thrive. Getting Started If you want to create successful mentoring relationships, you need to reach out to people and ASK for help. The worst thing that can happen is that you hear “no”. The best thing that can happen is that the trajectory of your professional life is changed for the better. Listen In! Listen to the podcast to learn more strategies that you can put into place to create successful mentoring experiences and relationships! About The Interviewee Jason Jacobsohn is well known in the Chicago area as a “connector” and go-to person for entrepreneurs who want to grow and maintain their success.  Currently, Jason is the Founder and Managing Partner of Propellant Ventures, which is an early-stage venture capital firm that boldly invests in a broad range of innovative companies in underserved and undervalued regions across the U.S. Prior to launching Propellant Ventures, he was a Principal at Bascom Ventures, which is a private, for-profit venture capital fund for Wisconsin alumni that invests in seed, growth, and later stage companies with a Wisconsin alumni connection.  In addition, Jason launched and currently runs the Chicago chapter of Founder Institute, which is the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator, with chapters across 180+ cities around the world. For most of his career, he has provided venture development services to align emerging businesses with resources for growth.  Jason is looking to meet like-minded people who share his passion and interest in the entrepreneurship and investment communities.

10 years ago, Andy Kaufman stumbled into podcasting. At first, he thought it might be a good way to increase his marketing outreach. It did help with that over time, but there was a bigger lesson learned that he shares here. 10 years later the biggest benefit of the podcast Andy realized was the learning experience. By inviting people that he admired to be interviewed for his podcast he got to meet people and learn from people that he otherwise wouldn’t have met. His podcast became a calling card to authors, thought leaders and more. His podcast also created what Andy calls a “forcing function” for learning. At first, he didn’t read the entire book of the author that he would be interviewing, he would skim it at best. Then he started reading the entire book of each guest before the interview and his energy changed. He and the guest were more engaged and shared more ideas. Learning lead to business results too. Some of the best materials for Andy’s trainings and keynotes come from ideas shared during his podcasts. He regularly gets unsolicited offers for speaking engagements from listeners of his podcast. Through the podcast people can “get to know Andy”, his personality and his expertise enough that they reach out to hire him. How to Reach Out to Potential Guests Andy makes it look easy to get guests on his show. It is and it isn’t, especially when you’re getting started.  One tip for getting authors, especially the bigger names? Search Amazon for books that are going to be released in the next quarter and reach out to the authors BEFORE their book launches. That’s when they’re most interested in marketing themselves and their book. Publishers tend not to help much, if at all, with marketing so you’re adding value to the authors’ lives when you share their ideas in your podcast. How do you know what guests to reach out to? Pick a niche to go after and stick with it. Andy’s sweet spot is the intersection between project management and leadership. Decide what you’re most passionate about and find guests in that niche. Another benefit of the interview style of podcasting is that you’re not giving YOUR content away for free. Showcase the genius of your guests. This will bring you listeners in your niche and get you “introduced” to them. When they learn about you and what problems you solve, they might decide to hire you. In Andy’s case he gets paid to teach within the intersection of project management and leadership. Listen In! Andy gets into a lot more detail about how to find and engage with guests, how to asks questions that get them to tell stories and how to have a much more meaningful and successful podcast overall whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been at it for years. You’ll also learn more ways to leverage podcasting to grow your business faster than you could without it. About the Guest Andy Kaufman is a recognized expert on leadership and project management, helping organizations around the world improve their ability to lead and deliver. Andy works with leaders at the United Nations and other global clients to improve their ability to deliver on their initiatives. Before becoming an internationally sought-after speaker, Andy started as a software developer and was promoted into management for all the wrong reasons! He is the author of three books and host of the acclaimed People and Projects Podcast (https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com or any podcast app), which provides free PDUs through interviews and insights for his global listeners. To learn more about Andy's keynotes and workshops, check out https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes.

As a professional speaker, developing new business can be a challenge sometimes. It’s easy to get stuck. I recently spoke with Lynne Franklin, a 10+ year professional speaking veteran with over three million views of her TEDx talk, about how you can get unstuck, move forward and successfully develop new business. Getting Unstuck While Developing New Business When things get tough and you’re developing business fast enough you need to take action, not just think about taking action. A lot of times changing things is as simple as picking up the phone and calling someone to say “I’m not having a good day; I could use a little inspiration. What have you done that’s worked well or what has helped you turn the corner during tough times?” Hearing their story and sharing yours changes your energy level which is a great start to changing your situation. Changing your energy level makes it easier to pick up the phone and make that next sales call. Leveraging Networking Events To Build Your Business Lynne doesn’t go to networking events with the goal of finding new business. The goal that she sets for herself in advance is having three interesting conversations and the contact information of one person that she’d like to meet again. How does this help your sales process? People do business with people that they know, like and trust. Build a relationship FIRST and then ask for business LATER. You'll get a much better response that way. Listen In! In this interview Lynne goes into more detail about getting unstuck, building relationships and building your business as a professional speaker. About The Guest After a boy threatened to kill her with a machete, Lynne Franklin started learning all she could about persuasion. She’s a neuroscience nerd: translating how the brain works into practical, easy-to-use communication tools. Leaders and teams work with Lynne to advance their careers by building more rapport, creating more trust, and attracting more opportunities. Her TEDx Talk, on how to be a mind reader, went viral with over 3 million views (http://bit.ly/2C9CE3G). Lynne is a consultant, speaker and trainer, and past president of the National Speakers Association Illinois Chapter. She wrote Getting Others To Do What You Want and is working on her next book—Leaders on Rapport: Secrets to Creating Successful Connections.

Michael Drew went from being homeless and selling drugs to becoming a publisher and an esteemed and in demand business book marketer. He’s helped 99 books become bestsellers – 90 of those are now New York Times bestsellers. Over a 21-year career he’s got the process down to a very successful science which he shares in this interview. The Numbers Michael dispels some myths about becoming a bestseller and sheds light on the process. One of the first things he shares is that not every book that is sold is counted towards becoming a bestseller – which means you have to sell a LOT of books to make up for the ones that aren’t counted. Each retailer, online and offline, has stringent standards that need to be met if you want to make the bestseller lists. You need to understand those standards and work within them when you launch your book. Michael describes the standards and numbers you need to hit in detail during our interview. Your Marketing Strategy We then go on to discuss why you need to start implementing your marketing strategy while you’re writing your book; don’t wait until you get a publishing date to start marketing initiatives. First you must define your objective. Is it to get higher speaking fees? Is it to generate new business leads? Is it to differentiate yourself from your competitors? A clear objective goes beyond “I want to sell a lot of books”. You then need to tie that objective into the content of the book while you’re writing it. You need to be sure that your book supports the outcome that you desire. Of course, you must write a really, really good book. Michael disagrees with the advice to “use your book as a business card”. Use it to create an outcome that fulfills your objective. If you sell widgets you need to write a book that argues the need for widgets, not just a general topic like leadership. Once you’ve found your objective you can start building a marketing strategy by using the four pillars of marketing: What’s your big idea? What’s new, surprising or different? Why should people care about your book? What is the story that you are going to be telling? This is the thread that holds the book together. The nuts and bolts. You need to teach the reader HOW to implement what it is that you’re teaching. If they can’t implement it, you’re just going to frustrate your readers. The hope. If your reader implements what you share, what it the outcome that they will achieve? Listen In! Michael shares a LOT more wisdom and actionable ideas that can help you create a bestseller. We discuss how to reach out to your audience to move the needle with book sales. It’s all about relationships and we discuss how to avoid “douchebag marketing” and instead use relational selling. We also discuss at length the 12-step marketing process to map out your customer journey that culminates in greater book sales and financial growth in other areas of your business. Enjoy! If you like the podcast, please subscribe here and rate it on iTunes… About The Guest Michael R. Drew is a leading book marketer in the publishing industry, propelling 99 consecutive books onto national bestseller lists, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times, and garnering over 1,000 #1 rankings for books on Amazon.com through his Profluent services. Through Michael's skills in website creation, his strengths as a speaker, his career coaching, and in his innovative use of personas to intensify the effectiveness of all sorts of writing, Michael has been a force in the creation of a new generation of thought leaders. He has helped them to become even more effective entrepreneurs who nourish today's idea-hungry audiences.

If you’re actively looking for a mentor but don’t know how to find and approach one, you should first congratulate yourself. You’re ahead of the curve when you take stock of your life and are willing to ask for help. While that’s a great start, how should you approach potential mentors? The answer to that question is what I recently spoke about with bestselling author of The Go-Giver series and professional speaker Bob Burg. According to Bob the first quality that you need to look for is to find someone that’s done what you want to do. It doesn’t have to be something EXACTLY like you do, just along the lines of what you want to do works great. They don’t have to be in the same field that you’re in either. It could be someone that’s had success in the business world solving similar problems to the ones that you are facing. Two Different Ways to Reach Out to Potential Mentors I believe there are two schools of thought when it comes to approaching potential mentors. 1) When you find one you directly ask them to be your mentor and 2) Have conversations with people and let the relationship organically develop over time. Bob believes there is one way to do it that is more effective than the other one. If you’ve just met someone or you are reaching out with a cold call asking someone to be your mentor is like asking “Would you share 30 years of your life experiences with me even though you don’t know me from a hole in the wall?”. When you do that you run the risk of coming off entitled or that you don’t really respect the mentoring process. A mentor/protégé relationship is just that – it’s a RELATIONSHIP that needs to be nurtured and developed. Asking someone to be your mentor too soon is like asking someone to marry you before the first date. On the other hand, here’s what you can do when you reach out to someone even when you don’t know them well: Say “I know that you are very, very busy and if this is something that isn’t appropriate I understand. I’d like to ask you one or two very specific questions…” When you approach it that way you let them know that it’s not entitlement, it’s not something that they owe you. You’re giving them an out and letting them know that you respect their time. Most people will say yes to answering a couple of questions. From there you set up a brief call. You ask if you can follow up with them and sometimes a relationship will organically grow over time on those phone calls. Listen In! That’s just the tip of the iceberg! Bob shares his experiences and advice about successfully growing mentoring relationships after that first phone call with easy, actionable items that will have a great impact on the relationship opportunity at hand. We also discuss more about what NOT to do, what MENTORS should do in this case and how to create value for your mentors among other valuable nuggets of advice. Enjoy! If you like this podcast, please subscribe here and rate it on iTunes… About The Guest Bob Burg is a sought-after speaker at company leadership and sales conferences sharing the platform with everyone from today’s business leaders and broadcast personalities to even a former U.S. President. Bob is the author of a number of books on sales, marketing and influence, with total book sales of well over a million copies. His book, The Go-Giver, coauthored with John David Mann, itself has sold over 925,000 copies and it has been translated into 28 languages. His and John’s newest parable in the Go-Giver Series is The Go-Giver Influencer. Bob is an advocate, supporter and defender of the Free Enterprise system, believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve. He is also an unapologetic animal fanatic and is a past member of the Board of Directors of Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch in his town of Jupiter, Florida.

Why are mastermind groups important for startups and entrepreneurs and what do they look like? Each one is a community of like-minded entrepreneurs that are coming together, helping each other out and by the end of the session coming up with an action plan for each person in the room to help them solve a problem. Recently I spoke with serial entrepreneur and mastermind group creator Waldon Fenster about how to create successful mastermind groups. First, everyone needs to be vulnerable. It’s about having uncomfortable conversations. It’s uncomfortable because you’re sharing your faults and problems with everyone in the room. The purpose is to get uncomfortable enough to grow. One strategy is to have “hot seats”. In the hot seat the person focuses on ONE big problem or obstacle that is currently in their way. They then open the conversation for solutions from the other people in the room. That could be advice about avoiding some hurdles, growth advice, connections that they have for you and more. Small group masterminds are ideal to keep it to a one-day event. Each person needs time to share with the group and that could take 30 minutes for people to share and 30-45 minutes for feedback. If everyone needs an hour it would be best to keep the number of people at eight. If people share for less time than an hour then the most that is manageable it 10-12. The Key Components of Mastermind Groups If you’re interested in mastermind groups, what do you need to include? You’ll need to include the four key components of mastermind groups to be successful. First, you must be open about sharing problems that you are facing. If you’re not willing to be open and share your problems, then the people in the room can’t help you solve them. Second, you need a diverse group of people in the room. If you all have the same experiences then there aren’t new, outside viewpoints and solutions to share. Third, you need an action plan. People need to walk away with specific strategies to overcome problems, not just  a bunch of random suggestions or ideas. An action plan needs to include dates, goals and deadlines. Without an action plan it’s just wasted time, effort and money. Finally, you need accountability. This is where most people fail when it comes to masterminds.  You need someone to hold you to your promise to take action. Listen In! Waldon goes on to share: How to create accountability How to create shorter mastermind groups How to decide between starting your own mastermind group vs. joining one How much you should expect to pay if you’re joining a mastermind group How much you can charge if you’re starting a mastermind group Along with more great nuggets of experiential advice!   ABOUT WALDON FENSTER – VENTURE STUDIO Small Business/Startup Expert, Corporate Consultant https://venturestudio.com/ Serial business builder, Waldon Fenster is a small business expert and corporate acquisition consultant with an expertise in facilitating brand growth for businesses and startups that want to present their company to the marketplace. As Founder and President of Venture Studio, Waldon has worked with thousands of companies and Fortune 100 brands to expand their business models and amplify their portfolios for immediate financial benefit. Waldon’s expertise ranges from business development, entrepreneurship, corporate growth tactics and brand strategy. Through his savvy and top-level work, Waldon is able to build small businesses and emerging startups from the ground up, to make them attractive to outside investments and acquisitions on a global scale. It is his commitment to the entrepreneurial landscape and desire to educate business owners on the growth potential of their brands, that continue to motivate this innovative corporate leader. Waldon is also the creator of the popular business podcast, “Messes To Successes”, where he explores the strategies, tools,

Storytelling in the business world is a popular subject these days.  How do you do it the right way? That’s what I recently discussed with New York Times bestselling author Chris Brogan. Distraction has become the norm, not the exception. People have countless media outlets vying for their attention. How can you grab their attention? You have to package your first message, or story, so small that people will opt to go to that second step and be interested in your longer story. Not everything can be sold in that small bite, but you must at least grab attention in that small window of time. Movie trailers are a great example of this. The short story (trailer) grabs your attention and gets you interested in watching the full movie. The Three Types of Business Stories Every story has an internal story to tell and an external story to tell. External is marketing and PR. Internal is the boss talking to the employees. There are three buckets in the business storytelling world: Mission Stories: They tell you and reinforce what we’re all here for. It’s our mission to go out there and deliver this kind of experience, etc. Belonging Stories: Advertising stories are belonging stories. The key word here is “deserves”, as in you are the type of person that deserves a Harley Davidson. These say, “You’re one of us, you belong here.” Growth Stories: Motivational speakers are growth storytellers. These stories inspire people to do more than they’ve currently accomplished. What NOT to Do When Telling a Business Story Don’t try to tell a story that appeals to everyone. Pick a niche and share stories with them that appeal specifically to them. When you do this, you’re going to upset someone because you can never please everyone. And that’s okay. It’s not necessarily excluding people as it is picking a niche and including people that fall into that niche. Listen In! Chris goes on to share… The need for vulnerability in storytelling More details about how to use the three components of business storytelling The #1 most important component of business storytelling How to tell better stories …and more! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe here and rate us on iTunes… ABOUT THE GUEST Chris Brogan is president of Chris Brogan Media, offering business storytelling and marketing advisory help for mid to larger sized companies. Chris is a sought after keynote speaker and the New York Times bestselling author of nine books and counting. He’s working on his tenth. Chris has spoken for or consulted with the biggest brands you know, including Disney, Coke, Google, GM, Microsoft, Coldwell Banker, Titleist, Scotts, Humana Health, Cisco, Sony USA, and many more. He’s appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, interviewed Richard Branson for a cover story for Success magazine, and once even presented to a Princess. People like Paulo Coelho, Harvey Mackay, and Steven Pressfield enjoy sharing their projects and best ideas with Chris, because they know he’ll share them with you. Tony Robbins had Chris on his Internet Money Masters series. Forbes listed Chris as one of the Must Follow Marketing Minds of 2014, plus listed his website as one of the 100 best websites for entrepreneurs. Statsocial rated Chris the #3 power influencer online.

Networking is the life blood of many businesses. It’s how business gets done and referrals get made. Recently I spoke with Justin Breen about networking. He’s the founder of BrEpic, a PR firm that writes compelling, newsworthy stories for its clients and pitches those stories to media across the world. Breen also has his first book, Epic Business, launched in May of 2020. He was a journalist for 20 years before starting his business on April 16, 2017. As you get started or when you’re rebranding yourself Justin had this to share: Do what you love to do and do what you’re really good at. Partner with other people that will do the rest. Once you have those people in place you can focus on networking. Get Focused With Your Networking When you get the opportunity to have a mentoring experience: Learn from and listen to people and then implement the things that you learn from them. Taking action is important, you need to do more than just listen. Turn their advice into focused networking. Don’t wait for people to come to you, proactively reach out to them. On the day of our podcast recording Justin had 13 or 14 calls. He shares that it’s important to constantly and consistently be reaching out to people. You need to foster the relationships you have while creating new ones. Justin says this will lead to you building your “tribe”, or the people that you want to hang out with. To get his first five clients he reached out to 5,000 people. He shares that you might have to reach out to 300 or 400 people to find 20 that you want to be part of your tribe. Build Your Network the RIGHT Way How can you build your network? Give as much, if not more, than you get. Justin makes 10-20 high quality introductions a day for other people and gets 5-6 high quality introductions a day. Be intentional about who you want to work with AND who you DON’T want to work with. Find people with an abundance mindset, that’s important. You become a product of the people that you hang out with. Justin says that if he speaks to 20 entrepreneurs about an abundance mindset 17 or 18 of them will look at him like he’s crazy and that’s ok. The two or three that “get it” are the people he wants to associate with. Justin’s introductions via email are short and to the point and get a great response. Sometimes it’s as simple as cc’ing people and saying “You two should know each other. LinkedIn Advice and More Use LinkedIn like a commercial for other people. Tag people on LinkedIn and interact with them. Make the post about what other people are doing and they’ll appreciate you more and will be more likely to reciprocate. Justin goes on to talk about: More about the abundance mindset How to find and join high quality professional organizations How to have pivotal conversations that will lead to landing more clients How to get more valuable introductions And more great nuggets of wisdom! If you enjoy this podcast please rate it in the iTunes store and share it on social media. About the Guest!   Justin Breen is CEO of the PR firm BrEpic Communications. Justin is hard-wired to seek out and create viral, thought-provoking stories that the media craves. And he finds the best stories when he networks with visionary entrepreneurs and executives who understand the value of investing in themselves and their businesses. Justin believes strongly in the power of introductions and creates important relationships through those introductions.

Using videos for marketing purposes is a hot topic. How can you create a successful marketing campaign that turns into dollars for your bottom line? That’s what I recently discussed with the CEO of WireBuzz, Todd Hartley. Todd has been leveraging video for marketing purposes for over 15 years. His first project generated over 36 million unique visitors a year on zero ad dollars. How Long? One hot topic in the video world is video length. How long should your marketing videos be? It depends upon the product or service. How long does it take you to explain your product or service compellingly and in the most succinct way possible? That’s how long your video should be. People tend to think that everything has to be short because people’s attention spans are shorter. That’s true if you just want to grab someone’s attention for a minute. Unfortunately, people don’t buy because of short videos. Short videos should only be used as teasers that get people to watch your next, longer video. If you’re trying to get someone to purchase from you longer videos outperform shorter videos every time. What is longer? 10 minutes, 14 minutes or 30 minutes. In the case of infomercials an hour works. Infomercials convert viewers into buyers at a much higher rate than short videos.  The lesson here: Don’t be afraid to make longer videos. With regards to short attention spans – attention spans are selective. They’re selective to buyers. Todd doesn’t watch knitting videos on YouTube, but his mother eats them up. Why? Because she’s a buyer. They provide value to her and help her make buying decisions. That’s what your videos should do. 3 Indisputable Laws of Using Video to Create Bingeworthy Buying Experiences They’re all related, and they’re all taught to us on a daily basis by Netflix. 1) It must be personalized and relevant. If a video comes on about your favorite topic, it grabs your attention. One size fits all videos don’t work. 2) It needs to be on demand. People need to be able to watch your videos when the time is appropriate for them. 3) It needs to be bingeable. You need to structure the information so somebody goes down that “rabbit hole” and they binge all the way through it. You can’t do that with a 30 second video. Listen In! Todd shares, in detail: How to successfully apply all three laws to the videos that you produce The #1 thing that you MUST do to create successful bingeworthy buying experiences How to get your prospects to experience clarity because that’s when they become a buyer How to turn your videos into sales machines How to answer late stage buying questions …and more! About the Guest   Today my guest is Todd Hartley, the founder and CEO of WireBuzz. Embracing the power of video early on, Todd has spent the last decade mastering video marketing. In 2010, he created WireBuzz to help businesses amplify sales, reach marketing goals, and dominate the competition with video. In this episode we’ll discuss what it takes to make a successful business video, 3 Indisputable Laws of Using Video to Create Bingeworthy Buying Experiences, how to turn your videos into sales machines and more.

Recently I spoke with Phil Gerbyshak, he really knows SALES. He’s a sales speaker, a sales expert, a sales trainer, a sales leader mentor, a sales podcaster and a sales coach. We spoke about how to successfully build relationships ONLINE that turn into business OFFLINE. We started our discussion talking about the fact that relationships are what we all want when it comes to growing your business or advancing your career. Nobody buys unless they know, like and trust you. So how can you get people to know, like and trust you faster? By adding VALUE to their life. If you are initiating a relationship it is not about you, it’s about the other person. Getting to know them as a person, what they are working on right now and what they need help with right now helps you kick start any relationship. There are two key factors for creating and fostering relationships in the business world. They are relevancy and recency. Relevancy is important. There are three ways to become relevant faster. Discover what you have in common. Focus on what and who you have in common with them. Insight into the other person. Research the other person online so you know what they’re talking about so you can join the discussion. Interesting or Interested. Become interesting by being interested in the other person and what they are working on. Recency is also important. You need to keep in touch with people and foster your important relationships. If you haven’t spoken with someone for years you need to re-build that relationship and become relevant again. Remember: The goal isn’t just to have more conversations, it’s to get more business or advance your career. This is why what you talk about is so important. To have more successful conversations use the three H’s: There are three H’s to building successful business relationships: Be human. Be authentic with the other person, get to know them and let them get to know you. Be helpful. Come from a place of service and be willing to help the other person in some way. Be humble. Instead of saying that you’re the greatest in your field you need a third party to say it. Go Offline When you make an online connection, you need to make it more than just another online connection. You need to take things offline. Set up a phone call or if you have the time a coffee meeting. A great way to start a conversation is reaching out to say happy birthday.  Everyone has a birthday and social media channels remind us when their birthday is. That creates an opportunity to reach out to them, make that phone call. After happy birthday ask them what they’re working on and who they need to know. Chances are they will reciprocate by asking you the same thing. Maybe they need your services quickly or maybe time will go by. It’s just a matter of keeping the conversation going so they think of you when they have a problem that your services can solve. Phil goes on to talk about: How to turn online relationships into clients How to earn a conversation with new connections How to add value to every conversation More about leveraging the three components of relevancy And more great nuggets of advice! If you like what you hear please subscribe and rate The Idea Climbing™ Podcast on iTunes.     Phil Gerbyshak knows SALES. He’s a sales speaker, a sales expert, a sales trainer, a sales leader mentor, a sales podcaster and a sales coach. He's written 5 books, more than 3000 articles, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Daily Globe and Mail, Financial Times, Investor's Business Daily, Inc. and many other publications, including earning 3 covers: Speaker Magazine, Marketing Media and Money, and Social Selling Made Easy. Phil is known as a Sales, Leadership and Technology Authority with a particular expertise in inside sales, LinkedIn and social selling.

Mentoring can change the arc of someone in Generation Z's career, and that’s what I recently discussed with 23-year old entrepreneur Austin McCulloh who has been a mentor and been mentored. Two of the biggest lessons from one of Austin’s early mentors was not to burn bridges and not to take everything personally. If someone cancels a meeting or ends a conversation abruptly that doesn’t mean you should take it personally or get upset with them. It’s better to come from a point of understanding and knowing it’s not always about you, they might have things going on in their life that you know nothing about. You never know how the relationship will develop over time. Mentoring tip: Why was Austin’s early mentoring relationship successful? His cared about Austin’s well being and made himself accessible. If you want to be a mentor to someone else those are two things to consider before you start mentoring someone. Austin’s mentors taught him that getting real world experience early one will help your career. Instead of getting a fast food part time job Austin started in the financial services industry as a financial advisor so he could shave years off of his learning curve and get real world experience while he was still young. Mentoring Generation Z: Give them clarity and support so that they can set productive goals and start moving towards them. Using clear and effective communication can go a long, long way when you’re mentoring other people. “Clear and effective communication” means being honest with the other person and not just telling them what they want to hear. This means being transparent with the other person and definitely not lying just to make them feel better about a situation. Just giving one or two hours a week to an individual that’s not as fortunate as you are can change the trajectory of their life. A Great Book The one book that Austin says you NEED to read? Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate and at one time the richest man in the world, saw something special in Napoleon Hill. He gave Napoleon a 20-year mission to unlock the key to success and then Carnegie opened his rolodex and introduced Napoleon to some of the most successful people of the time (the early 1900’s). Napoleon took what he learned and combined his learnings to create 13 success principles which he outlines in his book. Self-Awareness Having weaknesses is not what makes or breaks you; knowing how to deal with them or not dealing with them does. You’re not going to know what your weaknesses are if you’re not self-aware. At one point during high school Austin’s football coach said something simple and profound “Austin, you’re uncoachable”. And at the time Austin says he was because he wasn’t taking accountability for his own life. Austin remedied that problem by taking accountability for his actions and results in life and becoming more self-aware. He took 30 days off from social media and most social interactions and got to know himself. Once he became more self-aware mentors were better able to help him. Listen More and You Will Learn More Practice being intentional – close your mouth and just listen. When you practice that enough you’ll become good at it, even if it doesn’t come over night. For yourself you will learn more and grow faster as a person. When you listen and learn what OTHER people’s problems and pain points are, you’ll learn how you can better help THEM by not making the conversation all about yourself. Listen In! Some other topics we cover in this episode are: If you want anything in life, from a mentor to a job, ASK! You’ll learn how to ask the right way How to leverage the Law of Reciprocity to get what you want in life and give others what they want How to ask someone to mentor you How much time to ask your mentors for How to reach out to potential mentors on LinkedIn …and other great nuggets of advice!

Recently I spoke with Aaron Stahl about his journey in entrepreneurship. One of the first things he brought up was the importance of mentoring. To be a good mentor you need to listen to what the other person has to say. You’re listening to learn what specific problems they’re facing and discovering if you can help them. If you can’t help them you can try to connect them to someone who can help them. Being in that mindset will help you become a good resource to people and a good mentor. Aaron also learned that entrepreneurs need to start small and grow big. When Aaron was in his early twenties, he started calling on Fortune 100 companies to get them as clients. He wanted to instantly become a millionaire, but that plan didn’t work out. He learned that you have to invest time and energy to grow into success. Another lesson learned is that if you leave your business for any amount of time you should come back to a business that’s as good or better than when you left. To make that happen you need to only do what you’re best at and hire and train people to do things that you’re not good at. Listen in! In this episode we discuss more about mentoring, how to grow your business the RIGHT way and how to empower your employees to collaborate with each other to run a successful business for you. About The Guest Aaron got his start in the cost recovery business in 2004 at the age of 22 when he started P3 Waste Consulting. After helping numerous clients save money on their waste expenses the business grew from there to become what it is today. Aaron expects revenue to grow to $4 million in 2020. Aaron is an expert in the waste and recycling industry and has been the CEO/President of P3 since the beginning.  In his spare time he enjoys flying airplanes and is an instrument rated pilot and certified flight instructor. He also enjoys traveling abroad, hunting, hiking, mountain biking and attempts to surf whenever possible. He is an Eagle Scout, avid Arkansas Razorbacks fan and holds a degree in small business/finance from the University of Arkansas You can learn more about Aaron on LinkedIn.

Mentors can change your life if you know how to create and leverage mentorship experiences like entrepreneur Danielle Pierce learned to do over the years. When Danielle got started things seemed really challenging because she had to wear all of the hats in her company; the graphic designer, the accountant the attorney and everything else. The missing piece is that you can accelerate your results significantly faster the minute you release control and stop trying to be “manager of the universe”. She spent 11 years trying to do everything herself and only realized that piece of advice during the last two years or so. Now she welcomes outside advice and collaborating with other people. Now her business life is fun and exciting as opposed to being just another job that needs to be done. Get Uncomfortable and Take Action! A great mentoring relationship isn’t the most comfortable relationship because it can push you in directions that you don’t want to be pushed in and create new experiences that you didn’t plan on. Because of that many people that say they want a mentor aren’t ready to take on the responsibility of that kind of relationship. When you’re ready to get uncomfortable and be vulnerable then you’re ready for new mentoring relationships! Danielle’s current mentor found her. They went to high school together, lost touch, and then reconnected through Facebook. The relationship started with him giving her some advice here and there. She began applying that advice and getting new, successful results in her business. When he noticed that she was taking action and taking the relationship seriously it became a more formal mentoring relationship. That’s a great tip for YOU! Mentors want to see that you’re doing more than just talking, they want to see you taking action. When you do that, you’re respecting the time that they invest in you and taking the relationship seriously. How to Be Prepared for Successful Mentoring Relationships As the mentee you must be ready to hear a lot of things that you don’t want to hear. You must be ready to admit that you’ve been doing things in not the most effective and efficient ways. You must be ready to put in a significant amount of work in a relatively short period of time. You need to be coachable. You cannot get advice and then ignore it and do things your own way. You must TRUST your mentors’ advice and take action in a way that goes along with their advice, not just the way you think that you should do it. Listen In! In this episode we talk about: How to foster trust in your mentoring relationships What you can do to become a better mentor More ways to become a better mentee Danielle’s first mentoring experience and why it was successful at the time How to release control as a business owner …and more great nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this podcast please rate it and comment on it on iTunes! About The Guest   A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, by way of the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship, Danielle Pierce has an accounting degree which she has not utilized in over 12 years.  She began her entrepreneurial career after a sudden layoff from her corporate audit position. Danielle took this as a sign from the Heavens that she was meant to be a full time entrepreneur. Although she did look back a time or two (or three lol), she has held on to the reigns of entrepreneurship and never plans to let go. Danielle’s online courses and group training programs (Real Estate Profit Lab), teach aspiring business owners  how to establish and grow profitable six figure enterprises within the real estate industry, outside of sales. Her current areas of specialization include the following: tax lien investing and managing bank owned properties. Danielle is an author, highly regarded speaker, the founder of a highly specialized real estate consulting firm, and a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council.

During the pandemic Zoom has been doing VERY well and it seems like everyone wants to have a video call these days. But are they doing their video calls the RIGHT way and making them as productive as possible? That’s what I recently spoke about with Susan Ibitz, professional “Human Behavior Hacker”. Some Tips for Video Meetings Video conversations have great benefits. Having video conversations speeds up the process of meeting new people. Instead of setting up a coffee meeting three weeks out you can set up a 30-minute video meeting the same week as making contact with the other person. This also shortens the amount of time you have to research the person before speaking with them, so you have to be ready to act quickly. Susan calls her clients every six months to ask what she can fix for them or how can she help them. She then asks a series of questions to get to know her clients better. If you do not have the right questions, you are not going to have the right answers that could move the relationship forward. One way to know what questions to ask is to understand modalities. An important thing to know is that people primarily learn and interact in one of three modalities: Visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (touch). If you have too many things going on in your background during a video call people are going to get distracted, especially if they are visual learners. You can tell if someone is a visual learner by the words they use, even in emails. An example of this is “I’ll SEE you later”. Another thing that helps communication with visual people is changing your background on Zoom. If you put up a background with your logo and the other person’s logo you’ve already put the two together. Another important thing for rapport is smiling while you’re on camera. A good handshake replaces three hours of communication. Smiling on a video call replaces the in-person handshake. Introverts & Extroverts It’s also important to know if the other person is an introvert or an extrovert. Generally speaking, extroverts prefer video calls and introverts prefer a mix of video calls with phone calls. When you’re on phone calls it helps to walk around. That increases the oxytocin in your brain and helps you be more creative and focused on the phone call. One way to discover the best way to communicate with people is to give THEM the option of a video call OR a phone call. Let them tell you what their preferred mode of communication is. Listen In! On this podcast you’ll learn: How to go to your “happy place” during video calls which makes your calls more productive How to remind yourself to look at the camera instead of the other person during a video call How to communicate in the other two modalities, auditory and kinesthetic How to read someone’s face for important non-verbal cues What questions to ask to move the sales process forward …And more great nuggets of advice! About The Guest Susan Ibitz Human Behavior Hacker | Keynote | Corporate Trainer | Sales Trainer | FORBES.COM | TRIBE GLOBAL | Imagine you can learn a SUPERPOWER Susan can deliver training and consult on Human Behavior,  Micro-Expression, Body Language, Deception-Detection, Statement Analysis, Face Reading (Physiognomy), & Personality types, in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Susan has trained, consulted, and worked with people and fields such as: Journalists & Producers - Politicians & Political Campaigns - Law Enforcement - Realtors - Lawyers - Market Research - Insurance Fraud - Headhunters - Match Makers - Managers - Medical Field Professionals - Sperm Donor Selection - Couples Compatibilities - Love Life - Sales Team - Job Seekers - Human Resources Professionals - Negotiation - Hospitality - Customer Oriented Services

The pandemic is affecting everyone in some way shape or form. If you’re staying home more that gives you extra time to work on your business. It’s an opportunity to work on your branding or rebranding, your marketing strategy and many other things. That’s what Troy Sandidge, A successful social media marketer who provides marketing strategies and solutions for growing small to medium size businesses to multi-billion-dollar enterprise brands, and I discussed on this episode. Maybe your website wasn’t up to par pre-COVID, maybe your sales funnels and online calls to action weren’t up to speed and you weren’t getting as many online conversations and conversions as you would have liked. Screen time during the pandemic has increased 80-90%, which means many markets, possibly including yours, have become oversaturated with competition for views. Now is the time to take a step back, monitor and update your website and implement new, improved marketing strategies. With all the competition chances are that not many people are coming to your site – that’s the perfect time to rebuild. Taking a Step Back to Move Three Steps Forward Look at your messaging from the last six months and examine what worked and what didn’t work. If you’re interested in creating new video content or getting into (or improving your current initiatives in) podcasting, now is the time to create in bulk – use that extra time wisely! Recoup, retool and repurpose your content while you’re not getting as many eyeballs on your site. Where should you start rebranding? First and most importantly, examine your messaging. Start with understanding your audience and WHY they’re coming to your site in the first place. Then make that messaging more attractive based on who actually converted from viewing your products and services to BUYING your products and services. Who actually made you money? Focus your messaging on THEM. Then ask yourself who is your IDEAL visitor? Who do you really want to focus on? Answering those questions will tell  you where to start retooling your messaging. One Way to Wisely Spend Your Marketing Time During COVID-19 you can’t meet people in person so you’re missing opportunities for richer connections. During the pandemic you can shift to highly focused videos and livestreams that are no more than 10 minutes long. Forget about the longer hour long, rambling videos that could actually work against you. In the videos and copy surrounding them tell your audience what the focus is and what important information you’re going to share with them – and then provide value in shorter sound bites. Focus on being conversational instead of just broadcasting messages. Listen In! Other topics we cover include: How to create high quality content through interviews How to use your notes and repurpose your content to create podcast episodes for people that don’t watch videos. Why you shouldn’t hard sell your audience and what you can do instead The key components of successful marketing conversations and how to integrate them into your marketing strategy The right and wrong ways to market yourself on LinkedIn …and more golden nuggets of marketing advice!

The networking landscape has DRASTICALLY changed. We’re not seeing our clients, potential clients or people that we want to get to know in person anymore. We’re at home and we’re trying to make networking work from behind a screen. That’s a BIG challenge if you’re the type of person that’s used to shaking hands and having lunch meetings. There are things you can do instead, and that’s what I discuss with B2B digital marketing agency Founder and CEO Sonny Sultani in this episode. Advice for People That NEED to Be Networking There’s no better safety net than a good network at this moment. You need to foster your existing network AND create new connections. Everyone wants to have some kind of human connectivity again, so give it to them! You can even have fun with it. Have virtual coffee meetings. Send somebody a bag of coffee and say, “I want to get to know you, can we hop on a Zoom call?” Important point: Resist the urge to sell something to everyone that you connect with, this isn’t the time to be doing that. What can you do instead? Be a resource to people. Everyone needs resources right now; we’re all trying to navigate something that we’re not quite sure of. In addition to sharing ideas one way to be a resource to people is to promote THEM and not just yourself. One of Sonny’s client’s posts about the people that he’s meeting with during these hard times. He goes onto LinkedIn and shares something like “I just met with Bill Smith, he’s an amazing management consultant that you should get to know” and he tags them in the post. That is a phenomenal way to start an online conversation today, wouldn’t you agree? Now is the PERFECT Time to Be Networking, Here’s Why and How There are directors, Vice-Presidents, Founders and CEOs amongst other busy people that would have never had the time to talk with you six months ago. This is a prime time to get people on the phone that previously wouldn’t have had time for you, take advantage of it. Leverage your current network by having them introduce you to new people, there’s nothing like a warm introduction. Promise NOT to sell anything on the first call, just focus on getting to know the other person. The challenge is that many people aren’t used to sitting in front of a screen and asking for stuff. They’re more comfortable when they’re face to face. The best replacement for that, as most of the world has discovered, is to set up video meetings. It’s the next best thing and it’s easier than ever to leverage video services in lieu of in person meetings. Listen In! Other topics that we discuss in this podcast include… How to ask for referrals and new connections during virtual meetings How to ask potential clients for meetings (and GET the meetings) without trying to sell them anything immediately Why now is the perfect time for introverts to go head to head with extroverts in terms of filling their sales pipeline and how to do it How to get potential clients to know, like and trust you so that you’re the person they go to when budgets start opening up The ONE thing that you NEED to do now to drive business before the opportunity disappears …and more golden nuggets of actionable advice! If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes! About The Guest Sonny Sultani is the Founder and CEO of 120/80, a digital marketing agency specializing in growth for B2B and Professional Services. Prior to 120/80, Sonny held positions including CEO, Chief Creative Officer, and VP of various companies in the creative, technology, and marketing space. With 20+ years of experience, what makes Sonny unique is his ability to navigate a variety of businesses and understand the challenges to grow a company. Sonny has received over 60 accolades in communication & marketing and holds a Bachelor's & Master's in Communication from Northwestern University. He is an avid volunteer of Not for Profits in the Chicagoland area.

Many people are going through tough times right now and giving back and paying it forward is more important than ever – you just need to know HOW. That’s what I discuss with Jon Ferrara, the creator of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in this episode. “You can get anything you want in the world by helping other people get what they want.” ~Zig Ziglar What is Important in Life and Why? We’re not on this planet to make money, we’re on this planet to make memories out of moments. Jon believes that ultimately, we’re on this planet to grow our souls. After doing some spiritual work, Jon came to the conclusion that the best way to grow your soul is by being present with other people, especially those that love you. You need to be present with other people because, if they really love you, they’ll throw your shit right back at you. That’s important because if you take a hard look at yourself and your shit that’s how you really grow. If you really listen and you learn, you’ll find ways to add value to other people’s lives and you’ll change your life for the better. When you do that at scale you can change the world for the better. As an example: When Jon invented Customer Relationship Management (CRM), he didn’t do it because he wanted to make $100 million dollars. He did it because he loves building solutions, and in the case of CRM the solution was something that Jon needed. While working in sales before CRM Jon had leads in various places and it was hard to track the customer’s journey as it got closer to closing the sale. It turned out that a LOT of people, literally MILLIONS of them, had the same problem. By serving those people and helping them achieve their dreams, Jon achieved a dream that very few people ever achieve. And it came from serving and helping other people, not just himself. How to Be a More Successful Person Let’s look at sales, Jon believes that in many ways everyone is a salesperson in one way or another. Unfortunately, many salespeople are only interested in “bagging and tagging” you to make money. That can make sales a four-letter word. That’s why service is the new sales. If you enter into every engagement not with the intention of what can you get from this person but what can you give to this person you can’t help but walk away from that engagement with a positive boost, and the other person walks away with the same thing. If you want through life without being present, without really listening and without an intention to serve you’re just focused on “getting”. The alternative to that is to live by the mantra “the more that you give, the more that you get.” That applies to not only everyone that you know but also to strangers that you interact with. How to Stay Top of Mind with People First, you DON’T send them a quarterly email that tells them how great your products and services are. That’s selfish and people don’t care about that. They care about themselves and what good things you do for them. What can you do instead? Follow them online, follow their digital footprint on a regular basis and add VALUE to the conversation so that when you do reach out it’s not a cold call, it’s a warm call because you’ve been staying in touch with them. Listen In! During the rest of our discussion we discuss topics including… How to take your business relationships beyond “just business” and touch people on a personal level by using the “Five F’s of Life” and the “Five E’s of Social Business”. How to build your personal brand at scale to reach more people. How to balance being nice and serving others with making sales. How to reach out to people that you haven’t spoken with in a long time and successfully reconnect with them. …and many, many more golden nuggets of actionable advice! If you enjoy this podcast, please rate it and subscribe to it on iTunes! About The Guest Jon Ferrara is a serial entrepreneur and noted speaker about social,

Recently I spoke with Brian Wallace about influence. Brian Wallace is the Founder and President of NowSourcing, an industry leading infographic design agency based in Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH which works with companies that range from startups to Fortune 500s. Many people do not have a clear understanding of what influence is. There’s a gap between the word “influencer” and “influenced”. When you hear the word “influencer” you might cringe and think of people posting pet pictures on Instagram or people lip syncing on TikTok. Are they making money from it? Do they just want the rush of more likes? Oftentimes you just don’t know. It seems to be very self-serving instead of serving others. In this commencement speech the speaker discusses using your influence to positively impact others. Influence should be about empowering other people. Power doesn’t mean that you can take the stage; power is giving OTHER people the stage. “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” ~Zig Ziglar How To Expand Your Influence The RIGHT Way It all starts with looking in the mirror and knowing what you want to do and WHY you want to do it. Many people look at celebrities and extremely successful people and try to copy them. When you do that you can be aiming for targets that don’t exist. Instead of doing that you should be comfortable with who you are and be self-aware. When you are a fully transparent version of yourself without an act people will relate to you and naturally gravitate towards you. One thing you can do is explain the facets of who you really are. Let’s take LinkedIn as an example. Most people, in their headline, just put their work title. Some people think of it as an “elevator pitch”. As Brian points out, first you have to get INTO the elevator. Look at your headline as a getting INTO the elevator pitch. If a bunch of high-level executives or successful entrepreneurs were in an elevator that you’re running towards, what would you scream down the hall that would make them hold the door for you? Just a title, the line “all thoughts are my own” or a list of hobbies won’t do the trick. Brian puts his qualifications and why people should want to follow him in his headline. It’s about what he does and he makes it interesting. His headline is “Founder, NowSourcing - Infographic Expert | Google Board Member | #LinkedInLive | Podcaster | Featured: NYT, Forbes, Mashable | #SXSW Advisory Board”. Find Your Tribe Everyone is influential in some way. If they say they’re not it’s because they don’t believe in themselves. This is where being authentic can help because you’ll attract more people to you and feel better about yourself. Brian believes that the inauthentic “influencers” with a bunch of fake likes are going away. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, find an expertise niche to fill with people that should be part of your tribe. Listen In! During this episode we also discuss: Tips for successfully marketing yourself to become an authentic influencer. The types of content that you should be sharing and how to be interesting. Why having true fans is valuable. Where to spend your time online if you want to become an influencer. …and other golden nuggets of advice! About The Guest Brian Wallace is the Founder and President of NowSourcing, an industry leading infographic design agency based in Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH which works with companies that range from startups to Fortune 500s. Brian also runs #LinkedInLocal events nationwide, and hosts the Next Action Podcast.  Brian has been named a Google Small Business Advisor for 2016-present and joined the SXSW Advisory Board in 2019. Brian can be reached here on LinkedIn.

If you want to build your personal brand you probably know that writing a book will help. The challenge becomes know HOW to write a great book. That’s what I discussed with #1 Bestselling Amazon author and architect Bill Hirsch. As soon as you write something down and publish it you’re seen by your reader or anyone that’s hiring you as a consultant and expert in your field more than the day before you wrote the book. In the months before publishing his book Bill hoped that people would let them become his clients. Rather than writing a book as a marketing vehicle Bill wrote his book as a way to help people out and provide useful information. As a result of that his email inbox filled up and his phone started ringing with people that were eager to become his clients, a complete flipping of the script. How to Get Started With a Book Plan The best way to start? Start writing SOMETHING. Don’t wait until your ideas are perfect. Writing will help you collect your ideas so that they will start becoming your book. Writing out a book plan is a good way to start because if you don’t know where you’re going you won’t know when you’ve gotten there. Bill also hired a writing coach which further helped him organize his thoughts in a better, more readable book form. The start of your book plan can be as simple as an outline of and titles for your chapters. With a little further analysis beyond that Bill’s book plan let him look at each chapter to make sure that he had an equivocal amount of content for each chapter. This became the blueprint for his book and let him know where he was going. Find Your Niche There are a LOT of books on the market about general topics, such as leadership. Unless you have a huge marketing budget publishing and successfully selling a book about a general topic can be a daunting task. When you write a niche book that can work in your favor because you don’t have as much competition. Using this strategy helped Bill sell over 30,000 copies of his book. As a benchmark, traditional publishers need you to sell at least 5,000 copies of your book and if you don’t hit certain benchmarks a traditional publisher can take your book out of print leaving you with nothing. Bill chose to take the independent publishing route so he would have full control over the content of the book. Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: How to find the right creative design and editing partners for your book. How to successfully market your book and get your book reviewed in publications. The primary objective that you should have in mind for your book – and it’s not about promoting yourself. …and other golden nuggets of advice! About The Guest Bill Hirsch has spent nearly 50 years designing homes of all sizes that reflect the lives, personalities, and desires of his clients.  With a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Virginia, Bill has spent his career at the intersection of psychology and home design, creating dwellings that allow occupants to relax, rejuvenate, and recharge. Bill’s first Amazon #1 best seller, Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect has sold thousands of copies around the world.  His newest #1 best seller,  The Well-Centered Home: Simple Steps to Increase Mindfulness, Self-Awareness, and Happiness Where Your Live, takes his design philosophy to the next level, moving from architecture to an even finer scale, encompassing the psychological and emotional elements of homes of all sizes and styles. A past president of the Delaware Society of Architects, a member of the American Institute of Architects and certified by the National Council of the Architectural Registration Boards, Bill now lives in South Carolina with his wife, Maureen.  They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Mentorship is VERY much needed in the business world. You just need to know how to find mentors, engage with them and build successful relationships with them. That’s what I discussed in this episode with Matt Granados. Matt is an international coach and trainer working with individuals and teams to increase bandwidth, increase motivation, and minimize stress.  This ranges from CEOs of billion-dollar companies to individuals trying to get back to where they want to be. Matt and his team have created programs for individuals to get the exact results they desire in all areas of life. The first thing that Matt shares is that having a mentor is like going to a buffet, you don’t have to eat everything. When it comes to advice, pick what you like and take action with it while leaving behind the advice that doesn’t resonate with you. Why leave things behind? Because you’ll never find a perfect person who has all the answers. This means that you shouldn’t put your mentors on pedestals because if you do, they’ll fall down. Nobody can be everything to everyone. One caveat? You should be open minded when it comes to what you can learn from your mentors, even if it’s tough love that you might not want to hear. How Do You Find Mentors? With most of Matt’s mentor/mentee relationships there was never a formal agreement that they were in a mentoring relationship. That agreement wasn’t needed. How do you know when someone is your mentor? When they respond to your emails. When they take interest in what you’re doing. Then you’ll know that you have a mentor and that it happened organically. A BIG mentoring tip: Don’t try to engage with someone to create a mentoring relationship just because that person is famous or successful. Seek out people that have done what you want to do so you can find out 1) is it really what you want to do, 2) how do they accomplished it, 3) what did they sacrifice to get there and 4) if you really want to do what they’ve done and, when needed, sacrifice what they’ve sacrificed to do what you think  you want to do. How to Create Successful Mentoring Experiences One day Matt’s wife pointed out to him that he didn’t have any physical goals – even though his company is all about vitality. So, he “accepted her challenge” and signed up for an Iron Man competition. The first thing Matt did was to find someone that completed an Iron Man in the World championship and got the person to coach him. The tip for you? Find people that have done what you want to do and have done it WELL. Then talk with them and ask them how they did it. If they share advice that you don’t necessarily agree with, prove them right instead of wrong. As Matt told me about his Iron Man mentor – who is Matt to say that someone’s wrong who has successfully done something that Matt wants to do? Take your mentor’s advice, implement that advice, get a result, and then bring that result back to them. You’ll either: Share that you followed through with what they told you to do and didn’t get the right results – and then ask, “What else can I do?” Or you’ll share that you tried what they told you to do and succeeded and ask, “Now what do I need to do to get to the next level?” Either way you’re on a mission to move beyond the results that you’re currently getting to get new, and better, results with the proper guidance. Listen In! During the rest of this episode we discuss: Why mentee should guide the relationship, not the mentor. The four things that you need to come into a mentoring relationship ready to do. When and why you should put mentoring relationships on pause or end them. The sure-fire way to destroy a mentoring relationship and what NOT to do. How to respect your mentor’s time AND get more of their time for calls. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy the show please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or your podcast platform of choice! About The Guest Over the last decade,

Everyone is moving to Zoom for meetings and presentations and there are a LOT of mistakes that you can make. There are distracted learners, the ever-possible Zoom fatigue, multi-tasking and more that can destroy the effectiveness of virtual communication. The key is to know what NOT to do and what you SHOULD do instead. That’s what I spoke about in this episode with Matthew Confer, who is the VP of Strategy at Abilitie, an experiential learning company based in Austin TX that does simulation based learning with organizations and universities in more than 30 countries around the world. How Do You As A Leader Make Your Content More Interactive and Engaging? Matt’s company schedules a LOT more breaks for virtual events than they do for in person events. They just make the breaks shorter in duration, usually five to ten minutes. Matt also lets virtual attendees know to expect more and shorter breaks in advance. Otherwise the attendees go into an hour-long virtual meeting expecting to be sitting for an hour and that is not a good expectation to have. You can embrace the things in the virtual space that people usually look forward to during in person events. That helps to fight the dreaded “Zoom fatigue” that people are getting used to. Virtual events usually lose the networking benefits of live events – there aren’t the hallway conversations while you’re waiting in line to get food and coffee. To solve this problem Matt suggests scheduling virtual coffee breaks where you put small groups of people together in Zoom breakout rooms while they drink their coffee at home. This gives attendees the opportunity to meet new people. How to Create Success Online Interactions and Successful Learning Experiences There’s a BIG difference between active learning and passive learning. There’s a study that showed that learning that drives achievement and development shares two characteristics: It’s active and it’s collaborative. Whatever you do add activities to your virtual presentations, otherwise it’s too easy for participants to get distracted. It’s easy for participants to get disengaged when they’re only listening to you and looking at a screen. To make your virtual events collaborative you can assign teammates to groups or partners to individuals. This way they have people to interact with and bounce ideas off of. You can also use Zoom’s whiteboard features, chat features, polling features and more. How can you use them? If you want to keep your presentations engaging you must keep people guessing. You want them to know that the next 30 or 60 minutes of your presentation isn’t just going to be content coming at them. You want them to know that at any time they could be asked to add something to the chat or that during the next five minutes a poll might be popping up asking them to answer a question. Setting this expectation helps keep participants from getting distracted with email, texts or any of the other things that they otherwise would be taking their attention away from your presentation. Listen In! Is this episode we also discuss: The three kinds of key interactions that you NEED to have in your virtual presentations. How often you should meet virtually if you’re the leader of an internal team and what you should talk about. How to know when to have structured virtual meetings and when to have freeform virtual meetings. How to have engaging virtual mentorship conversations and what to talk about. If you only do ONE thing to enhance your virtual conversations and meetings, what that ONE thing should be. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or your podcast platform of choice! About The Guest Matthew Confer is the Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie, a Leadership Development company based in Austin, Texas that provides immersive business simulations to a global client base that includes over 50 members of the...

There’s a lot of negativity in the world these days. It’s more important than ever to be happy and share happiness. In this episode I discussed HOW to be happy with Steven Lefkoff, the founder of Small Claims Academy, a business established during the pandemic in 2020 to empower individuals and businesses to perform as well as they can in small claims cases. When it comes to building a business during the pandemic happiness is key. Simply put, people like happy people. When you’re happy your happiness rubs off onto other people and they want to be around you and, when all goes well, work with you because of the happiness that you’re exuding. This is important because no business can exist in a vacuum. You need to surround yourself with great people to grow. How To Shift Gears Into Happiness When you wake up in the morning you have a choice of how you’re going to approach that day. This isn’t a focus on your schedule for the day or the tasks that you’re going to accomplish. The focus is on answering this question: “Am I going to approach this day and be happy, or am I going to be miserable?” When you start happy you’re at least beginning the day in the way that you want to begin the day. Yes, things will go off the rails and bad things will happen. When bad things happen, you have the choice to focus on the bad things for an extended period of time OR to recalibrate. You can take 30 seconds, close your eyes, take a deep breath and recalibrate by focusing on what IS going good in your life. In that moment you’re essentially starting over and choosing the path of happiness. It’s not difficult to do. The difficulty lies with remembering to do it – and then doing it. If It Works For Children… Steven has a daily practice with his children to help them start their day coming from a place of happiness. If it works for children, it will probably work for you! Steven’s children come downstairs around 6:45 in the morning in SOME kind of mood. Sometimes, unfortunately, they’re in a miserable mood. When this happens, Steven tells them to go back upstairs, get back into bed even if it’s for a short period of time, and start over. They’re instructed to come back downstairs with a smile on their face. When necessary this process repeats until his children choose to be happy instead of miserable. That’ just one of the happiness practices that we spoke about in this episode. It doesn’t benefit anybody, including yourself and the people around you, to be miserable. It DOES benefit everybody you come into contact with throughout your day to be happy. Listen In! In this episode we also talk about: How to shift your emotional reactions to negative situations. How to use the “Flip The Pancake” methodology to create more happiness in your life. Steven’s story about how he started a business during the pandemic. Why happiness leads to confidence for you and your clients. Why YOU being happy is helpful to OTHER people. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy the show please subscribe and review us on iTunes or your podcast platform of choice. About The Guest   Steven Lefkoff is an attorney with a focus in helping people and business owners navigate the law in court without an attorney. Licensed in Georgia, Steven is the founder of Small Claims Academy, a business established in 2020 to empower litigants to perform as well as they can in their small claims case by providing individuals and businesses with products designed to help them navigate their state’s small claims court. Small Claims Academy's first product, Gavel (www.gavel.legal), is an online course to teach litigants the tips, tricks, and procedures of small claims courts.

Mentoring is an important part of the business world. But it’s only valuable if you know HOW to go about it. That’s what I discussed in this episode with Sande Golgart. Sande is the President at Zonez, He is a disruptive technology and business enthusiast. He is passionate about helping companies solve for their biggest issues. Sometimes you find the most value in mentorship in retrospect. It’s that person that challenged you and held to accountable for achieving your goals. Those relationships can be the most rewarding, most fulfilling and the most helpful. Good mentors have your best interests in mind, sometimes It’s shown by tough love. Mentors might ask you tough questions. Those questions can make you grow faster than you would have without answering them. Don’t Force Mentoring Relationships Asking someone that you just met (or messaging them before meeting them) to be your mentor is like asking someone to marry you on your first date. It can be off putting. You should let them happen organically. Start with a phone call, take their advice, take action and then set up another call. If the relationship continues, great. If not, you got some advice and you’re better off than you were before those sessions. Vicarious Mentoring It’s about doing, not theory. Great mentoring experiences give you ways to take action and get new and hopefully better results. One  of Sande’s mentors was bestselling business author Jim Collins. When Sande reached out to him Jim replied by sending one of his books with suggested chapters to read and an outline for each of the chapters. This showed Sande that not every mentoring experience is in person. Sande suggests sharing what advice you’re looking for and asking your network to recommend two books on the subject. You’ll often find the advice you need that way. BEFORE You Search For Mentors You’ll need to put some work in before you search for mentors. You’ll need to clearly define your problem, where you’re going and what your core values are. Then you’ll need to create a profile of the type of person that can most likely help you with that problem. Then you need to actively seek those people out. Mentors are going to be looking for you, but they’ll often help when asked. When you’re crystal clear about what and who you’re looking for those people will begin to show up in your life. Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: How to connect to your passion in life. More ways to be ready for mentorship. How to successfully collaborate with the people in your life. How to ask for introductions to potential mentors. About The Guest Sande is the President at Zonez, He is a disruptive technology and business enthusiast. He is passionate about helping companies solve for their biggest issues. Prior to Zonez, Sande held the roles of Chief Sales Officer at Emagispace, Inc., SVP, Corporate Sales as well as Regional Vice President during his 16-year career at Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible work space. Golgart is often quoted on real estate issues and trends affecting businesses from start-ups to the Global 1000. He has been featured on Fox Business News, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Puget Sound Business Journal and various other media outlets. Golgart holds a Bachelors Degree in Business from the University of Colorado and studied post graduate Leadership at Stanford University.

Networking and business development are different things – you shouldn’t sell someone as soon as you meet them. That’s what I recently discussed with Steve Fretzin, who coaches and trains lawyers in modern-day business development skills, providing precise tips, fresh ideas, and actionable tasks that drive tangible results. Steve is also a three-time author, monthly contributor to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and has his own podcast BE THAT LAWYER. Steve defines networking as the act of developing relationships and strategic partnerships. He defines business development as the next stage where you take strategic partnerships and relationships and identify needs to solve problems and create the opportunity for a sale as a result. The new way to do business development is to ask questions, listen and walk someone through the process of making a buying decision based on the need to solve a problem vs. the old school sales method of trying to convince someone to do something. Selling During The First Meeting? Steve doesn’t recommend trying to sell somebody something during your first meeting. Consider your first meeting with someone an opportunity to learn about them. This means you make the first meeting all about them – not trying to sell yourself and your product or service. If you discover that you can’t solve their problem or give them what they need then try to refer them to someone else. It’s better to make a referral than to make an unqualified sale. If you discover that you can help them set up another meeting and present solutions that they can decide to buy or not to buy. A Common Networking Mistake One big mistake is networking for the sake of networking. You might be joining multiple groups and, without realizing it, be meeting with the wrong people for the wrong reasons. Rather than doing that you should define who you’re targeting as a potential client and who you’re targeting as a potential referral source. Then answer the question “Where are they?” Once you answer that question go to where they are instead of just randomly going to networking events. Listen In! In this episode we also talk about: How to create a profile for your ideal clients and referral sources. How to successfully network during the pandemic. The positive side of networking during the pandemic. How to have successful virtual sales meetings. …And other golden nuggets of wisdom! If you enjoy this episode please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest   The host of the BE THAT LAWYER podcast, Steve has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s, and Entrepreneur.com and has appeared on NBC News and WGN Radio. He has written three books on legal business development, is a regular contributor to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and has published articles in Attorney at Law magazine, the National Law Review, the American Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Recently I had a conversation about sticking with what you’re good at and delegating the rest with Bill Bloom. Bill is an abundant thinker, delegator and lifetime income specialist.  He just released his latest book, "Money Habits For Success." The first thing that he brought up is that he knows that he is a simplifier and not a multiplier. Simplifiers take things that are difficult to understand and make them easy to do and understand. Multipliers, sometimes called influencers, multiply ideas and other messages into the world. He takes retirement planning and simplifies it for people. Bill isn’t in the business of taking an idea, a book launch and multiply that into the world. He DOES work with multipliers that will do that for him. That’s a great piece of advice for you: If you’re not a multiplier or influencer don’t try to be one. Find those people to work with and stick to what you’re best at. On a day to day basis he takes complex situations and makes them easier to understand. Building The Right Team To Get Things Done The first thing Bill brought up when I asked him about hiring teams was personality tests. He uses one to assess potential candidates to find out if there’s a place on his team for them based on their personality. Bill then went on to discuss a book he recently launched. Because he’s a simplifier he doesn’t have a far reach on social media. He reached out to his multiplier friends and asked them to share the book on LinkedIn and other social media outlets. Delegating things that you’re not good at is so important – find the people that LOVE to do what you HATE to do. Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: How simplifiers and multipliers can collaborate. Why you should be investing in yourself and how to do it. The steps to successfully launching a book, pivoting your business or launching a new product or service. How to find the people that you need to collaborate with. If you enjoy this episode please subscribe and rate us on iTunes or your podcast platform of choice. About The Guest Bill Bloom is a husband, father, author, Retirement Income Certified Professional and a big soccer enthusiast.  Bill spends his time serving others by creating customized retirement income plans so that they can have purpose and clarity for his client's futures.  He also loves spending time with his wife, Jude, and his son, James.

Pat Helmers recently said to me that “Big ideas aren’t great, follow through is.” He grabbed my attention with that statement, and I had to learn more. That’s what we discussed on this episode. Pat is an international business consultant for technology start-ups, founder of the Sales Babble podcast and brings decades of experience to draw from which he shared during our conversation. Many people think if they can just get that one big idea then they have it made. Unfortunately, more often than not, they discover that they can’t get traction with bringing their big idea to life. The reason is that there’s no follow through. They can’t get other people to come on board to help them. They don’t test the idea on potential customers and they end up getting stuck with a big idea that never sees the light of day. We discuss how to overcome all of those problems. Entrepreneurship and Big Ideas Pat says that real entrepreneurs try an idea and if it doesn’t work, they try another one. And other one. And other one. It’s failing fast and failing early to learn as fast as they can until – finally – they have a big idea that gets traction and comes to life. Supposedly only one out of ten people have an entrepreneurial spirit. Once you consider that number only one out of ten of them will make it past five years. Half of them will be gone within a year. Those are scary numbers and that’s why most people won’t follow through and stick with it long enough to bring their big idea to life. How Can You Have Success With Your Big Idea? You have to dig into your competitive spirit. You have to find something that brings you joy. If your idea expresses who you are, what you’re about and how you can make the world a better place use that to power you and lift you up when you’re feeling down. It should bring a lot of value to your life. It should be fun learning. Fun facing challenges. It can be great to have total control and nobody can tell you what to do, you get to do it the way YOU want to do it. If you focus on those kinds of things, they can motivate you to move forward. Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: What you need to do before you spend a nickel promoting your product or service. How to get other people to write great sales and marketing copy for you that will sell your big idea to the world. How to enroll people around your big idea and build a team that will help you find success. What makes a great mastermind group and how to build one. The biggest problem with bringing a big idea to life and how to overcome it. When to give up on your big idea (yes, sometimes you should). …And more golden nuggets of advice. About The Guest   Pat Helmers is the host of the award winning Sales Babble podcast that shares selling secrets for non-sellers. He's also the founder of Habanero Media, a podcast production company that helps B2B businesses create interview based podcasts that boost brand, authority, influence and trust. On the side he's a sales consultant for tech startups. When the weather is nice he golfs and attends to many DIY projects in the garden and home brewery.

Rory Prendergast and I recently discussed that predictable success is something that many people want and many people can experience. Rory Prendergast is author of The Game Changer Formula and a qualified coach. He has built and sold two multi-million-dollar businesses and skippered a boat across the Atlantic with no previous sailing experience. He now helps business owners achieve ambitious goals at high speed. It took Rory years to put the big idea of predictable success together. Much of it came to him while he was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean without really knowing how to sail. He believes that we can all have predictable success – you just need to know where you’re going and start heading in that direction. Rory’s formula for predictable success is: [ Predictable success = mindset + energy + accountabilityvision] He believes that everyone, yes everyone, can get those elements in place. You Need To Have VISION Vision is one of the first things that you need to figure out if you want to experience predictable success. You cannot get anywhere in life unless you have some kind of vision. The good news is that if you dig deep enough we ALL have some kind of vision. Once you tap into your vision you need to make it crystal clear and have love for it. It starts with looking at where you spend your time. What are your friends like? What’s your relationship with your family? This isn’t something that you do in one afternoon. Rory suggests getting a notebook and writing in at as ideas and hunches come to you about your vision over time. This is about your life’s work and Rory believes that your goals should come from that. The goals are smaller things and your vision is the big thing that’s going to get you out of bed every morning, even on the days that you don’t want to get up. Leveraging The Stories of Your Life People are only achieving a part of the success that they could achieve. You have a collection of stories in your head from all of the situations that you’ve experienced in your life. If you want to make good decisions in your life you need to rely on those stories. You can make better decisions today if you compare what you’re deciding to what you’re experienced. Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: More details about leveraging the stories of your life – even the ones that could hold you back. How you can use your conscious mind to change your subconscious mind. How to overcome procrastination. The structure of learning and how to learn faster and create more success. …And more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate this show and subscribe on iTunes or your podcast platform of choice. About The Guest So you want to lead your business quickly and confidently to its full potential but there's a problem: As an ambitious business owner you contend with hundreds of competing priorities and demands. It’s a tide that pulls you off course, a little every day, making it difficult to keep yourself pointed in the right direction. You end up at sea without a compass. I believe that everything you need to grow your business into one that lets you live a life you love is already right there. You just need a helping hand to extract it. I’ve been in your shoes, struggling with unclear goals and allowing my businesses to control me. I have developed a formula for Predictable success called The Game Changer Formula.     Learn more about Rory and predictable success at these links: www.amazon.com/Game-Changer-Formula-Predictable-business/dp/B0863RRZBZ https://roryprendergast.com/

Recently I spoke with Frank King about topics ranging from chasing your dreams to entrepreneurship to suicide. Frank King is a Suicide Prevention speaker and Trainer was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years. Frank decided to become a comedian while he was in the fourth grade. He told a joke in front of the entire class and they laughed, and the teacher said it was hysterical. He was hooked. After years in the drama club, he was left with no spoken lines and always being in the chorus. Then he discovered stand-up comedy. He realized stand-up comedy would allow him to write his own ticket because he could write his own act, secure his live gigs, and do whatever he wanted. He went on to win the school’s talent show his senior year. Frank had a big idea and decided to run with it. Unfortunately, his first wife was against a comedy career and wanted Frank to go into the insurance industry instead. When Frank speaks to entrepreneurship classes or organizations he has a few key pieces of advice for them. The first on is if you have a big idea to start your own company share that idea with your significant other immediately. Look them square in the eye and say “I’m not kidding, this is what I’m going to do.  Are you in or are you out?” The second piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs is when you’re getting started don’t buy a new car or condo. Move back into your parent’s basement if you have to so you can keep your expenses as low as possible. Another key piece of Frank’s journey is that he has a history of suicidal tendencies and depression, both run in his family. The disagreements in his marriage only added to his issues. At that point he decided to get divorced, quit his insurance job, and began to chase his dream to make a living in comedy. Listen In! During our discussion we go on to talk about: How Frank dealt with and still deals with depression and suicidal tendencies and why he now speaks about suicide prevention. How Frank and his new girlfriend took a BIG chance and went on the road for 2,629 stand-up comedy nights in a row, which is just over seven years. More advice about the correlation of stand-up comedy and entrepreneurship. The rest of Frank’s story including booking $200,000 in corporate comedy gigs in one year to bankruptcy to bouncing back again and how he did it. …and more golden nuggets of advice. (15:00) If you enjoy this podcast please subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts or your podcast preference of choice! About The Guest Frank King, Suicide Prevention speaker and Trainer was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years. He’s fought a lifetime battle with Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Suicidality, turning that long dark journey of the soul into five TEDx Talks and sharing his lifesaving insights on Mental Health Awareness with associations, corporations, and colleges. Depression and suicide run in his family. He’s thought about killing himself more times than he can count. A Motivational Public Speaker who uses his life lessons to start the conversation giving people permission to give voice to their feelings and experiences surrounding depression and suicide. And doing it by coming out, as it were, and standing in his truth, and doing it with humor. He believes that where there is humor there is hope, where there is laughter there is life, nobody dies laughing. The right person, at the right time, with the right information, can save a life.

You probably know that social media has to be part of your marketing strategy. Jerome Myers believes that if you’re not on social right now you’re irrelevant. After building a $20 MM division at a construction company and having to layoff his teammates two years in a row, Jerome had enough and decided to become a full-time real estate entrepreneur.  He says that social media also helps with making new connections. If someone can follow you on social and “get to know you” when you meet or get on a phone or Zoom call you’ve already effectively qualified the other person as being worth speaking with. Jerome has only been on LinkedIn for two years and he’s already accumulated over 10,000 followers.  Not an easy feat. He does point out that the number isn’t as important as the engagement. If you’re trying to build a following find your tribe of 100, then 1,000 and so on. Jerome advises showing up every day and engaging with OTHER people’s content and says not to only show up to talk about yourself. It’s better to have a smaller number of engaged followers than a larger number of followers without engagement. Every day Jerome goes onto LinkedIn and comments on at least 18 of other people’s posts. For his own he posts one to three times every day. Rather than posting random pictures or information about his businesses he shares stories about his life and the lessons that he’s learned. He also advices to be authentic and always to be yourself. Jerome’s the same person at home as he is in the boardroom as he is on LinkedIn and so on. To build an authentic following on LinkedIn you need to bring people along the know, like, trust journey. First the have to know you, that comes from commenting on their posts and vice versa. Then they might like you. When they really get to know and like you, they begin to trust you and that’s usually when they’ll work with you and/or refer business to you. Listen In! During this episode we also discuss: How to successfully move people along the know, like trust journey. How to use problem solving to increase your client base. How to get more meaningful comments and likes on your posts. Why adding gratitude to your outreach efforts is important. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you like this episode, please like us and rate us on iTunes or the podcast platform of your choice. About The Guest Jerome Myers is the preeminent authority of dream realization. A believer that dreams can, and should be real, Jerome left corporate America when he realized that his role offered financial gain, but little significance. He is the founder and head coach of Myers Methods and has been featured in Business Insider and numerous podcasts. After building a highly profitable division of a fortune 550 company, Jerome decided to leave the rat race to get away from what seemed to be the endless slew of layoffs. He has developed a system for exiting corporate America and creating a life of impact. Today, he and his company help other apex performers find their calling and live every day on purpose by harnessing the power of his model for a Centered Life, what he calls “the Red Pill”. Jerome and his firms can guide any individual from a monotonous uninspiring existence to a life of fulfillment and impact

Recently I spoke with Matt Clark about how to successfully turn your LinkedIn connections into clients. Matt Clark is the founder of The Virtual Edge and co-creator of The Rainmaker System - an online marketing system that helps entrepreneurs get 2-5 high-value leads per day from LinkedIn without paying for ads. Why does Matt prefer LinkedIn over other social media platforms? Because it’s the most profitable and easiest to use, you can reach out and directly connect with your ideal clients. You can “knock on virtual doors” and get straight to the decision make to have a conversation. That may sound easy, but there’s a lot more to it. You need a sales strategy to implement to move people down the pipeline from being interested in your product or service to buying your product or service. Matt asked himself “How do you turn a connection into a customer in the shortest period of time?” The answer is that there’s a couple of things that you need to have. The first thing is that you must have your positioning right. Know who your ideal clients are and specifically target them rather than starting conversations with anyone and everyone for generic “networking”. Then you want to have what Matt calls the “pickup line”. That tells them exactly what you do and how they can work with you before they even talk to you. That also allows them to come into your world with certain expectations. Your job is to deliver on those expectations. If you have your positioning right, you’ll have a productive conversation and you’ve already started the process of knowing, liking and trusting. To do this you can create a sequenced sales process that gets them from interested to buying in less than an hour. When you have a repeatable process that allows you to scale your business. What To Say On That Initial Introduction First things first. Your profile has to be set up in a way that explains what you do, who you work with and how you help them. The more targeted you are with your marketing copy the faster your relationships will build. When you send a connection request let them know that you read their profile by saying something like “I came across your profile while searching for (insert industry/job title here). I’m always looking to connect with like-minded, successful people in (insert industry/job title here).” Listen In! During this episode we also discuss: What to say AFTER the initial contact to turn a connection into a client. How to conduct business development without sounding “salesy” or pushy. What NOT to do while developing your business development strategy. What to do to maintain relationships when people aren’t ready to buy from you right now. How to define who your ideal client is. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts or your podcast platform of choice. About The Guest Matt Clark is the founder of The Virtual Edge and co-creator of The Rainmaker System - an online marketing system that helps entrepreneurs get 2-5 high-value leads per day from LinkedIn without paying for ads. With their flagship programme Matt and his business partner, Wesley Longueira have helped thousands of businesses in 26 countries grow exponentially. They are now on a mission to reach 10k businesses worldwide and build a vibrant community of Rainmakers! The success of The Rainmaker System has led to Matt becoming a sought after international speaker and has shared the stage with Brian Tracey, John DeMartini, Michael Douglas, Stedman Graham, Peter Sage, Brandon Bays, Les Brown, and many more. Matt is also the author of The Proven Path, The Automation Playbook, and The Automated Income systems and has been featured in Wake up- How to live a Healthy Vibrant Lifestyle.

In this episode Thomas Kim tells his story of and gives advice for leading in crisis and explains why a culture of mentorship is good for your business. Thomas is the founder and CEO of Everclean Car Wash. Mentorship is important to Thomas because his dad left when he was seven. He’s grateful that scenario didn’t leave a gaping hole in his life because he always had men in his life that would take him under their wing and investing their time in him for reasons he didn’t understand at the time. Those mentoring experiences lead him to create a life and a company where mentorship is integral. This also led Thomas to have what he calls a “triad of relationships” in his life. This means he tries to have a mentor, be a mentor to someone else and surrounds himself with peers that will challenge him, encourage him and help him grow as a person and as business owner. Advice About How To Find a Mentor The first piece of advice Thomas shares is to ask and ask about a specific problem or area of your life that you want help with. To engage with a mentor Thomas suggests asking this question: “Can I meet with you for 30 minutes from time to time just to ask you some questions and get some advice?” The second piece of advice he shares to potential mentees is once you find a mentor to drive the relationship. By that he means that he tells potential mentees “I’m going to give you my time, but I want YOU to come with the agenda for the conversation.” Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: What NOT to do when attempting to start a mentoring relationship. More details about how to successfully engage with potential mentors. How Thomas has built mentorship into the day-to-day operations of his company. Why including a mentorship program in your company will enhance your company culture and increase performance with your employees. The steps you need to take is to create a mentoring program for your company. How to successfully lead a company during personal and professional crises. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode, please rate us on iTunes or your podcasting platform of choice and subscribe here! About The Guest Thomas Kim is an entrepreneur and investor with a focus on real estate and small businesses with high growth strategies. He’s the Founder and CEO of Everclean, a modern, branded car wash. Its social mission is to enrich lives through opportunity and holistic mentorship. He and his wife, Evelyn, make their home in the Chicago suburbs. They have one daughter, Mackenzie, who is in heaven, and prior, Thomas raised three teenage foster children. Hobbies include any sport under the sun (except long-distance running), foreign travel, motorcycles, and high-fiber breakfasts. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Everyone has great ideas from time to time. To create success in life you have to combine your great ideas and share them with the world. I recently discussed this concept with Richard Mulholland, the founder of presentation powerhouse Missing Link. Richard first shared that there are idea hunters and idea gatherers. Idea hunters seek out answers to questions. They’re the leaders in your life and in your networks. Idea gatherers look to the leaders for answers to questions and accept what they’re told. The idea hunters are always seeking something new, an explanation to a question, a solution to a problem, etc. The idea gatherers are always looking to the idea hunters for solutions to problems. They want the “hunting” for a solution done for them. Create intentional places to trap ideas. Buy a small notebook that you can carry with you and when ideas come to you write them down. This creates the opportunity to combine the ideas later to write a keynote speech, design a new marketing strategy for your business and many other opportunities that you want to create. Simply put, when you want to bring a big idea to life, instead of looking at a blank page as a starting point you have an idea trap to reference. From there you can combine the smaller ideas that you’ve had over time into one big idea. Listen in! In this episode we also discuss: How to curate information and conversations now so that you’ll have a better tomorrow. A deeper explanation of idea hunters and idea gatherers. How to be happier in your day-to-day life. How to amplify your big ideas and unleash them on to the world. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest Having spoken in over 30 countries on six continents, Rock and Roll Roadie turned entrepreneur Richard Mulholland knows first-hand the impact that memorable presentations can make. That's why he works with executives and speakers around the world, helping them deliver unforgettable presentations that activate audiences and generate income. He's the founder of presentation powerhouse Missing Link, as well as the co-founder of 21Tanks, HumanWrit.es and The Sales Department. He has written three books, Legacide, Boredom Slayer, and Story Seller, and was voted top 40 under 40, and top 300 South Africans to take to lunch. Mostly though he's a husband, father, son, brother, and uncle.

Many companies' primary marketing focus is on getting new clients. That can be the wrong way to go about business development. A better way is to focus on your current clients and stay in front of them as much as possible. They already know, like and trust you which shortens the sales cycle and opens the doors to more referrals. I recently spoke with Matt Deutschman about this. He runs Doubletake Promotional Marketing, a company that specializes in promotional products and branded swag for professional services firms, colleges and universities, the financial industry, and advertising and marketing agencies. Matt’s slogan for his business is “make them look twice”. This is a two-pronged marketing approach. The first one is the promise that his company’s products will make clients and potential clients look twice at their marketing messages. The second one is an important internal meaning for his company. It’s a rallying cry for Matt and his team. For every proposal or conversation with a potential prospect he wants to show them something that they’ve never seen before. What does this mean for you and your business? Once you get a prospect’s attention by making them look twice show them how you provide outstanding service, why you’re creative, why your product or service is different and more ways to capitalize on the attention that you have in a moment in time. Why You Should Focus on EXISTING Clients Matt shares that he’s come across research that it’s seven times easier to get another sale from an existing client than it is to get a sale from a first-time client. Yet there’s a paradox in that 80% of marketing budgets are spent on getting new clients. This surprised Matt. Yes, in order to grow you need to be attracting new clients. Matt’s not saying that you shouldn’t be focusing any efforts on getting new clients. Instead of trying to get new clients completely on your own you should be asking for referrals from existing clients that will sing your praises. That means that it’s very important to stay top of mind with and show appreciation for your existing clients. Matt reverses those numbers and spends a majority of their advertising budget on treating their existing clients like gold. In short, Matt focuses on and successfully turns existing clients into referral sources to help him grow his business. Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: How to add value to your client relationships without always asking for more business. How to create a “client appreciation campaign” and add it to your marketing strategy – even during the pandemic. More ways to stay top of mind with your current clients and potential clients. When and how to ask for referrals from existing clients without seeming “pushy”. How to get repeat business from your current clients. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us on Apple Podcasts or your platform of choice and subscribe here! About The Guest Matt Deutschman is the owner of Doubletake Promotional Marketing, a company that specializes in custom branded promotional products for colleges and universities, advertising/marketing agencies, professional services firms and the finance industry.  Matt founded Doubletake in 2010 and is fourth generation in his family in the promotional marketing industry, previously working for his dad in the family business.  He also has a background in journalism, which provides the framework for his unique ability to ask insightful questions and tell his clients’ stories.  Matt is married and has two children (4 and 2), and has recently published his first children’s book. Matt is passionate about forging a work/life balance that allows him to spend as much time with his wife and kids as possible, while also building a great company with a tight-knit team and an elite level of service and professionalism.  Doubletake has grown in sales every year since its inception,

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 38 In this episode I speak with David J.P. Fisher (also known as D. Fish) about creating a hybrid marketing, networking and outreach business plan during the pandemic and beyond. David is a speaker, coach, and author of 9 books, including the best-selling Hyper-Connected Selling and Networking in the 21st Century: Why Your Network Sucks and What to Do About It. David suggests that you shouldn’t wait until the pandemic is over to create a “post pandemic plan”. Create a hybrid plan NOW for networking, marketing and outreach. Make sure that you’re doing work to build social capital and foster relationships during the tough times. This will set you up for success moving forward. One piece that you can start working on now is your digital presence. Start with LinkedIn to continue conversations and  create relationships. People are spending a lot more time on LinkedIn during the pandemic which means that they’re more accessible. That way when we go back to in person networking events and meetings you’re not starting from scratch, you’re continuing online conversations in offline venues. Instead of a bunch of rando Zoom calls pick a target audience and schedule two Zoom meetings a week with people in that audience. That’s 48 targeted conversations in six months. Those “deposits of social capital” will pay great dividends in the long run. Every conversation doesn’t have to be a sales conversation. Simply reaching out to discover what the other person is working on and how you might be able to help them will build your social capital. Listen in! In this episode we also talk about: What hybrid meeting habits will carry over into a post pandemic world. More ways to develop relationships on LinkedIn. What NOT to do when you’re networking on LinkedIn. How to create “hyperconnected” sales opportunities …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts or your podcast platform of choice. About The Guest David J.P. Fisher (also known as D. Fish) is a speaker, coach, and author of 9 books, including the best-selling Hyper-Connected Selling and Networking in the 21st Century: Why Your Network Sucks and What to Do About It.  He is a Sales Hall of Fame inductee and LinkedIn Influencer and collaborator.  Building on 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and sales professional, he combines nuanced strategy and real-world tactics to help professionals become more effective, efficient, and happy. David’s goal is to help them understand the new Sales Sherpa™ Path, where social media, networking, and old-school sales and communication skills are the key to providing value and staying relevant. He lives in Evanston, IL – next to a huge cemetery which helps him appreciate the value of every day. Connect with David on LinkedIn here or visit his site here

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 39 Your reputation and what people say about you when you’re not around means everything in business. Credibility means everything. My guest in this episode is Mitchell Levy. Mitchell is a TEDx speaker and international bestselling author of over 60 books. We’re discussing how to bring your big idea to life through credibility and how credibility helps with marketing your big idea. Mitchell interviewed over 500 thought leaders on the topic of credibility. 98% of them couldn’t articulate who their customer was and the pain point that they solved for their customers. The term Mitchell uses for pain point is “CPOP” or “Customer Point Of Pain”. Test this out on yourself. In 10 words or less, without using the words “I” or “we”, describe who your customer is and the CPOP that you solve for them. If it’s 10 words or less, it’s memorable. If it’s memorable, it’s sharable. It should also be something that begs the question “tell me more”.  Mitchell’s is “Humans that want to be seen as credible”. One of his favorite client’s one is “Creating a successful marketing funnel”. Big Ideas, CPOPS and Credibility A clear CPOP is helpful when marketing your big idea. When you have a big idea, you should be able answer the questions “What is the audience that you serve?” and “What is the pain point that you’re addressing?” You should be able to articulate your big idea in five words or less. Then it will act as your compass of what activities you engage in and it will let you know what people should be finding you and how they find you. This is important because if you want to execute your big idea the first thing that you need to do is find other people that are interested in your big idea. To attract the right people, you must be deemed as being credible. Credibility is: The quality in which they KNOW you, the quality in which they LIKE you and the quality in which they trust you. It’s more than just they know of you, it means they actually know you. To achieve this, you have to be of service to others before you ask for something from others. Listen In! In this episode we also discuss: Three target markets for your big idea and how to reach them. The ONE thing that needs to be in all your messaging. How credibility ties into your personal branding and marketing outreach. What NOT to do and be if you want to be perceived as credible. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest Global Credibility Expert Mitchell Levy is a TEDx speaker and international bestselling author of over 60 books. After interviewing 500 thought leaders on credibility, he started Credibility Nation, a credibility movement, delivered aTEDx, wrote a book, created courses, and is working on revising the definition of credibility in the dictionary. He's an accomplished Entrepreneur who has created twenty businesses in Silicon Valley including four publishing companies that have published over 750 books. He's provided strategic consulting to hundreds of companies and has been chairman of the board of a NASDAQ-listed company. Mitchell has been happily married for thirty years and prior to covid-19, regularly spent four weeks a year in Europe with family and friends.

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 40 Storytelling is a popular subject.  While many people will tell you how important it is, few will tell you HOW to craft compelling stories. Recently I spoke with Michael Davis, a speech and storytelling coach, about how to create compelling stories even if you're a novice at doing so. Back in 2002 Michael met Darin, the World Champion of Public Speaking at Toastmasters. Michael wanted his speeches and stories to be perfect. Darin told him “Done is more profitable than perfect”.  This means that you have to get your product or service out there, and not wait until you think it's perfect because it never will be. This helped Michael eliminate some of the stress with bringing his speeches into the market. What does this mean to a B2B services company? We discussed leveraging networking events to hone your pitch, or better yet tell your story. After a brief conversation, if the other person doesn’t ask you to share more or ask for your business card – that’s feedback. That means your message isn’t landing with them. At that point you should try something else with the next person that you speak with. If you don’t get a great response from your latest marketing efforts, try something else. Don’t dig your heels in with a message that doesn’t resonate with your audiences. Keep honing your explanation until people lean in and ask you for more information. As a storytelling coach Michael believes that stories are the #1 tool we have in our marketing tool bag. Your story is the only asset that you have that nobody else can duplicate. Your life and business experiences are your own and yours only to share if you want to connect with people in a meaningful way. In this episode we also discuss: Why people don’t care about your offering unless you can solve a problem that they have. Michael shares how you can craft a story to describe the solution that you can offer them. How to have your clients to give you the marketing message you that you need to grow your business. Why listening more than you speak will build more business relationships. What NOT to do when approaching a potential client. Two questions to ask yourself after every sales conversation. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice.   Michael Davis is a highly sought after presentation skills coach, author and speaker. He has trained business leaders, sales professional, professional speakers and TEDx speakers on four continents to deliver talks that have been viewed over 3 million times. He is also a faculty member and coach at Stage Time University and Rooftop Leadership. His work is focused on helping you attract more clients, create more efficient teams, and increase your influence through more effective speaking, business storytelling and online presentations. He helps experienced speakers, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals confidently deliver memorable and meaningful talks of any length, even on short notice. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn here or visit his website here

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 41 In this episode Megan Robinson and I discuss the skills needed to bring your big idea to life. Megan is the principal at E Leader Experience and works with individuals and teams to develop self-leadership skills that grow companies. When it comes to creating an action plan there’s the tactical side of the equation and the strategic side of the equation. It’s one thing to have a big idea, it’s another thing to be able to execute and breathe life into it. That’s where tactics are needed as much as bigger picture strategies. The skill needed to combine the two is project management. A person skilled at project management can balance those tactical elements with staying true to the bigger picture. Another way to look at both sides of the coin is to examine management versus leadership. Leadership is being able to craft the big vision. Management is being able to guarantee that all of the “nitty gritty” aspects of the project get done. Project management is most successful when both sides of the leadership/management coin are aligned. How do you get people to buy into your vision? It’s an 80/20 principal. It is 80% the leader’s responsibility to craft and build that vision. The other 20% has to come from the team, that’s where you get the buy-in and alignment. Without some kind of team ownership of that vision it will never be truly aligned and actualized. When it comes to execution you need 80% to come from the team to get stuff done and make things happen. In this episode we also discuss: How to be tactical and productive instead of just “busy”. When it’s most important for a leader to be strategic. How to use the “stop, start, keep” philosophy to being a better leader. How to give your team the ability to take ownership of your big idea. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. Megan Robinson is the principal at E Leader Experience and works with individuals and teams to develop self-leadership skills that grow companies. She started her career in marketing climbing her way through the corporate ladder at advertising agencies and fortune 500 companies. Like many of us, she caught the entrepreneur bug and started her own marketing company. After yet another “Business Therapy” session, Megan discovered her true passion was in coaching and is a John Maxwell certified coach and DiSC Trainer. In addition, she is the Past President of ATDChi the leading learning and development organization in Chicagoland. Inspired by her own successful career in corporate and entrepreneurial environments, Megan makes leadership approachable for everyone, regardless of title, position, or experience. You can connect with Megan on LinkedIn here    

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 42 If you want to bring a big idea to life a support system will take you there faster than you could alone. That’s what Steve Hunt and I recently discussed. After twenty years as a corporate executive turned entrepreneur, Steve has learned the keys to selling big ideas. One way to create that is through a process called enrollment. What is enrollment? It’s getting people excited about your big idea and convincing them to join you on your journey. Enrollment is about opening doors, not closing sales. It’s about sharing passion and purpose about a project. What’s the starting point of enrollment? It’s understanding that because you are excited about your big idea doesn’t mean other people are going to be as excited as you the first time you share it. Sometimes they will get excited quickly and sometimes they won’t. Another important point is remembering that you’re selling an idea, not a product or service. Your big idea might lead to sales of a product or service, but they have to buy into your idea first. Enrollment is the process of not always being closing but always being opening. What does this look like? Imagine that you’re selling a big idea. The other person in behind a closed door and they’re looking at you through the peep hole. Through conversation you need to create enough connection and rapport to get them to open the door. How do you accomplish that? Get them to feel like you understand them and where they’re coming from. You want them to become part of something bigger than yourself.  When you achieve that you can begin a real conversation. During this episode we also discuss: How to build rapport and get the other person to open the proverbial door without steamrolling them. How to communicate in a way that the other person understands you and wants to learn more about your big idea. Why inviting people to join the mission of your big idea to fulfill a vision is better than trying to sell a product or service to everybody that you meet. Why listening skills are more important than presentation skills. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About the guest                 A speaker, advisor, and most of all a teacher, Steve has been entrenched in the world of the highest achievers in business for over three decades. He has coached executives at British Petroleum, Lockheed Martin, the White House, Cisco, Microsoft, and IBM and has assisted more than 400 global organizations in optimizing success in operations and leadership. Steve has appeared as an analyst on CNBC, Fox News, CNN, and other news programs. His commentary has appeared in The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Businessweek, and other global publications. He attended Elizabethtown College and was a graduate fellow at the University of Chicago. Steve's diverse background lends a fresh perspective on business and society. Steve’s website:www.Ravestrategystudio.com                    

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 43 If you’re not careful negative people can rain on your parade and hold you back. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid those things. That’s what I discuss during this episode with my guest, Brittany Anderson. Brittany’s current big idea is the creation of the “Dream Architect Movement”. Her primary role is helping people manage their money. She is driven to do more than just that; she is also helping people decide what they want to do with their lives. She helps them answer tough questions such as “What do you want to accomplish?” and “What are your aspirations in spite of what other people have told you?” When people share a big idea, they’re often met with resistance and even criticism. The other person might say “That’s too big of an idea” or “That’s not possible”. That’s where the Dream Architect Movement comes in. The process supports people that want to embrace possibility. Why is this movement so important to her? Both Brittany and the founder of their company, Bryan, grew up with single mothers in tight financial situations. Instead of succumbing to their life circumstances they both decided to go in a different direction by choosing success over failure. While it wasn’t easy, they made it happen. Brittany said “It doesn’t matter what happens to you in life, what matters is that you set your eyes on the future. What matters is the pursuit of all that’s possible”. In this episode we also discuss: How to stop negative self-talk dead in its tracks by focusing on the three components self-awareness. Why acting as if you’ve already achieved your goals will help you achieve them faster. Why surrounding yourself with the wrong people will hold you back in life and what to do about it. How to create “stories about moments of impact”. How to balance your personal and professional lives while chasing your dreams. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Brittany Anderson is the President and Shareholder of a top-ranked financial services firm, Sweet Financial Partners. Having more than a decade’s worth of experience in her field, she has taken her business building and team engaging insights, and has worked with CEO’s, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, and Authors. Brittany is also the co-creator of the Ultimate Advisor Coaching and Ultimate Advisor Mastermind Platforms. Her insights have been featured in national media outlets such as the Huffington Post, Women, Inc & Forbes magazine. She has shared her expertise through her contribution to three published books and will continue on with her love for writing as she is set to publish two additional books in 2022. As an influential speaker and author, Brittany Anderson has spoken at Million Dollar Round Table, Raymond James National Conference, EWAS and others on showing up each day to be more than a title, more than a label, and pursuing a life that fulfills their purpose. Here are the ways that you can connect with Brittany: www.MySweetFinancial.com – Resources www.SweetFinancial.com – Company Website brittany@SweetFinancial.com

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 44 While many people and publications will tell you mentoring is important, not many clearly define it or tell you how to get started. That’s what I discuss with my guest, Steve Ferman. When I mentioned mentoring the first thing Steve brought up is that, as a mentee, you need to be prepared for brutally honest and transparent conversations with mentors. Sugar coating the realities of life won’t benefit anyone. That approach might hurt the mentee’s feelings at the time. But when a self-aware person looks back at the blunt advice, they appreciate the honesty. What do you need to do before reaching out to potential mentors? First, think about what your end goal is. Start there and break it down into smaller bites. Work your way backwards until you’re asking yourself “What can I start doing today?” which leads to “What do I need to know that a mentor might be able to help with?” Many people have shared with me that they are afraid to ask for help. Often, they don’t think that they have anything to offer potential mentors in exchange for their advice. Steve says the good news is that there are giving people out there. They enjoy the fulfillment of helping people because someone helped them at one point in their life. You need to take the initiative and ask for help. Steve told me that after his 40 years of being a business owner - starting, running and selling six companies - if he can help somebody else not suffer through some of the things that he’s suffered through he will. What good would it do him to just hold it in? It’s better off to share it and pay it forward. In this episode we also discuss: Answering the question: “Do you ask someone to be your mentor right away or let mentoring relationships happen organically?” Where to go, online and offline, to find mentors. The top reasons that you should become a mentor when the opportunity presents itself. How to keep mentoring relationships going after the first conversation. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest               Steve Ferman is the Founder of 4 Pillar Coach and is a Scaling Up Coach as well as a graduate of the Master’s Program for Entrepreneurs - The Strategic Coach. A serial entrepreneur, Steve started, ran, and sold 6 different technology companies over 40 years. He has a deep understanding of every stage and how technology has evolved. This experience and knowledge led Steve to become a business coach. He currently serves as a Board Member of Entrepreneur Organization EO, New Jersey legal industry providers. Steve is a Microsoft Certified Professional, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, BlockChain Certified, HIPAA Security and Awareness trained. Steve spent 5 years in the United States Marine Corps., and remains active in the USMC Slattery Detachment. Steve sings with various bands, enjoys snowboarding, and is an avid golfer for fun. He wakes up every day hoping to be able to help at least 1 person. Connect with Steve! http://www.4pillarcoach.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveferman/

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 45 If you’re an entrepreneur you’re constantly presenting to people. But are you doing it effectively? I recently discussed a component of successful presentations with Joel Weldon, a Hall of Fame professional speaker with over 3,000 paid talks and who has personally coached over 10,000 speakers. Yes, he knows a thing or two about presentations. A presentation is anything that you’re communicating ideas to someone else. This could be an email, a phone call, a video call, an interview and, of course, live and virtual business presentations and many other formats. All of those are the same in the sense that they need to start some place and end some place. According to Joel, to successfully open and close a presentation you need to have a S.Y.S.T.E.M. What is that? “Saves You Stress, Time, Energy, Money”. Think about the last presentation you made. How did it open and close? Were you strategic? The key tip for opening your next presentation is to always make it about your audience. You know it’s about them if you use one three-letter word and get rid of one one-letter word. Those words are “you” and “I”. When you’re presenting it’s not about you its about them. Consider something as simple as an email. Open your email by writing about the other person. Instead of “Hello Chris, I’m writing you because…” consider “Hello Chris, I hope you’ve had a great week so far and all is well with you.” That’s a simple twist and now you have them engaged in the email. In this episode you’ll also learn about: More tips for successfully opening your written presentations. How to open business video presentations. A deeper dive into the S.Y.S.T.E.M approach and an invitation from Joel to set up a 30-minute call to discuss your situation and goals. Why Joel believes that a call to action should never be the closing of your presentations, and what to do instead. The three types of calls to action to include in your presentations, just not at the end. 22 words of advice for successfully presenting your ideas to your audiences. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Joel Weldon: At age 18--- Joel never stood up in four years of high school and gave an oral report or spoke in front of his class, he was so shy and had no confidence. At age 28--- he spoke in front of an audience for the first time. It was part of his job. Afterwards, he was told he was the worst speaker the audience had ever heard. If that happened to you, what would you have done? At age 36--- Joel was inducted into the professional speakers Hall of Fame, standing alongside the world famous speaker Zig Ziglar. How is that possible? As of today, Joel has been paid to speak at over 3,000 events and has personally coached well over 10,000 speakers and created an Ultimate Speaking System that works. Plus, he coaches 1 on 1 successful entrepreneurs who are committed to being amazing in their audience's eyes. You can learn more about Joel here: http://www.UltimateSpeaker.net http://www.SuccessComesInCans.com

Idea Climbing® Podcast Episode 46 Many companies don’t have a sales plan or a strategy to accelerate business growth according to my guest Scott Rosenzweig. Scott is a Sales & Marketing Accelerator dedicated to the growth of small & midsized (SMB) businesses. Unfortunately, lack of performance from a business is usually related to the fact that they don’t have a plan. The sales playbook is a companion to the sales plan. The sales plan is all about the numbers. The sales playbook is an actionable tool that contains all of the best practices that a company is already doing or best practices that their successful competitors are doing that they want to emulate within their own company. Scott estimates that only 40% of companies, probably less, have a sales playbook. Why? Because they don’t know how to create one and they don’t make the time to create one. If you want to create one you need to start by examining and defining your best sales practices. The first element that needs to be in your sales playbook is the Business Model Canvas. In short that is one page that outlines everything about the business that you need to know. Another important element is an analysis of your competitors. What are they doing? What do their processes look like? Then you need to have a follow up process that helps you gain new clients and grow your business. Once you have your sales playbook outlined you can combine it with your marketing campaigns to create a sales and marketing playbook. In this episode we also discuss: What a defined sales process is and how to create yours. The similarities and differences between your sales and marketing efforts. The importance of an assessment of your sales and marketing efforts at least once a year. How to perform your own sales and marketing assessment. …and other golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About the Guest                 Scott Rosenzweig is a seasoned commercial executive sales/marketing leader & sustainability strategist known as being personable, versatile, and collaborative. Scott spent the first 15 years of his career in publicly traded companies developing strategies to drive global expansion and profitable growth, then joined private equity throughout his next 15 years to lead several companies and teams towards increasing levels of success - both organic and acquisitive. Having held titles of President, Chief Commercial Officer, SVP Sales & Marketing and more, Scott is now leveraging his experience and network as a trusted B2B Partner for small & mid-sized businesses driving exponential sales growth, profitability, developing winning cultures, and introducing buyers with sellers through his two consulting businesses: Sales Growth Advisors and ESG Core Advisors Learn More: ) https://salesgrowthadvisors.com/ ) scott@salesgrowthadvisors ) 303-225-9303

Dave Young and I discussed the visionary’s curse, especially with entrepreneurs. Dave is the co-host of the Builder Nuggets podcast, a business coach and entrepreneur. He realized that he was experiencing the curse when he was developing an imposter syndrome. Dave was really good at developing ideas and coming up with strategies, but really struggled when it came to taking action and following through with the strategies. He had lots of good ideas, lots to share with people but he would get frustrated because he didn’t know how to make the ideas come to life. This problem hit home for him while sharing a new idea with a close friend. Instead of supporting Dave’s idea his friend said, “Don’t even tell me about this, I’m sick of hearing about stuff that you’re not going to do.” Dave told me that in one way it was a punch in the gut, while at the same time it was the gift of a wake-up call. Dave started to wonder if he was delusional. When you have great ideas, sharing them kicks off a chemical stimulus in your brain. You’re feeling something and you’re excited about sharing a big idea. The downside is that you’re so focused on sharing the idea that you’re less compelled to make it happen because that’s when the real work begins. How can you solve this problem? By partnering with integrators – people that love to get stuff done. They’re going to want exciting projects to work on and meaningful work in general. This doesn’t have to be a paid position, at first it might be a mastermind group that you can confide in or friends to help you in their spare time. One thing will hold true with solving that problem: You have to be vulnerable. You have to ask for help. You can’t just “fake it until you make it” because if you project everything as “all is well” then nobody will offer to help you. We also discuss: Why you should work on your strengths and not your weaknesses. The implementor’s curse and how to overcome it when you’re the visionary. How to “elevate and delegate” instead of just assigning tasks to your team. How to include vulnerability in your presentations to get more support for your ideas. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice.                 Dave grew up in a small town on Georgian Bay, Ontario Canada but always had big ideas and dreams. As a teenager he became fascinated with Real Estate and bought his first apartment building at age 25. While developing a real estate portfolio Dave launched a real estate technology company to help shift the organized real estate community. A chance phone call in 2013 led to Dave becoming a Regional Partner with upstart custom home building network, Alair Homes. Today he's the regional partner and business coach in 5 different Alair Homes regions covering North Carolina, South Carolina, Manitoba, and Eastern Ontario. In 2021, Dave and co-host Duane Johns, launched The Builder Nuggets Podcast. Each week they bring together thought leaders to help contractors everywhere build more rewarding businesses. Dave has been married to Terrilynne for 17 years. They have three teenage daughters and live in Newmarket, ON, Canada. The family enjoys spending summers in Muskoka and escaping to the Exumas, Bahamas in the winter. Dave loves playing hockey, skiing, boating, going on spontaneous adventures, and 'thinking about thinking'. Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveyoung13/ www.buildernuggets.com

“You’re not selling a service; you’re selling an experience.” That’s what I discussed with Andrew Hays, an entrepreneur and attorney. What sticks with people is the experience that they have with you. All of your clients should have a similar experience, from beginning to end, which means you’re engaging them with a similar process. A process is a list of things that have to happen in a certain order. A successful process will create successful experiences. The relationship and the memory of the relationship is what lasts in your clients’ mind. Ten years from now your clients probably won’t remember the terms of your contract, but they will remember how you treated them. That’s what they’ll share with their friends. In this episode we also discuss: How to avoid the pitfalls of bad customer experiences. Why communication is crucial to building client relationships. The importance of interviewing your clients. How to choose the right networking groups to join. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest               Andrew is the managing partner of a boutique Chicago law firm specializing in estate and trust administration and litigation. Andrew founded Hays Firm LLC in 2008 when he was two years out of law school. The firm has grown from a one-man operation to one of the most respected estate and trust litigation firms in Chicago. Hays Firm LLC is currently in a growth stage with the goal of providing the best client experience possible. Learn more about Hays Firm LLC: www.haysfirm.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhaysfirmllc/ Or feel free to connect directly with Andy at: ahays@hayfirm.com

Episode 49! It’s rare that a single person can bring a big idea to life by themselves. You’ll need a team and how to build that team is what I discussed with Bill Haase, entrepreneur, and financial advisor. How to many big ideas come to life? It happens when you take one small idea and ask yourself “How big can this go, where’s the market?” Here’s a great example: Bill was a mentor in a local high school mentorship program, and they asked him to build a financial literacy program for the school. Bill thought to himself “If I’m going to build a financial literacy program for one, why not build it for all the high schools in the country?” You have to start somewhere, and you may as well dream big! Bill shares more about his story in this episode. How do you pick the right idea to bring to life for yourself or become part of someone else’s big idea? It comes down to what kind of person you are and what’s important to you. Then it becomes time to build a foundation for your big idea because you can’t build anything else until you have a good foundation. One of the first things you need is to have the right people in the right places, you have to have your product or service ready for public consumption, you need to know who you’re going to market to, where to find those people and more. As Bill shares you have to have all of those things in place before going into the real world because the real world will slap you hard if you aren’t ready. Once people know that you’re building something, if they believe in it then they want to become a part of it. Some people will come out of the woodwork and tell you how you should be doing what you’re doing, others will be supportive. When people start approaching you as the “big idea creator” you need to hold true to your vision and only enroll other people that share your vision. In this episode we also discuss: How to find the right people to join your team. Why micromanaging people will create problems and how to avoid them. How to align everyone’s vision so nobody gets “steamrolled” in the process. Why you need to find people that are great at what you are weak at. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest             I have 37 years background in the financial world with 20 being in the trading pits of Chicago. I’ve worked in Stocks, Stock Options, Bonds, Currencies, S&P futures, and Eurodollars (Interest Rate Futures), helping international traders and banks navigate the financial markets that affect their world. The last 8 years have been primarily helping individuals, families, and business owners plan their future. I also have a radio show/podcast that helps small to medium size businesses grow from conception to hiring their 500th employee and have started a new business where we will provide a national financial literacy program starting with high school students and beyond. Programs will also include skills like organizational, negotiating, decision making, leadership, and communication in the business arena. Link to my show: Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am CST: www.216thenet.com, https://youtube.com/c/216thenet, or https://www.facebook.com/haase.bill Moving soon to Podcasting and Roku TV

Episode 50! Mentoring doesn’t have to be a formal program or system; it can be natural and organic. This doesn’t mean that you sit back and wait for it to happen, there are things you can do to create successful mentoring experiences. That’s what I discuss in this episode with Shelby Scarbrough, a serial entrepreneur, author, and mentor. Sometimes mentoring happens accidentally. How do you know when someone is mentoring you? When they show an interest in your career, professional development and they want to help you succeed. It’s not a transaction, it’s a relationship. When you realize the opportunity it’s your role to nurture the relationship in a positive way. One of the best ways to do that is by expressing gratitude for their mentorship. You can also send thank you notes and share your successes with your mentor. Let them know that in some way they were part of your successes. While it sounds counter-intuitive, Shelby believes that mentoring isn’t about giving and getting advice. She learned this through the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) which has forums of peers that meet regularly. They don’t give advice, they share experiences. One example of having a mentoring conversation is to not say “You should…”. That means you’re telling the other person what to do. By sharing experiences, the mentee can draw their own conclusions and decide what actions to take. In this episode we also discuss: How failures can contribute to your success in a mentoring relationship. Why teaching the “Why?” of an action is an essential element of somebody learning something. The importance of setting expectations for mentoring experiences and relationships. The components of successful mentoring experiences. How to approach potential mentors. …and other golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Shelby speaks on topics of leadership and entrepreneurship spreading a message of personal responsibility, civility, and joy to audiences around the world. She was a TEDx Napa Valley speaker on Civility and has addressed a conference on entrepreneurship at the United Nations. What unites all Shelby Scarbrough’s endeavors is a dedication to civility that she refined while working in the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and in her own business, Practical Protocol. A renowned speaker on entrepreneurship and civility, Scarbrough was a graduation speaker for her Harvard Business School graduation class of the Owner/President Management program. She has inspired audiences as a TEDx speaker and spent three years addressing entrepreneurs around the world while serving on the global board of Entrepreneurs’ Organization. In 2021 she co-founded the Global School of Entrepreneurship creating a new way of MBA for entrepreneurs.

Relationship marketing is often overlooked. When it’s embraced it can change the trajectory of your business if you know how to harness the power of it. That’s what I discuss with Jason Abrahams, a fractional CMO, growth strategist, and founder of Next Play Marketing. Is it business development or is it relationship marketing? Jason believes they’re one in the same. It’s all part of one growth strategy. It’s about nurturing relationships with those people that know you and eventually with new people that don’t know you yet. If you’re not nurturing them and staying top of mind with them, the reputation you’ve built will be forgotten. A one-time meeting probably isn’t going to lead to a referral or business development. People need to know, like and trust you before they’ll do business with you. That’s where relationships come in.  Relationships are ongoing interactions and that includes how you stay top of mind with the other person in between one-on-one meetings. That can be done in a variety of ways online. That can be an email sharing a book or blog recommendation. Building solid relationships can lead to business development opportunities because when people feel like they know you, they believe that you will follow through with a referral and provide quality service. In this episode we also discuss: Why your next client or referral is already in your database. More ways to foster professional relationships. How to balance nurturing existing relationships with creating new ones. How and when to ask for referrals to potential clients. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Jason Abrahams is a veteran marketing communications executive, growth strategist, and founder of Next Play Marketing. Utilizing his rich, market-tested playbook and the “next play” philosophy, Jason provides fractional marketing leadership to growth-focused small and mid-market businesses. Acting as an outsourced Chief Marketing Officer, Jason has a proven record of building stronger brands, driving client engagement, and attracting more leads while maximizing return on marketing spend. Before founding Next Play Marketing, Jason led research and strategy and oversaw marketing execution at a Chicago-based full-service marketing agency. He has also held various client-side marketing leadership positions, was an instructor at the Digital Professional Institute at Tribeca Flashpoint, and frequently speaks on marketing trends and best practices. Learn more at https://nextplaymarketing.com or connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

Episode 52! The foundation of great mentoring experiences is knowing how to ask great questions. That’s what I discuss in this episode with Kevin Bruner, a Fractional VP of Sales and the President of Mash Bill Consulting. Mentoring is about giving you, the mentee, the empowerment to make good decisions based on your experience and knowledge. Mentors help you get out of your own head and out of your own way. Good mentors don’t make decisions for you or tell you what to do. They guide you in the right direction and let you decide what to do and what not to do. Through Kevin’s experience as a mentor his goal has been to teach a person to fish. He wants the mentees to grow and not come to him with a problem without having thought it through and bringing at least one suggestion for a solution to the problem to the conversation. This helps the mentees think for themselves and helps draw solutions out of their mentees. A great question for a mentor to ask in this situation is “What do you think you should do?” Mentees also need to have “a seat at the table”. They’re responsible for asking great questions that, when answered, will help them solve problems and create opportunities. Asking questions lets the mentor know that you’re engaged in the conversation and are grateful for their help. In this episode we also discuss: Examples of questions that you should be asking your mentors. What NOT to do during mentoring conversations. Examples of questions that mentors should be asking their mentees. How to turn mentoring experiences into mentoring relationships. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Kevin Bruner, a forward-thinking Seasoned Entrepreneur with a solid background in business management, operational planning and revenue generation. An accomplished CEO well-versed in assessing risk, developing solutions, and implementing positive changes to achieve sustainability and growth in challenging market conditions. Adept at building and strengthening business and customer relationships. History of streamlining operations, increasing revenue, and reducing costs to maximize business profits. Decisive and strategic leader with demonstrated track record of success. You can connect with Kevin on LinkedIn here. “A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” — Bob Proctor.

Episode 53! In this episode my guest, Jonathan Sparks, and I discuss how mentors can help get you unstuck. Jonathan the Founder of Sparks Law that handles business and transactional matters for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Additionally, Jonathan has a weekly podcast and as a musician has released a new single monthly in 2022. Jonathan believes that all entrepreneurs need mentors. In order to find good mentors you need to be humble. There are people out there that have grown a lot more than you in certain areas and you can learn from their mistakes and successes. Your growth is only limited by how much feedback you can take in without "freaking out" or getting offended. You could grow and have all the success that you’ve dreamed about if you would listen to people that know better than you that have been down the path that you’re trying to travel down. They know where the speedbumps and potholes are and can save you time and energy by avoiding them. Unfortunately, many people set up roadblocks to mentorship and don’t reach out for help because they’re afraid of their own success. For example, some people will say, “I want a million dollars” but they don’t want it or else they would find a way to get it. To them success is scary. Part of them knows that if they were highly successful, they would lose a lot of their friends due to jealousy. When you really want to improve yourself, you need to seek out mentors that are on a higher level than you. If you only interact with people that are on the same level as you, they will inadvertently pull you down when you try to grow. The only way to level up is to leave your community and find a new community. Mentors can show you how to do that. In this episode we also discuss: How entrepreneurs can create mentoring experiences. How mentors can help you rewire your brain and let go of limiting beliefs and negative thoughts. Why many people on levels higher than you appreciate and welcome the opportunity to be a mentor. One great question that every mentee should ask their mentors. …and other golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Jonathan Sparks is the Founder of Sparks Law. He works as an in-house counsel for small to medium sized businesses. His motivational, self-help weekly podcast deals specifically with improving your life and becoming the best version of yourself. Before forming Sparks Law, Jonathan worked at the United States Department of Justice, the United States Senate Office, the Attorney General’s office for the District of Columbia, and as an attorney at King & Spalding here in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School, where he excelled at Corporate and Business law, Torts, Litigation, and Securities law. Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn here. Visit Sparks Law Practice Here

Episode 54! In this episode my guest, Robbie Samuels, and I discuss big idea of bringing a new service offering to life while marketing it. Robbie is an author, speaker, and business growth strategy coach recognized as a networking expert by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Lifehacker, and Inc. When it comes to creating service offerings don’t just assume that you know what your audience wants. Many people dream up a big solution to solve a big problem; but the people they’re reaching out to don’t have the same understanding of what the big problem is. They often think they have a small problem that needs a small solution. Robbie says it’s like they think they need a band aid and we’re trying to sell them surgery – it’s a huge disconnect. How can you avoid this problem? By creating an offering with the people you plan on serving. Identify prospects within your existing network who already know, like and trust you. Have around 30 conversations with those people over a six-to-twelve-week time frame. If the response is positive from those conversations determine exactly what you want to create and then do a pilot test of it. Invite some of those people that you spoke with to be in the pilot. If the response is negative move on to your next big idea and repeat the process. In this episode we also discuss: What NOT to do when you’re building a list. How to write great marketing copy. More ways to bring your big idea to life. What to do after you run a successful pilot. How to price each iteration of your big idea for a service offering. …and more golden nuggets of advice. If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Robbie Samuels is an author, speaker, and business growth strategy coach recognized as a networking expert by Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Lifehacker, and Inc. He is also a virtual event design consultant and executive Zoom producer recognized as an industry expert in the field of digital event design by JDC Events. Robbie is the author of "Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences" and "Small List, Big Results: Launch a Successful Offer No Matter the Size of Your Email List." He is a Harvard Business Review contributor. His clients include thought leaders, entrepreneurial women, associations, national, and statewide advocacy organizations, women’s leadership summits, including Feeding America, California WIC Association, and AmeriCorps. Robbie is the host of the On the Schmooze podcast and #NoMoreBadZoom Virtual Happy Hours. Want a LOT of free, helpful content? Visit https://robbiesamuels.com/mark Download bonus content at www.SmallListBigResults.com and www.CroissantsvsBagels.com. Robbie's journey as an entrepreneur is shared at www.robbiesamuels.com/about. Robbie's podcast is On the Schmooze (please note spelling). Connect with Robbie! www.linkedin.com/in/robbiesamuels

Episode 55! Today the subject of “Flow” is the focus of our conversation. My guest is Chris M. King, executive performance coach, author, speaker, and founder of Status Flow. What is flow? Athletes refer to it as being in the zone, its runner’s high, basketball players call it going unconscious and other people have other names. Flow is the optimal state of consciousness where you feel your best, perform your best, you’re not stressed out and you’re using fewer resources to achieve bigger goals. What roles can flow play in bringing a big idea to life? Before looking at that Chris agreed that if you spend too much time in flow you can overload your brain. We discuss the balance between being in flow and taking time off from flow. If you want to get creative with bringing your big idea to life flow can play a big role, but it’s almost counter-intuitive. The primary areas of the brain that we’re used to working with don’t play a role in flow. You need to set the unique conditions for flow and behave in a certain way that will create the flow state that you’re looking for. To do this you can train into flow and train out of flow to prevent overload. “Flow triggers” are the conditions that need to be present to create the neurochemical cocktail that flow is the result of. One of them is complete concentration. You need to create an environment where you are only focused on the project you’re working on and not be distracted by cell phones and other things. Risk is another one that is tied to concentration. When you take a risk, you get very focused on what you’re doing to avoid problems. This helps with flow. In this episode we also discuss: The flow paradox: By trying too hard to get into flow you can keep yourself out of it. We discuss what you can do to avoid this problem. How to leverage other flow triggers. How to recognize when you’re in flow if you haven’t consciously been aware of it before. …and other golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 You’ve renegotiated deals, jobs, and even relationships. What if you could renegotiate your existence?  You can! And you can make the impossible, or even the unimaginable, a reality quicker than you thought! “Pique-performance” (spelling is intentional) executive coach, author, and speaker Chris M. King sets the conditions for “flow,” a.k.a. “the zone.” He facilitates the journeys that lead to the discoveries that create sustainable advancements for organizations and individuals to quickly achieve the impossible. Chris has particular expertise with professional women and women-led/focused teams, ensuring they are running their businesses and lives instead of their businesses and lives running them. Chris’s background is working in technology, broadcasting, and healthcare. He has trained with the very best in flow research including the Flow Research Collective, the Flow Genome Project, David Bayer, Brendon Burchard, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Unbeatable Mind, and regularly trains in mental and physical endurance with retired US Navy SEALs. Chris’s book, Renegotiate Your Existence: Unlock Your Impossible Life is now available on Amazon.

Episode 56! The topic of “manifesting success” came up recently during a conversation with Colin Sprake. Since 2004, Colin has helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and their families make lasting changes in their personal and professional lives. Colin believes that we are manifesting all the time. Sometimes we’re manifesting what we do want sometimes we’re manifesting we don’t want. This happens because what focus on is what we vibrate internally which determines what we receive externally in the world around us. It’s important to realize that you need to focus on manifesting what you really want in your life and not spend time thinking about what you’re worried about. You can do this by practicing changing your vibration. You can get started with studying and leveraging this formula: Your thoughts lead to feelings that lead to actions that lead to results. People often try to improve their lives by positive affirmations. The trouble is that positive affirmations don’t work if they’re coming from your head and not your heart. You need to be emotionally attached to them and believe what you’re asking for will happen. It’s about the words that you’re using and the things that you’re thinking that impact your vibration internally. Two ways to shift your inner vibration are through meditation and visualization. That will change your frequency, which is like using a radio – a small shift in frequency changes from one station to another. You can shift to a productive and happy frequency. You need to pay attention to every thought that you’re thinking and every word that you say because everything has a frequency. One roadblock people often put up for themselves is always wanting more. The feelings associated with want are actually feelings of lack. When you’re vibrating lack all you will get is “less of” in your life. How can you change this? With gratitude. For example, if you have a book launch coming up don’t focus only on what you want, focus much more on how grateful you are for every step of the launch process and your launch will go even better. We also discuss: More about the power of gratitude and how to practice it. How to “feel it to reveal it”. Why it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you are. How to stop self-sabotage. How to meet the right people at the right time to change the arc of your business. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest                 Since 2004, Colin Sprake has helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and their families make lasting changes in their personal and professional lives. He’s been privileged enough to speak on Tony Robbins’ stage, and present with ack Canfield, John Assaraf, Joe Dispenza, JJ Virgin, Les Brown, Marcia Weider, and countless other global thought leaders. He is a 4 times best-selling author and business mentor with a proven track record of personally building profitable companies from the ground up. He’s an extremely passionate and engaging presenter that specializes in mindset, realizing personal potential, and is an absolute genius at business strategy and scaling. Connect with Colin on LinkedIn here

Episode 57! Many entrepreneurs feel alone in their endeavors. It helps to create a support system. That’s what I discuss with Marcy Fortnow, founder of Engaging Play and Diana Patel, an executive coach.  We started the discussion by examining stump speeches and sprout speeches. Stump speech is where you establish yourself as an expert while giving a sprout speech means you’re willing to grow with the help of others. Diana and Marcy loved the concept and decided to create a virtual event, or space, for entrepreneurs to come together and explore what’s possible. They shared some advice for you if you’re interested in creating your own sprout event. The first suggestion is that you collaborate with people that you admire. This usually means they’re further along on the know, like and trust path of your relationship. This helps you collaborate quicker and with more success at the event. For an activity at your event Marcy suggests the “rose, bud, thorn” activity. A rose is something that is going great in your life. A bud is something that is going to happen in your life soon. A thorn is something that’s not going great for you. Each person journals about those three areas of their life. Then everyone shares their bud, something they want to grow a little big more. Then the audience shares their thorn. Those last two shares are essentially asking their peers for help. We also discuss: How to speak your goals and share them with people that can help you. A deeper dive into how to create a safe space to share with your peers. How to invite people to your sprout event. What to do after your event to create lasting results. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guests               Marcy Fortnow Marcy Fortnow is the owner of Engaging Play (engagingplay.com), a team building and training company that delivers workshops and programs through traditional training, active facilitation, and engaging play. She develops and delivers experiential learning programs for corporate groups, organizations, and boards, to raise their leadership level, improve teamwork, enable better communication and problem solving, and increase productivity. Prior to beginning her entrepreneurial ventures, Marcy accumulated more than twelve years in the business software world, in training and development, change management, and implementation and consulting, for both domestic and European clients. She has a BS in Psychology, and an MBA from Boston University. Marcy is a certified John Maxwell Leadership Trainer and is a certified Disc consultant in Advanced Behavioral Analysis. Marcy is also certified as a LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator, working with clients around alignment, innovation and problem solving. She is an extremely involved community member, volunteers and serves in leadership on several boards, and was the Atlanta President of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) from 2017 to 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcyfortnow/ https://engagingplay.com/               Diana Patel  Diana is founder and owner of Resonant LLC. Her multidisciplinary approach combined with her drive to make a difference in others’ lives makes her a highly impactful executive coach. She’s also a strategic development partner at Continuing Education Productions where she helps sustain cohesive, high-performance organizations through employee training. With over a decade of experience in consulting and leadership development, Diana helps business leaders discover, develop, and share best practices. Early on in her career, she co-founded a biotech company and had the unique opportunity to cross-collaborate with physicians, engineers, lawyers, biologists, and business leaders. Diana double majored in Psychology and Speech Communicatio...

If you want to bring a big idea to life in the entrepreneurship world there are two things that you need to focus on and take action on: The concept of service vs pleasing and then creating value. That’s what I discuss in this episode with Business Development Coach Steve Lover. Let’s start with service vs. pleasing and why it’s so important. When we’re younger we’re taught to please everyone. As a child, if you’re good at the store you get a treat when you get home. If you’re good in school the teacher won’t pick on you as much and so on and then we reach the business world. Pleasing is all about doing things so people will like you. It's all about you. Service is another story. It’s completely focused on the person you’re dealing with; it’s not focused on you. You’re taking the focus off of you and feeling good about yourself and instead asking “How can I help and serve this person?” When you have that focus the entire way that you show up is different. One example of serving instead of pleasing happens when your product or service isn’t a fit for the other person. Instead of making the sale anyways you refer them to someone that can better serve them. Another example is giving away a lot of solid advice during your first meeting. You realize that’s all they needed so you don’t pursue them as a client. It’s about what does that person need and want and how you can increase the quality of their life. We also discuss: More ways to be of service to the people around you. How to make what you do so valuable that people will want to work with you and refer you. How to decide what you’re worth and how much to charge for your services. Why you should embrace your uniqueness. …and other golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice. About The Guest               Steve Lover is a high impact business development specialist. He helps small business owners and CEOs increase both profitability and productivity. With his direction, business owners have revamped their sales and marketing departments making them more effective, increased employee engagement through better accountability and designed smoother running businesses through higher quality leadership. He has been speaking to audiences, getting rave reviews and has been invited to speak for Chase Bank, Century 21 and Jackson National to name a few. Before starting his coaching practice in 2005, Steve was a corporate trainer for a Fortune 100 Financial Services company, a sales representative and a Rabbi. He is a member of the board of directors of the local Rabbinical School and is involved with helping kids at risk. He speaks three different languages fluently and has lived on three different countries. He is Married for 39 years and loves spending time with his 6 children and a slew of grandchildren. Visit Steve online: www.BlueMountainCoaching.com www.BlueMountainAcademy.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/your-business-coach/

Today’s big idea is the subject of beating yourself up and how to stop it. That’s what I discuss with Brian Reinbold, who is The Voice of BraveHearts Radio and The Host of BraveHearts Adventures. Brian is a Master Storyteller and loves to do Voice Work and EmCee Events. Many people do this about the things that they set out to do but didn’t accomplish on time. Brian found himself in a bad place thinking about that and came up with an idea. He took out a sheet of paper and wrote down what he did accomplish. Brian gave himself the grace to get a “B” for the day instead of a failing grade. The next step was to figure out what he needed to do for an “A” or even an “A+”. It’s a simple system that you might find valuable the next time you find yourself in a bad space mentally. How do you differentiate a good idea that you might want to bring to life and a great idea that you should definitely focus on? A good idea is any idea that is well intentioned. That being said there are a limited number of things that you can successfully put your time, talent, energy and love into. Trying to do too many things with those limited resources is one road to beating yourself up because you can’t do everything. When you want to bring an idea to life leveraging those four things you know that you have a great idea. Only put great ideas on your to-do list and you’ll experience much less frustration because you’re being much more strategic. In this episode we also discuss: The concepts of love and appreciation in the business world. Why gratitude is the beginning of all good things and how to practice it. How to combine purpose and passion to lead a happier life. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice About the Guest               BRIAN REINBOLD is at his best when he is helping others to become their best. He is the eternal optimist, an enlightening and uplifting speaker, and a community builder who inspires people in all walks of life to rise and meet their challenges through the service of others. With his innovative approach to leadership development, soothing voice, engaging sense of humor, passion for mentoring, and ability to harness the power of analogy to create the aha moment, Brian invites you to dream bigger, accomplish more, and have more fun than you ever thought possible. Brian is the architect of a successful career that spans business ownership, consulting, coaching, sales management, sales training, philanthropy, professional speaking, and broadcasting, As the host of the BraveHearts Radio Show he is taking the thought leadership conversation to the next level, providing an outlet for experts to broaden their reach and find a target audience. Promoting not just his own coaching and content, but that of other Speakers Authors and Coaches as well. As the Mission Specialist, he is elevating the profile of BraveHearts for Kids, a charity organization that supports the needs of pediatric cancer patients and their families. Through his corporate board experience, broadcasting platform, writings, and instructional methods, Brian is crystallizing the concept of mission-building behavior and helping mission-driven organizations connect with their employees and/or constituents. He is known as a design thinker and a dot connector who can align people with ideas, course a path, and generate a best-fit solution. His vision is to create an environment that supports open communication, increases employee and customer retention, and drives profitability. Connect with Brian on LinkedIn here!

This episode’s big idea is business planning for a recession: Four critical steps for CEOs. My guest, Glenn Gow believes that any company can find a pathway to success regardless of what’s happening in their economic environment. Glenn was a CEO for 25 years. Now, he's a CEO Coach. He's going to make you more successful. But it's not only about being successful, it's about being happy while achieving success. If you want both, listen to this episode! When a problem like a recession hits you need to step back, take a breath, and then take action. When you take a step back you need to acknowledge that there are things in this world that you can control, and those things are what you should focus on. Accepting that there are things that you cannot control is key here; sometimes the situation at hand simply is what it is. The stock market is what it is. The buying behavior of our prospects and customers is what it is, and so on. Those are the things that you have to accept and face reality. Once you accept that you choose the places that you want to focus on where you can make change happen. After you step back and take a deep breath it’s time to get focused. After you’re focused on the right things you need to create a new action plan for your new situation. One of the first things to do within your plan is reduce your burn, what you’re spending money on. Unfortunately, this might mean you have to lay people off. When that happens, you need to be in the mindset that good people will get hired by somebody else. In this episode we also discuss: How to find new ways to cut expenses. How to become a great communicator with the people that you work with. How to execute your new plan. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice About the Guest               After graduating from Harvard Business School, Glenn came to Silicon Valley and worked for a start-up that failed. Then he worked in sales and marketing at Oracle. He then founded Crimson Consulting Group — a highly successful strategy consulting firm, while serving as CEO for 25 years. Crimson helped Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, and many start-ups become even more successful through strategic consultation. After his stint as a CEO, he worked in venture capital for five years. During that time, he coached the CEOs of his portfolio companies. Now, Glenn coaches CEOs to success and happiness. He can be found at glenngow.com.

Episode 61! More referrals are the holy grail for entrepreneurs and sales professionals. But how do you get more? That’s what I discuss with Matt Ward in this episode. Matt is an author, speaker and referral coach that teaches service-based small business owners by showing them how easy getting more word-of-mouth referrals can be if you just have the right mindset. The first thing Matt shared is the more we care, the more referrals we get. Check in with your network frequently, care about their success and what they’re doing. When you do that, you’ll build mutually beneficial and valuable relationships that will result in referrals. If you’re not getting referrals, it’s because you don’t have close relationships with the right people in your network. How do you build those relationships without being “salesy”? One way is to check in with them regularly just to see how they’re doing. This is something as simple as and email simply saying “Hello! How are you? I just want to check in.” You can also send the same message in a handwritten card. Not many people do that these days and you’ll stay top of mind with whomever you send the card to. Why don’t people do that? They’re often too busy chasing the next sales instead of investing time to build relationships. A common quote is “People do business with people they know, like and trust.” Matt believes that people do business with people they know, like, trust, and care about. That only happens when you develop deep relationships with people and forget about the transactional mindset. Taking it a step further, Matt believes that people should give without the expectation of getting anything in return. That can be a tough habit to create. When you give like that people are going to want to be around you. They’re going to care about you because you’re brightening up their lives. With time, they will be happy to send referrals to you. In this episode we also discuss: More ways to develop meaningful relationships. What NOT to do while networking and developing relationships. Why it’s better to ask for introductions to referral sources than potential clients. How to stand out from your competitors …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice About the Guest               In 2002 Matt began working with business owners through his digital marketing agency, inConcert Web Solutions, to improve their bottom line, gain more clients, and grow their respective businesses. He then sold his agency in 2018 so that he could focus on helping businesses get more word of mouth referrals! He's the author of "MORE...Word of Mouth Referrals, Lifelong Customers & Raving Fans and, “The High-Five Effect: How To Do Business With People Who Bring You Joy”. Matt believes that creating deeper and more meaningful connections will result in more word of mouth referrals. He personally uses this philosophy in his own business. Matt is a professional member of the National Speakers Association and he and his companies have received numerous awards, including: 40 Under 40 Chamber Small Business Owner of the Year Top Web Firm 7 Years in a Row Better Business Bureau Torch Award Finalist Connect with Matt! Website - Professional Speaker - Matt Ward - Get More Word Of Mouth Referrals Free Download - Fire Up Referrals Engine Kit - Breakthrough Champion LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwardspeaks/  

Episode 62! When it comes to building relationships in the business world there is a relational model and a transactional model, I discuss which one is better with my guest Jonathan Rosen. Jonathan founded Collaberex 6 years ago with the sole mission of helping executives, small business owners and professional service providers build meaningful, impactful, purposeful, relationships with others who will help you achieve your goals. Jonathan believes that there aren’t professional relationships and personal relationships, there are just relationships. For instance, if you ask business owners “Can you describe your relationships with your best customers?”, they probably won’t respond with the ones that buy the most. They’ll describe the ones that have been with them the longest, the relationships that have the most trust, the ones that invite them to family and social events and so on. It becomes a competitive advantage to build meaningful relationships. When it comes to “there’s just relationships” how do you know when it’s mostly personal or mostly professional? Jonathan explains that if you meet someone at a professional networking event, you both know that the primary driver of the relationship is business even if you become friends afterwards. The caveat is that you should take time to get to know someone and develop a relationship (relational model) and not discard people that don’t express an interest to buy during your first conversation (transactional model). During those initial conversations start by discovering what you have in common, personally and professionally, and let the conversation grow from there. Jonathan believes that the point of a meeting is to have another meeting which can lead to a meaningful relationship. In this episode we also discuss: How to build trusted relationships that result in both people wanting to help each other. How to start your own peer group that will help you grow your business. Why accountability will help you achieve goals faster. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice About the Guest               Jonathan Rosen founded Collaberex 6 years ago with the sole mission of helping executives, small business owners and professional service providers build meaningful, impactful, purposeful, relationships with others who will help you achieve your goals. With a dozen virtual groups in New York, Philadelphia & Boston (and growing) we are on our way to making an impact on more people's lives through our 100% relationship focused, peer advisory / professional development model. Jonathan brings more than 30 years’ experience in strategic planning, operations management, organizational restructuring and start-up formation.  Having held positions as CEO, COO and Founder of several small to mid-market businesses in the NY Metro area over the past 35 years, he has a detailed knowledge of many business sectors including, manufacturing, distribution, importing, retail and e-commerce. Additionally, his law degree and BBA and Masters in Finance, all from The George Washington University, provide his clients with an advisor with the expertise and experience who can professionally guide them step by step through whatever challenges they face. When he’s not helping others build relationships you can find him spending time with his wife, kids and grandkids, playing tennis and holding his breath hoping the Mets will keep winning. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathancollaberex/ https://collaberex.com/beliefs/  

Episode 63! Finding or starting your own professional group of advisors can be a daunting task, but a great investment of your time if you know how to go about it. That’s what I discuss with Electra Govoni in this episode. Electra is a business coach who helps owners of small and medium sized companies go from barely surviving to thriving in their businesses.   In addition, she facilitates bringing business owners together in peer advisory groups to leverage real world advice from people who know exactly what it means to run a business. Get Involved with Professional Organizations If you need help growing your business the good news is there are more people out there that can help you than you may even realize. When you get involved with professional groups and get out of your same industry, talk to people you don’t normally talk to and then talk about your business you might encounter some personal skepticism. That means that you’re thinking “How can someone that doesn’t deeply understand my business help me?” That’s where the group dynamic is important. You overcome that skepticism when the group gives you feedback that resonates with you. You need to go into those situations with an open mind. How to Create a Circle of Trusted Advisors One of the first places to look for advisors is in the segments of business that you’re not strong in. Find the people that love to do what you hate to do and bring them on board. The second dynamic to look at is finding people go approach problem solving in different ways than you do. That type of person can help you mitigate risk and move in directions that you haven’t even thought of. When you engage with those people plan of choosing at the most 10 that will meet monthly. From there you create a safe space, where nothing leaves the room, and you share your plans with the group. In this episode we also discuss: How to embrace vulnerability to move your business forward. How to get out of your own way with the support of your group. Why people want to be included in your circle of trusted advisors. …and more golden nuggets of advice! If you enjoy this episode please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your podcasting platform of choice About the Guest               Electra is the CEO of Finding Parity, Inc. and owner of TAB Boston NW.  With over 30+ years’ experience in the FinTech industry, she is a skilled executive and coach who specializes in leading transformative changes in companies and empowering a diverse and engaged workforce to achieve their personal and professional vision. Electra holds a BS in Computer Science from Merrimack College and a Masters Certificate from Boston College’s Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics – Leadership for Change.  She is also a certified partner of Predictive Index working with companies to develop talent strategies that align with their business strategies. Email:  Electra@tabbostonnw.com Phone: 781-365-9778 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/electra-govoni/ Website:  Electra Govoni Top Business Coach | TAB Boston Northwest (thealternativeboard.com)

Episode 64! The big idea in this episode is the power of gratitude. That’s what I discuss with my guest, David George Brooke. David AKA That Gratitude Guy, has been a speaker, coach, and best-selling author for over 25 years.  He is a former Nordstrom store manager and has managed in the corporate world for over 30 years. After going through losses of loved ones and chasing the dream of becoming a motivational speaker, David struck out on his own at 62 years of age. He started writing in a gratitude journal every day.  Gratitude helped him so much that he decided that would be the niche he would speak about. In 10 years of being a motivational speaker David has done around 800 talks about gratitude. His story exemplifies that it’s never too late to do what you love. How can people bring gratitude into their lives on a consistent basis? The overarching theme is what David refers to as a gratitude practice. It starts with believing that you’re going to see the glass half full instead of half empty. This includes thinking positively, the gratitude mindset, meditation and more. Each morning David makes time for what he calls the “power hour”. He gets up, gets ready for the day, and then heads to his office. He first writes in his gratitude journal, then he heads into the living room for meditation and stretching. The happy parts of the brain light up when you’re writing about things that you’re grateful for. It helps to focus on what you have instead of what you don’t have. For a bigger picture of gratitude in your life you need to be aware of who you’re hanging out with. To do this David keeps track of what he calls the association evaluator. About once a year you should stop and consider the relationships you have in your life. Then you write down zero, one or two people that you should disassociate with. The same for people that you should limit your association with, people that you should enhance your association with and people that you could mentor or that could mentor you. In this episode we also discuss: How to end toxic relationships. More benefits of writing in a gratitude journal and how to get started. How to increase your gratitude every day. …and more golden nuggets of advice! About The Guest               David George Brooke - That Gratitude Guy, has been a speaker, coach, and best-selling author for over 25 years.  He is a former Nordstrom store manager and has managed in the corporate world for over 30 years.   His published works include “That Gratitude Guy’s Daily Gratitude Journal”, “Monday Morning Minutes: 100 Messages of Gratitude”, “Six-Word Lessons to Embrace Gratitude” and a number of other books on gratitude.   As a result of his passion for gratitude he has presented over 850 speeches & workshops in the past 9 years, including over 100 Zoom presentations in the last 18 months during the pandemic. He travels nationally and internationally to deliver this important message.   He has over 1700 gratitude videos on YouTube, and over 1500 subscribers. Thousands have seen his message, and he is now considered a leading authority on how living a life of gratitude can enhance and improve your life both personally and professionally. He resides in Seattle, Washington. "Gratitude Turns What You Have Into Enough" Website:  www.thatgratitudeguy.com LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-george-brooke-9311138/ "A gratitude practice can help you to navigate the sometimes choppy-waters of life by focusing on all of your blessings and abundance"

Episode 65! It seems that every entrepreneur is told to write a book at some point in their career. A book is a key that opens up doors for you that you wouldn’t have been able to open without one. My guest, Justin Breen has written two books and he shares his insights and journey to becoming a bestselling author. His newest book, Epic Life has sold more than 10,000 copies in its first 10 days since launch. It has been the No. 1 overall book for sales on Amazon Kindle and is on the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best sellers lists. He contributes much of his success to the people that he surrounds himself with. Justin shares a four-step process for building relationships. Get to get. There’s an end game of getting something from all of your actions. Get to give. You’re getting results and starting to give back to those around you. Give to get. You’ve giving first and foremost and expecting something in return. Give to give but only to the people who “get it”. This means that you’re constantly giving and not expecting anything in return. When you create value for the top people in your industry, they’ll create value for you if you “get it”. Justin built relationships that were key to his latest book launch long before he needed help with a book launch. That is a key point – build your relationships before you need them and add value to other peoples’ lives. Then when you ask for help, they’re willing to help you. “If you have the right mindset, it creates the right network and that creates the right opportunities” ~Justin Breen Listen in! Justin shares more advice and stories from his authorship journey including a deeper dive into business relationships, how to bring gratitude into your life on a daily basis and more golden nuggets of advice.               BrEpic Communications LLC is guided by Justin Breen, who has 20+ years in the media business, has won dozens of editing and writing awards, and is an author of countless viral stories. Justin is the Founder/CEO of the global PR firm BrEpic and exclusive connectivity platform BrEpic Network. His newest book, Epic Life, features a foreword from Dr. Peter Diamandis and has sold more than 10,000 copies in its first 10 days since launch. It has been the No. 1 overall book for sales on Amazon Kindle. BrEpic will write clicky stories that highlight you or your business, and find the right pitch for multiple media outlets. Let BrEpic build your brand with creative content and successful pitches to mainstream media today. Learn more about Justin: https://linktr.ee/justinbreen Connect with him on LinkedIn

Today we’re discussing Tik Tok for business and my guest is Alex Hitt. How did Alex get involved with Tik Tok and get to where he is today? He embraced the latest trend. Most businesses don’t know what to do with Tik Tok. Alex moved to Hawaii in 2021 with no real estate experience and sold $3 million worth of real estate through social media with people he had never met before, much of that as a result of Tik Tok. He now coaches over 100 businesses about how to build your business on Tik Tok. Why Should Businesses Be on Tik Tok? One myth is that it’s only for teenagers and people looking for attention. While it may have started that way Tik Tok is much more than that now. Over 70% of people currently on Tik Tok are over the age of 20. Tik Tok is the most downloaded app in the last three years, and definitely the most downloaded app of 2022. People use it on an average of 60 minutes per day, which is higher than any other social media platform. Yet 99% of businesses are not advertising on Tik Tok. One barrier is that many businesses are used to advertising with images and text, which they can outsource at a reasonable rate. Tik Tok is short form video. Video can be expensive to outsource, which means companies should learn how to do it for themselves. The good news is that successful Tik Tok videos can, and probably should, be made on your phone. In this episode we also discuss: How to get started with posting on Tik Tok. How to find and target your ideal audience on Tik Tok. The ideal length of your videos for the platform. …and more golden nuggets of advice! About The Guest               Alex brings more attention and care to coaching businesses on online marketing. Alex is an international award-winning hotel manager, turned social media influencer, and coach. Alex brings hospitality to marketing giving clients unparalleled access to the top creators online. He demystifies social media growth and shows clients step-by-step, click-by-click, exactly what to do online. https://www.tiktok.com/@creator_networking https://www.alexhitt.com/

Episode 67! Mentorship is one of my favorite topics for this show. My guest Hassan Akmal and I recently discussed how to create successful mentoring relationships. Hassan is an American career and life mastery consultant, author, professor, thought leader, philanthropist, and former professional tennis player and athlete ambassador to the United States. The purpose of mentoring is to change your life. This means that mentoring is a holistic transformation over time. Mentors help create that transformation – some in small ways, some in significant ways. The Need for Clarity Hassan believes that everyone has a career and life vision whether they realize it or not. There needs to be clarity, not just for yourself but for the mentors also. Mentoring experiences start with an intention to grow and the foresight about what you want and why. When you go into a mentorship session you need to be clear about what you want to get out of it and the mentor should have an idea of what wisdom they want to impart and why. When you sharpen your focus, it helps you to achieve meaningful mentoring experiences. Successful Mentoring Relationships One mentoring misconception that people often have is that because they’re learning from someone more experienced than them, they can’t help them. A great way to help your mentors is to make networking introductions for them. You can connect your mentors to each other. For an ongoing experience you have to focus on building a relationship. That requires a commitment on the part of both people to create successful mentoring experiences. This is where clarity comes in again. When you know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it you have a structure to work within.  With regards to length of your mentoring relationships someone once said, “A great mentoring relationship is as long as it should be and no longer.” In this episode we also discuss: The concept of a personal advisory board and how to build one. How to pick the right mentors for the stage of life that you’re currently in. How to leave a mentoring relationship gracefully. The different types of mentoring experiences and how to create them. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book "Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea" here! About the Guest               Hassan Akmal is an American career and life mastery consultant, author, professor, thought leader, philanthropist, and former professional tennis player and athlete ambassador to the United States. He is best known for his Amazon best-selling book—How to be a Career Mastermind™: Discover 7 “YOU Matter” Lenses for a Life of Purpose, Impact, and Meaningful Work and humanitarian work dedicated to Forced Migration and Health. After over a decade as a senior leader in career services, he became the inaugural executive director of industry relations and career strategies at Columbia University in 2017 and founded the Career Design Lab. In 2018, he served on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) “Future of We” — Advisory Think Tank Committee and served as a senior advisor to Graduway, a prominent and top 10 global EdTech startup. In April 2019, he delivered the keynote address on the “Future of Career Services” at the Global Leaders Summit hosted by Graduway at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also serves on several other prominent boards internationally. In December of 2019, he was selected as a speaker for Columbia University’s TEDx RE-VISION, RE-FOCUS-themed event that took place on March 27, 2021. His TEDx Talk was released in May 2021 and has already received over a million views. Prior to his current role, Akmal served as the executive director of the UCLA Career Center. There he led an ambitious re-imagination of career services. In September 2021, he became the Executive Director of Career and Professional Development at UC S...

Episode 68! Today we’re taking a look at how to build valuable relationships with people who will help promote your business. My guest is serial entrepreneur Gregory Klein-Hertzel with ConnectivTech.  ConnectivTech is a Fractional CTO organization specializing in I.T. procurement & vendor selection. The Networking Journey Networking is a journey. If you’re doing it right you’ll find that after some time you don’t need to go to multiple events every week. You should be graduating from networking groups because you’ve met so many people and you’re spending your time fostering relationships and guiding people through the know, like and trust spectrum. Greg classifies himself as a serial networker. That’s how he started his first two businesses and how he’s currently starting his third business. Networking is not only important for your business but for personal reasons too. Why? Because a person can be defined by the people that they’re surrounded by. Many people start their journey by attending events at their local chamber of commerce or leads groups. Those events are usually decided upon based on which ones will feed you referrals. Then the question becomes HOW is the best way to get referrals? It’s by building relationships but many people want quick results, and they initially think that they’ll quickly get referrals by attending those events. Unfortunately, that’s not the best way to approach business development. Making the Most of 1-on-1 Meetings The right way to network is to set up one on one meetings to learn about the other person, tell them about your business, and then ask them who they need introductions to that would help their business. Make the conversation about them because it is VERY rare that you will get a referral for yourself during the first meeting with someone. Add value to the other person’s life through introductions and they will usually do the same for you because you took the time to help them first. In the long-term making introductions for people is a better way to stay top of mind than a newsletter or an email drip campaign. Think about it: Which would you rather have in your inbox – newsletters or quality introductions? In this episode we also discuss: Why Greg believes that your 1 on 1 meetings should be 45 minutes. How to get so busy with quality 1 on 1 meetings that you graduate from most networking events. How to build an army of advocates that want to share your products or services with their networks. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About the Guest               ConnectivTech is a Fractional CTO organization specializing in I.T. procurement & vendor selection. In other words, ConnectivTech is comprised of high-end business technology advisors that specialize in vetting companies and matching them with the businesses we help. At ConnectivTech, we believe that a business and an individual can be defined by the people they are surrounded by. With over 100 vetted and approved technology experts/companies, ConnectivTech takes pride in vetting their vendors. We look for good technology, good prices but most importantly, good people behind the technology Every business requires a unique solution. ConnectivTech carefully matches the best fit, approved vendor/s to the companies we help. Whether your organization wants one or multiple matches, you will only get technology experts that will fit your organization and it’s needs. ConnectivTech offers a complementary service to vet technology companies and match them with your organization. Every Technology company does things uniquely and every business requires a unique solution. Let ConnectivTech take your company into the 21st Century. ConnectivTech will leave your organization with more money than we ask you to spend.

Episode 69! Many people associate improv with being funny. It’s so much more than that, it can be an important part of effective communication for everyday work and life in general. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Meridith Grundei. Meridith is a public speaking and presentation skills coach who works with individuals and organizations in healthcare and tech so they can be more confident and credible speakers who will educate and inspire any room. The funny does come out during improvised conversations, but it comes from a place of truth. When you try too hard to be funny you probably will fail. It’s about being in the moment, being present and aware of what’s going on around you and responding honestly to carry your conversation forward. This includes noticing tone of voice, body language and other nonverbal cues. Improv in Your Daily Life One place to start using improv is by listening more and talking less. Create a reminder by writing “Today I’m going to listen more than I speak” on a post it note where you will see it throughout the day as a reminder. Another great way to embrace improv is by developing a “Yes… and” mindset. It’s important to note that it’s not necessarily saying “Yes… and” to everything that you hear. It’s about reflecting back what you heard the other person say. When you do that you’re acknowledging them and validating them as a person. They feel heard. You might not have the exact same point of view; but by acknowledging the other person you might find a common ground to discuss instead of creating a debate. In this episode we also discuss: How improv can help reduce negative self-talk How to use improv to bounce back from failure Why supporting other people and making them look good is an important improv philosophy How improv can improve your presentation skills …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About the Guest               Meridith Grundei is an award-winning theatre director, producer, and former Second City improv teacher, who recognized the similarities between performing for audiences on stage every night and presenting to clients/colleagues every day, but the latter didn’t have the right tools to bring their stories to life. So she decided to do something about it. 11 Years and some change later, Grundei Coaching has helped thousands of individuals and corporations craft engaging presentations and authentic stories to achieve career growth and success. Connect with Meridith on LinkedIn here. Learn more about Meridith's coaching practice here.

Episode 70! Altruism can be a powerful force in your life if you understand how to practice it. That’s what I discuss with my guest, Sandy Gennaro. Sandy Gennaro is a world-class speaker/drummer/author/coach who has recorded and toured with several globally known artists. First, you need to think outside of yourself and always be willing to help other people. When you help somebody in a positive way it comes back to you. Having a positive mindset is how you can beat the odds in business and in life. Always be on the outlook for ways to service other people, even if it’s a simple act like putting a smile on someone’s face in the line at the supermarket. Here’s an example of what a small act of kindness can do for your life. The Ripple Effect and “Dave in the Doorway” One small action today can create a ripple effect that changes your life down the road. Such is the story of “Dave in the Doorway”. Sandy was playing a gig in 1981 when he noticed someone standing outside his dressing room with a camera and a pen. On that particular night Sandy was in a rush to get on the tour bus because the band had a long overnight drive ahead of them. Sandy could have, with good reason, blown Dave off and rushed out to the bus. Instead, Sandy acknowledged Dave, let him know he was in a hurry, and asked “What can I do for you?”. Dave asked for an autograph and a picture with Sandy. Then Dave asked Sandy to help him get a gig in New York. Sandy kindly said he would need to hear an example of Dave playing first. He gave Dave his card with his phone number and home address and headed out to the bus. Two years later Dave reached out again. He was working with an up-and-coming singer and wanted Sandy to join the band. The singer was Cindy Lauper, who’s first album sold over six million copies. Sandy ended up touring with her and that tour also led to more opportunities, including meeting his future wife. The details and more great stories are in the podcast. In this episode we also discuss: Why altruism is more than random acts of kindness, it’s a way of life. How to jumpstart altruism in your life. How to maintain your enthusiasm and giving nature in the face of adversity. Why who you surround yourself with determines where you go in life. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               Sandy Gennaro is a world-class speaker/drummer who has recorded/toured with several globally known artists including three members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a career that spans 56 years and continues today. Sandy now uses the lessons he’s learned surviving the murky, shark-infested waters of the Music Business to help organizations large and small identify and offer solutions to issues regarding leadership, change management, employee retention, longevity, motivated engagement, customer service, brand loyalty, team building, and sales. He has helped businesses and student bodies create a thriving culture as a launching pad for heightened success in business, relationships, and life. He incorporates his unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories to drive home his proven concepts to create Rockstar Performance in every arena. Sandy has been recognized by Vistage International as one of the Top New Speakers of 2021 and is proud to announce the release of his book entitled “BEAT THE ODDS in Business and Life”. He enjoys Family Time, SCUBA diving, The Yankees, photography and raising money for the Scott Hamilton CARES Cancer Foundation. You can connect with Sandy here: www.SandyGennaro.com and on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandygennaro/

Episode 71! If you’re entrepreneurial there’s a good chance that you attend networking events and join networking groups for business development. But what happens when you’re not getting enough business from your efforts? Have you ever thought about starting your own networking group? That’s what I discuss with my guest, Michael Gordon. Michael is the CEO of Elavaire, an exclusive networking group that focuses on the creation of value for its members.  According to Michael, Elavaire is the only networking group in the world that offers a money back guarantee. Your Options for Networking Organizations According to Michael there are four options for networking organizations: Traditional networking groups such as your Chamber of Commerce and Business Networking International (BNI). Peer groups such as Vistage and The Alternative Board. Social, charitable, philanthropic organizations where you would sit on a Board of Directors. Trade associations. What is the problem with groups like those? Traditional networking groups are often filled with the wrong people. They might be good people, but wrong for your business growth. Often, they’re not the decision maker. With peer groups they often focus on a topic that isn’t directly relevant to you. In the social, charitable, philanthropic world it’s the wrong mission. Trade associations are often filled you competitors. You have people in the same industry trying to sell to each other. A Big Difference What is the difference between a peer group and a networking group? A peer group is what it sounds like, a group of your peers such as entrepreneur, CEO, CFO, etc. You come together to discuss what is on your mind about challenges, problems, opportunities, ideas and more through the lens of shared experiences on those topics. These groups can provide you with a trusted board of advisors. They are not focused on business development. Networking groups, on the other hand, are usually for the development of new business and referrals. Sometimes the focus is getting new clients while other times the focus can be meeting people who have access to your potential clients. How to Start Your Own Networking Group Those problems lead people to start their own networking groups. You’ll need to be aware of a few things if you’re thinking about starting your own. First, it’s time consuming. Secondly, you should invite new people in addition to people currently in your business circles. You’ll also need to create relevant topics to discuss at your events. We also discuss…. How to pick the right structure and discussion topics for your networking events. How to make successful referral introductions. The four characteristics that your potential members need to have. The difference between a giver and a connector. How to price membership for your group. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               A Philadelphia native, Michael spent nearly 10 years in the commercial real estate business before moving to the suburbs of Washington DC as the first employee of a new concept in the world of Networking.  Fast forward almost 17 years and Michael has set his sights on disrupting the networking industry.  Quality over quantity is what Michael believes is the best approach when it comes to networking for new business. Having been in sales for much of his professional life and working with salespeople for almost two decades, Michael is convinced of two things. One, the biggest challenge salespeople face in the pursuit of new business is access to the decision maker and two, the best new business comes from warm, credible referrals. As a result, Michael has spent the last 5 years developing a networking group concept unlike any other and is in the process of rolling out his...

Episode 72! Sales can be a complicated process and tiring if you go about it the wrong way. There’s the stigma of salespeople being annoying. For solopreneurs, consultants, fractional C-Suites, and entrepreneurs – how do you get your message across without being salesy? Through relationships with trusted advisors. That’s what I discuss with Raffi Yardemian in this episode. Raffi is an executive-level sales leader and a serial entrepreneur. He has over 25 years of experience in sales leadership across Fortune 500 companies, growth phase organizations, private equity and venture capital backed firms as well as public and private companies. To begin you don’t start with your clients in mind. Start by building relationships with people that know your clients. Educate them about what you do so they can share your message with their networks. If they understand your value proposition well enough to share with others, when their contacts come to you, they are already 60%-70% educated about your offering. That’s a much shorter sales cycle and you’re further along the know, like and trust spectrum. This is a two-way street. You should be an evangelist and trusted advisor for the other person also. You do that by understanding their value proposition and what pain points they solve for their clients. It’s a value-based discussion and “serve first” is an important element. Learn about how they drive their business and the types of connections they’re looking for and help them before asking them to help you. Three Tiers of Business Networking Relationships Raffi explains his views on the three tiers. The first one is networking partners. These are general relationships that you meet at conferences and networking events. You know them but you don’t know them intimately enough to help them grow their business. Then you have referral partners. These are Centers of Influence that you know well and they know you well, but you haven’t had the opportunity to share a lot of clients. Then you have the top tier, trusted advisors. At this stage you know each other extremely well and have shared clients. You also know them on a personal level as well, which helps create a bond of trust. In this episode we also discuss: How to create sales and marketing strategies through collaboration with your trusted advisors. How to craft a powerful marketing message and collateral that can easily be shared by your trusted advisors. Why focusing on how you solve pain points is more important than sharing why you’re great. More ways to have conversations that will accelerate the process to increase the number of trusted advisors in your network. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               Raffi Yardemian is an executive-level sales leader and a serial entrepreneur. He has over 25 years of experience in sales leadership across Fortune 500 companies, growth phase organizations, PE/VC-backed firms as well as public and private companies. He currently serves as President of Boston Sales Solutions, a sales consulting firm that works with Small and medium-sized companies in creating their sales infrastructure and servings as an outsourced head of sales. Connect with Raffi on LinkedIn  

Episode 73! Most people think of improv as “being funny”. It’s much more than that. There are many ways that improv can be woven into the business world, especially when it comes to communications. That’s what I discuss with Bill Prinzivalli in this episode. Bill is an organizational consultant and a transformational coach who incorporates mindfulness practices and improvisational techniques to help leaders move beyond traditional success. No matter how much a business leader knows their craft, they’re improvising every day. There’s always new situations, new twists and turns and unseen problems that pop up. When that happens, the leader has to come up with new solutions. Bill believes leaders should approach this situation from a perspective of mindfullness. “Mindfulness” means they approach the situation considering what’s going on with them, and what’s going on in the environment around them. They need to be aware of their internal feelings, such as gut feelings, as opposed to external sources, such as their boss, are telling them to do. They then combine that with awareness of what’s going on with their teams and how their decisions will affect their teams before taking action. Improv For the Business World In the improvisational format several principles are required. While the “Yes, and…” rule is the most often spoken about, Bill believes in “deep listening”. On the improv stage the first person that comes out has an idea to share. When you join them on stage, you need to listen to them very carefully. You first need to listen to the words and then listen to the sentiment under the words. This includes tone of voice. A happy statement and a somber statement need to be responded to differently. The same is true for conversations in the business world. You need to listen before you speak. This is the conscious communication cycle: You listen deeply to the other person, assess your feelings about what they just said, and then respond accordingly. We also discuss: Examples of what happens in the business world when deep listening isn’t embraced and what to do instead. How to change bad ideas into teachable moments. Examples of how entrepreneurs can use improv principles. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               Bill Prinzivalli is an entrepreneur, executive coach, organizational consultant, author, speaker, and improv workshop facilitator. He uniquely integrates mindfulness practices and improvisational techniques to help business leaders achieve extraordinary performances by discovering their Inner Olympian - their zone or flow state – as they access their innate intuitive skills and integrate them with traditional business strategies. Learn more about Bill: Website www.BillPrinzivalli.com. Book website www.ImprovisationalLeaders.com

Episode 74! In the world of sales and marketing there are many viewpoints about how to do both successfully. My guest, Mike Savage, believes that there are only three ways to grow your business and have marketing and sales play well together. Mike works with 6-figure entrepreneurs who are hell-bent on getting to 7-figures without sacrificing their health, their relationships, or their happiness.  One of Mike’s companies amassed more than $250 Million in global sales to the world's leading companies including Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Sam's Club, BJ's, Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods, TJ Maxx, QVC & Amazon. Sales and Marketing There’s sales and then there’s marketing. People often get them confused and disagree about how to align them. Mike explains this with a unique analogy. Sales and marketing are different. Dating is marketing. The guy is the product. He’s marketing himself to the man or woman that he wants to be with during the dating phase of the relationship. When he proposes he’s making the sale. Your product or service needs to be unique in the marketplace and you have to create ways to introduce your product or service to your ideal client. That’s marketing in the business world. The more you’ve nurtured that client with great strategic marketing, the easier the sale is. Mike goes on to say that… There are Three Ways to Grow Your Business Most people think that if they want to grow their business, they have to get new clients. You shouldn’t start there, especially if you’re an established business. The first way is to increase the average order. Go to the people that are already buying from you. They are more likely to buy more from you because they know, like and trust you. In this episode we also discuss: Ways to successfully nurture relationships with your ideal clients. The number one goal of strategic marketing. The other two ways to grow your business. Examples of how each of the three ways have been used in business and how you can use them in your business. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               Mike Savage is a serial entrepreneur, inspirational keynote speaker, entrepreneur coach, angel investor, and CEO of The Savage Secrets, a rapidly growing high-performance organization obsessed with helping entrepreneurs & CEOs build inspiring companies and, simultaneously, live their dream life. Having built several multi-million-dollar companies, from scratch, over the past 30 years, Mike is battle tested from the school of hard knocks and fully understands the emotional & financial roller coaster of building companies. One of Mike’s companies amassed more than $250 Million in global sales to the world's leading companies including Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Sam's Club, BJ's, Costco, Dick’s Sporting Goods, TJ Maxx, QVC & Amazon. The company started with one product, one idea, A BIG ASS DREAM and ultimately grew into a 50-employee business with $25M in annual sales. Over the years, Mike has traveled the world speaking on mindset and entrepreneur- ship at industry events, annual meetings, and nationally renowned Colleges & Universities. Mike’s trademarked philosophy, The Entrepreneur’s Trilogy™, is based on the belief that building a company should be a passionate, philosophical journey comprised of equal parts HEARTset, MINDset, and SKILLset, and not a life filled with frustration, overwhelm, and isolation. When Mike is not busy helping CEO’s and entrepreneurs achieve their highest levels of personal and professional performance, he enjoys spending time with his wife Donna working out, mountain biking, kayaking, traveling, or walking around Buffumville Lake in Charlton, MA with their 2 dogs Duncan & Bella. He and Donna also love watching their daughter Bailey & son Brant participate in the...

Episode 75! Leadership and mentorship go hand in hand; it’s just a matter of sharpening your mentorship skills. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Oak McCulloch. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Oak McCulloch is a nationally recognized keynote speaker and the author of “Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be.” Both his leadership presentation and his book are based on his 40+ years of leadership experience. Are You a Leader or a Boss? It’s important for leaders to be great mentors also. It’s their responsibility to produce the next generation of leaders. If you’re a leader and you’re not mentoring anybody then you’re not a leader, you’re a boss. Mentoring someone to be a leader is different than general mentoring. If you’re mentoring someone to become a leader then you have to walk the walk of leadership, which includes making good decisions. For Oak leadership is about servant leadership. He says, “When it comes to good leadership it isn’t about you and it’s all about you.” This means that if leadership is about the money, it’s not the right path to choose. If leadership is about helping other people, then it’s the path to take. It’s all about you in the sense of how you treat the people that work for you and how you empower them to become better and more productive leaders. Mentoring Tips for Developing Better Leaders There’s a difference between mentoring someone in your organization as opposed to someone outside of your organization. If you’re mentoring someone within your organization then you must include them in the decision-making process and show them what that looks like. For either scenario you must build trust with your mentee. The first way to do this is to get to know that person as a person, not just a position or title. In this episode we also discuss: How long mentoring sessions should be and why. How to approach someone to become your mentor. What your first mentoring meeting should look like. What components are involved to make a great mentoring relationship. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest                   LTC McCulloch retired from the Army in September 2009 with over 23 years of active service and joined the staff at the Bay Area Food Bank as the Associate Director.  He was also the Vice Chair for Military Affairs on the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Mobile Rotary International Club.  LTC McCulloch left the food bank in December 2010 to become the Senior Military Science Instructor and recruiter for the Army ROTC program at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. In his 9 years at Stetson, the program grew from 15 Cadets to over 100 Cadets. In October 2013, he became the Recruiting Operations Officer for the Eagle Battalion Army ROTC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he has more than doubled the size of the program in 6 years.  Cadet Command selected LTC McCulloch as the top recruiting officer, out of 274 recruiters, for 2019.  LTC Oak McCulloch published his first book in February 2021 – “Your Leadership Legacy: Becoming the Leader You Were Meant to Be”. Connect with Oak! www.ltcoakmcculloch.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oakland-mcculloch-34293256/ Instagram:  https://instagram.com/ltcoakmcculloch/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LtcOakland Facebook Business:  https://www.facebook.com/LTCOakMcCulloch Service Professionals Network (SPN): https://serviceprofessionalsnetwork.com/members/oakland-mcculloch/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Ep1eqF3o0X5CBamtVgClQ

Episode 76! Today’s big idea is that neuroscience can dramatically increase your marketing efforts’ ROI. My guest is Mike Mausteller. Mike is known for his brand building in the Fortune 500 Space.  Today he committed to supporting small and medium Private businesses, creating strategies that result in healthy businesses, enable the owner to scale or maximize their value in a sale. First, we discuss… Why You Should Mix Marketing and Neuroscience We all think that we make logical decisions but that’s infrequent, maybe 1% to 5% of the time we are making logical decisions. The part of our brains that makes decisions is the amygdala and it doesn’t know logic and it doesn’t know or understand any language. With the amygdala you are seeing images and having feelings about a product, person or service. This can drive you to want to be closer to that product, person or service. You can achieve that result by positioning yourself as helpful and a source of answers and NOT someone who is just looking to make their next dollar. They’ll associate your behavior with other pictures in their mind and memories and associate you as being good or bad. The saying “a picture is worth 1,000 words” is very true. With the right image I can get you to feel 1,000 words all at once. This means you have to paint the proverbial picture for the people you want to be attracted to you. The Power of “Because” in Marketing Conversations When we say “because” we’re leading people towards a positive answer rather than giving them room to find something wrong with your conversation. When you say “because” you get people to accept your claims, whatever they may be. Think about it. It’s the difference between “I can help you grow your business” and “I can help you grow your business because I’ve helped over 30 entrepreneurs double their revenue”. The second is much more powerful because you stop their rejections before they have them. We also discuss: How Mike uses a picture on LinkedIn to get more clients in less time. One of the most powerful words to use in your conversations and marketing copy that will attract people to you and your product or service. How to accelerate the know, like, and trust cycle. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest                 Mike Mausteller is the President of Buckeye Business Performance, a business value acceleration firm located in Columbus, Ohio.  He also serves as a Board Member for a national group of volunteers who support start up business owners gain their initial traction and experienced business owners create organizations that manage themselves. Mike works with Founders and Owners who want to grow their business ‘with the end in mind’, resulting in sustainable growth strategies and maximize their Exit. Starting out as a Department Store Buyer and later Director, Mike was hired by Victoria’s Secret and assigned to the successful growth of a test concept named PINK.  Three years later the team was fully developed, and the concept realized $1B in annual sales. After working on several other successful concepts with Victoria’s Secret he went on to work for other companies:  launching new products, brands, markets and categories of business.  Along the way, he has developed a dozen businesses from early stage, into the hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. Connect with Mike here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mausteller/

Episode 77! If you want to get ahead in business, you must give before you get. That’s what I discussed with Dan Horwich. Dan is an active networker focused on making a difference in the professional lives of IT practitioners. Dan believes that money isn’t the key to happiness; relationships are the key to happiness. Here’s why. When you get out of school, if you want to be an entrepreneur, what guides most people is the desire for money. The shiny objects aren’t what you thought they would be, your imagination can play tricks on you. Achievement is great, it’s one of those things that we all set out to do. But along the way you discover that the things that provide the most joy are connecting with others and having compassion for others. Those are how you build meaningful bonds. The more conversations you have and the more impactful you make those relationships you will find that the joy is in giving rather than taking. When you take a heart centered approach you will attract people into your life that have that same approach. Dan believes that he has to help other people any way he can and that he has to have a pay it forward mentality. Having that approach brings Dan a lot of joy. The more you help other people authentically with zero expectation of something in return the more you will get. The compounding of happiness is like the compounding of happiness in a financial institution. It builds year after year. It builds in those around you also. As you help more people those people feel the need to help more people and it has a cyclical effect. The Four Types of People That You’re Going to Run Into Bucket one is the narcissist. You’re only going to be of use to them if they can use you to get what they want. While it’s a bad experience it makes your antennae a little more acute and aware of the next narcissist that you run into. Bucket two are the people who simply don’t connect the dots in relationships or enable others. That’s just who they are and you’re never going to have an impact on them and vice versa. Bucket three are the folks that are kind and decent, but they don’t know how to pay it forward. The good news is they’re coachable. They’re capable of paying it forward, they just need a nudge. Bucket four are the folks that pay it forward. You want to surround yourself with folks that are in buckets three and four. The folks in buckets one and two will leave you emotionally drained. They’re not going to change their ways. They’re not capable of change because they don’t have empathy for other people. The Difference Between Being Nice and Being Kind Being nice can be faked. Being kind comes from your soul and your heart. Kindness has more depth in terms of the effort. Nice means you’ll help someone else if it meets one of your goals. Kindness goes a step further where it helps other people when it has nothing to do with your own needs or goals. It happens because you enjoy seeing others grow personally and professionally and it warms your heart. Kindness can be contagious. How do you balance achieving your goals with paying it forward? Connect with other people who have a similar mindset. When you pay it forward you develop a reputation for paying it forward and the right people will be attracted to you. This includes your customers who will then introduce you to more people with a similar mindset and that’s the magic. People generally want to help those that help them, they want to stay in their good graces. Whatever the reason is it comes back around. If a person stays consistent with that mindset it makes the sales process all that much easier because you’re already developed trust. You have to focus on the relationship perspective. You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               In 2001, Dan Horwich took over as President and Executive Di...

Episode 78! Know, like and trust is great. Taking it one step further is respect. It’s all about the connections that you make with people and the relationships you build after you connect.  That’s what I discuss with Michael Goldberg in this episode. Gaining Respect There are phases to building relationships the right way. When you’re getting to know each other, you’re asking a lot of questions, figuring out if your personalities match and so on. At this phase oftentimes you’re not going to open your rolodex or database and make introductions. When you find a common ground, you’ve hit the “like” phase. When you enter the trust phase you believe that the other person is credible and great at what they do. Respect is the phase when you believe they are going to take care of anybody that you introduce them to. In that case it’s going to be a win-win-win scenario. It needs to be collaborative. We need to be resources for one another, we must be helpful. That will help you establish a higher-level connection with the people that you want to develop relationships with. It’s about asking the right questions and being of service. This doesn’t mean that it will happen all the time. Michael believes that if he’s at an in-person networking event and he meets 10 people, he’ll hit it off with three or four of them. His suggestion is to focus on the “one-thirders”. To do this you need to create or become part of the right environments. Connecting to Shared Passion When you can find a common ground of shared passion you move along the know-like-trust-respect cycle faster. You both are interacting in similar environments or have an affinity towards similar marketplaces. If you can’t find an environment, you can create your own environment and bring people into it rather than going to them. You need to have criteria for the audiences you want to reach and stick to those criteria which means that you will end up turning some people away. At the end of the day, it must be valuable for the people involved. You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               Michael Goldberg has helped thousands of financial advisors, brokers, and agents generate hundreds of thousands of dollars to their bottom line. His firm Knock Out Networking has been a speaking and training resource in the financial services industry for over 20 years. Michael is also the founder of THE Networking Group, a national networking organization focused on helping a “vetted” community of business owners and sales leaders grow their business through networking and referrals. Michael is a two-time TEDx speaker, an award-winning adjunct professor at Rutgers University, and frequently volunteers as a speaker at organizations focused on career search. His book Knockout Networking for Financial Advisors is available NOW! Connect with Michael www.KnockOutNetworking.com www.TheNetworkingGroup.org

Episode 79! Everybody faces fear, it’s a matter of how you deal with it and move past it that matters. That’s what I discuss with Jacqueline Wales in this episode. What is Fear? Jacqueline believes that fear is imagination based. There are a lot of reasons why we can feel threatened in life, but fears are often just a story we tell ourselves to deal with discomfort. Fear is just an emotion, it’s not real. Unless you have tangible evidence, fear is just a story that you’re applying to a feeling that may or may not be true for you. What is the fear of failure and how does it come up? The fear of failure is really tied into reputation status. It’s how other people will perceive you if you fail at something. Failure is a choice, decision or expectation that did not go the way you had planned. People who are perfectionists do not want to fail; they do not want to make mistakes. The fear of failure is so profound for some people because it says something about me, I’m not good enough. That fundamentally is where fear shows up, that insecurity of self. Moving Past Fear How can you get over the fear of failure? What can you do to solve that big problem? First, take a hard look at “what’s the worst thing that could happen if this doesn’t go the way that I had planned?” “Will we recover?” is the biggest question on failure. Can you recover from it? Often the answer is a resounding yes. You make a mistake, you fix it, you move on. Failure is simply the acceptance of things that will go wrong. It’s all about what you do with it when it goes wrong, that’s the gift that you give yourself. People want to talk about something called imposter syndrome. Jacqueline believes that term is misused most of the time because fundamentally it’s about self-doubt. That can become the story that becomes the major driver of their life – “I’m not capable, I’m not good enough, I’m not deserving” and so on. Those stories are not true. If we care to analyze them and reflect on “Why am I carrying this story?” Nine times out of ten it’s a negative voice from a previous experience; someone somewhere told you that you weren’t good enough, i.e., you will fail. How can you fix that? Set a future ambition that says “I KNOW that I can reach my goals. I don’t know how I’m going to reach them, but I will reach them” Then tell yourself a new story and move past fear. We also discuss: How to get rid of the negative voices in your head. How to build confidence that will take you forward in a positive way. What the fear of success really is and how to overcome it. The brain chemistry that creates fear and how to deal with it. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!         About The Guest               At only sixteen years old, Jacqueline Wales fled from her childhood home in a desperate search for happiness. Looking in all the wrong places, she left a trail of abandoned children and a pattern of self abuse that threatened her life. But that’s just the beginning of her story. From Leith, Scotland, to London, England; from the California coast to Paris, Amsterdam, New York, and Bali, Jacqueline’s life has been a journey of self-discovery, awakening, and joy in the face of fear. Jacqueline believes that being fearless is not the absence of fear, but the courage to take the next step. Today, Jacqueline is an author, keynote speaker, and trusted advisor to successful, high-achieving women. And she is an unwavering champion for being fearless. Connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn here! Learn more about Jacqueline here!

Mentoring can be a crucially important part of your personal and professional lives. The challenge is finding the right people and creating successful mentoring relationships. That’s what I discussed with Gary Anzalone in this episode. When you have a mentor, you can have a very fulfilled life because you have someone to talk to about your hopes and dreams. You have someone in your corner to give you objective feedback that you won’t get from a close friend or family member. You need someone that’s not attached to a specific outcome for you. That’s a mentor. In successful mentoring relationships you should feel challenged and supported. You don’t grow as an individual by staying in your comfort zone. While compliments are nice to hear, they don’t help you grow. Real growth happens when you’re challenged. When a mentor challenges you and you respond, you’re going to make yourself better at whatever it is they’re challenging you to do differently. When you make yourself better at something you’re growing. How do you create a safe zone to be uncomfortable? By asking the right questions, which could include the direct question “What about that makes you uncomfortable?” Early on in mentoring relationships both people realize that the purpose of the relationship is to get help and give help. It’s built on the presumption of trust. That doesn’t happen instantly, you must let it grow organically. With any relationship, time is a big factor, you must build history into it. The sharing of problems and solutions happens over time, and it just builds. It depends on the personalities, and it depends on the people. How much time does it take to formulate a good mentoring relationship beyond just a one-time call? It depends on the people. Many younger people don’t know what to expect from a mentoring relationship. In some relationships the success of the mentoring relationship depends on the mentor asking the right questions and drawing solutions out of the mentee. In more advanced relationships the mentee has an agenda. Approaching Potential Mentors How to ask someone to be your mentor. Gary believes that one of the best compliments you can give someone is to ask them to be your mentor. That means that they think enough of you and view you in a favorable light. I want to understand your way of doing things because you carry yourself professionally and you’re happy. You can’t be truly happy unless you practice gratitude. If you don’t practice gratitude you will probably be negative frequently. You must take ownership of your life and realize the decisions you make are something you must live with. You can make a decision to change the course of your life at any age. You can decide to change your life in many ways. If you want to make a change it’s time to find a mentor or multiple mentors. You are the sum of the five people that you spend the most time with, if a mentor is one of them that’s a positive. If you don’t ask you will not get. People are not going to knock on your door. Even if they don’t have the time, they will be flattered that you asked. Creating an Agenda for Mentoring Meetings After you ask, what should that first meeting look like? From a mentee point of view it should be “these are the things that I really would like to understand; these are the things that I struggle with” it could be “I need more work/life balance” or “I need more time with my family” A self-assessment is in order so you can start communicating and opening up to that mentor. The mentee needs to act and can’t sit back and wait for the mentor to tell them what to do. That’s why it’s important for the mentors to ask the right questions to bring out the answers that the mentee needs to hear. Your best self can be realized by having a mentor, now it’s time to go find one! You can get my book “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea” here!        

Mentoring relationships without structure can fail fast. With the right structure they can thrive. That’s what I discuss in this episode with Lisa Fain. What do you think most mentoring programs do wrong? Most mentoring programs have a “pair and pray” structure. They pair people and pray that the program succeeds. People think because they’re in an “official” mentoring program and are having mentoring conversations that they don’t need guidance on how to do it. Unfortunately for them the structure is critical to success. It’s not about prescribing structure, it’s about co-creating structure. Mentors and mentees need to discuss the terms of their mentoring relationships so they can create structure and hold themselves accountable. Terms of the mentoring relationship can be a bunch of things. It can be as simple as deciding when and where they’re going to meet, what they’re going to talk about and who is going to schedule it. It could be boundaries on what they will discuss. It could be checking in and how they’re going to provide feedback. There just needs to be structure. How to Create Trust and Give Effective Feedback Trust is a precondition for getting effective feedback. Where a lot of people go wrong is that they assume because they’re in a mentoring relationship they can freely give feedback that will be warmly received. First you need to take the time to build trust and a meaningful relationship. That means connecting; that means getting to know one another. This means that the mentors are sharing their own challenges and vulnerabilities. Lisa has received a lot of feedback about her programs that the mentees were more involved in mentoring relationships because they found out that their mentors aren’t perfect and have had challenges along the way. Mentees are sharing what their own fears and doubts are. It means connecting on a human level and knowing what’s going on in one another’s’ lives. All of those build a foundation of trust so that when you get to giving and receiving feedback you will have an ongoing conversation instead of just one session of feedback. The conversation needs to be a balance of positive and critical feedback. Feedback in a mentoring relationship is a two-way street. When you have healthy mentoring relationships, mentees can give feedback to the mentors about what’s working and what’s not working; what they want to see more of and what they want to see less of in the mentoring relationship. How to Co-Own Your Mentoring Relationships Mentoring has three primary components: A learning component A reciprocity component A co-creation component Without those three things you can’t have an effective mentoring relationship. We’ll look at co-creation first. Lisa says that there is “funny math” in successful mentoring relationships, one+one=three. There’s the mentor, the mentee and then the relationship that they co-create together and co-own. This is where trust and reciprocal feedback come into play. Reciprocity. We know intuitively that mentees gain a lot from mentoring relationships. The data also shows that because of mentoring relationships mentors become better leaders and they feel more invested in their careers. The more mentoring experiences that mentors have makes them more competent leaders. This means that mentees also give and mentors also get. Many mentees don’t initially see that. Some even think that asking for time to have conversations is a burden to their mentors. That’s not the case, that time spent is a gift to both people. Learning. Just having random conversations isn’t enough. Mentoring doesn’t happen unless there’s learning. Learning is the purpose, it’s the product and it’s the process of mentoring. Learning needs to happen to both the mentee and mentor based on the goals that they set together. Examples of learning include many things. An entrepreneurial example of a goal and learning experience is learning how to grow and scale t...

When it comes to networking, the line between general networking meetings and prospecting meetings can be vague. You shouldn’t pitch someone the first time you meet them (that’s called pitch slapping); yet you need to grow your business. How to do that is what I discuss with serial entrepreneur Clay Hicks in this episode. If you focus on earning trust with the person across from you then the like and know will follow. Mutually beneficial relationships, clients and referrals can follow. You Need to Earn Trust How do you earn trust when you’re getting to know someone? The keyway to focus on earning trust is to be of service to the person across from you. Once you connect with them try to help that person in any way possible. Ask exploratory questions such as “How can I help you?” and “Who would you like to meet?”. That second question is particularly important if you have a big network of people that could help the other person. Questions for people that don’t have that big of a network include “How’s business?” “How can I be helpful with your business?" Asking questions like that is how you start to earn trust. A Unique Way to Set Up a Second Meeting Try not to have “one and done” meetings. Many networkers brag about the number of meetings they have each week. Numbers mean nothing if you’re not building your business and advancing your career. YOU need to ask for help and connections. By asking how you can help the other person first it means they are much more likely to reciprocate and help you. When you both can help each other that’s a signal that you should meet with that person again. If there’s no help either way there’s no reason for a second meeting. The litmus test is whether they tried to help you back after you helped them. Sometimes people don’t know what they’re doing so you have to help them. They might just be having an “off day”. If their target market is like yours and you believe that, with time, they might be able to help you and vice-versa then that’s another reason to have a second meeting. You can tee up the follow up meeting by asking to meet again so you can deepen your relationship. Tell them you want to know what it’s like to be their prospect. Tell them you want to know what it would be like for someone you refer to them to discuss their business. Most referrals come from past clients and deeper relationships, not first-time conversations. That’s because past clients know what it’s like to work with you. By asking them to learn about their prospecting techniques you can better refer them and vice versa. This strategy sets you both up to know what it’s like to work with the other person. We also discuss: How to ask prospecting questions without being overbearing. Guidelines for successful prospecting How to sell yourself and not just your product or service. The crossover between general networking meetings and prospecting meetings. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest               Clay Hicks is an entrepreneur with a portfolio of 5 different companies, an author, a speaker, and trainer on professional relationships. Clay Hicks founded his first company, H7 Network (in 2008), in the hopes of positively impacting the many under-served entrepreneurs and all sales professionals. His vision is to globally revolutionize the way business professionals “Connect” first, “Serve” with purpose, and “Ask” of their peers. H7 Network, a Franchisor, is a national B2B networking platform, In person and Virtual, for professionals to create their own network and develop champions for their business. His responsibility as the CEO is to innovate new programs, develop new markets internationally, training and development, implementing new processes for retention,

Everybody faces fear at one time or another, it’s how you deal with it that makes the difference. That’s what Kyle Dean Houston and I discuss in this episode. Fear Happens to all of Us Most people that have ever achieved anything realized that they have to move outside of comfort in order to have a transformation. To achieve something, you’re going to have to give something else up. If you want to become exponentially successful, whatever that means to you, you’re going to have to face extreme discomfort. Kyle believes that success is complete transformation, understanding what you’re made of, understanding what life’s all about, and the only way to get there is to face fear. The primary competitive advantage he’s seen in the business world is risk because risk is the one thing that people try to mitigate. As human beings we’re programmed to run away from fear. We need to face fear and move towards success. Why People Stay in Their Comfort Zone Primarily because it feels good. As humans we have internal systems that let us know when something feels good or bad. We get rewarded with bursts of serotonin from some things and because that feels good that’s what we want to run towards. Unfortunately, all of those are short term rewards. When we become conscious of this process, we realize that there are also long-term rewards that intuitively we don’t go towards until we start to see success on the horizon. We need to discover that there is pleasure on the other side of fear. The hardest way Kyle realized this is while serving what should have been a 30-year prison sentence; he shares his story in this episode along with how he reintegrated into society without ever doing email before he got out to becoming a Vice President in a two billion dollar publicly traded company. How to Get Through Fear Kyle says that he knew to become successful he had to be willing to do what everyone around him wasn’t willing to do. He realized that there was no shortage of excuses for him to quit. He decided he was going to continue to face fear and he was not going to do well for a guy who faced a long prison sentence. He decided that he was going to live up to the standards that he set to himself as a kid, to be happy and successful. Fear became the breadcrumbs leading him to discover what it was that he really wanted. In this episode we also discuss: What fears Kyle is currently facing and how he’s overcoming them. How to build your risk muscle, or risk tolerance. The one thing to do to get started facing your fears. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest               Kyle Dean Houston, author of Patchwork Junkie, is a speaker, author, and coach who is committed to bringing hope into the world. After walking out of prison at thirty-five with no college degree, no network, and having never sent an email, he built a highly successful career as a sales executive in San Francisco. In less than a decade, he went from earning $10 an hour to Vice President in a $2B publicly traded company. He also put multiple companies onto the list of Inc. Magazine’s fastest 500 list. Kyle’s life story is shocking, riveting, and inspiring. He currently lives in Tampa, FL with his wife and two daughters. Learn more about Kyle! www.kyledeanhouston.com  FaceBook - @kyledeanhouston, Instagram - @kyledeanhouston

When you enter the mentoring space, you begin an amazing, life changing journey. How to navigate that journey is what I discuss with Machen MacDonald in this episode. On your journey you’ll be de-storying who you’ve been while storying who you really are. We show up differently in different situations. When you’re trying to change you have a mindset, or a story, of something like “my services aren’t valuable” or “I’m not worthy”. That’s not necessarily true, it’s just a story that you tell yourself. You need to realize that things aren’t happening to you from external sources to your detriment rather than happening for your betterment. That’s the starting point to rewrite your story and change your mindset. “Nothing is good or bad except what we make of it” When events happen, you need to be mindful of the meaning that you associate with those events, good or bad. You can do this by practicing “ADLIB” or “Advance Devine Love In Business”. Love can be found in any situation if you keep an open mind and look for it. Navigating Your Mentoring Journey for Yourself and Others When you begin to work on yourself it’s often because circumstances in your life become so frustrating that you decide to change. That is when mentors will show up if you look for them and welcome them into your life. You can find them by asking for help from people who have already faced your situation and come out on the other side. Approach each person with a compliment that shows you’ve done your research about them; “I read about how you built your business” “I heard you say _______ on a podcast and found it insightful”, etc. They help you go through your trials and tribulations. You eventually achieve the success you were looking for. After you work on yourself and get into a better place it’s time to help others along their journeys. It’s time to share the story of your journey and your new insights and awareness with those in your community that need help. Imagine that you’re a lighthouse. You come back and try to shine your light as bright as you can. That light is going to catch people’s attention that need your specific kind of help. When you are approached by potential mentees the first thing you need to do is set clear expectations. This includes things such as expected time frames to meet, what specific topics you will discuss and why you’ll be discussing them and so on. We also discuss: How to make it easy for potential mentors to say yes to creating mentoring experiences with you. How to guide your mind and create a powerful, positive mindset. How to break out of depressing and downward spiraling situations. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest               For over 20 years, small business owners and leaders seeking heightened clarity, confidence, and certainty have turned to Machen as their trusted guide. With a remarkable track record, Machen has empowered countless elite individuals to optimize their potential and that of their teams, enabling them to accomplish more and reach unprecedented levels of success. Machen's extensive experience as a serial entrepreneur, having successfully launched and sold five businesses, coupled with his 15-year tenure as a highly accomplished financial advisor, forms the foundation of his expertise. In 2004, he founded The ProBrilliance Leadership Institute, where he continues to make a significant impact. Learn more about Machen and get some free resources! https://probrilliance.com/goodness    

If you want to share and clearly communicate your big idea you need to do it in small chunks of information, not a long presentation. Your big idea has to be shared in a small package. You can’t dump a ton of information on people all at once, they’re not ready to process all of that information. You understand your big idea because it sprang to life in your mind. You’ve probably researched it, mulled it over and worked on it for a while. The temptation is to try to share everything you know at once. When people listen to you, they’re tuning in to find out whether your big idea is valuable to them. Because of that you need to compress your big idea into short sound bites that are very relevant and very compelling because the attention span you get from other people is limited. If you try to say too much, you lose the opportunity to fully share your big idea. You start to compress your big idea by asking yourself “Why does this matter to the audience I’m talking to?” You must frame it in a “What’s in it for them?” package, why should THEY care? Strip out 95% of the things you’d like to say and only share the things that are relevant to them, so they’ll do what you want them to do, become a client, support your big idea, etc. It still needs to be a small message even if the solution you’re offering is a complex solution. How to Know What to Cut Out and What to Leave in Consider writing and marketing a book. The title and the subtitle are the hook. The table of contents is the next level of detail; it’s the scannable outline. The rest of the book is the details. The three strata are the main point, overview then the rest of it. This is true for your service offerings, pitches to investors or any other big idea that you’re trying to get across. Consultants are trained to do this all the time, clinical papers are written this way, and so on. This is what Steve calls a “brain friendly approach”. Your listener wants to know what matters right away then, if you’re successful with your communication, they’re prepared to listen to a little bit more. If that works, they’re ready to listen to the details. Most of the time they don’t want a lot of detail, especially right up front. Start With the Bottom Line When people get a chance to present to their target audience, often they try to say too much. What their audience wants often is the “BLUF”, or Bottom-Line Up Front. They don’t have time to wait 30 minutes for you to get to the conclusion. Give them the conclusion immediately and if they’re interested you can dig deeper if you have time. This is why you need a “brain friendly format” so that you get an opportunity to talk about the details when your target audience is receptive to listening to more. “Begin with the end in mind” ~Steven Covey In this episode we also discuss: The four rules of successful communication. The definition of a “Memory Dart” and how to create one. How to create communication agreements. The components of a “Lead Point” and how to create one. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Steve Woodruff is known as the King of Clarity. Thirty-seven years in the front lines of sales, marketing, consulting, and entrepreneurship has uniquely equipped Steve to guide others in the principles and practices of clear and effective communication. He has deep experience in corporate training and workshop facilitation for a wide variety of companies, from startups to Top Five pharma. Steve is the author of the business book Clarity Wins (2018), and the ground-breaking new book The Point (October 2023). He is the father of 5 grown men and lives in Franklin TN with his wife of 42 years. Connecting with Steve Email: steve@stevewoodruff.com Website: https://www.stevewoodruff.com

There’s more to success than “hard work”. If you have the right strategies and mindset, you can manifest amazing things in your personal and professional lives. That’s what I discuss with Melinda Van Fleet in this episode of the Idea Climbing podcast. Melinda is a Intuitive Energetic Business and Leadership Mentor that helps busy leaders and businesspeople achieve next level results (i.e. make more money, feel good) faster while spending less time, frustration, and money on other services/courses/programs that don’t produce the results you desire.   Hard Times Can Turn into Great Times When she was single Melinda listed all the qualities she wanted in a husband, with the important criteria of someone with a hobby. When she met her soon to be husband, he told her he loved fishing more than anything else. That checked a big box. They were soon married and, unfortunately, they were both laid off from their jobs at the same time. They sold off the stuff they didn’t need, packed up and moved to the Florida Keys. They started over completely from scratch with no money, no jobs and no family or friends in the area. Fast forward a couple years, they built a very successful sports fishing business called “Good Karma Sports Fishing”. Melinda built a very successful coaching company and her husband soon followed with his own successful coaching company. It was a journey that started with having a vision. Melinda says that everything wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, there were definitely hard times along the way. How to Start Manifesting Melinda believes that, when done the right way, everything is connected to manifesting. Unfortunately, that’s where the internet can be very misleading. There are a lot of programs out there that make manifesting sound easy. One example is the “just think positive thoughts and you can be rich overnight” effect. Manifestation done the right way starts with having a vision and putting it out there. Then comes clearing through any of the emotional health in terms of overcoming limiting beliefs, clearing blocks and recognizing triggers. Then you focus on what you want to manifest and follow the breadcrumbs that appear for you, which is your intuition. When all those things come together with divine timing that’s when everything manifests. Limiting beliefs are something that will always pop up for people, especially entrepreneurs at different stages of life. They can be dealt with by building extreme awareness where you can look in the mirror and say, “This is a limiting belief” and then work on it. That comes with practice over time. The more you can present and stay away from distractions and noise the better off you will be. You need to stay focused and be aware of your thoughts. It takes a lot of personal drive. Personal drive needs to be developed. Nowadays that is an even bigger challenge because people are getting very comfortable, especially after COVID. People realized they can live within their means and don’t want to face their fears. People don’t want to do the hard work and the hard work is the mental work. How to Ask Yourself the Right Questions You need to ask the hard questions such as “What’s my life going to look like in 10 years if I don’t step up my game?” Having some type of vision and really seeing the future helps. You need to realize that time goes by really fast. Think about the future. Ask questions about the future such as: “Do I want my life to look like this? Do I want to be in debt? Do I not want to be known as a thought leader in my field?” and so on. You need to be aware of your goals and stay grounded in them. That’s the work. In this episode we also discuss: How to know when to run away from something and when to run towards something. Your life is all about the choices you make. We discuss how to make better choices. How to tap into your intuition and develop it. How to eliminate distractions in your life.

Podcasting is about more than just download numbers, which is what most people focus on. Podcasting can be a powerful tool to grow your business if you have the right strategies. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Steve Ramona. Steve discovered his calling at a young age and is now on a mission to share his secret sauce for success. He thrives on forging meaningful connections, sharing referrals, and watching people flourish. His contagious passion for the “Law of Increase” makes his podcast "Doing Business with a Servant's Heart" so successful. This show is chock-full of inspiring stories about overcoming challenges and serving others. Getting Started in Podcasting A few years Steve got involved with a company named Pantheon in a podcasting capacity. Steve asked for advice about how to get started. The owner told Steve “Just start recording, I don’t care how you get started, what you look like or what happens on each episode. Just hit record and have fun with it.” Steve found his first guests through his network. He went to his them and simply said, “I’m launching a podcast, who wants to be a guest?” Steve had 5-10 quick email responses from people, and he was off and running. Steve believes you can use podcasting as a networking tool, even though a lot of people don’t look at it like that. They look at it as getting the guests, getting the downloads, plays, partial plays and other metrics. Networking is a much more powerful reason to have a podcast. Podcasting as a Networking Tool Regarding podcasting as a networking tool Steve pointed out a few things. When you’re on a podcast you laugh, joke, and get to know your guests. You’re also adding value to their lives because you’re promoting them. They’re excited when you get done recording. Then you both start promoting the episode to share both of your messages. It’s a win-win situation. That’s where the “Law of Increase” comes into play. This happens because of the value you’re offering them from being a guest on your podcast. As a guest, you’ve got their attention.  You’ve got them excited about the show that you’re going to be promoting so their energy level is up. Leverage that in a good way by giving them even more value by helping with their business endeavors and their energy goes up even more. That’s networking at its finest. Steve says that giving them business referrals is the gold trophy, but it doesn't have to be referrals. If they have a podcast, you can offer them resources, guests, or marketing ideas. Don’t immediately try to sell them something. Offer free resources, don’t say “Come to my coaching program, it’s only $199 a month.” People are going to want you, love you and need you down the road one way or the other when you provide value to them first. What’s going to happen at the end of the recording and marketing? Most of the time they’re going to ask you “How can I help you?” They might be able to help you find more guests, support your events if you’re in the event space, support a professional community that you’re involved with or any myriad of other things. Let’s look at that in more detail. Have an “Ask” Ready Early on Steve realized that if he wanted to build his business through his podcast, he had to have an “ask” ready when he and his guests were having discussions about helping each other. In the early days of his podcasting career, he felt he was “selling” them if he brought anything up. He soon realized that you’re never selling if you bring value to the relationship. Bringing value is a natural human interaction in successful relationships. Sometimes that value will be your product or service if it can help them solve a problem or advance their business initiatives. It could be asking them with help growing a professional community that you’re involved with, and so on. In another example, your ask could be for help with an event you’re having by asking them to invite their friends.

The wrong name for your product or service can be the difference between success and failure. So, how do you choose the right name? That’s what I discuss in this episode with Alexandra Watkins. Alexandra is a leading and outspoken authority on brand names with buzz. If you have ever eaten a Wendy’s Baconator, you have literally eaten the words. For nearly 20 years, she and her naming firm, Eat My Words, have created love-at-first sight brand names for countless companies including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Disney, Twitter, and Google. Alexandra has always been good with words. When she was younger, she had a role as an advertising copywriter and loved her job. Occasionally, her boss would throw her a bone and she would get to name a product or service. While she enjoyed the work Alexandra had no idea that “naming” was a profession that paid well. When she discovered that it is a lucrative profession around 20 years ago, she decided to take a leap of faith and go all in to the profession. Alexandra has a few acronyms in the book, my favorite two are the SMILE test and the SCRATCH test. Her philosophy is that a name should make you smile instead of scratch your head. People like to “get it” and feel clued in, not clueless. SMILE outlines the qualities of a super sticky name. It’s the five qualities that make a name great. The SMILE Test Suggestive: If it’s suggestive you want your name to suggest a positive brand experience and clue people into what you do. Memorable: Meaning that it’s based on something familiar that people already know as opposed to something unfamiliar and foreign. Imagery: This aids in memory, just like something based on the familiar. Legs: Meaning it lends itself to a theme, it has legs to walk on and carry itself throughout your branding and marketing messaging. Emotional: It’s important that your name makes an emotional connection with your target audience or else it will just go right over their head. What is imagery? Alexandra uses the example of a bike lock company named “Kryptonite”. When you hear the name Kryptonite you can picture something in your head because you’re familiar with kryptonite from Superman. Compare that to a similar U-shaped bike lock named “ABUS”. Your brain has no imagery when it hears that name, so there’s nothing to latch onto. Think about it, you hear that name and then you’re in the bike shop a month later and you’re trying to remember the name, maybe by picturing it. You’re going through your brain’s dusty filing cabinet to retrieve that piece of information. If it’s based on something that’s already in your knowledge base, like Kryptonite, it will be easier to remember if there’s a picture associated with it. Here are two more examples of imagery: The Church of Cupcakes. There are all kinds of things you can imagine for the Church of Cupcakes. It creates a picture in your head. A frozen yogurt franchise that she named “Spoon Me”. It’s funny and memorable and hints at the spoon you get with frozen yogurt. If the name of your product or service fails the SCRATCH test it’s time to scratch it off your list because it makes people scratch their head with confusion. Here’s what the acronym means: The SCRATCH Test Spelling Challenged: If your name looks like a typo scratch it off the list, it will forever frustrate people. Copycat: You don’t want to copy somebody else. Nobody likes copycats; we learned that early on in school. Why be somebody else when you can be yourself? In the bigger picture of things, you don’t want to open yourself up to trademark infringement. Restrictive: This is where you have a name that limits your future growth. You don’t want to get trapped with a name that pigeonholes you into one business if you’re eventually going to be doing something else. Examples include 24-hour fitness. What if eventually they don’t want to be open 24 hours? Another example is 1-800-FLOWERS which sells more than flowers...

Writing great marketing copy is an art form. Many copywriters struggle with brevity; short form copy that packs a marketing punch isn’t the easiest thing in the world to create. If you have the right copywriting and marketing strategies you will get the attention of potential clients, keep it, and convert them into clients. I discuss how to do that in this episode with my guest, Joe Martin. Joe is a Chicago-based business growth consultant who helps companies align their messaging. He has built and exited two companies, while his innovative ideas around work-life balance have been featured on WGN, FOX, and the TEDx stage. Brevity is Your Best Friend in Marketing Joe went to school for design. Part of his responsibility in his professional life after college was marrying the design part of website and marketing material projects with the copywriting part of those projects. He noticed that raising the bar with the copywriting piece often created a bottleneck. Joe would design a beautiful site and then take it to copywriters and ask them to put two sentences on the first page. They would come back with two paragraphs. Ouch. Joe’s goal with the websites he designed was to make them profitable, not just pretty. But how? You need to start by answering these questions: Who is the person you want to get the attention of and what action do you want them to take? Then it comes down to: What do you need to say to get them to take that action? How can you get that point across in one sentence? By focusing on one person. One person? Yes, one person and Joe believes one properly crafted sentence, speaking to your ideal target client, can accomplish that. A question that he gets asked more than anything else is: “How do you decide on who the person you want to talk to is?” Yes, ultimately, you’re going to have more than one client profile. It’s important to pick just one to get started and craft that sentence for them. The one you want to pick is the one you can get to. It’s the one with the best referral network, the one that is going to spend the most money with you, the one that is going to tell all their friends about you. Most importantly, it’s the one that you actually want to work with! Ask and answer: Who do you best help? Design your messaging for them, start there with one person first. Speak to Your Idea Client’s Avatar How do you focus on that one person? By developing your one marketing sentence. You need to start a conversation with that one person. Figure out what you need to say to them. This is important: When you want to create a conversation with one person, you’re listening more than you’re talking. You start by discovering the big problem they have which is why they need your help. That’s the way a great sales conversation goes: “This is the problem you have; we solve that problem, and this is how we do it.” Let’s look at that again: Number one: “If I understand correctly, this is the problem you have.” Number two: “Hey! We solve that specific problem!” Number three: “This is how we do it…” You Have Their Attention. Now What? The purpose of websites has changed in recent years. Websites were originally digital storefronts. The change is now that the highest converting websites act more like a digital salesperson than they do a digital storefront. Now it’s figuring out what we need to say to that person to get them to take the next action. Often the action is they need to get on the phone and talk to somebody. In that case you need to make that first call to action to get them to make that call. If that’s the case the first button shouldn’t say, “our services” and lead to a page of long copy most people won’t read. Let’s not have that first button say, "learn more”. Tell them exactly what you want them to do, which is schedule a call. This is why you should work with us, and this is the action I want you to take. Get them on the phone with a link to schedule a call ...

There's an artform to marketing yourself at virtual events. They should be treated with the same professionalism as live events if you want to market yourself successfully. That’s what I discuss in this episode with serial entrepreneur Daniel Ruke, better known as Ruke. Ruke has been doing 100% virtual networking for six years now. He believes that it’s the quickest and easiest way to build your brand. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand the power of virtual networking and how to successfully engage with people at virtual events.   Consider advertising; brands need repetition to get in front of their audiences. Statistics say you need to see a brand eight times before you buy whatever they’re selling. TV commercials, radio commercials and print ads are all doing the same thing. Eventually you investigate the product or service that you’ve seen eight or more times. When you’re networking virtually you get to show up to the same groups multiple times. When you do show up multiple times, you’re getting that repetition that leads to branding and marketing results. Here's another thing that most people don’t understand: At virtual events people are watching you like a television show. The power of that is you get to control what you people are seeing. That means you have control over your brand image at events. It’s important to understand that because people get curious. What books is he reading? What’s that in his background? You can show off your brand every time. That’s the greatest branding opportunity that you can do for your business at virtual events. Most people don’t take advantage of that. Personally, I’ve realized that having my book (Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea) behind me is product placement while I’m networking. Yet many people don’t think about creating opportunities like that. In this episode we also discuss: The most common (and damaging) mistakes people make at virtual networking events and how to avoid them. Why you have to value yourself before anyone else will value you or your services. How to create a professional online environment. How to present yourself and create marketing conversations in breakout rooms. What a successful "30-second commercial" looks like and how to create yours. The balance between marketing and sales. How to create Superfans that will refer you business again and again. ...and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             RUKE is the founder of multiple companies that brings your intellectual property to life. They take Brands through the flow of create, monetize, and scale... handling their branding, marketing, and sales. 🎉 PROUD MOMENTS RUKE’s companies have worked with Intellectual Properties of: Disney, Marvel, Lionsgate Entertainment, Epic Games, and Chico’s He and his team have Successfully Launched: 200+ Products, Services, and Brands Over the Last 24+ Years Has 10 Inventions and Received a Patent for: “A System and Method for Providing a Multi-Players game Experience” in a physical space, bringing video games to life. …………… 🤘FUN FACTS Has Every Star Wars Toy Since Childhood Privately Trained as an Artist Since the Third Grade Married my Wife 3 Months After 1st Date...It’s been 27+ Years with 4 Daughters - One being Gender-Fluid :) Learn more about Ruke! www.GameChangersAssemble.com www.RUKE.com

Happiness is something most people yearn for, and gratitude helps you create it. How to find and create happiness is important. But most people don’t think about the effect their happiness has on the people around them. You can create a “happiness and gratitude ripple effect” if you have the right strategies. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Phil Gerbyshak.     Phil is the Chief Happiness Officer of Happy AF Now, dedicated to helping organizations and their people work and live a more engaged, more productive and more happy life. His upcoming book 7 Habits of Happy AF People will be out in Q2 of 2024. When deciding on the next phase of his journey Phil considered a lot of topics that he could share with the world. He chose happiness in part because he believes that happiness is an inside job that you control your happiness or lack of happiness. It’s your choice. Over the years he encountered a lot of people that were really unhappy. Maybe unhappy with the right now, unhappy with tomorrow, unhappy with the future and more similar situations. About two years ago Phil decided that, personally, he was going to do something different.  It’s not enough to just be positive, he realized that he had to choose happiness. Which he did and now he’s sharing his journey. In this episode we discuss: Why the starting point of happiness is gratitude. The ripple effect of happiness and gratitude to those around you. How to practice gratitude every day. How to move through and beyond tough times in your life. How to recharge your gratitude and happiness batteries. Why cheering other people on helps you have a better day. Ways to charge other people up intentionally. More of the story behind Phil’s gratitude and happiness journey. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             After studying sales for the past 20 years, Phil Gerbyshak realized the reason people aren't as engaged and productive as they could be is simple: it's because they don't know how to be Happy AF. So Phil saw a need and dove headfirst into studying happiness experts like Dr. Martin Seligman, Mister Rogers and Ted Lasso. Now Phil speaks about how organizations and their people can be Happy AF to be more resilient, more productive and more engaged. Sign up for the Happy AF Blog at https://HappyAFnow.com and listen to the Happy AF Show podcast at https://HappyAFShow.com

It takes a lot more than a traditional business plan to design a business. It involves surrounding yourself with the right people, community building, marketing outreach and more. It’s possible to do it with the right strategies. That’s what I discuss in this episode with Colleen Biggs. Colleen is a 22-year Business Strategist who empowers Business Leaders to expand their influence through Peak Performance Habits to attract the right clients and drive more profits.  She has launched over 340 businesses, is a Keynote Speaker, Author to 7 #1 International Best-Sellers. Colleen grew up in a very chaotic, unstable household. She believes that when you feel like that as a child you take control of the things you can control. From the time she was a child she felt that she really needed to create that stability for herself because she craved it. Her mom said you grow up, you get a job, you have babies and you’re a homemaker like her mom was. Colleen decided she needed to design a life that looks different than that. She’s been designing her life from that point forward and become a victor instead of a victim. In this episode we discuss: How colleen built multiple companies and balanced her personal and professional lives. Why entrepreneurs can’t be “lone wolves” and how to create your support system. What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. What you need to decide before starting a business. The one ingredient that all successful businesses have in common. Examples of how to create your ideal client profile and then find them. How to build your own community of influencers, clients, and referral sources. What opportunities to say “no” to as you grow. How to choose what professional organizations to become a part of. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Colleen Biggs is a 22-year Business Strategist who empowers Business Leaders to expand their influence through Peak Performance Habits to attract the right clients and drive more profits. She has launched over 340 businesses, is a Keynote Speaker, Author to 7 #1 International Best-Sellers with the latest being Step Into the Spotlight to Expand Your Influence, the CEO and founder of the Leap Community, and was awarded the Most Inspirational Leaders in Business and Entrepreneur of the year in 2023. Colleen serves as the CEO of three businesses including Lead Up for Women, a community that boasts tens of thousands of female entrepreneurs that are driven by their passions, support and promote others with purpose to fuel female voices with power that are leading the way for all women world-wide to dominate the entrepreneurial market. Colleen provides women with a community of entrepreneurs who take the leap daily and realize that their network is their Net Worth. A special download for those solopreneurs to get started with a 30-day business plan on me for free! https://qj979.infusionsoft.app/app/form/business-action-plan https://colleenbiggs.net/ https://linktr.ee/ColleenJaneBiggs Checkout the Leap Community: https://colleenbiggs.net/Community Connect with Colleen here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colleen.s.biggs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-biggs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenbiggs/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeapwithColleen TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@colleenjanebiggs Connect with the Leap Community on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/310881170189409 Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ColleenBiggs

Public speaking is a great way to grow your business if you have the right strategies. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Mike Domitrz. Mike is a Hall of Fame Speaker, author and Founder of the Center for Respect and conducts keynotes and workshops for tens of thousands of people each year. Now through his unique weekend retreats for leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs, Mike is helping passionate trailblazers become more impactful speakers.     Mike believes that what you were taught in public schools about speaking is the worst advice to follow. You learn things like, “Tell them what you want them to do, then tell them which way to do it”. It’s so robotic, audiences do not connect to that. Mike believes you must authentically connect with your audiences. How to Engage with Your Audience the Right Way Start with a question. Most speakers start with a story. By asking a question and letting the audience answer it, you can set the stage for your whole speech. You’ll know what they want to talk about. The people in your audience have a struggle. They’ve been using a belief system that has led them continually back to the same struggle and they have falsely believed their old system will get them past that struggle. You must break them from those beliefs and help them realize those are false myths. When you have a conversation that starts with a question your audience is making a discovery instead of you proving something to them. When you’re a speaker trying to be the smartest person in the room, nobody likes that. When you are simply helping them realize something themselves, and they’re the brilliant ones, your message hits home with them and they remember it. In this episode we also discuss: How to align your mission with your speech before getting in front of an audience. How to share your mission without coming across as “salesy”. How to craft a mission that is worthy of being shared. How to define and find your target audience(s). The components of a successful speech. Ways to get speaking engagements as an unknown speaker. As an entrepreneur, how to build a speaking career that builds your business. Common mistakes that speakers make and how to avoid them. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Decades before mainstream America was discussing "Asking First" or sexual harassment cases were on the cover of every major media publication, Domitrz was being brought in by leading educational institutions and the U.S. military to help them pursue a new standard of consent and respect. With Mike being the author of 3 books and an award-winning DVD, he is considered one of the leading influencers and thought-leaders on the topic of Respect. You may have seen Mike on NBC Dateline as a featured subject matter expert or being quoted in international news publications such as Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. He is continuously being sought out for his proven track record of helping shift the paradigm for people. In 2003, Mike founded what is now The Center for Respect which conducts keynotes and workshops for tens of thousands each year. Mike's extensive experience enables him to connect with audiences of all ages in honest, unique conversations that are always built on creating positive behavioral change for each individual and the organization as a whole. Imagine teaching 15-year-olds about “Asking First” and then later that same day talking with CEOs about creating mutually amazing relationships in the workplace. And now in his unique weekend retreats for leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs, Mike is helping passionate trailblazers to be more impactful speakers. Link to Website: www.CenterForRespect.com Links to Social Media: www.Instagram.com/MikeRespects www.

Even small businesses can become trusted brands with the right strategies. I discuss how to do that in this episode with my guest, Bryan Kramer. Called the “Zen Master to Digital Marketers” by Forbes, Bryan is a renowned business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive trainer and coach, investor, two-time bestselling author including a TOP 150 USA best-selling book, and Forbes contributor.     Bryan came up with the topic of the brand connection to business owners because every level of branding (including the US government, go figure) is at the lowest level it’s ever been. Bryan saw an opportunity to reshape what trust means to us. Why Trust is at an All Time Low and What Can Be Done About it The idea around Bryan’s research about why trust is really low stems from the fact that, today, we have so many options. We’re the “fickle customer era”. We don’t have to go to the product anymore, the product comes to us. If you’re a service provider that makes a mistake or takes trust for granted, it’s easy for us to highlight that so much more with social media. When someone has a bad experience and they go to social media, it makes us as viewers to think “I had a similar experience. Maybe I should think about switching services.” The brand loyalty that we once knew has dissipated. Social media is a magnifying glass on the fickle customer. Brand relationships now go beyond the traditional “raving fan” because of accessibility. We want deeper relationships with brands these days, almost like a best friend. When we have that best friend relationship that’s when we’re going to be brand loyal. In this episode we also discuss: The starting point for even smaller entrepreneurs to become trusted brands. The three pillars that all trusted brands share. Why simplicity rules when building your brand. How to bake the “best friend effect” into your brand experience. Mistakes entrepreneurs make while building their brands and how to avoid them. Strategies entrepreneurs can leverage to pass the “Trust Barometer Test”. Why there is no way to fake trust into your marketing. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest               Called the “Zen Master to Digital Marketers” by Forbes, Bryan Kramer is a renowned business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive trainer and coach, investor, two-time bestselling author including a TOP 150 USA best-selling book, and Forbes contributor. Bryan also created a global movement and is known for his keynotes, book, and talks on “There Is No BtoB or B2C: It’s Human-to-Human, H2H. He is the CEO of H2H Companies, an executive coaching company, and co-owner of PureMatter, a Silicon Valley marketing agency founded in 2001, which earned a spot as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies” three years in a row by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Learn more about Bryan here

Overcoming adversity and creating peak performance states often go hand in hand. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Jennifer Watson. Jennifer, founder of Watson Worldwide, overcame years of debilitating depression to become an integrative physical therapist, entrepreneur of 6+ figure businesses, a TEDx speaker and now an international speaker & coach.     Jennifer has been a high performer for most of her life. She went to the University of Wisconsin, Madison on a full ride scholarship for track and field and became a two-time All American in middle distance. That became the beginning of her journey in being a high performer as an adult. She had achieved the traditional form of high performance. Unfortunately, what this often looked like was burn yourself to the ground, push through the emotions, push through the pain physically, mentally, and emotionally. Rinse and repeat. That worked for a while and what happened when she went into other areas of her life as a high performer, she started breaking down mentally, emotionally, and physically in the personal and business world. She stepped back and asked, “Is there a way to sustainably high perform during growth and adversity and get more acceleration in her performance by doing it a different way?” The answer was absolutely “Yes!”. That led to her career as a successful entrepreneur and coach to other high performers. Climbing Out of the Hole and Repairing the Breakdown At first, the more Jennifer pushed the more she felt anxiety and depression. She often felt alone, mental health was more taboo then than it is now. Now there are more resources available to you. She picked herself up by the bootstraps, did her research and stepped out and spoke with people about it. She found modalities to help people accelerate getting out of the proverbial hole and, before she started to sink again, she remedied the problem, so it didn’t become a big problem. That lead her to new strategies that she now teaches to other high performers. In this episode we discuss: How to first pick yourself up by the mental health bootstraps. How to combine traditional and wholistic approaches to mental and physical health. The art and science of “neuro-rewiring” and how to apply it in your life. How to grow during times of adversity. How to shift from just “feeling good” to a mental and physical state of peak performance. How to change your relationship with yourself by changing how you talk about yourself. How to stay higher and longer in a peak performance state. Why doing less on stressful days can lead to a healthier environment. How to create a calm state of mind that leads to higher productivity. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Jennifer Watson, MPT, I.M.T.,C., speaker, healer, and visionary on a mission to help leaders heal and accelerate their deeper purpose of impact through shifting their mental-emotional state and optimizing healthy high-performance leadership. As a former D1 athlete and 2x All-American, Jennifer, founder of Watson Worldwide, overcame years of debilitating depression to become an integrative physical therapist, entrepreneur of 6+ figure businesses, a TEDx speaker and now an international speaker & coach. Jennifer’s ultimate goal in life is to be known for the healing she gave, the love she showed and the hope she gave to all that they can truly live their highest potential life. In her spare time, she loves to dance, run, play tennis, read and hang-out with her amazing friends and beautiful nieces and nephews. Jennifer's Social Media Links: https://www.instagram.com/thejenniferwatson https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-watson-6b08b9121 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmyNWqvZHr0B1Gxe8t5PW0g

There’s a LOT more to improv than entertaining shows. It has many implications to create networking and communication experiences in the business world. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, Mike Weaver. Mike’s been an actor in improv theater since 2003 and a member of the Applied Improvisation Network since 2007.  He leverages his coaching certifications, membership in the Applied Improvisation Network, and over 20 years of pastoral leadership to powerfully serve his clients.     A couple decades ago Mike out getting ice cream with his son and saw a flier on the wall for an improv workshop for professionals. It promised to improve your public speaking skills, enhance communication skills, make you a better leader, and so on. Mike thought “That all applies to me, I don’t know about improv, I think I’ll take a class.” It was in a studio below some theaters in Columbus, Ohio, taught by an actress from New York City. After that first improv class Mike was hooked. He realized at that moment he had been “doing improv” all his life, but he didn’t have a name for it until then. Improv gave Mike permission now to be himself, co-create experiences, have fun, and make something meaningful in a creative way with other people that are all in the process together. Immediately after his first class he signed up for the second level class and from there kept taking classes. To this day he still takes classes because there’s always something to learn. What You Might Not Know about Improv A lot of times people immediately associate comedy with improv. While improv can be funny, it doesn’t have to be. Mike’s seen comedy improv, dramatic improv, and everything in between. It’s all about having an honest conversation in the moment and that honesty is what got him. The biggest misconception is that improv is just about being funny, or its about standup comedy and being clever on stage and that’s not it at all. Another misconception is people thinking “I can’t take improv because I’m not in theater, or I haven’t taken acting classes, etc.” That’s not it. It’s about showing up and being present. That’s a human skill, it’s not necessarily a skill that professionals have. What happens is you start sharpening that skill as you learn.  Everyone can have those skills to listen, be present, to focus, and more. We also discuss: Everyday human skills you can learn through improv. How improv teaches you to be present and live in the moment. How improv can teach entrepreneurs listening skills for client meetings. The difference between traditional improv and applied improv for business. What improv can teach you about creating successful collaborative experiences. How to use improv in everyday conversations. How improv applies to networking in the business world. The power of responding to people instead of reacting to them. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Mike Weaver is the author of "Unstuck: Amazing Momentum for Christian Leaders through Improv" and has been a certified coach since 2015, specializing in empowering leaders to maximize their potential, amplify their influence, and leave a lasting legacy. He’s been an actor in improv theater since 2003 and a member of the Applied Improvisation Network since 2007. He leverages his coaching certifications, membership in the Applied Improvisation Network, and over 20 years of pastoral leadership to powerfully serve his clients. Learn more about Mike! www.unstuckcoaching.co Want to learn more about improv in the business world? Check out "How to Use Improv to Improve Business Communications with Bill Prinzivalli"

Creating a stronger, more profitable online presence takes skill. We discuss how to do that in this episode with my guest Michael Buzinski. Michael is a decorated US Air Force veteran, he has built several small businesses (two multi-million dollar ventures) and marketed for over 1200 companies, best-selling author, and host of the top 1% podcast “the Buzzworthy Marketing Show”.     Reluctance to be in the food industry as a teenager pushed Michael into sales and, eventually, marketing. Many people start in sales to get into marketing because that’s where you can start without any experience. If you have the gift of gab, you can pretty much sell anything, especially if you have empathy and you can be taught. Michael was a very teachable person at a young age. As he got higher into the sales world, he ended up moving into marketing. Michael loves marketing because it is a continual learning adventure. After his tour in the Air Force Michael became a small business owner. Because of this, he has a huge respect for small business owners and entrepreneurs because he knows how hard it is to get started and there’s nothing out there helping us. Small business owners are on their own. They never say no, they never give up, they fight for what they believe in and those are the people that he likes to be around. The Biggest Marketing Mistake that Entrepreneurs Make Online The biggest thing, especially now with AI, is that people overcomplicate things. Everybody is looking for the next big thing in marketing, so they end up with a lot of random tactics. Michael believes that “Sound strategy aways beats blind tactics”. When Michael started his marketing firm back in 2005, what we have today with social media tools for marketing was nonexistent. Now we have all these shiny things. Unfortunately, people don’t have a good strategy and so marketers and agencies for years have overcomplicated the process. It comes from the enterprise level of looking at marketing where there’s so many moving parts. At that level there are too many complexities in tracking Key performance Indicators (KPIs) for marketing initiatives. Small business owners don’t need all those KPIs. They can get more traffic and even double their traffic and profits with the right strategies. All the traffic in the world means nothing if it doesn't convert. We discuss how to do that. We cover topics such as: Where a sound marketing strategy begins and how to get started. How to define a clear target market. What you should be tracking online to learn what’s working and what’s not working. What vanity metrics are and why they’re misleading. The three KPIs that have the most impact on your business and marketing initiatives. How to double your revenue using three key strategies. How to know what marketing tactics to stop How to recognize your target market’s buying cycle and map out your clients’ value journey. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Michael Buzinski is a decorated US Air Force veteran, serial entrepreneur, digital marketing thought leader, international speaker, best-selling author, and host of the top 1% podcast the Buzzworthy Marketing Show. He has built several small businesses (two multi-million dollar ventures), and marketed for over 1200 companies. Dubbed a “marketing visionary” by the American Marketing Association, Michael is on a mission to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty by simplifying the digital marketing strategy process with the Rule of 26. His revolutionary approach helps business owners avoid the time drain and frustration of managing profitable digital marketing campaigns. Connect with Michael! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbuzinski/ Rule of 26 (book): https://www.rulof26.com

If you want to create a online marketing strategy, you need to successfully combine strategies with tactics. I discuss how to do that with my guest, Erin Marcus. Erin is the founder and CEO of Conquer Your Business, an international company helping driven entrepreneurs and small business owners get the financial and emotional freedom they need to build a business and a life they're proud of.     First Things First One of the important things to understand as an entrepreneur is your business will never outgrow you. The idea of the inner work never being done is just important to accept. Erin works at the intersection of where what you need to do meets who you need to be to do it. When working on your marketing plans and business plans you need to rearrange what you’re doing to uncover new opportunities. The truth of the matter is that the plan doesn’t matter if you can’t take action based on the plan. If you can’t do the things that it would take to get things done, then those are the wrong things, and they need to change. As Erin works with her clients who are experiencing amazing growth in their business, and what she sees happen time and time again is instead of looking for what you need to do, and we’re talking about marketing tactics here, you really need to ask yourself “Why that particular tactic?”. Tactics are almost the last things you figure out. It’s strategy first, tactics later every time. Success Lies with Your Strategies Many entrepreneurs try to solve business issues with marketing tactics and every business issue needs marketing tactics as part of their strategy. You need to know what you want first. For example, “I want to grow my business” means getting more clients. Then the question becomes “How do I get those clients?" I’ll try XYZ marketing tactic. She calls them one-size-fits-all-soon-to-be-obsolete-insta-tactics. If you ask yourself “Why this tactic?” None of those tactics are wrong or bad, they’re all fantastic; as long as they’re the right ones for you. By answering “Why this tactic?” and aligning them with a strategy, you can decide which ones to engage and which ones to leave behind. That’s where you start. In this episode we also discuss: How your “inner work” helps you decide which strategies and tactics to adopt. Why the “inner work" is making your decisions from a place of abundance, expansion, and growth. The structure of making good marketing decisions. How not to become susceptible to every “guru’s” marketing advice. How to come from a place of inspiration instead of desperation. How to find and ask the “right why”. How to learn about and notice your own “buzzy roller coaster” feelings. How to pick the right marketing strategies and tactics and say no to the rest. Why your business must have a strong online presence and how to create one. How to choose which online platforms to build your business on. …and more golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Erin Marcus is the founder and CEO of Conquer Your Business, an international company helping driven entrepreneurs and small business owners get the financial and emotional freedom they need to build a business and a life they're proud of. Having made the successful leap from corporate executive to entrepreneur, Erin uses that experience, along with her MBA education and street smart upbringing, to help her clients reach heights they never dreamed possible. And have fun doing it! Get to know Erin! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLFD-aM6LmA10FQrFC_QchQ https://conqueryourbusiness.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmarcusconqueryourbusiness/

If you want to accelerate the growth of your business, storytelling is one of the best ways to do it. That’s what I discuss in this episode with my guest, John Hetherington. John is an entrepreneur and international speaker teaching entrepreneurs how to leverage storytelling to grow their business.     After John graduated with a degree in electrical engineering his career started in financial services. He believed that you get further by working harder. Work long hours, be first at the desk and last to leave. That’s what he did and he watched people getting promoted over him time and time again. What he realized is that you share your value through stories. That realization lead him to start his own business. It became teaching people that success is all about how you convey your story, share your message and put your value across. John studied a lot of movies that demonstrated the classic “hero’s journey”. What he found is that doesn’t always translate into the business world. John created frameworks which break down how to tell stories and get your message across. It Starts with You Before you share stories with other people it starts with the story that you tell yourself. If the story in your head is I can only achieve this, I can only achieve a certain level of revenue, ultimately you’re limiting your behaviors and your potential. The technology sector was all about finding problems and fixing them. When John started his business, he realized that to succeed you also have to focus on opportunities and share your grander vision. The story really starts with what you tell yourself every day, every morning. The Four “P’s” to Create a Powerful Start to Your Day It starts with a daily productivity plan by setting yourself up for success. Before you start with email, before you start with meetings, sit down and write out what you want to achieve for the day. If you’re starting your day off the right way the rest of your day tends to flow better. When you immediately dive into emails and receive a bad email, that sets the tone for the day. You need to prevent that from happening. You start by connecting with your purpose, then the project(s) you’re going to focus on, then the people who do you need to reach out to, and finally your priorities, or your to-do list. From there you set aside time on your calendar for those four “P’s” and you’re off to a great start. We also discuss: How to create an “insight sandwich” to get your message across in presentations. How to create successful growth projects. How to craft your story to appeal to different types of people. The importance of having and sharing a clear vision. Why you need to tell stories instead of just sharing data. What makes a good “hook” to get your audiences’ attention. The first thing you need to do after you get your audiences' attention. The components of a great story. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             John Hetherington is a Technology Strategist, International Speaker and founder of We Deliver Your Vision. He is an expert in using to Technology to scale business and grow revenue and he helps Entrepreneurs use Storytelling to accelerate business growth. John has 10 years strategic consulting experience with Deloitte and Ernst & Young and 25 years delivering technology projects in UK and Canada. He lives in Calgary but travels around the world for his clients and speaking. Connect with John on LinkedIn Learn more about John's company, "We Deliver Your Business" Click here for more outstanding interviews with entrepreneurs and thought leaders!

I’m excited to have the King of Sales, Jeffrey Gitomer, as my guest for my 100th episode. We’re discussing some of his golden nuggets of sales advice from his 20+ years of experience. Jeffrey’s books have appeared on major bestseller lists more than 500 times and have sold millions of copies Worldwide. Jeffrey has also delivered over 2,500 speeches worldwide. He was awarded the designation of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) by the National Speakers Association. The CSP award has been given fewer than 500 times in the past 25 years and is the association's highest earned designation.     It's Not about "Pain Points" First, we dive into a common fallacy: Sales is about finding your potential clients’ pain points. When it comes to finding pain points, Jeffrey says his response is “It’s none of your business.” His pain is none of your business. If your prospect tells you their pain, it’s because they’re volunteering it. If you ask them for their pain, it’s none of your business. In sales, people say, “It’s all about the pain points” and Jeffrey says they’re all wrong. Jeffrey does just the opposite, he’s going to start with the pleasure. He’d rather find out where they went to college, where they went on their last vacation and so on. Jeffrey wants to discover things that he may have in common with them because he doesn’t have their pain in common. He’s going to go beyond pain and then he’s going to go beyond pleasure and find shared values. It's all about Shared Values If you can find those shared values, you can create a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your prospect. It’s about finding a shared value, not starting with a shared value. You don’t know what the shared value is until you start to talk about it; but you’re not going to discover it if you’re trying to find out what’s wrong with the person you’re talking to. You need to ask better questions. In this episode Jeffrey shares how to do that and we also discuss: Why salespeople need to understand where they get their opinions from. What makes a good (and bad) sales manager. Why you need to understand that sales isn’t about selling and what it’s really Why “normal conversation” wins over “sales conversation” every time. How to start a sales conversation with humor to drive the conversation forward. How to present yourself as a relatable person to close the deal. How to know when to stop selling and start closing. The best question to ask a decision maker as soon as you walk in the door. More questions to ask to close the deal faster. Nuggets of wisdom such as “sales are not made by telling, they’re made by asking” …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Black Book of connections, and The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. Jeffrey's books have appeared on major bestseller lists more than 500 times and have sold millions of copies Worldwide. Jeffrey gives public and customized corporate seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts live and virtual training programs on selling, YES! Attitude, trust, customer service and customer loyalty, and personal development. Jeffrey has delivered over 2,500 personalized and customized speeches worldwide. His "Insiders Club" and "Sales Mastery Program" have become the go-to place for sales content, coaching and community. They contain Jeffrey's practical sales information, strategies, and ideas that start with a skills-based assessment and real-world lessons. Ongoing sales motivation and reinforcement to help salespeople learn more to earn more. In August 2008, Jeffrey was inducted into the National Speakers Association's Speaker Hall of Fame.

I’m excited to have the King of Sales, Jeffrey Gitomer, as my guest again for part two of this interview. We’re discussing some of his golden nuggets of sales advice from 20+ years of experience. Jeffrey’s books have appeared on major bestseller lists more than 500 times and have sold millions of copies Worldwide. Jeffrey has also delivered over 2,500 speeches worldwide. He was awarded the designation of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) by the National Speakers Association. The CSP award has been given fewer than 500 times in the past 25 years and is the association's highest earned designation.     Successful Sales Presentations When it comes to sales presentations you need to approach them the right way. Jeffrey makes the clear distinction that you need to come in with an idea, not a pitch, especially if you’re selling a service. When it comes time to have the sales conversation, he shares how to eliminate your competition. You need to say something like: “Mr. Jones, the last time you hired a consultant, tell me about the ideas they brought in. Tell me about the things that sparked you to hire them” and listen closely to the response. Continue with: “I have a couple of ideas today that I’ve brought with me. All I’m asking is if you like them, you run with them, fair enough?” That could be enough to close the sale. Let’s use training for another example. Usually, it’s a guy in a classroom setting, pontificating about a few ideas that he thinks you need to be aware of. But Jeffrey’s approach and conversation is entirely different. He tells his prospect “If you want your people trained, we’re going to call your top ten customers and set something up. We’re going to hire three new people and have them work one day at each of the top ten customers for free. At the end of two weeks, you’re going to know why the customer bought, how they use what you sell, and some ideas about what you can take to another customer because you’re going to know why the previous customers bought from you.” He then continues with: “Your salespeople are going to walk into the next prospects’ offices and say, ‘Would you like to know why the last ten people bought from us?’ and they’re going to make the sale because of their unique approach.” That’s sales strategy gold right there! In this episode we continue our discussion about topics such as: What’s wrong with most marketing campaigns and how to fix those problems. The difference between outcomes and results and why outcomes are better to present. Some critical questions you need to ask decision makers to get them to buy your services. The two things that make a “good idea” to present to potential clients. What are you doing together with people that you can relate to so that you can have experiences to share? How to eliminate your sales slide deck and replace it with shared experiences and shared values. Why traditional “discovery calls” are a waste of your time and your prospect’s time. What first time calls should look like and who they should be with. Why picking up the phone and calling a prospect for the first-time trumps email and social media. How to understand why people buy instead of trying traditional sales tactics. Why finding shared values is better than getting “rapport”. How to be perceived as a person of value, not just another salesperson. The line you should open with during first time meetings. …and other golden nuggets of advice! You can get my book here: “Idea Climbing: How to Create a Support System for Your Next Big Idea”         About the Guest             Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Black Book of connections, and The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. Jeffrey’s books have appeared on major bestseller lists more than 500 times and have sold millions of c...